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Posts tagged as “student life”

(Archive September 2019) Back to School

Older Students Discuss the Struggles of Adult Education

By Jurrell Pabrezis | Observer Contributor

Photo from Unsplash

Between having a job and a family, adults who return to school may have more obstacles to overcome than younger students.

Derek Allen, 32, takes online classes because of his full-time overnight job. “I’m switching majors; I can’t just take online classes. I may have to find a different job,” Allen said.

Despite obstacles, Allen knows that when he graduates he won’t have to worry about both work and school. Allen’s advice for older students is to “stay focused and know that there’s a finish line.” read more

(Archive May 2018) The Crazy Life of a Self-Published Author

Part Two: Taming the Amazon Jungle

That euphoric feeling when your dream materializes…photo by Chele Pedersen Smith

By  Michele Walsky | Assistant Editor

Have you always wanted to publish a book? My dream came true last year when I published my romantic spy mystery, Behind Frenemy Lines, and a collection of mini-miracles, The Pearly Gates Phone Company, under the pen name Chele Pedersen Smith. I had some help along the way and I am happy to pay it forward to anyone who has the same dream.

Part one, The Whirlwind of Writing and Promoting,” appears in May’s print edition of The Mount Observer and covers the creative process of writing, unlocking writer’s block, editing and conjuring up promotional ideas. Part two will follow the technical side of publishing and contains links to the Amazon sites. read more

(Archive April 2018) Terrific Partners: Meet Collene and Puma

By Christine Nelson | Observer Contributor

Photo By Christine Nelson
Professor Collene Thaxton with service dog Puma

You may have seen Professor Collene Thaxton and her service dog Puma together on campus, both at Gardner and Devens. You may even have Thaxton as an instructor, as she is a Professor of Nursing. Thaxton has Type I diabetes. Puma is a service dog; his job is to let Thaxton know when her glucose levels are too low or too high. I was lucky to interview them both while Puma was off duty. read more

(Archive April 2018) Inside the Minds of Nude Models

By Michele Walsky | Assistant Editor

Would you bare it all for the sake of art? Terri Mullen is one of several portrait models the art department employs and she has been sitting for MWCC students for nearly a decade. As an artist herself, she says it is a way to stay in the art scene.

“I get an education every time I’m in a class,” she said. “I get inspired to work on projects I’ve abandoned.”

But that is not what draws her in.

“I went into modeling to liberate myself,” Mullen said. “The body is art as a form. It’s something beautiful, not something to be exploited.”

Dealing with body issues and a personal crisis, Mullen admitted she got into modeling by accident. After two years at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, she returned to Massachusetts and posted flyers for odd jobs around Concord to help pay the rent. She was contacted by a sculptor finishing her master’s who asked Mullen if she had ever modeled. Mullen had not, but the woman sounded legit and the pay was good, so she gave it a try. From there, the artist introduced Mullen to other art groups. Her professional reputation led to other modeling gigs for solo female sculptors, which led to the deCordova Museum in Lincoln. read more

(Archive April 2018) You Drew What in Art Class?

By Michele Walsky | Assistant Editor

I was typing alone in the newsroom when the S.O.S arrived.

“Save me,” the text dinged. It was my daughter. “We have a nude male in drawing class!”

Amy’s discomfort was obvious and my mind immediately flew into Mom Mode. My baby has been subjected to male nudity; call the authorities!

How can a man pose nude for a class in this techno-age when sexting is illegal? How does this get a pass when we are hyper-sensitive about sexual harassment?

My initial reflex was to protect her. When my reaction calmed down, I did what I usually do when pondering an issue. I walked around it from all angles, throwing logic at it.  A) This is college. B) She is 18 years-old. C) She is an art major. D) The human form is art. E) The art department has female models too. F) The students are supervised. G) The models do not approach the students.  These reasons settled my mind. read more

(Archive April 2018) Resources for Students as Finals Week Approaches

Photo by Ben Richard.
Gretchen Gonzalez studying in the library.

By Lvov Mhyana | Observer Contributor

The most stressful time of the semester is coming right up. We all know it’s difficult to take care of yourself during this time, but there are a few things you can easily do to keep yourself healthy to improve your performance during tests, and improve your memory while studying. Here are some on-campus resources to calm your mind and get yourself more prepared for finals. read more

(Archive March 2018) New iPhone Update Made to Prevent Distracted Driving: Do Not Disturb

By Michele Walsky | Assistant Editor

According to the National Safety Council (NSC), cell phone use by drivers causes more than 1.6 million car crashes across the country each year
Photo by Brianna Stevens

“At least nine drivers are killed every day because of a distracted driver,” claims the Department of Motor Vehicles’ (DMV) website. Distractions for drivers’ have varied since the invention of the wheel—horses, conversations, billboards, radios, built-in car phones, then iPods and cell phones. Technology may be partly to blame, but it is also attempting to solve the problem.
Apple’s “Do Not Disturb While Driving” app was unveiled on September 19th. According to the company website, the app allows the updated operating system, iOS 11, to run in the background and detect when the operator is driving.
The screen blacks-out, blocking texts, calls and also push notifications from games and social media, something other apps may not do, the website explained. Music and navigation still function and drivers can set up preferences to allow for emergency break-through calls. Parents can also set controls for their teensl.
In a survey of 88 Mount Wachusett students, 43 percent reported being “serene and scenic” drivers, while 18 percent put safety first and 30 percent were self-proclaimed Speed Racers. A wedge of 9 percent said it depended on the situation.
44 percent of students admitted they do not watch the road, compared to 41 percent who do. 15 percent paid attention sometimes. The graph below shows what habits take place in cars. read more

(Archive March 2018) Phi Theta Kappa to Host Annual Character Breakfast

By Brianna Stevens | Editor-in-Chief

Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) is hosting a character breakfast on Saturday, April 7 from 8:30-11am. In the South Cafeteria of the Gardner Campus. This event has been hosted by PTK on campus for 4 years. According to PTK, it is “a breakfast filled with everyone’s favorite characters, from fairy tales, cartoons, and beyond. Family fun to enjoy. Proceeds will support hunger alleviation programs in North Central Massachusetts.”
Kaitlyn Fales, PTK secretary and one of the volunteer managers of the breakfast said, “Anyone can be involved. It’s not restricted to PTK members, anyone can volunteer.”
The club is looking for many volunteers from campus to help out with the breakfast. Fales said, “We need about 30-40 volunteers from wearing costumes, working the raffle, doing ticket sales, to serving the food.” There is a set up shift from 7am-8:30am, and clean up shift from 11:30-1pm that also needs volunteers.
Volunteers will be accepted up until the day of the event, but for costume wearers, volunteers need to be collected by March 26 and 27 to be fitted for their costume. Spaces for costume wearers will be limited or unavailable after that.
Costume wearers need to stay in character and entertain the kids, as well as help serve guests. Fales said, “People dressed up in costumes are the largest amount of volunteers we need…
We have different themes going on throughout the breakfast like Alice in Wonderland.”
Pre-sale tickets will be available around spring break and cost $7 for ages 12 and older, $5 ages 2-11, and children 1 and younger are free. Tickets purchased on the day of the event are $10 for ages 12 and older. According to Fales, “All proceeds will go to benefit local food pantries.”
To get involved, contact Kaitlyn Fales (kfales1@mwcc.edu) or Lisa Ferrara-Caron (lferraracaron@mwcc.edu), who are both Volunteer Managers for this event.

(Archive February 2018) Reply to “Do Pit bulls Make Good Family Pets?”

Dear Mount Observer,

Please stop promoting pit bull type-dogs as safe pets. Families need the correct information to make an informed decision when choosing a safe pet. Keep pumping pit bull type-dogs to unsuspecting families and the death toll will continue to rise. Anyone that markets this type as a safe family pet without sharing the statistics is misinforming the public.
Common Sense: Pit bulls are selectively bred to recognize other dogs as prey to fight in a pit to the death. You never know when it will be triggered. Simple noises and movement can trigger the pit bull’s prey drive into a deadly attack. This is not a safe breed trait to have in a family pet.
Dr. Michael S. Golinko, who completed the largest dog bite study to date, states pit bulls are a danger to children: http://nationalpitbullvictimawareness.org/expert-opinions/
This NEW WARNING from Pediatricians about pit bull type-dogs should be shared with all families so they can make an informed decision: “A University of Arkansas for Medical Science’s largest dog bite study to date at a Georgia hospital in July 2016 came to this conclusion: “The study corroborates the largely negative interactions between pit bulls and children of any age.”
From the abstract: “Pit bull bites were implicated in half of all surgeries performed and over 2.5 times as likely to bite in multiple anatomic locations as compared to other breeds.” https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305270428_Characteristics_of_1616_Consecutive_Dog_Bite_Injuries_at_a_Single_Institution
11 PEER-REVIEWED Medical Studies that prove pit bull type-dogs are not safe family pets: Level 1 trauma center dog bite studies from all geographical regions in the U.S. are reporting a higher prevalence of pit bull type dogs injuries than all other breeds of dogs. In many cases, the studies (2009 to 2016) also report that pit bull injuries have a higher severity of injury and require a greater number of operative interventions. http://blog.dogsbite.org/2016/10/table-retrospective-level-1-trauma-dog-bite-studies-2009-2016.html
A documentary produced by CBC’s Fifth Estate investigative team (September 22, 2017) is the first television program to examine the multi-million-dollar US lobbying effort to rebrand the pit bull as a family-friendly dog. Please watch this NEW 44 minute investigation that presents both sides of the argument. It proves shelter and rescue systems are asking families to play Russian Roulette with their children. PLEASE WATCH: http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1053062723713
Most dog breeds don’t have the genetic makeup to execute a dog bite level 4-6.
Most dog breeds bite and release. Pit bulls bite and do not let go until their victims are dead. This is part of their genetic code called their ‘gameness’ trait.
“The dog is extremely dangerous and mutilates. The dog is simply not safe around people. I recommend euthanasia because the quality of life is so poor for dogs that have to live out their lives in solitary confinement.” This dog bite level 1-6 chart is a helpful tool for the danger level of the dog. http://apdt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ian-dunbar-dog-bite-scale.pdf
Pit-bulls are dangerous because they have the capability of inflicting life-threatening injuries in a split second. Pit bulls are zero-mistake dogs.
All dog breeds are human-made creations, the result of unnatural selection to achieve desired traits/ characteristics for certain tasks. They’re individuals, yes, but you should always expect for them to display those characteristics. Pit bulls have been bred for violent blood sports with a deadly bite. They are not safe or appropriate pets and should never be considered as such.
Pit bull advocates make the false assertion ‘it’s how they are raised’ without actually following dangerous dog attacks.
I was misled for many years about the many myths about pit bull type-dogs making safe family pets and it’s all how you raise pit bulls.
I come from the animal rescue community. I have fostered many animals and a few pit bull type-dogs found as strays. All my pets have been rescued. I can’t in good conscience recommend any dog that resembles a pit bull type-dog to a family as a safe family pet because of unethical breeding practices, dangerous breed traits and genetics.
Families absolutely should not adopt a dog that resembles a pit bull type-dog with an unknown breeding history and with unknowns about how the dog was raised. Shelter and rescue systems are asking people to play Russian Roulette with their pet choices.
I have been following dangerous dog attacks for four years. I’m in a support group with some of these families. All these families were blind-sided by a horrific pit bull attack. All these pit bulls were house dogs and considered members of the family. None of these dogs were trained to fight. Pit type dogs are hardwired to maul and kill without warning, it is a part of the genetic code like border collies herd, labs swim, goldens retrieve, pointers point, and bloodhounds track.
Correct there are nice pit bulls. The problem is that you can’t tell them apart from the pit bulls that decide to kill. Would you deliberately choose a crib, car, or helmet with the highest record of fatalities and the worst safety rating? Pit-bull type dogs are responsible for 95% of severe attacks (level bite 4-6) on people, pets and livestock in breed neutral zones. Please follow for one month. You will be shocked at all the people and pets that are severely maimed or killed by pit bulls.

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Please spend some time witnessing to the victims of pit bull attacks. Most attacking pit bulls are not due to bad owners but naïve owners who do not understand the dangerous pit bull breed traits. From 2005-2018, 281 people killed by pit bull type dogs. http://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics-fatalities.php
Here is an incident list of shelters who re-homed pit bulls that attacked: http://safetybeforebulldogs.blogspot.com/2014/05/list-of-pit-bulls-recently-adopted-from.html?m=1
Two words to prove pit bull type dogs are inherently dangerous: “BREAK STICK”.
Does this sound like a normal and safe dog breed to have live in our neighborhoods? Pit Bull Rescue Central recommends ALL pit bull owners to have a “break stick”, a wedge-shaped piece of wood used to pry open a pit bull’s jaw during an attack. “Since pit bulls have a strong fighting background, we recommend that pet owners also have a breaking stick as a precaution.” http://blog.dogsbite.org/2008/09/break-sticks-tool-used-to-pry-open-pit.html
This person demonstrates how to use a break stick on a pit-bull: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfMVH4wY5Pg
Pit bull type dogs kill an estimated 30,000 animals a year.

Record 32,550 pit bulls killed or badly injured other animals in the U.S. in 2016

Pit Bull Rescue Central, the leading authority on pit bull-type dogs, admits most pit bull-types are not safe around other people’s dogs because of their genetics. Pit Bull Rescue Central states, “Pit bulls were bred to recognize other dogs as “prey”. http://www.pbrc.net/breakfight.html For that reason alone, I do not consider them safe family pets for our neighborhoods. These are powerful animals that break away from their guardians all the time and maul and kill another beloved pet or person, often in front of a child or pet owner.
This is a typical pit attack on another beloved pet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZTiGWgQubA Too many children & adults have watched their beloved pets be mauled to death by pit bulls. Many develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after watching a horrific pit attack: http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=684_1405912995
According to Pit Bull Rescue Central, “It is a FACT that our pit bulls, AmStaffs and pit mixes come with a built-in fighting heritage. It doesn’t matter where we get them from, whether it be the pound, a stray we pick up, or a puppy we buy from a breeder. The majority of pit bulls will, at some point in their lives, exhibit some degree of dog-on-dog aggression. Yet, chances are that a “normal” pit bull will not share his affection with other animals. We cannot predict when or where it will happen and we can’t love, train or socialize it out of the dog. Pit bulls may not start fights, but they will finish them.” http://www.pbrc.net/misc/PBRC_dogpark.pdf”
Red Flag: MOST insurance companies have come to the same conclusion and do no cover pit-bulls because they can’t afford the risk. Insurance companies have a calculated actuarial risk of pit bulls a lot higher compared with other dog breeds. Pit bulls are more likely to attack their owners. Dog attacks are the third most common claim on homeowner’s insurance. More evidence that people who have pit-bulls and certain other types of breeds are endangering people and other people’s beloved pets in our communities. https://www.esurance.com/info/homeowners/does-homeowners-insurance-cover-pit-bulls
Dogs can be great escape artists. When pit bulls get loose it can be dangerous and deadly for everyone in the neighborhood. Child Killed in Pit Bull Attack On Way To School. Two other children were injured: a little girl face was totally dismembered and the other child was evaluated and released. Breed Choice Matters for keeping our communities safe. http://blog.dogsbite.org/2017/01/dog-bite-fatality-pit-bulls-kill-child-atlanta.html
Why should public safety depend on how someone raises their dog? There are irresponsible owners of poodles, beagles, greyhounds and I could name 300 dog breeds that will not lead to severely maimed or dead neighbors, pets and children. It shouldn’t be a death sentence for any of us to depend on all pit owners to raise their pit right. That’s impossible. If you think it’s how they are raised, then they should be regulated or banned.
An estimated 292 U.S. military bases ban pit bulls. There are 1,052 U.S. cities and 43 countries which enact breed specific ordinances because pit bull type-dogs present an unreasonable risk to health and public safety. https://www.scribd.com/doc/56495216/Estimated-U-S-Cities-Counties-States-and-Military-Facilities-with-Breed-Specific-Pit-Bull-Laws
PIT BULL EXPERTS:
Tia Torres, who has a T.V. show on Animal Planet called “Pit Bulls & Parolees”, wrote this for Rescue Train. “It’s a mistake to think the fighting gene can be easily trained or loved out of a pit-bull.” http://www.therescuetrain.org/pit_bull_education.php
Pit Bull Federation of South Africa – PBFSA’: “Pit bulls were never designed to be 100% safe with other animals.” https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=2134509080109275&id=1622413151318873
Why they think it’s appropriate to rehome pit bulls after saying that is beyond me. Owning and adopting out predators of other people’s beloved pets compromises public safety. In my opinion it’s immoral.
Please read ‘HOW TO PREVENT YOUR PIT BULL FROM FIGHTING’. Bully Max is more honest than most shelters and rescues staff/volunteers who deny pit bull breed traits. They admit pit bulls are bred for fighting. It’s best to own only one pit bull. NEVER bring an adult pit bull to an off-leash dog park We need to start being more honest about pit bull breed traits or we are setting people and dogs up for failure. https://bullymax.com/preventing-pitbull-fights/
A Propensity to Attack Other Dogs Means a Dog Is Dangerous to People. Approximately one-third of Mr. Phillips’ cases started out as a dog attacking another dog, and then turned into a dog attacking a person. https://dogbitelaw.com/vicious-dogs/a-propensity-to-attack-other-dogs-means-a-dog-is-dangerous-to-people
BENJAMIN HART, professor emeritus at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and animal behaviorist says, “It’s quite common for a pit bull to show no signs of aggression. People will call it a nice dog, a sweet dog, even the neighbors – and then all of a sudden something triggers the dog, and it attacks a human in a characteristic way of biting and hanging on until a lot of damage is done. Hart said pit bulls are responsible for about 60 percent of dog attack fatalities each year, which is “way out of proportion” compared with other breeds. Pit bulls make up less than 5 percent of the American dog population. “It’s very poor policy to allow any child around a pit bull, in my mind, let alone climb on a dog.” More info from pit bull experts: http://thetruthaboutpitbulls.blogspot.com/2012/10/no-one-can-be-great-thinker-who-does.html?m=
Most dogs warn you before they attack, growling or barking to tell you how angry they are—”so they don’t have to fight,” ASPCA adviser and animal geneticist Stephen Zawistowski stresses. Not the pit bull, which attacks without warning. Most dogs, too, will bow to signal that they want to frolic. Again, not the pit bull, which may follow an apparently playful bow with a lethal assault.” More information from experts about pit bull traits: http://www.city-journal.org/html/9_2_scared_of_pit.html
Words from Ronald Berman professional dog bite expert in court cases and dog trainer: “Pit bulls are the number-one breed for fatalities.I see photos of people with their faces ripped off. I look at autopsy photos and afterward I can’t sleep at night. What sets the pit bull apart is its gameness—the willingness to attack and keep attacking. The more you hurt them, the more relentlessly they attack. In one case, a bystander hit a pit bull more than 20 times with a metal baseball bat, and the dog wouldn’t stop attacking the victim.” https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/when-dogs-attack
I forwarded a picture of a pit bull mauling on a little boy’s arm. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/child-hospitalized-after-being-attacked-by-neighbors-pit-bull/ar-BBHqflC I agree all dogs can bite. The issue with pit bulls is the degree of damage they inflict, and their attacks being more likely to result in fatality. Appellate courts across the United States have recognized the dangers of the pit bull breed for over 25-years. We’ve listed excerpts from court decisions that demonstrate this. http://www.dogsbite.org/legislating-dangerous-dogs-appellate-court-decisions.php
I forwarded four photos of children who, through no fault of their own, were attacked by pit bulls. The parents have deep regret ever allowing their children around pit bulls that they considered safe. These are just a few examples out of thousands.
1) Boy’s face is DESTROYED by adopted pit-bull http://blog.dogsbite.org/2017/03/newly-adopted-pit-bull-mix-attacks-boys-face-in-iowa.html
2) Little girl’s face destroyed by the neighbor’s pit bull! Video of pit bull: http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20170329/child-mother-mauled-by-pit-bull-photos and https://www.gofundme.com/evj94r-help-for-Zoey
3) Maybe you have a safe pit bull but how if your neighbor does not? Little girl almost killed by the neighbor’s pit bull. Besides being scalped by the neighbor’s pit bull in her own yard, she has lost both ears, an eye, and will never grow hair. http://www.abc57.com/news/fundraising-page-set-up-for-girl-brutally-attacked-by-pit-bull
4) After reading this, will you allow your kids to sleepover with another family’s pit bull? Friend’s pit bull attacked him while sleeping. “They did a CT scan and said the bite was so bad that it was a hair away from crushing his skull and killing him.” http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/gofundme-launched-for-hobart-boy-mauled-by-dog/article_220bafca-d5f6-58a7-8051-080b6d357029.html

Thanks for listening to my concerns,

Julie Wall
Supporter of National Pit Bull Victim Awareness
Dogsbite.org
Daxtonsfriends.com