Observer Department: Features
Meet Rowan Brick
When many people think of gender, they tend to see it as a rather black-and-white issue; to them, there are only men and women. For Rowan Brick, however, things are more complex. “It's definitely really complicated,” he said. “I've always experienced dysphoria ... but I’ve never attached it to my…
Meet Travis Barrett
For many high school graduates, living away from home for college is a fresh start, or a free pass from parents. Many college freshman meet new friends, join different clubs, sports teams and make connections that will last a lifetime. For NECC Journalism and Communication student Travis Barrett, it took…
Faces of the Sport and Fitness Center
Nodine Webster, a newcomer to NECC last semester, is a personal fitness major at NECC. She plans to transfer to Framingham State University once her time at NECC is done, and is passionate about both education and fitness. Webster started working at the Sport and Fitness Center last semester. “When…
Market Basket Symposium: NECC professors on the context of protest in America
The Market Basket Symposium took place on Friday, Oct. 24 from noon 1:30 p.m. at the Hartleb technology center. There were four guest speakers: Stephen Russell, Stephen Slaner, Chris Mackin and Crystal Pringle who spoke about different issues regarding the Bread and Roses strike, the Occupy movement, and strikes that…
Dancing with Nina Cabral
By Shaina Richards With big brown eyes and a bright and bubbly personality, NECC dance major Nina Cabral easily grabs and holds her audience’s attention, even when she isn’t dancing. At only nineteen years old, Nina just started getting offers from dance companies in Boston and is going to perform…
Meet Phonnara Dy
By Eduardo Souza Phonnara Dy sits with his laptop open and attentively listens to Professor Diann Cahaly’s biology lecture on cell structure. Dy’s laptop displays the day’s powerpoint presentation, his notebook is open, and he’s ready to take the day’s notes. Dy is a 32-year-old resident of Lowell who moved…
PACE yourself at NECC with Karen Mitchell
By Fred Riley III Karen Mitchell is the director of the Pathways to Academic and Career Excellence also known as the PACE program at Northern Essex Community College. Mitchell has been working at NECC for 21 years or one-third of her life. Mitchell started at NECC in 1993 as an…
Mike Prescott, the Renaissance man
By Duane Sherman Over the decades, NECC has seen many gifted athletes on it's campus. To find one that also has the ability to sing and enjoys working with the homeless would be rare. It would make that individual a bit of a renaissance man. Meet 28-year-old Mike Prescott, who…
Meet the new library director
By Jessica Freeman “There’s more paperwork now” jokes, Mike Hearn, the recently appointed Director of Library Services. Hearn said his job is now more administrative, and that he misses being able to work with students directly. Hearn hopes to “rebrand” the library to be a more focus based experience. Hearn…
Taylor Robin has her eyes on the prize
By Nicholas Mazzone People hate working out, and can never keep up with it. They start working out and then quit a week after. What if the key to working out was social media? One fitness fanatic who uses social media to push her to keep working out and keep…
