Tag Archives: Campus life

Features

Meet Travis Barrett

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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 going off to college to realize what he wanted to strive for in the future.

Twenty-one year old Barrett is a resident of Haverhill, Mass. and is a graduate of Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School. He was accepted and attended Framingham State University for two years as a business major. He found there was a certain depth to the business world. Although as he continued his education in business, it wasn’t all it seemed to be.

“I learned there was a lot of manipulation and opinions. I did not like that aspect of it at all,” said Barrett.
As time went on he withdrew himself from Framingham State to attend NECC as a General Studies major. He did not like being a business major, and did not know what he wanted to do as a career in the future.

Many students in their first years of college have no clue as to what they want to do in the future. It is highly common with the pressures of finding a job after earning a degree. Many fear what the future may bring– living up to adult responsibilities like paying bills and living independently is intimidating to some.

“I should have went to community college first. I wasn’t quite ready for the four year plan,” said Barrett.
He doesn’t regret any of the time spent at Framingham State. It helped shape and motivate him toward a future he wanted.

“I wouldn’t take back the time spent at Framingham because of the friendships I made there. We’re still friends today,” said Barrett.

Barrett has been with NECC for three semester now including the Spring of 2015. He was a General Studies major for his first semester at NECC, to get grounded and figure out his interests.

While attending NECC, he works at Dunkin Donuts. He balances work and classes, like most community college students.
“One day I was working drive-thru, and a customer said I had an awesome voice and that it would be great for radio, which was really cool,” said Barrett.

A simple compliment from a customer helped inspire Barrett to really think about what he’d enjoy doing in the future.
“I watch and listen to a lot of music and sports radio. The idea kind of morphed into one. I wouldn’t mind sitting around 2 or 3 guys debating, talking and throwing opinions back and forth. I do that everyday,” said Barrett.
It took Barrett one semester to decided getting into sports radio was the right fit for him. Going into the Fall semester of 2014, Barrett switched his major to Journalism and Communication.

He also enrolled in the fairly new co-operational internship program at NECC. Barrett applied to CBS Radio to work with 98.5 The Sports Hub for the Felger and Mazz show with the help of Amy Callahan and Ashley Braggar who help run the program.

Campus Life

Cold Temperatures Can Damage Skin

 

By Rachael Sarcione

The student parking lot at NECC’s Haverhill campus may not seem very far from the Spurk building or Bentley Library, but in bitter cold temperatures, the time it takes to walk from the car to the classroom is long enough to cause significant damage to your skin.

Many college students are aware of how dangerous prolonged exposure to the sun can be, but according to licensed aesthetician, Kim Cooper, of Haverhill keeping your skin hydrated in the winter can protect more than one’s outer beauty.

“Even the smallest break in your skin can lead to serious health problems,” said Cooper. “Think of that little crack on your knuckle as a neon ‘Vacancy’ sign for millions of bacteria that want nothing more than to invade your bloodstream.”

Besides being a breeding ground for germs and infection, chapped and broken skin can be very uncomfortable and itchy.

NECC student, Melissa Dow of Amesbury, attends night classes and has to walk from the student lot all the way to the science building.

“I’m kind of doomed with my sensitive skin,” said Dow. “My face gets so cold but if I wrap a scarf around it, I break out in a rash. So I just put on like a pound of moisturizer in the morning and hope for the best.”
Tyler Ksypka juggles classes at NECC and his work schedule at Walgreens.
“I definitely see more sales in moisturizing products during the winter,” said Ksypka. “We keep the shelves well stocked.”

Aside from topical products such as lotions and creams, there are steps you can take, internally, towards proper skin hydration.

“Proper nutrition is a key benefactor in maintaining healthy skin,” said Teri Catalano, of North Andover, a nutrition advisor and dietary aid. “My patients are sick of me telling them to drink more water and eat more fruit.”

News

NECC GSA To Hold Trans Suicide Awareness Bake Sale

 

By Joseph Meli

The NECC Gay/Straight Alliance will be holding a bake sale on Wednesday, Feb. 25, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Spurk building lobby. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, an organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on gender identity, and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

“Events like these are important because the trans community doesn’t get enough attention,” said Kelly Schwing, student president of the GSA. “After the whole Leelah Alcorn tragedy, the amount of attention was great, but there needs to be more.”

Leelah Alcorn was a 17-year-old transgender girl from Ohio who committed suicide in December of last year. In her suicide note, which she published online, she said she wanted her death to have an impact on the national dialogue; consequently, Leelah’s death sparked worldwide discussion about the treatment and representation of trans people in society, and the GSA bake sale will be held in her memory.

GSA member Colby Patrie, who created paintings of Leelah to raffle off at the event, said Leelah’s suicide note — which was posted on Tumblr but has since been removed — inspired the artwork.

“When I read [the note] I was like, ‘This is a serious problem.’ I’ve heard so many stories where trans people have died and their parents bury them with their birth gender and name. And so I said, ‘I want to paint something that represents her as she really was.'”

GSA members believe the easygoing nature of selling baked goods will allow them to more easily start an open dialogue about the sensitive topic with attendees.

“It’s a good, comfortable way to get people to come up to us,” said GSA staffer Sara Ramirez. She expressed hope that, after getting information from club members, participants will leave with an interest in the subject and be compelled to educate themselves on their own time.

Leelah Alcorn is far from alone as a trans victim of suicide. In a report compiled by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Williams Institute, 41% of respondents to a survey for transgender and gender non-conforming adults said they had attempted suicide at some point.

Many of the reasons these people listed as motivators included rejection from family and friends, discrimination when attempting to access healthcare and victimization by law enforcement.

With these sobering facts in mind, Schwing stresses the importance of giving to organizations that support trans people and fight discrimination.

“These are growing problems not just in our community, but in the world as we know it,” she said. “It seems unfair that only in tragedy do these people have light shone on them.”

The event was originally scheduled to take place on Feb. 9, but had to be cancelled due to inclement weather. Baked goods will be contributed by GSA members.​

Opinion

Getting Sick of Snowtopia?

 

This past month here in New England can be described in one word: snowy. With record breaking snow falls drowning us in feet of snow every week, these snowy New England winters get old real fast. If you’re like me and are sick of living in cold New England, there’s hope! Take a look at these Top 4 colleges to transfer to after your time at NECC, all of which are located in warmer areas around the U.S.

#4 Coastal Carolina University
Located only 8 miles from beautiful Myrtle Beach, this university is a must for beach lovers. Located in South Carolina, CCU features degrees in business, science, liberal arts and much more. Founded in 1954 CCU, hosts close to 10,000 students each year. During South Carolina’s winter season, the temperature is around 65 degrees which may seem cold to the natives, but for New Englanders, that’s warm! If CCU seems like a match for you visit its website at http://coastal.edu/

#3 University of California, Los Angeles
Located on the opposite side of the country, UCLA is located in Los Angeles, miles from Sunset Blvd. For Hollywood and celebrity fanatics, UCLA could be perfect. With famous Santa Monica and Venice beach just minutes away by bus or car, this University has a lot to offer. UCLA features degrees in anesthesiology, musicology, nursing and over 50 more to choose from UCLA has a lot to offer. Founded in 1919, UCLA host close to 30,000 students each year, so if you’re into big atmospheres consider UCLA your next stop in life. For more information visit their website at http://www.ucla.edu/

#2 Oklahoma State University
Located in the middle of the U.S. in Stillwater, Oklahoma, OSU is a major University in Oklahoma. Home to the OK Sooners, this university is a way to get away from the city and enjoy what the south has to offer. With summer temps reaching close to 100 degrees, if you love the heat, Oklahoma is the place for you. Founded in 1890, OSU hosts more than 30,000 students each year. With degrees in education, arts, and human services, OSU shows just how much the south has to offer. For more info visit http://go.okstate.edu/

#1 Full Sail University
My top pick is located in warm sunny Winterpark, Florida. There is nothing winter about this town. With winter temps in the high 70s and 80s, this is the top spot if you enjoy the warm laid back lifestyle that Florida has to offer. Founded in 1979, FSU hosts close to 15,000. Known as an entertainment school, FSU has degrees in sports broadcasting, computer animation, game art and so much more. FSU has so much to offer and lead you to great opportunities. Located only 25 minutes from Orlando and Disney World, and located near beaches and lakes to relax after your studies, FSU earns its number 1 spot. For more information visit www.fullsail.edu/

Sports

Getting involved in spring sports

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Anyone who is interested in participating in a sport for the Spring 2015 semester must submit a recruiting form, a physical and an immunization form before becoming eligible to compete.
These forms, along with others such as the NJCAA eligibility form and the Code of Conduct can be found on NECC’s athletic website,
athletics.necc.mass.edu under the header “Become a Knight.”
Players who are interested in playing softball are
encouraged to contact head coach Robert Gillespie at rgillespie@necc.mass.edu or at (978)-556-3828. Gillespie is always looking for new
players to add to the team.
If track is more your style, you can contact head coach William Roche at
wroche@necc.mass.edu or at (978)-556-3826. This is Roche’s first season as head coach.
He was formerly the
assistant track coach under Richard Brown.
Those interested in trying out for the baseball team can contact head coach Jeff Mejia at jmejia@necc.mass.edu or at (978)-556-3827.
The Knights baseball team is coming off another great season that ended with a loss in the NJCAA World Series in Tyler, Texas.
They will undoubtedly be striving for another run to the World Series this year.
As always, if interscholastic sports aren’t suited for you, there are always opportunities to play intramural sports right on the Haverhill campus.
The schedule is always posted at necc.mass.edu under the header “Student Life.”
It can also be found on the bulletin board in the lobby of the Sport and Fitness Center on the Haverhill campus.
It will be updated for the Spring 2015 semester in a matter of days.
Some sports offered for intramurals are flag football, soccer, volleyball and ultimate frisbee. among others.
There is also a gaming area in the lobby of the Sport and Fitness Center, complete with ping pong tables and pool
tables for a small fee.
There are a few days each semester when use of the pool tables is free.
There is also a snack bar in the main lobby.
Students who would like to use a locker can visit the main office at the Sport and Fitness Center (D106) and request one.

Features

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 I took the tour here, I just felt like it was a welcome environment, and I have always loved fitness even before coming here,” said Webster.
Webster’s job at the Sport and Fitness Center is part of NECC’s Work Study program. These jobs are great for students who want to get hands on experience in whichever field they are pursuing. Some of Webster’s duties while working in the Sport and Fitness Center include helping students who come in to exercise, computer skills, cleaning the machinery and equipment and making sure everything is organized. “It’s kind of like what you would actually do in an actual fitness center outside of school,” said Webster.
“A lot of people had asked me to help them and help them understand how to do a proper work out,” Webster said. “It allowed a lot of people to connect actually, it’s a great environment. Working with the people is my favorite part, the fitness to me is a no judgment zone — so you do what you want, and work out the way you want, and it works without people judging you.”
Webster is also the pitcher on NECC’s softball team, and the Sport and Fitness Center and work study program help her prepare for the upcoming season. “I come to the gym to train harder, and be prepared for this upcoming softball season, because I’ll be pitching. The program has been building, so I’m hoping to get a lot more fans,” said Webster.
The Sport and Fitness Center is open to all students for free. Joe Murach, a Physical Education major goes to the gym “just to get stronger,” he said.
Students of all different majors and with all different goals take advantage of the Sport and Fitness Center too. Ernest Ewusi, a radiology major, said “I’m just working on my soccer and parkour skills.”
The Sport and Fitness Center’s regular hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. There’s a Boot Camp offered on Wednesdays at 1 p.m., Functional Movement classes on Thursday at 11 a.m., at 11am on Thursdays, and Cardio Boxing on Tuesdays at 4 p.m.

News

New Students get oriented to NECC

 

The spring new student orientation is held four times during winter break, with two sessions being held on the Haverhill campus and two on the Lawrence campus. The orientations are held so students know all that is offered on campus, from class information to counseling services.
Kadee Tapley, a programming assistant in the Student Engagement Center, said, “I think it’s important so the new students can see what resources are available to them. It also helps them to meet new students, so when they do start classes they have some friendly faces on campus.”
New students are often anxious about starting college and a new school. The students seem to relax a bit when they realize, that students who have experience on the NECC campuses are holding the orientation.
Joseph Meli, a communications student felt that because of the direct experiences of the student orientation leaders it made it more enjoyable Meli said, “It’s nice to hear it from students.”
The orientation starts out with an icebreaker called “Human Bingo.” The object is to get up and work the room and try to find fellow new students with qualities that relate to them on each others board.
Elfie Grusing, a general studies student and an orientation leader, said, “This is a great icebreaker as the bingo game progresses you can see the connections being built between the students.”
The students then come upon their very first pop quiz as college students. The pop quiz is meant to be fun and the table that answers the most questions correctly wins a prize. The quiz is basic NECC information, such as when classes start and where the campuses are located. It also goes over specifics on a syllabus, dates of finals, where the grading system be found, and professors contact information.
Orientation Leaders go over time management with a small exercise in which a volunteer from the orientation is handed a pile of cash.
The entire room gasps and wonders why they did not volunteer. The student is asked to count the money and let everyone know how much is there. The money totals $24, to signify 24 hours in a day.
The students are then asked about different activities they do throughout the day. When they are asked how long they sleep, work, prepare and eat meals or hang out with friends, they have to hand over that dollar amount. At the end the student ends up with no money left in their hand, but they do get a prize for participating.
Students also learn about things that are less exciting, but seemed to have generated the most questions such as, paying for college, requirements both in and out of the classroom and what to expect when you do not follow the student code of conduct.
Angelina Gard, an education major, said, “The orientation was pretty cool, I liked it a lot. They were very informative and it was very easy to get through.”
The students had a chance at the end to ask any questions they had. Meli said, “All the questions I had before I came to orientation were answered before I could even ask them. I feel ready to start school next week.”

News

GSA holds trans awareness workshop

 

On Friday, Nov. 21 the NECC Gay Straight Alliance held a trans awareness workshop.

Three students spoke to educate students, staff and faculty about the issues they face every day, and the proper ways to talk about it so no one gets hurt.

At the beginning of the workshop, Kelly Schwing, the president of the GSA, asked everyone to ponder a thought. They were asked to think about how many trans students they interact with every day?

The panel started off by reading a slide giving a description on what it means to be transgender.

The slide said, “transgender people are individuals who have a gender identity that does not match their sex they were assigned at birth. Typically people who are transgender have a self-image that varies from the body or gender role they were born into and wish to take steps to change that. Some people opt to identify as transgender as opposed to transsexual. The two words are similar in meaning however, some people find the term transsexual very offensive so it is always better to ask them what they want to be called.”

When they were finished giving that information, student presenter Emily ______ said, “I feel like it’s a good rule to keep in mind with anything. If you do not know what someone wants to go by, just ask them.”

“People will be more offended if you guess rather than say, ‘what do you want to be identified as?'” said student presenter Jake_____.

Emily ____ also made an important point about the dangers of outing a transgender student. She explained that many trans people are in the closet to family, coworkers, employers or strangers because of a real risk of mistreatment, harassment or abuse.

Colby, who is a genderqueer student, said, “Although they are out, if you were talking to your friends out at a bar and your friends ask about bottom surgery or what is it like being trans, the wrong person could hear that, and in this day and age, it could be very dangerous.”

“You would never ask about certain medical procedures other people had. So don’t ask what [a trans person] has,” said Emily _______.

The presenters also discussed misconceptions about trans people. There are a lot of misconceptions of what it means to be transgender, and the panel wanted to give the guests the correct information to combat stereotypes.

“What transgender people are not are creeps, perverts or abominations. We are not aliens or inhuman. We are just people, really,” said Emily _______. “It is not a fetish for us. We are just trying to be comfortable in our own skin.”

One misconception or stereotype that transgender people have is they are perverts and are greedy. They want both sex organs to have sex with as many people as they can.

“We just want to be ourselves,” said Colby ______. “We are not perverts. Not trying to have as many genitalia as we can so we can have sex with as many people as we can.”

Jake said that he hears, “you’re just a confused gay man or a confused lesbian,” which is not true. This is harmful language that perpetuates trans erasure, or the idea that trans people do not actually exist.

The panel also wanted the guests to know the differences between cross dressers and drag queens and kings, as opposed to transgender people.

“Cross dressers are people who like to dress in the opposite genders clothes,” said Colby. “Drag queens and drag kings are usually performers. … for most it is not their entire life.”

The panel did say that some transgender people to choose to perform in drag shows.

Emily read some statistics and said that between 2 and 5 percent of the population is transgender. The trans population is difficult to quantify because not everyone is comfortable with coming out or is safe to come out, so not everyone is counted.

The slides also stated that 20 percent of all murders in the United States between 1985 and 1998 were murders of transgender people and that one out of 12 trans women are murdered.

Fifty percent of trans people have been victims of domestic violence and 41 percent have attempted suicide.

Arts and Entertainment

Romantic Violin and Piano Concert at NECC

 

By Jessica Freeman

On Monday, Nov. 24, at 5:30 p.m. NECC held a concert, “Romantic Violin and Piano” on the Haverhill Campus in Building C, Lecture Hall A. The music was performed by George Kucera on violin and Alisa Bucchiere on piano.

Kucera, born in Prague, and a math teacher at NECC, says in regards to playing the violin, “[I] shouldn’t be doing this stuff.”

Kucera is passionate about music.

“The violin is my wife; I’m married to her,” said Kucera,

Bucchiere, a music teacher at NECC, said this is the first time she and Kucera had played together for a concert. Bucchiere is also involved with the music for the school’s upcoming production of “A Christmas Carol.”

The music for the evening consisted of songs played on the violin and piano, composed during the romantic period, spanning from the late 1700s to the early 1900s. Bucchiere, referred to the concert as a, “musical journey through time.”

The program was made up of 12 songs, including music from Tchaikovsky, Paganini and Chopin. Before each piece, Kucera gave an anecdote about the history of the song or information about the musical elements found in the song.

One story shared was about the third piece played titled, “On the Wings of a Song” by Mendelssohn. Bucchiere shared the story of how the song has been credited only to F. Mendelssohn, and that this may have referred to, the composer Felix Mendelssohn’s sister Fanny.

During this time period of the 1880’s Mendelssohn’s sister couldn’t have published music under her own name because she was a women, but that she was known to publish songs under this name.

Despite many European composers on the list, one American song “Banjo and Fiddle” by Kroll was included. Bucchiere said with the song’s upbeat tempo and fast pace, the only thing she could think of was, “a bugs bunny cartoon,” and that it was like a “cartoon chase” and “it’s a lot of fun to play.”

Many of the pieces played were not originally composed for the violin and piano, but were later translated to accommodate these instruments. One song, “Thasis” by Massenet, has been “translated for every instrument under the sun, except for the kazoo” according to Bucchiere. She said it sounds “most beautiful on the violin.”

Another song, “Mazurek” by Dvorak, was composed specifically for the violin and piano, and the two instruments echoed each other throughout the piece.

After the show was over, Nancy Nickerson, a teacher who works in the math department with Kucera, presented both of the performers with bouquets of flowers. Nickerson is involved in the school orchestra with Kucera. When asked about the show, Nickerson said, “the program was extraordinary,” and that “they’re both such professionals.”

Bucchiere said it was okay to have a small crowd and that it was better than a large crowd who didn’t care and didn’t really want to be there. Kucera was glad to see some of his math students came to the show as well.

Looking to the future, Bucchiere, says the next month is, “a month of concerts for her,” but that she hopes to have another performance with Kucera in the spring.

Sports

Former NECC baseball alumni celebrate

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On Sunday, October 19, players from past and present NECC Knights baseball teams gathered on the Haverhill campus for the second annual Alumni Day. In all, about 17 baseball alums from several different Knights’ teams and their families came to the festivities which included a cookout, a home run derby and an alumni baseball game.

Among the players who came to the game were Francisco Baez (’03), a former All-Star and a member of the first state championship team, effectively “starting the winning tradition here”, as Athletic Director Sue MacAvoy puts it.

Also present were members of the 2005 team, as well as more recent teams, like 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Representing the 2012 team were Pat Parker, a former All-American who went on to play two years for the Umass Lowell RiverHawks, and Keegan Pafford, another All-American who won a Rawlings’ Gold Glove award for his outstanding play in centerfield.

One member of the 2013 team who was present was Dan Bonito, who took home the prize in the home run derby with 3 homers over the right field fence.

However, the real star of the afternoon was former Knight Manny Cabral (’13). After graduating from NECC last year, Cabral decided that he wanted to make a difference. He did this by donating some of his bone marrow to a person who needed it, a person whom he didn’t even know.

Sue MacAvoy was truly moved by his selflessness, and decided that she was going to nominate him for an Outstanding Alumni Award to recognize his community service. Cabral received the award at graduation last year.

“To think that an All-Star player with a bright future would just put athletics aside like that and help another person, I don’t even have any words to describe it,” said MacAvoy.

Fast forward to the weekend of October 19, and Cabral is about to meet the woman who received his bone marrow. He decided to bring Rebecca Dolan, 32, of Columbus, Ohio, to the Alumni Day festivities.

Dolan received Cabral’s bone marrow in January of 2013, and credits Manny with saving her life. She has since returned to her job at the Ohio State University, and after some emails back and forth, the two agreed to meet on October 17. Dolan and her immediate family flew into Boston on the evening of the 17, and met Cabral at his aunt’s house. Together they sat and talked, and Dolan was finally able to thank her savior face to face.

The alumni played a full seven-inning game that lasted about two hours. Former Knights’ coach Chris Shanahan, who was with the Knights in their 2012 World Series run, coached the alumni team.

In the fifth inning, there was a ceremony on the field where Cabral received his Knights team jersey, and Rebecca was given some NECC baseball gear. Dolan also gave Cabral several gifts, including a book full of thank you letters from her friends and family.
After the game, MacAvoy and Cabral’s coach, Jeff Mejia, spoke about Cabral’s service and his selflessness.

“We talked about how we wanted our other athletes to grow and have a positive impact on other people’s lives,” said MacAvoy.

After the home run derby and baseball game were over, players and their families gathered for a barbeque.

“Everyone had a great time, current and former players sat together and shared stories,” said Sue MacAvoy.

The alumni who gathered for the festivities that afternoon spanned from the 2003 and 2005 teams all the way to the 2012, 2013 and 2014 World Series teams. The day was filled with great fun and fond memories being shared by all. Next fall, the alums will gather on the Haverhill campus again for another great Alumni Day.