The Voice of Bates College Since 1873

The Bates Student

The Voice of Bates College Since 1873

The Bates Student

The Voice of Bates College Since 1873

The Bates Student

The Costal Botanical Gardens in Boothbay, Maine are lit up with decorations for the holidays.

Navigating Maine’s Holiday Magic: A Guide to Local Festivities

Hadley Blodgett and Gail Curtis December 14, 2023

Picture it. A small, snowy, picturesque town decorated with cute festive lights, their windows radiating warmth and light, casting a shadow on the snow. The stars dance in the clear night sky overhead....

Willa Wang 25, far left, performs in the winter dance concert. Wang never thought she would perform as a dancer before she came to Bates, but has found learning new styles of dance to be a quintessential liberal arts experience.

My Liberal Arts Experience: Learning to Dance at Bates

Willa Wang, Managing Forum Editor December 14, 2023

Coming to Bates, I never thought that I would dance on the stage one day. I never thought I would spend more than three hours per week on rehearsal. I never thought I would perform in Schaeffer Theater...

The Bates Steel Pan Ensemble performes at their Dec. concert.

A Joyous Embrace from Metal Instruments: Brass and Steel Pan Ensembles Shine at Concert

Leah Belber, Assistant Arts & Leisure Editor December 14, 2023

On an icy Thursday night, I found refuge in Olin 201’s warm concert hall. I found seats in the upper section and fell into the plush chairs and waited in anticipation. First, we were greeted by the lovely...

“Napoleon” Spits in the Face of Historical Accuracy: Bates Historical Society Responds

“Napoleon” Spits in the Face of Historical Accuracy: Bates Historical Society Responds

Carly Philpott, Assistant News Editor December 14, 2023

In the first twenty minutes of Ridley Scott’s Napoleon, Marie Antoinette’s head gets cut off and swung around in front of a jeering crowd. Then the chest of Napoleon’s horse gets blown apart by a...

Food at The Den

The Bobcat Den: Is it Worth the Rave?

Madeline Cournoyer, Staff Writer December 14, 2023

Do you ever eagerly scope out the Commons menu well in advance hoping you will be satisfied with the week's options? Where do you turn when you're unhappy with the selection? Perhaps it’s the pasta or...

“May December”: A Moral Mystery Too Seductive To Look Away From

“May December”: A Moral Mystery Too Seductive To Look Away From

Anastasia Fowler, Managing Arts & Leisure Editor December 14, 2023

Netflix’s new film, “May December,” is not for the faint of heart. The plot follows Elizabeth Berry, an actress (Natalie Portman) who travels to Savannah, Georgia to research the life of a polarizing...

Lauryn Hill performs in 2007. Twenty-five years after her album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was released, it remains just as culturally relevant as ever.

Twenty-Five Years Later, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” Is As Culturally Relevant As Ever

Amanda Edge, Contributing Writer December 14, 2023

Lauryn Hill’s hit debut album “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” erupted not only the music scene but the zeitgeist of 1998. This past August, the historic album celebrated its 25th anniversary....

Saltburn Takes “Eat The Rich” Too Literally

Saltburn Takes “Eat The Rich” Too Literally

Gail Curtis, Contributing Writer December 14, 2023
“Saltburn” is a cinematically gorgeous film, but ultimately it’s a critique of the upper class that forgets to actually criticize.
Taylor Swift performs a show from her Eras Tour on Aug. 9, 2023. The filmed version of her concert dazzles audiences like the real thing.

Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” Film Dazzles Like the Real Thing

Carly Philpott, Assistant News Editor December 14, 2023

Dizzyingly high above the field, I caught my breath. The timer hit 1:00. In just under 60 seconds, I would embark upon a musical journey like no other. I had practically memorized the setlist ahead,...

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is, like all Hunger Games movies, artfully made and devastatingly traumatizing.

“The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” Provides Uncanny Commentary on Modern Media

Carly Philpott, Assistant News Editor December 14, 2023

As many young adults on TikTok will tell you, The Hunger Games has long been an eerie reflection of our modern world. The idea that capitalist interests can go so far that they become a weapon of absolute...

From left to right, Ruby Marden 27, Paige Magid 24, A.J. Matos 26 and David Walker 24 perform in The Thanksgiving Play by Larissa FastHorse, a comedy that satirizes well-meaning progressivism gone wrong. Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College.

“The Thanksgiving Play” Skewers White Liberalism at Bates and Beyond

Maple Buescher, Editor-in-Chief November 15, 2023

The stage is set. The children are bright-eyed. The Pilgrim outfits are clean and crisp. The Indigenous headdresses are stereotypically racist. And most of all, the song is uncomfortably long — nine...

Folk Singer Sufjan Stevens Grapples With Loss in His Breathtaking New Album

Folk Singer Sufjan Stevens Grapples With Loss in His Breathtaking New Album

Ruby Paarlberg and Clem Paarlberg October 21, 2023

Alternative/folk artist Sufjan Stevens released his 10th album “Javelin” last week. After the release, Sufjan posted on Instagram, saying that the album is dedicated to his “beloved partner and best...

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