Clam Bake and Common Ground Fair!

Hey all. As promised, here is a longer blog post to catch you up on all things Bates. I’ve finally uploaded pictures from my camera on to my computer so you can actually have a visual image of what I’m writing about. Okay, let’s get down to business:

Last Saturday was the annual fall Clam Bake at Popham Beach. The weather was absolutely beautiful and it seemed like half of Bates was there (Bates offered a free bus though many Batsies drove separately). My friends and I all enjoyed the great weather but I know what you’re all really wondering: how was the food? I mean, let’s be real here, the Clam Bake is all about the food. This year’s cooking staff (Bates Outing Club members and volunteers) did not disappoint. I stuffed myself with lobster, clams, coleslaw, pasta salad, and cookies (there were also burgers, hot dogs, and other options for non-seafood lovers and vegetarians). I think this picture of me passed out next to my plate pretty much says it all. I’m not proud of the photo but I thought it was important I share it:

Moving on from that rather disturbing image… after working my way through another busy week of class, I was excited that the weekend had rolled around again. Friday was low-key but today some friends and I ventured to the Common Ground Fair in Unity, Maine.

The Common Ground Fair is best explained on the event’s website, “[It] allows fairgoers to make connections with a rapidly expanding base of organic farms in the state of Maine. Hundreds of vendors, exhibitors and demonstrators, more than 1,000 volunteers, and tens of thousands of fairgoers will gather to: share knowledge about sustainable living; eat delicious, organic, Maine-grown food; buy and sell beautiful Maine crafts and useful agricultural products; compete in various activities; dance; sing and have a great time.”

I had never been to the fair before (it’s about an hour and a half from campus) but I found it to be a lot of fun. All the food was amazing and I had a great time just walking around and seeing everything the fair had to offer. I was blown away by the number of people there and by the enthusiasm surrounding the event. Check out these pictures I snapped:

 

(There were dozens of tents like these with countless booths where you could buy crafts or learn about local environmental groups and projects)

(There were plenty of farm animals there!)

(Pork sausage, sea salt, fennel, pepper and onion… all organic)

Until next time…

Quick Update…

Hey all. A longer blog will follow this one (probably in a day or so) but just wanted to give you all a quick update. All is well here at Bates. Classes are in full-swing, my IM soccer season is now underway, and the first edition of the Bates Student came out yesterday. The weather has been absolutely beautiful. Summer is still holding on a bit but the cool nights indicate that fall is just around the corner.

Some items of potential interest for perspective students:

Bates has completely redesigned its homepage making it much more accessible and interactive. I recommend exploring the new website. It has a lot to offer.

Check out the Bates Student website, the new edition of the paper should be out now.

Until next time…

Junior Year is Underway…

Hey all. I apologize for the lack of updates of late. The past week has been incredibly busy but I am now finally settling back into my Bates routine and schedule.

Classes started last Wednesday and I have really been enjoying my four courses. African Slavery in the Americas has already opened my eyes to a lot of interesting information. I’ve obviously learned more about the horrors of the system of slavery but I’ve also come to appreciate the dangers that go along with misrepresenting slavery in historical writing. The idea that giving slaves ‘agency’ ignores or covers up the atrocities of the slave past is something I had never given much thought to until taking this class.

My biology class (Emerging and Re-emerging Infections Across the Globe) has been intriguing as well. As might be expected, we’ve spent a great deal of time discussing H1N1. Even though I am not a “science person” I’ve found learning about the genetic makeup of the flu to be quite fascinating. 

I’ve found Spanish (Gendered Experiences in American Borderlands) to be thought-provoking as well. The class is taught almost exclusively in Spanish and I can already tell that my Spanish proficiency has improved. We are currently examaining U.S.-Mexican border immigration and studying border culture, relations, and perspectives. 

In British History in the Twentieth Century, I’ve come to appreciate Britain’s status as a global empire at the end of the 19th century and how the Boer War (along with several other significant events) influenced a decline in power that affects Britain to this day.

I recap what I’ve learned in the first week not to bore you but to provide you with a personal academic experience from one Batesie (myself) that hopefully shows the varied academic opportunities that this institution offers. 

Outside the classroom, I have added a Physical Education course to my schedule. The course consists of playing basketball twice a week in a relatively relaxed environment. Rather than add pressure to my schedule, I’ve found it to be a good stress-reliever and escape from academia. I am not a great basketball player by any stretch of the imagination but I love playing and I frequent some local courts in the summertime. Hopefully I can improve my skills a bit and surprise a few people when I come home.

This upcoming weekend promises to be jam-packed. The college-wide Clam Bake is this Saturday at Popham Beach (already bought my ticket), Matt and Kim, an indi pop electro group, will be performing at Bates on Friday, and work on the Bates Student (college newspaper) must get completed so the first issue of the year can be out on time. 

More updates soon. Until next time…

Matt and Kim:

Back to Bates!

Hey all. Summer has come to it’s end and I am quiet excited to embark on another sure to be excellent year at Bates. I will be driving up on Sunday and will then prepare for classes beginning on Wednesday. It will be nice to have 2 full days to get settled in my new room and then organize and ready myself for the first day of classes. Call me nerdy or old-fashioned, but I am always pumped for the first day of school.

There is certainly a lot to look forward to this year. I am now an upperclassman. Gulp. Not sure where the last two years went… I guess time flies when you are having fun. I will only be on campus for the first semester since I am going abroad in the winter/early spring semester. I suppose that means this year is going to go by even quicker than the last two but I am beyond excited for studying abroad. More details on that as plans get finalized and settled in the near future. 

As for classes this semester, I’m taking courses in Spanish, history, and biology. Specifically, I am signed up for ‘Britain in the Twentieth Century’, a 200-level history class that seems fairly self-explanatory. Sticking with history, I am taking ‘African Slavery in the Americas’, a 390-level history course that I think will be extremely interesting and is taught by one of my favorite professors. My Spanish course is called ‘Gendered Experiences in America’s Borderlands’. This is a 300-level course that will hopefully greatly improve my Spanish speaking abilities. I’m not sure exactly what I’m going to learn but that just makes it all the more exciting. My final class is an introductory biology course titled ‘Emerging and Reemerging Infections Across the Globe’ which seems timely to me. I wonder if we will talk about H1N1? 

The next week promises to be action-packed and a bit stressful but I am ready to take it on. Junior year here I come! I am going to finish packing now…Until next time…