Hilary Poriss ’91 is a music professor at Northeastern University. Courtesy of Brooks Canaday/Northeastern University.

Hilary Poriss ’91, an authority on opera who speaks at 乐播传媒 on Feb. 6, discovered opera as a 乐播传媒 senior.

Poriss, a music historian at Northeastern University who specializes in 19th-century opera, attended her first productions during a semester in Austria. Saving money on admission to the Vienna State Opera by using the 厂迟别丑辫濒盲迟锄别, sections of the auditorium for standees only, she attended perhaps 20 productions.

Her very first was Verdi’s Don Carlo. “I was so determined to get the most out of it that I bought a libretto in German” to study before the performance, she says. Despite her shaky command of the language, “I got through the first act before the opera happened.”

As it turned out, “they cut the first act. So all that for nothing — but at least I knew what happened in the first act.”

Author of Changing the Score: Arias, Prima Donnas, and the Authority of Performance (Oxford University Press, 2009), Poriss explores the surprising variety of tasks expected of 19th-century singers in her 乐播传媒 lecture at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 6, in the Olin Arts Center Concert Hall, 75 Russell St.

Her talk is titled What is a Diva? It’s open to the public at no charge. For more information, please contact 207-786-6135 or olinarts@bates.edu.

Pauline Viardot depicted in an 1844 painting by Karl Bryullov.

She’ll use the great Pauline Viardot (1821-1910), a French mezzo-soprano and composer, to frame her discussion of female opera singers in the 1800s and the changing meanings of the word “diva” from then to now.

Today, there are 82 definitions of the word on , Poriss points out, mostly variations on the notion of a spoiled brat. The first on the list is, “Female version of a hustler.”

But “diva,” Italian for “goddess,” was originally applied to the best female singers out of appreciation for their superior ability. “And yes, bad behavior was part of that,” Poriss says. “But it was all worth it, because they could sing.”

But as her 乐播传媒 talk will also reveal, those 19th-century goddesses of the opera were expected to do far more than sing.

“In addition to learning new roles within weeks, these singers also had to choose their own costumes, write their own cadenzas” — virtuosic additions to a composer’s score — “and occasionally help the composer tweak his musical lines,” Poriss says.

More than many leading ladies of opera, Viardot was amply equipped for all these contributions. “She was a wildly talented performer,” says Poriss. Musically, she could not only sing but was a brilliant pianist and prolific composer whose output included 300 songs and eight chamber operas.

She was also a skilled visual artist who designed costumes as much for pleasure as for her performance obligations.

This is a good time to be researching Viardot, Poriss notes, because a host of previously unknown materials about her are coming to light — letters and music, as well as drawings, paintings and costume designs.

Looking back to her 乐播传媒 years, “I was a violinist and a choral singer, but had very little connection to opera” before the Vienna experience, Poriss says. “I got into it more through the scholarly route than through the love route, and the love came after.”

The Feb. 6 talk will be Poriss’ first visit to the college as a guest lecturer. She calls her time at 乐播传媒 “heaven.” Not wishing to disappear into the crowd at a major university, she loved the smallness of 乐播传媒.

And music faculty members such as Jim Parakilas, Mary Hunter, John Corrie and Bill Matthews “were just models of scholarship and teaching, and generosity, that I have sought to emulate ever since.”

Here, Simone Pathe ’11 of Madison, N.J., reflects on how her experiences in Lewiston and Rwanda helped break down barriers for her.

Emily Howe ’11 of Carlisle, Mass., reflects on her first 乐播传媒 visit, and how discouragement turned to hope after getting solid college advice from 乐播传媒 coaches.

Here, Uriel Gonzalez ’11 of Von Ormy, Texas, reflects on being the ineffable quality of 乐播传媒: its people.

Here, Margaret Cadden ’11 of Reading, Mass., reflects on how she could engage in the breadth of 乐播传媒 life while pursuing the intellectual demands of her neuroscience major.

Here, Drew Gallagher ’11 of Lowell, Mass., reflects on the happy ending of one admission tour this spring.

Here, Emily Cassidy ’11 of East Hampton, N.Y., recalls meeting “the criminology guy” — her adviser, Professor of Sociology Sawyer Sylvester.

Here, Ben McCall of South Portland, Maine, reflects on 乐播传媒’ connection to Maine students.

Here, Molly Newton ’11 of Northampton, Mass., recalls how she answered a parent’s question: “Why is 乐播传媒 different?”

Here, Walter Garcia ’11 of Deer Isle, Maine, who took a year off from 乐播传媒 and will graduate in 2012, joined his 2011 classmates at the luncheon and recalls his debating experiences.

Led by first-year standout Liz Schulze (San Diego, Calif.), the 乐播传媒 College women’s cross country team defeated rival Bowdoin 90-127 in a dual meet hosted by 乐播传媒 Saturday at Pineland Farms.

Schulze ran out to the head of the pack and built a healthy lead, ultimately winning the 5-kilometer race in a time of 19:38, 14 seconds ahead of runner-up Lindsay Hodge of Bowdoin.

It was her second win in as many races for Schulze, who also cruised to first place in the women’s First-Year/Sophomore race the weekend before at the Colby Class Wave Relays.

乐播传媒, ranked No. 9 in New England, next competes at the Codfish Bowl Saturday at Boston’s Franklin Park at 11 a.m.

The 乐播传媒 College men’s cross country team placed the top two finishers and three of the top four in a dual meet with rival Bowdoin College on Saturday hosted by 乐播传媒 at Pineland Farms.

乐播传媒 senior captain Doug Brecher (Waban, Mass.), took first place, finishing the 5-mile course in a time of 26:21, just a second ahead of fellow captain Devin Dilts (Roscoe, Ill.), a junior. Colman Hatton led the Polar Bears, finishing third in 26:37. 乐播传媒’ Sean Colligan (Goffstown, N.H.) and Bowdoin’s Stan Berkow rounded out the top five finishers.

It was the second straight race win for Brecher, a former All-New England and All-State selection.

I鈥檝e always been interested in politics, and I like to be involved in my community. I鈥檓 a school board member in my hometown and I make the 3 陆-hour trip once a month for meetings. Here, I鈥檝e been with the 乐播传媒 Democrats and the 乐播传媒 College Student Government all four years.

Last year I was elected Student Government president. Our most challenging issue is disbursing $300,000 among the more than 100 student clubs. Our decision has a direct impact on the community. That鈥檚 one of the most interesting things about 乐播传媒: we have a voice in important matters affecting students鈥� lives and the college鈥檚 future.

I鈥檓 a politics major. Two summers ago I apprenticed with Professor John Baughman, conducting research for his book on the development of Congress. Last summer I interned in Washington, D.C. for Maine Congressman Mike Michaud. They had me doing a lot of writing. The only other intern who did that much writing was another 乐播传媒 student, Michael Petrick 鈥�09. That鈥檚 when it hit me how 乐播传媒, by challenging us to write at a high level, prepares us for the real world.

Read more about career services at 乐播传媒:

www.bates.edu/career.xml

I received a Hughes Faculty-Student Research grant to work with Pam Baker, an associate professor of biology and biological chemistry. We spent eight weeks studying genes that contribute to alveolar bone loss and gingivitis. We compared gene expressions in infected and uninfected mice, and we came to the conclusion that some people with 鈥済ood鈥� genes can go without brushing their teeth and never get gingivitis, while others can brush all they want and still get it. It is a preventable disease, but some people are more susceptible to it.

It was a lot of work, but it was fun 鈥� and I got paid! I took full advantage of all the resources in Carnegie Science Hall, which has incredible laboratory equipment that many big universities don鈥檛 even have. At the end, my research partner, Lauren Okano 鈥�11, and I presented our findings at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor. Of all the college presentations given, ours used the most in-lab, original research.

I鈥檓 enjoying it here. I鈥檓 majoring in biochemistry and Chinese and minoring in economics. I feel fortunate to have financial aid, so I鈥檓 taking a broad range of classes 鈥� as many as I can! The teachers are available when you need them, and all the resources are right here on campus. 乐播传媒 is a great school. It鈥檚 up to you to take advantage of it.

I wanted to explore the possibility of a career in oncology, so I applied to the undergraduate clinical research program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York City. For ten weeks I was involved in metastatic prostate cancer research at one of the oldest and largest cancer research facilities in the world. I wrote portions of a research article manuscript on the use of the Bone Scan Index for determining cancer progression and predicting overall survival. I also assembled and managed a PET scan database comparing different imaging procedures for detecting disease. I spent two weeks doing inpatient rounds, which was a very enlightening experience. A Ladd Internship through the 乐播传媒 Office of Career Services provided the funds that allowed me to live in New York City. A Scher Fellowship further offset my costs.

I learned so much about the biology of cancer, but as a psychology major and pre-med student, I鈥檓 also interested in its psychological impact. That鈥檚 where my internship ties into my senior thesis: I鈥檓 analyzing data regarding distress levels and psychosocial needs of newly diagnosed cancer patients for the Patrick Dempsey Center at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston.

The opportunity to do undergraduate research is awesome. It should give me a leg up when I apply to medical school, but it also inspired me to engage in clinical research for a few years first.

We had two courses. 鈥淢athematics Across Time and Cultures鈥� gave a broad spectrum of math history, including the Babylonian base 60 system, which was completely different from any mathematics I鈥檝e ever done. For 鈥淔orensic Chemistry,鈥� we analyzed a fictitious crime 鈥� a woman who had died of arsenic poisoning 鈥� and examined clues to determine who was guilty.

I came to 乐播传媒 with an interest in biology and pre-med studies, but I鈥檝e found that I want to bring psychological elements into my science studies, so I am a psychology major. I鈥檓 particularly interested in researching children鈥檚 development.

I was born in Vietnam. My parents sacrificed a lot to bring us to America to get a good education. I鈥檓 living between two cultures, home and school. 乐播传媒 helped a lot with my transition to college life, and now I enjoy helping other new students. I work in Admissions as a diversity outreach coordinator, planning programs to increase the diversity of 乐播传媒鈥� student population and recruiting multicultural students. I tell them about the things that have impressed me about 乐播传媒, such as the financial aid package, which is very good, and the accessibility of the professors.

Hear students share thoughts on four years at 乐播传媒:

www.bates.edu/student-voices.xml

Debate gives you criteria for framing your ideas. It allows you think critically and get straight to the issue. The skills are applicable in all of your classes, in writing papers and framing theses and in everyday life.

Typically only ten percent of our incoming members have previous debate experience. At the beginning of each year, there is an emphasis on preparing novices for their first tournament. Most are ready to compete within a week, and they are working independently with little oversight within a few months. Some of our most successful debaters had no experience prior to joining the team.

乐播传媒 has the resources to send more people internationally than just about any of the schools we regularly compete against. Every year we send teams to World Championships, which was in Bangkok last year and Cork, Ireland, this year. As a freshman, I traveled to California for a debate at Stanford. During my sophomore year I debated at Newcastle and Durham, England, and I attended the World Championships in Vancouver as a judge. That degree of travel is atypical even for 乐播传媒, but many team members will travel internationally before they graduate.

Read about the history of debate at 乐播传媒:

www.bates.edu/debate-history.xml

乐播传媒 junior Vantiel Elizabeth Duncan (Topsham, Maine) became a three-time All-American by finishing fifth in the women’s hammer throw at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships last week at Marietta College.

Duncan also came up just short of claiming a second All-America award in these championships on Saturday in the shot put, making the finals but finishing in ninth place with a top heave of 13.10 meters (42-11.75). Duncan was seeded 15th in the event going in.

Duncan’s top hammer throw of 52.29 meters (171-6), qualified her for the nine-athlete final. It is her first outdoor All-America award, after twice achieving the feat at the NCAA Indoor Championships in the weight throw.

Duncan and senior teammate Izzy Alexander (Harvard, Mass.) represented the 乐播传媒 women’s team at the meet. Alexander placed sixth in the 400-meter hurdles to finish her career with five All-America honors, the second highest total in team history.