<p>I am the valedictorian for my school and everyone expects me to give a speech. Unfortunately I have already bought my plane ticket to the Netherlands and will not be able to make it to graduation. I did not even take my picture for the yearbook. How unusual is that? If I do change my mind halfway through the spring and decide to go to the graduation, how long should the speech be and what should I talk about?</p>
<p>My son was the valedictorian at our HS, and he (and all of the other speakers, both students and adults) were given VERY specific guidelines as to the length of the speech, in minutes. Find out from your school about this. As far as what to talk about, it is up to you, but you can find websites with valedictorian speeches to see examples if you do a search. Just remember that your audience will be include both your classmates and their families (parents, and grandparents, too) so try to make it appropriate for both groups. I don't know about your school, but it is considered a big deal to be valedictorian at our HS, so I would try to be able to take part if at all possible. I am curious - how do you know you are #1 already? Are you so far ahead of everyone else that no one else could possibly catch up to you?</p>
<p>yeah, the guy closest to me is a half a point behind me. The only way he can beat me is if I get on crack and that won't happen. I think he failed a gym class too.</p>
<p>Hi Jaman, I was reading some of your posts on other threads. Based on how you write on these threads, any speech you make at graduation will certainly be entertaining to one and all, rather than dry and boring :) Good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks a million, but a have a radical sense of humor. I am afraid that I will say someting that will land me in jail. In fact there was a girl two years ago who critized the school system and was denied her diploma.</p>
<p>I think I read about that girl in the national news. Did she ever get her diploma? I hope so, she was saying things that were true that needed to be said.
My son had to have his speech approved ahead of time and was told no changes were allowed after approval. It was a very good speech, I must say. At the last minute, he wanted to add something he thought was "funny" but would make the school look bad (It was NOT something serious which needed to be said, totally unlike the case of the girl at your school, but something stupid and immature) and it would have made him look like a total idiot in front of all of those people. Fortunately, he had the sense to show the "revised" speech to the principal, who is not very smart but likes decorum and order. The principal wrote on the new speech with a big red pen - YOUR SPEECH HAS ALREADY BEEN APPROVED! THIS WOULD EMBARASS OUR WHOLE SCHOOL! YOU WILL NOT SAY THIS AT GRADUATION!!!! and some other stuff. I still have that draft with his comments and I laugh every time I think about it.</p>
<p>Jaman,
I am afraid I don't share the perspective of MotherofTwo regarding the likelihood of your giving a meaningful or interesting valedictorian speech.</p>
<p>I am sure the audience would love to hear about your view of ethics in the college application process. Quite honestly, your previous posts lend suspicion to your achievements,at least in my mind. I guess some might have felt what you said to be a reflection of a "radical sense of humor", but if I had read your posts, and was in a position to do so, I would protest your selection as a valedictorian. </p>
<p>Barring that, I would contribute to a fund to pay for your ticket to the Netherlands (I guess you are just too cool for graduation, school photos in yearbooks etc...) for the chance to hear someone with something truly clever or even interesting to say.</p>
<p>I am not usually so snippy with teens, but hey- the internet is anonymous, right....</p>
<p>Robyrm, you are not the only one who does not want to me to be valedictorian. Unfortunately the kid who is closest to me is gay and many of the teachers in my school are not into that. They see him as a worse choice. I am actually surprised that he even made it this far.</p>
<p>Robyrm: I find your feelings extremely unfortunate and hope that you don't mean what you said. Regardless of his background, actions outside of school, personality, or beliefs he has competed academically with his peers and won. I know that most valedictorians are the studious, conscientious, and to an extent conforming students but the position of valedictorian is not one based on anything but academic performance. It is fairly cut and dry: numbers are numbers and grades are grades. </p>
<p>Two years ago, my schools valedictorian had been arrested the day before the graduation ceremony and it was debated whether he would be allowed to walk. In the end, the school system decided that regardless of his actions outside of school he was a good student and was an extremely book smart kid... he was allowed to walk and give his speech(which was very good).</p>
<p>Me, I'm not the valedictorian but I'm currently #3 and could possibly be #2 by the end of the year... meaning a speech. I am seriously considering not attending my graduation because I may have better options available. It is possible that I will have the opportunity to go to the Mediterranean and I will choose that without a doubt over graduation. </p>
<p>... to each his own I guess
Good luck, Jaman.</p>
<p>I wouldn't worry about missing graduation; Blair Hornstine missed her's !!!</p>
<p>Why don't you make a speech on videotape and let them play it at the graduation? It would be like at the award shows, "Hi! Sorry I couldn't be here with you today, but I had a plane to catch!! Today can be viewed as the end of high school, but I prefer to see it as the beginning..... of my trip to Europe.."</p>
<p>you know, something like that!</p>
<p>Jaman,</p>
<p>The internet is anonymous, so who knows what truths we are telling.
I have to agree with Robyrm as your previous posts lend suspicion to your achievements,and there are some inconsistencies in your story. For the most part, I will ususally live and let live because if it works for you, it works for me. However as one of the well meaning parents who posts her, many others willl agree that we don't want to be played because we caould better spend our time and efforts helping those that really need and want our help.</p>
<p>Out of your own mouth on the Yale board you wrote:</p>
<p>I am a serial joker. Good thing the internet is somewhat anonymous, not that I can get away with something illegal, but that I can laugh and pizz people off.</p>
<p>About your school you wrote:</p>
<p>I could not agree more and coming from a school in the South Bronx I can tell you how it is for the working class. In elementary school we took two subjects, English and math. No science no History....In high school they almost encourage you to fail and drop out and most students, an overwhelming 85%, drop out of school. They set these rigid guidelines of what you must do, past these many science classes. Yet I am not complaining that we have old books, I am complaining that we have no books. In all of the science classes they just give you an 80 page summary on the specific science you are taking. If you don't get help at home or buy your own book you will definitely have difficulty passing that class.</p>
<p>You state that you have purchased your ticket to the Netherlands, </p>
<p>and on the financial aid post, You asked:</p>
<p>I just realized that sending the profile is 18 bucks a pop. I am applying to quite a number of schools. Is there a way to send it for free? I am applying to 12 schools, 22 actually but those ten are SUNY and CUNY, so they don't really count. but $216 plus sending the scores. I can't afford that. My mom only made $4000 last year and the reason I am applying to so many schools is because I want to compare fin-aid packages.</p>
<p>I gave you information regarding Fee waivers and how to make best of them because you didnot have the $18 to pay for the CSS profile for each of the 22 schools you were considering applying to. For a person whose family only makes $4,000 per year the money could best be served on something else. Hey maybe you got the trip as a scholarship in that case, congratulations to you.</p>
<p>For someone who goes to school in the in NYC, I find it hard to beleive that Vals & Sals have been chosen when the 7th semester grades won't even be finalized until the last week of January after the regents.</p>
<p>I applaud you for overcoming the obstacles in your life and for forging ahead and knowing that you want to go on to college.</p>
<p>As we have said before, Character is who you are when no one is watching. If you are just posting for attention, just say 'Hey I need to talk, or I like to bounce something off of you and we will. No matter where you go, there you are. When people show you who they are, believe it. You have presented your self as someone with a less than dubious character, fortunately you are young and will hopefully grow out of this phase, because you are definitely not presenting your self as someone that Yale would be proud to have.
You have to remember the world is a big place but i's a small one to, and the lies you tell today may bite you tomorrow.</p>
<p>I guess I am a liar. I don't know why I do it, maybe because it is so easy and i can laugh about it later. But I know that I am valedictorian already, I have know since second semester of tenth grade. I may be poor but I am going to the netherlands with plans of whoring myself out.</p>
<p>Sybbie you make some good points and my previous post is regarding the general topic not the specific poster, Jaman... The internet is anonymous but it is bothersome when people readily lie.... not saying you do Jaman but I suspect that numerous posters do.</p>
<p>Good luck with your speech.</p>