Daily Archives: December 12, 2022

Editorial

Moving on to my next journey

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 I am so sad that my duties as the Sports Editor and Editor-In-Chief will come to an end after the  end of the semester. This is my last issue of the Observer as a staff member.

I have a lot of people to thank. First of all, I would like to thank all of my teachers that I have currently and in the past who helped me succeed in this community college, which will help me in the real world when I go to a four year school.

I would like to thank the tutors that helped me on my essays for English Comp 1 and 2 and other course that is related to writing, for example my American Literature class that I took over the summer.

I want to thank the Athletic Director Dan Blair for making me the PA announcer for home basketball games, to have some practice. It is a good learning experience for me for the future to get better and better for the real world and it is good to put in my resume.

Thank you Mary Jo for giving me an opportunity to be on staff when I joined the Observer in mid October of 2021 as the sports editor and a semester later I took over double duties also as Editor-in-Chief.

As a Sports Editor, I take this very seriously. Every game I can possibly can I will go to too cover the teams This was a fun experience that I really enjoyed. I enjoyed doing pre game interviews before the games to have sense of what the game is going to be about, so nothing will catch me by surprise in the game. I have also enjoyed writing what is happening during the games and doing post game interviews with head coaches and athletes. Also just preparing my self before the game, I don’t just look at the Knights stats, I also I look at their opponents ,their record and which players from the other team might give us a hard time and what the head coach is going to do to avoid that specific player.

Because of this Eagle Tribune assistant sports editor Hector Longo, gave me an opportunity to be a freelancer correspondent for the Eagle Tribune. free lancer as a corresponded for I covered high school football games during the month of October and early November. He told me he will reach out to me for high school basketball and hockey games and I don’t think any of this would’ve been possible if I was not part of the Observer.

This has been really fun. I wouldn’t trade this for anything in this world. I feel I am already a journalist even though I am just a student who is climbing up the ladder trying to be a sports journalist.

My ultimate goal dream job is to be a play by play baseball announcer and a sports talk show host on the radio.

I will miss NECC so much. This is my home. This is not a good bye, this is I will see you guys soon, take care.

News

Union members advocate for new contract

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Members of the Massachusetts Community College Council union at NECC recently voted to go to “work to rule,” in reaction to ongoing contract negotiations with the Board of Higher Education.

I interviewed coordinator of academic coaching and president of the executive board of the Northern Essex MCCC union chapter   Linda Giampa to get some background on what the MCC is and who it represents.

“…We are a union and we represent faculty and we represent professional staff. I am a professional staff, professional staff people like adviser, financial aid, those will be professional staff and faculty is the instructor that teaches the classes,” she said. “The contract that we are negotiating now is for full time faculty and staff. We also have a separate contract for (adjunct instructors) but that one has already has been negotiated… We are affiliated with the Massachusetts Teacher Association, MTA and the NEO which is the National Education Association,” she said.

Faculty and staff union members at NECC are advocating for a new contract with the state's Board of Higher Education
Faculty and staff union members at NECC are advocating for a new contract with the state’s Board of Higher Education Photo by Editor-in-Chief/ Sports Editor Jose Rodriguez

Giampa told what work-to-rule is and explained why faculty and staff have voted to do this.

me what is work-to rule and give me an explanation why faculty and stuff are in work to rule ?

“We can’t strike,” she said. “… What work to rule basically is is that we just do the work that we are contractually required to do… So that means we don’t do extra things like we wouldn’t serve on extra committees, search committees… so we are asking our members not to do anything extra, they should only do what they are required to in the contract,” she said.

I interviewed Tom Greene, he is a faculty member and Day Grievance coordinator in the MCC union here at Northern Essex.

I ask him if he thinks an agreement will be reached soon?

“There is negotiating that is happening, (negotiations)are ongoing,” he said.  “It is really hard to tell how close things are for reaching in agreement. It seems a couple months ago the agreement was about to happen and lately it seems that it is dragging on and on and is not going anywhere,” Greene said.

Greene and I talked about the number of community colleges that are in work to rule in Massachusetts. “Right know I think it is only two but unless there were some kind of resolution two days ago now all of the colleges are being asked to vote whether or not (they will go on) twork to rule so maybe more very soon,” he said on Dec. 1

I ask NECC President Lane Glenn if he feels not having a contract affects the morale of staff and faculty. “I understand why some people may feel discouraged by not having a contract yet unfortunately, historically it is not unusual l for things like this to happen. That doesn’t make it right or comfortable but this has happened (a numbers of times) over the years for lots of different reasons, but certainly I understand how it can be discouraging for employees which is one of the reason that we want to make an agreement as soon as possible,” he said.

I asked him how is it impacting students ? “So far I have not heard any negative impacts on students,” he said. “I think our faculty and staff are very mindful not to negatively impact our students, they know the student are most important, they are the reason why we are here in the first place, Everybody, and I don’t know a single person in this college however they are feeling in every given day who would’ve negatively impact our students.”

 

Slider, Sports

Knights defeat Roxbury battle of the national ranking

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On Thursday Dec. 8, the NECC Knights defeated Roxbury Community College 87 to 72 in the Sport and Fitness Center on the Haverhill campus.

In this week NJCAA National ranking the Knights were ranked 11th place and Roxbury 12. Both teams were undefeated in conference division play. The difference was the Knights only lost one game — it was in a non-conference game as the Knights were 13-1 in the season while Roxbury 8-0.

“I think it is huge for both teams,” NECC Knights basketball head coach Darren Stratton said before the game “I think you will see the best from both teams because having that one game up in the opponent is so critical coming down the stretch for playoff,” he said. “…Seeding means a lot and I think this is the first time that two national rank opponents from Region 21 are basically this close together squaring off against each other and it might be the first time in a long time that both teams are coming undefeated against each other,” he said.

Before the game I asked Coach Stratton about Kevin Agyemang of their opponent Roxbury, who is averaging 21.0 points per game and Roy Kalu who is averaging20.2 points per game as they are in the top two categories in points per game in Region 21.

“Kevin (Agyemang) is kind of funny, we recruited coming out of high school out of Dracut … he was down to us and Roxbury as his two schools and he ended up choosing to go play with his former coach. Albert Hayle is the former Dracut High (school) coach so he chose to go there. He is a heck of a player, heck of a shooter, we have to do an excellent job on both of those guys to not allow them to get going if Keving (Agyemang) gets done early it’s going to be a long day for us … right now he is shooting over 50 percent behind the thee point line so we can’t let him get going tonight,” Stratton said.

The game officially began at 6:03 p.m. with Roxbury winning the tip off against the Knights.

The Knights started the game on a 9-2 run, they started the game opening up pretty well giving some distance against Roxbury.

Knights vs Roxbury on Dec. 8 in the Sport and Fitness Center
Knights vs Roxbury on Dec. 8 in the Sport and Fitness Center Photo by Editor-in-Chief / Sports Editor Jose Rodriguez

Roxbury fought to make this a one point game as the game was 9 to 8.

Eventually the game was tied at 11. Luis Reynoso of Lawrence who scored 19 points in the win over Roxbury was attacking the glass. He got fouled and was on the line as he made two free throws as the Knights were back in front 13 to 11.

Reynoso extended the Knights lead with a lay up as the game was 15 to 11.

Fast forward the game was 23-18 when Tre Fite of Massillon, Ohio, banged in a three pointer to increase the Knights’ lead.

This started a run for the Knights as the Knights went on 17 to 8 run to end the first half.

The Knights had a 14 point lead when they went into their locker room at the half.

The score was 40 to 26.The Knights had seven fouls while Roxbury had eight.

During the half time warm up Edwin SamMbaka of Paris, France, dunked the ball, which is against the rules. He could have had a technical foul if the referee saw it but they didn’t.

“I forgot the rule, I was hype (laughing), I forgot the rule,” he said.

The second half began. Ten seconds in Reynoso was in the free throw line where he made one of two in.

When the game was 45 to 26 Roxbury connected with a two pointer and a three pointer as they went on a 5-0 run it ended with Reynoso attacking the glass to the rim to make this a 47 to 31 ball game.

The Knights were up by 11, it was 47 to 36 when Fite missed both free throw shots when Roxbury connected with a two pointer and a foul that completed a three points play.

The game was 49-39 after the Knights got two of those points back when Cristian Kinsley of Lawrence got injured.

“Kinsley we will know more tomorrow. I told all of my kids to say a prayer for him, he is the heart and soul in this basketball group and I‘m hoping, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for him. There isn’t been a kid in my program that has ever worked harder and has done more for a basketball player than Cristian Kinsley, that’s bar none,”

Roxbury hit a two pointer.

The Knights came back with Jermeiah Melendez of Lawrence knocking down a three pointer to make this 52 to 41.

Ryan Pacy of Salem, New Hampshire, scored a two pointer on a lay up. Pacy was the highest point scorer for the Knights with 21.

“Yeah, I just had to get my rhythm first half I was a little off but the second half I got my rhythm back,” Pacy said.

Roxbury made this really interesting against the Knights. With six minutes and 37 seconds remaining the Knights’ lead was cut to six as they were up 67 to 61.

The Knights went on a 10 to 4 run to make this 77 to 65.

Things got a little intense with Pacy and one of the Roxbury players as they were nose to nose in the final minute of the game and had to be separated by the referee.

As Pacy got a Class A technical foul with 40.8 remaining and was removed from the game, sent to the locker room by his assistant coach Joe Tardiff who was trying to calm him down.

“It was just all competitiveness,” Pacy said.

“Heated part of the game I guess nothing really serious,” he said.

Nonetheless the Knights went on to defeat Roxbury 87 to 72, handing Roxbury their first loss of the season as the Knights remained undefeated in conference division play.

Slider, Sports

Knights extend their victory to nine straight

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On  Dec. 6, the NECC Knights defeated Massasoit Community College 73 to 69 in Julie Muluey Court in Brockton. The Knights picked up another nail-bitter win similar like three days prior in Springfield.

The Knights won the tip off against the Warriors and the game started at 6:32 pm.

The Knights were up 4 to 1 before the Warriors answered back to make this a 5-4 game.

The Knights then followed quickly with a 9-2 run to put the game 13 to 7 in favor of the Knights.

The Warriors made it interesting as they were creeping closer but Ryan Pacy of Salem, New Hampshire, hit a three to make this 24 to 19 in favor of the Knights.

Mehmet “R2”Asik of Ankara, Turkey, got the rebound and made it inside the bucket that increased the Knights’ lead after Warriors hit a three. Asik scored a 2 pointer with a layup.

Edwin SamMbaka of Paris, France, scored a 2 pointer. Luis Reynoso of Lawrence made one of two free throws in.

Cristian Kinsley of Lawrence shot a three and the Knights had a 16-point lead. Reynoso increased that lead to 18, which was the largest lead for the Knights.

The game was then 40-22.

The Warriors made things interesting at the end of the first half going on a run against the Knights as the Knights went into their locker room 49 to 37 with a 12 point lead over the Warriors.

Knights vs Massasoit on Tuesday Dec 6. on Brockton Mass Photo by Editor-in-Chief / Sports Editor Jose Rodriguez

The Knights started the second half with a 5-0 run but then the Knights got lazy and really were playing undisciplined basketball as the Warriors went on a 16-6 run against the Knights before Pacy banged in a two pointer.

“I think tonight we came out to play, it’s just we don’t know how to continue to play like that,” Head Coach Darren Stratton said. “We have spurts that we play great and we have spurts that an eight grade basketball team can beat us, so we got to find some kind of consistency and hopefully it starts in practice where these kids buy in and start practicing harder because Thursday night Roxbury is coming in and if we play like this Roxbury will wipe the floor with us.”

“Yes, real undisciplined basketball we started going more one on one, guys were jacking shots, it just can’t happen, we got away from everything that we do, we just totally got away from and hopefully do some kind of correction tomorrow,” Stratton said.

Darlin Santiago of Salem, Mass., was called from the bench. It was the first time that Santiago was in action after he missed a few amount of games because of injury.

After the Warriors tied at 57 they took their first lead of the game since early on in the first half.

The game was tied again at 61 before the Knights pushed them a four point lead as the score was 65 to 61.

Kinsley hit a two pointer to cut the defect to two as the Knights were down 67 to 65.

After the game Asik told me why the past two games were battles until the end. “I feel like mentally we need to focus and finish strong because we started strong but maybe we are being lazy when we (are)up like 15 to 20 points then at the end of the game is like two or four point game and we just need to keep it strong and keep it serious all game,” Asik said.

Kinsley again this time knocked down a three and a foul as he went hard into the floor in the barricade  where the fans sit in the front row of the stands with just 32.7 second left in the game as the Knights went on to defeat Massasoit 73 to 69.