Say What – News

Say What? Quotable quotes from �ֲ��ý folks: May 8, 2025

Ramona McNish '28 and Jay Burns — Fri, 09 May 2025 19:19:08 +0000

Our latest in an occasional roundup of quotable �ֲ��ý quotes, this time about a bald eagle named Jeff, the fun of adulting off campus, and the joys of reading, writing, and learning at �ֲ��ý.

“We have this bald eagle named Jeff that sometimes comes and says hi.”

— Women’s rowing captain Hannah Burdick ’25 of Lyme, N.H., on the joy and beauty of rowing on the Androscoggin River, adding, “last Friday morning we watched the sunrise from the water, which just starts your day out in the best mood you’ve ever imagined.”

“Mount David Summit is one those many full-circle moments. I came freshman year to the summit and was like, ‘Oh my gosh, so many students doing so many things.’ Now I’m lucky enough to have my Google Calendar so full of all of all my friends’ presentations.”

— Sloan Phillips ’25, of Evergreen, Colo., on the feeling of being among senior friends at Mount David Summit, where Phillips presented biochemistry research.

Presenting biochemistry research at Mount David Summit, Sloan Phillips ’25 of Evergreen, Colo., talks with �ֲ��ý President Garry W. Jenkins. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

“We cannot punish our way to excellence.”

— Associate Professor of Education Mara Tieken in her op-ed in The Daily Yonder, explaining how school closures and consolidations harm students and their rural communities. “Closure is not an answer to budget shortfalls, academic underperformance, or educational inequality. There is no cheaper alternative.”

Mara Casey Tieken’s research focuses on racial and educational equity in rural schools and communities. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

“I want to thank you guys for doing it with me and for being a part of me.”

— Blessing Akinmade ’25, a biochemistry major from Newark, N.J., speaking at a three-senior thesis binding ceremony on the steps of Coram Library, sharing appreciation for fellow seniors Sophia Ibeh, a biochemistry major from Houston, and Darlene Igiraneza, a biology major from Glendale, Calif. “What was hard work is now a small picture of who we are, and a snippet of what college was to us.”

Blessing Akinmade ’25 (right) of Newark, N.J., with classmates Darlene Igiraneza (center) and Sophia Ibeh (right). (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

“I am endlessly mesmerized by the depths of the underwater world, and as I go deeper into its mystery I find my internal world mirrored back.”

— Miryam Keller ’25, of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, on her mixed-media senior thesis in studio art, in which she used salt water from the Maine coast to create abstract beauty.

Miryam Keller ’25 with her work in her Olin Arts Center studio. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

“It’s a little bit like meeting some celebrities.”

— Women’s rowing captain Maddie Kemp ’25 of Bethesda, Md., after the President’s Cup regatta in April when �ֲ��ý honored the women’s team that captured the NCAA Division III rowing title in 2015. “These are names that would get tossed around as way back when. These are people who have done the job of �ֲ��ý rowing and done an excellent job of it.”

“I get to say hi to every single person who enters the library.”

— Ruslan Peredelskyi ’25 of Kyiv, Ukraine, on the side benefits of his job at the circulation desk, located close to the front doors of Ladd Library.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College

“I beat the finals choker allegations.”

— Max Corey ’26 of Dublin, Calif, on his breakthrough victory in the 100-yard freestyle at the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships in March, in which he beat the field and his own self-doubt.

Max Cory ‘26 of Dublin, Calif., poses in the Alumni Gym lobby on March 26, 2025. (Theophil Syslo/�ֲ��ý College)

“If I’m working on it, chances are I’m passionate about it. I don’t really see the point in working on something I don’t care about.”

— Matthew Peeler ’26 of New York City, winner of a 2025 Truman Scholarship for future public service leaders, on his zeal for the study of constitutional law.

Matthew Peeler poses in a bookshop during his 2024–25 junior year abroad at Oxford University. (Photograph courtesy Matthew Peeler)

“It’s kind of funny to go through that adultness together.”

— Women’s lacrosse captain Olivia Hall ’25 of Boston, describing off-campus �ֲ��ý life with fellow senior teammates. “There’s a lot of silly things that I kind of wasn’t expecting, just taking the trash out or having to deal with the heating not working and stuff.”

“It’s a very friendly environment to dive into a very scary thing.”

— Brandon Villalta Lopez ’25 of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, on presenting his research at Mount David Summit, where students seek both to communicate their work “and make people excited about it.” The summit is a “brilliant opportunity to do this in a place that feels safe and home but still reaches so many people.”

“I felt like if I’m able to finish this the way I started it, it’s going to go really well.”

— Track and field athlete Campbell Johnson ’28 of Naples, Maine, on a recent long jump that places her fourth-best in �ֲ��ý history. “You can feel it when you get into the air, whether your body position is going to be good or not.”

“ I feel lucky to end my �ֲ��ý experience where it started, where I fell in love with reading, with writing, with learning.”

— Max Olson ’25, of Beverly, Mass., whose senior thesis analyzes JRR Tolkein’s works through a social and historical lens, recalling his fourth-grade book project on The Hobbit and being encouraged by his teacher pursue reading and writing. “That’s something I didn’t forget.”

“I feel like I’m always in this microcosm of really diverse opinions and preparedness from students.”

— Associate Professor of Digital and Computational Studies Carrie Diaz Eaton, speaking about her students’ varied attitudes toward AI on Maine Calling, Maine Public’s weekday radio program.

Associate Professor of Digital and Computational Studies Carrie Diaz Eaton discussed artificial intelligence and her students’ perception of the changing technology on Maine Calling, Maine Public’s weekday radio program. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

“I start laughing in my head. I start to sing a song to myself.”

— Baseball player Ben Genser ’25 of Newton Center, Mass., on his mindset at the plate when he has two strikes. “It’s weird to say, but I feel more relaxed hitting. You can kind of be a kid again and just protect the zone.”

“We have our regulars, which we love seeing. I asked one, ‘Do you get tired of me kicking you out?’ They say no, it’s a good reminder — they tend to lose track of time.”

— Karla Chichester, a member of the Ladd Library access services staff, on her late-night routine as the 1 a.m. closing time of the library approaches.

Karla Chichester (left) walks out the front doors of Ladd Library with her colleague from access services, Zeke Sturgeon. (Samuel Weidenthal ’27 for �ֲ��ý College)

“Coach came over and said, ‘You are going to row terribly today. The waves are going to come over you, and your oar is going to get stuck. It’s going to be brutal. But you just need to stay determined and gritty — because everyone is facing the same conditions.’”

— Izzy Beck ’25 of Montclair, N.J., coxswain of the men’s second varsity eight, on head coach Peter Steenstra’s advice before a windy regatta on the Charles River that saw �ֲ��ý defeat Trinity and the MIT on April 20.

Say What? Quotable quotes from �ֲ��ý folks: Nov. 15, 2024

Jay Burns — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 17:05:26 +0000

Our latest in an occasional roundup of quotable �ֲ��ý quotes, this time about a terrifying regatta, why the Quad was like Candyland this fall, and the beauty and strength of being in solidarity with one another.

“I love the group so much. Couldn’t be happier to run behind anyone else. They’re like big brothers. They keep you protected on the field, and if I mess up, they keep me in line.”

Ryan Lynskey ’27 of Cranford, N.J.

— Ryan Lynskey ’27 of Cranford, N.J., a standout running back for the football team who set a single-game this year, on how he feels about the teammates who do the blocking on every play

“It feels like everyone knows everyone on campus, and they all hold on to little details about each other, and community forms around you really quickly.”

— Ramona McNish ’28 of Alameda, Calif., on what surprised her about her first 30 days at �ֲ��ý

Phyllis Graber Jensen

“�ֲ��ý is one of my favorite places in the world. It fills my heart with only good memories.”

— Marriane Magid Jones ’93 on visiting campus, and son Elias Jones ’27, during Back to �ֲ��ý

“I was absolutely terrified. It’s such a challenging course, but being in the boat was an incredible experience. The night before the rowers wrote me letters, just encouraging me and instilling a little bit more confidence. It was a real team mentality.”

Hannah Herbst ’28 of Larkspur, Calif.

— Hannah Herbst ’28 of Larkspur, Calif., a rowing coxswain on her first Head of the Charles Regatta, over the Charles River course, which is notoriously difficult due to its bends and bridges

“Above all else, we are citizens of Lewiston, affected by the tragedy and also showing up wherever and however.”

— Garry W. Jenkins, speaking at the campus Remembrance Service, held in Gomes Chapel one year after the Oct. 25, 2023 mass shootings in Lewiston

�ֲ��ý President Garry W. Jenkins offers welcome remarks at the one-year Remembrance Service in Gomes Chapel on Oct. 25, 2024. Behind him, the front of the sanctuary of the chapel was bathed in blue light, the school color of Lewiston High School. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

“We belong to one another, we have carried one another in this past year, and we will always tend to one another amidst celebration and grief. Not only are we strong when we are together, but, like this garland, we are beautiful.”

— The Rev. Brittany Longsdorf, the college’s multifaith chaplain, speaking at the Remembrance Service and referencing a garland created from strips of ribbon, on which community members wrote blessings, wishes, and hopes for Lewiston

“I was shaking in my boots. But I had some words of wisdom from my teammates and my coaches, and I just told myself, ‘Be speedy, be you, be the big goalie that you are.’”

Ava Donohue ’28 of Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.

— Ava Donohue ’28 of Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., field hockey goaltender on overcoming nerves in her first-ever shootout, a victory vs. Wesleyan

“There is a symbolic difference between owning weapons for hunting and owning weapons for sport or defense. The former is not infused with the implication of violence against humans. The latter carries with it that possibility.”

Professor of Sociology Michael Rocque

— Professor of Sociology Michael Rocque, and the increase in owning guns for non-hunting reasons

“For those who identify as Latinex, it’s a chance to enjoy a comforting taste of home, while for others, it serves as a welcoming introduction to our vibrant traditions.”

— Alexis González ’26 of Hanford, Calif., club president of Raíces Unidas, on the annual Taquiza Familiar, a party, dance, and celebration

“It’s like Candyland.”

Held in mid-October, the annual Taquiza Familiar — a party, dance, and celebration — was hosted by the student club Raíces Unidas. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

— Isabelle Larson ’25, of East Aurora, N.Y., scanning the fall colors of the Historic Quad as she settled into an Adirondack chair to do some reading before a morning class

A great foliage season turned the campus into Candyland. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

“I heard someone say on the sidelines like, ‘She’s going to win this.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, am I that far ahead?’”

Phoebe Pohl ’25 of Wayland, Mass.

— Phoebe Pohl ’25 of Wayland, Mass., on winning the Maine cross country championship as the �ֲ��ý women won their eighth straight state title

“I just feel like I have an obligation.”

— Angus Carter ’25 of Camden, Maine, who came upon a blood drive in the Gray Athletic Building and decided he should give

“During the prior Trump administration, students said they didn’t want to go into public service, or into the foreign service office, or into the military. I have a really strong reaction to that. Diverse people need to self-select into government and public service jobs. You matter, and you can make a difference even in a bureaucratic position.”

— Associate Professor Clarisa Pérez-Armendáriz, during a post-election panel discussion, asking students to seek out mentorship and guidance in considering a career in public service, and not abandon the idea out of fear that might not be warranted

Associate Professor of Politics Clarisa Pérez-Armendáriz speaks during the post-election discussion on Nov. 6 in Memorial Commons in Chase Hall. Her colleague Stephen Engel is in the foreground. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

“I love the atmosphere, especially when there’s a lot of people in the crowd. All the noise just kind of gets stuck in the gym. It echoes and it’s really cool.”

Skye Higashihara ’28 of Honolulu, Hawaii.

— Skye Higashihara ’28 of Honolulu, Hawaii, on the acoustically intense atmosphere in Alumni Gym

“I think it’s really important for someone who understands the gravity of those situations to be there.”

Emily Scarrow ’25 of Washington, D.C. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

— Emily Scarrow ’25 of Washington, D.C., on volunteering as a wig and headwear consultant at Lewiston’s Dempsey Center, which offers personalized and comprehensive cancer care at no cost. Diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma during her first year at �ֲ��ý, she is now cancer-free

“I remember how much he hated it if we thanked him on air. Which, of course, we did regularly because he deserved our gratitude.”

— Craig Patton ’91, recalling the 24/7 support that adviser Gene Clough gave the fledgling campus television station in the late 1980s into the 1990s. Clough died Oct. 23 at age 77 from complications of Alzheimer’s disease

“I wasn’t that good in high school and wasn’t that good freshman year at �ֲ��ý. So I had imposter syndrome, having to justify to myself that I’m good enough to be running with these people. I’ve been talking to a sports psychologist who helped me realize that these thoughts and pressures are just that — thoughts and pressures. So I can just run and have my best day. I absolutely believed that I deserved to be there.”

Andrew Mottur ’25 of Rumford, R.I.

— Cross country runner Andrew Mottur ’25 of Rumford, R.I., on finishing fourth out of 104 runners at the Maine state championship, helping lead �ֲ��ý to the state title

“My performance became less about perfection, and more about connecting with people and sharing the beauty of music.”

— Marrich Somridhivej ’26 of South Windsor, Conn., who performed Amy Beach’s “Summer Dreams” during an outdoor concert at Lewiston’s Looking Ahead Clubhouse, a vocational center for adults living with mental illness

Marrich Somridhivej ’26 (left) and Miki Sawada perform Amy Beach’s “Summer Dreams” on the piano during the Gather Hear event on Oct. 4, 2024. (Daryn Slover / Sun Journal)

“I see anti-trans panic as premised on a fundamentally troubling denial of our shared humanity.”

Professor of Politics and Associate Dean of the Faculty Stephen Engel. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

— Stephen Engel, a professor of politics and associate dean of the faculty, speaking at a post-election discussion, commenting on anti-trans rhetoric during the presidential campaign that was used to discredit Democratic priorities and deny the dignity and humanity of transgender individuals

“Honestly, there aren’t that many issues that Trump is personally invested in. A lot of what we hear him talking about are these transactional relationships that he has with allies. It’s a way to reward them for support in getting him elected.”

— Professor of Politics John Baughman, on how President-elect Trump’s approach to governance, often giving positions of power to loyalists for political gain rather than prioritizing specific issues himself

“We’re a bunch of big, fun, friendly, large humans.”

Peter Simplicio ’25 of West Hartford, Conn.

— Peter Simplicio ’25 of West Hartford, Conn., a member of the football team’s award-winning offensive line that was twice selected to D3football.com’s “Team of the Week,” on the unit’s work-hard, play-hard mindset: “We have a great time at practice, we joke around, but when it’s time to get things done, we get it done.” Besides offering consistent protection and strong run blocking, the unit did not commit one holding penalty all season

Say What? Quotable quotes from �ֲ��ý folks: Sept. 27, 2024

�ֲ��ý News — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 19:43:40 +0000

Our latest in an occasional roundup of quotable �ֲ��ý quotes, this time about creating community through empathy, a rookie golfer’s first-tee nerves, and the malleability of time.

“Growing community is built on growing one’s empathy, the ability to perceive the world through someone else’s eyes. Grow your empathy to understand others’ experiences to help build a broadly interconnected community. Together we are �ֲ��ý.”

— Sonja Pieck, Griffith Professor of Environmental Studies, speaking to the Class of 2028 at Convocation on Sept. 3, 2024

“I mean, it’s pretty amazing. It’s been a great week, I can’t lie.”

Benny Bogyo ’27 of Redwood City, Calif.

— Men’s soccer player Benny Bogyo ’27 of Redwood City, Calif., on the first week of the season that saw �ֲ��ý win two games by a combined score of 5–0 over the University of New England and Trinity

“It was the perfect balance for me: fresh air and time on the ocean as well as lab work that I’ve worked so hard to learn at �ֲ��ý.”

Hannah Burdick ‘25 of Lyme, N.H.

— Hannah Burdick ‘25, a biology major from Lyme, N.H., on her summer purposeful work internship with Ocean Rainforest, a sustainable aquaculture company located off the coast of Santa Barbara, Calif.

“I’ve been playing football since I was 6. Truly, the first time I stepped on the field I immediately loved it. I wouldn’t change it for everything.”

— Football linebacker Ryan Rozich ’27 of Cromwell, Conn., on his love of football

“There are so few moments in our lives where we can actually feel palpably and concretely the sensation of hope running through us. This is one of those moments. As you explore more fully who you are and what you treasure, may you hold onto this hope. Let it take the shape of kindness toward one another, courage when waters get rough, creativity when a new route needs to be imagined, and deep care for this community.”

— The Rev. Brittany Longsdorf, multifaith chaplain, offering the benediction at Opening Convocation

“In times of uncertainty, always take the leap, do something with someone new and enjoy the experience for what it is. The mindset has led me to some of the best experiences here at �ֲ��ý and some of my closest friends. Even when it doesn’t, it will inform you of the person you want to be, the interests you want to share with others, and the people you want to surround yourself with.”

— Ethan Chan ’25 of Westborough, Mass., offering advice to incoming students at Convocation, where he was joined by fellow co-president of �ֲ��ý Student Government, Sivani Arvapalli ’26 of South Windsor, Conn.

Sivani Arvapalli ’26 (left) of South Windsor, Conn., and Ethan Chan ’25 of Westborough, Mass., co-presidents of �ֲ��ý Student Government, walk to the Coram Library stage to offer their welcome at Convocation on Sept. 3, 2024. (Theophil Syslo/�ֲ��ý College)

“The moral of the story is to reach out to people who interest you because in many cases, they are more than willing to help. There is so much to learn, and the best people to learn from are those who have experienced it firsthand.”

Aydan Gedeon-Hope ’25 of Norton, Mass.

— Aydan Gedeon-Hope ’25 of Norton, Mass., on his Purposeful Work internship at MLS Next Pro league offices in New York City, and how it took him awhile to seize the opportunity to do some networking

“On the first tee, my coach said it looked like I was going to throw up.”

— Women’s golfer Isabelle Meltzer ’28 of Summit, N.J., on her first-tee jitters before her first collegiate match at the Husson Invitational, where she quickly settled down to card a 75, which earned her co-medalist honors with fellow rookie Sarah Wicks ’28 of Tampa, Fla.

Rookie golfers Sarah Wicks ’28 (left) of Tampa, Fla.., and Isabelle Meltzer ’28 of Summit, N.J., shared medalist honors in their first college match. (Abby Spector)

“It’s going to be a challenging time in the U.S., but I believe in this community. I believe in �ֲ��ý and that means I believe in each of you and in your commitment to openness, to engagement, to active listening, and to respect for those around you. This is the �ֲ��ý I know and love. This is the community into which I’m so proud to welcome you.”

— �ֲ��ý President Garry W. Jenkins, offering his welcome at Convocation and sharing his confidence in the college community

President Garry W. Jenkins speaks at Convocation on Sept. 3, 2024. (Theophil Syslo/�ֲ��ý College)

“Just watching those girls, sometimes I’d be on the sidelines, ‘Oh my God, these girls are so cool.’ And then you realize that they’re on your team and those are your teammates and you’re the one that’s pushing them in practice every day.”

Haley Dwight ’27 of West Newbury, Mass.

— Field hockey player Haley Dwight ’27 of West Newbury, Mass., on what it was like joining the field hockey team in her first year, which saw �ֲ��ý advance to the NCAA tournament

“Time’s malleability is one of the reasons why I suppose I have not grown tired of the novel. Time allows for an infinite parade of formal constructions. The writing of this novel encouraged me to reimagine how I communicate structure to the fiction writers here at �ֲ��ý. The best tools for a writer are always the simplest, and time is a useful tetherer.”

Lecturer in English and novelist Jessica Anthony ’96

— Lecturer in English Jessica Anthony ’96 explaining the power of time in fiction writing, which she employs with spectacular effect in her novella, The Most, whose plot unfolds over the course of just eight hours in a single day and which has been longlisted for the National Book Award

“I like to trash talk the player before he takes the penalty, just telling him it’s not his day, just trying to get in his head with all the pressure on him at the last second. But as a freshman, the pressure’s also on you.”

George Nassar ’28 of Newtonville, Mass.

— Rookie men’s soccer goalkeeper George Nassar ’28 of Newtonville, Mass., on the mental games that take place moments before a penalty kick. In early September, his penalty save made SportsCenter’s Top 10

“To actually meet and connect with photographers I have studied or followed has been incredible.”

— Avery Lehman ‘25, a studio art major and accomplished photographer from Portsmouth, N.H., on her summer Purposeful Work internship as a curator for the Yancey Richardson gallery in New York City

Avery Lehman ’25 had a Purposeful Work–funded internship at the Yancey Richardson Gallery in New York City in summer 2024. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

“I just had to place it in the corner, but I was kind of freaking out in the moment, just being like, ‘Please don’t miss. Please don’t miss.’”

Rachel Suh ’27 of Bellevue, Wash.

— Women’s soccer player Rachel Suh ’27 of Bellevue, Wash., on her goal vs. Trinity giving �ֲ��ý a 1–0 victory

“Progressives should be more concerned about the crime and disorder that result from homelessness, because crime and disorder make it hard for everyone to live together peacefully. Crime and disorder also generate resentment toward those who are unhoused, making it more difficult to address the problem in a decent way.”

Associate Professor of Philosophy Paul Schofield

— Associate Professor of Philosophy Paul Schofield, who has become an expert source on the social and moral issues surrounding homelessness, on his hope to broaden the progressive response to the issue

“I don’t care, and I don’t check the record. I see we’re playing Bantams, and cats eat birds.”

Isabelle Bernal ’28 of San Francisco, Calif.

Women’s soccer player Isabelle Bernal ’28 of San Francisco, Calif., on not being familiar with NESCAC opponents and her approach to a big game vs, the Bantams of Trinity, which the Bobcats won, 1–0, hence “cats eat birds”

What’s in a Lewiston Name: Skinner

Jay Burns — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 17:12:05 +0000

This 19th-century Lewiston place name belongs to Francis Skinner, a Boston businessman who, with Benjamin �ֲ��ý, was among the early investors in Lewiston’s cotton mills.

Today, the name “Skinner,” however, is perhaps better known for not being affixed to any Lewiston place, whether building, lake, river — or, in this case, street.

The Street

The street once known as Skinner Street, but now Campus Avenue, begins at the President’s House and runs east, past Lewiston Middle School, St. Mary’s Hospital, and Dairy Joy, all the way to East Avenue.

This view of the bygone trolley tracks on Campus Avenue, formerly Skinner Street, is from around 1935, some 20 years after the street’s name change. This trolley section was part of the Figure Eight, named for the shape of its route around Lewiston and Auburn. The President’s House is in the background. (Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library)

The Skinners

There were actually two Francis Skinners, father and son, associated with �ֲ��ý. The elder Francis was among the core group of investors who, with Benjamin �ֲ��ý, supported and invested in the first manufacturing mills in Lewiston starting around 1850.

He founded Francis Skinner and Co., a “commission house” in Boston that bought cotton goods like bedspreads and sheets from New England textile mills, including Lewiston’s, and sold them to retailers.

After Skinner’s death in 1865, his son took over the family business, serving as a �ֲ��ý trustee from 1868 to 1873, alongside Benjamin �ֲ��ý and other industrialists who were on the �ֲ��ý board in those days.

This image, circa 1895, shows the well-appointed sitting room in Francis Skinner Sr.’s home at 266 Beacon St. in Boston. (William T. Clark / Historic New England)

In the 1880s, he built what is today known as the Skinner Mansion, located on Beacon Street in Boston. His wife, Eliza Gardner Skinner, was the sister-in-law of Isabella Stewart Gardner, founder of the eponymous Boston museum. Skinner died on Nov. 24, 1905, at age 66.

In 1945, a Lewiston mill, Pepperell, took out a nearly full page ad in local newspapers to tout its cotton products. The ad invoked the elder Skinner as an icon of quality and quoted from an old Pepperell letter, “This Cotton is to be worked under the inspection of Mr. Skinner, and he complains of Quality easily.”

The Street Name Change

A few streets in Lewiston and at least two near campus were named for early investors in Lewiston and early supporters of �ֲ��ý. Nichols Street is named for Lyman Nichols, Bardwell Street for Josiah Bardwell, and Wood Street for William Barry Wood, all investors in Lewiston mills.

Called “one of the best streets in the city” by the Lewiston Evening Journal, Skinner Street was completed in 1868. Given that timing — three years after the elder Skinner’s death — the naming was perhaps a memorial gesture by the city.

In early 1915, the Lewiston Daily Sun reported that “a petition asking that the name of Skinner Street be changed to Campus Avenue is being circulated in this city.” It’s unclear who circulated the petition.

Around that time the city was doing work to improve the street, including creating a new city athletic field across from John Bertram Hall, near where the middle school now is.

The �ֲ��ý Student applauded the name change in its Jan. 28, 1915, issue: “Students, faculty, alumni take note: by a decree of the Lewiston City Government, Skinner Street is henceforth to be known as Campus Avenue. We appreciate the change. Not let us all remember to make it a real change in fact as well as in theory.”

At Reunion that year, the Lewiston Evening Journal noted that returning alumni “rather like the improvement in terminology.”

Say What: Quotable quotes from �ֲ��ýies, family members, and guests at the Jenkins inauguration

�ֲ��ý News — Thu, 09 May 2024 18:14:42 +0000

Shortly before the start of the installation ceremony for President Garry W. Jenkins on May 4 in Merrill Gymnasium, Sarah Potter ’77, the retired longtime director of the �ֲ��ý College Store, talked about the power of institutional rituals.

“Rituals are invaluable for the sense of intimacy and community that they create,” she said.

And Jenkins’ friends knew that he would take full advantage of his magic moment.

“For someone who is quite informal, Garry really likes rituals,” said Martha Chamallas, a friend and professor emerita of law at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. “I think it speaks volumes. Garry finds pleasure in ritual because he finds joy in the people behind the institutional rituals — and he’s really open to becoming your new close friend!”

More than 1,000 �ֲ��ý students, faculty, staff, trustees, presidents emeriti, and alumni, joined by 60-plus delegates and many Jenkins family members, turned out to welcome, praise, and appreciate Garry W. Jenkins, turning the �ֲ��ý campus into a place of community and intimacy.

Speaking with �ֲ��ý News senior writer Deirdre Stires, editorial assistant Hannah Kotheri ’26, and editorial director Jay Burns, here’s what they said:

�ֲ��ý students

To serve the approximately 300 guests at the inaugural dinner in the Gray Athletic Building the night before the inauguration, Dining Services for the first time enlisted student workers for the event’s waitstaff. Two waiters were Emmon Blackburn ’27 of Nardin, Okla., and Zak Adler of Jamaica Plain, Mass.

Chill place: “Just knowing what I’m representing by doing this is kind of cool, definitely. Everyone back in the kitchen knows each other and they’re always making jokes. It feels like a pretty chill place really, like one big and a-little-disoriented family!” — Blackburn

Emmon Blackburn ’27 of Nardin, Okla., joined Dining Services waitstaff team for the inaugural dinner for President Garry W. Jenkins. (Rene Roy for �ֲ��ý College)

Fancy vest: “I helped set up this event on Wednesday, so by how formal everything was, I got a sense that it was pretty important. Just the fact that I’m wearing this fancy vest tells you that it’s a big event! It’s super cool that Garry is in touch with the student body and you see him all around campus.” — Adler

On Saturday morning shortly after 10:30, the academic procession moved from Commons to Merrill Gymnasium for the installation ceremony, where the �ֲ��ý College Orchestra, featuring many students, performed William Grant Still’s Festive Overture.

Big deal: “There’s definitely a lot of pressure to perform my best today. This is a big deal. Being a part of the ceremony is truly an honor.” — Joel Keith ’27 of San Francisco, Calif., who played the trumpet

Nerve wracking: “I feel in shock. I’m so excited to support Garry and be a part of this historic moment. Yes, it’s nerve wracking to perform today, but I’m proud to represent the college. Music is powerful, and having this event is important; it brings people together.” — Jade Pierce ’27 of Dracut, Mass., who played the viola in the orchestra

Full circle: “It’s not every day something like this happens. The students know President Jenkins; he takes the time to get to know students. Today feels more like a personal connection, like a full circle moment.” — Maddy Ewell ’24, a neuroscience major from Ridgewood, N.J., who played the violin

Surreal: “It’s really cool how often we see President Jenkins around campus. He’s just so present among the student body. It’s surreal to see him officially become president after all of these months leading the college.” — Mavy Ho ’26, a neuroscience major from Gorham, Maine, who played the violin

Featuring many students, the �ֲ��ý College Orchestra performed William Grant Still’s Festive Overture during the installation ceremony on May 4, 2024. (Rene Roy for �ֲ��ý College)

Shortly before the 10:30 a.m. start of the ceremony, students made their way from breakfast in Commons to the gym.

Feeling lucky: “Since there have only ever been eight other presidents during the college’s history, it’s so special to be a part of one of the classes that has the opportunity to witness this type of historic moment. It’s so special to see a president inaugurated. I feel so lucky.” — Janney Halperin ’26, an environmental studies major from Meredith, N.H.

At the installation ceremony, members of �ֲ��ý Student Government served as student delegates, including Zain Ali ’27 of Lebanon, Ohio, and Mariam Almzainy ’27 of Madaba, Jordan.

Fantastic: “It feels like a once-in-a-lifetime event for a college student and a really fitting way to end the year. It’s so nice to see all these people who are related to Garry or who want to be here in one way or another. I think it’s going to be a fantastic, fantastic day.” — Ali

Inspiration: “Last night was the dinner for all the people who were involved in the inauguration and all of these comments that we heard about Garry just showed us what a great man he is. That gives me inspiration to reach peace, to provide people with hope, and the positive influences we are looking for in this world.” — Almzainy

�ֲ��ý Student Government co-presidents Dhruv Chandra ’25 of Kolkata, India, and Rebecca Anderson ’24 of Boone, N.C., offer welcomes on behalf of �ֲ��ý students. (Rene Roy for �ֲ��ý College)

We all belong: “You have signaled repeatedly that we all belong here, all have a place here, all have a contribution to make and a mark to leave on this college that we all care for so deeply.” — Rebecca Anderson ’24 of Boone, N.C., in her and Student Government co-president Dhruv Chandra’s shared welcome on behalf of students

�ֲ��ý faculty and staff

Pretty powerful: “There’s so much evidence about how much the students admire Garry and just already love him and everything about him. Yes, he goes to lots of things on campus. But they love him for his admiration of our principals and his commitment to education and because he wants to be president of a liberal arts college. That’s pretty powerful.” — James Reese, the associate dean for international student programs and a member of the �ֲ��ý staff since 1977

James Reese, associate dean for international student programs, glances at President Garry W. Jenkins during his welcome on behalf of �ֲ��ý staff. Reese has been a member of the �ֲ��ý staff since 1977. (Rene Roy for �ֲ��ý College)

New and possible: “Rituals of hope and joy are just lovely things for a college to acknowledge and lean into. It’s a really beautiful day to think about what’s new and what’s possible.” — The Rev. Brittany Longsdorf, the college’s multifaith chaplain

Pass the baton: “It’s fantastic when you pass the baton and a fabulous person picks it up from you. It’s been wonderful to see the welcome that Garry has given to all the incoming delegates, the alums coming back, the trustees, and how thrilled everybody is, and to see the welcome that Garry has received from this community.” — President Emerita Clayton Spencer, Jenkins’ predecessor, one of two former presidents, with Elaine Tuttle Hansen, who took part in the installation ceremony

Moving forward: “This is an exciting and historic day for the college and certainly a day that we are celebrating not only Garry Jenkins, but also the institution, and our tradition, and our history and how we envision that history and tradition moving forward.” — Gwen Lexow, associate vice president for Title IX and Civil Rights and the delegate for Knox College, where she is an alumna and a trustee

Directness: “We see in you the curiosity and thoughtfulness and openness to the ideas of others that we center in our teaching, inside and outside the classroom. And we appreciate the directness with which you address the complexities and injustices of the current moment.” — Professor of French and Francophone Studies Mary T. Rice-DeFosse, from her official welcome on behalf of the �ֲ��ý faculty

Professor of French and Francophone Studies Mary T. Rice-DeFosse carries the �ֲ��ý mace as the senior member of the �ֲ��ý faculty during the recessional on May 4, 2024. (Rene Roy for �ֲ��ý College)

Renewal: “My initial thoughts are: It’s a new beginning, a different administration, and I’m looking forward to what Garry has to bring. And already he’s brought a wonderful energy of renewal and excitement.” — Associate Professor of American Studies Myron Beasley, who marched with his faculty colleagues in the academic procession

Reassembled campus: “It’s fun to see the campus reassemble itself for an event like this that really is about celebrating the joy of community. It’s fun to see how many people are coming here, seeing the indoor track rearranged into an event space that’s not for getting really sweaty! It’s really marvelous. It’s great.” — Associate Professor of History Joe Hall, who marched with his faculty colleagues in the academic procession and also sang in the Maine Music Society Chorale

Associate Professor of History Joe Hall (center, in blue hood) sings with the Maine Music Society Chorale during the installation ceremony on May 4, 2024. (Rene Roy for �ֲ��ý College)

Energy and joy: “I’m so excited to have Garry and to have this moment. He just has so much energy, and joy, and love, and care.” — Melanie McGuire is director of information services for �ֲ��ý Human Resources and was the delegate for Thomas College, where she earned an MBA

Set apart: “Our rituals, whether an inauguration or graduation or reunion, are what help set colleges apart from so many other organizations and businesses.” —Kerry O’Brien, who retired as the �ֲ��ý assistant dean of the faculty in 2022

�ֲ��ý alumni

Bursting with pride: “My classmate who is here and I, we both said our hearts are just bursting with pride. We feel such promise, like this is a promising time for �ֲ��ý. Having Garry Jenkins here, what a great step forward for us. I’ve never felt so proud to be a �ֲ��ýie. I grew up in Portland, a poor kid, and �ֲ��ý gave me everything.” — Marjorie McCormick Davis ’76, the delegate for Vanderbilt University, where she earned a doctorate, who teared up as she offered her comment

�ֲ��ý is people: “�ֲ��ý is not the buildings, it’s the people. And I see that in Garry. He reinforces the reason people went here: we’ve alway had minorities, always had women. And I’m hearing that both from parents and also from students.” — Chuck James ’78, member of the �ֲ��ý Alumni Council who met Jenkins recently at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., hosted by the Benjamin Mays Black Alumni Society, for which James serves as treasurer

Monumental moment: “I think it’s a monumental moment for the school in a time of a lot of change: in education, in the world. Just to be the ninth president in the long history of this school is pretty extraordinary. He’s just a great leader. So I just wanted to be here and be part of the event.” — Bill Carey ’82, member of the college’s Cheney Society, which comprises former members of the �ֲ��ý College Board of Trustees

Best person: “It’s such a wonderful moment of community, so many different people coming together to celebrate just a momentous occasion: the ninth president of �ֲ��ý and also our first Black president — which is of personal great importance to me — and, by far, the best person for the job. I think that’s what we’re most excited about.” — Lance Matthiesen ’85, a member of the Board of Trustees and the Benjamin Mays Black Alumni Society

Lance Matthiesen ’85, a member of the Board of Trustees, talks with President Garry W. Jenkins (right) during the inaugural dinner on May 3, 2024, and Jenkins’ cousin Darrell Terry (left). (Rene Roy for �ֲ��ý College)

A testament: “This is a really historic moment and I’m just really proud to be here as an alum and I’m really excited to see what Garry ends up doing at �ֲ��ý. Having the first Black and gay president is both historic and really important. But I also think it speaks to �ֲ��ý’ legacy and dedication to diversity and inclusion. I think it’s a testament to that.” — Ashleigh Dior Coren ’07 of Takoma Park, Md., on campus this spring to teach a Short Term course on museum interpretation and storytelling

Garry Jenkins’ family and friends

A good fit: “I’m proud, of course. And he’s worked hard. He’s very grounded and always prepared. �ֲ��ý is a good fit for him. He’s very interested in education and students and people, and there are things he wants to accomplish. And I think he’ll do them here. Walking through the campus, the smiles on the students’ faces and, sometimes, they comment how glad they are he’s here, that he is here for them and they feel it.” — Leslie Jenkins, mother of Garry W. Jenkins

Garry Jenkins’ mother, Leslie Jenkins, blows a kiss to her son after his heartfelt thanks to her and his father, Garry C. Jenkins (left). At right is Jon Lee, Garry Jenkin’s husband. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

Blessed to be embraced: “Garry and I are thrilled to be part of the �ֲ��ý community and blessed to have been embraced so warmly by everyone in it, not only today but every day since he was first named as president last March. We look forward to deepening our relationship with the college and community in the years ahead.” — Jon J. Lee, Garry Jenkins’ husband and the delegate for his alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Giving everything: “Garry has been a champion for liberal arts education for 37 years. I can recall the exact number of years because this high achiever wrote a book about the college admissions process at 16 years old! He will give everything in his heart to serve �ֲ��ý and its staff and faculty and guide this esteemed institution to continued success.” — Garry Jenkins’ brother, Chris Jenkins, from his toast at Friday’s inauguration dinner

Harness the power: “People think of transformational leaders as people who changed institutions or organizations, but that’s not what I mean here. Garry loves institutions and actions that transform people. He will not try to change �ֲ��ý, but instead will seek to harness the power of �ֲ��ý and see how it transforms the lives of its students.” — Donald Tobin, a longtime friend and former colleague of Jenkins’ at the Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University, in his toast to Jenkins

Embodied inclusiveness: “Long before the word became fashionable, Garry embodied inclusiveness. He’s a generous spirit who gives people leeway to make mistakes and he knows that not everyone is always their best self. But there is a difference between being tolerant and inclusive and being compliant. What makes Garry truly inclusive is that he actually has very little tolerance for people who aren’t kind, for people who lie, or for people who are dismissive of other people.” — Martha Chamallas, professor emerita of law, Moritz College of Law at The Ohio University, in her toast to Jenkins

Higher education delegates, colleagues, and guests

Awesome collision: “I spent an enormous amount of time at �ֲ��ý growing up. I had a radio show at WRBC, I practiced with the �ֲ��ý ultimate team all through high school. So it’s really fun to be on a campus that I love, representing my own alma mater, and it’s just kind of this awesome collision of all of my worlds.” — Luke Livingston, who grew up in Auburn and is the founder of Lewiston-based Baxter Brewing Co., is an alumnus of Clark University

Ethical and impactful: “Through �ֲ��ý and all that the �ֲ��ý community represents, Garry’s ethical and impactful leadership, rooted in the liberal arts and an enduring set of values and humane capacities, will know no limits. Congratulations, �ֲ��ý College, on being on the Jenkins journey!” — Wendy Raymond, president and professor of biology at Haverford College, Jenkins’ undergraduate alma mater, who offered the traditional welcome on behalf of the academy

Wendy Raymond, president and professor of biology at Haverford College, offers the traditional welcome on behalf of the academy. (Rene Roy for �ֲ��ý College)

Not luck, but brilliance: “On the one hand, I want to say �ֲ��ý is so lucky to have Garry Jenkins as its president, but I don’t think it’s luck. I think it’s brilliance on the part of your search committee and your board. It’s just the right person in the right place at the right time. He is a problem solver. He is transformational in a way that makes other people do their absolute best.” — Susan Krinsky is executive vice president for operations and chief of staff of the Law School Admission Council

Say What? Quotable quotes from �ֲ��ý folks: Jan. 26, 2024

Jay Burns — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 18:25:38 +0000

Our latest in an occasional roundup of quotable quotes about cooking demonstrations, ice skating, paper couture, and ducks.

“What is Maine?”

This clue appeared on Jan. 9, 2024, episode of Jeopardy!

— April Marquet, a digital production artist from Oakland, Calif., offering the correct response to this Jeopardy! clue on Jan. 9: “�ֲ��ý, Beal, and Bowdoin are colleges in this state that does not begin with B.”

“I loved going to those camps and being surrounded by strong, talented women who were making a really big impact in college athletics.”

Women’s Basketball Head Coach Alison Montgomery

— Alison Montgomery, head coach of women’s basketball, about attending Maine summer basketball camps as a girl in the late 1990s and learning from people like fellow Mainer Adrienne Shibles ’91, who was starting her 29-year head coaching career and is now an associate director of athletics at �ֲ��ý (and whose daughter plays for Montgomery).

“Today people often want art to have a clear and even redemptive political message, but Pope.L gave us neither. He had a brilliant capacity to distill difficult, even horrifying truths about American society into strange and challenging work. It can be truculent, or funny, or both, but it’s never easy.”

The artist William Pope.L performs a crawl on Oct. 5, 2002, in Portland, Maine. Pope.L died on Dec. 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Joel Page)

— Scott Rothkopf, director of the Whitney Museum of American Art, speaking to The New York Times about the art of the late William Pope.L, a member of the �ֲ��ý faculty from 1990 to 2012, who died Dec. 23, 2023, at age 68.

“Start with the visceral to ignite the cerebral and end with the political.”

Bryant Terry, this year’s MLK Day speaker. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

— Author, award-winning chef, and food justice advocate Bryant Terry, this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day keynote speaker, explaining the source of his food activism and how, for him, activism needs to start at the human level.

“If you can boil a pot of water, you can make this dish.”

— MLK Day keynote speaker Bryant Terry, as he began a cooking demonstration, preparing a recipe from one of his cookbooks, as part of his keynote presentation.

“The idea that you would go to a school like �ֲ��ý and take a cooking class feels foreign to people. I think that’s rooted in classism: Traditionally, people who make the food didn’t or don’t always go to college. But cooking is a serious art form, and there’s something about cooking and baking that empowers students.”

— Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Tyler Harper, offering one reason he led a bread-making workshop on MLK Day at �ֲ��ý that included discussions about environmental justice and African American baking.

Erin Reed ’08 is the executive director of the Trinity Jubilee Center in Lewiston. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

“The reality is no one else will do this. No one else will cook lunch for the community every day, no one else will do paperwork to get kids out of refugee camps. What we do is not fun or easy, but we can’t just walk away.”

— Erin Reed ’08, executive director of Trinity Jubilee in Lewiston, on the organization’s imperative to serve the most vulnerable in the community.

“I sew a lot and I feel like paper looks cool when it’s folded in a certain way. And I like to read and write a lot. So I thought incorporating words and stories into my garment would be cool.”

Annie Menden ’26 of Helena, Mont., models the Trashion outfit designed by Ashley Taylor ’27. (Theophil Syslo/�ֲ��ý College)

— Ashley Taylor ’27 of Lexington, Mass., on using newspapers and magazines as the “fabric” for the outfit she created for the 2023 Trashion Show.

“Not only was he a fantastic person, but he was one of the best captains we could ever ask for. We were able to put our full trust into Bill. And if he said, ‘OK guys, we’ve got to go hard today. Guys, we’ve got to focus on defense,’ whatever he said we took that word as gospel.”

Billy Selmon ’15.

— Mike Boornazian ’16 , who died Jan. 28, 2023, after emergency surgery.

“I’m just hanging out, watching ducks.”

— Kai Anderson ’27 of Poland, Maine, while gathering visual data for an assignment for “Lab-Based Biological Inquiry: Wildlife Sampling and Identification,” taught by Assistant Professor of Biology Eric LaFlore. He counted 40 to 60 mallard ducks, 11 domestic dogs, and four American crows.

“I really love cooking food for people and serving it in dishes that I have made.”

Alex Provasknik ’25 is a student worker in the ceramic studio in the Olin Arts Center. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

— Alex Provasnik ’25 of Arlington, Va., who works as an assistant in the Olin Arts Center ceramic studio, talking about why bowls are the favorite things she’s made during her own studio time. (She also loves her mugs.)

“We’d been talking about skating all week, and that morning our schedules all magically lined up so we could get out on the ice. I figured I’d bring out my camera to get some shots of the biggest thing to happen in hockey since the Miracle on Ice.”

— Mac Gaither ’24 of Palo Alto, Calif., describing the simple joy of pond hockey on Lake Andrews.

“In that hour, we happened to see something that was surprising. It was kind of like, ‘Huh, that’s weird.’”

— Associate Professor of Physics Aleksandar Diamond-Stanic, recalling the moment in 2022 when he and fellow researchers noticed an unusually high amount of compressed gas from an ancient starburst formation, and observation that led researchers, including Diamond-Stanic, to an explanation of a cosmic phenomenon known as “odd radio circles.”

Say What? Quotable quotes from �ֲ��ý folks: Nov. 17, 2023

Jay Burns — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 08:28:00 +0000

Our latest in an occasional roundup of quotable quotes about the fall theater production, our Veterans Day observance, and the painful aftermath of the Lewiston shootings.

Rings a Bell

Tom King ’58 (inset) was the last student bell ringer in Hathorn Hall.

“The view was stupendous. Looking down on the campus, I felt sort of like the king of what I surveyed, since I was the bellringer, you know.”

— Tom King ‘58, the last student to hold the campus job as the Hathorn Hall bell-ringer, a gig that included living in Hathorn and having access to the roof, which he and friends would occasionally visit late at night.

History Lesson

The Thanksgiving Play features a play within the play about performative wokeness by white people who think they’re celebrating a Native American perspective by mounting a Thanksgiving pageant. Everything quickly spirals into chaos. From left, Logan (Paige Magid ’24), Jaxton (Adam Joseph Matos ’26), and Alicia (Ruby Marden ’27). (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

“I don’t think my job or even the actors or Tim’s is to make the audience feel comfortable about true history. I don’t teach history or consult on history to make people feel comfortable about true history.”

— John Bear Mitchell, a citizen of the Penobscot Nation, who served as a cultural consultant for the �ֲ��ý production of The Thanksgiving Play, directed by Assistant Professor of Theater Tim Dugan. Mitchell helped the student actors navigate their roles in what is a very funny play but also includes offensive dialog and actions, and shocking stories relating to Native American history.

It Registers

On Election Day on Nov. 7, President Garry W. Jenkins (right) heads to the polls to cast his ballot with, from left, Inez Johnson ’25, Tammy Namangale ’27, Carly Baker ’27, and Neil Grover ’27. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

“Are you registered to vote in Maine?”

— An oft-posed question to students on Election Day, Nov. 7, as they entered Commons and passed a balloon-festooned table, staffed by Jenna Vendil ’06, an associate director at the Harward Center for Community Partnerships, and student members of the �ֲ��ý Votes civic engagement team. Vendil heads up the democratic engagement and student activism efforts at the Harward Center.

For Veterans

Sophia Cattallani ‘25 of Skaneateles, N.Y., plays taps on Nov. 10, 2023, during the Veterans Day observance at the Veterans Plaza. It was the second year in a row Cattallani, whose grandfather was a veteran, played the military’s bugle call at the event. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

“I felt I was playing it for him today, in his honor, and for the people here, for those they hold in their hearts.”

— Sophia Cattallani ’25 of Skaneateles, N.Y., describing playing taps during the Veterans Day observance at �ֲ��ý and remembering her grandfather, who had served in the Vietnam War and died two years ago.

The Some of Things

“Some people in your life are there for the rest of your life, and others will come and go. Allowing things to change is always a good idea.”

— Joe Inger ’19, recalling advice he gave to his sister, Lexi ’26, on dealing with the ups and downs of college life.

Go Time

Ned Farrington ’24 competes in the �ֲ��ý Invitational on Sept. 17 over the course at Roy’s Disc Golf in Auburn, Maine. (Tom Leonard ’78 for �ֲ��ý College)

“We can take a strategy of ‘go for All-American or not.’”

— Ned Farrington ’24 of Cohasset, Mass., comparing the strategy of running a cross country race as an individual, which he will do at the NCAA Championships on Nov. 18, with running a race with teammates. With the latter, “you don’t want to risk having a really bad race, so you race a little bit more conservatively.” With the former, a runner can let it all hang out.

Dream Sequence

“It’s been such a far-fetched dream.”

— �ֲ��ý head squash coach Rei Hergeth sharing thoughts on squash being one of five sports added to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. “What’s most exciting about it is that we actually have a few �ֲ��ý players who could be playing in the Olympics in four years.”

The following quotes relate to the Oct. 25 shootings in Lewiston and its aftermath.

Frustration, Sadness, Anger

“There’s frustration, there’s sadness, and a little bit of anger as well.”

— Professor of Sociology Michael Rocque speaking with WCSH-TV NewsCenter Maine about his and others’ research on mass shootings — and how their policy ideas have been ignored — and his reaction to the shootings in Lewiston. “Now we’re attacked at our own home, and that feels personal.”

Garnet and Blue

�ֲ��ý field hockey wore bright blue socks, the school color of Lewiston High School, during the team’s Oct. 31 game vs. Bowdoin. (Theophil Syslo/�ֲ��ý College)

“We wanted to play for each other, play for this school, and play for this city.”

— Field hockey player Maria Femia ’25 of Canton, Mass., recalling the team’s feeling before its game vs. Bowdoin on Oct. 31, six days after the Lewiston shootings. The team observed a moment of silence, wore Lewiston Strong T-shirts for the warmup, and, during the game, sported bright blue socks, the school color of Lewiston High School. �ֲ��ý won the game, 2-1, propelling the team to the NCAA tournament.

Event Support

In front of Smith Hall on Bardwell Street, �ֲ��ý students greet children and families from the Lewiston community during a Halloween trick-or-treat event. (Huck Triggs ’24 for �ֲ��ý College)

“The way they are engaging with her — it’s so important. She needs this. We appreciate this so much.”

— Jennifer Randall of Lewiston, talking about how students engaged with her grandchild during an Oct. 31 Halloween trick-or-treat event, in which students transformed Alumni Walk and nearby campus walkways and welcomed community families as a gesture of support. Since the shootings, the child had been fearful and withdrawn.

Holding Hope

President Garry W. Jenkins, flanked by the Rev. Brittany Longsdorf (left) and his husband, Jon Lee, said that the outpouring of care and help following the shootings “remind us of human goodness. during his remarks at the vigil. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

“Generosity and care and eagerness to help, to support, to embrace, have emanated from every corner of this city and this college community like a beacon of light, filling our hearts and mending our souls. They remind us of human goodness. They remind us to hold onto hope. They remind us that together, over time, we will recover and heal. In that, I have faith.”

— President Garry W. Jenkins, speaking at the campus Vigil for Grief and Remembrance on Nov. 1 in Gomes Chapel.

Loving Amidst Loss

The Rev. Brittany Longsdorf, �ֲ��ý’ multifaith chaplain, lights a student’s candle during the campus vigil in Gomes chapel on Nov. 1, 2023. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

“Some may think that grieving is weak, or a form of surrender. But I believe that grief is a form of rest and a method of love. When we grieve together like this, in community, we powerfully hold each other and are held. When we grieve, we continue loving amidst loss.”

— The Rev. Brittany Longsdorf, �ֲ��ý’ multifaith chaplain, during the vigil in Gomes Chapel on Nov. 1.

Rising Together

A day before speaking at the vigil in Gomes Chapel, Lewiston mayor Carl Sheline poses with the �ֲ��ý field hockey team, wearing Lewiston Strong T-shirts, before their winning game vs. Bowdoin. (Theophil Syslo | �ֲ��ý College)

“Most of you, like me, are from away, but while you are here, you belong to us. Lewiston is your city, just as we are sharing in this tragedy. We are not going through separate events, but the same dark time. We will rise together.”

— Lewiston mayor Carl Sheline, during the campus vigil in Gomes Chapel on Nov. 1.

Say What? �ֲ��ý quotes from here and there: Oct. 7, 2022

Jay Burns — Fri, 07 Oct 2022 17:00:56 +0000

The latest roundup of what �ֲ��ý folks are saying about this and that.

“Is the chili garlic sauce gone for good????”

— A question posted on the Dining Services online Napkin Board, which offers students a chance to ask whatever they want about the food they eat (and want to see on the menu). Probably not gone for good, but a failed chili pepper harvest in Mexico has caused a shortage of popular brands of chili sauce.

“We enter the year without having [COVID] as our shaping concern. I look forward to the luxury of being able to concentrate our energies on what we are here to do — provide our students with the opportunity for a life-transforming education.”

— President Clayton Spencer in her 2022 Community Letter, in which she noted “lots of reasons for excitement as we begin the academic year” as well as “areas where we will focus our attention.

Lefty Alex Gujarathi ’24 won at No. 1 doubles and singles vs. Bowdoin in April 2022 at Merrill Gymnasium. (Matt Hamilton ’25 for �ֲ��ý College)

“Their forehand goes to my backhand, and my forehand goes to their backhand, which is helpful sometimes but can also be difficult.”

— Alex Gujarathi ’24 of Plymouth, Mass., on the ups and downs of being a left-handed tennis player.

“I toured �ֲ��ý on a really ugly day, but I still liked it a lot. And so I was like, if I like the school enough on a really rainy cold day, I must really like it on a nice fall day.”

— Izzy Lussier ’24 of West Suffield, Conn., speaking to the �ֲ��ý Bobcast, who found that �ֲ��ý can shine even when the sun doesn’t.

“Most campus buildings from the ’50s into the ’80s were over-programmed. Everything was super efficient. They didn’t have this little bit of extra space for students.”

— Michael Hinchcliffe of the architectural firm Payette, the lead architect of the Dana Hall renovation project as well as the Bonney Science Center, explaining the emergence and value of unprogrammed spaces in Bonney and Dana Hall, including lounges and study rooms.

In a casual meeting space in Bonney, Associate Professor of Neuroscience Jason Castro shares a laugh with his thesis students, Johnny Loftus ’22 of Palo Alto, Calif., and Juliet Bockhorst ’22 of Westwood, Mass. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

“I just walked outside and just looked around, thinking, ‘I want to protect this. That’s what I want to do.”

— Gabrielle Brewer ’23 of New Britain, Conn., recalling how she decided to major in environmental studies. She recently won a prestigious Udall Scholarship that recognizes leadership, public service, and commitment to issues related to Native American nations or to the environment.

Gabrielle Brewer ‘23 of New Britain, Conn., has earned a Udall Scholarship, awarded to undergraduate U.S. college students that recognizes leadership, public service, and commitment to issues related to Native American nations or to the environment. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

“You kinda have to, if you’re going to do this work.”

— Corey Ernst, a worker for Wicked Flooring of Rockford, Ill., the subcontractor that installed the new track surface at the Russell Street Track and Field, asked about whether he gets into a flow state when hand-cutting more than a mile of new Mondo track surface, which comes in rolls that have to be trimmed to fit.

Corey Ernst trims pieces of the new Mondo surface that was installed at the Russell Street Track and Field over the summer. (Jay Burns/�ֲ��ý College)

“She just looked at me and said, ‘Let’s get it done.” And I just shot it, ripped it, and it went in.”

— Anna Lindeis ’25 of New Canaan, Conn., on how she and field hockey teammate Molly Harmon ’24 of Farmington, Maine, teamed up on an overtime goal to beat Williams

“I’m relieved and also sort of excited but want to throw up, all at the same time.”

— Kacie Lutz, parent of Riley Lutz ’26, describing her mixed-up feelings as she and her husband, Bob Lutz, arrived at �ֲ��ý on Opening Day

“We talk about how early statisticians were eugenicists. And I don’t mean that in a hyperbolic sense. These were men that actually believed that they should develop statistical models to study humans so that they could figure out who should die. That’s really uncomfortable.”

— Assistant Professor of Digital and Computational Studies Anelise Hanson Shrout, speaking during a discussion, “Courage to Transgress: Engaging Dangerous Ideas in the Classroom,” about engaging students in difficult ideas related to racism, white supremacy, and vastly unequal structures of power.

“It’s as if you took a bakery and soaked it in water for a long time, I guess it’s a little bit indescribable.”

— Eli Kushner ’24, a double major in biochemistry and music from Philadelphia, describing the odor of the germination room at the Blue Ox Malthouse in Lisbon Falls, where he had a Purposeful Work internship. He spent hours raking grains in a room carefully controlled for heat and humidity and helped with various quality-control processes, such as testing moisture content.

Eli Kushner ’24, is a double major in biochemistry and music from Philadelphia, engages in the hands-on part of his Purposeful Work internship at the Blue Ox Malthouse in Lisbon Falls, Maine. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

“I’m not really used to being vulnerable, especially when it comes to teaching. But when I opened up about my experiences, I realized that everyone else has the same issues going on.”

— Carmen Bautista, a teacher at Richland Union Elementary School in Shafter, Calif., about being with fellow K–3 educators at �ֲ��ý for a summer institute on using children’s picture books in the classroom.

“I wanted to give her the college tree experience.”

— Elizabeth Nahigian ’26 of Needham, Mass., explaining why she took sister Emma, 14, up a tree behind Lane Hall as they caught up during Back to �ֲ��ý weekend. Elizabeth had climbed this very tree with �ֲ��ý friends and wanted to do the same with Emma.

Say What? �ֲ��ý quotes from here and there: Jan. 27, 2022

Freddie Wright — Thu, 27 Jan 2022 15:49:12 +0000

The latest roundup of what �ֲ��ý folks are saying about this and that.

“Relax for a second and throw an axe.”

— Piper Strunk ’24 of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, while waiting in line to throw axes with her friends at the Ladd Library Arcade.

The event, part one of the day’s “axe and relax” theme, was sponsored by the Office of Campus Life and hosted by the Axe Pit, a Portland-based axe-throwing venue.

Paul Detre ’24 and Sabrina Mohamed ’24 walk back for another try at throwing axes. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

“I’ve really advocated for equal distance in sports. I watched the men do it and I was like, ‘I think I can do that. I want to try.’ It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done but just an awesome experience to know that I can go that far.”

— Olivia Skillings ’22 of Portland, Maine, captain of women’s Nordic skiing, telling the �ֲ��ý Bobcast , on Jan. 14 at the Colby Carnival. Previously, the longest women’s race was 15 kilometers.

Olivia Skillings ’22 of Portland, Maine, is captain of women’s Nordic skiing. (Brewster Burns for �ֲ��ý College)

“What does decolonization and liberation mean to me as an African expat, who has strong ties with the continent? It means rediscovering myself, reclaiming my identity, and liberating myself from the colonial mindset and the trap of a very dangerous colonial education system.”

— Hamza Abdi, assistant director of volunteer programs and community partnerships for the Harward Center, during �ֲ��ý’ MLK Day keynote panel.

Abdi was joined by four other Maine-based thinkers, practitioners, and activists in addressing the theme of the event, “What I Mean When I Say: Decolonization and Liberation.”

“They came in droves.”

— Bridget Fullerton, a lecturer in humanities and acting director of Writing@�ֲ��ý, about the popularity of the annual Thesis Cafe she organizes.

Thesis Cafe offers a social, studious place for students to work on their theses, get faculty advice, and enjoy snacks and drinks provided by Dining Services, as well as occasional prompting to get up and stretch.

From left, Saskia Wong-Smith ’22 and Milly Detels ’22 help themselves to hot drinks at the Thesis Cafe. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

“Contented. Is that a word? Content. Fulfilled. It’s almost like a warmth, a feeling of warmth.”

— Arie van Vuuren ’22, of Boulder, Colo., talking about how playing the cello makes him feel.

Van Vuuren, an economics major and standout alpine skier, began playing the cello in the second grade so he could play duets with his sister on the violin.

Arie Van Vuuren ’22 smiles at collaborative pianist Chiharu Naruse as they rehearse for Van Vuuren’s senior recital in the Olin Art Center Concert Hall in October 2021. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

“My first in-person class was my First-Year Seminar with Professor [Lauren] Ashwell, and it was so exciting. Not because it was, like, ‘Ooh, first class of college,’ but because it was my first in-person class in almost two years. Just getting in there, sitting in there — I had a smile on my face.”

— Truman Williams ’25 of Montclair, N.J., telling the �ֲ��ý Bobcast what it felt like to attend after a remote senior year of high school.

Truman Williams ’25 of Montclair, N.J., competes in the sprints for men’s track and field. (Brewster Burns for �ֲ��ý College)

“We’re up to the task. We’re going to keep our democracy strong. We’re going to do what needs to be done.”

— Peggy Rotundo, retired director of strategic and policy initiatives at the Harward Center and former Maine legislator, on receiving the Maine Campus Voting Legacy Award in November 2021.

The online awards ceremony also honored �ֲ��ý and other Maine colleges involved in the ALL IN Campus Challenge, a campaign to encourage college students to vote in elections. �ֲ��ý students showed up in a big way in the 2020 election, with 84.9 percent of eligible students heading to the polls.

“We’re the only game in town.”

— Karen Melvin, a professor of history, on the first-of-its-kind website she co-founded to view documentation from the Spanish Inquisition.

The website, Reading the Spanish Inquisition, features images, transcriptions, and translations of source material, in hopes of making the information more accessible to students and others.

Professor of History Karen Melvin teaches the course “The Spanish Inquisition” in Roger Williams 315 on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

“We have some experience with sustainability. I would suggest to you that the U.S. does not.”

— Winona LaDuke, a member of the Ojibwe people who is an environmentalist, economist, writer, and activist, speaking about sustainable Native American practices while delivering the 24th annual Otis Lecture.

“Science is everywhere.”

— Assistant Professor of Biology Lori Banks, on the importance of helping students recognize that science is present in all kinds of environments and contexts, not just in a classroom or lab.

Banks’s most recent project, involving her biochemistry class and Lewiston Middle School students, helped teach her students the value of community learning, and LMS students about nutrition.

Assistant Professor of Biology Lori Banks in the classroom. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

“Okay, now let’s get another bird.”

— Ethan Whitaker ’80, upon spotting his 318th bird and cementing his status as Maine’s new record-holder for most birds spotted in a year.

Whitaker’s Big Year took him all over Maine, on both land and sea, and ended with having spotted 324 species, breaking the previous record of 317. An Ash-throated Flycatcher, out-of-season and off-course, cinched the title for Whitaker. He spotted the bird perched on a gravestone.

Ethan Whitaker’s 318th bird, the Ash-throated Flycatcher, photographed by Whitaker on Nov. 7, 2021.

“It mattered to that person in that moment.”

— Maya Benziger ’22 of Aurora, Ill., talking about helping a local woman create a resume and practice for job interviews while working at the Center for Wisdom’s Women, a Lewiston nonprofit organization, and how that work feels like a positive and reinforcing complement to her academic studies as a triple major in music, history, and politics.

Maya Benziger ’22 is a triple major in music, history, and politics, who is co-president of the Merimanders and involved in the community. (Theophil Syslo/�ֲ��ý College)

Say What? �ֲ��ý quotes from here and there: Oct. 14, 2021

Jay Burns — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 14:07:37 +0000

Here’s the latest roundup of what �ֲ��ý folks are saying about this and that.

“Every now and then you see a vestige of what used to be mixed up with a hint of what’s yet to come.”

— Chris Streifel, a project manager for �ֲ��ý Facility Services, about the renovation of Dana Chemistry Hall.

The project started with a complete interior gutting of the building, which since its creation in 1965 has focused entirely on chemistry research and teaching.

The project will conclude with a reimagined building that focuses on science teaching in order to more effectively welcome new students to STEM fields. It will also feature new, flexible classrooms for teaching across all disciplines.

Formerly a lab, this expanse on the second floor of Dana Chemistry Hall will be divided between two large, light-filled classrooms. (Doug Hubley/�ֲ��ý College)

“Of course, these films tell a lie.”

— Charles Nero, Benjamin E. Mays Professor of Rhetoric, Film, and Screen Studies, explaining the history of interracial buddy films, such as 48 Hrs. or Trading Places, during a talk celebrating his Kroepsch Award for Excellence in Teaching.

The interracial buddy film genre treats racism as something internal, implying that “ending racism and white supremacy is as simple as Black and white men becoming friends.” Racism, of course, is structural and systemic.

“I can’t afford canvas but I like cardboard so no call for pity then.”

— Marsden Hartley, the famed modernist artist who was born in Lewiston in 1877, writing to a friend in 1933 while travelling in the Alps. Hartley was perennially penniless during his lifetime.

The exhibition Marsden Hartley: Adventurer in the Arts presents artwork by Hartley alongside mementos and keepsakes from the artist’s life of adventure and travel. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

“Too often these students are described in terms of cost, the money needed to enroll them, for example, rather than the incredible lived experiences they bring to campus.”

— Jason Patenaude ’91, executive director of the Schuler Education Foundation, explaining why the foundation chose �ֲ��ý to receive a grant of $50 million in financial aid funds for students who are Pell eligible or undocumented: because �ֲ��ý is recognized for supporting low-income students to graduation.

“I felt like the King of England riding through that crowd.”

— Interim head football coach Ed Argast, who uses a golf cart for mobility, on the rousing ovation by �ֲ��ý alumni, parents, and friends as he and the team departed Ellis Oval following on Oct. 9.

A veteran college football coach, Argast began his coaching career in 1979 as an assistant under the late Web Harrison ’63.

Interim football head coach Ed Argast gives instructions from his trusty golf cart during a practice on Sept. 10, 2021. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College).

“They provide a perfect platform for beginning to have essential conversations about race and culture with children.”

— Professor of Psychology Krista Aronson, founder and director of the Diverse BookFinder, on the power of children’s picture books.

“Their understanding is often just incredibly skewed. I think my job is to unskew that as much as possible.”

— Assistant Professor of History Andrew Baker, who teaches 19th-century American history, on how students, up until they take one of his courses, often have a “skewed” understanding of American history. “There are so many other voices, beyond canonical texts, that can shed light on what’s happening in America during the 1800s,” he says.

Assistant Professor of HIstory Andrew Baker makes a point during a discussion on Sept. 27, 2021, in which �ֲ��ý professors shared insights on teaching about anti-blackness and white supremacy at �ֲ��ý.(Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

“Walk, don’t run.”

— Football wide receiver Mohamed Diawara ’23 of Philadelphia, describing a pass route that from quarterback Brendan Costa ’22 of Westport, Mass.

He strolled the first few steps of the route to trick the defense into thinking that the play would be a run. Part of the trickeration included Costa faking a handoff to running back Christian Olivieri ’22 of Hull, Mass. The defense bit on the ruse — jumping forward — which was Diawara’s cue to take off at full speed, getting behind the deep safeties for the TD.

Football wide receiver Mohamed Diawara ’23 of Philadelphia. (Brewster Burns for �ֲ��ý College)

“I like to keep it a work-free zone.”

— Aidan Richman ’24 of Portland, Maine, as he relaxed on the Historic Quad near the Peter J. Gomes Chapel, saying he prefers not to do coursework outside.

Aidan Richman ‘24 listens to music on the Historic Quad near the Peter J. Gomes Chapel. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

“Through the fog of my overactive, post-9/11 imagination, I saw him as Middle Eastern. And I’m ashamed to say I saw him immediately as a threat.”

— Michael Sargent, associate professor of psychology, in a story , about confronting his biases while on a plane flight from Boston to the Midwest for a wedding, and seeing a fellow passenger as a terrorist threat.

“Try to stop holding fast to the things that got you here: the narrative that you are pre-med, or will major in history, when you haven’t even taken your first college course.”

— President Clayton Spencer’s advice to first-year students at Convocation, urging the new students to use college as a time to disrupt the existing narratives of their lives, “the identities that have defined you throughout high school.”

Instead, “think of these next four years as a time to try new things, to step back and broaden the frame. As the poet Rainer Maria Rilke put it, ‘The point is to…live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.’”

President Clayton Spencer at Convocation on Aug. 31, 2021. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

“Those are not emotions that I was ever expecting to have at this time.”

— Rachel Carr Goodrich ’90, describing her feelings of joy after �ֲ��ý friends came together to fund the Peter M. Goodrich ’89 Memorial Scholarship Fund, in memory of her husband, who died on 9/11 aboard hijacked United Flight 175.

“There’s been so much joy in connecting with everybody, making this happen: a collective group of friends, honoring someone we all love and helping future �ֲ��ý students,” says Rachel.