Nscc pennon november 2014

November 2014:May Issue.QXD

11/5/14

10:12 AM

Page 1

November 2014

• A MONTHLY PUBLICATION FOR THE STUDENTS OF NORTH SHORE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, DANVERS, MIDDLETON, LYNN, & BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS • •READ THE PENNON ONLINE AT: NORTHSHORE.EDU/PENNON•

Ebola advisory Cowboy days of Afghanistan warning Page 2

Page 4

Veteran Profiles

Page 7

Introduction to CommUniverCity at Lynn Panto Page 8

NSCC’s Presidential Scholars strive to make a difference

By Tiffany L. Walker Contributing Writer The 2014-2015 school year marks a momentous step forward for the Presidential Scholars. Established in 2006, The Wayne Burton Presidential Scholars Program is a unique leadership development program at NSCC which recognizes high academic achievement and community service, providing financial support, academic and personal mentoring, as well as opportunities to serve as ambassadors for the President's Office and North Shore Community College. The students participate in social, public policy, community and fundraising initiatives of many types.

This allows these students to learn about networking, advocating for themselves, leadership skills, and serving others.

This year, the Scholars will be working with David Sullivan, executive director of the Forest Foundation. This family-run organization is actively engaged in the leadership development of undergraduate college students and their exposure to the nonprofit sector. The goals of the Forest Foundation are accomplished through effective grant making, student internships, skills/leadership development, and productive collaborations with regional nonprofit agencies whom they work to aid and support. With such a community focus, their mission greatly coincides with that of the Presidential Scholars.

Because of this, David Sullivan has volunteered his time and resources to develop a project which combines the aims of both groups. He and Matthew Woods, Performing Arts and Presidential Scholars Coordinator, have put together a project in which our thirteen Scholars will be researching and representing two regional nonprofits . This opportunity will provide experience in grant writing, business research and

decision-making, humanitarianism, philanthropy, as well as continued development of leadership skills via lectures with guest speakers and volunteer opportunities involved with NSCC and elsewhere. It is a true chance for these students to make a difference.

This is not just about leadership and community aid, but also about forming alliance and community within our team. These students, though very different, are unified by their dedication and drive. They are all extraordinary in their own way, each bringing their own strength to the table. These students have worked hard and will continue to show what being a student of North Shore Community College is all about.

Thus far, the students have collectively settled on Hunger and Homelessness as the theme which they will be dedicated to investigate, particularly where the issue involves Youth-at-Risk and Family Stability. There was a near unanimous call for focus on the subject, as this particular issue being ranked of great importance in the heart of every Scholar. In support of this theme, the Presidential Scholars were represented at the recent

Forum on Tolerance by Erica Snyder and Eligah Gousby. The theme of this year’s Forum was also Homelessness, as so these two lovely young people volunteered their time to the cause and assisted in running the event and collecting donations.

After the decision of a focused theme, the Scholars were divided into two teams: a Lynn Team and a Danvers Team, and each were presented with three potential non-profits from their community (Lynn / Danvers area). Scholars learned about the various methods of “getting to know” an agency, and each team was charged with the task of researching their potential agencies through general investigation. The Danvers and Lynn teams then selected a single agency on which to focus their efforts based on their collective research. Workshop guest Julie Bishop of Essex County Community Foundation, alongside Matthew Woods and David Sullivan, met with students to discuss “How to Conduct a Site Visit.” Our Scholars have learned in depth about the importance of making site visits, how to assess the needs of the community and the non-profit, and in general how to determine where grant money

can be most effective.

The Lynn Team, consisting of Fabiano Da Mota, Jonathan Gaytan, Jonathan O’Brien, Edwina Shackleton, Megan Hansen, Eligah Gousby, and Tiffany Walker, have selected to advocate for the Lynn Shelter Association, focusing on the Bridge House Family Shelter. The Danvers Team, made up of “Lexy” Bean, Erica Morin, Meghan Cafferty, Natasha Oliveira, Erica Snyder, and Camila Espinal have selected to advocate for the Family Promise North Shore. Before the next meeting, each team will make a site visit to their selected non-profit agency. They will also be expected to conduct a needs assessment to determine the focus of their grant proposal (in other words: How should the money be spent?)

With five of our Scholars returning from the previous year, and the rest brand new to the program, it is incredible to witness how these young men and women, all of differing races, cultures, and experiences, have coalesced into this strong, united entity working to make a difference. Together, they will have the power to truly impact two regional non-profits and the

Page 12

people that they serve. When asked what this means to them, most of the thirteen had very much the same thing to say: that this experience, if it has not already, will have the power to change their lives.

On the subject, Joanne Light, Interim Vice President of Student/Enrollment Services and founder of the Presidential Scholars Program wrote: “I am totally thrilled with the Presidential Scholars’ project for this year. They are engaged and being offered an incredible opportunity. Through David Sullivan’s volunteer effort to work with the students on behalf of the Forest Foundation, these participants are gaining lifelong skills. In their exposure to the nonprofit world, they are learning about budgeting, grant writing, and the roles of Boards of Trustees.

Working in teams, they are doing needs assessment, interviewing Executive Directors, and researching organizations.

Most important, however, is the fact that they are ‘giving back’ and in choosing to focus on hunger and homelessness, they are making a conscious decision to recognize the issues and promote its prevalence in their own communities. I am grateful to David Sullivan, Julie Bishop and Matthew Woods for their dedication to hands on student learning.”

These bright young people are doing a great thing.

They honorably represent the Forest Foundation and North Shore Community College in their attempts to better their community, as well as themselves. They also represent the power we all have as members of a community to recognize need, and the toil necessary to satisfy it. We look forward to following this project in the future, as well as the strides and achievements of these thirteen leaders.

November 2014:May Issue.QXD

11/5/14

10:12 AM

Page 2

Ballot Question 2: Green Team’s endorsement

Page 2 – NSCC Pennon

By Gregory Reppucci Contributing Writer

On November 4th, voters will decide whether a five or ten cent redeemable deposit on recyclable beverage containers that are not currently covered under the original bottle bill of 1983 should be enacted. This additional deposit would increase the recycling rates of many water, juice, sports drinks and non-carbonated beverage containers in Massachusetts. The original bottle bill has achieved recycling rates of 70-80 percent for beer, soda and some water containers (including glass, aluminum and plastic). But the recycling rate of non-deposit beverage containers is still at a dismal 23 -25%, even with curbside pick up in most communities.

Each year,

by Jessie Nocella Environmental Writer

Symbolic recording of information to be passed down through generations was the root of what changed societies into being “civilized.”

Communicating and finding ways to record the information we share has always created how we react with our environments. The basis of all human intellect is reciprocated and expressed through the use of language either written or orally. Without the use of words and symbols our world and culture would be utterly meaningless and unfulfilling. We wouldn't be able to pass down children’s stories or read beautifully written poetry handed down through decades without them. Books written from early centuries show how much we have evolved and the change in the environment and language from then until present day.

Communication of our feelings about the environment is involved in every part of history, way back to when symbols were used and language

Environmental Corner: How civilized are we today?

was still a work in progress to our primitive ancestors.

Uncovering the secrets of the past lies everywhere but especially in the interactions different societies have had with their land and people. I started to think about the word “Egyptologists” and

how funny it is that certain professions are dedicated to studying a civilization that, while it was standing, probably had no idea of the mystery and impact it would create on future generations. Imagine if hundreds or thousands of years from now someone was to look back and

study our civilization. How would our use of language translate then? How would our symbols and written communication of our surroundings be interpreted?

Personally, I would be ashamed at how unsophisticated language has evolved from

Massachusetts residents throw away over one billion of these containers; enough to fill Fenway Park up to the bleachers! These containers end up being put in landfills, being incinerated or being exported and this is bad for our health, our environment, and our pocket books. The energy used to replace the 134 billion beverage containers wasted in the United States in 2005 was equivalent to fifty million barrels of crude oil.

We need to move much more ambitiously toward ZERO waste and this update of the Bottle Bill will accomplish that goal.

VOTE YES ON QUESTION 2 USE YOUR VOTE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR MASSACHUSETTS!

our descendants. It seems as though the use of verbal and written expression has lessened from descriptive and intellectual to the simple slang most of us use today.

If historians were to study us in the future, the saddest part would be the lack of dialect we use to express ourselves. Most of it would just be stored on our phones or computers, which someday will all break. Understanding our current place in the world with relation to the environment is important for individual growth. By communication we can make the changes we want to see in our surroundings and ourselves. Isn't it funny how quickly language can change culture and culture can affect a population?

November 2014:May Issue.QXD

11/5/14

10:12 AM

Page 3

Beacon Café Opens The Beacon Café (formerly known as the Scholar's Den), North Shore Community College’s student-run café will open on Wednesday, November 12, 2014 and remain open Monday through Friday until Thursday, December 11, 2014.

The Beacon Café has been newly relocated off Route 114W at 30 Log Bridge Road, Middleton in the new North Shore Business Center on the

Food News

site of the old North Shore Technical High School.

The Beacon Café will be serving an a la carte menu from November 12 through November 25 with buffet service starting on December 1 and running through December 11th. The Beacon has two seating times: 11:00 and 11:45a.m. and reservations are required.

The cost is only $5.00 for a four-course meal serving soup,

Page 3 – NSCC Pennon

salad, choice of entree with side dishes and choice of dessert.

Please call to make your reservation at 978-762-4000 ext 1538. Leave your name, the date you wish to come in, the number of people in your party, the seating time you desire and a phone number.

You will receive a call back within 24 hours to confirm or reschedule your reservation. Hope to see you at our new location!

Traditionally prepared flan

Flan recipe

By Samantha Barbagello Contributing Writer

NSCC’s Culinary Arts Students

Hungry on Thanksgiving

by Calvin Javier Gil Editor in Chief

The month of November is now upon us, and with it the beloved holiday of Thanksgiving, a time where families traditionally gather together to feast on turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, along with all of the other usual accoutrements that most Americans know and love.

Through this tradition, families are brought together, enjoying each other’s company alongside a fine meal. Unfortunately, many Americans who struggle with hunger are unable to take part in this beloved tradition, leaving them without the joy with American tradition brings to so many families. This problem is far bigger than many may think; according to Feeding America, 1 in 8 Massachusetts residents struggles with hunger.

Thankfully, such families can usually visit their local food bank to pick up a wholesome Thanksgiving dinner.

During the holiday season, however, food banks are often unable to keep up with the demand for turkeys and other thanksgiving favorites, forcing

them to resort to cheaper alternatives or, in dire cases, turn families away outright. As such, those of us who are fortunate enough to have excess thanksgiving funds should strongly consider donating food or funds to local food banks, even if we can only spare a little bit. All American families deserve to take part in this cherished tradition, and donating to a foodbank can help make this a reality.

Many people are unsure of what they should donate to food banks, and holidays only complicate matters further. As a general rule, canned goods are usually a good bet, given their longevity and heartiness, but food banks need more than canned goods alone.

As far as other food items go, banks are usually in need of items such as peanut butter, rice, and other dried beans and grains. Food banks are also in need of toiletries, such as toilet paper, deodorant, and baby diapers, among other commonly used personal hygiene products.

Although many people are unaware of this, food banks often ask for pet supplies as

well, such as dog food, cat food, and bird seed. Finally, during the holiday season, food banks are always looking for traditional yet preservable holiday foods, such as frozen turkeys, canned cranberry sauce, and instant gravy. If you are unable to donate physical items, food banks are always in need of cash donations as well, so don’t hesitate to offer cash in lieu of a physical donation.

If you’re not sure what food banks to donate to, or in need of a thanksgiving dinner, the website www.foodpantries.org is very helpful. This website contains a comprehensive list of food banks help centers by state and town, which makes finding your local food bank a breeze. If you wish to donate money to help stop hunger but don’t have a food bank in your local area, be sure to check out www.feedingamerica.org, a great charity that is working to stop hunger nationwide.

Flan is one of the most popular desserts in Spain. It dates back as far as the Roman Empire, as the Romans had a surplus of eggs and began baking with them. The Greeks were known as great bakers, so the Romans took the idea of combining eggs and milk from them. This combination formed custard, which evolved into modern day flan.

After their empire collapsed, the recipe survived and lived on. The name derived from the Latin word “flado”, meaning flat cake. The Spanish introduced ingredients such as fruit and almonds into the cake.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup plus 2/3 cup of sugar 3 whole eggs 3 egg yolks 3 cups of whole milk 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract Procedure: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Have an ungreased 9inch round ready.

2. Cook ½ cup of the sugar over medium heat in a medium-sized saucepan, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it is melted and turns first golden and then very dark brown. This usually takes about five or so minutes. Pour the hot caramel syrup into the ungreased round and swirl the pan until it coats the bottom. The caramel will

harden at this point and melt again later as the flan bakes.

3. Then in a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, and the remaining 2/3 cup sugar until smooth.

Gradually whisk in the milk and vanilla. Pour the custard mixture into the prepared round pan. Set the dish in a larger baking pan and fill the larger pan with hot water to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish.

4. Bake in the oven until a knife inserted two-thirds of the way to the center comes out clean.

This takes around 35 to 45 minutes. The center should still be somewhat soft, the flan will finish cooking after it is removed from the oven. Cool in the water bath, then remove baking dish from water bath and refrigerate for 1 to 8 hours.

5. Before serving, run a sharp knife around the edge of the flan to release it. Place a large rimmed serving plate over the baking dish and, using both hands, invert both dishes so that the flan and the liquid sauce unmold onto the platter.

Refrigerate again until serving time.

Sources: www.care2.com/greenliving/ca ramel-flan-recipe.html www.gourmetsleuth.com/Articl es/Food-History-994/flan.aspx

November 2014:May Issue.QXD

11/5/14

10:12 AM

Page 4

Page 4 – NSCC Pennon

The Veterans Corner: the cowboy days

By Gabriel Nunez Veterans Corner In 2006 my life almost came to an abrupt end. 2006-07 was a bloody time in Afghanistan, as the Taliban had orchestrated one of the greatest military comebacks in human history and I was caught in the middle of it.

The Iraq War was in full swing; almost every major Army combat unit had received orders at some point for deployment to Iraq. America was suffering casualties in Iraq on a daily basis but unlike previous wars this was a war watched intently by the entire world. America’s attention span was devoted completely to Iraq as well as the resources being spent on it.

Only a handful of American combat units had been sent to Afghanistan in the years of 2006 and 2007, and one of them had been my unit, the 27th Engineer Battalion (Combat Airborne).

With all the action being in Iraq, my comrades and I believed we had been utterly robbed and were going to miss all the “action”. How Naïve of us, little did we know how completely wrong we had all been.

The Taliban had gone into tactical retreat after operation Anaconda, laying down their weapons and returning to their homes and fields. By the time my unit had arrived they had begun an offensive that would change the course of the war and the course of our lives.

We were outnumbered, undersupplied and under funded, our government had asked us, kids, to defeat a determined enemy without the resources needed to do so. When your government leaves you on a rock surrounded by the enemy and asks you to do things that are utterly impossible, you do two things: you die, or you die trying. We chose the latter.

These were the cowboy days of the Afghan war.

“Hey dad!” I was excited. “Hey son, how are you?” My father’s familiar voice calmed me. “I’m good, dad”… I wasn’t actually good, though; it was the third night in a row we had sustained another casualty on my base from Taliban mortar fire and it was only one month into the deployment. The Taliban, who subscribe to a conservative brand of Sunni Wahibism, had completely surrounded us tactically in the nearby towns, which had enabled them to easily drop effective indirect mortar fire onto our base.

We had grown increasingly frustrated with our leadership for what we perceived as a cowardice approach to fighting the enemy, or not fighting the enemy for that matter. “Hey dad, I need to go, I have to report to formation.” I had lied, not wanting my dad to hear the sirens and loud booms from the

Three hours after Penjawai Hill was taken

enemy rockets. I finished saying goodbye quickly and hung up the phone. “ Let’s go man, you know the drill, man.” Sergeant Durante was the ideal leader: young, physically fit and decorated. He hailed from Trinidad and had the accent to go with it.

“Get in the bunkers, man.”

Sergeant Durante always said man after every sentence.

The Rockets started falling consistently for almost an hour, most hit outside of the base but some were hitting directly into the base causing structural damage. “Why are we just sitting here like *expletive* cowards!” One of the soldiers screamed as a round came down. “Shut up man, keep it quiet and send me your sit reps, man!” Durante screamed. “2-7 this is Rough Terrain 7,” came over Durante’s Personal radio.

Rough Terrain was the name of our company and 7 was the call sign for our First Sergeant, the highest enlisted member of our company. “RT 7 this is 2-7, over.” Durante responded. “Mountain 6 was hit by indirect mortar fire. He’s losing blood quickly, prep your men to evacuate him to the helo pad.”

Rough Terrain 7 had a direct way about him. Mountain 6 was the colonel in charge of our entire base and therefore the strategy in which we fought the war. In combat units mostly everybody carries a personal radio in order to communicate on the battle field, as soon as the call came out that Mountain 6 had been hit the entire base was aware that our most senior officer on base and our most unpopular had just sustained life threating shrapnel.

An unexpected and boisterous roar echoed throughout the bunker “HO-AH!” The cheer surprised even me, “tough crowd…” I thought to myself.

Anybody outside of the military would perceive that as cruel or tasteless. However, just like professional sports, when a leader is perceived to be a fail-

ure or not doing his job it can be a cutthroat culture. The stakes are so high that poor leadership is simply not tolerated and those who demonstrate poor leadership receive little sympathy from subordinates when bad luck befalls them.

Mountain 6 was evacuated out later that night with shrapnel to his foot, expected to make a full recovery. At the time it was hard to foresee, but this would set into motion a chain of events that would take us far from our current situation and into the heartland of a determined enemy hell bent on killing every single one of us.

The next morning a new commander took charge and instead of the conservative safe approach of his predecessor, he was a believer in the radical concepts made popular by General Stanley McChrystal later in the Afghan war. The concept was to leave our bases and strike out among the population and take land from the Taliban at all cost and secure it.

It is simply known in the military as COIN, short for counter insurgency operations.

But because of our short manpower and resources we couldn’t implement the brand of Coin we all know today. Instead it would have to be “COIN light.”

“COIN light” would be heavy on kinetic operations (combat operations) light on winning hearts and minds.

More of an emphasis would be placed on assaulting Taliban strongholds and holding them for as long as possible without being overrun.

Therefore in doing so we could eventually provide security for the local population, enabling us to build schools, hospital and other infrastructure. In straightforward terms, we were about to get our wish and take the fight to the enemy.

The orders came down almost three days after Mountain 6 left our base; the higher ups had become concerned about my unit’s over-

concentration in one area. My unit consisted of three platoons (20-30 men outfits) 1st, 2nd, and 3rd including a HQ element, all of it on our tiny base in eastern Afghanistan. Our job was to find and clear IED’S from commonly used routes on foot and road.

It is a highly technical job only capable of being carried out by my company at the time, which made us highly sought after commodities. My platoon was ordered to travel south by itself and link up with 3rd Special Forces group, a company of Tenth Mountain and a giant contingent of Canadian Soldiers in order to help with a major operation taking place in Kandahar.

At the time the word Kandahar was a bad word, the spiritual home of the Taliban that no one was allowed to enter, per orders of the commanding general in Afghanistan, until now. It became all to clear that we could no longer sit back and return fire when fired on, we had to strike out and fight, or this war would be lost rapidly.

Our numbers were so abysmal a take and hold operation in Kandahar city itself would be impossible. The only strategy the leadership felt feasible at the time was the small communities outside of Kandahar that had become hotbeds for insurgent activity.

Namely, they were thinking of a small farming community called Panjwayi. *three weeks later*

“EAGLE 6 THIS IS 331!” The special forces commander yelled at the top of his lungs, trying to be heard over the radio while AK rounds and RPG’s landed all around us. His team was accompanied by a small group of engineers from the 27th, who recently attacked and overran the Taliban held hill.

The hill was essential to holding Panjewayi and now

the Taliban wanted their hill back. The Taliban counter attack completely pinned down the Americans and now their lives hanged in the balance of the F-18 fighter jet flying overhead. “331, this is Eagle 6, over.” The pilot said all too calmly. “EAGLE 6, I NEED YOU TO DROP YOUR ENTIRE ORDINANCE EXACTLY 100M NORTH FROM MY POSITION! THE TARGET WILL BE MARKED WITH GREEN SMOKE, OVER!” The young Captain strained his throat from screaming so intensely. “Negative 331, be advised your target area is danger close, we need a 0-4 or higher to authorize that proximity over”.

The pilot relayed. “WE ARE ABOUT TO BE OVERRUN, EAGLE 6! DROP IT, DROP IT NOW, WE’RE DYING!” The captain said desperately. Those seconds waiting for a response felt like a lifetime, AK rounds were snapping all over and streaks of white smoke left behind by passing RPG’S filled the air.

It was at this moment I realized I was going to die on this hill. If I was going to die, I might as well go out in style. I grabbed my rifle and began shooting in the direction of the Taliban. My fellow Soldiers did the same. The Taliban fire was accurate and in the thick poppy fields I could see figures moving.

The Taliban I thought, they’re right there, this is it, it’s all over. We’re about to be overrun. “331, this is Eagle 6, fine, it’s your funeral. Shot out, god be with you, Eagle 6 returning to base to refuel, ETA back on station 45 minutes”. As soon as the pilot uttered those words the world stopped.

The Taliban stopped firing and so did we; it was as if time itself had ceased to exist.

And then that noise, the noise that still haunts me at night when I sleep.

Have you ever heard a large semi-truck hit its air break? It sounds a lot like that, but multiply it’s intensity by about a million.

BRRRRRRRRRRRPPPP!!

“GET DOWN” I think the words came out; I am still not sure to this day. Then darkness and the ringing, the endless ringing…

To be continued...

Tuesday, November 11th is Veterans Day. Think about it.

November 2014:May Issue.QXD

11/5/14

10:12 AM

Page 5

Veterans profile: Matthew Woods Growing up in a poor but loving family in Tennessee, all Matthew Wood knew was he that he couldn’t wait to leave and go out into the world to make something of himself. So, after high school, he enlisted in the Navy and volunteered for submarine service. He graduated at the top of his class and had many home port destinations from which to choose. He excitedly selected Pearl Harbor, only to learn that ship was dry docked in Kittery, ME. While disappointing, as fate would have it, Matthew met his wife there and completed two deployments.

However, he soon realized he didn’t want to spend the rest of his life on a submarine, or try to raise a family while being out to sea for long periods of time. As such, he left the Navy behind and moved to Boston with his wife to start a family.

Working as a Manager at the Lynn U-Haul and raising a young family brought back memories of how much his parents had to struggle and work long hours to get by. “I didn’t want my children to have the same experience, so I quit my job and began school here at NSCC as a Mechanical Engineering student to provide a better future for my family.

Financially it’s been tough, but it’s a burden that has been alleviated through grants and generous scholarships from people like Joe Riley from Eastern Bank, who funded the Marie C. Riley Memorial Scholarship that I received. I also received the North Shore Tech Council's scholarship this year, which supports students in science, technology, engineering and math fields.”

“I know I have made the right choice but, it hasn’t

been easy. After giving up my job, my family’s finances have been very tight and that is why we are so grateful for the scholarships, which have allowed me to focus on school and reduced my need for loans. We’ve had to make some tough decisions so I could attend college. But, we both know these sacrifices are only short term and that they will pay off in the long run for me and our family.”

Matthew says he wasn’t sure what to expect when enrolling in NSCC but is pleased to have discovered a college full of hard working students, faculty, and staff who are willing to help every step of the way. He has particularly high praise for Veterans Services Coordinator Kristine Babcock.

Upon graduation from NSCC, Matthew plans to transfer and continue his education to obtain a bachelor’s degree.

Veterans profile: George Abinader College was not in his plans when George Abinader joined the Marines Corp in 2008. However, a car accident finished the helicopter mechanic’s military career, leaving George with a traumatic brain injury and tracheostomy tube.

After a painstaking two-year recovery process which transitioned from a coma, to not being able to get out of bed, to only being able to use special chairs to get around to now walking with a cane, George decided to take advantage of the G.I. Bill and come to college. He wasn’t sure what career to pursue but found that his classes renewed his interest

in computers. He plans to transfer to Northeastern University next fall to study computer science.

“I always highly recommend NSCC. The school treats Veterans very well. The faculty are always understanding and disability services very helpful.”

George has maintained a 4.0 for three semesters and is pleased with his progress. “It’s a hard road to recovery, but it’s the only option.”

Veterans profile: Lynda Bik Struggling as a single mother at 21, Lynda Bik made the decision to enlist in the Army to make a better future for herself and her daughter. She served as a reservist in the 94th Military Police in Londonderry, NH until a medical issue forced her discharge in 2011.

In 2010, she attempted to pursue a college education, but found that she wasn’t ready.

In the fall of 2013, she came to North Shore Community College, again realizing she wanted more out of life and was ready to set and meet some new goals.

“I don’t know where I would be today if not for North Shore and all the help I have received here as a veteran,” Lynda said. “I can’t believe how far I have come in the last

year. I want to help get the word out about what educational resources are available here for veterans on the North Shore.”

Bik, a Peabody resident, is studying human services and would eventually like to gain employment in the field of social work. “Part of why I chose the profession I did is I want to give back for all that has been given to me here.

Kristine Babcock in the Veterans Center really, really helped me to get on my feet, understand my situation, and opened doors to resources so I could find the help I needed,” noting she had been homeless for five months before coming to NSCC. “It has been challenging, but I also feel as if I have found my family here,”

explains Bik, who is currently serving as the Vice President of the NSCC Veterans Club. She expects to complete her degree in the fall of 2015, but says she will not be in a rush to move on.

“It will be very, very hard to leave NSCC. It feels great to be doing so well and to be part of something again.”

The Veterans Club will finalize plans for a Veterans Day activity early next week.

“For those folks out there who may not know what they want to do, I encourage them to take the leap and jump in at NSCC. Coming here is a great start. Take the chance and don’t give up.”

Page 5 – NSCC Pennon

November 2014:May Issue.QXD

11/5/14

10:12 AM

Page 6

Page 6 – NSCC Pennon

Important information about your financial aid

By Susan Sullivan Director of Financial Aid Student Financial Services

d d

The financial aid process can be complicated so here is some important information that you may find helpful.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) To be eligible for financial aid, you must meet NSCC’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standard. This standard is different from NSCC’s overall academic standard for eligibility to re-enroll in classes. In order to maintain financial aid eligibility, you must meet the following criteria: 1. You must pass 67% of your attempted credits. You must successfully complete (A, B, C, D, or P) a minimum of 67% (or 2/3rds) of the total number of credits attempted. Attempted credits include all credits in which you are registered at the end of the add/drop period.

Grades of F, FN (F waiver) W, or IP are not considered as successfully completed or earned credits.

Students who repeat a course for any reason should be aware that each time you enroll in a course it counts as an attempt, but only one attempt is considered earned. Repeated courses will have an impact on your ability to complete your program within the required maximum time frame.

2. You must maintain a minimum cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 3. You must complete your degree or certificate within 150% of the published program length. For example, if the length of your credit program is 60 credits, the maximum time frame is 90 credits (60 credits X 150%).

This means that you can receive financial aid for up to 90 credit hours only (including developmental and transfer credits). If you exceed the maximum number of credits, you are no longer eligible to receive financial aid.

All attempted credits, including incomplete grades or IP grades and repeats, are counted toward the 150% maximum time frame. Also, credits earned at other colleges and accepted towards your current program of study are counted.

Students who change their education program or graduate and reapply to a new program must still adhere to the maximum credit policy. In other words, all of your previous attempted credits will count towards the 150% time frame.

SAP Appeals A student may appeal a SAP Denial or maximum credit limit. Students are allowed a one-time SAP appeal while

attending North Shore Community College. Appeals must be submitted by the deadlines listed on the Financial Aid Appeal Form. Appeals cannot be processed after the first day of classes.

Check out www.northshore.edu/financialservices/help/sap for more information Withdrawing While there are many reasons to withdraw from a class, you should be aware of the financial implications. If you drop below half-time (less than 6 credits), you may not be eligible for Federal Loans. Depending on when you withdraw, your aid will be adjusted according to the federal regulations which may result in balance that you will have to pay NSCC. If you stop attending all of your classes without officially withdrawing through Pipeline, you are considered to be “walking away.” We are required to calculate your aid based on the last day you attended.

Keep in mind that withdrawals or “walk-aways” will impact your future financial aid eligibility and Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Pell Grant Maximum Eligibility Students are limited to Pell Grants for up to 6 years of fulltime study (12 semesters or 600%). For example, if you are enrolled part-time, you would have used 50% of your eligibility. This is important to keep in mind if you are planning to further your education with a bachelor’s degree.

You want to make sure you are taking the classes you need for your program and that you do not have too many withdrawals or courses with a low grades. Students who have already used 600% of their Pell Grant eligibility are no longer eligible to receive Pell Grants.

You can check you eligibility through the National Student Loan Data System at www.nslds.ed.gov.

Maximum Subsidized Loan Eligibility There is a limit on the maximum period of time (measured in academic years) that you can receive Subsidized Loans. You may not receive Subsidized Loans for more than 150% of the published length of your program. For example, if you

are enrolled in a 2-year associate degree, the maximum period that your can receive a Subsidized Loan is 3 years (150% of 2 years = 3 years).

Repeat Courses When repeating or retaking a course, students may receive financial aid for a course which they previously fail until they pass. That means, if you received a grade of F or with-

drew from the course, you may repeat it and receive financial aid.

Students may also receive financial aid for up to one more attempt when repeating/retaking courses which they have previously passed with an A, B, C or D, regardless of the grades.

For example, if you took a course and received a C, you can take it one more time and receive financial aid. If you received an F, then repeated the course and received a D, then you could take it one more time and financial aid will pay.

As always, please contact the Student Financial Services office in Danvers or Lynn with any questions or concerns. You can also email us at sfs@northshore.edu or find more information at www.northshore.edu/financialservices/.

November 2014:May Issue.QXD

11/5/14

10:12 AM

Page 7

The Sports Hayes: Don’t take Tom Brady for granted

By Kevin Hayes, Community Contributor

Tom Brady removed his helmet and staggered off the field. Hussain Abdullah, the Kansas City Chiefs defensive back, had intercepted Brady’s pass and returned it all the way for a touchdown. It was 41-7 Chiefs; the Patriots had figuratively and literally dropped the ball on Monday Night Football in front of a worldwide audience. Backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo came on in relief of Brady and engineered a Patriots touchdown to bring the final score 41-14. At this point, critics and fans alike thought the 37 year old Brady was all done.

He had a great career but with a 2-2 in 2014, the Patriots needed to go in a new direction right? “Give da kid a chance, get rid of dat Brady guy!” screamed patrons from Charleston and Dorchester.

Radio personality Michael Felger and the Boston Herald’s Ron Borges, the former a noted Patriots antagonist and the latter a known Bill Bellichick antagonist were in their glory.

It was time to get rid of Bill, Brady or both. Fans were talking about trading Brady for draft picks or benching him in favor of the rookie Garoppolo. It’s a shame none of them are even grateful for what Brady has done the past 14 years.

When the New England Patriots selected Tom Brady in the 6th round of the 2000 NFL Draft, no one could have possibly predicted they had just drafted arguably the greatest quarterback of all time. No one, especially when he was last on the depth chart behind Drew Bledsoe and underdog Michael Bishop. He only completed one pass in 2000 and at best was a 3rd string quarterback. Going into the 2001 season, the Patriots had Drew Bledsoe as the starter with veteran Damon Huard brought in to be the backup; Tom Brady wasn’t even in the conversation (Michael Bishop went on to have a great career in the Canadian Football League).

Then Brady began to impress in training camp and pre-season, making key throws, good decisions and showing a veteran presence few thought he’d show this early in his career. By the time the season had gotten underway, Brady had leapfrogged Huard on the depth chart.

After a loss to Cincinatti, the Patriots were trailing the New York Jets in week 2. Drew

Bledsoe ran for a routine scramble toward the sidelines but was crunched by Jets linebacker Mo Lewis. Bledsoe suffered a sheared blood vessel in his throat and Brady was thrust into action. He completed some first downs but a TD toss into the end zone fell incomplete and the Patriots were 0-2. The season looked to be a disaster as few teams come back from 0-2, especially with a backup quarterback.

Then, Brady began to win…and win…and win. It would be completely unfair to credit Brady alone, as back then the Patriots had a crunching defense that carried them more often than the offense.

The prevailing fact that before and after a week 5 disaster against Miami and a week 7 loss to Denver, Brady rarely made mistakes. It was Bledsoe’s M.O. to throw an ill-timed interception after a long drive or to get sacked rather than get rid of the ball.

Brady stood calm and cool in the pocket as the Patriots began climbing toward the top of the AFC. A backup quarterback was not supposed to go 11-3 as a starter but Brady did. The numbers were average but the leadership and the lack of mistakes told the story as the Patriots won their first AFC title in 5 years.

To be fair, the Patriots victory over the Oakland Raiders in the Snow Bowl was more of a team effort and Brady was hurt in the AFC Championship game over the Pittsburgh Steelers, but Superbowl 36 belonged to Brady. With the game tied at

17 with just over 90 seconds remaining against the St. Louis Rams, broadcaster John Madden (yes, of Madden video game football fame) suggested Tom Brady take a knee and take his chances in overtime. Brady did just the opposite, marching down the field with completions to JR Redmond, Troy Brown and Jermaine Wiggins to set up kicker Adam Vinatieri’s 48 yard game winning field goal.

The Patriots had won the Superbowl and Tom Brady was named Superbowl MVP. That was only the beginning. In 2002 the Patriots went 9-7 amidst a Superbowl hangover and a few losses of personnel, most notably on the defensive side.

Still, Brady had a spectacular year if not for the fact he was not playing with true all-star talent. His players in 2002 such as Troy Brown, Deion Branch, David Patten, Antowain Smith, Kevin Faulk and Christian Fauria were good but not eye-opening good.

Even though the Patriots went 9-7 including a breathtaking last second OT victory over the Miami Dolphins in the season finale, they were out of the playoffs due to a tiebreaker. Both the New York Jets and the Dolphins finished 9-7 but since the Jets went 5-1 in the division (Patriots 4-2), they went to the playoffs and New England stayed home. It was the only year (as of 2014) that Tom Brady would miss the p o s t - s e a s o n .

After improving their defense for 2003, the Patriots

dominated.

They won Superbowl 38 and Superbowl 39 the following year in back to back 17-2 seasons. After Superbowl 39, Tom Brady was a three-time champion and two-time Superbowl MVP. His record as a starter was 57-14 including the playoffs. Not one quarterback in the NFL had won 57 of 71 games during the same 4-year span Brady played. The following two years saw Brady again at the top of his game, guiding the Patriots to a 10-6 record in 2005, a playoff win and a 12-4 record in 2006.

Brady had a problem, though, in those two years, namely a lack of talent. His stalwarts from his Superbowl years were getting old or leaving the team and their replacements weren’t as good.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning was putting up hall of fame numbers for the Colts but he was surrounded by all-star receivers and runners.

Brady couldn’t match Manning’s numbers because they played different styles.

The Colts always tried to beat teams through the air while the Patriots won by any means necessary. That’s mainly why when the Patriots shut down the Colts air-attack they went on to win three Superbowls and the Colts zero between 2001-05.

In 2006 Brady had an amazing season considering he had no all-stars to throw to following Superbowl 39 MVP Deion Branch’s departure to Seattle. In 2007 the Patriots addressed the situation by giving Brady two all-stars in

Page 7 – NSCC Pennon

Randy Moss and Wes Welker, plus a decent receiver in Donte Stallworth. The final result: a 16-0 regular season and Tom Brady’s first NFL MVP. He also set a record for TD passes with 50 that season and reached the Superbowl again. Finally he would be able to match Manning’s num bers.

Unfortunately, fate intervened as a knee injury wiped out Brady’s 2008 season and internal turmoil and injuries to key personnel limited the Patriots to a 10-6 record in 2009. Brady reloaded in 2010 with rookie tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.

Combined with Welker and a series of trades that swapped out Randy Moss and brought back Deion Branch, the Patriots went 14-2 with several blow-out wins down the stretch, and Brady earned his second MVP trophy that year.

The offense would help the Patriots go 13-3 in 2011, reaching the Superbowl for a 5th time. Back to back 12-4 seasons followed and AFC championship game appearances in 2012 and 2013.

As of week 7 in 2014, Brady’s all-time record stands at 162-53 including playoffs.

The New England Patriots (not counting 2008) have won 162 of 215 games that Tom Brady has been in (also not including week 1 in 2008 where he was injured). Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, and Andrew Luck can only dream of that kind of dominance.

Manning’s Colts and Broncos have played in 3 superbowls and have lost 2 of them. The bottom line is the Patriots have had a Hall of Fame quarterback that gives them a chance to win every single week. Every single week for 14 years (minus 2008) the Patriots have had a chance to win despite lack of talent on both offense and defense at times.

Tom Brady will go down as one of the all-time greats. He may be struggling now but his legacy is safe.

Besides, everyone thought the Patriots were doomed in 2006 and 2009, showing that all it takes is a few key moves and Brady wins MVP again.

November 2014:May Issue.QXD

11/5/14

10:12 AM

Page 8

Page 8 – NSCC Pennon

Page 8 – NSCC Pennon

SHORT STORIES AND POETRY

They also faced the sea

By Rozi Theohari Contributing Writer There is a small historical city in the United States: Provincetown, MA—on the hook of Cape Cod. The first broad breath of Massachusetts

Where the Pilgrims’ Mayflower touched land—November 21, 1620 Visited through the centuries by

Vikings, Pilgrims, Pirates, Painters and Poets…

Who built the nation’s oldest art colony.

You, a visitor who passes there, after adoring

Whale watching, merriment, alluring horizons, beaches and dunes, Turn your head to the Harbor—that of Fisherman’s Wharf

Where five large black-and-white photographs—each a dramatic portrait Are mounted on the walls of an old grey building.

Five Provincetown women of Portuguese descent— Waiting and watching… far away…the sea…

Their teary eyes, white hair, and deep wrinkles—

Each a portrait of Cape Cod fishermen’s mothers and wives Who kept the community alive:

In death, in birth, in grief, in mirth—the Pilgrims’ continuation, In the everyday struggle to feed the family’s togetherness,

Knitting, hooking and braiding rugs, needle working, spinning, Working as nurses, teachers, and telephone operators— Let us bow down with respect and gratitude

To all of those who were, and still are, America’s mothers: The iron backbone of a country’s civilization— Pouring into the soul of this great nation

Resistance, attitude, art, majesty, and continuity…

Yesterday, they faced the sea— today the world,

Their lives—a map of humanity.

2009

Working with an angel, part 2

By Timothy Higgens Contributing Writer

The narrator slowly started to fall under this Helga the angel’s spell. She was a tall, buxom blonde with dark highlights, an athletic build with an angelic voice that made everyone’s heart soar and boosted worker morale. She was named Helga Dupin. She looked young for her age, but mature enough to be a cougar. She walked like a supermodel and was as sensitive as she was beautiful, funny as well as charming. One day the narrator decided to leave to go back to school, but before he left for the last time, she gave him a quick goodbye kiss on the lips and that was his first kiss. To him this seemingly small act was a spiritual experience for him; it was an enlightenment, a little notable milestone, if you will. He always like to describe it as a merciful angel who blessed him on his journey to find peace and happiness before reaching the next world beyond this. This signified he was on the right track. He considered himself the luckiest man in the world to even have known her and appreciated her kindness, love and generosity she has shared with him during his time there. No other women was as ever that kind and merciful as she was in his life.

In the year and a half since last working there, he has never met another person like her or memorable, vibrant workplace characters such as Patt, Wheeler, and Stan. He suffered a couple more rejections and broken hearts, each one filling him with another wave of despair that one never fully gets used to. Fortunately, it was all made more bearable when he remembered he had this little extended family here at the kitchen he could go back to if all else failed. When he decided to pay the old crew at the kitchen a visit, the first time he was received with overwhelming praise and joy. In between he really wanted to try to stay in contact with her and though she misunderstood his intentions as well as hers, the worst part is that this story doesn’t have a happy ending or much of one at all currently. He felt worse off, a fool and wish he just left her and the crew behind originally on a good but ambiguous note, relishing the kiss, but then he would have never patched things up with his old distantly related employer, so he ended up with one peace of mind for another spiritual wound.

If there is any final words he wish “Helga Dupin” and the rest of the staff could hear or see if they happens to come across this message from wherever they are it’s this. I will always appreciate your kindness, love and appreciation you showed me, making me feel special when others made me feel like a ghost and belittled. Please don’t regret giving me my first kiss, I just wish you could have had the chance to really understand me and get to know me for the caring person I always strive to be and wanted to offer to you to be as a close friend. There will always be a little soft spot in my heart because of this. I wish it things end the way they did and feel responsible. I’m sorry for my end of the possible hurt feelings I may have caused. I really never meant you any harm, I really wish I could have taken you as well as others here with me in some way on my onward journey through life ahead, always keeping you guys in my life in some form like the rest of the “family” I am slowly trying to build. I really have a hard time and struggle with saying goodbye or letting go of people in my life. Life is a two or more way street, I have to respect your and others’ decisions not to want to continue being part of my life and in a way you were real from the beginning. I will miss you, the rest of the kitchen “family" like Uncle Patt for his many engaging stories from his life. “Aunt Mary Mcgonagall”, The owner’s son Lyle who was a real wiseguy as he was handsome, Jackie who was the straight shooter who patiently tolerated all of our wacky shanigans and personalities as well as as serving the much needed balanced foundation for the daily business and of course “Uncle Len the Magic Hen” for giving me the opportunity to work here in the first place which allowed me to meet you all in the first place. Working with you guys will always be a fond memory in my mind. This was one of the couple jobs I worked where I got to let loose my natural pent up exuberant performing energy and show off my natural talent for improvsational comedy as well as become confident in my ability to harness it. I have to continue togrow up, respect myself and take care of my own life as well.

I can’t expect others to make me happy and magically cure my own problems and struggles, I have to learn to live with my own struggles and voids like everyone else. Please don’t think ill of me, it would do my conscious a big favor. I ultimately live my life in a way to inspire others, including you guys to follow their passions and dreams. Please remember me and use me as a positive example for you and your children. Without these things life wouldn’t be as worth living and I can’t forget you guys and the memories we had together, All of which also doubles as an ongoing source of inspirational material for me to work with in my future writings.

November 2014:May Issue.QXD

11/5/14

10:12 AM

Page 9

Oh yes it is! — an introduction to panto

By Matthew Woods Performing Arts Coordinator A young woman slaps her thigh and proudly announces that she is Prince Charming, earning cheers and applause from the audience. A sinister figure creeps behind our hero from stage left and the crowd suddenly erupts into shouts of “it’s behind you!”

A good fairy appears in the nick of time and with one wave of her wand provides our hero with the means to vanquish the villain!

Welcome to the whacky world of the British Pantomime, a time-honored holiday tradition throughout the United Kingdom, yet seldom seen here in the United States.

Until now, that is, when the Performing Arts Council presents Sleeping Beauty ~ A Victorian Pantomime.

Featuring an ensemble of current students, alumni, past PAC members, faculty and staff, this special Panto (short for pantomime) version of the well-loved fairy tale is being staged in honor of North Shore Community College’s 50th Anniversary – a once-in-alifetime event that is not to be missed!

But What Exactly is a “Panto” Anyway?

Forget what you think you know about pantomime: Marcel Marceau’s white face? An evening of charades?

Story filler for the ballet? You will find none of the above in the traditional “Panto.” Instead, you will discover a topsy-turvy world where the Principal Boy is played by a girl, the Grand Dame is really a man, the animals can dance, bad puns and witty word-play are the order of the day, and, at the center of the spectacle, the most important element of all, the battle of good versus evil is played out against a classic fairy tale backdrop.

Today, in British theatre, pantomime is usually performed as Christmas or New Year’s entertainment; although, its origins can be traced back to the Italian commedia dell’arte of the 16th and 17th century.

Indeed, British “Panto” shares a pedigree with other well-known theatrical forms such as the Punch and Judy show, vaudeville, and the music hall.

Contemporary Panto still retains commedia-styled elements and stock character types, but many of its traditions grew out of the Harlequin spectacles of the 18th century and the burlesque of the 19th – a period that is widely considered pantomime’s heyday.

Such elements as a woman playing the part of Principal Boy and a man playing the Dame were established during this period. It was also at this time that plots began to be culled from well-known folk tales and popular adventure stories of the day. Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty still sit alongside the likes of Aladdin as possible subjects for today’s Pantos.

As pantomimes began to rely more heavily on wellknown stories, the central role of Harlequin diminished, and finally disappeared. New elements were added to the mix of slapstick and double entendre; in particular, popular songs, topical humor and social satire found their way into the scripts as did audience participation and guest appearances by popular entertainers of the day. In America, Panto gave way to Vaudeville and the Variety Show, and as Vaudeville grew in popularity it in turn began to influence contemporary Panto.

Enter Stage Left Despite its ongoing evolution, the world of Pantomime (and the Theatre itself) is filled with long-standing traditions and superstitions. In a Panto the Good Fairy always enters from stage right, while the Demon King or Bad Fairy enters from stage left. This tradition stems from Medieval Mystery plays – where the entrance to hell was located on the “sinister” or left side of the stage. Furthermore, these supernatural figures must only speak in verse, which helps to emphasize their magical sta-

Emily Febiger and Derek Smith appear in Treasure Island, a Piratical Panto, 2009.

tus.

Another Panto tradition demands that the last lines of the play be offered in rhyming couplets – but these must never be spoken in rehearsal! The first time the final lines should be spoken is on opening night. Some traditions have the last lines re-written for each performance so that the only person who knows the final lines of the play is the actor who speaks them!

In our production, that role will fall to Cameron Hinkle, who plays the Trusty Narrator. A current member of the Performing Arts Council, Hinkle has been featured in several productions, however this is his first Panto. “Any play that I've done at NSCC has been a fun learning experience,” Hinkle states, “Matthew always has found ways to challenge me in every play we've done.

Having never done a panto before, I had no idea what to expect.”

A Panto script is constantly evolving – new ideas and changes are made to enhance the script at each rehearsal.

Because this production is also celebrating the college’s 50th Anniversary, references that are particular to the college’s history are being added; and, to accommodate a large turn out for auditions, additional parts have been added, including Old Father Time, a Cab Driver, a Herald and Hinkle’s Trusty Narrator! “Not having a definite script and constantly working with the new changes thrown at us makes rehearsal never boring,” explains Hinkle.

“Matthew approached me with an idea of creating a character for the play from the ground up.

Having to create the Narrator for this production has been exciting and challenging at the same time. Going to rehearsal and working with Matthew and other cast mates on building this character has been so much fun and I look forward to the rest of this production of Sleeping Beauty.”

What’s in a Dame?

Pantomimes are filled with stock characters, all of whom help contribute to the topsyturvy world of the play. In addition to a Fairy Queen and a Demon King, audiences will encounter a romantic pair including a maiden fair and the “principal boy,” who is played by a young woman in fish-net tights and a close-fitting jerkin!

But the hero is not the only gender-bending figure in the kingdom… and no pantomime would be complete without the Dame! Whether she’s a royal figure or a poordown-trodden widow, in Panto Land she reigns supreme – and she is always played by a man.

With her bawdy, highspirited and compassionate nature, the Dame is essential in helping to disentangle many a

Panto plot, insuring that good triumphs over evil and that true love conquers all in the end.

For our version of Sleeping Beauty alumnus Derek Smith dons a dress for the first time since playing the Widow Harker in NSCC’s first-ever Panto, Treasure Island, four years ago! “I just remember how much fun I had and how much I learned when performing on stage,” Smith says. “The Dame seems like an easy character to jump into – but it’s the complete opposite. Comedy is very difficult. I love the challenge! It’s definitely different than it was last time because the script is completely different from the last Panto I was in.

The stakes are higher than ever because this Dame is also a fairy! I am very pleased to be back and hope to appear in future shows at NSCC. We have a great cast and of course a marvelous director!”

BOO! HISS! You cannot have a pantomime without plenty of audience participation; it is the vital heart of a good panto, and typically most of the actors will have moments of direct audience address.

Some will even have established routines meant to encourage audience participation.

Indeed, some of these routines are hundreds of years old! A ghost appears behind our heroine and the audience must warn her by shouting “it’s right behind you!” A disagreeable character insists “oh, yes it is!” while the audience takes sides with the good guys and argues back “oh, no it isn’t!” The most vigorous audience response, however, is usually reserved for the baddy of the Panto who receives an unending chorus of boos and hisses whenever he or she makes a threat.

The villain of our version of Sleeping Beauty is the wicked fairy Belladonna, a.k.a.

Deadly Nightshade, played by alumnus and Board of Trustee member, Lesley Peters.

Growing up in England, Pantos were a steady part of Peters’ childhood, and she explains that audience participation is a must: “Every Christmas as a small girl we would go to the Panto and scream as loud as we could to

warn the characters of the presence of the baddies as they appeared on stage. At times you thought the noise level would raise the roof.” When asked how she feels about playing the baddy Peters explained, “Performing in this play is actually a little nerve wracking for me and I am definitely stepping out of my comfort zone. But as co-chair of the college’s 50th anniversary committee and having been to the majority of PAC productions I thought this was the perfect time to get involved and show my support. I am actually relishing the role of the baddie because it is the complete opposite to who I am, at least I think so. The louder the hisses and boos, the more evil I become. It is so easy to get lost in the character and it really is a lot of fun.”

Happily Ever After Ultimately, a Panto is a magical experience for everyone involved. Remember what it felt like to be a child who could believe in possibilities and make-believe? A Panto captures that sense of wonder, and it lights a festive and communal spirit in all of its participants; still, it’s more than a mere nostalgic entertainment. Panto has always been a theatrical form that brings us face to face with our greed, our prejudices, our cowardice and our dishonesty, but it does so in a way that forces us to laugh at ourselves; and one tradition has always remained: in the end, virtue is rewarded, true love conquers evil and everyone lives happily ever after.

We hope you will find time in your busy lives to join us for this very special presentation.

Sleeping Beauty ~ A Victorian Pantomime, December 5th and 6th at 7 PM; December 6th and 7th at 3 PM. All performances will take place at Lynn Arts, Inc, 25 Exchange Street, Lynn, around the corner for the Lynn Campus. Tickets are $7 general admission, or $5 for seniors and students with ID. Children 10 and under are free!

November 2014:May Issue.QXD

11/5/14

10:12 AM

Page 10

Page 10 – NSCC Pennon

The Faith Corner: Native American religious practices

By Yusef Hayes Contributing Writer

In The Faith Corner, Professor of Cultural Arts Yusef Hayes is open to answering questions about religion and spirituality.

If you have any questions you would like to ask Professor Hayes, email them to pennon@northshore.edu.

I was asked to write something about Native American spirituality for the November issue and I have been struggling with the assignment ever since. Let me explain my challenges.

In the first place, there is no one, singular, “Native American” spirituality per se, as the Americas stretch from the tip of Chile to the islands of Greenland, and indigenous people live and have lived in all of these places for tens of thousands of years.

Native Americans are Unangan (Aleut) in Alaska,

Taino of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, Kechki (Maya) of Guatemala, Guarani of Brazil, the Wampanoag of Massachusetts and thousands of other tribes.

Each tribe has its own rituals, traditions, beliefs, practices, and methods of honoring the cycles of life and death that are a part of human existence. I wrote last month ‘Islam is diverse’ and to say the spiritual traditions of Native Americans are diverse would be true exponentially. It would be at best oversimplifying, and at worst racist, for me to lump the diverse traditions of all of these people together into something called Native American spirituality.

Secondly, I worry that by describing what could be some common trends in the beliefs and practices of First Nations people, that I might encourage further stereotyping.

The Native American stereotypes (like most racist notions) are often so ridiculous that I find myself laughing through my tears. An educated person once said to me during a discussion on nonverbal communication “You know, like the Native Americans, they communicated without language.” She was implying, I assume, a system of grunts? I once heard a child in a

Native American museum ask his mother if Indians were still around.

As Guatemalan Indigenous rights activist Rigoberta Menchu said, “We are not myths of the past, ruins in the jungle, or zoos. We are people and we want to be respected”.

There is also a great deal of “positive” stereotyping, where people speak of Native Americans as a group as hyperspiritual, naturally connected with nature, or noble warriors.

Pocahontas might be a fun movie, but it is probably not the best way to learn about a culture or a spiritual tradition.

As Spokane and Coeurd'alene author Sherman Alexie said, “I know hundreds of Indians and I’ve met thousands more. I’ve never met one Indian who could talk to animals, and understand anything the animal said.”

With those two challenges unpacked and the question problematized in some way, I think I can provide one possible answer for the readers who want to know more about the spiritual life of Native Americans.

Ask them yourself.

There is a great cultural, economic, spiritual, and ecological revival currently happening in Native American communities

and the Internet Age makes it easy for you to read about it, and even connect with the individuals and groups organizing it. Try the Massachusetts Center for Native American Awareness, the Greater Lowell Indian Cultural Association, the New England Native American Institute, or the Institute for New England Native American Studies at UMASS Boston.

Check out the Idle No More movement, idlenomore.ca, and the transformative work they are doing throughout Canada and the US.

There are plenty of options available for those new to the continents (the last 500 years or so) to find out what Native Americans value and believe, and what their diverse visions for a sustainable future are. As the saying the American Indian Movement popularized proclaims, “We are still here!”

November 2014:May Issue.QXD

11/5/14

10:13 AM

Page 11

PAGE 11 – NSCC PENNON

CommUniverCity at Lynn

By Donna Richemond Contributing Writer North Shore Community College’s new collaborative innovation – the CommUniverCity at Lynn – will formally launch with a Summit on November 10.

The CommUniverCity at Lynn is the brainchild of President Patricia Gentile and is an urban education-workforce development collaboration involving NSCC, Lynn Public Schools, Salem State University (for bachelor degree completion programs at NSCC Lynn campus), the City of Lynn, Lynn Community Health Center (providing access to comprehensive health services to NSCC students), and the North Shore Workforce Investment Board (bringing career services to the NSCC campus) working in tandem to build seamless pathways in public education from pre-K all the way through to gainful employment.

Massachusetts Senator Thomas M. McGee is also a supportive leader of the initiative. Partners will have a presence on the NSCC Lynn Campus under the CommUniverCity at Lynn “one stop” umbrella.

It is named the CommUniverCity at Lynn – spelled with a C-i-t-y — to convey the breadth of community collaboration and education sector support needed to drive systemic change.

Hallmark values underpinning this student success endeavor are access, affordability and accountability

through partnerships, education and career pathways, and systemic change. Work on the initiative has been underway for the past six months, and is being spearheaded by Donna Richemond who is serving as its Executive Director, as well as the Chief Officer of the Lynn Campus.

“This concept goes beyond interagency partnerships to a place of depth and scope that transforms people and systems,” explains President Gentile.

Through the CommUniverCity at Lynn, North Shore Community College and its partners commit to increasing the number of Lynn residents who attend and complete post-secondary training and education goals and enter into sustaining careers in area industry.

This will be accomplished by expanding Early Childhood education training and opportunities, vertically integrating college readiness in the pre-K through 12 public education system through various initiatives including early college and dual enrollment opportunities, establishing clear

academic pathways to relevant current and future careers from high school to North Shore Community College to Salem State University, guided by the expertise of the North Shore WIB and Career One Stop.

The CommUniverCity at Lynn will also aim to link adult basic education and English as a Second Language programs to move worker-learners to acquire a minimum of one year of post-secondary education or career technical training.

To aid students in retaining and completing their education and career goals, surmount economic barriers, and move toward economic mobility, the CommUniverCity at Lynn will partner with community based organizations and social service agencies to connect students to state and federal financial resources and local community services on the NSCC Lynn campus.

To support sound decision making and ensure that students consider and understand affordable education options, a financial literacy opportunity will be made a mandatory component of the pathway.

Through the

CommUniverCity, NSCC has pledged: •To enhance its involvement in the K-12 system to better prepare Lynn students for success in college; •To build pathways for more students through Early College and Dual Enrollment strategies in order to provide lower income high school students who display academic promise with a rigorous and realistic college experience; •To move students effectively to associate degree graduation and transfer on to their bachelor or into the labor market well prepared to continue their success, and •To help adult worker learners achieve the fundamental skills and credentials needed to enter or re-enter the labor market of today and tomorrow in self-sustaining career paths, and to build the capacity to advance in those chosen fields.

“The collaborative, I believe, will create efficiencies that will enhance an affordable education pathway – one that doesn’t burden students with unreasonably high loans that hamper their ability to raise themselves and their families to

November events and activities

a better quality of life,” said President Gentile.

“The CommUniverCity model will also infuse civic education and engagement through service learning, a workforce development program that enhances experiential learning, and a community network that adds value to outside of the classroom engagement.”

North Shore Community College is the only institution of higher education in Lynn, a Gateway city of nearly 100,000 residents. The city’s economic development is hindered by lower-than-average literacy levels and low achievement of post-secondary degrees and credentials.

System-changing workforce development strategies are urgently needed and the CommUniverCity is a researchbased best practice response Will such collaborative innovation work? Yes, according to President Gentile “Building adaptive capacity will challenge us to forge the types of relationships that generate change. But the fun, of course, will be in the details – and we will begin to do that planning work at the November 10 summit. If we keep our eyes on our ultimate purpose – a student successfully achieving his or her educational goal through excellent, affordable higher education credential and degree programs that are tied to real future-oriented careers, then we will succeed together.”

November 2014:May Issue.QXD

11/5/14

10:13 AM

Page 12

Keep your eye on the prize

Page 12 – NSCC Pennon

By Anne-Marie Fortier Contributing Writer

This point in the semester can get tough. You have had some tests and assignments already and you probably have a good idea how you are doing in your classes. If you are doing well, Awesome! If you are not doing as well as you would like, here are some suggestions: • Talk to People! Which people? Your teachers, your classmates, your family, your advisor... even your boss. Let people know what you are afraid of, what you need from them to succeed. Almost everyone has to lean on other folks at one time or another. Now is your time!

• Follow Through! It's not enough to say that you need to keep up with homework, papers, and projects. Do it.

Start developing better habits right now! The Tutoring Center is a GREAT resource.

• Keep Your Eye on the Prize! Remind yourself why you are in college. You have good plans and you have goals.

Working through your plans to reach your goals can be really hard. But remember YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Support is here for you. Everyone at NSCC wants you to succeed.

Seriously!

Need some help with any of the above? Check in with the Student Support Center. This is a great first step.

CAREER SERVICES

NSCC offers top notch career services for all students. The services include: •Career Exploration "What do I want to do when I grow up?"

•Job Search Techniques "How do I find my dream job?"

•Resume Writing "How can I make my resume shine?"

Are you in an academic program but are not sure if it is a good fit? Meet with a career advisor to discuss possible majors that are best for you.

You can use the Career Services website to arrange an appointment with a career advisor. It's super easy to do!

IMPORTANT! Thinking of withdrawing from a class? Hold On! Dropping a class may not be your best decision. Things to keep in mind when considering withdrawal: • You have paid for the class through financial aid or with your personal funds.

Dropping now means you lose money.

• You might be able to make up the work and pass the class.

• You can retake the class in most cases. Get the most from the class, retake it, and get a better grade. The better grade is the one that matters.

• If you must drop the class, complete the paperwork.

Simply not going to class is NOT the same as dropping. You may lose your financial aid if you do not officially withdraw.

The Topsfield Fair: sights and adventures

By George Carey Senior Writer This year the Topsfield fair came and, as always, I went a couple times. The highlight was when I did it with my family.

We got three free admission passes this year since our property borders the fair. As usual, it ran for ten days and the traffic was immense and gridlocked all the way back to exit 50 on 95.

At night you can hear the rustle, bustle, crowds, and sounds of the fair from miles away.

Fortunately, the wide forest that is behind our house and a few others serves as natural sound barrier absorber. Despite this, the fair was still a very enjoyable experience.

The rides were minimal and without much fanfare.

There were a handful of them: the classic dragon that goes around in a circular loop, the wheel buses, and the strawberry spinner for the little kids, among others. I will admit that the fair was so crowded that even by late morning it was hard to see a lot of the rides up close, and to my surprise there was one new ride, but I wasn’t going to com-

pete and wait in a long line of 12 year olds to try it out. I have already ridden many of the scariest rides before in years past and didn’t need to impress anyone. I didn’t ride any and when I went with my family, my sister, her boyfriend, and the cousins who happened to be closer to my sister’s age went on the rides quite a few times. I ended up sticking with the adults checking out the various other attractions.

We traveled to the arena to see the enormous horses run around the racetrack and it was quite a sight to see up close. We then checked out the various animals together: the sheep, the pigs, and chickens. I even got to pet a baby chickadee that I happened to put to sleep.

Other exhibits had cows and giraffes.

Besides the animals, we also saw that the Trade building, where they were showing off various agricultural-related tools. They also had many commercial exhibits where you saw guys preaching the pros about their special products and advertising them.

I laughed, as it was reminiscent of Billy Mays and the “shamwow guy.” My family and I were laughing and in awe of some of the products, such as device that allowed you to make speaker out of anything with a nothing but plastic cup. There was also the biggest pumpkin record, a bunch of flowers in another exhibit, and various horticulture and lawn-related exhibits.

Finally, we come to the fair food. They had chocolate dipped cheesecake, fried candy, fried dough and the enormous cookie, among other decadent and supremely unhealthy delights. Our aunt and uncle got the German fries and nachos, while I simply went for the milkshakes, sundaes, and the world famous kettle corn, as I usually do. I did tried some of the other stuff, skipping most of what I had the year before, as some astute readers will remember my bad experiences from last year. I really enjoyed grabbing a moxie and learning that my uncle Bob and one of my cousins enjoy the unique flavor of that rare soda.

All-in-all, this years fair was just about average. The experiences were the same as they always are, aside from a

new ride or two. As a family trip, the Topfield Fair definitely fit the bill.

November 2014:May Issue.QXD

11/5/14

10:13 AM

Page 13

Sean Reid, new student trustee Sean Reid, 19, of Lynn has been selected to serve as the student representative on the North Shore Community College Board of Trustees. Reid is a graduate of Lynn Classical High School and is studying economics at NSCC where he maintains a 4.0 grade point average and is on the Dean’s List.

Reid, a first generation college student, is president of the Economics and Finance and

Debate Clubs and a member of NSCC’s Student Government Association. He participates and this year will be the co-chair of the annual Federal Reserve Bank Challenge, and is currently interning at the Federal Reserve Bank in Boston. He also works as a part time economics, psychology, science, & writing tutor at the college. He has also served on the planning committee for the college’s Forum on Tolerance.

“I’m really excited about this position as it will give me an opportunity to give back while going to school,” Reid noted. “I look forward to serving as the liaison between the students and the Board of Trustees. I’m really interested in policy but I think the Board also needs to pay attention to the small, day-today issues as well.

“My time at NSCC has been life-changing. I am inspired by the people I meet here and I have a tremendous sense of hope. My professors are awesome and go above and beyond. If you put the effort in at NSCC, it will come back to you twofold. I want to encourage other students and potential students to take advantage of all that NSCC has to offer and have an experience here similar to mine,” Reid noted.

Newly appointed NSCC Student Trustee Sean Reid poses with Trustee Board Member Lesley Peters following the inauguration ceremony for President Pat Gentile.

Trick or treat economics

Page 13 – NSCC Pennon

By Jake Sholomith Contributing Writer Economics is one of the most important subcategories in US society today. From now until the remote future where the world just may stop providing all at once, there should be no excuses amongst all of us American friends on how we can’t cure our economy.

Something that we all need to set our eyes on that requires a case of a morality check, and as well as clearly concise welleducated opinion, is housing.

If you look at housing from today compared to the earlier economic days, you will see some things that bother me as a student and many others who care. Number one would be that the rate of houses being built is beginning to become closely identical to how slow a turtle does his walk. Looking at this example closely will eventually show all readers how people are being affected, and how money is scarcely being made anymore.

The economical trend on how young adults are looking into buying homes, as opposed to the epidemic on how they aren’t being built as much, shows how the economy is sinking into deeper debt. How can we fix this? There are plenty of solutions I myself can come up

with; picking one of the following would be even easier. The most effective out of the many cures would be investing on the more important goods. If you go to the grocery store and buy the ingredients for the favorite meal instead of buying at a restaurant, you will then quickly realize that this saves you quite a bit of cash. This doesn’t mean you can’t go out for lunch or dinner, but in the act of doing it more than you need to puts a dent in your wallet. Save up for a down payment for your home and make sure you have enough in you pocket for all the stock and labor needed for your new home instead.

People who have any job, regardless of whether they are making millions or just working to survive, are both indeed quite fortunate. Why, though, does this make this group fortunate? Finding a job today can be a struggle for many people, whether you’re a college graduate with a degree or even a high school drop out you can easily see how hard it is to take your career to the next level. It’s a negative way of explaining the economic side, however it will make all of us, as individuals understand that entering the work force requires hard work and dedication, but is ultimately worth the effort.

even released a propaganda video that looks like a hollywood movie trailer, complete with slow-motion shots of ISIS members embroiled in battle.

Though this propaganda may seem horrifying to you and me, it could possibly appeal to some western practitioners of radical islam, which is one of the main concerns regarding ISIS at the moment. ISIS claims to have a significant following in the west, and, if this is true, it means that a domestic terrorist attack could be a possibility.

As such, this is the main way in which ISIS immediately threatens the western world. Sure, they are a group of sick, twisted people doing terrible things, but they are currently confined to the middle east, and that isn’t likely to change any time soon. Now that they’ve drawn the attention of western military forces, they’ll have to contend with regular airstrikes and face more heavily-armed enemies than before, which will likely stagnate their growth.

However, through their use of slick, appealing propaganda, they have managed to gain some semblance of a following in western countries.

Throughout Europe and North America, they managed to convince thousands of people to actually go to Syria and

fight for ISIS. This is already starting to become a problem, in fact; towards the beginning of November, ISIS supporters in Australia shot a Shia muslim outside of a mosque.

Luckily for Americans, the United States has a relatively small number of ISIS members, with the bulk of them coming from Russia, France, and the United Kingdom. Still, all it takes is a few ISIS members in America to launch a terrorist attack, which is the most immediate threat at this point.

That, friends, is ISIS in a nutshell. At their core, they are a group of deeply misguided religious fundamentalists who are using violence to force other people to live the way they do. Luckily, they have drawn a significant amount of western military attention to themselves in the past several months, meaning that they likely won’t expand beyond the middle east. Still, ISIS is not a threat that should be completely disregarded; they are surprisingly good at attracting on-the-fence to join their cause, as statistics have shown. At the moment, though, the most important thing you can do is stay informed educate others about the true threat of ISIS, beyond the media hysteria.

ISIS: Who are they and what do they want?

By Calvin Javier Gil Editor in Chief

The group of radical Islamic militants who are commonly referred to as The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, commonly abbreviated as ISIS, have gotten quite a bit of media attention lately. Recently, they have beheaded several journalists, two of whom were American, due to their grievances against the military actions of the United States and Europe against them. Though ISIS has been around for quite a while, these brutal acts of aggression

by ISIS have made their name infamous throughout America and Europe. Many people, though, don’t know very much about ISIS’s, beyond their sickening brutality and designation as a terrorist organization. In order to truly understand the threat ISIS poses, however, one must become familiar with its ideals, goals, and recent activity.

ISIS is a group of Sunni Muslim extremists with strict islamic ideals that are very similar to those held by the infamous terrorist organization al-Qaeda. They adhere by violent, extremely antiwestern jihadist ideals and consider all those who disagree with their ideology to be apostates, which is a crime they believe to be punishable by death. It isn’t just people of

other religions they disagree with, though. They even consider members of other islamic organizations and sects of islam, such as the Palestinian Islamic militant group HAMAS or the Shia denomination of Islam, to be apostates due to their differing interpretations of Islam. As such, no one is safe from ISIS. Throughout their reign of terror, they have been executing scores of innocent civilians throughout the middle east, from non-Sunni Muslim denominations to Christians to minority ethnic groups such as the Iraqi Kurds. Time and again, ISIS has shown itself to routinely employ brutal, indiscriminate violence as a way to intimidate its enemies and gain control of territories.

Since 2004, their main goal has been to set up an Islamic state in The Levant, an area of the middle east containing Iraq, Syria, and Jordan.

For most of their existence, the group called themselves The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, referring to their main area of operations and desired area of expansion. This was changed to The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria by many western news outlets in order to avoid confusing their viewers, who likely did not know what The Levant refers to. In late June of this year, however,

ISIS changed their name to The Islamic State, omitting any mention of specific territory. This coincided with them declaring the area currently under their control, which includes significant portions of Iraq and Syria, to be a new Caliphate, or Islamic State.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was subsequently declared as the caliph, or leader, of this new caliphate. ISIS has big plans too, even though they are less than achievable, at the moment. Ruling over The Levant is not enough for them; they would like to expand their caliphate all the way to the western parts of the world, with an ISIS correspondent saying in a recent interview “We will raise the flag of Allah in The White House.”

Now, while claims like this may seem preposterous to many, ISIS has actually managed to set up a very effective propaganda machine.

They’ve taken great advantage of social media, particularly Twitter, which they use to organize hashtag campaigns and capitalize on trending topics. Additionally, ISIS is very competent where video editing is concerned, particularly when compared to other terrorist groups. The production values in the execution videos they have released thus far is very high, and recently they

November 2014:May Issue.QXD

11/5/14

Page 14 – NSCC Pennon

10:13 AM

Page 14

November 2014:May Issue.QXD

11/5/14

10:15 AM

Page 15

Important Numbers Lynn Campus: (781) 593-6722 DanversCampus: (978) 762-4000 Beverly Cummings Center (978) 236-1200

Library: Lynn: (781) 477-2133 Danvers: (978) 762-4000 x5526 Book Store: Lynn: (781) 477 2127 Danvers: (978) 762-4200 Weather Hotline: (978) 762 4200

Club Directory

Academic Clubs: Aviation: John Kreeft Criminal Justice: Ann Koshivas Debate Club: Yusef Hayes Food Science Club: Greg Reppucci French-Spanish Club: Irene Fernandez Phi Theta Kappa: Fred Altieri Pre-Med Club: Ray Parker SOTA: Mary Malone Sophmore nursing Club Special Interest Clubs: Art Club: James Chisholm Energy Club: George Walsh Engineering: Mary Beth Steigerwald Environmental Club: Joseph Modugno Film Club: John Zamparelli Media Club: Jim Harrington Multi-Cultural Society: Espy Herrera Muslim Association: Yusef Hayes Philosophy Club: Fred Altieri Queer Straight Alliance: Anne Tabet & Donna Rosato STARS Club: Nancy Tufo Surfriders Club: Sean Hanlon Veterans Club: Mike Monagle Youth Group United: Alexander Guzman Women in Transition: Margaret Figgins-Hill

jkreeft@northshore.edu

Akoshivas@northshore.edu yhayes@northshore.edu greppucc@northshore.edu ifernand@northshore.edu faltieri@northshore.edu rparker@northshore.edu mmalone@northshore.edu jchishol@northshore.edu gwalsh@northshore.edu msteiger@northshore.edu

jmodugno@northshore.edu jzampare@northshore.edu jharriso06@northshore.edu eherrera@northshore.edu yhayes@northshore.edu faltieri@northshore.edu atabet@northshore.edu drosato@northshore.edu ntufo@northshore.edu shanlon@northshore.edu mmonagle@northshore.edu aguzman@northshore.edu mfiggins@northshore.edu

Organizations

Pennon: Matthew Woods Performing Arts Council: Matthew Woods Program Council: Lisa Milso Student Government: Stephen Creamer

matwoods@northshore.edu matwoods@northshore.edu lmilso@northshore.edu

screamer@northshore.edu

Page 15 – NSCC Pennon

November 2014:May Issue.QXD

11/5/14

Page 16 – NSCC Pennon

10:15 AM

Page 16

Alumni Corner: Larry Doucette, class of 1973

Larry Doucette In recognition of Veterans Day, this month’s Alumni Corner is dedicated with great appreciation to all of the men and women serving our country — past and present.

As North Shore Community College celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, I caught up with one of our grads from the early years, United States Army veteran Larry

Doucette, Class of 1973. Larry enrolled at NSCC in 1968 following his graduation from Lynn English High School.

After one year in the accounting program, he put his college education on hold to serve our country during the Vietnam War. Larry enlisted intending to explore his interest in business by serving in the Finance Corp. Instead of finance and accounting, he ended up in a combat unit in the central highlands of Vietnam.

In 1971, he was on his second tour of duty when the convoy he was in was ambushed, leaving him fortunate to have survived but wounded.

He was awarded the Purple Heart and was discharged from active duty on the 4th of July, 1971. He spent the remainder of the summer recu-

perating and readjusting to civilian life and in September returned to NSCC, stopping by President Shively’s office to announce his return.

This was something he had often thought about during his time in Vietnam, and Larry recalled his determination to return to college being “one of the things that kept me alive.”

He had a very different perspective and was in many ways a different person. He had developed self-discipline, maturity and the ability to face and conquer his fears. Along with the challenges and experiences that would impact him for life, there was a new appreciation for education that he’d previously taken for granted and profound appreciation for life itself.

Larry was among the first wave of soldiers returning from Vietnam to an atmosphere

On August 20, 2014, the Boston Public Health Commission and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health issued an Ebola advisory for colleges and universities. Although the likelihood of becoming infected with the Ebola virus is very small, the college is being asked to reach out to every community member who has traveled to an Ebola affected area within the last 21 days.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Ebola poses little risk to the U.S. general population and is not contagious until symptoms appear. It is spread through direct contact with blood or body fluids of an infected person or with objects like needles that have been contaminated with the virus.

The countries primarily affected by Ebola at this time include Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. The CDC recommends avoiding any unnecessary travel to these countries until further notice. For travel outside of the U.S. during the upcoming holidays, go to the CDC website for specific advice and travel guidelines: wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/ad vice-for-colleges-universitiesand-students-about-ebola-inwest-africa Remember, if you have traveled to an Ebola affected area within the last 21 days, please contact NSCC Health Services immediately for evaluation: Brianne Duff (MSN, RNC, HNBC) Danvers Health Services

DB-108 978-739-5469 bduff@northshore.edu

by Linda Brantley NSCC Staff

Literary Categories •Literary Categories include essay, literary criticism, journalism interviews, poetry, short story (fiction or nonfiction).

•Submissions should be 1,000 words or less and must be submitted in Word or a similar text program.

•Each submission must be accompanied by a biographical statement about the student (25 words or less), contact information and Student ID number.

Multimedia Categories • Multimedia Categories are limited to video only.

• Videos must be 3 minutes or less.

• Videos must be submitted as a .mov, .mp4, .avi, or .wmv files.

Submitting your work Deadline to submit: Monday, January 5th.

• In the subject line please type SPARK Literary Submission or SPARK Artistic Submission.

• The maximum amount of submissions is five • No compensation will be offered to students for their submissions beyond the honor and joy of being published.

• 2 ways to submit: oBy email to SPARK@northshore.edu (Gmail is limited to files of 25Mbs) o By jump-drive: Drop off at Student Life in Lynn or Danvers.

By Sandy Rochon Alumni Coordinator

Ebola Advisory Warning

Elissa Al-Chokhachy (MA, RN, FT) Lynn Health Services LW-126 781-477-2197 ealchokh@northshore.edu

Thank you for your cooperation in ensuring a safe and healthy college environment for all.

that was not supportive, particularly among the college population where there was a lot of anti-war and anti-soldier sentiment. The veterans did not feel understood by others and because of the hostility they felt, Larry said they probably didn’t want to be understood, a small group who stuck together, preferring to be amongst themselves.

He recalls that they tended to recognize one another in a way that is hard to describe, a certain look that drew them together through their common bond.

Despite the circumstances, they had “a lot of good times, enjoyed their time at NSCC and learned a lot.” Larry enjoyed working for The Pennon, remembers the very unusual and lively classroom discussions in Professor

Guidelines for submission:

Artistic Categories • Artistic Categories include fine art, photography/rendered image and graphic design.

• Accepted file types JPG, EPS (with all type set to outlines), PDF or TIF. • All images MUST be 300 dpi.

• Artwork should be cropped to show just the artwork and submitted as a final piece.

You Y ou can’ can’tt get Ebola thr through ough air

Facts about

Ebola in the U.S. You You can’t can’t get Ebola through through water

You You can’t can’t get Ebola through thr ough food

You Y ou can only get Ebola fr from: om:

t T Touching ouching the blood or body fluids of a person who is sick with or has died fr from om Ebola.

t T Touching ouching contaminated objects, like needles. t T Touching ouching infected animals, their blood or other body fluids, or their meat.

NSCC’s 2015 Spark Magazine looking for submissions Ever wanted your artwork or writings published in a magazine? Now’s your chance. Spark is NSCC’s literary and artistic magazine showcasing the College’s talented writers, artists and creative geniuses in an interesting and visually dynamic format.

The team at Spark Magazine, led by Student Life’s Matt Woods, is now looking for submissions from students interested in submitting their work for inclusion in the 2015 magazine. Selection is by a committee of three to five students and faculty members. Once submissions are scored, those submissions with the highest scores will be selected for publication.

Sheldon Brown’s psychology classes, socializing on campus with other veterans and meeting his wife Diane while playing cards in NSCC’s cafeteria.

Larry has retired from a long career with the United States postal service and years of work as a Veterans Advocate.

He has been a Regional Field Supervisor with the Military Order of the Purple Heart.

Through this and other veterans groups and activities, he has assisted and counseled many veterans, something that he is happy and grateful to be have been able to do.

With gratitude on Veterans Day and every day, honoring and thanking all who serve.

CS250586