Posts published in “Slider”

President Trump’s Department of Education Downsizing Concerns Students and Faculty

By editorialteam on April 11, 2025

By Princess Yeboah
Assistant Editor

Front facade of the U.S. Department of Education building in Washington D.C.
Photo by Andy Feliciotti from Unsplash

On March 20th, 2025 in office President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order on the US Department of Education that will completely shut down federal funding millions of students rely on. According to President Trump his act of signing the executive order is essentially “returning education, very simply, back to the states where it belongs”. In addition to its closure, 50% of DOE staff were placed on administrative leave effective Friday, March 21st. The DOE is the agency of the federal government that establishes policy to administers and coordinating most federal assistance to education. It also assists the President in executing his education policies for the nation and in implementing laws enacted by Congress. At MWCC, where many students rely on aid from programs such as Pell grants and loans, both faculty and students feel upset and fearful about this major change. read more

Have No Fear, Childcare Programs Are Here

By editorialteam on April 11, 2025

By Jordan Chila
Editor-in Chief

The Child Watch Program center on the Gardner campus.
Photo by Tom Hill Jr.

Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC) is home to many students, forty-two of which utilize the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) resources according to Ann Reynolds, Coordinator of Student Parent Supports. The campus also has additional supports such as the Child Watch Program to assist student parents while they get an education. While national statistics show that in the US, 7% of household income is used to pay for childcare, Reynolds and the team working at the Family Resource Center at MWCC have added the child watch program and CCAMPIS options and parenting students are taking advantage of them. read more

Automotive Sector Just One of Many That Will be Impacted by Tariffs

By editorialteam on April 11, 2025

By Holden Baird
Observer Contributor

Tariffs have been a major topic of discussion over the last several weeks, from national news reports to kitchen tables around the country. That is unlikely to change as President Donald Trump continues to ramp up this major piece of his economic policy, about which conversation ranges from a revitalization of American industry to the dawn of a new global recession. More recently on April 2, Trump introduced a sweeping expansion to the existing tariffs as part of his “Liberation Day” announcement, imposing elevated tariffs on more than 180 countries and territories. read more

Educational Support at the Mount

By editorialteam on April 11, 2025

Navigating Your Education with Learning Differences

By Desiree Leader
Staff Writer

Photo from iStock, credit: Andrea Rostek

In the American Public Education system, students with learning differences or disabilities may be able to obtain accommodations to acquire an appropriate public education. In many instances, that comes through an Individualized Education Program (IEP), which makes accommodations to help the students reach their educational goals. Although IEP’s aren’t done at the college level, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t support available for students. Those in need of services can contact the Disability Services office to see if they qualify for a 504 which makes accommodations for students who have a hard time accessing education. read more

Future of Gardner Sludge Dump Raises Concerns for Local Residents

By editorialteam on April 11, 2025

By Wayne Jurgeleit
Assistant Editor

The toxic sludge in question.
Photo from sciencedirect.com

Sewage sludge, a byproduct of wastewater treatment, presents significant environmental and public health challenges. Wastewater and stormwater flow into treatment facilities, where solid wastes are separated from liquids through settling and then decomposed by bacteria. These processed solids—sewage sludge—contain numerous hazardous materials, including household, medical, chemical, and industrial waste.

Once treated, sewage sludge is dried and disposed of in landfills. This “chemical soup” is laden with toxic compounds, nanomaterials, hormones, and dangerous pathogens. When a landfill reaches capacity, the site is capped, and the extremely slow process of breaking down these substances to safe levels begins. While sanitation processes mitigate some health risks, chemicals like PCBs, flame retardants, heavy metals, and endocrine disruptors, many of which are carcinogens, are not filtered out. Additionally, landfills are vulnerable to leaks caused by severe weather and aging infrastructure. read more

FAA Scare

By editorialteam on March 14, 2025

While Flying is Still Relatively Safe, MWCC Community Acknowledges Recent Events

By Benjamin Heffner | Staff Writer

Los Angeles International Airport
Photo by Josh M on Unsplash

Since the January 29, 2025 fatal Mid-air collision in Washington D.C. between an American Airline and a Black hawk helicopter, several other incidents have made their way into the news, including a fatal MedVac crash in Philadelphia, a Delta Airlines flight overturning and catching fire on the runway while landing in Toronto, and a midair collision in Arizona. These incidents, coupled with President’s Trump’s administration’s laying off of over 400 Federal Aviation Administration employees and 200 Transportation Safety Administration, has led to flying in the news more frequently. In relation to this news, some at Mount Wachusett Community College find themselves reflecting on the safety of air travel, even as it remains statistically less dangerous than driving. read more

Op-Ed: The Most Pressing Threat to Human Life Persists, Mostly Unnoticed

By editorialteam on March 14, 2025

By Holden Baird | Observer Contributor

California wildfire with glowing orange smoke in the Sierra Nevada mountains (2021).
Photo by Ross Stone on Unsplash

Recent headlines illustrate the news media’s fractured focus between a bewildering number of immediate domestic and international concerns. The stock market hiccups as tariff negotiations stumble, the wars in Gaza and Ukraine rage on, the newly-minted DOGE initiative continues its disruption of the federal government, the executive branch issues a dizzying flurry of executive orders, controversy erupts over alterations to immigration policy, and a steady rollback of LGBTQ+ rights and protections pushes on. In general, the average American is largely preoccupied by skyrocketing living costs, which played a significant role in determining the outcome of the 2024 Presidential election. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, energy bills are up 40% and groceries by 25% since 2020. Housing prices surged nearly 18% in 2021 alone as indicated by the Freddie Mac House Price Index. Despite this, Congress has not approved a federal minimum wage increase since 2007 and it presently sits at an astonishing $7.25 per hour. Understandably, public consciousness is dominated by day-to-day matters of survival; a few have the remaining mental real estate available to concern themselves with the more far-reaching issues detailed above. Yet the greatest threat, the wide-reaching consequences of which manifest in nearly every realm of public interest, has predominantly been pushed to the periphery.Anthropogenic climate change- that is, alterations to the world’s climate system that can be concretely traced back to human activity- threatens the present and future wellbeing of humanity on a magnitude far greater than any economic fluctuation or military conflict. read more

President Trump Addresses Congress and the Nation

By editorialteam on March 14, 2025

By Desiree Leader | Staff Writer

President Trump’s official 2025 portrait
Image from whitehouse.gov

On March 4, 2025, President Donald Trump addressed a joint session of congress in the Capitol Building. The speech started at 9:14. P.M. and the gathering resembled a pep rally with chants of “USA” coming from the Republican section of the room as the president appeared, exclaiming, “America is Back!”

The Democrats also showed camaraderie amongst themselves, with most of the women wearing shades of pink to express concern over the new administration’s policies concerning women. Many of the Democrats also held paddles bearing phrases like “Musk Steals,” “Save Medicaid,” and “Protect Veterans” in silent protest of the Trump Administration and its policies. read more

Free Fresh Food: Marty’s Market Produce Boxes

By editorialteam on March 14, 2025

By Wendy Joubert | Observer Contributor

Produce found in the Marty’s Market produce boxes
Photo by Wendy Joubert

Correction 3/17/25: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Brianna Desautels was a Dental Hygiene student. This has been corrected to Allied Health student.

Fresh produce is available to MWCC students at Marty’s Market on Tuesdays. The boxes are donated by Growing Places, a nonprofit based in Leominster, MA, and dropped off at Marty’s Market every Tuesday afternoon. A limited supply of boxes are available. Produce boxes are free to all MWCC students and you don’t need an account with Marty’s Market to pick one up. The produce that is available is seasonal and will change throughout the year. read more

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