Tucked away in the hills of the New England and New York area, a small collection of colleges called the NESCAC (aka the New England Small College Athletic Conference) peacefully inhabit quaint towns along the Northeast. The illustrious Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, Wesleyan, Hamilton, Middlebury, Trinity, Tufts, Connecticut College, Williams, and Amherst all form a family of students seeking a unique educational experience filled with familiar faces and long winters. While each school certainly has its own character, there are some experiences that are totally intrinsic to NESCAC culture.
1. Greeting 90 percent of the people you see while walking across campus.
One of the perks of going to school with a few thousand people is the tight-knit campus community. This manifests itself in bright smiles and long waves across grassy, green quads. It’s comforting to stroll along to class and hear your name faintly resonate against the brick buildings. Turning around and seeing friends during your daily routine is a heart warming.
2. The surprising day when you feel like you recognize no one.
Maybe you’re a first-year, maybe you just got back from being abroad, or maybe you’re just a sophomore, like me. I have those days when I walk into our dining hall, and I’m shocked by the amount of unfamiliar faces I see. I know this point is totally contradictory to my previous point, but it’s true. I somehow simultaneously experience both of these phenomena on a regular basis. It’s definitely refreshing to remember how many people I have yet to meet on this campus.
3. The familiar exclamation, “You go to what school?” when you leave the Northeast.
As awesome as the NESCACs are, their name recognition begins to fade once you leave our general geographic sphere. People’s faces often scrunch into a perplexed expression when you explain that you attend one of these small schools spattered across the New England and New York area. However, there is nothing more exciting than running into another person clad in your school’s gear.
I was in Florida over my winter break, and my little brother was sporting a bright Bates t-shirt. The bold block font on his chest caught the attention of a woman passing by. She hurried over to our family, bursting with excitement to share that she graduated in ’64! She and I bonded over our familiar roots in Lewiston, Maine—laughing about the differences and changes that have occurred over the past 51 years since she attended. These colleges form a lifetime connection amongst a vast network of people.
4. A Capella concerts are sporting events.
Athletics are highly competitive and very well respected within the NESCAC (hence the acronym), but a capella gleans nearly as much glory. I love attending the concerts, and sitting there in sheer awe of the talented students on stage. All of this incredible singing really instills quite a lot of school pride. These dope artists are at my school!
5. Being buddies with your professors
The amazing thing about the NESCAC professors is their genuine passion for teaching. Of course, these brilliant brains have research to conduct and books to write, but their students really hold a special priority. Classes are composed of a small collection of students, which easily facilitates provocative class discussions. This yields personal connections between students and professors, allowing the scholarship to penetrate students’ minds on a more profound level. Even in time outside of class such as office hours and additional meetings, professors are so present. Their devotion to their students’ success is unmatched.
6. Winters that end in April.
After braving your first winter at a NESCAC school, your internal gauge for hot and cold undergoes a paradigm shift. Thirty degrees sounds toasty and 40 degrees means hop in your bathing suit and hit Range Pond. My fellow Batesies are all too familiar with this. Those daring few who walk around in the dead of winter scantily dressed in shorts and Timberland boots always impress me. At Bates, we clearly have forgotten that the outdoor swimming season does not begin in January because every year we have the traditional “Puddle Jump,” when we recreationally jump in our frozen pond. And, I swear, even on the truly hot days when it hits 70 degrees in April, I can find a patch of snow tucked away in a shady spot. Let’s just say winter is given a whole new definition in the NESCAC world.
