Bates held its annual Family Weekend event on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, giving families the chance to explore the college, some for the very first time. The event also gave many families the opportunity to dine in the student dining hall, Commons, which had not been available to guests during the pandemic.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, students were unable to experience a typical Family Weekend in 2020 and 2021. Therefore, many students were spending time with their families at Bates for the first time.

“My family have never seen Bates before. It was definitely weird having my parents eat where I do everyday because that just wasn’t allowed since being here at Bates,” Celia Tolan ’24 said. “But it was also really nice because they could finally experience something that is a big part of my daily life.” 

Students also felt a strong sense of community as they were able to meet other parents. 

“This year was a lot different. I was able to meet other parents, see my friend’s parents, and they got to meet my roommates. It was really fun,” Emily Everett ‘24 said.

Everett said her highlight of the weekend was the men’s rugby game held on Garcelon Field, where the Bobcats won 41-14 over Bowdoin. 

“It was really nice,” Everett said. “Everyone was there, and everyone was able to interact and be together. Of course I don’t know what normal feels like, but it felt good.” 

Although many parents attended Family Weekend, some students’ parents were unable to make it to campus. However, the tight network within the Bates community worked hard to make those students not feel left out. 

“It was an interesting experience because I was one of the only ones without my parents, but my teammates did a really good job integrating me with their parents,” said women’s basketball player Morgan Kennedy ’24. “I was really able to get a sense of the Bates community.”