The Thorndike Oak Toast Tradition
By Bowdoin NewsA rite of passage for graduating seniors, the Thorndike Oak Toast is a longstanding tradition honoring George Thorndike, a member of the Class of 1806, commemorating the senior class’s transition from students to alumni.
It is the last formal acknowledgement of the Senior Class Gift Campaign (SCGC) and serves as an opportunity for the senior class to come together, celebrate their time at Bowdoin, and consider what it means to be a graduate of the College.
Images by Dennis Griggs
President Clayton Rose joined SCGC lead agents Nailah Khoory ’22, Prithvi Gunturu ’22, and Manveer Sandhu ’22, and class council president Carlos Campos ’22 in delivering remarks about what it means to support Bowdoin after graduation, the significant impact alumni have on the College, and the various ways in which they may stay engaged.
“Although our time as students is coming to an end, I look forward to growing and strengthening my relationship with Bowdoin and our fellow alumni through celebrating our class in 2027 at our five-year reunion, returning for homecoming every October, and extending a Bowdoin hello wherever we are in the world,” said Khoory.
Now it its eleventh year, the SCGC educates seniors about the myriad of ways to support the College as alumni—from making their first gift to the Alumni Fund, to volunteering with Admissions or CXD, to staying connected to their peers or meeting fellow Polar Bears wherever they land after graduation.