Daily Archives: October 21, 2015

Features

Student Leader Conference

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Student Leaders from across Mass. and N.H. gathered at the Four Point Sheraton in Wakefield on Oct. 15 and 16 for the Community College Student Leaders Association

Conference. The theme of the conference was “Recipe for Success,” with Johnny “Cupcakes” Earle as the keynote speaker. Earle is the owner of a popular Johnny Cupcakes brand T‐shirt line. Earle spoke about how he started his business sense when he was a young child, all the way up to the success of his T‐shirt line that is popular worldwide.

Cupcakes said, “The best advice I can give you is to be original and give out gifts at your events.” He also suggested that students hit up local business because they love to advertise without having to pay for it.

Jasmine Polanco, a Criminal Justice major, introduced Earle and was shocked by how funny he was. Polanco said, “He has a great sense of humor. As soon as I met him, he played a trick on me.”

As the conference progressed, the students were given the options of two seminars to attend. They could choose from “Financial Advising,” “Ice Breakers” and “Am I Listening?,” among others. In the “Financial Advising” seminar, students listened and spoke about ways of managing their money as they get older. In the “Am I Listening?” seminar students learned about what it is to actively listen.

Nate Miller, a Theatre major, said, “The ‘Ice Breakers’ seminar really helped me to come out of my shell for the rest of the conference. I started to talk to everyone and made so many new people from across the area.” Miller was spotted talking to many people. Students were heard saying, “He is so nice, what a friendly guy.” Miller said, “I really enjoyed the conference. It boosted my confidence.”

After the seminars ended, the student leaders were treated to a dinner. They had a short awards ceremony to honor some of the student leaders who have went above and beyond their call of duty. One of the recipients started a laptop fund for students who could not afford a laptop.  The student leaders were then entertained all night with many different activities.  Karaoke and dancing were the most popular.  Polanco and Miller did a “Frozen” duet together. They had the entire crowd watching. Victoria Gonzalez, a Business Management student, said, “I could not help but smile when they were singing their song. Everyone started to sing right along with them.”

The next day encompassed the closing ceremonies, where Earle arrived to speak again. He reinforced his early message about making events exciting and how, according to his experience, a “recipe for success works.” Earle let students know that anything is possible, and that anything can be successful just by having fun.  Students got together to do a civic engagement project. They created blankets for cancer patients at a local hospital. The blankets were created with only two large pieces of fabric and a pair of scissors. They made a few cuts, tied some knots and the blankets were done. They created 54 blankets in total as a group.

Campus Life, Features

Community College Life

 

By Andrea Davis

Many students who attend community college feel that their college experience varies greatly from those students who attend a university. It’s no secret that dorm life plays a huge role in a college student’s experience. When someone hears the word “college,” they might think of red Solo cups, bonding with roommates, and fraternity parties until 2 a.m. Community colleges do not provide that aspect of “college life.” Social events play a major role in our college years as well as various academic advances. Many students at Northern Essex Community College feel that they are less likely to participate in school events because of this.

Only about 28 percent of community college students will graduate within three years, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Those who graduate take five years to complete their degrees. This is because real life tends to get in the way.

“I work 40 plus hours a week, have a two ­year­ old son, and am enrolled in five classes this semester,” said Kaitlyn Garrison, a Nursing major. “In previous semesters I have only taken one or two courses at a time, because it is simply all that I could handle at once. I think that if I were to live away at school it would be easier for me to complete my degree on time. . . The majority of my friends who are away at school do not have to work. They have more time to study and focus on their studies. I have other obligations that tend to slow me down, and I think that is true for a lot of other people as well.”

Community college used to have a reputation of being much less academically serious than traditional 4 ­year universities. This has dramatically changed in recent years, as academic standards have increased, as have the qualifications of the professors.  “Community colleges really have a stigma to them, and they always have. People thinkthat we aren’t as smart as those who go to ‘real colleges.’ I think that is stupid. I work just as hard as anyone else does.” said Alexandria DeLotto, a Public Health major. “After high school, I felt

ashamed that I wasn’t going off to a big school like my other friends. I was embarrassed that community college was my only option for an education. That is definitely not the case for me anymore.”

“I went to UMass Amherst for a semester and life was extremely different than it is here. It’s a lot easier to make friends and the classes seem to be less awkward. I think that is because everyone is the same age,” said Nicole Keene, a Public Health major. “Everyone knew when major school events were happening because everyone talked to each other.

“Also, a lot of people think that community colleges are easier, workwise, and that is very far from the truth. The work is consistent and the material we cover is ultimately the same, the environment is what truly makes it so different.”

NECC offers several different clubs, sport teams, group events, and seminars that a lot of students are unaware of.

“I had no idea that we had a gym at Northern Essex. I did not even know that we even had any sports teams,” said Zach Mckallagat, a criminal justice major. “I did not think there were sports teams offered at community colleges. That shows how much school spirit I have. I think that NECC could do a better job with promoting these types of things. It is a small school, but there’s still a lot of people here that would like to participate but haven’t gotten the chance to.”

“Community college is an amazing thing. It provides students with the tools they need to move onto a 4 ­year school. Not everyone has tens of thousands of dollars to go off to a big school right after high school. I sure didn’t,” said Amanda Atchley, a Psychology major.  “Northern Essex has given me a chance at a brighter future and I couldn’t be happier with the time I spent here.”

News

A New Writing Club

 

By Ashley Torres

At NECC, there are many clubs and activities for students to participate in, but writing is one particular area not yet covered by them. Abraham Anavisca is a Writing major who thought of a way to get writers together and share their ideas, so they can learn from one another: a writing club.  He is still going through the process of getting the all of the paperwork done, but looks forward to being able to get started soon.

“As soon as things are done then I will start making the schedules,” he said.

Tentatively, the club is planning to meet once or twice a month in the afternoon.  The club would be based on fiction writing and focus on building characters.  Professor Tom Greene will be the club advisor, which a huge plus considering his extensive background in literature.

Courtney Hanson is also majoring in Writing. She is on board with the club and sees it as a way to help improve one’s writing skills while using other students’  critiques. She mentioned how it is a different learning experience to hear what students have to say than to hear it from professors.

If you are a writer who occasionally has trouble putting all your thoughts and ideas together, then this might be a great opportunity for you. Benefiting from the critiques of other writers is one thing, but getting to interact with other people with the same interests is also a solid way to invest your time in the NECC community.

 

Arts and Entertainment

Lack of Film Classes at NECC

 

By Abraham Anavisca

While NECC offers a wide range of studies in the arts, there don’t seem to be many classes offered on the medium of film.  Professors Stephen Slaner in the Global Studies Department and Ellen Yarborough in the Department of English are both qualified to teach film. Unfortunately, their willingness to teach is not enough on its own.

“Film classes aren’t being filled,” said Yarborough. “Eight to 10 students don’t make a class. It’s not fiscally responsible for the school.”

Yarborough pointed out that when classes get cancelled it can really disrupt students’ schedules.  Chris Tetreault, a current student majoring in Multimedia, knows firsthand how troubling it can be.

“The Motion Picture class I signed up for was cancelled, because not enough students signed up for it,” he said.

Those who speak about the lack of film courses offered, like Yarborough, say not enough students are interested in film for NECC to invest in it. The equipment needed for the classes would be very expensive.  While there aren’t any classes directly part of a film major, there are plenty of classes that incorporate the medium in some way: Prof. Meredith Gunning, in the Global Studies Department, teaches Philosophy Through Film; Slaner runs History Through Film; Yarborough has her Art of Movies class; and there’s even a Screenwriting class taught by Professor Ginger Hurajt.

Students interested in film study do have options — but some students like David Snyder, a Liberal Arts Major, have no idea these classes are even offered. Snyder said he had no knowledge of these courses until a fellow student told him.