Tag Archives: NECC

Campus Life

Mass Sheriff Training Program at NECC

 

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Students may have noticed a sheriff’s van driving through the quad on Sept. 9. On top of the Methuen Police Academy, NECC has now become home to the Massachusetts Sheriff Training Program. The Observer had the opportunity to speak with Commandant Michael McAuliffe and drill instructor Allysson Hernandez during the program’s move into the first floor of the Science building on the Haverhill campus.  The program officially started on Sept. 14.

The Methuen Police Academy has been moved into a few first floor classrooms in the Spurk building.

Enrollees in the Sheriff Training Program will park only in the furthest row in the Spurk building student lot and are required to purchase parking permits.

The class includes 31 recruits, eight of them female, training to become corrections officers.

Physical training will take place on campus, generally on the field in the quad.

Campus Life, Features

Opportunity Works’ Justin Sanchez

 
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Walking into Opportunity Works, you hear classical music playing from the welcome desk. The staff instantly greet you, and quickly help you get to where you need to go.

The building may be new, but the bonds between the staff and students there are richly rooted. Each person has a profound story to tell, like Justin Sanchez.

Justin Sanchez is 27 years old and has been at the Haverhill location of Opportunity Works for about six months.

Sanchez is in Club 22, works as a receptionist at Opportunity Works, and has the name of “helper” with math, cooking, and much more. Club 22 is a program “for people with disabilities: it helps you achieve goals, the staff helps you out,” said Sanchez.

Sanchez was born into divorce, and his sister’s father raised him.

“I was a terrible baby, threw toys at my door,” he said.  

“I’m a caring person, I treat people with respect … I’m here if anyone needs to talk, I don’t like it when people are sad. Oh yeah, I’m Puerto Rican –          I speak Spanish and French.”

When he was just a baby he traveled to the Dominican Republic. “I got bit by something, (which meant) I had to relearn everything… it was scary,” he said.

Sanchez took all the pain, obstacles, negativity and doubt thrown at him, and simply decided being a stronger man was more important than staying down on himself for the rest of his life.

Destiny Farley, a friend from high school, said that one of Sanchez’s best qualities is his sense of humor. “He’s a jokester; always laughing, smiling.”

In middle and high school, Sanchez got straight A’s in addition to playing football, basketball and baseball.

To him, nothing else matters except “to make people happy. I don’t like it when people are sad, it makes me sad.” Through all his struggles, he still wanted to help others be happy. “Without confidence, you can’t succeed in life,” he said. Sanchez has found his passion in public speaking. He has even spoken at the Opportunity Works annual golf tournament at the Haverhill Country Club.

“Public speaking for Opportunity Works is my favorite thing because I’m confident in what I’m doing. I’m not afraid,” said Sanchez.

The staff of Opportunity Works know Justin Sanchez well, collectively applauding his helpful nature. Just walking down the hallways with Justin and talking, people stopped Justin to high five him and say something about his character. Sanchez said,

“Debbie is my favorite person at Opportunity Works. She is a down to earth person, helps you wherever you’re stuck- like I can’t count money, she helps me out.”

Staff coordinator Deborah “Debbie” Hogan-Vicente reciprocated this affection, saying that Sanchez is “a great guy. He is a pleasure to have in our Club 22 program. He is also very helpful when needed.”

“He always has clever things to say. He’s witty, cheerful, caring, shows a genuine interest in others,” said Jim Field, Job Developer in Project Research for Opportunity Works.

Sanchez will be going through the Project Research Program in October to find a job. He aspires to be in forensics.

“I watch ‘Two and a Half Men,’ but my favorite is ‘CSI Miami,’ ‘CSI Cyber,’ anything like that – that’s what I want to do in life,” he said with an optimistic smile.

 

Arts and Entertainment, Campus Life, Features, News

“Haverhill’s Archie” – Fact or Legend?

 
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Local legend holds that artist Bob Montana created the Archie comic strip and based the characters, at least in part, on his Haverhill High School peers. The truth of this claim has always been somewhat of a mystery; it seems to be contradicted in a few places, including by the original publisher of the comic strip, John L. Goldwater.

Goldwater is quoted as saying that he modeled the characters largely after people that he met while traveling throughout the Midwest as a reporter. Goldwater is also said to have attended school in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, and Riverdale is the name of the fictional town from where Archie, Jughead, Betty, Veronica and the rest of the Archie gang hail.

When the comic was first released in Nov. 1941, it was clear that Riverdale was located in Massachusetts. The high school depicted in the comic also seems to have been modeled after the original Haverhill High School, which is now City Hall.

The comic, still popular after 60 years, included hints as to the location of Riverdale in each issue in 2002 but at the end of the year, it was revealed that Riverdale would be given no official location. Some believed the hints pointed to Riverdale being located in the the Missouri area.

Cambridge-based film critic Gerald Peary has been a fan of the Archie comics since the ’50s, but his interest was really piqued in the ’80s. He read a letter to the editor in the Boston Globe from a Haverhill librarian, who stated that the Archie characters were alive and well living in Haverhill.

It was at that time Peary began his journey to find the real Archie characters. He created a documentary about what he uncovered called “Archie’s Betty” and is stopping in Haverhill next month as part of a nationwide tour.

In celebration of Haverhill’s 375th anniversary, NECC, Buttonwoods Museum and The Haverhill Historical Society are hosting two free showings of the film on Oct. 1 at 3 and 6:30 p.m. in the Hartleb Technology Center. An exhibit of Montana’s work and the original work of NECC students will be on display in the Linda Hummel ArtSpace from Oct. 1 through Oct. 31.

 

Sports

Coach Bradley Brings Back Cross Country to NECC

 

Northern Essex Athletics has not offered a cross country program in seven years. There hasn’t been a coach or enough students to fill out a team. Now, after all this time, they are bringing the program back thanks to new head coach Thomas Bradley.

Bradley has accomplished many things in his life. He grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., graduated from the Military Academy at West Point and ended up a captain in the U.S. Army for five years. After that part of his life, he worked on Wall Street and several banks.

For about 38 years now, he has been coaching multiple sports at different schools around New England. When asked what sport he enjoys coaching the most, he always says the same thing: cross country.

The last job Bradley had before Northern Essex was head coach of the cross country team at Wilmington High School, where he coached for 18 years. With Wilmington he also coached the girl’s basketball team, showing the high school his love and dedication to sports.

At the end of his 18 years at Wilmington High, he announced his retirement. His retirement didn’t last too long though.

Bradley saw an ad in the Eagle-Tribune that Northern Essex needed a head coach for cross country and decided to contact Athletic Director Sue MacAvoy. When he met with MacAvoy, he learned that he would actually be bringing back the program. He reacted positively to the news and is ready for the new challenge.

His retirement barely lasted a whole summer. He just couldn’t stay away.

“A lot of it has just been fun. As long as I stay healthy I can see myself sticking around for a while,” Bradley said.

The cross country team has five scheduled meets this season. It will be a new experience for Bradley, because this is his first time coaching at the college level.

Bradley is now recruiting all students who may be interested in running cross country. Those interested can reach him at tbradley@necc.mass.edu.

Campus Life, Features

Campus Accessibility

 
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Accessibility at Northern Essex has long been a hot-button issue. The outdated elevators, the cracks in the ramps, the ice and snow in the winter — it all falls under the umbrella of accessibility concerns.

With the Spurk Building being renovated this upcoming year, some may wonder what upgrades are going to be made to improve accessibility. Susan Martin, director of Learning Accommodations, is an advocate for the issue. Martin has pitched the idea of “universal design.” Universal design would make improvements with certain disabilities in mind but would benefit the community as a whole.

These ideas include higher, larger desks in the rooms that can accommodate wheelchairs. Right now, readers may notice one or two desks in the classrooms that are larger, but in Martin’s ideal world, a wheelchair would fit comfortably anywhere in the class.

Universal design also involves the ramps that anyone can use. Whether someone is using them because they are disabled, rolling a bag behind them or just tired after a long day of running to class, Martin points out that this is another positive effect of universal design.

There is an elevator in every building, with E and B sharing one where they intersect. Leading into the Hawrylciw Theater on the top floor of Spurk is a wheelchair lift. Last December, before a performance of “A Christmas Carol,” the wheelchair lift failed. The woman, and her wheelchair, had to be carried down the remaining stairs.

“I do get a few of those (complaints),” said Martin, who also explained that there are records of each complaint and the respective follow-up. When there is an undocumented issue and students voice their concerns later down the line, Martin said, “We don’t often know all of the details … If (students) have what (they) believe is an ‘access issue’ now or in the future please do not hesitate to contact Justine Caron.”

There is an Access Committee that meets just once a year to discuss accessibility concerns and improvements. Martin is a part of the committee along with previously mentioned Justine Caron, the ADA Compliance Officer on campus. The committee was founded in 1998 with the responsibility to “review, discuss and recommend items for a campus-wide access plan in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973,” according to an email from Martin.

There is a meeting to discuss the Spurk renovation plans on Oct. 8 in the Technology Center, room 103 at noon.

The Observer invites you to share your experiences with accessibility on campus. Contact Kelly at observer@necc.mass.edu.

 

Sports

Outdoor Basketball Court in Jeopardy

 

When students drive on Kenoza St. to take the rear entrance into Northern Essex, they are greeted with the nice view of Kenoza Lake. On the other side of the road, though, lies an abandoned basketball/handball court.

“Yeah, the eyesore?” said Athletic Director Sue MacAvoy. “It actually used to be a decent outdoor small basketball court out there.”

The court has been in this location since the Haverhill campus opened. It was surely in better shape back then. The basketball nets were intact, there were no holes in any of the fences separating the basketball and handball courts, and there was brand-new asphalt — no grass growing through the middle of the courts.

Nobody has taken enough care of the area to keep it in good condition, so the court has gone the way nature has taken it. This has led to many different problems.

“Last year there was a water main break down there. The water pipes went underneath that so they had to dig up certain areas of it, and that is not in the best of places, being that it is in a low spot next to the reservoir — so the asphalt was constantly cracking,” MacAvoy said.

The Athletic Department has noticed that the court has fallen into disrepair and are currently trying to figure out what to do with it. One option would be to keep the court, but they would have to make renovations and be sure that students would want to come and use it on a regular basis so it does not fall apart again due to neglect.

The school could also decide to move it somewhere else on the campus, but there is the issue of finding more land to create a new one. Once again though, it is not guaranteed that people would use it and it could be a waste of time, space and money.

Another option is that the school could decide to remove the courts altogether, said MacAvoy.

“They’re trying to decide if they’re actually just going to remove it because it is kind of a safety hazard.”

Campus Life, Features

NECC Students Make Road Trip out of College Visit

 

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| NECC Observer
NECC students Christian Doyle, Tarah MacGregor and Geehae Moon went on a road trip this summer to visit two colleges in Florida. The road trip was initially the idea of MacGregor, a Liberal Arts major in her fifth year at NECC. She wanted to visit her to top choice schools: New College of Florida in Sarasota and Eckerd College in St. Petersburg. “I was inspired to go on the trip for a couple of reasons, most important being that I watched my sister visit her number one choice for transfer and hate it earlier this year,” she said.

The three friends decided to make stops at several different places on the way to Florida, including Washington D.C. “Tarah figured she had to make the trip down to the schools anyways, so why not make it into something fun, like a bonding experience for a couple of her close friends?” said Doyle, a sophomore studying theater at NECC. It took them six days to get to the first college, and they slept in MacGregor’s car at night.

A lot of the highlights of their trip occurred on the way down. They visited the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, Freer Museum, and Edgar Allan Poe Museum. They also stopped in Savannah, Georgia, and went to the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens. Moon, a theater major in her seventh full time term at NECC, described them as “breathtaking.”

The three students had one last adventure in Florida, at St. Petersburg Beach, which Doyle described as “really spectacular.”

“There were actually four dolphins that were about 10 feet away from us. I initially thought it was a shark. . . I was like ‘Honestly, I’m not going to be a special on Shark Week,’ so I ran out of the water. Then as soon as I realized they were dolphins, I went back,” he said.

Their first college visit was at New College in Sarasota.

“I’ve been looking at New College for years now; it’s been my dream school,” said MacGregor. The college’s campus is actually the former estate of the Ringling brothers. “New College was very impressive. The campus is gorgeous. The admissions building is made of pink marble, set right on the bay. It was like a dream,” said Moon.

Despite New College’s charm, and MacGregor’s high expectations for the college, the students found themselves feeling much more enamored after leaving Eckerd College. “Honestly, I ended up hating New College. The campus was beautiful, but I couldn’t see myself there,” she said. “I was freaking out. I didn’t know a world where New College wasn’t my next step and I was terrified of letting that go. I didn’t even want to visit Eckerd the next day,” she said. Before visiting Eckerd, she didn’t know as much about what they offered and wasn’t nearly as excited about it as she was about New College. She decided to go because her mentors strongly encouraged her to and she trusted their advice. To her surprise, she ended up falling in love with Eckerd after only 5 minutes on the campus. “It felt like fate,” she said.

“Visiting Eckerd made me realize that one thing I really like about NECC is that it has a very holistic view of its students. They aren’t as rigid as other universities. Eckerd and Northern Essex kind of share that,” said Doyle. Eckerd appealed to Doyle because they don’t rule out students who may have a nontraditional path. Eckerd offers a program that, in a way, lets you build your own major. Basically, you work under an umbrella of a major and then work with an advisor to create a course load that’s more specifically aligned with what you are interested in. While Doyle is pursuing a theater degree, he also has many other interests, and wasn’t sure how he could incorporate them into one degree. “I realized that’s the kind of program I would like to go into, and had I not visited Eckerd, I don’t think I would have realized that’s what I needed,” he said.

Moon was also impressed with Eckerd. “I loved the community feel of the campus. I realized that the sense of close knit community feeling I have at NECC could be something I could find at Eckerd,” she said.

Reflecting on the experience, MacGregor realized that what a school’s website looks like is not indicative of how it will make you feel. “Nothing can measure comfort or community other than how you actually feel there, and that cannot be taken for granted,” she said.

Arts and Entertainment, Campus Life, News

Summer Music Festival

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The harmonious sounds of the 5th Annual Summer Music Festival, directed by Christina Dietrick, permeated TC103 in the Hartleb Technology Center on August 14. Dulcet melodies drifted into the hallways as parents proudly watched their children demonstrate their musical talents.

The festival this year was held from Aug. 9 to Aug. 15. The artists presented their hard work after a grueling but enlightening week of musical camp. What started as just a fun program for aspiring musicians to hone their talents has turned into an annual music festival event.

Director Christina Dietrick became a part of NECC through Michael Kramer, a previous faculty member of NECC who performed as a guest pianist for the festival. He brought Dietrick to NECC after a change of direction in his path, by becoming a mathematics teacher. Leaving his piano class expertise, he chose Dietrick as his replacement.

“I wanted my class piano course to go to somebody who I knew was very competent, and I graduated with Christine from Boston University,” he said.

We both did our master’s and doctorate’s there at the same time,” said Dietrick.

The rest is history. Dietrick has been the piano teacher at NECC since 1994, as well as the music faculty at Mount Wachusett Community College, Indian Hill Music, and is the founder/director of the Chopin Conservatory of Music on the North Shore. Her other notable accomplishments include her performances both in the United States and Europe as a soloist in concert, as well as with orchestras performing on a plethora of stages including Jordan Hall, Alice Tulley Hall at Lincoln Center. She regularly performs at the New York Public Library and Chopin Society of New England.

The Annual Summer Music Festival began 5 years ago when Dietrick received the opportunity to organize a music festival from chairman Kenneth Langer. “First it started with just being a piano camp, but then I said, why don’t I make it chamber music? So therefore I brought in two colleagues. First it was Alice Holstrom, then it was Caroline Reiner-Williams, and then her husband Angel Hernandez-Dominguez joined us 3 years ago,” Dietrick said.

Both Reiner-Williams and Hernandez-Dominguez performed alongside the students at the festival, adding even more life to the pieces. Both artists are of the highest caliber in their musical talents. Reiner-Williams, who plays the violoncello, received her undergraduate degree in cello performance at age 19, and has gone one to complete her master’s degree in cello performance at the Longy School of Music. Having toured Canada, England, France, Russia, Spain, and Portugal and being a member of the Boston Youth Symphony, she now spends her time as a faculty member at Brooks School in North Andover, Fay School, Indian Hill Music Center, and Joy of the Music Program. Reiner-Williams also founded the Nashaway Trio with her husband Hernandez-Dominguez and pianist Roy Imperio.

Her husband Hernandez-Dominguez graced the stage with his exceptional talents on the violin and viola. His accomplishments include his studies of violin at Manuel Saumell Conservatory in Havana. From there, he has been a part of the Aguascalientes Symphony Orchestra, the Queretaro Philharmonic, and performed as a soloist on many occasions. He currently teaches violin and viola at Brooks School in North Andover, Cushings Academy, and the Shrewsbury MA Public schools. He also builds and repairs violins.

From Brahms to Mozart, the artists’ renditions of classical music transformed TC103 into a music hall. The performers varied from all ages, from 4 to 14.

“I put on (Disney’s) ‘Fantasia’ . . . one of the days we had camp, and all the kids ran to the practice room because they were so eager to practice their skills,” said Dietrick.

News

The Financial Adviser

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With college comes new friends, new experiences and new responsibilities. It also comes with several new expenses that can affect a student’s quality of life and lead to long term debt and confusing credit issues. Whether you are a returning student, or if this is your first year, now is the right time to familiarize yourself with all of the financial resources that are available to you. Even if you don’t need them right now, it’s never too soon to prepare.

Scholarships and grant money are available for a variety of things and from a wide variety of sources. Far too many are available to try to list them here.  In fact, according to the NECC website, 216 NECC students received over $200,000 for the 2014/2015 academic year alone.

Financial aid can help students with much more than the cost of classes and is available from a variety of sources.  Financial aid can also be used to pay for books, transportation and even participation in special programs such as the study abroad program.  Since some programs are on a first-come, first-served basis, it is advisable that you apply as early as possible.

Your student ID itself can also be a huge source of benefits and savings.  Follow the link on your blackboard account to download microsoft office for free instead of paying for expensive software.  Print homework from the computer lab, eat free lunch on campus several times each semester, rent blockbuster movies from the Bentley Library and get discounts around town on everything from florists to restaurants to dental care.  Get to know the full list of benefits and discounts to save money on everyday items.  Every little bit really does add up.

More information about scholarships and grants can be obtained through any of the following resources:

 

Alumni Association

Lindsey Mayo, Director of Alumni Relations

978-556-3621

lmayo@necc.mass.edu

Enrollment Services/Financial Aid

Alexis Fishbone, Director

978-556-3615

afishbone@necc.mass.edu

Office of Institutional Advancement

Lindsay Graham, Assistant Director

Scholarship Management & Donor Stewardship

978-556-3629

scholarships@necc.mass.edu

Pathways to Academic & Career Excellence (PACE)

Kristen Arnold, PACE Program Transfer Advisor (TRiO-SSS)

978-556-3418

karnold@necc.mass.edu

from: http://www.necc.mass.edu/getting-started/financial-aid/types/scholarships/

 

For more information about your financial aid options:

 

For general financial aid questions, please email aid@necc.mass.edu or visit the One Stop Student Services Center in Haverhill or Lawrence. Our front desk team will be happy to answer your questions

 

Financial Aid Office Hours                 

Day Haverhill Lawrence
Monday 9:00 am to 6:30 pm 9:00 am to 6:30 pm
Tuesday 9:00 am to 6:30 pm 9:00 am to 6:30 pm
Wednesday 9:00 am to 6:30 pm 9:00 am to 6:30 pm
Thursday 9:00 am to 6:30 pm 9:00 am to 6:30 pm
Friday 9:00 am to 4:30 pm Noon to 4:30 pm

 

from: https://www.necc.mass.edu/getting-started/financial-aid/contact/

 

 

 

See the full list of student discounts here:

 

Business Address Discount
A-1 Deli Inc. 92 Merrimack StHaverhill, MA978-372-7951 10%
Angelo the Florist 197 Winter StHaverhill, MA978-372-0270 10% Cash and Carry
Buchika’s 340 BroadwaySalem, NH603-893-5534 10% off accessories
Capitol Lighting Get 15% off lighting for your dorm or office fromCapitol Lighting – 1800lighting.com COUPON CODE at Checkout: CAP15-NECC
Cedardale Heath & Fitness 931 Boston RdBradford, MA978-373-1596 No Registration Fee (Plus)
The Comic Book Palace 620 Primrose StHaverhill, MA978-372-1477 10% off comic books
A+ Computer Solutions 334 Common StreetLawrence, MAPhone : (978)566-9747

http://www.smileywork.com

 10 – 15% on computer repair and tablets and smart phones. Discounts to NECC students with an ID
Cut Above 127 S Main StBradford, MA978-374-9742 10% off retail products
EnterpriseRent-A-Car 31 River StHaverhill, MA978-374-1020 10% off on Corporate Account
Family Affair Salon 292 Main StGroveland, MA978-372-9011 20% off wash/cut/style
Holland’s Flower Shop 577 S Main StBradford, MA978-373-1700 10% off Cash and Carry
Paper Potpourri 95 BroadwayHaverhill, MA978-372-3861 10%
Shear Magic 620 Primrose StHaverhill, MA978-521-8900 10% off retail products
Smile Braces 76 Merrimack StHaverhill, MA978-521-1999 10% off orthodontic treatmentMonthly payment available
Texas Road House 424 BroadwayMethuen, MA978-975-5588 10%
Yokohama Restaurant 313 S BroadwayLawrence, MA978-689-4047 10% discount with NECC student ID (only on food, does not include drinks).

 

from: https://www.necc.mass.edu/student-life/activities/center/services/

Arts and Entertainment, Features, News

ArtSpace Dedication

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Over the summer, the ArtSpace located in a remote corner of the Bentley Library received a new name and some well deserved attention during a dedication ceremony on May 15.  So did Linda Hummel-Shea, for whom the space was renamed.  Hummel-Shea started at NECC as a part-time librarian 35 years ago and retired last June as the assistant dean of libraries.   Throughout the years, this space had been used for a variety of purposes, including a conference room and a place for hosting large events, but in 2009, after a unanimous vote, it was decided that the space would be recreated as “…a long desired and needed location for the students, faculty and community to display their work.” said Mike Hearn at the dedication ceremony.  Hearn is the college’s director of libraries and he emceed the dedication ceremony. “The artspace would not exist as it is today  had it not been for the vision and support and  tenacity of Linda Hummel-Shea.” said Hearn.
Continue reading ArtSpace Dedication →