Everyone at Bates probably has a friend named Sam, Samuel, Samantha, or Sammy—the name reigns supreme across campus. There are ten Sams in the senior class alone! Two years ago, The Student spotlighted all the Zachs in the class of 2026—and now it’s the Sams’ time to shine. The Student was able to interview eight out of the ten. Here are their stories.
Sam Caplan ‘26
What’s your full name, and what do people usually call you? Any fun nicknames?
My full name is Sam, and while people have called me all the typical variations, I like to stick with the classic.
How did you end up with the name Sam? Was there a story behind it?
I was given the name Sam because it was the last name my maternal grandfather liked on the list of potential names before he died.
Where are you from?
I’m from Arkansas! Conway to be specific, but I much prefer it up here in Maine weather-wise to down there (WAY TOO HOT).
What are you studying, and what drew you to that subject?
I am a biochemistry and philosophy double major, because I find genetics and ethics to be really interesting.
What are you most excited about for your senior year?
I am happy that I finally have a dorm I like after being stuck in Rand for multiple years.
Which famous Sam—fictional or real—do you look up to or find inspiring?
Not so much inspiring exactly, but my middle name is Elliot because I was partially named after Sam Elliot, the famous old western actor. I don’t know too much about him though.
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
I am not really one for karaoke, but I could probably get into any song with a good guitar solo. Probably something like Dragonforce’s “Through the Fire and Flames”.
Are you friends with any of the other senior Sams?
I know at least a few of the other senior Sams, as a lot of us kind of thought it was funny how many of us there were freshman year, just in our class year alone.
What makes you the best Sam in the senior class?
Well, I don’t know how many Senior Sams are a president of a club on campus (Discordians in my case), but honestly, it is cool how many Sams I have met that seem to be really awesome people.
Sammy Freeman ‘26
What’s your full name, and what do people usually call you? Any fun nicknames?
Samantha, but people call me Sammy. My closest friends and family call me Sam. Some of my friends from abroad call me Sammy Free!
How did you end up with the name Sam? Was there a story behind it?
When I was born, my grandfather called me Sam immediately. I used to hate it, but now I love when the people close to me use it!
Where are you from?
I’m from Dallas, TX!
What are you studying, and what drew you to that subject?
I am a Politics major and have two GECs. One is Law & Society and the other is Class, Inequity, Poverty, and Justice. I knew I wanted to go to law school coming to college and I’ve always been interested in political concepts and the state of our government.
What are you most excited about for your senior year?
I’m most excited to spend as much time with my friends as I can before we all disperse.
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
“Life is a Highway”!
Are you friends with any of the other senior Sams?
Yes, Sam Gabel and I went abroad together to Amsterdam last fall!!
What makes you the best Sam in the senior class?
I’m the best Sam because I’m the only one that goes by Sammy!
Sam Gabel ‘26
What’s your full name, and what do people usually call you? Any fun nicknames?
My full name is Samantha Gabel and people at Bates usually call me Sam. When I was abroad my friends started calling me Sammy G and now that has stuck, but for the most part it’s just Sam. Also in high school my friends would call me Sami.
How did you end up with the name Sam? Was there a story behind it?
My mom wanted her kids to have nicknames because her name was too short to have any nicknames. I also am not the only Sam in my family, and my mom’s sister had my cousin three months before me and his name is Samuel—who also goes by Sam. My mom asked my aunt if it was okay to have another Sam in the family and she said yes! None of my family members actually call me Sam though, it’s usually just my friends.
Where are you from?
I’m from Los Angeles, California!!! Go Dodgers!
What are you studying, and what drew you to that subject?
I’m a double major in history and art and visual culture (history and criticism track). I’ve always loved history since high school and art history was a fun side interest that I couldn’t let go of.
What are you most excited about for your senior year?
I am most excited to spend as much time as I can with my friends before we all scatter post-grad. I also am really excited for a Maine fall since I was abroad last fall.
Which famous Sam—fictional or real—do you look up to or find inspiring?
Samantha Jones is a super fun fictional character to share a name with.
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
“Maneater” by Nelly Furtado.
Are you friends with any of the other senior Sams?
I’m friends with Sammy Freeman and Sam Rice! Sam Manogue and I will always say “hi Sam!” in passing as well.
What makes you the best Sam in the senior class?
I think all the Sam’s are great, but I am the youngest Sam and maybe the youngest in our class so maybe that’s a distinction.
Sam Hallett ‘26
What’s your full name, and what do people usually call you? Any fun nicknames?
My full name is Samuel Hallett, but I prefer to be called Sam.
How did you end up with the name Sam? Was there a story behind it?
[My] first name is in honor of my great-grandfather, my grandmother’s father, Samuel Eliet.
Where are you from?
I am from Pittsburgh, PA. Definitely an underrated city with a lot of areas to explore outdoors and nightlife. It’s definitely not as polluted as most people would assume, and it is a great place to live.
What are you studying, and what drew you to that subject?
I am studying earth and climate science with a minor in education. I personally feel I can make the most impact through this area of study which is what drew me to study these subjects in the first place.
What are you most excited about for your senior year?
I am really excited to make the most of my senior year by completing my year-long thesis and spending as much time with my friends as possible!
Which famous Sam—fictional or real—do you look up to or find inspiring?
Sam Puckett from iCarly.
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
“My Way” by Frank Sinatra
Are you friends with any of the other senior Sams?
I’m not sure.
What makes you the best Sam in the senior class?
We are all the best! If I had to stand out though, I will say I have completed research internships at two different universities not at Bates, I am a club leader of two clubs, I am proud to have a great friend group and I won a reading competition in 4th grade, where the former Pittsburgh Pirate player Jason Grilli gave me a signed copy of his autobiography.
Sam Mallon ‘26
What’s your full name, and what do people usually call you? Any fun nicknames?
My full name is Sydney Adele Mallon, but I go by Sam, which is my initials. So Sam itself isn’t actually short for anything, but it is technically S.A.M.
How did you end up with the name Sam? Was there a story behind it?
I started trying it out as a name when I switched high schools and realized I could have a fresh start. I still like my birth name, but it doesn’t really feel like “me” so I only go by it with my family.
Where are you from?
I’m from Bethesda, Maryland (yes, the same one as Bethesda Games) which is right outside of Washington, D.C. I love the area a lot and I do miss all of the food and museums, but I definitely don’t miss the motorcades and mayhem right now.
What are you studying, and what drew you to that subject?
I’m an environmental studies major and a rhetoric minor. I knew I wanted to study environmental science before I ever came here, and it’s part of why I picked Bates in the first place. I’ve always loved the outdoors and figuring out ways to connect people to the world around them is one of my favorite things. I didn’t really know what studying rhetoric even meant before I got here, but I took a couple classes with Professor Kelley-Romano and really enjoyed the subject, so I stuck with it.
What are you most excited about for your senior year?
I’m most excited to get to experience everything “Maine” one last time. I have an informal bucket list of things to do in Maine this year, and I’ve already gotten to a few of them (blueberry picking in wild blueberry season). This state is so beautiful and I’m grateful I get to live here and enjoy it.
Which famous Sam—fictional or real—do you look up to?
As for Sams I look up to, I’d say Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain’s real name). He was one of my all time favorite authors as a kid and his wittiness still inspires me to this day.
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
I have only sung karaoke once, and it was to the song “Rude” by MAGIC!
Are you friends with any of the other senior Sams?
I have crossed paths with some of the other senior Sams, but I would love to get to know them better!
What makes you the best Sam in the senior class?
I am definitely not the best senior Sam, but I think I’m the only one who can play the celtic harp, so that’s something. I’m also definitely the sleepiest Sam.
Sam Manogue ‘26
What’s your full name, and what do people usually call you? Any fun nicknames?
My full name is Samantha Markey Manogue. I have gone by Sam or Sam M most of my life, but I had a Sammy phase in middle school. I had a coach who called me Markey because his daughter was also named Sam. My brother’s name is Phineas, so I have gotten Ferb from his friends. Together, we are Sam and Finn, so when my parents decided to get a boat, they named it Salmon Fin!
How did you end up with the name Sam? Was there a story behind it?
It is not a family name or anything. My parents said they had an image in their mind of someone yelling, “page Doctor Samantha Manogue,” and a tall blonde woman coming to save the day. Sadly, I am a film major, I am not tall, and I am not really blonde either.
Where are you from?
I am from Wynnewood PA, just outside of Philadelphia. My diet was half Wawa before coming to college.
What are you studying, and what drew you to that subject?
I am a rhetoric, film & screen studies and dance double major. I have danced my entire life, so coming to college, I wanted to be able to continue that while also studying film. My goal in life is to work in television, creating something that makes people laugh. Also I want to combine my interests and be on Dancing with The Stars – the new season is really hype!
What are you most excited about for your senior year?
To live in the moment and to have one last victory lap! Also for all the fun traditions we get to finally be a part of #MountDavidSummit #SeniorSunrise.
Which famous Sam—fictional or real—do you look up to or find inspiring?
Sam Sparks from Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs because I strive to be that passionate and outgoing, also I want to live in a world of food and report on it everyday.
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
It used to be ABBA or Pitbull, but recently I have really been jamming with “Piano Man” lately.
Are you friends with any of the other senior Sams?
YES! I know every Sam in the senior class. Early on, I realized there were a lot of Sams. Sam Bunar lived on my floor, Sam Mallon was in my FYS, Sam Rice and Sam Scola I met within the first couple of weeks, and Sam Caplan I sailed with. I made it my mission to get to know all the Sams, and come to find out there are 10 of us. By sophomore year, I knew all of them, and actually created a group chat for the Sams (it has only been used once). Anytime I see a Sam on campus, we always exchange “Hi Sams” and a little nod because we are just connected like that.
What makes you the best Sam in the senior class?
I am a dancer and have trained with Broadway and Rockette performers which is pretty cool. Also, I have a titanium spine, so I am on my way to becoming a cyborg. AND if you want to see the titanium spine in action, come to the FALL DANCE CONCERT November 14-16th in Schaeffer Theater – tickets on the @bates.theater.dance Instagram (which you should also follow because I help run it) – where I will be presenting my dance thesis!!!
Sam Rice ‘26
What’s your full name, and what do people usually call you? Any fun nicknames?
My full name is Samantha Sloan Rice and most people refer to me as just Sam Rice. A few people call me Samantha and even fewer call me Sammy because I don’t really like it. Sometimes people call me sam8rice, which is also my instagram handle. I mostly like going by Sam Rice.
How did you end up with the name Sam? Was there a story behind it?
I think I’m named after my Great Grandfather, Sam, who I never met. But I could be wrong, sorry Mom and Dad.
Where are you from?
I’m proudly from Chapel Hill North Carolina– Go heels! I love the South and I especially love Cookout, Cheerwine and James Taylor. My fellow North Carolinians get it.
What are you studying, and what drew you to that subject?
I am studying history, specifically African American US history. I felt drawn to this subject because I’ve always had incredible history teachers and professors who have guided me down this path. Also, my Mom is a history buff and I grew up learning a lot about history in the US South. I’m minoring in DCS because my brothers are really good at coding so I thought I could be too. I’m not.
What are you most excited about for your senior year?
For my senior year I’m most excited about hanging out with new people! It feels like the entire senior class is excited to get to know each other because we were all abroad last year, so now we get to just hang out and finally do everything we’ve been wanting to do at Bates. I’m trying to say yes to doing as many things as possible, so if you want to hang out with me and do something fun, odds are high.
Which famous Sam—fictional or real—do you look up to?
I’ve always been inspired by the famous Sam who founded the membership-only warehouse chain known as “Sam’s Club” because what a great name for a store. Truly exceptional creativity.
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
My current go-to karaoke song is “She Had Me At Heads Carolina” by Cole Swindell. I have yet to break it out at the Cage, but just you wait: 2026 might just be the year that we see a country music takeover of Bates College.
Are you friends with any of the other senior Sams?
I would say I’m friends with the lovely Sam Gabel, Sammy Freeman, and Sam Manogue. We all say hi to each other on campus, it’s very nice. The rest of the seniors Sam’s are goated for sure.
What makes you the best Sam in the senior class?
While I cannot say that I am the best Sam in the senior class, I will happily share some notable facts about myself that I am proud of. First, I am a current captain of the best club on campus: Cold Front Ultimate Frisbee. Love those guys. Second, Rice, my last name, also happens to be one of the most globally important grains feeding more people than any other grain group, according to the AI overview on Google. Third, I’ve been featured on the Bates Instagram for all three Puddle Jumps that I’ve attended.
Sam Skinner ‘26
What’s your full name, and what do people usually call you? Any fun nicknames?
My full name is Samuel Skinner, but everyone just calls me Sam.
How did you end up with the name Sam? Was there a story behind it?
My parents incorporated an Old Testament prophet into each of their children’s names. I got Samuel.
Where are you from?
I’m from Saint Paul, Minnesota. I am not from Michigan. Senior year and people still keep saying I’m from Michigan. It’s time to set the record straight.
What are you studying, and what drew you to that subject?
I’d like to be a high school social studies teacher after I graduate, so I’m a history major with a minor in teacher education.
What are you most excited about for your senior year?
I am most excited to student-teach full-time next semester. I’ve been working for a long time to prepare for it and it’s joyful to see it come to fruition.
Which famous Sam—fictional or real—do you look up to?
I look up to Sam Elliott. He’s just so effortlessly cool.
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
My go-to karaoke song is HOT TO GO! by Chappell Roan. I do the dance moves too, of course.
Are you friends with any of the other senior Sams?
I’m familiar with Sam Rice and Sam Gabel, but I know Sam Caplan the best and longest out of any of the Sams.
What makes you the best Sam in the senior class?
I’m the tallest.
