My mother once told me that her father (my grandfather, William B. Kenniston) wrote and delivered the class poem at his Bowdoin College graduation in 1892. I haven’t checked the veracity of that story, because I like to believe it is true.
Anyway, that’s just one of the many reasons I’ve attended Bowdoin graduation ceremonies every year since we moved to Brunswick in 2002. Here’s are others: my granddaughter Karis graduated in 2023 and two of our host students were chosen to give speeches at commencement. Another one spoke at baccalaureate.
Here’s a brief recap of my impressions from the 2024 commencement, which occurred on a picture-perfect, blue-sky Saturday morning.
It’s always a treat to march in the commencement parade along with other graduates adorned in straw hats. I’m getting close to the front of the line because the oldest Polar Bears go first. It seems like more young graduates return every year, eager to connect with friends and, yes, get their own straw hat.
It was also a real treat to connect with Bill De La Rosa ’16. I’d interviewed and written a profile about Bill way back when he was a first-year at Bowdoin. He had a remarkable story and background (Google his name), and I told him he’d be in the U.S. Senate some day. He said that was the plan. After Bowdoin, Bill went on to earn two masters degrees at Oxford. He’s focused on immigration policy, an issue that has affected his own family in deeply personal ways. He’s currently pursuing a law degree at Yale. After Yale, he will return to his home state of Arizona and run for office. (Remember the name).
Two seniors gave superb speeches — emotionally true and intellectually sharp. Here are excerpts:
“Today I am here and I feel like a net, 20feet wide, catching every simple joy in the air. I am flattered by everything and everything seems to flatter me; I love how Maine Street is a pun, how blatantly the squirrels wait for crumbs, how impatiently my loved ones wait for the sun.” — Dylan Richmond ’24
“Through this fight we realized our first-year lesson — the COVID year — was a gift. It is easy to view this world through a jaded lens, to say that existing doctrines take up all the space on the page. But we will use the keys of the world’s library to decipher: To think critically about the ethical and human rights issues, the climate crisis, and existing structures of power. We will erase what no longer serves us and root our communities in love and empathy.” — Colleen Douchte ’24
Bowdoin’s President Safa Zaki commended the seniors for the way they handled the challenges of the pandemic their first year. She went on to quote writer Annie Dillard, who said, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” She ended with the assurance that, “This place is yours forever.”
After the ceremony ended and people were mingling on the quad, we met up with our senior host student Terry Zhang ’24 from Beijing, China, along with his parents who had never been to Bowdoin before. Terry did his whole first year remotely from China, not a great way to start college. During the second semester of his sophomore year, I encouraged Terry to get involved in some activities. A few weeks later he sent me a text saying that he had joined the Peucinian Society, a philosophical organization for which every member must give a 10-15 minute address on human virtue. Terry spent the first semester of his senior year at Harvard. He will head to Columbia University in the fall, where he will pursue a Masters in Public Administration. It was heartwarming to witness Terry’s personal growth at Bowdoin.
After the ceremonies ended, the graduating seniors gave each other hugs and had photos taken of each other and of their families. Two thoughts stood out from seeing these final goodbyes: First, many of these students will no doubt keep their friendships throughout their lives, as have I with several Bowdoin classmates. Second, I was heartened by the incredible diversity of the students, people of all races and backgrounds from across the Unites States and around the world.
As Tina often says, “This is not your grandfather’s Bowdoin. “ She’s right.
It’s also not the Bowdoin of my great-grandfather, George B. Kenniston, Class of 1862. George’s name appears on the Civil War plaque at Bowdoin’s Pickard Theater. After the Civil War, George eventually became a judge in Boothbay; William became a country doctor.
I’m proud of those two Polar Bears, and I think they’d be proud of Bowdoin today. Oh, I’ll have a special reason to attend the graduation next year when my granddaughter Emma Barker ’25 gets her diploma.
David Treadwell, a Brunswick writer welcomes commentary and suggestions for future “Just a Little Old” columns. dtreadwe575@aol.com.
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