Eyes on the skies with DePauw commencement slated Sunday

As DePauw University prepares its 172nd annual commencement exercises on Sunday, eyes are on the skies with the potential for wet weather looming.

The weather forecast calls for a 30 percent chance of isolated thunderstorms Sunday with an expected high temperature of 80 degrees in Greencastle.

The ceremony is scheduled to commence at 1 p.m. Sunday outdoors on Holton Memorial Quadrangle adjacent to historic East College. However, Neal Fieldhouse within the nearby Lilly Center is ready to be used as a backup location should rainy weather force the proceedings inside.

Approximately 530 DePauw seniors, including six from Putnam County, are expected to march at Sunday's graduation.

Theodore M. "Tim" Solso, chairman and chief executive officer of Cummins Inc. and 1969 DePauw graduate, will deliver the principal address to the Class of 2011.

Solso and two other distinguished individuals -- Greencastle resident Cassel Grubb, professor emeritus of music at DePauw and former director of the DePauw University School of Music; and Ian Morris, Jean and Rebecca Willard Professor of Classics and professor of history at Stanford University, will receive honorary doctoral degrees.

For a fourth consecutive year, DPU graduation ceremonies will be webcast live. The link to the webcast is http://dev.trz.cc/depauw.html.