Daily Archives: May 4, 2021

Home Page News Bytes, News

Center for Liberal Arts offfers advising resources

and  
As the spring semester comes to an end advising season begins, which gives students only a short time to complete their assignments and seek advising assistance so that they can enroll into the classes that are needed for their majors.
Fortunately, the Center for Liberal Arts at Northern Essex Community College provides multiple resources for liberal arts students to be assisted in all their advising needs.
Nisaly Gonzalez a Communication Arts/ Journalism major in Northern Community College said, “I think it’s very important for students to seek advising help from the Center for Liberal Arts because they have the right resources to help liberal arts students to stay on track on their school career.”
These resources are critical to the liberal arts students as they have specific needs that they need to meet for their majors.
Some of the these include diverse classes that cater to their aspirations.
For example, if someone is looking to complete a degree in Journalism/Communications, then they may want to take a combination of communications, journalism, and media classes.
This combination is needed for them to complete their associate’s degree, though it may be difficult for them to enroll into these classes without professional guidance from an adviser.
Shakira Moreta a Liberal Arts adviser at Northern Essex Community College said “I just happen to think that students typically wait to schedule an advising appointment either because they have holds or they want to see their grades from the last semester. But I would say the sooner you make an appointment with an adviser the better so that I can help you make an academic plan or find the classes you need to take, to move forward.”
All liberal arts students have access to these resources via Navigate or through the Center for Liberal Arts website.
Liberal Arts students can also email Shakira Moreta or schedule an appointment with her through Navigate.
The Center for Liberal Arts also sends out weekly emails that inform all Liberal Arts majors o how they can receive advising assistance online now due to COVID-19.
Prior to the pandemic all liberal arts students could have received one-on-one advising assistance in person at the center itself or at the advising center, but the advising center is only open to new NECC students to help them begin their academic career.
Matheus Batista a student at Northern Essex Community College said “Advisers help yo umake the right decisions on classes and without them we’d be lost on what kind of classes we should take. That’s why I made it a mission to find an adviser who cares about my education and will be able to guide me in the right direction.”
In these trying times it is important to tailor to one’s community.
The Center for LiberalArts offers a variety of advising resources to help liberal arts students through this process onlineon their website https://www.necc.mass.edu/current-students/academic-centers/center-for-liberal-arts/.
Campus Life, Home Page News Bytes

Free Farmers Market fills a need

and  

The free Farmers Market at Northern Essex Community is open to all  students, staff, and faculty at both the Lawrence and Haverhill campuses. The market provides  up to 25 pounds of fresh produce to anyone a part of the Northern Essex community.

It is located  at the Spurk “C” Building Parking Lot in the Haverhill campus and the Dimitry “L” Building Parking Lot in the Lawrence campus. Usually, appointments run from 12:30-2PM at the Haverhill location and 1:30-3PM at the Lawrence location.

Chloe Green a former Communication Arts/ Journalism major at Northern Essex Community  College said “I remember when I first found out about the Farmers Market which was at the Center for Liberal Arts. I was surprised that NECC even had something like that but once I  started going, I never stopped. To be honest, that is one of the things I miss the most about Northern Essex. Just by them implementing the Farmers Market shows that they care about their community.”

In order to attend the market event, you have to register prior to arriving. You can locate the dates of when the Farmers Market will occur through their website or via email that is sent out a few weeks prior to the event.

The goal of the Farmers Market is to help prevent food insecurity and provide healthy options for all students, staff, and faculty. The market was curated by the NECC Community Resources Programs, the Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA program, and the Greater Boston Food Bank.

Arismendy Fondeur a Biology major at Northern Essex Community College said that “I am excited to attend the next Farmers Market event. The school that I attended before didn’t have  anything like this. I live alone with my younger brother and it’s hard for us to pay our bills every  month and then worry about our groceries but I can’t wait to go to the next event so I can take  one more thing off my shoulders.”

The Farmers Market is a great resource for the NECC community to rely on to obtain their  produce. Though, when the pandemic began there was a hault on the events due to the mandatory lockdowns. The market has since come up with new and innovative ways to provide produce to  their community.

Now students, staff, and faculty are able to register online through their website for the next coming event and attend their drive-through market. The volunteers at the Farmers Market are following all COVID safety procedures in order to ensure everyone’s safety.

Moassia Bede a Respitory Care major at Northern Essex Community college said “I love how I  can sign up and just drive-through and pick up the food. Everyone is always so friendly, and I  feel safe knowing that everyone is social-distancing and wearing their masks. I also don’t have to  worry about bringing my newborn daughter out of the car to grab the food.”

Fortunately, the Farmers Market is still operating as normal as possible despite the pandemic.

The next Farmers Market event will take place on Wednesday May 26th at both campuses. You can register ahead of time on their website at https://northernessex.wufoo.com/forms/xj660rw1k9vpim/.

Home Page Featured News, News

Students share thoughts on vaccines

and  

The last year has shifted this whole world upsidedown, and at this rate the cause of all of this is common knowledge.

2020 was a burden and a year to forget by many, but this year has brought out the joy in that COVID vaccinations are increasing at a rapid rateby each following month.

As things currently stand, 30% of the entire U.S. populationhave been fully vaccinated, also meaning nearly 100 million Americans with 237 million doses of the COVID vaccine already being handed out nationwide

As we see the increase of vaccinations, many peoplehave different views on what the vaccines will mean in terms of dealing with the pandemic.

Students at NECC have all had unique beliefs and experiences with vaccines so far, with some believing getting vaccinated the way to go, while some question certain aspects of the vaccine.

Student  Zachary Cutter, has already been fully vaccinated and also is hopeful for change in
the future.

“I took the Pfizer one first dosage before (trip to) Vegas on 1st march I think and the second dosage after Vegas which was on the 26th of April and I felt like crap on the second dosage,” says Cutter.

“There will be many debates on certain issues pertainingto topics like vaccine passport being racist and classist or not. Either way it’s going to be a both interesting and very weird world because of all of this.”

Many students who have taken at least a dose of thevaccine are hopeful there will be a positive
life post-vaccines, but students like Cutter are aware of a possible unequal despair this would
cause, and Andrew Venditti, a 22 year old student at NECC, has similar thoughts.

“The first dose of the Moderna vaccine gave me a sore arm and a headache for a day and a half,
but I’m looking forward to getting the second shot so I can hang with my friends in the future!”
says Venditti. “I am no doctor, but because the CDC recommends gettin gany of the Emergency Use authorized
vaccines, I will take them.

“Once everyone gets vaccinated, I hope most things go back to normal. I hope I can go to
concerts, bars, and take in person classes again.”

“There are some societal disparities however, like the income inequality between the wealthy
and working class, that this pandemic brought into light,” he said.  “I hope that because the pandemic made
some of these things so apparent, that we don’t allow these things to continue totally as they were
before it.”

Normality of the future from before the pandemic has raised questions with many people, and
although many of the population have been vaccinate dand are hoping to return to normal, NECC
student Michelle Colbert-Mason is still indecisive and has questions of her own.

“I haven’t been vaccinated yet and I am still just a tad bit on the fence about it,” she said. “Maybe I’ve been
reading too many uninformed sources on the internet. I’m apprehensive as I wonder about the
long-term side effects and also the overall effectiveness.Long story short, I have no idea. We
will have to wait and see.

“There will be a new normal. There will definitely be a lot of new changes. With so many parts of our lives being forced to transfer to remote,things like online learning and working will be a lot more utilized, developed, an dencouraged.

“Schools having a vaccination requirement for returningstudents is a bit of a horrific thought in my mind. I was with the vaccination requirement when it came to the flu vaccine as I was conditioned to take it yearly and never hada problem. But now faced with the coronavirus vaccine and feeling apprehensive, I’ve found myself on the other side now and it’s a bit conflicting.

Schools all across the nations have talked about plans of opening up, but one key issue schools would need to address is safety among students.

Some students have become so apprehensive of the vaccine that some don’t even have intentions of taking them at all, and NECC student Yamina Valdez is one of the students that shares these concerns.

“I have not been vaccinated. I do not plan to take the vaccine. I don’t feel comfortable taking it,
because it hasn’t been out long enough and am notsure how it will affect me years later,”  says Valdez

“Covid is still at an all time high, you still hav eto wear a mask, and not surround yourself by a
lot of people, but then again they say, “take thevaccine to protect yourself from Covid,’ so, why
do I still have to wear a mask to go into a stor eif I took the vaccine?”

What has questioned students like Valdez in particular about the vaccine has been protocols set
in place. With New Hampshire having set mask-free measures already, it’s a matter of whether or
not the states around will go about similar measures,or take different ones, which is what a lot of
students have become skeptical over and questions over government handling will continue to
grow.

Ultimately, no matter if students will or will not take the vaccine, everyone is hopeful of one
thing: The end to this pandemic and for life to go back to normal.

“In my opinion we need to go back to normal, and build our immune system,” continues Valdez.
“I think if this virus doesn’t get you, your mental health will and it’s becoming unhealthy the
way we’re living, and it’s driving a lot of peopl ea little bit insane with all these restrictions and
the policy or regulations constantly changing.”

Home Page News Bytes, Sports

NECC golf team prepares for nationals

and  

Due to COVID restrictions this past year, the golf program has not been able to get their season going.

There were a lot of question marks in early March and they weren’t even sure if playing matches this year was going to be possible.

The NECC Golf roster is small this year, with only four players attending matches. Three of those players happen to also play baseball at NECC.

Outfielder Nick White and right handed pitchers Todd Tringale and Tom Cattaneo are the three
athletes who will be playing both baseball and golf this spring.

White is a spark plug on the course, spinning his chip shots left and right like the great Phil Mickelson. The fourth member of the team is John Messina, a long driving machine witha great touch on the greens.

Home matches are usually played at Atkinson Country Club in New Hampshire, a beautiful course with
a par 3 9 hole and full 18.

Coach Dube has hopes of scheduling a few matchesbefore June, but there is nothing planned for now.

Since the season was cut short becauseof COVID, NECC receives an automatic bid to the NJCAA national championship in early June.

The championship is played during the week of June 7th-11th at Chautaqua Golf Club in upstate New York.

Editor’s Note: Thomas Cattaneo is a member of the baseball and golf teams at NECC. 

Features, Home Page Featured News

Students reflect on end of semester

and  

As the semester comes to a close and many students are preparing for their final exams or projects, many are feeling overwhelmed with everything they are having to manage, but at the same time, students are also feeling excited because a break is in their near future.

NECC student, Isa Grullon, is currently feeling very overwhelmed having to juggle obligations at college including her final projects between the two courses she is taking, alongside her personal obligations including her job working for Mass General Hospital in Boston. “It’s a very hectic time,” explained Grullon.

Grullon, who started out the semester taking three courses, became very overwhelmed very quickly because of the added pressures of keeping up with extra college work. As a result of this, Gullon made the difficult decision to withdraw from her Introduction to Film Studies course.

Although Grullon expressed her disappointment in making this decision, she explained that is was probably the right thing to do since the additional stress was taken off her plate. According to Grullon, “It was the right thing to do looking back because I would have just been too overwhelmed.”

Although Grullon did not reference any current final projects she is working on, she referenced a PowerPoint presentation she recently completed for her Public Relations course about the Merrimack Valley Gas Disaster. She explained she had a very difficult time getting through this project because of all the emotions that came rushing back after reflecting back upon her experiences in this disaster.

NECC student, Brendan Davies, on the other hand, is feeling the exact opposite. Davies currently feels very good about how he is doing in his courses.

He feels his grades are in a good place, too. “I am relieved the semester is ending,” explained Davies, when reflecting back upon his experiences this semester.

 

 

 

 

Opinion

FDA cracking down on Big Tobacco following menthol ruling

and  

Cigarettes, as well as other Tobacco products take lives every single day. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tobacco products are responsible for 7 million deaths a year, and in the United States alone it’s around 480 thousand. If the pattern of smoking doesn’t change, then by 2030 the CDC predicts that tobacco related death counts will reach 8 million a year. As grim as this sounds, things may start changing.

This fight goes all the way back to 2009, when a U.S law passed called The 2009 Tobacco Control Act, which gave The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the power to regulate the tobacco industry, also banned the sale of all flavored cigarettes. There was one exception, however. Menthol, which gives cigarettes an almost minty flavor to soothe the harsh flavor of regular cigarette smoke, was exempt from the ban due to there being major pushback from the tobacco industry, as well as there being a lack of evidence to ban menthol. The FDA has said they have attempted several times to get rid of menthol since 2009, but they have “faced pushback from Big Tobacco, members of Congress and competing political interests in both the Obama and Trump administrations.”

However, finally, April 29, 2021 the FDA has finally put the lid on an almost 12 year long debate, beginning to pursue banning the sale of menthol flavored tobacco products, citing multiple health concerns, such as there being an overwhelming number of young people and minority smokers primarily smoking mint flavored cigarettes, the 2020 study in which non-Hispanic Black high school students reported past 30-day cigar smoking at levels twice as high as their White counterparts, and the statistic stating that nearly 74% of youth aged 12-17 who use cigars say they smoke cigars because they come in flavors they enjoy.

One study conducted by Tobacco Control in 2020 suggest that banning menthol cigarettes in the U.S would lead  923,000 smokers to quit in the first 13 to 17 months after a ban were to go into effect.“These flavor standards would reduce cigarette and cigar initiation and use, reduce health disparities, and promote health equality by addressing a significant and disparate source of harm,” said the FDA in their initial news release, “Taken together, these policies will help save lives and improve the public health of our country as we confront the leading cause of preventable disease and death.”

Arts and Entertainment

‘the sun and her flowers’ poetry review

and  

In honor of National Poetry Month ending, I thought a poetry book review was a wonderful way to close off the month. the sun and her flowers is written by Rupi Kaur, a famous Instagram poet, and as of January 5th, 2020, it held the #1 spot on the New York Times Best Sellers List for 76 weeks.

Throughout reading the book, I noticed there is some sort of plot line throughout the poems/book. The poems start off being dark and depressing. Some talk about addiction, while others talk about heartbreak and “using” someone within a relationship. The second part titled “falling,” was also depressing and talks about “self-harm,” “self-hatred” and over all just being depressed.

The first two sections are mostly about how it feels to be depressed. Which I understand it is nice to reach out to the audience who is struggling with their mental health to try to tell them, “Hey, you’re not alone,” but I also think that some of the poems are rather “cheesy.”

For example,

“like the rainbow

after the rain

 joy will reveal itself

                after sorrow” (89)

I just think that some of the poems are ones that you would read on social media, and not expect to find within a book.

The next section, titled “rooting,” is all about immigration. For example, a lot of the poems talk about coming over on a boat, being an outcast to society due to being an immigrant, and overall, how life is as an immigrant.

Personally, this is my favorite section from the book. However, there is still some “cheesy” poems. For example, there is a “two-liner” that reads,

“my mother sacrificed her dreams

so I could dream” (148)

Which do not get me wrong, it is a sweet little ballad to her mother, but it is slightly repetitive due to dream being in there twice and it is also very cliché. Most immigrants give up their own lives in their home nation, to provide a better life for their family. And that is apparent throughout the whole section, but this little “poem” seems to me that she needed to extend the section another page, so she added this in.

These next two sections are about coming out of the hard place that was presented at the beginning of the book, within the first two sections. I have noticed throughout her books that this is a normal “plot” arch. I have previously read, milk and honey, which was somewhat the same “plot.”

The beginning starts off with a dark and depressing tone, while the last section is always more uplifting and brighter, like a resolution to the problems.

Overall, from reading Rupi Kaur’s book, the sun and her flowers. I do think that there are a lot of cliché poems within the book. Or simple “poems,” that are not truly poems, that would be better left on Instagram then in the book.

I do appreciate her writing, and I understand that this is the modern wave of poetry, and I do plan to read her other book, home body, this summer. I do expect to see some similarities, like the clichés, within this book. Nonetheless, without looking at this book from a poetic standpoint, it is a light read that allows the reader to escape their everyday life to indulge in someone else’s.

I think that this is a strong factor in a good book, but I do think that even if the book was shorter without some of the cliché two-line poems, that it would be even better. Plus, some of the YouTube critics might lighten up a bit about their heavy dislike of “Instagram Poetry.”

Home Page News Bytes, News, Uncategorized

Learning with Zoom

and  

Since the start of pandemic, we have all been trying to gather ourselves and figure out what our new “normal” is.

As far as educational purposes go, schools and universities had to think of a way for their students to continue their education virtually. This is when the software Zoom came around and took over the virtual learning competition by a long shot.

You’d be surprised to know that Zoom was actually created in April of 2011, but never passed the popular streaming software Skype and FaceTime. However, Zoom felt more school friendly and you could have multiple people in one video chat unlike Skype and FaceTime where you could only have a certain amount of people in one video chat. Zoom is also very user-friendly for mostly everyone. Zachary Muller from Newburyport states, “I can see everyone’s faces.”

This helps with more engagement and makes it feel like you are actually in a classroom, which is nice if some students are missing that classroom atmosphere.

Students like Nisaly Gonzalez and Matheus Batista say that it easy to use and they both haven’t had any issues with it so far.

Now with online learning, it can sometimes be a little difficult to stay on task or pay attention.

Researchers are calling this matter “zoom fatigue” which is described as “excessive amounts of close-up eye contact” and “the cognitive load is much higher in video chats,” according to Stanford University.

Batista argues that he’s still trying to stay active by “running and playing soccer…” and trying to stay as healthy as he can.

Features

Your mental health can impact your loved ones

and  

Millions of people in the U.S. are affected by mental illness each year. It’s important to measure how common mental illness is we can understand its physical and social impact. Individuals who are suffering from mental illness can find that their condition can hurt their relationships with those close to them. Northern Essex Community College students recently shared their opinion on this topic.

Jocelyn Avila Frias is a student from Northern Essex Community College and she observes that some family members can notice when you are depressed or not feeling your happiest. Avile Frias states her opinion about this, “I am very close to my family, I’m very vocal about my feelings so usually they are aware when I am feeling down mentally,” she said. It is important to be close to your family so if anything goes wrong with you, they can be a helping hand when you are feeling low.

Poor mental health can affect your relationships with your loved ones in many ways. Avila Frias claims, “I do believe that mental health is vital in all your relationships in life. You cannot love people the right way if you are not healthy mentally.”   The support of loved ones can help people and improve their mental health. Friass says, “Just listening to me rant or express my feelings without judgment is useful.” Having someone to listen to is always helpful and can make people feel better.

There are many places to go find help if you are dealing with mental health challenges and you have nobody to talk to about it. Avila Frias said, “Maybe look for a therapist.’’Talking to a therapist and getting professional help is the best.

Having bad mental health can affect your relationship with your loved ones. According to the Alpha Healing Center research says that those who are suffering from mental illness agree that their condition has harmed their relationships with their close ones.

Loved ones can make your relationship better or worse. One research study found that most of their patients with a serious mental illness reported that their families were their primary source of strength. The website Banyan Mental Health states ” For some, it may make the relationship worse. Their loved ones may not understand what they are going through and may not know how to support them. Or they may make them feel worse because they say to ‘suck it up.’ For some, it may make it better. They may have loved ones who are supportive, and it can strengthen that relationship if they feel they have someone they can be open with.”

Problems with your family can arise when your relationships with your loved ones are rocky and could make your mental health problems worse. In contrast, when your family supports you, your mental health could show fast improvements.

Loved ones can help or make your mental health better in many ways.  Better communication strengthens relationships, and it help individuals by improving mental health.

There are great places to go to seek help for your mental health. Your primary care doctor is also a fantastic person to talk to if you think you may need to see somebody about your mental health and can usually give you the name of a psychologist or psychiatrist to contact.

Some family members can notice when you are depressed or not doing well mentally. Loved ones should not give up when supporting a family member who won’t get help for depression. Depression does not just go away. If suicidal thoughts cross an individual’s mind, emergency assistance should be called for immediately according to Alliance Scotland.

Mariam Saldivar, a student from Northern Essex Community College, shares that she has felt nervous about sharing her emotions. Her major is in journalism/communications and she is from the Dominican Republic. Saldivar said, “I’m very good at hiding my emotions.”

Hiding your emotions can be difficult but is easy for most people to do. They are scared. They do not know how you will react, and they do not want to create a negative view of themself. They do not trust you to the degree that they can share their emotions with you. Some don’t believe that anyone would care if they did show emotions.

Having bad mental health can sometimes affect your relationship with your loved ones. There may be no relationships more affected by mental health than the intimate relationships between partners.  Saldivar shared her opinion about that saying, “Of course, it can put in the distance because if you’re not open especially, they won’t be understanding why you act the way you do.’’ It brings distance and miscommunications with others around them who don’t know what’s going on with you.

There are moments when a loved one can make your relationship better or worse.  There are many people with mental health conditions in loving and nurturing relationships who share their lives with their partners, often raising families with them.  They help loved ones trying to cheer them up. It can use when they are feeling like their mental health. Any kind of issue has been difficult for them to go through alone.  Saldivar claims, “I think they can make it better.” That’s is correct they can make it better by helping their loved ones feel understood

Loved ones can help you or make your mental health worse. Helping your loved ones by listening to life experiences and asking about how you can help them is a good technique. Mental health conditions don’t typically go away on their own, and your loved one deserves excellent help.

Where can you go to seek help for your mental health? Websites like Good Therapy.org can help you find a therapist who specializes in your loved one’s specific issue.

Saldivar claims speaking with a family member helps her, adding she can confide in her mom and “like three people. Those are the only beings I trust.” Speaking to your family members or ones you trust is the best way to seek help and need a person whom you can express yourself.

Features, Slider

Photo Essay: Before I’m gone

and  
Photo collage, buildings and portrait of grandmother
My grandmother’s neighborhood in the Bronx, near Gun Hill Rd. Bottom left image is on Brooklyn bridge (she’d drive through there everyday). Bryan Fernandez

Carmen “Tita” Almonte

 

“I always served other people. Running around, always doing things for other people. There isn’t anybody out there that has any negative feelings towards me, thank Jehovah. The best thing in life is when people get along. When people get along, we live well. We live happily. I believe that we must always get along, especially with family. With your spouse’s family. Who you end up with is also extremely important. I have always been very family oriented, and you must get to know your significant other’s family before you decide you want to spend the rest of your life with them. Get to know who they are, and how close they are with their family. What is their family like? Do they get along? The most important thing in life is family. And how a person treats their family says everything about them.

 

 

 

Woman sitting on bench
My grandmother sitting in the public court area outside her apartment building. Bryan Fernandez

 

 

 

You keep asking me how to live happily, but I can’t tell you that sweetie. That’s inside of you. That is inside you. If you’re the kind of person that has a warm, loving heart, you’ll figure it out. Trust your heart, treat everybody with love and respect, and you will figure it out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table and chairs
My grandmother’s living room, where she sits to read her bible. She’s lived in this house for over 40 years. Bryan Fernandez

 

My kids have an amazing relationship. And I’ve had an amazing relationship with all of them. I cannot complain. I brought them over here a very long time ago. I brought them over here to hopefully do better. I love my country, but in the Dominican Republic we live in difficult conditions. There’s a lot of bad people, and I couldn’t trust anybody. I brought my family here, and I wanted to build my family. And remember, family does not mean my blood relatives. ‘Family’ is anybody who treats me right. Anybody that would never want to harm you. Anybody that has a pure heart and mind. If you have people like that around you, you’ll never need anything else.

The court room outside.
The court room outside. Bryan Fernandez

 

 

I just wanted a better life for my children, and I got that, thank Jehovah. I came here to work my butt off, and that’s what I did. I came here to work because I was poor.

 

 

 

 

Gun Hill Rd. under the 4 train. The train I’d use to get to her house when I lived in NY.
Gun Hill Rd. under the 4 train. The train I’d use to get to her house when I lived in NY. Bryan Fernandez

 

 

Caremen "Tita" Almonte
Caremen “Tita” Almonte Bryan Fernandez

That’s the best thing you can have, a family. Just treat people with kindness. You’ll always have family if you do.