For the ones graduating this semester, Congratulations! You made it here with a lot of effort and determination, and probably with extra liters of coffee, and several hours of sleep deprivation. For the first generation students, allow yourself a double pat on your shoulder. You learned how to navigate your first steps in academia with no guidance at home, and sometimes with double pressure of your family who saw you with high expectations or skepticsm.
For the parent students, double pat on each shoulder, or maybe a gentle massage after the incredible commitment of keeping up with studies, working and parenting at the same time.
No matter how you made it until gruadation, don’t forget you started here, at NECC, where professors and staff encouraged you to do better and showed you many possibilities to thrive. Small classes gave you the opportunity to share your ideas, ask more questions, listen to your peers insights, and extend those conversations afterclasses.
And if this is not your last semester, take advantage of everything I mentioned before because I promise you, you’ll miss it and there’s no way back!
Thank you NECC for showing me the way to excel and pursue my dreams.
From left to right, Susan Tashjian, Angela Abad, Don Vescio, Peter Shea, David Kim, Samantha Romano, Kim Lyng, and Daniela Valdivia-Terres Photo by Shaun Hood
The first AI Panel Event in NECC was held on April 16, and it gathered staff, students and faculty in the Lecture Hall, all of them curious to ask questions about AI, artificial intelligence. Five panelists from different industries, using AI at their workplace, shared their experience and insights about AI. The public had the opportunity to engange in a conversation or share their concerns about AI by just simply raising their hand or through Padlet, an App that allows individuals to post their comments/questions online and those were shown on the screen.
The panelists were:
Angela Abad, an accomplished Digital Strategist, Creative Director, and Producer at El Mundo Boston, recognized for her leadership, creativity, and innovation in the media industry. Her work continues to shape the digital landscape and with a deep understanding of digital tools and emerging tech, she knows how to craft stories that captivate and connect.
David Kim, a software developer at MIT App Inventor. He is interested in the question, “What do we need to create so that kids can learn technology with ease?” David is working on the topic of Conversational AI and building no-code platforms. Other than developing, David enjoys interacting and guiding students to fulfill their goals at App Inventor.
Samantha Romano, a Senior Solutions Consultant at ServiceNow, where she works at the intersection of technology and strategy to help organizations leverage AI-powered solutions for enhanced business outcomes. Samantha’s combination of technical expertise and leadership skills positions her as a valuable voice in discussions about the future of AI in the workplace.
Peter Shea, Assistant Dean for AI Integration at Middlesex Community College in Massachusetts anda founding faculty member of the AAC&U Institute on AI, Pedagogy, and the Curriculum. In 2020, he founded a LinkedIn group focused on AI and education. He also co-edited Transforming Digital Learning and Assessment: A Guide to Available and Emerging Practices and Building Institutional Consensus (Routledge, 2021).
Don Vescio, Professor of English at Worcester State University and co-chairs the Massachusetts Artificial Intelligence Council for Higher Education (MACH), a collaboration among state universities and community colleges. With a background in English and the humanities, Don brings a distinctive perspective to emerging technologies, helping institutions navigate opportunities and challenges in a rapidly evolving digital environment.
Rubi, the pet bot waving hi. Photo by Shaun Hood
And Rubi! A robot, that looked like a tiny dog, brought by David Kim stole smiles and wows from the public. This voice to action robot did several motions like waving or dance, after receiving a voice prompt through an App Inventor, an easy-to-use platform like dragging blocks, to create apps. Kim explained “in our lab (App Inventor Lab), we want to empower everyone to know they can create their own App like any App you use in your phone right now. Also, anyone can create and program a robot.” Kim and his team want to inspire and empower anyone, even kids, to access to technology to create and explore how they can improve their life through technology.
Assistant professor of Computer Information Sciences, Devan Walton, made the first round of questions. He asked David Kim about potential negative sides of the future of software industries using AI.
Kim said AI lowers the barriers for creating software or programming like passing scripts from one program to another one, for instance, from Java to Script, it used to be a hustle but now, Kim uses the aid of any LLM (large language model like ChatGPT) and asks it to do it and within seconds he gets it done. It may not be perfect but it provides a skeleton to work around it.
“It really shortens the time, it’s very useful but my concern is that these LLMs are learning from patterns of our data, they do not have their own consciousness. The problem is that software engineering is not only coding, coding is a methodology. The real thing is designing systems, it’s creating something, it’s not the syntax. It’s understanding the system of the whole and how the group works together, and this LLM models do not have that level of understanding. That’s what is really important for being a good software engineer.”
The question for Kim is, do the next generation of users of LLMs that are getting used to it, will they understand the system of coding based on their use of LLMs? Only time will tell.
Talking about the impact of AI in the workplace, Samantha Romano was asked about what industries will be more resistant to adapt to AI in the next years. Romano explained that with every evolution there are room for new jobs and new skills to develop.
“AI is not taking the job away; it is taking the job task away.” She remarked that your job will be vulnerable if you don’t apply AI in your workplace.
She added “If you are building the skills necessary for your job using AI, you don’t need to worry that your job will be obsolete.” And this applies to any field.
Student Pedro Rentas asking panelists Photo from video screenshot
Another question was about how we balance the use of AI in education, Don Vescio took the lead. He said when he started to teach in academia, there was no internet, so he had seen the adaption of the internet and since a few years ago, the adaption of AI.
He reminds us we had more than three decades adapting to the internet while with the latter, the curve is arising too fast to catch up.
Vescio said “the first thing you need to know is your life is going to change and you need to embrace the change. AI in theory will allow us to automate a lot of things, to get additional insights in data or in operations that we normally would have to make educate guesses or pay high consulting to do so.”
Vescio shared a study made in 2024 and“found out that over 70% of global corporations now rely on AI for some of their operations. You need to know it. You need to accept it. You need to accept that your job, your workflow will change rapidly and frequently. You need to have flexibility and agility.”
In other words, you better learn how to use AI or how to integrate AI into your job.
Importantly Vescio talked about the risks of corporation using AI, and called us to make sure to design ethical frameworks. For instance, Amazon tracking system discovered with an internal audit, that there was a significant gender bias in its analysis of resumes for job positions. Similarly, heath care algorithms are dealing with issues with racism when processing data.
Related to AI bias, Angela Abad, explained that at the news media company it is excruciating daily. “The biggest problem we have with AI is in the creation of articles. We had people questioning if there is actually a human writing what they are reading,” said Abad. She explained they use it as fact-checking tool, but they have found out the information is not updated nor accurate. “There is the importance of having a human eye, a human input into every process…we still need people making sure everything is accurate,” stated Abad.
In contrast, Peter Shea was asked about unusual application of AI in teaching. Shea said he was impressed how some educators are integrating AI. For instance, he mentioned some educators created history video content using AI tools that inspire conversations in the classroom, mixing different pop culture in different periods or eras. This can be thought provoking and engages students with interesting questions. Another example was using AI to help students to overcome obstacles. Using a LLM, Shea looked for references how to explain the risk of diabetes using metaphors for Vietnamese people. With the aid of text-to-voice platform, he recorded his voice in English, and the program delivered a full text read by his “pretending” voice talking in fluent Vietnamese that informed about how about the risk of diabetes. “This is a good example how you can overcome obstacles. Particularly for students whom English is not their first language, and they have the cultural challenge,” said Shea.
The hour and a half were not enough to answer all questions of the audience. This means that we, the students, same as faculty and staff, are craving for having more of these interesting conversations.
Mary Jo Shafer, Journalism professor and NECC Observer adviser, stated being skeptical about AI. However, being curious about it, — mostly in support to this writer- —she said “It was an interesting conversation, it was a wonderful panel. I enjoyed hearing from the panelists, I appreciated their thoughts how AI will affect students in the workplace. I’m very pleased that panelists did not shy away from discussing the real ethical issues related to AI. Also, they emphasized the importance of digital literacy, well, also, letting students know some of the way students can use it.”
I organized this event as part of my Newman Civic Fellowship project which was sponsored by the Campus Compact organization. I pitched the idea and I applied for a mini-grant to make it happen.
My curiosity about AI and the uncertainty shown by my peers about the future of their careers vs. the future work space with AI, ignited in me the desire to do something about it. I would like to thank everyone who helped me by heart to make this project a reality, especially professor Kim Lyng and AI Task Force leader Susan Tashjian. However, most importantly, my wish is this event won’t be the one and only, instead I want to see it like the ice breaker and first of many conversations about AI, pros and cos, limitations and possibilities and how we can integrate it fast and efficiently.
As Peter Shea said, “community college students have better opportunity to integrate AI than four-year institutions because at community college, we adapt fast, we do a lot with little resources or without them.”
You can watch the full event here. Thanks to HC Media for the full coverage.
Flyer designed by Editor-in-chief Daniela Valdivia-Terres with the aid of AI text-to-image tool. Daniela Valdivia-Terres | NECC Observer
I know we are at that time of the semester that as a student, you may feel you are overwhelmed with late work or if you are those very well-organized peers who like to work ahead, you may feel ready to be done with this semester. Whatever your position is, hang in there.Look for help if you have late work or if your grades are not where you want them to be. Talk to your professor and/or look for assistance to the Academic Coaching Center, Math and Writing tutoring. These are the key places you should contact for assistance in your courses. Also, bear in mind that at this point, you may realize who is the student that takes notes, participates frequently with good insights or questions, and has a high grade. This is an opportunity to ask her/him for help. Maybe you both become everlasting friends.
Most students are happy to share what they know because it works like double learning and practicing at the same time. So, it is a win/win.
Spring will bloom eventually, if there is no more unexpected snow, so keep doing your best to proudly accomplish another semester on your academic journey.
“NECC Music’s Battle of the Bands never disappoints,” said Dean of Liberal Arts Amy Callahan. On April 10, at the TC building in Haverhill cam- pus the Battle of the Bands was held, a music competition that gathers NECC community and the love of music.
Second place winner band Krankenwagen Photo by Caden Roberge
Dean Callahan was one of the judges, along with Music Professor Jared Holaday and professional musician in the area, Michael Ruggelo. The judges had a hard time to place the three top bands because all the musicians on stage were so talented, engaged the audience and gave their best.
Henry Nachamie vocals/guitar from No Wave Charles Photo by Amely Hussein
“I love the opportunity to see all the amazing talent that our students have and their connections to the community. This is an event that really brings the community onto our campus to celebrate our students talent. It’s collaborative, it’s exciting and it’s uplifting. It’s fun! It’s also connected very deeply to our academic program in the music associate’s degree. Each band to be eligible to perform in the Battle of the Bands, it must have one current music student or one music alum of the college, so each band has very close connection to the college.”
Guitarist of the first place band Dog 8 Dog Photo by Caden Roberge
Neck Dive, who has performed for three years in a row, won first place in the first year.
“They are always a favorite; they are a crowd favorite and they are one of my favorites. People get up and dance,” said Callahan.
This year the first-place winner was a “wonderful band” called Dog 8 dog.
“They just are very energetic, and their music is just powerful and fun,” said Callahan.
Second place went to Krankenwagen. They are another band that people got hyped with.
Keyboard and vocals/guitar players of Krankenwagen Photo by Ellis Keogh
There were more bands participating this year, such as No Wave Charles and Moonlight Bandits. “I think the interest is growing. Probably the rep- utation of the Battle of the Bands is expanding in the community. We had five bands performing original songs for the most part, a few covers here and there which were fun, and just the goodwill and the generosity of spirit of all the musicians supporting each other. The crowd supported our students and local musicians. It’s really beautiful to see,” said Callahan.
Members of Moonlight Bandits Photo by Amely Hussein
Not only there were music students attending, Digital Photography students were assigned to take pictures of the event by their professor, Alex Bordino.
Battle of the Bands brought around 70 people together around music, and this event was organized by music professor Alisa Bucchiere.
Dean Callahan remarked on Bucchiere’s hard work, “I’m so grateful to professor Alisa Bucchiere for conceiving the idea and executing this amazing Battle of the Bands. That’s one of my favorite events of the year and it’s wonderful for the music associate’s degree program.”
Vocalist and guitarist of Neck Dive Photo by Amely Hussein
Each band played between five or six songs. The members of the bands in order of appearance were:
No Wave Charles: Henry Na- chamie, Vocals/Guitar.
Krankenwagen: Paul Fry, vocals/ guitar; Caleb Dyer, keys/vocals; Chris Drew, bass; Santino DeMonte, drums.
Neck Dive: Cade Dones, vocals/ guitar; Luke Waites, guitar/vocals; Soph
Musicians, judges and faculty posing at the end of the event Photo by Caden Roberge
Madera, bass/vocals; Jackson Page, drums.
Dog 8 Dog: Meg Collins, vocals/ guitar; Brad DiPalma, guitar; Sarah Bird, keys/vocals; Chris Drew, bass; Santino DeMonte, drums.
Moonlight Bandits: Sandy Lin- coln, vocals/guitar; James Higgins, keys/vocals; Chris Drew, bass; Santi- no DeMonte drums.
The spacious atrium of the Dimitry Building on the Lawrence campus with hand painted murals with inspiring quotes and one large glass wall like a fancy sunroom, is mostly empty. Unless Early College students are having classes, the big lobby is far from having engaged students hanging around or studying in groups.
In front of the lobby, there is the welcoming study room/SOAR office but if they are closed and you need to charge your device, the beautiful atrium becomes a dark place to study because it lacks of electrical outlets for laptops or cellphones. There is only one “charging station” next to the entrance door, and the other remaining outlet is next to the microwave near the food vending machine.
I have been working standing up several times because I had to charge my laptop on the counter top where the microwave is placed, and the table next to the charging station was busy.
More than once, I have seen an elder lady carrying many bags, presumably homeless, sitting down in the lobby arranging her belongings or reading a flyer.
There used to be a couple of soccer tables that at least, for a short time, while waiting for school busses, Early College students were interacting together in real time away from their screen. However, those “fulbito” tables are gone.
I don’t think the lobby in Dimitry building in Lawrence needs any decoration. Instead, it needs an upgrade in being an effective and accessible space, maybe with a/some recreational or interesting entertainment that bring students together. The piano in the Spurk C-building calls curious and experienced piano player students around.
Dr. Naydeen Gonzales de Jesus, is the new vice president of the Lawrence campus and community relations. She said regarding her first and foremost important focus about her role is “to create a sense of belonging, sense of community, so that all of the students that are coming through our doors feel that they belong, and this is their place to be, to learn, to grow.”
She also said she would work beyond the look-and-feel of Lawrence campus. “I want to establish strong and healthy relationships with our partners in the community with employers, City Council, and other four-year schools and universities to create pathways of opportunities for students to have to get jobs, to have internships,” she said.
In order to be more engaged with Lawrence community, Dr. Naydeen moved to Lawrence with her family.
She aims to bring local community residents and organizations to Lawrence campus so they can see NECC as a partner and they could celebrate their events in Lawrence buildings.
Dr. Naydeen was born in Puerto Rico and moved to the US when she was 14 years old. At that time she did not speak English. That was her first educational challenge, but once she started, she has taken a long academic journey. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in journalism with a concentration in broadcasting, a master of arts in student personnel services, and a PhD in industrial organizational psychology.
Through her education, Dr. Naydeen was focused in learning in empowering the lives of people working with students, as student counselors or career and advancement for college students, and lately in her PhD, she focused on identifying assets, special needs and people’s feelings about their organization or workplace to improve it.
Dr. Naydeen, as she likes to be called, wants to help and she wants to know Lawrence campus students’ points of view, their preferences and concerns, and is organizing the Lawrence Campus Townhall for Student Voices, on Tuesday, April 1 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Dimitry Atrium (lobby).
The Red Card contains immigration rights in English and Spanish in the back. Photo by Editor-in-Chief Daniela Valdivia-Terres
NECC immigrant students – with or without legal residency – keep on studying with uncertainty about their future immigration status. Staff and faculty are helping in creating awareness about their rights and encouraging them to be fearless but cautious.
“I’m coming to Boston and I’m bringing hell with me,” said Tom Homan, director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference, on Feb. 22. Homan, known as the “White House border czar,” criticized Boston and its police commissioner for not complying with the federal deportation policies.
Homan’s declaration along with people’s reactions became viral in social media, counting with over 32.7 millions of related posts just on TikTok. ICE and immigration have been trending topics since the last presidential inauguration. However, social media’s users are exposed to misinformation and fake news that increase anxiety or insecurity to undocumented immigrants.
“It sounds a little scary,” said Edwin Sam Mbaka, a NECC athlete student. Mbaka was born in Paris, France, and his parents are from Cameroon. He is currently studying Communication & Journalism and holds a student visa that allows him to stay legally in the US as long as he continues to study, but this visa does not allow full-time work.
“I’m not personally affected by it because I’m here as a student, but it makes it harder for me if I want to stay after,” Mbaka said. He plans to transfer to get his bachelor’s degree and apply for a resident card.
“I heard, he (President Trump) was trying to do like a ‘green card’ for rich people. Basically, they just have to pay $1,000,000, get the ‘green card’ and open a business but if you don’t have that, how will you get the ‘green card’?” said Mbaka.
The Permanent Resident Card is a card that allows a person to live and work in the United States permanently and it has a greenish color, that is why is known as the “green card.” Applying for its eligibility can take years depending on legal status and several requirements such as background security and demonstrated financial support.
What about undocumented students?
NECC, same as any other state institution in Massachusetts, accepts enrollment of every person regardless of their legal status.
Mbaka said one of his friends is undocumented and while he is studying does not fear deportation but fears his paperwork process will slow down due to the current anti-immigrant laws.
According to Maria Hernandez, Director of International Student Support & Special Populations in NECC, “many people are becoming more fearful as these issues receive increased media attention, without realizing that such events have been happening for a long time, just without as much public coverage. While I haven’t personally heard students voice these concerns, I did attend a community meeting in Lawrence where an executive director of a local nonprofit shared that some young parents in their program are afraid to continue receiving assistance, such as baby formula, out of fear that their personal information might be shared with federal authorities.”
In the same direction, NECC Academic Coach, Denise Trinidad, said “Some students have expressed concerns about the way immigration is portrayed in the news and on social media. The messages they hear create uncertainty, making them feel anxious about possible changes in immigration policies and how those changes might affect them or their families. Some students have talked about how the media sometimes portrays immigration using negative stereotypes or harsh language, which can make them feel targeted or misunderstood.”
Hernandez said she has not encountered students who were hesitant to attend classes or do their daily routine due to fear of ICE. Instead, she has spoken to students who are primarily focused on completing their academic programs. “They are more concerned with finding financial resources and accessing campus support services that can help them succeed in school,” Hernandez highlighted.
Immigrant students have not shared with coach Trinidad directly about their concerns, but she has students that besides balancing work and studies, they are applying for the citizenship test, and the current anti-immigration narrative affects them. “The current media coverage creates a sense of urgency for them to pass the exam. They’re doing this not just to create a brighter future for themselves but also for their families. This is what some of our students carry with them when they attend class or are seeking academic support. Even if they don’t explicitly express concerns about attending class or daily life, we can infer their worries from what they do share,” said Trinidad.
Follow the coach advice: “You are not alone!”
“I encourage students to take care of their mental and emotional health through self-care strategies like mindfulness, exercise, or talking to trusted friends, and to verify news through reliable sources rather than relying on social media,” explained Trinidad. “Beyond immediate concerns, I encourage students to focus on their long-term goals, and I remind them of their resilience and the challenges they have already overcome; I want them to feel empowered to navigate uncertainty with more confidence. Above all, I want students to know that they are not alone. Many already balance many challenges—housing and food insecurity, mental health struggles, financial pressures—that weigh heavily on their academic journey. As their academic coach, I want them to feel that they can express their worries in a judgment-free space. At academic coaching, we create a space where students feel seen, understood, and equipped with the tools to move forward. My goal is to help students stay focused on their goals and build a future they can be proud of.”
Also, students are invited to the Global Cafés which are gatherings to provide a safe space to ask questions, share concerns, and access valuable resources. These events are organized by Hernandez’s department. The next Global Café will take place on March 13 from 12 to 1 p.m., featuring a guest speaker discussing immigrant trauma. The event will be held in person in Lawrence and livestreamed to Room B218 in Haverhill. Light refreshments will be provided.
From my end, I would encourage my peers facing any distress due to immigration status, to look for help to their professors, staff, academic coaches such as coach Trinidad at dtrinidad@necc.mass.edu. Contact Maria Hernandez at mhernandez@necc.mass.edu and visit her office in Lawrence and Haverhill. Every conversation is confidential, and you can remain anonymous if you prefer. NECC is here to help you thrive in your academic goals regardless of your immigration status. If your case is in process, learn about your immigration rights, memorize thephone number of your lawyer or a reliable person, and be good. Look for the “Red Card” around campus and keep it handy.
For immigration frequently asked questions and other helpful resources, please visit:necc.edu/ice
I know it looks like a PSA public service announcement, but I promise you it’s not. It has a well-being message.
First, I’d like to apologize for this late show-up of the year of the NECC Observer. If you have seen the blue post of our newspaper all winter, you may see a sun faded edition portraying last Christmas rehearsal although we are close to spring. The reason is that suddenly we were informed that our prior printer company would not be able to continue working with us. Our research into printing services took a while but finally, we got a reasonable agreement and here we are again.
Although we have a different format, the current printed version is small in height and wider than the previous one, the NECC Observer is still strong and portrays our sharp minds staff and collaborators, and their efforts to echo our peers’ preferences or concerns.
This is my last semester before graduation, and something I would like to see happen is more peer’s engagement. Not that one through social media. I mean eye-to-eye engagement, human to human interaction. Maybe because I was born in the 1900s and grew up without a cellphone, I’m not used to, yet, sitting in the hallway and seeing almost everyone immersed in their screen with their earbuds or their big DJ’s style headphones.
Therefore, I will try to encourage you to take a break from your mobile and look around, I promise you that good things are happening here, at NECC. Join the different activities, presentations and conversations and smile, ask questions and meet new people.
“When you first meet someone, your brain releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, creating a “feel good” sensation, especially if you are experiencing initial attraction or interest, essentially giving you a positive response to this new encounter,” says the Royal Institution, a website that “brings the public and scientists together.”
Visit necc.mass.edu/events and see if you can join one of them. Although, for some reason I will later investigate, there are some flyers with events that are not posted on that website as they need to be submitted and approved, so please look up and see the flyers posted on the wall boards.
My faves until the next edition are:
For the interested in freedom of speech, “Sunshine Week Reading Party” is on 3/10 from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. at C-209.
For the adventurous, “Ski Trip to Gunstock Mountain-NH” will be on 3/14. Limited space. Book your spot to dleaffer@necc.mass.edu
“Bach’s Lunch Concert Series.” It’s like a mini concert with a talk about different instruments. It’s fun! Next will be 3/27 at noon – TC 103.
For thosea year close to graduation, the “LinkedIn profile workshop with guest presenter from ALKU” should be a must. It will be on 26/3 from 9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. – C203.
Lastly, it’s midterm exam season, I’d like to point out that the library has lots of resources, and librarians are always eager to help above and beyond. If you are looking for a space to study /work on your own or in a group, on the Haverhill campus, there are private study rooms for 2, 6 or 8 people with bean bags. They tend to be busy! Last Spring ‘24, they had 225 student bookings, and last Fall ‘24 they had 340 bookings. So, I’d strongly recommend you book it in advance. Visit necc.mass.edu/library.
Shops and malls playing Christmas carols from open to close remind us of the list of presents we may try to purchase. Also, it’s the season to go out and chat in real time, face-to-face, having a special meal with those special ones.
Whether you want to pamper yourself for being good during the year, or you want to celebrate the advent of the new year with your peers or coworkers, going out to eat is the premise for this season.
If you are the one inviting, or you and your party will split the cost of the bill, here is my cautionary tale for you to avoid surprises when the check arrives.
I recently went out with my family to the Seaport area to a Christmas fair called the “Snowport.”
Looking for Betty the Yeti, trying different bites in the food area and visiting the little stands full of all sorts of crafts, we spent close to three hours.
We tried food and beverages from four different stands and all of them, except for the small stand selling hot cocoa and hot apple cider, were using Clover point-of-sale (POS) machines. Those POS have a noticeable 8-inch screen for the client to tap the card, select the tip and chose how we want the receipt –or not- to be sent.
Wait, what?
I understand a tip for service in a restaurant but why do I have to tip if there is no service given by the provider besides handling the food I’m already paying for? Which most of the time, is more expensive than going to a standard restaurant.
The venue has a limited area to sit down, one with beach chairs and a reduced area with benches covered with a tent. With a captive audience of thousands of people visiting on a bright but windy Sunday afternoon, there was not enough space to sit down. Eating — standing up — waffles dripping with chocolate can be very messy, especially for kids. So, what is the service tip for?
Tips suggestions on those screens can vary from 15% up to 25%. There is the option of “No Tip” but as the person behind in the line can easily see the client tapping the screen, there is a kind of pressure to add a tip just “not to look bad.”
We continued our visit, and my kid was chanting “I want this…I want that,” incessantly.
Wait, what? (Part II)
Money does not grow in the trees. So, I took advantage of my kid learning math, and before getting too far, I said, “This is your total amount to purchase whatever you want, take note of the things you like (luckily, she carried a tiny notebook and a pencil), and then do the math to make the right choices. No extra penny will be given.”
Restaurant in Somerville, MA includes 20% gratuity Photo by Editor-in-Chief Daniela Valdivia-Terres
Assigning yourself a general budget for Christmas or if you are a parent, giving a limit on your child’s shopping could be helpful.
When the cold was getting intense, we went for dinner. We drove 20 minutes from Boston Seaport to Somerville.
Nothing luxurious nor too fancy, but cozy and with a promising delicious culinary experience is what I chose to close the field trip welcoming the Christmas season.
We were the first ones to arrive at the tiny casual restaurant. The staff were chatting placidly. The music was a little loud and repetitive and slightly annoying. However, we were laughing and talking about various things, and when we were hesitant to go for or skip the dessert, the bill arrived.
I almost fainted. The receipt had a list of tips percentages to choose: 20%, 22% and 25%, the equivalent value in money and the total including the tip. As a rule for a non-royal service, I add, without thinking, a standard 20%, which turned the check into close to $200.
Wait, what? (Part III)
We were three adults and one kid. We ordered three entrees and four beverages. I shared my meal with my fussy eating kid. How did it turn out to be that expensive?
It was not an everyday meal, but it was neither “Fugu,” a poisonous blowfish considered as a Japanese delicacy, nor even a filet mignon. It was basically a stew of chicken, stew of lamb, a vegan choice, and non-high-end drinks.
My husband and I scanned with our eight eyes the bill again. We realized the “tip” equivalent of 20% was already added to the bill. As we were not told about it, we mechanically were adding the standard tip in Massachusetts of 20%, exacerbating the total cost of our one-course dinner.
Under state law, section 152A, “service charge” is defined as fee or charge in lieu of a tip that the customer would expect to go to wait staff, and it is treated as tips because it belongs to the employees who provided service to the customer.
Also, the legislation says that employers can impose “on a patron any house or administrative fee in addition to or instead of a service charge or tip” but employers need to “inform” their patrons that fee is not assigned to staff employees.
This is the case for banquets like a wedding reception or a large party of guests, where the quote has an item that says, “service charge” and specifies that is not a tip.
Nonetheless, it did not say “service charge,” it did say “Gratuitity 20%.”
We should have been informed the tip was already included before ordering!
Ultimately, we left the 20-seat restaurant without adding extra tip and agreed to “no need to come back.”
So, if you are going out for dinner, remember to double-check if the chosen eatery includes the tip. If you are going with relatives or friends, ask after how many seats they consider a group and how much the service fee is.
Lastly, make sure to express among your party that the check will be split evenly including taxes, fees and tips, and please be mindful with what you order. Don’t go for the most expensive item on the menu! Also, beware of those pals that prefer to pay what they order based on the itemized cost in the menu. That price does not include taxes, neither service fee (if it’s charged) nor tips.
Remember the idea of the season is to have fun and enjoy each other’s company wherever you go without breaking into your savings.
With a full lineup of events, the Music Department is showcasing the talents of its students and their efforts in and out of classrooms, rehearsing for the end of the semester. Students, faculty, staff and the public are welcome to participate and encouraged to support the art performances.
Music students Cheryl Lopez, Sean Gaff and Cierra Townshend rehearse for the Ugly Christmas Sweater concert Photo credit by Editor-in-Chief Daniela Valdivia-Terres
Christmas is the special frame of their endeavors; music students who will perform in the “Ugly Christmas Sweater Concert” were focused on rehearsing the final tunes to display at their best on Dec. 9 at the lobby of the Spurk C building, Haverhill campus. With passing-by students or standing up attendees, these aspiring performers will fill us with the Christmas spirit with songs like White Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Jingle Bells, and more.
Students show off their talents
The cast is formed by students Aaliyah Campusano, Angely Gabriel, Sean Gaff, Cheryl Lopez and Cierra Townshend as singers, Dave Coppola in guitar, Sara Curtin as baritone saxophone, Professor Jared Holaday as tenor saxophone and Professor Alisa Bucchiere on piano.
That is not all; here is the list of music events you should not miss:
Students and aspiring singers Aaliyah Campusano (front) holds the notes and lyrics of White Christmas while Cierra Townshend (in the back) warm up her voice Photo credit by Editor-in-Chief Daniela Valdivia-Terres
Sunday, Dec. 8, 2 to 4 p.m.: The “Winter Choir Concert” will indulge you with their voices attuned to the spirit of the season. Directed by Choral Director professor Alisa Bucchiere.
Monday, Dec. 9 at 12:30 p.m.: “Ugly Christmas Sweater Concert” encourages wearing their most garish Christmas sweaters and sing along. Carols and classic Christmas songs will highlight the “Holly Jolly” season. Directed by Music Professor Alisa Bucchiere.
Location: Haverhill campus, Spurk C building, Lobby. Free admission.
Thursday, Dec. 12, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. “Juries” is the end-of-semester performance exam. Music major students participate as part of their Applied Music core training assessment. They will presentall sorts of genres starting from old music, foreign language, comtemporary,jazz to Broadway songs.
Location: TC building. Free admission.
Thursday, Dec. 12 at 6 p.m.: “Jazz Rock Concert” directed by Music Professor Jake Smith. He together with 15 music students will present a delightful repertoire including pieces from Bernstein.
From left to right, music students Sean Gaff, Cheryl Lopez, Cierra Townshend and Angely Gabriel as singers and Music Professor Alisa Bucchiere on piano get ready for the Ugly Christmas Sweater concert Photo credit by Editor-in-Chief Daniela Valdivia-Terres
Tuesday, Dec. 17, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.: Final Performance Exam featuring duets, trios, quartets, and quintets performances. Music students will showcase skills as soloists or musical ensemble members.
Friday Dec. 13 at 7:00 p.m.; Saturday Dec. 14 at 3 and at 7 p.m.; and Sunday Dec. 15 at 3 p.m.: “A Christmas Carol” is the crown of the season. Directed by John Budzyna, this classical musical brings on stage a mixed cast of faculty, relatives, alumni and current students.
Location: Haverhill campus, C building, third floor. Chester W. Hawrylciw Theater.
Tickets: $20 general admission, $10 for students and seniors, free for children 5 and under.
Purchase online at https://www.ticketleap.events/events/neccachristmascarol and tickets at the door (cash only).
If you participate as performer or guest and share it on social media, please add #NECCMusicThrives and share the joy of music.
In the aftermath of the presidential election, most newspapers, Youtubers, podcasts or wherever you listen to the media, the trend topic is why, we the people, made Mr. Donald Trump go back to the White House.
Statistics and possible explanations are served for every political party the same for the non-party. However, coming from a developing country where the political chaos reigns, I’m still impressed that it seems that people, the majority, were able to forgive all the accusations and proved charges against the returning president.
On top of that, the two attempts of assassinations which fortunately did not work — I may not agree with most of his rhetoric, but nobody deserves that — played on his favor, making him a “hero” as he stated “I’d like to think that God thinks that I’m going to straighten out our country.”
Being a Latina voter, I’m amazed for the increase of the Latino supporters to the Republican party considering his warhorse is his immigration plan, and the countless times the MAGA leader has openly poured detrimental comments against Latinos. Those comments haveencouraged his supporters — mostly white men — to be widely loud against Latinos, sparking racism and division in our country.
In their defense, Latinos tend to value faith, family and traditions. The Republican party campaign included talking to Judeo-Christian leaders, and its leader stating “We are one movement, one people, one family, and one glorious nation under God.”
This moving, spiritual and patriotic statement could have moved even to the most agnostic undecisive voter, not only to ex-Democrat Latinos.
Most of them, as many as his faithful followers, coincide with the main reason is the economy. Harris did not make any effort to differentiate herself from Biden, but his political partner did not play very well in the economy, international politics among other relevant topics. The result shows most people are screaming for a change. Period.
Whatever the reason is, no more ink nor time should be invested in deciphering the results of the election. Let’s look at the future and envision what we want for ourselves, our family, our community and our nation.
Knowing the U.S. Senate is now 53 red vs. 46 blue seats, and the red hat leader being a strong persona, as he tends to impose his will, let’s all, we the people, regardless of if we support him or not, be the watchdogs on his second term.
Like in the airport saying, “if you see something, say something.”
“No one is above the law” and that is what I personally love and admire about this great nation. The political apparatus is stronger than anything or anyone.
Let’s be alert, stop hating, and let’s work together.
