Valedictorian Aria Grossman found inspiration for her address scrolling YouTube. See more photos here.
LENOX, Mass. — The 113 graduates of the Monument Mountain Regional High School class of 2023 were sent off with some words of wisdom from Taylor Swift: "Be good to people."
"Several things make your class stand out. In addition to your many accomplishments, I appreciate your voices, your commitment to support each other, your decency and your spark," said Berkshire Hills Regional Superintendent Peter Dillon, who channeled the quote from the pop star. "You've come together as a class, you've made remarkable decisions about what's next ...
"Try hard, do wonderful things, make mistakes and try again. We wish you well. We're eager to see who you continue to become."
Graduation exercises for the Great Barrington high school were held in unusually cool weather in the Shed at Tanglewood on Sunday afternoon. The chorus performed "In My Life" by John Lennon and the diplomas were presented by Berkshire Hills Regional School Committee Chair Stephen Bannon. The class marshals were Ari Caine and Noelia Salinetti.
Valedictorian Aria Grossman said she'd gotten lots of advice on her speech — make it funny, make it Oscar-like in thanking everyone, make it profound, don't make it profound, make it musical.
"So today I'm going to be discussing a topic that I think will deeply resonate with a lot of you. Mindless internet scrolling," she said to laughter.
During her scrolling of YouTube, Grossman came across an artist creating a photorealistic drawing of a glass of water.
"Each stroke increased my awareness of everything that goes into a glass of water, all the patterns of light and color that combined to create the glasses image," she said. "In the process, I gained a deeper appreciation for the depth and complexity of visual experience. ...
"I bring this up because I think that high school has, in many ways been like this drawing video. Much of our work has been a sort of deconstruction."
The class had delved into chemistry and biology, grammar and language, ideas and events that shaped history, she said, and in the process they've gained a greater sense of wonder and gratitude for the world in which we live.
"As we move forward with our lives, my hope is that we will approach each situation with gratitude, gratitude for the joyful moments, but also gratitude for the challenges and the opportunity, the opportunity for learning and growth that they bring, Grossman said. "And gratitude for the uplifting and inspiring communities of which we are apart."
Salutatorian Tyler Sprague said he wasn't sure how much advice he could pass on.
"Hopefully, no one came here today anticipating a life-altering speech, because I unfortunately do not feel as if I possess much wisdom to impart on you all," he said. "Rather, I want to take this chance as a final opportunity to reflect on some key moments in my time in Monument."
The one that stood out most to him was an ambitious pep rally in which he had donned a mascot costume but which hadn't gone quite as he planned.
"I felt the strength, courage and honor that I thought this mascot would feel but more importantly, I felt an immense sense of pride. Because in that moment, I was a symbol for something larger," Sprague said, but the limited vision of the head came sent him flying during hamster ball soccer in the gym.
"Monument taught me how quickly one can go from parading around a gymnasium to holding back tears as they lay sprawled out on the floor," he said. "It has taught me the difference between taking my work seriously and taking myself seriously. I'm truly grateful for these lessons. I hope we all can continue to reflect on the lessons we have learned at Monument as we face this large transition in our lives."
Bannon told the class they'd been given a solid foundation and it was up to them to continue to build on it.
"You're about to move into the next phase of your life. Do not look back with regrets. look forward with anticipation. It is only by having faith in yourself that you will succeed in life. Does not matter what path you have chosen to take. Only matters you're comfortable with the path you have chosen," he said.
Before leading the class in turning their tassels, Principal Kristina Farina wanted to address them one last time.
The had had one of "the strangest learning experience imaginable" that none could have predicted, she said. "Class of 2023, you rose to the occasion. You stepped up and pushed through and beyond that you made our community better. You've each demonstrated resilience in getting to this day, a stop along the way to your next journey, your next destination.
"Take time to savor today's experience and thank those who supported you in getting here."
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Spring Jazz Ensemble Concert At Simon's Rock
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass.— The annual Bard College at Simon's Rock Jazz Ensemble Spring Concert begins Friday, May 10 at 8:00 p.m.
Conducted by Professor of Music, Electronic Arts, and Cultural Studies John Myers, the concert will include new arrangements of pieces by artists such as Thelonius Monk, Johnny Mandel, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and others, as well as the debut of John Myers' original composition "Lifeline."
Along with student players, the concert will also include faculty guest artists Allan Dean on trumpet, Pete Toigo on bass, and the voice of emeritus faculty guest artist Bill Dunbar.
"My students are multi-talented, not just in music, but in other disciplines as well, including physics, linguistics, and mathematics. Our drummer, Yonah Sadeh, is already an award-winning filmmaker, and both of our guitarists are performing composers with online followers," said Myers.
Among those student performers are David Bronshvayg on violin, Damien Brown on trumpet, Tzedek Fishman on piano/keyboard, Megan Hackett on guitar and providing vocals, Zoia Levit on accordion, Paul Rose on piano, keyboard, and vocals, Maayan Rosenberg on clarinet, Yonah Sadeh on drums, Bohdan Lastochkin on guitar, and Ace Thompson on bass.
"One of the many special features of the Simon's Rock Jazz Ensemble is that I create my own original arrangements of all the music, shaped by the abilities and personalities of the players. Another feature is our unusual instrumentation, which this semester includes accordion and violin as well as the more traditional jazz instruments," said Myers.
On performing Myers' personal composition at the upcoming concert, he also said, "My composition "Lifeline" uses three levels of 7: 7/8, 7/4, and 7/2. The students enjoy the challenge of playing in these kinds of meters, and I supply one of my own pieces every semester."
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Thanks to a $2 million grant from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott's foundation Yield Giving, CATA is aiming to expand these efforts even further.
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Taylor Garabedian scored a team-high 22 points and grabbed five rebounds, and Abby Scialabba scored 16 points for the ‘Canes, who got 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists from Ashlyn Lesure. click for more
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