Monthly Archives: April 2015

News

Expansion on Lawrence Campus

 

“This is big news,” said NECC President Lane Glenn, referring to the upcoming expansion of the Lawrence campus. “We expect to be welcoming two new college partners.”

Having these new partners will enable students to get a bachelor’s degree in several majors right on the Lawrence campus.

Regis College, a private college in Massachusetts, will offer students a BA in nursing, public health, and health science. Lyndon State College will offer a BA in Information Technology, a BFA in Graphic Design, and a BA in Visual Communication and Music Business. This is the first time bachelor’s degrees in these majors will be available in Lawrence.
The college is also hoping to open a Regional Public Safety Center in the next few years, and are currently looking for funding for the building. According to Glenn, the facility will be a “new police center for the city of Lawrence as well as a training center for college students.”

The opening of this center would make Lawrence the “premier location for police training in the Northeast,” he said.

The Lawrence campus will be offering “more tutoring services and more developmental coursework, replicating what’s happening on the Haverhill campus,” said NECC Dean Chuck Phair. NECC hopes to create more opportunities for students at Lawrence High School to become involved with dual enrollment.

Glenn also expressed interest in rehabilitating some of the facilities themselves. “We’re hoping to renovate the Dimitry building and the library on the Lawrence campus,” he said.
The college has been working with the city of Lawrence to improve the Buckley parking garage. As part of this, increased lighting in the garage will help students walking to and from their cars feel more safe and secure.

News

Veterans at NECC

 

There are over 100 veterans and current or former military members attending classes at NECC, but many may not know that they are even around.

Veterans often carry themselves differently than the typical student by showing leadership, promoting teamwork and displaying self-discipline. However, according to a study by the U.S. Army Medical Department, student veterans and servicemembers frequently face three main challenges: having meaningful social interactions with other non-military students, adjusting to the cultural differences between military and student/civilian life and adjusting to one’s role outside of the military.

Many former military members use their professional background to the advantage of themselves and others.

“I bring life experience to the table, and (students) see that,” said Eddie Hoar, former U.S. Army service member and journalism/communication major at NECC. He followed up by saying that he had to “ease back into college life,” as the combination of his military experience and other life challenges made the transition difficult.

Hoar is also a member of NECC’s club for veterans: the Veterans and Servicepersons Organization, or VSO for short. The VSO’s mission is to provide social and cultural support to student veterans by helping to bridge the gaps related to the common struggles experienced by service members after their military service.

However, some veterans may find it difficult to adjust to student life if they don’t feel comfortable with identifying themselves as such.

“Veterans are unknown on campus,” said Cory Chambers, an Iraq war veteran, engineering science major and the vice president of the VSO. “Why is that?” he asked.

Self-identification is a key struggle across many educational institutions in regards to trying to promote a comfortable environment for student veterans and servicemembers. The aforementioned study found that many veterans may not want to identify themselves as such for many reasons, such as the fear of social stigma or wanting to put their “service behind them.” However, many of the study’s respondents also stated that student veterans’ programs “should be highly visible and promoted to encourage participation.”

“It is what they make of it,” said Veterans Services Coordinator and VSO advisor Jeff Williams, who has served for 29 years in the U.S. Army Reserves, including a combat tour to Iraq. “The administration is always so supportive. Student veterans just have to tell me what they need.”

Williams is a strong proponent of positive change for student veterans and servicemembers at NECC. His most recent accomplishment is his addition of two work study students, which will allow him to help more student veterans in a more effective manner by allowing him more time attend to more pressing issues.

Williams has also been trying to make NECC feel more welcoming for current and future student veterans by his active support in trying to appoint a private study space for veterans and servicemembers and also trying to create a specialized orientation program solely geared toward incoming students with military experience.

One of Williams’ current main goals is to make the Veterans Center more “attractive” to student veterans, meaning he’d like more people to go in to study or talk, or just to communicate their concerns.

Veterans Service is located in the Student Center on NECC’s Haverhill campus in room SC-216, and it is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursdays.

Coordinator Williams also provides support for students in Lawrence at the El Hefni building’s advising center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Work study hours may vary.

For more information, please email Veterans Services at veteransservices@necc.mass.edu or call (978) 556-3631.

Olsen, Timothy, Karen Badger, and Michael D. McCuddy. “Understanding The Student Veterans’ College Experience: An Exploratory Study.” U.S. Army Medical Department Journal (2014): 101-108. Academic Search Premier. Web. 7 Apr. 2015.​

News

Modern Middle East History Class at NECC

 

The Middle East is everywhere in today’s news media. Stories about attacks and bombings in those Middle Eastern countries, stories about the new Iranian Bill, and of course the stories involving ISIS. But do Americans fully understand what’s going on in the Middle East? Have we educated America’s youth enough to form an opinion on all these debates, and the choices our government is making as a result?

NECC offers a Modern Middle East history class which is taught by Professor Stephen Russell. It covers the history of the region, and the impact the United States and other nations have on it. It helps students understand that the problems in the Middle East started before America got involved, and allows students to see the people of the Middle East not just as Muslims or terrorists, but as everyday people, who have survived oppressive regimes, wars, and revolutions within their own country.

“I wish I knew about the middle east history class,” said NECC student Traeger Domoretsky, broadcast journalism major. Domoretsky, who is graduating NECC this spring, said “I wish someone had told me when I was a freshman coming into NECC the importance of knowing what’s going on in the Middle East. Now, being older, I listen to the news more and I hear stories about Iran and Afghanistan. I sort of understand what the newscasters are saying, but if I understood how it all began I’d feel more comfortable talking about these topics with people.”

David Peńa, a history major who is taking the Modern Middle East History class said “It’s amazing how much more to the Middle East there is besides what the media tells us.”
The media in America mainly focuses on the negative aspects of Middle Eastern politics and culture, which creates and reinforces strong prejudices in their viewers.

“The Middle East is still in the midst of their revolution,” said Peńa. “I think it’s important for students to take this class and grasp an understand of why this is all happening in the Middle East, because then maybe people wouldn’t hate on people just because they’re Muslim.”

Patrick Murphy, a Liberal Arts major, said, “I’m taking the Modern Middle East History course this semester, it has deepened my understand of what’s going on in those regions today.

He said, “People, especially the youth, need to be educated in what has happened in [the Middle East], and hopefully with that added knowledge and insight, we can begin to make the changes to help better our society for the people of all religions and races in the Arab world.”

News

NECC’s Premier Unofficial Club

 

Imagine walking up the stairs to the second floor of the Student Center to go to the bookstore, wondering just how much your educational success is going to cost you today. Your line of sight hasn’t even come in line with the top of the stairs yet when, suddenly, a wave of focus-penetrating howling and laughter shatters your train of thought, which is effectively replaced by other-worldly jargon: “I’m telling you, Duck Hunt Dog is top tier!” “Naruto should’ve ended up with Sakura instead of Hinata.” “I special summon my Cyber Soldier from the graveyard in face-down defense mode!”

You look to the area across from the bookstore and see a gaggle of often peculiarly dressed young women and men chatting away merrily, and possibly eating pizza or ramen, playing card games or reading comics or Japanese manga on the school computers.

No, you have not stumbled into enemy territory, although many may try to avoid wandering into their space as if it was. You have merely come into contact with one of NECC’s most diverse groups—one that means nobody any harm, but instead is very prone to welcoming others without question.

“I guess you can call us Team Meme Supreme,” laughed Liam Lavoie, who is a psychology major at NECC and a member of the close-knit group of friends that frequent the area across from the bookstore. A young man seated nearby playfully shouted, “Let’s make a banner!”

Lavoie continued. “Sometimes we play Super Smash Bros. (for 3DS), cards, Pokémon,” he said, pausing; and then, with an accusatory head nod and glare toward the young man seated beside him, he playfully said, “or making (Dungeons and Dragons) characters.” They laughed.

Each individual that frequently hangs out in the area had different motives and stories concerning how they ended up there, but they all continued going for one reason: friendship.

“My friends were hanging out here, so I came,” said Lavoie, who then stated that he first began hanging out there because it was once a hotspot for casual lunch conversations, and thus bonding with like-minded individuals.

Many students may not know—especially newer students—that the NECC bookstore space was once a cafeteria, and all of the current seating outside of the bookstore was once just a simple eating area for students. Many lasting ties were forged during typical lunch periods between students with similar interests, to include things like the anime and gaming cultures. Those earlier times have essentially allowed for Team Meme Supreme to thrive as well as it has.

“The thing I like about this group is that it’s so big,” said Conor Miller, who is a theater major at NECC and the hand and voice behind the blue Bad Idea Bear (which he affectionately named BB King) from the Top Notch Players’ production, Avenue Q. “We never turn anyone away,” he followed.

The size of the groups that stay in the area across from the bookstore varies greatly, and typically depends on the time and the day of the week one happens to pass by; however, regardless of their size, their presence seldom goes unnoticed.

“We’re the most diverse group on campus,” he said, and then went on to joke about how their numbers would easily trump that of any actual club or organization at NECC. Miller then went on to ponder on how he became a member of Team Meme Supreme.

“I was playing Pokémon Crystal, sitting all by myself next to a large group of people playing video games, when a guy named Mike came up and said, ‘Is that Pokémon Crystal? You should come show us!’” said Miller reminiscently. Miller has since maintained and created bonds with others with interests similar to his.

A major point of speculation from passersby is the amount of time members of Team Meme Supreme spend in their hangout spot. Some individuals have gone as far as to joke that many of those who frequent their spot aren’t even students at NECC because of the lengths of time some of them remain there.

Lavoie stated that he spends around two to two-and-a half hours per day, or about eleven hours per week just hanging out with friends in their hangout spot. Benigno “Benny” Agosto, a psychology major at NECC, who was wearing a black fedora, quickly chimed in by excitedly stating, “I think I spend double that!”

Agosto remarked on how someone had introduced him to the group on his first day at NECC.
“I kind of just wandered in and stayed,” he quipped. “The vibe was awesome, so I kept coming!”

None of the members of Team Meme Supreme seemed very concerned with what others may think of them, to include NECC’s public safety officers, who playfully refer to them as “the loud group.” More than anything, each individual from their informal organization would like their fellow students, faculty and staff, and even the security guards to know that they mean nobody any harm. Instead, they encourage others to join them or engage them in conversation whenever they’d like.

“We’re not as scary as you think,” said Agosto. “We may be loud and we may seem crazy, but we’re really cool. Walk in and we love you!” he said lastly.

As Agosto finished speaking, another affiliate of Team Meme Supreme sat down beside Agosto with a My Little Pony plush doll stuffed in through the neck of his shirt with only its head sticking out.

“It’s for intimidation purposes,” he said with a wry smile, perfectly embracing the joyfully benign spirit of Team Meme Supreme.

Regardless of one’s personal feelings toward Team Meme Supreme, the fact of the matter is that they fully intend to continue hanging out and enjoying one another’s company.
However, if one ever feels like having a joyful conversation about anything, they’d like others to know one thing: “The more the merrier!”

Arts and Entertainment

NECC’s Music Club is Ready to Expand

 

The Music Club at NECC performs music at the college for the community. According to the college website, the club creates informational music activities such as jam sessions, caroling and viewing educational music videos. Exploring the current music technology, budget and hanging around talking about music makes this club a fun place to be.

Dr. Ken Langer, Music Department Director, says, “The Music Club is beneficial to anyone who has an interest in playing or listening to music.”

Jennifer Weiss, General Studies, Music Option, 20, is President of the club and serves for the full school year. Other positions in the club include Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

Weiss said, “Our main goal is to improve the music department and grow as a whole. We want to inspire people to play and enjoy all the different aspects of music!”

Lindsey Michaud, 20, General Studies, Music Option, is Vice President of the club. This year, they have talked more about how to raise money for the music department. “We talk about how we can use that money to make improvements and how we can inform incoming students of the unique program we have at NECC.” said Michaud.

The way the club operates is completely up to the participants. “They drive the agenda and the activities,” said Langer.

Amanda Clooney, a Music and Business Major, 20, said, “The Music Club is to get people that are and are not music students to talk about what they like about music, what they want to happen in the future for the department and where they want to go with music.”

Weiss, as president, has learned how much responsibility it takes to be a leader.
“I also learned that everyone depends on you to take care of business and problems. I learned to step up and be responsible,” said Weiss.

Michaud said, “The club started in the spring, 2014. Dr. Langer told us about it during class so I decided to stay and see what it was about. Other music majors and non music majors are in the club and anyone can join no matter what their major, as long as they are an NECC student or employee.”

Clooney says her trip into the music club wasn’t exactly planned. “I knew about the club when the advisor, Professor Langer, mentioned the idea of starting one at the beginning of the spring 2013 semester, but I didn’t join until the third meeting by accident when I showed up to my following class early.”

“I love being able to meet with other people who share similar interests and goals. I enjoy the opportunity to leave an impression with this school even after I’ve graduated. It’s just another activity to do with my friends at school and we have a lot of fun with it,” Michaud said.

The music club meets at 1 p.m. every other Thursday, and all students from any major can attend.

Features

Commemorating Abraham Lincoln

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A commemoration lecture in honor of Abraham Lincoln’s death was held on April 14 in the Hartleb Technology Center. The lecture was organized by Richard Padova as a part of the third installment of the 2014-2015 Speaker’s Series “Movers, Shakes and Opinion makers,” funded by NECC and the generous contributions of Bill Heineman.

Padova was the first to speak, talking about the presidential campaign of Abraham Lincoln and how voting was done during his 1864 election.

“Voting was a little different than you’re accustomed to today. Back in the 1800’s, often times the way voting was done was the political parties would print the ballots with the names of their candidates on it so the Democratic party would print a ballot with all the Democrats on it and the Republican party would print a ballot with all the Republican candidates on it that were running, and then they would distribute these to their supporters straight to the polls on election day.”

Also Partisan papers back in the 1800’s printed pages full of ballots as well, and then voters that planned on voting would cut out a ballot and bring them to their voting place on election day,” said Padova.

Padova, an avid collector of artifacts of American history, brought on display some items from Lincoln’s presidency including a ballot, a playbill from “My American Cousin”, which is the performance Lincoln was attending when he was shot by John Wilkes Booth. There was a hand bill which alerted the public in a sort of original paper tweet about the outcome of the election.

“A lot of times when people were waiting for a paper to arrive especially in rural parts of the country, handbills were printed, sort of like the equivalent to a text alert today,” said Padova. A handbill was distributed to announce the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, which had a poem written on it, and was on display along with the other artifacts for the lecture.

“On the morning of Friday April 14, 1865, the Lincolns decided they would be attending ‘Our American Cousin’ that evening, so Mary Lincoln notified John Ford, the owner of Ford’s Theatre that the first couple would be attending the performance that evening. Ford went to a local printer and had a playbill printed with the basic information about the performance, and the playbills were circulated on the streets of D.C. as a way to gather support for the performance, and it worked and there was a full house that night,” said Padova.

The assassination of Lincoln took place at 10:15 p.m. on Friday, April 14, 1865.

Next to speak was Professor Jim Murphy from the theater department, who recited a magnificent rendition of the Gettysburg Address, with the Civil War Memorial Guard standing beside him in full uniform.

The guest speaker, Dr. Heather Cox Richardson of Boston University, MIT Suffolk, UMass Amherst, Fitchburg State University and Boston College offered her time to speak about Abraham Lincoln after the recitation of the Gettysburg Address.

She defends Mary Todd from the ridicule often associated with her spending habits and public opinion during Lincoln’s presidency.

Richardson gave very interesting insights in how Lincoln operated in the White House by bringing his poor upbringing into to discussion. She emphasized how Lincoln was a true American, in that he pulled himself up ‘by the bootstraps’ and created his own successes despite many early challenged growing up in less than ideal circumstances.

“The one thing that is interesting, and I speak about this stuff a lot, is that there is this sense — and I’m not necessarily speaking about people today, but there is this sense that they’re (slave owners) deliberately advancing the field that makes them masters of the universe,” said Richardson.

She related how although the United States no longer has slavery, the less wealthy and lower middle people on the line of poverty are in a sense shackled to corporations holding a lot of money and power in the country.

After a brief discussion with the students attending the lecture, there was an open panel discussion followed by a reenactment of Act III Scene 2 of Our American Cousin, the scene playing when Lincoln was assassinated.

Editorial

Veterans Association

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Background:
Through online research, I found that NECC is one of seven (out of a total of 15) Mass. community colleges (CC) without a private veterans area.
The nearest CCs to NECC, North Shore CC and Middlesex CC, both have particularly large veterans area, which are fully furnished with tables for studying, several computers, and a printer. NECC has a Veterans Services office that is intended for use by veterans, but it is very unaccommodating, as greater than half of it is taken up by an office cubicle (belonging to Veterans Services coordinator Jeff Williams) and other objects. The room also has windows looking out toward the NECC bookstore, which also creates an air of discomfort through a lack of privacy.
Overall, there are no socially beneficial resources for veterans at NECC. My main goal is to change that, as well as to help veterans feel proud of their service.

When did you start the petition for a space for veterans?
We, the Veterans and Servicepersons Organization (VSO), began collecting signatures for our petition in early February. We intended to do so earlier, but the school/club meeting cancellations set us back several weeks.

What type of space do you want, and do you have a space in mind at the school that may be available?
Primary goal: A place where vets can go that is centrally located on the Haverhill campus. We’d also like it to be large enough to comfortably seat around 8 people.
We had hoped to acquire half of the break room on the basement/first floor of the B building, but we recently learned that there are already plans to change it into either a computer lab or a new classroom. Another option we’ve considered is one of the smaller rooms in the library, akin to the Honors Lounge, but again, a central location is preferred for convenient access.
Interestingly, Veterans Services Coordinator Jeff Williams is in the process of acquiring a grant from an outside source that would essentially provide enough funds to furnish a new veterans study and/or recreation area.

How has your petition been going? Are you still collecting signatures?
The petition has been going well. So far, we’ve collected over 200 signatures, but don’t have an exact tally as of yet. We are still collecting signatures, and intend to do so until Bill Heineman’s semesterly open forum on the Haverhill campus, at which time we will present to him our collected signatures and make our case.

How many students are involved in getting this space?
There are five students directly involved in acquiring the space, but there is also a lot of informal support.

What is the space for?
The space would be used primarily to give past and present service members a place to study, relax, or just talk to others like them.

Let me know if you need anything else. Thanks, and take care!

Very Respectfully,
​Justin Merced, President
Veterans and Servicepersons Organization (VSO)
Northern Essex Community College
Cell: (978) 397-9313

Sports

Boston Celtics Rebuild

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Although the Boston Celtics are in contention for the eight-seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs this season, they are clearly not talented enough to make a real playoff run.

The rebuilding process that started with dealing away members of the Big Three a few years ago has certainly started off in the right direction. Boston has a bevy of draft picks and trade assets to show for all the deals. They have a lottery pick in Marcus Smart that they can move forward with. But what else do they have? Right now, it looks like they have a handful of role players and some capital that they can use in trades, free agency or the draft.

“The important thing to remember about us is that we have a long, long way to go,” said head coach Brad Stevens in an interview with Grantland.

Celtics’ general manager Danny Ainge got great value for his aging superstars when he let them go. He scored trade chips and a first-round pick for Rajon Rondo. He has drafted some solid young players all across the first round, including Smart (sixth overall), Avery Bradley (19th overall) and Jared Sullinger (21st overall). He traded for Kelly Olynyk on draft night in 2013, and just this year made a smart move to pick up point guard Isaiah Thomas from the Phoenix Suns.And it could be argued that Ainge’s most important signing was one he made in the summer of 2013 when he signed Stevens to a six-year contract to coach the team.

But although Boston appears to be moving quickly through the rebuilding process, they certainly don’t have anything that resembles a franchise-changing player. People around the team say Smart is adored and is part of the long-term future, but at this point it’s unclear how great he will be. Bradley and Thomas can certainly make an impact, but they would most likely be role players on a championship team.
“Everyone knows that to win a title you have to have your number one, two and three guys who do everything well — guys who basically do everything well,” Stevens said. “But championship teams are filled with other guys.”

Stevens was hesitant to say whether or not anyone on the current roster could be a top-three player.

“I won’t put a ceiling on any of them,” he said. “Maybe some of them hit that next level.”

Ainge feels that there are several pieces on the current team who will be part of the future.

“I think we have a handful of guys who could be (future starters),” Ainge said. “And we certainly have guys who could play some role on a championship team.”
The issue for Boston now is finding that superstar player to take the team to championship heights. While there are always superstars who force their way into a trade or into free agency, there aren’t too many big-time guys on the market in 2015. Adding to that dilemma is the fact that the Celtics generally have a poor track record attracting superstar players.

There are potential “big fish” trade targets like Kevin Love and Demarcus Cousins, but there’s no guarantee that either of those players will be available for a trade. Boston will make a push for those guys, but their other trade options are unclear if they are unsuccessful.

Young players like Draymond Green of Golden State and Jimmy Butler in Chicago are expected to get max contracts this summer, and either would be a great fit on the wing in Boston. But the Celtics still have to sell themselves to these players, something they haven’t been able to do with past star players.

This summer, it’s more likely that the Celtics will look more at players like a Greg Monroe-type, someone who they may be able to get for less than a max contract, and then load up for a run at a superstar in 2016. Kevin Durant is the biggest name in that field, but there is no indication at this time that Boston will make a run at him. But, things do change a lot in time.

“We don’t have a master plan,” Ainge said. “You just hope you have the assets when a deal comes along.”

The Celtics could also take an Atlanta Hawks-esque approach of smart free agent signings and good drafting outside the lottery. Like the Hawks, the Celtics have a great young coach in Stevens, and they are in a position to take the same path Atlanta took this season.

In this case, Boston could retain many of their current players, including guys like Jae Crowder and Tyler Zeller, and still make move in free agency.
“We will be very active in free agency,” Ainge said.

It is clear that the Celtics have started off their rebuild on the right path. They are contending for the playoffs sooner than they thought and they have a host of young talent on the roster. But Ainge’s work is not done yet. He will have to make some significant improvements to the team if they want to be back in title contention in the near future.

Ainge needs a superstar. If he can’t get one, the Celtics could get stuck in the awful cycle of being just good enough to stay out of the lottery but not good enough to contend for a championship.

That will make the next two summers very interesting for Celtics fans.

News

NECC to Commemorate Abraham Lincoln

 

NECC will commemorate the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln 150 years later on Tuesday, April 14 at the Hartleb Technology Center, Room 103A on the Haverhill campus.

The program will run from 9:15 a.m. to about 12:30 p.m. with a variety of events, which are free and open to the public. This program is part of the 2014 – 2015 Speakers’ Series, “Movers, Shakers and Opinion Makers,” that is supported by the NECC Fund as well as Academic and Student Affairs.
Activities include the following:
-9:15 a.m.: Opening ceremony will be held with a welcome from President Lane Glenn, remarks on Lincoln by Richard Padova and a reading of the Gettysburg Address by Theater Professor Jim Murphy.
-9:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.: Guest speaker Dr. Heather Cox Richardson, Professor of History at Boston College, an expert in 19th century America and the Civil War and the author of five books about American politics, will give a presentation entitled “Abraham Lincoln and the Meaning of America.”
-10:45 a.m. to noon: A panel discussion featuring Professors Stephen Russell (“The Merrimack Valley in the Civil War”); Andrew Morse (“Lincoln and the Legislature”); and Thomas Greene (“Stake of the Union: Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter”) will be held.
-noon: A staged reading of Act 3, Scene 2 of “Our American Cousin” will be held, followed by a moment of silence and conclusion of the activities.
-9:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: A special display of Lincoln-related items from Richard Padova’s private collection will be available for viewing, which include a ballot that was cast in Ohio for President Lincoln’s re-election on November 8th, 1864; a playbill for “Our American Cousin” that was printed on the morning of April 15th, 1865 and circulated on the streets of Washington, DC to drum up ticket sales, after Mary Todd Lincoln informed John Ford that she and the president would be attending that evening’s performance at Ford’s Theater; and a handbill that was printed announcing Lincoln’s assassination with a memorial poem written by George DeWolfe, the Wandering Poet, of Nashua, N.H.

For more information, contact the organizer, Richard Padova, faculty member in the Global Studies Department at 978-556-3297 or rpadova@necc.mass.edu.

News

Service Learning at NECC

 

“Service learning is beneficial to both faculty and students,” said NECC Service Learning Coordinator Paula Richards. Service learning is a type of education that incorporates relevant and meaningful community service, offering enhancement to in-class learning by giving students the opportunity to use their newfound skills in real life.

“Service learning is tied to the objectives of a course,” said Richards. “Sometimes students and faculty might get a little bit nervous thinking that it’s a lot of extra work, but it’s actually not an add-on. It’s integrated right into the course.”

Sam Rahiminejad, a computer science graduate from NECC, took the ESL (English as a Second Language) Advanced Writing class in the fall of 2013. Service learning was incorporated into that class by having the students visit Emmaus House to talk to people about their experience there. Students would interview the people at Emmaus House and then write a research paper on homelessness and human loss.

“It was really helpful,” said Rahiminejad. “It improved my self-confidence.”

“I would definitely recommend this to all faculty to incorporate into their classes if possible, and certainly to get students involved,” said Professor Marc Mannheimer, who teaches an Introduction to the Creative Experience class.

The class is for people who plan to be social workers or drug and alcohol counselors, giving them an overview of how the arts can be used therapeutically.

“I am partnered with the Haverhill Boys and Girls Club. My students spend at least 10 hours over the course of the semester there working on various projects, seeing how the things that we’ve been studying in class relate to what goes on at the Boys and Girls’ Club and working with the kids there,” said Mannheimer.

Professor Amy Cameron has her students in the ESL Advanced Listening and Speaking class at NECC involved in service learning this semester as they visit a local assisted living home, Haverhill Crossings. The students visit Haverhill Crossings four times, four weeks in a row, during the semester. This will be the second time the students in this class have had the opportunity to use skills learned in the class in a real life experience.

The main goal of the class is to improve confidence with speaking, listening and understanding the English language. During this time they work on a biography interview project that will help them to develop their English skills. Although the project is mainly to help the students learn, the seniors enjoy getting to interact with the students and answer their questions for the project.

“Students get a chance to practice speaking English with a native speaker,” said Cameron.

“This is a really good opportunity to practice in a natural setting.”
The first visit is an introductory visit to help the students and the seniors to get to know each other.

The next two visits are used for interviewing. The students are matched up with seniors who have chosen to be involved with the service learning project and interview them about different seasons of their life. Asking the questions and writing down the seniors’ answers helps them to practice English. Many of the seniors were more than happy to help the students with any pronunciation or grammatical issues they had as they were interacting.

At the last visit, the students give the seniors they interviewed a framed picture with the summary of the seniors’ answers on the different seasons of their life. The seasons are split into spring, summer, fall and winter, following from their early childhood years to their senior years.

“Last semester when I did this project, the seniors were really excited and grateful for the gifts we gave them at the end,” said Cameron. Two of the seniors cried upon receiving the gift at the last visit.

“I was impressed with how meaningful the project was,” said Cameron. Even after the project ends, some students choose to return to Haverhill Crossings as volunteers. While most students had a negative feeling about it before starting the project, they “ended up having a positive feeling after,” said Cameron.
For more information on how to get involved in service learning at NECC, you can contact Paula Richards at prichards@necc.mass.edu.