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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Bates chapter.

At Bates, the dances are what many consider to be a crucial part of your first year experience, or so I was told, so I ended up at almost every single event that Bates threw.  I am somewhat of a ~high-school dance connoisseur~, so I had high hopes for the dances that Bates would hold- especially since they had been so hyped up by all of those who I talked to.  As a result of going with and in some cases, dragging my friends out, to every social event, here is my definitive ranking of the bigger events that Bates has hosted so far this year. 

  1. 80’s Dance:  Maybe it’s the neon spandex, maybe it’s hearing the cheesy pop music and classics that my parents continually played on long road trips during my childhood, but the 80s dance has my heart.  80’s dance holds a special place in my heart, and I have yet to have as much fun at any other dance than I had at 80’s. As a naive young freshman, I went into this dance with bright eyes and an open mind, and I was not disappointed.  I had yet to become blasĂ©, and just knowing that I could walk into the Library quad and have unlimited pizza seemed like a blessing. Besides, it’s the first big social event of the year at Bates- the perfect time to find the one who got away the year beforehand, or a new person to catch your interest, and have a blast catching up and dancing with friends.  Does it really get better than this? 
  2. Millennium Dance:  I may just be partial to this one because I was able to dress like middle school me always dreamed (can someone say tube tops and denim on denim?) and I knew every single one of the songs by heart.  I saw crocs, Juicy sweatsuits, and references to pop culture that I actually fully remembered- it was a weirdly nostalgic experience, mixed with the feeling that I missed out on going to college during such an iconic era.  As a result, Millennium was one of the best times that I have had at Bates. It was a great way to start my first short term experience, and I may or may not have started counting down to next year’s. 
  3. Gala:  Gala was possibly the MOST hyped up Bates experience when I talked to members of the graduating class last year and current students.  I have never experienced something that is more widely loved by Batesies, both graduated and current, and I completely understand why. The food?  Unrivaled, except for one or two other Bates events. The live band? INCREDIBLE. The decorations? Beautiful. I’m a huge sucker for dressing up- Prom and homecoming were two of my favorite times in highschool, and getting the chance to do it again with my new Bates friends was awesome.  The only reason it was not number one was my unrivaled affection for cheesy 2000’s music and ‘80s power ballads, and the costumes. I cannot wait for Gala next year. 
  4. Snow Ball: Ah, Gala’s less hyped up, younger sibling.  While it may never be as great as the actual ~Gala~ experience, I had an incredible time at Snow Ball- but I mean I would have a great time at any dance where I got to dress up AND there was a chocolate fountain.  I spent the dance with some of my favorite people on campus (the lovely Adams Family), and had a blast dancing to both the DJ and live band. It just isn’t Gala though- there’s something that arguably separates the two, whether it is the food and decorations, or the general mood going into it. 
  5. 90’s dance: The other decades dances were easily two of my favorite dances on campus as you saw by their placement as number one and two on the list, so you may be wondering- why is 90’s so low?  While there were some iconic songs that came out of the 90’s (hello Spice Girls, Nirvana, TLC, and the iconic Vanilla Ice, etc.), I just did not feel the vibe for this dance. It may have been the fact I wore a skirt and no jacket in December, it may be because while technically being from the end of the 90’s baby era, I know essentially none of the music from the time period, or some other unforeseen factor, but it just was not my favorite dance.  I did love the outfits that were brought up, but otherwise it was not my favorite dance on campus.
  6. Lick it: I actually did not make it to Lick it because I was sick, hence the low ranking on this list and the lack of the photo.  Apparently it was a lot of fun for most of those who went, but I mean- I would not know, I was in bed watching New Girl and eating pizza that got brought over to me by my incredible friends.

Honorable Mentions Category

  1. Puddle Jump/ Winter Carnival: While not technically a dance, Puddle Jump from freshman year will forever be one of my favorite memories of the year.  I dressed up with my best friend, got to jump into the Puddle and scrape up my legs, but also made the Bates Instagram- one of my goals for the year.

  2. The unauthorized-by-Bates College Darties:  The place where so many students from different areas of campus came together, it was at these that I met so many of my friends and people that I probably wouldn’t have had classes with due to different interests.

  3. The 280 Dances:  While these are often thrown around campus and aren’t as popular or as big as the other listed dances, these can be just as fun if you go with all of your friends.

A now sophomore at Bates who is probably more passionate about Commons' chicken nugget days and free iced coffee than she is about any class she's taking. Can often be found freaking out over a paper that was left to the last minute in the Classics lounge in Pgill, drowning herself in any form of caffeine in the den or commons, on the floor of her best friend Annie Boyer's room, or somewhere in Rand bingewatching the Office.
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Rachel Minkovitz is a senior at Bates College double majoring in Psychology and French and Francophone Studies. She spends a lot of time listening to music, hanging out with friends, reading and writing, advocating for social justice, and looking for furry animals.