Bates College

Every year, OUTfront, the school's Lesbian Gay Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) club and other students apply sidewalk chalk to the paths on the Quad, writing slogans and drawing pictures that are meant to raise Bates's awareness of issues facing the homosexual community.

Mount David is really more of a hill and less than a mountain located behind Rand Hall. Most students never see the summit of Mount David in the daytime, but at night, it is a very popular spot for students who have been indulging in illegal activities. Mount David provides a very nice view of the city, and it usually takes less than 10 minutes to climb.

The Daily Jolt is a student-run Web site that provides information and amusement to Batesies. It has a link to the official Web site, as well as event listings, a cross-campus forum, humorous quotes from professors, and horoscopes.

A fairly new tradition on campus is the drag show run by OUTfront and a number of other groups, including Bates's improv comedy group and the Strange Bedfellows. This is immensely popular, playing to a standing-room-only crowd.

Bates offers a free semi-formal dance in the spring every year with excellent desserts and two live bands. Students generally put a lot of work into looking nice for Gala, and the event is attended by professors as well. The night before Gala is Lick-It, another school dance, but one of a very different sort. The point of Lick-It is to come absurdly drunk wearing as little as possible. Students have been known to arrive at Lick-It wearing nothing but cellophane or a single, strategically placed sock.

On the Friday of Winter Carnival, some students partake in Newman Day. Each year, students try to drink a case of beer and then attend class. The college sends out e-mails telling students not to participate in Newman Day, but every year, at least a few students show up to class absolutely trashed. Newman Day is undoubtedly much more fun for the people who don't participate and get to watch their classmates stumble around campus than it is for those who do and generally end up making fools of themselves in very public places.

One of Bates's more interesting traditions is the St. Patrick's Day jump in the Puddle. Every year, dozens of zany students take a dip in the water through a hole that is cut in the ice. Some bold souls even do this in their birthday suits. Polar Bear Club, eat your heart out!

In the spring, seniors form teams, choose silly costumes for their teams (Vikings, Smurfs, and so on), and go on a pub crawl through Lewiston. At the end, everyone comes back to Bates and jumps in the Puddle.

Trick or Drink takes place every Halloween before the Halloween Dance. A whole floor collaborates with each room providing a different drink. People go from room to room in their costumes sampling a wide variety of mixed drinks, from the delicious to the disgusting.

Bates Winter Carnival brings a bit of cheer to the fierce Maine winters. There is a snow sculpture contest and a number of other competitions. Some students will jump into the Puddle as well. (Batesies will jump in the Puddle for just about anything.)