Preview of Life: Hoosac Valley High School Class of ‘05

By Susan BushPrint Story | Email Story
Fans were as popular as diplomas during the hot and humid HVHS graduation ceremony.View Slide Show
Cheshire - The past, present and future came together as a red-and-white jubilee on June 10, as 115 Hoosac Valley High School seniors bid farewell to high school and stepped toward new beginnings. At Life's Starting Gate Confidence and optimism blossomed within several graduates. “ I’m going to be an English teacher,” said 18-year-old Aaron Prudhomme of Adams. “I have a charismatic edge that people can’t ignore.” Others were uncertain about future paths. “I can honestly say I have no idea about what I’m going to do,” said Ryan Little, 17, of Savoy. “I love movies and I like writing. I love to write and I’d consider scriptwriting, newspaper writing, or even writing novels.” Cheyenne Messer and Kelly Tracy, both 18-year-old Cheshire residents, said that they are looking forward to continuing education but will miss their high school days. “I’m going to miss my friend Kelly,” said Messer. Tracy and Messer plan to attend the Berkshire Community College, but with differing curriculums – Tracy plans to study nursing while Messer is tackling business management classes- their paths won’t often cross. “It won’t be like it was, seeing each other every day,” Messer said. Joshua Gajda, 17, of Cheshire, expects to attend Champlain College near Burlington, Vt.. “I plan to go into graphic design, possibly magazine editing,” he said. Whether he will miss the day-to-day high school routine remains to be seen, he said. “Ask me in a couple weeks,” Gajda said. “Right now I’m just happy to be getting out of here.” For the first time in years, seniors did not pass beneath a balloon-designed archway during the procession. This year, school sophomores, who traditionally decorate the gymnasium for graduation, elected to build an ivy-and-white-light covered trellis accented by draping swaths of red. The lights were dimmed as students stepped into the gym and a soft glow illuminated their faces as they marched forward. Preview of Life Salutatorian Amanda L. Baumann told classmates that their high school years could not be adequately commemorated within a two-minute speech. She urged seniors to remember their corridor-and-classroom days as “one of the best times of our lives, but only as a preview.” And for the graduating class, changes are ahead, she noted. “After this day, we will be held to different standards than we once were,” she said. “By accepting these diplomas, we gain credibility, but we are now faced with the decision of where to go with our lives.” Valedictorian Christopher K. St. Cyr offered a recipe for achievement. “Hard work and determination will get you a long way in life,” he said. St. Cyr encouraged the seniors to “pick something you enjoy doing, set goals, and put all your effort into it.” A can-do attitude will produce rewards, he said, but noted that rewards can also generate jitters. “In the end, [a solid work ethic] got me where I don’t want to be: speaking in front of all of you,” he said. But trepidation shouldn’t become an obstacle, he said. “Constantly challenge yourself,” St. Cyr said. Class speaker Nicole O’Boyle recalled the Class of 2005 as one known for “rebellious antics” and schoolwork procrastination. But support and loyalty thrived among the students, she said. “The love that has formed among us is perpetual,” O’Boyle said. When Life Hands You Lemons... Diplomas were awarded by school Principal Henry Duval, senior/sophomore class advisor Leslie Prudhomme, and Adams-Cheshire Regional School District School Committee Chairman Thomas McDonald. As the audience applause reached a deafening roar, the “Class of 2005" launched sprays of “silly string,” and then faced a “murphy’s law” moment when an expected cascade of balloons failed to tumble. Instead, the wrapped balloons descended as a single, wrapped cluster. As graduation guests laughed heartily, the graduates freed the balloons and tossed them about, and thus demonstrated another bit of oft-spoken advice: “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade." Many graduates attended a school-based all-night party that followed the graduation ceremony. Sophomore students decorated a courtyard and other areas of the school with white lights and foil stars for the post-graduation bash. A mulit-photograph Hoosac Valley High School Class of 2005 slideshow will be posted at iberkshires.com during the upcoming week. Susan Bush may be reached at 802-823-9367 or by e-mail at suebush123@adelphia.net.
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Friends of Great Barrington Libraries Holiday Book Sale

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The Friends of Great Barrington Libraries invite the community to shop their annual Holiday Good-as-New Book Sale, happening now through the end of the year at the Mason Library, 231 Main Street. 
 
With hundreds of curated gently used books to choose from—fiction, nonfiction, children's favorites, gift-quality selections, cookbooks, and more—it's the perfect local stop for holiday gifting.
 
This year's sale is an addition to the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce's Holiday Stroll on this Saturday, Dec. 13, 3–8 PM. Visitors can swing by the Mason Library for early parking, browse the sale until 3:00 PM, then meet Pete the Cat on the front lawn before heading downtown for the Stroll's shopping, music, and festive eats.
 
Can't make the Holiday Stroll? The book sale is open during regular Mason Library hours throughout December.
 
Proceeds support free library programming and events for all ages.
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