Driving Along Undermountain Road...

I attended Berkshire School from 1992 - 1995. My formidable years.

I recently read the first part of a Boston Globe article that almost captures how I felt the first day that I arrived in New England, fresh out of East LA, and trying to piece my emotions into an orderly train of thoughts. The remaining part of the article is relevant, but for this purpose, it would be nothing more than a distraction. The Mountain comes first, and deserves its day under the sun, unobstructed.

The article is by Judith Gaines.

"At the foot of Mount Everett, on a serene stretch of woods and fields in an isolated corner of southwestern Massachusetts, sits the Berkshire School. Drive along Undermountain Road in Sheffield, turn up a maple-lined lane and over a little rocky bridge, and there it is: the heart of what must be one of the prettiest campuses in Massachusetts, or anywhere.

"Tastefully proportioned ivy-covered buildings flank manicured lawns. Rustic gray buildings tucked behind leafy copses house almost all of the 64 faculty members. Acres of pristine forest laced with trails rise behind the school.

"A private preparatory school since 1907, embracing female students since 1969, the Berkshire School radiates prosperity and success. The campus has a newly renovated ice-hockey rink, two girls' dormitories under construction, an alumni center slated for completion next year, a new greenhouse and a sugar shack, and an expansive dining hall with skylights and huge floor-to-ceiling windows looking out on piney woods.

"Its 385 students, in grades 9 through 12, come from 36 states and 22 countries. Boys sport blazers and ties; girls wear skirts or slacks. The look of the place is preppy, but with an appealing touch of mountain in it. In this wild and woodsy domain, its 680 compact, well-maintained acres convey a sense of integrity, unity, fortitude, and charm.

"The image is more than superficial. School officials say that in the past five years, applications for admission have shot up, athletic teams are winning more games, alumni involvement has increased, college placement has improved, fund-raising efforts have grossed nearly $50 million. Drug use, once an embarrassment, has declined dramatically. So has alcohol consumption. Seniors come two weeks early every year for a leadership program that helps them take responsibility for enforcing rules of behavior.

"Instructors offer a mix of traditional classes and more unusual fare, including the school's own maple sugaring operation (whose syrup provides a sweet thank you to generous donors), a boat-building program led by a beloved poet, and one of the best observatories in New England. The resolution of its telescope is so fine that students can spot an astronaut outside a space station in orbit.

"Equally compelling are the criteria for selecting the student body. You don't have to be a scholar to come here. You don't even have to be athletically inclined, although that helps. But what the Berkshire School wants most, its admissions officers make plain, are good citizens. It gives the nod to nice, clean-cut kids who do their homework, don't skip class, cause few discipline problems.

In fact, it is no exaggeration to say that the watchword for the whole place is character."

Learning, not for school, but for life.

Ahhhh, the days of Buck Valley, the Spring Carnival, and running around Giligan's Island. There's nothing like cool autumn days, cold winter nights, and warm spring afternoons under the Mountain in southwest Mass!