(Photo by Randy M. Cauthron) Chris Lensing and Mike Crew were all smiles and somewhat redder in complexion following their eighth grade dance flashback during Sunday's Spencer High School graduation ceremonies. [Order this photo]

With an alarm blaring in the background, senior Abby Salton said the words that the class of 2008 had been waiting 13 years to hear one last time, "Class dismissed."

Sunday afternoon, during commencement exercises in The Fieldhouse, the Spencer High School graduating class of 2008 shared a few laughs, some final tears and a resounding cheer as they launched their caps high into the air, signifying the "freedom" that only a high school graduate can understand.

The ceremony lasted nearly an hour-and-a-half, as seniors Chris Lensing, Michael Crew, Abby Pingel and Salton shared some final senior thoughts, honor graduates were recognized, school board president David Schlichtemeier offered some words of encouragement and the diplomas were passed out to their rightful owners.

Lensing and Crew offered a look back through their years together, drawing the biggest laughs of the afternoon as they recreated that special moment: The middle school slow dance.

Lensing said, "It was during these two awkward years that we realized girls were getting prettier and the guys…"

"Well…they were lookin' pretty cute too," Crew finished.

Lensing continued, "And then the Friday night middle school dance started."

"Ahh…yes, the times where the boys were over there and the girls were right over there," Crew said, pointing to opposite sides of the room."

"The one exception to this segregation was the slow dances," Lensing said.

(Photo by Randy M. Cauthron) Spencer High School seniors launch their caps high into the air to signify the end of their high school careers. [Order this photo]

The two re-enacted the dance, Crew sporting a long, blonde wig and Lensing bravely asking him to dance. With music playing, Lensing, asked, "Mike….this is Chris…will you go out with me?"

"I don't know, but I guess we could dance," Crew said shyly.

With a coaxing finger, Lensing drew Crew to the middle of the stage where the two began dancing in a style that could best be described as "The Frankenstein."

"I had a really good time tonight…so are we dating," Lensing asked following the dance.

"Yeah, but my rides here so I will see you next dance," Crew answered.

The two also took a moment to recognize some of those special moments with their classmates. They recalled the time Mrs. Meyer's fan combusted into flames due to an "electrical problem." They also remembered Brett Gathman and Nolan Goeken's "Throwback Thursdays" and "Suit Coat Fridays."

Of particular attention, were Goeken's accomplishments. Lensing honored Goeken for "receiving the United States Presidential Scholarship, attending Harvard and being the first man to ever accidentally lock himself in the locker room during a basketball game in Hull."

In reflection, Lensing said, "We have grown from insecure freshmen to successful, focused and confident young adults."

Sam Zenkovich works on a bubble to kill the time, waiting for the order to line-up prior to graduation Sunday. [Order this photo]

"This incredible transformation has been the result of our entire high school experience," added Crew. "Everything from that first homecoming game, to late night cramming, to the last dance at prom. These experiences have pulled us together as a class and we have learned to love and respect our fellow classmates."

Pingel and Salton shared the story of the woman who asked to be buried with her fork, because growing up, she was always told to keep her fork because the best part was yet to come.

"As this short story illustrates, now is the time we as students and young individuals should reach down and grab our forks for this may be one of the last times we see each other before we start the next chapters in life, and we should not be sad but joyful to know that the best is yet to come," said Pingel.

"We wrote the past chapter of our lives together and shaped each other into the individuals we are today; we taste-tested different experiences - the good and bad - together, and we will never forget sharing the main meal with each other," Pingel said.

Salton suggested, "As our talents and passions lead us in different directions, we may become discouraged and frustrated, but when those times occur, remember the story of the young woman who was buried with her fork."

Sporting the shades, Kyle Baxter "reflects" on the past four years at Spencer High School with Aric Sievers and Kynison Cauthron. [Order this photo]

Pingel finished, "Never quit trying when challenges block your path. Just smile, reach for your fork, and remember, the best is yet to come."

Sclichtemeier used a story from the second day of battle at Gettysburg and a Union forces leader, Col. Lawrence Chamberlain, to illustrate a three-point talk and highlight his three points: Be strong and courageous, love is the greatest thing in life, and all people are "created equal."

Against insurmountable odds, and with his own men suggesting the battle as lost, Chamberlain led a charge against the larger, better armed enemy that resulted in them turning tail and fleeing, according to the school board president.

'"The Civil War is long over, but the battle over the idea of 'created equal" is still raging," Schlichtemeier said. "The current attack on 'created equal' is focused on the 'created' part. Don't be deceived. Nations that embrace the unbridled natural selection see some people as more important than others. 'Survival of the fittest' sorts people out by the false idea of varying worth, and this can be disastrous. Always remember the idea of 'created equal' is a single idea that requires two words to describe."

He concluded, "….Someday when you find yourself on your own little round top in the late afternoon and the battle looks hopeless, remember Lawrence, the school teacher from Maine, and remember who you are. Then let your love make you strong and courageous."