All posts by Sarah Regan-Kelly, Correspondent

Opinion

An introduction to the new coordinator for the Center for Liberal Arts

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To the Editor,

Hello! My name is Sarah and I am the new Center Coordinator for the Center for Liberal Arts.

The Center is located in the Spurk Building in room C-209 on the Haverhill campus.

The Center is a place where students and faculty can hang out and get some work done. It’s a social and academic home base for the liberal arts.

There are computers and printers available as well as snacks and drinks.

We also host some events throughout each semester. We are here to answer any questions that come our way.

I graduated from Northern Essex in 2019, with an associate’s in liberal arts, right before the pandemic hit.

I then went on to Southern New Hampshire University and graduated in 2021 with a bachelor’s in communications.

I am excited to be back on this dynamic and lively campus!

You can connect with us on Instagram, @neccliberalarts.

You can also send us an email at centerforliberalarts@necc.mass.edu. We hope to see and hear from you soon!

Sarah Regan-Kelley
Center Coordinator, Center for Liberal Arts

News

Service dog info session at NECC

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NEADS to give presentation on the value and service of assistance dogs

Dogs are man’s best friend and can provide life changing services. An information session about NEADS and service dogs was held on November 14 in room SC 106 on the Haverhill campus. Kevin Lambert, an NECC alum and veteran, spoke to students to staff about how service dogs can impact people’s lives. According to Lambert, NEADS is an organization that pairs service dogs with people who need them. They have matched over 1,700 dogs and individually train them to perform tasks for an individual with a disability. “Service dogs give people independence and allow them to travel to places they might not be able to before,” Lambert said. Service dogs can help people in many different ways. They can alert people who are deaf if their keys fall while they are shopping. They can help calm someone down if they are having a panic attack. They can also alert others if the person is hurt or in danger.

        According to the NEADS website, NEADS was started in 1976. They are one of two “Assistance Dog International” certified service dog programs in Massachusetts. The average cost of a service dog from when they are a puppy to when they are matched with a client is around $42,000. “We ask that clients pledge about $8,000, not out of pocket. It’s okay if you can’t pay that money, we just want to see that you are trying,” Lambert said. Veterans don’t have to pay for their service dogs. “Once your dog retires or passes away, we will replace it” Lambert added.

NEADS offers six different service dog programs their website said. Service dogs and facilitated service dogs for children assist people who have physical disabilities. They might need help picking up stuff or opening doors. These dogs are trained to open doors, retrieve objects from tables, and even switching on and off light switches. Hearing dogs assist people who are deaf or have some hearing loss. They can alert the person when the phone is ringing or if someone is calling the person’s name. Social dogs for children can assist children from ages 8-16.

The child might have a developmental disability like autism. These dogs are trained to match the needs of the child. Service dogs for veterans can help calm veterans with PTSD and help with any physical disabilities they might have.

According to the Northern Essex information sheet regarding service animals, Northern Essex usually allows service animals on campus. It is important to note that the Americans with Disabilities Act website states that “any organization that serves the public must allow service animals to accompany people with disabilities.”  Anyone with a service animal is not required to register the animal with the college. They do not have to present any documentation of their disability, but can work with the Learning Accommodations Center.

They are encouraged to fill out the volunteer registration but are not required to.

Deborah Regan, the Associate Director of the Learning Accommodations Center has seen service dogs do good on campus. “[I saw] a dog help a student get around campus and help her feel safe.”

“I think service dogs help with safety which is always important!” said Cheyenne Huberdeau, a Biomedical Engineering student. “I think they can sometimes be a distraction though, at lease for me because I’m a huge dog lover. So seeing a dog at school [would] get my attention.”

Kevin Lambert is the program development administrator for NEADS and served in the United States army. He was an infantryman from 2005-2008 and completed over 600 combat patrols and missions in Iraq.

He got his associate degree in Science and Human Services from Northern Essex.

He also has a certificate in alcohol and drug abuse counseling. Lambert had a service dog at NECC to help him. Lambert swears by the program and encourages people to get more information about service dogs on the NEADS website.

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Best buddies coming to NECC

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There will be an information session about Best Buddies held on Tuesday October 30 from 12:30 till 1:30 in B-Building room 303 on the Haverhill Campus. Best Buddies is a non-profit organization that brings opportunities to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). According to their website, they are “the largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical, and economic isolation of 200 million people with intellectual and developmental disabilities”. A participant with IDD is paired up with a student who shares the same interests and lives nearby. There are at least three contacts between the participant and their buddy. This could be over the phone or in person. When the participant and buddy meet up, they can engage in activities like going bowling or going to a sports game. Best Buddies staff members will monitor the progress and how the buddies interact together.

        A small group is organizing Best Buddies this semester at Northern Essex and are hoping to have it up and running by the Spring Semester. NECC will be the first community college in Massachusetts to start a Best Buddies chapter. Lucas Unger, an Electrical Engineer major, said that Best Buddies will bring people together and show people how to help in the community. He said that being a part of the program in high school was enjoyable and gave people a reason to be involved in the school and community. Deborah Regan, the Associate Director of the Learning Accommodations Center, said that the relationships built goes beyond the classroom. “People get caught up in differences,” she said. People are too focused on how others are different, but “differences enrich us,” Regan added.

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“the largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical, and economic isolation of 200 million people with intellectual and developmental disabilities”
 – Best Buddies Website

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        “It’s not a chore to be in the Best Buddies program. It’s fun and it’s a great friendship that forms. It makes you feel like you’re helping someone out,” Unger said. Noreen Fantasia, Program Assistant in the Career Center, said that her son was in the Best Buddies program in high school. She said that it helped enrich his life and she saw it help both her son’s and his buddy’s confidence. It helps people realize that they can hang out with anyone and it’s not limited to a small group of people. Best Buddies will help the community grow closer together and It can help people from different backgrounds.

        According to their website, Best Buddies has impacted over 1,200,000 people in 50 states, 48 countries, and six continents. There are over 27,000 college students participating in the program around the world. Now, students at Northern Essex can expand that number.