Observer Department: News
Holiday cheer or end of semester fear?
The month of Dec. is known as the month of holiday cheer and festivities but this may not be the case for some college students. It is crunch time at Northern Essex Community College as the Fall 2023 semester is coming to an end. Finals week has begun, which means…
Finals week: A test of resilience for students
As Northern Essex Community College students enter the final stretch of the semester, the campus is abuzz with a mix of anticipation and determination. Finals week, a perennial rite of passage, is near, testing the mettle of students as they navigate exams, projects, and presentations. Finals week begins Dec. 12.…
Online courses: A balanced approach to student success
As another semester comes nearer to its close, it becomes important to re-evaluate the landscape of education. Learning institutions transformed drastically in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, pushing colleges like Northern Essex Community College to reevaluate and adapt the way they educate their students. One notable change has been…
Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving?
The countdown for Christmas has officially started and retail stores like Home Depot have already sold out on the “Tik Tok famous Home Depot LED Christmas tree”. In the first week of Nov. many videos scattered on social media platforms with users sharing their holiday decorations which have started an…
Students speak on Seasonal Affective Disorder
Daylight Savings is a normalcy here in New England, and its end in the fall leads to reduceddaylight, shorter days, and a drop in moods. Some may be aware of the phrase “winter blues,”the phenomenon where many feel sadder during the winter months. It’s an old phrase, dating back to…
Balancing your child’s screemtime
In an era dominated by screens and digital devices, a growing concern is emerging about the impact of technology on children. The increasing prevalence of smartphones, tablets, and other gadgets has led to a generation of youngsters who are not just users but often obsessed with the digital world. As…
NECC Transfer Fair and potential picks
The end of the semester is approaching rapidly, and graduation is on the horizon for many students at NECC. That’s why on Wednesday, Oct. 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Northern Essex held a transfer fair. Representatives from schools all over the state came to NECC and set up…
Narcan: A life saving medicine
Nationally, there are Fifty Thousand deaths a year caused by opioid overdoses, while another Ten Million people misuse them, according to drugabusestatistcs.org. This epidemic that began in the United States in the 1990s, according to medicalnewstoday.com, and has affected many people and has caused heart break for many families with…
Barrett breaks the glass ceiling in Haverhill mayoral election
The city of Haverhill made history November 7, 2023. The voters of Haverhill voted Melinda Barrett to become the Mayor, the first female to lead the city. It took over 153 years to break theglass ceiling. In 1640 the city was incorporated as Pentucket and in 1870 was incorporated in…
MassReconnect: A second chance for education
On August 28, in a step towards redefining accessibility to higher education, a state-funded program was launched and is set to reshape the learning landscape for college students aged 25 years and older. This program provides two years of free college to such students, working to break down financial barriers…
