The Bates Student

2008 Commencement Speakers Announced

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

This year's honorary degree recipients will include former Ford Foundation President Susan Berresford, RNA researcher Phillip Sharp, climate change specialist Warren M. Washington and East Asian literary scholar Pauline Yu.

Each will receive their degree and deliver speeches at the College's 142nd Commencement ceremony, which will be held May 25.

3 "PEAP" Grants to Fund Faculty Teaching Projects Involving Community

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Three Bates faculty members have received a total of $11,223 in Publicly Engaged Academic Project (PEAP) grants from the Harward Center for Community Partnerships. The recipients are Myron Beasley, Visiting Assistant Professor of American Cultural Studies and African American Studies, Carol Dilley, Assistant Professor of Dance and Mike Retelle, Professor of Geology.

Farnsworth Gives Kroepsch Award Talk

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Winner of the 2008 Kroepsch Award for Excellence in Teaching, Professor of English Robert Farnsworth spoke last Wednesday on the reciprocal process of understanding poetry. In a talk entitled "Psst!: Poems Teach Themselves," Farnsworth, an accomplished poet, demonstrated his accomplishments through a stimulating articulation of the virtues between teaching and poetry.

Harmsworth-Morrisey Studies History of Representation of Rwandan Genocide in Leftist French and U.S. Newspapers

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Senior Kate Harmsworth-Morrissey is a double major in French and history. Her strong French background influenced her history thesis, which compares media representation of the Rwandan genocide in French and U.S. newspapers over the past 14 years.

Harmsworth-Morrissey first became interested in the Rwandan genocide during her semester abroad in Grenoble, France, last fall.

Independent Study Proves Popular Short Term Alternative

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Most students love Short Term because it is a liberated time when they are allowed to be creative and do their own thing. Yet, there is often confusion among students as to the regulations of Short Term and over who exactly is allowed to remain on campus for access to Dining Services and housing.

Recyclemania! Competition in Home Stretch

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Recyclemania!, a competition that encourages students across campus to recycle at higher rates, is currently in its fifth week. The event runs from Feb. 4 to April 4, excluding the week-long break in February.

Environmental Coordinator Julie Rosenbach, who is leading the effort, said, "Recycling rates in our student residence halls are extremely low, and they are only marginally better in student houses.

Reed, Lots-to-Gardens Program Each Receive Annual Stringfellow Award for Impact on Local Community

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

This year's Stringfellow Award was presented to Erin Reed '08 and the community-based organization Lots-to-Gardens, of which she has been an integral part during her four years at Bates.

The award, named in honor of William Stringfellow '49, is given on an annual basis to a Bates organization or student as well as a Maine organization or citizen that has demonstrated significant work in social justice.

Roger Williams May Be Demolished as Part of Next Construction Phase

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

The Bates College Student Government passed legislation at Monday night's meeting allowing them to re-elect the Vice President of Student Clubs. Previously, only club leaders had the opportunity to vote in these elections. This was problematic because it was deemed a poor representation of the student body, and many representatives voted twice because they are leaders of more then one club.

Bates Rates

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Another year without a perfect bracket

Up...

Mine has Bates in the Final Four.

Time running out to buy Gala outfit

Up and Down...

Make your trip to Salvation Army for a $15 suit or $3 mini-skirt.

Friday's wind storm and power outages

Down...

"Um, Professor? You're not going to believe this.

Claiming Your Education and Your Life

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Let's be honest: college is sometimes not all it's cracked up to be. As much as four years can be filled with memories of hanging out with friends and parties, road trips and travel abroad, college can also be a time of depression and insecurity, of groping blindly ahead in the hope of success and achievement - without fully appreciating what success and achievement really mean or are really worth.

Colby's Blevins Concludes English Department Reading Series

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

In the last installment of the English Department's reading series last Thursday, acclaimed poet and professor Adrian Blevins came to read her work. The reading attracted many creative writing students and English professors including Rob Farnsworth, who described her poems as edgy, brave and unpredictable, containing "trouble and delight in equal measure.

Digitz

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

168

Points scored by the Denver Nuggets during a game on March 16. The total was a club record for the NBA team. The Seattle Supersonics lost the game, scoring only 116 points.

29

Points scored by Mississippi Valley State in the first round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

Hillary, Barack, and Social Progress in America

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

The 2008 presidential primary season marks the first time in U.S. history that there has been either a viable female candidate or a viable black candidate (assuming we forget for a moment Toni Morrison's 1998 proclamation that Bill Clinton was the "first black president").

LeVasseur Entertains with Great Stage Presence

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Jason LeVasseur returned to the Village Club series stage last Thursday as fearlessly as ever. His performance brought good music, lots of laughs and one enjoyable evening for anyone who stopped by. No matter where he is, LeVasseur is sure to bring the award-winning singing and songwriting for which he is known.

Looking Ahead to the Unknown

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

On a ride home this weekend I realized that the most of who I am today is because of two things: education and parenting. This dual mode of development has pushed me forward through 22 years of life. It has led me here, writing this article instead of doing homework, wondering what I will ever do for a job.

Obama's Inspirational Candor

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

On Tuesday, March 18, Senator Barack Obama delivered one of the most elegant, sweeping addresses on the role of race in American life by a politician in recent history. Remarkable for its candor and truly historic in both nuance and scope, Senator Obama again demonstrated himself to be one of the most inspirational and courageous leaders in his generation.

The Columns That You'll Never Read

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Ah, my last column in The Student. Most graduating columnists end with a sentimental ramble that vaguely resembles a graduation speech, but instead of looking back over my four years I've decided to explain what I'd do with a fifth. I've got a whole lot of ideas left in the tank, and I'm going to dump them out.

The Indifference of Liberalism

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

When was the last time you met someone at Bates who enjoyed the Bush Presidency? Here is a better one: when was the last time you met someone who thought the "War on Terror" or the occupation of Iraq was a smart decision? Takes quite a bit of thinking, right? Aside from the handful of "conservatives" who linger about campus, it is safe to say a majority of Bates students consider themselves "liberals" and tend to agree more with the Democratic Party's current positions on these matters in comparison to those of the Republican Party.

True Life: I am an Insomniac

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

So, as I am writing this article, it is 4:32 a.m. Why am I writing an article at 4:32 a.m., you ask? Good question. Beats me. I'm not frantically trying to make a deadline or anything like that. I just simply can't sleep, and I would rather provide you with an educational experience on the life on an insomniac than continue to watch Tyra Banks define "fierce" on "America's Next Top Model" on YouTube (don't judge, everyone has their guilty pleasures).

"Picasso at the Lapin Agile" Features Dynamic, Well-Timed Hilarity

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

The year is 1904. Pablo Picasso (Rufat Hasanov '09) is three years away from painting his masterpiece "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon" and Albert Einstein (Zach Eaton '11) is a year away from publishing his theory on special relativity. The two, on the verge of ameliorated greatness, are in their mid-20s and highly contemplative about the world around them.

"The Shape of Things" Boasts Inventive and Comedic Direction

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

An art student in search of a culminating thesis, Evelyn (played by Victoria Libby '08) is a deeply contradictive, self-righteous artsy type. She is confident, shrewd and aware of her sex appeal. It is an unfortunate fate that leads her to Adam (David Brustlin '08) - a quiet, less confident lover of literature who is completely unprepared for Evelyn's dominance.

A Need for Better Posture

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

One of my favorite things to do in Commons is to people-watch. I love, love, love to observe people walking to and from their tables socializing with their friends. I look at what they are wearing. Unfortunately, I have also noticed that the majority of girls at Bates College have horrible posture.

Affordable Comfort-Food With No Frills

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

As I stepped into Edward's Restaurant and beheld its clientele (whose median age appeared to be around 75), I worried that the cuisine wouldn't appeal to my 20-ish-year-old friends and me. However, I was soon reminded of the draw that no-frills comfort food has on those of all ages.

Alum Curates Exhibition on Love

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

A combination of eclectic materials such as feathers and shells, gold pieces and brass triangles, coupled with more conventional materials such as canvases and paints, are fused together into a variety of installations in Arturo Lindsay's "Love" exhibition, part of Lindsay's examination of "the power of art to enhance the power of love.

Disturbing, Disappointing, "Doomsday" Lacks Creativity

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

When society breaks down due to the Reaper Virus (a friend pointed out the effects are similar to a Bates Saturday night), the survivors in the now-quarantined Scotland create two rival, evil societies.

The first tribe consists of 20-something, multicolored, Mohawk-adorned individuals who are interested in two things: cannibalism and S&M.

Overheard at Bates

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Maybe by the end of senior year she'll be able to have a decent
hand at poker?
Girl: So... I saw your brother.. he's still a virgin right? I kinda wanted to
do him, but then I realized, HEY, I can't take two v-cards in one week-
end.

Parker, St Patrick's Day

Can college students be any cheaper?
Girl: God, I need to not drink this weekend so my tolerance goes
back down.

Senior Exhibit Debuts Diverse Talents, Unique Styles

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

On April 4, the Bates College Museum of Art will unveil the culminating works of seven graduating studio arts majors. The works, which vary greatly in medium and style, are the results of year-long thesis project?

The goal of the intensive, year-long project is to create a cohesive body of work that stems from intensive exploration and learning.

U2 Fans Perplexed by "18 Singles"

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

U2 doesn't need any sort of compilation album to reinforce their place in music. The band has proven itself by simply not burning out over the decades. Though many strongly dislike Bono, they will find it impossible to deny his significance as a musician.

Unabashed Appreciation of Porn

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Humor me please and try to visualize this scene: a small congregation of students is lounging at the Ronj, some doing homework, others simply enjoying a cup of some socially-acceptable sugar-laden hot liquid that passes for coffee. At some random juncture in a conversation between three gentlemen (let's name them Bert, Ernie and Grover), the subject of porn is covertly introduced.

A Step in the Right Direction

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

With five consecutive losses to start the season, the men's lacrosse team took advantage of two home games to get back in the win column. The Bobcats played two games at MacDuffe Field this past week, one on Wednesday against The University of Southern Maine and a NESCAC game on Saturday against Amherst.

Baseball Sweeps, 2-0 on Weekend

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

After a disappointing opening weekend, Bates baseball improved to a respectable 3-4 after sweeping Saturday's doubleheader against the University of Maine Presque Isle.

While the games were technically home games for the Bobcats, they were played in Darien, Connecticut, due to the condition of fields in Maine.

Bobcat of the Week:

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Eric Hood went 5-7 with 5 runs, 3 RBI, 2 doubles and a 2-run-homerun in Bates' double-header against the University of Maine Presque Isle this weekend. He batted .417 with a slugging percentage of 1.429.

Men's Tennis on Four-Game Winning Streak

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

The men's tennis team finished off another successful week with wins over Colby College and the University of Southern Maine. The Bobcats, who have won four straight matches, are now 7-2 on the season and 7-1 in Division III play.

Bates started off the week with a 7-2 win over NESCAC rival Colby.

Softball Drops Double-Header, Still Winless

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Merely knee-deep in the 2008 schedule, the softball team continues to search for this season's breakthrough victory.

This past weekend, the team welcomed the official start of spring on March 21 with a double-header against Rhode Island College. Facing off on RIC's diamond, Bates was left scoreless in the day's first defeat, which ended 8-0.

The State of Bates Athletics

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Rumors. Bates loves rumors. The Bobcat gossip mill treads faster than Daryl Strawberry tracking a fly ball during his coke phase.

Amidst reports that Commons puts laxatives in our food and E.T.H is actually a fembot, there exists a longstanding Bates rumor that our school has a below average athletic program.

Women's Lacrosse Loses to Amherst, Winless in Conference

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

On Saturday, the women's lacrosse team lost 8-4 to Amherst's Lord Jeffs in Amherst, Mass. The match was just Bates' second in-conference game so far this season.

The game was scoreless for the first three minutes until first-year Briana Gross put Bates on the scoreboard with a goal.

Women's Tennis Beats Colby for First Win

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

The drought has ended.

On Tuesday, March 18, the Bobcats ended a streak of tough losses with an impressive 6-3 victory over in-state rival Colby.

In doubles, top pair Alex Piacquad '10 and Co-Captain Caryn Benisch '09 shut out the competition in a clean 8-0 sweep.