All posts by Observer Staff

Opinion

Is security doing enough to keep us safe?

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SGA and Public Safety team up to better NECC’s safety

What was supposed to be a fun filled day, for some turned out to be stressful. NECC’s Spring Jam, which took place on April 10, was also the same day as College for a Day, when high school students could preview what it is like to be a student at Northern Essex, was a crowded, jam packed day. Student Government Association was tabling at Spring Jam to recruit and inform future and current students about SGA. Hannah Benning, SGA’s secretary and acting parliamentarian was one of the people tabling. While at Spring Jam, Benning described an occurrence at the event that left her feeling “helpless.” She said, “some of the high school students were stealing some of the objects off of the tables we had. I was surrounded by about 30 students at once, I was talking to one student who seemed interested in joining student government, but was distracted and felt helpless. When I looked over, some of the stuff off the table was stolen.” Security was not near the situation when it occurred, and Benning only saw them at the end of the event when they were taking down the signs.

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I do believe security needs to be changed in some way, shape or form

– Hannah Benning

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Student Government Association is advocating for change on campus when it comes to public safety and security. They have begun to take action by holding meetings with administrators. Student Governments main goal with public safety is to make sure that there is more transparency between public safety and the students, as well a better understanding tostudents of exactly what security’s capabilities are and are not. SGA held a meeting  on April 26 with Michael McCarthy, Northern Essex’s Vice President of Administration and Finance and Deborah Crafts Director of Public Safety/ Chief of Police. During the meeting it was brought up that a dispatcher has been recently hired for Northern Essex. Another part of the discussion included the blue lights we have on campus, which are currently out of service, but are in the works to be fixed and to get the phones replaced. The blue light system is in place for when students feel unsafe outside, if they are walking back to theircar, or feel like they are being followed etc.

The blue light contacts the Haverhill police. Public safety and security can walk you back to your car if you ever feel unsafe as well, it was mentioned. In emergency situations, evacuation maps and lockdown protocols are trying to be implemented as well While security and Public Safety are top priorities for NECC, there is still a lot that can be done to improve what is already in place. Benning, suggested having bag check protocols and also said that “I do believe security needs to be changed in some way, shape or form. Students are aware that public safety is here to help, it’s just that we need more trained officers and different ways to make sure students are safe on campus.” If you are ever feeling unsafe on campus you can always contact NECC’s Public Safety line for emergency situations at 978-556-3333 or dial 911.

News, Slider

Teaching safety

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What does active shooter training entail and is it effective?

With mass shootings seemingly becoming more and more common, many schools and workplaces have been holding active shooter training in order to better prepare employees and students  in the event that the unthinkable occurs. But do these trainings really work, are they doing more harm than good, and what do these trainings actually look like?

The Department of Homeland Security states “In many cases, there is no pattern or method to the selection of victims by an active shooter, and these situations are, by their very nature, unpredictable and evolve quickly.Resources such as posters and pocket guides raise awareness of the indicators of an active shooter incident and how to respond.”

Ashley Credit a student here at NECC says she attended part one of a two part active shooter training at the daycare where she is employed.  She stated “It was disturbing and I was terrified.” Credit reported that the instructor showed them two videos of actual mass shootings. These videos included the Columbine shooting in 1999 and the mosque shooting in New Zealand earlier this year. “Watching people’s lives end so brutally was horrific.”, she stated in regards to the videos. Credit chose not to attend the second part of this training which included instructors firing rubber bullets at teachers and staff members in order to simulate a real active shooter situation. She stated that the first part was so traumatizing she felt she would not be able to get through part two.

According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel in their Pulitzer Prize winning series on the Parkland shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, 34 people were shot however no one was shot on the second floor which begs the question, what did the students and staff on this floor do right?

The Sun Sentinel stated, “In Viswanathan’s second-floor class, the door knob rattled as teacher and students huddled tightly in a taped off corner, lights out…She had locked the door before class that day. Weeks before, she had taped off part of the classroom next to the door to serve a “safe space” or “hard corner” for students to hide.” The Sun Sentinel noted she had little training but her instincts were what saved lives.

NECC liberal arts: writing major and Observer Features Editor Mariella Mendez has attended multiple active shooter training awareness courses throughout her time in high school and more recently for her job at a local middle school. Mendez stated, “ I think the new algorithm and process they have for active shooter training is helpful and personally it made me feel prepared at the time, however no one is really ever prepared for that kind of situation and sometimes the rules of active shooter training may go out the window.”

Mendez reported that she practiced what is commonly known as The A.L.I.C.E. drill which in an acronym for, Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate. Mendez stated that part of the training she attended included, “A faculty or staff member /police officer would walk around with a fake gun…they made it seem as real as possible.” Mendez works with kids grades K-8 and says they’ve all done ALICE training at least once.

She stated, “ I do think active shooter training should be done. Yes, instructors will have to change their language and approach depending on different age groups but I think it’s essential because these tragedies are happening more and more frequently.”

However, many people are not so keen on teaching young children these drills fearing it may be too scary and anxiety inducing. Kenneth Trump, President of the National School Safety and Security Services, a Cleveland-based national consulting firm specializing in school security and emergency preparedness training, stated that schools shouldn’t train young children in ALICE response when school shootings, typically the focus of such drills, are statistically rare. He also stated that ALICE “preys on the emotions of today’s active shooter frenzy that is spreading across the nation.

Erin Earley a student here at NECC and former teacher said she also experienced active shooter training. “They came in and we were told to go into our building, hide and  lockdown and when the alarm went off you had to find your way out without getting caught. Some attempted to escape others chose to stay.” She also stated that there wasn’t and helpful instructions on how to get out of the building.

“There weren’t any guidelines given we had to figure it out for ourselves but for the most part people stayed calm,” Earley reported,  “it was helpful in terms of being aware our surrounding but it was difficult getting the kids out and keeping them same. They didn’t go over a waiting spot or what our policy should be or any final details.”

Active shooter training is becoming increasingly popular but almost no studies on its effectiveness have been carried out.

News

Talk focuses on sexual assault awareness

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Three speakers talked about prevention and assistance for victims

April is sexual assault awareness month and NECC welcomed three guest speakers on April 4 in the C building, lecture hall A, to talk about how the issue of sexual assault can affect us here on campus and what Northern Essex can do to help victims. Denis Champagne of the Amesbury Police Department, Kate Sanzo, the Adult Counselor and Outreach Speaker at YWCA, and Liz Trelegan the Title IX Investigator here at Northern Essex. The event began with a reminder that, according to Rainn.org sexual assault occurs every 98 seconds and that the intention for events like these is to encourage reporting and to give victims ready access to every resource available to them. The panelists talked about what consent is and Trelegan, the Title XI Investigator here at NECC, offered up the famous YouTube video “Tea and Consent,” which likens asking for consent for sex to be treated with the same rules as when you ask someone if they’d like tea.

three people talking at a table
Kate Sanzo, the Adult Counselor and Outreach Speaker at YWCA, Liz Trelegan the Title IX Investigator here at Northern Essex, Denis Champagne of the Amesbury Police Department, recently spoke at NECC. Photo by Patricia Gosselin

“Northern Essex’s policy of consent is defined as informed, voluntary, and mutual and it can be withdrawn at any time,” says Trelegan. Kate Sanzo, the Adult Counselor and Outreach Speaker at the YWCA says that “consent has no gray area. “It’s Important to know that silence is not consent,” says Sanzo. She says they are moving from teaching “no means no” to a “yes means yes,” approach. Denis Champagne is a detective that works onsexual assault crimes for the Amesbury Police department, his mother also worked for the Salisbury Police Department for 20+ years investigating these crimes. Champagne’s concern is how sexual assault maintains being “one crime that’s still so underreported,” he says. Champagne says, “that’s why conversations like this are so important, we’re trying to open up doors (for survivors), this is not an easy conversation for anybody.”

Champagne’s training and relevant experience allows him to remove the “taboo” stigma surrounding sex crimes and he says he wants survivors to be able to come to him for help. “Are barriers coming down? They are,” he says, regarding the ways the police department has progressed in handling these crimes over the years. “Being open and available and having these conversations — being more visible,” is what helps bring in more victims willing to report, he says. When it comes to getting help for the victims Champagne says that “maybe the best thing for that victim isn’t prosecution.” He says that he’s ready to go at all times, in terms of prosecuting an abuser but he understands that avenue can be scary to victims. “I’ll do whatever you want, but you gotta talk to me,” says Champagne. His abundant resources and connections with various programs and groups are designed to help survivors even if they don’t want to report, he says. Champagne says that he can help with covering basic needs like shelter, food, childcare, transportation, even legal advice.

“Make them better today than they were yesterday,” he says. “My job is to do no harm, be there for them, and put them in contact with whatever agencies I can”, he says. Champagne says that these crimes are the biggest invasion to a human and that if he “can help a survivor get their life back, it’s the greatest reward in (his) field.” Sanzo works for the YWCA as a counselor and speaker. Sanzo says “the portrayal of mostly female victims (in the media) does significantly work against different members of our community” mainly victims that identify as LGBTQ or male. Which she notes as part of the reason for underreporting. Sanzo is part of a trained crisis intervention team, which operates as a 24-hour hotline to be available to victims constantly. Sanzo says they can aid in the process that comes with reporting, like being their moral support at the police station or at the hospital. “We can’t intervene, but we can be in the victim’s sight and just offer that comfort and that peace that they do have people on their side,”  says Sanzo. Sanzo says they can also refer lawyers, offer weekly or monthly check-ins, assist with emergency housing, along with workshops and trainings which aid in prevention.

When it comes to the process of reporting at NECC, Talgente says anyone can file a formal complaint, but it’s not a necessity for her to begin an investigation. Legally if she’s made aware of an allegation, even verbally, she and her department have to act. “We can provide the student with resources available in the college”, says Talgenete about NECC students that are survivors of sexual assault. NECC offers escort services, schedule accommodations, absence accommodations for court dates or medical appointments, they can even help if you’re suffering because of long-term absences says Trelegan. NECC also offers free mental health services on both the Lawrence and Haverhill campus. When reviewing cases where the perpetrator is a student, Talgente says they don’t look for violations of the law, but rather violations of NECC policy. So, they will use any and all evidence brought to them like texts or emails, but they cannot subpoena phone records says Trelegan. “We’re very open to hearing what students need and working around that,”  says Trelegan. “We don’t want people to leave school. We want them to stay and be successful and we want a safe environment, so we try to make accommodations for people to feel safe,” says Trelegan.

Arts and Entertainment

Advocates push for revived theater major

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While students can still study theater at NECC, they can’t get a degree in it

A movement to reinstate the theater arts major at NECC seems to be gaining traction. Led by Brianne Beatrice, an NECC theater and communications professor, and supported widely among students, the movement is calling for the option to pursue an associate’s degree in theater arts to be made available to students once again. Beatrice says that, since shortly after the theater arts major’s initial cancellation, she has been working to rebuild the theater program at NECC and that reinstatement of the theater arts major is a necessary part of the endeavor. According to Beatrice, re-establishment of the degree and appropriating more funding towards NECC theater would not only benefit students seeking to major in theater arts but also the Northern Essex community as a whole. And she is not alone in her views; the enthusiasm of students involved in NECC theater, says Beatrice, and a recent poll of NECC students both appear to illustrate that her cause is widely-supported.

Some members of the NECC theater community, however, including NECC theater professor Deirdre Budzyna, say that cautious optimism should be practiced and that the college should not rush to reinstate the major until some of its financial detriments have been resolved. After such issues are mitigated, says Budzyna, reinstatement would be a very valuable achievement to pursue. Beatrice, who has taught theater at multiple Massachusetts state universities, says that one of the most important reasons to reinstate the theater arts major is NECC’s well-known role as being a financially-accommodating and exploration-encouraging bridge (due to how low NECC tuition is in comparison to most four-year colleges) in students’ academic careers:

“NECC is a place where students can financially afford to attain an associate’s degree and also have the opportunity to dabble in the world of theater, to see if theater is the right career for them . . . to decide if they want to continue their education in a four-year institution. The wonderful thing that I can answer, as an educator, is that a lot of the credits students attain at Northern Essex can be transferred into their major at any four-year state school.”

The Northern Essex community, and not just those directly connected with NECC, argues Beatrice, would also greatly benefit from the re-establishment of the theater arts major and more funding being given to NECC’s theater division: “Since the major was pulled, the community has wanted the artistic outlet the program once was and wanted to see more theater at NECC. It drew a great crowd and had a wonderful following for so many years. And now this local theater, this local community, is gone and I think that a lot of people want to bring it back to support theater at a collegial level.” Beatrice believes that rebuilding the theater program is impossible without the extrinsic motivation theater credits could provide, saying, “It’s really hard to get students to want to participate when there’s no carrot at the end of the stick, when there’s no degree. I can only build a program if there’s a degree at the end of it.”

Her campaign to reinstate the theater major as quickly as possible (immediately, if achievable) currently relies on the voice of students and the community, and she reports that, “There is still such great interest in the program. We need to strike while the iron’s hot. “ She is referring to the communal excitement around the national award Gwynnethe Glickman recently received for her performance in NECC’s Stupid F*cking Bird.” “Let’s bring the jury back … The students are the strongest supporters, the greatest advocates … And so many in the liberal arts division (referring to NECC faculty members) believe there should be more theater at NECC.” Emphasizing her belief that the community would support bringing the theater arts major back, Beatrice adds, “I have never once encountered an interpersonal dialogue with a soul who said that we shouldn’t bring the degree back.” When discussing what must be done in order for the the theater major reinstatement to occur, Beatrice states that the final decision lies in the hands of higher-ups, specifically the President and Vice-President of NECC, but that NECC students and faculty members should still use their influence by spreading the word about reinstatement and by discussing how the theater program can be helped.

And, on a conclusive note, Beatrice tersely showcases her optimism on the matter: “I am 100% confident the major can be brought back. I have hope.”  Beatrice’s hopeful attitude may be realistic, says a recent poll of 126 randomly-selected NECC students. About 94% of respondents said they supported bringing back the option of pursuing an associate’s degree in theater arts to NECC. Still, though, there are some community members who make the case that other efforts must be undertaken before reinstatement can become reality. Budzyna, as mentioned prior, is a part of this group. She contends that, “Ideally, in any liberal arts college students would have the opportunity to major in theater, music, or dance. As someone who is committed to the arts, I feel strongly that that should be a part of a liberal arts education. That said, I think, in today’s financial times, it is really challenging to keep programs open that aren’t sustaining themselves financially.”

She says that considering that many people she knows “have benefitted from taking theater classes,” she has mixed feelings on the issue: “Many of my students and my own children benefited from the amazing work that was done at Northern Essex. But, I think, realistically, in order to re-establish a theater program we would need to have somebody who was actively seeking out people who want to be theater majors. It’s such a difficult issue to discuss. I would love for there to be a theater program at Northern Essex. I think students who aren’t theater majors benefit so much from taking theater classes, but I also realize that you have to have a certain number of students to make a program viable.”

Budzyna would be excited at reinstatement, she says, but adds that students must be enrolled in theater classes for the theater arts degree to be made available again. If the college, according to her, were to see an increasing level of student enrollment in theater classes and more student and community interest in the theater program (two factors, incidentally, Beatrice says are necessary for reinstatement to occur), perhaps the theatre arts major could be available again. So Budzyna, like Beatrice, feels that reinstatement could be done, but also thinks that the process would be gradual and take persistence: “All of us, the faculty, are working so hard to retain the students that we have and to attract new students and I think that (reinstatement) isn’t an overnight solution. I think it will take time.”

Arts and Entertainment

Festival fashion

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Students give their thoughts on Coachella

Festival fashion used to mean flowing dresses and flower crowns. Now, those are nowhere near enough to stand out at Coachella, the be-all-end-all event for festival style. Many of the festivalgoers who swarmed the stages in Indio, Calif., were scantily clad. Some of them skipped clothes altogether, passing off bikinis or lingerie as a full outfit. And don’t forget about the hair and makeup. Loose waves, braids, and mini-buns were popular hairstyles. Natural, minimal makeup appeared to be the trend (or everyone had already sweated off their fully contoured faces) with lots of jewels, glitter and flash tattoos to spice things up. This year Coachella started on Friday, April 12 and ended on Sunday the 21. Coachella is one, if not the biggest music festival of California, with music artists, food, and VIP events. Just tickets alone can cost up to $1,000 and that’s not including airfare if you are traveling, or hotels, or if you want merchandise and food.

One of the most important aspects of Coachella is fashion. Student Sophia Marcus always enjoys watching Coachella videos on youtube and looking at the new trends. Although she’s never been it would be an unforgettable experience. Every year, thousands flock to the desert wearing some of the year’s wildest fashions. And while festival wear has become something of a parody of itself — we never need to see another sheer or knitted kimono paired with denim shorts again — this year welcomed an upgraded, futuristic take on the overdone boho-chic bore. Face jewels are the new flower crowns, metallics and sequins have taken over knits and fringe, and high-waisted swimsuit-like bottoms are giving legs all the attention. These are some of the eye-catching pieces that take over both weekends. “Everyone should be able to express themselves with their clothing without judgment,” says Marcus.

This year outfits have gone so far to just about wearing almost nothing or covering yourself in just body glitter and showing off your torso. Coachella is a place where you can wear almost nothing and get away with it because everyone else is wearing just about nothing as well. “If you feel offended then you’re boring” Marcus explained. This years artist line up was Black Pink, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Kanye West, Bad Bunny, and much more. Even these artists go all out for Coachella, as well as top celebrities such as Kylie and Kendall Jenner, Winnie Harlow, Shay Mitchell, and Cardi B. Coachella was first introduced to support small upcoming artists but now it has taken its turn on fashion. Many fans of Coachella even have multiple outfits throughout the day than just one. With the rise of social media finding the latest trends to wear is hard by searching “Festiville looks” on Pinterest or Instagram. Former NECC student Cassie Ellson has heard criticism about Coachella in regards with the prevalent environment of culture appropriation to kids wearing Native American headdresses just because it looks “Cool” “I think partaking in other cultures is important but there needs to be a base level of knowledge to what is and what isn’t appropriate,” explained Ellson.

This season cowboy boots became a big hit, from big celebrities to famous youtubers wearing them. The trend peaked when stores such as H&M and Forever 21 sold them with their festival collection. Country music is also popular in the culture as well such as the song “Old Town Road” with special guest featuring Billy Ray Cyrus which makes the cowboy trend more popular. The Coachella Valley weather is dusty and extremely dry; prime cowboy country. Cowboy boots are one of the easiest ways to get a little bit country and can be paired with the midi dresses and skirts that everyone is loving this season. Marcus said she would wear something bold such as a bright green dress with pink boots “Definately something fun and colorful,” says Marcus. Other trends that have been approached at this extravagant festival are biker shorts, mesh dresses, fanny packs and oversized jackets. These are known as street style fashion, outfits without all the glitz and glam but still, make an impression. Ellson has been to multiple music festivals before like Boston Calling and Vans Warped Tour so she likes to dress for the warmer weather by wearing shorts a band t-shirt and maybe a hat. “Anything too extravagant gets soaked in the sun or washed away by sweat,” says Ellson Ellson would actually want to attend Coachella but not for the fashion because of what event that is going on and whos playing. “Despite all the crazy shenanigans it would be the perfect place for me, I love large music festivals,” said Ellson.

Campus Life

Speechapalooza

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A free speech forum for students by students

Northern Essex Community College’s annual Speechapalooza was held April 23, 2019. The event ran from 12:30 to 2:30 in Lecture Hall A and it was fully stocked with free pizza, snacks and water. Since its debut in 2015, this event celebrates student speakers involved in Public Speaking or Public Presentation-intensive classes, giving speeches about a variety of topics to a wide audience. Speechapalooza was created and sponsored by NECC’s Liberal Arts: Communications/Journalism Program and continues to be organized by students enrolled in Principles of Public Relations (COM113). Observer Arts and Entertainment Editor Deidre Grant is one student in the PR class that has had the opportunity to be involved with Speechapalooza. She was one of two MC’s and promoted the event through her Twitter account as well as creating a montage video. “Speechapalooza went really well, I believe this was the best (one) so far. As an MC I was able to encourage the audience to use #speechapalooza on twitter.” says Grant.

This year is the second time Grant has participated in Speechapalooza. Last year she had given a speech about her YouTube channel “Deidre Darling” in which she creates makeup tutorials and reviews makeup products. As of now she currently has 170 subscribers. Grant also won the best tweet contest and got a $25 visa gift card. Principles of Public Relations is taught in the spring semester by Professor Amy Callahan, program chair of communications. Its purpose is to introduce students to the role, processes, and practices of the field of public relations. It explores the development and contemporary impact of the academic and professional field in all its forms. Students are taught how the profession is practiced today in governmental, nonprofit, and corporate sectors, and the impact public relations has in the mass media. 

Speechapalooza is meant to give its PR students the opportunity to exercise the knowledge they acquired throughout the semester. “The communication program has made me find what I love which is writing and broadcast journalism. I wasn’t sure what I wanted but I’m glad I chose to be a part of the communication program.” says Grant. From tips on how to travel on a budget to pitching a movie idea, students are free to present on a topic that they are passionate about. For Liberal Arts student Anthony Adams, he had made a speech on “Your Moment of Zen” where he gave advice on how to achieve zen, providing personal anecdotes. “I had read the book ‘Zen Flesh, Zen Bones’ and I fell in love with it. I decided that I would give a persuasive speech about it in my Public Speaking class with Reese Charest. I believe that even without the religion aspects of it, there are many good things about zen, it brings joy to people.” says Adams.

Along with delivering speeches, Speechapalooza raffles off prizes to audience members. This year’s prizes were gift cards to Lexie’s Restaurant, Dunkin’ Donuts, Whole Foods Market, and a $25 visa gift card for best tweet.  Social Media plays a large in role in promoting Speechapalooza; PR students used their own accounts to broadcast the event and encourage free speech. Throughout the course of the event, the audience is encouraged to make tweets tagging the event #speechapalooza. Then at the end of the event, the MC’s and audience decide on which tweet is the best. Some other students who presented at Speechapalooza were Nurilys Cintron who got things started by showing a video of their ‘Semester at Sea’ from 2015. Cintron gave a speech about their travels and how you too can travel the world on a budget, highlighting some common spending habits among college students and a how-to on prioritizing spending.

Kerry Malloy presented with “How to be Happier.” In it she presented on how she keeps her happiness bar full by appreciating every moment of life, as well as giving personal insight on the things that keep her happy.  Observer editor-in-chief Brennan Cooney with his speech “Vital Masculinity” challenged our notion of what we believe to be masculinity and how the phrase “toxic masculinity” is harmful to men. “… we need to stop lecturing boys as though they were bullies that need to be reformed, and instead teach them to stand up for persons weaker than themselves,” he said. William Robert Tapley presented the audience with “The Climate Change Solution.” He changed the attitude in the room immediately when the audience burst into laughter at his suggestion to cut down the population by killing everyone named “Bill” with the hashtag #killthebills.

Emir Alagoz’s speech was an informative look at Turkish media mogul Acun Ilicali who rose to fame and fortune only after humble beginnings and several hardships. Alagoz, a proud Istanbul, Turkey native also used a moment to draw attention to Amy Callahan and ask for a special applause, crediting her with getting him in front of a crowd speaking “broken English,” said Alogoz.  Jocelyn Avila’s speech “Minorities in Media” drew attention to the lack of representation of Latinx individuals in the media. Avila’s speech was a heartfelt look at how underrepresentation harms POC and how constantly not seeing people like her in the media made her feel like she had to change her appearance to fit in.  Sean Curtis’s speech “Start Your YouTube Channel Today” also encouraged the audience to start their own channels but for a different reason. Curtis loves playing video games and he said gaming reminds him of spending time with his grandmother. Curtis asks the audience if they have interests that are hard to explain to family or friends, several hands rise, and he encouraged them too, to start a channel.

Aallyhia Cruz used her speech “Arichella x Beychella” to discuss the performances of Ariana Grande and Beyoncé at Coachella. Cruz did her research and supplied an in-depth look at both women’s performances and the struggles that they each faced around their performances.  The final speech, a film pitch by Jon Holewinski had the audience in stitches as he weaved a movie together complete with potential actors and even plans for a sequel. Holewinski’s speech was animated and entertaining as he acted out several scenes in the future film along with voices of his characters like Ray Warpzone played by Channing Tatum and Mrs. Applesmile played by Halle Berry. Holewinski assured the audience that “with the star studded cast it’ll pay for itself in the first week,” he said. His last slide is an image of Uncle Sam that says, “I Want You to pay for it please.”

A slide showing someones grandma

A slide showing a picture of someone

Slide showing uncle sam saying "I want you"

Photos by Aaron Lehner

Features

Spring Style

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Students describe their sense of fashion as the warm weather approaches

Everyone is ready for summer, and as finals kick in and the semester comes to an end we are ready to receive and soak up the nice weather. Students all over campus enjoy dressing up and not having to layer up as the warm weather approaches. On campus students were asked how do they mostly describe their style. This is what they had to say. “The way I describe my sense of style I would have to say that it really depends on my mood. I would say for sure that my style is different from everybody else, because I like to stand out.” Say’s Ana Gomez, a health specialization major here at Necc. Although her everyday style depends on how she’s actually feeling she definitely considers herself different. “I like wearing different pieces of clothing and creating unique pieces, for example cutting pants and shirts. I don’t like to look like everyone else. I like to be unique, but I am always open to telling people how I styled whatever it is I’m wearing,” says Gomez.

Other students are more in between  casual and simple when describing their sense of style.   “My sense of style is mostly on the comfortable sporty side. My style describes my personality. Comforting and laid back. I like to be comfortable most of the time, but when it’s time to dress up I try my best to mix it up between casual and cute,” says Janilka Gonzalez, a student involved in our EMT program here at NECC. There were also students who didn’t really describe their style in a particular way “ I don’t really  have a style whatever I think is cute, I buy. It can either be very girly one day, and then I can look like a skater the next,” says Lisbeth Pita, a business transfer.

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I don’t like to look like everyone else. I like to be unique,

– Ana Gomez

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Whether you have a way to describe your style or you don’t it’s fun to be different and creative and to just be you. Plain, creative, casual, unique is what makes everyone different and that is the fun in fashion. There are no rules to how you want to express yourself.

Features

Leading for change at NECC

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Students speak on ways to improve life on campus

It is no question that Northern Essex is a diverse school. Not only does Northern Essex offer education to people of any age but to people of any background. Every semester, NECC gets a variety of students from around the world looking to pursue their academic journey. Because of Northern Essex’ unique campuses that are found in Haverhill and Lawrence MA, we are home to almost 50 percent of Hispanic/Latino students. A large population of these students make up the  Lawrence campus, therefore allowing us to be one of three Hispanic-serving institutions in the state.  A Hispanic-serving institution is a federal designation of a college where at least 25 percent of the student body is Latino. Stephanie Haskell and Analuz Garcia are two faculty members who are dedicated to making the campus a better place for its students. Haskell is the coordinator of student activities for leadership and social justice initiatives and Garcia is the assistant director of community and international relationships.

Both Haskell and Garcia are a part of Leading For Change Diversity Consortium. This group aims for retention of the Hispanic population at the school, therefore they look for ways to help the Latino population on both campuses. Their first initiative was to gather information from a variety of students to ask whether NECC should adopt the term Latinx. Garcia says, “In California this term is broadly used. We are concentrating on gathering data and figuring out, what are we going to do with this?” Haskell also suggested doing “different events for National Hispanic Heritage month in September.” A few students were asked about their knowledge about the Hispanic presence on campus and shared insightful feedback on what the school can do to improve its inclusivity. Danikza Carrasquillo, 21 year old Liberal Arts: Writing major shared that she was not aware that Hispanic and Latino students made up almost 50% percent of the school’s population, although she figured the number was high. Castillo also shared that although she didn’t necessarily know that NECC was considered a “Hispanic serving institution that she was aware that “there are a lot of benefits for Hispanic students at NECC.”

Castillo however did have a slight background on Leading For Change stating that she was aware of it being a “nonprofit organization that is designed to help students with training and resources.” She continued to share her opinion about representation on campus and said, “I personally think there is not enough Latin representation at least in the Haverhill campus. On the Lawrence campus you are able to see the diversity more. Honestly I believe it’s hard to represent the Latin culture in areas of school because some students don’t relate or plain and simple they don’t care. They don’t understand why it is important to dive into other cultures and learn from them.” Castillo offers advice to the Leading For Change faculty by suggesting more diverse activities, dances, and Hispanic women based lectures. She also suggests that “food is always a great way to get people together and talking” Finally she shared, “Create spaces for people to feel more inclined to share.” When asked about the Latinx term, she replied, “I’ve never liked any terms or labels, when we start labeling things we start organizing and creating groups that’s how we are separated. I like to leave my labels empty so that I approach people with a clean slate as I hope they would to me.”

Maryanne Rosado is a 20 year old Liberal Arts Major at Northern Essex and also shared her knowledge and opinions about Latino inclusivity. Rosado was not aware about the population, that NECC was Hispanic serving or the Leading For Change group. ‘I believe the majority of Hispanic and Latino students (are) in the Lawrence campus. The reason why I think there isn’t enough Latino representation in the school is because there isn’t enough Latino representation in the clubs.” Rosado goes on to say, “When the after school programs and governments demonstrate enough Latino students, I think there might be a change.” Rosado was aware of the term “Latinx” and expressed that she is OK with the term. “People have a right to what they want to identify with.”

After evaluating the data, Garcia and Haskell replied to the administration and concluded that they should “continue to use Hispanic or Latino/a to respect the preferences of the students and community.” They also included that they welcome any member of the college to use Latinx as a gender inclusive option. If you have any further suggestions or questions, contact Stephanie Haskell at shaskell@necc.mass.edu or Analuz Garcia at agarcia@necc.mass.edu

Slider, Sports

A runner…. and an author?

and  

NECC student a modern-day Renaissance man

John Miller from Methuen, Massachusetts, is a member of both the cross country and track program at Northern Essex and has published two children picture books.  The 19-year-old was diagnosed with autism at the age of five but isn’t afraid to speak about it to other people.  Because of his diagnosis, he was behind both academically and physically. But, he and his parents didn’t let that get in the way of Miller’s success. Miller has won gold medals in the Specials Olympics in track and in gymnastics.  He also has a black belt in karate.  Miller is currently majoring in Childhood Education at the community college and hopes to write more books in the future. Back in 2017, Miller published his very first book called ‘The Adventures in Handom. He did both the writing and the illustration of the book himself.

Picture of John miller's book. It has a purple cover and an illustration in the center
John Miller’s second book, “The Magical Heart of Handom”

Miller got the inspiration of the kingdom Handom’s name and the hand-shaped characters due to him always making and drawing things with his hands.  On March 30, 2019, he published the prequel of the story called ‘The Magical Heart of Handom’ in which one of the main characters discovers a hidden mystery of Handom.  The book signing took place in Mann Orchards in Methuen.  “I never expected any of this to happen”, Miller stated, “It basically all started when I was little, and I used to play with my own hands. I created this whole universe named Handom. One day, my mom and I were in the car and she asked me to tell her about Handom and she was impressed. She was like “John we have to make this into a book. This could be huge for us.” I refused to do it a couple times but I decided to do it and see what happens.”

Picture of John Miller in a track uniform
NECC Athlete and author John Miller. Courtesy photos

Miller’s stories highlight the power of helping others and friendship.  Rumor has it, he is thinking about working on a sequel to the story line. He also hopes that one day, that his drawing will come to life in a cartoon. So, stay tuned.  Want to know more information about the books, or even want to purchase one? contact John Miller at 00309867@student.necc.edu

Sports

NECC Baseball team turns it around

and  

Offensive outburst powers April turnaround

The NECC Knights baseball team bounced back in a big way during the month of April.  They entered the month having only gone 4-11 to start the season, according to information made available on the NECC athletic page, and in need of a winning streak in the worst kind of way. Well that’s exactly what they got. They have gone 14-3 with one game left to play in the month of April against University of Connecticut at Avery Point on the 30th.  This month of scorching hot play has put them at 18-14 on the year, with a 9-4 record for conference play. The key to this turnaround seems to be an unstoppable offense that has been putting up mind boggling numbers. So far in the month of April they have averaged a shade over 14 runs a game.

Necc Knights logo

They only failed to get double digit runs 4 times, one less time than they managed over to score over 20 runs. This offensive outburst was highlighted by two players being name the National Junior College’ Athletic Association player of the week.  Sophomore Infielder Leo Romero of Lawrence, MA won the first one for the week of April 1st to 7th. During this week he went 9 of 11 with 3 home runs and knocking in 13 runs, according to stats kept by NECC athletics, leading the Knights to a perfect 3-0 to start off the month. That was followed by Freshman do-everything man Spencer Brown of Beverly, MA putting on an all-around showcase for the week of April 15-21.  During this week he was a force of nature,  going 13 for 19, knocking in 17 runs and hitting 7 home runs. Of those 7 home runs, 6 came on one day in a doubleheader  sweep against Massasoit Community college, according to the NECC athletic page.

In addition to his work at the plate, he also pitched 3 innings during one of the games against Massasoit and picked up the win, to cap off a truly remarkable week. NECC will look to keep the momentum going int the month of May. A 9-4 conference record has them right in the thick of the playoff race, and a stellar May will be all they need to extend their season. If the offense keeps up the pace, that’ll surely be an easy task for the team to accomplish.