Edu-Leveling

I was taken aback the other day when my wife reported to me that the local government high school had not one, not two, but FIVE valedictorians this year!

He was followed by the valedictorians of the class of 2010 as they presented their speeches. Nitasha Gupta began as she cited the various accomplishments of the members of 2010, supporting the thesis that "nothing comes without tremendous time, effort, commitment, and sacrifice." She presented her advice to the class by stating that although they seem small in a world that is so large, it is important to look for the good in others, despite how easy it may be to point out the bad.

Amit Vora followed saying throughout his last semester of high school, as everyone was tying up loose ends and completing projects for various teachers, he had been doing research for who he would cast into various roles should there be a movie made about Manhasset High School. He spoke to many and had compiled a full list of teachers and the actors who would play them. He completed his speech saying, "In this hypothetical movie about our high school, it is really the different characters who contribute to our valuable experiences." He concluded by mentioning that their time in Manhasset would be remembered, not by the activities they participated in, but by the people who they had come in contact with along the way.

Taryn Wassmer began by speaking of a company, postsecret.com, where homemade cards are sent to a woman anonymously enclosed with a secret the sender has never told anyone before. She cited that the most important success of the company was in what it was able to uncover about humanity; the ability of society to empathize and sympathize with each in spite of their uniqueness. She concluded by saying that the members of the class of 2010 undoubtedly have their own individual identities, but are united by their experiences.

Angelo Tannuzzo recounted the story of John Augustus, a boot maker in Boston during the early 1840s, who inadvertently created probation as part of the legal system. He shared how the story of this seemingly small man had created such a spark that entirely changed the American legal system. He concluded that each person, no matter how insignificant he may seem, has the power to make a difference, which the members of the class of 2010 should certainly cherish. His final thought came in the form of a quote by Horace Mann, "be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity."

In the final valedictorian speech, Rachel Giovanniello created a metaphor using string. She invited everyone to imagine that a string was created between every person who had come in contact with another, whether it had been for only a passing moment, or for a lasting high school friendship. She mentioned that these strings would be between every member of the class of 2010 along with various members of the community. "This moment is yours. Own it. The future can be slippery and hard to imagine but the sky above you, and the ground below you, and the people beside you are real. Sit here with them and breathe. Take in the pieces of dust and carbon dioxide that used to be theirs and when you leave, there will be thousands of pieces of other beings in you and it may or may not mean anything to you. These words mean nothing, but these breaths will be there."

Hah! No wonder so many *valedictorians* apply to Harvard each year!

First they inflate grades and scale up SAT scoring...

Then they start eliminating tracking within the classroom...

And now they've stooped to handing out valedictorian titles like hotcakes (an expression with an interesting origin.)

Oh, and that pic above....that's for the boys, the groundlings, in my audience. Those in my age bracket will ALL most likely be able to recall that scene.