Mount Everett Names 2015 Valedictorian, Salutatorian

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SHEFFIELD, Mass. — Principal Glenn Devoti is proud to announce that Max Lowenstein is the valedictorian and Alexander Valentini the salutatorian of the class of 2015.  

Graduation will occur on Saturday, June 6, at 10 a.m. at Tanglewood in Lenox.

Lowenstein, who lives in Sheffield, is the son of Frank Lowenstein and Sheryl Lechner. A National Merit scholarship finalist, he has been on the high honors roll almost continually since the beginning of the seventh grade.

An accomplished musician, he was selected as a trombonist for the Massachusetts Western District Band and Orchestra. He was also lead trombonist for the Pittsfield Berkshire Theatre group in several summer community performances including "Oliver" in 2012 and "Peter Pan" in 2013.  

 Lowenstein was co-captain of Mount Everett FIRST Tech challenge robotics team, which continued to become the Massachusetts state championship, Eastern Regional finalists and a competitor in the National Championship held in St. Louis. A treasurer for Mount Everett's Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) and vice president of the Mount Everett chess club, he also took time to participate in monthly events with the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce Leadership Program.  


He will attend the University of Rochester (N.Y.) in the fall and plans to major in bio-engineering.

Valentini, also a resident of Sheffield, is the son of Vito and Christine Valentini. He is a member and the treasurer of the Aurigan Chapter of the National Honor Society.  

As president and founding member of the Model United Nations organization, he spearheaded several multi-school conferences, including the visit of the former U.N. Grand Assembly President Vuk Jeremic. He is also an officer in SADD and works to provide substance abuse awareness for high and middle school students.

Valentini played the trombone in the concert and marching bands, takes private piano lessons and was involved in school theatrical productions. He is a National Merit scholarship commended student and was awarded both the Dartmouth and Williams College book awards. He is an archival intern at the Sheffield Historical Society, and in the summer of 2013 was an intern at the office of state Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli.  

He will attend Bentley University in the fall and plans to major in finance.


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Simon's Rock Awarded Freedom to Read Grant

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Bard College at Simon's Rock was awarded a Freedom to Read Grant by the Newburger Schwartz Family Foundation. 
 
The grant was awarded to support the Alumni Library and Bard Queer Leadership Project in building a more robust collection of queer scholarship, starting a Queer Book Club, and hosting Drag Story Time events in partnership with Drag Story Hour of the Berkshires.
 
According to a press release:
 
In response to current educational threats with book bans affecting schools and libraries across the country and further proposed legislation against LGBTQ+ people's access to basic rights and education, Simon's Rock is actively seeking to create inclusive and equitable spaces for queer individuals. 
 
The Bard Queer Leadership Project and Alumni Library will utilize the grant funding to expand the library's current collection of queer books in order to fully enable the longevity of the Queer Book Club and the Bard Queer Leadership Project. The Queer Book Club will be an intergenerational space, open to local middle school students through rainbow seniors and will partner with local community organizations, to discuss queer books and learn about LGBTQ+ issues and experiences. Bard Queer Leadership Project students will eventually help lead this initiative as part of their leadership project training. 
 
The Queer Book Club will host their first meeting on April 6 at 3:00 p.m. at the Alumni Library, with following meetings on April 27 and May 11. This semester, the selected books are "Obie is Man Enough" and "He/She/They," both by Schuyler Bailar, inspirational speaker and first openly transgender NCAA Division swimmer, who was a guest speaker in the inaugural Queer Leaders Vision Forum in fall 2023 at Simon's Rock. Schuyler Bailar will return to campus for a book signing and pool party at the Kilpatrick Athletic Center on April 19 at 7:00 p.m. Participants in the Queer Book Club will receive a free copy of either book of their choice. 
 
The first Drag Story Time will be on Saturday, March 30 at 2:00 p.m. at the Simon's Rock Alumni Library and is open to all LGBTQ+ affirming individuals. The event is in partnership with Drag Story Hour of the Berkshires with local drag queens JV and Poppy DaBubbly. The second Drag Story Time will be Saturday, April 27 with drag queen Poppy DaBubbly and drag king Sativo Green.
 
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