Bates’ annual Harvest Dinner was tonight and, as per usual, Commons and everyone involved outdid themselves. In essence, Harvest Dinner is the Bates College version of Thanksgiving dinner, and Commons goes all-out for the occasion. I’m sad that as a senior, this was my last Harvest Dinner, but I definitely enjoyed it. Here are some of my personal favorite parts of this year’s Harvest Dinner (theme: Batesie and the Bobcat).
Lobster mac & cheese
This dish is super popular with my friends as well; we looked forward to it every year.
Live music
Commons clears space by the windows below the stairs to put in a big stage, and a band plays during dinner. It’s mostly oldies-but-goodies feel-good music that people sing along to, like “Brown Eyed Girl” and “Margaritaville,” although some Green Day snuck in this year (Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)).
The raffle
Every year, there’s a big raffle of a bunch of different prizes like shirts, sleds, and a mini basketball hoop, and someone reads off the names of the winners and everyone cheers. All students can enter, so it’s a low-stakes way to maybe win something fun.
The cheese
Commons’ entire center station is turned into a large selection of cheese (and meat and fruit) platters, and it’s delightful. There’s just so much cheese.
Trashion Show
Both dessert and the Trashion Show are located in the Gray Cage, where there’s a big runway set up in the middle of the floor with flashing lights surrounding it. Students create outfits out of trash and recyclable materials and then either they or another person models it on the runway in front of a big crowd of students and a panel of judges (usually Bates faculty and staff, with an occasional special guest- this year it was a visiting artist). There are a few categories that a creation and its designer can win, like Most Unique Use of Materials, and the creations are judged. Winners receive gift cards; this year, $50 Forage gift cards which, as one emcee joked, might buy you 3 bagels.
All photos by me