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Posts published in “News”

Empty Seats in Empty Classrooms

By editorialteam on May 18, 2023

By Luke Guertin | Observer Contributor

Enrollment numbers at community colleges across Massachusetts have plummeted, with many factors — including the COVID-19 pandemic — contributing to the decline. The Mount is no exception. “We are down, like every community college,” said James Vander Hooven, President of Mount Wachusett Community College. “I know we are in a challenging time.”

According to The Boston Globe, from the fall semester of 2019 to the beginning of the fall in 2022, 13,000 dropped out of community college, and it is feared most of those students will not return. The article also states that most of those students were parents who are unable to attend school while also caring for their family. The largest drop in all community colleges came between the fall of 2019 to 2020, when 8,600 dropped out to work or take care of family. The number of students who enrolled from 2012 to 2022 fell 37%, which has left roughly 6,000 students in the state left attending community college. Data from the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education indicates that MWCC is smaller than most other community colleges, so even as all other community college enrollment numbers decline, the impact on the Mount is especially noteworthy. read more

Profile: Candace Shivers

By editorialteam on May 18, 2023

Professor Talks Leadership, Social Justice, and Empowerment

By Isabelle Mascary | Editor-in-Chief

Photo courtesy MWCC

Candace Shivers, a seasoned professor with nineteen years of experience at the Mount, started as an adjunct in 2003 and became a full-time professor in the following year, teaching Sociology, human resources, and psychology classes. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science from American International College, as well as a Master’s degree from Assumption College. As a member of the Union and Board of Directors of the National Education Association, the largest labor local in the United States, she is deeply committed to her profession. What she enjoys most about being an educator is engaging with her students and having conversations about current issues. “I enjoy the process of learning together, and if I could just be in front of the class, having these conversations, I would be happy,” she said. read more

A Poetry Slam Dunk

By editorialteam on May 18, 2023

Literary Magazine ‘A Certain Slant’ is a Certain Success

By Annabelle Kennedy | Observer Contributor

Photo by Tom Hill Jr.

Spring has sprung at MWCC and that means it is time for our own literary magazine A Certain Slant to come out by the end of April. A Certain Slant is a celebration of poetry, short fiction and paintings created by MWCC students themselves. Michelle Valois, a professor in the English department, edits and puts them together in a print magazine style.

            For the past 20 years, Valois has been heading up the literary magazine. “I took it over from Professor Arthur Marley who started the magazine, sometime in the 1980s,” said Valois. Being a writer herself, she knows the excitement of seeing your name in print for the first time. read more

Overcoming Adversity

By editorialteam on May 18, 2023

Observer’s Incoming Editor-in-Chief Shares Journey of
Self-Discovery and Creativity

By Isabelle Mascary | Editor-in-Chief

Photo by Elysian Alder

Elysian Alder is twenty-six years old and began their journey at the Mount in the fall of 2022. She’s currently a professional writing major and the upcoming editor-in-chief. Her pronouns are: they/them, she/her or anything used with respect.

After a year of soul-searching, extensive research, and surrounding herself with more LGBTQIA+ people, Alder began her transition on July 16th, 2021. “It began with me exploring my non-binary identity, and then, while researching for a transgender character I was writing – and still am writing – it all clicked for me,” she explained. During the process, and after feeling uncomfortable with her given name, she chose her own name: Elysian. Derived from a concept in Greek mythology, the name means “a place or state of ideal happiness.” read more

First Dual Language Business Certificate Cohort Nears End of Program

By editorialteam on April 12, 2023

MWCC Planning to Shift to Early Education Option This Fall

By Elysian Alder | Assistant Editor

Photo by Mayra Alaniz Andrade

This upcoming May, the first group of students to participate in the MWCC’s Dual Language Business Administration Certification Program might be the last business-oriented cohort for the time being, according to Missi Sargent, Dean of Academic Affairs. While the current cohort piloted this program in 2021 and most have succeeded and benefited from it, the college will shift to a DLP offering in Early Education next fall, while the Business track will end.

The Dual Language Business Administration Certification Program is a way for Spanish-speaking students to pursue business certifications while also advancing and improving their English language skills. This means different things to different students. For some, it’s a way for them to bridge the gap between themselves and the current workforce climate, to be able to get jobs without feeling hindered. Some also see it as a way to access education where it may not have been accessible to them before. For others, it’s a stepping stone to being able to open and run their own business. read more

‘This is Me Giving Back’

By editorialteam on April 12, 2023

Assistant Dean of Students Sabine Dupoux Shines Light on Her Journey as a First Generation College Student

By Isabelle Mascary | Editor-in-Chief

Photo by Sabine Dupoux

In the midst of the pandemic two and a half years ago, Sabine Dupoux became the Assistant Dean of Students at the Leominster campus and has been a part of the Mount family ever since. She is a first generation Haitian-American graduate with her Master’s degree in Business Administration. 

She oversees the food pantry in Gardner and Leominster and also oversees the management operations of the Leominster building to ensure safety for faculty, staff and students. “My role is to ensure that students are successful inside and outside of the classroom,” she said.  read more

A Mess to Clean Up

By editorialteam on April 12, 2023

Students and Faculty at the Mount Share Thoughts on Environmental Crises after Ohio Spill

By Katie Holgerson | Observer Contributor

Following a recent train derailment in Ohio, there are growing concerns over the potential health and environmental impacts caused by the spillage of hazardous chemicals such as vinyl chloride and butyl acetate into nearby rivers.

The incident occurred on February 3rd, 2023 in East Palestine, Ohio, causing all the town residents to evacuate due to the hazardous chemicals involved. In addition to public health concerns, the derailment caused an explosion and spillage of chemicals into nearby rivers, leading to the death of several fish. Efforts to control the situation through a controlled burn resulted in several chemicals being released into the atmosphere. Concerns have risen as people on social media have reported that the air in the area smelled of chlorine and chemicals, although the government assured the area was safe to return. It is worth noting that studies show the younger generation, including 32% of Gen Z and 28% of Millennials, are more concerned about global warming and other environmental issues and have taken actions for the planet in 2021. read more

Profile: Gail Steele

By editorialteam on April 12, 2023

Theater at the Mount Director Gail Steele Emphasizes the Importance of Community in Theater Arts

By Isabelle Mascary | Editor-in-Chief

Photo courtesy of MWCC

Gail Steele has been a part of the Mount community since 1977. She grew up in Lawrence, Massachusetts and received her undergraduate degree at Bridgewater State College.

She got her master’s at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

Although she has always had a love for theater arts, it isn’t where she began her journey. “I was more towards communications because I wasn’t confident that I could have a career in theater,” she explained. “So I hedged my bets to focus more on communications. But I always had my hand in theater. I’m a good organizer. That’s what running a theater is all about.” read more

Profile: Kara Roche

By editorialteam on April 12, 2023

MWCC Associate Professor of English and Speech Provides
a Lesson in Chasing Your Passions

By Elysian Alder | Assistant Editor

Photo by Kara Roche

Associate Professor of English and Speech Kara Roche has been working at the Mount since 2007, and although English and teaching are two of her greatest passions, it’s the people – the community – that fill her with so much love for the college. Reflecting back on the journey she’s had to get to this point, Roche said, “Now I get to teach my two loves here: English classes filled with poetry and Shakespeare and speech classes. How lucky am I? My road taken turned out pretty well.” read more

Sue Goldstein: Driving Force for Journalism

By editorialteam on March 10, 2023

The Mount Observer Sits Down with Its Previous Faculty Adviser

By Isabelle Mascary | Editor-in-Chief

In her twenty years at MWCC, Sue Goldstein successfully re-started the student newspaper and became a beloved professor and mentor to many students. In 2022, she retired from MWCC, but her legacy remains. As a woman of many hats and a great contributor to the college, Goldstein still teaches online courses. “I’m still teaching a few classes, such as college writing one and college writing two online.”

            It might come as a surprise to many that this popular professor didn’t even get into journalism until about 1977, and she began her teaching profession in 2003. “They were kind of two separate things. I never envisioned myself teaching,” she explained, continuing to state that she didn’t start teaching until she was in her forties. read more