The Hastings High School Field House was filled Friday night with wooden bleachers this year’s seating choice as the work continues on Todd Field. Students were staged in the Auditorium to get into alphabetical order before they would walk across the hallway and into the gym where parents, friends and fellow classmates waited for the procession of blue robed Seniors. Members of the School Board were seated on the stage while the underclassmen in the band program played rousing tunes that concluded with Pomp and Circumstance. Principal Johnson and Superintendent Collins then presented awards recognizing 41graduates that achieved a GPA of 3.867 or better over their 4 years of High School .
A moment of silence was also observed for two classmates who had passed away. Harlin Hacken and Joseph Seeger were remembered during the poigniant pause. Select Chorale performed 2 selections with themes of coming home and also of a million dreams, each equally appropriate in their message. Before the presentation of the diplomas, several students spoke about their perspective as a student of Hastings. Allison Amy gave the student welcome, followed by Kathleen Blissenbach, Deanna Small and Trevor Zeyen.
Principal Mike Johnson then officially presented the class and Chairman of the School Board, Scott Gergen gave the confirmation of graduation on behalf of the district. David Russell Larson was then tasked with reading and correctly pronouncing the names of each of the 362 graduates as they strode across the stage to shake hands and turn their tassel to the other side of their morterboard.
As the ceremony concluded the traditional countdown began- 3,2,1 as the hats were then tossed high into the air. Coming up in our next newscasts today, we’ll feature the voices of some of those Seniors as they pass on some sage advice directed at the class of 2023, next year’s Freshmen.
