MWCC Archives - The Mount Observer

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

Scaryoke at the Mount

By editorialteam on November 1, 2024

Photos by Tom Hill Jr.

Student Profile: Dakota Potter

By editorialteam on November 1, 2024

By Desiree Leader | Staff Writer

Dakota Potter, a 29-year-old Liberal Arts Major from Keene, New Hampshire is not your average community college student. Potter, in his last semester at the Mount, will be graduating in May. He will be transferring to Bridgewater State University for the spring semester, where he was recently accepted into their Archeological program; but that is not what makes him different from your traditional college student.

Potter has a gift for the English language – a gift he has been nurturing since he was just a child. “I got my start when I was really young,” he reflected, mentioning that he was quite a precocious reader. At just five years old, he was reading (and comprehending!) the Harry Potter book series, and he started writing stories when he was eight or nine. “They weren’t very good,” Potter admitted, ”but I had the passion for it.” 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

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

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

Learning Lessons Harsh and Beautiful

By editorialteam on October 23, 2024

Student Profile: Regulo Moreno

By Wayne Jurgeleit | Observer Contributor

Photo courtesy of Regulo Moreno

One can Google terms like “global citizen” to find eloquent descriptions of those who are inquisitive about human cultures, economies, and environments, and how they are all interconnected, transcending arbitrary boundaries. Similarly, “lifelong learner” refers to someone dedicated to acquiring knowledge and skills—both personally and professionally—throughout their lifetime to improve their own life and the lives of others. To meet Regulo Moreno is to know someone who truly exemplifies these ideals. read more