The Deal with Valedictorians

AP Lang & Comp 4th

12 Feb, 2014

The Deal with Valedictorians

Valedictorians are a major part of high school. They are a cherished and honored tradition among many schools, but yet the long-standing custom is being put to an end in some schools. Not because of the lack of students wanting to become valedictorians, but the exact opposite. The treasured institution of naming the valedictorian, or valedictorians, is being eliminated because of the excessive number of students who are qualified to be valedictorians. With so many students vying for the positions, problems have arisen among the kids who are aiming for the position. Some even have taken legal actions. But is taking the title out of the equation all together the best solution to this problem? And what about those students who’ve worked and pushed themselves to become a valedictorian to suddenly find that all of their efforts have been all for not? Those who have earned the right to be named valedictorian should be named and recognized, no matter how few or how many.

The requirements to become a valedictorian are different for each school, but are generally the same. They are very specific about the grades and the classes and the GPA required and many students, right off the bat, believe that there is no way they will be able to meet such standards and write themselves of the list entirely. But there are those who rise up to the challenge. Albeit, some drop out of the running, but more than some realize a lot of students keep at it. And succeed. “We have such an outstanding student body that it was just hard to get that definitive…Occasionally, we get the criticism that it’s so watered down, it doesn’t mean anything.” Stuart Kew, principle of Mission San Jose, who had twenty-three valedictorians in the graduating class alone, states. Those students that have put in the time and effort to make sure they met the qualifications should have the opportunity to represent their school and their class....