By Mike Lopez
Senior Staff Writer


If Senior Class President Eduardo Crespo seems like he is on every committee on campus, it’s because he probably is.

“I like a lot of things,” he says of devoting so much time to Bates. “From cultural activities to traveling to overall just having fun. I enjoy being part of everything possible.”

In addition to his roles as President, the rest of Crespo’s résumé sounds like a pamphlet from the Admissions office. Sitting down with him the other day, it took him five minutes to reel off some of the ways he has involved himself with the school.

To start, he’s currently the RC of Smith. He was elected as the at-large RA representative for his class two years in a row. He’s decided where Bates students can park (Parking Appeals Board), where they can make money (Economics Society), where they can go to get in trouble (Dean’s Advisory Committee), and even when they go to school (Curriculum and Calendar Committee).

Of course, with those not taking nearly enough of his time, he became the Co-Coordinator of the Student Philanthropy Institute, organized the Senior 2-Week Committee, and helped pick out the gift for the Class of 2004. Additionally, he went abroad to study at Oxford and is a double-major in economics and political science. That means he’s writing two theses.

Not bad for someone who hadn’t been to Bates before his first day of college.

“I grew up in Quito, Ecuador,” says Crespo, smiling, as if it’s the only place other than Bates that makes him happy. “I pretty much decided senior year there that I wanted to live abroad and go to a U.S. school. Bates called me up on the phone, and it felt like home from what I heard.”

Wait, Bates called Crespo on the phone? Shouldn’t it be the other way around?

Not when that student plans to be president of his own country.

“Well, I have learned so much here” Crespo says, clearly wanting to go back to the subject of Bates. “And the more time passes the more realistic I become about the idea, and also the more aware I become of the problems. I tend to think about the grandness of one’s life, and a goal that I have is to have an impact on Ecuadorian future… And, of course, I want to change the future of Bates.”

Needless to say, he is off to a good start changing the latter. And if he hasn’t changed anything recently, it’s not for a lack of trying.

Senior Tanya Schwartz co-organizes Senior 2 Week events with Crespo, and she maintains he sends her at least six emails per day. Six, however, is nothing. In a given day, Crespo writes between 50 and 90 total emails. And to take up more of his free time, he signs them all with his full name.
“Let’s just say I only write between 50 and 60 emails, it sounds better that way. And my emails are long sometimes, so people might already hate me.”

How often does Crespo actually think about Bates? Well, men are said to think about sex every six seconds. Bringing that subject up with Crespo, all he can do is sit back and laugh.

“I would say I think about Bates as often as that fact,” he said. “Yesterday I was in a setting totally unrelated to work and Bates, and the next thing I know I am thinking about a meeting I have the next day. It was in a good way, though.”

So how and why does he do it all? For Crespo, that answer is easy. Long-winded, perhaps, but easy.

“I hate mediocrity. That’s how I budget my time. I’m not saying things have to be perfect; it’s just how much you give to attain your results. And I feel so blessed to be at this school, it’s a great, great institution.

“We really have a Bates way, and I like the community, respect, and tolerance that go with it. The people here have just been so perfect to me; I owe it to them to give my time and effort.”







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