The cap and gown season gets under way in Mower County tonight.

Friday, May 25, 2001

The cap and gown season gets under way in Mower County tonight.

Seniors at Grand Meadow and Lyle public schools will graduate tonight.

On Sunday, seniors at Southland and LeRoy-Ostrander will graduate.

All told, the four commencement ceremonies will distribute high school diplomas to 126 seniors.

Scholarships and other academic achievement awards will be distributed at the commencement ceremonies and pictures taken or video filmed to commemorate the young men and women completing their secondary education.

Open house celebrations will follow the commencements, bringing families together to celebrate the milestone.

With a head-start of 30 minutes, the Grand Meadow High School class of 2001 should produce the first senior to graduate in Mower County.

Grand Meadow commencement exercises begin 7:30 p.m. in the school gymnasium for 24 young men and women.

Diana Jones, class president, will welcome guests and Janet Moe, GMHS choir director, will give the special commencement address from a faculty member.

Valedictorian Dillon Denisen and salutatorian Adrian Sween also will give addresses.

In addition, the senior class each year chooses members of its own to speak to the commencement audience. This year, the honor goes to Lindsay Baldus, Lindsay Leichtman and Adam Turgeon.

Before they’re off to graduation open house parties, Adrian Sween, student council president and salutatorian, will give the seniors’ farewell.

Lyle Public Schools will hold commencement exercises beginning at 8 p.m. in the school gymnasium.

Twenty seniors will receive diplomas tonight and the commencement audience will hear addresses given by the valedictorian and salutatorian designees.

On Sunday, commencement exercises for the Southland and LeRoy-Ostrander classes of 2001 each begin at 2 p.m. in the school gymnasiums at Adams and LeRoy, respectively.

Southland will see 49 seniors receive diplomas Sunday afternoon and hear commencement speeches from the class of 2001’s high honors selectees.

LeRoy-Ostrander will graduate 34 seniors Sunday afternoon.

Kayla Bucknell, valedictorian, and Ben Reburn, salutatorian, of the LOHS class of 2001 will give commencement addresses.

Call Lee Bonorden at 434-2232 or e-mail him at lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com.