NECC student Robert Scarelli and his sister Casey are on a mission to fight Alzheimer’s. He founded a facebook page and twitter dedicated to “Alzheimer’s Angels,” a fundraiser similar to the ALS ice bucket challenge.
“We came up with the idea that differentiates us from the ice bucket challenge where it’s like more of a summer thing,” said Scarelli.
The Alzheimer’s Angels facebook page, located at facebook.com/alzheimersangels, says, “simply get outside take a picture or video of you making a snow angel and nominate five friends. If you do it we ask you donate $10 and if not $100! Have fun.”
“Participants in Alzheimer’s Angels make snow or sand angels when tagged,” said Scarelli. “We started doing the angels in the snow, but we think we can do it all year round because they can do it in the beach, in the sand and stuff. We’ve gotten people from California that we know who are doing the beach.”
“Me and my sister came up with this idea for Alzheimer’s because our grandmother currently has Alzheimer’s,” said Scarelli. We started seeing signs when she was 58 years old. And at the age of 60, when she was diagnosed, and now she’s 64, she needs around-the-clock care, so we started up this facebook page, which has got 336 likes over three weeks … and we started it up as awareness for Alzheimer’s to try to raise money for a cure.”
Links to donate can be found on the facebook page, as well as the twitter @angelsforalz
Students watch a simulated birth in El Hefni | NECC Observer
The Lawrence campus at NECC has rapidly transformed in the last year for the nursing program, along with the Lawrence campus in general. From renovations around campus, to better places to eat in the urban surroundings and an overall feeling of positive change, Lawrence is a great place to be for NECC students.
For nursing students, the program at NECC offers both a general curriculum and nursing courses. It is set up for 2 years, however, it is a very intense curriculum so it is recommended by some nursing program educators to take longer than that to complete the program. There are a multitude of options for nursing students, and to become a nurse. NECC has a licensed practical nurse (LPN) course, which takes forty weeks. The program trains nurses to be at work at the bedside, in long-term care or community settings such as visiting nursing.
Jill Becker, who has been a nurse for over 40 years and educator for the nursing program for 13 years, has seen countless students come through the nursing program with success.
“One of the things I tell my students all the time is that my prize in the end is watching them graduate. I’ll have students who come up to me and ask how I’m doing and still remember being in my class and things like that, and that is always great. I especially care about those students who may have had a little bit more difficult, and that I worked hard with to see them graduate, but to me it’s just being able to communicate with students in this way, and I like the fact that we have a small program and small classes. There’s 30 students in our nursing 1 and 2 cohort, there’s 36 in the nursing 3 and 4 cohort and we have 18 students in the LPN to RN evening program. You get to know them really well,” said Becker.
The associate’s degree program for nursing at NECC is designed to be done in 2 years. It is a very intense program with the goal being to train an entry level nurse. Jobs for an entry level nurse also include long term care, but can also be in community settings. If a student has the dream of working in a hospital, most hospitals in today’s job climate are looking for nurses with a bachelor’s degree, so NECC can help students pursue that by transferring.
“A nurse who has an associate’s degree can continue on and transfer to a four year college and finish the credits to get a bachelor’s degree. Our students are coming in and taking those shorter steps, and we encourage everybody to go forward,” said Becker.
Although LPNs do not have the same level of responsibility as a registered nurse, NECC is a great stepping stone for nurses to start off at to become a registered nurse (RN) which has higher paying jobs.
“For some students, doing the practical nurse route is a good way to get started because within a year once you’ve finished the nursing part of it, you can be out working.”
The Lawrence campus is the primary location for the nursing program. The unfortunate stigma that is often associated with Lawrence has been rapidly changing along with innovative technology around both the city and the college.
“We are starting to see Lawrence pick up, there’s more people around, I like it and I’m happy being here. They’re about to get a new police department, the options are endless,” said Becker.
The college presence not only have been improving, but it has in some ways influenced the surrounding areas in a more positive way.
“I think the things that make Lawrence an exciting place, is that it’s much more of an urban environment. You do have to move around a bit to different buildings and there is a bit of a walk but I think that’s nice. What I think is really exciting is that Lawrence is undergoing a great change and I like being at Northern Essex to be a part of the change.”
Many of the classes are found in the El Hefni, which was completely redone a year ago, and the Dimitry building, which has also gone under renovations.
“The neat thing about this building is that they created a very modern type of health education program. We have really neat classrooms. We have labs with multiple bays and a simulation suite that is supposed to simulate a hospital,” said Becker.
The simulation wing of the El Hefni is incredible. They have mannequins that can blink their eyes, talk and have functions for students to practice medical procedures on. Professors are even able to watch students take care of a patient on camera and speak to them with a microphone through the mannequin to instruct.
There is a simulated apartment, trauma unit, ambulance and doctor’s office which last year students got the opportunity to help with flu shots and a simulated birthing area with a pregnant mannequin. It is an innovative technique to train young nurses and learn their trade in a real-life setting.
Students interested in the nursing program should contact their advisors, or pay a visit to the Lawrence campus.
“Welcome to the Blackboard site. Please take some time to become familiar with this site,” said Patricia Portanova.
This is a typical announcement that students read typically after registering for classes at NECC.
Blackboard is a website that professors use for any assignments, announcements, class syllabus and even grades.
For the most part, it is easy to use and does not require an extensive amount of computer literacy to navigate the site. It is a way for teachers to directly connect with their students and reach them all at once.
Whether it’s a class cancellation, updates on upcoming due dates or posting lecture notes, it is an important part of a student’s college career. Even though it is a widely used source, not all professors choose to use it.
So if it is not a requirement for the professors, the question arises as to, is it really useful or not?
Many students open their Blackboard accounts and directly derive what they need to do from the site. NECC student Rumaira Balborda said, “If I don’t come to class, I can catch up online. I can see lecture notes, assignments and grades.” That is one positive aspect of the site– if students do not come to class, they do not have to fall behind.
Teachers often link any reading materials on the site that aid the learning experience. Edwin Henriquez also said, “It saves me money from buying books, makes things easier, and keeps things organized.”
It seems as though blackboard is a “smart idea,” Henriquez said. It is right at students’ fingertips with the option to link email to blackboard account, therefore receiving any postings right to students’ cell phones.
Since not all professors choose to use blackboard for their classes, does this mean it benefits some courses more than others?
Patrick Lavin said, “I like it with online courses but not in class. It is not a benefit for lecture classes… some have enough classes and material so it’s not needed.”
When students pick their classes, there is no questionnaire that asks them to choose whether they would like to use it or not. The class description will not clearly state it– the only way students would find out is on the first day of class. So it is completely up to the professor.
For many high school graduates, living away from home for college is a fresh start, or a free pass from parents. Many college freshman meet new friends, join different clubs, sports teams and make connections that will last a lifetime. For NECC Journalism and Communication student Travis Barrett, it took going off to college to realize what he wanted to strive for in the future.
Twenty-one year old Barrett is a resident of Haverhill, Mass. and is a graduate of Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School. He was accepted and attended Framingham State University for two years as a business major. He found there was a certain depth to the business world. Although as he continued his education in business, it wasn’t all it seemed to be.
“I learned there was a lot of manipulation and opinions. I did not like that aspect of it at all,” said Barrett.
As time went on he withdrew himself from Framingham State to attend NECC as a General Studies major. He did not like being a business major, and did not know what he wanted to do as a career in the future.
Many students in their first years of college have no clue as to what they want to do in the future. It is highly common with the pressures of finding a job after earning a degree. Many fear what the future may bring– living up to adult responsibilities like paying bills and living independently is intimidating to some.
“I should have went to community college first. I wasn’t quite ready for the four year plan,” said Barrett.
He doesn’t regret any of the time spent at Framingham State. It helped shape and motivate him toward a future he wanted.
“I wouldn’t take back the time spent at Framingham because of the friendships I made there. We’re still friends today,” said Barrett.
Barrett has been with NECC for three semester now including the Spring of 2015. He was a General Studies major for his first semester at NECC, to get grounded and figure out his interests.
While attending NECC, he works at Dunkin Donuts. He balances work and classes, like most community college students.
“One day I was working drive-thru, and a customer said I had an awesome voice and that it would be great for radio, which was really cool,” said Barrett.
A simple compliment from a customer helped inspire Barrett to really think about what he’d enjoy doing in the future.
“I watch and listen to a lot of music and sports radio. The idea kind of morphed into one. I wouldn’t mind sitting around 2 or 3 guys debating, talking and throwing opinions back and forth. I do that everyday,” said Barrett.
It took Barrett one semester to decided getting into sports radio was the right fit for him. Going into the Fall semester of 2014, Barrett switched his major to Journalism and Communication.
He also enrolled in the fairly new co-operational internship program at NECC. Barrett applied to CBS Radio to work with 98.5 The Sports Hub for the Felger and Mazz show with the help of Amy Callahan and Ashley Braggar who help run the program.
With March approaching, NECC students decide to share their fashion knowledge on the most anticipated trends for spring and summer 2015.
While we are still experiencing a harsh winter, Yaniery Martinez, 20, has her mind on showcasing her spring and summer fashion. “I’m so ready for this winter to end! I can’t wait to be able to walk through campus in my Michael Kors flats,” said Martinez.
“When I was little,” she said, “I would go through my mom’s closet and put on her clothes and jewelry and just try on different looks. I just feel like what a person wears says a lot about them and that’s why I always try to look my best.”
Martinez spends a lot of time browsing “Websites like Pinterest, Tumblr and a bunch of fashion and beauty bloggers.” She says it’s “where I get my inspiration from.
“I’m always looking for ways to improve my look without changing my own personal style.”
So what is Martinez’s biggest fashion advice for looking your best this spring and summer? “Pastels and neutrals! They were a hit this winter and they’re staying throughout the spring and summer. A girl can never go wrong with pairing different neutrals together.”
Business Management major Joel Santiago, 21, says he looks forward to taking out his spring and summer clothes. “I always store my clothes when the seasons change and I’ve never been more hyped to take out my spring and summer clothes. It’s been a long time coming,” Santiago said.
Santiago was born in the Dominican Republic and says he gets his fashion inspiration from his culture. “When I went to school in DR, the boys always had to wear their uniform and look real professional even at a young age. I think that’s where I get my style from.”
He said, “In the generation we live in today, young men aren’t really into dressing professionally, they rather dress like their favorite rapper or something but I want to inspire them to finish school and dress for success.”
Nursing major Stephanie Martinez, 18, said, “I’ve always loved wearing black; I think you could never go wrong with black. Occasionally, I’ll get real dressed up and rock red dress or something but black has always been my thing. I think this new season is great reason to bring more color to my wardrobe.”
Here at NECC, Journalism students are stressed two facts from the second they land in that classroom seat. “Accuracy! Accuracy! Accuracy!” is one. The other is “your credibility is all you have.” It’s pretty straight forward advice. This is nothing new. It’s been the same since news became a way of communicating with one another. The truth is important. The truth does matter.
It’s tough enough to report the news, but it’s even tougher to be the news. NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams did just that, but it wasn’t overnight. It took 12 years for it to come to light that there had been some embellishment on the part of Williams.
Williams had conflated events regarding his proximity to conflict in a warzone.
This embellishment has forced one of America’s most trusted newsman to spend the rest of his career sporting a metaphorical black eye.
NBC News president Deborah Turness released a statement saying, “We have decided today to suspend Brian Williams as Managing Editor and Anchor of NBC Nightly News for six months. The suspension will be without pay and is effective immediately. We let Brian know of our decision earlier today. Lester Holt will continue to substitute Anchor the NBC Nightly News.
“While on Nightly News on Friday, January 30, 2015, Brian misrepresented events which occurred while he was covering the Iraq War in 2003. It then became clear that on other occasions Brian had done the same while telling that story in other venues. This was wrong and completely inappropriate for someone in Brian’s position.
“In addition, we have concerns about comments that occurred outside NBC News while Brian was talking about his experiences in the field. As Managing Editor and Anchor of Nightly News, Brian has a responsibility to be truthful and to uphold the high standards of the news division at all times.”
This is not the first time that an anchor has gone down in flames over a news story. Just ask former CBS Evening News anchor, Dan Rather. He was let go at the pinnacle of his career over a false story regarding the as-yet-to-be-elected President George W. Bush.
The troops that were in the actual helicopter that was shot down, are the real story and should have been the focus, not Williams himself.
Alexandra Cote of Bradford, herself a graduate of Journalism studies, now at NECC for a degree in Psychology said, ” I don’t think that he will be back. Most do it, but he got caught. There are different perspectives, but it didn’t really hurt anyone.”
Lisa Hernandez, a freshman at NECC who resides in North Andover said, “I think that it (the punishment) is too harsh. It’s not right what they are doing to him. He’s not the first guy to say something not true, but not everyone gets that type of punishment.”
At least one freshman on campus echoes the sentiments of the journalists code, referenced at the beginning of this article. Victoria Sheperd of Amesbury said, “The news doesn’t always tell the whole story. Telling us what we only want to hear takes credibility away.”
The student parking lot at NECC’s Haverhill campus may not seem very far from the Spurk building or Bentley Library, but in bitter cold temperatures, the time it takes to walk from the car to the classroom is long enough to cause significant damage to your skin.
Many college students are aware of how dangerous prolonged exposure to the sun can be, but according to licensed aesthetician, Kim Cooper, of Haverhill keeping your skin hydrated in the winter can protect more than one’s outer beauty.
“Even the smallest break in your skin can lead to serious health problems,” said Cooper. “Think of that little crack on your knuckle as a neon ‘Vacancy’ sign for millions of bacteria that want nothing more than to invade your bloodstream.”
Besides being a breeding ground for germs and infection, chapped and broken skin can be very uncomfortable and itchy.
NECC student, Melissa Dow of Amesbury, attends night classes and has to walk from the student lot all the way to the science building.
“I’m kind of doomed with my sensitive skin,” said Dow. “My face gets so cold but if I wrap a scarf around it, I break out in a rash. So I just put on like a pound of moisturizer in the morning and hope for the best.”
Tyler Ksypka juggles classes at NECC and his work schedule at Walgreens.
“I definitely see more sales in moisturizing products during the winter,” said Ksypka. “We keep the shelves well stocked.”
Aside from topical products such as lotions and creams, there are steps you can take, internally, towards proper skin hydration.
“Proper nutrition is a key benefactor in maintaining healthy skin,” said Teri Catalano, of North Andover, a nutrition advisor and dietary aid. “My patients are sick of me telling them to drink more water and eat more fruit.”
The NECC Gay/Straight Alliance will be holding a bake sale on Wednesday, Feb. 25, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Spurk building lobby. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, an organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on gender identity, and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
“Events like these are important because the trans community doesn’t get enough attention,” said Kelly Schwing, student president of the GSA. “After the whole Leelah Alcorn tragedy, the amount of attention was great, but there needs to be more.”
Leelah Alcorn was a 17-year-old transgender girl from Ohio who committed suicide in December of last year. In her suicide note, which she published online, she said she wanted her death to have an impact on the national dialogue; consequently, Leelah’s death sparked worldwide discussion about the treatment and representation of trans people in society, and the GSA bake sale will be held in her memory.
GSA member Colby Patrie, who created paintings of Leelah to raffle off at the event, said Leelah’s suicide note — which was posted on Tumblr but has since been removed — inspired the artwork.
“When I read [the note] I was like, ‘This is a serious problem.’ I’ve heard so many stories where trans people have died and their parents bury them with their birth gender and name. And so I said, ‘I want to paint something that represents her as she really was.'”
GSA members believe the easygoing nature of selling baked goods will allow them to more easily start an open dialogue about the sensitive topic with attendees.
“It’s a good, comfortable way to get people to come up to us,” said GSA staffer Sara Ramirez. She expressed hope that, after getting information from club members, participants will leave with an interest in the subject and be compelled to educate themselves on their own time.
Leelah Alcorn is far from alone as a trans victim of suicide. In a report compiled by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Williams Institute, 41% of respondents to a survey for transgender and gender non-conforming adults said they had attempted suicide at some point.
Many of the reasons these people listed as motivators included rejection from family and friends, discrimination when attempting to access healthcare and victimization by law enforcement.
With these sobering facts in mind, Schwing stresses the importance of giving to organizations that support trans people and fight discrimination.
“These are growing problems not just in our community, but in the world as we know it,” she said. “It seems unfair that only in tragedy do these people have light shone on them.”
The event was originally scheduled to take place on Feb. 9, but had to be cancelled due to inclement weather. Baked goods will be contributed by GSA members.
There’s a new course in town. The Forensic Science course, aimed at Criminal Justice majors, started this past fall semester.
Criminal Justice coordinator Paul Cavan and Professor Mike Cross collaborated to create the class. They figured since Criminal Justice majors need to complete two lab science courses, the students might as well have a lab pertaining to their major other than anatomy and plant biology classes.
Cross, who teaches an array of chemistry courses and science labs, was willing to teach the course.
“I think it was just one of those things where, with my background as an organic chemist, I’m used to dealing with tiny quantities of things and being extremely accurate and precise with all my measurements. A lot of the techniques used in the forensic science lab are the same ones use in a chemistry or biochemistry lab,” said Cross.
“DNA, fingerprinting, all these different techniques are pretty much the same thing, it’s just applied to an actual crime scene rather than just a soil sample that you find on the street.”
The class teaches students to observe, collect, analyze and evaluate evidence found at crime scenes. It also goes over multiple other topics in modern criminal justice.
“Our first week of lab I had two people come up to me after class and start discussing the lab and we hadn’t even actually performed the lab yet, yet they are reading ahead and doing it. That doesn’t typically happen in a regular chemistry class so it’s nice to see so much excitement and enthusiasm and questions instead of just the passive student. I like it when people start to ask questions and they’re interested in finding out a little bit more,” Cross said.
Nathaniel Blair, a student taking the Forensic Science course this semester, said, “It’s a interesting subject. I’ve been interested in it for a while, that’s why I took the class. And also Mike is a very entertaining teacher.”
“The professor always manages to keep it interesting, with his various magic tricks,” said student Paul D’Eon.
Cross is a man of chemistry, forensics and magic, creating a class that is educational and fun for everyone.
NECC provides a full advising staff who are in constant contact with many of the four year colleges and universities within Massachusetts and in surrounding states. These staff members assist in the basic legwork that gives students knowledge about the transferring process.
Sarah Parsons, current liberal arts major here at NECC said, “the transferring process intimidates me because I’m unsure of all the information other colleges will need, and how long the process will actually take from start to finish.”
While the transferring process is one with numerous steps and fine details, NECC students have the opportunity to use resources such as the PACE transfer program to figure out what his or her next step is.
PACE or Pathways to Academic & Career Excellence, offers a transfer advising program to all NECC students. From college visits to applications, advisors offer individualized academic and transfer advising plans.
Some students, including future student Emma McElroy, have not been aware that such programs exist on the NECC campus.
McElroy said, “I have never heard of the PACE transfer program. But the fact that they offer help and guidance through the whole process is extremely comforting – knowing that a trained professional is right by your side puts my mind at ease.”
With the intensity and weight that comes along with transferring, students carry a certain amount of anxiety and stress that is lessened by the services and help offered at NECC.
Whether transferring to an instate or out of state university or college, the feelings of being anxious and the rush of excitement makes for a journey that leaves college students feeling ready for a switch.
Business transfer, Hannah Latham, said, “I started at NECC after [I] withdrew from a previous college, just two days before I was supposed to move back in. So I really just want to find somewhere I would like to stay for the rest of my college years.”
With the spring semester coming to a close in just a few short months, students have the opportunity to take advantage of resources such as PACE in order to make their next academic move.
To search possible transfer opportunities, visit Collegeboard.com or visit an advisor at either the Haverhill or Lawrence campuses.
