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Posts published in “News”

Zelenskyy’s White House Visit in Context

By editorialteam on March 14, 2025

By Holden Baird | Observer Contributor

President Trump and Vice President JD Vance clash with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy during meeting in Oval Office on Feb. 28, 2025.

You may have seen coverage of the recent meeting between United States President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which has since drawn intense reactions from both sides of the political aisle. The controversial meeting and the wider conflict between Ukraine and Russia encompass one of the most consequential of ongoing world affairs, and it could have significant future ramifications.

What is happening in Ukraine?

The Russo-Ukrainian War initially began in February of 2014 when Russia invaded Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. At the time, Ukraine was experiencing intense political upheaval that resulted in the ousting of Viktor Yanukovych, their then pro-Russian president. Russia defended their action as one taken to support the region’s pro-Russia separatists; Western powers viewed the occupation as an effort to maintain Russia’s influence within the Ukrainian government. read more

(Archive September 2018) Parking Lots and Garden Plots

By editorialteam on March 5, 2025

By Christine Nelson | Observer Contributor

The newly completed parking lot outside of the fitness center, and the location of the previous Community Garden.

Current parking lot construction will bring improvements to campus parking lots, yet requires the removal of the community garden.

All parking areas will be repaved. Parking in front of the Fitness Center will expand to accommodate more parking spaces—an additional 24 regular spaces and 11 accessible spaces. The community garden near the Fitness Center will be removed to allow for this expansion. A catch basin system will be installed to improve drainage. Parking lots B, C, and D remain the same size, yet will gain over 100 additional spaces as lines are redrawn for more modern cars. (Current lines are based on 1970 car sizes.) There will also be new lighting.  read more

(Archive September 2018) Spin Street Cred Into College Cred in Hip Hop Class

By editorialteam on March 5, 2025

By Maurisa Weld | Observer Contributor

Photos by Maurisa Weld
Ashlaw, student/s dancing

Did you know you can “break, pop and lock” and have it count towards a degree? If you always wanted to bust a move, Street Dance/ Hip-Hop is now offered as an accredited elective with no prior dance experience required.

Choreographer and instructor Brittany Ashlaw has been dancing since she was two years old and has been teaching dance arts for 10 years. Ashlaw said teaching at the college is different than at studios because she can incorporate discussion and dance history into the movement lessons.  read more

(Archive September 2018) A New President, A New Precedent

By editorialteam on March 5, 2025

By Ayana Brodeur-Edmonds | Observer Contributor

Photo courtesy of MWCC
President James L. Vander Hooven

It has been an eventful year for the community since President James L. Vander Hooven took office at MWCC. After a year of changes, President Vander Hooven and the community share their thoughts on where MWCC is now.

When Vander Hooven first looked into MWCC, he says that he was very impressed by the students and faculty. He “loved” the programs offered at MWCC, and said, “It [Working at MWCC] just seemed like a really great opportunity for me.” So far, his time at the college has been enjoyable. Vander Hooven has gotten to explore the community, and get a “deeper understanding” of what goes on here at the Mount.  read more

(Archive September 2018) Diversity Club Cultivates Culture

By editorialteam on March 5, 2025

By Jasmin Ruiz | Observer Contributor

Photo courtesy of MWCC
Melissa Bourque-Silva

In efforts to increase appreciation and support of diversity here at the Mount, Melissa Bourque-Silva, Director of National Workforce Diversity Pipeline, proposed the idea of building our very own multicultural center on the Gardner campus and it’s a go!

No timeline has been determined for when the project would begin. The plan is for the project to be fully funded and self-sustaining, but in the meantime Bourque-Silva is seeking out extra funding sources and grants that would be interested in supporting the project.  read more

(Archive September 2018) Plagiarized and Jeopardized: A Warning

By editorialteam on March 5, 2025

By Zach Pavlosky | Editor-in-Chief

Photo by Thomas Hill Jr.
A poster outlining Mount Wachusett Community College’s Academic Honesty Policy, including the definition of plagiarism.

Dean of Students Jason Zelesky and Creative Writing professor Michelle Valois have worked in education long enough to understand the ramifications of plagiarism and have, accordingly, adopted beliefs as to why they think students resort to such an act and how to quell it.

When asked about the severity of plagiarism, Zelesky firmly stated that “It is a form of academic dishonesty and a formal example of cheating.” He said plagiarism can be a “challenging concept” for some professors to tackle due to the different ways that a student could plagiarize. read more

(Archive May 2018) 2018 Job Fair

By editorialteam on March 5, 2025

By Alan Wong | Observer Contributor

Photos by Alan Wong
Stephen Hilton at the 2018 MWCC Job Fair

Brandon Alexander Parker attended the Job Fair March 21st because he did not have a job prior to the fair and saw the opportunity to gain a foothold. He emphasized the atmosphere of the school was the main reason he attended the Job Fair in the first place. 

Parker found a company called the National Ecological Observatory Network, a wildlife observatory that watches over animal life and the ecosystem. 

Parker chose this job due to the overwhelming support his Aunt which gave Parker the love of nature. This sparked an interest in bird watching, which compelled him to pursue photography. read more

(Archive May 2018) Criminal Justice Student Busts a Criminal

By editorialteam on February 20, 2025

By Alan Wong | Observer Correspondent

The Gardner Police Headquarters, located on Main Street.
Photo by Brianna Stevens

Criminal Justice major, Nathan Oliva completed a one-semester internship recently at the Gardner Police Department for the opportunity to obtain experience he would not have otherwise gotten from being in the school.He said internships are encouraged for all Criminal Justice majors.

Oliva said, “It’s a terrific way to get into the books [at the station] and there’s a possible chance they might even remember you, which is obviously beneficial.” Oliva participated in this internship because it would be on his resume and he needed something to get his foot in the door.  read more

(Archive May 2018) The Moral of a Mural

By editorialteam on February 20, 2025

The Art Club Spins Optimism Through Painting

By Elizabeth Jones | Observer Contributor

The completed mural as it sits in the hallway.
Photo by Tom Hill Jr.

Sending a message through art in a year that seemed dominated by tragedy, a mural outside the advising office was created by four members of the art club. 

The team began working in January and after an estimated 130 hours, the mural was completed in March. 

The in-progress Art Club mural as it was at the beginning of the semester.
Photo by Brianna Stevens

“It is a tribute to all the tragedies of 2017,” said Allyson Bois, Art Club President. She was joined by the Art Club Vice President Camilo Alamares; Treasurer Blake Denmark; and Nicholas Lutz. read more

(Archive May 2018) An Empty Place at the Table

By editorialteam on February 20, 2025

By Alexa Nogueira | Observer Contributor

A table set to honor 22 victims of domestic violence.
Photo by Alexa Nogueira

YWCA(formerly “Young Women’s Christian Association”) Domestic Violence Services arranged a display on April 2 to serve as a remembrance of those who have been victims of domestic violence. 

The display remained up for the remainder of the week and can be found in the Arthur F. Haley Academic Center.

According to the YWCA, domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women. But for every story we hear about the victims of domestic violence, there is a seat left empty at the dinner table that no one talks about. This display is a tribute to those who have lost their lives to domestic violence within the past year in Massachusetts and shows seats at the table that have been left behind.  read more