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You can upload your COVID-19 card or immunization certificate through myNECC at COVID-19 Vaccination Reporting Form.
To apply for a reasonable accommodation, complete and submit the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form and email it along with supporting documentation to studentvax@necc.mass.edu.
For more information, visit COVID-19 Vaccination Frequently Asked Questions or email immunizations@necc.mass.edu.
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Monthly Archives: December 2021
How Will the New Omicron Variant Affect You?
The novel coronavirus has brought many ups and downs this year, keeping the entire world on its toes as it rained havoc all throughout the globe. This past month we have seen cases on the rise. Why is this?
This is because of the new strand of COVID-19. COVID came back for yet another round. In this article, we take a peek into how the students of NECC feel about this.
“I think it’s pretty stupid at this point, all this variant is, is making it much easier to spread. It’s not any more deadly than before. I feel as if we’ve overreacted for the most part. We will have the vaccine mandate and things should be fine.” said a student. “I’ve already had covid and I’m fine. So I will be returning to campus next semester. I don’t believe we will go back into lockdown, but there’s a good chance it will happen anyways during the new year.” He added.
Another student, Jacob Robles, shares a more cautious approach.
“To be honest, I’m not sure how I feel about it. Hopefully the masks will be lifted and it will be normal. I will be returning to campus again next semester, but will be continuing to wear a mask or maybe double up on it. I think if the cases get higher we may have to go back into lockdown.”
With this new Omicron Variant it is almost a guaranteed extra history assignment in the future. However, NECC has been taking the proper precautions to keep everyone safe. Including vaccine mandates, allowing students on campus if they are fully vaccinated, wearing masks indoors, and providing masks in every building for those who don’t have any.
With the work of students and staff following the proper restrictions, NECC is a safe place to be this semester. Yet we still don’t know much about this virus, we know one thing for sure: we won’t stop living and enjoying our time in college because of it.
NECC Community Prepares for the 2022 Spring Semester
Wrapping up the fall semester, NECC staff and students open up about the challenges they’ve faced this past semester and what they are looking forward to this spring.
What seems to be a common theme this past semester is both staff and students are having mixed feelings about online learning and returning to campus. Along with struggling to navigate online schooling, the NECC community is both eager and anxious to come back to face to face classes.
Coordinator of the Journalism/Communication program Mary Jo Shafer said,
“I find online classes to be challenging and it has also been a challenge to adapt classes to a new hybrid model. For me personally it has also been a bit anxiety-producing to be back in a classroom because the pandemic is very much still here. Having said that, it also is wonderful to be back in a classroom too. It does make me happy to be able to see my students again in person! It’s just a lot to juggle/think about.”
Owen Devlin, NECC student on track to graduate in the spring of 2022, said in an email, “Personally, I have faced many challenges this past semester since I have been working virtually. I enjoy interacting with other students and instructors, which I did not have the opportunity to do while off campus. Having said that, I like how some professors incorporated Zoom sessions into their instruction because I was able to interact with classmates in that way”.
Although this has been a difficult time for most, the NECC community continues to persevere and remain optimistic.
“I am looking forward to hopefully having more in-person face to face contact with students. That includes the Observer student staff. I am looking forward to being able to be in the newsroom more with them and to putting out more print editions.”, Shafer said.
In spite of his challenges with remote learning, Devlin has also had some positive experiences.
“I have learned so much from the classes I have taken this semester. Personally, I most enjoyed Journalism II as I had the opportunity to continue doing what I enjoy most: meeting new people, hearing their stories and writing stories. I would like to pursue a career in broadcast journalism, so that I can continue doing this. I have learned a lot of valuable skills through the writing I have done this semester, and am looking forward to hopefully applying those skills as I continue on my educational path.” He said.
Classes for the spring 2022 semester begin January 19.
First teaser for ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ is Released
For about a week, the only way to view the new teaser for the upcoming Marvel Studios movie, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, was to see “Spider-Man: No Way Home” in a theater. However, today, the two-minute-long teaser is finally on the Marvel YouTube channel! Check it out below!
This teaser sees Doctor Strange approaching Wanda Maximoff asking for her help, while also revealing a new character, who appears to also be Doctor Strange, but from another part of this mysterious multiverse.
“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is going to be released in theaters on May 6th, 2022.
How climate change is affecting New England
As the winters become milder and the summer becomes hotter climate change is here and it is already having a big impact for New England.
In 2016 a Zillow report uncovered that one out of six homes in Boston will be underwater by 2100, According to the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) temperatures are projected to climb, Polar ice caps are melting. Ocean water will swell over the coming decades. Boston is likely to bear a disproportionate impact or rising sea levels, government scientists recently reported. The magnitude of climate change beyond the next few decades depends primarily on the amount of heat gases emitted globally and how sensitive the earth’s climate is to those emissions.
According to the First Street Foundation and Columbia University, sea level rise has cost New England more than 400 million dollars in home values between 2005 and 2017 with Massachusetts hit especially hard. One Columbia professor explained the finding simply “increased tidal flooding leads to loss in homes value appreciation. As the sea levels accelerate we expect the corresponding loss in relative homes value to accelerate as well.
Mathew Mitchitson, a Haverhill resident who owns a condo on Salisbury Beach said he couldn’t believe how far the tide comes up compared to years in the past. “When I first bought my family condo, at high tide you still had a beach to sit on, not anymore” said Mitchitson. “They were bringing in sand to the beach to use as a barrier between the ocean and the homes.”
Three industries that will be implemented by the rising temperatures in New England are farming, winter sports and fishing. With spring like weather happening sooner than the end of winter fruit trees start to bud earlier, then another freeze comes a entire crop can be lost.
Ski resorts are having a hard time staying open during the winter months. According to the NCA (The Northeast Winter Recreation) the winter months are an important economic resource for rural areas supporting 44,500 jobs which generate between 2.6 and 2.7 billion dollars in revenue annually. The economic viability of New Hampshire’s winter sports industry rely on cold, snowy winters. Winters in Concord New Hampshire are warming three times as faster than the summer by heat rising 5.6 degrees warmer in 2019 than they did in the 1970s.
Georgia Murray, an AMC staff scientist studying weather in New Hampshire wrote that warmer winters, less total snowfall and more frequent whiplash events where winter fluctuates between sudden freezes and thaws all influence the ski industry.
Christopher Russel, a senior at Pelham High School who intends on studying at NECC next fall and is an avid snowboarder said his ski season are already too short. “I can literally ride my board in just a t-shirt and shorts by March lately, but the conditions aren’t that good.” Snow making before Dec 25th are decreasing as far as the number of snowmaking days before Feb 28th. That means that the number of days to make snow with ideal conditions are shrinking as the temperatures rise.
The New England Fishing Industry for species like Atlantic Cod, shrimp and lobsters have been impacted by warmer ocean waters.
The fall foliage has been another thing affected by climate change. Leaves are changing approximately two weeks later than they did in the 1980s. Cooler temperatures don’t exactly cause leaves to change but they are trigger that gets the process started.
Connecticut is one of the fastest -warming states in the US. By the end of the century temperatures in Hartford will exceed 100 degrees for at least 25 days a year. Connecticut will also experience sea level rise at more than 3 feet according to a University of Massachusetts report.
Droughts have become more prominent which also which affects the crops in Connecticut. Potential warmer deficits during summer droughts are projected to become more severe in the coming decades.
Fading winters and hotter summers make New England the fastest warming region in America.
Comedian/violinist entertains students
Comedian/violinist Armando Anto performed for several students and staff members via Zoom.
An event was hosted by Mount Wachusett Community College in collaboration with NECC, with Cami Stephens serving as student/event organizer on Nov. 18.
Found and contracted by MWCC to perform, Anto is a unique type of artist as he simultaneously incorporates both stand-up comedy and playing the violin into his act.
Stephanie Haskell, Student Life Coordinator for NECC shared in an interview that Mount Wachusett contacted Northern Essex, via the organization Community College Student Leadership Association (CCSLA), about potentially collaborating on an event as the pandemic continued. Regarding the agreement of showcasing Anto to NECC as well, Haskell further stated “He [Anto] has a good stage presence; He knows his audience and if I were looking for somebody and knew we had good attendance and the budget to hire somebody, I would’ve definitely chosen him.”
As stated on his website, Anto was born and raised in France, and he began studying classical violin at the French National Conservatory at the age of 5. After earning his Bacholars of Arts degree in Finance, he turned his talent into a business, embarking on a world tour of violin concerts. After performing and teaching his art for over a decade, Anto began implementing more and more comedy in his performances, before eventually combining the two. He “understood that laughing opens the heart and mind, and that people understand any concept better through humor. Following his twin muses, music and comedy, Anto has established himself as a standup comedian in Los Angeles, performing in such prolific venues like Laugh Factory and “America’s Got Talent.”
Throughout the event, Anto discussed various topics such as race relations, which often correlated with his origins, as well as COVID, audience members for some reason having their microphones muted, his ex-girlfriend “Jessica”, to even performing his famous song “”Would You Shut Your Mouth” with his guitar, complete with violin “stings” for either a comedic sound effect or as a clever way of censoring inappropriate language.
Although everybody who joined laughed hysterically, It should be noted that the number of attendees was lower than the “20 or so” expected. This could be attributed to the time of day when the event was scheduled, being late in the afternoon. No matter what the case may be, having the opportunity to laugh and join in with a group was nonetheless exciting and seeing smiling and hearing laughter warmed the heart.
For anyone interested in participating in future events, students can visit the events page at the NECC website for more information.
O’Neil Cinemas gives back to communities
Going to the movies is a time-honored tradition during the holiday season and the family-owned O’Neil Cinemas, located at The Point in Littleton, Massachusetts and in Brickyard Square in Epping, New Hampshire, not only provides a state-of-the-art cinema experience it also practices another age old tradition of giving, especially to the communities it serves
The O’Neill family, who hail from North Andover, not only founded and operate two theaters, they also have built an organization called O’Neil Cinemas Cares which gives back to local Southern New Hampshire and Eastern Massachusetts communities through donations, scholarships and local charity events. They have partnered with both local and national organizations including: The United Way of the Greater Seacoast, The Salvation Army, Seacoast United, Cocheco Valley Humane Society, Big Brothers Big Sisters of New Hampshire, Operation Blessing, to name a few.
Each year O’Neil Cinemas has partnered with the American Red Cross as part of the O’Neil Cinemas Cares program. In the past, the theater has hosted two blood drives, one during the holiday season on Christmas Eve, and one in March to honor Red Cross month.
O’Neil Cinemas affiliations with local charities has been immeasurable, but due to last year’s Coronavirus pandemic, the theaters were forced to shut their doors and like many other businesses were pushed into uncharted waters. Despite the devastating setback, moviegoers were welcomed back on May 7, 2021, implementing all the safety guidelines needed to keep theater guests free from the virus.
As far as their charity work and dedication to the community, it’s safe to say it will be slowly returning.
Jen Desmarais, Operations Manager of the Littleton branch of O’Neil, stated in an interview that “We are still aligned with the Red Cross and the United Way. In the past we have worked with and have donated to countless schools, organizations, fundraisers, etc. When Covid arrived in March 2020, we closed our doors and did not reopen until May of 2021. During that time donations were discontinued. We are pleased to announce we will begin donations again starting January 2022.”
Incentives such as discounts for seniors and military members are available as well as Bargain Tuesdays in which matinees are only $6.50.
As an employee, since the inception of the Littleton theater in 2017, it was fantastic just to stand in the large Grand DLX Auditorium again when the theater reopened last spring. Hearing the booming sound effects, and smelling the buttery scent of freshly made popcorn, it was like catching up with an old friend. It has been a slow comeback, but here we are back in a time of giving, and although the charity service’s return has been delayed, patrons can give back to O’Neil by going to the theater to see some of the newest blockbusters this holiday season that have been waiting to find themselves on the big screen.
Tutoring Center makes a difference for students
Northern Essex Community College offers a variety of one-on-one support services that students can take advantage of while on campus, including the Tutoring Center. Students can utilize this resource if they are seeking help on a particular assignment from a professional tutor. Students can also connect with a tutor if they are looking to receive feedback on a completed assignment, too.
According to NECC Tutoring Center academic coordinator Jennifer Levesque, the purpose of the Tutoring Center is to equip students with the necessary skills to help them become more confident and successful in their classes.
As academic coordinator of the Tutoring Center, Levesque is responsible for a number of different tasks, including supervising and scheduling tutors to work with students. Additionally, Leveque is responsible for offering assistance in any situation that may arise if necessary.
The staff in the Tutoring Center can assist students if they are having difficulty in subjects like math, science, chemistry and statistics. Tutors can also assist students with any kind of writing assignment regardless of the course it is for.
According to Levesque, when the college transitioned to a remote learning format, it was challenging for tutors to conduct meetings over Zoom because they had to adapt to new technology. Although this was quite a process, tutors eventually became comfortable with it, and were more than happy to connect with students over Zoom to offer their assistance.
“There was a little time to adjust to everything, but the students and tutors adjusted very well. The tutors were willing to help students in any way they could. Many of the tutors connected with students over Zoom for check-ins to see how they were doing, and to see if there was anything they could help them with,” said Levesque.
Currently, tutors are continuing to meet with students remotely, but have started to resume in-person sessions on the Lawrence and Haverhill campuses, too.
Levesque says that she greatly enjoys working in the Tutoring Center. “I love seeing students realize that they can do well in their classes. There is a transformation that happens at the beginning of the semester where students say things like: “I can’t write” or “I can’t do math.” Once they begin working with a tutor, they are much more confident in their ability to do these skills by the end of the semester,” said Levesque.
Levesque goes on to explain that she has had many great experiences in her time working at NECC. “I really liked having the ability to implement appointments on Navigate because it helped students and staff get connected better,” said Levesque. “Another highlight was being part of the Leadership Academy through professional development, which has given me the opportunity to learn more about myself and do a better job overall.”
In addition to the services offered by the Tutoring Center, students have unlimited access to a resource through the Blackboard application offered by the college, known as Thinking Storm. Thinking Storm provides students with the opportunity to collaborate with tutors if they have questions about a particular assignment when off campus.
What the Respiratory Care Club at NECC is all about
At Northern Essex Community College, students can become involved on campus through a number of different clubs and organizations like the Respiratory Care Club. In the club, students studying respiratory care have the opportunity to discuss health-related conditions, and can take advantage of different volunteer opportunities allowing them to give back to the community.
The club was initially started by the coordinator of NECC’s respiratory care department Jennifer Jackson-Stevens, and has been running for a number of years now.
According to club advisor and faculty member in NECC’s respiratory care department Alana Doherty-Crook, the purpose of the club is to inform individuals about the potential health implications of conditions connected to the respiratory system.
Currently, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the club is not meeting in-person, but Doherty-Crook is looking forward to resuming in-person meetings soon.
During virtual club meetings, Doherty-Crook reviews the agenda with students, and they discuss which community events they would like to participate in. As a group, they talk about different ways to continue fundraising the club, too.
Students in the club have completed a number of different projects in an effort to spread awareness about respiratory-related health conditions throughout campus. “One of the projects we’ve had in past semesters is that students have completed poster boards so that other students can understand the health risks of certain conditions, such as smoking,” Doherty-Crook said. “I like to incorporate what we do on campus into the community so that people can understand the background of respiratory care.“
In the past, students have also attended different community events in Haverhill, Mass. There, they have set up a table so those who are interested can walk over to learn more about the potential health impacts of respiratory-related conditions. Students have volunteered at the Emmaus House in Haverhill to help those in need, too.
Doherty-Crook says that she enjoys her work at the college, but also enjoys being part of the club for a number of reasons. “I love engaging with my students and seeing them be successful in whatever they decide to do, whether it is academic or professional,“ Doherty-Crook said. “When you have a job you love, it doesn’t feel like you are going to work.”
Doherty-Crook also says it is important to recognize the hard work that students have done during their time in the respiratory care program. “At the end of their second year, students are represented with repertory pins to show that we are proud of them for their hard work,” said Doherty-Crook.
The club will resume in-person meetings come January 2022 in the spring semester. The first in-person meeting is set for Jan. 28 at 10 a.m. in LC301 (El-Hefni Technology Center) on the Lawrence campus.
‘Spider-Man No Way Home’ Spoiler-Free Review
On the evening of Thursday, December 16th, I saw the latest theatrical installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” This third MCU Spider-Man movie picks up practically immediately after the events of the previous movie (Spider-Man: Far from Home), when it is revealed to the entire world that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Between exploring the possibilities of the multiverse, and examining what it truly means to be Peter Parker (Tom Holland), viewers will for sure enjoy this movie whether they’re a hardcore Spider-Man fan, or completely new to the character. Nonetheless, this is for sure rewarding to the strong fanbase that this character has gathered over the years, as fans of previous cinematic iterations of the character will enjoy the classic villains from the trailers for “No Way Home” who are in the movie.
As with not all super hero movies, the artistic nature of No Way Home is so moving. There were scenes that hit me in the feels in indescribable ways, and that can be meaningful when looking through a lens that considers how certain super hero themes can be applied to the real world. There’s lots of emotional turmoil, as well as happy moments.
Without spoiling, I will say that, seeing “No Way Home” on opening night was a very high-energy event. There were moments when the entire audience cheered. It may not be the same if you see it in theatres after the time of publishing this review, but that can still give you an idea of how exiting some of these moments are for certain fans.
Overall, I loved “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” It served as a fantastic start of a new chapter for Peter Parker, and I hope the film is well received for Marvel fans, and movie-goers alike!
