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
Since the inception of the United States in 1776, elections have been essential for choosing the next president. From colonial times until the late 19th century, elections were held, and votes were cast orally at courthouses. Presidents such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln were elected this way. However, this changed with the invention of the Acme Voting Machine.
The Acme Voting Machine was invented in Bridgewater, Connecticut, around 1880 to prevent voter fraud. With its open-slot box design, crank lever mechanism, and tabulator, it offered voters an honest, secure and reliable way to cast their votes. In the following years, it was reported that election officials would tear or mark ballots, making them invalid. This issue prompted the invention of the Lever Style Voting Machine in Lockport, New York. By pulling down its levers, the machine locked votes to prevent tampering, while also making the process faster and more accurate. While it was effective and efficient for its time, its maintenance was complex and it had limitations, such as only being able to tally votes internally rather than producing a verifiable record of each individual vote.read more
Information gathered from Massachusetts Information For Voters 2024 Ballot Questions – Secretary of the Commonwealth, William Francis Galvin Submitted by Desiree Leader | Staff Writer and Summarized by Elysian Alder | Editor-in-Chief
QUESTION 1 State Auditor’s Authority to Audit the Legislature
Question 1 asks voters if the state auditor should be allowed to investigate and review some activities of the state legislature, the branch that drafts, debates, and passes laws
What a YES vote means: Nothing would change immediately, but it would allow the state auditor to test new investigative powers over the legislature. Lawmakers could potentially resist or overturn this authority.read more
United we stand, divided we fall. This is how I feel about what has transpired since this historical election. It’s my opinion that we need to raise our voices, let them be heard, and march in solidarity… peacefully.
Our young children are watching every move, protest, and bad word said. This is not what I choose for my children. I believe we should rise together and make this a cry to our young adults and children to be the change.
I took part in the Post Election Dialog two days after the election in the North Café on the Gardner campus, where what was shared in the circle stayed in the circle. Thoughts that were expressed were ones of fear, anger, helplessness, and happiness. This is a wonderful safe place where on campus, students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to come together and share their thoughts, feelings, and how they will pull through a tough time. read more
It was undoubtedly a heated election. Some people were surprised, and even more people were shocked. It didn’t matter who a person voted for, all were stunned to find out who the winner was.
The recent days following the election have been hectic. Some people are scared, others are protesting, and students are being handed teddy-bears to cuddle. There has never been so much up-heave over an election.
The halls of Mount Wachusett Community College seemed grim. It didn’t seem as if your favorite candidate lost the election, but instead seemed like there was a massive terrorist attack that took out half the country. A look of sadness covered the faces of students at the school.read more
Being a communication major and taking multiple journalism classes throughout the 2016 presidential election has been invigorating as well as infuriating. Watching the mainstream media I once aspired to be part of fail to expertly, fairly, and justly report the news on this election was heartbreaking. While learning how to avoid media bias in journalism class, myself and the nation watched national news leaders sway opinions and skew facts.
It culminated to news anchors from channels including CNN, MSNBC, and Fox being forced to admit, “We were wrong.” The day after the election, these networks asked, “Who is the ‘silent voter?’” Where did these Trump supporters come from because mainstream media was oblivious to their existence? The answer – Mainstream media created the silent voter.read more
For some, it has been a tough week following the Presidential election. The atmosphere surrounding the results that brought Donald Trump into the position of commander in chief has been filled with varying amounts of fear, anger, sadness, and uncertainty, throughout different demographics of the American populace.
Here at MWCC, Students and faculty alike are trying to sort through their own feelings on the events that transpired on November 8th, with some feeling what they can only equate to grieving, others feeling frustrated and perplexed at how their country has come to this, and others who are cautious, yet hopeful, that the 45th President of these United States will change his ways from the behavior we have witnessed throughout the last 18 months. Candace Shivers, Associate Professor of Human Services and Sociology here at the Mount, has something to say about the effect that a Trump presidency might have on college students, such as commuting costs.read more
Just one day before the election, Democrat and professor at MWCC, Michelle Valois feared internal conflict within our nation if Trump were to be elected. According to ABC, CNN, USA Today, her fears came true with nation-wide Trump protests felt in California, Chicago, and Washington just days after the election of future President Trump. Valois explained, “I am very nervous for the poor and working and middle class, but I am more nervous for Muslims, Mexicans, all people of color, immigrants (legal and illegal), the LGBTQ community, especially trans youth,” and added, “If Trump cannot pass legislation that adversely affects their lives, I fear that his supporters might feel that it is now okay to harass and hurt these most vulnerable and marginalized people.”read more
This election was surely one for the books. For professors that teach at MWCC, each field of study sheds a different light on this election. I had the privilege of conducting an interview with Law Professor, James Korman. Professor Korman has been practicing Law in Massachusetts since 1992, “I primarily did criminal and civil litigation. However, I did a fair amount of general practice work as well: Divorce, Real Estate, Contracts and Estate Planning.” Over email, Professor Korman explained how his field of study influenced his opinions this election, his feelings on both candidates’ claims towards the Supreme Court, and his overall feel about this election.read more
Doctor John Fielding, who teaches history and human resources management at Mount Wachusett Community College, said this was the worst election he has ever seen.
Fielding has his Bachelor’s in Political Science with a concentration in International Relations from UMass Dartmouth, his Master’s in Public Administration from Rhode Island University, and his Ph.D in Managerial Ethics from Salve Regina University in Rhode Island. He started working at MWCC in 1998 and retired in 2008 as Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs. He is now an adjunct professor.read more
