Commencement weekend at Bates College begins on Thursday evening with the annual Senior-Faculty Dinner. Held in the Clifton Daggett Gray Athletic Building, the celebratory dinner honors seniors who have earned departmental and College-wide awards and prizes. The evening also includes a welcome from the Alumni Association, recognition of those Bates professors retiring from the faculty, and the announcement of the Senior Class Gift. At the dinner, it was announced that the Class of 2003 raised more than $17,000 to fund a scholarship next year for incoming first-year students from Androscoggin County.