Is this fair? I'd like you to decide.
Throughout the past year, I have been working my hardest as a student. My grades have been outstanding—none lower than a ninety-three on my report card. I am in all top classes; I am also at the top of my class. At least that is what was said to me yesterday, June 14, 2005.
I was walking back to my science class after dropping a paper off at my algebra classroom when the principal stopped me in the hall. He told me to follow him to his office, so I did. Once we sat down, he said that he had great news. After three marking periods of narrowly trailing the person at the head of the class, I finally overtook him. My overall average was a ninety-eight, higher than any other student in the school. I was the valedictorian.
The principal congratulated me and told me to go to my English teacher, who is also head of the English department, to prepare my speech for graduation night, which is this Friday. Next period, my English teacher took me and the salutatorian (ironically, we were in the same English class while there are several other honors English classes) outside and talked to us about the honors we had been bestowed. Each of us were asked to have our speeches done by the next day (June 15--today's date). I had to write the valedictory address in a few hours. Not a problem, no big deal.
At graduation practices, the principal came before the hundreds of students which make up my grade level, and announced that I was the school valedictorian. The crowd applauded and cheered me wildly—and prematurely.
At the same time today, June 15, 2005, I was asked to go down to the principal's office. He sat me down, and do you know what he said? "I'm sorry to inform you of this, but there has been a mistake. You are no longer class valedictorian. The salutatorian and you have switched places because of an improperly reported grade." The other student's overall average was .007778 points better than mine.
Now, hundreds of students were walking around thinking I was valedictorian. I had left my yearbook back in the classroom, and when I came back, most of the class had signed it with messages congratulating me for being valedictorian. I addressed the class and told them that I am salutatorian, and valedictorian no more. This was met by responses ranging from, "Oh, I'm so sorry," to, "This is bullshit!" to "How can they do this to you?"
In the gymnasium at today's graduation practices, the principal announced that there was to be a change, that the valedictorian and salutatorian had swapped places. The crowd didn't applaud, for it seemed to be mildly confused. The word which I heard uttered by most of the people who spoke up was "bullshit." Bullshit that the principal would announce valedictorian and retract that very statement twenty-four hours later. Bullshit that I was forced to walk in front and thank hundreds of my peers right after the announcement had been made. Bullshit that this new valedictorian, which no one was too fond of, was representing our school to well, well over a thousand people at graduation night.
In Italian class, my teacher said to me that if the same had happened to her son, some fists would be flying. My history teacher told me that while I should remain respectful in my speech, he felt like I should include a cleverly veiled dig at what had happened. Jokingly, he suggested I wear a Communist armband and an anarchist armband at the graduation ceremony in protest. All my teachers said that what happened to me was wrong, and the students concurred and added that I should be valedictorian and not the new one. Personally, I feel that the new valedictorian deserves the honor, but instead of demoting me due to their own error, the administration should have made a co-valedictorian. Our grades were essentially identical, anyway.
I was not upset that I wasn't valedictorian. Salutatorian was good enough for me. Hell, any honor would be good enough for me. I was upset at the fact that the administration had the audacity to present the highest honor to a student, and take it back the following day. I didn't let it bother me throughout the day, though, because why should I trouble myself over what had apparently happened due to the incompetence of the school's administration? The valedictory address that I spent much of my evening writing last night had to be completely revamped and rewritten in order to make it more of an address that the salutatorian would give.
Do you think this is fair? I hold no grudges against the new valedictorian, mainly because he worked to get there and had no role in humiliating me. I hold no grudges against the faculty, because they all expressed their deepest support for me. I'm not sure if I should hold a grudge against the administration, because we long knew that they were incompetent. If you were in my position, how would you have felt? I'm not angry, sad, or disappointed as much as I am pissed off at the principal.