Monthly Archives: December 2020

Arts and Entertainment

Happiest Season: A thoughtful comedy about family and holidays

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Going home to see your family for the holidays is stressful. Of course, you love them and you’re happy to see them, but let’s be honest here. It’s stressful!

It’s even more stressful when you’re secretly gay and bringing your lesbian lover home but no one in your family knows you’re a lesbian so you have to pretend that you’re just roommates. That’s the premise of the new Hulu Original Christmas movie, Happiest Season. Directed by Clea DuVall, the movie stars Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis and features an amazing supporting cast consisting of Victor Garber, Mary Steenburgen, Alison Brie, Dan Levy, and Aubrey Plaza, plus many others.

The film follows Abby (Stewart) and Harper (Davis) when they go to Harper’s childhood home for Christmas. Harper’s family doesn’t know she’s gay, which Abby isn’t aware of until the two have already almost reached the house.

Now, for five days, she’s forced to pretend to be Harper’s platonic roommate around Harper’s family. Harper’s father is running for city mayor and wants his family to look perfect and avoid any potential scandals. Harper’s mother is obsessed with projecting the image of the perfect family on Instagram. One of Harper’s sister is overly hyper and kind of odd, and her other sister is emotionally repressed and has two kids who seem miserable.

One of the things I like about this movie is the fact that there’s no antagonist. There are no characters looking to cause problems or make trouble. The antagonist is, in a way, life itself.

From the moment we’re introduced to Harper’s family, we immediately see why she hasn’t felt comfortable coming out. Her family is obsessed with projecting a certain type of picture-perfect conservative image, and Harper hasn’t felt like being a lesbian fits into that image. No one in the family seems like a bad person, rather, they just seem like they have shallow priorities.

This is my favorite role I’ve seen Kristen Stewart in for quite a few years. It’s easy to look at her and remember how robotic she felt in movies like the Twilight movies and Snow White and the Huntsman, but I have to give her credit for doing a great job in this movie. She’s not overly emotional but she does succeed in conveying Abby’s complex emotional state.

Harper is a little harder to like. At first, you want to feel bad for her. Coming out to your family is so difficult to do and she clearly doesn’t feel like she can do it. But the way she essentially traps Abby into living this lie is pretty sleazy. She waits until they’re already on their way to the house to drop the bomb on Abby.

Then there’s Harper’s behavior while she’s home and reunited with old friends and exes. I won’t spoil it but she comes across as selfish. It makes you wonder why Abby is with her.

The side characters outside of Abby and the family are all bringing something to the table, and no one feels superfluous. We get to meet Harper’s ex-boyfriend, an ex-girlfriend, and some colleagues of Harper’s father. Dan Levy also co-stars as Abby’s friend and confidant. At first, he comes across as the type of annoying guy who’s “too woke” and takes a stand against absolutely everything. As the movie progresses though, he becomes more likable and shows that he’s actually a deep person.

Just about every character gets a moment to shine. While it’s easy to look at some characters as being stereotypes or tropes, once you get to know these people, you realize they’re much more complicated than that.

Something else I enjoy about this movie is how universal it feels. Whether you’re a member of the LGBTQ+ community or not, you can relate to the idea of trying to live up to your family’s expectations.

When you’re an adult returning home, there’s an odd contrast between being an adult with a job, a home, maybe a family of your own, but also being a kid around your parents. No matter how old you are, your parents will always look at you the way they did when you’re a kid. It’s just part of being a parent.

And we can all understand the desire to please our parents and make them proud of us. And if you have siblings, it’s natural to compare yourself to them. Who’s wealthier? Who’s married and who’s single? Who has the better career? There’s a type of competition that happens between adult siblings whether you’re conscious of it or not.

Happiest Season is a very well-written movie. It’s got comedy, it’s got drama, it’s got holiday cheer. The cast is wonderful and their characters are three-dimensional and well-written.

Even though it’s a movie centered around LGBTQ+ characters, I wouldn’t classify it as an LGBTQ+ movie. The movie is about family dynamics and just happens to prominently feature some lesbians. I highly recommend checking this one out!

 

 

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Tutoring center helps students reach their goals

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College students, specifically the ones at NECC and first time students, have had their struggles integrating into college life as of late.

With this pandemic and getting used to the new virtual learning, many students have had difficulties adjusting to a new learning experience that they still haven’t been accustomed to.

The changes in classes and subjects might be a benefit to some, but others still need all the help they can get to achieve a good grade and be more up to date with topics.

That is why Jennifer Levesque, a Coordinator of Tutoring, is here at NECC.

Tutoring has been growing as of late, and is an efficient style of helping students improving theirgrades in certain classes.

“The main goal is to help students with their classes and to help them understand certain concepts and skills, so they can grasp the material,” Levesque says.

Levesque helps out and tutors students who are in need of help with certain subjects, and with this long-lasting pandemic, her schedule has been filling up at a heavy rate this year.

“Tutoring gives students skills so they can succeed in their classes. We also encourage students to be more independent thinkers so that they can be successful college students.”

Adjusting to college learning compared to high school can be a challenge as Levesque claims, so the encouragement to think in certain ways is what Levesque as well as many tutors attempt to do when helping out their students.

Students tend to have difficulties with a lot of subjects, but the most difficult ones?

“It really depends on the student, but there are a lot of students who struggle with math and writing,” Levesque said.

Along with math and writing, NECC also provides tutoring in different subjects such as ESL, science, social students, and computer science.

“To make an appointment with a tutor go to Navigate by logging into the app (search forNavigate Student in the Google Play or Apple App Store) and clicking on “Appointments” or log into Navigate on a computer by signing into myNECC and clicking on “Navigate Student” and select “Virtual Appointment” as the location.”

Arts and Entertainment, Home Page News Bytes

Noelle: A different type of Christmas movie

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I’m the first to admit that I’m a bit of a grinch when it comes to Christmas movies. I feel like they all follow the same formula and if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen a thousand. When a friend told me to watch Noelle on Disney Plus, I immediately rolled my eyes. Then I heard it starred Anna Kendrick as the titular character and Bill Hader as her older brother so I was in. I’m so glad I gave this movie a shot because I ended up absolutely loving it.

The first thing you need to know about Noelle is that in the movie’s universe, Santa isn’t a person, but a title. Members of the Kringle family take on the title of Santa as if it’s North Pole royalty. After the current Santa dies, his son, Nick, is forced to take on the role but Nick isn’t ready. His younger sister, Noelle, has a much deeper passion for Christmas than he does but because she’s a woman, she’s not considered for the job, which is just fine with her. She’s perfectly happy making glittery Christmas cards and being a glorified cheerleader. When Nick panics over the looming Christmas, Noelle tells him he should take a weekend off and relax and when he does, he disappears completely. Noelle figures out he went to Phoenix, Arizona and follows him accompanied by her longtime nanny and caretaker, Elf Polly.

In Phoenix, Noelle hires a private detective, Jake, who’s able to locate Nick at a yoga studio, where he’s more comfortable working than being the new Santa. Then you have your typical shenanigans where Noelle tries to convince Nick to come back, reveals who she is to Jake, gets in some trouble with the locals until Jake realizes she was telling the truth and helps her get back home with Nick in tow.

Back at the North Pole, Nick apologizes to everyone for leaving and says he’s not meant to be Santa, but Noelle is. There’s this weird council of elves that say she can’t because she’s female but one elf says he just happened to check the rules and nothing says a woman can’t be the new Santa. Noelle becomes the new Santa, unsure of herself at first until she visits a homeless shelter she came across in Phoenix and everyone calls her Santa, giving her confidence and she finishes up the night without any problems.

While parts of the film feel pretty formulaic, Noelle offers just enough fresh ideas that this movie isn’t completely predictable. At the beginning of the movie, Noelle is a naïve, somewhat spoiled person. She loves Christmas for the superficial aspects like presents and carols and fun decorations. When she’s in Phoenix, outside of her isolated bubble of the North Pole, she meets people with real problems, like Jake and the people at the homeless shelter. While there’s an ongoing joke that everyone wants an iPad, Noelle meets people like a deaf child who wants her mother to be able to find a job. When she sees that there are people who want selfless, intangible things rather than just toys, she starts to understand the real meaning of Christmas, which she explains once she returns to the North Pole.

Christmas shouldn’t be about getting the most expensive stuff or getting the most toys. Christmas can’t even solve people’s problems. That’s not what it’s about. It’s about showing other people you care and having hope that things can get better. It’s about enjoying being together and being grateful for what you do have and the people you have. I love that Noelle actually grows as a person and learns what the holiday should really be about, that it’s more than just presents and pretty lights and decorations. Too many people get hung up on the shallow aspects of the holiday so it’s nice to see a character start that way and go through genuine development to see what really matters.

Jake is the other major protagonist of the movie. He’s recently divorced and has a son, Alex. All Alex wants for Christmas is for his entire family to be together even though his mother is remarried. Jake wants his son to be happy but is worried that if he spends Christmas with his ex-wife and her new husband, it will be awkward and uncomfortable, which will end up making it a miserable holiday for Alex. Alex, being a kid, doesn’t understand this kind of complicated dynamic. He just wants to be with his family, which is very sweet. And while he does help Noelle, he’s not filling any type of white knight or Prince Charming trope. He’s just a good guy trying to earn a living and take care of his son. I also appreciate that the movie doesn’t try to couple him up with Noelle. It would have been too easy to have them fall for each other and live happily ever after in the North Pole. I really enjoy that these two likeable and attractive characters of the opposite sex come together, form a friendship, and it doesn’t go further than that. It’s kind of refreshing to see two characters connect in a meaningful but platonic way because normally it turns into falling in love or one falls in love with the other.

There are some additional side characters who are fun. Bill Hader is enjoyable as Nick but his usual level of zany intensity is definitely toned down in this movie. He basically exists to be motivation for Noelle. Elf Polly is the wise and somewhat stern guardian figure for Noelle who gives her advice but lets her make her own decisions. There’s also another character, Gabriel, who is Noelle’s cousin and gets tasked with being the new Santa when Nick vanishes. Gabriel is a tech genius who tries to come up with formulas and calculations to see which children in the world are good enough to earn presents. According to Gabriel’s strict calculations, only about twenty-eight hundred kids are good enough to receive presents this year while all the others get a text message explaining what they need to improve upon for next year. It’s so outlandish and ridiculous that you can’t help but find it cute. Other actors could have definitely made Gabriel come across as a villain but Billy Eichner portrays him in a way that’s not malicious, just out of touch and lacking certain social graces.

Noelle is admittedly a bit predictable. I don’t think anyone watching it becomes surprised when she’s made the new Santa. But thanks to a talented cast and a meaningful message, the movie has enough heart and charm to be worth watching, even for a grinch like me.

 

 

Arts and Entertainment

Apple’s newest headphones cost about half my rent

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Apple has yet again stirred up the internet’s opinions with another piece of tech; the AirPods Max. With one last attempt to get some sales before the Holiday season ends, Apple’s newest headphones are having people raise a lot of questions, but not enough wallets.

If there’s one thing that Apple is good at, is getting us to talk about them. This Tuesday, Apple unveiled their very, very expensive over-the-ear headphones. Apple described their newest product as “the magic of AirPods in a stunning over-ear design,” and based off of the internet’s opinions, they may not be stunning enough.

Apple’s AirPods Max are priced at a heavy $549, which is almost double the price of some of the best over-the-ear headphones that money can buy, and just about the same price as Sony’s PS5. For those struggling to purchase the PS5, this might be a good alternative… kind of? At least you can show off to your friends.

To put things into perspective, here are some things that cost just about the same price as Apple’s newest headphones: A round trip to Paris, a PS5, 3 months of Car Insurance, 33 weeks’ worth of gas in my car (trust me, I did the math.) Safe to say that there are better investments you can make.

These new wireless headphones combine a number of classic AirPods functionalities with a new over-the-ear design.

Key features include Adaptive EQ, Active Noise Cancelling, Transparency mode, and other things that other headphones have already had available, for a very long time (Sony’s X100 line headphones for example.)

There is one thing that might be useful after all though, as the new headphones have a 20-hour battery life. If Apple’s claims are true, that should be just enough battery life to get you through your pandemically stress induced days, with some good tunes.

Apple’s all new AirPods Max are available to preorder from Apple’s website for $549, and was scheduled to be officially released on Dec. 15.

 

 

Arts and Entertainment, Home Page News Bytes

Urine Hell: A short comedic film   

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On Nov. 27 “Urine Hell” premiered on YouTube. The film takes the viewer on just shy of a six-minute quest from the beach to a public bathroom stall, all in search of bladder relief. 

 The short comedic film is the brainchild of NECC freshman Gyani Pradhan Wong Ah Sui, who works under the stage name Gyani Wasp and his friend Anand Fedele. It is the first film for both filmmakers. 

 Both Wasp and Fedele wrote and directed the film together. Wasp served as the cinematographer and editor while Fedele focused on composition and sound design. They both had roles in the film along with feature performances by Quincy Adams as the main character, Will Stomberg and Benny Weedon. 

According to a press release, “While the film is comedic, the directors’ goal was to take something ridiculous and give it a surrealist spin. And the storyline was simple enough that the two directors could realistically film it with limited resources during a pandemic.” 

Fedele calls the film, “a relic of the time we’re living in, characterized by wearing masks.” 

“The pandemic is part of the story,” he added.

The idea for the film came to Wasp after he himself needed a rest room while hanging with friends at a beach during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Wasp presented the idea to his friends. They all agreed to make the film in Easton, Mass., where most of them had spent quarantine together. 

 The movie took three weeks to film in October. Once they wrapped up filming, Wasp returned to West Newbury to work on editing the film. He and Fedele sent the film back and forth throughout the editing process, “tweaking” as they went along.  

The title of the film is certainly a clever play on words.  

“I threw it at Gyani as a joke,” Fedele said. To his surprise, Wasp said, “let’s stick with it.” 

Wasp and Fedele plan to work together on future projects as soon as this coming winter break.  

The short film can be watched on YouTube here.

Features, Home Page Featured News

Redefining relationships during COVID: How the pandemic has changed the way we socialize 

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People are naturally social creatures, so it should come as no surprise that a pandemic which is best fought with isolation, would take a toll on our relationships. 

Jocelyn Avila, 20, of North Andover, has noticed a change in her relationships during the pandemic. Avila, who studies journalism and communications and works at a Digital Federal Credit Union as a customer service representative, says it has been difficult to maintain existing relationships with friends.  

At work she has encountered some struggles in working with clients who are not used to new technologies implemented because of the pandemic and finds herself dealing with frustrated customers quite often.  
Mirrorajah Metcalf, 19, of Haverhill, says that the pandemic has helped her “filter out” her friendships. She has been able to see “the true ones come to the forefront.” Metcalfe recently started a new job at a local Market Basket and has been able to make work a social experience. 
Andrew Venditti, 21, from Haverhill, plays guitar in an alternative rock band called Everything in Green. The band has been unable to meet for rehearsals since the pandemic hit.  
Some people have been able to dedicate more time to family time whether in person or online.  
Metcalfe, who lives with her dad, stepmom and little sister, finds that she spends more time at home with her family and is also able to communicate more with her mom and siblings that live in Nevada.  
Venditti, who lives at home with his mom and sister, says there has been some “passive aggressiveness” but that quarantining at home has “been pretty good, all things considered.” 
He has been spending more time with his beagle, Sherlock. “He’s been my homie during COVID,” he says.  
At home, Avila has noticed her relationships with her mom and older brother improve, “they’re way better,” she says. 
Gyani Pradhan Wong Ah Sui, 18, of West Newbury, has lived with host families since his junior year in high school since his family lives in India, where he grew up. “I have more time to talk to them,” says Sui about his family back home.  
For Sui, keeping up with friends is harder now. As a freshman in college, Sui and his high school friends are now living “separate lives,” and the isolation that comes with quarantine only makes them feel more separate.  
Navigating relationships while in college can be tough for any young adult; trying to manage a romantic relationship or any dating life during a global pandemic can seem nearly impossible.  
Avila and her boyfriend of 3 ½ years, took some time to adjust to the new conditions of dating in the time of COVID-19. They had to get used to not being “together all the time.” It took some work, but they are back to normal now, even “better,” Aliva says. 
Venditti is currently single, “we’ll say it’s because of COVID,” he chuckled. Being 21 means being old enough to go to bars to meet new people, but the pandemic has taken that experience from Venditti for the time being.  
Sui and his girlfriend of 1 ½ years, knew it would be difficult to continue their relationship when she was accepted into the University of Chicago, but they agreed to try and make it work. Sui was hopeful that with the pandemic, his girlfriend would be able to stay in the area, but it did not happen as he wished. The pandemic makes it harder to just catch a flight to visit on a random weekend or holiday, but Sui’s girlfriend was able to come home for Thanksgiving and they took all the necessary precautions to visit safely. 
There is a heavy layer of stress added to in person social gatherings, so many people end up turning to the internet and social media. 
“Life is online,” Sui says.  
“Never had to do everything through this medium,” Venditti says. He is not a fan of dating apps but enjoysonline games and gatherings put on by NECC. “
Gyani Pradhan Wong Ah Sui and his father, brother and mother before COVID-19. Photo by: Gyani Pradhan Wong Ah Sui
Gyani Pradhan Wong Ah Sui and his father, brother and mother before COVID-19. Photo by: Gyani Pradhan Wong Ah Sui
Jocelyn Avila and her boyfriend. Photo by Jocelyn Avila
Jocelyn Avila and her boyfriend.
Photo by Jocelyn Avila
Arts and Entertainment, Home Page News Bytes

Top Notch Players to present “Love Letters”

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The Top Notch Players at Northern Essex Community College will have a play take place
virtually called, “Love Letters”, by A.R Gurney on Dec.10 through Dec.12.

The story is about one couples who spent 50 years together and they begin to read love letters to each other in regard to their relationship.

Due to Covid-19, rehearsals were all done online for the safeness of others. The performance will also be presented online. The play will stream on vimeo and anyone can watch it within the comfort of their homes.

The play was directed by Brianne Beatrice who is the theater Coordinator at NECC and
also an adjunct professor.

For five years Beatrice has produced all shows, and pre-pandemic, she typically has designed the set, built the sets and designed the lighting, sound and costumes, but also with
the help of her students.

According to Beatrice, “It’s a really nice time of the year to feel hopeful and we all need hope in our lives and joy in our lives and hopefully this play will bring  that to a lot of people.”

According to an announcement from  NECC’s Center for Liberal Arts, the play is “available only on Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/487879040

“If you enjoy the play and would to ‘pay what you want’, you can send a Venmo to: @Brianne-Beatrice in the amount that you wish to donate to the Northern Essex Community College Theater Program. Please name the donation ‘Love Letters’. For additional details, contact Prof Brianne Beatrice at bribeats@gmail.com.”

Campus Life, Home Page News Bytes

NECC to host holiday trivia night

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The time of year when people gather with family the most has arrived, but because of COVID-19, this year is a little different.

Charlie Baker, governor of Massachusetts, has made multiple restrictions for gatherings and outings. To bring some entertainment for people who are stuck inside, Northern Essex Community College has organized a trivia night.

NECC has been hosting events like this one for months in attempts to lift the community’s spirits up.

Student, Cadrin Comeau, said “I didn’t know NECC was doing anything for the holiday season, but I will have to check it out.”

Trivia night is a great way for students to relieve the stress that finals bring, while social distancing in their home!

The event will be held over Zoom this upcoming Friday, Dec. 11th at 6:30 p.m. The winner of Trivia Night will be awarded a Yankee Candle gift basket worth $250! Donations will also be accepted, According to an announcement about the event:  “All proceeds go to Fidelity House Inc, CRC–helping the families raising children with disabilities in the Merrimack Valley area who are facing food and economic insecurity”.

Northern Essex Community College planned a lot of fun events for the holiday season and continues to plan more for the future.

Students are extremely grateful that their community is taking the time to plan events that they can attend in their home.

Sarah Blaine, second year student, says “So many things have been cancelled for me this year, I’m glad I’m able to do something from my home!”

There will be many more interactive activities within the next few months, available to view on the NECC Observer and on the Student Life secton of the NECC website.

If interested in attending Trivia Night, here is the Zoom information:

Meeting ID: 943 3104 9602 Passcode: 319473

 

Home Page News Bytes, Lawrence, News

Federal pandemic unemployment assistance to expire soon

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The discontinuance of the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance is set to leave many unemployed people without financial aid.

Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) is a program under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act, which is a $2.2 trillion economic stimulus bill passed by U.S. Congress and signed into law on March 27, 2020 in response to the economic calamity due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

The CARES Act, which created the PUA program, specifies that the last payable week of PUA benefits will be the week ending December 26, 2020. Even if you have a balance of PUA benefits, or owed weeks beyond December 26, these benefits cannot be paid after that date., meaning that by the end of December, more than 13 million unemployed people will be without financial aid.

Ian Shea, an NECC student said, “I think it’s sad that there’s even a debate about whether or not to help citizens in need. People need help right now. If citizens cannot afford their bills, their rent, their mortgage, or groceries, they will be out on the streets. If people cannot afford their own necessities, they are certainly not going to be able to spend money at local stores or restaurants and that hurts the entire community. There is a ripple effect and I wish more people opposing extending aid understood that.”

Jacqueline Dick, a professor of public health at NECC, gave her expert opinion on how the withholding of Federal PUA affect those in Lawrence both in the short term and long term, “The results will be multifaceted and have short and long term perhaps traumatic effects on the residents of Lawrence. Some of the things that come to mind are closing of small businesses, eviction and loss of housing, individuals going to work sick because they feel they have no choice. There will also be extra demands on Federal programs such as WIC and SNAP (Food Stamps). Losing jobs may lead to losing health insurance for some and as winter sets in more people will need fuel assistance – the list goes on. It will take a long time to recover from this socio economic loss and scarring will be deep.”

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Students prep for another online semester

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The new emphasis towards online learning in the wake of what we hope will be the final stretch of the pandemic, is different for a large majority of students. Northern Essex recently informed their students that they would continue to proceed with classes almost entirely online throughout the spring semester and available winter courses.

Now in December, NECC students are in the home stretch of classes and will soon enter the final week of the fall semester. Registry for spring and winter courses are available. With a taste of strictly online college courses under their belt, how do NECC students feel about the extension of online learning?

Tatiana Matrille, 18, majoring in liberal arts last semester, was asked her opinion of the online class experience via Facetime.

“I don’t mind it as much as I first did. There were times it was really stressful in all my classes; it was hard to get myself back in school mode. I’ve developed strategies and routines that help me get my work done, and I’ll definitely need to follow them into next semester,” said Matrille

“I didn’t have a lot of motivation at first, but I started to realize I had to get it done. But, I have decided to change my major, I didn’t enjoy some of the classes I was taking” she added

Matrille stated that she did in fact declare a new major, abandoning liberal arts for exercise science for next semester. Matrille did also make clear she would not be opposed to in-person classes, but she has grown more comfortable with the idea of online courses than when she initially started.

The first-year college student says she spends usually six sometimes seven days doing chunks of homework most weeks. “When we first really started getting work, I could not keep up, and part of me considered I have to drop this class, drop out, something, I just didn’t want to feel that constant stress anymore. But as I started to complete things, I would keep reminders of how I approached getting that work done,” explained Matrille.

She added “I found that breaking my work into a couple hours everyday instead of all day for a couple days was a plan that worked. I don’t love having to do school almost every day, even on weekends, but doing a little each day has worked out better than doing a ton on a couple days and worrying about it the days I didn’t.”

This has become a common perception amongst a number of students. While the online experience was new to them, they were forced to adapt, many still struggling to do so in certain aspects, thus a group of students have developed methods of survival in terms of grades and classwork.

Louis Dimopolous, 18, majoring in Computer Science, supports the other side of the argument, who is not excited the courses will proceed to be online.

“It’s so much harder. I knew most of my work would have been computer based anyways, so I didn’t think being online wouldn’t really matter to me. But is is harder, trying to just kind of teach everything to yourself, and understand it on your own, stay on top of your schedule and workload without a teacher saying things out loud, or even just being able to look and see what people around you are doing, you don’t have that online,” said Dimopolous via FaceTime.

Dimopolous also added he was eager to get inside the campus, stating “I still have only been inside a couple times, some buildings or areas not at all. It doesn’t feel like you really get all the features even of a community college when things are solely online.”

While some have found their routes to success amidst the challenge, it seems a majority of students find the online work more challenging than it would be in a classroom. Motivation, and designing an appropriate schedule has been a challenge for many.

Jack DiTonno, 19, in his second year at NECC, majoring in business, is another student who is not looking forward to the plan to stay online, stating “I expected it, but that didn’t make me any less disappointed to hear it. It is so much harder to get everything done and done on time when you feel like you have never even been in the class. COVID concerns are rising and I don’t blame them for the decision, but it is going to be a grind, just like this past semester” said DiTonno also via FaceTime.

DiTonno also mentioned that getting help with classwork was easier when the campus was open. “When you’re in a classroom you can ask the teacher or someone next to you brief questions just to clarify something, things you feel stupid sending an email about. It was easier if you were struggling with your classes too, you could just walk into advising and sit down with someone who can point things out and explain things to you, that entire process takes longer and is less effective when done virtually”

With a similar outlook for next semester, NECC students are especially looking forward to their holiday break, but not before the final projects, tests and quizzes, with due dates slowly but surely creeping forward. Students will continue to search for methods of easing the stresses associated with their online courses.

Many students have found a dip in their grades and work ethic. When the entirety of one’s exposure to a course is through a screen, it is easy to feel as though the work is less significant, and lose sight of your motivation to produce work on time and at a high level. Some students are aiming to take the next semester off, to regroup their feelings and aspirations with their classes, especially those with an undecided or second-guessed major.

All phases of education have been forced to adapt to the restrictions of the pandemic, none finding the remote or virtual experiences to be easier than the original.

College students throughout the country are facing the rapid uptick in online educating, some colleges taking their chances opening up or welcoming back the students to campus, while many choosing to cut their losses and maintain safety assurance in continuing online, this fitting the description for Northern Essex.