Q&A Spotlight on Bates College's
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The Bates Student THE VOICE OF BATES COLLEGE SINCE 1873 WEDNESDAY January 16,30, 2013 Vol. 142, Issue. 911 Lewiston, Maine FORUM ARTS & LEISURE SPORTS Is there a gap between Bates Bates musicians take the hotseat New bobcat logo unveiled and the L/A community? The Student grills funk and soul Men’s basketball falls to Van Sciver ’15 explores local band “Morangutan” Tufts 74-67, logo revealed class relations at halftime See Page 3 See Page 8 See Page 12 Multifaith chaplin Bill Blaine- Bates airs “You Can Wallace retires Play” video the ongoing effort to promote athletic SAM LEARNER inclusion, it is not the first time Bates STAFF WRITER has implicitly or explicitly recognized LGBT athletes. For example, Keelin On the Bates athletic website on Godsey ’06, who remains the most January 21, Batesies saw some familiar decorated athlete in Bates history with student athletes flicker across the screen. 16 all America awards and two NCAA After smashing squash balls, diving into national championships, came out as pools, and hurling shot-puts, each stu- transgendered before his senior year. dent then turned to the camera with the In addition, as Lasagna and football same message to say: “If you can play, coach Mark Harriman noted, student you can play.” athletes at Bates have been involved in Bates’ “You Can Play” video is part more formal LGBT inclusion initiatives of an ongoing campaign to raise LGBT in recent years. According to Lasagna, awareness and to promote athletic in- student athletes joined something called clusiveness to all gender identities. the Athlete Ally program—started by The campaign actually originated in LGBT student athlete advocate Hudson the NHL when former Toronto Maple Taylor, then a wrestler at the University Leafs’ general manager Brian Burke of Maryland—and administered pledg- and his son Patrick took up the cause es, signed by athletes, non-athletes, fac- of LGBT inclusion to honor Brendan ulty, and staff, promising to promote an Burke, son to Brian and brother to inclusive atmosphere to student athletes Patrick, who died in an automobile ac- of all sexual orientations. cident in February of 2010. Brendan Women’s squash player Chloe played high school hockey but quit his Mitchell expressed her excitement at senior year when it became too diffi- Bates’ ongoing mission to include all cult for him as a closeted gay teenager qualified athletes. It “puts Bates in a to put up with locker-room antics and good position to recruit players,” she PHYLLIS GRABER JENSEN/BATES COLLEGE homophobic slurs. In college, Brendan said. “They’ll (LGBT athletes) know had just found hockey again—this time flect,” he said. “In community we find feel like they are alive. The students were they’re accepted here.” Senior Cheri- as student manager to the Miami of GRACE PEZZELLA the strength and the knowledge to go on very receptive of this query--as seniors Ann Parris, another women’s squash Ohio Red hawks—when the accident MANAGING NEWS EDITOR together.” prepare to graduate, juniors think about player, agreed that this program would occurred. Blaine-Wallace recognizes the im- theses, sophomores declare majors and help to attract competitive athletes who Bill Blaine-Wallace taught Bates After the NHL aired its first “If You portance of conversations in Commons, first years sign up for courses in hopes of may have worried that their sexual iden- College that, among other things, sad- Can Play” video last spring, colleges dorm rooms and classes as a means of finding direction, it is easy to paint one- tifications would exclude them from ness is an acceptable emotion. As the soon took up the cause. Today over a processing daily life, but believes in the self color-by-number instead of taking competition. Multifaith Chaplain announced his dozen schools including Northeastern, power of many voices to make a tan- the time to explore one’s spirit. Blaine- Accounting for the steadily increas- pending retirement late last week, his UCLA, and Princeton have all made gible difference. Wallace’s answer to the query seemed to ing inclusiveness at Bates and other lesson held a lot of credence. After what similar videos to encourage LGBT stu- As Multifaith Chaplain, Blaine- crystalize both his role at Bates College schools, football coach Mark Harriman he described as “seven amazing and life- dents to compete at the collegiate level. Wallace would host dinners at his house and why he feels it is time to leave. suggested, “Young people are a lot more giving years” at the college, Blaine-Wal- Bates was among the first small colleges on Thursday nights for any students In the past, Blaine-Wallace coun- tolerant than they used to be. I think lace and his wife, Victoria, are leaving and the second NESCAC school after who wanted a space off campus to hang seled a member of the community athletics will follow along with that… the community and opening a counsel- Bowdoin to produce a “You Can Play” out, mingle with new people, and dis- who was ill. In their conversations, he the way young people are addressing ing practice in Farmington, Maine. video. But, as lacrosse coach and instru- cuss issues pertinent to their college uncovered meaning and purpose and a these issues is a lot better than it was 20 Blaine-Wallace has been a powerful mental supporter of the program Peter lives. Blaine-Wallace cites the multifaith struggle. years ago.” Coach Lasagna added that presence on campus in many capacities. Lasagna joked, while “Bowdoin beat us dinners as some of his fondest memories “I realized how precious those con- he thinks society as a whole is “moving From teaching a Short Term course on to it, our [program] is better.” What is of the college. “It is important to me to versations are to me and I think over the ahead and evolving.” He emphasized the Student Non-Violent Coordinating more, Bates has a special connection to be together with students when there’s years I’ve come to focus less on who I that college age people grew up in a Committee, to comforting students, the cause; Katie Burke, Brendan’s sister, no real agenda or purpose in a space to am or who those people are and more different time and were more “likely to staff and faculty in the wake of Troy is a Bates alumna and former Bates vol- talk about whatever comes up,” he said. on what happens between us,” he said. have gone to high school with people Pappas’ tragic death and joining the leyball player. “Whenever that happens, those are my “What’s sacred to me is the space be- who are ‘out.’ ” ongoing conversation on college sexual According to President Spencer, best times at Bates.” tween us and I think our culture’s fasci- But more than an LGBT issue, assault, to lending an ear and a smile to who spoke in the video, “The You Can At last Thursday’s multifaith din- nation with the self is pretty harmful in coaches and players alike stressed a any person with a concern, Bill’s con- Play program represents the extension ner, Blaine-Wallace and Associate Mul- a lot of ways.” broader message in the “You Can Play” tributions to our community cannot be to Athletics of our core commitment tifaith Chaplain Emily Wright-Magoon Of the saying “I think, therefore I campaign. In coach Lasagna’s words, overstated. When asked what advice he to inclusion, helping to ensure that fans posed a query to a room crowded with am,” Blaine-Wallace corrected, “We re- “The message is respect for everyone… would give to Bates College upon his and teammates alike judge our student- students. They drew attention to the late, therefore we are.” I would hope that it extends to respect retirement, Blaine-Wallace supported a athletes and coaches on the effort and rhetoric surrounding identity, that fig- Counseling is not new to Blaine- for all.” Parris had a similar message: culture of openness and expression. commitment they bring to their sport uring out who one is has become a large Wallace; aside from a background in “I think the video really showed that “When big things happen that af- — rather than on sexual orientation, part of today’s society. They offered that pastoral psychology with a focus on anyone, anyone can play—of any race, fect daily life at Bates, it is important gender identity or expression.” it is more important to figure out what class, gender or sexuality. I think that’s a to create spaces for voices and feelings Of course, while the “You Can makes one passionate, what makes one beautiful thing.” to be heard, a time and a space to re- See BLAINE-WALLACE, PAGE 5 Play Program” is an important step in B.E.A.M. fights for an examination of the college’s endowment ance for Renewable Energy (C.A.R.E.) HALEY KEEGAN met with the College’s President and STAFF WRITER Vice-President to discuss the group’s divestment goals and at Tufts, students Since returning from winter break, presented the signatures of 1,100 stu- members of the Bates Environmental dents and 185 alumni while meeting Action Movement (B.E.A.M.) have with the University’s Investment Com- been making their presence known mittee for the Board of Trustees. At on campus through tabling and other the meeting the Trustees revealed that means in an effort to gain support for roughly 5% of the University’s endow- their latest venture in the combat of cli- ment is invested in fossil fuels and that mate change, a petition for an investiga- a divestment process would be compli- tion into the fossil fuel investments of cated, but committed to continuing to Bates’ endowment.