Monthly Archives: October 2021

Home Page News Bytes, News

Online learning has lasting appeal for some students

and  

Coronavirus and its harrowing pandemic have caused a resurgence and appreciation in virtual learning.

As universities and other educational institutions begin reopening, more students are choosing to stay online.

At Northern Essex Community College, with a student body of 5,233, approximately one-fifth of the population is enrolled in online courses.

The rise of virtually enrolled students is no coincidence; before the reopening of NECC, students were exclusively online throughout the pandemic.

Now, with the choice of in-person and online, more students are choosing to remain virtual.

Nicole Sabando, a second-year transfer student ofNECC, said “My parents are older than most people’s parents my age. Plus, they are immuno-compromised, I can’t risk their health. We’re vaccinated but that does not mean we can’tget [coronavirus]. Online is just the best way to go for the sake of my health and theirs.”

The risk of testing positive still remains a threat to many people’s health, and online is a safe option fort hose who cannot chance being exposed.

Although NECC has a mask mandate, Sabando says “I appreciate the precautions, but I also appreciate having the choice of how I get my education.”

Alternatively, Christian Furtado, second year student of NECC, says “I work two full-time jobs. I do not really have the time to sit in a classroom for however many hours a day. I want my degree, but I also need to be able to pay for it.”

The pandemic has posed a national threat to financial security — this includes students. With COVID unemployment benefits ending this year, students who collected unemployment are now headed back to work.

Furtado added “Online learning allows me to make my own schedule and manage my time how I want to. It’s a lot of responsibility [being online] but it’s what works best for me. The pandemic hit us like a truck, so now it’s back to work and back to school.”

Online learning has become a tool for Furtado; he gets to work long hours and get his work done.

Jayviar Laporte, second year student of NECC, says of online courses “It just feels right to me. I discovered during the pandemic that I work best individually. Online is best for my mental health.”
Laporte graduated high school at the height of the pandemic and chose to stick with what he has grown accustomed to.
“Social distancing and being stuck at home for so long was a blessing in disguise for me,” said Laporte. “At first I hated it, but now I love it. I learned self-discipline with my work and staying on track. I don’t procrastinate as much as I used to, and I honestly appreciate my education more, knowing it’s all on me.”
All three students agreed that their biggest struggle with online courses is time management.
Sabando said “The thing is, being at home makes it easy to forget about an assignment or to be unmotivated. You have to really want it to be able to do it. It’s definitely not for everyone.”
The pandemic made education hard for both students and teachers with the quick and not-so-smooth transition to virtual learning. Now that schools are reopening, online courses are still a norm for many people.
 
Opinion

‘Build Back Better Act’ is investment we need

and  

U.S. Congresswoman Alexandrea Ocasio-Cortez (D–NY 14th District) made a bold statement on her dress at the star-studded Met Gala last month. Ocasio-Cortez wore a white off the shoulder gown by Brothers Veillies with the words “Tax the Rich” in bold red letters emblazoned on the back of the stunning gown. Ocasio-Cortez was advocating for President Joe Bidens $3.5 trillion Build Back Better Act, otherwise known as the Reconciliation Bill.

President Biden’s proposal in the Build Back Better Act should create new opportunities to boost education system, infrastructure, and increase accessibility to a higher education.  The Build Back Better Act will invest $111 billion to lower the cost of a higher education for students.  One way to do that is to increase taxes from 37% to 39.6% on anyone who makes over $400,000 annually and raise corporate income tax  from 21% to up to 28% (which is still lower than the Obama administrations corporate tax rate, which was 35%). Raising taxes on those individual and corporations will help pay for more accessible social programs such as two free years of a higher education at a community college or trade school.

The Build Back Better Act is a once in a generation investment that refers to the historical challenges that face the country and our young people.  The “millennials” are the most under educated generation in recent history in terms of lack of qualified teachers and overcrowded classrooms.  The Build Back Better Act will ensure that postsecondary education is affordable and accessible to high school graduates.  A recent survey of high school students found that the likelihood of attending a four-year college sank nearly 20% in the last eight months, down to 53% from 76% according to ECMC group, a non-profit aiming to help young borrowers.

Affordability, for post-secondary education in the United States, should be defined by what is reasonable to expect students and their families to contribute financially toward their post-secondary education.  This information should be publicly available and shared with both the students and their families in a clear, predictable manner.  College can seem like an unattainable goal for countless low- middle class, and lower-class students.  The thought of owing tens of thousands of dollars can be stress inducing, cause anxiety and make you second guess wanting to pursue a post-secondary education.  Ocasio-Cortez and the progressive movement are simply trying to make higher education affordable and attainable for all Americans who have a dream. According to a recent CNBC poll, students from lower socioeconomic households are eight times less likely to earn a four-year degree when compared to the top socioeconomic households (7.4% to 60%).

The significant increase in the cost of college has outpaced both inflation, but more importantly, families’ incomes over recent decades. The Build Back Better Act will be an investment that will also expand the value of the Pell Grant.  Pell Grants have not kept up with the increase in cost of education.  The Build Back Better Act will expand the Pell Grant by nearly $1,500 which would go on top of the $6,495 maximum currently to help lower income students pay for a two- or four-year degree, bringing the grand total to $7,995 per scholastic year.

The Build Back Better Act plan invests in evidence-based strategies to strengthen completion and retention rates at community colleges and institutions that serve their students from our most disadvantage communities.  President Biden understands that 15 years of school is no longer enough to attain higher paying jobs without a degree.  Between 2010 and 2016, majority of high school graduates needed education beyond high school, to earn a living wage income.  In 2021 there is a great need for skills development opportunities for high quality jobs.

The Build Back Better Act will help bring families out of poverty.  President Biden wants a more equitable, stable system to support our youth.  The Build Back Better Act gives lower income students a fair shot at success in life that otherwise might not be afforded to them.  If the Build Back Better Act becomes law in its current state, educators will see a boost to digital and online learning that has already grown dramatically during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Senate needs every Democrat to vote for the bills passage.  Democratic Senators Joe Manchin (West Virginia) and Krysta Sinema (Arizona) are the hold outs for this bill.  Senator Manchin has stated the price tag would have to come down somewhere between $1 trillion and $1.5 trillion for him to consider voting yes on the bill.  Senator Manchin has at least put out the notion that his vote could be swayed to yes if certain changes are made to the bill, the same can not be said for Senator Sinema.  The freshman senator from Arizona was recently welcomed home with demonstrators at the airport.  Her constituents want the Build Back Better Act signed into law.  They want answers as to why she is unwilling to vote yes on the 3.5 trillion-dollar reconciliation bill (Build Back Better Act) that would benefit all Americans with better paying wages to help lift people out of poverty.  Senator Sinema has tweeted in the past that she thought we should provide two years of post-educational education in community colleges or a trade school to all Americans.  Time will tell if Senator Manchin and Senator Sinema will do the right thing by their constituents and vote according to the will of the people rather corporate donors.

News, Slider

Students share opinions on vaccine mandate

and  

Massachusetts Community Colleges have issued a statement saying students, faculty and staff will be required to be fully vaccinated by January 2022.

Students who don’t have the required documents for proof of their vaccination will still have the option to register for Spring Semester 2020 online.

The aim of this requirement is to “ensure] the safest learning and working environment possible for the more than 135,000 students we educate and train each year as well as our staff and faculty,” said the college presidents in a statement.

NECC students still have their own opinions in regards to the requirements.

“We live in a society where freedom is the goal and we don’t have as much freedom as they say we have. I think somethingl ike the vaccine should be our own choice like the flu shot,” said current criminal justice student Licinia Russo.

When crossing paths with other students such as Dahryl Ramirez and Lauren Fitzgerald on campus they have said that it’s a necessary action that could possibly change the campus in a positive way.

Granted that students have mixed opinions about the mandate, the question lingers in the air: will there be a rise in students’ appearance in class?

Russo, who is not vaccinated, said “People don’t want their world to stop… I have to do what I have to do to get my education. When the time comes will I do it, yes.”

Fitzgerald opened up about having her life stop when she had covid in November.

She said that she understands after her experience with covid and can see how the goal of the requirement is “to unite the campus again.”

Home Page News Bytes, News

Dean tells Board of Trustees about efforts to revitalize music and theater

and  

The Northern Essex Board of Trustees met on Oct. 6 and heard a presentation given by Dean of Liberal Arts Amy
Callahan about how the college is trying to revitalize their music and arts program.

In recent years, the arts programs at NECC have been dwindling with the music program suffering
and the theater program degree closing four years ago.

However, as Callahan told the board, there has been a resurgence of both programs recently.

According to the presentation, enrollment in the music program at NECC has doubled in the last two years. Furthermore, despite there not being a full major for theater at NECC anymore, in February of 2020, NECC students won a number of
awards for their accomplishments in theater.

Plans are also underway to create a theater focus with a liberal arts degree in the future.

Later on in the meeting, a presentation was given about the SOAR program at NECC.

SOAR, which stands for Seize Opportunity Aspire to Rise, aims to lower failures in courses, raise GPAs and aid with assignment completion for minority students with a GPA between 2.0 and 2.9 and a minimum of 6 credits a semester.

Faculty and staff at NECC were also present at the board meeting to observe.

When asked about her objective with the board of trustees, Professor Sheila Muller said, “My goal for
the board every semester is to advocate for the college in their own circles and in the state.”

Later on in the meeting, the new budget for the 2022 year was unanimously approved by the board.

The president of NECC, Lane Glenn, gave a final report at the end of the meeting.

He said he is aiming for a 75% course completion rate at the end of the semester.

Home Page News Bytes, Sports

Expectations are high for the upcoming baseball season

and  

During the 2021 fall season NECC Baseball team is playing exhibition games. They practice a lot in the field and work out in the gym. They are doing everything that they can to be prepared for the spring. The NECC Knights is a Division Three team. They won the region championship eight times in school history, including seven straight times from 2012-2018. They also won their first ever district championship in 2018.

Coach Jeffrey "Jeff" Mejia
Coach Jeffrey “Jeff” Mejia Photo courtesy of neccknights.com

Jeffrey “Jeff”  Mejia is the NECC Baseball head coach and since he came in 2013, they were New England Region Champion six times, District champions five times, including five NJCAA World Series appearance. They were NJCAA World Series national runner up in 2016. In 2015 it was Mejia’s best season going 28-4. For this season coming up coach Mejia said he has “very high expectations.”

“We got a very talented team off to a great start this fall, arguably the most talented team we’ve had in a number of years. We (have) very high expectations, the goal is to win a national championship,” he said.

Coach Mejia and his staff are ready to bring back the trophy back to NECC for the first time since 2018.

Photo of Jared Coppola
Jared Coppola Photo courtesy of neccknights.com

Jared Coppola of Lynn is an infielder, a third baseman for the NECC Knights. Last season in 33 games he batted .361 with 17 RBI and a home run. This season they will play a full schedule and they’re doing everything they can as a team to prepare for the season.

“ I definitely think we have a few kids in this team that can be potential draft picks as long as we do the right things in school in the weight room and we come to practice with the mentality to get better every single day,” he said.

Coppola and his teammates looking at the future a dream to become reality that they been dreaming for a long time that is to get drafted to play pro.

Photo of Clay Campbell
Clay Campbell Photo courtesy of neccknights.com

Clay Campbell of Goffstown, N.H., is an infielder, a shortstop for the NECC Knights. Last season in 34 games he batted .371 with one home run and 30 RBI. He also can run as he has speed in the bases in 22 opportunities to steal, he got caught three times with 19 stolen bases.

He mentioned that time management is a big key to being a student athlete.

“Especially with online classes I specifically took online classes so it will be easier to be able to do my other responsibilities as well as baseball so it’s really just sticking to your time schedule and getting the work done when you can,” he said.

Todd Tringale
Todd Tringale Photo courtesy of neccknights.com

Todd Tringale of Saugus is a starting right-handed pitcher for the NECC Knights. Last season in 12 games he made 10 appearances with a four and one record on 50 innings pitch he strikeout 78 with giving up one home run and a 2.16 ERA.

We all know what happened last year with coronavirus and it was difficult for teams  to adjust.

“Practice last year in the fall season it was tough …. The game schedule was really hectic it was little off than the other years, I mean we were piling as many games as we possibly could and you know obviously I mean with the mask mandate it was different back then and going through all of that it was though,” he said.

Look out for the NECC Knight’s baseball team. This team is very talented, very resilient and they don’t give up.

After conducting an interview with them I have no doubt in my mind that they are going far this season into the post season and possibly winning a championship.

We all know that Coach Mejia has been coaching the baseball team since 2013 and the fact that he mentions that this team is the most talented team in a number of years really stands out.

It means a lot not just for the school but for the community as well. It shows how they are a great team and how they work together as a whole and I don’t have any doubt in my mind that they could possibly end up winning a championship. That’s how good they are going to be. This team is going to be exciting to watch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Home Page Featured News

NECC announces new COVID-19 vaccine policy

and  
COVID-19 vaccine flyer in the Spurk Building at the Haverhill campus. Photo by Isa Grullon

 

On Sept. 20, the 15 community colleges in Massachusetts announced that there will be a vaccine requirement for students, faculty and staff starting in January 2022. Students who are not vaccinated will be able to take online courses. Read the full announcement here: https://www.necc.mass.edu/current-students/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/home/COVID_Statement_from_Presidents-092021.pdf

NECC will hold a two free vaccine clinics this in October. The first clinic will be held in the Dimitry Building lobby on the Lawrence campus on Oct. 27 from 9 a.m. to noon. The second clinic will be held in Haverhill on Oct. 29 from 9 a.m. to noon in the D Building lobby.

The Observer is interested in hearing your thoughts about this requirement. Get in touch with us at observer@necc.mass.edu.

For more details and the most up-to-date information on NECC’s COVID-19 response and policies visit: https://www.necc.mass.edu/public-safety/coronavirus-information/

Features, Slider

Staff profile: Pam LaBella – assistive technology specialist at Northern Essex Community College

and  

Haverhill resident Pam LaBella has always been passionate about helping people throughout her career, and understands the importance of providing support to people so they can succeed in their future endeavors.  

Whether she is helping young students after school with their homework, training career professionals, or helping college students adapt to different types of Assistive Technology, she knows what it takes to help individuals work around their challenges.   

 LaBella, who is originally from Exeter, New Hampshire, started her education at Northern Essex Community College in Haverhill, Mass. She later transferred to Worcester State University in Worcester, Mass. At Worcester State, LaBella studied education, and later graduated with a degree in teaching.  

 After graduating college, LaBella was hired at Lucent Technology (formerly Western Electric) in North Andover, Mass. According to LaBella, employees were required to undergo training sessions based upon their specific job, so they could perform job tasks more effectively. LaBella initially worked in the training department, but was later promoted to training coordinator for a larger department. In this position, LaBella would schedule mandatory training classes the employees were required to attend.  

 In 2002, LaBella was hired by Northern Essex Community College to work in the Center for Accessibility Resources and Services (CARS) Department as an assistive technology specialist, a position that she greatly enjoys.

“There are two things about my position that I enjoy. I love working with students, exposing them to different types of assistive technology software, and explaining how they will benefit from this software. I also like the variety in my position, as I can do many different things outside of Assistive Technology as well.”  She said.

 During this same time, from 2002 to 2013, LaBella worked at Haverhill’s Discovery Program, an after school homework support and enrichment program, which provides academic support to elementary and middle school students.  

 LaBella has also organized and co-hosted multiple accessibility and resource workshops at Northern Essex, including a note taking workshop, and a workshop on using brainstorming software to help students plan and organize their written work.  

 LaBella is also responsible for maintaining several databases that she has created for the Center for Accessibility Resources and Services (CARS) Department. Specifically, LaBella maintains a database that keeps track of the assistive technology devices, as many are loaned out to students. She also uses an alternative textbook database that she created, so that she can track alternative textbook files for students.  

 LaBella further explains that she has had many memorable experiences throughout her career, but one in particular stands out that happened in her current position.

“I recall one experience where I was working with a student to review her Alternative Textbook accommodations. The student started to cry because she was incredibly happy that she could have this accommodation in place that would allow her to easily access course materials, something that was a challenge before.” She said.

Outside of work, LaBella has many hobbies and interests. She enjoys sewing, doing crafts, doing puzzles, baking, and spending time with family. LaBella also enjoys spending time outdoors, where she can often be found hiking on woodland trails in North Conway, N.H.    

Editor’s note: If you or a student you know needs help with accessibility, please contact the Center for Accessibility Resources & Services by calling 978-556-3654 or emailing centerforaccess@necc.mass.edu. 

Arts and Entertainment, Slider

Art club information session

and  
NECC art club flyer on a bulletin board at the Dimitry building in Lawrence. Photo By Isa Grullon

On Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021, at 7 p.m., the art club held a special information session for all students to attend at Northern Essex Community College.

Tiffany Esmerio, the coordinator of orientation and student transition at NECC hosted a total of four students via Zoom. Esmerio introduced various methods used in creating as well as skills and ideas for artistic creativity. During the event students participated in art exercise activities and discussed possible ways and materials needed to create art. 

Promptly at 7 p.m., “Hello, everyone welcome to the art club information session.” Esmerio said, “Tonight we are going to introduce different kinds of things and ideas to do art.” She went on to introduce herself and gave everyone else the opportunity to talk about themselves. Esmerio went on discussing possible ways and ideas to create art.  

The meeting activities focused on Bullet Journal workshop. Materials and supplies used were a journal or notebook, a pen, a ruler, and extra items such as stencils, washi tape, stickers, and watercolors. 

At the meeting, everyone had the chance to express what they think about art. Each of the participants said good things about art. They told how art helps them with mediating, helps them concentrate, stay focused, and improve their creativity. 

 The meeting was a total success everyone learned and knew how to create their own bullet journal at the end.