NECC Observer

Opinion

Don’t get scammed in your job search

By Katie Yeaton-Hromada, Coordinator for Career Services and Internship Programs

Searching for a job is stressful enough, but today there’s an added challenge: identifying real opportunities from convincing scams. On sites like Indeed, fake postings can blend in with legitimate ones, making it hard to know who’s actually hiring. Before you hit “apply,” take a moment and verify it’s real. So, what can you do? Take control of your search and consider the foll... Read More

There’s a buzz in the air

By Melissa Ferris, Correspondent

There’s a buzz in the air

Photo by Melissa Ferris

The lawn in front of the Spurk building on the Haverhill campus.

Springtime is here. It’s time to open the windows, let in the fresh air, and hear those sounds of spring: chirping birds, chittering squirrels…and buzzing leaf blowers?!? While March goes out like a lamb, landscapers are roaring up their equipment, blasting our neighborhoods with the unbearable whining of 90 mile-per-hour air... Read More

The dangers of cancel culture

By Bailey Orio, Opinion Editor

MomTok and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Taylor Frankie Paul is once again at the center of controversy, this time following the resurfacing of a video allegedly sent out by her ex, Dakota Mortensen. In the clip, Taylor appears to be physically lashing out — throwing metal barstools and confronting Dakota during what seems to be a highly volatile and emotional altercati... Read More

Get experience without experience

By Katie Yeaton-Hromada, Coordinator for Career Services and Internship Programs

Summer’s coming up fast, and suddenly everyone’s talking about internships, part time jobs, and “getting experience.” You’re ready to apply — but then you hit a roadblock: every job wants experience you don’t have yet. That’s literally why you’re applying. Here’s the good news: you can build experience before you land that first big role. You just have to get a little creative.... Read More

The old-fashioned way

By Mike Rideout, Coordinator for Tutoring Services

At what point does something become considered “the old-fashioned way?” “The old-fashioned way” for many of us is a time before Covid, before 9/11, before the age of cellphones or even the Internet. This can look different depending on who you ask. I recently asked my nine-year old son to make believe he was on the phone, and he promptly placed his flat palm against the side of... Read More

A poem: The Haverhill Commons

By Linda Valenzuela, Correspondent

The Haverhill Commons is in, in fact, not a commonplace at all, But a very rare spot indeed; For there are no pretty artifacts, unless made of cardboard and paper, No diamonds or ore, No rare metals that make it a mine, But, yes, it is a rarety of character, Rarety in its attraction of NECC’s typical guests... Read More

Why you need an elevator pitch (or two…)

By Katie Yeaton-Hromada, Coordinator for Career Services and Internship Programs

Hi! I’m Katie, and I’m the Coordinator for Career Services at NECC. I spend most of my days helping students explore career paths, navigate career changes, and build the career skills they need to succeed after graduation. One tool I’ve seen make a surprising difference is an elevator pitch. Whether you’re networking, interviewing, or just figuring out how to talk about yoursel... Read More

The president of the United States believes people with learning disabilities should not be president

By Bailey Orio, Opinion Editor

The President of the United States believes people with learning disabilities should not be president. “Honestly, I am all for people with learning disabilities, but not for my president. I don’t think a president should have a learning disability.” said Donald Trump in a recent comment made to reporters. This comment was directed at California’s governors Gavin Newsom.  News... Read More

A whirlwind of unwanted life changes

By Chad Gorham-Soffron, Alumnus, former Observer News Editor

The 2026 Spring Commencement will mark 10 years since I graduated from NECC and stood upon the stage to present the 2016 Student Senate Gift to the school as the Student Senate President. Ten years is a long time, and a lot can happen in a person’s life. My life in the past year has been a whirlwind of the most unwanted life changes that take a certain kind of person to handle,... Read More

ICE operations raise questions

By Bailey Orio, Opinion Editor

Innocent American citizens are being taken away detained, and in some cases killed during ICE operations.  These incidences have shaken communities and raised questions about accountability, use of force and civil rights in the United States. Read More