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Posts tagged as “campus life”

If You Can’t Stand the Heat…

By editorialteam on April 26, 2024

Aging HVAC System Disrupts Budget as Well as Student Focus

By Kevin Hayes | Observer Contributor

Photo by Tom Hill Jr.

With an HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system that has sections more than fifty years old, facilities management and students are both quick to acknowledge the daily in-classroom consequences that the current HVAC infrastructure at the Mount presents. In terms of dollars, the financial implications could be staggering. However, there is also a cost for students, inhibiting their potential ability to focus in the classroom, which could put pressure on the college to move sooner rather than later. read more

From Pain to Page

By editorialteam on April 26, 2024

Profile: Alessandro DiVito

By Kevin Hayes | Observer Contributor

Photo by Kevin Hayes

Alessandro DiVito, a 20-year-old student at MWCC majoring in English with a concentration in professional writing, shows promising talent as a writer. DiVito, who works as a youth mentor over the summer, is already well on his way, having three books currently in progress. Centered on sci-fi and time travel, their titles are: The Adventures of Jerry Rodger, Tyrone’s Multiversal Adventures and Mabel’s Uncharted Adventures.

But DiVito didn’t just wake up one day and say, ‘I think I’ll be a writer or mentor young people someday.’ His passion stemmed from his experiences with adversity. DiVito persevered through childhood bullying and a horrific stalking-like encounter with an older student when he was in the seventh grade, DiVito was in search of some way to deal with this trauma. Fortunately for DiVito, he has a close, supportive family. He also stumbled into a program called Thriveworks, which he found out about through the THRIVE Center at the Mount.  read more

E-Waste Disposal Made Easy

By editorialteam on April 26, 2024

Properly Disposing of Electronics

By Kent Yang | Staff Writer

Since the early twentieth century, electronic waste has existed alongside technologies such as telephones and radios, which utilized vacuum tubes. However, at the time, there wasn’t much concern for the environment regarding electronic waste. It wasn’t until 1976, when the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) went into effect, that the disposal of e-waste into landfills became illegal. The purpose of the RCRA was to protect the environment and human health from the toxicity and hazards of waste disposal. read more

MWCC Menstrual Equity Concerns

By editorialteam on February 23, 2024

Pizza with the President Event Shines Light on Period Product Availability at the Mount

By Sam LeMay | Observer Contributor

The Pizza with the President event, held last November at the Mount, became a platform for a crucial discussion that had perhaps been overshadowed by the daily bustle of campus life: the accessibility of period products in the women’s bathrooms and the lack thereof in the gender-neutral bathrooms. Currently, most women’s restrooms on campus appear to require a 25-cent fee for machines that dispense period products.

The issue at hand is the spontaneity of menstrual cycles–a biological occurrence that often chooses its own timing, catching individuals off guard during a quick visit to the bathroom. “Usually, I bring stuff with me, but [sometimes] I forget,” said MWCC student Elise Stone when asked about her experience. Many people don’t habitually carry period products with them at all times, resulting in an issue when faced with the sudden onset of menstruation. read more

Let’s Go on a Trip

By editorialteam on February 23, 2024

MWCC Prepares for Upcoming School Trip to Iceland

By Katie Holgerson | Observer Contributor

Have you ever wondered what studying abroad opportunities MWCC has to offer for its students? Well, this year students at MWCC have begun to prepare for their upcoming trip to Iceland in May 2024. Students will leave on May 16th and stay in Iceland until the 23rd. This trip is organized by Professors Michelle Valois and Heather Conn, who have planned an exciting and fulfilling experience for the students.

This will be the second year that MWCC has offered the Iceland trip. Discussing the inspiration behind choosing Iceland as the destination, Valois explained, “I was with Professor Conn at the meeting, and she teaches geology, and I love mythology. And I don’t know who said it first. I think she said, ‘I’ve always wanted to go to Iceland,’ and I said, ‘Oh my God, I’d love to teach about Norse mythology.'” Students had the opportunity to enroll in a course taught by Valois and Conn, focusing on Iceland, its geological structures, its history, and its mythological views. This course serves as a foundation for students before going on the trip. read more

Thinking About Taking a Hiatus from Your Education?

By editorialteam on February 23, 2024

By Lexi Gallagher | Observer Contributor

Studies show that approximately 40% of college students do not complete college within six years. Many students take breaks, change paths, take a gap year, or otherwise decide to take time away from pursuing higher education.

Mount Wachusett Community College student Destiny Grimes, along with many other students across America, decided to put her education on pause for a handful of reasons. “I took a break after the winter semester when my grandmother passed away because it was really hard on my mom,” said Grimes. “I wanted to give my mom the time and space to grieve, so I started working full-time to help support and take care of our family.” read more

Your Head’s in the Game

By editorialteam on February 23, 2024

Princess Yeboah’s Success

By Jordan Chila | Observer Contributor

Photo courtesy of Princess Yeboah

Princess Yeboah arrived at the Mount in the fall semester of 2023 with the tough decision to make about whether she wanted to pursue a creative future in writing or a clinical career in nursing. Yeboah grew up in Baldwinsville and attended Monty Tech in Westminster for high school. Yeboah, a basketball enthusiast and person of faith, made her family very proud when she graduated in the spring of 2023. Initially, she had a strong desire to join their health technologies program; however, Yeboah ultimately ended up taking business technology. read more

Profile: Julian Anderson

By editorialteam on December 27, 2023

The “Parking Lot Selfie Guy”

By Elysian Alder | Editor-in-Chief

Photos courtesy of Julian Anderson, collage by Elysian Alder

Julian Anderson is the 20 year old Media Arts and Technology (Audio Concentration) major who took the Mount’s new Student Feed app by storm when he decided to kick off the semester by posting a selfie of himself sitting on the trunk of his car. The caption? ‘Parking Lot Selfie, Day 2.’ 

“I knew at first people might approach me, asking me if I was the guy who posted selfies in the parking lot, but I wasn’t that nervous,” said Anderson. “It was more for me than it was for anyone who liked following along with my selfie journey.” read more

Beyond Critique

By editorialteam on December 27, 2023

Director of Assessments Amanda Henrichs’ Mission to Cultivate Joyful Learning 

By Katie Holgerson | Assistant Editor

Photo courtesy of Amanda Henrichs

Amanda Henrichs has been the Director of Assessments at the Mount for about 2 years and uses they/them pronouns. Originally from Oregon, Henrichs reflected on how different their life was in the Beaver State, mentioning that they were “milking goats and making porridge.” They explained the geographical distinctions between Oregon and Massachusetts, noting that Oregon experiences more rainfall and is “always gray,” with mountains for skiing and even a desert known as the High Desert on the other side. Henrichs recommends visiting Crater Lake, describing it as “incredible, it’s an old volcano that is filled in.”  read more

Elf the Musical

By editorialteam on December 27, 2023

Spreading Holiday Cheer for All at the Mount

By Elysian Alder | Editor-in-Chief

Photo by Laura Cavanaugh via Theater at the Mount

On Saturday, December 2nd, Mount Wachusett Community College’s Theatre at the Mount (TAM) put on a spectacular performance of their holiday show, Elf: the Musical, a stage adaptation of the hit 2003 film of the same name.The musical follows Buddy (David Allen Prescott)—a human raised by the elves (who are “Happy All the Time,” according to the show’s opening number) at the North Pole—as he sets out on a journey to New York City in search of his real father…and his true identity.  read more