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“It’s like food for the soul. There’s nothing like eating a good bagel.” 

This is the ethos of Tiffany Lopes and her entire team at Sunrise Bagel. Not only do they serve up hundreds of hand made, deliciously creative bagels, sandwiches, and pastries each week, but they do it with a genuine smile on their faces and a palpable joy for their jobs. I have truly never had a bad customer experience there. (And I’m not just saying that in the hopes of getting free food.) Pre-ski days, post-nights out, mid-day pick-me-ups: they do it all. 

But how, exactly, did this Waterville institution come to be?

Lopes, the owner and founder, was a stay-at-home mom who “had that entrepreneurial itch for years but did not want to take away from [her] mom duties because [she] loved what [she] did.” An avid home baker, Lopes had always had a particular appreciation for sourdough baking, but had no formal training in any commercial kitchens. But when her third and youngest child left for college, Lopes found herself an empty nester ready for her next chapter. And it was her youngest daughter, who has since graduated and returned to work in the family business, who pushed her mother to follow her passion: “Enough thinking. It’s time for doing.” 

The first location opened in the south end of Waterville in 2021. Besides opening a restaurant during COVID, Lopes and her team dealt with rocks thrown through the windows of their new store, minimal space, and Lopes and only other baker being responsible for all of the production. In 2023, they opened in Augusta, and that location became the hub for all of their bakery production. Now, a team of six bakers meets at the Augusta location every morning at 3:00 a.m. to prepare bagels to be distributed to their other two (soon to be three!) locations. In 2024, they opened in Oakland. This was a particularly special store for Lopes because it was completely a blank canvas: they had no architect, no bathroom, not even any water or electricity. Their fourth location will have its grand opening in Gardiner on December 19 of this year.  

Lopes emphasized her appreciation for both her family and the surrounding community. While she runs much of the production and store management, her husband works behind the scenes with business operations. Her staff is unfailingly kind and hard working, and operates under the motto of “Show up. Work Hard. And take the high road.” Management is very passionate about providing their staff a living wage, and soon hopes to provide full health insurance on top of their vision, dental, and IRA benefits. As many of Lopes’ team are young, she really emphasizes teaching them how to save money and build a career, but this is not the only place Lopes’ maternal instincts are demonstrated in her business. 

Before the bagel business, Lopes was a yoga teacher and carried the idea that you should “be kind to everyone you meet, because everyone you are seeing fights battles you know nothing about.” For Lopes, the long days are all worth it because she gets to feed people; she says that “food is basically my love language.” 

She also considers herself a people pleaser, and gets immense joy out of being creative with her products. As the business’ success continues to grow, Lopes laments that she cannot be in all three places at once. Her perfect Saturday includes stopping at each of her three stores to connect with her staff and the community. With expansion comes some loss of flexibility, but Lopes emphasized her gratitude for her team. At the beginning, she “didn’t know how [she] was going to sell a bagel and a cup of coffee and keep the lights on.”

But they are so much more than a bagel and a cup of coffee. They are a community. Lopes recounted a favorite memory with a customer: a woman in her nineties who came in within the first six months of opening and had never had a bagel before. Lopes, a natural giver, recounts the enormous smile her customer walked out with, after not only being given a bagel on the house, but a history of the food’s culture, too. “You never know what people are going through,” she says. 

Beyond individuals, Lopes looks to the broader community. Their Za’atar bagel (a personal favorite of mine, particularly with lox, chive cream cheese, and onion) is a nod to the history of Waterville and strong Lebanese influence. The spices are all bought locally. “The Caroline” is a Sunrise specialty, named in honor of Lopes’ late sister. It started as a savory treat: a bagel with five half cuts, filled with cream cheese, dipped in garlic butter, and warmed up to order. There is also a sweet version with cream cheese and raspberry jam), and Lopes says the first time she made it Sweet Caroline came on the radio, and she knew it was meant to be. Everything she and her team does is absolutely full of love. 

And the bagels are really damn good. 

Despite growing up around a large Lebanese community, I had never had a Za’tar spiced bagel before coming to rural Maine. It quickly became a favorite. A KenneBEC on an onion bagel is the perfect hungover morning treat; the dried onions are somehow caramelized without being crispy or burnt, and it nearly becomes sweet. The “Kickin’ Maple Honey” is quite simply one of the best things I have ever tasted. It needs nothing besides a quick smear of chive cream cheese. It is the best, most balanced version of hot honey with an infusion of delicious, carby, sourdough bagel. 

That’s another thing: all of Sunrise’s bagels are sourdough based. I got to see the kitchen, including several buckets of mother yeast. (My father, like everyone else, began baking sourdough bread during COVID. It is delicious, but starter runs thicker than blood. He might need some lessons from Lopes and her team.) They also steam their bagels instead of the typical boiling process. Whatever they do, it is obviously working. 

 You cannot go to any of the Sunrise locations on a Sunday morning without seeing another member of the Colby community. You will often also see little kids getting ready for their soccer games, families smushed around a small table, and friends young and old gossiping about the events of the previous night. There is a reason the phrase “breaking bread” is such an enduring expression. Because food is a tangible expression of love, warmth, and care. Sunrise epitomizes this. And you get a pretty special bagel out of it, too. 

~ Charley DiAdamo `27

Did you know that The Beach Boys performed at Colby College on May 13, 1973? Or that we hosted R.E.M. in 1983, before they made it big with hits like ‘The One I Love’ and ‘Losing My Religion?’ No shade to Waka Flocka Flame, but these are Rock & Roll Hall of Fame-ers. Who knew Colby was so cool back in the day? 

I’m slightly ashamed to admit that, as a senior, I attended my first Colby a cappella sampler last Friday. I managed to squeeze into the last remaining front-row balcony seat above the entrance of Lorimer Chapel, securing a great view of the proceedings. I was blown away by the Colbyettes’ angelic voices, thoroughly amused by the Blue Lights’ performance of a song from Kpop Demon Hunters, and saw some of my best friends performing with Mayflower Chill. The Colby Eight (there are actually 13 of them) ended the show with three songs. 

My concert attendance that Friday night may have been an act of procrastination on my extensive list of midterm assignments, but I did learn something: the Colby Eight has a long-running tradition, dating back to 1947, of performing an arrangement of ‘Mood Indigo’ by Stevie Wonder. The “lore,” as Jack Brenner `26 shared with the packed audience last Friday night, is that the Colby Eight asked Bowdoin’s a capella group for their arrangement, and were denied. However, they met them at a bar in Brunswick and asked the group to perform it. Of course, the Bowdoin men were proud to show off their musical prowess. The Colby Eight had the Bowdoin singers perform the number enough times for the Eight to memorize all the vocal parts. Now, the arrangement is passed down to every new member of the group.

The nugget of history above inspired me to do some of my own digging around the origins of music history here at Colby College.

Colby’s radio station has been around since 1949. It originated as a weekly show called Radio Colby on the Waterville AM station. In 1973, Radio Colby transitioned to an FM radio station. After renovations to Roberts Union in 1978, Colby’s radio station, WMHB, moved to its current space in the building’s basement. Meaning, they’ve been down there for nearly 50 years. 

In 1959, construction of the Bixler Art and Music building was completed, which meant a new hub for music on campus. The building was named after Julius Seelye Bixler, Colby’s sixteenth president. 

In terms of outside groups, Colby has hosted some popular groups. As I mentioned above, we had The Beach Boys and R.E.M. perform here. We also hosted Indigo Girls in 2000, The Replacements in 1989, LL Cool J in 1985, Spin Doctors in 1991, Guster in 2009, Wiz Khalifa/Big Sean in 2011, J Cole in 2012, and Kesha in 2016. 

Some notable alumni musicians throughout Colby’s history include Jeff Potter `78, original drummer of the Broadway rock opera Rent; prominent composer Arthur Levering `76; country and bluegrass musician Tim O’Brien (dropped out in 1973); and violinist Linda Hurwitz `80.

~ Alayna Blier `26

If you, as a college student, haven’t been paying any attention to American politics lately, you need to start tuning in, because the political scene today is reaching 1960s levels of political instability. The 2025 New York City mayoral election has become one of the most notable elections in recent history. Why is this? Well, Zohran Mamdani is the Democratic candidate, and he’s promoting himself as a “democratic socialist.” Why is this label so important to current American politics? Why is the NYC mayoral election so important in the first place? 

Though early voting has already started (and I hope you’ve cast your votes wherever you’re from), the mayoral election in New York City will be decided on November 4. Looking at early polls, it seems that Mamdami, the Democratic-elect, has a very good chance at taking over as mayor of NYC. First of all, why is this election so important? New York City is more than just a city, it’s an economic and social powerhouse. NYC holds and is the center for trading a large majority of the world’s wealth. Its geographic location is also a gateway for the flow of migration in and out of North America, creating the most populated city in America and a rich community of boroughs consisting of groups of people from different backgrounds, religions, economic levels, and cultures. With such a rich city, the mayor of New York City holds onto a great deal of power in comparison to other city mayors. 

So why is Mamdani so important here? First of all, his political stance. Self-branding himself as a “democratic socialist” is a pretty bold move, especially running for mayor in a city as large and important as New York. The last time the U.S. had a socialist mayor was Frank Zeidler, whose term as Milwaukee Mayor ended in 1960. However, Milwaukee as a city can’t

really be compared in influence to NYC. The craziest part of it all? In an American political sphere that’s currently dominated by right-wing ideals, it looks like Mamdani could potentially win the entire election. His campaign has involved travelling to debates using New York subway and train stations, walking with crowds of citizens throughout boroughs of New York, and doing personal interviews in bodegas. Not only has his campaign highlighted his charisma, but also his dedication to working with and for the people of New York. Labeling himself as a socialist and going out of his way to showcase himself as a man of the people. 

So why should anyone really care about this branding or Mamdani’s unique political campaign? The moves he’s making can potentially shake up U.S. politics for a very long time. The success of his campaign and the popularity of his policies, including government mandated grocery stores and free buses, highlights politicians changing views on Political Action Committee (PAC) money funding and their connections to big corporations, and instead get out into their cities and involve themselves with the people they may govern over. Mamdani’s potentially successful mayoral campaign is a sign that voting as a citizen is now more important than ever. Politicians may see the success of Mamdani, realize that people are ready for policies that will bring successful change to their way of living and begin mimicking these tactics. Politicians are going to need to start working closer with their people, meaning that now more than ever, is the best time for you to involve yourself in politics.

~ Ivan Ojeda `29

On November 1, 2024, at 11:52 AM, Serbian collective consciousness entered a phase of intense transformation — one that would continue to shift and rearrange itself over the months to come. At that precise moment, a concrete canopy at a bustling railway station collapsed in Novi Sad, Serbia’s second-largest city, claiming 16 lives. As the news spread across the country, it stirred a wave of shock and sorrow, tearing open frustrations that had simmered for years.

The Novi Sad railway station was built in 1964 and underwent renovation between 2021 and 2024, restarting its operations in August last year. The majority of the Serbian sections of the railway were financed through a flagship project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative in the region, which would connect Belgrade to Budapest. The European Union also contributed funds to the wider infrastructure upgrade. The nature of these investments serves as a manifestation of Serbia’s geopolitical crossroads: a country waiting in the EU’s antechamber since 2012, yet with one eye turned east. But the questionability of this project goes beyond the symbolism of who paid for it.

The station was intended to serve as a symbol of Serbia’s progress and was set in motion by the Serbian Progressive Party, which has held the majority in Parliament since 2012. However, following the tragedy, it raised significant concerns over corruption and a lack of transparency. According to a report conducted by the Faculty of Technical Sciences in Novi Sad, the canopy was 23.11 tons heavier than originally designed. Following the collapse, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić claimed that the underlying cause of the tragedy was the fact that the canopy was not renovated along with the rest of the railway station. Nevertheless, construction engineer Danijel Dašić explained that the canopy was lined with new marble slabs, which is enough evidence to assume that some work was done on it. Other experts voiced a similar opinion, denouncing the official statements as misleading and highlighting several construction flaws. Suspicion was further fueled by the refusal of the Chinese contractors to share documentation of the reconstruction publicly. Furthermore, the main subcontractor — hired by the Chinese consortium — was a local construction company, Starting, which was directly responsible for the construction. Starting has benefited from a warm relationship with the ruling party, securing numerous valuable government contracts since 2014.

The Serbian public did not take these links for granted or as mere coincidences. Students were the first to start what would soon become known as the Serbian fight against corruption. Student demonstrations evolved into nationwide protests overnight. The unrest gained momentum through symbols like painted red hands to represent the blood of the victims of the collapse, and blank sheets of paper to highlight the state of the Constitution and laws. The Minister of Transportation soon resigned, followed by the resignation of the Serbian Prime Minister Miloš Vučević at the end of January. However, Serbians did not find this sufficient, as they continued to demand accountability and prosecution of those responsible for the disaster — and the President refused to give that to them.

Instead, the President pardoned four men who assaulted a student protester and broke his jaw, authorized usage of a sonic weapon on protesters in Belgrade, and interrupted public transportation to Belgrade on the eve of protests. All of these invoked security concerns. The government went as far as mobilizing its own group of protesters, paying them up to $100 a day. Finally, the President and his party failed to hold anybody accountable; as of the one-year anniversary of the tragedy, no one has been tried, convicted, or sentenced for the collapse, which led to tens of thousands of protestors last weekend, with students marching over 70 miles from Novi Sad to Belgrade.

I visited Belgrade during one of its calmer weeks at the end of May. One of my first stops was the Museum of Yugoslavia, once the residence of Josip Broz Tito, where I met Ana. She was born in Belgrade but left for Paris in 2014. It was her second day back home, and she brought some of her foreign friends. I joined their conversation as it drifted toward the ongoing protests. Ana spoke about the protests with a mix of pride and content. Yet beneath her words ran a current of cynicism — a familiar feeling of disbelief I had often encountered in those who no longer trust that collective action can yield real, structural change. She, like many others whom I talked to, shared a vision of a future that was somewhat removed from the EU vision, which the Serbian government claimed to have. I was unsure whether there was a more positive outlook on the Serbian-Russian relationship, though the deep cultural affinity has been dictating the dynamics of this partnership for decades. However, Ana clearly illustrated the paradox of Serbia, which commonly existed before November 1, 2024, which is that people talked about politics but refused to get involved directly. 

Serbia is a lively country with large patches of greenery and the mixed restlessness with fatigue of a young person. There are still remnants of violence and aggression from Slobodan Milošević’s authoritarian rule, reminding those who remember history that inaction is never harmless. The country may still wrestle with its place in the greater geopolitical picture, pledging allegiance to EU membership while maintaining ties with Russia. And yet, in the streets and in conversations with people like Ana, it becomes clear that the Serbian people are aware of their position — and, when pressed, they are willing to act, though the path ahead remains uncertain and fraught.

~ Cristina Panaguta `26