<p>Dictionary definition: A student, usually the one ranking highest academically in a school graduating class, who delivers the valedictory at the commencement exercises</p>
<p>If they want to give other awards, that's just dandy. Just don't call that person the valedictorian.</p>
<p>on sports: well, some kids just aren't athletically inclined. I know I certainly am not, nor is my sister. I don't see why we should be punished for having poor genetics and the lack of resources to train. </p>
<p>If a student is determined and driven enough to be valedictorian, that almost always spills into involvement in extra-curriculars. They certainly aren't mutually exclusive. In my situation...my sister got into Dartmouth. You have to be pretty well-rounded to get into Dartmouth, dontya think?</p>
<p>"Well-rounded" to me just has a connotation of being all-American, into both academics and sports, and being very social. Some of just can't play sports, and "social" is poor too. I consider myself very nice and I'll strike up a conversation with anyone who'll listen, but the popular kids in my class just don't interest me. We don't have alot in common. Should I (or my sister) be punished for that? </p>
<p>There are so many systems for choosing valedictorian, but they're all so complicated. GPA may seduce the number-driven kids, but atleast it's a sure fire.</p>
<p><em>shakes head</em> How can you propose that sports be considered for valedictorian, some people are not gifted in athletics. Period. If you are saying I don't deserve being valedictorian at my school because I haven't participated in a sport, I just can't believe it. That would be saying that sports are what counts. I know that there are people who are smart and athletic, one of them might be sal this year. But it shouldn't be the point of valedictorian. I understand having extracurriculars, but not specifically sports. Here's an example for my life:</p>
<p>Freshman: Upwards of 15 hours/week with drama for various productions (Guys and Dolls, The King and I), plus I was the lead in the 9th grade show "A Web of Murder." I was also class treasurer and in student council. </p>
<p>10th grade: I started singing with the worship band at my youth group, which I still do (so that's three years) and that takes 4ish hours of my week depending on how long our practice is. I also got very into oil painting in 10th grade. I was also a member of French Club and a co-founder of Young Republicans at my school. </p>
<p>11th: I was inducted into National Honor Society, obviously doing a lot of community service with them. I was in Mu Alpha Theta, and tutored math every Thursday. I was the only junior on our Quizbowl team. I also started math tutoring for money. </p>
<p>12th: This year has been crazy. I'm Secretary of NHS, and am spending at least an hour or two a week with NHS, not including service projects, tapping, and inductions (which I was chair of). I'm president of Mu Alpha Theta and still tutor on Thursdays. I'm still singing with my youth group. I was also captain of our Quizbowl team this year. I am my school's representative in our role as treasurer for Florida Chapter of NHS. </p>
<p>I addition to all of that, I will have completed 13 in school AP classes while maintaining straight As. Out of the 6 I've taken, I've earned 3 fives, 2 fours, and a 3. So, in the end, if you are saying that someone like me, who has worked hard for four years, been involved not only in my school, but my community and my church, does not deserve to be valedictorian because I didn't play a sport, I would be speechless. </p>
<p>I hope that helps illustrate my point, and at least for my school I am not an abnormal valedictorian. (Our school goes by unweighted GPA for val, so we end up with more than one). Last year, we had six vals and one sal, and only two had participated in sports, but all of them changed our school and were extremely involved on campus.</p>
<p>Once again, this goes back to the point: valedictorian is an academic honor and it has always been. It's not for the most rounded student, it's for the person who excells and challenges his/herself (academically) and succeeds.</p>
<p>Also, at my school we have a senior awards night where other honors and awards are given out, but valedictorian is and should be reserved for the higheest ranking person.</p>
<p>The POINT of valedictorian is grades. That's what the award is for! It's like giving the football MVP trophy to the kid who played good football and ALSO got good grades. That's not the point of the award!!!!</p>
<p>OP, I hope you're going to write a letter to the newspaper that incorporates all of our brilliant points.</p>
<p>^^Don't football coaches kick kids off the team if their grades are bad enough?</p>
<p>My school you get kicked off a team (or on probation) if you have lower than a 2.0 on a 4.0 scale, so a low C average...</p>
<p>well-rounded?? "participation in at least one sport, community service, etc"
are these now prerequisites for anyone to be worthwhile? it seems like this stuff is basically taken for granted--you can forget about getting into an ivy if you havent done your community service or your ECs or any of that stuff--i think valuing these things has become meaningless because everyone does them--there shoudlnt be a set formula like "1 sport 1 ec etc" for everyone, people should just do what they want...i didnt even know these things were required to be a good student it used to be just how you did in school</p>
<p>sorry for the babbling but my school doesn't give grades and everyone is actually interested in school instead of "Looking good for College Club"</p>
<p>oh and i agree w/the person that started this about the valedictorian</p>
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True, but I said participation in a sport. It doesn't necessarily mean on a high school team.
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<p>What if you're, say, disabled? Or you break your back junior year while playing football and can't play for most of senior year?</p>
<p>Waaaaaaay back in the olden days -- I mean, even before I was born -- good grades (and, often, family connections) got you into a good school. Then, they realized that different schools might give the same grades that really mean different things, so along came standardized tests. THEN, they realized that some people might have not great grades or scores but still be awesome people, so along came the concept of also looking at ECs and sports and community service.</p>
<p>All of which are very worthwhile things to do, but the point of valedictorian is to have good grades.</p>
<p>There's many a valedictorian who doesn't get into a top top school because they don't have good scores, ECs, sports, or community service. But that doesn't take away their valedictorian-ness.</p>
<p>What's the point in giving a speech if no one cares about what you have to say?</p>
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<em>shakes head</em> How can you propose that sports be considered for valedictorian, some people are not gifted in athletics. Period. If you are saying I don't deserve being valedictorian at my school because I haven't participated in a sport, I just can't believe it. That would be saying that sports are what counts. I know that there are people who are smart and athletic, one of them might be sal this year. But it shouldn't be the point of valedictorian. I understand having extracurriculars, but not specifically sports.
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<p>Anyone can participate in sports. You don't have to be athletic. Obviously if you have a medical condition that prohibits you from vigorous exercise, then that's understandable. If you don't have any problems then your point goes down the drain.</p>
<p>Playing sports shows well roundedness. It's fun and it's healthy. What's wrong with that?</p>
<p>Are you a person who sits in your room behind a computer all day?</p>
<p>Just because you excel in academics doesn't mean people won't care what you ahve to say. Far be it from a high achiever to have friends and family and people who support him or her. Just because the "popular" group or the jocks don't care doesn't mean that you shouldn't speak out and say what you want. It is being recognized for your achievement. </p>
<p>One could say "Why does the president speak if no one cares what he has to say?" But the fact is, there are people who care about what he has to say, just maybe not you. And maybe if people weren't stereotypical about a person before they even say a word, they might actually learn something and like what that person has to say, or at least learn soemthing from it. Just because you are intelligent doesn't mean that your speech will be boring or you can't relate to it.</p>
<p>No, I'm not a person who sits in my room behind a computer all day. If you read the rest of my post I think you would see I'm well-rounded, if I'm not well-rounded because I don't play sports then that is insane.</p>
<p>Making sports a requirement for valedictorian is just ridiculous. Valedictorian is a title for academic achievement, not achievement in other areas as well. </p>
<p>You might not like it, but that's how it is. Just imagine the litigation if sports suddenly became a requirement to be val.</p>
<p>I your way of thinking about this is pretty reactionary... At my school and all top colleges now, the valedictorian is chosen through a voting process by the students instead. However, I agree with you on the fact that it still should rely primarily on academia.</p>
<p>Sports do make a student well-rounded. That's my opinion. They show that you have dedication.</p>
<p>I have dedication to my church, my friends, my values, my studies, my God, my clubs, my community. I can be dedicated without being in a sport. Want something that was time consuming? Drama. I don't think many atheletes have to stay up continuously until midnight or after. That was dedication. I'm dedicated to helping students learn math, I don't have to volunteer or get a job teaching math, I do it because I want to help. And it is frustrating, watching a kid type 6 minus 4 in a calculator, but if I can help them, that is enough. </p>
<p>If it's about fulfilling a list of requirements, then our society is doomed. We are just creating molds that people try to fill. To be this you must do x,y, and z. Forget about your passion, forget about what you love, we want you to be THIS. And I hate that our education system is getting there. Instead of recognizing people excelling in what they are passionate about, it says: be like everyone else. I'd rather receive an award because I did something I loved and did it well, than get something because I fit someone's mold of what they thought I should be. And I don't know about your school, but athletes at my school get 5-10 minutes EVERY morning, without fail, of attention of our principal and our school TV. They are recognized for what they earn, what they are passionate about. I am passionate about learning, not just memorizing, but LEARNING and education and everything associated with it. Why can't I (or people like me) be rewarded for pursuing their passions? I don't want a society that encourages people to do things their heart isn't in, and that's what adding a sports requirement would do. It would put people who aren't passionate about what they do in the wrong position. Instead of building a school and a community that is dynamic and filled with students that want to alter and significantly change their world, make it different, make it better, we will be left with tons of people trying to join tennis or football and not doing what they want to. Overall, the community loses, they lose the students because they no longer have the time to start a new club or go through the hassel of tutoring kids at the community center. </p>
<p>In addition, colleges don't want people to be carbon-copies. They want to see what YOU are passionate about, what makes you different. This would just make everyone the same, there's no differentiation. </p>
<p>Why not allow learning and education be the goal and the reason for recognition, since that is what high school is meant for?</p>
<p>Why can't the sports requirement just fall under the umbrella of the EC requirement? Yes, sports do differ from other ECs in that they're physical activities, but sports aren't the only way to show dedication. One can be equally dedicated to debate, journalism, or community service.</p>
<p>Anyway, regarding the original issue, I don't think there's any problem with students electing a class speaker. As long as that class speaker isn't called the valedictorian, since the title of valedictorian is based on academics. And who's to say that the valedictorian doesn't have something interesting to say? Just because the valedictorian maybe be booksmart and very studious doesn't mean that s/he will solely talk about academics or high school in the valedictorian speech.</p>
<p>At a friend's graduation ceremony, there was a class speaker (apparently a very popular kid - he wrote a wonderful speech) as well as a valedictorian and two salutatorians who spoke. All speeches were well-delivered and actually had little to do with education.</p>
<p>you know at my school, theres approx 40 valedictorians. you have to have at least 4.00 Weighted gpa total. absolutely diluted honor.</p>
<p>imo, it should be 4.00 UW, tho not only #1 in the class. our class of 2007 is 800 ppl</p>
<p>A sport requires a ton of dedication and sacrifice. Sports show that you are mentally tough as well. They show that you're tough, and can push yourself to your limits. Trust me, it's not the same type of dedication as a club. And if you enter tourneys, or get involved in high school competitions, then that shows that you're competitive. </p>
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I don't think many atheletes have to stay up continuously until midnight or after.
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<p>But it's not the same. If you are on a high school team and want to be a very good player, you'll find yourself practicing every day...and every weekend (working more on weekends) working as much as you can. Practice makes perfect. Besides it is good for you. Exercise is good for you. You need it. Drama is not physically demanding.</p>