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Power Rangers actor David Yost: In his own words

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David Yost is best known for his role as Billy Cranston, the Blue Ranger, on the hit television show, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, as well as the major motion picture, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie. He played the role longer than any of the other original actors, playing Billy for three seasons of the show, and continuing the role into its second iteration, Power Rangers Zeo. While it’s been many years since he donned the blue tights, he remains a legend in the Power Rangers community. These days, he splits his time between acting, producing, writing, and entrepreneurship. But it hasn’t always been an easy road. I recently had the opportunity to speak with David about his career and his post-Power Rangers life.

“Ever since I was seven years old, I always wanted to be an actor more than anything,” Yost says fondly. In a second grade talent show, David played Dopey in a production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. “I was left onstage by myself singing and kind of being goofy, acting like Dopey and I just remember the entire school, like, laughing at me, laughing at what I was doing as Dopey and just having an ah-ha moment of like ‘Oh wow, this is really fun. This is what I want to do.’ So, from that moment on I just always did every school play I could.”

It was around that same time that Yost’s parents enrolled their hyperactive son in gymnastics at the advice of a teacher. While he showed a proclivity for the sport, acting was his true passion. “My parents would pay thousands of dollars for me to go to private gymnastics schools. So I’d go to school and after school, I’d get on the bus and I’d go downtown to where my gymnastics center was. I was supposed to be going to gymnastics practice, but often, touring companies would come through the town that I lived in doing plays and musicals, so I would skip my gymnastics practices and I would go and I would audition, without my parents knowing, for these plays, and often I would get a role. So my parents would find out much later in the process that I wasn’t going to gymnastics, that I was going to play rehearsal instead. So, I’d get in a little bit of trouble because they would spend so much money to keep me in gymnastics.”

Yost continued working in gymnastics, competing in national competitions while also pursuing an acting career. His big break came when he auditioned for an upcoming superhero show that would combine stock footage from the Japanese Super Sentai series with American-shot footage. This blended show would go on to become Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. “I guess what was something fortuitous for me is that when Power Rangers came along, it kind of melded something I was good at, as a gymnast, and also my passion as an actor. It kind of put the two together and it was a great job for me because I was getting to do two things: one that I really loved and another that I was really good at.” In 1993, the show debuted and became an instant hit. Yost, along with castmates Austin St. John, Thuy Trang, Amy Jo Johnson, and Walter Jones became idols for their young fans.

The legacy and the impact of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers can still be felt today, and it’s something that Yost feels honored to be part of. “I hear so many stories on social media every day, but if I’m going to comic cons, every kid has something positive to say about Power Rangers and how Power Rangers influenced their life in ways that I, and I know the original cast, could never have predicted or even thought about. Knowing that Walter Jones was a black superhero, that meant so much to African Americans and black people, not only in the United States, but around the world. And same with Thuy. She was Vietnamese. She has an amazing story of being a refugee from Vietnam. But for Asian children to see an Asian representation as a superhero, and not only an Asian superhero, but a female superhero is awesome. And to see Amy Jo and Thuy as women that could hold their own and be superheroes along with the guys, that gave so much confidence to women. So for us, we couldn’t really understand all that, but to know that those kind of things were going on in people’s lives, that’s really awesome.”

Despite the success of Power Rangers, Yost was privately suffering. “For me, where we were at a point in American history in the 90’s, it was still very difficult to be a gay person, and that’s what I was struggling with. I always knew that I was gay but it’s just something that I thought that I didn’t have to pay attention to or it didn’t need to affect me. But I was hiding it, pretending not to be gay, doing everything in my power, like ‘praying the gay away’, as they say, and I was really at that time, during Zeo, suicidal. And so, it was really kind of a scary situation for me. There were several, at least three days for sure, I mean, I came home, and just really…just really struggled and really came very close to ending my life. And just crying, and being up all night crying and then having to go to work the next day and try to act like everything’s okay.”

Rumors and discussions about his sexuality and its potential negative impact on the show added to his stress, pushing him to feel more isolated. “To have people say certain things about you when you just want to go to work and do your job, and it’s a job that you love doing because you’re getting to fulfill your childhood dream of being a working actor, and something that I had dreamed about forever. I moved to Hollywood, making it in the industry, and here I am, I’m living it. But because of this little part of me doesn’t affect anybody…the fact that I’m gay is somehow a bad thing.” He goes on to explain, “To have that kind of pressure put on me, being told that I’m the reason this show could potentially get cancelled, be ruined, it’s really disheartening. So that was my breaking point because those messages just kept coming at me and I just didn’t know how to deal with it.” Feeling like he had nowhere to turn for assistance, Yost chose to leave production of Power Rangers Zeo and never returned, “For my sanity, for my life, I just had to walk away.”

The following years were challenging for Yost trying to come to terms with his sexuality. Having been raised in a religious family, he attempted to cure what some told him was a “disease” through prayer. He voluntarily entered into conversion therapy but suffered from an internal tug of war which led to him coming close to a nervous breakdown. Knowing he needed help, Yost checked himself into a hospital. “I remember the first night in the hospital, and I was just like, ‘God, I swear I’ll be gay if you just get me through this.’ So you know, that night was the night of having to start accepting who I was. And it wasn’t an easy road for me. Some people say when they finally admit that they’re gay and they really come to this realization, it’s like a weight is lifted off them. I never had that experience, and maybe it’s because when I went into the hospital, and I describe it as my mind imploding, I had to start putting the pieces back together. And that took me years and years and years.”

While it did take years, Yost eventually reached a place where he could not only embrace his sexuality and speak about it openly. “In 2010, we just saw such an uptick of teenagers and young people committing suicide because they were gay and because they were being bullied, or teased, or being told ‘You’re against God’ and all that kind of stuff. So, I just felt that it was important for me just to step forward and say ‘Hey, I know what you’re going through. And I want you to know that you’re okay as you are. You are as God created you and there’s nothing wrong with you. I want you to be strong. I need you to be strong. And I know you can get through this’.” So that was sort of the opening for me to come forward and tell what I had been through, just to hopefully also help people avoid putting their children through what I went through. Or people doing like how I did. I did it to myself. It wasn’t my parents saying ‘you have to go do this’. It was me, David, saying ‘you have to do this.’ So, I just really wanted people to know that ‘you can get through this.’”

Since coming out, Yost has participated in the NOH8 Campaign, as well as working with other organizations such as the AIDS Project Los Angeles and The Children’s Hospitals AIDS Center, as well as raising awareness for organizations such as The Trevor Project, Project Angel Food and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. His activism and openness have touched countless fans, which he speaks about very humbly. “Every day, and that’s not a lie or an exaggeration, every day I get at least one message on one of my social media sites talking about ‘thank you so much for sharing your story. You helped me. You helped my brother. You helped me explain it to my parents.’ I’m so grateful for those kinds of messages and just knowing that I have not only helped myself by telling my story, but I’m able to give people confidence to be themselves.”

In 2016, David entered a new business realm when he teamed up with Cris Andrade and Mason Andrade to start Affirmative Clothing Company. The term “Affirmative” is a reference to Yost’s Power Rangers character, who frequently said “affirmative” when agreeing with people. “I said, ‘If we’re going to do this, I really want it to mean something to people and I want there to be a message behind the company.’ And so, I just came up with ‘Embrace who you are. Believe in who you are. Affirm who you are.’ So that’s sort of the mindset of Affirmative Clothing Company.” Aside from clothes, the company has also begun selling items such as face masks, tumblers, hats, and other items. Yost says, “It’s been a fun thing to have. It’s been extremely successful. I’ve been very lucky that so many fans of Power Rangers have embraced it, gotten behind it, and supported it.”

While he has never returned to the Power Rangers television show, Yost hasn’t completely left it behind. In 2019, he worked with actor Noah Baron on the YouTube mini-series, Life After Power Rangers, playing Max, a casting agent working with Baron’s Green Ranger. “The thing that I remember liking was him on one of those electric scooters in the Green Ranger costume going down Melrose Boulevard in Los Angeles, and I just thought, ‘Oh my God, this guy’s hilarious.’” Yost and Baron got in touch through social media and Yost offered to appear as a cameo, which Baron happily accepted. “It was so much fun, and I just thought he did such a good job. It’s all improvised. It’s not written or anything like that. It was a good time.”

Yost is also working on trying to reunite the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers cast. “I don’t know how this is going to pan out, or if it’s going to work or not going to work, but I’ve really been focusing on writing a reunion because the original cast is coming up on our thirty year reunion in a couple years. We didn’t get a twenty-five-year reunion, and it’s a request that I get, and I know the original cast get every day.” While no deals or contracts have been signed, David is hopeful that he will be able to work with Hasbro, the company that recently acquired the rights to the Power Rangers franchise, to reunite and honor the original cast. Time will tell if something comes to fruition.

David Yost’s personal and professional journey has had numerous ups and downs. He’s overcome deep personal struggles and managed to find the strength to not only help himself, but to help and inspire others. Billy Cranston may have been given superpowers, but in many ways, David Yost is the real hero to so many.

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NECC hosts town hall for students to hear more about plans for spring semester

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There have been many questions surrounding what the rest of the school year will look like for Northern Essex students and staff.

In order to answer some of these questions and clarify what the future looks like for the college, a remote student town hall was held on Nov. 10.

The meeting was held by the Director of Student Success management, Audrey Ellis, and NECC VP, Bill Heineman. When speaking about the decision to make classes fully remote this fall, Heineman said “the decision to go online, was a decision that would give you certainty about how the fall was going to go as well as is meant to protect your health,” as many students stated that the disruption that occurred last spring was the most challenging aspect of the semester.

By making classes fully remote throughout the current semester both students and staff were able to plan accordingly and didn’t have to worry about their schedules changing.

However, this did provide a large shift in the way most professors and staff would run their classes/ operations.

The process of building online classes is tedious and time consuming, and because of COVID-19 the time was shortened from about 9 months of preparation to a mere 2.

With the end of the first fully remote semester at NECC approaching, it’s important to note that “student ambassadors are still available for [studets],” according to Ellis.

They are able to help with the inner workings of current classes, preparation for finals, and to help guide students through the rest of this trying school year.

What seems to be the most commonly asked question right now is “what will the upcoming Spring semester at NECC look like?”

Heineman answered this question, stating that “[he] really recognize[s] that there’s a lot of value in classmates getting together and instructors and students being together at the same time.”

This past Fall was fully remote and asynchronous because students weren’t given enough time to weigh their options, but since there is more time to plan for the coming Spring semester they have “been encouraging faculty to to put those elements into the course,” speaking about scheduled zoom meetings.

As of now, Spring classes will still be held online but there is the hope that professors will try to dedicate certain times for classes to meet remotely once or twice a week.

Of course, these interactions will differ depending on both the type of course and the professor. There is a lot that goes into these decisions, as they affect the lives of thousands of students and staff members.

Ellis stated that the administration tries their “best to decide as early as possible, so [the] students have ample time to prepare.”

Heineman also spoke on this topic, saying “The decision for fall was driven by multiple factors,” such as government guidelines, health expert predictions, and the health and comfort of students and staff.

He also made sure to stress that “the health and safety of [the] students and employees was the first priority.”

Ellis said her “role is unique in that [she] get[s] to adapt [her] work to really keep the students’ experience is the top priority,” which is why she helped create the student ambassadors program to help students out during this unconventional year.

Since there has been a lot going on in the world recently, Ellis wants all students to feel comfortable contacting her (aellis@necc.mass.edu) or the student ambassadors (studentambassadors@necc.mass.edu) if they need any help.

Lastly, if any students have feedback surrounding the recent changes due to COVID-19 they shouldn’t hesitate to send an email to expectmore@necc.mass.edu.

News, Slider

How NECC students are feeling about the 2020 election results

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Millions nationwide have anxiously awaited and anticipated the final deliberations of the 2020 presidential election between current President Donald Trump and Former Vice President Joe Biden. As the last ballots were finally counted, Biden and his Vice President elect Kamala Harris were officially announced the new leaders of America for the upcoming term of 2021. After speaking with many NECC students about the concluding results and aftermath of the election, most remain hopeful for the future of this country.

Victoria Martinez, 19, a health major from Haverhill, explained how despite her not being a very political person, she did have hope for Biden and Harris to win the election — surprised that they actually did. She continued to explain that as she still does not expect for much change to occur during this upcoming term, she is hopeful that things will change eventually — especially concerning the recent, on-going social and political justice issues in America.

When asked about her feelings regarding Harris becoming the first African American woman Vice President, she explained that “Having a woman of color in office could bring much peace for Women’s Rights and racial equality.” She stated, “I think she’s [Harris] a really good influence for women—especially of women mixed-race. If Biden doesn’t do anything for America, Kamala will.”

Jeremy Isabelle, 20, a journalism and communications major from Haverhill, stated “This was the first election I was eligible to vote in. I thought it was my civic duty to try to inspire the change in the country that I wished to see.”

When asked about his wishes for the future of America, he explained that he’d like to see “A revaluation of the immigration system in this country and a thoughtful reconstruction of the Supreme Court — so that it doesn’t always dominate one political party’s agenda.”

Isabelle also desires a socialized healthcare system, because “It has been proven to work in other countries that are not entirely socialist states.”

When asked about which social/political problem he would change or fix in America if he could choose any, Isabelle explained, “I would probably change the healthcare or education system. I feel like both healthcare and education prices are at exorbitant rates. Both strike home for me because I have celiac disease and also wish to raise a child in a system that doesn’t view education as a commodity.”

Isa Grullon, 34, a journalism and communications major from Lawrence, said that although she believed Biden would win, she was “flabbergasted at how many people voted for Trump.”

When asked whom she would personally choose, living or dead, to be the next president of the United States, she decided on Trevor Noah — a famous South African comedian and political commentator. She explained, “I enjoy his sense of humor and view on life. His perspective is very thoughtful, and his zodiac sign is a cancer.”

The Presidential Election of 2020 was, and still is, a highly controversial topic and source of much debate and discontent for most. However, as the new year quickly approaches, many NECC students seem pleased with the results of this year’s election and the elected future leaders of our country.

Martinez, Isabelle, and Grullon all remain encouraged and optimistic for a major change that will positively impact the future of American citizens — potentially beginning with Biden and Harris.

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America in the aftermath: Unpacking the outcome of the 2020 election

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The 2020 election finally came to an end on Nov. 7, four days after Election Day. It was called by the Associated Press, and all other large election desks. Needless to say, the buildup to the final result was extremely intense. In the end, it came down to a few states, mainly Nevada, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, and North Carolina. Going off of the Associated Press, Former Vice President Biden managed to flip Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan, and Wisconsin, which led him to victory. He and Kamala Harris are now the President elect and the Vice President elect respectively.

After the election was called, people all over the country took to the streets in celebration. Supporters of incumbent President Donald Trump were not so happy, however.

Since the beginning of the election, Trump has been warning about voter fraud. So, after the election was called in favor of Biden, he continued to dispute the results, and still has yet to concede.

He and his campaign are arguing that the election was fraudulent and corrupt, despite there being no obvious evidence of this.

Even so, many Republican officials are agreeing with President Trump. Trump has filed lawsuits in many of the states where Biden won and there is a recount in the state of Georgia, which Biden pulled ahead in. A Biden lead in Georgia, albeit small, was and is quite shocking, as the state has remained red, but the flipping to blue is not necessarily a result of voter fraud. In fact, it can probably be attributed to people like Stacy Abrams, who rallied and encouraged everyone to vote, and dedicated their time to this important cause.

Both Stephen Russell and Nancy Montello felt voting was extremely important for everyone, and they are happy to see that it paid off.

Nancy Montello, who is 71 years old as of today, from West Newbury, was relieved when the election was finally called. She felt like a weight was lifted off of her shoulders.

“I felt happy and joyous,” She said. “And now I feel hopeful for the country. I think we have a chance to rebuild ourselves, and to become better.”

Montello admits that she did not follow state to state results. She was worried about what the outcome would be, so she decided to step back from the computer and the T.V. She was shocked by Trump’s claims of voter fraud, and of his refusal to concede.

“I absolutely agree with the outcome of the election.” Montello said. “I think the only reason Trump is undermining the results is so he can feel better about himself and the mess he has made.”

Montello is still a bit apprehensive of what Trump will do with the time he remains in office.

“I’m afraid he will push for negative changes during the next two months,” she admits. “He’s technically not out of office until January.”

Montello was surprised that Biden did not win by a bigger margin. It shocked her that so many people still supported Trump, despite his abrasiveness and narcissistic tendencies. She did understand that many people had only voted for Biden because he wasn’t Trump.

“They didn’t necessarily think he was the best candidate,” she said. “They just thought he was the better of the two. People weren’t extremely excited about him, but they did pull together.”

The average Trump voter is still a mystery to her. Montello does not understand what continues to draw people to Trump. She just knows that somehow people continue to believe in him, and he manages to get them to come out and vote.

Professor Stephen Russell, from NECC, had been worried about the potential outcome. He followed the election closely, and had been stressed out about what another four years of Trump could do to the country.

“I was skeptical of the polls that predicted a Biden victory,” he said. “ I was following the election pretty closely. I was surprised that Biden won. I was especially surprised about Georgia and Arizona.”

Russell believes the election was fair and just, was run in an extremely professional way, more so than any other election until now.

“Trump’s claims of fraud are totally incorrect.” Russell disputes. “His supporters are using this to get his base excited about the Senate run-off in Georgia. Trump himself is fantasizing and looking for a way out of debt and criminal persecution.”

Russell is unsure if the election proves that American citizens can come together. In fact, he sees the election as proving that the two sides are able to obtain lots of support by pulling away from each other and going in opposite directions. To Russell, the fact that Trump is able to pull so many is an ode to the fact that many people are distrustful of Democrats and liberals in general. These supporters really believe that under Biden, things will be worse for them. They believe Biden will not pay attention to what they find important.

Montello also believes that this election highlighted the widening divide in our country, rather than show how we can come together.

“Trump still has a big following despite what he has done. People still support him. It shows what people are willing to disregard.” Montello said. “Our country is still divided.”

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Teaching during COVID

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Coronavirus has been raging on for a while and most schools have been closed down since March. With 11 million confirmed cases in the United States and with an average of roughly 150,000 cases a day it is perfectly reasonable to assume that classes will continue to be online for the foreseeable future. Obviously, remote learning can be a big shift, especially when teachers have never taught in or are unfamiliar with the online format.

Three teachers here at NECC, Professor Mark Reinhold, Professor Stephen Russell, and Professor Stephen Slaner, gave us some insight on what it was like to have to adapt to a new teaching model during the pandemic.

Mark Reinhold has been teaching for 22 years, 16 of which have been at NECC. He teaches a range of science classes, such as geology, physics, and chemistry. Reinhold talked about the struggles of adapting his classes.

Reinhold said, “Adapting to an on-line format last spring on such a short notice was considerably challenging. I am the type of professor that thrives on interacting with my students and adapting my class to the interests of the class based on those interactions.”

Reinhold also cited the biggest challenge for him as a science teacher was having to adapt labs into an online format, “The biggest challenge was probably adapting labs to an on-line format. I have specific labs I like students to do and without doing this face to face, students tend to struggle.”

Stephen Russell has been teaching for 23 years, 17 of which have been at NECC. He teaches history and government classes and has been conducting his U.S History and World Civ classes online. Russell said that the online format was not particularly new for him, as he has been teaching online classes since 2005.

He did however, state that he greatly altered the way he taught classes, specifically U.S History I and II. Russell said, “I considerably revised my U.S. History I and II on-line courses during the summer, partly to accommodate students who had not taken on-line courses before, but also to take into account the turmoil that the U.S. has been going through since the killing of George Floyd, the injustice that the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed and the challenges posed by the Trump movement.”

Stephen Slaner has been teaching for 37 years, 14 of which have been at NECC. He teaches history and government classes, two examples being American Government and Politics and The Vietnam War. Like Stephen Russell, Slaner has also had experience teaching online. He mentioned however that he has never taught completely online before.

Slaner talked about his biggest challenge with the online schooling was keeping students interested, he feels that it is more the stress of being in a worldwide pandemic than the on-line classes that causes students to lose focus. Slaner said, “The main challenge for me is to sustain student interest in the face of the pandemic. I don’t think the online aspect is as much of a problem as the pandemic.”

When talking about the disadvantages and advantages there was some overlap between answers. All three teachers agreed that one such advantage was flexibility.

Reinhold said, “There is a lot more flexibility especially for those who have to juggle jobs, families, and school. Being able to work when it’s convenient for the student is a huge asset.”

Similarly Russell said, “The advantage for the student is convenience. With the asynchronous format adopted by NECC, students can log into the class at their convenience within time frames set by each class.”

Slaner thinks that while the flexibility can be an advantage for students, it can also be a disadvantage for them. He said, “That also is a disadvantage in a way, because if students are unrealistic in their time management, they may fall behind in the course to the point where they drop out.”

This is a very scary time right now and clearly a lot is going on in the world. On-line classes are a change for many people, both student and teacher. However, for students it is important to not get frustrated as most teachers are new to an all on-line format. It is important to maintain good time management and communication.

Campus Life

Students share tips on how to keep your immunity up during finals stress and cold winter months

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Why is self-care imperative for students during the winter of 2020?

A 1982 study from the Ohio State University College of Medicine found that stress weakens the immune system.

Three students recently shared personal tips on how they plan to stay healthy and untroubled while finishing off this fall semester strong.

As the weather changes, students continue their studies, and the holidays are approaching, it is important for everyone to remember to partake in activities that help boost the immune system.

Emmanuel Baez, a freshman at Northern Essex Community College, gave insight largely on how he tries to keep a healthy lifestyle: “I think that the three main things that help me feel my best is a good diet, good exercise, and a good amount of sleep. I drink a lot of water and eat foods that are high in vitamins, I exercise when I can, and even though I can get really busy with school, I think it’s really important to prioritze a healthy sleep schedule.”

He followed this up with the words, “Sleep is really important because it determines the mind-set you’ll have the next morning when you wake up.”

When it comes to health, a healthy diet is not the only thing that contributs to feeling your best. One’s mindset greatly determines their immune system as well. When it comes to Finals week, students may observe that their mindset fluctuates based on their worries due to their schoolwork. According to a study conducted by MentalHelp in 2016, Thirty-one percent of students surveyed said that finals were the biggest source of their stress.

Rose Alvarez, a freshman at Northern Essex Community College, added to this concept of the mind affecting the body due to school related stresses: “Finals week can be difficult for students because there is a lot of work that needs to be done in such a short span of time. I find that meditating before I start my work helps me when I over-analyze or stress for no reason. However, it’s all about finding what works for you and helps you relax best. It could be dancing, singing, drawing, listening to music, yoga, or even just taking a quick break.”

Luis Lopez, a freshman at Middlesex Community College, took a joyful and spirited approach to how he plans to keep calm during finals week: “I think that it’s always good to give yourself something to look forward to when you’re working or studying too much. So, I might do a study session, then reward myself with a treat. Then maybe I’ll complete a couple assignments and afterwards watch a Christmas movie. I might even do a study session through FaceTime if I think that the company will help me.”

Lopez added with ueful advice: “If you find yourself drained or unable to complete your work without constant negative thoughts at the back of your head, then that’s when you need to take the time to recognize that you may need to step back and take a moment of self-care.”

Self-care comes in many forms and it can be either physical or mental. Sometimes, self-care can just be about being honest with yourself or taking time that is exclusively for yourself. Nonetheless, self-care is extremely crucial during the coronavirus pandemic as it can be a dominant factor that keeps a community of people safe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arts and Entertainment, Slider

The futile endeavor: Purchasing Sony’s next gen console

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After years of speculating, months of teasing, and hours of waiting, we finally got an official release date for Sony’s Playstation 5. The Playstation 5 released here in the U.S. on Nov.12, and people have been going crazy. Following the release of its predecessor 7 years later, the Playstaion 5 has already made a massive impact with the world, and to those lucky enough to have had the opportunity to purchase one. I am not one of those people.

I remember being 17, and always keeping up to date on new video games and new consoles that were releasing. I would always check for updates and news articles on multiple websites, to make sure that I didn’t miss anything. Now that I am older (and I mean much older) it seems as I don’t have much time anymore to keep updated on any of those things, so I find out about things late, like the old man that I am.

Although I don’t quite keep up with news regarding video games, I still play video games on my free time. The older I get, the less free time I have, hence why I don’t know anything, about anything anymore.

About a week ago, a friend contacted me saying “Are you planning on purchasing the PS5 ?” Which I responded with “I didn’t even know it was releasing.”

His question sparked excitement inside of me, as I began to remember what it was like to own a gaming console, and what it was like to be excited about a video game again. 7 years ago, I stood in line at a Best Buy until it hit midnight, so I could purchase the Playstation 4.

I was so excited that I thought about doing the same again. I planned to go the night of release to Best Buy again, as I assumed they’d have plenty in stock.

I was wrong.

I called a Best Buy and to my disappointment, they told me that they only have a handful in stock, and there were already people waiting in line outside, rain and all.

I was confused as it was Tuesday, but the console didn’t release until Thursday. In a sad, and tired voice, the Best Buy employee says to me “Yea, they’re going to camp outside until Thursday morning to purchase one.”

My hopes of waiting in line outside for the sake of nostalgia went straight out the window, along with the Best Buy employee’s patience.

My next move was to attempt to purchase it online, as my friend told me that they were going to be releasing them online as well via Target, Walmart, and Best Buy’s website.

I waited until that morning, surprisingly anxious for this release. 2020 has been nothing but stressful, and it felt nice to have something to look forward to.

The morning came and I had my laptop, my phone, my mother’s phone, my mother’s iPad, my girlfriend’s iPad, my girlfriend’s phone, and my girlfriend’s laptop, all open and ready.

Safe to say that I was prepared.

30 seconds into my mission, and I am already starting to lose hope. Best Buy and Walmart’s website weren’t loading at all, and Target’s page was completely frozen. But I refused to give up.

I kept refreshing the page in hopes that something would work, but everything continued frozen. About a minute had gone by now.

Target’s website finally brought me to the page where you can make your selection and add things to your cart. I successfully added the console to my cart, skipping through all of the other offers they try to throw in your face as a last-minute sale.

I do not want protection. I’ll be extra careful.

Seems like my efforts are being rewarded, as I have successfully added the item to my cart, and I am on the “My cart” page where it still shows my item ready to be purchased. I hovered my little white cursor over the “Checkout” box, and I triumphantly clicked it, with a smile on my face.

Nothing happens.

Maybe I didn’t click it hard enough. I clicked it again, waiting for the page to change.

Nothing happens. Again.

I continued to click on that tiny little red box as if my life depended on it. Nothing was changing, and that little box was just staring back at me, refusing to let go of this webpage, as if mocking me.

10 minutes went by, and nothing changed. I go on Twitter, to see if anybody else is having the same issue as me, and to my surprise, the topic is actually trending on Twitter nationwide. Over 15 thousand tweets, regarding the #SonyPS5 .

I decided to read through some of the top tweets, and I was shocked to see that even some of the bigger verified pages were having the same issue. There was anger and frustration all over the country, and it felt nice to not be alone.

About an hour later, Target and other companies alike all went on social media to address their server issues, and they all apologized for the inconveniences.

Apologizing does not get me a new Playstation 5.

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A different kind of Thanksgiving

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As we currently experience an upward trend of new COVID-19 cases, NECC students begin to prepare accordingly with the Mass.gov Safety Guidelines for their Thanksgiving celebrations.

We spoke with NECC students on how their plans have changed for Thanksgiving and if it has affected whether their excitement for the holiday has been greatly altered due to the new set of guidelines in place.

Nisaly Gonzalez, a 22-year-old North Andover resident and fulltime NECC student, typically spends Thanksgiving with a large gathering of family and friends. When asked how COVID-19 is affecting her Thanksgiving plans she had this to say, “Corona has affected my plans by limiting our family gathering to just my parents and my sister.”

Gonzalez also stated that the limitations on their gathering has not diminished the Gonzalez family’s excitement.

Next, we spoke with Robert Smith, a second semester NECC student who typically spends his Thanksgiving with a quaint family gathering at his grandmother’s house.

When asked about his plans for this year, Smith responded, “My Thanksgiving plans this year are to get one of those turkey dinners through the supermarket. It will be the same food, but with less people at my house. I will still call my grandmother and aunt to wish them a Happy Thanksgiving.”

Smith also said he would watch former Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade’s on YouTube to supplement his yearly viewing.

In our final interview we talked to Caitlyn Baker, a 20-year-old NECC transfer student who is usually either working for extra pay on Thanksgiving or at home. When asked whether her plans were changed due to COVID-19, Baker answered back with, “My plans are not going to be changed due to having such a small family.”

Baker had also stated that “I enjoy Thanksgiving, it’s time off from school, extra pay, and time with my actual immediate family, which is hard to find especially since my parents have owned their own business together for 23 years.”

After talking with NECC students and affiliates I realized that people’s plans may have changed, but it does not seem to have subtracted from the excitement for the holiday.

I also noticed that if there was a major change in somebody’s plans, they learned to adapt to the situation at hand and remain excited for Thanksgiving.

Have a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving!

For more information about the Massachusetts guidelines, visit:

Mass.gov Thanksgiving during COVID-19: https://www.mass.gov/news/thanksgiving-during-covid-19

News

Students weigh in on 2020 election

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The election began on Nov. 3, just as it always had. The days following seemed to be longer with emotions running high until finally, a winner was projected on Nov. 7 at 11:26 a.m. That winner being Joe Biden. Many students from NECC watched on.

Erica Shwabe, 22, who is studying the arts at NECC shares what it was like during the election. “I had a lot of anxieties towards it for a while before,” she said via zoom.

As the days passed despite the anxiety her nerves relaxed, she said, stating that she held onto hope.

There was a lot of concern floating about with what a second Trump term could have brought to the USA. Shwabe continued on to say she was concerned about, “Mainly what that would mean for minority groups or the lower income classes.”

Like many others, she was concerned how the coronavirus would be handled under a second Trump term.

She says, “Another thing would be how much longer the virus would last with all the poor handling.”

The election process was also challenging for some, shown by Clara Petry, a 20 year old studying environmental science at NECC.

Petrystates, “It was definitely a challenge to focus on my schoolwork while the election was going on,” via text. The distraction was clear with the ongoing urge to check the results.

Features

Students share how pandemic has affected mental health

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According to a Nov. 11 Boston Globe article, since the pandemic young adults have been experiencing higher rates of depression and other mental health concerns as the COVID-19 pandemic rages forward in the U.S. Some Northern Essex Community College students say they have experienced issues with their mental health as well.

Mariam Saldivar is a student from Northern Essex Community College. Her major is Journalism/communications, and she is from the Dominican Republic and now lives in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Saldivar states how quarantine affected or changed her mental health, saying “The days have started to blur together, and there’s this sense of dread that time is running out. So yeah, it impacted my mental health in a bad way.’’

This is a good example of how most young adults are feeling around this time during this pandemic. Life is an emotional roller coaster. Some days you feel like nothing can stop you, but others can be challenging to our mental well-being.

Ariana MacNeil, a reporter for the Boston Globe wrote in the NOv. 11 article that experts have found that young adults, ages 18 to 24, throughout the country, are experiencing higher rates of major depressive symptoms

Saldivar states what she does to make her feel better, “either write, read, or listen to music.” These strategies are great to use when you feel depressed to uplift your mood. Listening to music especially is a great strategy that helps you feel better if you are sad or feeling down that day.

Young adults have experienced anxiety and depression since being in quarantine. Saldivar said she has “absolutely’’ felt the same way. The Harvard and Northeastern study was a follow-up to one released in May 2020, which saw higher instances of depression that spanned across young adults — depression was up 27 percent compared to in the past, according to the Boston Globe. That’s a high percentage of depression among young people.

Communicating with anybody when you feel sad or lonely like a friend or a family member can help people feel less isolated. Salividar reaches out to others explaining, “yeah, I play video games with my friend. That way we can talk, and we spend lots of time.’’  Having a person there for you to cheer you up is very great as well and surrounding yourself with positive activities as well.

Sleep has a huge impact on mental health, so having a good sleep schedule or sleep habits is important during the pandemic to prevent mental health issues.  Saldivar says, “Yeah, it’s all over the place, I sleep whenever.” Having a good sleep schedule is good and developing good habits is important because it can really affect your body.

Mirroajah Metcalfe is another student from Northern Essex Community College.  Her major in Journalism/Communications. She is from Las Vegas and currently lives in Haverhill, Massachusetts. When asked how the quarantine affected or changed her mental health, Metcalfe stated that she, “became more isolated.’’ Being more isolated is a symptom of worsening mental health. There are easy ways to help isolation such as staying active and setting structure in your life and self-care.

Metcalfe stated ways that have helped her do better in that issue. ”I spent time trying to figure out who I am and learning how to be alone.’’ Spending time with yourself and getting to know who you are is also important.

Experiencing depression and anxiety is common during the quarantine. Metcalfe stated, “Yes I have felt depression sometimes.’’

Most young adults have been struggling with this feeling, especially young women. They are at a higher risk to experience mental health problems.

Communicating with somebody when you feel sad or lonely, like a friend or a family member is helpful. Metcalfe stated, “Yeah I have one best friend, but he lives in another state so it’s always over Facetime, unfortunately, but it’s still nice having someone to call and rant to.” Having a friend to be there for you is great and you feel like you can express yourself too, so that is great for mental health.

Having any changes in your sleep schedule or sleep habits can affect your mental health, Metcalfe stated, ‘’My sleep schedule was very erratic and random, so I had to really discipline myself.’’ Maintaining a good sleeping schedule is very important, like setting alarms and making a list of