Well...

I think that Wright was right ( ha ha ha ) in giving his own speech. I mean, it was after all, his graduation. He himself had been the one to put in the work and become valedictorian and struggle through years and years of schooling, so why should he then speak words written by someone else? I do also give him mad props for going through with this, because i KNOW that if I was threatened with not graduating, I would not have rebelled and given my own speech. Richard wanted to show off what he had learned, and why wouldn't he? I think that it was justified for him to speak on his own, without the help of his principal. He was a big boy. Even though the principal was his authority, even though he had direct orders not to, even though it was more acceptable for him to refrain, I agree with Wright's choice.