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Posts tagged as “student life”

(Archive February 2017) College: The Next Step

By editorialteam on February 28, 2017

By Nicholas Cherico | Observer Contributor

Julie Henderson

After students graduate from high school, they are never sure what to expect going into their first semester of college. “Am I going to make friends?” or “How hard are the classes going to be?”. These questions, along with many more, are what went through the head of Julie Henderson of Shirley as she started her college career.

Henderson started taking college courses early, as she participated in the dual enrollment program during high school. She did this for two years at Mount Wachusett Community College, then transferred to Fitchburg State University. After just one year at Fitchburg, she decided to come back to the Mount and is currently in the Dental Assisting program. She is hoping to be in the Dental Hygiene program next fall. read more

(Archive February 2017) Women’s March on Washington

By editorialteam on February 28, 2017

By Courtney Wentz | News Editor

Women's March Photo
Protestors gather outside the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. at the January 21st Women’s March

Former student and current computer lab assistant at MWCC, Susan Shute attended the Women’s March on Washington on Saturday, January 21st.

Originally, Shute had not planned on going to the march because of potential violence and the cost of the trip, but due to a ticket becoming available, she was able to go with a friend and a bus full of people. Shute said, “I was so excited I couldn’t stand it.”

The buses left Keene, New Hampshire at 11:30PM and arrived in Washington, D.C. at 8AM the next morning. Shute described it taking an hour to get to the starting point of the march to listen to the speakers, and then began the march at around 3PM in the afternoon. read more

(Archive November 2016) Living for Learning: Total Immersion Education

By editorialteam on November 10, 2016

By Joshua Needham | Observer Contributor
Another Anime Convention
For three days during October, something strange happens at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester, NH. People from all over the country gather to share their love of anime, video games, and pop culture. Colorful costumes and home-made props fill the halls and courtyard for nearly a full 72 hours and it is clear, Another Anime Convention (AAC) is back in town.

When people outside of that culture think of such events, they likely think of the socially inept gathering to discuss Star Trek, individuals dressed as their favorite characters and roleplaying their favorite scenes with one another. What they may not think about is the professionals that make the journey to attend the gatherings.

Many major conventions are centered around media, such as AAC and Anime Boston, can be split into two main attractions: entertainment and education. A ticket to attend grants access to many spaces for entertainment, such as the Dealer’s Room, a space where industry dealers can sell their merchandise directly to the fans; Artist’s Alley, where independent artists are able to sell their art work and share their creative visions; and convention panels, where a lot of the main focus lies.

Panels at conventions serve as small classrooms where guests can learn skills and traits of the professionals in the media industry. From game developers to music composers, filmmakers to animators and professional prop designers, the people making a living in the media industry are there to guide those that want to break the mold of the mundane.

Learning isn’t just something that we do to attain a degree and, in turn, a job that pays well enough to be worth the student loans. Education is on-going and events such as these can really help to make the learning process both more entertaining, and easier to understand. Reading something from a text book may help understand how something is done, but there’s nothing like being able to learn from and ask questions directly with someone that’s been in the line of work you aspire to be in.

Anime conventions such as these can be a great resource for students in the media arts fields, but they’re far from the only conventions around. With a little bit of searching, all types of conventions can be found for nearly every career desire. Not only does attending conventions offer new opportunities for learning, it can also be a great chance to network with others in your industry, and it’s a great way to immerse yourself in your subject matter.

(Archive November 2016) A November to Remember for Metal Fans: November Music Preview

By editorialteam on November 10, 2016

By Jason D. Greenough | Web/Social Media Editor

The temperatures may (finally…possibly) hit freezing, but the metal is burning hot! November 2016 is sure to bring any metal fan a few moments of bliss.

Want to get away from the awkward family get-together? Need something to keep you awake before you go shopping on black Friday? With retrospective releases galore, ranging from Queen’s …On Air: The Complete BBC Sessions, and Pink Floyd’s The Early Years: 1965-1972, to REM’s Out of Time  celebrating it’s 25th anniversary with a re-issue, and Soundgarden’s Badmotorfinger, you’re pretty much all set. But, I have a few other suggestions as well…

For all the hair metal misfits, Bon Jovi is back with their second album in just over a year, This House Is Not For Sale, due out November 4th, and I can honestly say that, to me, it is a sign that Bon Jovi is back. With as much as grit and riff rock as Slippery When Wet, but as much personal discovery and uplifting as Have a Nice Day, Jon Bon Jovi further cements his rightful place among the best songwriters and musicians in all of rock history. While Richie Sambora is AWOL from this studio effort, the New Jersey quintet didn’t skip a beat in creating one of their best records since the turn of the century, and I know I won’t be disappointed, and I have a feeling that, if JBJ is your jam, you won’t be either!

While Bon Jovi & Co. tucks you into bed, Metallica is under your bed, waiting for you to fall asleep. With Hardwired…To Self-Destruct on the horizon, the Bay Area Thrash vanguards have blown me away with their first two singles featured on the album (“Hardwired” & “Moth To Flame”), and it just makes me wonder how much more they have in store when the album hits shelves on November 18th. It was no secret that many metal fans, and even those who eat, sleep, and breath Metallica were not too enthused by 2008’s Death Magnetic, so you could probably assume that the Rock n’ Roll Hall-of-Famers knew they had to redeem themselves with their first full-length EP in 8 years. And you know what? So far, it has blown my mind as much as it has the speakers in my headphones.

Nikki Sixx, legendary bassist for Motley Crüe, and founding member of Sixx:A.M., is going to have a busy month in November!

Although Crue’s 35-year career came to a close at the end of last year, the full-length feature DVD documenting their final concert, Motley Crüe: The End Live in Los Angeles, is set to make its way to the masses on November 4th as well, and a limited edition version seeing daylight on November 25th. Also on Sixx’s plate is the release of Sixx:A.M.’s Prayers For The Blessed: Vol. 2, dropping on November 18th, a follow up to their smash hit Prayers For The Damned. A tour to support the new release will also bring them to Worcester’s DCU Center on November 25th, in case you really dig it and want to see it played live!

November is sure to be a great month for music, and if you wind up picking any of these up, be sure to let the Observer know what you think!

(Archive November 2016) MWCC Spotlight: Nancy Regan

By editorialteam on November 10, 2016

Advisor to the Hiking Club

By Tyler Morgan | Observer Contributor

Hiking a mountain can be a tough obstacle for some, but it is also a way to relieve any stress one may have or even just to clear one’s mind. For Nancy Regan, who works in Health Services on the Gardner campus at Mount Wachusett Community College, this is a way of life.  She hikes nearly every weekend and does it year round.

“I love it. For me, it is exhilarating. I consider it a lot of soul-searching that you can do when you’re out in nature and I think it’s great for anyone,” said Regan, who is currently in her third year as the advisor of the MWCC Hiking Club. read more

(Archive November 2016) MWCC Spotlight: Aliza Miller

By editorialteam on November 10, 2016

By Liam Scanlon | Observer Contributor

Aliza Miller

Most students at Mount Wachusett Community College may know Aliza Miller as their math professor. She teaches a wide range of levels of math classes. She is a Project ACCCESS (Advancing Community College Careers: Education, Scholarship, and Services) Fellow with the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC). She posts a Math Problem of the Week on the whiteboard outside her office.

Aside from her work with the math department at The Mount, she is also the Chair of Interdisciplinary Studies at The Mount, has traveled all around the world, and is an artist. Miller has lived in New York, Kaohsiung (in Taiwan), Montreal, Vermont, and here in Massachusetts.

Miller taught English in Kaohsiung through HESS International Educational Group. She came into the country without knowing how to speak Chinese. It was a ‘huge culture shock’ she recalls.

She had to learn to drive a 90cc scooter aggressively through crowded streets. She eventually had to learn some traditional Chinese characters. There were vastly different landscapes within 50 miles of each other. Karaoke was a big deal. After a week of training, she was teaching.

She taught students from the kindergarten level to junior high level. She has kept in touch with some of her former students through social media. One of her students, whose English name is Vivian, is now an aspiring dancer living in London.

What she misses most from Taiwan is the food. It isn’t the karaoke or having to drive aggressively on a 90cc scooter in crowded streets, but the ‘fresh,’ ‘legit,’ food available at almost any hour. She could get fresh food at a night market on her way home from teaching late night classes.

Miller has decorated her current home with artwork featuring origami and geometry. She has a flock of origami cranes following the path of a huge Pythagorean Spiral on one of her walls and a flock traveling along a sine curve on another. She does Bonsai Origami. Her office also has some origami artwork.

Like most professors here at the Mount, Miller is more than what meets the eye in her classes.

(Archive November 2016) DNC and Clinton Campaign Caught in Alleged Illegal Activity

By editorialteam on November 10, 2016

Investigative Tapes cause Two Democratic Operatives to Lose their Jobs Just Days Before Final Debate

By Rebekah Chiasson | Assistant Editor

An anti-Hillary Clinton promotional decoration prior to the release of O’Keefe’s video.

Democratic operative, Robert Creamer, stepped down from his position at Democracy Partner and Scott Foval was fired on October 18, just two days before the third and final presidential debate, due to the release of an undercover investigative video from James O’Keefe.

O’Keefe’s Veritas Project, a non-profit dedicated to uncovering dishonesty, corruption, waste and fraud in public and private cooperations, released its latest investigative video project claiming illegal activity from the Clinton campaign. MWCC student and Trump supporter, Jack Korman says, “Honestly, I don’t even care about Creamer and Foval, I am more worried that the mainstream media is barely covering it.” read more

(Archive November 2016) Question 4: An In-Depth Look

By editorialteam on November 10, 2016

By Jamie Parker | News Editor

One of the most talked about questions of this election year for Massachusetts is Question 4: Legalization, Regulation, and Taxation of Marijuana. A “yes” vote on this question would, “allow persons 21 and older to possess, use, and transfer marijuana concentrate (including edible products) and to cultivate marijuana, all in limited amounts, and would provide for the regulation and taxation of commercial sale of marijuana and marijuana products.” A “no” vote would keep the laws on marijuana in Massachusetts the same as they are now. So let’s take a deeper look into what the “Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act,” the “Marijuana Tax,” and the “Regulation of Use and Distribution of Marijuana NOT Medically Prescribed.”

The Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act

            The purpose of this act is to control the production and distribution of marijuana. The act works on a system that licenses, regulates, and taxes businesses involved. The system is very similar to that of businesses that deal with Alcohol. It would allow adults over the age of 21 to purchase, and even grow a limited amount of marijuana. The act would have its own advisory board, the “Cannabis Advisory Board.” The board would make recommendations on the regulation of marijuana. The Cannabis Advisory Board would consist of 15 board members assigned by the governor. There would be one expert on marijuana cultivation, one expert in marijuana retailing, one expert in marijuana product manufacturing, one expert in marijuana testing, one board member or officer of a medical marijuana treatment center, one registered medical marijuana patient, one person to represent recreational marijuana consumers, two experts in public health, two experts in law enforcement, two experts in social welfare/justice, and two attorneys with experience with marijuana related cases. Each member will serve a term of two years. The members will not be paid for their work, but they will be reimbursed for expenses they run into while performing advisory board duties.

Marijuana Tax

One of the major arguments in favor of legalization is the potential tax revenue the state would gain. The excise tax for the sale of marijuana and marijuana products would be 3.75% of the total price of the sale. However, on top of that, each city or town has the right to impose its own sales tax on top of that of up to 2%. This collected tax revenue could be used towards things like improving our education system, and the infrastructure around the state.

Regulation of the Use and Distribution of Marijuana NOT Medically Prescribed

            In this section, we’ll go over the different regulations, and limitations that will be put into place if legalization is passed. Just like alcohol and guns, marijuana will have its own rules and requirements. These are some of the major limitations: Much like alcohol, it will be illegal to operate any sort or heavy machinery/ motor vehicles under the influence. Also the consumption of marijuana would be illegal on the public or private grounds of any educational facility where grades 1 through 12 are taught, and any negligent conduct would be treated very similarly to that of the current public intoxication laws. A marijuana dispensary will not be permitted to open within 500 feet of a school serving grades K through 12.

As far as regulation goes, here are some of the major points. Marijuana establishments could pay up to $3000 for the application to become a licensed dispensary. If their application is accepted, the license itself will cost the owners another $15,000 to obtain. Dispensaries will be require to have certain security measures as well. This includes actual security guards, specific lighting, video and alarm requirements, and secure storage for the marijuana. There will be random testing of samples of marijuana to ensure that all marijuana is labeled, and advertised correctly. There will be restrictions on the advertising to marijuana to avoid being attractive eto children. There are also a few rules for the personal use of marijuana. An individual may have up to 10 ounces of marijuana in their person residence, but may only purchase 1 ounce at a time.

For more information on the legalization of recreational marijuana, please read the Massachusetts Information for Voters 2016 Ballot Questions booklet that is free, and given to every registered voter.

(Archive November 2016) 2016-2017 Humanities Project

By editorialteam on November 10, 2016

By Courtney Wentz | Observer Contributor

The Humanities Project at MWCC is in its third year with events that can be attended throughout the year.

The project started in 2014, and is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to enhance humanities programs at MWCC. The grant is up to $500,000, which is matched 50 cents on every dollar raised.

According to the pamphlets scattered around the building every year, Henry David Thoreau was chosen because he considered himself a scientist and a poet. Last year’s theme was Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, but it didn’t just focus on the book. It also focused on the science of the monster and even psychology. This year’s theme is Imagining Work that shows how artists, writers, and photographers viewed work in the 19th century.

The project’s co-chairs are Professor Michelle Valois, Professor Lorie Donahue, and Professor Susan Blake. The administrator is Dean Laurie Occhipinti. Donahue and Blake referred to Valois as their “fearless leader.”

Every school year, they work hard to come up with a theme that is going to be relevant in other classes, not just humanities and English, but science and maybe even history. The theme is decided by surveys students, faculty, staff, and even the community can take part in. The chosen theme comes with events throughout the semester that students, faculty, and the community can attend, either at MWCC or local libraries.

To raise money for the project, a fundraiser is hosted at Wachusett Mountain where contributors hike the mountain, which raises about $6,000 a year. This will be their third year for this fundraiser to take place. The project has also gotten $240,000 in anonymous donations. The money spent each year has been approximately $8,000.

Professor Blake also wanted to give credit and thanks to the LaChance Library for their help in providing “theme-related materials, creating research guides, and promoting events.”