The Fading Title of Valedictorian

Valedictorian. A title that many seek and fiercely compete for during their years in high school. The student with the highest GPA (grade point average) throughout the course of their high school years is given this honor.
The word “valedictorian” is derived from the Latin phrase vale dicere, which means “to say farewell.” Historically, the valedictorian gives the closing statement at the graduation ceremony.
However, a growing trend among high schools is to do away with the title altogether. School officials across the country feel the title creates negative competition among students. Additionally, the aggressive drive to have the highest GPA sometimes leads to multiple tying for the title. The push for the honor of being named valedictorian can also affect academic processes; for example, students could attend schools with easier classes or drop normal classes in favor of Advanced Placement classes, which have a higher weighted GPA than normal classes. Sometimes, the difference between the top student and the next-ranked student is in the hundredths of a point.
“Having a valedictorian creates a lot of tension and conflict between friends,” junior Esmeralda Flores said. “It’s a lot of trouble for such a thing.”
To replace the title of valedictorian, some schools have designated a certain standard – for example, getting a GPA of 3.80 or above that needs to be met in order for a student to be recognized. Another option that schools have adopted is the cum laude system used in colleges. In this system, the top five percent of students are designated cum laude (with honor), the top three percent as magna cum laude (with great honor) and the top one percent as summa cum laude (with highest honor). This allows for more students’ academic achievements to be recognized.
While many schools have kept the valedictorian position, others are moving away from the tradition. High competition and skewed academic results have driven many school systems from the tradition.

Shannon Li
Staff Writer