Social life and activity at Bates

Colleges and Universities A-Z Bates College
1

Hi there,
My S loves Bates. We had a second visit and we both really really liked the feel and the students. His only hesitation is that the campus didn’t seem very busy and the town is small (to be fair we had such a short time there we did not explore the town much). He’s on the shy side so I have thought all along that a small LAC would be great as he’d get to know people more easily. He is comparing it to larger bustling campuses which he also liked, in cities with more to do. I attended a LAC and remember almost everything happening on campus and being happy with that, at least for the first couple years (and then you study abroad so you get a break from campus). S asked in the info session what kids do for fun and got a lot of hiking, skiing and otherwise outdoorsy answers. These are great, of course, but no one mentioned much about what goes on on campus.

Can anyone share what kids do on weekends/evenings on campus - arts, visiting popular musicians, parties, sports, other activities - what kinds of events are going on typically and do students mainly feel there is enough to do?

Also interested in whether/how often/what there is to do in Lewiston.

Thanks!

2

There’s a ton of stuff to do. Bates is a small campus, but it’s busy. I think that you can access a complete calendar only if you have a student account, because some events are open to the public and others are for students only.

I believe that every Thursday, there’s something cool going on, from comedians, to rappers, theater, etc…in the Mays Center. https://www.bates.edu/campus/events/village-club-series/#october
When D was a freshman, I annoyingly texted her all the time to ask if she was going to this or that event. They show a lot of movies at Olin. And yes, there are probably parties every Friday and Saturday night.

From a student perspective, it’s best to look at Niche, which I can’t link. Look at the percentages and not just the category. Uni Go also has student comments, but I can’t link it. Your child can google “fun stuff to do at Bates College”.

The Events Calendar: https://www.bates.edu/events/
A better one is probably Campus Life: https://www.bates.edu/campus/
From that page, there are links to other campus events and a club directory.
Here’s a schedule of free bus trips: https://www.bates.edu/campus/events/trips/

Bates has regular and very popular dances. The 80’s dance happened a couple of weeks ago. There will be a Halloween dance. Gala is a big event. The kids love the Harvest Dinner. There are Chinese cooking classes, apple picking trips, free ski days locally, Puddle Jump and Winter Carnival, and a bunch of other great things.

As far as going out in Lewiston, Lisbon Street is popular with Bates’ students. There are a bunch of good places to eat and kids go out to dinner. There’s a renovated warehouse nearby with food and a brewery close to the river. There’s a gorgeous river walk. I don’t think there’s a ton of nightlife in Lewiston, but there’s a legendary dive bar for older students, the Blue Goose. My D and her friends have been to an indoor trampoline place in town. She’s been to Portland for concerts and days out. She’s been ice skating at the campus ice rink.

I think you might have seen some of my posts about my D and her experiences at Bates. She is quiet and not a partier. It’s obviously not party central at Bates, though of course that happens. Kids couldn’t do the work if they were partying excessively.
In all honesty, I can’t recall her ever telling me she’s been bored in the 3+ years she’s been at Bates.

3

Thanks so much. It sounds amazing and I want to go back in time!

4

@Lindagaf is right. There’s a ton to do on the Bates campus.

College kids find all sorts of ways to amuse themselves. For instance my daughter and her friends used to visit a local dog breeder to snuggle with the puppies!

They liked to go to Forage Market, on Lisbon Street for brunch. http://www.foragemarket.com/the-market#menu

Every once in a while they would to Portland on weekends. My daughter also skied during the winter using the reduced price passes available to students.

She and her friends (graduated in June and all with good jobs or in grad school) had such a positive experience at Bates that they rented a house for a dozen people this weekend so they can return for Back to Bates Weekend.

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@Sue22 , wish I was going to be there this weekend. A lot of fun stuff going on.

If your son ends up there OP, book a room early for B to B weekend. It’s jam packed and really fun.

6

Thanks! He’d be so fortunate to be accepted!

7

Lewiston has been the subject of an ongoing series in the Bangor Daily News:

https://bangordailynews.com/2019/09/25/mainefocus/they-wanted-a-home-instead-they-learned-the-human-cost-of-living-in-maines-most-distressed-neighborhood/

https://bangordailynews.com/2019/09/26/mainefocus/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-push-to-transform-maines-poorest-downtown/

As a city in transition, Lewiston may not at this time offer general appeal to college students. Nonetheless, some of the areas mentioned in this thread would offer nice diversions from campus life.

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Lewiston is actually fascinating and there’s also Auburn. (It’s called the L-A area.) The fact the city is in transition isn’t something we or they worried about. (Maybe because we northeasterners are familiar with faded mill towns.) My girls both worked with immigrant and other local students and loved it. Bates encourages student/community partnerships of various sorts.

D1 was the party hardy sort, we called it a work hard/play hard college. Initially, she joked kids would party on Sat nights, then be at the library after Sunday brunch. How much the party scene has changed with the new Pres, we don’t know.

But D2 was the retreater. Music groups and a smaller, but tight, group of friends. Lots to do, lots of great kids.

Neither of mine left for Portland that often. Nor were they dependent on Lewiston. Good luck.

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Lewiston is a faded mill town in transition. The transition is part of the point of @merc81’s first article, as gentrification squeezes out poorer residents.

Here’s a piece about a weekend in L-A
https://www.themainemag.com/features/48-hours/48-hours-in-lewiston-auburn/#close

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Thanks, all. This is helpful. He’s planning on ED to Bates!

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Hurrah, @chardonMN !

@lookingforward , my D sounds like she’s in the same camp as your D2. But the great thing is that the party-harders and the quieter kids (and all those in between) all get along. I really love the mix of kids at Bates. I agree that while they don’t depend on Lewiston to have fun, they definitely appreciate that it’s there.

12

We are visiting Bates over the Thanksgiving holiday. Are there any specific attractions, restaurants, points of interest, anyone would recommend in Lewiston, Auburn, and the surrounding area?

Thank you in advance.

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@Notagain1 There are a bunch of good restaurants on Lisbon street. A lot of students go to Forage for lunch, though I do think it’s best to eat lunch on campus so you can get a sense of the students and the food. Pure Thai (not on Lisbon Street) is very popular and cheap, but don’t expect elegance. Thorncrag Bird Sanctuary, next to campus, is nice for a walk. The LA Museum is supposed to be good, but haven’t been yet. Nezinscot Farm is popular, excellent homemade food, plus preserves, pie, cheese, yarn, etc… Quite cozy. Freeport is a lot of fun, about 30 minutes drive. There are a lot of lovely places for a hike, but it will depend on your weather. There’s a fantastic easy hike about 15-20 minutes from Bates, Bradbury Mtn. State Park. It’s on the way to Freeport, so that’s a nice option if you go to Bates from Brunswick too, or vice versa. The Arctic Museum at Bowdoin is surprisingly interesting.