<p>Here in Canada, the position of Valedictorian is chosen based on popular vote.</p>
<p>But in the US, for schools that do have Valedictorians, what if one of those really awkward, studious, nerdy Asian kids become Valedictorian? Won’t that make for a really awkward and pathetic speech during graduation?</p>
<p>Nerds are valedictorian all the time here. They’re smart enough to write a decent speech given advance notice, even if they’re usually awkward in social situations.</p>
<p>Unless they’re really horrible at public speaking, their speech writing skills should suffice.</p>
<p>One of those type of kids was the valedictorian at my high school. He wrote a speech (which wasn’t bad, content-wise) and recited it during graduation. Unfortunately, the poor acoustics of the venue combined with his thick Chinese accent ensured that the crowd heard absolutely nothing.</p>
<p>He wasn’t socially awkward at all - very friendly kid, but he wasn’t the best of speakers…</p>
<p>We have had a valedictorian speaker who was nerdy (non-Asian) and not well-liked by her class. As a result, her speech was very uninspiring and received a luke-warm response.</p>
<p>That’s why some schools also have a salutatorian – to wake everyone up after the val speaks.</p>
<p>That’s why good schools don’t rank their students–and graduation speakers are elected by popular vote.</p>
<p>So what? It’s just a speech. I wouldn’t care who made a speech because I have to sit though it either way.</p>
<p>And isn’t it kind of singling out an ethnicity to say “quiet, awkward asian” instead of “quiet, awkward person”? There are plenty of quiet, awkward studious non-asians who become valedictorian…</p>
<p>Haha, both the Valedictorian and Salutatorian are asians here. #3, too. The Val is pretty cool, though, so I’m sure I won’t be bored.</p>
<p>That’s the norm here, not the exception.</p>
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<p>Well, the non-Asian is less likely to have an accent. I was one of those quiet awkward Valedictorians with no public speaking skills. However I could write a decent speech and at least read off the paper clearly with some inflection. Obviously it wasn’t an oratory masterpiece, but I don’t think it was painful for the audience.</p>
<p>I’m kind of annoyed at the fact that people would think many asian students, even ones that are valedictorians, have an accent.</p>
<p>Um… most Asians in high schools don’t have accents because they try their hardest to learn the language as it is. (I know because I’m one of those)</p>
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Well, in my kids’ school, it’s an observable fact that many of the Asian kids do have an accent, often a very heavy one. It may depend on what portion of the Asians in the school are recent immigrants, or who have parents who don’t speak English well.</p>
<p>I guess I could say it’s because I’m asian that I’m bothered by this. Sometimes I’m approached in public by people in an idiotic way who talk to me like I don’t understand English. English is my native language and I can speak, write, and understand it perfectly well. If someone were from another country and actually had an accent, but they were Caucasian, they wouldn’t come across this problem as often at all.</p>
<p>Chances are, if you’re valedictorian, you likely have a good grasp of English and don’t have an accent. You’re more likely to excel in classes taught in English because you are fluent in the language.</p>
<p>The majority of Asian students at my high school were not native English speakers. The ones that were, though, usually didn’t have an accent (at least not one that hinders understanding).</p>
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<p>This is true, though there are exceptions. Over my 4 years in high school, there were 8 Vals/Sals (4 each). Of the 7 Asian ones, only one had a strong accent.</p>
<p>“But in the US, for schools that do have Valedictorians, what if one of those really awkward, studious, nerdy Asian kids become Valedictorian? Won’t that make for a really awkward and pathetic speech during graduation?”</p>
<p>That’s how it is in most schools. Lol</p>
<p>Sorry to break it to you, but all you Americans DO have an accent.</p>
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<p>Accent is relative.</p>