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Posts tagged as “MWCC”

(Archive May 2020) Self-Care for a Successful Finals Season

Experts Share Tips for End-of-Semester Stress Relief

By Marissa Shea | Observer Contributor 

A quiet walk is a good way to de-stress.
Image by Dennis Ottink on Unsplash

With the COVID-19 pandemic, the move to online instruction, and final exams approaching, many students are more stressed than ever. In this article, three experts will provide advice on how to make it through finals season with self-care tips such as getting enough sleep, exercising, and rewarding yourself for your accomplishments.

Melissa Manzi, the school’s mental health counselor, is available remotely for all students through phone calls or Zoom counseling sessions. Manzi specializes in helping students deal with problems, especially stress. She is often very busy helping students, so it is usually best to make an appointment through iConnect or by email at M_manzi@mass.mwcc.edu. read more

(Archive May 2020) Mental Health Counseling Services Go Remote

Melissa Manzi Offers Advice to Students Seeking Mental Health Support

By Peter Edwards | Observer Contributor 

MWCC Mental Health Counselor Melissa Manzi
Image from MWCC

Melissa Manzi, MWCC’s Mental Health Counselor, recently highlighted the telehealth counseling services that are available for all students as well as some advice in how to cope with the drastic changes in all of our lives. Manzi said she is doing everything she can to provide the necessary services and advice to aid students who are struggling during these times.

Manzi is available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, providing counseling and support through phone calls or Zoom meetings. Manzi said she assists students with guidance, direction, and tips to hopefully relieve academic stresses. Students can contact Manzi at M_manzi@mass.mwcc.edu with the subject line “counseling” if they would like to make an appointment. More information about accessing mental health resources can be found by clicking the Covid-19 banner on iConnect and selecting the “Health, Housing and Food” category. read more

(Archive April 2020) Profile: Professor Zach Buscher

Mount’s New Professor Discusses His Past and Plans for the Future 

By Peter Edwards | Observer Contributor

New English faculty at the Mount Zach Buscher hopes to continue to improve on his developmental writing class while also expanding his reach to other core college courses as he spends more time here. 

Since becoming part of Mount Wachusett Community College’s faculty during the summer of 2019, Zach Buscher has made his presence known in the English department by creating an entirely new and intensive writing class. 

Buscher said his work so far with his MWCC students has been “very rewarding,” as he works intensively four days a week with the students in his 097 class that he created. He’s been able to work with students that weren’t quite ready for college level writing classes and by the end of the semesters he claims that “it is some of the best writing I’ve seen.” Considering Buscher has been teaching at Quinsigamond Community College for the last 11 years of his life shows how impressed he has been so far with the students at MWCC. read more

(Archive April 2020) White Fragility Event Starts Important Conversation

Brewer Center Hosts Community Dialogue on Modern Racial Issues

By Dylan Quigley | Observer Contributor 

Shelley Nicholson, Director of the Brewer Center for Civic Learning and Community Engagement, hosted the White Fragility discussion on campus.
Image courtesy of MWCC

White Fragility, the title of a book and a term coined by author Robin DiAngelo, is a way of describing the way some white people may feel when confronted about racial problems or injustices. Shelley Nicholson, Director of the Brewer Center for Civic Learning and Community Engagement, knew she had to have a conversation about White Fragility at the Mount when DiAngelo’s book was brought to her by a colleague.

At the White Fragility Dialogue, there were approximately 15-20 people in attendance, with a mix of races and a mix of faculty and students. Nicholson opened up with what “White Fragility” means and at each table a set of questions was put in place that would get the conversation flowing between the people at the tables. Nicholson stated that if the event was referred to as a “conversation on modern racial problems” and DiAngelo’s book was used as a talking point, maybe the turn out would have been better.  read more

(Archive March 2020) Student Stories

Learn About Some of Our Fellow Students

Photos by Betsy Torres

Dylan Quigley

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. read more

(Archive March 2020) Alphabet Soup Panel Highlights LGBTQ Issues

Local Advocates Discuss Public Safety, Pronouns, and More

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. read more

(Archive March 2020) COVID-19 Coronavirus Threatens Health and Economy

Faculty and Staff Discuss Potential Risks and Ways to Prepare

By Nicholas Papini | Assistant Editor

An illustration by the CDC representing the COVID-19 coronavirus
Image source: Public Health Image Library & CDC

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. read more

(Archive February 2020) It’s Never Too Late to Succeed

Transitions to College Program Helps Nontraditional Students Achieve Their Goals

By Maya Douglas | Observer Contributor

The Transitions to College program is a grant-funded program which supports non-traditional students to ease their way into the college lifestyle.

The program is led by Kim Kayser, program advisor and coordinator. Kayser’s goal for the Transitions program is to be able to accept more students in the future, since the program has a limited number of slots and there is a waiting list.

She also hopes to remain the counselor for her students even after they graduate out of her program.Kayser said that her foal is for her students to graduate or obtain a college certificate, but more importantly, for students to try their best. She notes that many students would never attend college withouut the opportunity to participate in this free, supporting program. read more

(Archive February 2020) Three New Art Installations on Display

Photos courtesy of Thomas Matsuda

Tule Lake. Inspired by the WWII Japanese American Internment Camp. Last crosswalk, 2nd floor. Wire, cloth. Wes Ringwood.

Mont Sainte-Victoire. Inspired by the series of paintings of this mountain by Paul Cezanne. Multipurpose room. Colored yarn. Deb Boudreau.

Summer Memory. A childhood summer camp that was demolished. Main entrance. Broken record, acrylic paint. Emily Payson.

(Archive February 2020) Dare to Do Double Duty

Dual Enrollment Students Tackle High School and College Credit

By Hannah Bennett | Observer Contributor

Maddie Faneuf
Photo by Hannah Bennet

The Dual Enrollment program allows students who are 16 years old or older to enter the college environment and earn college credits before they graduate high school. However, there are requirements for every applicant to fulfill before and after acceptance into MWCC.

Sixteen-year-old first-year transfer student Maddie Faneuf has only attended classes at the Mount for a few months, but she has joined the SGA (Student Government Association) and explored several services provided by the college in that short time. read more