All posts by Observer Staff

Arts and Entertainment

A console-ation price

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Last year’s big event for gaming ( E3 ) was spent really showing off the new gen systems and everything about them; from how they function to the new games that will be released for these consoles.

With all this, the next gen systems came out this year and they became increasingly harder to get than people initially thought. What with scalpers buying them off at bulks with their own money or bots and selling them for more than they are worth to get extra money off of the consumers just trying to get their hands on it.

With this there has been a high demand for the consoles even though Sony has a limited amount of the consoles within their own hands. I will be covering how it’s been as a consumer and have some of my friends give me their experience on how they feel about this.

The consoles came out roughly in the same time and for both when they came out met the same fate, scalpers buying off the consoles using means of their own money and bots if they needed to.

I asked my friend Michael “ with the new consoles it has been increasingly harder to get them, how do you feel about scalpers getting most of if not all the units to themselves?” when anything new comes out there always people around trying to make a quick buck out of it, this was something I knew and his response came out to be the same: “ Scalpers have always been a bit of a travesty, being able to book multiple systems, concert tickets, and the like for years selling it for profit.”

This is honestly true; people will buy things like concert tickets, shoes, and more no matter what it is and try to sell it for more money. Leaving the average consumer with nothing but the emotions they have during the moment.

Funny enough my other friend that is also named Michael let me get his response on the matter as well. The question I gave him was leaning more towards the preparation that was put into getting the consoles ready, mainly the ps5. My question was “ after everything going on with the consoles and them being sold out how do you think playstation companies could better prepare for the next time a new system comes around?”

With this you would think there was probably a better way they could prepare for the situation but sometimes you just have to work with what you get. That was why I was surprised by his response to the question, he replied with “ I think Playstation likely prepared well enough, there’s only so many they can make and have ready especially when pre orders are an option before they just start sitting there taking warehouse space. The demand is higher than their ability to currently make them but it will die down.”

I believe this to be true, at least now. Before I thought that there had to be a way to prepare better for the situation so that the average consumer could get a chance to get the console but for some like scalpers and bots it seems as though it is harder to prepare for than one would think.

With all this being said purchasing the games you want will be a task as well, now that games will cost $70 dollars now than the initial $60 we have been paying before.

Consumers will have to really make sure what game they want and be sure that it will be something they’d want to play.

This next question was based off of that and if at some point in the future we may end up reverting back to the original $60 price. My other friend called Michael responded with “ But games jumping another $10 i think is awful since they already cost so much. On top of that if you have the digital console? Forget it, that’s permanently 70 without a sale or several years waiting…” Honestly i agree with this; these new games coming to these new consoles should not be costing $70 at all.

While yes I understand big triple A titles will be getting pushed and they need the money for the rest of the amount they used on the game it will make it difficult for the average gamer to even pay for the games they want. Especially if they want a collectors edition or special edition.

Getting consoles in the first few days of it coming out has always been a hard task. Things like this are hard to come by and hard to prepare for, but i do believe this has taken a big toll for i think the worst for playstation.

People will make profit off of it and just do what they can with that. I feel as though if there were other ways to make it so that bots would have a harder time getting to buy ps5. The regular consumer will have a harder time obtaining one than those that have more money than that to be able to get it and I think that is a big issue.

Gaming is a big part of my life and I felt like this should be addressed as it is things that can hurt the industry and the companies further. With that being said I don’t think I’ll stop playing games at all. Hopefully things revolving around this find a way to get better and those that don’t have it have a better way of obtaining it.

Campus Life, Slider

Distant learning

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March 2020 was a weird time; people’s lives were changing as they were sent to stay in their homes for a couple of months. Homes became offices and classrooms.

Students went from seeing their friends at school to seeing their friends behind a computer screen. Life was like this for some months then June rolled around, people started to live their normal lives socially distant.

Summer ended leaving one question in peoples’ head. What’s school going to look like this year? Schools had three options, full remote, hybrid model or full face to face classes with social distancing.

Schools across the country all made their own decisions with varying results.

Some colleges successfully brought kids back on campus, having them take online classes from their dorm. Some colleges that had face to face classes had to deal with students on campus partying without masks causing Covid spikes.

Our school NECC went fully remote from the beginning of the fall semester. NECC before the pandemic offered online courses so the transition, went smooth for the most part. I talked to some of the students on how they where holding up during this weird period in their lives.

When school was initially taken online some people were concerned that the students would not do well in an online environment.

When asked on if they have taken online classes before and how their transition went,  student Mirrorajah Metcalfe answered, “I did online course for my 8th grade of middle school and partially throughout high school, so the transition was personally not too difficult.”

Some people had easier transitions than others, when the student Niasly Gonzalez was asked they said, “I have never took classes online before the pandemic the transition was pretty difficult in the beginning and sometimes is now.”

The NECC campus is not just classrooms it is also home to a basketball court, a fitness center, game room and multiple lounge type areas for students to hang out and meet other students.

When asked what they miss about campus Metcalfe said “I miss being in a classroom with other students. I miss being able to raise my hand to ask the professor a question. I miss being able to walk around or go to the NECC library and study. I miss learning interactively.”

When the student Robert Smith was asked what he missed on campus he said, “The things that I miss most about campus are interacting with people face to face and the Student Center.”

A lot of schools this year have gone back with socially distant learning or making their kids take their classes online in their dorms.

One problem both colleges must face with having in person classes, is the rise of cases due to on campus partying and direct violations of Covid guidelines.

When asked if campuses should crack down on parties  Metcalfe had this to say, “I don’t think that college campuses should crack down on campus parties. College is where you are supposed to have the experiences of partying and adulting without the supervision and restrictions of parents. Face to face classes are already gone, campus parties can at least provide a sense of normalcy to the young adults entering this new world.”

When asked the same question Smith said “I absolutely believe that colleges should crack down on campus parties. These people who are choosing to willfully ignore the guidelines need to be punished and need to have the proverbial book thrown in their face. Whether that is by fine, no reimbursement for tuition, or something else doesn`t matter to me so long as they learn a lesson. I am sorry for throwing a rather strong opinion out there, but this is getting ridiculous and is not helping us in our efforts to defeat the virus.”

Because of the excessive partying on campuses across the country, some colleges have become a hot spot for Covid 19.

When asked if they were surprised that cases are rising at some colleges  Metcalfe had to say, “It is not surprising that cases have risen, the epidemic is something that can only be hopefully maintained but never entirely controlled until there is an effective vaccine.”

When asked the same question  Smith said “It is not surprising to me that that their cases have risen, and a big part of that has to do with what I mentioned above. Also, I was watching a college football game between Clemson and Notre Dame and you cannot convince me that they were not telling the virus where to go shove it with how they were acting.”

College is an exciting time in people’s lives.

College is most students first time they are away from their parents, and the first time they make their own decisions.

2020 is a weird year, it almost feels like its on pause. College kids want to go live their best lives as adults, but  as covid came it put their lives on hold. Hopefully in 2021 these kids who feel stuck in limbo will be able to resume as we come to a new normal.

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Courageous Conversations: Giving thanks

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Courageous Conversations are one of NECC’s student life traditions and remains true to its name. These conversations are designed to bring students together, so they have a chance to engage in truthful, and sometimes difficult dialogues.

They are held semi-often and are led by NECC Coordinator of Student Activities, Stephanie Haskell.

On Monday, Nov. 23, just three days prior to Thanksgiving, a small group of students joined a zoom call to discuss their plans for the autumnal holiday that traditionally consists of the gathering of family members in an age when gatherings are prohibited.

This particular conversation was more of a friendly chat than some of the deeper, more involved ones that have taken place in the past.

Still, it was a great opportunity for connecting with fellow students, considering the fact that the majority of our school life consists of looking at a screen rather than engaging with classmates in real life.

Kicking off the conversation, Haskell took a chance to emphasize the importance of taking a moment for one’s self.

“We get so stressed out in these times, it’s so important to pause and remind ourselves of the bigger picture,” she said;  advice that I think everyone should take to heart in this day and age.

NECC student, Zoey Lauria, shared a bit of what her typical Thanksgiving looks like and how this year it would most definitely feel different.

“It feels nostalgic honestly, but it might be a little weird now,” she said.

I would think most people would agree with Lauria’s views on this holiday and our current circumstances.

This year is without a doubt vastly different from anything we as a community have experienced before and now with the holiday season upon us and the possibility of being unable to hug and kiss our loved ones, it can add a new sense of loss and sadness on top of everything else we’ve had to put to rest since March.

However, it’s moments like these, the joining of voices, that will keep us thriving until the day we can all go back to normal.

“I’m hopeful” Lauria says, leaving the conversation off on a refreshing note.

 

 

 

 

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Haverhill small business owners adapt to challenges of 2020

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Owning a small business has always been a lot to handle, and as with most things in the year of 2020, it’s now even more difficult.

The NECC Observer had a chance to speak with the owners of three prominent small businesses in the Haverhill: The Comic Book Palace, Wicked Big Cafe, and The Yoga Tree.

Owned by Glenn O’Leary, The Comic Book Palace is a small comic store that sells a variety of graphic novels, superhero comics, trading cards, sports cards, and collectibles. As of now, the store is open Wednesday through Saturday, and according to O’Leary, maintaining the store has gotten easier since the lockdown.

“In business, everyday, there’s something popping up that makes you have to change and react from time to time, and that was a huge thing for everybody. Unfortunately though, some people couldn’t come back from it. I was fortunate that I have a great group of customers that have supported me through the shutdown, and even after the shutdown.” says O’Leary, when asked about the pandemic/lockdown being an obstacle vs being an adjustment since March.

O’Leary has also taken the steps needed to ensure the safety of his customers.

That means, keeping the store clean, washing bookshelves, and of course, requiring everyone to wear a mask at all times.

I asked O’Leary about this part of owning the store in a time like this, “Before I even reopened, I took books off of the shelves, I washed down the shelves, I washed the backs of shelves, which you never even think of washing because they’re always full with something.” he said.

The Comic Book Palace has also received lots of support throughout the pandemic, “When we were first shutdown, I had bunch of customers come in and just buy gift certificates.” says O’Leary. The Comic Book Palace is located at 620 Primrose Street in Haverhill.

Wicked Big Cafe is a coffee shop in Downtown Haverhill. Owned by Mohamed Machkour, it serves lots of pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and a wide variety of hot drinks and cold drinks.

When asked about the difficulties of the pandemic, Machkour pointed out that the shutdown was a “messy interruption to the business” and that “there aren’t enough customers and sales to sustain the business but even the loyal customers’ buying power has diminished due to the stagnant economy.”

Employees wearing a mask and gloves, and customers wearing masks, have been a must for places like this. Machkour pointed out, “We also installed glass barriers between us the customers.”

The city of Haverhill has been very supportive in terms of restaurants and places like Wicked Big Cafe, “The Mayor also was helpful by pushing the outside dining and provided the barricades to extend the sidewalks.” Wicked Big Cafe is located at 19 Essex Street in Haverhill.

The Yoga Tree is a yoga studio in downtown Haverhill. Owned by Ally Vallieres, it offers a wide variety of yoga classes daily, as well as workshops like prenatal yoga, and yoga nidra classes.

During the shutdown, Ally and the other yoga teachers at the studio moved all classes and activities online, and it was working out very well at the time.

However, at this point, when most businesses (including The Yoga Tree) are open in person, the pandemic has taken its toll. “It’s definitely an adjustment. We have had to turn our entire business model around since Covid happened, and it’s actually gotten harder as the time has gone on, because of the limitations that have been placed on the studio, to follow the state guidelines.” says Vallieres when asked about the difficulties of the pandemic that the studio has faced.

The Yoga Tree has had to cut down its capacity per class from 40 people to 9 people. Vallieres has done a terrific job ensuring the safety of both her yoga students, and teachers. When asked about this, she said, “We’ve installed plastic barriers between spots that are spaced less than fourteen feet apart, and all of our spots are spaced at least six feet apart… We require Covid-19 screenings before anyone even steps foot into the studio, our teachers do a Covid-19 screening, and they also get a temperature check before they step into the studio. Our cleaning protocols have enhanced hugely, and we are doing a full cleaning of the studio, in between every single class that happens.”

Like others, The Yoga Tree is a business that has received lots of support throughout the pandemic.

When asked what the most helpful support has been throughout the pandemic, Vallieres said. “For me, the most important thing has been the amount of our students and our teacher who have just reached out letting us know that we’re doing a good job and that they feel safe here… I think the hardest part of this has been the mental and emotional toll that its taken on everyone, from our staff to our clients, and in addition to the business aspect of things, the amount of emotional support that I’ve seen in the community has been tremendous, and has meant the world to me.” The Yoga Tree is located at 90 Washington Street in Haverhill.

The Comic Book Palace can be found on Facebook, The Yoga Tree can be found on theyogatreestudio.com, and Wicked Big Cafe can be found on wickedbigcafe.net.

These three businesses have been amazing to their customers throughout the pandemic, and now it’s time to give back.

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MAICEI program sets up students with disabilities for success

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There are many ways for students to access the Northern Essex Community College, whether its as a full-time student, a part-time student, or an Early College Student but there is one program that never gets mentioned and that is the MAICEI program.

The Massachusetts Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment Initiative (MAICEI) program is a partnership of Massachusetts public two and four year colleges and universities with local school districts to support students with intellectual disabilities or autism spectrum disorders to become students on the college campus and participate in an individualized inclusionary experience. The students are dually enrolled in their public-school district and at the college.

There are many benefits to being enrolled in the MAICEI Program. “The program supports student choice for audit or credit classes, work internships when possible and also Peer Mentorship, if the student is interested,” says Theresa Yurewicz, the MAICEI program coordinator at NECC.  Students are full members on the NECC campus and may fully participate as students in or around campus.

The process to get into the MAICEI program is one that requires a lot of steps, so anyone who wants to participate must be ready to put in the hard work.

“First and foremost, the student should talk to their Educational Team at their high school or Transition program and express their interest in the program. The student’s team can and will help them guide the interested student’s possible application to the program,” Yurewicz continues. The MAICEI program currently has a formal MAICEI program partnership with the following local school districts: Andover, Georgetown, Haverhill, Lawrence, Methuen, Newburyport, North Andover, and Triton Regional.

“We hope to add additional school districts in the future,” Yurewicz says.

The MAICEI program is a Massachusetts state budget funded grant program. Each year, NECC applies to continue its grant program. NECC has been a part of the MAICEI program since 2015.

The MAICEI program has had an incredibly positive impact on everyone who has been involved in it.

“I have been in the program for two years, haven taken three classes, and I have felt both supported in it and have had fun while in the program,” said Glen Middleton Cox, a NECC student who participates in the program. “The people in the program have treated me with good respect and helped me pick good classes. They made me feel comfortable at the college and helped me make friends. They made me feel great inside.”

“I have been in the MAICEI Program for two years. I`m currently taking two classes, as I was able to advocate to take more than one class per semester. I think it`s been a positive experience, as I get to take classes for college credits,” says William Parker,  a NECC student who also participates in the program.

“The accommodations in the MAICEI program are great and if I could give one piece of advice to students who are interested in this, I would use them,” Parker says.

The impact of the MAICEI program has been felt through the NECC community as well.

“The MAICEI program at NECC is a wonderful opportunity for students to experience college with their peers while still getting support in their courses and around the campus,” says Jillian Knox, Learning Accommodations Liaison for the MAICEI program and Disability Services Specialist in the Learning Accommodation Center.

“The college has received a great deal of positive feedback from NECC staff and faculty, our public-school partners, students, parents, community partners, and the entire NECC community,” Knox says.

The MAICEI program also offers a way for students who are not involved with the program to be in it as well through the Peer Mentorship program. This program offers students the chance to be paired with a student in the program and offer them help with all aspects of college life.

To learn more about the MAICEI program or the Peer Mentorship program, please either visit this website: https://www.necc.mass.edu/succeed/academic-support-services/learning-accommodations/ma-inclusive-concurrent-enrollment-initiative-maicei-program/#coaches-mentors or contact Theresa Yurewicz whose information is below.

Theresa Yurewicz

MAICEI Program Coordinator

Learning Accommodations Center

Behrakis One-Stop Student Services Center, SC-111

Telephone:978-556-3646

Email: tyurewicz@necc.mass.edu

Arts and Entertainment, Opinion

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity Review

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Fans of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild have been anxiously waiting for a sequel ever since it was released in 2017. While it looks like we still have at least a couple of years more, Nintendo did surprise fans this past September by announcing a prequel game arriving just in time for the holiday shopping season. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity takes place one hundred years before Breath of the Wild and expands the lore about how the four champions were chosen and the rise of Calamity Ganon. Instead of adopting the open-world exploration of Breath of the Wild, however, it uses gameplay from Hyrule Warriors, making for a fun, but unexpected experience.

The game opens as Hyrule Castle is under attack from the resurrected Calamity Ganon and the ancient Guardians are laying waste to Hyrule. A tiny, never before seen Guardian, which has been dubbed the Diminutive Guardian, sees the destruction and opens a portal to travel back in time before the castle’s destruction. The Diminutive Guardian makes contact with Link and Zelda at the beginning of the Age of Calamity as a group of monsters attack the castle. The game shows us the events leading up to Calamity Ganon’s resurrection. The story is simple enough, but I have a feeling fans will be divided over the Diminutive Guardian and the time travel elements of the story. My best advice is to not rush to any snap judgments and play the game’s main story before you decide if this works or not. Although I do have a feeling that Nintendo will start marketing the Diminutive Guardian the same way Star Wars markets Baby Yoda and Marvel markets Baby Groot.

Following the gameplay style of Hyrule Warriors, Age of Calamity is a hack and slash game that largely ditches Breath of the Wild’s exploration and puzzles. Instead of a large, open world, each stage is confined to one map with limited paths where you’ll encounter hoards of enemies from Breath of the Wild like bokoblins and lizalfos. You’ll even take on Master Kohga and the evil Yiga Clan, as well as face boss monsters like Lynels and Hinoxes. Boss characters don’t require much strategy aside from carefully timed dodging of their attacks in order to open their weak point gauges and start really pounding on them. While the game is largely focused on combat, there is still a small amount of exploration that can be done. Each stage has Koroks, weapons and treasure chests to discover, just as you could find in Breath of the Wild. While it’s not immediately clear what finding Koroks does in this game, as the story progresses, you find out just how useful these little guys are.

The further into the game you get, the more playable characters you can unlock. There are subtle but noticeable differences in the way each character handles, too. Mipha isn’t very strong until you level her up quite a bit, but she’s fast and her special moves replenish health as well as damaging enemies. Daruk is an absolute tank but he’s slow. Urbosa is great for taking out large groups with her lightning attacks. And Revali can take to the sky and shower foes with a barrage of arrows. I wouldn’t say any character is really better than others, but each one has his or her own strengths and weaknesses, so players’ favorites will depend on their own preferences in terms of playstyle. There are even moments where you can pilot the Divine Beasts. These things are enormous and a bit cumbersome but their attacks are devastating and great for causing a little bit of destruction.

In Hyrule Warriors, there was a main campaign story mode and a series of adventure maps containing optional side quests. In Age of Calamity, everything exists on one primary map, making it easier for players to deviate from the main quest if they want to take on side missions or earn new weapons and items. These side missions are where you’ll acquire new cooking recipes, learn combos, and attain better items and weapons. Just like in Hyrule Warriors, you can fuse weapons to gether and enhance their stats, but unlike Breath of the Wild, your weapons won’t break! And yes, cooking returns in Age of Calamity, but it’s handled much differently. Instead of tossing a bunch of foods into a pot and hoping for the best, you’ll learn various recipes and at the start of each mission, you’re given an option to cook a dish that will enhance certain stats for the mission, such as increasing how much experience you can gain or decreasing how much damage you take from enemies. Some of these side missions are as simple as collecting a set number of ingredients and bringing them to a designated location, while others are short combat missions where you have to do things like capture outposts or defeat a certain number of enemies in a given time limit. Just to make sure things don’t get too boring, a lot of these missions have specific handicaps like only letting you use certain characters or weapons, so if you haven’t been leveling everyone up, you may have a tough time!

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is exactly what you’ll expect if you’re a longtime fan of the Legend of Zelda series. It’s the story and lore of Breath of the Wild mixed with the fast, action-heavy gameplay of Hyrule Warriors. Is it going to appeal to everyone? No. But this is one of the best new action games I’ve played all year and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

Campus Life, Uncategorized

College students are coming home for the holidays, and some are not happy about it

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As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, college campuses are preparing to send students home for the winter. Many Massachusetts colleges are already primarily online, but plan to transfer to remote learning after Thanksgiving.

College students will stay home and complete their courses online until the second semester starting in February.

A lot of college students are not happy about coming home for the winter. Some are even planning on cheating the system and returning to their college towns after Thanksgiving break.

One student, Ashley Thistlewood, from Plymouth State University said “I’m going to stay home for a bit, but then I think I’m going to live [in New Hampshire] for most of break because I have a job here.”

A lot of students have adjusted to life in these college areas, and do not want COVID-19 to ruin it for them.

Sending college students home was just one of the plans enforced in order to keep communities in Massachusetts safe.

Charlie Baker, governor of Massachusetts, released a statement with many guidelines for the upcoming months. Some of these regulations are a stay at home order from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., along with restaurants and other establishments ordered to close by 9:30 p.m. every night.

With the COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts being over 200,000 as of the fourth week of November, colleges are doing all they can to keep students safe.

Traveling is extremely dangerous during this time, but campuses are giving students time to quarantine in between traveling.

 

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NECC Career Center helps students connect with job opportunities

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At a time where job hunting is difficult and many students are trying to explore ways to pay off their tuition, students are in a search for the best job opportunities possible.

Before the Fall semester, many students at NECC had part time jobs to pay off personal luxury, debts, etc.

Now, due to the life-changing pandemic as well as in need of a bigger opportunity, students’ plans have changed significantly.

At NECC, handshake.com is the focal point of job hunting where it is a website that helps students with deciding what they want to do to help pay for their college, pay for books, food, and many other personal needs.

Noreen Fantasia, a Career Center Coordinator, is someone that helps many students out who don’t know how they want to pay off their debts or what to do, and is one of many coordinators at NECC.

“Handshake is our new career management tool and acts as an online job board. It is a platform that allows students to take their first steps into finding a career,” says Fantasia.

“Every student at the college has an account on Handshake. Students will log on using their MyNECC credentials. The Handshake tab is located on MyNECC or a student can go to join handshake.com. Once on Handshake, students have the option to create a profile, upload a resume, search for a job or attend an event such as the hiring fairs.”

As Fantasia said, you can search for either a job or attend hiring/job fairs that the Caree rCoordinators hold to discuss with students about potential hirings.

“The Health Science Virtual Hiring Event was one of three hiring events Career Services offered in October and November,” ssays Fantasia. “By utilizing Handshake, we were able to offer these online events that during normal times would be offered on campus, in person. Like an in-person event, employers who are interested in hiring NECC students and alumni sign up to attend the event.”

Every month, Career Coordinators hold events where students that take an interest in a certain role attend —  they’ve held events including Business and Accounting, STEM, and The HealthScience Virtual Hiring Event in particular.

“By offering these events, especially during remote school, they allow students to engage with companies who would in normal times visit our campus to recruit students. These events are a great chance for students to learn how to communicate with companies and to highlight all they have to offer as well as get hired!” Fantasia continues.

The job surfaces around NECC’s Career Center, as Fantasia states, is a great way to help students decide what they currently like to do, but it also specifically helps students connect with their companies and their peers, which helps with communication in the work life.

The Career Navigation Tools which the Coordinators provide is one of the first elements thatstudents are informed on once enrolling into NECC, and Fantasia says that the main goal for theCoordinators is for students not to feel too pressured about making career decisions.

“The Career Services staff is here to assist any students with their career needs such as resumes,cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, and mock interviews. The best way to make an appointment isusing Navigate. We hope every student will log on to join Handshake.com and create a profile! It is a great site and a powerful online tool to start your career search.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Respiratory care professor, residents react to new COVID rules

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As Massachusetts COVID-19 cases rise, Governor Baker imposed a curfew and updated mask mandate as of Nov. 6.

The Department of Public Health made a statement on their website saying, “The Commonwealth’s COVID-19 related hospitalizations and COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) census have more than doubled over the past 2 months. Social gatherings are contributing to these increases. Left unchecked, the current COVID-19 case growth poses a risk to our healthcare system. Intervention is warranted to moderate case growth and preserve hospital capacity. It’s more important than ever to follow guidance from local, state, and federal officials on how to stop the spread of the virus.”

Donald Bellerive, a professor of Respiratory Care at NECC, said in an email conversation: “COVID is in charge, and while we may be tired of COVID, it is not tired of us. Lawrence has spent 12 weeks in the Red Zone as cases continue to rise not only here, but across the country.  Mayor Dan Rivera has issued an Emergency Order that is essential to saving lives confronting this extreme rise in person to person transmission. Many of my colleagues at UMass work in the COVID Unit and experience the pain, suffering & grief horrified by how this virus takes lives of all ages. There are faces to every COVID case that is unmatched in scale to anything we have ever seen. We can adjust to simple non-invasive interventions like curfews, a mask mandate and keeping our gatherings to 10 folks or less to mitigate the outbreak and reduce critical illness. We can be smart; it is painless and easy to keep ourselves and our families safe by doing the right thing which is what our students support every day.”

Elvis Acosta, a Lawrence resident and former NECC student, said in a conversation, “Personally I feel that another lockdown is way overdue. Lawrence has been in the red zone for more than 10 weeks; the cases just keep coming. I have noticed so many people do not take the fact that they must wear masks seriously, especially in fast food places and retail stores. A curfew can happen if we have a full lockdown, public places cannot remain open if the state expects everyone to make it home by 10 pm.”

Keva Samataro, a registered nurse who works at Lawrence General Hospital, shared her opinions, “My opinion as a nurse is that we should be wearing the masks to protect ourselves from those that refuse the masks. The 10pm curfew is something that I do not agree with. I mean does COVID-19 NOT come out before 10pm?! It is just going to make those people who break the rules more apt to have parties in their homes after 10pm. I think no large groups and safe face coverings is best, and hand washing, hand washing, hand washing.”

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Residents share thoughts on governor’s recent COVID regulations

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The state of Massachusetts has been hit hard with the Covid virus, so there’s no surprise some new regulations have been put in place.

Recently on November 6th, Gov. Charlie Baker put in new regulations where everyone over the age of 5 has to wear a mask in all public places, with those having medical conditions or disabilities being exempt from the rule. Baker also put in a rule stating  all residents have to be at their homes from 10pm to 5am, unless someone is at work, running important errands, or taking a walk.

Public gatherings have also been limited to 10 indoors and 25 outdoors, those who do not follow are subjected to being fined.

These regulations have brought some mixed reviews from the general public. Some are fine with it, while others not so much.

“It has no effect on me,” said Gabriel DeJesus, NECC student. “With Covid and stuff, there’s not much to do anyways, and it will  make things safer with the mask regulation.”

“The limit on public gatherings might also help with the recent spike of cases in Massachusetts, but we’ll see how much it will truly help” said deJesus, who does have his doubts about the gathering law.

Others though do not agree with the curfew law and have their questions about it. CJ Leblanc was one of those people.

“ I will still follow the mask laws and curfew regulations the best I can, but I don’t get the curfew order.” Leblanc said.

“Covid is not some sort of nocturnal disease, it doesn’t only come out at night, you’re just as much at risk at day time as you are at night time,” Leblanc said.

Some people will be fine with these regulations, while others do have their questions.

The public will just have to wait and see whether or not the spike in cases in Massachusetts will decrease with Baker’s new regulations, or if it will have no effect.