[applause] lieutenant governor flanagan and minnesota second gentleman tom weber. [applause]e] minnesota's first lady, gwen walls. [applause] thank you. honored guest in my fellow minnesotans, maybe it's the smell of that freshly sharpened pencil comedy is a site of those desks all lined up in the rose committed the sound of nervous youthful chatter filling the hallways but whatever it is, if your teacher nothing and i mean nothing beats the first day of school. take it from me, , for many yeas of our lives we celebrated new year's day not in january but in early fall. when the doors open back up and the kids came back from summer break. the first day of school is all about hope. it's all about opportunity and it's all about endless possibility. that's never been more true than here in owatonna last fall when the doors open on this dutiful new building, at 317,000 square foot state-of-the-art symbol of this curious commitment to its children. [applause] imagine when he walked to the door the first time as a student, the whole world opens up in front of you. the cla