The 2008 Indus graduating class received their farewell into the future Friday during commencement.
The list of graduates includes Cory Black, Thomas Doe, Lyle Guerard, Carl Hultman, Nicole Jerome, Christine Johnson, Janelle Johnson, Alyssa Jones, Evan Nosal, John Svitak, Marie (Ally) Trautlein, Meghan Tupper, and Ashley Zaren.
Special music for graduation was provided on violin, viola and piano by Ben, Will, and Renard Bergstrom, relatives of graduate Evan Nosal.
Students presented their class flower, a white lily, to parents while the Bergstroms were playing. The Indus choral ensemble sang, “Aurora Borealis,” and the Indus instrumental ensemble played the processional and recessional.
Meghan Tupper, salutatorian, gave an impromptu speech reflecting on her time at Indus, and Nicole Jerome, valedictorian, saluted her classmates for their uniqueness and contribution to her life.
Principal Lynn Jennissen spoke about moving out of one’s safe environment, leaving everything behind to pursue greater goals. Throughout the speech, he repeated the line, “You see, there was this job . . .” explaining how one step towards a goal leads to another and often requires leaving behind other, more comfortable choices.
Pastor Tim Zook gave opening and closing comments.
Scholarship awards were presented by Tom Belanger, as a memorial to his grandmother, Irene Kjellgren; Mike Hanson, on behalf of North Star Electric; Tracy Townsend on behalf of the teacher’s local union, Education Minnesota; Joe Fults as a representative of the Masonic Lodge 270; Kay Arnold on behalf of the Northland Arts Society; and Karen Anderson for the Indus Scholarship Committee and the Hasbargen Memorial, which went to Carl Hultman.
Anderson also told a story about how parachutes are folded — carefully and with purpose. She told the seniors to realize that their “parachutes” to adult life had also been prepared carefully by many people, including parents and teachers, in order to assure them a safe landing.
While the class song played, a senior slide show was presented. Diplomas were handed out by Joe Fults, School District 363 board member, to the 13 graduates.