With the start of a new school year comes changes to the old systems. In a Chatham County School Board Meeting conducted in Mar. 2018, it was decided that beginning with the graduating Class of 2019, students will be honored using the Latin honor designations as opposed to having a valedictorian and salutatorian. The Latin honor designations are divided into 3 categories each with its own GPA requirement: Summa Cum Laude (4.5 or higher), Magna Cum Laude (4.0 to 4.49), and Cum Laude (3.5 to 3.99). This change is part of a nationwide movement where schools across the country are phasing out this time-honored academic tradition with the adoption of the 10-point grading scale. While class rank will still be listed on official student transcripts, this new system has become a topic of controversy for many high-achieving seniors.
“It is slightly disappointing to feel like maybe I could have been valedictorian and I might have had a shot, but now with the new system in place, it’s definitely not going to happen,” said senior Anna Pickens.
The incentive to eliminate the honoring of the valedictorian and salutatorian was due in part to the changes to the statewide grading scale for high schools which increased the number of potential students competing for the first and second class rank designations.
“We moved to a 10-point grading scale two or three years ago and the Class of 2019 is the first class that is coming through with this system and it has created a issue where you almost have a 30-way tie for first, second, and third in the class,” Principal Bradford Walston said. “The school board’s thought process was that since we already moved to the 10-point grading scale to get in line with the college system, doing the classifications for graduation the same way they do in the commencement ceremony in a college setting would make more sense.”
Despite this knowledge, a number of seniors still feel that the timing of this new system does not recognize the work they have accomplished over the course of their high school career.
“I think the new system is good but it should only be implemented for the incoming freshman class because everyone else that took classes under the precedent of the old system have already put themselves through the turmoil to get number one, and now it doesn’t even matter,” said senior Helena Hysong.
While some students may disagree with the change that was made, others find the Latin honors system to be a better alternative.
“The way things are going now, more people deserve the same amount of credit than (they did) beforehand,” senior Jennifer Dowden said. “In previous years, not as many people were able to take that top spot, but now, there are a lot of people who can receive the highest honor, so being able to recognize more people is good.”
Like Dowden, senior Tyler Moore also feels that giving recognition to a larger student body is beneficial.
“Overall, I like the Latin honors system better as opposed to having just a valedictorian and salutatorian because it includes more people and but still has that distinction of achievement.”
For the graduating classes to come, there is the potential for a positive change in the way students compete for the top of the class.
“I have seen a lot of negativity and unnecessary tensions come out of having a valedictorian over the past several years because everyone feels like you’re in a race, so in a way it’s good that they are getting rid of that designation,” Pickens said.
— By Madeline Conte
