Monthly Archives: April 2021

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NECC Profile: Kimberley Lyng

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With the end of the Spring semester drawing closer, Professor Kimberley Lyng naturally has a lot on her plate like many of her fellow faculty members, especially with acting as adviser for this year’s Speechapalooza.
At the same time however, she finds the busy schedule energizing as she enjoys seeing her Public Relations students connect about planning the event, even more so while still in the midst of the pandemic.
A relative newcomer to the NECC Community, Lyng acquired the position of Journalism/Communication Program Coordinator in Fall 2020, after Amy Callahan stepped down to focus more on her duties as Dean of Liberal Arts.
With Lyng’s long and impressive background of Communications/Journalism experience, having previously worked in newspapers, television, and public relations, it’s no wonder why she would b ea valuable asset to the department. “I’ve been so impressed in her professionalism and enthusiasm,” stated Callahan. “She’s very compassionate, encouraging, and she knows how to translate her expertise into effective, engaging teaching.”
When asked about being hired during the pandemic, “it was kind of an interesting time because when you’re being a program coordinator, you want to have those in-person interactions with people because it helps you get to know them more,” reflected Lyng during a Zoom interview. “But then I feel like everything is easier in person.”
Lyng grew up in Boston, Massachusetts and had a strong love of the arts since she was a child, particularly when it came to writing.
As she got older, Lyng further pursued that particular interest of hers, writing a substantial amount of work for her high school newspaper.
She then went to Bates College in Lewiston, Maine where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Art History/French, as Journalism wasn’t available.
“Art History had a lot of connections,” Lyng shared. “A lot of it was writing intensive, there was some history which was really interesting to me, and along with taking French was extremely helpful when I went to work on TV.”
After graduating Bates, Lyng took on various jobs related to her field, such as editorial assistant for Community Newspaper Publishers, to writing stories for The Somerville Journal and Cambridge Chronicle, to even winning an award for a documentary she produced at the 1995 Chicago Film Festival.
After thoseaccomplishments, she went to Syracuse University to pursue her Master’s Degree in Communications, as well as to experiment more with broadcasting.
“Syracuse is the broadcast school. If you want to try broadcasting, it’s awesome,”  stated Lyng, who also encouraged taking profession-related jobs in between academics, as they “provide a way in.”
Prior to her hiring at NECC, Lyng had worked as executive producer and managing editor for WCVB Channel 5 and Boston Metro respectively, as well as Communications Coordinator at Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts where she was awarded Teacher of the Year for two consecutive years.
“Kim is a wonderful teacher, resourceful, has excellent experience, is energetic, and holds students to high standards. From knowing her and supervising her, I would recommendher to any institution, which is looking for well-qualified instructors,”  stated BobOwczarek, a now-retired faculty member at Pine Manor and close colleague to Lyng.
Lyng has not only won the praise of her fellow staff members, but also the love and admiration of her students.
“I have had Professor Lyng over the last two semesters and have found her to be an amazing professor,” stated Isa Grullon.
Grullon is not onlya student of Lyng’s classes, but also the NECC Observer’s own editor-in-chief.
“There were times over the last two semesters where I just honestly wanted to give up, but she pushed me to continue forward, and I am so grateful she did!” said Grullon. 
In addition to Grullon’s praise, Lyng is described as a teacher who “truly values the input of her students and cares about their success in and out of the classroom,” said  Owen Devlin, another of her students.
“She is one of the best instructors I have ever had and I look forward toworking with her again!” he said.
At the end of her busy days, Lyng looks forward to retreat to her seaside community in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
It is there where she lives with her family,and they have lived there for over a decade.
NECC is lucky to have her, and the community looks forward to what she’ll bring next to the college.
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PACE hosts virtual awards night

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The most awaiting and cheering time has come for every PACE Program participant at NECC – the special night for the Annual Pace Awards and Alumni Success Panel. The event celebrates and recognizes outstanding individuals who were chosen for PACE Program awards this year, and was held on  Thursday April 21, 2021. It was a virtual event via Zoom meeting to acknowledge and award alumni success and staff member recognition.

The event host Jessica Rockers , exclaimed, “welcome, everyone to this special ceremony night in which PACE students and staff members will be awarded and honored for their hard work and effort they have put into educational studies at Northern Essex Community College.”

She went on saying, “we will be joined by four super star PACE Program alumni who will share their best advice for graduating, transferring, earning scholarships, and landing the job of your dream!”

The event was held from 5pm- 630pm and was pretty much an exciting moment to experience. Hearing all the nominations and the winners being announced at the end was incredible.

Among others student attendees, there were also PACE Staff members such as Sheila Corsaro – PACE Academic Advisor, Kristen Arnold- PACE Director, and Stephanie Haskell –Coordinator of Social Justice and Student Leadership, as part of the many panelists and nominees to receive awards.

Finally, the ceremony was a success, the winners received their award for the night, all of them being happy and proud of themselves, they all demonstrated a sense of appreciation when obtaining their awards. This eventually marked the end of a beautiful ceremony night that everyone enjoyed and will remember forever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slider, Sports

The sports system at NECC

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Sports have been for many years at the very top of the entertainment industry across the world, and sports have brought it in the highest revenues for so long.

It is no coincidence that in the United States, the biggest sports and the development among players are highly based on a collegiate system that gets the young generation a chance to develop their abilities, which is where we turn our heads to NECC. As a community college NECC takes a similar, but also different approach to athletics.

Many coaches and staff have spoken about their jobs and the things they attempt to do to help the college succeed in many aspects. Today, with the pandemic hitting and affecting many jobs worldwide, we have seen a shift in how many jobs operate.

So with that said, how does this affect NECC sports?

And once we get into the post-pandemic world, what is the school doing right in regards to sports?

And what are things we can do toimprove?

Positives

It is fair to say that NECC is far ahead in the things that the school is doing right in sports at the school rather than the wrong.

In two recent profiles, NECC coaches Tim Foley and David Arivella have both expressed how happy they are with the way sports operate at NECC andthat they think are blessed to be working for the community college.

These coaches have claimed many times how much their jobs revolve around helping student sachieve their goals not just inside, but outside of sports.

The fact that the school is aware that students need to prioritize academics and not just athletics is a big sign in the right direction.

NECC has also done a good job with COVID protocols. There would be and have been times where certain college sports teams have had to cancel games because COVID spreading has been out of control, and with the school maintaining stability in testings and social distancing, NECC has been able to run their sports system just fine.

Although NECC is no Duke or UCLA, the school has opened many students and coach staff with opportunities and people like Foley and Arivella have spoken out about this and are proud of th eway NECC has handled sports during this pandemic.

Improvements

NECC in general has done a good job with sports management on aspects including students and scheduling, but like every other school, there is always room for improvement.

Sports at a college have been taken real seriously across the nation and college is the main source of development for many of the top sports athletes nationwide.

Arivella further discussed in his profile how throughout recruitment in the school, the coaching staff only tend to look around the local cities within 15-30 minutes from the campus, and no further.

With the limited cities revolved around scouting for athletes, the talent pool is thin which leaves  a lack of competitiveness among other college kids.

Although being a community college, with improvement in scouting NECC would become an ideal destination for kids across New England to take that step into 4-year college sports programs as well as academically.

Is NECC Heading in the Right Direction?

The post-COVID world is looming around with the new vaccines coming through at a decent rate, and so far it has been shown by coaches and students that NECC is in fact improving in dealing with setbacks.

Now it is just a matter of whether NECC takes sports seriously on that level that most other colleges do, or if the head coordinators do not see it anymore than simply just a recreationala ctivity.

Head staff of sports at NECC can look ahead at bringing old and new faces in and continue to help the sports college system improve as well as the many young people across New England looking to make a difference.

 

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The ongoing genocide in China

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In the Xinjiang province in the People’s Republic of China there is genocide going on and its being perpetrated by the government. The target of this ongoing crime against humanity is the Uighurs who are a Turkic ethnic minority that live in the province which is located in the Northwestern part of the People’s Republic of China.

The province borders with Mongolia, Kazakistan, Kyrgstan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The seeds of the genocide were planted in the shadow in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. China stated that they too were victims of terrorist attacks but the Communist Party of China (CCP) which is the ruling government body of the country stated that the attacks were happening in the province of Xinjiang but in reality they wanted to remain control of that region which was by reported by China’s state media groups like Xinhua news and China Central television.

The Party’s rational behind this was to crack down on people who were against the party but do it under the guise of national security. Tensions against the Uighurs began in June, 2009, when a rumor began to float around that a woman who was Han Chinese worked in a toy factory was sexual assaulted by six Uighur migrant workers. The incident was reported by the Voice of America which investigated the claim and found out the story was concocted by a disgruntled worker who quit from his job at the factory. As a result of the rumor several Uighur workers were attacked by other workers and when the dust settled two Uighur workers died as a result.

The story of the violent attack went viral and on July. 5 2009 Uighur students staged a protest over the incident which was held in the city of Urumqi which is located Xinjiang. The protest ended with the police using live rounds of ammunition against the students which started a riot. It was reported in the state media that 197 people were killed in the riots and most of them were Han Chinese. This sparked more violence in the days after in where more Uighurs got attacked by violently armed mob who were armed with melee weapons like hammers, bats and hypodermic needles. The attacks on the Uighurs were all captured on cell phone video which was leaked online and the British newspaper known as The Times picked up on the footage which shocked the world. The final death toll of the July 5 violence is unknown and its highly disputed since the Uighurs who were there claimed that toll was in the thousands whereas the Chinese state media reported that the death toll was much lower.

In the aftermath of the riots the domestic security budget of the province was tripled in order to stop any violence from happening again which was unheard since the other provinces got same amount of security from the exact same budget. The budget for Xinjiang increased by 57 percent and security budget for the rest of the country got 34 percent according to the American think tank group, Jamestown Foundation.

The seeds began to grow with a series of high profile terrorist attacks from 2010 to 2014 which all culminated on March, 1, 2014 in a mass stabbing that happened in a train station which resulted in 31 people killed and the government blamed the attack on Uighers of Xinjiang only escalating the situation. The stabbing attack was reported by western media outlets like the BBC but state outlets decided frame the attack as anyone who is a Uighur is a terrorist. In 2016 relations reached a critical point when Chen Quango, who was previously the party secretary of Tibet was appointed by General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, and Winnie the Pooh clone, Xi Jingping, appointed him to be head of the province.

Under Chen’s rule of the region the early stages of the genocide began to start when the mosques that Uighurs go for worship started to be closed by the government. The language of the Uighurs, books about their heritage and history to the more mundane things like growing a beard and abandoning alcohol are outlawed and deemed illegal. In the eyes of the Chinese Communist party they considered these things as promoting extremism and deemed illegal by the state and if anyone was caught doing one of these thing they would be subjugated with force.

These acts being perpetrated were being reported by overseas media like Voice of America. Other times the CCP encouraged the Han Chinese to move into Xinjiang to increase the population and to out populate the Uighurs. This tactic has been used before in the past the first time 1950’s when the Communist party took over with Chairman Mao Zedong as the country’s leader and agains in the 1970’s during the height of the Cultural Revolution.

The CCP started to build the camps in 2017 with internal reports being leaked to western press outlets such as the New York Times. The documents showed that CCP had imprisoned over one million people in concentration camps which are called by the government “job training centers.”

The people in these camps consisted mostly Uighur Muslims but some are not Uighurs they are Kazakhs who are also Muslim who came from the neighboring country of Kazakistan, even Christians and other religions are being targeted by the CCP.

The goal of these camps are to indoctrinate them with propaganda to break them and mold their minds into loyal members of the state. Some of the people in these camps have kids outside the walls of the camps who are lied to by government authorities and their teachers.

The documents showed the orders that were given out to arrest them for any reason. In 2017 and 2019 at least 80,000 Uighurs were forced into slave labor in factories that are owned by major western companies like Amazon, Nintendo, Nike, Google and Apple.

This revelation about the slave labor was revealed in February, 2020 when Forbes magazine did an article on the report which was put out by the Australian think tank group, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Forbes went on to report the working conditions of the factories which labeled them as “Abusive working conditions, such as political indoctrinations, police guard posts in factories…ban on religious practices.” and the living conditions were labeled as “Isolation such as living in segregated dormitories and being transported in dedicated trains.”

Other reports from people who were in the camps told accounts of organ harvesting and hair being shaved off of the people who are being held in the camps.

In 2020 two major events would happen that would bring the world’s attention to Genocide first one was drone footage that was leaked online in January of that year that showed Uighur muslims in blue garments being held on a train platform being guarded by soldiers. People saw the footage they draw parallel’s to Hitler’s Holocaust during World War II and a journalist for the BBC confronted the Chinese ambassador to the United Kingdom. During the confrontation the ambassador outright denied the footage and the ongoing  atrocity.

The second big controversy was Disney released its live action remake of its 1998 film, Mulan, which released on Disney plus due to the COVID-19 outbreak closing the movie theaters. The 2020 remake of the film was filmed in Xinjiang and at the end credits of the film they thanked the governmental organization that was running the camps.

Some students at NECC recently gave their thoughts about the events in the People’s Republic of China.

Andrew Vendetti, Journalism and Communications major, stated the following “I think the “re-education camps” for the Uighur population in China is nothing short of shameful…. I certainly don’t want war, but we also can’t stand idly as people are tortured and raped in government camps.”

Jocelyn Avila-Frias another student of NECC stated similar thoughts  “I think the genocide is tragic and we should bring more awareness to it. I also think the film Mulan could’ve done a better job listening to their audience and being an active activist in focusing on the horrors of the genocide and how they can overcome it. To say that Mulan’s filming near Uighur camps was tone deaf would be an understatement.”

However unfortunately some people have been defending the actions of the CCP these people consisted of either mostly genocide and atrocity denialists who think the CCP is in the right in rounding up people based on their race or religion is ok and other times they use evidence that is put by the Party and its propagandists which have since been debunked.

These people have been strongly condemned by historians and activists alike since they no different than Holocaust deniers. One British activist named Majid Narwaz staged a hunger strike on July, 2020 to raise awareness of the genocide in UK parliament and the strike was announced on his Twitter page. In less than a week his strike gained attention which in turn created a petition that gained over 100,000 signatures.

After his strike was over he went his podcast on Leading Britain’s Conversation (LBH) in which he stated that “Genocide is a zero sum game it leaves no room for neutrality….there is no choice you can take here other than opposing the genocide.” He went even further arguing that if people don’t speak out against the genocide they are complicit in their silence.

zThe Trump administration was the first one to denounce the genocide and the Biden administration following after. The ongoing genocide has no end in sight with a grim and dark future for the Uighurs. Some people speculate on what will happen next if the CCP will finish the genocide with the worst case scenario being a war with People’s Republic of China that could escalate into a nuclear war that could start over Taiwan. The activists suggest the best outcome for the genocide to end is either to raise awareness about it and to call out or boycott the people and the companies who are taking part in this crime against humanity.

History and time will only tell on how this saga of the People’s Republic of China’s crime against humanity and the genocide will end.  Who are they that they don’t know their history ?

 

Arts and Entertainment, Home Page News Bytes

Tiger King: A documentary that seems like fiction

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If I told you there was a documentary about a gay polygamist Republican tiger owning cowboy, would you believe me?  Well, if you haven’t seen Tiger King you probably wouldn’t. For those who don’t know, Tiger King is a documentary on Netflix, it was released on March 20, 2020. It couldn’t have released at a better time either, it was released during the start of the pandemic lockdowns. Everyone was inside and didn’t have anything better to do so they watched Tiger King. is the timing of it release the only reason for its success?

For those who haven’t seen Tiger King and don’t want it spoiled according to the IMDB plot summary “Among the eccentrics and cult personalities in the stranger-than-fiction world of big cat owners, few stand out more than Joe Exotic , a mulleted, gun-toting polygamist and country western singer who presides over an Oklahoma roadside zoo. Charismatic but misguided, Joe and an unbelievable cast of characters including drug kingpins, conmen, and cult leaders all share a passion for big cats and the status and attention their dangerous menagerie’s garner. But things take a dark turn when Carole Baskin, an animal activist and owner of a big cat sanctuary, threatens to put them out of business, stoking a rivalry that eventually leads to Joe’s arrest for a murder-for-hire plot, and reveals a twisted tale where the only thing more dangerous than a big cat is its owner.”

What I like about the show is that it does a masterful job of  documenting these characters. it will show you one person and you will think they are normal but then they will hit you with the crazy aspect of them. For example, after the introduce Joe Exotic  they introduce Carole Baskin, at first she seems just to be some normal woman who cares about tigers and is the enemy of joe. Later in that episode, you find out that Carole Baskin was a primary suspect in the murder case of her first husband and that some suspect her of having fed her first husband to one of the tigers. That is only one of the major twists and turns of the series. Another thing I like about the series is how they keep it short and sweet. The whole show is only seven episodes long and it does a carful job of stringing together the story and keeping the viewer on the edge of their seat

I decided to get a outside opinion on the show. When asked student Faith Barrett had this to say “I think the overall investigative journalism about Joe Exotic  was very well done. You really got to see the real him and what he has gone through over the years.  I think it would’ve been popular if it wasn’t for quarantine, but I think the overall spread of popularity would have taken a lot longer. I feel like everyone was really bored and looking for another reality show to watch.”

Barrett makes a good point. Regardless of the pandemic Tiger King would have been popular. It has all the good makings of a classic tv show. It has drama, it has comedy, it has a entertaining cast. I think the main draw to the show is that it’s a true story. on the surface level this whole show seems unbelievable but with the time and investigative journalism that was put into the show it backs it up. as I said before I think regardless of the pandemic, the show would have been popular, it just would of taken longer. With the pandemic it has given people the time to experience underrated entertainment.

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How the Center for Liberal Arts embraces different cultures

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Northern Essex Community College has a diverse group of students attending both the Lawrence and Haverhill campuses, especially in the Lawrence campus where 80 percent of the student population are bilingual and speak predominantly Spanish.

This is why NECC and the Center for Liberal Arts have incorporated different activities and programs that cater to different cultural groups.

The Center for Liberal Arts has hosted many different cultural events within the center ever since they have opened. They also have honored different cultures on their respected months so that they could educate and bring awareness to the student body.

The center has also hosted different student guest speakers for Hispanic Heritage Month,Black History Month, Asian Pacific Heritage Month, and more so that students can hear theirpersonal experiences regarding their respected cultures they are representing.

Nisaly Gonzalez  aLiberal Arts major in Northern Essex Community College said that “I have attended one event the Center for Liberal Arts hosted for Hispanic Heritage Month in person back before the pandemic began and I really enjoyed listening to the student speaker speaking upon her experience as a Hispanic/ Latina bilingual student in the school.”

These events allow the liberal arts students to connect with different peers and step out of their comfort zones as well as expanding their knowledge on a different culture that they would normally never look into.

The center also hosts documentary and movie events that relate to the culture they are educating their participants on and hold an open discussion for students to ask questions and conversate with peers regarding to the film they have observed.

Mariam Saldivar who is a Communication Arts and Journalism major in Northern EssexCommunity College said “I remember attending an event during Black History Month and we learned how to do African dances which was amazing and so out of my element. But I reall yenjoyed it and I would definitely suggest other students to participate in those kinds ofactivities.”

Another student, Katherine Townsend who is also a Communication Arts/ Journalismmajor in Northern Essex Community College said that “I wish I was able to participate more in the cultural events the center has hosted but due to the pandemic it has made it harder for me tomake time for the zoom events they’ve had this past year. But I would love to attend a cultural documentary event that they will host in the future.”

The pandemic has made it significantly more difficult for the liberal arts students and staff to participate in these cultural events the Center for Liberal Arts hosts, though the center ha sbeen able to host these events through zoom.

They announce these events through email andsocial media. Make sure to check out the center’s website at https://www.necc.mass.edu/current-students/academic-centers/center-for-liberal-arts/liberal-arts-center-events/ for event updates.

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Review of ‘Da 5 Bloods’

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“Five bloods don’t die, we multiply” is a quote heard frequently in director Spike Lee’s latest film Da 5 Bloods, a thrilling tale that’s equal parts revisionist war epic and treasure hunt adventure, while also infusing his typically provocative social commentary that’s just as relevant today as it was back in the time period it’s partially set in 60 years ago.

The plot follows four African-American Vietnam veterans – Paul, Otis, Eddie, and Melvin – who return to the country to track a supply of gold bricks they hid during one oftheir last missions, as well as recover the remains of their fallen platoon leader, “Stormin” Norman, played by late great Chadwick Boseman.

Along the way, the squad tackles various topics often accompanied with correlating flashbacks, such as racial inequality including stereotypes associated with the Black man, modern politics, other issues they left behind in Vietnam, as well as personal demons such as PTSD and greed.

If that wasn’t enough, they soon discover they’re not the only ones seeking the fortune.

Da 5 Bloods has been on my watchlist for a while now, having been a fan of Lee’s work ever since I saw BlacKkKlansman for the first time.

What gave me the motivation to watch it now was that I recently attended an NECC JRN/COM career panel, where I met two people who worked on the film: Veronica Vozzolo, the second assistant editor who edited the first two minutes of the film, and Luftar Von Rama, who served as editor for the visual effects.

They provided a lot of great insights into how they worked on this film and other projects, so naturally my interest rose even more.

I’m glad I finally did see it, as not only is Da 5 Bloods one of the best films of 2020, it’s also one of Lee’s best films period and a worthy follow-up to BlacKkKlansman.

The social commentary is right-on point and feels like it was written not too long ago, and I definitely mean that as a compliment.

Referring back to the first two minute swonderfully edited by Vozzolo, they establish what messages to expect perfectly by showing archival footage, including interviews from well-known civil rights advocates, protests, and of course footage of the war taken overseas. It’s horrifying given the implications, but also beautiful given the craftsmanship on display.

The editing after that by Adam Gough is also excellent, cutting to the right camera angle when the scene calls for it.

Longtime Lee composer Terrance Blanchard’s score is also amazing, and may be his best one yet.

Speaking of music and social commentary, the film also features an assortmentof Marvin Gaye songs, with an a cappella rendition of “What’s Going On” standing out in particular. When you take out the otherwise upbeat-sounding instrumentals and listen solely to the lyrics, it’s actually very somber to hear “Brother, brother, brother, there’s too many of you dying,”“war is not the answer.” or “don’t punish me with brutality.”

All of this ties into the themes superbly.

Delroy Lindo gives one of the best performances of the last year as Paul. Hisc haracter is definitely the one most affected by PTSD (something he himself admits in one scene), disillusioned by how America failed to honor the Black men who served in a war the country should’ve never got into.

He’s paranoid, often moody, and sometimesjust plain hostile to those around him, even to his own son, played by Jonathan Majors. That being said however, he’s by far the most interesting member of the group.

Other cast members who deliver strong work include Clarke Peters, Majors, and Boseman, the last of which isn’t in the film too much, but still plays a major part in the story, andwhenever he is on screen, he definitely owns every scene he’s in. Rest in Power.

One other thing worth pointing out is that the film is very violent, and is probably not for the faint of heart. It may be Lee’s most violent film since Summer of Sam o rMiracle at St. Anna (the latter film actually has a couple thematic similarities to this and I recommend checking both out as well).

Sure the action sequences are expectedly bloody for a hard-R film, not to mention very well done, but the most disturbing part is,once again referring to the archive footage, is that some of the gorier scenes were real.

When you realize that, it can be a bit hard to watch, but it’s warranted given the importance of the message, especially being given this high amount of energy and passion.

Da 5 Bloods is funny, shocking, sad, intense, and nothing short of spectacular. It’s beyond me why this was only nominated for Best Original Score at the Oscars (even though Blanchard’s score was great), but the film is skillfully directed, impeccably acted, and in time will be seen as an important masterpiece.

 

 

Campus Life, Home Page Featured News

Virtual events help students stay connected

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Northern Essex Community College has held numerous virtual events ever since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak last March. Planned events like this allow the NECC community to feel togetherness, even when classes are remote. Virtual events have been orchestrated for a little over a year now by the Coordinator of Student Activities, Stephanie Haskell. It is extremely important for her, and the entire community of NECC, to allow students to have events that keep them in the loop with each other.

Along with many other themed virtual events, the college will be hosting a Trivia Night on May 3. Although the theme for this night is currently a secret, it is sure to be a fun event that everyone will enjoy. All members of the community are encouraged to participate in this event. Trivia Night is a competition with other community colleges in the area. All members of the NECC community can be a part of this fun event and many other events via Zoom. Any and all students and faculty members are welcome to join with a super simple signup through link.

Trivia Night is a collaborative event where members of NECC go against numerous other community colleges from places like Mass., R.I., and N.H.. The Board of Student Activities has received many good reviews about the virtual events, like Trivia Night,  that have gone on the past year. ‘Our students love Trivia Night and have told me so. It’s fun because in-between rounds we put all the students from all of the community colleges into smaller breakout rooms and they get to meet and talk with other community college students… I think students like winning prizes too as well as bragging rights. One of the months we won overall out of the 17 community colleges that are invited to participate’ says Stephanie Haskell.

Despite more and more COVID-19 vaccinations being distributed, there are still many people who want to stay inside to ensure the safety of themselves and the people around them. There is no better way to stay inside and entertained, but still feel connected to the members of your community. Stephanie says, ‘I know personally how hard it is to be stuck in the house so providing a fun outlet is worth the time and energy for our students to have some fun and meet other students’. Events like Trivia Night are perfect for current and past students, faculty, and family members!

As the weather is getting nicer, the Board of Student Activities did plan less events for the springtime. This allowed many other clubs to plan virtual events for the community to attend. But there are plans for more exciting virtual events this upcoming summer. ‘I plan to host virtual events this summer… I hope that once more vaccines are administered we will be able to host more on campus for students but I have not gotten approval to do so yet from the college’ says Stephanie. The semester is nearing an end, but there are still plenty of events to look forward to from NECC.

COVID-19 vaccinations are constantly becoming available for more people throughout the states. The CDC is still advising people who have or have not not gotten vaccinated to ‘avoid crowds and stay six feet away from others’. For members of the community who are trying to stay socially distant and inside, events like this one are the perfect plan. NECC not only offers virtual Trivia Night, but also virtual escape rooms, virtual movie nights, and more! This event can be found easily on the Northern Essex Community College website, along with all the other events!

It can be difficult to feel connected with the community with everything going on in the world, but connecting with other students and participating in fun events like Trivia Night definitely helps! To participate in Trivia Night on May 3, hit this link. The organizers of this event would be more than excited to answer any questions you may have as well. For inquiries, feel free to contact the Coordinator of Student Activities, Stephanie Haskell, at shaskell@necc.mass.edu.

Along with the upcoming Trivia Night, there are many more fun opportunities for NECC students to get involved. One of those being the Community College Spring Virtual Festival that includes five music variety acts and prizes! This event will be hosted on May 5 and 6th from  6 p.m. – 7 p.m. on Zoom. Register with your NECC email here.

The Community Outreach Group will also host a Game of Thrones virtual trivia event on April 30 from 7 to 8 p.m.

According to email from COG, “in addition to being crowned the ultimate victor, you can benefit The National Alliance on Mental Illness in Massachusetts. www.namimass.org.” There will be prizes for best thematic dress and for the winner of the trivia contest. Zoom address: https://zoom.us/j/95143555455
Passcode: 755024

Contact Gage Prezioso at 00320591@student.necc.edu or Meredith Gunning at mgunning@necc.mass.edu for additional questions about the COG trivia night.

 

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The ups and downs of online learning

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It has been a full year since Northern Essex Community College made the shift towards online learning to fit the regulations of Covid-19.

Even though there has always been an option to participate in virtual classes, this is an entire new take on the idea. There are zoom meetings, and some professors even offer a one on one meeting time in case a student is havin gtrouble in their course.

Each student at Northern Essex Community college is handling the shift in a different way. Some are thriving, and others are struggling to keep up with deadlines.

Here is a take from a second and third year student at Northern Essex Community College.The covid-19 pandemic has placed a hold on the future of multiple students.

Second yearstudent Clara Petry (environmental science major) has had a lot of ups and downs with thet ransition to online education.

The shift to online school was abrupt, and brought on challenges and experience that she did not expect.

“While I was originally planning on spending a third year at NECC, I will now be transferring to UMass Lowell in the fall. I don’t think I can handle aanother semester of online courses. Most of the courses I need are science ones, which would b etoo challenging to take online,” she said.

After being asked if she believes online school pushes the limits for being overly challenging, her response was “I think so. Especially the tests I’ve had to take. It is harder to know what to expect on the online tests because there is a bigger workload and Ibasically have to teach myself from the book.”

This is another reason why Petry prefers taking courses in person, “Online classes come with more work, and I do not feel as engaged in what  Iam learning as I would in person, especially with the science classes I have to take,” she said.

Once this student has completed a full year of online school, she has learned a few things from this experience.

“Before the pandemic, I probably would have thought that an online class would be easier and less time consuming,” she said.

She also noted that there was one pro of online school despitethe drastic change it had on her plans and learning style. “One of the pros of online school is that you can create your own schedule of when you will study and work. That is one thing I will miss about the pandemic when I may be taking early morning classes in the future,” she said.

Overall, the experience of online learning for this particular student was overwhelming and not something she would have thought she had to do at this point of her educational career.

The experience was different for third year Design major, Marie Huges.

“Virtual learninghas helped me so much. But for future plans, I have no idea. I would take more classes on film ifI could, but I have no idea for a job since the pandemic is still in our hands,” she said.

Attached with online learning comes the opportunity for zoom meetings. They can be great things for students,but also cause anxiety for others.

“I, and maybe some other people do not have zoom meetings except I have ones on Tuesday for animation. If the professor records the link, then I learn better during the meeting because I tend to zone out,” she said.

A new take on education being held virtually is the idea that it is helpful and positive.

“I focus better if I just do the work and read and watch lectures rather than a teacher telling me the lecture and not remembering it. It’s quick and easy for me, even in troubling times,” Huges said.

There has been a lot of speculation over the past year of the effect that the pandemic had on virtual learning.

Some believe that if they had to do it under any other circumstance, it would have been a better experience.

“I think it’s the same experience as this one. My ex took an online astrology class and he was getting everything done without following the exact schedule. I have never taken any online classes back then, but now I do know what they are like,” Huges said. 

It is impossible to summarize what the change to online school is like for every singlestudent at Northern Essex Community College.

At the end of the day, the lives of students have been changed due to the shift, and not one person has a similar viewpoint on the subject matter.Even though the two students, Clara Petry and Marie Huges have different experiences withonline courses, it’s important to recognize the pros/cons of it, and how students have been affected

Opinion, Slider

Not too young to have a race

and  

The conversation of race is a difficult one.

It is near impossible to engage in one without an element of pain or discomfort. It often requires the participants to show a high level of vulnerability. With the growing publicity and tension over police brutality and institutional racism, it is a thought that has crossed most minds. And for some, it is simply a reminder of their everyday struggles.

Sometimes, that regular reminder involves children as well. It is a common reality of black families and other people of color to educate their youth on discrimination. Children are taught to be polite, to avoid situations, to act appropriately with authority; however, in families of color, these lessons are enforced and emphasized because of their race.

It is a wildly disconnecting perspective to recall that about 60% of Americans have white privilege, and therefore typically don’t go out of their way to address the impactful conversation. In fact, some attitudes encourage avoiding the conversation as long as possible.

Are we able to maintain that innocence in children? If children of color are old enough to experience racism, aren’t they old enough to be given better understandings of it? And if children of color can acknowledge its role in their lives, can’t children of white families also understand themselves and their peers better than we give credit for?

In my personal experience working with youth on various topics in presentation formats, there have been more than one occasion where there have been chills and tears. There are few things more profoundly eye-opening than an ‘innocent’ child’s struggles.

One activity I’ve facilitated more times than I can count is called “Crossing the Line.” A silent activity in which students take a step over a line if a statement read aloud applies to them.

To witness an entire class of kids step together in silence upon hearing, “If you have ever been discriminated against because of a group you belong to,” takes the words from your lips.

I surely wish we lived in a society that didn’t add such a negative aspect to children’s lives. And to confront such tear-jerking things certainly feels negative. On the contrary, It is the most positive thing one can do for that child’s reality.

Dismissal to a kid’s perspective won’t dismiss the world’s.

Across America, the message Speak Up has rippled across all victims who have been disadvantaged and discriminated against by our nation. Whether it’s a little sibling, a cousin, a child, a friend… let their voice be heard as well. The voice that acknowledges insults, bullying, and differences in treatment.

Let those young minds know their experiences are valid. That if anything, the acknowledgement of hate and hurt should lead to empathy, compassion, and healing.

As we advocate for the stories of people of color, remember to include the next generation into the conversation. Not only can it help us break the perpetuating cycles of malice and racism, but it can give life to a fundamental understanding of its effects on all individuals involved–and most importantly how to reverse those effects.

The conversation of race is a difficult one because of the pain. But willing it away won’t protect our kids from the harm of racism. The best hope is to fight hate with love. To prevent the internalization of discrimination. To fight ignorance with education.