Northern graduation ceremonies set for this weekend

Montana State University-Northern will hold its annual commencement ceremony Saturday in the Armory Gymnasium starting at 10 a.m.

The graduation ceremony is free and open to the public, with only one section of lower bleacher seats reserved, for the handicapped seating. Handicapped parking spaces are limited. People are advised to arrive early and use the north-central entrance to the gymnasium for access to the ceremonies.

Doors will open at 9 a.m. and the processional will begin at 10 a.m.

Former Little Big Horn College President Janine Pease will be this year’s commencement speaker. Pease is known for her work with American Indian tribal colleges, university planning and assessment, an article on the Northern website says.

She has also served on several boards such as the Montana Human Rights Commission and the Montana Board of Regents.

A reception in the Vande Bogart Library will follow the graduation ceremonies.

Northern reports 347 students will be eligible to receive a total of 353 degrees including 67 certificates, 155 associate, 187 bachelor’s and 20 master’s degrees. The numbers will not be final until the spring semester classes are completed just before commencement.

Graduation is preceded Friday evening by the Founders Excellence Dinner and Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in the Student Union Building Ballroom starting at 6 p.m. Patricia Kinsella Holman, chief financial officer of Great Drilling Mining of Billings, and William Crandall, vice president of finances and operations for Modern Machinery of Missoula, will receive the 2017 Founder’s Excellence Award. DeLayne Johnston-Robbins and Tyson Thivierge will be the 2018 inductees into the Athletic Hall of Fame.

See more on Johnston-Robbins and Thivierge in today’s sports section.

For more on Holman and Crandall see an article printed on Page A3 of the April 10 edition of the Havre Daily News.

Tickets to Friday’s dinner and induction ceremony are $30 per person. For tickets and more information, people can contact the MSU-Northern Alumni Foundation at 265-3711.

Northern’s class of 1968 will be honored as part of the annual Golden Grads ceremony. An email from the Northern Alumni Foundation says the slate of activities for Golden Grads will start Friday at 11 a.m. with registration at the Vande Bogart Library, where people will have the chance to catch up with classmates.

Other Golden Grad activities include a luncheon and welcome by Northern Alumni Foundation Executive Director Jim Bennett at noon, a class meeting in the library at 1 p.m., a campus tour in The Golden Goose, Northern’s touring car, and a reunion at 6 p.m. at Andy’s Supper Club.

The Golden Grads will have their fitting of gowns Friday at 9 a.m. in the Vande Bogart Library, then will have a commencement lunch at noon at The Duck Inn following commencement.