BCC Honors Scholar Students to Present Free Public Reading

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Three Berkshire Community College (BCC) Honors Scholar Program students who were awarded Melville Fellowships for the spring semester — Rowan Boyer, Mwila Malama and Clarise Seguin — will present a public reading of their works on Wednesday, May 8 at 4:30 pm. 
 
The reading, which is free and open to the public, will be held at BCC in Melville Hall, Room M-212.?Light refreshments will be served. 
 
For those who cannot attend in person, a virtual recording will be accessible on Zoom. To join online, visit
 
The three students were awarded Melville Fellowships by the Berkshire County Historical Society.  They have been busy creating original writings and art while spending time at Herman Melville's Arrowhead, the location where Melville wrote 
Moby Dick, working with Writer-in-Residence Emeritus Jana Laiz. The students are also earning experiential learning honors course credit. 
 
The students' readings represent the progress they have made towards the goals they set in January, as described in their own words. 
 
Rowan Boyer planned to work in creative writing, poetry and visual art. "My initial gut feeling is to write a story about woodland animals set in the land surrounding Arrowhead," Boyer said. "I would also love to experiment with poetry and create illustrations along with my writing." 
 
Mwila Malama planned to research Arrowhead as a non-profit organization, specifically "how it conducts its operations to ensure continuity and relevance
 to the society that it seeks to serve." With a focus on the museum's finances and its impact on the community, Malama will also take part in creative writing, poetry and other activities. 
 
Clarise Seguin planned to write poetry and stories that touch on the life of Herman Melville, as well as writing about the scenery that surrounds the museum, combined with art pieces. "With these goals in mind, I hope to create art and stories that inspire and evoke strong emotions," Seguin said. 

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Pittsfield City Council Weighs in on 'Crisis' in Public Schools

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff

A half-dozen people addressed the City Council from the floor of Monday's meeting, including Valerie Anderson, right.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — After expressing anger and outrage and making numerous calls for accountability and transparency, the 11 members of the City Council on Monday voted to support the School Committee in seeking an independent investigation into allegations of misconduct by staff members at Pittsfield High School that have come to light in recent weeks.
 
At the close of a month that has seen three PHS administrators put on administrative leave, including one who was arrested on drug trafficking charges, the revelation that the district is facing a civil lawsuit over inappropriate conduct by a former teacher and that a staff member who left earlier in the year is also under investigation at his current workplace, the majority of the council felt compelled to speak up about the situation.
 
"While the City Council does not have jurisdiction over the schools … we have a duty to raise our voices and amplify your concerns and ensure this crisis is met with the urgency it demands," Ward 5 Councilor Patrick Kavey said.
 
About two dozen community members attended the special meeting of the council, which had a single agenda item.
 
Four of the councilors precipitated the meeting with a motion that the council join the School Committee in its search for an investigation and that the council, "be included in the delivery of any disclosures, interim reports or findings submitted to the city."
 
Last week, the School Committee decided to launch that investigation. On Monday, City Council President Peter White said the School Committee has a meeting scheduled for Dec. 30 to authorize its chair to enter negotiations with the Springfield law firm of Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas to conduct that probe.
 
Ward 7 Councilor Rhonda Serre, the principal author of the motion of support, was one of several members who noted that the investigation process will take time, and she, like Kavey, acknowledged that the council has no power over the public schools beyond its approval of the annual district budget.
 
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