Who Will Speak for Corvallis Class of 2025?

Commencement is something almost everyone who has received a high school diploma has gone through, and almost everyone’s memory of Commencement is the same: renting the cap and gown, putting it on, thinking about the fact that cap and gown used to actually be the school uniform, considering whether to attend wearing nothing but cap and gown the way so-and-so claimed they were going to, and then, before being called up to receive your diploma, listening to speeches given by various faculty members and by a couple of your fellow graduating Seniors, designated the “Valedictorian” and the “Salutatorian”, whom you probably vaguely understood were some sort of high academic achievers, although you probably didn’t know how the titles were defined, any more than you probably remember anything of the speeches they delivered. 

First of all, a “Valedictorian” is the student who typically has the highest academic achievements of the class, “who delivers the valedictory at a graduation ceremony.” A valedictory is a farewell speech, as in the old Roman salute, “Ave atque vale,” – meaning “Hail and farewell.” A “Salutatorian” is the student who delivers the speech called the salutation, and is usually the second-highest scoring student.  

Well, forget all of that, because the Corvallis School District is planning to begin changing the roster of Commencement speakers between now and 2025. If you or someone in your family will be graduating from Corvallis High School or Crescent Valley High School within the next three years, there’s still time to be one of the last Corvallis Vals or Sals. 

Beginning with this year’s freshmen class (the graduating class of 2025), things will be different. Some speakers will be chosen based on their distinction in academic achievement, but also in areas like bicultural literacy, performing and visual arts, athletics, leadership, and community involvement. This is intended to reflect what the district considers its core values and will allow students who excel in a variety of areas to be recognized at graduation ceremonies. 

The goal for looking beyond academics and that traditional ways of seeing achievement in new ways. 

By John M. Burt