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Posts tagged as “campus life”

The Ultimate Calculator

By editorialteam on September 30, 2024

By Kent Yang | Staff Writer

A TI-84 Plus scientific calculator.
Image from Amazon

Disclaimer: The Mount Observer does not encourage cheating or academic dishonesty in any way, this article is intended for educational purposes only.

If you’ve ever taken Algebra, Calculus, Chemistry, Statistics, or Physics in high school or college, chances are you’ve used a Texas Instruments TI-84 Plus at some point. Released in June 2004, the TI-84 Plus quickly became America’s favorite calculator. Compared to its predecessor, the TI-83 Plus, the TI-84 Plus boasted three times the memory and a processor that was over twice as fast. It featured 480 kilobytes of flash memory, 24 kilobytes of RAM, a link port for data transfers, 13 preloaded software applications, seven different graphing styles, and advanced statistics functions, all of which were crucial to student success. Today, the TI-84 Plus remains widely used and is considered the “best budget calculator” at $97 by many reviewers. read more

(Archive May 2017) Sculpture Students Participate in Annual Art Department Bronze Pour

By editorialteam on September 10, 2024

By Nick Cherico | Assistant Editor

On Thursday, April 13th, MWCC students participated in the art department’s annual bronze pouring. This year’s pouring was led by Thomas Matsuda, who is an Art Professor and Chair of the Department. Matsuda helped students prepare their own ceramic molds which they could then pour bronze into.

The molten bronze is removed from the furnace.
The bronze is then poured into the ceramic molds, held in place in barrels of sand.
The left over bronze is then poured out into molds to form ingots, which will be saved and melted down in next year’s pour.
The melting pot is then placed back in the furnace to melt more bronze and repeat the process.

(Archive May 2017) Thoughts on Graduation

By editorialteam on September 10, 2024

By Courtney Wentz | Editor-in-Chief

Graduating from high school was not as exciting or scary as graduating from MWCC is turning out to be. 

Some people will be looking for a new job in their chosen field, some will be transferring, and some might decide to get another degree. Whatever it is, we will all begin a new chapter in our lives. Change can be terrifying because it is new, unfamiliar, and unknown. 

It would be great, if I could continue hiding in the newsroom, covering the chalkboard with story ideas and editing tips, filling the white board with inspirational quotes, and the computer with sticky notes of things to do. I am going to miss our weekly meetings and rushing to get articles done for the deadline.  read more

(Archive May 2017) The International Student Experience

By editorialteam on September 10, 2024

By Klai Iheb | Observer Contributor

Diversity in the student body.

Being an international student is a big adventure. It is a new life that we should be completely prepared for before going for it. That is why many people decide to leave in the middle of their experience, while others stay for years. I personally learned how to overcome obstacles more quickly than other people. This situation makes me a person who is able to travel and live everywhere in the world and communicate with everybody whatever the language is, and now I am able to say: “It was not easy but I made it.” read more

(Archive May 2017) Mount Professor Helps Bring Awareness to Mental Health Issues

By editorialteam on September 10, 2024

By Micah Clark | Observer Contributor

Source: courtesy Nathan Daviss, https://www.flickr.com/photos/faxpilot/6984844254

Professor of Psychology and Human Services, Sheila Murphy and her students, recently set up informational display tables as part of a Mental Health Awareness Campaign. The display tables highlight specific events that take place multiple times a year and are meant to focus on specific issues. At every event, students from Professor Murphy’s Abnormal Psychology class set up a presentation dedicated to bringing awareness to mental health issues and to encourage individuals not to stigmatize people who suffer from them.  read more

(Archive May 2017) Staying Awake: What You Might Not Know About Energy Drinks

By editorialteam on September 10, 2024

By Nick Cherico | Assistant Editor

Almost every college student knows what it’s like to be a little sleep deprived. The countless hours of school, work, and trying to maintain a social life can begin to take a toll on you after a while. To boost energy and performance, some people like to drink coffee, use energy boosters, or consume energy drinks. 

While energy drinks can give you that boost you need to get through the day, they also can bring a various amount of health risks. According to a study done by Longwood University, “Energy drinks have been found to increase headaches, migraines, insomnia, and type II Diabetes.” Energy drinks, such as Monster Energy, also contain caffeine, which can cause dehydration when overused. Dehydration can cause the jitters, anxiety, and irritability. read more

(Archive May 2017) How to Use the PaperCut Printing System

By editorialteam on September 10, 2024

By Joshua Needham | Social Media Editor

Infographic displaying information on the environmental impact of the PaperCut System
Photo by Joshua Needham

With the recent upgrade to the PaperCut printing system it seemed as though it was a broken and expensive system that no one knew how to use. 

What is a FOB and do I need one in order to print? How do I add money to my account? Why did the company have to call their software PaperCut? Fear not! Some of these questions will be answered (we’re still not sure why they chose PaperCut for a name, perhaps they will add a future update called LemonJuice).  read more

(Archive April 2017) Professor Says Travel Ban is Constitutional

By editorialteam on September 10, 2024

By Brianna Stevens | Observer Contributor

The recent travel ban instituted by President Trump is constitutional, according to Professor John Fielding from the Mount. 

Many people have questioned, why Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen? Fielding explained simply that the reason for only those six countries was because they do not keep records of their citizens. 

Many people wondered why Pakistan was removed from Trump’s ban when it was on the original ban. “Because Pakistan keeps records of their citizens,” Fielding said, “So even though you might think it’s unusual, we do allow Muslims from Pakistan into the country.” Trump’s ties with countries that were not on the ban had nothing to do with Trump, simply that those countries kept records of their citizens. read more

(Archive April 2017) Full-Time Student Juggles Full-Time Job and Social Life

By editorialteam on September 10, 2024

By Brianna Stevens | Observer Contributor

Just as many other college students, Tristen LaClair, 20, a graphic design major at MWCC, struggles with balancing a full-time job and being a full-time student.

 “I almost failed a class last semester because I was so over-worked,” LaClair recalled.        

He explained that he worked as a Food Service Aide at Heywood Hospital, and the kitchen has been so short staffed for so long, that he has had to work over 40 hours each week. He said he managed to pull his grades up in time to pass his classes, but by the skin of his teeth.  read more

(Archive April 2017) Adjunct Professor Gets Master’s Degree Working and Parenting Full-Time

By editorialteam on September 10, 2024

By Jennifer Ballou | Observer Contributor

Laura Rosmond

Going for a Master’s degree while teaching high school, and with three young children at home, is not something that many people would consider doing. But for Laura Rosmond, she did what she had to.

When Rosmond was young, she had big dreams of being able to go into the medical field and find the cure for AIDS. Medical technologist, nurse, aide, whatever it took, she was going to solve the world’s biggest problem.

But life happens, and Rosmond had her first child before attending college. She made the sensible decision to put the plan to cure AIDS on hold and make sure that her family was taken care of first. She decided to still go into biology but realized that if she couldn’t solve everything, maybe she could help teach others so that they might.  read more