Comedian/violinist Armando Anto performed for several students and staff members via Zoom.
An event was hosted by Mount Wachusett Community College in collaboration with NECC, with Cami Stephens serving as student/event organizer on Nov. 18.
Found and contracted by MWCC to perform, Anto is a unique type of artist as he simultaneously incorporates both stand-up comedy and playing the violin into his act.
Stephanie Haskell, Student Life Coordinator for NECC shared in an interview that Mount Wachusett contacted Northern Essex, via the organization Community College Student Leadership Association (CCSLA), about potentially collaborating on an event as the pandemic continued. Regarding the agreement of showcasing Anto to NECC as well, Haskell further stated “He [Anto] has a good stage presence; He knows his audience and if I were looking for somebody and knew we had good attendance and the budget to hire somebody, I would’ve definitely chosen him.”
As stated on his website, Anto was born and raised in France, and he began studying classical violin at the French National Conservatory at the age of 5. After earning his Bacholars of Arts degree in Finance, he turned his talent into a business, embarking on a world tour of violin concerts. After performing and teaching his art for over a decade, Anto began implementing more and more comedy in his performances, before eventually combining the two. He “understood that laughing opens the heart and mind, and that people understand any concept better through humor. Following his twin muses, music and comedy, Anto has established himself as a standup comedian in Los Angeles, performing in such prolific venues like Laugh Factory and “America’s Got Talent.”
Throughout the event, Anto discussed various topics such as race relations, which often correlated with his origins, as well as COVID, audience members for some reason having their microphones muted, his ex-girlfriend “Jessica”, to even performing his famous song “”Would You Shut Your Mouth” with his guitar, complete with violin “stings” for either a comedic sound effect or as a clever way of censoring inappropriate language.
Although everybody who joined laughed hysterically, It should be noted that the number of attendees was lower than the “20 or so” expected. This could be attributed to the time of day when the event was scheduled, being late in the afternoon. No matter what the case may be, having the opportunity to laugh and join in with a group was nonetheless exciting and seeing smiling and hearing laughter warmed the heart.
For anyone interested in participating in future events, students can visit the events page at the NECC website for more information.
Going to the movies is a time-honored tradition during the holiday season and the family-owned O’Neil Cinemas, located at The Point in Littleton, Massachusetts and in Brickyard Square in Epping, New Hampshire, not only provides a state-of-the-art cinema experience it also practices another age old tradition of giving, especially to the communities it serves
The O’Neill family, who hail from North Andover, not only founded and operate two theaters, they also have built an organization called O’Neil Cinemas Cares which gives back to local Southern New Hampshire and Eastern Massachusetts communities through donations, scholarships and local charity events. They have partnered with both local and national organizations including: The United Way of the Greater Seacoast, The Salvation Army, Seacoast United, Cocheco Valley Humane Society, Big Brothers Big Sisters of New Hampshire, Operation Blessing, to name a few.
Each year O’Neil Cinemas has partnered with the American Red Cross as part of the O’Neil Cinemas Cares program. In the past, the theater has hosted two blood drives, one during the holiday season on Christmas Eve, and one in March to honor Red Cross month.
O’Neil Cinemas affiliations with local charities has been immeasurable, but due to last year’s Coronavirus pandemic, the theaters were forced to shut their doors and like many other businesses were pushed into uncharted waters. Despite the devastating setback, moviegoers were welcomed back on May 7, 2021, implementing all the safety guidelines needed to keep theater guests free from the virus.
As far as their charity work and dedication to the community, it’s safe to say it will be slowly returning.
Jen Desmarais, Operations Manager of the Littleton branch of O’Neil, stated in an interview that “We are still aligned with the Red Cross and the United Way. In the past we have worked with and have donated to countless schools, organizations, fundraisers, etc. When Covid arrived in March 2020, we closed our doors and did not reopen until May of 2021. During that time donations were discontinued.We are pleased to announce we will begin donations again starting January 2022.”
Incentives such as discounts for seniors and military members are available as well as Bargain Tuesdays in which matinees are only $6.50.
As an employee, since the inception of the Littleton theater in 2017, it was fantastic just to stand in the large Grand DLX Auditorium again when the theater reopened last spring. Hearing the booming sound effects, and smelling the buttery scent of freshly made popcorn, it was like catching up with an old friend. It has been a slow comeback, but here we are back in a time of giving, and although the charity service’s return has been delayed, patrons can give back to O’Neil by going to the theater to see some of the newest blockbusters this holiday season that have been waiting to find themselves on the big screen.
Northern Essex Community College offers a variety of one-on-one support services that students can take advantage of while on campus, including the Tutoring Center. Students can utilize this resource if they are seeking help on a particular assignment from a professional tutor. Students can also connect with a tutor if they are looking to receive feedback on a completed assignment, too.
According to NECC Tutoring Center academic coordinator Jennifer Levesque, the purpose of the Tutoring Center is to equip students with the necessary skills to help them become more confident and successful in their classes.
As academic coordinator of the Tutoring Center, Levesque is responsible for a number of different tasks, including supervising and scheduling tutors to work with students. Additionally, Leveque is responsible for offering assistance in any situation that may arise if necessary.
The staff in the Tutoring Center can assist students if they are having difficulty in subjects like math, science, chemistry and statistics. Tutors can also assist students with any kind of writing assignment regardless of the course it is for.
According to Levesque, when the college transitioned to a remote learning format, it was challenging for tutors to conduct meetings over Zoom because they had to adapt to new technology. Although this was quite a process, tutors eventually became comfortable with it, and were more than happy to connect with students over Zoom to offer their assistance.
“There was a little time to adjust to everything, but the students and tutors adjusted very well. The tutors were willing to help students in any way they could. Many of the tutors connected with students over Zoom for check-ins to see how they were doing, and to see if there was anything they could help them with,” said Levesque.
Currently, tutors are continuing to meet with students remotely, but have started to resume in-person sessions on the Lawrence and Haverhill campuses, too.
Levesque says that she greatly enjoys working in the Tutoring Center. “I love seeing students realize that they can do well in their classes. There is a transformation that happens at the beginning of the semester where students say things like: “I can’t write” or “I can’t do math.” Once they begin working with a tutor, they are much more confident in their ability to do these skills by the end of the semester,” said Levesque.
Levesque goes on to explain that she has had many great experiences in her time working at NECC. “I really liked having the ability to implement appointments on Navigate because it helped students and staff get connected better,” said Levesque. “Another highlight was being part of the Leadership Academy through professional development, which has given me the opportunity to learn more about myself and do a better job overall.”
In addition to the services offered by the Tutoring Center, students have unlimited access to a resource through the Blackboard application offered by the college, known as Thinking Storm. Thinking Storm provides students with the opportunity to collaborate with tutors if they have questions about a particular assignment when off campus.
At Northern Essex Community College, students can become involved on campus through a number of different clubs and organizations like the Respiratory Care Club. In the club, students studying respiratory care have the opportunity to discuss health-related conditions, and can take advantage of different volunteer opportunities allowing them to give back to the community.
The club was initially started by the coordinator of NECC’s respiratory care department Jennifer Jackson-Stevens, and has been running for a number of years now.
According to club advisor and faculty member in NECC’s respiratory care department Alana Doherty-Crook, the purpose of the club is to inform individuals about the potential health implications of conditions connected to the respiratory system.
Currently, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the club is not meeting in-person, but Doherty-Crook is looking forward to resuming in-person meetings soon.
During virtual club meetings, Doherty-Crook reviews the agenda with students, and they discuss which community events they would like to participate in. As a group, they talk about different ways to continue fundraising the club, too.
Students in the club have completed a number of different projects in an effort to spread awareness about respiratory-related health conditions throughout campus. “One of the projects we’ve had in past semesters is that students have completed poster boards so that other students can understand the health risks of certain conditions, such as smoking,” Doherty-Crook said. “I like to incorporate what we do on campus into the community so that people can understand the background of respiratory care.“
In the past, students have also attended different community events in Haverhill, Mass. There, they have set up a table so those who are interested can walk over to learn more about the potential health impacts of respiratory-related conditions. Students have volunteered at the Emmaus House in Haverhill to help those in need, too.
Doherty-Crook says that she enjoys her work at the college, but also enjoys being part of the club for a number of reasons. “I love engaging with my students and seeing them be successful in whatever they decide to do, whether it is academic or professional,“ Doherty-Crook said. “When you have a job you love, it doesn’t feel like you are going to work.”
Doherty-Crook also says it is important to recognize the hard work that students have done during their time in the respiratory care program. “At the end of their second year, students are represented with repertory pins to show that we are proud of them for their hard work,” said Doherty-Crook.
The club will resume in-person meetings come January 2022 in the spring semester. The first in-person meeting is set for Jan. 28 at 10 a.m. in LC301 (El-Hefni Technology Center) on the Lawrence campus.
On the evening of Thursday, December 16th, I saw the latest theatrical installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” This third MCU Spider-Man movie picks up practically immediately after the events of the previous movie (Spider-Man: Far from Home), when it is revealed to the entire world that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Between exploring the possibilities of the multiverse, and examining what it truly means to be Peter Parker (Tom Holland), viewers will for sure enjoy this movie whether they’re a hardcore Spider-Man fan, or completely new to the character. Nonetheless, this is for sure rewarding to the strong fanbase that this character has gathered over the years, as fans of previous cinematic iterations of the character will enjoy the classic villains from the trailers for “No Way Home” who are in the movie.
As with not all super hero movies, the artistic nature of No Way Home is so moving. There were scenes that hit me in the feels in indescribable ways, and that can be meaningful when looking through a lens that considers how certain super hero themes can be applied to the real world. There’s lots of emotional turmoil, as well as happy moments.
Without spoiling, I will say that, seeing “No Way Home” on opening night was a very high-energy event. There were moments when the entire audience cheered. It may not be the same if you see it in theatres after the time of publishing this review, but that can still give you an idea of how exiting some of these moments are for certain fans.
Overall, I loved “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” It served as a fantastic start of a new chapter for Peter Parker, and I hope the film is well received for Marvel fans, and movie-goers alike!
When I was in seventh grade, in 2014, I fell in love with not just a TV show, but a world of fandom and opportunities that would continue to inspire me for years to come. This epiphany came about when I started watching “The Walking Dead.” Ever since watching the first few seasons in middle school, I am still inspired by the series and what its themes stands for. Love, loss, harmony, turmoil, you name it! “The Walking Dead” has revolutionized the zombie genre in such a powerful way, that I still ended up loving it, even though I had never watched anything with too many trappings in common with it.
Right now, Season 11 is airing. It’s on break until February, but once the remaining sixteen episodes are released, fans will endure the end of an era, as the start of something new for the franchise will begin to unfold. In short, “The Walking Dead” is ending. Fans such as myself, who enjoy the spinoffs, like “Fear the Walking Dead,” and the two-season limited series, “The Walking Dead: World Beyond,” will have plenty of new content to look forward to within this universe, as there are indeed some movies coming, as well as more spinoffs in the works. However, Season 11 is the final season of the flagship series, “The Walking Dead,” and for a fan who has been positively impacted by this show in so many ways for so many years, that means something.
Here at the Observer, I spoke to David Arivella, an academic technology assistant here at Northern Essex. Arivella is not caught up with ‘The Walking Dead,” but nonetheless, I still asked him about some of the reasons why he did enjoy the seasons that he watched, “I think it was about the characters, relating to them and the way they acted, and watching them get through whatever was going on in the given storyline.” His favorite character was Rick, “As a character, I thought Rick was the most relatable, with the way he handled himself. I liked how he became a leader, even though he didn’t really take on that responsibility himself, but because the other characters looked up to him.”
“The Walking Dead” returns on AMC on February 20th.
“The Last Duel” is the latest film directed by Ridley Scott and sees him return to the sword-and-sandals epic with grand spectacle, action, and drama, but the majority of that primarily serves a backdrop for the film’s scathing social commentary on patriarchal rule, religious influence, and most notably, sexism.
Based on a true story, the film takes place in 1386 France and focuses on the last legally authorized duel in the country’s history between Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris, played by Matt Damon and Adam Driver respectively, after de Carrouges’ wife Marguerite, played by Jodie Comer, accuses Le Gris of raping her.
What’s unique about the film, outside of its timely themes, is the plot’s structure. Taking a page out of films like “Rashomon” or “Pulp Fiction”, The story is told through multiple viewpoints, with each act (or chapter, as the film calls them) differing depending on the perspective. Chapter one depicts Damon’s perspective of events from him being a warrior seeking honor but then becomes waylaid when Comer tells him what happened to her. Chapter two shifts to Driver, a squire and friend of Damon, as now, the events we saw from the latter’s point of view weren’t exactly portrayed how the former remembers. In addition to that, we also see Driver winning the favor of Count Pierre d’Alençon, played by Ben Affleck, to even witnessing his viewpoint on the horrific instigating incident that causes the duel. Finally, we view chapter three in which we see Comer’s side of the story, and in turn the actual truth. The film utilizes this narrative technique brilliantly.
Scott once again directs with striking craftsmanship, not only with the more intimate dramatic scenes, but the action sequences are also nothing short of spectacular, complete with practical swordplay, wonderful setpieces and sound mixing, and intense violence. Another thing to mention is this is the first time both Damon and Affleck have written a screenplay together since their Oscar win for “Good Will Hunting”, and they along with Nicole Holofcener deliver a very well-written, and as previously mentioned layered script. The performances are also incredible, with Comer being a standout, particularly in the third chapter, and will most likely be a strong contender for awards night. Damon and Driver are also great as usual, both shifting from generally likable to malicious both as the film progresses and depending on the point of view. Affleck is surprisingly funny in the film as well, and I liked how his character is cocky, yet never to the point of essentially being a cartacture of a real person.
Unfortunately, there’s one thing I want to point out, but it’s not about the film itself. Instead, I want to point out that sadly not many are seeing this film as it’s still in theaters. For me, it sounds surprising as the film has all the right components. You have an amazing director, a talented cast including a duo who are both respected actors and writers, gritty yet lavish period spectacle, and more-than-timely themes. Some have suggested poor marketing, which can potentially be attributed to the film’s understandably sensitive subject matter, while others suggest its older target demographic are still not fully ready to return to theaters. One thing that was particularly polarizing was that when the film was announced, people were skeptical of what type of film it would be, with some fearing that it would a glorified tale of two men dueling over a woman and the fact that this story which contains sexual assault of that woman was written and directed by men. That couldn’t be further from the truth as One, Scott is no stranger to weaving feminist/anti-toxic masculinity themes into his work. Two, Both Damon and Affleck brought in Holofcener to help give the story a more authentic female perspective, and Three, the titular climax, while exciting, also does not manipulate the viewer as we the audience see that these two men are basically battling for their own pride, something Comer verbally points to Damon as well. Speaking of whom, we see her view this fight appropriately disturbed, as not only is she worried for Damon’s safety, not only is worried for her own, but she is horrified as to how far this went and how everyone else views this event as grand. The film essentially denounces what it’s advertising.
In conclusion, “The Last Duel” is a film that, despite the potentially off-putting subject matter, I encourage everyone to see and support. It’s well-acted, well-directed, superbly written and greatly paced, immersing the viewer, not realizing two and a half hours have passed.
Throughout the pandemic, and in general, movies and TV have always been very important to me in an artistic manner. Thus, I’m always interested in knowing what other people have been watching. This is the Fall 2021 edition of “What Has NECC Been Watching?”
Kim Lyng, the Liberal Arts Program Coordinator at NECC, enjoys watching “Ted Lasso,” a series on Apple TV+. She likes the aspect of how all of the characters are very different, but they still work well with and listen to each other. “I think the show came along when we all needed a reminder of this, that kindness can go a long way to understanding.” says Lyng. Personally, I have heard great things about “Ted Lasso,” and I love her take on the series, as I think that now in our country more than ever, it’s important for all of us to push aside differences, and try to alleviate how divided we all can be at times. Lyng has worked in TV news in the past, and she also recently watched “The Morning Show,” also on Apple TV+. “The Morning Show” follows a fictional TV news outlet, and all of the drama that occurs behind the scenes. “…Some of the show rang true, but on a much more dramatic scale!” says Lyng.
Isa Grullon, Editor-in-Chief here at The Observer, recently watched “You,” on Netflix. “I think when a show like this that has a very specific plot, it can get old really quickly, but I think this third season was really well done. It stayed true to the original, but still felt fresh to the audience.”
As for myself, I love Lady Gaga. I recently saw the movie, “House of Gucci,” in theater. I think her performance was awesome in the movie. Check out my full review of “House of Gucci” at Fandomize Media (fandomize.com). I watched the “One Last Time” concert featuring Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett. “One Last Time” was a concert that they performed at in August, and it was filmed for a TV special, which aired on Sunday night. It was such an emotional and moving last hurrah for Bennett, and of course, they both killed it as always! “One Last Time” is now available to stream on Paramount+.
The production of “Diana” the musical came out on Netflix on Oct 1. 2021; the creators of this show were Christopher Ashley, with choreography by Kelly Devine.
Back in February 2019, the show was only previewed in the La Jolla Playhouse, and then in March, the exhibition was opened on the 3rd. But the production stopped when Covid-19 hit the world. The show was supported to be back in 2020, but again the pandemic delayed it. Luckily in the summer of 2020, the Broadway production had done a show with Covid safety protocols in place and no audience. I have always been fascinated by Princess Diana’s story. I watched many documentaries on her life in London with the royal family.
I also love musicals, so this was right in line with my interest, and I saw many people reviewing it. Everyone was hyping it up and saying it was terrific, so I had to see for myself. They were not wrong. The musical was beautiful, and the casting was perfect; Jeanna de Waal, the actress, was absolutely an excellent Diana.
The music was enjoyable and would make anyone want to sing along as well as dance. The costumes were unbelievable and right on the dot of what the characters would wear during that time. I think this music does Diana’s story justice and shows the feelings from beginning to end. It never goes into disrespecting territory, and when it goes to very serious parts of her life, they always keep it passionate and rough.
I recommend everyone who loves musicals and learning about Diana or about the royal family to watch it. It’s worth it.
On Dec. 9 at 6 p.m. NECC Knights faced Massasoit Community College for a conference game at the Sports and Fitness Center at Haverhill Campus.
The Knights defeated Massasoit 66-54 to snap their four game losing streak.
It was the second give away of the season. All fans in attended received a Matt D’Amato “Mullet Mamba” t-shirt, including his teammates was supporting D’Amato by wearing it before the game.
Knights was looking to snap a four-game losing streak their overall record was 4-7 three games under .500 coming into Dec.9 game and 2-2 in conference games.
Before the game I asked the head coach Darren Stratton, what is the key to play well and to try to break the 4 game losing streak ?
“I think what they need to do is just focused I think were beating our self against Quincy we currently beat our self against CCRI we beat our self…Daniel (Almarante) right now is one of the only points guard and teams is taking advantage of that, that understanding we’re able to get pressure and we’re just throwing the ball away we need to settle down relax move the basketball…” said Stratton.
The Knights did not have Cristian Kinsley of Lawrence, Jason Parello of Lawrence, Elijah Haas of Haverhill and Cameron Stratton of Haverhill all of them were out due to injuries except for Cameron Stratton he is out due to health issues.
Kinsley missed five games heading into Dec. 9 contest “Cristian Kinsley goes to revaluation in January to see if he can gets cleared right know the prognosis is he supposed to be back by the second week of January the problem with him is he doesn’t have full range of motion in his shoulder yet…” said Stratton.
Parello got injured in his last game against Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) “Right know it wasn’t a fracture, so it was great but the diagnosis is he has a heal bruise which put him out for two weeks put him out until the end of the semester,” said Stratton.
Hass missed two games prior to Dec. 9 match up “Elijah Haas has a pending issues that we need clearance from a doctor from him. Losing him really hurts because he is a viral part of our scoring,” said Stratton.
Cameron Stratton missed three games heading into Dec. 9 game “Cameron we loss which is a vital part as you see were struggling in the point guard position right know. He handled a lot of that for us.Cameron, he has been sick he was in the hospital, right know he got a double a ern infection with a high fever…” said Darren Stratton.
The first period during the game the Knights did not came aggressive as they did against CCRI. In the first four minutes and three seconds in the game they were outscored 7-0 and they committed three fouls in less then five minutes. They started slow and did not have momentum but as the first period progressed they were starting to click in, and they were working on those little mistakes, so it would not cost them the game. They ended the first period strong thanks to a wide open three point shot from Greg Duran of Lawrence.
Knights in action on their final home game of the fall semester Photo by, Jose Rodriguez Sports Editor
“Greg did an excellent job not as much as the three pointer but defensively he is a spot for us he is one of (Assistant) coach (Joe) Tardif in the aspect of he mentioned to me to give him a shot… we had guys on foul trouble Daniel (Almarante) pick two quick foul Phillip (Cunningham) pick two quick fouls Kevin (Monteiro) had two quick fouls so we were dealing with some foul trouble issue so we went to Greg knowing what we are going to get out of Greg anything Greg give us offensively is a huge plus because we do not expected defensively we expect every single night from Greg,” said Stratton.
Duran of Lawrence just played seven minutes during the game including scoring three points the three pointer late in the first period.
The Knights in the first period had nine fouls while Massasoit had eight and the Knights had a two points lead at the half 27 to 25.
Having a two-point advantage at the half did not change the mentality and the game plan “It didn’t really change the game plan every time at the half we think is zero zero it doesn’t matter if we were down two or up two we would’ve came the same way at half time,” said Jaleek Urena of Methuen.
The Knights came aggressive attacking the zone as they began the period with a 7-0 run and Massasoit fought back. Massasoit had a 7-0 run as well on their own after the Knights struck back with a 10-0 run. The Knights fought through it and it frustrated Massasoit knowing it is going to be difficult for them to comeback against this Knights team and the time was running out. “We played hard we ran in the court and we got fast break and we got defensive stop and we got a lot of basket in and pretty much get us get the lead,” said Philip Cunningham of Haverhill.
Cunningham played 37 minutes with 12 points, nine rebound and two assist.
The Knights in the second half committed eight fouls one foul less then the first period while Massasoit committed 10.
Metin Yavuz at the last play of the game it looked like he got injured. When the game ended, he was attended to by Maureen the trainer. “I think it was his IT band Metin is seeing Maureen she said that she will evaluate him tomorrow… but the last play of the game he said he got knee in his hip area which it was his IT band that went all the way down to his ankle he felt numbness …” said Stratton.
The Knights defeated Massasoit 66-54 to snap their four game losing streak. They will be on the road on Sunday Dec. 12 to face against Holyoke game time is scheduled to be at 6 p.m.
