Daily Archives: March 7, 2019

News

Marriott reps speak to hospitality students

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Presentations give glimpse into world of hotels

a career information session was held in the Center for Business and Accounting. Twelve NECC Hospitality majors welcomed General Manager Grace Concepcion, Assistant General Manager Peter Chasse, and Director of Sales and Marketing David Compton all from the Residence Inn: Marriott located in Danvers, Mass. While most of the hospitality students were there on assignment and a couple just so happened to be there wanting to know more about the hotel business, the presentationso were  a pleasant experience. Each of the speakers gave a mini introduction of their position and how they got their start Concepcion is in charge of  overseeing the entire hotel, budgeting, and accounting and is responsible for all the staff and its guests or “herding of the cats” as Compton so funnily put it.

Concepcion got her start in the hospitality business back in 2001 by helping her mother to clean rooms at the Court House Marriott in Woburn because she had fallen and broken her wrist. The General Manager at the time noticed and decided to offer her a job but she respectfully declined. After few weeks she reconsidered and worked many positions.Concepcion later left to travel to Spain but when she came back, she needed a job with health benefits and became a Marriott employee once more and stayed with the company ever since working her way up the chain.

“I’ve traveled to four different brands, I love them all, but my favorite is the Residence Inn. My favorite is the Residence Inn because you get to meet your guests, you get to know them, and at some point, they don’t want you calling them Mr. or Mrs. They want you calling them by their first name and so we become a family not just with the guests but with the staff.” Concepcion said. Up next was Peter Chasse. Chasse started his career back in 1991 as a Front Desk Clerk at the Marriott Courtyard in Danvers After 5 years he then left to become a Front Desk Manager for the Marriott Courtyard in Woburn so he could learn and advance his career.

Chasse explains, “There’s something special about working in a hotel – it’s not Monday through Friday 9 to 5. It never stops, your phone is your best friend. I’ve left hospitality, I’ve gone into other fields and I’ve missed it immensely when I’m not in the hospitality industry because it’s just always something, it’s a lifestyle, it’s more than just a job or a career.” And now with just a month of working at the Marriott Residence Inn located in Danvers Chasse overseas all the operations alongside Concepcion and as so he’s humorously said, “does whatever Grace asks me to.” Finally, the last introduction was David Compton.

There’s something special about working in a hotel….it’s a lifestyle, it’s more than just a job or a career.

– Assistant General Manager Peter Chasse

Before Compton’s career at Marriott he actually worked for a competitor, Hilton Hotels. While being very good at his job, Compton stole some business from Marriott which brought their attention and instead of having one of Hilton’s best people continuing to steal their business instead they made him an offer to work for them and Compton has been with the company ever since. And so far through his career he has been the Director of Sales for five different Marriott Hotels. During a Q&A Compton amusingly said, “Why does a hotel need a sales representative?

“It’s a question Grace and Peter ask frequently. But there’s a lot of competition out there, lot of hotels near the neighborhood and it’s my job to knock on doors near the areas and the region and introduce myself. “When you’re looking at career paths in sales I have the easiest job of most salesmen. I represent a company called Marriott. I never have to introduce the company.” Toward the end of the event you could see that many of the Hospitality majors were very pleased with the presentation.

Concepcion, Chasse, and Compton left the students filled with more questions and curiosity and they answered every single one they gave with as much detail and experience that they had to give. And it is with their hope that the students consider a career path in the Hospitality industry.

News

Art students show off portfolios

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Event was opportunity to network, get input from four-year schools

Northern Essex offered a chance for art and design students to meet with several different art and design 4-year colleges in the area. The colleges represented on Feb 16 were MassArt, Montserrat College of Art, Salem State University, Umass Lowell, New Hampshire Institute of Art, and Northern Vermont University. Apart from networking with the colleges, NECC students are given the opportunity to get input from these schools about their portfolios. Calum McDonald is a thirrd year graphic design student who attended the event and hopes to transfer to MassArt. McDonald says he was never good at math or writing and he just didn’t like school very much, but here at NECC his interest in his education spiked.

NECC offers an avenue into graphic design but he says you must be proactive to make the tools available here work for you. Specifically, he noted that at NECC there’s good physical space to work on your art and luckily, they keep the classes small so there’s lots of one-on-one, if you want it. NECC also creates exhibits showcasing students’ art. There is no lack of representation as an art or design student here at NECC. This helps transform students’ artistic dreams into realities.  McDonald called the visiting colleges event a “confidence booster” and motivation to continue working on his craft.

students standing in front of a table with their art on it, getting evaluated
NECC art and design students recently had the opportunity to show their portfolios to various other art schools. Photo by Patricia Gosselin

McDonald feared putting his whole life in debt to attend a 4-year school without knowing what he wanted to pursue. NECC gave him the opportunity to take the 1st step in college. “It’s an easy way to re-insert yourself into education” says McDonald. Northern Essex has a lot of professors that have also taught at 4-year schools. McDonald says “they build upon what they were taught” and help facilitate the transfer from a 2-year to a 4-year school.

Students can focus on building their GPA and gaining relevant experience to their field.  Chrissy Eichhorn decided this was the path for her as well. She’s a 2nd year student who’s 19 years old, she used the Dual Enrollment program here at NECC to supplement her college career. Eichhorn said that she has always liked art, that it has always sparked her interest more than other subjects. Her medium is different than McDonald’s, she prefers drawing and loves pastels.

Eichhorn says “sometimes you don’t like your work, you get stuck in a rut, but you get the best outcomes when you push your mind” and NECC offers students a place to expand their technique. She was excited for the visit from schools to show them the variety of her work and to gauge where she stands among other students. Russell Shoemaker, the Assistant Director of Admissions was here today representing MassArt. He works specifically with students looking to transfer which make up 27% of the student population at MassArt. Shoemaker said he looks for students that work hard and their portfolios should show it.

They should exhibit a love and passion for their work and for be willing to add outside exploration to their experience. MassArt stands out because they “offer a double-major, which is rare for art schools” said Shoemaker. Local Boston designer Erin Robertson graduated from MassArt with a double major in fashion and fiber art and went on to win the 15th season of ‘Project Runway’. Shoemaker says art and design transfer students can “have access to tools through the Academic Resources Center which hosts transfer events like community building and campus tours” which can help make the transition to a 4-year school seamless. The benefits of going to school at MassArt extend through finances so students can save money by transferring NECC credits and by relatively low cost-of-living in dorms and apartments on campus. Events like these help the students at NECC employ every opportunity for a smooth transfer to a 4-year university.

Arts and Entertainment

Top Notch Theater prepares for spring

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‘Good People’ will be next production for NECC

Auditions for Northern Essex Community College’s spring were held recently, and the community is already expressing excitement about the play. This year’s selection of Good People by David Lindsay-Abaire will be co-directed by N.E.C.C. theater professor Brianne Beatrice and N.E.C.C. student Christian Doyle, hosted by N.E.C.C.’s Top Notch Theater organization, and performed in the Top Notch Theater (which is on the third floor of the C-building of N.E.C.C.’s Haverhill campus) during late April and early May, according to Beatrice.

Both Beatrice and members of the Northern Essex theater community are expressing enthusiasm about Good People, a show set in South Boston that Beatrice describes as a humorous yet serious drama about race in America.

Gwynnethe Glickman and Josh Shulz, two local actors who performed in N.E.C.C.’s fall production of Stupid F*cking Bird – which was co-directed by Brianne Beatrice and local actress Sarah Durning and won the “2019 Best Ensemble Award” at the 2019 American College Theater Festival in Hyannis, Mass. – are looking forward to the spring show. Both say they trust Beatrice and enjoy her directing style, and Glickman says that she finds the show selection appealing and relatable to modern audiences. Beatrice said she is “Excited for (the) opportunity (to direct Good People).”

She stated that she is looking forward to directing it, and that the play has “been important for a long time.” “I think that this play is really relevant, and we have not done a play that asks us to think about race in a really positive and meaningful way … When I was thinking about what would be the right production and what students are interested and wanting to be a part of the theater program, this show came to mind,” she added.

When I was thinking about what would be the right production and what students are interested (in) and wanting to be a part of the theater program, this show came to mind
– Theater professor Brianne Beatrice

According to Beatrice, Good People is an important choice and will likely be an impactful performance for the Northern Essex audience: “We’re not in a time where we can ignore certain issues that are happening. The more aware we are of what’s happening in our world today, especially with the president that we have, and the limitations in our country, the better.” She also said that theater is a “Great voice to express our need for equality and our need for opportunities for everyone, equally.”

But the themes in Good People are not the only matter related to the play that has the community talking. Schulz, who played Dev during the run of Stupid F*cking Bird, a role he describes as light-hearted yet very aware of the pain in the show’s storyline, says he is excited about the show because of Beatrice’s directing style.

According to Shulz, “Brianne Beatrice’s directing style is one that leaves room for personal interpretation but, at the same time, pushes actors to reach the vision that she has for the play. This allows her to better communicate the playwright’s vision and the message of the play.” “I thoroughly believe in the style that she teaches and directs in, and I believe that it worked very well … I agree with much of her philosophy and the way that she directed (Stupid F*cking Bird),” he added.

Glickman agrees: “She’s great. She’s super hands-on and really involved and really passionate about theater as a whole.” Glickman also said Beatrice “saw that (Stupid F*cking Bird) has a lot of important things to say that people need to hear,” a feature which Glickman says makes her excited about the upcoming N.E.C.C. spring production. She also said she enjoyed Beatrice’s dedication to the messages of Stupid F*cking Bird: “So even though we had, like, four people in our audience sometimes, she was like, “Who gives a f*ck? People need to hear it … This show needs to be done.””

Glickman, who played the role of Mash in Stupid F*cking Bird, a character she says is “in mourning for her life” and “unhappy,” but also “so angsty that she’s humorous,” said she is looking forward to Good People because the play is very appealing to modern audiences and less “in-your-face” than Stupid F*cking Bird.

Campus Life

Farmers Market continues to please

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Free, fresh produce is available for NECC students, faculty, staff once a month

boxes of fruits and vegetables at a farmers market

A crowd of students, faculty and staff gathered for February’s Farmers Market to get fresh beets, cantaloupe, strawberries and more; all free of charge. In total, more than 6,000 pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables were delivered to the NECC Haverhill campus on Feb. 26, all of which was available to any student or staff member interested. “It’s awesome that people who can’t afford it can come here and get some fresh food,” said Chantelle Garcia. Garcia is working on her degree in dental hygiene at Northern Essex, and stopped by the event to grab some fruit. Northern Essex works with the Greater Boston Food Bank to have a truck filled with food delivered each month to both the Haverhill and Lawrence Campus.

Karen Hruska, director of the Counseling Center at NECC, oversaw the event. She said that this program is great because it can help students and her colleagues that may be struggling financially have access to fresh, healthy food. According to Hruska, the Farmer’s Market has been recurring monthly for what will be two years in April. Something that is a little newer, Hruska said, is the Smart Meals food for free program. Local hotels, schools and restaurants deep freeze extra food from their kitchens and package it up as full meals.

These are available at the express centers on both the Haverhill and Lawrence campuses. The next Farmer’s Market  on the Haverhill campus will be March 26, from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. at the One Stop Student Center, SC Building  The Farmers Market Mini Mart will also be held March 26 on the Lawrence campus at the El-Hefni building, 414 Common St. from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Campus Life

Courageous conversations

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Student Life hosts series of events to spur dialogue about social issues

The Student Life Department held its first event of Courageous Conversations on Feb 20 at the Riverwalk Campus to celebrate World Day of Social Justice.  Courageous Conversations is a three part event taking place throughout the spring semester led by Stephanie Haskell, coordinator of social justice and student leadership.  Students can sit down and start a conversation about anything regarding the awareness subject, in this case being social justice. “Courageous conversations is an invitation for (students) to say whatever (they) want to say about any sort of problem. I would best describe it as a ‘one voice, all ears’ scenario, and it is an opportunity for me to say ‘please excuse my ignorance,’” says Haskell

One of the most important things to consider is the meaning of social justice, she says.  Haskell says each student interviewed gave a different response to what they think it means.  For Haskell, social justice is about the feeling of security a person has in being included and acknowledged in society.  “My goal is to make everyone feel included because everyone contributes to society. People need to look at life, community needs to be open and accepting, says Haskell. Social justice is a staple in higher education with many colleges making great effort to include students of all identities.

women siting in a directors style chair holding a notebook
Stephanie Haskell, coordinator of social justice and student leadership, recently hosted the first in a series of ‘Courageous Conversations” on campus. Photo by Aaron Lehner

Connie Bodemer, Deaf Studies major, says that by working with Student Life as a New Student Advocate (NSA), she has had the opportunity to listen to the other voices of the student body. She has also given a voice to the deaf community by being a representative through Student Life. “The deaf and hard of hearing community is often misrepresented, and there are many misconceptions about it. People feel bad when a person can’t hear and pity them, but I know there are so many clubs and organizations to help. They live their lives just like any other person, the community is very tight knit,” says Bodemer.

Bodemer is an active member of the American Sign Language Club, and helps to raise awareness to make people who are deaf more included on campus as she continues her training to become a sign language interpreter. There are many clubs and activities that are designed to educate students and faculty about campus diversity at NECC.  The Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) is one such club. According to club president, Colby Patrie, the club strives to, “…bring acceptance, educate, give support, advocate for the queer community and its allies regardless of gender and sexuality.”

Between discussing problems that the LGBTQ community face on a regular basis and teaching queer history, the GSA is another community that gives students a voice in social issues.  On Feb 13, the GSA made a presentation celebrating Black History Month by showing African-American historical figures who were also in the LBGTQ community. While being interviewed, Haskell also mentioned the NECC institute accreditation for being a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI).  Northern Essex was the first certified HSI in New England.  Federal institutes must have at least 25 percent  Hispanic enrollment rate to be eligible for HSI.

According to Community and International Relations director, Analuz Garcia, Northern Essex has approximately 48 percent enrollment rate of Hispanic and Latinx students. “Hopefully (Courageous Conversations) can be a long term thing that spreads to other departments besides student life.” says Haskell. “You can definitely broaden people’s perspectives with Courageous Conversations. No matter where I go, people are going to say things about deaf people that I know is wrong. The same thing can be applied to any minority,” says Bodemer.

The upcoming events for Courageous Conversations are Gender Equality Month on March 14 on Haverhill Campus 11:00-1:30, Sexual Harassment Awareness Month on April 18 at Riverwalk and Lawrence 11:00am-1:30pm.  For more information about upcoming events, you can contact Stephanie Haskell in SC215 at (978) 556-3279 or shaskell@necc.mass.edu.

Features

Yoga-to try it

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NECC starts monthly yoga sessions

women siting on the floor with one leg close to her body and she has her hands around the leg
Cameron beginning her yoga session Photo by Mariella Mendez

Not only is Amy Cameron the Academic Preparation and ESL coordinator at Northern Essex, but she also teaches yoga. Karen Hruska was the coordinator of the event that happened Feb. 27. A yoga session was held at The Hub in the student center, and was open to all faculty, students and staff. The email that was sent out specified that it was “Gentle yoga for all levels” and “Beginners welcome.” The email included a “why” section and explained that the purpose was to “improve strength, flexibility, focus, and stress-management skills.”

At the yoga session, Cameron walked around and help students set up their yoga mats, many of which she provided. Before starting, she made sure everyone was comfortable and had what they needed. Staff made sure to clear the Hub space which allowed plenty of room for the participants to move freely. Due to the high window covered ceilings, a lot of natural light poured into the room making it a peaceful and calm space for yoga. Students were suggested to wear clothes that allow them to move and many of them came prepared with yoga mats and athletic wear. She began by introducing herself and reiterating that they would be learning “flexibility exercises and relaxation methods.” The session began with some simple meditation, as the participants were asked to lay on their backs with their eyes closed. Cameron sat in the front with her eyes closed, and asked the participants to clear their minds of any stressful thoughts as she began her session.

A few students around campus shared their thoughts about this event. Katherine Hailson, 21, Liberal Arts: Writing Major shared that she was not aware of this event but would be open to attending in the future.

She says that, “yoga is great and would definitely have a positive impact on the students who regularly attend.” Hailson expresses the importance of providing access to free yoga classes because they “tend to be expensive.” She also suggested to bring back meditation sessions, saying, “I know that a few semesters ago we had a meditation group on campus that I did attend once, but the space it was offered in was rather uninviting and I chose not to go again.” Hailson also brought up the fact that clubs and events always seem to interfere with her class schedule and that there have been many events on campus that she has missed out on due to lack of advertisement.

Melanie Polanco, 19, Communications major says, “Yoga isn’t my thing at all but I’m sure if students enjoy yoga, then it will impact them, I think it’s cool that they’re doing yoga for everyone.” Polanco mentioned that she worked with kids and there were many events in which yoga instructors would visit and do yoga with the children. Polanco suggests that, “more things can definitely be done to promote stress relieving activities, for example they can keep doing the destress fest, that they’ve done in the past.”

The yoga session will be held monthly at NECC and will be instructed by Amy Cameron. For any questions about this event you may contact her at acameron@necc.mass.edu or Karen Hruska at khruska@necc.mass.edu.