The Red Sox 2013 World *

The Boston Red Sox 2013 World Series trophy will be on display in the lobby of the Spurk Building on Northern Essex Community College’s Haverhill Campus on Tuesday, May 13 from 3 to 5 p.m.

Northern Essex students, faculty, and staff are invited to attend this private viewing for the college community, and have their photo taken with the trophy.

Northern Essex was selected for this honor when the Red Sox organization contacted State Senator Kathleen O’Connor Ives, looking for a location in Haverhill to show the trophy.  The Senator recommended Northern Essex, which has a baseball team that’s ranked 4^th in the nation and, as of this spring, a new softball team.

“We’re all very excited about this opportunity,” said Sue MacAvoy, the college’s athletic director. “The Annual Awards Convocation will be held later that evening at 6 p.m. in the Sport and Fitness Center.

For more information on the Boston Red Sox 2013 World Series trophy viewing, contact Sue MacAvoy. For more information on NECC’s varsity sports, visit the official website of Northern Essex Athletics

(Standing left to right), NECC internship coordinator Ashley Bragger, Andrea Cardwell, Salem, NH, Dan McAndrew, Methuen, Ysaska Guzman, Methuen, Chad Gorham, Newbury, Nick Mazzone, Methuen, and Thomas Shamma, Salem, NH. (Seated, left to right) Max DuCap-Laguerre, Haverhill, Rick Paganelli, Georgetown, and Molly Fitzgerald, Haverhill.

KISS 108, the Eagle Tribune, Coca Cola Bottling Company of Northern New England – these are just a few of the companies where Northern Essex Community College students in the business and journalism/communication programs are successfully securing internships under a new pilot internship program.

Ashley Bragger, the new internship coordinator for the program, says the college recognized that while certain NECC academic programs had practicums, internships, and externships in place, others, like business and journalism/communication, did not.

“These areas are receiving assistance with the management and standardization of the internship program,” she says. “Northern Essex recognizes how important internship experiences are in helping our students advance with their academic and career goals. At the same time we wanted the program to address some of the soft skills gaps of recent graduates that have been noted by employers and advisory board members.”

Some of the soft skills that are honed include professionalism in the work place – attendance, emailing and cell phone etiquette,  dressing for success; improved verbal and written communication skills through journaling and attending a business etiquette luncheon; improved interview skills by participating in mock interviews; time management; and creating an updated and relevant resume.

Working closely with the business program coordinator Patricia Morrow, the journalism/communication coordinator Amy Callahan, and the assistant vice president of planning and strategic initiatives Ellen Grondine, the pilot program was created within the guidelines of the Massachusetts Community Colleges Experiential Education Handbook on Internships and Cooperative Education. They devised a recruitment and implementation program last fall and placed the first cohort of interns this spring.

Broadcast journalism major Chad Gorham, 36, of Newbury, interned at KISS 108 where he was responsible for collecting news items each morning that he would pass along to radio personality Billy Costa. Christine Hillner, 19, of Dracut, a communication major, also interned at KISS 108. She was given the nickname “dancing intern” by radio personality Matt Siegel and was occasionally called “on air”. Nicholas Mazzone, 20, of Methuen had a little bit of a different experience at KISS 108 where he worked in sound and production.

“Just being given the opportunity to work there with all those talented people was great,” Mazzone said.

Mike Alongi of Haverhill a communication major interned with Entercom Boston at WEEI. He also had a positive experience.

“I’ve always wanted to work for WEEI, so when I got the chance to be in the office I was ecstatic. I learned a lot about working for a radio station and the collaboration it takes from everyone. I’m very glad I can now put this on my resume,” said Alongi.

Students interested in the internship program were initially invited to attend an information session to help them make informed decision about classes and work schedules. Students then had a mandatory meeting with their faculty coordinator and provided a resume and faculty approval form.

Nearly a dozen students from business and journalism/communication enrolled in the first cohort, working an average 14 hours per week over the course of a 12-week semester. The students who participate earn three college credits.

Employers who participate in the internship program, assist in the hiring process, approve learning objectives, attend site visits, and evaluate both the student and program to ensure continued quality.

According to Bragger, NECC hopes to increase enrollment each semester and is now working with computer information systems academic area to expand offerings.

Businesses interested in becoming involved in the NECC internship program should contact Ashley Bragger at 978-556-3946 or abragger@necc.mass.edu

NECC Graphic Design Professor Lance Hidy

Northern Essex Community College Graphic Design Professor Lance Hidy’s work will be on exhibit at the Museum of Printing in North Andover now through December.  The Museum of Printing will have an artist’s reception honoring Lance Hidy, on Friday, April 25 from 4-7pm. This reception is free and open to the public.

Hidy’s posters of bold composition and pure solid colors will be arranged thematically, with topics ranging from books and libraries to graphic arts to culture and children.  Early and never-before-exhibited work will be showcased along with displays revealing the artist’s creative process including preliminary studies and press proofs.  Hidy’s digital photomontages, three U.S. postage stamps, and Penumbra typeface will also be featured.  

While studying fine art at Yale, Lance Hidy developed an interest in graphic design and printing. After working among the three book arts communities around Leonard Baskin at Smith, Ray Nash at Dartmouth, and the Stinehour Press, he helped David Godine establish his publishing company (1969–74). During the first years they printed letterpress books, often illustrated with Hidy’s wood engravings and etchings. 

Since 1974 Hidy has operated his own studio for illustration and photography, and for the design of posters, books, corporate identities, and postage stamps. For the book Yosemite and the Range of Light (1979), Ansel Adams chose Hidy as art director—a role that he continues to perform for the books published by the Ansel Adams Trust and Little, Brown. 

While a consultant to Adobe Systems, 1987–97, Hidy produced the typeface Penumbra, a titling family of sixteen fonts. It achieved momentary fame when used for the titles in the movie, The DaVinci Code.  His twenty-five solo exhibitions have included the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Maryland Institute College of Art, Washington and Lee University, Pennsylvania School of Art & Design, University of Kansas, and Smith College. 

A resident of the Merrimack Valley since 1983, Hidy has been professor of art at Northern Essex Community College for fifteen years.  In addition to many journal articles on graphic design, Hidy’s book, Designing the Mentoring Stamp, was published in 2007. He is currently working on a book about the fly fishing legacy of his father Vernon S. Hidy, and James E. Leisenring. 

The Museum of Printing is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history of the graphic arts, printing equipment and printing craftsmanship.  In addition to many special collections and small exhibits, the Museum contains hundreds of antique printing, typesetting and bindery machines, as well as a library of books and printing-related documents. 

Located only a mile from Interstate Highway 495, the Museum sits on the spacious town common at 800 Massachusetts Avenue, North Andover, and is open Saturdays through December 31^st from 10 – 4 p.m., and by appointment.  Special showings can be arranged for groups by contacting Executive Director Kim Pickard at exedir@museumofprinting.org.

Northern Essex Community College (NECC) is offering a comprehensive course in Medical Interpreting for individuals interested in interpretation for hospitals, clinics, and human services agencies. Medical interpreters are in great demand nationwide. In Massachusetts, where interpreters are legally mandated in acute-care hospital and behavioral health hospitals, the need for trained medical interpreters is booming. Employment of interpreters and translators is expected to grow 42 percent by 2020.

NECC will offer a 54-hour class from June 3 to August 5 (no class on July 3), Tuesdays and Thursdays 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. at the college’s Riverwalk location in Lawrence (near the North Andover line).

Designed to prepare individuals for entry-level careers as medical interpreters, this program is developed and offered in collaboration with TransFluenci EDU, a leader in preparing new and experienced interpreters to work in hospitals and other health care settings, following the standards and ethics of the profession. The course meets the requirements of the National Board for Medical Interpreter Certification.

The course is open to all languages, but students must be able to fully comprehend and communicate in both English and at least one other language. The college will issue the Medical Interpreting Certificate of Completion upon satisfactory completion of this program. The instructor is an experienced medical interpreter who will provide guidance on how to find a job in the field. To register, call 978 556-3700. For more information or to register online, visit the web site (www.necc.mass.edu/noncredit), or contact Dianne Lahaye (dlahaye@necc.mass.edu) 978-659-1222.

About TransFluenci & TransFluenci EDU TransFluenci provides interpreting and translation services to hospitals, federal and state agencies, schools, legal firms, private corporations, and human services agencies. Since its founding in 2001, the company has earned a reputation for providing the highest levels of reliability, completeness, accuracy, and cultural appropriateness in all of its interpreting and translation services. To learn more, visit TransFluenci EDU’s web site at: www.transfluenciedu.com.