All posts by Andrew Venditti, Correspondent

Home Page Featured News, News

Students share diverse opinions on college’s vaccine policy

and  

Editor’s Note: The 15 community colleges in Massachusetts announced Sept. 20 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.

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

NECC will hold a free vaccine clinic on the Haverhill and Lawrence campuses on Sept. 29 from 8 a.m. to noon.  For more information, visit https://www.necc.mass.edu/newsroom/2021/09/23/necc-announces-pop-up-vaccination-clinics/.

The following is a story about students’ opinions on the college’s vaccine policies from the spring. The Observer plans to follow up soon with another article about the new requirement. 

Just as the population of NECC’s students are diverse, so are their opinions about NECC’s  decision not to require the COVID-19 vaccine to take in-person classes next semester. Some say they support the idea, while others say they would feel better knowing the people around them are vaccinated.

On April 29, NECC president Lane Glenn sent an email to inform students of the school’s decision. In the email, Glenn talked about how the college came to their decision.

He said, “[the students] who already face the greatest barriers to their education and to getting vaccinated, and who need us the most, were once again beginning to hear a message from expensive, selective, residential universities that did not apply to them, and we wanted them to know they would be welcome on our campuses.”

He also said that at the time of the email, all of the schools requiring vaccination have dormitories. NECC does not have students living on campus.

The college already requires that full time students be vaccinated for meningitis, the seasonal flu, measles, mumps, and rubella; and tetanus.

However, NECC is strongly encouraging students and employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Zoey Lauria, a 20-year-old Science Biology alumni and STEM employee at NECC, said that while she assumes most people will be vaccinated by Fall, “I do wish it was a mandate like it is at other colleges.”

She said that while she acknowledges that vaccine access is disproportionately affecting impoverished and minority communities as Glenn stated, the fact that NECC has a vaccine clinic on campus means that “[mandating the vaccine] shouldn’t be leaving anyone out.” Lauria is fully vaccinated herself.

NECC worked with the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center to open a vaccine clinic on NECC’s Lawrence campus. It is located at the Dimitry building, 45 Franklin St. in Lawrence, and is open to the public.

Students can sign up for appointments by calling 978-686-6029.

Zachary Cutter, a 22-year-old Journalism major, said he thinks going to campus “will be safe to an extent if some of the precautions [are] followed.”

Cutter said he doesn’t think the vaccine should be required because so many people are voluntarily choosing to get vaccinated. Cutter himself is fully vaccinated.

Matheus Batista, a 19-year-old Exploratory Student at NECC, said he thinks allowing more people on campus without requiring vaccination is a bad idea until “we know most of the population is vaccinated.”

However, he said that if the ones at most risk are fully vaccinated, he “does not see the problem.”

Batista, who has already gotten his first dose, said he wouldn’t be going back to campus until he feels more certain that the vaccine is effective.

Home Page Featured News, News

Students react to NH’s mask mandate being lifted, NECC officials share school’s plans for fall

and  

As of April 15, New Hampshire no longer mandates that residents wear masks in public places. While the state has lifted the mandate, NH Governor Chris Sununu said he still encourages people to wear a mask.

“A state mandate does not have to be in place for us to know that wearing face covering when we’re unable to maintain social distancing is just a good idea,” said Sununu. “It’s recommended by public health.” Sununu said this doesn’t stop towns, cities and businesses from requiring it on their own.

The Center for Disease Control recommends that people wear masks in public settings, at events and gatherings, and anywhere they will be around other people. Since November 2020, Massachusetts has made masks required in all public places; even where social distancing is possible.

After hearing about the NH mask mandate being lifted, some NECC students wanted to share their opinions.

“Obviously, it won’t be safe to stop wearing a mask next week,” said Zoey Lauria. Lauria is a New Hampshire resident that graduated with an Associate’s in Science Biology from NECC in December 2020. Now, she works in the STEM department while continuing her degree at UMass Lowell.

Lauria said she’s concerned about the message this sends to the population. “People who previously doubted masks will probably point to the lifting of the mandate as justification for not wearing them in public,” she said.

She said she worries it may give people a “bit of false hope” about the state of the pandemic, and that at this time, lifting the mandate is ”totally inappropriate.”

Yamina Valdez, a Mass. resident and Journalism and Communication major at NECC, said that she probably won’t wear a mask while shopping in NH. “If they don’t mandate it, I won’t wear one,” she said.

Valdez said that she wonders why so many people are getting sick and dying despite mask mandates being in place. “I feel that it’s not too soon (to lift the mandate),” she said. “People should have a choice.”

The CDC recommends wearing masks to prevent the spread of covid-19.

Zachary Cutter, a Mass. resident and Journalism/ Communications major was concise. About vaccines and mask wearing, he said, “look, just go ask your doctor at the end of the day.”

At NECC, masks will remain mandatory. “There’s no plan to get rid of the mask mandate at any time in the next year,” said Audrey Ellis, Director of Student Success Management.

Currently, it is not required for students to have to be vaccinated in order to attend in the fall.

“At this time, I am not anticipating a requirement for students to have been vaccinated to come to campus,” said Bill Heineman on March 29. Heineman is VP of Academic and Student Affairs. However, Heneman noted that “it’s not impossible” for the vaccine to be required at some point. He said he strongly encourages people to get the vaccine because it will “enhance the safety and health of everyone you come into contact with on campus.”

On April 20 the presidents of the state’s 15 community college, through the Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges, released a statement saying vaccines would not be mandatory at Massachusetts community colleges in the fall.

“…. the community colleges are not contemplating COVID-19 vaccine mandates at this time,” the statement said. “ It is essential that we meet the needs of all of our students, who are often from the communities hit hardest by this pandemic and facing disproportionate access to the COVID-19 vaccine. And now, it is more important than ever to prioritize equity, and creating additional barriers for our students would go against our critically important mission of open access for all. “

Arts and Entertainment, Home Page Featured News

Students take on virtual escape room

and  

With the exit doors locked and just an hour to escape a horde of the undead, our (virtual) fate was all but sealed. Luckily, the post-apocalyptic world had never seen the likes of such crafty community college students as ourselves.

On April 8 2021, I, as a reporter for the Observer, along with fellow NECC students, played through a virtual Zoom-session escape room. Escape rooms challenge players to explore and solve riddles, puzzles or whatever else stands between them and the exit. Of course, we had to do all of this before the hour-long timer ended.

Escape Experience, a business physically located in Chattanooga, TN ran our game.

It worked over Zoom like this: an Escape Experience employee wearing a body-mounted camera acted as our eyes and ears. We gave them directions – like “search that cabinet” or “check the cadaver’s pockets for clues” –  in real time.

We were also given a video-game-like digital version of everything our player found in the room. That way, we could inspect them in detail on our screens.

After getting oriented, the six of us were split evenly into two groups. Mine was destined to play through “Vaccine: search for the cure.” Our escape room was set in a fictional post-apocalyptic world where most humans were lost to a zombie outbreak.

We were tasked with finding the vaccine a scientist had been working on in a barnhouse. But there was a catch – we only had an hour before the undead would catch up with us.

Led by my brave companions Krystal Oller, an early childhood education major, and Carolay Suarez, a biology major, we entered. The door shut behind us, and the timer began to count down.

Once we restored the room’s power, the lights revealed bloody handprints, locked cabinets and cryptic messages on the walls. Through a combination of teamwork and wit (and a couple of hints) we managed to escape with the cure.

The other team played an entirely different escape room with a different theme, layout and puzzles. Thiers was called “The Inheritance.” When we reconvened after escaping, everyone said it was a fun experience.

Zachary Cutter, a journalism major, said it was a good team building exercise. He said he liked the way it “made me think outside of the box.”

Toni Pavao, an Early Childhood Education major, was a detective, team members said. She was inspecting their clues and taking notes (two full pages to be exact) so her team could give their player commands.

Stephanie Haskell, Coordinator of Student Activities at NECC, organized the session and reserved our time slot. She also played on Cutter and Pavao’s team.

After hearing such positive feedback and enjoying the experience herself, Haskell mentioned that student life might do this again in person once covid restrictions allow that to be done safely.

 

News

Haverhill meeting focuses on proposal to remove Little River dam

and  

“Talking about the likelihood of flooding is a tricky thing,” said Julie Busa, an ecologist.  “As we see more of these [climate change related] events, we are expecting to see the same level of floods that you’d see every 500 years, every 100,” she said.

In a virtual meeting on March 24, local residents joined to ask questions and voice opinions about the removal of a dam from Little River in downtown Haverhill. Also in attendance was Iain Sidor, president of NECC’s Environmental Club.

The virtual forum was open to the public. It began with a presentation about what testing is required before deciding if the dam could be removed.

The dam, next to the now empty mill building in Lafayette Square, has been in place since about the year 1,800 said Haverhill Mayor James Fiorentini. It was most recently used 18 years ago, when the building was still operating as a dye factory, he said.

The city is planning to remove the dam because it could reduce flooding risk, make the area more attractive, and positively affect aquatic wildlife, said Busa. Along the river, FEMA maps show the area as being at a higher annual risk of flooding, which will likely increase due to climate change.

The main concerns were that the river sediment may be contaminated with hazardous material, and that nearby bridge supports could be affected by removing the dam, said Busa. This information can be found here, on Haverhill’s webpage about the project.

Sidor, a 19 year old New Hampshire resident and NECC Business Management major, asked questions about the project’s effect on the environment.

In response, engineer Phil Moreschi said, “the whole process (of removing a dam) is extremely regulated.” He said that if there were contamination in the river sediment, cleaning it up is a part of the process. That way, “contaminants don’t move downstream,” he said.

Sidor said that he feels good about them following such safety protocols. “I’m glad they addressed concerns … and are looking into ways of dealing with it,” he said.

Some people voiced other concerns about what the removal could do. One Haverhill resident was worried about what would happen to fish that currently live in it.

Addressing this subject, Moreschi said “the river will become shallower.”

On the other hand, responding to a similar question, Busa said “as a trained ecologist, it’s always better [to] have a free flowing river that goes where it wants to go … It is always going to be positive in terms of the environment.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Features, Home Page Featured News

Student Government Association leaders want to be voice of students

and  

Empowering fellow students, building character, and understanding what’s happening on campus:  that’s what the Student Government Association is and why its leaders choose to be involved.

The Student Government exists to “represent the student body – we’re their voice,” said SGA President and Laboratory Science major, Lam Tien. The SGA will “address any questions and concerns,” he said.

SGA meetings are open to all students, and meet virtually the first and last Thursday of each month at 4 p.m.

“I enjoy being part of SGA. [It] helps me develop into a better communicator, and a better leader,” Tien said.

Tien said he also uses some of what he learned from his 11 years in the U.S Army to be a leader in the SGA. “Be reliable, be dependable. Have integrity, [and] be honest in everything you do,” he said.

Students can keep up with SGA by following them on social media. Their Twitter and Instagram handle is “NECCSGA.” They are “Northern Essex Community College: Student Government Association” on Facebook.

Tien said the best way to contact them is through their student emails found on the SGA page.

“I believe students would want to attend an SGA meeting to understand the background of what goes on in the school … so that they know we care about properly representing students,” said SGA treasurer, Iseline Mendoza. Mendoza is an Accounting and Business transfer student.

“As a leader, I aim to create a positive environment,” she said. Mendoza said she wants to do that because she remembers her high school student government as “being ‘cliquey’.”

“I joined SGA because I had concerns about the pandemic and how other students were going through it. I wanted to be the first to hear information,” she said. Mendoza said she uses her position to gather information and spread it to students through social media and events.

“We are always available to meet 1-on-1. I can not stress that enough,” said Alyssa Piccolo. At 19 years old, Piccolo is the SGA Secretary and an Early Childhood Education Major at NECC.

Piccolo said she wants other students to feel welcome talking to her. “We’re not here to be intimidating,” she said. “I can provide others with the information they may not see themselves getting – and I can provide it faster,” she said.

Piccolo said that being in SGA is a mutually beneficial experience because she learns while she helps fellow students. To be a Northern Essex Knight is to “follow what you know is right, [and] lead by example,” she said. “I’m someone who cares a lot, and I’m passionate about what I do,” she said.

 

 

Campus Life, Slider

COG offers outlet to help community

and  

Club members say NECC’s Community Outreach Group is a place for students of any background to make friends while working towards a common goal: helping their community.

“Everyone is coming from a different situation [and] different perspective, but at the end of the day we find something that everyone can contribute to, and everyone gets to be a part of it in their own way,” said club president and four semester member, Gage Prezioso.

The Community Outreach Group meets every other Wednesday over Zoom at 12:30 p.m. to work on helping their greater community.

Students can sign up to attend by following the link at the bottom of the article, or by emailing Student Life at shaskell@necc.mass.edu.

Who and where COG donates to is up to the students, said the club’s faculty advisor Meredith Gunning. This past December, COG held a virtual trivia night that raised $700. They donated that money and another $500 out of the club’s budget to Fidelity House, a non-profit organization in the Merrimack Valley, said Gunning.

In the past, the group has organized on Earth Day to clean up around Kenoza Lake in Haverhill, and has even gone to Boston for the March for Hunger, said Gunning.

The next few meetings will be about setting fundraiser goals, and having some teambuilding and for-fun activities, said Prezioso.

All students are welcome, and how much they want to be involved in their fundraising and outreach is up to each member individually, said Prezioso. Participation is encouraged, but “we’re not a high strung, super intense group,” he said.

Prezioso said that being a part of the club has made him feel like a part of a community on campus. “For me it was important to make meaningful connections in college,” said Prezioso. “OK, you sit in class for an hour – cool – but you don’t really get super deep conversations … But when you go sit at the bake sale for an hour with someone, you talk about something and you just kinda grow closer to the whole group,” said Prezioso.

For Caroline Martinez, a General Studies in Health student, this was her first time meeting with the group. “Listening into the conversation, everyone here is very welcoming … even though I’ve sat here for 20 minutes, I feel welcome,” she said.

To further establish this club is a place for all students, the group tries to remain mostly a-political. “We try to avoid politics, usually. It’s just about helping without judgment,” said Gunning.

Link to sign up:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdtmok0hg3JnZA59iTBczg9rgbkVgKfTkR7KwJuQbEZMy9U9A/viewform

 

 

Campus Life

Farmers Market continues to please

and  

Free, fresh produce is available for NECC students, faculty, staff once a month

boxes of fruits and vegetables at a farmers market

A crowd of students, faculty and staff gathered for February’s Farmers Market to get fresh beets, cantaloupe, strawberries and more; all free of charge. In total, more than 6,000 pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables were delivered to the NECC Haverhill campus on Feb. 26, all of which was available to any student or staff member interested. “It’s awesome that people who can’t afford it can come here and get some fresh food,” said Chantelle Garcia. Garcia is working on her degree in dental hygiene at Northern Essex, and stopped by the event to grab some fruit. Northern Essex works with the Greater Boston Food Bank to have a truck filled with food delivered each month to both the Haverhill and Lawrence Campus.

Karen Hruska, director of the Counseling Center at NECC, oversaw the event. She said that this program is great because it can help students and her colleagues that may be struggling financially have access to fresh, healthy food. According to Hruska, the Farmer’s Market has been recurring monthly for what will be two years in April. Something that is a little newer, Hruska said, is the Smart Meals food for free program. Local hotels, schools and restaurants deep freeze extra food from their kitchens and package it up as full meals.

These are available at the express centers on both the Haverhill and Lawrence campuses. The next Farmer’s Market  on the Haverhill campus will be March 26, from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. at the One Stop Student Center, SC Building  The Farmers Market Mini Mart will also be held March 26 on the Lawrence campus at the El-Hefni building, 414 Common St. from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

News

NECC music program

and  

Students and faculty weigh in

NECC’s unique music program and enthusiastic professors are helping students gain experience in a quickly changing field of study. Recent additions to the music program as well as transfer agreements with local four-year schools make the music major here appealing, but some students say they are unimpressed with the quality of the equipment.

“Northern Essex is one of only a handful of community colleges in the state to offer a music degree, and it’s the best,” said Dr. Christina Dietrich. Dietrich has a doctorate in music, and has been teaching piano and music theory lessons since 1994 at NECC.  Her experience as a music faculty member at Northern Essex, a piano instructor at Wachusett Community College, and co-chair of the piano department at Indian Hill Music School in Littleton gives her a unique perspective on the music degrees at many of the surrounding schools.

According to Dietrich, what’s different about this community college is that it has a full music major that’s transferable to many four year schools like UMass Lowell and Westfield State. “I wish that more people were aware of the music program here, so that more students could take advantage of the high quality instruction that we offer,” she said.

This semester, several new computers equipped with audio interfaces and studio monitors were added to the music room to replace some of the aging recording technology that was being used previously.

Joe Paquin is a student and multi-instrumentalist, who has taken five music courses during his two years at Northern Essex. In regards to the quality of his classes, Paquin said ,“I could tell that the program was kind of struggling, but the teachers really care about what they’re doing.” Paquin said that the resources and equipment at the music students’ disposal don’t match the enthusiasm that they have for their major. “Most of the equipment has seen better days. From an educational perspective, there are certainly some things left to be desired,” he said.

Music Technology student Troy LaBranche has been here for two semesters. LaBranche has a passion for music, so he came to NECC to learn as much as he could about it to get ahead in the music industry. “I see the music technology certificate as a way to accumulate the knowledge and skills that I’ll use as an audio engineer,” he said.

Student Chris Pitcher is only in his second week of school here, but has been playing music for the past 10 years. Pitcher loves playing trumpet and wanted to find an affordable way to get a degree in music studies. “I feel like the administration doesn’t really understand what’s necessary for students in our program- we shouldn’t have to fight to get our pianos tuned,” he said.