Tag Archives: Campus life

Campus Life, Features

NECC Bake Sales

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NECC students, staff and faculty continue to show support for the community. In the spirit of Halloween, student organizations held bake sales on both the Lawrence and Haverhill campuses last week to raise money for charity.

The Community Outreach Group hosted their semi-annual bake sale in the Spurk lobby with proceeds going to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. “We typically raise between $200 and $300 each time we have a bake sale,” said COG representative Lisa Pasho.

COG will be hosting their Winter Wonderland bake sale on Wednesday, Dec. 2, in the same location.

“We’re still figuring out who the money will go to,” said Pasho.

COG meets every Monday from noon to 1 p.m. in room C116 on the Haverhill campus and invites all students who would like to get involved in helping the community.

The Clinical Laboratory Sciences Club, along with faculty advisors Brenda Salinas and Stacy Ayotte, raised funds for the Bread and Roses Soup Kitchen during a double bake sale in the iHealth and Dimitry buildings on the Lawrence campus.

In addition to hosting a blood drive at Holy Family Hospital on Nov. 17 and 19, the CLSC will be conducting a food drive to benefit Bread and Roses and will place receptacles for non-perishable food items on both campuses through Nov. 20.

Features

Adjunct Professors Receive Little Benefits

 

In Massachusetts, the number of full time employees is 1,400 statewide. Part-timers? 5,200 statewide. Adjunct professors teach about two-thirds of the classes taught at the state’s 15 community colleges. They are part-time employees, paid per class. They receive none of the same benefits as full-time employees, such as healthcare and retirement plans, for example.

 

Joe LeBlanc is a full-time professor at NECC and president of the Massachusetts Community College Council (MCCC). This union represents both the full time and adjunct professors, as well as other professional staff and faculty, at all 15 community colleges in the state.

 

LeBlanc said, “We have sued the state for that issue (medical coverage) and we did not win that suit. I think all health care ought to be free. A lot of it is driven by profit.” State law classifies the adjuncts as contract employees; therefore, the state is not required to provide them with health insurance. “I don’t agree with the law, but we have been working to change that law and the universal health care law we have now helped to an extent. They should have the same pension that I have. There could be some friction there between those that are purely part time, and they teach at two, three, four institutions just to pay the rent…”

 

“The percentage of adjuncts is pretty high. Twenty adjuncts could be four full time instructors. I would like to see more hope for those who want/need a permanent full time job with benefits,” Developmental Studies Adjunct Professor, Christopher Corcoran, said.

 

The practice of using adjuncts began as a way to allow working professionals to apply their knowledge in the classroom, but as the number of students increased, the number of full time teachers remained stagnant. The additional caseload was passed on to these part time employees.

 

“Right now it’s shrinking a bit, because our enrollments are dropping,” said LeBlanc. “Historically, during great times, everybody has work.”

 

Academic Preparation Adjunct, Kelly Boylan, adds that job security is often difficult because an adjunct’s course load is determined by student enrollment. “I strive to have a strong relationship with my students and put their needs first. As an adjunct, I don’t have an office, but I make myself available to my students.”

 

The result of this trend is that many adjunct professors are teaching a full caseload, sometimes even teaching multiple classes at multiple campuses.

 

“What’s even worse is the fact that ‘Jane Smith’ can work an entire career adjuncting and she will not have a pension and she does not have any way to retire unless she has a source of outside income or she inherits cash. If you choose to toil away in the trenches as an adjunct for your entire career (you) cannot afford to retire,” said LeBlanc.  

 

Corcoran explains the give-and-take of being an adjunct by showing what happens when classes get cancelled: “If we don’t continually teach, in time we lose certain benefits and our pay-scale is reduced. But we don’t get offered courses continually and consistently. So most of us need to have other jobs and often, when we do get offered courses, those courses conflict with those other jobs. Also, I am not sure of how it works with the seniority of adjuncts and who gets offered courses first. One colleague has taught eight adjunct courses!”

 

An Inside Higher Ed article by Colleen Flaherty earlier this year said “A common refrain from adjunct professors who get relatively low pay and little institutional support is that their working conditions are students’ learning conditions. But many colleges and universities continue to ignore that message and rely on part-time faculty to deliver the majority of instruction. A new paper is calling out those institutions for their lack of attention to faculty career designs and is demanding meaningful, collaborative discussions to address what it calls an existential threat to American higher education.”

 

“Part-time adjuncts who want full-time jobs should have more full-time opportunities available to them. Non-academic work could be combined with our  teaching duties to create full-time positions with contracts and healthcare. We don’t always have to be tenure-track professors with a private office. Just a full-time job would be nice. Yes, maybe we would be considered over-qualified to do clerical work, but I doubt we would turn it down in order to get a full-time, permanent, benefitted position. We have paid our dues!” said Corcoran.

 

Fairness for adjunct professors has become a hot-button issue between state lawmakers and advocates for change; specifically, The Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) and the Massachusetts Community College Council (MCCC).

 

Jerome Fallon, Adjunct in Global Studies, said, “You only convene for 16 classes maximum so it is vital to get to know your students quickly. Reach people immediately on a personal and respectful level from the beginning. For me, it is not about me instructing the student  it is about us finding a way to succeed as a two person team. With 30 or so students, that’s 30 teams you need to try to create. It’s time consuming and requires effort but it also portrays to the student that you are committed.”

 

“The disadvantage is not getting classes that work with your other jobs, inconsistency with course availability, never getting to teach those courses that you love and are actually better suited for, losing the money we rely on, and the constant wonder if you will always be adjunct. But a big disadvantage to me is when students ask me at the end of the semester and even years later ‘What courses are you teaching next semester? What else can I take with you?’ It is sad that I can never answer them, and it breaks my heart,” said Corcoran.

 

“I think there are varied types of adjuncts so they cannot be stereotyped as one group. There are those who want to be involved in the school and students and those who just want to teach a course without further interaction. Each person has their own schedule and style of interaction,” said Mark Beaudry, an adjunct for the Department of Behavioral Sciences.

 

Fallon said, “I love being around the academic atmosphere. I enjoy the fact that people are trying to improve themselves through education and am genuinely grateful to be part of that process. A disadvantage is that I do not get to do it enough. I have decades of industry experience to share and would love to find other avenues besides the classroom to make that happen. With the help of the department staff, I’m starting to make some progress.”

 

Another glaring difference for an adjunct professor is their lack of accessibility for students who may be seeking extra help. Full time professors also serve as advisers and they have the opportunity to develop a bond with students. The MTA website states that, “Higher ed faculty members see this as a significant issue because establishing such connections can contribute to long-term success — and at times may determine whether a student remains in school.”

 

Angel Baez, a 20 year old Liberal Arts Major, said,  “Limited office hours hurt students ability to flourish and get the help they need to do so. A lot of adjunct professors have a lengthy commute, and therefore limits their time on campus. Which in turn reduces or eliminates their office hours due to the excessive inconvenience.”

 

Technology is a definite aid to adjuncts with little office time. Corcoran said, “I do believe adjuncts are able to give a more personal level of detail because we simply have less students. I feel I can get closer to them because I can spend more time with each one in and out of the classroom, can get to know them, their purpose, goals and reason for being there and how that relates to the course I am teaching. I can answer emails with more detail, and discuss with them in person before and after class with a little more ease. As a core subject instructor, I simply have more time to explain where my course falls in the real world, their formal education, and why it is so important to finish it. Even if they hate every minute of it.”

 

“Holding office hours is a little difficult when I have to travel between the two campuses with only a short amount of time between classes. I often will arrive before class when possible or stay later when necessary.” said Boylan.

 

“I feel that adjuncts have much passion about their discipline and share their entire life experience with students, which provides a true global perspective. So, they should be compensated based on the education, experience and creative development skills that they bring to the classroom. Because I bring international experience and a theoretical perspective to the classroom, students have an appreciation for the real concepts being taught,” said Beaudry.

 

“I am just as much a student in my classroom as the students are (but) in different ways. It’s a cliche, but I do learn a lot from them,” said Corcoran. “My role is to facilitate the interchange of ideas, and make them comfortable in doing so and to make them understand the value in those ideas and how to apply them in the outside world.

 

All of this is not to say that college campuses are the only place where employees are exploited. On the contrary, there are quite a few industries that rely on sub-contractors to do much of the work, but the inequality between the adjunct professors and the full-time, union protected faculty is undeniable and is likely to remain that status quo for the foreseeable future.

 

In 2009, the MTA, the MCCC and five professors, including NECC professor Patrick Lochelt, filed suit against the state seeking health insurance coverage for adjunct professors, but they were unsuccessful. Health insurance costs are soaring throughout the country but it is particularly noteworthy in Massachusetts, where health insurance is mandatory. This forces the adjunct professors to make hard budgeting decisions that can negatively impact their quality of life.

 

Fallon said, “Having access to healthcare would be great, but it does not look like it is going to happen.  I know the union is working diligently on behalf of all faculty and I confess to not knowing as much as I should about the negotiations. It’s probably best that I do not comment on things I do not know anything about, unlike some presidential candidates.”

 

“Healthcare is a nightmare. But adjuncts do have an office! I call it the ‘Dorm-Office,’ as it is like a quad in that it has many desks. No parties though. Or none that I have been invited to,” Corcoran said. “I have often said that if we really figured out our true hourly wage, we would be better off at Walmart with healthcare and a set schedule. I think the hardest part is coming to the realization that it is what it is, and will probably always be so.”

 

According to Fallon, one improvement might be to have additional training options available for IT topics for adjuncts. “I get great support when I call in to the tech groups, but it would be ideal if there was someone there at night who I could visit to learn the nuances.” said Fallon.

 

“They (the part-time instructors) are going to get a 4 percent raise in January. It’s up to the college to pay that 4 percent raise, but I’ll also say that the part-time instructors here are largely a cash cow in that you only have to have eight or nine in a class to pay the paycheck of that instructor,” LeBlanc said.

 

He said that he would like to think that there isn’t any friction between the full and part timers, but that they live a precarious life where they can never really guarantee what their income will be, because when budgets are cut, the adjunct contracts are the first to go.

 

“These are a couple of points of great shame, I think. This state, with its reputation of having great higher ed, has this underclass of workers that they choose to exploit and it needs to end,” said LeBlanc.

Campus Life

The struggles of the photography industry

 

Lance Hidy, director of the Art Design & Photography Department at Northern Essex, says low enrollment is causing photography classes to be cancelled.

“I wish there was a way students could spread the word,” Hidy says. As someone who has always had a passion for the arts, I would love to be able to take more photography courses, if only they would fill.

Hidy’s background has led him to have a lifelong passion for the arts. “As a child, I learned reading through comic books,” he said. “I would look at the pictures and that’s how I would figure out the storyline.”

Because of this, he started to read more and more about photography, as well as watching Disney animated movies and television shows.

NECC offers six courses in photography, and can also help students obtain internship opportunities in the field. Some of the internships offered are a yearbook company where a student gets to edit photos, community theatre where they get to experience taking real headshots. Some are even paid! I think this is an amazing idea, because photography is such a hard field to get into. Not only do you get to experience the real world, but network and gain connections that can help your future in the industry.

NECC student Lissangy Rodriguez has had a passion for photography since her sophomore year of high school.

“I had an absolutely phenomenal instructor named Brian Trainor, who made me start to see the world as an opportunity for art,” she said. “My sophomore year of high school I had friends that were graduating and in the need of senior portraits. . . They were incredibly dismayed they had to pay $200 for their portraits, so I then offered to take their photos, which made me realize that this is my true calling.”

Since then, Rodriguez has started her own photography business. The biggest struggle of obtaining a business is defending her price; some people tend to undervalue the craft, which can make it difficult to make a living.

“This is a strange cultural norm that makes some people believe art is not as valuable as it really is,” she said. As someone who is an artist and working on obtaining a sturdy organization, it’s one of the hardest jobs to keep steady customers and compromise on a reason price.

Rodriguez has grown her company by social media and word of mouth.

“I absolutely love making (my customers) all feel great about themselves,” she said. “I try to make every photoshoot an experience.”

 

Features

Transfer Day: PACE Students

 

Every year, NECC hosts a Transfer Day for students to meet with representatives from different colleges and this year, 58 colleges were represented. Rossalie Catalano, the Transfer & Academic Advisor, said that she was very pleased with the turnout this year.

At the Haverhill campus, attendance to the transfer day almost doubled from last year due to the weather being pleasant this time around.

One program at NECC that helps students with the process of transferring is called PACE.

Kristen Arnold, PACE Program Transfer Advisor, says, “Transfer Day is an awesome opportunity for NECC students to gather lots of information about their potential transfer schools very quickly and without leaving campus. We always encourage all PACE students to attend Transfer Day, and our students who attend always report that it was helpful to them.”

PACE stands for Pathways to Academic and Career Excellence, and are a TRiO Student Support Services program.  They are one of 1,027 TRiO-SSS projects all over the U.S.  Each year, they select 250 NECC students to be part of their program, and provide extensive academic, transfer, career and scholarship advising.

Arnold says, “Most of students have to be first-generation (neither parent has a bachelor’s degree) and income eligible to join PACE.  Our mission is to help students successfully graduate from NECC and transfer to four-year colleges. Some of the services we provide include student success workshops, which we offer in-person and through Blackboard, field trips to four-year colleges, and intensive/supportive one-on-one advising.”

This week, PACE will be traveling to UMass Lowell, South campus. Students that are apart of the PACE program go on college visits for free, food and travel expenses included.

“As the PACE Transfer Advisor, it’s my job to help students develop a transfer plan and follow through with all the steps required for a successful transfer.  It’s an exciting but sometimes daunting time for students, and I love being able to help them understand the process, complete the necessary steps, and review the information each school provides so they can make the best decision about where to go,” says Arnold.  

Students tend to go to transfer and get lost in the paperwork, deadlines, and miss out on serious scholarship opportunities that the PACE program points out for you. Other opportunities provided through PACE include: resume critique job searching, professional development and more.  

Arnold says, “Gathering information about financial aid, scholarships and transfer credits are critical to making an informed transfer decision.”

One of the popular schools to transfer to from NECC is the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Deborah E. Smith, Associate Director of Transfer Admissions at UMass Lowell, says, “(Students) can speak to a transfer counselor at their community college. We are a research institution with amazing faculty, opportunities for internships and coops, and a diverse population.” Students can also visit the transfer admissions office at the University to find out if UMass Lowell is their next step in their college career.

“The main reasons students transfer to UMASS Lowell are price, program and place,” says Smith. Check out UMass Lowell at their transfer Facebook page: Facebook.com/umltransfer.

Arnold says, “My goal for each student is that they leave NECC and transfer to a college that best fits their needs and goals for a price they can afford.  Academically, they each have the tools in their toolbox to be successful, no matter where they end up.”

Campus Life, Features

Benefits of the Tutoring Center

 

Lynne Nadeau, the Director of Tutoring Services at NECC, says the Tutoring Center is a great place to come if you’re having trouble with your classes.

“The center is a great resource for students who may need extra help in many different subjects such as math, science, writing, reading, business, computer science and accounting,” she said. “It offers English as a Second Language help, which is excellent if you’re a student who needs help learning the English language or a student who just wants to sharpen their English skills … the ESL Center can provide you with the help you need.”

Students who are concerned with paying a fee for all the services that the tutoring center has to offer need not worry. The services are free for all NECC students.

The tutors helping students are all qualified and professional. They consist of professional tutors, faculty from NECC and even students. The students at the Tutoring Center help their peers succeed in classes that they themselves have excelled at.

Becoming a student tutor has some benefits. First, you get paid for your tutoring services, which can be extra income for students who need some money. Second, you get to help students who are currently struggling with a class and make a difference in their academics. However, it is important to mention that the writing center consists of professional tutors only, no peer tutors.  Students who are interested in tutoring can speak to Nadeau — her office is located in the C building, C200A.

Students who don’t have time to come by the tutoring center but are currently enrolled in online classes can also access the benefits of the tutoring center. Smarthinking is an online tutoring service, with access to all the same resources found at the NECC campus.

Margaret Pothier, an NECC faculty member who works in the Tutoring Center, offers advice about the best time to take advantage of services.

“It can get busy in here. The best time to come by is mid-morning, around 10 or 11 a.m.”

The tutoring center’s schedule varies depending on the subject or amount of faculty available, so make sure that you check the times the center is open on the website.

NECC’s Lawrence campus also has a tutoring center as well. The center in Lawrence was recently expanded as part of a larger campus renovation.

“Students who want to avoid the crowd at the Lawrence Tutoring Center should go during the day, as it gets busier at night,” said Pothier.

“By coming into the Tutoring Center, you receive help from knowledgeable people and have the chance to improve greatly as a student,” said Joe Scascitelli, a faculty member who works in the math lab.  “There is an open door policy at the tutoring centers. Students who come in will be in a comfortable, laid back environment and be helped by experienced tutors with strong knowledge in their subject areas.”

Campus Life, Features

NECC Haverhill Transfer Day

 

Northern Essex hosted its annual transfer fair on Wednesday, Oct. 14.

Rosalie Catalano, transfer and academic advisor at NECC, says that the event was held in hopes of drawing in a crowd of at least 100 students for the 58 colleges in attendance. This year they exceeded 100 attendees and it drew a crowd twice the size of last year’s.   NECC holds the fair to bring representatives from four-year schools all over New England to campus to answer students’ questions and concerns.  Justin Anderson, academic advisor for University of Massachusetts Boston in Allston, Mass., said he fielded questions about online courses, tuition and housing.  Alexandra Parker, assistant admissions director at Emerson College in Boston, said that most students came to her table seeking information on programs. She said she picked and champions Emerson because of the “opportunities” on and off campus and the scholarships they offer.  Emily Buckow, academic advisor from Curry College in Milton, Mass., said that students who came over to her table asking about the programs they offer. There are 21 total programs to choose from at Curry. They handle anywhere from 350 to 400 transfers every year.

“It’s great to have a conversation with the students,” said Buckow of her fondness of college fairs. Buckow noted that she could not speak for the other representatives, but said that she is a “direct connection” for students in the transfer process.

Kristopher Schooner, second-year Theater major, is looking at “so many places.” Among his picks are New York University-Tisch, Boston Conservatory, University of New Hampshire, Plymouth and Emerson.

“It is definitely difficult,” said Schooner about transferring as a Performing Arts major. Schooner explained that not all conservatories accept all transfer credits. He never thought he would have started out at a community college but after being declined from 14 colleges out of high school, his high school management teacher gave him college vouchers. Schooner spent a semester at Manchester Community College but was unhappy and unfulfilled with the lack of a performing arts program. Last January, Schooner said he had an “a-ha!” moment that led him to NECC.

“The performing arts classes here help me build on my skills,” said Schooner, who hopes to get all of his general education classes out the way before transferring. His only worry: “Is this program going to adequately prepare me for moving to New York to be a performer?”

“I feel like I’ve been redoing senior year of high school,” said Schooner, “with a college course load.”

Nina Cabral, third-year Dance major, was a little disappointed when she attended the college fair.

“None of the schools have dance programs,” said Cabral, who spoke to representatives at UNH, Dean College and Salem State but wasn’t floored by any of their propositions. Her eye is set on University of North Carolina School of Arts. She said she’s auditioned there before and gotten in twice. When she goes out on her auditions, she makes sure to check all the boxes including “school opportunities” because she doesn’t want to miss out on anything.

Cabral said, “I have to stop limiting myself to my zipcode,” and decided she will be applying to Juilliard and Boston Conservatory along with UNCSA.  Cabral, who was homeschooled until college, has never applied to a four-year school before. She worries about her credits transferring and having to be in school for too much longer.

“I’m doing something, but I’m wearing a blindfold,” she said of the application process and the accompanying uncertainty.

Rami Saleh, second-year computer engineering major, is a student taking advantage of MassTransfer to UMass Lowell.  Saleh moved to America in November of 2013 from Lebanon. After transferring his life from one country to another, Saleh thinks transferring schools should be “so easy.”

“I went to one school in Lebanon,” said Saleh who was new to the concept of different grade level schools when he moved to America. He chose UMass Lowell for its convenience. For all other students, like Schooner and Cabral, concerned with transfers, Catalano said, “We are constantly tweaking to make sure that things transfer.”

Features

Curly Hair is Back

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After years of grueling hair-straightening regimens, NECC students are saving precious time by unplugging their flat-irons and embracing their natural curls.

“I save at least an hour when I wear my hair curly,” said NECC student Ana Guerra. “I would have to straighten it the night before and then re-straighten some of it in the morning.”

NECC student Constantine Photis fully supports his classmates to go natural. “If you were born with curly hair that conforms to the rest of your head and body, let it be curly. Just let it be,” he said.

Hairstyle trends seem to have a major shift every decade or so, making it difficult for some to give up their beloved mullets, poufy bangs or faux-hawks. However, today’s college students are on the cusp of an “anything goes” time for hair.  The ’70s gave us the feathered look of teen idol David Cassidy and Cher’s iconic, pin-straight look which was almost impossible to achieve at home — unless you trusted a family member to literally iron your hair on the ironing board in the kitchen. Keep in mind that the styling tools we use today were not stocked at the corner store.  By the end of the ’70s, the unisex Afro became a popular and highly sought after style. However, unless you were born with natural curls, the methods used to create the look were a lot more dangerous than a hot metal plate and involved strong chemicals.

Ah, yes. The perm. Although the wife of inventor Charles Nessler often had her hair accidentally burned off by his early, failed attempts, his cold-wave method for permanently altering the hair was a major trend throughout the ’80s (especially for “hair bands” like Bon Jovi) and is still used today.  Although Jon Bon Jovi’s music career survived the ’90s and beyond, perms started to fizzle out and with the release of 1995’s movie Clueless. Actress Alicia Silverstone had young women chasing after smooth, straightened locks. This trend that lasted 20 years and is finally on its way out.

Unfortunately, the media has had a tremendous influence on how people style their hair. NECC student Bianca Mercado is proud to wear her naturally curly on campus but has experienced emotional distress in the past over having curly hair due to constant images of smooth-haired “beauty” flooding TV and movie screens. “I was always so concerned with fitting in,” said Mercado.

Whether you feel that you need an invitation or not, with trendsetting celebrities like Beyoncé and Bradley Cooper showing us their au natural selves, some may find it easier to try to new things.  Professional hairstylist Jess Hamilton of Haverhill offered some helpful tips for students who want to sport their naturally curly hair on campus.

“Moisturizing products are essential for eliminating frizz and you’ve got to trim those ends at least every six weeks,” she said.

 

Campus Life, Features

Community College Life

 

By Andrea Davis

Many students who attend community college feel that their college experience varies greatly from those students who attend a university. It’s no secret that dorm life plays a huge role in a college student’s experience. When someone hears the word “college,” they might think of red Solo cups, bonding with roommates, and fraternity parties until 2 a.m. Community colleges do not provide that aspect of “college life.” Social events play a major role in our college years as well as various academic advances. Many students at Northern Essex Community College feel that they are less likely to participate in school events because of this.

Only about 28 percent of community college students will graduate within three years, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Those who graduate take five years to complete their degrees. This is because real life tends to get in the way.

“I work 40 plus hours a week, have a two ­year­ old son, and am enrolled in five classes this semester,” said Kaitlyn Garrison, a Nursing major. “In previous semesters I have only taken one or two courses at a time, because it is simply all that I could handle at once. I think that if I were to live away at school it would be easier for me to complete my degree on time. . . The majority of my friends who are away at school do not have to work. They have more time to study and focus on their studies. I have other obligations that tend to slow me down, and I think that is true for a lot of other people as well.”

Community college used to have a reputation of being much less academically serious than traditional 4 ­year universities. This has dramatically changed in recent years, as academic standards have increased, as have the qualifications of the professors.  “Community colleges really have a stigma to them, and they always have. People thinkthat we aren’t as smart as those who go to ‘real colleges.’ I think that is stupid. I work just as hard as anyone else does.” said Alexandria DeLotto, a Public Health major. “After high school, I felt

ashamed that I wasn’t going off to a big school like my other friends. I was embarrassed that community college was my only option for an education. That is definitely not the case for me anymore.”

“I went to UMass Amherst for a semester and life was extremely different than it is here. It’s a lot easier to make friends and the classes seem to be less awkward. I think that is because everyone is the same age,” said Nicole Keene, a Public Health major. “Everyone knew when major school events were happening because everyone talked to each other.

“Also, a lot of people think that community colleges are easier, workwise, and that is very far from the truth. The work is consistent and the material we cover is ultimately the same, the environment is what truly makes it so different.”

NECC offers several different clubs, sport teams, group events, and seminars that a lot of students are unaware of.

“I had no idea that we had a gym at Northern Essex. I did not even know that we even had any sports teams,” said Zach Mckallagat, a criminal justice major. “I did not think there were sports teams offered at community colleges. That shows how much school spirit I have. I think that NECC could do a better job with promoting these types of things. It is a small school, but there’s still a lot of people here that would like to participate but haven’t gotten the chance to.”

“Community college is an amazing thing. It provides students with the tools they need to move onto a 4 ­year school. Not everyone has tens of thousands of dollars to go off to a big school right after high school. I sure didn’t,” said Amanda Atchley, a Psychology major.  “Northern Essex has given me a chance at a brighter future and I couldn’t be happier with the time I spent here.”

News

A New Writing Club

 

By Ashley Torres

At NECC, there are many clubs and activities for students to participate in, but writing is one particular area not yet covered by them. Abraham Anavisca is a Writing major who thought of a way to get writers together and share their ideas, so they can learn from one another: a writing club.  He is still going through the process of getting the all of the paperwork done, but looks forward to being able to get started soon.

“As soon as things are done then I will start making the schedules,” he said.

Tentatively, the club is planning to meet once or twice a month in the afternoon.  The club would be based on fiction writing and focus on building characters.  Professor Tom Greene will be the club advisor, which a huge plus considering his extensive background in literature.

Courtney Hanson is also majoring in Writing. She is on board with the club and sees it as a way to help improve one’s writing skills while using other students’  critiques. She mentioned how it is a different learning experience to hear what students have to say than to hear it from professors.

If you are a writer who occasionally has trouble putting all your thoughts and ideas together, then this might be a great opportunity for you. Benefiting from the critiques of other writers is one thing, but getting to interact with other people with the same interests is also a solid way to invest your time in the NECC community.

 

Campus Life

Deterring Sexual Violence on Campus

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Despite the ongoing crisis of sexual violence on college campuses, NECC remains one of the safest schools in the Northeast.

According to the National Institute of Justice, one in five college women and one in 16 men will experience some form of non-consensual sexual experience by the time they graduate.

Statistics provided by the Massachusetts government (www.mass.gov) show that 46 percent of victims are assaulted by an acquaintance and 21 percent by a friend. Only 19 percent are assaulted by a total stranger.

Anthony Branco, 19, is a student at Massachusetts School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and urges his friends to make safe decisions while attending parties on campus.

“Don’t ever accept a drink that someone else made and if you’re gonna get drunk; make sure you have a good friend with you at all times.” said Branco.

In a mass email sent out on Sept. 14, NECC students were notified that they are expected to participate in “HAVEN (Help Against Violent Encounters Now): Understanding Sexual Assault,” an online course designed to educate students and raise awareness of sexual assault, relationship violence and stalking. Students are required to complete part one by Oct. 9 and part two by Nov. 20.

“Sexual violence is an epidemic right now and it is going on everywhere,” said NECC student Samson Racioppi. “I don’t know if a 30-45 minute course will change that, but it’s a good place to start.”

In accordance with mandates of the Crime Awareness and Campus Safety act of 1990, all accredited colleges must make available to the public an annual report known as the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Safety Policy and Campus Crimes Statistics Act.

Information provided by the schools’ individual Clery reports compare 10 of the area’s campuses and show that both the Lawrence and Haverhill campuses of NECC have had zero reported incidents of sexual or relationship violence.

To view NECC’s current Clery Act report online, along with many helpful hints on campus safety, go to the Student Services tab on the NECC home page and access the information under the Public Safety section.

Before enrolling at NECC, Eileen Page, Human Services major, attended a four-year college where most people lived on campus.

“There were reports of sexual violence almost every week.” said Page.

Although NECC students live off-campus, the HAVEN course provides guidance for personal safety in many social or academic environments regardless of location.

“I haven’t participated in HAVEN yet,” said Page. “If it’s telling people not to sexually assault others, I don’t think it’s very productive, but I think if it’s more about empowering victims to report it, then I’m all for it.”

Students experiencing or witnessing a crime on campus are urged to alert Campus Security at (978) 556-3333 or call 911.

“We have to watch out for each other,” said Branco. “Don’t go anywhere alone.”

Students requiring more information about HAVEN can contact Justine Caron, Title IX Coordinator at atjcaron@necc.mass.edu or 978-556-3956.

“We have to watch out for each other,” said Branco. “Don’t go anywhere alone.”

Students requiring more information about HAVEN can contact Justine Caron, Title IX Coordinator at atjcaron@necc.mass.edu or 978-556-3956.

Number of On-Campus Sex Offenses Reported in 2014

(compiled from individual schools’ Clery reports)
Northern Essex Community College/ Haverhill     0
Northern Essex Community College/ Lawrence     0
Northshore Community College/ Danvers     0
University of Massachusetts/ Lowell     0
Southern New Hampshire University/ Salem     0
Massachusetts School of Pharmacy and Health Services/ Boston     0
Harvard University/ Cambridge     1
Merrimack College/ North Andover     7
University of New Hampshire/ Durham    21
Boston College/ Boston    23