Daily Archives: September 3, 2014

Sports

NECC Sport’s Preview Fall 2014

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NECC baseball players pose with trophy
NECC’s baseball team did incredibly well last season. Courtesy of NECC Newsroom

The 2014-2015 sports year is ready to get underway in a couple of weeks at Northern Essex, and there is a lot of excitement surrounding the Knights this year.  

After great years by all of the Knights’ teams, including the men’s basketball (runner-up in the state tournament) and men’s baseball (6th place finish at the NJCAA World Series and two All-American honorees), the excitement around campus is greater than ever.  

This fall, baseball and softball will have a small season of practices and scrimmages to get prepared for the spring season.  In addition, women’s volleyball begins their season September 17 at Bunker Hill Community College, with the men’s and women’s basketball seasons following at the beginning of November.  

On August 19, 49 potential student athletes met with coaches and athletic director Sue MacAvoy for an orientation to the sports year.  

According to MacAvoy, topics covered in the meeting included eligibility, commitment, time management, and resources at NECC.  

To celebrate the opening of the sports year, the Observer is bringing readers a preview of each team, as well as information on the coaches and results from last season.  

Women’s Volleyball

There is plenty of excitement surrounding the volleyball team this year with many students interested in becoming Knights.  

The season is coming up quickly, with practice starting on Wednesday, September 3 and the first game two weeks later, a September 17 conference battle at Bunker Hill Community College.  

The Knights’ first home game comes September 24, another conference matchup against Holyoke Community College.  

The Knights will take part in several tournaments this season, including the NHTI tournament at New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord, N.H. the weekend of September 26 through September 28, the Dig Pink tournament at Community College of Rhode Island in Providence, R.I. on Saturday, October 11, hosting the MCCAC tournament at Northern Essex on Saturday, October 18, and the NJCAA Regional tournament at Northern Essex on Saturday, October 25.

Players interested in joining the volleyball team should report to practice Friday, September 5 or see Sue MacAvoy in room D123 of the Sports and Fitness Center.

Women’s Basketball

After not being able to field a team last season due to lack of players, excitement is once again swirling around the Knights basketball team.  

Over the past year, head coach Brent Bass has been recruiting players from around the region, pushing the Knights’ philosophy of good basketball and a quality education.  His main goal is to see that his recruiting is taking effect.  

When asked about his recruiting efforts and the possibility of getting a full squad, coach Bass said, 

“There’s a ton of bodies out there, it’s just a matter of connecting with them and getting them to come out and play here.”

Bass went on to state that the message that he’s been giving to all his potential players is, 

“We’re not here just to play, this is a viable collegiate option for these players.”

This season looks to be a challenging one as the Knights look to get back into the competitive swing of things, with six of their first ten divisional games on the road, including one at perennial powerhouse Roxbury Community College.  

While a full season would have to be considered a successful one, the goal is still to put a competitive team out on the floor.  Once that is established, coach Bass is confident that he can build on that.

All players who are interested in joining the women’s basketball team should attend the meeting with coach Bass on Monday, September 15 at noon in room D129 of the Sports and Fitness Center. 

Softball

Entering their second season since reforming in early 2014, the Knights’ softball team is looking to make big improvements.  

Last season, the Knights fielded their first team in decades, and the results weren’t ideal.  

Despite their 0-8 record, however, the buzz has been getting louder around the building of the team.  

Every player on the 16-person roster in the spring was a freshman, meaning that there is an abundance of returning players to the team, as well as the new recruits from coach Robert Gillespie.  

This is the foundation coach Gillespie is building on, and the Knights look to make a real competitive leap this season.

The team will have a fall practice and scrimmage season to prepare for the upcoming spring season.  

Players who are interested in playing are urged to contact coach Robert Gillespie.

Coach Gillespie is very excited about the new year and is constantly looking for new players to join the team and help make a difference.  He is constantly networking, saying, “We can use as much publicity as we can get this year.”

Baseball

For the third time in three years, and the fourth time in the last eight, the Knights’ baseball team went to the NJCAA Division III World Series in Tyler, Texas.  

 After winning their first game in the tournament, they lost their next two, getting eliminated and finishing with a 21-14 record, good enough for sixth in the nation. 

 The buzz surrounding the team is as loud as ever, as the Knights look to make yet another trip to Texas next spring.  

In addition to their championship-level play, the Knights also had two All-Americans on their roster.  

Zack Beckwith received 2nd team All-American honors before graduating and transferring to UMass Boston, while Dan Peters received Academic All-American honors before graduating and transferring to Rivier College.

 The Knights will also be having a fall practice and scrimmage season to get ready for the upcoming season.  Information on scheduled games will be printed as it becomes available.

This season should prove to be an exciting one for all the Knights’ teams, with plenty of wins and celebrations in the near future. 

 Be sure to come out and support the Knights whenever possible and show your true team spirit.  Information on teams and schedules can be found at the athletic department’s new website,
athletics.necc.mass.edu.

Important correction: In the print version, the term “lady Knights” is used. The Observer has been informed that the women’s teams should be referred to has just, “the Knights,” and we have made the correction online accordingly. Edited Sept. 4.

News

Equipment goes missing at NECC Haverhill campus

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A report was filed with Public Safety on May 21 around 1:30 p.m. that two Canon cameras, six lenses, two microphones and other accessories went missing from a locked cabinet. 

The locked cabinet and its contents should have been accessible only by employees who work in room E-162, the Marketing Communications office on the Haverhill campus.

The equipment had last been used on Graduation Day, May 17 around 3 p.m. A police report was filed. Names are being withheld for privacy reasons. 

“[Students should] be aware of their surroundings and that’s it. Don’t leave anything on your seats, don’t leave anything out in the open that you don’t want someone to walk out with,” said head of Public Safety Gene Hatem.

The investigation is ongoing.

If students discover an item is missing, a lost-and-found is available in the Haverhill campus Spurk (C) building Public Safety office or in the Franklin building public safety office in Lawrence.

Features

What’s next for recent NECC graduates?

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NECC student Jared Blouin stands smiling with his diploma.
Jared Blouin is a recent NECC graduate Photo courtesy of Jared Blouin

This past spring, the students and staff said farewell to the 2013 graduates. Many students probably wonder what they are going to do after being here, and where life will take them.

Jared Blouin reflects on his time at NECC, and what he has planned next. 

“My experience was enjoyable. I think the staff challenged me as a student but also offered palpable assistance with any questions,” said Blouin.

 Blouin said he wouldn’t change a thing about his experience at NECC.

“As far as difference, nothing really comes to mind. I thought the staff were helpful — from the student center to the library faculty. The class sizes were small enough to be engaging. I suppose some academic leniency was evident.” 

Blouin is currently taking higher level classes at the University of Vermont Burlington concentrating on his major of plant biology and anthropology and has no apprehension about his current path. 

“NECC has always been to me a stepping stone, and a sturdy one. The next step is no more an obstacle than the first. I look most forward to taking higher level courses for my discipline and the connections I will make — just as those made at NECC.” 

“My plan, grad school, peace corps. Maybe navy, but I don’t know if we need to go that far into it” he said.

Another recent graduate, Kat Duma, also shared her experiences at NECC.

“I enjoyed NECC very much. The professors there were nice and very helpful with anything you had a hard time on. I feel like NECC prepared me as I go onto the next school I had applied to. 

“There was a lot of club activities that I wish I could of joined for example a photography club. I love photography, but due to work I had no time to enjoy those.[clubs] 

“If I could change something, I would change the effort I put into my schoolwork; I do wish I put more effort than I really did.” 

Duma makes a very good point about NECC,  there are tons of awesome clubs that are not only fun but can also help build up your college applications or resumes once you leave the school.

“I got accepted into UMass Lowell and I’m majoring in psychology and sociology. I’m a little anxious just about starting this year off at a new school that I’m not familiar with but that’s pretty normal,” said Duma. 

“I do want these last two years at UMass to be the best two years of my college life; I’m going to make a big effort and study really hard to contain high grades.

“I’m looking forward to making new friends. I’m a very friendly person and love making new friends. 

“My plans for the future are to just focus on finishing off school and getting my degree. Then we’ll see what happens from there.”

As these and many other students graduate and move on to four-year schools, and careers, the doors of NECC are always open for a visit from alumni.

NECC wishes them luck and prepares to help a new year’s worth of students take the next steps into their future.

Features

Student Orientations at NECC

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Students are seated at several tables watching an orientation in the student technology center.
A group of NECC freshman attend orientation. Photo by Rebecca Westerman

Student orientation was held in the Technology Center on Monday, Aug. 25 at noon.

Recent alumnus Matt Gingras who majored in journalism and communications gave the presentation to new students coming to NECC alongside alumna Kadee Tapley, a recent business major graduate.

The incoming students did several fun activities, like a time management exercise to balance schedule and bingo.

New students went over the three D’s of NECC: disrespectful, disorderly, and disruptive.

This mnemonic helps students remember what kinds of attitudes they should avoid as part of the code of behavior at NECC to prevent harassment of any nature. 

All new students received a goodie bag of folders, a notebook and general information about NECC, including the requirement of a parking pass for $8.50 at the beginning of each semester. 

The students also had pictures taken for their student IDs either before or after attending orientation.

The incoming students were given a tour of NECC including the locations of the public safety office, the General Service Center also known as the B building and Science building, Bentley Library, the Spurk building, and the fitness center.

Some students were a little apprehensive about starting, especially those fresh out of high school.

“Just being a freshman, I don’t know exactly what it’s going to be like,” said Carly Bushe, who is currently undecided on her major after realizing that the major she wanted was not offered at NECC.

 “I do know what my major is, but they don’t offer it here so I’m just gonna take the requirements. I was thinking also about going into Journalism.” 

To save money, many students take core classes at NECC even if their intended majors aren’t offered here.

 Being undecided when arriving at NECC is pretty common.

 Many students change their majors and their minds about what they want to do.

Other students know exactly what they want to do when they arrive. Andres Hernandez is studying Movement Science.

“I’m very excited. I’m kind of excited to see who’s in my classes. Looking forward to it,” said Hernandez.

Having to balance school, work, sports or other activities hit the new students during the time management exercise professors’ videos, which outline the level of performance NECC expects of its students.

“Some of my concerns are balancing time management with basketball, work and school,” Hernandez said.

Although most of the new students are very excited, some are a little nervous about the first day of classes and the upcoming semester. 

Alexandra Santana, another incoming student said, “Yes I’m excited, but I’m nervous about the first day.”

 It is normal to feel a little out of place at a new school but at NECC there will always find a friendly face willing to help.

Arts and Entertainment

NECC’s Top Notch Players Hold Auditions

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Auditions are being held in the Chester W. Hawrylciw Theater, also known as the Top Notch Theater, in the Spurk building on Sept. 10 at 6 p.m. for the upcoming production of “Front” by Robert Caisley. 

Anyone interested in supporting this production behind the scenes should stop by the office in C317C to introduce themselves.  

Help is welcome with lighting and sound, props and costumes, and other areas.  No experience or preparation is necessary to participate.  

The first production of the season, “Real Women Have Curves” by Josephina Lopez, will be held at the Lawrence campus on Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m. and in the TNT on Sept. 20.  Admission is free and open to the public. 

For more information, contact Susan Sanders 978-556-3374, ssanders@necc.mass.edu or Jim Murphy 978-556-3377, jmurphy@necc.mass.edu

Arts and Entertainment

New shoe comes to Haverhill campus

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Marc Mannheimer and two NECC art students stand behind a white paster shoe that they will paint and place on campus.
Mannheimer, Dorgan, and Marr first met on July 17 to begin planning the shoe’s design Photo courtesy of the NECC Newsroom

Over the summer, NECC Professor of Art and Design Marc Mannheimer led two students in designing and painting a bench for our campus.  This was no ordinary bench, though.  This bench is part of a huge fundraising project led by Team Haverhill, an independent volunteer action group dedicated to improving living and working conditions throughout the city.

Aptly named “Soles of Haverhill,” this project was launched in 2009 with the introduction of 14 huge fiberglass shoes.  According to the website, after being designed and painted by local artists, 

“The sculptures were sold at auction in Oct. 2009, raising more than $40,000 for local non-profits nominated by the shoe sculpture sponsors.”

The theme for this years shoes is “Fashion Forward.”  As part of the upcoming events throughout the city, Team Haverhill hopes to create a brochure map that would lead visitors on a “fashion trail” allowing them to enjoy many of the shoes and other related attractions.

The shoes are a celebration of Haverhill’s rich history as the worlds largest supplier of women’s shoes until the late 60s.  

This years sculpture design has been somewhat re-fashioned to include seating for two, allowing the community to truly interact with the artwork.  The original model was a low-heeled shoe which featured both a buckle and a bow.  It was entered for display at the Chicago World Fair in 1893 and now resides in the Buttonwoods Museum. 

Funding for the project was provided by the Office for Institutional Advancement and according to Mannheimer, the college being a non-profit organization, “got a good deal on it.”  

Once the decision was made in mid-June that a sculpture would be painted by NECC students and placed on campus, Mannheimer sent a school wide e-mail asking for volunteers.  Only six students responded to his e-mail and on July 17 only two students arrived at the Artspace in the Bentley Library to begin work.

One of those students was Jaclyn Marr from Salisbury.  She is an illustration major and said that she really enjoyed coming up with the concept.

 “We tried to base it on education but put our own twist so it isn’t just things you see here every day,” said Marr.  

The other was visual arts major Adam Dorgan from Peabody.

“We all threw in our ideas.  Some parts were a collaboration and some were based more on individual ideas,” said Dorgan.

Mannheimer eagerly accepted the challenge of leading students in creating a design appropriate for NECC campus. 

 “Everything is related to subjects that we study here at Northern Essex, but we took some creative license,” said Mannheimer.  

The shoe is scheduled to be picked up on August 14 by a company that will apply a protective coating, making it weather proof. 

 All of the shoes will then be presented to the public in late September in downtown Haverhill at the Essex County Trails and Sails Festival.  After the unveiling, each of the shoes will be distributed to its permanent home.  

The NECC shoe will eventually be placed under a shady tree outside the Hartleb Technology Center on the Haverhill campus, to the right of the bus kiosk.

Features

NECC student Olivia Lucey takes on NECC and UNH

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NECC student Olivia Lucey is crouched on a hardwood floor holding her two large breed dogs, Buddy and Maisy.
Photo by Christina Hillner. Olivia Lucey with her two dogs, Buddy (left) and Maisy (right).

Classes are back in session at both NECC campuses, and student Olivia Lucey will be attending not only NECC, but the University of New Hampshire as well.

This is Lucey’s second semester at NECC; she also completed a semester in the fall of 2013. UNH will be Lucey’s third college: she transferred the credits she received last fall and took her studies to the University of New England for the spring 2014 semester.

“I started off as a General Studies major at NECC, only wanting to get my core classes done so I can save some money, and focus on Animal Behavior at UNE,” said Lucey.

Lucey has been interested in animal behaviors since she was very young. She’s has had three dogs in her lifetime: a female Cocker Spaniel named Clover, a male mutt named Buddy and a female lab named Maisey.

Buddy was adopted into her family because the previous owner could no longer care for him. He joined Clover for a couple years until she passed on in 2011 due to kidney failure.

“For the last couple months of her life, we had to give her IV fluids to help her,” said Olivia’s mother, Maryanne.

Soon after Clover passed, Maisy was introduced to the family as a puppy.

“I’ve seen a lot happen over the years with my dogs. Whether it was the way they acted lazy, energetic, or what has happened with them medically, It has helped steer me toward my goal of becoming a seeing eye dog trainer and veterinarian technician,” said Lucey.

After Lucey’s fall semester in 2014, she attended UNE for the spring semester only.

“I chose UNE for the program they had, which was well known for animal behavior. It is one of six colleges that I know of in the United States that has an excellent program-major,” Lucey explained.

During the summer, Lucey reconsidered what she wanted to do for the fall 2014 semester.

“It took a lot of thought, but in the end I withdrew from UNE. It was my dream college since high school, but it turns out I had other plans in mind instead,” said Lucey.

Throughout the summer, Lucey had been gathering all of the necessary material needed to transfer her credits from UNE to NECC and UNH this semester. Lucey is taking one class at NECC and three at UNH at the Thompson School of Applied Animal Science.

“I have to take the one class at NECC because it is just one class I need to get out of the way,” said Lucey.

She will be a commuter student at UNH this semester because she’s not a full time student there, and it was a last minute decision.

“I plan on attending UNH as a full time student in the spring of 2015. If all goes well, I will hopefully stay there,” says Lucey.

It will be difficult to manage this upcoming semester, because of the commute. 

Lucey resides in Methuen, Mass. which is approximately an hour from UNH in Durham, N.H. and 15 minutes from the NECC Haverhill campus.

“I live close to the highway, which is beneficial, and I may stay with my aunt in Hampton, N.H. some nights. I know the travel will become too much, and it is pointless to go home some days because of the times and the classes I am taking,” says Lucey.

Lucey also volunteers at the Service Dog Project in Ipswich, Mass. and has a babysitting job near home.

“It will be very interesting to see how this semester plays out. I have a lot on my plate, and it comes down to time management. I have to play my cards right, because this semester is no easy walk,” said Lucey.

Lucey’s major at UNH will be Small Animal Care. She is currently trying to tie the pieces together to have the outcome she wants, which is to be a trainer and work with guide dogs, with the additional specialty of being a veterinarian technician.

News

Market Basket strikes cause strife

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With the Demoulas family fighting and the Market Basket chain coming to a near halt, it has affected some students here at NECC.

It was early July when the Market Basket board of directors headed by Arthur S. Demoulas fired Arthur T. Demoulas who had been serving as president of the company since 2008 according to an article in the Boston Globe.

An uproar took place when employees walked off their jobs and customers boycotted the stores. The loss of Artie T, led to both customers and employees going to the Market Basket headquarters in Tewksbury and protesting.

Within a couple weeks, Market Basket’s profits were falling sharply. With no food coming out of the warehouses and stores slowly emptying of merchandise, the Market Basket Board of Directors decided it was time for the stores to cut all hours to part time employees and schedule employees to the store’s needs.

Viviana Padilla, a NECC general studies student said, she has worked part time in the Lawrence store for 5 years.

“It was my first job,” said Padilla. In Padilla’s store they started scheduling part timers one day a week then eventually told her do not not bother looking at the schedule as there were no hours for her.

With school starting around the corner and hours being cut, Mariah Cruz, a liberal arts student who worked part time in the Haverhill store started to worry. She lives at home with her single mother and siblings. She helped her mom out with bills and food for her family. She also worried about the added cost that was coming due to starting school. 

“I now have no income,” said Cruz.

Some students were not given the official word they were laid off. Matthew Gagnon, a business transfer student who works part time in the Haverhill store said he technically still has a job but would not be given any hours. 

“I have not been able to pay bills, and I usually help my dad out with bills. It has been a little bit of a struggle,” said Gagnon. 

Gagnon also said he will be given hours for this week.

For weeks there were assurances that Market Basket was moving closer to a deal, but there no deal until last week, causing students to look elsewhere for work and shoppers other places to shop in the meantime.

Jasmine Montilla, a radiology student works at Stop and Shop and is seeing the influx of customers that once shopped at Market Basket. It has affected her in a different way by putting stress on her.  “I am getting complaints from customers about the pricing and how expensive Stop and Shop is compared to Market Basket.” Montilla understand the customer’s anger but does not understand the complaints that are coming her way being a cashier.

The Market Basket saga of the summer of 2014 came to an end last week when Arthur T. Demoulas bought the remaining 50.5 percent of the company giving him soul ownership with his three sisters.  This deal could not come soon enough for some students, as they want to get back to work and start helping out with their families.

Opinion

Stroll through the journalism program

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My parents always told me when I was young that I would constantly change my mind about what I wanted to be.

One year, I wanted to be an actress. The next, I wanted to be a pastry chef. If the future Ashlee came to me and said I was going to be a journalist, I would laugh and walk away. 

All throughout middle school and up until my senior year of high school, I despised having to write any type of report or write anything in general. 

I would have never thought in a million years I would be a journalist until my senior year of high school. One of the classes I took was sports journalism. 

Out of the 15 students that were in the class, I was only one of two girls. 

I said to myself, “I should change classes,” although I had heard that the teacher who taught the class was great. 

So I decided not to drop the class, and one of our first assignments was to write about a sports team at my high school. 

I ended up choosing the hockey team. I showed up to one of their practices and I started interviewing players. After I got my interviews done, I needed some action shots. 

Although the coach wouldn’t let me on the ice without a helmet, I asked this player that was on the bench if I could borrow his helmet. He let me use it, and I went on the ice to get my action shot with this smelly helmet with a used mouth guard two inches from my mouth. 

In the end I got my action shots and my article came out great. Once I put my hands on the keyboard to type, the words just stared coming, and in an hour I had a story done. 

I knew from that point forward this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I ended up joining my school newspaper “The Blue and White” and becoming the editor in chief. 

I always remember where I came from and without my teacher Mrs. Guthrie I wouldn’t be where I am today. 

It’s funny how one class can change your future for the better. I finally knew what I wanted my major to be when I registered for classes at Northern Essex as a Journalism/Communication major. 

I have been on the NECC paper the “Observer” since fall of 2012, and I couldn’t be happier. When people ask me “why journalism” I tell them there is no better feeling then seeing your work put out there for the public to see. 

It’s not as easy as it looks. You have to develop people skills when interviewing and be able to get the research you need for your story in a short amount of time. 

What I love most about being a journalist is that I can speak my opinion and say what I want to say. 

Journalists are sometimes called “the voice for the voiceless”. 

I believe there is no better description out there for what we do.

News

Marcia Winters speaks on counseling and health services at NECC

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NECC counseling services offers a safe place for students to address problems affecting their lives, and for students, faculty and staff to receive appropriate referrals to aid them in areas of life where they may be struggling.

Marcia Winters, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and Social Worker (LCSW) is the counselor for NECC’s Haverhill campus. Newly hired Karen Fehr (LCSW) is the counselor for the Lawrence campus.

“We see students mainly that might be experiencing some difficulties: depression, anxiety, mood disorders, sexual assault, coming out … grief and trauma and alcoholism and drug abuse,” said Winters.

Counseling hours for the Haverhill campus are from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday in the Sport and Fitness Center, room D117.

Counseling hours will likely be the same on the Lawrence campus. The location for Lawrence Counseling Services has not yet been posted.

“I’ve been doing this a long time. I’m director here, and before that I was director of counseling at Fisher College and Mount Ida College. And I also worked at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston,” said Winters.

For the first three sessions of counseling, Winters will establish what difficulties the student is having, and then she will likely make a referral for further help. Students cannot use NECC Counseling Services long-term.

“The most common issues are relationships, depression and anxiety,” said Winters. “Also, we see students with learning differences: dyslexia, Aspergers or on the autism disorder spectrum.”

Referrals vary depending on what insurance the student has.

“If they have MassHealth, it’s a little bit more limited … it’s almost impossible to see a psychiatrist,” said Winters. “[With] the school insurance, they get initially eight visits, and then they can reapply for more visits. I think it’s up to 26 visits.”

Winters established the counseling services on Haverhill campus two years ago.

“The counseling and health services here were let go about 10 years ago or 11 years ago,” said Winters.

“They did it for financial reasons; it’d be nice to have at least one nurse here.

“I am familiar, though, with Mass Bay and some of the other colleges, and they do have a nurse. A nurse is good for immunizations and all the record keeping; right now I guess they use [an] outside firm. They’re not medical people.”

“I think they thought that a lot of people didn’t use it because a lot of people really come here as commuters. Because they come back and forth to school, they may have their own primary care outside,” said Winters.

Winters also offers educational resources to students interested in psychology, and she has plenty of references and referrals on file for students to access.

“It’s a warm, safe place to come,” said Winters.

To schedule an appointment with Winters, call 978-556-3104. Health services resources and references for students can be found at http://www.necc.mass.edu/student-services/support/.