Both the student and the school headmaster won’t say why.
By: Jeff Milgram
Most schools have a valedictorian the student with the highest grade point average who makes a lofty speech at graduation.
The Hun School of Princeton, a prestigious private school, will have a valedictorian for its May 30 graduation ceremony. But the valedictorian, Hansun Hsiung, 18, of San Jose, Calif., will not be allowed to give a speech.
And neither the school’s headmaster, James Byer, nor Hansun will say why.
"I can’t go into that," Dr. Byer said.
This much is known: Hansun Hsiung, with a grade point average of 99 out of a possible 100, was chosen to be the valedictorian and Chethan Ramamurthy was chosen as salutatorian. Chethan will give a speech.
Dr. Byer said Hansun will be listed and recognized as the valedictorian, but he will be barred from delivering the traditional speech.
"This issue is causing much uproar," Martey Dodoo, a 2002 Hun School graduate, wrote in an e-mail. "Hsiung, a California resident, has spent the four years committing himself to academic excellence. Hsiung is not being stripped of the title valedictorian. The school simply does not want him to speak.
"Why? In the past four years, Hsiung has continually been a voice of dissent within the school," Mr. Dodoo wrote. "Through such media as the school newspaper, he has expressed deep discontent with the school’s various policies and urged for change. Hun cannot legitimately take away the fact that his GPA stands as the highest. Fearing what he might say, however, they are attempting to silence him. Both teachers and students stand at Hsiung’s side; only the administration refuses to buckle," Mr. Dodoo, a student at Harvard, wrote.
Mr. Dodoo and Hansun served as officers of Hun’s Philosophy Club.
Dr. Byer denied that Hansun’s criticism of the school played any part in the decision to bar him from speaking.
"That accusation is absolutely not true," Dr. Byer said.
Students’ speeches are traditionally reviewed beforehand, Dr. Byer said.
Hansun said he agreed voluntarily to abide by the school’s decision. Both Dr. Byer and Hansun refused to discuss the agreement or the reason why Hansun has been barred from giving the speech.
"That’s personal between the school and Hansun," Dr. Byer said.

