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Posts published in “Slider”

Pawsitive Vibes 2024

By editorialteam on November 1, 2024

Pet Wellness Month at the Mount

“Here is my turtle Bip dressed up as Leonardo the ninja turtle! He’s a 6 year old painted turtle. He likes to spend his time basking and digging in the gravel for tasty tidbits! His favorite thing is getting shell scritches!”

— Vivian Stronghold, Health Science major

“This is Dobby. His favorite toy is his sock from when he was born. But he does also like his peanut butter filled pacifier.”

— Helene Metivier, Substance Use Counseling (SAC) student

“Her name is Gypsy. She loved carrots, and her favorite word was ‘Food.’ The shelter we adopted Gypsy from told us she might be a Norwegian Elkhound mix. Gypsy loved the winter! Her favorite thing to do was scoop up snow with her mouth while running. It was the cutest thing.” read more

Spooky Season at the Mount

By editorialteam on November 1, 2024

How Students Celebrate Halloween Traditions

By Elysian Alder | Editor-in-Chief

As the leaves begin to change and the fall season settles in, candy, costumes, jack-o’-lanterns, and haunted houses begin to make their comeback—some of the familiar staples of Halloween, celebrated every year on October 31.

The holiday may have its roots in ancient Celtic traditions, particularly the pagan festival of Samhain (pronounced “Sow-in”), which celebrated the transition from the lighter half of the year to the darker half, marking the end of summer and the changing of the seasons, as well as a time when the “veil” between our earthly realm and the spirit world is said to be at its thinnest.
While Halloween today is often a gloriously whimsical time for tricks and treats, scary stories, pumpkin picking, and dressing up, it actually shares some similarities with how ancient celebrants of Samhain may have observed their holiday. read more

MWCC CIS Majors Lead at GCC

By editorialteam on November 1, 2024

By Kent Yang | Staff Writer

Photo from Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges

As part of the ongoing workforce development expansion at local community colleges, I had the incredible opportunity to team up with my classmate and fellow Computer Information Systems (CIS) major, Kourtney Tibbets, to serve as instructors for the “IT for Healthcare” course at Greenfield Community College, hand-picked by Dr. Gary Ackerman. For those unfamiliar with Dr. Ackerman, he serves as an adjunct Professor at Mount Wachusett Community College and teaches in the CIS department. Outside of MWCC, Dr. Ackerman is the Director of Teaching and Learning Innovation at Greenfield Community College. read more

Voter Registration Closes This Friday

By editorialteam on October 23, 2024

MWCC Community Can Look to Brewer Center for Registering Before Deadline

By Jordan Chila | Editor-in-Chief

Photo by Tom Hill Jr.

The 2024 election is fast approaching, and surprisingly, not every state offers same-day voter registration. Massachusetts is one of those states, with a voter registration deadline of October 26, 2024. There are several last-minute ways to register: by mail, in person, or online. Since not everyone in the community is registered, take advantage of the right to vote and register today.

Massachusetts is among the 28 states that don’t offer same-day voter registration, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get your vote in before the deadline. MWCC students can register in person at their local election office or by mail. For those who are registering to vote by mail, be sure that the registration form is postmarked by the deadline date of October 26, 2024. For an even simpler option, there is also the option to register or vote online. Where exactly is one able to find the online registration form? Well, the commonwealth of Massachusetts provides the link here: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/OVR/. It takes about five minutes, and all that is required is valid identification. read more

MCAS: To Change or Not to Change?

By editorialteam on October 23, 2024

Deciding the Future of the MCAS Graduation Requirement with Question 2

By Princess Yeboah | Assistant Editor

Photo by Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu from Unsplash

Question 2 on the election ballot addresses the MCAS testing requirement for high school graduation. This year, Massachusetts voters will decide whether to keep or change the rule that requires students to pass the MCAS to graduate. A “yes” vote would remove the requirement that students pass MCAS, while voting “no” would mean the requirement would still be in effect. According to the Rennie Center Education Research and Policy, the MCAS became a requirement to graduate in 2003. While some find this test motivating, some educators support keeping the test but without making it a graduation requirement. read more

Students and Faculty Weigh in on Upcoming Psychedelics Vote in Massachusetts

By editorialteam on October 23, 2024

By Elysian Alder | Editor-in-Chief

Image by Alan Rockefeller, from Wikimedia Commons

This November, Massachusetts voters will decide on several statewide ballot questions, including Question 4, the limited legalization of certain natural psychedelic substances, also known as the “Natural Psychedelic Substances Act.” The proposal would legalize and regulate the supervised use of certain natural psychedelics—such as psilocybin, DMT, mescaline, and ibogaine—for adults 21 and older.

In 2020, Oregon became the first state in the nation to legalize psilocybin, commonly known as magic mushrooms, in 20 of its most populated cities, opening more than 20 service centers to administer the drug, according to NPR. read more

MWCC Students Provide Thoughts on 2024 Presidential Debate

By editorialteam on October 23, 2024

By Benjamin Heffner | Observer Contributor

Former president Donald Trump (R) and Vice President Kamala Harris (D) shake hands at the September 10th presidential debate.

Last month’s debate on September 10 between former President Donald Trump, a Republican, and Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat, marked the first—and potentially the only—chance for voters to see both candidates on stage discussing key issues facing the nation, including immigration, taxes, the economy, abortion, and foreign policy.

Students Matthew Infantino, Sarah Vargas, and Oren Cohen gave their thoughts on the debate.

Matthew Infantino joined MWCC in the fall of 2024 and is studying Environmental Science. He is 44 years old and offered up his insight to the presidential debate by answering the questions below. read more

Tips and Tricks for Supporting Your Mental Health During Election Season

By editorialteam on October 23, 2024

By Benjamin Heffner | Observer Contributor

Photo by Jon Tyson from Unsplash

Mental health is a topic of concern for many people, and awareness for mental health has been steadily increasing. Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC) is eager to contribute to this important cause. Leeanne Hadsel, Senior Mental Health Counselor of MWCC’s Counseling and Wellness Services department shared some insight on the topic of mental health during election season and gave some advice about how students, staff, and faculty can manage their physical and mental health during an election season. read more

Stealing the Show in Steel Magnolias: Melissa Gates

By editorialteam on September 30, 2024

By Jordan Chila | Editor in Chief

Melissa Gates
Photo Provided by Gail Steele

Melissa Gates is a theater enthusiast whose love for the theater has recently pushed her to obtain one of the leading roles in the upcoming production of Steel Magnolias, set to hit the stage on October 4th, 5th, 11th, 12th, and 13th, 2024. She hails from Fitchburg Massachusetts and graduated high school in 2000. Gates also enjoys her work as a paraprofessional in elementary education and spends her leisure time performing in her band, hiking, and attending local shows. Although she arrived at the Mount in the spring of 2024 to begin her academic journey, Gates has been a part of the Theatre at the Mount community since she was a girl. read more

How One Local Non-Profit is Tackling Food Insecurity

By editorialteam on September 30, 2024

By Mayra Alaniz Andrade | Observer Contributor

Image from Facebook

According to Allison Goodwin, Operations Director at Gaining Ground, a nonprofit organic farm in Concord, MA, “About one in five Massachusetts households is experiencing food insecurity, which is really staggering.” Gaining Ground has been working to address the area’s increasing food insecurity for the past seven years by donating free, sustainable, organic produce to local residents.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, 44.2 million Americans lived in food-insecure households in 2022, with 12.8% of residents lacking consistent access to sufficient food, up from 10.2% the previous year. read more