Monthly Archives: November 2020

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Courageous Conversations: Giving thanks

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Courageous Conversations are one of NECC’s student life traditions and remains true to its name. These conversations are designed to bring students together, so they have a chance to engage in truthful, and sometimes difficult dialogues.

They are held semi-often and are led by NECC Coordinator of Student Activities, Stephanie Haskell.

On Monday, Nov. 23, just three days prior to Thanksgiving, a small group of students joined a zoom call to discuss their plans for the autumnal holiday that traditionally consists of the gathering of family members in an age when gatherings are prohibited.

This particular conversation was more of a friendly chat than some of the deeper, more involved ones that have taken place in the past.

Still, it was a great opportunity for connecting with fellow students, considering the fact that the majority of our school life consists of looking at a screen rather than engaging with classmates in real life.

Kicking off the conversation, Haskell took a chance to emphasize the importance of taking a moment for one’s self.

“We get so stressed out in these times, it’s so important to pause and remind ourselves of the bigger picture,” she said;  advice that I think everyone should take to heart in this day and age.

NECC student, Zoey Lauria, shared a bit of what her typical Thanksgiving looks like and how this year it would most definitely feel different.

“It feels nostalgic honestly, but it might be a little weird now,” she said.

I would think most people would agree with Lauria’s views on this holiday and our current circumstances.

This year is without a doubt vastly different from anything we as a community have experienced before and now with the holiday season upon us and the possibility of being unable to hug and kiss our loved ones, it can add a new sense of loss and sadness on top of everything else we’ve had to put to rest since March.

However, it’s moments like these, the joining of voices, that will keep us thriving until the day we can all go back to normal.

“I’m hopeful” Lauria says, leaving the conversation off on a refreshing note.

 

 

 

 

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Haverhill small business owners adapt to challenges of 2020

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Owning a small business has always been a lot to handle, and as with most things in the year of 2020, it’s now even more difficult.

The NECC Observer had a chance to speak with the owners of three prominent small businesses in the Haverhill: The Comic Book Palace, Wicked Big Cafe, and The Yoga Tree.

Owned by Glenn O’Leary, The Comic Book Palace is a small comic store that sells a variety of graphic novels, superhero comics, trading cards, sports cards, and collectibles. As of now, the store is open Wednesday through Saturday, and according to O’Leary, maintaining the store has gotten easier since the lockdown.

“In business, everyday, there’s something popping up that makes you have to change and react from time to time, and that was a huge thing for everybody. Unfortunately though, some people couldn’t come back from it. I was fortunate that I have a great group of customers that have supported me through the shutdown, and even after the shutdown.” says O’Leary, when asked about the pandemic/lockdown being an obstacle vs being an adjustment since March.

O’Leary has also taken the steps needed to ensure the safety of his customers.

That means, keeping the store clean, washing bookshelves, and of course, requiring everyone to wear a mask at all times.

I asked O’Leary about this part of owning the store in a time like this, “Before I even reopened, I took books off of the shelves, I washed down the shelves, I washed the backs of shelves, which you never even think of washing because they’re always full with something.” he said.

The Comic Book Palace has also received lots of support throughout the pandemic, “When we were first shutdown, I had bunch of customers come in and just buy gift certificates.” says O’Leary. The Comic Book Palace is located at 620 Primrose Street in Haverhill.

Wicked Big Cafe is a coffee shop in Downtown Haverhill. Owned by Mohamed Machkour, it serves lots of pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and a wide variety of hot drinks and cold drinks.

When asked about the difficulties of the pandemic, Machkour pointed out that the shutdown was a “messy interruption to the business” and that “there aren’t enough customers and sales to sustain the business but even the loyal customers’ buying power has diminished due to the stagnant economy.”

Employees wearing a mask and gloves, and customers wearing masks, have been a must for places like this. Machkour pointed out, “We also installed glass barriers between us the customers.”

The city of Haverhill has been very supportive in terms of restaurants and places like Wicked Big Cafe, “The Mayor also was helpful by pushing the outside dining and provided the barricades to extend the sidewalks.” Wicked Big Cafe is located at 19 Essex Street in Haverhill.

The Yoga Tree is a yoga studio in downtown Haverhill. Owned by Ally Vallieres, it offers a wide variety of yoga classes daily, as well as workshops like prenatal yoga, and yoga nidra classes.

During the shutdown, Ally and the other yoga teachers at the studio moved all classes and activities online, and it was working out very well at the time.

However, at this point, when most businesses (including The Yoga Tree) are open in person, the pandemic has taken its toll. “It’s definitely an adjustment. We have had to turn our entire business model around since Covid happened, and it’s actually gotten harder as the time has gone on, because of the limitations that have been placed on the studio, to follow the state guidelines.” says Vallieres when asked about the difficulties of the pandemic that the studio has faced.

The Yoga Tree has had to cut down its capacity per class from 40 people to 9 people. Vallieres has done a terrific job ensuring the safety of both her yoga students, and teachers. When asked about this, she said, “We’ve installed plastic barriers between spots that are spaced less than fourteen feet apart, and all of our spots are spaced at least six feet apart… We require Covid-19 screenings before anyone even steps foot into the studio, our teachers do a Covid-19 screening, and they also get a temperature check before they step into the studio. Our cleaning protocols have enhanced hugely, and we are doing a full cleaning of the studio, in between every single class that happens.”

Like others, The Yoga Tree is a business that has received lots of support throughout the pandemic.

When asked what the most helpful support has been throughout the pandemic, Vallieres said. “For me, the most important thing has been the amount of our students and our teacher who have just reached out letting us know that we’re doing a good job and that they feel safe here… I think the hardest part of this has been the mental and emotional toll that its taken on everyone, from our staff to our clients, and in addition to the business aspect of things, the amount of emotional support that I’ve seen in the community has been tremendous, and has meant the world to me.” The Yoga Tree is located at 90 Washington Street in Haverhill.

The Comic Book Palace can be found on Facebook, The Yoga Tree can be found on theyogatreestudio.com, and Wicked Big Cafe can be found on wickedbigcafe.net.

These three businesses have been amazing to their customers throughout the pandemic, and now it’s time to give back.

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MAICEI program sets up students with disabilities for success

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There are many ways for students to access the Northern Essex Community College, whether its as a full-time student, a part-time student, or an Early College Student but there is one program that never gets mentioned and that is the MAICEI program.

The Massachusetts Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment Initiative (MAICEI) program is a partnership of Massachusetts public two and four year colleges and universities with local school districts to support students with intellectual disabilities or autism spectrum disorders to become students on the college campus and participate in an individualized inclusionary experience. The students are dually enrolled in their public-school district and at the college.

There are many benefits to being enrolled in the MAICEI Program. “The program supports student choice for audit or credit classes, work internships when possible and also Peer Mentorship, if the student is interested,” says Theresa Yurewicz, the MAICEI program coordinator at NECC.  Students are full members on the NECC campus and may fully participate as students in or around campus.

The process to get into the MAICEI program is one that requires a lot of steps, so anyone who wants to participate must be ready to put in the hard work.

“First and foremost, the student should talk to their Educational Team at their high school or Transition program and express their interest in the program. The student’s team can and will help them guide the interested student’s possible application to the program,” Yurewicz continues. The MAICEI program currently has a formal MAICEI program partnership with the following local school districts: Andover, Georgetown, Haverhill, Lawrence, Methuen, Newburyport, North Andover, and Triton Regional.

“We hope to add additional school districts in the future,” Yurewicz says.

The MAICEI program is a Massachusetts state budget funded grant program. Each year, NECC applies to continue its grant program. NECC has been a part of the MAICEI program since 2015.

The MAICEI program has had an incredibly positive impact on everyone who has been involved in it.

“I have been in the program for two years, haven taken three classes, and I have felt both supported in it and have had fun while in the program,” said Glen Middleton Cox, a NECC student who participates in the program. “The people in the program have treated me with good respect and helped me pick good classes. They made me feel comfortable at the college and helped me make friends. They made me feel great inside.”

“I have been in the MAICEI Program for two years. I`m currently taking two classes, as I was able to advocate to take more than one class per semester. I think it`s been a positive experience, as I get to take classes for college credits,” says William Parker,  a NECC student who also participates in the program.

“The accommodations in the MAICEI program are great and if I could give one piece of advice to students who are interested in this, I would use them,” Parker says.

The impact of the MAICEI program has been felt through the NECC community as well.

“The MAICEI program at NECC is a wonderful opportunity for students to experience college with their peers while still getting support in their courses and around the campus,” says Jillian Knox, Learning Accommodations Liaison for the MAICEI program and Disability Services Specialist in the Learning Accommodation Center.

“The college has received a great deal of positive feedback from NECC staff and faculty, our public-school partners, students, parents, community partners, and the entire NECC community,” Knox says.

The MAICEI program also offers a way for students who are not involved with the program to be in it as well through the Peer Mentorship program. This program offers students the chance to be paired with a student in the program and offer them help with all aspects of college life.

To learn more about the MAICEI program or the Peer Mentorship program, please either visit this website: https://www.necc.mass.edu/succeed/academic-support-services/learning-accommodations/ma-inclusive-concurrent-enrollment-initiative-maicei-program/#coaches-mentors or contact Theresa Yurewicz whose information is below.

Theresa Yurewicz

MAICEI Program Coordinator

Learning Accommodations Center

Behrakis One-Stop Student Services Center, SC-111

Telephone:978-556-3646

Email: tyurewicz@necc.mass.edu

Arts and Entertainment, Opinion

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity Review

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Fans of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild have been anxiously waiting for a sequel ever since it was released in 2017. While it looks like we still have at least a couple of years more, Nintendo did surprise fans this past September by announcing a prequel game arriving just in time for the holiday shopping season. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity takes place one hundred years before Breath of the Wild and expands the lore about how the four champions were chosen and the rise of Calamity Ganon. Instead of adopting the open-world exploration of Breath of the Wild, however, it uses gameplay from Hyrule Warriors, making for a fun, but unexpected experience.

The game opens as Hyrule Castle is under attack from the resurrected Calamity Ganon and the ancient Guardians are laying waste to Hyrule. A tiny, never before seen Guardian, which has been dubbed the Diminutive Guardian, sees the destruction and opens a portal to travel back in time before the castle’s destruction. The Diminutive Guardian makes contact with Link and Zelda at the beginning of the Age of Calamity as a group of monsters attack the castle. The game shows us the events leading up to Calamity Ganon’s resurrection. The story is simple enough, but I have a feeling fans will be divided over the Diminutive Guardian and the time travel elements of the story. My best advice is to not rush to any snap judgments and play the game’s main story before you decide if this works or not. Although I do have a feeling that Nintendo will start marketing the Diminutive Guardian the same way Star Wars markets Baby Yoda and Marvel markets Baby Groot.

Following the gameplay style of Hyrule Warriors, Age of Calamity is a hack and slash game that largely ditches Breath of the Wild’s exploration and puzzles. Instead of a large, open world, each stage is confined to one map with limited paths where you’ll encounter hoards of enemies from Breath of the Wild like bokoblins and lizalfos. You’ll even take on Master Kohga and the evil Yiga Clan, as well as face boss monsters like Lynels and Hinoxes. Boss characters don’t require much strategy aside from carefully timed dodging of their attacks in order to open their weak point gauges and start really pounding on them. While the game is largely focused on combat, there is still a small amount of exploration that can be done. Each stage has Koroks, weapons and treasure chests to discover, just as you could find in Breath of the Wild. While it’s not immediately clear what finding Koroks does in this game, as the story progresses, you find out just how useful these little guys are.

The further into the game you get, the more playable characters you can unlock. There are subtle but noticeable differences in the way each character handles, too. Mipha isn’t very strong until you level her up quite a bit, but she’s fast and her special moves replenish health as well as damaging enemies. Daruk is an absolute tank but he’s slow. Urbosa is great for taking out large groups with her lightning attacks. And Revali can take to the sky and shower foes with a barrage of arrows. I wouldn’t say any character is really better than others, but each one has his or her own strengths and weaknesses, so players’ favorites will depend on their own preferences in terms of playstyle. There are even moments where you can pilot the Divine Beasts. These things are enormous and a bit cumbersome but their attacks are devastating and great for causing a little bit of destruction.

In Hyrule Warriors, there was a main campaign story mode and a series of adventure maps containing optional side quests. In Age of Calamity, everything exists on one primary map, making it easier for players to deviate from the main quest if they want to take on side missions or earn new weapons and items. These side missions are where you’ll acquire new cooking recipes, learn combos, and attain better items and weapons. Just like in Hyrule Warriors, you can fuse weapons to gether and enhance their stats, but unlike Breath of the Wild, your weapons won’t break! And yes, cooking returns in Age of Calamity, but it’s handled much differently. Instead of tossing a bunch of foods into a pot and hoping for the best, you’ll learn various recipes and at the start of each mission, you’re given an option to cook a dish that will enhance certain stats for the mission, such as increasing how much experience you can gain or decreasing how much damage you take from enemies. Some of these side missions are as simple as collecting a set number of ingredients and bringing them to a designated location, while others are short combat missions where you have to do things like capture outposts or defeat a certain number of enemies in a given time limit. Just to make sure things don’t get too boring, a lot of these missions have specific handicaps like only letting you use certain characters or weapons, so if you haven’t been leveling everyone up, you may have a tough time!

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is exactly what you’ll expect if you’re a longtime fan of the Legend of Zelda series. It’s the story and lore of Breath of the Wild mixed with the fast, action-heavy gameplay of Hyrule Warriors. Is it going to appeal to everyone? No. But this is one of the best new action games I’ve played all year and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

Campus Life, Uncategorized

College students are coming home for the holidays, and some are not happy about it

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As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, college campuses are preparing to send students home for the winter. Many Massachusetts colleges are already primarily online, but plan to transfer to remote learning after Thanksgiving.

College students will stay home and complete their courses online until the second semester starting in February.

A lot of college students are not happy about coming home for the winter. Some are even planning on cheating the system and returning to their college towns after Thanksgiving break.

One student, Ashley Thistlewood, from Plymouth State University said “I’m going to stay home for a bit, but then I think I’m going to live [in New Hampshire] for most of break because I have a job here.”

A lot of students have adjusted to life in these college areas, and do not want COVID-19 to ruin it for them.

Sending college students home was just one of the plans enforced in order to keep communities in Massachusetts safe.

Charlie Baker, governor of Massachusetts, released a statement with many guidelines for the upcoming months. Some of these regulations are a stay at home order from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., along with restaurants and other establishments ordered to close by 9:30 p.m. every night.

With the COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts being over 200,000 as of the fourth week of November, colleges are doing all they can to keep students safe.

Traveling is extremely dangerous during this time, but campuses are giving students time to quarantine in between traveling.

 

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NECC Career Center helps students connect with job opportunities

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At a time where job hunting is difficult and many students are trying to explore ways to pay off their tuition, students are in a search for the best job opportunities possible.

Before the Fall semester, many students at NECC had part time jobs to pay off personal luxury, debts, etc.

Now, due to the life-changing pandemic as well as in need of a bigger opportunity, students’ plans have changed significantly.

At NECC, handshake.com is the focal point of job hunting where it is a website that helps students with deciding what they want to do to help pay for their college, pay for books, food, and many other personal needs.

Noreen Fantasia, a Career Center Coordinator, is someone that helps many students out who don’t know how they want to pay off their debts or what to do, and is one of many coordinators at NECC.

“Handshake is our new career management tool and acts as an online job board. It is a platform that allows students to take their first steps into finding a career,” says Fantasia.

“Every student at the college has an account on Handshake. Students will log on using their MyNECC credentials. The Handshake tab is located on MyNECC or a student can go to join handshake.com. Once on Handshake, students have the option to create a profile, upload a resume, search for a job or attend an event such as the hiring fairs.”

As Fantasia said, you can search for either a job or attend hiring/job fairs that the Caree rCoordinators hold to discuss with students about potential hirings.

“The Health Science Virtual Hiring Event was one of three hiring events Career Services offered in October and November,” ssays Fantasia. “By utilizing Handshake, we were able to offer these online events that during normal times would be offered on campus, in person. Like an in-person event, employers who are interested in hiring NECC students and alumni sign up to attend the event.”

Every month, Career Coordinators hold events where students that take an interest in a certain role attend —  they’ve held events including Business and Accounting, STEM, and The HealthScience Virtual Hiring Event in particular.

“By offering these events, especially during remote school, they allow students to engage with companies who would in normal times visit our campus to recruit students. These events are a great chance for students to learn how to communicate with companies and to highlight all they have to offer as well as get hired!” Fantasia continues.

The job surfaces around NECC’s Career Center, as Fantasia states, is a great way to help students decide what they currently like to do, but it also specifically helps students connect with their companies and their peers, which helps with communication in the work life.

The Career Navigation Tools which the Coordinators provide is one of the first elements thatstudents are informed on once enrolling into NECC, and Fantasia says that the main goal for theCoordinators is for students not to feel too pressured about making career decisions.

“The Career Services staff is here to assist any students with their career needs such as resumes,cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, and mock interviews. The best way to make an appointment isusing Navigate. We hope every student will log on to join Handshake.com and create a profile! It is a great site and a powerful online tool to start your career search.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Respiratory care professor, residents react to new COVID rules

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As Massachusetts COVID-19 cases rise, Governor Baker imposed a curfew and updated mask mandate as of Nov. 6.

The Department of Public Health made a statement on their website saying, “The Commonwealth’s COVID-19 related hospitalizations and COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) census have more than doubled over the past 2 months. Social gatherings are contributing to these increases. Left unchecked, the current COVID-19 case growth poses a risk to our healthcare system. Intervention is warranted to moderate case growth and preserve hospital capacity. It’s more important than ever to follow guidance from local, state, and federal officials on how to stop the spread of the virus.”

Donald Bellerive, a professor of Respiratory Care at NECC, said in an email conversation: “COVID is in charge, and while we may be tired of COVID, it is not tired of us. Lawrence has spent 12 weeks in the Red Zone as cases continue to rise not only here, but across the country.  Mayor Dan Rivera has issued an Emergency Order that is essential to saving lives confronting this extreme rise in person to person transmission. Many of my colleagues at UMass work in the COVID Unit and experience the pain, suffering & grief horrified by how this virus takes lives of all ages. There are faces to every COVID case that is unmatched in scale to anything we have ever seen. We can adjust to simple non-invasive interventions like curfews, a mask mandate and keeping our gatherings to 10 folks or less to mitigate the outbreak and reduce critical illness. We can be smart; it is painless and easy to keep ourselves and our families safe by doing the right thing which is what our students support every day.”

Elvis Acosta, a Lawrence resident and former NECC student, said in a conversation, “Personally I feel that another lockdown is way overdue. Lawrence has been in the red zone for more than 10 weeks; the cases just keep coming. I have noticed so many people do not take the fact that they must wear masks seriously, especially in fast food places and retail stores. A curfew can happen if we have a full lockdown, public places cannot remain open if the state expects everyone to make it home by 10 pm.”

Keva Samataro, a registered nurse who works at Lawrence General Hospital, shared her opinions, “My opinion as a nurse is that we should be wearing the masks to protect ourselves from those that refuse the masks. The 10pm curfew is something that I do not agree with. I mean does COVID-19 NOT come out before 10pm?! It is just going to make those people who break the rules more apt to have parties in their homes after 10pm. I think no large groups and safe face coverings is best, and hand washing, hand washing, hand washing.”

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Residents share thoughts on governor’s recent COVID regulations

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The state of Massachusetts has been hit hard with the Covid virus, so there’s no surprise some new regulations have been put in place.

Recently on November 6th, Gov. Charlie Baker put in new regulations where everyone over the age of 5 has to wear a mask in all public places, with those having medical conditions or disabilities being exempt from the rule. Baker also put in a rule stating  all residents have to be at their homes from 10pm to 5am, unless someone is at work, running important errands, or taking a walk.

Public gatherings have also been limited to 10 indoors and 25 outdoors, those who do not follow are subjected to being fined.

These regulations have brought some mixed reviews from the general public. Some are fine with it, while others not so much.

“It has no effect on me,” said Gabriel DeJesus, NECC student. “With Covid and stuff, there’s not much to do anyways, and it will  make things safer with the mask regulation.”

“The limit on public gatherings might also help with the recent spike of cases in Massachusetts, but we’ll see how much it will truly help” said deJesus, who does have his doubts about the gathering law.

Others though do not agree with the curfew law and have their questions about it. CJ Leblanc was one of those people.

“ I will still follow the mask laws and curfew regulations the best I can, but I don’t get the curfew order.” Leblanc said.

“Covid is not some sort of nocturnal disease, it doesn’t only come out at night, you’re just as much at risk at day time as you are at night time,” Leblanc said.

Some people will be fine with these regulations, while others do have their questions.

The public will just have to wait and see whether or not the spike in cases in Massachusetts will decrease with Baker’s new regulations, or if it will have no effect.

 

 

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Power Rangers actor David Yost: In his own words

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David Yost is best known for his role as Billy Cranston, the Blue Ranger, on the hit television show, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, as well as the major motion picture, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie. He played the role longer than any of the other original actors, playing Billy for three seasons of the show, and continuing the role into its second iteration, Power Rangers Zeo. While it’s been many years since he donned the blue tights, he remains a legend in the Power Rangers community. These days, he splits his time between acting, producing, writing, and entrepreneurship. But it hasn’t always been an easy road. I recently had the opportunity to speak with David about his career and his post-Power Rangers life.

“Ever since I was seven years old, I always wanted to be an actor more than anything,” Yost says fondly. In a second grade talent show, David played Dopey in a production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. “I was left onstage by myself singing and kind of being goofy, acting like Dopey and I just remember the entire school, like, laughing at me, laughing at what I was doing as Dopey and just having an ah-ha moment of like ‘Oh wow, this is really fun. This is what I want to do.’ So, from that moment on I just always did every school play I could.”

It was around that same time that Yost’s parents enrolled their hyperactive son in gymnastics at the advice of a teacher. While he showed a proclivity for the sport, acting was his true passion. “My parents would pay thousands of dollars for me to go to private gymnastics schools. So I’d go to school and after school, I’d get on the bus and I’d go downtown to where my gymnastics center was. I was supposed to be going to gymnastics practice, but often, touring companies would come through the town that I lived in doing plays and musicals, so I would skip my gymnastics practices and I would go and I would audition, without my parents knowing, for these plays, and often I would get a role. So my parents would find out much later in the process that I wasn’t going to gymnastics, that I was going to play rehearsal instead. So, I’d get in a little bit of trouble because they would spend so much money to keep me in gymnastics.”

Yost continued working in gymnastics, competing in national competitions while also pursuing an acting career. His big break came when he auditioned for an upcoming superhero show that would combine stock footage from the Japanese Super Sentai series with American-shot footage. This blended show would go on to become Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. “I guess what was something fortuitous for me is that when Power Rangers came along, it kind of melded something I was good at, as a gymnast, and also my passion as an actor. It kind of put the two together and it was a great job for me because I was getting to do two things: one that I really loved and another that I was really good at.” In 1993, the show debuted and became an instant hit. Yost, along with castmates Austin St. John, Thuy Trang, Amy Jo Johnson, and Walter Jones became idols for their young fans.

The legacy and the impact of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers can still be felt today, and it’s something that Yost feels honored to be part of. “I hear so many stories on social media every day, but if I’m going to comic cons, every kid has something positive to say about Power Rangers and how Power Rangers influenced their life in ways that I, and I know the original cast, could never have predicted or even thought about. Knowing that Walter Jones was a black superhero, that meant so much to African Americans and black people, not only in the United States, but around the world. And same with Thuy. She was Vietnamese. She has an amazing story of being a refugee from Vietnam. But for Asian children to see an Asian representation as a superhero, and not only an Asian superhero, but a female superhero is awesome. And to see Amy Jo and Thuy as women that could hold their own and be superheroes along with the guys, that gave so much confidence to women. So for us, we couldn’t really understand all that, but to know that those kind of things were going on in people’s lives, that’s really awesome.”

Despite the success of Power Rangers, Yost was privately suffering. “For me, where we were at a point in American history in the 90’s, it was still very difficult to be a gay person, and that’s what I was struggling with. I always knew that I was gay but it’s just something that I thought that I didn’t have to pay attention to or it didn’t need to affect me. But I was hiding it, pretending not to be gay, doing everything in my power, like ‘praying the gay away’, as they say, and I was really at that time, during Zeo, suicidal. And so, it was really kind of a scary situation for me. There were several, at least three days for sure, I mean, I came home, and just really…just really struggled and really came very close to ending my life. And just crying, and being up all night crying and then having to go to work the next day and try to act like everything’s okay.”

Rumors and discussions about his sexuality and its potential negative impact on the show added to his stress, pushing him to feel more isolated. “To have people say certain things about you when you just want to go to work and do your job, and it’s a job that you love doing because you’re getting to fulfill your childhood dream of being a working actor, and something that I had dreamed about forever. I moved to Hollywood, making it in the industry, and here I am, I’m living it. But because of this little part of me doesn’t affect anybody…the fact that I’m gay is somehow a bad thing.” He goes on to explain, “To have that kind of pressure put on me, being told that I’m the reason this show could potentially get cancelled, be ruined, it’s really disheartening. So that was my breaking point because those messages just kept coming at me and I just didn’t know how to deal with it.” Feeling like he had nowhere to turn for assistance, Yost chose to leave production of Power Rangers Zeo and never returned, “For my sanity, for my life, I just had to walk away.”

The following years were challenging for Yost trying to come to terms with his sexuality. Having been raised in a religious family, he attempted to cure what some told him was a “disease” through prayer. He voluntarily entered into conversion therapy but suffered from an internal tug of war which led to him coming close to a nervous breakdown. Knowing he needed help, Yost checked himself into a hospital. “I remember the first night in the hospital, and I was just like, ‘God, I swear I’ll be gay if you just get me through this.’ So you know, that night was the night of having to start accepting who I was. And it wasn’t an easy road for me. Some people say when they finally admit that they’re gay and they really come to this realization, it’s like a weight is lifted off them. I never had that experience, and maybe it’s because when I went into the hospital, and I describe it as my mind imploding, I had to start putting the pieces back together. And that took me years and years and years.”

While it did take years, Yost eventually reached a place where he could not only embrace his sexuality and speak about it openly. “In 2010, we just saw such an uptick of teenagers and young people committing suicide because they were gay and because they were being bullied, or teased, or being told ‘You’re against God’ and all that kind of stuff. So, I just felt that it was important for me just to step forward and say ‘Hey, I know what you’re going through. And I want you to know that you’re okay as you are. You are as God created you and there’s nothing wrong with you. I want you to be strong. I need you to be strong. And I know you can get through this’.” So that was sort of the opening for me to come forward and tell what I had been through, just to hopefully also help people avoid putting their children through what I went through. Or people doing like how I did. I did it to myself. It wasn’t my parents saying ‘you have to go do this’. It was me, David, saying ‘you have to do this.’ So, I just really wanted people to know that ‘you can get through this.’”

Since coming out, Yost has participated in the NOH8 Campaign, as well as working with other organizations such as the AIDS Project Los Angeles and The Children’s Hospitals AIDS Center, as well as raising awareness for organizations such as The Trevor Project, Project Angel Food and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. His activism and openness have touched countless fans, which he speaks about very humbly. “Every day, and that’s not a lie or an exaggeration, every day I get at least one message on one of my social media sites talking about ‘thank you so much for sharing your story. You helped me. You helped my brother. You helped me explain it to my parents.’ I’m so grateful for those kinds of messages and just knowing that I have not only helped myself by telling my story, but I’m able to give people confidence to be themselves.”

In 2016, David entered a new business realm when he teamed up with Cris Andrade and Mason Andrade to start Affirmative Clothing Company. The term “Affirmative” is a reference to Yost’s Power Rangers character, who frequently said “affirmative” when agreeing with people. “I said, ‘If we’re going to do this, I really want it to mean something to people and I want there to be a message behind the company.’ And so, I just came up with ‘Embrace who you are. Believe in who you are. Affirm who you are.’ So that’s sort of the mindset of Affirmative Clothing Company.” Aside from clothes, the company has also begun selling items such as face masks, tumblers, hats, and other items. Yost says, “It’s been a fun thing to have. It’s been extremely successful. I’ve been very lucky that so many fans of Power Rangers have embraced it, gotten behind it, and supported it.”

While he has never returned to the Power Rangers television show, Yost hasn’t completely left it behind. In 2019, he worked with actor Noah Baron on the YouTube mini-series, Life After Power Rangers, playing Max, a casting agent working with Baron’s Green Ranger. “The thing that I remember liking was him on one of those electric scooters in the Green Ranger costume going down Melrose Boulevard in Los Angeles, and I just thought, ‘Oh my God, this guy’s hilarious.’” Yost and Baron got in touch through social media and Yost offered to appear as a cameo, which Baron happily accepted. “It was so much fun, and I just thought he did such a good job. It’s all improvised. It’s not written or anything like that. It was a good time.”

Yost is also working on trying to reunite the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers cast. “I don’t know how this is going to pan out, or if it’s going to work or not going to work, but I’ve really been focusing on writing a reunion because the original cast is coming up on our thirty year reunion in a couple years. We didn’t get a twenty-five-year reunion, and it’s a request that I get, and I know the original cast get every day.” While no deals or contracts have been signed, David is hopeful that he will be able to work with Hasbro, the company that recently acquired the rights to the Power Rangers franchise, to reunite and honor the original cast. Time will tell if something comes to fruition.

David Yost’s personal and professional journey has had numerous ups and downs. He’s overcome deep personal struggles and managed to find the strength to not only help himself, but to help and inspire others. Billy Cranston may have been given superpowers, but in many ways, David Yost is the real hero to so many.

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NECC hosts town hall for students to hear more about plans for spring semester

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There have been many questions surrounding what the rest of the school year will look like for Northern Essex students and staff.

In order to answer some of these questions and clarify what the future looks like for the college, a remote student town hall was held on Nov. 10.

The meeting was held by the Director of Student Success management, Audrey Ellis, and NECC VP, Bill Heineman. When speaking about the decision to make classes fully remote this fall, Heineman said “the decision to go online, was a decision that would give you certainty about how the fall was going to go as well as is meant to protect your health,” as many students stated that the disruption that occurred last spring was the most challenging aspect of the semester.

By making classes fully remote throughout the current semester both students and staff were able to plan accordingly and didn’t have to worry about their schedules changing.

However, this did provide a large shift in the way most professors and staff would run their classes/ operations.

The process of building online classes is tedious and time consuming, and because of COVID-19 the time was shortened from about 9 months of preparation to a mere 2.

With the end of the first fully remote semester at NECC approaching, it’s important to note that “student ambassadors are still available for [studets],” according to Ellis.

They are able to help with the inner workings of current classes, preparation for finals, and to help guide students through the rest of this trying school year.

What seems to be the most commonly asked question right now is “what will the upcoming Spring semester at NECC look like?”

Heineman answered this question, stating that “[he] really recognize[s] that there’s a lot of value in classmates getting together and instructors and students being together at the same time.”

This past Fall was fully remote and asynchronous because students weren’t given enough time to weigh their options, but since there is more time to plan for the coming Spring semester they have “been encouraging faculty to to put those elements into the course,” speaking about scheduled zoom meetings.

As of now, Spring classes will still be held online but there is the hope that professors will try to dedicate certain times for classes to meet remotely once or twice a week.

Of course, these interactions will differ depending on both the type of course and the professor. There is a lot that goes into these decisions, as they affect the lives of thousands of students and staff members.

Ellis stated that the administration tries their “best to decide as early as possible, so [the] students have ample time to prepare.”

Heineman also spoke on this topic, saying “The decision for fall was driven by multiple factors,” such as government guidelines, health expert predictions, and the health and comfort of students and staff.

He also made sure to stress that “the health and safety of [the] students and employees was the first priority.”

Ellis said her “role is unique in that [she] get[s] to adapt [her] work to really keep the students’ experience is the top priority,” which is why she helped create the student ambassadors program to help students out during this unconventional year.

Since there has been a lot going on in the world recently, Ellis wants all students to feel comfortable contacting her (aellis@necc.mass.edu) or the student ambassadors (studentambassadors@necc.mass.edu) if they need any help.

Lastly, if any students have feedback surrounding the recent changes due to COVID-19 they shouldn’t hesitate to send an email to expectmore@necc.mass.edu.