All posts by Eric Fredric, Correspondent

Many students greet promise of warmer weather with joy

Despite the brutal reminder this week that we are still very much at the mercy of old man winter, NECC students have seen the recent warm spell as a prelude to summer nights of light mischief with the windows down and the AC blasting, and days where one physically needs ice cream to make it through.  Temperatures last week reached nearly 70 degrees, and had students yearning for the return of spring, and eventually summer.  NECC Business major Samantha Cooke said she plans on dusting off her hiking boots to go explore the North Shore’s lush trails, and is thinking of trying something new this summer. “I really wanna’ take surfing lessons. But the water out there is so cold, even in the summer, and there’s sharks maybe, so I’m not sure.”

March 20 was the vernal equinox, commonly referred to as the first day of spring, and as in so many years past, spring is springing about as quickly as an appellate judge mulling over a complex case.  “Yeah, I get that the weather has been nice, but here we are these last few days and it’s wind and bitter cold again. We’ve got a long way to go before swimsuits and barbecues” said writing major Caytlin Coleman.  “I’ll be satisfied that we’re completely done with miserable weather midway through May.”

But not every NECC student is thrilled about the return of spring.  Philosophy major Edward Mesa says he actually prefers the cold weather and is dreading the burning hot car seats and mosquito bites that summer promises to bring.  “It’s such a wet, humid heat around here, too. I wake up with my shirt stuck to my back every morning,” he said. “It’s hell.”

Vet Center lends a hand

A women and a man standing next to each other in front of flags
Whitney Scofield and John Washington pose in the NECC Veteran’s Service Center Photo by Brennan Cooney

Center helps servicemen and women gain GI benefits

The NECC Veterans’ Center, located in room 214 of the main Student Center, is a valuable on-campus resource for any NECC student who has served, or is serving, in the United States military.  Here veteran students can receive academic support, career and counseling services, and access to several tools that help vets navigate college life.

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“Here veteran students can receive academic support, career and counseling services, and access to several tools that help vets navigate college life.”

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The Veterans’ Center staff consists entirely of student veterans as well. John Washington, in the second week of his work-study at the Vet Center, is a 26 year military veteran who served in the Army, Navy, and Air Force.  For now, the Center operates on a walk-in only basis, and Washington said he “assists vets, as they come in.”

An NECC Business Management major, Washington spends the bulk of his workday helping veteran students obtain their certificate of eligibility for their GI Bill benefits.  The Montgomery and Post 9/11 GI Bills guarantee Americans who have completed their service obligation to the military a full, free four-year university education, so long as the institution is public, or is otherwise specifically sanctioned by the military.  The Post 9/11 GI Bill also provides a housing allowance, so veterans can focus the majority of their energy on their education.

Kyle Shaw, currently serving in the Massachusetts Air National Guard, and enrolled in the NECC police academy program, said he would not be able to attend school without his educational benefits. On the administrative side of the Vet Center, Whitney Scofield, a Hospitality and Tourism major, and Navy veteran, works with the Veterans’ Affairs Administration in Buffalo, NY to help narrow down exactly what monetary benefits student veterans are entitled to. “There are a lot of different subsets to what veterans’ benefits could be, especially for education, as there are a lot of different chapters (specific benefit-plan selections)” and said that staff in the Vet Center are trained and well-versed in VA policy to better assist those who have served.​