Tag Archives: Clubs

Campus Life

GSA Welcomes Potential Students at Spring Jam

 

During NECC’s College for a Day, which happened alongside the annual Spring Jam celebration on April 15, high schoolers from around the area visited to get an idea of what the average day in college is like. In an effort to help the LGBTQ+ demographic feel more welcome, the GSA set up a table outside where these students could ask questions about the organization and sign up for a list to receive news and information via email. In the spirit of celebration that comes along with Spring Jam, those at the GSA table handed out candy and stickers.

Kelly Schwing leads the group as student president, explaining the possible benefits for those entering higher education for the first time.

“Having the GSA could make the transition from high school to college a little easier,” she said. “Students in the LGBTQ+ community sometimes find themselves feeling left out and the GSA gives them a place to hang their hat.”

Of course, transitioning to college is overwhelming for almost anyone, but there’s an added level of stress for those who identify somewhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum. According to a national report compiled by the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, “more than 60 percent of LGBTQ+ students do not feel safe in schools because of their sexual orientation, and 38.4 percent do not feel safe because of their gender expression.”

Colby Patrie, another member of the GSA, explained how having a safe space benefited him during his transition to college.

“In high school, I was the only openly gay, genderqueer student,” he said. “No one else knew what that was, and I was harassed for it all the time until I stopped talking about it out of fear. Transitioning to college was rough for me . . . I was scared of what other students would think of me. The GSA was my first club I joined when I came to NECC . . .
“I remember they were talking about the transgender panel they were making, and I shyly raised my hand and asked if genderqueer could be added as well. They said they thought it was a wonderful idea, and from then on I made friends, I opened up, and I am so glad that every Friday I look forward to being able to talk about my personal issues without feeling judged.”

Patrie isn’t alone; students who have organizations like the GSA available to them generally have a better experience at college. Researchers from the California Safe Schools Coalition found a link between safe spaces for LGBTQ+ students and feelings of safety among all students attending that school. Results from the survey found that “76 percent of students who attended a school with a GSA felt safe, versus 69 percent of students who attended a school without a GSA.”

“The GSA is a safe environment,” said Sara Ramirez, a student staff member of the group. “Our officers are equipped with phone numbers and assistance to help anyone. Our members have knowledge of different types of people, and we have a trigger warning protocol.”
Students who go to a school with a GSA don’t just feel safer — they are safer. The sex education provided by such student organizations often has a ripple effect beyond those within the group.

For example, students in schools with a GSA are more able to name faculty they feel safe with, less likely to be victims of dating violence and/or harassment related to sexual orientation and gender identity/expression.

“The GSA is one of the most accepting places on campus,” said Patrie. “Even if you’re not in the LGBTQ+ community, everyone is always welcome to come by and see what we’re all about.”

News

Veterans at NECC

 

There are over 100 veterans and current or former military members attending classes at NECC, but many may not know that they are even around.

Veterans often carry themselves differently than the typical student by showing leadership, promoting teamwork and displaying self-discipline. However, according to a study by the U.S. Army Medical Department, student veterans and servicemembers frequently face three main challenges: having meaningful social interactions with other non-military students, adjusting to the cultural differences between military and student/civilian life and adjusting to one’s role outside of the military.

Many former military members use their professional background to the advantage of themselves and others.

“I bring life experience to the table, and (students) see that,” said Eddie Hoar, former U.S. Army service member and journalism/communication major at NECC. He followed up by saying that he had to “ease back into college life,” as the combination of his military experience and other life challenges made the transition difficult.

Hoar is also a member of NECC’s club for veterans: the Veterans and Servicepersons Organization, or VSO for short. The VSO’s mission is to provide social and cultural support to student veterans by helping to bridge the gaps related to the common struggles experienced by service members after their military service.

However, some veterans may find it difficult to adjust to student life if they don’t feel comfortable with identifying themselves as such.

“Veterans are unknown on campus,” said Cory Chambers, an Iraq war veteran, engineering science major and the vice president of the VSO. “Why is that?” he asked.

Self-identification is a key struggle across many educational institutions in regards to trying to promote a comfortable environment for student veterans and servicemembers. The aforementioned study found that many veterans may not want to identify themselves as such for many reasons, such as the fear of social stigma or wanting to put their “service behind them.” However, many of the study’s respondents also stated that student veterans’ programs “should be highly visible and promoted to encourage participation.”

“It is what they make of it,” said Veterans Services Coordinator and VSO advisor Jeff Williams, who has served for 29 years in the U.S. Army Reserves, including a combat tour to Iraq. “The administration is always so supportive. Student veterans just have to tell me what they need.”

Williams is a strong proponent of positive change for student veterans and servicemembers at NECC. His most recent accomplishment is his addition of two work study students, which will allow him to help more student veterans in a more effective manner by allowing him more time attend to more pressing issues.

Williams has also been trying to make NECC feel more welcoming for current and future student veterans by his active support in trying to appoint a private study space for veterans and servicemembers and also trying to create a specialized orientation program solely geared toward incoming students with military experience.

One of Williams’ current main goals is to make the Veterans Center more “attractive” to student veterans, meaning he’d like more people to go in to study or talk, or just to communicate their concerns.

Veterans Service is located in the Student Center on NECC’s Haverhill campus in room SC-216, and it is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursdays.

Coordinator Williams also provides support for students in Lawrence at the El Hefni building’s advising center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Work study hours may vary.

For more information, please email Veterans Services at veteransservices@necc.mass.edu or call (978) 556-3631.

Olsen, Timothy, Karen Badger, and Michael D. McCuddy. “Understanding The Student Veterans’ College Experience: An Exploratory Study.” U.S. Army Medical Department Journal (2014): 101-108. Academic Search Premier. Web. 7 Apr. 2015.​

News

NECC’s Premier Unofficial Club

 

Imagine walking up the stairs to the second floor of the Student Center to go to the bookstore, wondering just how much your educational success is going to cost you today. Your line of sight hasn’t even come in line with the top of the stairs yet when, suddenly, a wave of focus-penetrating howling and laughter shatters your train of thought, which is effectively replaced by other-worldly jargon: “I’m telling you, Duck Hunt Dog is top tier!” “Naruto should’ve ended up with Sakura instead of Hinata.” “I special summon my Cyber Soldier from the graveyard in face-down defense mode!”

You look to the area across from the bookstore and see a gaggle of often peculiarly dressed young women and men chatting away merrily, and possibly eating pizza or ramen, playing card games or reading comics or Japanese manga on the school computers.

No, you have not stumbled into enemy territory, although many may try to avoid wandering into their space as if it was. You have merely come into contact with one of NECC’s most diverse groups—one that means nobody any harm, but instead is very prone to welcoming others without question.

“I guess you can call us Team Meme Supreme,” laughed Liam Lavoie, who is a psychology major at NECC and a member of the close-knit group of friends that frequent the area across from the bookstore. A young man seated nearby playfully shouted, “Let’s make a banner!”

Lavoie continued. “Sometimes we play Super Smash Bros. (for 3DS), cards, Pokémon,” he said, pausing; and then, with an accusatory head nod and glare toward the young man seated beside him, he playfully said, “or making (Dungeons and Dragons) characters.” They laughed.

Each individual that frequently hangs out in the area had different motives and stories concerning how they ended up there, but they all continued going for one reason: friendship.

“My friends were hanging out here, so I came,” said Lavoie, who then stated that he first began hanging out there because it was once a hotspot for casual lunch conversations, and thus bonding with like-minded individuals.

Many students may not know—especially newer students—that the NECC bookstore space was once a cafeteria, and all of the current seating outside of the bookstore was once just a simple eating area for students. Many lasting ties were forged during typical lunch periods between students with similar interests, to include things like the anime and gaming cultures. Those earlier times have essentially allowed for Team Meme Supreme to thrive as well as it has.

“The thing I like about this group is that it’s so big,” said Conor Miller, who is a theater major at NECC and the hand and voice behind the blue Bad Idea Bear (which he affectionately named BB King) from the Top Notch Players’ production, Avenue Q. “We never turn anyone away,” he followed.

The size of the groups that stay in the area across from the bookstore varies greatly, and typically depends on the time and the day of the week one happens to pass by; however, regardless of their size, their presence seldom goes unnoticed.

“We’re the most diverse group on campus,” he said, and then went on to joke about how their numbers would easily trump that of any actual club or organization at NECC. Miller then went on to ponder on how he became a member of Team Meme Supreme.

“I was playing Pokémon Crystal, sitting all by myself next to a large group of people playing video games, when a guy named Mike came up and said, ‘Is that Pokémon Crystal? You should come show us!’” said Miller reminiscently. Miller has since maintained and created bonds with others with interests similar to his.

A major point of speculation from passersby is the amount of time members of Team Meme Supreme spend in their hangout spot. Some individuals have gone as far as to joke that many of those who frequent their spot aren’t even students at NECC because of the lengths of time some of them remain there.

Lavoie stated that he spends around two to two-and-a half hours per day, or about eleven hours per week just hanging out with friends in their hangout spot. Benigno “Benny” Agosto, a psychology major at NECC, who was wearing a black fedora, quickly chimed in by excitedly stating, “I think I spend double that!”

Agosto remarked on how someone had introduced him to the group on his first day at NECC.
“I kind of just wandered in and stayed,” he quipped. “The vibe was awesome, so I kept coming!”

None of the members of Team Meme Supreme seemed very concerned with what others may think of them, to include NECC’s public safety officers, who playfully refer to them as “the loud group.” More than anything, each individual from their informal organization would like their fellow students, faculty and staff, and even the security guards to know that they mean nobody any harm. Instead, they encourage others to join them or engage them in conversation whenever they’d like.

“We’re not as scary as you think,” said Agosto. “We may be loud and we may seem crazy, but we’re really cool. Walk in and we love you!” he said lastly.

As Agosto finished speaking, another affiliate of Team Meme Supreme sat down beside Agosto with a My Little Pony plush doll stuffed in through the neck of his shirt with only its head sticking out.

“It’s for intimidation purposes,” he said with a wry smile, perfectly embracing the joyfully benign spirit of Team Meme Supreme.

Regardless of one’s personal feelings toward Team Meme Supreme, the fact of the matter is that they fully intend to continue hanging out and enjoying one another’s company.
However, if one ever feels like having a joyful conversation about anything, they’d like others to know one thing: “The more the merrier!”

Arts and Entertainment

NECC’s Music Club is Ready to Expand

 

The Music Club at NECC performs music at the college for the community. According to the college website, the club creates informational music activities such as jam sessions, caroling and viewing educational music videos. Exploring the current music technology, budget and hanging around talking about music makes this club a fun place to be.

Dr. Ken Langer, Music Department Director, says, “The Music Club is beneficial to anyone who has an interest in playing or listening to music.”

Jennifer Weiss, General Studies, Music Option, 20, is President of the club and serves for the full school year. Other positions in the club include Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

Weiss said, “Our main goal is to improve the music department and grow as a whole. We want to inspire people to play and enjoy all the different aspects of music!”

Lindsey Michaud, 20, General Studies, Music Option, is Vice President of the club. This year, they have talked more about how to raise money for the music department. “We talk about how we can use that money to make improvements and how we can inform incoming students of the unique program we have at NECC.” said Michaud.

The way the club operates is completely up to the participants. “They drive the agenda and the activities,” said Langer.

Amanda Clooney, a Music and Business Major, 20, said, “The Music Club is to get people that are and are not music students to talk about what they like about music, what they want to happen in the future for the department and where they want to go with music.”

Weiss, as president, has learned how much responsibility it takes to be a leader.
“I also learned that everyone depends on you to take care of business and problems. I learned to step up and be responsible,” said Weiss.

Michaud said, “The club started in the spring, 2014. Dr. Langer told us about it during class so I decided to stay and see what it was about. Other music majors and non music majors are in the club and anyone can join no matter what their major, as long as they are an NECC student or employee.”

Clooney says her trip into the music club wasn’t exactly planned. “I knew about the club when the advisor, Professor Langer, mentioned the idea of starting one at the beginning of the spring 2013 semester, but I didn’t join until the third meeting by accident when I showed up to my following class early.”

“I love being able to meet with other people who share similar interests and goals. I enjoy the opportunity to leave an impression with this school even after I’ve graduated. It’s just another activity to do with my friends at school and we have a lot of fun with it,” Michaud said.

The music club meets at 1 p.m. every other Thursday, and all students from any major can attend.

Campus Life

Bacon Board Gamers Club

 

The Bacon Board Gamers club has been a staple at NECC since 2011. The club was thought up by students in Mike Cross’ chemistry class at the time when one student, David Bowie, got serious and took the reins to make the club a prominent one at the school.

“My students really enjoyed the games I used in class to demonstrate various chemical principles and they wanted a chance to play them more often,” said Cross, who serves as the Bacon Board Gamers’ advisor.

The start of the club was slow but the Bacon Board Gamers didn’t give up. They applied for the Campus Catalyst program and received funding, which they mostly used to buy new games.

“We have around 100 games in a cabinet in my office and I have another 250 or so at home,” said Cross.

With the number of games they have there is a diverse set to choose from. “I love to play Cards Against Humanity,” said club secretary Colby Patrie.

Another member, David, said his favorite game to play is Werewolves.

It’s not all about the games with the Bacon Board Gamers. Members also bring in many different foods to the bi-weekly meeting.

“Despite the name, you don’t actually have to eat bacon to be part of the club. One of our members is even a vegetarian,” Cross said.

There is one special food the club always likes to have on hand though.
“We always order pizza with bacon on it,” Patrie said. Even bacon-cheeseburger pizza has made it into the mix.

Since its inception, the club has won some awards and has been recognized by some big names. During their first showcase to the Campus Catalyst program they won “Most Likely to Succeed.” They have also been awarded the President’s Cup by Lane Glenn and NECC. Local media has not failed to see the club’s successes either. The Haverhill Gazette, Eagle Tribune, Newburyport Daily News, WBZ Radio and the Boston Globe have all had feature stories on the Board Gamers.

The best part about the Bacon Board Gamers is that anyone can join.

“The Bacon Board Gamers is open to everyone – students, faculty, staff, even the general public,” said Cross.

Cross went on to talk about the club’s success and when they meet.

“Attendance at the club varies, but we probably average about a dozen people at each meeting. We have meetings the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month at 6:30 pm in E260. We meet even during the summer and school breaks. We also hold an All-Day Gaming Marathon twice a year.”

To find out more about this club and its history, they have their own website at www.baconboardgamers.com

News

COG Holds Bake Sale for Animal Shelter

 

The NECC Community Outreach Group held a bake sale to raise money for the Northeast Animal Shelter on Wednesday, March 11, on the first floor of the Spurk Building.

The Community Outreach Group is a student run club that engages in local community service and carries out projects around social and environmental issues of concern.

Meredith Gunning, faculty advisor of the Community Outreach Group, said every semester the group holds different events. The type of events they choose to do “depends upon the sort of local non-profit organizations or projects the students want to be involved in for aiding the surrounding community,” said Gunning.

“The club voted on helping to raise funds for The Northeast Animal Shelter because it is a non-kill site which does a lot of good work with providing shelter and homes for various animals,” said Gunning.

Northeast Animal Shelter is one of New England’s largest non-profit, no-kill animal shelters located in Salem, Mass.

According to their website, “Northeast Animal Shelter receives no local, state or federal funding and is entirely dependent on contributions from the public to cover its annual operating budget.”

Jen Adams, Volunteer and Community Relations Coordinator at Northeast Animal Shelter, said, “The key to our success rests in people who give their time to help animals find homes. Something as simple as a bake sale can help raise money for animals in need.”

Adams said the shelter received fifty puppies from Georgia this week alone. These puppies would have otherwise been euthanized.

Nicholas Stuart, NECC general studies major and Community Outreach Group member said, “We chose to support Northeast Animal Shelter for our bake sale because the values of the organization were parallel to our members’ values. We hope that by having the bake sale we are able to raise funds to improve the quality of life for the animals they harbor.”

Stuart is a proud member of Community Outreach and said being a part of it is important to him because “not only does it help the community, but it also helps show the charitable qualities of the NECC students.”

Campus Life

S.C.I.E.N.C.E Club

 

By Justin Merced

The S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Club, pronounced “science,” will soon be open to students interested in science related activities such as in ecology and conservation, microscopy, necropsy, taxidermy and many different outdoor activities.

The S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Club had its first unofficial meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 17 and plans to begin holding official meetings on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 12:30 in room E365 on the Haverhill campus. All students are eligible to join.

There are hundreds of students enrolled as science majors at NECC, but there hasn’t been a special interest group in the sciences at NECC for several years. Mary Everett, founder and president of the S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Club and a biology and writing major at NECC, took note of this issue and decided to create a club for those interested in doing practical, but fun research.

“The Science Club will be based on student interest,” said Everett, also relating that it is intended to be a place where like-minded students can get together. “The club’s goal is to get people excited about science,” said Everett. “[And] give people the ability to do things they would otherwise not be able to do.”

The things Everett was referring to are the goals and activities she has planned for the S.C.I.E.N.C.E Club, which include salamander catching, water quality testing, taxidermy (on already deceased animals), necropsies on animals to gauge the impact of humans on the ecosystem, hiking and camping.

“There isn’t any one activity I’m most excited about,” said Everett.

Daniel Roache, S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Club vice president and biology major, however, has a more centralized view on what he plans to get out of club activities.

“I’m looking forward to doing taxidermy and dissections, but I’m more looking forward to having scientific discussions,” said Roache. Roache also said the S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Club will give him a chance to “stay up-to-date” with his knowledge and understanding of the sciences while taking elective courses at NECC, which may be considered a serious issue among science transfer students.

Roache will not be returning to NECC in the fall, but said he plans to “expand the club to ensure its survival.” Everett, who will also not be returning to NECC in the fall, also plans for a great expansion.

Everett intends to become a full-time student at the UMass Lowell beginning in the fall of 2015 but hopes to create a “bridge” program or network between UMass Lowell’s science program and NECC in order to fashion more effective experiences for future S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Club members. Everett also said she intends to eventually involve the S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Club in eco-based nonprofits in the New England area.
Sarah Courchesne, who is one of two S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Club advisers, a professor of chemistry and biology at NECC, and also Mary Everett’s older sister has similar goals in regards to student and club success.

Courchesne intends to strengthen the club by providing lasting support for students, although she’d like it to mostly remain “student driven.” In regards to student success, Courchesne, who is also a doctor of veterinary medicine, said she’d like to use her connections from within the scientific research field to “get students into the science world,” meaning she’d like to assist them in reaching their career goals if interested in a profession in the sciences.

Courchesne also has a strong focus on outdoor activities, and said she is “excited to see where this leads.”

In addition, when asked about what each letter in the name “S.C.I.E.N.C.E.” stands for, Everett simply stated one would simply have to join to find out.

For more information, you can contact S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Club president Mary Everett at Mary_Everett@student.uml.edu, advisor Sarah Courchesne at Scourchesne@necc.mass.edu, or advisor Mark Clements at Mclements@necc.mass.edu.

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.​

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, Opinion

Dance club perserveres

 

By Shaina Richards, Correspondent

Conflict arose for the dance club this semester when it was discovered that they would not be able to use the dance studio.  

The dance studio was going to be used for another class at the time the dance club had planned to meet.  

Zany Dwight, a freshmen in college who attends the dance club, said everyone was “pretty bummed.” 

Since the rooms at the college have always been open for use, the college decided to put a yoga class in the dance studio because they saw an open space in the schedule. 

The instructors found out only two weeks before the club was supposed to start meeting.  Since it had already been decided, they were forced to search for another room to meet in.  

Michelle Deane, the coordinator of the college’s dance program, said it was “Really difficult.”  

It was a disappointment that the students wouldn’t have access to the mirrors in the dance studio to help them better see how they can improve, as well as the larger space to dance in.  

But the group has made the best of the situation.

However, she also said “I was surprised how Tracy (the choreographer of the dance club) was able to make everything come together.”  

Tracy DiJulia is a NECC graduate who has been the dance instructor for the past four years.  

Dean described her coreography as “fun and flirty.”  

As someone who tended to take dance more seriously, Deane said Tracy brought a “new voice” to the program.

Deane said they tried to find the biggest classroom available, and work as a team to make the dance club happen despite the inconvenience.  

She added “I am confident that next semester we will have the dance studio back.” As of right now they are meeting in the science building in a classroom.  

They push the desks in the center of the room over to the side to make room to dance.  The projector in the classroom was used to show the video of the song that they were learning how to dance to. 

The dance club is open for everyone, and the philosophy of the club is that “Everyone can dance.”  

Dwight described the dance club as “really fun” and said it was “a challenge even though I’ve been dancing a long time,” which she said she liked about it.  

People with a lot of experience, or even little to none, are all welcome to attend the club.  

She said she feels like having a mixed group like that is actually beneficial in some ways, because everybody can help each other out.  Both girls and guys participate.

The two dance instructors took some time afterwards to help people who were struggling with the dance moves.  

They ran through the steps one by one until those who were struggling felt more confident, and then went through the dance with music.  

Some girls recorded the dance on their phones as a reference to use when practicing before the next meeting.  

With everyone helping to make the best of the situation, it looks like the dance club isn’t going to be phased much by the change of location.​

For more information about the NECC dance club contact Michelle Deane at (978)- 556-3957, or visit her at her office located at C314J in the C building. You can alos reach her by email at mdeane@necc.mass.edu.