All posts by Alexis Fontaine, Opinions Editor

Opinion

Is security doing enough to keep us safe?

and  

SGA and Public Safety team up to better NECC’s safety

What was supposed to be a fun filled day, for some turned out to be stressful. NECC’s Spring Jam, which took place on April 10, was also the same day as College for a Day, when high school students could preview what it is like to be a student at Northern Essex, was a crowded, jam packed day. Student Government Association was tabling at Spring Jam to recruit and inform future and current students about SGA. Hannah Benning, SGA’s secretary and acting parliamentarian was one of the people tabling. While at Spring Jam, Benning described an occurrence at the event that left her feeling “helpless.” She said, “some of the high school students were stealing some of the objects off of the tables we had. I was surrounded by about 30 students at once, I was talking to one student who seemed interested in joining student government, but was distracted and felt helpless. When I looked over, some of the stuff off the table was stolen.” Security was not near the situation when it occurred, and Benning only saw them at the end of the event when they were taking down the signs.

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I do believe security needs to be changed in some way, shape or form

– Hannah Benning

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Student Government Association is advocating for change on campus when it comes to public safety and security. They have begun to take action by holding meetings with administrators. Student Governments main goal with public safety is to make sure that there is more transparency between public safety and the students, as well a better understanding tostudents of exactly what security’s capabilities are and are not. SGA held a meeting  on April 26 with Michael McCarthy, Northern Essex’s Vice President of Administration and Finance and Deborah Crafts Director of Public Safety/ Chief of Police. During the meeting it was brought up that a dispatcher has been recently hired for Northern Essex. Another part of the discussion included the blue lights we have on campus, which are currently out of service, but are in the works to be fixed and to get the phones replaced. The blue light system is in place for when students feel unsafe outside, if they are walking back to theircar, or feel like they are being followed etc.

The blue light contacts the Haverhill police. Public safety and security can walk you back to your car if you ever feel unsafe as well, it was mentioned. In emergency situations, evacuation maps and lockdown protocols are trying to be implemented as well While security and Public Safety are top priorities for NECC, there is still a lot that can be done to improve what is already in place. Benning, suggested having bag check protocols and also said that “I do believe security needs to be changed in some way, shape or form. Students are aware that public safety is here to help, it’s just that we need more trained officers and different ways to make sure students are safe on campus.” If you are ever feeling unsafe on campus you can always contact NECC’s Public Safety line for emergency situations at 978-556-3333 or dial 911.

Home Page Featured News, Opinion

Joe Biden: Post Me Too

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Are we overlooking the big picture?

For the 2020 presidential election there are currently 18 Democratic candidates running.  At the forefront of this crowded election pool many people look to former Vice President Joe Biden as one of the leaders. That being said however, while many hopeful Democrats look to Biden as a change for the future, there seems to be one rather big problem. While you could describe Biden as many things, overwhelmingly many women are describing Joe Biden as being just a little too handsy… In 2014, at a campaign event for the race for Nevada lieutenant governor, then 35-year-old woman Lucy Flores describes her encounter with Biden to The Cut Magazine as leaving her feeling “uneasy, gross, and confused.”

She describes then Vice President Biden inhaling the smell of her hair and planting a kiss on the back of her head. Amy Lappos of Connecticut, described to the Hartford Courant an encounter in 2009 where she said, “He put his hand around my neck and pulled me in to rub noses with me. When he was pulling me in, I thought he was going to kiss me on the mouth.”  It should be noted however that she also said, “It wasn’t sexual, but he did grab me by the head.” While no one has actually accused Joe Biden of sexual misconduct yet, just a general feeling of ‘icky’ after his presence, this could be a huge talking point in the 2020 presidential debates. After all this is the post Me Too movement, where men and women alike are and should be hyper aware of how they interact with each other.

But if it comes down to just twpo presidential candidates, the incumbent Donald Trump, and Joe Biden, would Trump really have a leg to stand on if his main arguing point against Biden was, he makes women feel uncomfortable? While by no means am I condoning Joe Biden’s odd behavior with women, we cannot turn a blind eye to the stats against Donald Trump, and his inherent misogyny. How could anyone forget that the infamous “grab ‘em by the pussy” quote from the recordings with Access Hollywood host Billy Bush.  Or when he called his former porn star mistress Stormy Daniels “Horseface” on Twitter.

He has constantly gone after Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren for her claimed Native American Heritage, however at an appearance in Montana in the summer of 2018 when poking fun at Warren again, he stated, “but we have to do it gently because we’re in the #MeToo generation.” So, while we ask ourselves, is Joe Biden fit to be our president?  Regardless of your political viewings if you are basing it off of his “Uncle Joe” persona, then you must consider whatever you’d like to call Donald Trump, his many attacks on women and womanhood.

Uncategorized

Student receives national civic fellowship

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Katherine Hailson honored for leadership, investment in community, problem solving

Katherine Hailson of Haverhill, has been named Northern Essex Community College’s Newman Civic Fellow for her commitment to gender equality and overall political activism. Hailson, a liberal arts writing major, was nominated by NECC President Lane Glenn, who wrote “Katherine has a drive to make the world a better and more equitable place. Fueled by her own experiences of gender discrimination in high school, Katherine headed to Northern Essex Community College with a motivation to make a change. Here, Katherine has paired civic learning with civic action.”

With a 3.56 GPA, Hailson has advocated for change both at Northern Essex and in her community. During her first year at Northern Essex, Hailson joined the Contemporary Affairs Club, an organization for students to discuss politics, government and international affairs. Joining this club gave Hailson “the confidence to go out into my community and make change where I could.”

Shortly after joining the Contemporary Affairs Club, in the summer of 2017, Hailson worked as a campaign manager interning for a local woman running for city council. “She is a change-maker and public problem-solver who is perfectly suited for this opportunity,” wrote Glenn. In the fall of 2017, Hailson served as President of the Contemporary Affairs Club, where she led club meetings, organized relevant speakers and field trips, and worked closely with the college’s president and Student Government Association.

The Newman Civic Fellowship distinguishes and supports students who have shown leadership and an investment in their communities across the country to help solve problems they may be facing. It is a yearlong fellowship program that provides opportunities for the student to network, learn, and grow. This includes attending a national conference of Newman Civic Fellows. The fellowship is named after Campus Compact founder Frank Newman, and focuses on the skills Fellows will need to eset and accomplish goals that address public problems and build equitable communities.

In her personal statement Hailson wrote “I will continue advocating and fighting for women’s rights in the workforce until complete equality is achieved.” In addition to her studies and political activism, Hailson has also maintained multiple part-time jobs, primarily working with young children. “This highlights her ability to effectively manage her time, along with her exceptional interpersonal communication skills,” said Glenn.

Hailson plans to graduate from NECC in the spring of 2019 and hopes to transfer to the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and major in political science, focusing on public policy. Hailson will be mentored by Patricia Portanova, PhD.

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Real victims in a fake-news world

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What Jussie Smollett’s staged attack means for victims

When Jussie Smollett filed a police report claiming that two masked attackers wrapped a rope around his neck, poured a substance (possibly bleach) and screamed “MAGA country” at him early morning Jan. 29, the country immediately went into a firestorm. People of all walks of life, including celebrities, political figures, and anyone with social media chimed in, wondering how something like this could happen? It also overwhelmingly reiterated a point that many people feel today, being that if you wear a MAGA hat or support President Trump, you are inherently a racist, and this attack only proves it. But then something interesting happened, the story kept changing, new evidence kept coming out that was leading police to believe that Smollett staged the attack himself in an effort to advance his career, and increase his salary.

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Victim shaming for so many of these acts (rape, hate crimes, etc) is a real thing.
– Haley Abernathy

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It was a shock to many, and left people reeling, wondering again, how could something like this happen? Smollett, can face one to three years prison time for filing a false report. While this case brought up a lot of racially charged issues and topics on the forefront, it left me wondering, what kind of effect does this have on false accusation stigmas?  In American culture, particularly rape culture and sexual assault allegations there is already a pretense to not believe the victims.  Despite the fact that false reporting on sexual assault on the national level falls somewhere between two percent and ten percent according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, often times when a woman comes forward the first response is that she is a liar.

Looking at high profile cases like Anita Hill and Supreme Court Nominee Clarence Thomas, where Hill accused Thomas of sexual misconduct, the polls found that far more people believed Thomas than Hill.  According to a 1991 poll conducted by NBC/Wall Street Journal, 40 percent believed Thomas compared to 24 percent believing Hill. Looking at the Supreme Court Judge Nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexual assault allegations made by professor Christine Blasey Ford, it left the country even more divided.

According to an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll they found that about a third (32 percent) believe Ford, about a quarter (26 percent) believe Kavanaugh and 42 percent were unsure who to believe.  While more Americans believed Ford than Kavanaugh, overwhelmingly it seemed that people were unsure of what to believe.  Jussie Smollett does not help in cases like these where victims come forward, and it seems you are not sure who or what to believe.

It should be noted that in both cases, Thomas and Kavanaugh were confirmed into the Supreme court despite the allegations. We are currently in the era of the #MeToo movement, but how helpful has this movement really been for both women and men?  A 2018 study done by Pew Research found that the increased focus on sexual harassment has made 51 percent of American men feel that it is harder for them to interact with women in the workplace. Americans see little upside for women’s workplace opportunities as a result of the increased focus on sexual harassment and assault.  Just 28 percent say it will lead to more opportunities for women in the workplace in the long run, 20 percent say it will lead to fewer opportunities and 51 percent say it won’t make much of a difference.

Despite these feelings in the workplace, the #MeToo movement was a way for women who were victims of sexual assault to band together, and shed a light that it is ok to discuss sexual assault.

Oftentimes victims of sexual assault (women and men) do not come forward immediately after the assault.  This confuses many people, because when they do come forward, often in high profile cases, people will begin to question their motives.  For fact checking’s sake here is a small list of just some of the many reasons why sexual assault does not go reported according to the National Institute of Justice. Self-blame or guilt.  Shame, embarrassment, or desire to keep the assault a private matter. Humiliation or fear of the perpetrator or other individual’s perceptions.  Fear of not being believed or of being accused of playing a role in the crime. Lack of trust in the criminal justice system.

While it is very disheartening that a lot of these crimes go unreported, it is much sadder that when a woman or man shows strength and decides to come forward that they are almost immediately questioned, or not believed.  Which brings us back to the beginning, Jussie Smollett’s false police report only strengthens this narrative of a false pretense in sexual assault allegations.

NECC student and Lab Science major Haley Abernathy thinks that “it absolutely takes away from people who are involved in serious hate crimes.  “Victim shaming for so many of these acts (rape, hate crimes, etc) is a real thing, and I think it’s so prevalent because people don’t want to believe that their or anyone else’s morals and their views on things are wrong and honestly, outdated.  “People want to be ignorant and blind to the hate that goes on in our communities because they think that just because it’s 2019 nobody is racist, or sexist, or homophobic, or just downright a bad person who makes bad decisions.  The fact that he could orchestrate this entire ordeal is disgusting. It absolutely takes away from real hate crimes. No question about it.”

Opinion

Super-Bored

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Record setting Super Bowl sets the record for being the dullest

On Sunday, February 3rd The New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams faced off in the 53rd annual Super Bowl. What was expected to be one of the most exciting games of the year turned out to be one of the slowest and most boring football games I’ve ever witnessed. While I am no football buff by any means, I watch it from time to time and know enough to get by, and knew enough about this game to know that I was UNINTERESTED.

If you like defense over offense I suppose you might have found this game interesting, however the twitterverse and most NECC students feel the same; it was boring. And don’t even get us started on that halftime show…

The first quarter proved to be the slowest of all with zero points on either side, and by the halftime there was only a field goal on The Patriots side for three points (despite a first missed field goal). As psychology major and NECC student Heather McGovern put it “It was long and drawn out. There were some really boring periods with not a lot happening, and the half time show didn’t really make up for it.”

It was long and drawn out. There were some really boring periods with not a lot happening.

-Heather McGovern

Which takes us into the semi-interesting at best half time show starring Maroon 5, Travis Scott, and Big Boi. There was also an appearance by Spongebob Squarepants which while many fans begged for, felt was too short. One twitter user tweeting @juddbakertv “If that was supposed to be the @SpongeBob tribute, I’m suing. #PepsiHalftimeShow #PepsiHalftime.” It also erupted a second “nipplegate” over a shirtless Adam Levine, with one NECC student Rosielis Herrera Berroa saying, “If it we compare it to what happened with Janet Jackson which wasn’t her fault, Adam Levine took his shirt off and was applauded and glorified, but Janet they banned which I feel is sexist.”

Reactions to the halftime show were mixed (if we could really say that, most have been negative). Adam Levine, front man of Maroon 5, is aware of the negative reactions, calling out his critics by posting on Instagram “When we accepted the responsibility to perform at the SBHTS, I took out my pen and just wrote. Some of the words that came to me in that moment eventually made their way onto the incredible lanterns that flew high and low tonight,” it read. “We thank the universe for this historic opportunity to play on the world’s biggest stage. We thank our fans for making our dreams possible. And we thank our critics for always pushing us to do better. One Love.”

This takes us into the third quarter of the lowest scoring Super Bowl ever. The only exciting thing to really happen in this quarter was that the Rams finally scored. Even if it was only a field goal, the Patriots couldn’t say much because that is all we scored, and the game was officially tied again. As the game dragged on into the fourth quarter, things slightly picked up. The Patriots scored the first and only touchdown of the night, and a subsequent field goal, bringing their score to a whopping 13 points.

Not everyone is as disappointed with this type of game play however, as Communications/Journalism student Carl Squatrito put it best, “This year’s Super Bowl was definitely old school. To many people, I believe it isn’t what we normally see out of the modern game, but this game was hyped up to be ‘who’s defense can step up on the biggest stage’ and while both teams kept both offenses quiet, the Patriots certainly did a better job. I personally had a blast watching it this year, from a statistical standpoint we’ve never had a Patriots defense play nearly as good on the biggest stage. We had a lot of unpopular guys become playmakers; fantastic game.”

In the end you can’t deny that the Patriots did win the Super Bowl, and 12 records were broken overall which is undeniably a feat. Some of the records broken included oldest Starting QB: Winning Team (41) by Tom Brady. Most Appearances Head Coach: (9) by Bill Belichick. Most Wins Head Coach: (6) by Bill Belichick. Oldest Winning Head Coach: (66) by Bill Belichick. Most Appearances: (11) by New England. Fewest Points: Both Teams (16). Fewest Points: Winning Team (13) by New England. Fewest Combined Touchdowns: (1).

A large congratulations goes out to the New England Patriots for winning the 53rd Super Bowl and their sixth overall Super Bowl, all with titleholder Tom Brady leading the way. Even though it was to many, rather dull… it was record breaking and a win after all. Would I rather have watched something else and seen  recaps afterwards? Debatable.    

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Why Lady Gaga deserves this Oscar

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Performance in “A Star is Born” is award worthy

With award season in full swing, Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper have been dominating the red carpet with their iconic looks and remarkable quotes. “A Star is Born,” written and directed by Bradley Cooper himself is the dramatic story of Jackson Maine, a musician who falls in love with struggling artist Ally. As Ally’s star rises once he coaxes her into the spotlight, Jackson’s personal issues come to the surface, and things take a turn for the worse. “A Star Is Born” has been nominated for countless awards this season, but shockingly has taken home very few.

At the Golden Globe’s this year the film snagged five nominations, but took home just one award for Best Original Song- Motion Picture. At the Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG), they won four nominations, but were snubbed in all categories, including Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, which they lost out to Marvel’s “Black Panther.” There is still hope however, for the film to win the ever-coveted golden Oscar at this year’s Academy Awards where the film is nominated eight times. While winning Best Motion Picture of the Year would be the highest achievement of all for the film, what we all should be rooting for is Lady Gaga herself.

A man playing a guitar and a women leaning close to him
Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in “A Star is Born.” Photo by Warner Brothers

Lady Gaga is a multi-talented singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, advocate and so much more. Starring in “A Star Is Born” took so much vulnerability and raw talent on her behalf, that it was no surprise when she was recognized by being nominated, but it is stunning that she has yet to win an award. Gaga is no stranger to winning awards, as she has won 6 Grammys, and previously won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television in “American Horror Story: Hotel.”

So, this had me curious as to why she had yet to win any award recognizing her talent as an actress in this critically acclaimed film? She tied for Best Actress with Glenn Close at the Critic’s Choice Awards, but this was not an independent award, so I am not counting it. Whether or not this is bias on the industry’s behalf I am not at will to say, however I am willing to say that Lady Gaga wholeheartedly deserves this Oscar. While the other actresses nominated are incredibly talented, Gaga has worked exceptionally hard to get where she is today, and has often said that acting was her first passion before music.

Her performance in this film was both emotional and powerful, and while I am no acting critic, I do know when a film or an actor can elicit emotion inside of you, which I believe is a mark of talent. As she has proven ever so graciously this season however, she knows how to handle rejection in elegance and grace. Any time someone else wins and her name isn’t called, she can be seen cheering them on and applauding them from her seat. Gaga is a confident woman and knows that she does not need the approval of everyone in the Academy to solidify her excellency or her legacy.

With much fodder this year and in 2018, she was the butt of many jokes and memes for her quote about Bradley Cooper, “There can be 100 people in a room and 99 of them don’t believe in you, but all it takes is one and it just changes your whole life,” she said according to W Magazine. She was quoted saying this many times in many different interviews, but this is because she believes it to be true.

Even if she does not win the Academy Award for Best Actress, she believes in herself and has the support of her cast, family and fans. Will she take home the Oscar this year? We will all have to tune in and find out. The 91st annual Academy Awards will be airing on Feb. 24, at 8 p.m.

Opinion

Wrapping things up at NECC

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Eight tips to get us through the rest of the semester and finals

As the semester is nearing an end and finals are quickly approaching it is easy for students to become overwhelmed by all the pressures school puts on us. It is particularly difficult for community college students considering that there are usually extra pressures on us, including working part-time or full-time, having or caring for children, and so much more. With all this on our plates before we even get to the holiday meals, here are a few tips to chew all you bit off this finals season and more.

1. Sleep is more important than ever.

As previously mentioned, community college students have extremely busy schedules, and with little downtime. Sleep is usually what suffers the most. We’ve all heard the importance of getting 8 hours of sleep a night, but for some of us it’s almost unrealistic. My best advice is get as much sleep is as you can eve if it is not a full eight hours. Six or seven hours can make a huge difference versus only five and will help you be more alert and retain more information in your classes and when you study.

2. Remember the clichés.

We’ve all heard them around this time, eat three meals a day, make time for yourself, keep a schedule etc. And while yes, these are clichés, they all do ring true around this time. Eating three meals a day gives you the energy you need to get through the day, and try to avoid the easy, cheap energies like sugary cereals and mac and cheese.Go for something more substantial that will keep your vigor up and mind active.

Making time for yourself of course is difficult but having time to do something other than study or something you are obligated to do is super important to recharge your batteries and keep you from going insane.

Making a schedule is easy; sticking to it is the hard part, because life can easily get in the way. Just do your best to have a general outline of what you want to get done in a day and try to get it finished.

3. Avoid Procrastination (as best as you can).

It’s no secret that a lot of us procrastinate, we can’t all be the type A student who gets it done three weeks before it’s due. That being said, it is a heck of a lot easier to start a project three weeks before its due and work on it a few times a week until its done rather than cramming it all in 1 night.

4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

If you are struggling or falling behind in a class or a project, go to your professors now. Do not wait until the last minute, your professors are usually more than understanding if you come to them when you first start to struggle rather than waiting until the end of the semester begging for extra credit or to makeup the work. Professors are people too and they understand that we all have busy schedules and struggle at times.

5. Over studying doesn’t help either.

Sometimes it might seem like the most viable option is to study for eight hours straight, however I’ve found this is not the most successful option. Generally breaking up my studying into two or three-hour blocks at a time has been far more fruitful in my test results than trying to study for eight plus hours at a time.Taking breaks in between studying so you can process what you’ve learned as well as refresh your mind is important when studying as well.

6. Remember the big picture.

It can be hard when your studying for one huge exam, or working on a project for a class that isn’t even in your major to remember why you’re doing all this, the late nights and the long days. Just keep in mind that it is all for a bigger cause. One day you will have your degree and be able to get the job of your dreams making an impact on the world however you see fit. Focusing on the problem at hand will help you get through the day by day but remember the big picture will help you get through the degree and know why it’s all worth it.

7. Pat yourself on the back.

Give yourself credit for what you’ve accomplished so far, you can’t stay motivated for the future if you don’t take a second to look back on what you have already done. You’re doing your best and you deserve to take a minute to reward yourself for that!

8. It’s almost break.

Winter break is almost here, so if nothing more is going to motivate you to get through your finals and the rest of the semester than a long winter break, than here it is! Winter break is less than a month away now, believe in yourself! Remember these eght helpful tips when studying for your final exams and preparing to wrap up the semester and the end of 2018. Our time at Northern Essex is almost over for this semester so make the best of it while you can.

Winter break is less than a month away now, believe in yourself!

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Anti-Semitism in 2018

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Trying to move forward from a tradgedy

In light of the recent attacks on The Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh many thoughts are on the country’s mind and hearts lie heavy. Regardless of political affiliation, it should be easy for us to agree that this hate crime was a tragedy that we can only hope will never be repeated. It is unfortunate reality that we must face that while we can hope, mass shootings in American society have become alarmingly more prevalent. Hate crimes and mass shootings are seemingly going hand in hand, but it is the year 2018, how is something like this possible? How is it that anti-Semitism could still be happening in modern American society, have we not put the problems of tragedies like the Holocaust in the past? When 11 Jewish citizens were shot and killed by a hate filled man with a gun, it is apparent that anti-Semitism is not just an idea of yesteryear.

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How hard can that be? Saying Nazis are bad?
– Barack Obama

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In a 2016 study done by Pew Research, the Majority of Israeli Jews said that anti-Semitism is very common (64%) or somewhat common (35%) around the world today. That leaves about 1% who feel that anti-Semitism is not too common. Just 1% of an entire ethnic group feels that they are not discriminated against, not just in America, but in the world. The survey also asked whether they thought anti-Semitism was increasing or decreasing, and 76% responded with saying they believed anti-Semitism was on the rise. This is the sad reality many Jewish people must face even in modern times.

Some people believe that it is today’s political climate that leads to tragedies such as these. Often time politicians will rely on hate filled words against their opponent to gain voters rather than discuss their own policies. President Trump is a scorching topic in any political debate, and Rabbi Jeffrey Myers of the Tree of Life synagogue had a message for Trump himself, according to CNN saying “Mr. President, hate speech leads to hateful actions. Hate speech leads to what happened in my sanctuary, where seven of my congregants were slaughtered. I witnessed it with my eyes.” Many of Pittsburgh’s citizens protested President Trump and First Lady Melania’s visit to the synagogue after the shooting all together. And in a video found on the New York Times website, Reverend Susan Rothenberg, a Presbyterian minister went viral for screaming at President Trump’s motorcade as it went by saying, “Let the families grieve! This is our neighborhood! You are not welcome here!”

Regardless of political affiliations or leanings we are all human, and should want to protect and care for one another. According to the Boston Globe in a speech in September former president Obama was quoted as saying “We’re supposed to stand up to discrimination. And we’re sure as heck supposed to stand up, clearly and unequivocally, to Nazi sympathizers. How hard can that be? Saying that Nazis are bad?” In a country that has already experienced many hardships and landmarks such as the women’s suffrage movement, and the civil rights movement, or even more recent movements that are still dividing the country such as the Me too movement or Black Lives Matter, it is almost implausible for one to think that a hate crime like this could happen. We should have already moved past this, but if we haven’t we should at least take the steps to try to move in a forward direction, not backwards. Many college campuses have Hillel’s which are safe havens for Jewish Students, and there are local synagogues in the area for Jewish community members such as Temple Emanu-El on 514 Main St, Haverhill, which held a Peace Shabbat Service on Friday November 2 in grievance of the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. As a country and as a people we can move past this and do better to eradicate anti-Semitism.

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NECC community gathers for 5k and fun

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On Saturday, Oct.13 students, alumni and community members of the Merrimack Valley area alike gathered for Northern Essex Community College’s second annual homecoming. There were activities, pie eating contests, and the Campus Classic 5K Race, bringing out a large crowd despite the rain.

Features included food from Lucky’s cafe, beer provided by Newburyport Brewery and DJ artist Andy Schachat.

Participants of all ages for the campus classic 5k started checking in at 8:30 a.m. but didn’t start running until 10 a.m. The Classic 5k has become a huge hit throughout the years and there are more participants each year.

Freshman and runner Sophia Duphily did not let the rain stop her from participating.

“I have been running since I was about 4 or 5 years old,” she said, adding that she enjoys running because “it’s a great way to come out to different events like this to get to connect with your community.”

Kiley Broadhurst, who is currently studying communication, started running this past

Summer. She said she has wanted to do a 5k before and thought that participating in NECC’s classic 5k would a perfect opportunity to start. “

I’ve been considering doing a 5k for a while and it supports the school system,” said Broadhurst.

Due to the rain and cold, there were some hard points in the race Broadhurst had to overcome but was able to by going at her own pace and with the community cheering her on.

Coordinator of Orientation and Student Involvement in the Student Life Office Ariel Chicklis knows that “lots of work” goes into making an event like Homecoming happen at Northern Essex.

“We have a Homecoming committee with different people around the campus and they all have different tasks that they need to do to make something like this a success,” Chicklis said.

Some of the activities that the committee helped put together included a pumpkin painting table, make your own slime, and a caricature artist on hand.

“The thought is that we want students to feel sort of a sense of nostalgia once they graduate and that they want to come back for alumni weekend,” Chicklis said.

Some alumni at the event included Cheryl Goodwin, class of 1982 (who now works for President Lane Glenn) and Joe Ryan, class of 1977.

Both have seen the campus and community at Northern Essex grow and change, but being a part of the second ever Homecoming has both feeling overjoyed, with Goodwin saying “I am elated… the Homecoming  a  is a wonderful celebration to bring together faculty, staff, students and alumni like myself to bring them back on campus to reconnect.”

Ryan, who has previously taught classes as an adjunct staff member says “I feel honored, I’m a proud alumni of this great institution.”

Ryan continued by saying “I’m very very proud of Northern Essex. I’m proud to say that I’m a product of community college education.”

Homecoming is a new tradition at Northern Essex that many hope to see continue for years to come.

The Campus Classic used to be held on the first Saturday of May but was recently changed to the fall to accommodate with the Homecoming and bring in the fall season. Although the Homecoming is free the campus classic 5k is a fundraiser and all the proceeds support NECC scholarships and academic programs said, Sarah Comiskey, a communications specialist at NECC, served as a volunteer coordinator for this particular event

Everyone present who was involved with putting together Homecoming was pleased to see participants stay and enjoy the festivities they had to offer.

Although this year it was a cold and rainy day it didn’t affect the community, everyone still

enjoyed the actives that were going on, even though they were moved to the gym.

Victoria Gladstone a criminal justice major did not participate in the Campus Classic but did attend Homecoming.

Gladstone partook in the games that were provided such as ladder ball and corn hole.

She said she had noticed that the rain affected this year but that she enjoyed the day.

“I would recommend this to a friend even if they weren’t part of NECC,” she said.

The 5k and homecoming bring attention to show off the school, students faculty

and what everyday life is like at NECC.

group of runners outside running in the rain

Home Page Featured News, Opinion

NECC’s health services

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Does Northern Essex have adequate health services?

On a Friday morning of September 2016, then 19-year-old student Haley Abernathy was stepping off of a curb on NECC’s campus when she rolled her ankle and felt immediate pain. Abernathy had fractured her foot, and near by students called campus security. Abernathy quickly learned that NECC does not have an on staff nurse, and when the campus security guard came, she said they claimed it was a sprain, but she knew it was more than that. There wasn’t much they could do besides call an ambulance. Abernathy is aware that for a fractured foot a nurse would also not be able to do much in that situation, but she stated “campus security guards are not nurses, and having a nurse on site would have made the experience more comfortable and less traumatizing”.

Karen Hruska is Northern Essex’s Director of Counseling and Psychological Resources and according to her, having a nurse is costly, and data shows that most students on community college campuses were not utilizing their on site nurses, and preferred Minute-Clinics that accepted personal insurance over a campus nurse. Abernathy recommends having the nursing or EMT students intern on campus for health services but it is unclear how that would be implemented, and unpredictable how many students would utilize the service. Northern Essex does offer other Counseling services and community health services to its students that can easily be accessed.

Northern Essex offers free counseling service’s to any NECC student, the counseling is confidential and you do not need a referral. The type of counseling is what Hruska described as “brief short-term therapy”, but they can get referrals for outpatient therapists as well. Awareness for counseling services could always be higher as Hruska says, “people don’t listen until they need it”. To spread awareness of NECC’s Counseling Service’s they do classroom outreach presentations where they discuss things such as coping skills, anxiety and depression in students.

There are also many health services in the community that students can access as well. Janel D’Agata-Lynch, Coordinator of Civic Engagement, Service Learning and Community Resources works with students to help them find things like referrals for medical services, other places they can go that will accept their insurance etc. D’Agata-Lynch also works on bringing more community resources to campus as well, such as the Greater Lawrence Community Action Council, which is funded to help enroll people in Mass Health. She hopes to bring them on both campuses once a month. There was also a resource and service fair that came to the Haverhill Campus Thursday October 11 that invited non-profits to advertise their services as well as their volunteer opportunities, and on Monday October 15th on the Lawrence campus there was a Health fair hosted by Health professionals. D’Agata-Lynch feels that there’s “always room for improvement, however I feel we’re very lucky because there’s a lot of good health resources in this area that students can access”. To access other resources in the community you can always visit The NECC website, or call the 211 hotline for resource referral which is available 24 hours.