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Redefining relationships during COVID: How the pandemic has changed the way we socialize 

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People are naturally social creatures, so it should come as no surprise that a pandemic which is best fought with isolation, would take a toll on our relationships.  Jocelyn Avila, 20, of North Andover, has noticed a change in her relationships during the pandemic. Avila, who studies journalism and communications and works at a Digital Federal Credit Union as a customer service representative, says it has been…

Students prep for another online semester

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The new emphasis towards online learning in the wake of what we hope will be the final stretch of the pandemic, is different for a large majority of students. Northern Essex recently informed their students that they would continue to proceed with classes almost entirely online throughout the spring semester…

Students reflect on first semester of online courses

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Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, students have been required to experience college life through virtual events and online curriculum. Participating in online courses instead of in-person classes has greatly influenced the academic involvement of many — both positively and negatively. After speaking with several NECC students, most have…

Celebrating the holidays during the pandemic

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The holidays, as festive and jolly as they might seem, can be a stressful time. Adding in a global pandemic that has killed a significant amount of people that has required families and friends to cancel annual traditions, can add to the stress and feelings of depression. There are people…

MAICEI program sets up students with disabilities for success

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

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.…

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…

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…

Social media in the time of COVID-19: How the pandmic has changed the way we use social media in 2020

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    Social media has been part of our daily lives since the early 2000s. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way many of us use it.   Gyani Pradhan Wong Ah Sui, 18, of West Newbury, is in the NECC Exploratory program. He uses Snapchat, Instagram, and WhatsApp.   Prior to the current pandemic he used social…

Our civic duty: An overview of the 2020 election

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The long awaited election of 2020 is finally upon us. This election is high stakes, and many substantial changes could result from it. While the official Election Day is on Nov. 3, due to the pandemic there has been an influx of mail-in voting and early voting at the polls.…