Monthly Archives: April 2021

Campus Life, Home Page Featured News

Registration for summer, fall begins at NECC

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Registration for the summer and fall semesters is now open at Northern Essex Community College.

The school is offering many different options for classes.

There will be in person classes, only for health and stem classes unless the pandemic improves as stated on NECC’s website. There will be online classes, online classes with required zoom meetings and hybrid classes. This time students have more range to pick what suits them.

Caroline Hamilton who is studying psychology at NECC says that she is registering for the fall semester. She was aware of all the different options.

Hamilton says, “I think the options of classes are good because they allow for face to face interaction for students and their peers.” She also said that the new options will add structure and new ways of learning during the pandemic.

Jocelyn Avila-Frias, another student at NECC says she is registering for the summer semester.

She praised NECC and said, “I do think they did a great job in giving us so many different options.”

Avila-Frias said she though that it will better complement the many different students at the school.

It is still not entirely clear if by Fall, we will return to normal.

Recently there have been spikes across the USA due to recent events like Spring Break.

What will occur if more classes are in person comes into question, however Hamilton and Avila-Frias express confidence.

Hamilton said, “I don’t have many concerns.”

In the end she believes the classes will benefit people who are tired of online classes.

 

 

Home Page News Bytes, News

Students weigh in on best options for getting credible information and news

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Technology has come a long way along with the news industry.

There are numerous amounts of ways to receive your news and where you can get your information from. Since the dawn of the internet, you can receive your news from social media outlets as well. There is the old newspaper way as well which is now in digital format through the publishers application if they have one.

The mix between news and technology however can get quite tricky with all the loopholes people can go through. There are also many loopholes that certain news outlets can go through as well.

One loophole that they can go through is using clickbait for readers. They use absurd titles to lure in their audience and that title could have little to do with the content in the story. So it is very difficult to find the right news source to gather truthful information.

Jocelyn Avila-Frias from North Andover states, “I started to get my information from (The) New York Times.”

Avila-Frias also said she used to get her information on Twitter which is not a very valuable and credible source. Technology and social media have a loophole by using your information and preferences to gather any news or topics to your liking. This can cause many problems since your news feed is fixated to your preferences along with every other persons.

“Social media can give very misleading news information…” she said.

Avila-Frias also states because everyone with a profile on that social media platform can say anything. A good quote to learn from this is that everything on the Internet is not true.

Andrew Venditti from Haverhill says, “Social media is not a news source. I do follow legitimate news sources like the New York Times…” which is a good idea to have a following on your preferred news outlets so you can keep up to date on the latest news.

 

Arts and Entertainment, Opinion

Review of ‘The World’s a Little Blurry’

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Photo of scene from The World's a Little Blurry

Apple tv’s newest film; The Worlds A Little Blurry gives us an insight on pop sensation Billie Eilish’s life, whose life magically changed at the age of 13.

The story starts right at the beginning of her career when she and her brother decided to jokingly record a song for one of Billie’s dance routines. Little did they know that one song recorded in her brother’s bedroom would gain the hearts of millions years later.

This film broadcasts the stages of her life from ages 16-18.

You see as she goes through changes, heartbreaks,and turmoils. Moments where she just wants to take a minute to herself; she reminds herself who she does it for.

This film just goes to show the messiness of stardom even at a young age.

Billie started her social media following with low numbers has gained over 70 million in the past four years. However she still remains in total shock as the celebrities she once looked up to start shining the light on her.

Although the movie is quite eye catching there are some moments that the film would’ve done better without.

I feel as if they should’ve made a shorter film and then released all the extra footage as an extended version. I also wish she had more moments.  Overall I would rate this movie a 6.0 out of 10 and I would definitely recommend one to watch it.

 

Opinion, Slider

My top two places in Lawrence that offer birria tacos

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Birria tacos from El Patron
Birria tacos Courtesy of El Patron website

If this picture made your mouth water then you are one out of the millions who have been affected by the birria taco craze.This new birria taco trend has recently taken the world by storm but Ironically it has been around since the early 2000s. Originating from Tijuana Mexico these crunchy and savory tacos will surely make your stomach sing with joy.

Since the craze I have tried a variety of different restaurants in Lawrence and have compiled them into my top twos.

 

 

 

El Patron logo
Courtesy of El Patron Instagram

#1 El Patron Grill and Cantina

Located in 169 East St Methuen MA 01844; El Patron Grill and Cantina stands as number one in my list. Their birria tacos price ranges around $13 for a set of three and their customer service skills are top tier. I would recommend everyone to give these a try first.

Coco Ray's logo
Coco Ray’s

#2 CocoRay’s

CocoRay’s is a NECC known restaurant that holds two separate locations, one in 197 Parker St, and the other in the Lawrence campus.  Their Puerto Rican take on the Mexican dish is something I didn’t know I needed. Their price also ranges to be around $13, and it’s a must to pair it with their signature Parcha juice.

The Birria Tacos business seems to be fast growing so I wouldn’t be surprised if I have to update my list a couple times.

 

Slider, Sports

Soccer coach aims to build connections with student athletes

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Sports at NECC has typically always been a foundation in many college kids search for freedom and stress-relieving situations.

When students are overloaded with work, which is what comes with the struggles of college,there’s always another direction students look towards to cool some minds down.

Despite sports being one of these many activities, ultimately it still plays an important role in thelives of many students and staff at NECC, particularly the coaches.

Coaches work everyday to create the most positive environment for their students and their colleagues and play an important role in how their minds function. One example of a coach who makes this their aim in their work space is David Arivella, the Head Soccer Coach at NECC.

“Coming from division 3 program as a player I wanted to stay within the college level and NECC was a perfect opportunity to start my career and I’ve been happy so far going into my third year, and it’s been an amazing journey,” states Arivella

“Since I’m a younger coach compared to some coaches, I believe that’s an a advantage because I believe I can relate to the players, such as juggling with sports and athletics, and if they need help I give them advice on financial aid and where to contact, and most of our staff have helped t make the players succeed on and off the field.”

Having a type of connection with other students is one of the key measures towards their development, both physically and mentality, according to Arivella, and he says he’s been able to do so by being a helping hand in students’ lives both on and off the field.

I always tell my players that school always comes first since you need a certain GPA to play athletics. As long as you’re eligible and meet the GPA needs then you should be good.

“A lot of kids can’t focus on both since they feel like you need to focus more on one another. In college you have a lot of free time so you can use that time to play sports, and then focus onhomework and classes.”

College students love doing extracurriculars as sports, and although it’s enjoyable, coaches like Arivella are there to remind students that education comes first and to not get too complacent.

Arts and Entertainment, Home Page News Bytes

Local experts share thoughts on release of ‘Zach Snyder’s Justice League’

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In fall of 2017, Justice League was released. During production of the DC Extended Universe movie, the daughter of director Zack Snyder passed away. Snyder understandably stepped down as director of Justice League, and Joss Whedon took over as director. When the movie was released it was not well received. Thus, DC fans started a movement on social media called #ReleasetheSnyderCut, demanding that Warner Brothers allow Zack Snyder to direct his version of the movie once and for all when he is ready.

Less than a month ago, on March 18th, the highly anticipated Zack Snyder’s Justice League was released. One aspect of this movie is very unique in that it was of course released because of a fan movement that wanted to see Zack Snyder’s version of the movie.

The NECC Observer spoke to three local experts (two of which are current NECC students) ahead of March 18th, regarding their thoughts on the release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League.

Glenn O’Leary, owner of The Comic Book Palace in Haverhill, was not planning on watching the Snyder Cut, and also had a strong opinion on the movie’s excessive runtime, “If you can’t do a movie in two hours, then you’re really not a good story teller.” O’Leary also noted that since Joss Whedon’s cut of the movie was “not good to begin with,” that’s another reason why he will not watch it.

Ian Shea, current NECC student, and owner of his own website, Your Favorite Nerd (yourfavoritenerd.com), says that Zack Snyder’s take on the DC Universe is too dark, “Even though the movies have been financially successful, people haven’t liked them. If you look at box office numbers for DCEU movies that Snyder’s directed, there’s been a huge decline in sales in the second week.”

Shea also mentioned that Snyder’s movies not doing well is part of the reason why certain actors don’t want to reprise their roles in the franchise, “There’s a reason Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck have said they won’t reprise their roles. DC needs to cut ties with Snyder and start from scratch.”

NECC student Zach Cutter appreciates the fact that the Snyder Cut was made because of the fan movement, “It’s a case of quality over quantity. It also shows the power of the fanbase wanting change and pressure the studio to do better or to listen to them and hear them out.”

Zack Snyder’s Justice League is now available to stream on HBO Max.

 

 

Home Page Featured News, News

Virtual town hall highlights plans for fall classes

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Monday, March 29, Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs William “Bill” Heineman, and Director of Student Success Management Audrey Ellis hosted a Virtual Town Hall meeting via Zoom to update students and parents on NECC’s most current plan for conducting courses in the Fall.

Earlier this month, NECC announced that for the Fall 2021 semester, they would be offering four different options to accommodate students’ academic needs: classes in-person, hybrid classes with one day a week on-campus, online asynchronous classes, and online classes with weekly virtual meetings.

With the uncertainty of the pandemic, NECC staff made it clear that the plans for the future could be subject to modification.

“For the summer, we will be staying mainly online with a couple of hybrid options, but for the fall we’re trying to give students more options for learning,” Bill Heineman said. “In the fall there will be more courses offered on campus, but as of right now, we are only offering a select few. We want to see what students are considering first, then we can add more on-campus courses.”

Students also raised concerns over the availability of in-between class spaces such as academic centers and the library on-campus in the Fall.

“The more students that are on campus, the more in-between class areas that will have to be available to you,” Heineman said. “Certain factors like opening the academic center, library and the number of in-person courses available will all be determined by student behavior in the upcoming semester.”

Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs Jennifer Mezquita assured graduating students that they will in fact be having an in-person graduation ceremony this year.

“Our commencement this year will be in person. Because of the large number of students graduating, we’re thinking of doing five different ceremonies based on each individual academic center,” Mezquita said. “We also want to include any students that have graduated this past year in the celebration.”

“Just know you will have the opportunity to celebrate your success,” she said.

Students also expressed curiosity in what the size of on-campus classes will look like in the Fall.

“Yes, this semester we will have capacity limits,” Interim Dean of Health Professions Scott Lancaster said. “So far, we have remained in compliance with any capacity restrictions put in place by the governor and I don’t foresee that changing in any way. Right now, we’re trying to aim for 50% capacity next semester.”

Some students voiced their concerns for self-registration using the new Navigate Registration Tool. “How will we know what type of class we’re registering for?” One student asked.

“Students can search through the Navigate tool by course-type, there will also be a bubble that will pop up below each course describing the course type,” said Ellis. “If you’re confused or need any help, you can always schedule an appointment with your advisor or by calling the admissions office at 978-556-3700.”

“We have to assume there will be some ups and downs, as there have been throughout this situation. So with each of these answers today, keep in mind that things can change.” Heineman.

 

 

News

Haverhill meeting focuses on proposal to remove Little River dam

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“Talking about the likelihood of flooding is a tricky thing,” said Julie Busa, an ecologist.  “As we see more of these [climate change related] events, we are expecting to see the same level of floods that you’d see every 500 years, every 100,” she said.

In a virtual meeting on March 24, local residents joined to ask questions and voice opinions about the removal of a dam from Little River in downtown Haverhill. Also in attendance was Iain Sidor, president of NECC’s Environmental Club.

The virtual forum was open to the public. It began with a presentation about what testing is required before deciding if the dam could be removed.

The dam, next to the now empty mill building in Lafayette Square, has been in place since about the year 1,800 said Haverhill Mayor James Fiorentini. It was most recently used 18 years ago, when the building was still operating as a dye factory, he said.

The city is planning to remove the dam because it could reduce flooding risk, make the area more attractive, and positively affect aquatic wildlife, said Busa. Along the river, FEMA maps show the area as being at a higher annual risk of flooding, which will likely increase due to climate change.

The main concerns were that the river sediment may be contaminated with hazardous material, and that nearby bridge supports could be affected by removing the dam, said Busa. This information can be found here, on Haverhill’s webpage about the project.

Sidor, a 19 year old New Hampshire resident and NECC Business Management major, asked questions about the project’s effect on the environment.

In response, engineer Phil Moreschi said, “the whole process (of removing a dam) is extremely regulated.” He said that if there were contamination in the river sediment, cleaning it up is a part of the process. That way, “contaminants don’t move downstream,” he said.

Sidor said that he feels good about them following such safety protocols. “I’m glad they addressed concerns … and are looking into ways of dealing with it,” he said.

Some people voiced other concerns about what the removal could do. One Haverhill resident was worried about what would happen to fish that currently live in it.

Addressing this subject, Moreschi said “the river will become shallower.”

On the other hand, responding to a similar question, Busa said “as a trained ecologist, it’s always better [to] have a free flowing river that goes where it wants to go … It is always going to be positive in terms of the environment.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Opinion

Stop Asian hate

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Racially motivated hate crimes have been happening often, especially since the beginning of COVID-19. There has been an outrageous amount of Asian hate and discrimination because of the continuous claims that the virus outbreak had a connection to China. Many people said racially insensitive things like referring to COVID-19 as the ‘China virus’, amongst other things that were heavily led back to political figure, Donald Trump. The past year had been filled with racist actions from all over the country, but more recently in Atlanta, Georgia.

There were eight people shot and killed at two spas in Atlanta on March 16, 2021, six of which were Asian women. The man taken into custody for this crime had a sex addiction and claimed the spa attack was meant to “remove temptation.”

This opened a deeper discussion of Asian women being extremely sexualized by American culture. Harmeet Kaur of CNN.com said, “…history of misogyny and stereotypes that are all too familiar for Asian and Asian American women. They’re fetishized and hypersexualized.”

This incident sparked anger in a lot of Asian people all over the country and later led law enforcement to wonder if the motive was a possible racially motivated hate crime.

Community leaders in various areas say that there is fear evoked in a lot of Asian people this past year after racially motivated hate crimes in America skyrocket.

There have been more than double the amount of attacks targeted at Asian people this year compared to last, and many experts say that there were many others that were not reported. There has been a lot of verbal harassment and avoidance, amongst the physical assaults as well.

At a recent Stop Asian Hate protest in Los Angeles County, a white man drove by saying racially insensitive things. This incident was investigated by law enforcement as a potential hate crime. None of the people at the protest reported any injuries, but had a shared experience of discomfort and disappointment in their community.

These specific incidents have gathered a lot of people’s attention to the issue that has been happening for far too long.

The hashtag #StopAsianHate started trending on social media to show support to all Asians being especially affected by this incident.

Social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter have highlighted some organizations that were created to support the Asian community and end anti Asian prejudice. Many helpful links, articles, and places to donate can be found through this hashtag.

The past year has been monumental for the strides made for racial equality.

It is devastating that lives were lost in order for a discussion to be started on the racial divide in this country. Difficult conversations need to happen in order for change to be invoked into the insensitive society that was created.

Slider, Sports

Burrill wins national pitcher of the week

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Levi Burrill, an Amesbury native, took the mound in game two of the Knights doubleheader against nationally ranked Northampton Community College on March 22.

Burrill is one of the captains for the baseball team and is headed to play baseball at Franklin Pierce next year.

He has been around Coach Mejia and the NECC baseball program for a few years and iso ne of the top guys on the team.

Not only does he get it done on the field, but he is a favorite with all of his teammates.

When game 2 of Saturday’s games started, Burrill wasted no time getting settled in.

Theweather in Bethlehem, PA was the nicest it’s been all year and it came at the right time for NECC.

Burrill had all of his pitches working that day, especially his changeup.

Northampton struggled with his offspeed pitches and when they did put the ball in play, the Knights defense was there to back up Burrill.

The Knights won game 2 by a score of 3-2, including an 11 strikeout full game performance from Burrill which won him National Player of the Week.

“I felt good when I woke up today and just had that feeling. We had a really good week of practice after we got back from New Jersey and guys were ready to go this weekend. We had big hits all day from Logan Burrill, Joe Muzio, and Clay Campbell. I just had to go out there and compete.”

Competing is what he did, throwing over 100 pitches and having double digit strikeouts for his team.

“I love these guys and I love the coaches. We’re really lucky to get the chance to playbecause a lot of teams got cancelled this spring. I’m just really happy that I get to have a seasonwith my teammates after everything we’ve been through.”

The baseball team got back to action on March 25 with a double header against Fisher College at Fraser Field in Lynn.

Note: Tom Cattaneo is a member of the NECC Knights baseball team.