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Posts published in “Opinion”

(Archive March 2018) Stress Less: Solutions from Students Juggling Jobs

By editorialteam on February 5, 2025

By Cassie Roy | Observer Contributor

Balancing school work and a job can be difficult for the average student
Photo by Brianna Stevens

Working through college is like pulling your own teeth, but without Novocaine, and you still have to pay for it. Many students have to pay their way through college, as well as deal with other bills. Phone, gas, insurance and car payments add up quickly. Students use a variety of ways to pay their college bills such as financial aid, scholarships, work studies, or just working a job or two.

Kayla Murphy is a full time nursing student at Mount Wachusett Community College and hopes to obtain a master’s degree in the near future. She currently works as a manager at Papa Gino’s full time and as a Cumberland Farms customer service associate anywhere from 25-35 hours a week. read more

(Archive February 2018) Dating in a World Consumed by Technology

By editorialteam on February 4, 2025

By Meghan Doyle | Observer Contributor

Online dating is only one of the many ways technology has changed the way we view and form romantic relationships.
Image from Pixabay https://pixabay.com/en/man-woman-love-dating-email-949058/

With technology changing the way we go about our daily lives, it seems only natural that it would affect our relationships, and how we form them as well. Dating websites and apps have become increasingly popular over the years, with over one third of marriages starting online, according to an article by “Emerging Technology.”  But is swiping right for love changing the way that our society feels and acts in relationships? If so, is it for better, or for worse?  read more

(Archive December 2017) Is It Too Early to Be Merry?

By editorialteam on January 28, 2025

By Michele Walsky | Observer Contributor

Christmas Decorations put out in late-November.
Photo by Benjamin Richard

Happy Hallow-giving-ismas! In the hostile takeover of pumpkin spice everything, candy corn and plump packs of fun-size chocolates flirt with back-to-school notebook sales. At the faintest nip of fall, eggnog cozies up to the coffee creamer. 

If you ran into CVS for sunscreen this summer, I hope you did not topple the Hallmark display of Christmas ornaments. Yes, they come out every July. I love the holidays but slow your roll, Mister! 

It is bad enough the four seasons are bi-polar. Now big business punts us through the last quarter of the calendar faster than a Hail Mary field goal attempt.   read more

(Archive December 2017) MWCC Student Visits Island in Portugal

By editorialteam on January 28, 2025

By Cassie Roy | Observer Contributor

Nicole Chavez visits Portugal
Image courtesy of Nicole Chavez

Azores, Portugal is a beautiful island filled with massive hydrangeas and friendly stray cats. This is where Nicole Chaves, a student at Mount Wachusett Community College, visited to see family for ten days over the summer. This is her second year attending the Mount and she is currently majoring in Liberal Arts and Sciences.

The trip was Chaves’s high school graduation present from her family. It was the first time she went out of the country to see where her father grew up and visit her cousins, distant cousins, an aunt, and her father’s childhood friends. She travelled there with her mother, father, and older sister Danielle.  read more

(Archive December 2017) Student Discovers the Joy of Travel

By editorialteam on January 28, 2025

By Rachel Aster | Observer Contributor

Aster going on a snorkeling adventure.

Travel is often seen as something that only the rich do while on vacation, staying in 5-star hotels on resorts. I had the same opinion of travel coming from a lower middle-class family and having our yearly vacation be a two-hour drive to the Lakes Region in NH. 

Skateboarding down the road.

It wasn’t until I became an adult that I realized the world was my oyster and world travel is something that does not have to cost a fortune. Since coming to this realization, travel has been my outlet from stress, depression and has helped me dramatically with anxiety. read more

(Archive November 2017) How I Learned to Balance School and Work

By editorialteam on January 28, 2025

By Rachel Aster | Observer Contributor

Maintaining a balanced lifestyle is something that is too often overlooked in a student’s life. Through years of trial and error, I have developed a method to balance full time work, school, and pleasure.

Working full time while focusing on school leaves no time for anything besides studying and homework assignments. It is exhausting trying to keep up with the workload of school and keep your mental health in check. According to a 2014 article in the Monitor on Psychology publication, with rising college enrollment came a rising number of students requesting psychological help from counseling centers. read more

(Archive November 2017) Opinions Revisited: Iheb Klai Interviews Professors on Their Past and Future Thoughts

By editorialteam on January 28, 2025

Three MWCC professors, who provided their opinions to The Observer right after the Nov. 2016 elections, offer their opinions about how the presidency is going one year later. 

Professor James Korman has been practicing law in Massachusetts since 1992 and  is a Political Science professor: “In term of outcome, the president was unpredictable“

How do you feel after one year from the elections?

“The vision and the plans are not clear; I do not know what he is going to do. Replacing Obama care was totally unsuccessful. The Congress did not pass any major laws and that was due to the goals and objectives of the president. Also, the idea of immigration reform is not successful at all.” read more

(Archive November 2017) Dr. John Fielding’s Thoughts and Advice for Millennials One Year After the Election

By editorialteam on January 28, 2025

By Kelly Cacciolfi | Assistant Editor

Doctor John Fielding, who teaches History and Human Resources Management at Mount Wachusett Community College, said his advice for Millennials would be basically the same advice he gave in the Observer last year right after the Presidential election. Fielding said, “in some situations, it has gotten worse, a year after the election.”  

Last year Fielding was quoted saying, “You should not attack a man (or woman), but attack the content of their argument: understand your opponent’s argument, as by doing so you will be better able to counter that argument. Bottom line to everyone, whether a young Democrat or Republican, don’t despair. There’s another election in four years. Stick by your principles and hone your argument and stay away from personal attacks. Live to fight another day. The country won’t disappear despite who is elected”.   read more

(Archive November 2017) Reflections

By editorialteam on January 28, 2025

Professor Elmer Eubanks’ Thoughts About One Year After the Election

By Kelly Cacciolfi | Assistant Editor

One year later after the presidential election, Elmer Eubanks, Business Professor, said that “Trump was trying to keep up the election promise but I don’t think everyone thought he would do what he said since all candidates promise one thing and do another”. However, Eubanks said the Presidency overall “is in disarray”.   

Eubanks predicts that in the 2020 elections that “there is no good candidate on the democratic side so unless someone comes on the scene that can give Trump a run for his money we may end up with another 4 years of Trump. Would like to see Marco Rubio run but I don’t think he would challenge Trump”. read more

(Archive November 2017) 2016 Presidential Election: One Year Later – Candace Shivers’ Addresses

By editorialteam on January 28, 2025

By Kelly Cacciolfi | Assistant Editor

Candace Shivers, Associate Professor of Sociology and Human Services reflects on her thoughts from the November 2016 issue of the Observer where she was quoted saying this about Trump “I’ll be honest. I’m not sure what he could have said that would have made me vote for him”.   

A year later nothing has changed in her thoughts of how she voted in last November’s election. Shivers said, “it has confirmed people’s angst about Trump”.  read more