Students have a new place to find a quiet place to focus

A new quiet student area is available for NECC students’ use. The area is in the second floor of the Behrakis One-Stop Student Service Center (Student Center). The space was once occupied by Academic Advising; which has since been moved to the first floor of the Behrakis One-Stop Student Service Center.

Vengerflutta Smith, director of student life and student conduct administrator said, “The area is currently available for students to use as a quiet study area.” She said that there will also be more areas created for students to study and get work done on the Haverhill campus, like another computer lab for

students to use. “The area will be available for students to use during the hours of The Office of Student Life. These hours are Monday to Thursday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday’s noon to -4:30 p.m.” Smith said.

The tables in the area can be moved to best suit a group or to make independent study more comfortable. There are also small cubicles in the area that students can use.

Stephanie Haskell Coordinator of Student Activities for Leadership and Social Justice Initiatives said “I have recently used this space to meet with members of the chapter to host multiple make-up NSLS Orientation sessions.  I choose this space to use for these sessions as I was only meeting with 3-6 students each session, and there was not anyone currently studying in the space at the time.” Haskell also added that it is a quiet spot on campus that is currently not very popular and there are less distractions while studying.

The area has high glass ceilings that provide natural light and make the Area more open and calming. Whether it is a sunny, rainy or snowy day there is plenty of natural light going in. Jennifer Carty a student at NECC gave her opinion of the area and said “with the pictures I saw of the space, I found it really refreshing to have glass ceiling. I think if I have a mental block it would be nice to just look up for a little break.” The quiet area is conveniently located in the same floor as the book store, students can buy snacks if they get hungry while studying. Haskell and Smith both said that this space will be available for students to use for studying during another “Late Knight Study Sesh: Finals Edition” on Monday, Dec. 10 and Tuesday Dec. 11 until 10 p.m.

NECC students discuss the benefits of attending a Community College

Every now and then you may hear others talk poorly about community college and maybe label it as a type of school people go to when they weren’t smart enough to get accepted into a four year college right away. This in fact is not true.

According to scholarships.com, the biggest reason most people attend community college is because of cost of tuition.

When you attend a community college you get those first two years out of the way for a lot cheaper than what it would be to do your first two years at a university. Therefore when you finish at a community college and transfer, you’re only having to pay for two years versus four. A former Northern Essex student, Moesha Murray, just recently transferred to Umass Lowell.

“Attending Northern Essex first and then transferring was my best option,” Murray said. “I was able to save money and get my first 2 years out of the way.”

Just like Murray, this is what many community college students’ goals are.Another reason why people attend community college is because it has a flexible schedule. Although at a four year college you are able to register for the classes you want, their class schedules aren’t always as flexible as a community colleges.

Community colleges typically offer far more night classes than universities and they also have more schedule options. So, for someone who is trying to attend school but also need to work a full time job, going to community college makes it a bit more easier for them to do so.

A Northern Essex nursing major, Glorinette Calderone says, “ I definitely don’t think I would be able to attend a university right now on top of working my full time job. The thing about Northern Essex is that as long as I go early enough, I can almost pick out my whole entire schedule and get the class times that I need so that I can still continue to work my full time job.”

Lastly, attending a community college is good for students who graduate high school and still don’t really know what they want to do for the rest of their lives.

Instead of spending thousands of dollars at a university studying something that you’re not really sure of, its better to go to a community college because you are able to explore majors and hopefully find something that you love and that you want to continue an education of at a university.

Because community college classes cost less, you are able to explore more and take on different kind of classes and find your passion.

A Northern Essex liberal arts major, Maura McCarthy said, “Attending community college was what was best for me because I truly had no idea what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I was always so overwhelmed with having to try and pick something so i decided to attend Northern Essex and explore my options. I take a variety of different classes and it helps me find what I do like and what I don’t like.”

Community colleges benefit students in many different ways and luckily, there are plenty of them around.

The rush for classes in the Spring semester have begun in earnest

It is now time for students to register for Spring 2018 classes at NECC. Online classes and winter intersessions are also open for registration. Spring semester starts Jan 21 and winter intersessions begins Jan 2 and end Jan 25. Winter intersessions are classes that are condensed to fit between fall and spring semesters.

“This next semester will be the first time I’m taking a winter intersession course. I’m looking forward to it because it’ll help me fulfill my credits a little bit faster,” says Aaron Lehner, a journalism and theater major.

The courses are a great way to catch up on credits or as an alternative to a full semesters class time. All forms of classes will fill up quickly so be sure to meet with your adviser to help you get registered. To find your designated adviser, log into your MyNECC account, click on the  “My Information” tab, then select “Look Up My Advisor.”

Once you’ve met with your advisor, you can either register online or in person. If you can register online, you’ll need to use the Self-Service on your MyNECC account. According to the school website, “most students who have earned 12 credits or more and have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 may register for classes using Self-Service”. See a list of exempt programs on the school website.

To register in person, do so through an adviser, or go directly to the Student Center Building. On the first floor of the student center, there are staff members ready to help with student services or financial aid. After looking at your account, you’ll be informed if you can either register immediately, if any holds on your account prevent you from registering, or if you’ll need to take any additional actions before you can register. It’s possible you’ll need a copy of your transcript so be sure to ask if one is necessary. After you’re all ready to go, you’ll receive a registration form at the counter. You can then go directly to the One-Stop Career and Advising Center, conveniently on the first floor as well, and register for classes!

Registering in person at NECC is quite easy. The staff is very knowledgeable and great at helping you navigate your courses. They’ll work with you to make a class schedule that fits in your time frame. They want to see everyone finish, but they never push you to take more than you can handle in one semester.

Heather McGovern, psychology major, prefers registering in-person. She says “I definitely think the staff is helpful. It’s a pain when classes fill up because they fill up so quickly”.

The fall semester is drawing to an end and spring is quickly approaching. This is an exciting time as this spring might be the final semester for some of our graduating students.

NEADS to give presentation on the value and service of assistance dogs

Dogs are man’s best friend and can provide life changing services. An information session about NEADS and service dogs was held on November 14 in room SC 106 on the Haverhill campus. Kevin Lambert, an NECC alum and veteran, spoke to students to staff about how service dogs can impact people’s lives. According to Lambert, NEADS is an organization that pairs service dogs with people who need them. They have matched over 1,700 dogs and individually train them to perform tasks for an individual with a disability. “Service dogs give people independence and allow them to travel to places they might not be able to before,” Lambert said. Service dogs can help people in many different ways. They can alert people who are deaf if their keys fall while they are shopping. They can help calm someone down if they are having a panic attack. They can also alert others if the person is hurt or in danger.

        According to the NEADS website, NEADS was started in 1976. They are one of two “Assistance Dog International” certified service dog programs in Massachusetts. The average cost of a service dog from when they are a puppy to when they are matched with a client is around $42,000. “We ask that clients pledge about $8,000, not out of pocket. It’s okay if you can’t pay that money, we just want to see that you are trying,” Lambert said. Veterans don’t have to pay for their service dogs. “Once your dog retires or passes away, we will replace it” Lambert added.

NEADS offers six different service dog programs their website said. Service dogs and facilitated service dogs for children assist people who have physical disabilities. They might need help picking up stuff or opening doors. These dogs are trained to open doors, retrieve objects from tables, and even switching on and off light switches. Hearing dogs assist people who are deaf or have some hearing loss. They can alert the person when the phone is ringing or if someone is calling the person’s name. Social dogs for children can assist children from ages 8-16.

The child might have a developmental disability like autism. These dogs are trained to match the needs of the child. Service dogs for veterans can help calm veterans with PTSD and help with any physical disabilities they might have.

According to the Northern Essex information sheet regarding service animals, Northern Essex usually allows service animals on campus. It is important to note that the Americans with Disabilities Act website states that “any organization that serves the public must allow service animals to accompany people with disabilities.”  Anyone with a service animal is not required to register the animal with the college. They do not have to present any documentation of their disability, but can work with the Learning Accommodations Center.

They are encouraged to fill out the volunteer registration but are not required to.

Deborah Regan, the Associate Director of the Learning Accommodations Center has seen service dogs do good on campus. “[I saw] a dog help a student get around campus and help her feel safe.”

“I think service dogs help with safety which is always important!” said Cheyenne Huberdeau, a Biomedical Engineering student. “I think they can sometimes be a distraction though, at lease for me because I’m a huge dog lover. So seeing a dog at school [would] get my attention.”

Kevin Lambert is the program development administrator for NEADS and served in the United States army. He was an infantryman from 2005-2008 and completed over 600 combat patrols and missions in Iraq.

He got his associate degree in Science and Human Services from Northern Essex.

He also has a certificate in alcohol and drug abuse counseling. Lambert had a service dog at NECC to help him. Lambert swears by the program and encourages people to get more information about service dogs on the NEADS website.