Tag Archives: NECC

Features

Beware the threat of ‘text neck’

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Constant use of mobile devices is causing NECC students a real pain in the neck.

In a recent poll, half of the NECC students asked said that they spend more than two hours per day looking down at their phones.

According to the American Chiropractic Association, the average American sends and receives more than 40 text messages per day.

“I’m not surprised,” said NECC student Sam Bergeron, who offers a suggestion to “text neck” sufferers. “Delete social networks.”

“Text Neck,” coined by chiropractor Dean Fishman, has become the official term adopted by healthcare professionals to describe the pain caused by several hours of emailing, gaming and texting.

“I didn’t even know there was a term for it,” said NECC student Paul Giordano. “Whenever I look at my phone for a long time, my neck is always sore when I stand up.”

Instead of raising our arms to view the screens of our devices, we tend to rest the phone or tablet on our laps which causes our heads to be lowered to an unnatural position.

“Posture is very important. You should try to keep your head in a neutral position no matter what you’re doing,” said Rob Wormald, spokesperson for the Health and Wellness Center.

The human head, which weighs approximately ten pounds, is adequately supported by the neck and spine while the chin is lifted to a parallel position to floor.

However, an additional ten pounds of pressure is added for every inch that the chin is lowered toward the chest causing strain on the neck, back and shoulders.

If left untreated, “text neck” can lead to poor posture, permanent curvature of the spine and costly medical treatments.

Joe Parker of NECC’s Movement Science Department is a specialist in corrective exercise and explains that “the lever of the neck is like a seesaw and works best when it is balanced.”

According to Parker, there are exercises that may help to alleviate symptoms of ‘text neck’. The Health and Wellness Center is equipped with a full gym and is free for all current students.

For any non-emergency health concerns you may have on campus, contact the Health & Wellness Center at 978) 556-3819.

Campus Life, Editorial

Letter: Police Academy

 

With All Due Respect

In the last edition of the Observer, two separate articles were written about the nuisance created by the police academy now present at the Haverhill campus.

The complaints centered around the supposed intimidating drills the recruits practice on the quad, the amount of parking spots taken up by NECC’s new “student” population and lastly the general anxiety a police presence causes students.

The training exercises specifically have been a sticking point due to the very close proximity between the quad and the daycare facility NECC operates.

In fact, when the children are playing in the enclosed playground area, the new training grounds are directly in their line of sight.

Detractors of the new academy have said the exercises, especially hand to hand combat, could scare the children.

Ben Tavitian a 2015 graduate said he didn’t even notice the new Police Academy which began in his final semester “I also really doubt children are being scared by seeing police officers training, if I could have watched that when I was little I would have been enamored, and I’m pretty sure all my friends would have been too.”

It often seems that the minds of the very young can be underestimated. Has anyone asked these kids if they’ve been negatively affected, or is it just assumed because police officers are being painted as the new boogey man?

The complaint over the parking spots is probably the weakest argument the opposition has made, and frankly barely deserves mentioning.

The C building parking lot has such an excess of spaces available, it is a rare day when it is half full.

Mike Dimanbro an accounting major at NECC who also juggles a full time job at Markets Basket was asked if the reduction in Parking Spots had inconvenienced him in anyway “Are you talking about the people who park in the way, way back of the lot now. Why don’t they just park up front with everyone else?” When informed that they were police officers he responded with a simple “So, they still shouldn’t be forced to park all the way in the back.”

The supposed lack of parking is very simply a fabricated story that people have created who for one reason or another don’t want police on theircampus.

The last major complaint was the general anxiety caused by a large police presence. Some argue that it is not conducive to a learning environment and can be a “trigger” for people who already suffer from anxiety disorders.

First, it is important to note that the recruits are not police officers. They do not carry weapons, and they do not have any of the extra rights police officers have, like searching your car or person if given probable cause, they are students just like me and you.

Erik Goulet, a freshmen physical therapy major, African American, and for full disclosure a close friend of the author, was asked if the Police or recruits had ever done anything that he would consider not conducive to a learning environment, such as having racial epithets yelled at him or possibly being beaten by a group of them. He said “No, the police have never done any of those things to me, in all honestly I’ve found them to be very polite. I always see them waving to everyone and myself. I actually think having them is a bit of a comforting presence, look at what has been happening in America with school shootings, just a couple weeks ago at a CC in Oregon. The fact that the police are here means that we’ll (NECC) never have to worry about that because we’ll never be a target.”

While there will certainly be a continuing controversy over this subject due to the current climate regarding police in America. Generalizing all police is not the answer, it’s discrimination.

Jake Soraghan

NECC student

Editorial

Letter: Film Classes

 

Dear Editor,

I am writing in response to your article titled, “Film Classes Are Struggling At NECC.” 

While it is true that we have faculty, but not equipment to run a film class, we do in fact have the faculty and the equipment to run video, film-based still photography, studio lighting, animation, motion graphics, and 3D modeling/rendering classes. 

We  even have degrees that emphasize photography, and/or multimedia at NECC.

All of our multimedia courses are taught by commercial videographers, animators and photographers. currently working-in-the-field. 

The college has Canon camcorders, DSLRs, a studio complete with chroma key (green screen), high key, low key, hand-painted backdrops, LEDs, monolights, meters, and editing software for students to use while enrolled in these courses. 

If students want to learn more about these classes or programs, I would be happy to help them or they can check with the Art Dept. Chair, Trish Kidney, pkidney@necc.mass.edu or their advisors.

Shar Wolff, Assistant Dean

Technology, Arts and

Professional Studies Division

swolff@necc.mass.edu

Editorial

NECC Observer Honored

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The NECC Observer recently learned that it was awarded an honorable mention in the 2014 New England College Newspaper of the Year contest.

The award is bestowed by the New England Society of News Editors.

The awards were handed out at NESNE’s 2014 spring conference at the New England Newspaper and Press Association headquarters in Dedham, but the Observer just received its plaque last week.

The Heights from Boston College was honored with first place, with The Gatepost of Framingham State University capturing second place and The Quinnipiac Chronicle of Quinnipiac University winning third place.

Along with the NECC Observer, The Defender of St. Michael’s College and The Brandeis Hoot of Brandeis University were also named honorable mention award-winners.

NESNE presents several prestigious awards each year, honoring those who have mastered the craft of journalism and “New England journalism’s most promising up-and-comers,” according to its website.

College newspapers at both large universities and small colleges enter the college newspaper of the year contest, which honors the region’s best student journalists

Under the supervision of faculty adviser, Mary Jo Shafer, the NECC Observer staff in 2014 included Editor-in-Chief Matt Gingras, Features Editor Everson Taveras, Opinion Editor Ashlee Ferrante, News Editor Chad Gorham, Campus Life Editor Kathryn Gagon, Entertainment Editor Faith Gregory,  Sports Editor Esther Nieves, Staff Writer Chrstina Hillner and Copy Editor Thomas Shamma.

Returning staff in fall 2014 included Faith Gregory as editor-in-chief, Copy Editor and Web Editor Thomas Shamma, News Editor Chad Gorham, Opinion Editor Ashlee Ferrante and Staff Writer Christina Hillner.

New staff in fall 2014 included Web Editor Danielle Coppola, Staff Writer Joe Meli, Entertainment  Editor Kim Whiting, Features Editor Rebecca Westerman and Sports Editor Mike Alongi.

Previous staff who returned for fall 2015 include Chad Gorham, who is now campus life editor, Joe Meli, copy editor, and Rebecca Westerman, arts and entertainment editor.  Kim Whiting is now the editor-in-chief

The 2014 NECC Observer was also honored as a  silver medalalist by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.

Features, Lawrence, News

Amesbury Street Property Donated

 

Louise Haffner Fournier’s family make donation

 

The Louise Haffner Fournier Education Center on Amesbury Street on the Lawrence Campus has gone from a rented building to a building that is now owned by NECC through a donation from the EMLO Realty Trust, which is under the direction of Joanne Fournier and the Fournier Family.

A unanimous vote from the board of Trustees brought the donation into reality.  

Kelsey Terry, a recent graduate of NECC and the Student Member of the Board of Trustees for the school year 2015-2016 said, “As I leave Northern Essex, I am glad that this happened while I was a Student Trustee. It is nice to have Northern Essex own the building that is worth so much.”

Joanne Fournier and her husband have been supporting NECC for many years. Fournier has been on the board of the Women of NECC since the group’s inception in 1996, said Jean Poth, the Vice President of Institutional Advancement.

Journalism major Christina Hillner said, “It shows that there are good people out there still. They care what is happening here at NECC, and they prove it with donations like the Fournier building.”

“The estimated value of the property is $1.45 million. The property includes three parcels of land totaling 39,444 square feet and two adjoined buildings totaling 24,008 square feet. It features a 1,500 square foot general science lab built in 2012, as well as classrooms, office and community spaces,” said Poth. “The two labs in the NECC/Fournier Educational Building are state-of-the-art and they were completed in the fall of 2013 and funded through the assistance of a grant and a private donor.”

Some students are excited to see Northern Essex expand in Lawrence. Alba Diaz, a longtime resident of Lawrence and a Business Transfer student, said, “I think this is a great thing, it helps to make Lawrence improve as a city.“

“There is a shining star showing in the city, and that is NECC. I could not be more proud to attend school here in my city and see the transformation that is taking shape,” said Diaz.

Theatre major Nate Miller said, “I was new to the Lawrence campus this semester and I also was an Orientation Leader, so I had to learn about all the building in Lawrence. It was nice to start saying it was our building due to a donation. It is a proud feeling.”

Jasmine Polanco, a Criminal Justice major, said, “I think its great because it shows the school wanting to expand more throughout the city.”

Polanco still had some questions that remain unanswered about how any future construction will affect school. She wondered if the classes that remain there are going to be the same.

The Louise Haffner Fournier Education Center became part of the Northern Essex community in 1999, when classes began to grow in Lawrence and the Dimitry Building was no longer big enough to house all classes. When the property first opened, it automatically allowed student growth in credited classes.

 

Features

Please Don’t Feed the Geese

 

Geese are creating a nuisance for the groundskeepers

 

Traffic comes to a stop on Kenoza Street more and more often these days to let the geese cross the road.

“There’s a good amount of geese. I think there’s two main groups,” says Steve Shepard, who works for the NECC Grounds Department on the Haverhill campus. Shepard thinks that the problem has gotten worse this year.

A group of geese is actually called a gaggle.  According to the Mass Wildlife website, gaggles of geese have been passing through for centuries along their natural migration route.  Throughout the ’60s and ’70s, a relocation project was begun to move the geese further inland, apparently for hunting purposes.

Since then, the availability of secondary food sources and changes in weather patterns have caused a change in the behavior of the geese.  While some groups still fly south for the winter, many geese have found that is no longer necessary and have become year-round residents of many of the nesting grounds that they populate.  

Since each full grown goose can produce as much as a pound of droppings each day, sanitation problems can develop in areas where the population is particularly large or bold, and once geese become established in an area, they are reluctant to give it up.

“The geese have been causing trouble with (the athletic fields), too,” said Shepard. “They seem to be getting used to our tactics.  Like, even the decoys don’t work, they just walk right by them sometimes.”

Evidence of this can be seen in the form of droppings all along the athletic track, just mere feet from where a styrofoam coyote watches on. “We’re trying everything, everything short of air horns,” said Shepard.

When asked about how they prepare the athletic field before a game, Shepard said that they use leaf blowers for both the grass and the sidewalks, but sometimes they have to resort to shovels to clear the mess.

The geese make their home at the Haverhill reservoir just across Kenoza Street but they have found abundant grazing available on the NECC grounds. “It’s between here and around where the reservoir is.  I believe they have some sort of sound cannon that they can use to push them, and then they usually come back here… so it’s kind of us sending them back and forth to each other.” Shepard laughed.

Shepard said that he thinks the school will have to do some research to find out what other people are doing.  “We definitely have to change our tactics. They’re getting used to everything,” he said. “We don’t want to hurt them, but we don’t want them in places where they cause a problem, or traffic, too.”

Currently, there is only one chemical treatment on the market approved to deter geese.  One company in Everett provides a dog handler and a border collie to patrol the grounds and chase the geese away for a starting rate of $10,000.  

The hope is that with the beginning of the school year bringing an increase in human activity around campus, the geese will be more reluctant to spend their days here.  Shepard asks that you please do not feed them.

Shepard said, “I’ve been here two years now and I didn’t think we were going to be at war with geese.  That wasn’t in the job description.”

For more information about geese, visit the MassWildlife website at http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dfg/dfw/.

 

Features

Smarthinking: Online Tutoring Services

 

Smarthinking is a free online tutoring service available to any student registered at NECC.  This service is not staffed by NECC tutors, but is actually a separate business which was purchased by the Tutoring Center.  There are over 2,500 certified expert tutors worldwide.

The service has been available at NECC since 2008 and is an effective way for online students or students with busy schedules to find academic support.  You don’t even need to register to access Smarthinking.  Simply log in with your NECC email and student ID number to get access.

The maximum time students can use Smarthinking for each semester is four hours.  This may not seem like a lot of time, but considering that most students use it for essay submissions, it actually lets students submit five essays per semester, each for a 45-minute charge.  If needed, you can contact the Tutoring Center when you run out of hours and they will assist you with finding the help that you need.

“In general, the students have been very satisfied with it,” said Lynne Nadeau, the Director of Tutoring Services.

The second most popular feature on the website after essay submission is the Drop-In Tutoring contact.  This allows students to chat with a tutor via “whiteboard” to get help on a specific subject.  Nadeau suggests that students go in prepared, knowing exactly what they need help with, in order to avoid using up excess time.

The tutoring is offered for a variety of subjects.  Algebra, nursing, biology, Spanish, and reading name just a few of the subjects Smarthinking offers tutoring for.  Accounting and sciences are among the most popular subjects.  Additionally, the website offers links for academic resources.  These provide study guides and tutorials for several subjects and don’t use up any of your allowed time.  You can also view archives of past study sessions to study for exams.

Overall, Nadeau said she has seen “quite an increase in students who use the services in the past couple years.”  She believes this to be a “generational thing,” as more students are enrolling in online classes and spend more time on computers in general.

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.”

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.