Valedictorian is a Thing of the Past
MCHS students attend graduation ceremony.
September 19, 2016
For decades, students in many high schools across the country were faced with the system of rank and competition for valedictorian that had been harsh and accompanied by mind blowing stress and excitement. For years, the students battled out their grades, putting out the work for the highest ranking in their particular class. The student who achieved the most would then be awarded the title of valedictorian. Currently, many schools are testing out a new philosophy when it comes to student competition. Schools are turning off the switches to ranks and titles; now for many schools, valedictorian does not exist. It has been causing a bit of an uproar with segments on national morning shows such as Good Morning America and The Today Show about the loss of such a tradition in many high schools.
School boards that removed the class rank and student competition see the practice as unhealthy and nerve wrecking to many parents. Many school districts have replaced the valedictorian with three groups based on the students’ GPA: Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude and Summa Cum Laude. Not all schools have turned to this particular system, though it is becoming a trend in the education field and is satisfying many families.
Sadie Miller
MCHS has recently adopted this trend for graduating classes. MCHS sophomore Renee Walker stated, “It makes me a little upset because I feel like they are changing it so everyone wins; everyone gets an award even if they were not caring about their GPA in the first place.”
Megan Banta, a senior at Madison, also gave a similar answer, “I wasn’t even going to be a valedictorian anyway, so to me there wasn’t much point.”
The valedictorian deal isn’t as popular overseas as it is here. Many students find it to be a true relief; for others it is a big disappointment. Parents agree that it helps clear their child’s head a little when it comes to comparison with other kids. In the long run, it’s the thought that counts.
“I wouldn’t say slacking off but there is no competition to be the best anymore,” Walker said.
