Posted: 6/2/05
Class of 2005 to graduate Friday
Class is largest in PHS history
By Joel Stottrup
Princeton High School's graduation will take place Friday at 7 p.m. with the Class of 2005, the largest graduating class to date for the school.
Dina Scandinato, secretary to the principal at PHS, said last Thursday about 290 seniors are expected to get their diploma during commencement exercises.
The graduation ceremony will be conducted at John Harvey Field next to the high school, weather permitting. If moved indoors, it would be in the gym.
Something new this year is that people won't be able to count on seeing all the seniors in caps and gowns. For the first time seniors will have the option not to wear a cap and gown because of a challenge by a parent at a school in another school district last year, noted Scandinato.
The parent learned that something that is required couldn't be charged for and the caps and gowns require a fee. At PHS it is $19.
Scandinato said she didn't have any way of knowing how many local seniors decided not to purchase a cap and gown. Most have purchased them, she said.
Any senior opting out of wearing the cap and gown must follow dress rules, however. The rules are black dress pants and white shirt for the boys, and black skirt and white blouse for girls.
The caps and gowns will be black and the tassels for the caps will be orange, black and white. The exception is that A honor students will wear gold tassels and gold cords, and B honor students will wear gold tassels.
A students are those who have had a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 to 4 over the last 11 trimesters. B honor students must have had a cumulative GPA of 3 to 3.499 over the same period.
The ceremony
The symphonic band, under the direction of Lee Peterson, will perform the traditional graduation theme, "Pomp and Circumstance" during the processional. The Pledge of Allegiance will then be led by class president Marissa Clarin.
The symphonic band will play "Forged in Fire."
Giving speeches will be co-valedictorians Emily Olson and Michelle Price, salutatorian Colin Boettcher, class speaker Keith Hovis and guest speaker, English instructor Dwight "Ike" Carlson.
The concert choir, under the direction of Mark Potvin, will perform "Defying Gravity."
Interim superintendent Mark Sleeper will give congratulatory remarks and interim principal Peter Olson will present the Class of 2005.
Scheduled to present the diplomas are Sleeper, Olson, PHS assistant principal Ryan Jensen and School Board members Dennis Dehn, Lisa Fobbe, Brenda Hoffman and Daniel Whitcomb.
The symphonic band will play the recessional.
The class motto is "Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today."
The class flower is the tiger lily and class colors are black, orange and white.
Many seniors will be boarding school buses after the ceremony to go to the middle school for an all-night graduation party.
Princeton Union-Eagle
P.O. Box 278
Princeton, MN 55371
Telephone: 763-389-1222
Fax: 763-389-1728