Sarah Kristine Baldus was, indeed, the first high school graduate in Mower County in the new millennium.

Saturday, May 27, 2000

Sarah Kristine Baldus was, indeed, the first high school graduate in Mower County in the new millennium.

Baldus, valedictorian of the Grand Meadow High School class of 2000, was the first of her class to receive her diploma Friday night.

She led 35 GMHS seniors across the stage, where school board members Gary Vogt and ValJean Thorsen were waiting with their diplomas.

Meanwhile, Kimberly Ann Davis was the first of the Lyle High School graduating class to receive a diploma in the new millennium.

Grand Meadow’s commencement exercises started 60 minutes earlier than Lyle’s.

The Grand Meadow graduates stuck to the script for their commencement, but the Lyle graduates broke with tradition and injected good humor in theirs.

Today, it is Southland, LeRoy-Ostrander, Hayfield, St. Ansgar and dozens of other area high schools’ turn to bask in the glow of one of the most exciting and rewarding rites of passage in life: graduating high school and ending 13 years of education.

The classes of 2000 have been watched with anticipation since the hype began about the advent of a new millennium.

What’s in a name?

Bruce Klaehn, superintendent of Grand Meadow Public Schools, graduated high school exactly 30 years ago on the Friday night he reflected on the GMHS class of 2000’s accomplishments. Klaehn didn’t ignore the milestone.

He said there were no Y2K casualties. "Despite all the fears everyone has arrived safe and sound on this stage tonight," he told a gymnasium-packed audience.

When Klaehn arrived in the district four years ago, "I was a rookie when you were freshmen."

Klaehn told the graduates to disregard material possessions as they move forward in life. "Your name is your most valuable possession," he said. "What you say, how you act and how you treat people is how you will be measured."

Baldus remembered being a member of the band when she was an eighth-grader and playing the traditional "Fanfare and Processional," at commencement "forever, it seemed," she said. So Baldus solicited an ovation for the band Friday night.

The valedictorian’s advice to her fellow graduates: "Make sure your life is truly what you want to do and that it makes you happy."

Jennifer Gehling, the GMHS salutatorian, told her classmates she wished them "love and happiness" and quoted the class motto: "The future is what you make it."

The senior class chooses the commencement speaker each year at Grand Meadow and the class of 2000 chose one of the most popular faculty members: Al Carlson.

Carlson apologized for not being a professional speaker and did not, as principal Susan Roehrich predicted in her introduction, tattle on the seniors’ behavior during their class trip.

Instead, he reminded them of the price of a high school education as well as any post-secondary education to come.

Carlson urged the graduates to "keep an open mind" and "don’t be afraid of failing."

He closed his address by playing a Kenny Rogers’ pop tune "The Greatest" and concluded by saying, "Just remember: you can be the greatest. Just let me know how it turns out."

Student speakers Stephanie Gehling, Clinton Jones and Lisa Skifter went through the list of 35 graduates and told all what they will remember about them.

Then, it was time for the announcement of scholarships and finally the awarding of diplomas.

Angela Holst, student council president and class representative, shared senior class thoughts. Kimberly Durst, student council vice president and class representative, gave the farewell and the class of 2000 shifted their tassels on their mortarboard caps and left the stage to an ovation from the audience.

Breaking with tradition

Twenty-five young men and women graduated Lyle High School Friday night in the school district’s 93rd commencement exercise.

With the familiar face of David Dahlquist, performing prelude and processional music, the graduates took center stage in the Lions gymnasium.

Joshua Kunze, class president, welcomed all and Julie Rugg gave the salutatorian address followed by Laura Nelson’s valedictorian address.

The senior class girls performed a vocal selection "The Time of Your Life" and instead of a commencement address, the senior class officers presented a slide show of visual memories.

Thomas Hiebert presented scholarships and superintendent Jerry Reshetar announced special recognition for senior class members.

There were special awards from the senior class and then the moment all — or, at least, the 25 seniors — were waiting for came: the awarding of diplomas by Scott Wendt, chairman of the Lyle Board of Education.

There was one special diploma presentation for Wendt to make, when his daughter, Meggan Marie, came forward.

The LHS graduates may have the longest motto of any Y2K graduating class: As each of us follows our path in life, we will remember these years. We will remember our friends, the laughter and the pain. Our smiles reflect the memories locked deep within our hearts. We have grown so much, and yet, we will grow forever."

When the commencement exercises were concluded, the graduates surprised everyone.

With the approval of their superintendent and principal before hand, the graduates showered the front rows of the audience and each other with silly string.

One knowledgeable observer said it was a break with tradition to remove "some of the stuffiness" from commencement.