Valedictorian

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In the United States and Canada, the title of valedictorian (an anglicized derivation from the Latin vale dicere, "to say farewell") is given to the top graduate of the graduating class (the Australia/New Zealand equivalent being dux) of an educational institution. The title comes from the valedictorian's traditional role as the last speaker at the graduation ceremony.

The title is generally awarded based on the calculated total credits of grades (overall GPA), a senior vote, the amount of dedication to certain extracurricular activities, the academic weight of classes taken, or SAT/ACT scores. In other schools the position may be elected by the school body, or appointed directly by the school administration based on a more complex system of merit (rather than grades alone). Some schools may likewise feature "co-valedictorians." This is usually done to promote some form of affirmative action such as gender or racial balance.

The graduation speech is a closing or farewell statement, address or oration delivered at a graduation ceremony. It is an oration or address spoken at commencement in American high schools, colleges or seminaries by one of the graduating class. The mode of discourse is generally inspirational and persuasive. The many aims of this address is to thank, to inspire, to affect, and above all to say farewell to high school, college, or the seminary.

On several noted occasions the number of lawsuits over being the lone valedictorian has increased.

[edit] References

New Yorker: BEST IN CLASS Students are suing their way to the top
The Daily Star: From Valedictorian... to the Real World It takes years of hard work to attain the title of valedictorian. But in the grand scheme of things, it really doesn’t make a difference in the real world.