Arizona republican., 1909-05-29
GRADUATION
 EXERCISES High School Auditorium Taxed
 Beyond Its Capacity CONCLUDESCOMMENCEMENT The Students Numbers Were the Features of the Enter tainment --- Diplomas Pre- sented by President Silver thorn.
CONCLUDESCOMMENCEMENT

The concluding exercises in the graduation of the twelve students who are quitting the Mesa Union High school course were given Thurs day evening in the auditorium of the new high school building. The room was taxed to its capacity and many were compelled to stand in the halls.
 There are several features in con- nection with the class of 1909 which are worthy of mention. One of these features is that twenty-two pupils started into the high school and twelve of them finished. Very few classes of twenty-two graduate over fifty per cent of their enrolment Another feature is that eleven of the graduates are already preparing to enter higher schools of learning. with strong probability that the twelfth member will also enter college.
 Commencement exercises are gen. erally looked upon as tiresome even ings on account of the nervous strain placed upon the hearers in sympathy with some amateur Demosthenes struggling in deep water to find his way back to his set speech. How ever, in the class just graduated this was a feature that was conspicuous by its absence. With all due respect to the many local performers who as- sisted in the entertainment it must be said that the students themselves were the stronger, part of the pro- gram.
 The program was carried out as it has been announced on different oc- casions in these columns with the ex- ception of the vocal solo by Lorena Passey.
 Detta Lisonbee read an essay "The Influence of the Pioneer on Ameri- can History" Miss Lisonbee showed by her production that she had given it careful study and thought She traced the progress of the pioneers through the early stages of history and as a climax showed the effect upon the present day civilization. The article was well delivered and decid- edy worth while
 Franceile Pomeroy delivered an oration on Patriotism" The feature of Miss Pomeroys production was her enunciation. In her description of patriotism she clambered over the trite walls of ordinary commence nent orations and took a fall out with the present lack of patriotism shown in the graft prosecutions in San Francisco
 The Class Poem by Alta Jenkins was the hit Of the evening. Miss jenkins surreptitously purloined the easy gliding movement of Longfel- lows Hiawatha and to it she added words that fit the meter as well as the peculiarities of the different members of the class The poem was one of real merit and was ap- preciated by the audience to the full lest extent.
 The oration, Robert Burns" by Earl Peterson would have done credit to a college graduate. While the production throughout was a charact- CT sketch in eulogistic terms and purports, yet it was plainly evident that there had been much prepara- tion. Earl Peterson is probably one of the most studious pupils that has ever graduated from the Mesa schools. He has already begun lay- ing the foundation of an education. and while there is always the possi- bility of a misstep, yet there re- mains the probability that some day a good many people may know Mesa from the fact that it was once the home of Earl Peterson.
 Geo. w. Silverthorn, president of the board of education, addressed the class passing on some advice that had been given him, and which he had found to be correct. In concluding his remarks he handed out the diplomas to the graduates. This was followed by the giving of flowers and presents.
 The evening was a success in every way with the exception of the giving of presents. Giving presents at a com mencement exercise is not the proper thing to do. It was a painful eXperi ence for the students, as well as two or three of the graduates, to see the flowers and presents piled high in the laps of some members of the class, while others were compelled to walk off the stage empty handed.