Thanksgiving has come early for Bowdoin students. The most anticipated meal of the year – Dining Service’s annual Thanksgiving feast – was served Thursday to 1,600 diners, many of whom lined up some 45 minutes early to wait for the doors to open at both Moulton and Thorne.
Bowdoin chefs prepared for days – roasting 40 whole, 25-pound turkeys and 480 pounds of turkey breasts. They stewed venison in dark, rich, red wine sauce and made 30 gallons of turkey gravy. Various local vegetables were roasted, candied, mashed and glazed, and the bakeshop whipped up 280 apple, pumpkin and chocolate cream pies.
Students are, of course, looking forward to being with their families for the actual holiday, but it seems sharing this delicious meal with friends and teammates at Bowdoin, their home away from home, is something for which they are especially thankful. Photos by Michele Stapleton.
5 thoughts on “Slideshow: The Holiday Season Begins Early at Bowdoin”
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poor children are forced to eat incredible food.
What a wonderful idea. I wish there had been a way we could have done this during my time on campus.
Bob Benjamin ’66
I question the appropriateness of this activity. Is it right for the College to provide an elaborate Thanksgiving feast for students, many of whom — I suspect — come from privileged financial backgrounds and who are doubtless going to be adequately fed by their families later in the week? Could Bowdoin be doing something else with the money spent on this gesture?
Nathaniel Harrison ’68
Dad and I are happily enjoying our delicious turkey meatloaf at home,
while admiring your bounty! Buen provecho!
Nathaniel,I question the appropriateness of your comment. Yes, we all eagerly anticipate diving into a plate of stuffing, turkey, cranberries, and other delectable foods on Thanksgiving every year. Yet you make a fatal error in assuming that Thanksgiving solely represents food. It is a day for family and appreciating what we have. What better way to do that than celebrating our Bowdoin family by sitting down to have a meal with them? After all, many of these people are the ones I consider to by my closest friends and my family away from home. Spending Thanksgiving with them only seems natural, and the Thanksgiving meal every year provides a special opportunity for us to do just that. The fact that Bowdoin can even provide us with such an impressive and unique dining experience proves just how special a place it is, reminding us how lucky we ALL are to be here, regardless of socioeconomic status.
I must admit, I am slightly disappointed that a Bowdoin graduate viewed this meal with such superficiality, especially knowing how important both community and tradition are to this institution.