Bates Athletics

Our Writer-in-Residence Tom has been quite busy on the swim team. Check out Bates Swimming stats along with other athletic events here

Cooking for one in Edinburgh

It’s been a week since I arrived in Edinburgh! Although “settled” is a vague term, I’ve more or less settled into a routine here, and it’s been wonderful and new. I finally recovered from jet lag, and can therefore (more or less) function as a normal human being, which helps quite a bit when it comes to making friends. I’m living in a flat with three other girls, and we’ve got a kitchen! What a thrilling thing for a lover of cooking! In my living situation, I have not only the ability to cook meals for myself, it’s necessity. The result, so far, has been some pretty unorthodox-yet-delicious dishes. I’ve never had so much say in what I eat, and it’s truly very powerful. Here’s a little peak at what I mean- I’m confident you’ll understand what I mean by unorthodox… For the recipe and photos from Scotland continue here

From a Third-Floor Flat in Scotland

Today was my first day abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland. Before this weary traveller goes to sleep, I thought I’d share a few thoughts as this long and magnificent day comes to an end.

This ‘day’ was actually a marathon of days, starting yesterday afternoon when I arrived at Newark airport and tearily bid farewell to my parents at the international terminal. One look at the inhabitants of Gate 80, however, showed me that I was far from being alone in my travels. Nearly every other seat was occupied by a bright-eyed and nervous-looking American college student, bound for the University of Edinburgh, just as I was. Some flipped frantically through travel documents, while others exchanged goodbyes with family members on their cell phones. Read more

Monica gets to return to China to complete thesis research

China for 2 weeks: preliminary thoughts

As i pack the final touches and get ready to see domodovo on the way to the beautifully smoggy city I call my third home, it’s no wonder that I get a little bit anxious.

What to pack, what to buy, what to do when in Beijing, home for four months exactly a year ago?

As always a book for the 19 hour flight
Is a must in my case it’s middlesex by Geoffrey Eugenides. But past that one memory that sticks out about that city and has impacted my packing is the weather. It’s cold. And when I mean cold , let us remember that I’m a very happy Batesie. A girl used to the winter. Enough said right?! Read More

Auld Lang Syne? Totally Scottish.

Happy 2012!

Amidst the revel and celebration that marks the beginning of a new year, I’ve found myself steeped in awe; in less than two weeks, I’ll be boarding a plane to Edinburgh, Scotland for a semester abroad at Edinburgh University. My winter vacation has been oddly reminiscent of the summer before starting college- I’ve been signing up for orientation events, choosing my housing situation, and (my Geology professors would approve) looking at countless Google Earth satellite images of the city to which I’m headed…Click here to read more

Follow Margaret Through Scotland!

About 2/3 of Bates students study abroad. One of our writers in residence, Margaret, is part of that statistic. Follow her abroad adventures here

Nora on President-elect Clayton Spencer

“Here’s my big shocker, though. I know Clayton Spencer. I have known her since I was six or seven years old. And I was just as surprised as everyone else when this was announced! Both of our families live in Winchester, Massachusetts and in elementary school, her son was very close with my older brother. Our parents got along well, and we even visited them at their vacation home in Maine once. I was on the field hockey and track teams with her daughter in high school. I always thought of her as extremely intelligent, but she was in some ways, just another mom in parental sphere of my younger life.” more

New Leadership at Bates: President-elect Clayton Spencer

By looking at the website, you will see a new face at Bates.
This has only happened 7 times previously in Bates History (more than 150 years). Her name is Clayton Spencer, and she defines the 8th time this has happened. Clayton Spencer is the Bates President. She will start her new role at Bates in July 2012.

Please read the remarks, descriptions, and watch the videos relating to our newest addition to the Bates Community. We are all excited for this new era of leadership.

“The Bates Board of Trustees has unanimously and enthusiastically agreed that Clayton Spencer is the best possible choice to lead Bates at this key time in the college’s history. She is a true national leader in higher education, and she understands Bates in a very personal way, endorsing its innovative approach to the academic curriculum and its unpretentious ambition for excellence in all aspects of the liberal arts experience in the 21st century.” — Michael W. Bonney ’80, chair of the Bates College Board of Trustees

Bates Traditions: Harvest Dinner and Trashion show

Tonight our dining hall, commons, was host to the most exciting culinary event of the Bates Calendar, Harvest Dinner! The Harvest dinner is always the Wednesday before Thanksgiving break (yup, we get the WHOLE week off) and is a makeshift thanksgiving dinner with even more food than we have at my very large family gatherings. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t enjoy a good turkey dinner, and this one in particular really hits the spot. At this point, we’ve been eating the regular commons food (as amazing as it may be) for about two months straight. Anyone would need a break from that, and the Harvest Dinner is the perfect way to splurge with some real strawberries and fancy cheese – the kinds of specialties you won’t find on any college campus. Read more from Nora!

Thesis is looming overhead!

Jimmy Watts walks us through thesis:

Long Road Through Thesis Part III