“Hi! It’s me, The Glitter Slinger, in my new space. Quite a change for this early childhood education professor, but thinking of new ways to stay connected with my students and help them to work with the families and young children they serve.
Peace and glitter,
P.S. Keep calm and wash hands! Notice the glitter hand sanitizer. A gift from a student last Christmas.”
– Maureen Provost, Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education
“The guy on the right is using a laptop to dial into his desktop at the office. The guy on the right is using that laptop to do just about everything else!”
– Bob Mayer, Director of Veteran Services
Photos by Betsy Torres
By Jayden Hooper | Observer Contributor
Dylan Quigley, age 21, a Liberal Arts major at MWCC focusing on Professional Writing, said that music has impacted and shaped some of his memories.
Quigley spoke of how he enjoys listening to Nirvana’s album In Utero as it brings forth feelings of nostalgia and reminds him of how, in his first car, he owned that CD and it had gotten stuck in the CD player. He said that he had no choice but to listen to it until he got a new car.
Quigley also said that his father and brother’s taste in music influenced his own. He humorously reminisced about how his brother put him to sleep with tracks by Rage Against the Machine, a band known for their hard rock and metal songs.
By Samantha Sykes | Observer Contributor
Between the prices of programs, project materials, computer accessories, books, and the sheer time and effort that Graphic Design classes demand of students, it’s no wonder that students can become stressed with college.
Finding less expensive alternatives to the programs and even program related books, which can easily climb over $100, can lessen the stress a student must face.
The GID (Graphics Interactive Design) program at the Mount takes the lack of varied software programs into consideration for students and has a computer lab available for student use. The lab has all of the required programs already downloaded onto the computers, so all a student has to do is plug in a flash drive, and get to work.
By Nicholas Papini | Assistant Editor
MWCC’s Sexuality & Gender Alliance (SAGA) club hosts events and discussion panels throughout the year, including the Alphabet Soup Panel Discussion, which took place last fall. This panel brought to light the lesser known issues the LBGTQ+ community faces, including preferred pronoun usage and public safety.
The panel members included: John Gatto from the Justice Resource Institute; Melissa Manzi, MWCC’s mental health counselor; Kate Milligan and Toni Diaz from Youth Opportunities Upheld, Inc. (YOU, Inc.); and Shane Franzen from Fitchburg State University. The event was hosted by the SAGA club and their advisor, David Iannaccone.
By Nicholas Papini | Assistant Editor
The COVID-19 coronavirus may not yet be a medical threat to the average American, but they will certainly feel the virus’s effects on the economy.
Katherine Kusza, Health Counselor at MWCC said, “[the] coronavirus is not a concern in Massachusetts according the the CDC or the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of February 26, there have been 18 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the United States, excluding the passengers aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship. One of those cases was in Massachusetts. However, on February 25, the CDC announced that they expect an increase in spread of the virus in communities.
By Brandon Feliz | Observer Contributor
Working in a hostile work environment can be one of the most difficult and confusing things someone can go through.
It can be especially frustrating when it is a full-time job, likely to be the place where one spends most of their waking hours. More time is spent at full-time jobs than anywhere else for the average U.S. citizen. One third of an American’s life is spent at work, according to www.gettysburg.edu. Statistics also show that people’s jobs can contribute to workaholism, insomnia and divorce, and that stress from work is estimated to be the fifth-biggest cause of death in the U.S., according to the Business Insider. When workplace harassment occurs as well, working to make ends meet can become a monumental task.
By Nicholas Papini | Observer Contributor
In a world where genetics and cloning are advanced and common enough that the FDA has a division dedicated to related crimes, Paul Rudd delivers an emotional tale of the bitterness and depression that settles into a person in their mundane life.
Living with Yourself is a new Netflix show released on October 19. It contains 8 episodes of approximately 38 minutes for a total of 215 minutes. The show is created and written by Timothy Greenberg and stars Paul Rudd and Aisling Bea.
By Maya Douglas | Observer Contributor
Dr. Dana Walrath is the author of the graphic novel Aliceheimer’s: Alzheimer’s Through the Looking Glass – a collection of stories about her mother’s battle with dementia.
Aliceheimer’s: Alzheimer’s Through the Looking Glass is laid out as a collection of short stories. Each page has a new story and a new drawing so that if a person with Alzheimer’s or dementia loses their place or forgets what they have read, it doesn’t matter. They can still enjoy it without confusion. “Telling stories restores humanity,” said Walrath.
By Samantha Sykes | Observer Contributor
The Sexuality and Gender Alliance Club (SAGA) has been on campus for at least four years. The club focuses on establishing a community within itself. Most meetings consist of games and other activities that assist with their goal. Members also put effort into understanding and educating themselves about the LGBTQ community.
SAGA holds numerous fundraisers and bake sales throughout the year to help with their finances and establish more of a presence in the college.