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Posts tagged as “college life”

Profile: Annabelle Kennedy

By editorialteam on November 8, 2022

Professional Writing Major Discusses Interest in Pursuit of Being a Death Doula

By Lexi Gallagher | Observer Contributor

Lunenburg resident and Mount Wachusett professional writing student, Annabelle Kennedy, has a history with the written word and enjoys the act of writing. However, she also has a passion towards going in a different direction than most after graduating: being a death doula.

“Helping dying people and their families process emotions and help with a difficult transition really seemed to call to me,” Kennedy said. “I’ve been definitely exploring the idea of being a death doula. I started listening to a Tarot podcast about five years ago, and the woman who hosted it is a thanatologist and discussed the subject there.” From there, Kennedy found out about the death doula movement.  read more

Assisting First-Generation College Students

By editorialteam on October 6, 2022

TRIO SSS Continues a 30-Year Tradition

By Josilyn Straka | Assistant Editor

Graphic from the TRIO SSS web page

Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC) has a program for students called TRIO Student Support Services (SSS), which includes Visions and Rx programs.  Their aim is to assist first-generation college students striving to earn a degree and have been doing so for more than thirty years.

Sara Williams, former Program Manager of TRIO SSS, hopes to meet all needs of students by providing academic advising, professional tutoring, transfer counseling, and offering personal support.  These programs also loan out equipment such as laptops and offer workshops and seminars. read more

Supporting Equity and Inclusion: The Mount’s Inaugural Chief Diversity Executive

By editorialteam on September 11, 2022

Equity and Inclusion: Mount Wachusett’s Inaugural Chief Diversity Executive

By Maddie Willigar | Editor-in-Chief

Newly appointed Chief Diversity Executive, Stephanie Williams, started her position at the Mount on April 4. Though the pandemic delayed this position from being created sooner, President Vander Hooven and Williams believe this role will foster an inclusive environment where students can be successful.

            Before Williams started in April, Vander Hooven said that the biggest quality he was looking for when searching for someone to fill this position was someone who had “significant experience in leading in complex organizations.” read more

The Insulin Affordability Discussion

By editorialteam on September 11, 2022

The Prices of Diabetes Supplies Remain Dangerously High, but at What Expense?

By Amanda Fales | Observer Contributor

Editor’s Note: This article was written a few months prior to Professor David Wyman’s unexpected death on August 12.

            The cost of insulin has skyrocketed and has left people with diabetes struggling to get what they can’t live without. This issue has been felt worldwide and has impacted some of the faculty at Mount Wachusett firsthand. 

            According to the CDC article “What is Prediabetes,” “Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas” used to control blood sugar. For those with diabetes, going without this drug could cause them to become ill or even die. read more

Gassing Up for Class

By editorialteam on May 4, 2022

Though Fuel Prices Add a Layer of Complexity, They Won’t Impact the Summer and Fall Schedules

By Maddison Willigar | Assistant Editor

Gassing Up for Class

Between the increasing availability of in-person courses at MWCC and the rising gas prices across the US, Business and Economics professor Elmer Eubanks brought a request to the Academic Senate on March 22 to consider increasing the number of online classes between the summer and fall semesters to combat this. However, because the schedules had already been set for both semesters, President Vander Hooven recommended that students communicate with faculty about any needs or struggles they might be facing. read more

Op-ed: A Mount Wachusett Experience

By editorialteam on May 4, 2022

A Long Look Back by the Editor-in-Chief

By Daniel Dow | Editor-in-Chief

My journey started at Mount Wachusett at the height of the pandemic after leaving a 10-year career, with a GPA of 1.8, and on academic probation. I will transfer in the fall to the University of Wisconsin-Superior as I start my own business as a copywriter and editor, a GPA over 3.0, and as a member of the TRIO program. My return in 2021 could not have been a more different experience, and as I leave the Mount to attend my transfer school, I know I will miss the community I found. read more

Government Deceit, or Willful Ignorance?

By editorialteam on April 6, 2022

Parents That Received 2021 Child Tax Credit Surprised at Affects on Tax Returns

By Bushrah Namirimu | Observer Contributor

Social media has been awash with complaints and frustration from many parents who are quite displeased after filing their 2021 tax returns. This is due to the discovery that they’ll be receiving smaller refunds than what they had anticipated, following the advance child tax credit which hit their bank accounts between July and December 2021.

Millions of families across the country received monthly checks from the federal government as a part of the American Rescue Plan. Krista Russell, a student at MWCC, is one of those parents who benefited from last year’s ARP package. read more

Artistic Crime

By editorialteam on April 6, 2022

Museum Curator and Local Artist Express Views on Graffiti

By Shaye McKeen | Assistant Editor

Art and crime, a mysterious mixture of expression and struggle–the origins of spray-paint graffiti, an art form that began in the New York projects, which can often be traced back to the 1960s in the Bronx, where African Americans attempted to reclaim their place in society which was previously barred by segregation.

Current perspectives surrounding graffiti art vary, as the act of creating graffiti art in its traditional sense of using various buildings and structures as its canvas is inherently illegal. Marjorie Rawle, an Assistant Curator for the Fitchburg Art Museum, offers her insight on the form of art’s ethos: read more

What Can We Gain from Traveling?

By editorialteam on April 6, 2022

Student and Staff Share Traveling Experiences and the Importance of Travel in College

By Maddie Willigar | Assistant Editor

With the end of the pandemic in sight and many individuals looking for travel opportunities as countries open their borders, Science Professor Heather Conn, and former MWCC student Chyrone Ragland, share their experiences with traveling and why they believe it is important for schools to have more travel opportunities.

            Between his time in the military and his job afterward as a Military Outreach Coordinator, Ragland traveled to over 25 locations, including Dubai, Afghanistan, Germany, and Poland. Out of all of these locations, Ragland said Dubai is one of his favorite places he has traveled to. Between the leaf-shaped Palm Islands and the “remarkable” architecture, he also explained it was the most beautiful. read more

Burnout Through a Magnifying Glass

By editorialteam on March 3, 2022

MWCC Mental Health Counselor and Student Discuss Burnout and its Contributing Factors

By Maddie Willigar | Assistant Editor

Though many may be familiar with the term “burnout,” what may be unfamiliar is the variety of factors that can contribute to it and the various ways it can be experienced in the body.            MWCC Mental Health Counselor Melissa Manzi and student Cami Stephens share what burnout is, what factors could contribute, and advice on how to overcome this issue.

            According to Manzi, during the beginning stages of burnout, people may find their thought process becoming more limited, causing them to shut down new ideas quicker than normal. She explained that though burnout symptoms can overlap with symptoms of depression or stress, burnout is a different experience that is dependent on someone’s environment, whether that be school or work. read more