Posts published in “Announcements”

(Archive February 2018) A Welcome Back Message From President James Vander Hooven

By editorialteam on February 4, 2025

Welcome to spring semester! For those of you who are returning for another semester toward your graduation goal, welcome back! For those of you who are just starting out at the Mount, welcome! While a little down time or quiet around the campuses is nice over the break, it is much better to see the students and faculty return to the campuses to begin again.

There are lots of big things happening at MWCC this year. I am excited to announce that the College received a significant gift that will help us, over a couple of years to design and implement a new career/advising approach that will build upon the regional business and industry partnerships we have established and hope to establish soon. This will mean more opportunities for students to receive state-of-the-art career advising from day-one. I’m also excited to announce that the College will be hosting my inauguration as president of MWCC on Wednesday, March 28th at 2pm. I hope that you will all consider attending this event to hear about the future directions of the College. Finally, immediately following the Commencement exercises in the spring, we will begin a massive reconstruction of our parking lots and roadway around the College. This desperately needed work will undoubtedly cause some disruptions during the summer but we will do our best to minimize the obstacles for the greater good (as I think you’ll agree). read more

(Archive April Fool’s Day 2017) The CAPTCHA Reform: Androids Seek Equality

By editorialteam on September 10, 2024

By Joshua Needham | Social Media Editor

The logo for the pro-android rights movement.

3/15/2033

Androids and Augmented-Americans stood together yesterday in support of the CAPTCHA Reform, seeking to have the phrase “I AM NOT A ROBOT” removed from internet CAPTCHA verifications.

A CAPTCHA internet verification box, containing the controversial phrase “I’m not a robot.”

CAPTCHA is a backronym standing for Completely Automated ublic Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart and was created in 1997 during the early days of the world wide web. The system was developed initially to prevent bots from adding URL’s to search engines, back in a time when “robot” referred to an unconscious machine or automated software. read more

(Archive April Fool’s Day 2017) Students Petition to Have MWCC Windmills Switched Off

By editorialteam on September 10, 2024

Claim Wind Generated by Mills Causing Late Spring

By Joshua Needham | Social Media Editor

One of the windmills in question, caught in the act of generating excessive winds.

Students are working on a petition to have the two massive wind turbines shut down this April, saying that the excessive winds are preventing the spring season from coming.

Spring should have sprung for students on March 20th, but instead we’ve been suffering through high winds and low temperatures. It would seem as though students won’t stand for the delayed warm weather any longer and are putting together a petition to shut the turbines down to prevent spring from being blown away. read more

(Archive November 2016) Local Benefit Music Concert

By editorialteam on September 4, 2024

To Raise Awareness and Empower Women

By Byron Harris | Observer Contributor

Sylvie Abate is a local musician out of Fitchburg. Along with being a multi-talented musician, Abate also shares a passion for helping others and creating a stronger community. Abate will be putting together a benefit music concert to celebrate and empower women.

Abate is managing the Out of the Fog Festival to raise awareness for domestic and relationship abuse. The term Out of the Fog come from patterns of behavior associated with emotional abuse which promote Fear, Obligation, or Guilt (F.O.G). The Out of the Fog Festival will be an all-inclusive, feminist fundraising event for musicians, friends, families, and supporters of all genders. read more

(Archive May 2016) One Last Thing…

By editorialteam on August 30, 2024

By John Mossey | Editor-in-Chief

Before my official departure from The Mount Observer, I’d like to thank everyone who has supported us since the beginning of the Fall Semester back in 2015. Our staff had walked into a lot of turmoil going into the new semester, but we pushed through it together and produced some of the best quality newspapers that The Mount Observer has ever published. I’m thankful that we were able to have such a great staff of writers and editors who have all written their best work yet, and will produce better work when I leave. But not only was the staff good writers, they were great people to work with and the chemistry between us was clockwork. read more

(Archive May 2016) Starting a New Chapter

By editorialteam on August 30, 2024

By Daniel M. Asquino | MWCC President

Congratulations to the Class of 2016! Through your hard work and determination, you have reached a major milestone. Whether you plan to continue your academic studies toward a bachelor’s degree or go directly into the workforce – or both – the days and months ahead open a new chapter in your lives. Make it a page-turner!

Over the past three decades as president of this college, I have seen thousands of students not only reach their goals, but far exceed them by being willing – in the words of 13th century German philosopher Meister Eckhart – “to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.” read more

(Archive March 2016) Zachary Marr, MWCC Student Goes Missing

By editorialteam on August 23, 2024

By John Mossey | Editor-in-Chief

Marr was last seen on February 13th in Boston.
bostonglobe.com

On February 13th, Zachary Marr went missing at a Boston pub known as the Bell in Hand Tavern. Marr had left the bar around 1:30 in the morning to go smoke a cigarette, neglecting his coat and leaving it inside. Within a ten minute window of him leaving the bar, he was gone.

Zachary was not alone in Boston. He had gone out to celebrate his birthday with some of his cousins, who were still inside the bar at the time that Marr had left. According to NECN, Amanda Marr, one of the Zachary’s cousins accompanying him that night, said that Zachary had left her a snapchat explaining that he could not re-enter the bar and that they should leave. She had sent a text back around 1:40, but when Amanda and the others went outside to reconnect with Zachary, he was nowhere to be found. read more

(Archive February 2016) Ring in the New

By editorialteam on August 22, 2024

By Daniel M. Asquino | MWCC President

We ring in the new year at Mount Wachusett Community College not with the customary noisemakers of bells and horns, but with drills, hammers and saws as construction continues on our Gardner campus.

Your patience as you make your way to classrooms and offices during the modernization of our 45-year-old facility is greatly appreciated. In the coming months, renovations to our Advising Center, Commons Area, Theatre at the Mount, and main entrance will be unveiled, followed later this year by the opening of our new science and technology building. read more

(Archive December 2011) SGA: Students Don’t Want Community Time Changed

By editorialteam on August 21, 2024

By Leigh Edwards | Observer Contributor

The Student Awareness Committee of the Student Government Association (SGA) said at last week’s meeting that out of approximately 344 MWCC students recently surveyed, 90 percent are in favor of keeping community time as it stands now, from 12:30-1:30 p.m., Monday- Thursday. The SGA also voted to accept the Music Club as an official club at MWCC.

The following items were discussed under old business:

The SGA’s Thanksgiving Food Drive produced 60 baskets of food and 58 of those baskets were given to area families. Leftover food was delivered to the Gardner Food Pantry.

The SGA raised $224.07 for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation through a bake sale.

Member Caroline Horvitz reported that over 15 people shaved their heads to support the Chrissy Lajoie (a former Student Trustee) fundraiser and over $15,000 was raised for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.

(Archive November 15, 2011) RAD Program

By editorialteam on August 20, 2024

By Ericka Pultorak | Observer Contributor

Campus Police Chief Karen Kolimaga and the rest of the force expressed interest in doing their annual four to five day R.A.D. Course (Rape Aggression Defense). This course is designed to show women some reasonable defense moves against attackers. Mrs. Kolimaga and the rest of the team get about ten officers to teach the class, however, they need students to sign up. In past years they have had low numbers and are looking to get better attendance this year. They know that everyone has different schedules but they are still looking to see if anyone would be interested and what days and times are best. Mrs. Kolimaga is thinking maybe a survey or some other way of collecting student opinions might be helpful in molding the class to the needs of the students. If you are interested, email Lt. Melissa Croteau at MCroteau@mwcc.mass.edu read more