valedictorian

ジョージア州の高等学校の校長先生が卒業式の際、人種差別に関する発言をしたとして問題になりました。

A high school principal from Georgia has come under fire for comments she made at the end of the school's graduation ceremony that many in the audience found to be racially insensitive.

Nancy Gordeuk, the principal and founder of TNT Academy in Stone Mountain, Georgia, has apologized, but that hasn't quieted the controversy.

At the graduation ceremony Friday, Gordeuk accidentally skipped the valedictorian's speech, and when the crowd started to leave the church where the ceremony was being held, she tried to regain their attention.
以下省略

この記事の中で気になった単語は、”valedictorian”です。『ジーニアス英和辞典第４版』（大修館書店）によると、「（告別演説をする）卒業生総代」と記載されていました。英英辞典”Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English”では、”the student who has received the best marks all the way through school, and usually makes a speech at the GRADUATION ceremony”と載っていました。ジーニアス英和辞典に類義語として、”salutatorian”「開会式辞朗読者」がありました。両方とも覚えていきたいです。(Nao)

http://abcnews.go.com/US/principal-apologizes-black-people-comment/story?id=30946662