A visitor at last year's Mount David Summit studies chemistry research by Madeline Weber '08 and professor Jennifer Koviach.

The eighth annual Mount David Summit, Bates College's annual celebration of student academic achievement, takes place April 3. More than 280 students are participating in this year's summit. In concurrent sessions throughout the afternoon at Pettengill Hall, participants present research posters, short talks, panel discussions, a photography exhibition and film screenings. (more...)

Studio art major Jessica Kase '09 of Chappaqua, N.Y., works in her Olin Arts studio on an oil painting that will be part of her senior thesis project, an exploration of the intimate nature of creating portraits of strangers.

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From Stephanie: So as a senior at Bates, Thanksgiving break was different this year in some ways. Yes, it was still the first time seeing friends from home since the school year started and yes, we went to my dad’s cousin’s house to see family that we see once a year. I realize that every time that I’ve seen these people we’ve eaten turkey. And mashed potatoes. And stuffing. And the “fruit of the forest” pies that my father purchases through some sort of mystery pie-drive at the March of Dimes. I feel as though they should be selling folic acid candies or something, not necessarily pie but fruit of the forest has become a family staple for us. The name is the most mysterious part of this pie, forget that it came from the March of Dimes. What exactly are fruits of the forest? My personal hypothesis is that the pie is comprised of apples and raspberries and such and that whoever was in charge of these pie titles just liked the alliteration. I mean, we buy it. I’d buy it for the ingenious alliteration, who cares if it makes sense or not?

But anyway, a lot of things were the same: I had a pre-Thanksgiving day brunch with friends and ate dinner while watching Hardball. But, as I said before, things were different too.

The difference began with actually leaving Maine to go to Connecticut. I didn’t just have to make sure there were not apple rinds in the garbage can before grabbing my dirty laundry, locking my dorm room door and leaving. I had an entire apartment to which I had to do things. And I wasn’t quite sure what I needed to do. I brought a near empty container of plain yogurt, a few carrots and 2 beers across the hall to my roommate who wasn’t leaving until later that week. I then emptied the trash, turned out the lights, made sure dishes were clean and power strips were off. Made sure the arrow on the Thermostat was a tiny bit after 65 (why I chose this I didn’t know, I needed however, to make sense of the situation and 65.78 degrees seemed less likely to let the pipes freeze than say… 65. So once I figured that all out I locked the door and left, praying that everything would be fine when I returned. [More...]

Above: Played by Jacob Lewis '09, the abusive husband "Jake" has many difficult moments with his mother, "Lorraine," portrayed by Bates registrar Mary Meserve. Below: Brain-damaged "Beth" (Kolby Hume '09), has an emotional confrontation with her brother "Mike" (Tim Fox '11); director Sulochana Dissanayake '09.

Bates College senior Sulochana Dissanayake of Pita Kotte, Sri Lanka, directs the Bates theater department production of A Lie of the Mind, Sam Shepard's realistic portrayal of two American families.

Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Oct. 30, 31 and Nov. 1; and at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 1 and 2, in Schaeffer Theatre, 305 College St. Admission is $6 general admission and $3 for senior citizens and non-Bates students. For more information, please visit www.batestickets.com or call 207-786-6161. (more...)

Why did you decide to major in physics?

I've always enjoyed thinking about things larger than the world we live in. It has always fascinated me that we are able to study and understand what is way beyond our physical reach, and I always wanted to be a part of trying to understand that.

I've been really interested in being an astronaut since I was in third grade. This got me interested in science and physics, and now that I'm older I'm still trying to pursue my dream of becoming an astronaut.

Tell me about your research projects.

Last year I did an independent study titled "Stellar Structure" under the instruction of physics professor Eric Wollman. We did lab work measuring the properties of stars and light sources. We also derived and applied four fundamental equations for the physical structure of stars, and verified an existing solar model using these four equations.

I'm also writing my thesis in astronomy -- more specifically in stellar structure. I'm constructing a computational model of a star, and from there I hope to be able to model some unconventional stars. I'm still working with Professor Wollman.

During summer 2008 you took part in a Research Experience for Undergraduates program at Indiana University in Bloomington. What were you doing?

I did theory work in two-dimensional quantum mechanics -- the study of systems of particles on the atomic scale. I was at a desk doing a lot of computer programming. I really enjoyed it. Not only did I learn a lot and get good programming experience, but also was able to see the professional physics field first hand.

What is your impression of the future of women in physics?

At Bates I've never experienced any issues with being a woman in physics. While I think there still are people in the physics world who look down on women trying to make their way in that field, my impression is that the vast majority of people don't consider gender, just the person's work itself.

I think many of the stereotypes of women in science are being overcome and women are not being judged or held back nearly as much as they used to even 30 years ago. Of course I won't know any of this for sure until I'm out in the field myself.

What makes you good at what you do?

I'm very persistent and will not give up until I am completely satisfied with my results. This is especially important in the lab. You need to be patient and willing to try things 20 times to get them right. This also helps with long problem sets, because you can't give up on those until you figure out the answer.

What happens after Bates?

I'd like to attend graduate school and get a Ph.D. In the long run I would like to be doing astrophysical research somewhere.

— by Erin Bond '09

As a student volunteer fellow at the Harward Center for Community Partnerships, Nate Kellogg '09 coordinates volunteer activities for Bates sports teams and clubs. He recruited the women's soccer team to dress as characters for a children's Halloween festival in Lewiston, for example, and got some a cappella groups to perform for local elderly citizens. "I play soccer and lacrosse, and I've found this is a great way to combine athletics and volunteerism," he says.

Kellog says that a course he took, "The Public Work of Academics," taught by Anna Bartel of the Harward Center, has been critical in helping him do better volunteer work, clarifying the dynamics and making the relationship most effective between the organizations offering help and the community partners receiving it. As part of the course, he helped teach English-Language Learners, many of them Somali immigrants, at Lewiston Middle School.

"I also wrote a paper examining the undergraduate thesis as a form of public scholarship," Kellogg says. "I looked at two examples – 'Teach for America, ' which came out of Wendy Kopp's thesis at Princeton, and 'Lots to Gardens,' which Kirsten Walter '00 started as part of her environmental studies thesis here at Bates. I'm now thinking deeply about my own senior thesis. For the moment, I’m split between two topics: revealing the Harward Center’s important role in the college’s public image or demonstrating how greater support of athletics at Bates would benefit the institution as a whole."

Mount David Summit 2008

The slide show features what has become a dynamic tradition at Bates: the annual Mount David Summit, held this year on March 28. An eagerly anticipated presentation of student scholarship, service-learning and creative work, the summit unfurls a panorama of the rich life of the student mind at Bates. [More...]

Taegan McMahon '07

A childhood trip to the rainforests of Costa Rica introduced Taegan McMahon '07 to poison dart frogs. Immediately, she was smitten. “They are very cool and absolutely beautiful,” she says.

Back home to Noank, Conn., McMahon raised them as pets. By sophomore year at Bates, she knew the inch-and-a-half amphibian would be a big part of her biology senior thesis.

Advised by Assistant Professor of Biology Ryan Bavis, she investigated how acid rain — a relatively new rainforest phenomenon — might affect the growth of the dart-frog species Epipedobates tricolor. [More...]