Daily Archives: March 4, 2015

News

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Accommodations at NECC

 

Editor’s note: corrections have been applied to original print story.

Accessibility is important in education to guarantee all students have equal opportunities to learn. Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services at NECC strives to do just that — ensure that all students are comfortable and have what they need to succeed.

Deb McKinney is the manager for deaf and hard of hearing services at NECC.

“[We provide] communications access for deaf and hard of hearing students and staff [and faculty],” she signed.

The department works to provide interpreters for “classes, meetings, activities, student center, faculty one on one with students, for tutoring, supplemental instruction — basically all services.”

The department also works with Learning Accommodations, Enrollment Services and CPAC to make sure there’s smooth transitions and helps set up note takers for deaf students and extended testing times if they need it.

“It’s hard to take notes and watch the interpreter at the same time,” signed McKinney.

One type of communication accommodation the program provides, along with interpreters, is CART or Communication Access Realtime Translation. CART allows for all dialogue at events to be typed so that deaf and hard of hearing attendees can know what is being said at the event.

“[We] provided CART for the first time at graduation services [last] year,” signed McKinney.

“Most things are very positive,” signed McKinney. “I’m in my seventh year — there’s more faculty awareness, accessibility.”

NECC also has a class to teach English to deaf and hard of hearing students.

A separate department, Learning Accommodations, also works to provide other types of communication accommodation, including JAWS, or Job Access with Speech, which is a program that allows students with vision loss or blind students to “listen to descriptions about the environment and use it to visually hear what’s going on.”

An area of improvement for NECC would be providing more closed captioning — there’s not enough throughout the campus.

Closed captioning allows for deaf and hard of hearing students to read the audio in a video, and it needs to be made more widely available in classes, class activities, and even more showing small video at events like convocation.

“Communication access as a whole is pretty good,” signed McKinney. “It’s nice here — it’s a community college … there’s support, but it takes a while to educate people. For a small community, there’s a lot of people.”

Deb McKinney is on several committees at NECC working for accommodations and access including the ADA Access Committee, Access media committee, Diversity and Cultural Committee, Academic Goal Team 3 and the Student Advisory Committee.

Dena Riccio-Enis is in charge of interpreting and communication access services. She makes sure interpreters are available and she assigns and schedules them.

Riccio-Enis compiles information on how to work with interpreters for faculty, staff and students, “information on how to work with interpreters, especially in a college environment.”

“Along with that packet, I email faculty and let them know they’re going to have a learning accommodation student,” said Riccio-Enis.

There are 10 to 15 freelance interpreters contracted per semester at NECC, depending on the semester.

Another program that focus on deaf services at NECC include Gallaudet University Regional Center (GURC) which states on their website that “Gallaudet University, federally chartered in 1864, is a bilingual, diverse, multicultural institution of higher education that ensures the intellectual and professional advancement of deaf and hard of hearing individuals through American Sign Language and English.”

GURC also strives to educate parents of deaf and hard of hearing children.

Riccio-Enis and McKinney also ensure that deaf and hard of hearing students can get communications access for community events and clubs on campus.

“We automatically get interpreters for all college assemblies, presidents meetings, convocation, graduation, awards night and professional development days,” signed McKinney.

If a club is hosting a meeting or event, they are required to post a communication accommodation notice on the bottom of their fliers. If a deaf or hard of hearing students contacts the host of the event, it is the host’s responsibility to ensure there is an interpreter present at the meeting.

The link to request interpreting sevices can be found at bit.ly/1vsVEUU by clicking the logo displayed.

(necc.mass.edu/academics/support-services/learning-accommodations/deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-services/interpreting-services/ )

The communication accommodations department also does awareness training and presentations, and workshops on deaf culture and communication access.

For more information, contact Deb McKinney at dmckinney@necc.mass.edu, or Dena Riccio-Enis at driccioenis@necc.mass.edu

Campus Life

NECC Parking Lot

 

By Alex Dehullu

The NECC parking lot has seen better days. Students who had to pay for their parking pass are losing several parking spots because of excess snow. There has been minimal snowfall in the past two weeks, but the parking lots are still dealing with the after effects of the multiple large snowstorms that New England has recently suffered.

Michael Barry, a West Newbury resident, drives to his class every day and is not a fan of what the parking lot has come to.

“There are no lines anymore — people form their own spots with way too much room between cars. I can’t fit my truck into half of the spots because the cars on both sides left so little room in between,” said Barry.

This problem is shared by many other NECC students, and it forces students to park farther and farther away from the school.

In the summer, the long walk wouldn’t be too bad, but due to the unbelievable amount of snow, students must walk down the busy road with cars coming from both sides all the way to the sidewalk in front of C building.

Another NECC student, Andrew Wallace said, “I’m sick of this. If I show up to class anything but early I have to walk so far through the icy street in the freezing cold while cars drive by less than three feet away. At some point the school is going to have to finish cleaning the parking lot up.”

It’s obvious that NECC has put in a lot of effort to cleaning up the parking lot. Students see maintenance workers constantly cleaning sidewalks and the plows do their best to clear the lot of snow after each storm.

There are a couple of moves NECC could make to improve the conditions of their parking lot. One NECC student, Branscome Dubina, suggested, “they should spend some of the money we paid to park there to have snow removed, maybe free up some space for more cars and a decent walk way.”

If there are any more major snowstorms, the conditions of the parking lot may continue to decline. It will be interesting to see how the school will respond.

Uncategorized

The Benefits of Community College

 

By Matthew Couture

Deciding where to go for a college education can often be a very long and tough process. Yet at the same time, the decision may be very simple if everyone thinks it through.

There are many benefits to going to a community college, and the first obvious one is the tuition of classes. Community college tuition and fees are lower than those of 4-year colleges and universities.

NECC Student Shaun Connors expressed his opinion on this when he said, “I personally decided to attend Northern Essex because of the tuition cost. I just couldn’t imagine paying upwards of $20,000 per year for four straight years to get an education just to graduate and be burdened with the debt from student loans.”

Community colleges allow students to feel more comfortable with how much money they are dishing out for school, and they love the idea of being able to cut their debt in half after earning their bachelor’s degree or having no debt and an associate’s.

On top of just the tuition of community colleges, there are many other benefits to attending a community college rather than a 4-year college or university.

NECC Professor Amy Callahan pointed out a benefit that most students likely don’t realize when deciding their higher education. Callahan said, “An even greater benefit I believe is the quality of the teaching at a community college, because here the emphasis is on teaching. Whereas if you go to a 4-year college or university, the emphasis there is more on their research and not as much on the teaching itself.”

Community college faculty focuses on teaching and providing personal attention to students. Unlike most university faculty, they are not required to spend time away from the classroom to conduct research.

In addition, students attending a community college are able to gain a real world perspective or experience from faculty members who usually have practical work experience in the subjects they teach.

In addition, when someone thinks of community college, another thought is convenience. Many community colleges, including NECC, have multiple campuses.

That was a huge plus for NECC student Eddie Hoar as he expressed his comforts that NECC is close to his own house and that it allows him to have a flexible schedule.

Connors said, “going to NECC allows me to give myself the schedule I want and need.”

All of these advantages are the main reasons why students go to community colleges like NECC. These 2-year schools give students options that almost everyone can handle and use to help them gain the knowledge necessary to be successful in life.

Campus Life, Opinion

Campus Cafe

 

By Jimmy Richards

Last year, NECC decided to remodel their cafe located in the Student Center, but many students are unaware of what it even has to offer. A majority of students said they didn’t even know where the cafe was located.

Kelsey Brown, a student attending for her first time at NECC said, “Well, I knew there was a cafe in the c building, but I had no idea about the remodeled cafe because no one ever told me about it.”

Many students are saying the same thing because they don’t know what’s going on around campus.

Jared Richard, a new student attending NECC said, “I knew about the cafe, but it’s just too far away for me to get there in between classes. I mean it’s nice, but who wants to hike there. All my classes are ten minutes apart, and it just leaves no time for me to get there.”

Richard also added, “Many students are busy learning in the C and B buildings which means access to the cafe is limited.”

Another student had suggested a different idea that may in fact help out the campus cafe.

Eric Perez, a two-year student attending NECC said, “Honestly, I feel like they should put better food in there. But as the people who work there, they are very nice, very polite and will help with everything. I just feel like there should be healthy things in there, and they should take the time to lower down the price because they are making a profit out of that.”

Perez also gave another valid point about the remodeled cafe.

Perez said, “I feel like there should be more guidance towards the cash register because everything is cramped together.”

Perez also said that the campus cafe is “hidden.”

Campus Life

A Semester to Remember

 

By Alex Dehullu

For the past month, Massachusetts has been getting snowstorm after snowstorm, bringing more snow than anyone in the area is accustomed to. It seems hard to believe that the snow is finally slowing down and things are beginning to return to normal.

For each of the blizzards NECC was left with no option but to cancel classes for one or two days. Students were excited to receive the text alert from NECC, giving them more and more days off.

Now that the snow is clearing and classes are returning to their normal schedules, students along with professors need to find a way to make up for lost time.
Every class has a required amount of lecture hours and the several class hours missed from the snow is causing a lot of confusion and stress for both students and teachers.

One NECC student, Patrick Murphy, said, “I know for a fact one of my friends professors has already added ten to fifteen minutes to all future classes in order to make up for all those missed classes, and that makes me wonder what I should expect from my professors.”

Some NECC professors have already decided how they are planning on making up the lost lecture hours, but there are some that have either not decided or not informed their students on what they plan to do.

Brian Adamopoulos, a full time NECC student, said, “I noticed very quickly how my professors began to speed up their lesson plans after the snow and the extra work is stressing me out. The snow really disrupted this semester and I’m really hoping it doesn’t harm my grades.”

To some, it may seem unfair for teachers to go through information at a faster pace in order to catch up to where they were supposed to be, but at this point professors are not left with many options.

Other professors decided to continue teaching at the same pace and push back future tests and quizzes.

Mario Encarnacion, a student at NECC, discussed in an interview earlier this week how his microeconomics professor was one of the professors who decided it was best to continue the semester at the pace as before the blizzards. His professor has pushed the first test back over a week to ensure the students had time to prepare.
Encarnacion said, “It was really a relief to find out that the test had been moved back. I’m still not sure what my professor is planning on doing to make up those missed classes, though.”

Even though these blizzards have finally taken a break, it’s clear that the professors along with the students have a lot of work ahead of them before the end of this spring semester.

News

The Fear of Public Speaking

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The number one fear in America, according to the Washington Post in October 2014, is the fear of public speaking.

It is a highly common fear for most people, and many feel alone.

Students watch celebrities, politicians or business leaders speak on television or in public, and they seem to be so at ease and calm. Some may wonder, are great public speakers made, or are they just born that way?

It may be true that some individuals are born with this gift — the vast majority of effective speakers have been trained by themselves or by others to be so. They have received formal media training or they have delivered many speeches that over time they’ve learned what works for them and it becomes routine.

College students are preparing for the future, which includes interviews with potential employers, a field in business or marketing or a position as a teacher.

At some point everyone will have to face public speaking whether it be a class or for a future occupation. Here are some tips to develop into a great public speaker.

An audience wants to listen to a speaker who is interesting, relaxed and comfortable. Everyone has routine conversations every day and people do not have any problems with being themselves. Yet too often, when they stands up to give a speech, something changes.

The anxiety settles in, palms sweaty, hands shaking, heart racing and thoughts of doubt creep into the mind. There is too much focus on the public and their reaction to what the speaker is saying at the expense of the actual speaking.

To develop as an effective public speaker, he or she must do the opposite. Focus on the words that you will be speaking and let go of the “public” audience listening. Think of it as a conversation between you and the audience.

If someone can carries on a casual conversation with one or two people, they can give a great speech. Whether their audience consists of two people or two hundred, and whether they’re talking about the latest internet sensation, or what they did today during class, they should be themselves.

Students should talk directly to people, make brief eye contact and make a connection with them. If the thought of looking at a member of the audience is too nerve wracking, it is helpful to scan just above their heads.

There is no direct eye contact and to the audience it appears to them that the speaker is making contact with them. Another tip is to find an object in the background whether it be a clock or a sign, find focus in that, and speak.

Effective body language can support the message and project a strong image of the speaker. Audiences pay more attention to a speaker whose body language is energetic with positive gestures. The most effective movements are ones that reflect the presenter’s personal investment in the speech.

Speakers should use their hands. They couldn’t keep them on their hips, in their pockets, or folded across their chest. Those positions could tell the audience, that the speaker is closed off and uncomfortable. The use of hands can help to emphasize a point, express emotion, release tension and help to engage with the audience.

Some of the most accomplished public speakers will make a mistake at some point. Always keep in mind that they’ll notice more than anyone in the audience. The most important action a speaker can do after making a mistake is to keep going.

Speakers should not stop and unless the mistake was truly devastating, speakers should never apologize to the audience for a minor slip or being nervous. Unless they are reading the speech while they are talking, the audience won’t know if their was a word left out, a page was skipped or if the wrong name was said or mispronounced.

For the most part, the audience will not have a copy of the speech, but if the scenario is presented in the future, continue on with speech as if a mistake never occurred.

A mistake can actually work for some speakers because it can allow for the speaker to connect with the audience. People don’t want to hear from someone who is “perfect.” An audience will relate much more easily to someone who is real and themselves.

Winners in sports, academics or politics all have a common resolute vision — they practice visualization to achieve their goals. Athletes close their eyes and imagine themselves scoring that goal, hitting that home run or breaking that record. Mathletes envision themselves finding the answers quickly and correctly. Politicians picture themselves as the next senator, mayor, or town selectman.

The same is true in public speaking. The best way to fight anxiety and to become a more composed speaker is to practice in their heads. Visualizing the speech consistently will make it a routine. The mind will become used to the idea of speaking in public, and pretty soon any feelings of anxiety can be conquered.
The goal in developing to be a great public speaker is not to be a perfect public speaker. There is no such thing. An important aspect of giving a speech is to be an effective public speaker. Like riding a bike, or hitting a baseball, it takes practice. Too often communication is taken for granted..

But when a person’s success is directly linked to how well they perform in front a group, it’s important to give the task the same attention as if they were a professional athlete. Remember, even world champion athletes practice every day.

Whatever the topic is, audiences react best when speakers personalize their diction. People like to hear about other people’s experiences whether it be achievements, failures and everyday humorous stories that make up their lives.

Whenever possible, tell stories. Include a personal-interest component in public speaking. Not only will it make your listeners warm up to the speaker and gain their attention, but it will also really help at putting the speaker at ease. It’s easier to incorporate something personal or relative to the speech that the speaker has knowledge on. Thoughts flow into words, presenting a confident speaker, which can form a great presentation.

It is always important to have a form of contact or interaction with the audience. A twist that can help to take some of the fear out of public speaking, is to shift the focus off of oneself as the speaker and move that focus toward the audience.
The objective in most speeches is not to benefit the speaker, but for the audience to benefit and take something away from the speech.

An audience can leave the speech with concepts through teaching, motivation or entertainment. As a speaker, they should think of the purpose behind the preparation and presentation. Ask the question before presenting, how can one help audience members achieve their goals, learn about a certain topic or discover something new?

One thing they may learn along the way in developing to become a comfortable public speaker is when it comes to talking in front of a crowd, less is more. Try to make the presentation a little bit shorter than anticipated. With proper preparation and taking some of this advice, as the presentation progresses, they won’t realize how quickly the time will pass as they are speaking.

It is best to leave listeners wishing they had spoken for just a few more minutes than squirming in their seats waiting for the speech to finally end. NECC offers a course on public speaking, which will teach effective construction and delivery of various types of speeches. The course concentrates on informative, persuasive, and impromptu speeches and with other types as well.

News

The Art of Winning Elections

 

Global studies professor Richard Padova watches as political analysts David Forsberg (left) and Charles Baker III (right) discuss their experiences.
Global studies professor Richard Padova watches as political analysts David Forsberg (left) and Charles Baker III (right) discuss their experiences. | NECC Observer
Politics is power, and learning how to win elections is key to survival and success in the world of U.S. politics.

The NECC Speaker’s Series continued on Wednesday, Feb. 25 when global studies professor Richard Padova introduced political analysts Charles Baker III and David Forsberg to speak on “The Art of Winning Elections.” The series began last fall when former presidential candidate Howard Dean came to speak on his political experiences on Sept. 24.

The speakers were invited to talk about their experiences on the campaign trail.

Baker is an advisor for DLA Piper, a business law firm, and a founding partner in the Dewey Square Group, a public affairs consulting group. Baker has past political experience as deputy chief secretary to former Massachusetts Governor Michael S. Dukakis, as well as being a senior advisor on national field strategy to the Gore/Lieberman campaign and the Democratic National Committee and a senior advisor on national field strategy to Kerry/Edwards campaign in 2004.

“I just kept at [politics],” said Baker. “Politics has changed a ton. We talk about this today in terms of the use of technology … back then, we still copied things on mimeograph paper. If you’d need to get a copy of a voter list you’d have to go to town hall and write it down. They wouldn’t necessarily have even the extra copies to print. It was just a very very different time.”

Forsberg is the Dean of the School of Business at Anna Maria College. He chaired Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker’s campaign and is the former Health and Human Services Secretary for Mass. He started in Worcester as a councilor and later went on to serve as the New England Regional Administrator-Regional Housing Commissioner for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. He has also served as the Chief Development Officer for Worcester.

“I ran [for city council] in 1973 and lost … and I got up the next morning and went down to city hall plaza and started campaigning for the next election, which I won,” said Forsberg about his start in politics.

“I kind of have a general rule about politics and it’s probably why I’ve kept doing it my whole life, which is, campaigns actually have to be about fun. If there isn’t joy in a campaign every day, then like you should do something else,” said Baker. “Even in the most adverse situations, I’ve always had fun in campaigns.”

“My biggest thrill was the first election that I won, to personalize it,” said Forsberg.

After Baker and Forsberg spoke about their beginnings in politics and some of their experiences, Padova opened up the floor for questions from the audience. Baker and Forsberg spoke on topics such as whether the Democrats could have done anything to win the infamously disputed Bush-Gore election of 2000, ways the state of Massachusetts education and mental health care could be improved, and each spoke about how money in politics was effecting campaigns, especially for candidates who are less wealthy and well-known.

The NECC “Movers, Shakers and Opinion Makers” Speakers Series will have its final installment on April 14 for the 150th anniversary commemoration of Lincoln’s assassination. More information will be available soon.

Contact Richard Padova at rpadova@necc.mass.edu with further questions.

Opinion

Day vs. Night Classes

 

By Kyle Benson

NECC does not only offer classes during the daytime — they also offer classes later at night for people whose schedules do not fit school during the day.

“I like night classes because I have to work in the day now, but I do miss my buds from when I was going to classes during the day,” said Matt Faia.

Faia, a former day school student, finds that students in his classes with full time jobs agree with him.

Classmate Greg Komornick said, “It really is helpful for me in my life right now. Things get hectic during the day, so I have to come at night.”

Night classes offer some of the same classes as during the day.

“I see a lot of the same classes going on here at night that were going on during the day a few semesters ago,” Faia said. “It has the same feel minus the social aspect.”

Students can sign up for night classes the same as they do for the day. In most cases, there are less days students have to come to school but with longer classes.

“The longer classes are worth it,” said Faia. “I’m definitely on the right track to getting my degree.”​

Campus Life

S.C.I.E.N.C.E Club

 

By Justin Merced

The S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Club, pronounced “science,” will soon be open to students interested in science related activities such as in ecology and conservation, microscopy, necropsy, taxidermy and many different outdoor activities.

The S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Club had its first unofficial meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 17 and plans to begin holding official meetings on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 12:30 in room E365 on the Haverhill campus. All students are eligible to join.

There are hundreds of students enrolled as science majors at NECC, but there hasn’t been a special interest group in the sciences at NECC for several years. Mary Everett, founder and president of the S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Club and a biology and writing major at NECC, took note of this issue and decided to create a club for those interested in doing practical, but fun research.

“The Science Club will be based on student interest,” said Everett, also relating that it is intended to be a place where like-minded students can get together. “The club’s goal is to get people excited about science,” said Everett. “[And] give people the ability to do things they would otherwise not be able to do.”

The things Everett was referring to are the goals and activities she has planned for the S.C.I.E.N.C.E Club, which include salamander catching, water quality testing, taxidermy (on already deceased animals), necropsies on animals to gauge the impact of humans on the ecosystem, hiking and camping.

“There isn’t any one activity I’m most excited about,” said Everett.

Daniel Roache, S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Club vice president and biology major, however, has a more centralized view on what he plans to get out of club activities.

“I’m looking forward to doing taxidermy and dissections, but I’m more looking forward to having scientific discussions,” said Roache. Roache also said the S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Club will give him a chance to “stay up-to-date” with his knowledge and understanding of the sciences while taking elective courses at NECC, which may be considered a serious issue among science transfer students.

Roache will not be returning to NECC in the fall, but said he plans to “expand the club to ensure its survival.” Everett, who will also not be returning to NECC in the fall, also plans for a great expansion.

Everett intends to become a full-time student at the UMass Lowell beginning in the fall of 2015 but hopes to create a “bridge” program or network between UMass Lowell’s science program and NECC in order to fashion more effective experiences for future S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Club members. Everett also said she intends to eventually involve the S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Club in eco-based nonprofits in the New England area.
Sarah Courchesne, who is one of two S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Club advisers, a professor of chemistry and biology at NECC, and also Mary Everett’s older sister has similar goals in regards to student and club success.

Courchesne intends to strengthen the club by providing lasting support for students, although she’d like it to mostly remain “student driven.” In regards to student success, Courchesne, who is also a doctor of veterinary medicine, said she’d like to use her connections from within the scientific research field to “get students into the science world,” meaning she’d like to assist them in reaching their career goals if interested in a profession in the sciences.

Courchesne also has a strong focus on outdoor activities, and said she is “excited to see where this leads.”

In addition, when asked about what each letter in the name “S.C.I.E.N.C.E.” stands for, Everett simply stated one would simply have to join to find out.

For more information, you can contact S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Club president Mary Everett at Mary_Everett@student.uml.edu, advisor Sarah Courchesne at Scourchesne@necc.mass.edu, or advisor Mark Clements at Mclements@necc.mass.edu.

News

Student Loan Debt

 

By Emma Bogan

The issue of student loan debt has been at the forefront of the national conversation. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren has spoken extensively about tackling student loan debt.

Last Friday, Feb. 20, Warren addressed students at UMass Dartmouth, speaking about her own humble beginnings and the need for more forgiveness within the student loan system. President Obama recently proposed a plan that would make community college free for two years to qualifying students.

Haverhill resident and graduate of UMass Lowell, Robert David, said that when he graduated in 2012, his student loan debt was “somewhere in the neighborhood of $27,000.”

As of 2015, he still owes around $24,000.

“And this is after being employed since nearly day one of graduation,” said David.
For those who cannot find a job immediately, paying off student loan debt will be much more difficult.

Community colleges like NECC have always been a more frugal option for students seeking higher education.

President Obama’s proposed plan to make two years of community college free would make community colleges even more accessible to a wider population of people. This proposal, says David, “has potential, though I suppose that would depend on the quality of education you can get in your area. I know Northern Essex is a great school, but if you don’t have strong community colleges in your area it may not be as helpful.”

NECC alumni Michael Nutter received his bachelor’s degree without accruing any debt, though he said that he had a great deal of help in this achievement. Through a combination of help from his parents, a discount due to his parents’ jobs within the Mass higher education system and his own payments into a savings account that “had been set up ages ago,” he was able to pay his way through NECC and, through NECC’s partnership with the school, UMass Lowell, without any kind of federal financial aid. However, Nutter intends to go to law school within the next four to six months and is aware that he is likely to accumulate a great deal of debt obtaining his law degree.

“I think the biggest thing to really note … is that student loans are clearly taking a toll on economic development,” said David.

David’s monthly payments are $300 to $400, which he points out is money that is doing nothing to boost the overall economy. Any contributions he could have made to the economy with that monthly payment are instead spent repaying his loans.

“And that’s from a state school,” David said. “Paying back a loan from a more expensive school would be an even larger hindrance.”