Class of 2012 receives diplomas

— Twentyfive Decatur High School students received their diplomas during Friday's commencement ceremony, held in the Lloyd Peterson Gymnasium.

Fatima Vazquez gave the salutatorian's address, and Lensey Watson gave the valedictorian's address.

After the ceremony, seniors and their families went outside to thefootball field to release paper lanterns in a symbolic celebration of their graduation.

Graduation week celebrations in Decatur included a Chamber Awards Banquet for honor students on Monday evening, a scholarship awards night on Tuesday in which Decatur students received more than $120,000 in scholarship money, and a baccalaureate program at the Decatur First Baptist Church on Wednesday evening.

Community, Pages 16 on 05/16/2012