Monthly Archives: October 2015

Opinion

The Benefits of Planned Parenthood

 

Margaret Sanger was the founder of an organization called the “American Birth Control League,” which provided safe birth control options for women. In 1942, the name was changed to Planned Parenthood and expanded their services to include much more than birth control.

Today, Planned Parenthood is a non-profit organization that is partially funded by the federal government. In addition to birth control and abortions, Planned Parenthood offers women’s health education, mammograms and pap smears, as well as STD/STI tests.

Planned Parenthood has been receiving negative attention lately because an anti-abortion group posted a video of Deborah Nucatola who is the senior director of the organization. The video showed Nucatola talking about how the organization sells fetal tissue and organs for profit but never specified where the profit is coming from. I found the video to be very inappropriate because not only was Nucatola unaware that she was being filmed, but also because there is evidence that the video was doctored.  It is accurate that Planned Parenthood sells tissue and organs for scientific research, but it is done legally and not for profit. Even in light of questions about the legitimacy of the video, some politicians are threatening to defund Planned Parenthood, using the argument that all life is sacred and that life begins at conception. Absent from this argument is the practice of fertility clinics who routinely destroy embryonic tissue.

Hannah Heckman-McKenna is a theater major at NECC and she feels strongly about the function that Planned Parenthood serves. “Regarding fetal tissue… I must say that anybody freaking out about this is clearly unaware of how important fetal tissue can be in research. The vast majority of us have benefitted from something that used fetal tissue in testing and development. Many vaccines, including that for polio and rubella, relied on fetal tissue. Even those refusing vaccines, instead relying on herd immunity, have fetal tissue research to thank for not contracting these horrific ailments. Beyond vaccinations, fetal tissue is used in developing treatments for AIDS, cancer, diabetes, and spinal cord injuries,” she said.  

As a woman, I think it would be wrong to defund Planned Parenthood over a video that isn’t even completely accurate. Planned Parenthood provides necessary services that are beneficial to women because of the services that they provide for a reasonable cost. Women can go to Planned Parenthood and either have insurance cover the expenses or they can apply for free services through the Family Planning Benefit Program.

“Other than abortion, it provides mammograms for cancer screening, pap smears and birth control. If a person really wants to prevent abortions, birth control is really the only way, so I don’t understand why this is even an issue. My mother went to Planned Parenthood when she got pregnant with my older sister to confirm the pregnancy and get started with her prenatal care. They do a lot of good in a lot of different ways. This apparent desire to keep women under the control of men through our reproductive rights and our desire to find cancer … it is getting extremely tiresome,” said Heckman-McKenna.

Sports

Cross Country Program

 

The cross country program was revived earlier this semester when Athletic Director Sue MacAvoy hired Thom Bradley to coach and bring in students to the team. The recruiting process started off slow, but one student has been there from the start.

Jared Shepard was the lone NECC runner for the first two meets of the season, this being his first year of organized cross country. Unfortunately, during the second meet, Shepard got injured.

“My first meet I ran a 30:56 (5 miles) and my second meet I improved to a 30:10. I actually sprained my ankle about 4 miles into that race, and have been having problems with my leg since then, so I am unable to run right now,” Shepard said.  Shepard is staying in high spirits though, looking forward to running again.

“The day of the meet I have a big breakfast; a few eggs, bacon, some fruit, et cetera. I drink a lot of water, from the time I wake up until the time I run I probably have 4 or 5 bottles, and a few more after I run. I stretch for 15 to 20 minutes, then do some jogging and running to loosen and warm myself up. Right before the race starts I do a few sprints and then I line up and we go,” Shepard said.  Sue MacAvoy has only good things to say about Shepard and his efforts.

“Jared Shepard is trying to get this program off the ground, is attending practices daily and even runs in the President’s running club on his own time to get a little extra workout in and promote the team on campus,” MacAvoy said.  Since Shepard got injured, three more runners have been added to the team.

“Thankfully, more people signed up. I ran the first two meets by myself, but now there are two girls, Sarah and Leah, and another guy, Austin, who is a very talented runner and Spartan Racer. We have a great team and we all get along well when we’re together,” said Shepard.  The 3 new runners all had impressive debuts. Austin Thiele ran 32:38 in his 8K race. Leah Finnegan ran 28:29 and Sara Wullf ran 32:50 in their 5K race.

The team has two meets left in the season, one on Oct. 1 and the other on Nov. 7. Shepard hopes to get healthy soon to start running again, but if he can’t finish the season he will be looking forward to spring when he takes on the track season, another program NECC has recently revived.

 

Campus Life, Features

Benefits of the Tutoring Center

 

Lynne Nadeau, the Director of Tutoring Services at NECC, says the Tutoring Center is a great place to come if you’re having trouble with your classes.

“The center is a great resource for students who may need extra help in many different subjects such as math, science, writing, reading, business, computer science and accounting,” she said. “It offers English as a Second Language help, which is excellent if you’re a student who needs help learning the English language or a student who just wants to sharpen their English skills … the ESL Center can provide you with the help you need.”

Students who are concerned with paying a fee for all the services that the tutoring center has to offer need not worry. The services are free for all NECC students.

The tutors helping students are all qualified and professional. They consist of professional tutors, faculty from NECC and even students. The students at the Tutoring Center help their peers succeed in classes that they themselves have excelled at.

Becoming a student tutor has some benefits. First, you get paid for your tutoring services, which can be extra income for students who need some money. Second, you get to help students who are currently struggling with a class and make a difference in their academics. However, it is important to mention that the writing center consists of professional tutors only, no peer tutors.  Students who are interested in tutoring can speak to Nadeau — her office is located in the C building, C200A.

Students who don’t have time to come by the tutoring center but are currently enrolled in online classes can also access the benefits of the tutoring center. Smarthinking is an online tutoring service, with access to all the same resources found at the NECC campus.

Margaret Pothier, an NECC faculty member who works in the Tutoring Center, offers advice about the best time to take advantage of services.

“It can get busy in here. The best time to come by is mid-morning, around 10 or 11 a.m.”

The tutoring center’s schedule varies depending on the subject or amount of faculty available, so make sure that you check the times the center is open on the website.

NECC’s Lawrence campus also has a tutoring center as well. The center in Lawrence was recently expanded as part of a larger campus renovation.

“Students who want to avoid the crowd at the Lawrence Tutoring Center should go during the day, as it gets busier at night,” said Pothier.

“By coming into the Tutoring Center, you receive help from knowledgeable people and have the chance to improve greatly as a student,” said Joe Scascitelli, a faculty member who works in the math lab.  “There is an open door policy at the tutoring centers. Students who come in will be in a comfortable, laid back environment and be helped by experienced tutors with strong knowledge in their subject areas.”

Campus Life, Features

NECC Haverhill Transfer Day

 

Northern Essex hosted its annual transfer fair on Wednesday, Oct. 14.

Rosalie Catalano, transfer and academic advisor at NECC, says that the event was held in hopes of drawing in a crowd of at least 100 students for the 58 colleges in attendance. This year they exceeded 100 attendees and it drew a crowd twice the size of last year’s.   NECC holds the fair to bring representatives from four-year schools all over New England to campus to answer students’ questions and concerns.  Justin Anderson, academic advisor for University of Massachusetts Boston in Allston, Mass., said he fielded questions about online courses, tuition and housing.  Alexandra Parker, assistant admissions director at Emerson College in Boston, said that most students came to her table seeking information on programs. She said she picked and champions Emerson because of the “opportunities” on and off campus and the scholarships they offer.  Emily Buckow, academic advisor from Curry College in Milton, Mass., said that students who came over to her table asking about the programs they offer. There are 21 total programs to choose from at Curry. They handle anywhere from 350 to 400 transfers every year.

“It’s great to have a conversation with the students,” said Buckow of her fondness of college fairs. Buckow noted that she could not speak for the other representatives, but said that she is a “direct connection” for students in the transfer process.

Kristopher Schooner, second-year Theater major, is looking at “so many places.” Among his picks are New York University-Tisch, Boston Conservatory, University of New Hampshire, Plymouth and Emerson.

“It is definitely difficult,” said Schooner about transferring as a Performing Arts major. Schooner explained that not all conservatories accept all transfer credits. He never thought he would have started out at a community college but after being declined from 14 colleges out of high school, his high school management teacher gave him college vouchers. Schooner spent a semester at Manchester Community College but was unhappy and unfulfilled with the lack of a performing arts program. Last January, Schooner said he had an “a-ha!” moment that led him to NECC.

“The performing arts classes here help me build on my skills,” said Schooner, who hopes to get all of his general education classes out the way before transferring. His only worry: “Is this program going to adequately prepare me for moving to New York to be a performer?”

“I feel like I’ve been redoing senior year of high school,” said Schooner, “with a college course load.”

Nina Cabral, third-year Dance major, was a little disappointed when she attended the college fair.

“None of the schools have dance programs,” said Cabral, who spoke to representatives at UNH, Dean College and Salem State but wasn’t floored by any of their propositions. Her eye is set on University of North Carolina School of Arts. She said she’s auditioned there before and gotten in twice. When she goes out on her auditions, she makes sure to check all the boxes including “school opportunities” because she doesn’t want to miss out on anything.

Cabral said, “I have to stop limiting myself to my zipcode,” and decided she will be applying to Juilliard and Boston Conservatory along with UNCSA.  Cabral, who was homeschooled until college, has never applied to a four-year school before. She worries about her credits transferring and having to be in school for too much longer.

“I’m doing something, but I’m wearing a blindfold,” she said of the application process and the accompanying uncertainty.

Rami Saleh, second-year computer engineering major, is a student taking advantage of MassTransfer to UMass Lowell.  Saleh moved to America in November of 2013 from Lebanon. After transferring his life from one country to another, Saleh thinks transferring schools should be “so easy.”

“I went to one school in Lebanon,” said Saleh who was new to the concept of different grade level schools when he moved to America. He chose UMass Lowell for its convenience. For all other students, like Schooner and Cabral, concerned with transfers, Catalano said, “We are constantly tweaking to make sure that things transfer.”

Sports

Nowinski Coming to NECC

 

Former professional wrestler and Harvard University graduate Christopher Nowinski will be coming to NECC’s Haverhill campus on Wednesday, Oct. 21, to educate and promote awareness on sports-related concussions.  Nowinski worked as a wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment from 2001-2003. He won the WWE Hardcore Championship twice, becoming the youngest Hardcore Champion in the company’s history. Playing sports in college and wrestling, Nowinski was surrounded by concussions all the time, whether he was getting them or watching friends suffer from them.

After his wrestling career, Nowinski went on to publish “Head Games: Football’s Concussion Crisis” in Oct. 2006, which looked at the effects of head trauma among athletes. Many NFL players and wrestlers took part in the book. It became so popular that is was made into a documentary.  Nowinski has made appearances on ESPN and CNN to talk about his book and is now coming to NECC to talk more in-depth about long-term head trauma and concussions. He will be in the Hartleb Technology Center at 7 p.m. with a 60 minute presentation and a question-and-answer period afterwards. The event is free and open to the public.

For additional information contact Carolyn Knoepfler, PhD, NECC’s assistant dean of math and science at 978-556-3541 or cknoepfler@necc.mass.edu.

 

Features

Curly Hair is Back

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After years of grueling hair-straightening regimens, NECC students are saving precious time by unplugging their flat-irons and embracing their natural curls.

“I save at least an hour when I wear my hair curly,” said NECC student Ana Guerra. “I would have to straighten it the night before and then re-straighten some of it in the morning.”

NECC student Constantine Photis fully supports his classmates to go natural. “If you were born with curly hair that conforms to the rest of your head and body, let it be curly. Just let it be,” he said.

Hairstyle trends seem to have a major shift every decade or so, making it difficult for some to give up their beloved mullets, poufy bangs or faux-hawks. However, today’s college students are on the cusp of an “anything goes” time for hair.  The ’70s gave us the feathered look of teen idol David Cassidy and Cher’s iconic, pin-straight look which was almost impossible to achieve at home — unless you trusted a family member to literally iron your hair on the ironing board in the kitchen. Keep in mind that the styling tools we use today were not stocked at the corner store.  By the end of the ’70s, the unisex Afro became a popular and highly sought after style. However, unless you were born with natural curls, the methods used to create the look were a lot more dangerous than a hot metal plate and involved strong chemicals.

Ah, yes. The perm. Although the wife of inventor Charles Nessler often had her hair accidentally burned off by his early, failed attempts, his cold-wave method for permanently altering the hair was a major trend throughout the ’80s (especially for “hair bands” like Bon Jovi) and is still used today.  Although Jon Bon Jovi’s music career survived the ’90s and beyond, perms started to fizzle out and with the release of 1995’s movie Clueless. Actress Alicia Silverstone had young women chasing after smooth, straightened locks. This trend that lasted 20 years and is finally on its way out.

Unfortunately, the media has had a tremendous influence on how people style their hair. NECC student Bianca Mercado is proud to wear her naturally curly on campus but has experienced emotional distress in the past over having curly hair due to constant images of smooth-haired “beauty” flooding TV and movie screens. “I was always so concerned with fitting in,” said Mercado.

Whether you feel that you need an invitation or not, with trendsetting celebrities like Beyoncé and Bradley Cooper showing us their au natural selves, some may find it easier to try to new things.  Professional hairstylist Jess Hamilton of Haverhill offered some helpful tips for students who want to sport their naturally curly hair on campus.

“Moisturizing products are essential for eliminating frizz and you’ve got to trim those ends at least every six weeks,” she said.

 

Campus Life

COG Involves Community in Fundraiser

 

By Carly Colombo

NECC’s Community Outreach Group, also known as COG, is holding a bake sale Oct. 28 in the Spurk building lobby from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Proceeds from the sale will benefit breast cancer patients at Holy Family Hospital.

“We’re trying to create more events open to the public outside our club,” said COG Secretary Nicholas Stuart.  Unlike previous bake sales, this sale gives contributors a chance to win 2 “SCREEEMFEST” tickets (good through Oct. 30) at Canobie Lake Park in Salem, N.H. An item must be bought from the bake sale, then users must take a picture with one of the club members dressed in a costume, and post it to Facebook with #COG to enter.

“We want others to see what we’re about and what we do by getting more people involved,” said COG President Lisa Pasho. Kayla Mignanelli, COG’s treasurer, explained that breast cancer patients at Holy Family don’t have anything to keep them busy while going through hours of chemo. “They don’t even have a TV,” she said.

The club has held bake sales and other events in the past to raise money for animal shelters, veterans and other causes in the area. The meetings and events are run completely by students.  With more events involving the public, the club hopes it will make a bigger impact on the amount of money raised and student participation. The team is always accepting new members if students want to join. Meetings are held every Monday at 12 p.m. in C116.

“It gives you a sense of meaning and connection in an otherwise somewhat isolated community college environment,” said COG Vice President Paul Kelly.

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.