{"id":97200,"date":"2015-10-08T14:12:36","date_gmt":"2015-10-08T18:12:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/?p=97200"},"modified":"2016-02-09T14:39:59","modified_gmt":"2016-02-09T19:39:59","slug":"back-to-bates-slideshow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/2015\/10\/08\/back-to-bates-slideshow\/","title":{"rendered":"Slideshow: Back to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ weekend debuts with ‘force, spirit, and Bobcat zen’"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Friday evening of Back to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, athletics director Kevin McHugh praised longtime ski coach Bob Flynn for being “the force, the spirit, and the iconic Bobcat zen” of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ athletics.<\/p>\n

“Force, spirit, and zen” \u2014 let’s borrow those nouns to describe the family vibe we all felt at Back to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, a “new” weekend event for alumni, parents, and families, Oct. 2-4.<\/p>\n

Back to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ photo story:<\/a><\/h3>\n
\"Check<\/a>

This photo story about Back to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ weekend features photographs by Phyllis Graber Jensen, Josh Kuckens, and Rene Roy.<\/p><\/div>\n

We say “new” because the name “Back to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½” has a splendid and storied history, as it was the name of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½’ alumni homecoming weekend for much of the 20th century.<\/p>\n

Mothballed since the late 1990s, the name made a comeback this fall after ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ decided to combine parents weekend and homecoming into one big, three-day bash.<\/p>\n

\"Thanks<\/a>

Thanks Harry! Making a comeback this year, “Back to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½” was long the name of the fall alumni weekend and was coined a century ago by the legendary Harry Rowe, Class of 1912, college editor, dean, and ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ booster.<\/p><\/div>\n

Big it was, more than doubling the campus population, from the usual 1,700 students to a giant Bobcat clowder of some 3700 alumni, parents, family members, students, and friends.<\/p>\n

The Friday evening event honoring Bob Flynn celebrated the naming of donor-funded, renovated Alpine and Nordic ski rooms in Alumni Gym in his honor.<\/p>\n

A legend in Maine skiing circles and beloved by his athletes, Flynn has been associated closely with ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ skiing as a head coach or assistant coach since 1968.<\/p>\n

Friday evening also typified just how much ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ force, spirit, and zen there was to go around.<\/p>\n

In the hour before the Flynn event, for example, was a panel discussion by the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Africana Club; a dinner presentation on “Navigating Together” by young alumni and seniors about adjusting to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ life; Shabbat evening services and dinner; a ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Museum of Art reception for the exhibition “Black Maps and Other Dilemmas”<\/em> by photographer David Maisel; and a men’s rugby game under the lights at Garcelon Field.<\/p>\n

Whew!<\/p>\n

Honoring contributors to the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ enterprise and to the betterment of the world at large.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And right after the event was the traditional concert by the college’s student a cappella groups, easily the best-attended student concert of the year.<\/em><\/p>\n

Traditional alumni homecoming activities marked the weekend, including Saturday’s recognition event to honor alumni contributors to the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ enterprise and to the betterment of the world at large.<\/p>\n

Alumni awards for volunteer contributions and achievement <\/a>went to:<\/p>\n