A Letter from the Editors: Welcome to Campus

Trinity Poon, Carly Philpott, and Lena LaPierre

August 21, 2025

Dear Bobkittens,

As the executive editors of The Bates Student, we are thrilled to be among the first to welcome you to campus.

Starting college is exciting, new and fun, but it can also be lonely, disorienting and confusing. In this Orientation Issue, you will find that you’re not alone in any feelings you might be having about settling in. Our editors have been exactly where you are, making them the perfect people to share their tips and tricks on how to navigate this unique time.

In these pages, you’ll read about some of the most important stories published by us in the last five years, tips on making new friends and suggestions for outings off campus. You’ll learn about the brains behind AESOP, how to get involved in music at Bates and the perfect soundtrack to accompany your first year here.

The editorial team has sought advice from faculty, students and each other to help guide you along picking classes, navigating relationships and discovering your favorite parts about Bates.

As Bates’s only student-run newspaper, we are committed to producing high quality, ethical journalism and prioritizing our readers in our editorial decision-making. This year, we are excited to expand our range of coverage by writing more stories in and about Lewiston, bolstering our coverage of campus committees and events and focusing on promoting a diversity of perspectives in the newsroom.

As “the voice of Bates College” we want to accurately represent who the student body is, encouraging everyone and anyone, regardless of journalistic experience, to join us. You can find us at the club fair and follow us on Instagram (@thebatesstudent) for meeting information and to follow our coverage.

Above all, we are a community who listens, respects and pursues the hard-hitting, important stories that hold our institution accountable and inform the student body. While you’re on our website, make sure to subscribe to our biweekly newsletter and check out our past coverage. We also encourage you to share your perspectives, stories and ideas by emailing us at [email protected].

We hope you find joy, comfort or help in this issue. But, if there’s one thing you should take away, it’s this: We’re here to hold the door for you, bobcats. Welcome to campus, we’re so glad you’re here.

See you in Commons,

Trinity Poon ‘26, Carly Philpott ‘27 and Lena LaPierre ‘26

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About the Contributors

Trinity Poon, Editor-in-Chief

Trinity is a senior from Sandwich, Massachusetts double majoring in English and French & Francophone Studies. Aside from convincing new people to write for the newspaper, she can be found tossing discs with Cold Front, the women’s frisbee team, curled up with a good book, or spending endless hours chatting over coffee. She has written for The Student since her freshman year, holding roles as Staff Writer, Assistant News Editor and Managing News Editor. She has also been published in the Enterprise newspapers on Cape Cod and in the Lewiston Sun Journal.

Carly Philpott, Editor-in-Chief

Carly is a junior from Centennial, Colo, majoring in Environmental Studies and Classical & Medieval Studies. The Student was a major reason she chose Bates after a longtime love for journalism. On campus, Carly works as a photographer for Bates Communications and devotedly cares for vivarium animals in Bonney Science Center. Off campus, she can mostly be found with her pet toads or off birdwatching. Carly was previously a staff writer and assistant news editor for the Student.

Lena LaPierre, Executive Managing Editor

Lena is a senior from Mississippi majoring in History with a minor in Russian. Although she grew up with little exposure to journalism, she developed a passion for news her sophomore year and considers joining The Student as one of the best decisions she has made in college. When she is not in the newsroom, Lena can be found exploring the great state of Maine, raving about her love for the em dash — the greatest punctuation mark ever invented — and struggling to read dense Bulgarian and Russian language primary sources in preparation for her honors thesis.

Lena is the Executive Managing Editor for The Student and previously served as the Investigations Editor, Assistant Forum Editor and a Copy Editor. Last summer, she was a reporting intern for Lewiston’s local newspaper, The Sun Journal.

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