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Molloy \llt Fcc by Nell Knox
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The Att ol Ptoctotlnotlon by Ahley Teote
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Found Poen ln The 0teotlve 0otnet
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2
Horizons Staff
Editor-in-Chief
David Weidenfeller
Advisor
Prof. Steve Mark
Managing Editor
Sherly Montes
Editors-at-Large
Emma Tecun, Nicole Lazariuk, Ashley Seeto
Opinions Editor
Neil Knox
Online and Social Media Editor
Lindsey Baldasarre
Staf Writers
Paul Chuvov, Steven Eszenyi, Olivia Hodge,
Monica Medina, Leslie Pizzagalli,
Sarah Springer, Desiree Swendsen, Brandon Bisceglia
Senior Staf Writers
Sekinah Erskine, Franklin Jusino,
Stacy Shippee, Ashley Teare
Contributing Writers
Brandon Bisceglia
Art and Design Directors
Vanessa Morales, Carolina Trinidad
Design Advisor
Prof. Andy Pinto
Front Cover Design
Vanessa Morales
Malloy Visits HCC: Promotes New Education Initiative: Offers Former
Students Pay for 2 get 1 Free............................................................................3
BY NEIL KNOX
OPINIONS EDITOR
Memories Lost....................................................................................................3
BY MONICA MEDINA
STAFF WRITER
As Different As Day and Night: The Evening Division and the Struggles of
Evening Students................................................................................................4
BY SARAH SPRINGER
STAFF WRITER
President Gliniecki Retires After Years at Hcc................................................4
BY ASHLEY SEETOO
EDITOR-AT-LARGE
Freedom in 3 Acts: Play Has Message for Everyone ...................................... 5
BY PAUL CHUVOV
STAFF WRITER
How the Past Transforms the Future ...............................................................5
BY LINDSEY BALDASSARE
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
In Memoriam......................................................................................................5
BY STEVE MARK
ADVISOR TO HORIZONS

Historic Hoops or Simple Fad: An Explanation in Three Parts .................... 6
BY D.C. WEIDENFELLER
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Crisis in Ukraine................................................................................................6
BY STEVEN ESZENYI
STAFF WRITER
The Stakes of the Stage.......................................................................................7
BY NICOLE LAZARIUK
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
SATisfying or Ineffective: The New SAT Format.............................................7
BY LESLIE PIZZAGALLI
STAFF WRITER
Majoring in Medicine.........................................................................................8
BY NICOLE LAZARIUK
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The Women Gather.............................................................................................8
BY ASHLEY SEETOO
EDITOR
The Art of Procrastination.................................................................................9
BY ASHLEY TEARE
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Make Your Education Count!.............................................................................9
BY OLIVIA HODGE
STAFF WRITER
Caffeine Takes its Toll.......................................................................................10
BY SHERLY MONTES
MANAGING EDITOR
College Students Beware: Hidden Dangers of Credit Cards..........................11
BY SEKINAH ERSKINE
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Stress Management Like a Beast......................................................................11
BY DESIREE SWENDSEN
STAFF WRITER
When Two Feet is Too Far................................................................................12
BY SARAH SPRINGER
STAFF WRITER
Anita Gliniecki: A True Public Servant for HCC.....................................12-13
BY BRANDON T. BISCEGLIA
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Wildlings, White Walkers, And Worgs Oh My!!
The Cult Of Game Of Thrones.........................................................................13
BY NEIL KNOX
OPINIONS EDITOR
Fighting a Parent`s Expectations.....................................................................14
BY FRANKLIN JUSINO JR.
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Failure: The Two Faces To It............................................................................14
BY: MAGGIE BRUNETTO
STUDENT SUBMISSION
Bumpy Road to Success................................................................................14-15
BY JULIE VERA
STUDENT SUBMISSION
!"#$ & '(#'"#!)(*'(#
+,(# (#$
'
Success through Failure.................................................................................15
STUDENT SUBMISSION.
Found Poem ....................................................................................................16
BY ESTRELLA LOPEZ
Found Poem ....................................................................................................17
BY DONNA CASHMAN
Found Poem.....................................................................................................17
By 1ordene Brown

Publications Ads.............................................................................................18
BY HORIZON STAFF
Sexual Assault Policy.......................................................................................19
BY DEAN OF STUDENTS
3
!"#$ & '(#'"#!)(*'(#
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'
HORIZONS News
T
hey say that the older you be-
come, the wiser you get, yet
what happens when grandma
or grandpa begin to Iorget? One minute
they`re telling you stories oI the good
old days, the next they Iorget who you
are. They call you by your parent`s name.
How can you react? The frst thing you
can think to say is, 'Grandma, it`s me.
Remember?
What can you do when dementia turns
to Alzheimer`s and your loved ones be-
gin to Iorget how to live on their own?
The burden comes with choices your
Iamily must make to keep your elderly
loved ones comIortable, but how can you
let them know that you do care, and this
is something that will help?
According to MedicineNet.com, Alz-
heimer`s disease is defned as 'a slowly
progressive disease oI the brain that is
characterized by impairment oI memory.
Many scientists believe that Alzheimer`s
disease results Irom an increase in the
production or accumulation oI a speciI-
ic protein (beta-amyloid protein) in the
brain that leads to nerve cell death. With
a 1 to 85 rate chance, it does not single
out any specifc gender or race. Studies
have shown certain diets could increase
the chances. Scientists have predicted
that by 2050 almost 13.4 million citizens
oI the United States will have developed
Dementia or Alzheimer`s.
Even those who do not have the dis-
ease deal with just as much hardship as
those who do. Adelaida Hernandez, my
grandmother, dealt with this issue frst
hand. Her older sister Romona Rive-
ra became ill with dementia. Adelaida
quickly assumed responsibility as care-
giver when Alzheimer`s kicked in and
Romona began to relapse into the past.
It was as iI current liIe no longer exist-
ed. She resorted to collecting and playing
with dolls and constantly asking Ior their
mother.
At 70 years old, Romona possessed
the spirit oI a 10-year-old. Yet, with a
younger mentally came the attitude as
well; she was resistant to anything or
anyone who tried to help, aside Irom Ad-
elaida. Perhaps it was that she still knew
this was her little sister and she meant
no harm, but aIter Ialling down the stairs
in her own home, she was becoming too
much to handle. With such a heavy bur-
den placed on her shoulders, Adelaida
explains 'Our other sister still lives in
Puerto Rico and I never thought her son
would be able to handle the responsibili-
ty oI caring Ior his mother, so I did what
I had to.
Looking back on my grandmother`s
experience with her sister, there was
only so much she could do beIore it was
too late. Romona passed away Irom the
disease back in 2011. Though Adelaida`s
experience with the disease was not a
proIoundly long one, that isn`t to say
that people with Alzheimer`s cannot live
longer; they do and with that comes even
more sadness and stress onto the caregiv-
ers.
Along with his mother, Joseph Ro-
man, an HCC student, was caregiver Ior
his grandIather. Roman`s grandIather
Iound out he had Alzheimer`s around
2002-2003, and suIIered with it Ior near-
ly 8 years until his death in 2011. Orig-
inally Irom New York, Roman`s grand-
Iather moved in with his daughter and
grandson aIter his wiIe passed away.
'My mother expected help Irom others
in the Iamily, she wanted to go back to
work aIter 20 years oI unemployment,
Roman said. To her dismay, she and her
son were Iorced to care Ior his grandIa-
ther by themselves.
Showing a picture oI his grandIather
years aIter his diagnosis, his grandIather
was dancing but had a blank stare on his
Iace. Reading his expression, it was as
iI he Ielt lost and alone in a place flled
with Iriends and Iamily.
Roman Iurther explains times when
his grandIather would wake up at night
to use the bathroom but Iorgot where
it was. 'I would wake up and fnd him
about go in a corner, so I would walk
over and lead him to the bathroom, Ro-
man added.
As Ior words to any others dealing
with this disease, Roman says, 'I want
people to know when dealing with Alz-
heimer`s don`t become insensitive, I did
and it`s not good, it makes you resentIul
and you Ieel guilty and resentIul aIter.
Like many diseases, the Alzheimer`s
Association is a national non-proft orga-
nization based oII a volunteer group that
began in 1980. Christy Kovel, the Com-
munications Director Ior the Connecticut
chapter oI the Alzheimer`s Association,
explains the goal oI the organization:
'We Iocus on advancing research as well
as educating those who become aIIect-
ed by the sickness, Kovel said, be it
someone with Alzheimer`s or the Iamily/
caregivers. There are 3 research studies
here in the state oI Connecticut and many
more nation wide. They provide online
and over the phone support 24/7, and all
these services are Iree oI charge.
A Iew weeks prior, a number oI Mar-
shall`s and TJ Maxx`s collected dona-
tions Ior the Association. It was surpris-
ing at how many people had story aIter
story oI how they have personally dealt
with their own struggles and tragedies
Irom Alzheimer`s.
Kovel was delighted at the thousands
oI dollars raised by these companies and
hopes that more can be raised by the lo-
cal walks being held in Connecticut.
The Alzheimer`s Association plan
multiple walks Ior research. The clos-
est Ior us would be in New Haven on
September 6th. They hope that those who
do walk are able to accomplish goals as
well as send a message to the public
about Alzheimers and the strain it can
cause on any Iamilies who are dealing
with it.
Memories Lost
BY MONICA MEDINA
STAFF WRITER
O
n March 24, Gov. Dannel Mal-
loy visited HCC in hopes oI
garnering public support Ior
his administration`s new 'Go Back To Get
Ahead program. The conIerence was held
at the Events Center in Beacon Hall and
was sparsely attended by the student body,
many oI whom would be inIormed Ior the
frst time, in most cases, that their tuition
costs would increase by two percent.
Malloy said, this was a 'minimal but
necessary increase that had been orig-
inally scheduled to be a Iour percent to
students. But this particular assembly had
nothing new to oIIer current students ex-
cept the increase.
'Go Back To Get Ahead is geared to
Iormer students in the 25 and over age
bracket who have been out oI school Ior
a minimum oI 18 months, holding at least
12 credits, and do not have any outstand-
ing student loans. II they meet those crite-
ria, they are being oIIered the opportunity
to register Ior three classes, pay Ior two oI
them, with the third class Iree oI charge.
This oIIer also comes with a 'get it while
it lasts expiration date, June 30, 2018.
Malloy called the program ' a great ve-
hicle to get people back into school and
noted that there is a ' big need to fll man-
uIacturing jobs in the state. It has yet to
be approved by the state legislature.
'Go Back To Get Ahead program is
part oI a greater plan called 'TransIorm
CSUS 20/20 which encompasses an
overall plan to get all oI the state colleges
under the same regulatory umbrella.
The state college system (CSUS) is
Iacing a budget defcit oI over $42 million
come the end oI this fscal year (June 1),
and this initiative is designed to help make
up some oI that defcit.
Scott Carruthers, a recent graduate oI
the HCC ManuIacturing Program, was
one oI the keynote speakers, praising the
program here at HCC. He shared the dais
with Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch, and the
president oI the Charter Oak school, Ed
Klonoski.
Klonoski`s Charter Oak School has
been tasked with bringing new old` stu-
dents back into the system by implement-
ing a public relations campaign that will
include a telemarketing, mailing, and
student advisory campaign. The new hires
will Iocus completely on getting all the
pertinent inIormation to Iormer students
who meet the program`s criteria. It is in-
tended to oIIer people interested with a
24/7 hotline.
In his brieI time at the microphone
Malloy stressed the need to fll a 'growing
need in the state Ior manuIacturing work-
ers who he said, 'could earn anywhere
between $65,000 to $125,000 a year.
Connecticut manuIacturers, he said, have
a 'large number oI unflled jobs.
He also took time to point out some oI
the defciencies in the CSUS. He stressed
the need to get ' all the schools on the
same page as Iar as class credits are con-
cerned, some schools issue 4 credits Ior
lab classes, while others only grant 3 Ior
the same lab, seamless transIers, the elim-
ination oI non credit courses, and a unifed
admissions system. Let`s get everybody in
line.
Malloy also hopes to make headway
into the online class market. 'We want
to make online classes a degree require-
ment,he said, adding that he hoped that
by expanding the availability oI online
classes across the market more new mon-
ey will fow into the system.
He was confdent in the proposal
stating ' A bill will pass.
Malloy Visits HCC:
Promotes New Education Initiative
!""#$% '($)#$ *+,-#.+% /01 '($ 2 3#+ 4 '$##
BY NEIL KNOX
OPINIONS EDITOR
Photo by Neil Knox
4 HORIZONS News
A
ccording to the Housatonic
website, the Evening Divi-
sion, located in room BH-116
in Beacon Hall, is 'open daily as well as
every night and on weekends when classes
are in session to '|provide| inIormation
and support services Ior Iaculty and stu-
dents. Although geared to assist students
attending evening classes and the Iacul-
ty that teach them, many students do not
know oI its existence and what services it
oIIers, services that may be able to help
them. On the other hand, there are still
some struggles that evening students Iace
at Housatonic that extend beyond the reach
oI the Evening Division.
William GriIfn, Academic Coordinator
in the Evening Division, clarifed that the
name isn`t quite an accurate title. 'We`re
actually open Irom ten in the morning to
nine-thirty at night Monday through Thurs-
day. He also explained that the Evening
Division also has hours oI availability on
Fridays and weekends.
The Evening Division oIIers services
to both students and Iaculty, coordinating
and mediating between the two groups.
Students are able to drop oII work Ior their
courses iI necessary, or pick up Add/Drop
Iorms and recommendation letters. The
Evening Division will also reset passwords
Ior students, so long as they have a photo
ID with them.
Although the Evening Division was
created Ior and exists to assist students
at Housatonic, many still Ieel that certain
services at the college are not available to
them.
Joseph Perera, an Engineering Science
student at Housatonic, is currently taking
all evening classes to accommodate the
time needed Ior his Iull time job as a draIts-
man.
'I fnd it diIfcult to speak to proIessors
during their oIfce hours because it`s al-
ways during my oIfce hours, Perera ex-
plained.
In a situation like this, the Evening Di-
vision may be able to help. 'Students are
always welcome to make an appointment,
along with their proIessors, to use one oI
our conIerence rooms to meet. We`re even
open on Fridays, said Patria Spignolio,
Secretary Ior the Evening Division.
Perera also mentioned that he tends 'to
miss all the events that the school has.
GriIfn agreed. 'With so many students
working, it`s tough Ior them to sometimes
participate.
Most events at Housatonic take place
in the middle oI the day. Only one event
on the March 2014 calendar started aI-
ter 5:00 p.m. Recently, an email went out
Irom Student Activities inviting Housaton-
ic students to 'Pre-Midterm Stress RelieI
Hot Stone Therapy. This Iree service took
place on Monday, March 10, 2014 Irom
11:00 a.m. and lasted until 2:00 p.m.
A Student ID was the only requirement
Ior participation.
Perera says that he can never fnd time
to renew his Student ID. According to their
webpage, the Student LiIe OIfce closes
at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Thursday, and
Friday and at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and
Wednesdays. It is not open on weekends.
Another evening student at Housaton-
ic, Jill Aylward, is going into the respira-
tory care feld aIter she decided to change
her career. She is currently working Iull
time as an environmental paralegal Ior a
private frm. Aylward fnds balancing time
to study with her work diIfcult, especially
when there is little opportunity Ior outside
help.
'The school doesn`t oIIer tutoring Ior
evening students, aIter hours, she said.
Special math tutoring on a drop-in ba-
sis is oIIered at Housatonic; it is available
Irom 9:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. on Tues-
days, and Irom 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
on Fridays, making it diIfcult Ior evening
students to attend. However, much like
meetings between students and proIes-
sors, it is also possible Ior a student and
their tutor to schedule meetings in the
Evening Division conIerence rooms Ior
tutoring sessions.
Caitlin Pomeroy takes evening classes
at Housatonic so that it doesn`t interIere
with her work in the cardiovascular unit
at Bridgeport Hospital. She is studying at
Housatonic to earn credits Ior the nursing
program.
'I struggle with studying later in the day
and doing homework aIter work, beIore
class, she explained.
Karen Izerne is an Engineering student
in the Pathway Program who also has trou-
ble with the work-school balance. 'Like
many oI the community college students,
she said, 'I work Iull time during the day,
so Ior me the only way I can work on my
degree is by taking evening classes.
Izerne has had diIfculties with attend-
ing the courses that she needs to com-
plete the requirements oI her program.
She Ieels 'that there are not that many
evening classes available Ior those who
have to work Iull time. Some classes are
only available in the morning and those
are the classes that most oI us need to
complete our degrees.
Izerne, Pomeroy, Aylward, and Perera
have never visited the Evening Division,
and they were not sure what services it
oIIered.
'I never even heard oI that beIore and
I`ve been a student at Housatonic Ior al-
most two years, Izerne said.
GriIfn agrees. 'We`re defnitely low
profle, Ior sure, he said. The oIfce,
tucked back behind the entrance eleva-
tor and reception desk in Beacon Hall,
is barely noticed by the students rushing
past to get to their classes.
While evening students may continue
to struggle to fnd the time and Iortitude
to balance careers and Iamilial obliga-
tions with their pursuit oI higher educa-
tion at Housatonic, the Evening Division
is there to help Iacilitate and ease a bit oI
the burden by coordinating between stu-
dents and Iaculty.
As Different as Night and Day
56# 78#.9.: ;989%9(. 0.- +6# *+$,::<#% (" 78#.9.: *+,-#.+%
BY SARAH SPRINGER
STAFF WRITER
Anita Gliniecki, the President oI Housa-
tonic, will be retiring Sept. 4.
President Gliniecki has been work-
ing at HCC since 2003 and has achieved
many accomplishments during her tenure.
Among the major ones, she says, was hav-
ing the college really assess itselI using
data and looking critically at what we are
doing well and what we can improve upon.
However, according to Gliniecki, her
major accomplishment at HCC is how
much more visible the school is in the com-
munity. The school is now seen as a major
educational institution and people are start-
ing looking to HCC Ior guidance and help.
'This is such a good school and I`ve
been able to see how we`ve been able to
grow and have a greater presence in the
area, she said.
As reported by the Shelton Herald,
Gliniecki recently received the Susan L.
Davis Women`s Leadership Award Irom
the Bridgeport-based Women`s Leadership
Council. She also serves as president oI the
Bridgeport Rotary Club, and is chairman oI
the Bridgeport Higher Education Alliance
Almost immediately beIore she came to
HCC, she was vice president Ior academ-
ic services at St. Clair County Community
College in Michigan. President Gliniecki
was in charge over majority oI the credit
and non-credit courses at the school.
As she took her knowledge and experi-
ences Irom St. Clair Community College to
HCC, she now hopes to accomplish great-
er things beIore her retirement. She plans
on having the architectural drawings done
Ior the renovation expansion in LaIayette
Hall and the $2.2 million TAACCCT grant
established and on solid Iooting. With the
TAACCCT grant, Gliniecki plans on de-
veloping non credit and credit curriculum
in the areas oI Allied Health and InIorma-
tion Technology, IT.
By Sept., she`ll know about the NSF
(National Science Foundation) Grant. II
we attain the NSF grant, Gliniecki will be
able create courses that will be used both
in IT and ManuIacturing. The expansion oI
the manuIacturing center at HCC is on its
way, and she said we`ll see a major shiIt in
how the college is budgeted.
'I want the school to continue to grow
and thrive. I just see good things Ior this
college iI it`s managed well, she said.
Camilla Costantini, Gliniecki`s Exec-
utive Assistant, has been working with
Gliniecki since she got here. 'She |Pres-
ident Gliniecki| is a Iantastic person to
work with. She`s approachable, outgoing,
and is totally Ior the students, Costantini
said. 'I want her to be happy and truly en-
joy her retirement because she deserves it.
I know she`ll do very well in her Iuture.
President Gliniecki prepares to take
some time, pause, and think about her
next steps in liIe aIter her retirement here.
She plans on traveling to diIIerent plac-
es with her husband, since her traveling
arrangements kept getting put oII due to
her busy schedule. The frst on their list is
going back to the south oI France.
'I know that I want to travel with my
husband. We keep putting that oII and
putting that oII or we do these short little
trips. We`ll be able to do what we want to
do, so to me that`s just exciting, Gliniecki
said.
President Gliniecki Retires After Years at HCC
BY ASHLEY SEETOO
EDITOR
Executive Assistant Camilla Costantini and President Anita Gliniecki. Photo by Ashley Seetoo
5 HORIZONS News
A
musical play, directed by Mara
Lieberman, 'Freedom in 3
Acts, was perIormed twice by
the Bated Breath Theatre Company at the
HCC PAC on April 3, 2014. The HCC The-
ater Arts Program sponsored this 'Outside/
In PerIormance Series event. At the end
oI each perIormance ProI. GeoII Sheehan
invited the audience to stay Ior a discus-
sion and asked the question: 'What did the
show made you think oI?
'The play is considered to have a
post-modern with movement, multimedia,
and symbolism said Lieberman. The play
is not always chronological but has fashes
Iorward and back as memories go back and
Iorth. The play is an outcome oI the col-
laboration between director Lieberman and
perIormer Jolie Rocke-Brown, who want-
ed to perIorm with the Bated Breath Com-
pany. The historic materials were provided
by Olivia White, the executive director oI
The Amistad Center.
The play is about the Civil Rights strug-
gle. Act One, 'Freedom, starts the play
with the Emancipation oI AIrican-Ameri-
can slaves and is based on historical Iacts
which Iollowed President Lincoln`s Proc-
lamation. The play powerIully brings out
the central role played by the slave spiri-
tual songs, beautiIully sung by Ms. Rocke
Brown.
Act Two, 'Jubilee, takes us historically
to six months aIter the end oI the American
Civil War. The Fisk University was Iound-
ed in 1866 with the purpose oI educating
the Ireedmen. The university needed Iunds
to continue operating so the Fisk Jubilee
Singers a cappella ensemble, consisting
oI AIrican-American Fisk University stu-
dents, was Iormed in 1871 to raise Iunds
by touring. The ensemble`s repertoire was
spiritual songs.
Act Three, 'Glory, is centered
on the roadblocks encountered by the
AIrican-American singer contralto Marian
Anderson, how she Iaced less discrimation
in her visit to Europe than what she en-
countered in America, how when she came
back to America she still encountered great
roadblocks because oI her color and only
slowly she became accepted.
During the discussion, Rocke said:
'During the slavery years the spiritu-
al songs were sung privately. That they
helped to sustain the slaves through diI-
fcult times, to have perseverance and re-
silience and not quit. We take so much Ior
granted and this is a reminder oI what we
had to go through.
During the discussion ,Rich Navarrete,
an HCC student, expressed great admira-
tion oI the synchronization achieved by the
actors. All actors displayed great skill in
movement, dance, and singing.
Sarah-Grace Gardner, an HCC student,
said: 'Strong emotions come to me with
Ireedom and I don`t accept when I hear
No!` And you can not let that stop you.
You must try again and not quit.
ProI. Sheehan added, 'This racially
based story has a lesson and a message Ior
everyone - it can be broadened to include
everyone.
Also, during the discussion, an HCC
student said: 'I have learned Irom this play
that it was not only speeches, marches,
and riots` but there was also this musical
struggle which was never mentioned in the
history classes.
The StagecraIt class students managed
the preparation oI the PerIormance Arts
Center with lights, sound and all the stage
details.
Overall, the event met with great suc-
cess. For both shows the PerIormance Arts
Center was well attended at about 80 ca-
pacity. This play was Iunded by the Heri-
tage Jobs Grant Irom The Greater HartIord
Art Council.
~Freedom in 3 Acts
/<01 =0% >#%%0:# "($ 78#$1(.#
BY PAUL CHUHVOV
STAFF WRITER
Photo credit: Paul Chuhvov
M
emories come and go but
they are always there. It
is Iun to take a trip down
memory lane to see how people came
to be Iriends or how successIul a school
or college came to be. It is nice to see
pictures, newspapers and a class syllabus
Irom back in the day. It is a chance to re-
fect on how diIIerent events in diIIerent
people`s lives can shape the way that a
college will be in the Iuture.
Housatonic is approaching on their
50th anniversary in 2017. To celebrate
this anniversary, the school is making
a collection oI current items such as
our own Horizons newspaper and plans
Ior the building expansion in LaIayette
Hall. The collection also has items Irom
when Housatonic frst started in 1966 as
a branch oI Norwalk Community Col-
lege. Alumni Irom the college have are
bringing in items such as works that pro-
Iessors have written or old yearbooks
Irom when Housatonic had a yearbook.
The collection also has newspapers Irom
when HCC started their newspapers. The
newspaper wasn`t called Horizons then;
it was called Speakeasy. There are so
many memories Irom Housatonic that
is really interesting to see such as when
Iormer President Clinton came to the
school. There are pictures and t-shirts
Irom the event. Cabinets and boxes Iull
oI acid-Iree bags which hold all the years
and papers Irom back in the day.
Esther Watstein is the Public
Relations Associate in the Presidential
suite and is also in charge oI the collec-
tion.The collection also includes internal
newsletters, senate meeting minutes, and
a student can see how Housatonic used
to be seven diIIerent buildings instead
oI two buildings on one campus. Housa-
tonic used to be seven buildings in sev-
en diIIerent locations. Students and staII
members had to drive to each building
Ior classes.
'The collection is here Ior students to
come and look at. It is not just Ior the
anniversary, Watstein said. All a stu-
dent has to do to see the collection is
ask Esther Watstein. Watstein will let
the student into a room where they can
read or make copies oI the collection to
bring home or just to have Ior a project.
A student doesn`t have to make an ap-
pointment to see the collection.
'People can`t take anything out oI the
collection but a person can make cop-
ies, Watstein explained.
Now that the college has a campus,
it is nice to see how the college trans-
Iormed Irom being seven buildings to
being two buildings on one campus.
A person can measure how successIul
something is without looking at the past
history.
Watstein is in the process oI making
a catalog Ior the collection. When the
college makes the expansion in LaIay-
ette Hall, the collection will have its own
room and will be near the library.
How the Past Transforms the Future
BY LINDSEY BALDASSARE
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
J
ust as we began work on this
issue, we were saddened to
learn oI the sudden passing oI
journalism major and Iormer Horizons
writer Krystle Piccinino on March 19.
She was just 23 years old.
As a member oI the Horizons staII,
Krysi (as many oI us came to know
her) was enthusiastic, dedicated, and
willing to go above and beyond basic
requirements to explore those subjects
about which she was most passionate,
including equality and the arts. She re-
ally cared about getting the story right.
As a student, she seemed to delight
in the writing and reporting process
and was always Iull oI thoughtIul ques-
tions.
As another one oI her journalism
instructors, Cindy WolIe Boynton, put
it, 'Krysi was a young woman with
so much potential who has leIt us too
soon. It was a pleasure to work with
her. Like her classmates, I know I will
not Iorget her.
Krysi will be sorely missed. We
extend our deepest condolences to her
Iamily and Iriends.
In Memoriam
BY STEVE MARK
ADVISOR TO HORIZONS
6 HORIZONS News
I
t only took Iour months back in 1958
Ior Arthur 'Spud Melin and Rich-
ard Knerr, the Iounding members oI
Wham O, to unload 25 million oI them,
and according to the Wham O company`s
website history section, it is 'the greatest
Iad the country has ever seen. But is it re-
ally just a Iad or has 56 years oI hip-shak-
ing Iun turned hula hooping to a liIestyle oI
good health and Iun?
Speaking Ior myselI, I can get lost
watching a person hoop. My Iavorites are
the fre hoopers like some oI my Iriends
at Cosmic Karma Fire. To see the move-
ments; up Irom the ankles the spinning
hoop goes...up the legs and the chest and
up to the perIormer`s neck and down to the
wrist... and back again. Did I mention it`s
on fre?
But don`t take it Irom me. In a recent
email, Reid Genauer, the Iront man oI As-
sembly oI Dust said, 'I love them. Yes I
have tried them. I stink - it`s really hard.
But they are so much Iun. They sort oI
embody Iun like a bouncy ball does. I re-
member when they hit the scene. We were
gigging with SCI |String Cheese Incident|
in the mid/late 90s and Keith, the bass
player Irom SCI`s wiIe used to get up on
stage. She was a beautiIul sight - and really
I***ng good at it.
Yes, we can lend some credit Ior the
hula hoop`s longevity to jam band virtu-
osos the String Cheese Incident and the
popularity oI the hoop among music Iesti-
val goers is clearly evident even right here
in Bridgeport during the beloved Gather-
ing oI the Vibes. But why? What is it that
makes a simple toy...more than just a toy?
Lauren Beth Stein has been hooping
since 1997 and a seasoned hooper and fre
perIormer with Cosmic Karma Fire. She
might agree that it is a way oI liIe Ior many.
'Hooping speaks to people Ior all diIIerent
reasons, Stein said. 'It is Iun, it is healthy,
it is exercise, it is meditative, it involves
you in the spinning community. All these
things aIIect hoopers in their own way.
Art student Jasmine Araujo, an aspiring
flmmaker Irom BedIord Massachusetts, is
another member oI this seemingly grow-
ing culture oI hoopers. Favoring the EDM
or Electronic Dance Music scene, Araujo
frst picked up a hoop in July oI 2013 aIter
attending Camp Bisco, an EDM and jam
based music Iestival. 'I saw so many hoop
dancers and thought it was so cool, so I
bought one as soon as I could, expressed
an enthusiastic Araujo. 'Hooping is way
more than just a hobby, it is my liIestyle. I
pick it up whenever I can, I`m always prac-
ticing always trying new tricks because
there is always something new to learn.
Hooper Amanda Volante, a long time
Iriend, blends into the liIestyle in a diI-
Ierent way as she admits, 'I only hoop
as a hobby but I would like to start
teaching children how to hoop. It is Iun
and good exercise.
Exercise Irom using a toy? That is cor-
rect and according to the article Weighted
Hula Hoop Calories Burned, Iound on Fit-
tnessBlender.com webpage research Irom
the University oI Wisconsin and paid Ior by
the American Council on Exercise, hoop-
ing burns about 7 calories a minute during
a 30 minute workout using a weighted
hoop; that`s 210 calories. The article also
mentions hooping works the abdominal the
back and oblique muscles as well as being
a great cardiovascular exercise when doing
Ior longer durations oI time.
Basic tips Ior beginners and the ftness
aspects oI hooping will be gone into in
great detail in part two oI Happy Hoops oI
LiIe, so Ior now we`ll just stick with the
idea that people`s love Ior hooping does
stem Irom its health benefts.
Good clean Iun, meditation, perIor-
mance art, and a way to connect with other
people are just some oI the aspects oI this
simple invention brought to us by those two
Iriends way back in 1958.. Mmmmmm
kind oI. Yes we could rightly reIer to Melin
and Knerr as the Iathers oI hooping, but we
can also look back a lot Iarther than that
Interesting inIormation can be Iound in
an article on Interchange.org called Happy
Birthday Hula Hoop. The concept oI the
hula hoop goes back thousands oI years.
In ancient Egypt '.children would make
circles Irom dried grape vines and swing
them around their waists, roll them, or toss
them to one another. The people oI an-
cient Greece were also said to have used
the hoop Ior its health benefts. Art enthusi-
asts may recognize this hooping history in
Jean-Leon Germe`s, 'The Hoop Dancer.
The same era saw the Swiss taking to the
hoop when musician Emile Jaques-Dal-
croze, who, according to Happy Birthday
Hula Hoop, is the inventor oI eurhythmics
(a way oI using body movement to expe-
rience music) Iound a way to utilize hoop
dancing to help train both dancers oI all
styles and musician. So here we see evi-
dence oI a social aspect even in history.
Fourteenth century England saw an ex-
plosive use oI the hoops until it was cursed
to cause heart ailments and back issues,
though we know much better now. The
article also mentions the hoop`s Ameri-
can roots. The Indigenous peoples here in
America engaged in a hoop dance; interest-
ingly enough Phoenix Arizona still holds
an annual hoop dance competition.
So it seems as though the history oI the
hula-hoop and its popularity is much stron-
ger than a Iad, and much deeper and rich
than what we normally think oI. In the sec-
ond and third installments oI the story, in
Issue #3 oI Horizons, we will take a more
in-depth look at the exercise and medita-
tion aspects and the tips and tactics Ior the
beginner to get getting a hoop and start
shaking those hips.
Historic Hoops or Simple Fad:
An Explanation In Three Parts
BY D.C. WEIDENFELLER
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
O
ne oI the most important con-
ficts today is currently hap-
pening on the other side oI the
world. The place is Ukraine. Riots started
around the beginning oI February in the
capital city oI Kiev. Citizens started to
riot because they disagreed with Iormer,
pro-Russian leader, Viktor Yanukovych.
Speaking, oI the Russians, they became
involved in the confict. They sent tanks to
the Ukraine to counter the protesters.The
Russians also moved into Crimea, a territo-
ry oI Ukraine. The people oI Crimea agreed
to leave the Ukraine and the territory was
annexed by Russia. Is this the beginning oI
a new confict which will cause the U.S. to
intervene or will it start to simmer down?
How can this possibly aIIect you?
AIter the Russian involvement, Pres-
ident Obama started to vocalize his dis-
pleasure with Russia`s intervention. He
met with interim Ukrainian Prime Min-
ister Arseniy Yatsenyuk to discuss the is-
sue. What came out oI the meeting was a
warning to the Russians. Obama warned
the Russian Prime Minister, stating that
he must remove his troops Irom Ukrainian
soil. II Russia does not cooperate, military
action could be imposed on them by the
United States. This would once again put
our country at war, a war that would be a
huge problem Ior the U.S. military, espe-
cially with the lingering wars in Iraq and
AIghanistan.
With troops still in engaged in these
countries, the military could potentially
fnd itselI with a shortage oI manpower iI
we do become embroiled in Russia. The
easiest way to fx the shortage would be
to re-institute a draIt. The government can
do this, and Iorce men and women over
the age oI 18 to enlist and fght Ior their
country iI the worst happens. OI course,
Ior this to happen, Congress would have to
approve it, and Obama would also have to
sign the law to reinstate a draIt. This could
lead to some students at Housatonic to go
to war. Many students had opinions on this.
David Gomez, a student at Housatonic,
would not be in Iavor the the US heading
into a new war. He says 'We are just fn-
ishing` up in the Middle East. We aren`t f-
nancially capable oI entering another war.
'I Ieel it (a draIt) would be unnecessary
because oI the size oI our military, he add-
ed.
Another student, Dave Dawson, Ieels
diIIerently. He said 'II it came to a point
where diplomacy couldn`t resolve any-
thing, I would support a war with Russia
because they repress dissidents and dis-
criminate openly and broadly against ho-
mosexuals.
Dawson also added 'they try to contin-
ue infuence over Iormer Soviet countries,
and now they invaded the Crimea and are
threatening the rest oI Ukraine`s sovereign-
ty.
Dawson would support the war, and
would support a draIt it it came to that.
He said 'I would accept it because a war
against Russia would be on a massive scale
and soldiers would be needed.
These are just a Iew student responses,
but to put it on a wider basis, history in-
structor Shannon Doherty answered that
question. 'America is very war weary right
now with the longest war in American his-
tory (AIghanistan) still lingering, he said.
Students would not be the only people
aIIected iI a draIt is re-instituted but par-
ents as well. My mom, Susan Eszenyi, was
able to make a Iew comments on this. 'I
am against a draIt as it would be tough Ior
me to send my son to war as it would be Ior
any parent, she said.
This can also be an overreaction to the
whole situation overseas. The Russians can
listen to the threats and pull their troops
out oI the country. This may not solve the
confict but it would relieve a lot oI tension
across the world. Many Eastern Ukrainians
support the Russians based on the results
oI the most recent elections in the country.
It is almost a 50/50 split among the citi-
zens. II Russia does pull out oI the coun-
try, a civil war can still break out but this
would not be a world wide crisis. America
has many reasons to stay out oI this.
As Doherty mentioned, most Ameri-
cans are hesitant when it comes to war
due to our recent history in the Middle
East. Last year a crisis was started in
Syria. When our citizens were polled on
whether or not they would support an
American intervention, most responded
negatively. America also does not have
much oI a connection with Ukraine.
Most people do not know much about
the country so they may be unwilling
to support intervention in an unknown
place.
Either way, this crisis doesn`t seem to
be going away anytime soon. II it does
break out into a new world war, it will
aIIect you. Whether you will be support-
ive oI such a war or not the potential
oI a new draIt being implemented, iI it
comes down to that, makes this a story
that you need to keep an eye on.
Crisis in Ukraine
BY STEVEN ESZENYI
STAFF WRITER
Visit HCC Online!
Curious about the services, courses, and programs at HCC? Go to http://www.hcc.commnet.edu, the college`s home page. From there you can
navigate the various departments, search Ior courses, or Iollow links to other useIul sites, such as MyCommnet and the HCC Foundation.
7 HORIZONS News
H
ousatonic student Juan Aya-
la`s musical'The Stakes oI the
Stage, which he wrote the
book, lyrics, and music Ior and directed,
was perIormed by HCC theatre students on
the weekend oI March 27 in the Housaton-
ic theatre.
The story`s protagonist Alexis, played
by Cathy Migliazza, enters a contest to
win a scholarship to a prestigious theatre
arts school so she can Iollow her dreams oI
acting, even though everyone is telling her
it will never work out. Her Iather, played
by David Kisly, especially Ieels she can do
better, telling her a career in the theatre is,
'.like suicide.
Scene three brought the three leads
together with two numbers 'Dress to Im-
press and 'Not That Kind oI Guy.
Connor, the class nerd, played by Tyler
Campbell, squeaks out, 'I know I`m not
the kind oI guy that girls would ever dream
oI., as he tries to work up the courage to
ask Audrey, Alexis`s best Iriend, out.
While Connor sings Audrey, played by
Jaycie Cooper, makes over Alexis Ior the
big contest and they sang the song 'Dress
to Impress. Audrey had the crowd laugh-
ing as the story`s sexpot dumb blonde
saying things like she believes 'Death oI
a Salesman is about being happy because
they say the word so much.
The audience was captivated Ior Alex-
is`s song 'This is my LiIe. Migliazza
stomped her Ieet and sang, 'It`s my turn to
take the stage. Renew my liIe and erase
the past. The audience cheered Ior her
when she won the scholarship and later
when her and her Iather fnally made up.
AIter the show, Ayala said what in-
spired him to write the play was that a lot
oI his Iriends know what it`s like to Iollow
a creative path alone. 'I`ve heard Irom a lot
oI people they don`t always get the support
they need, he said. He Ieels pursuing a
career in the arts can be a tough road with-
out the approval oI Iriends and Iamily.
Cynthia Rivera said her Iavorite part oI
doing the show was just, 'Being with the
cast every Tuesday and Thursday. Her
choice Ior best moment oI the play was
Luckens Potus singing 'InIerno. From the
sound oI the audience she wasn`t the only
one who loved the number, 'It`s searing it
burns.in Satan`s grip. he sang as he
pointed at the audience and had them roar-
ing with laughter doing what looked like a
solo apache dance.
Betzabeth Castro said working with
Luckens Potus, Jean Joseph and Malcolm
Mondesir was what she will never Iorget
about doing the musical. She says they
never stopped Iooling around and making
jokes during rehearsals. Castro played the
mean girl contestant, Lauren, who tries to
intimidate Alexis at the big contest.
'I got this in the bag she bragged.
Putus, Joseph and Mondesir were
deIinitely the show`s comic relieI. Play-
ing the class clowns in the opening
scene and Mondesir cracking jokes in a
blue blazer as a slimy version oI Ryan
Seacrest.
The audience also loved Tammie V.
Smith playing the empathetic mother
singing to her daughter about under-
standing her passion Ior the stage.
Ayala and his good Iriend Gabriel
Gutierrez played all the music Ior the
show, with Ayala on piano and Gutierrez
on drums. He thanked Gutierrez and his
cast Ior their support and hard work on
playbill.com where he wrote, 'I could
not be any prouder oI this incredible and
hardworking cast. From start to fnish
they`ve put in their all.
Keep an eye out Ior more produc-
tions Irom Housatonic theatre students.
The plays are oIten Iree and open to the
public.
The Stakes of the Stage
BY NICOLE LAZARIUK
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Photo by Nicole Lazariuk.
The Cast of ~The Stakes of the Stage taking their bows. Photo by Nicole Lazariuk.
T
he Iuture could possibly hold
something bright Ior younger
students; a new SAT Iormat is
said to emerge in the year 2016. Some oI
the adjustments being made include eas-
ier and more understandable vocabulary
words, the once required essay portion is
no longer mandatory, and the current 2400
point score Iormat will return to the orig-
inal 1600 Iormat. One oI the most shock-
ing adjustments to this test is that students
will no longer be penalized Ior incorrect
answers. Some think that these changes
will be helpIul Ior those taking the SAT`s
in the Iuture, but others argue there will
be no diIIerence. What are the opinions oI
the students around Connecticut? How do
Housatonic students Ieel towards the SAT
change?
The opinions on the new SAT Iormat
developing by 2016 are mixed. Students
think there could possibly be benefts Irom
this test, while others think no diIIerence.
Two students Irom Masuk High School in
Monroe, Connecticut had somewhat con-
trasting opinions.
'I think the change might cause the
SAT`s to be taken less seriously, said
Amelia Gouveia, a junior at Masuk. 'It
might make colleges more selective,
Gouveia added. Gouveia did not seem to
phased by the change, considering she is
likely not to experience the new Iormat oI
the SAT.
'I`d assume they would change the Ior-
mat in order to improve students, not to
hurt them, said Kurt Trembeczki, a Iresh-
man at Masuk. Trembeczki will experience
the new SAT Iormat in the year 2016. He
laughed and said, 'It will aIIect me. I hon-
estly think I`ll get a better grade. I probably
wouldn`t have done as well taking the orig-
inal Iormat.
Younger students are the ones who will
be truly impacted by this decision. Nev-
ertheless, Housatonic students shared just
how they Ielt about the modifcation oI the
SAT`s as well.
As Iar as responses Irom Housatonic
students about the new test composition
goes, Ieedback on the test was quite varied.
A series oI HCC students were asked
iI they`ve taken the SAT`s, iI they would
retake the SAT`s with the new setup, and
their opinions on this situation.
All oI the students asked had experi-
enced taking the SAT test. The majority
Iound no need to retake this test in its new
Iormat, although some would like to see
the diIIerence between the two tests. When
told about students no longer being penal-
ized Ior incorrect answers, Jack McCand-
less, a sophomore at Housatonic responded
by saying, 'I would not retake it because
that doesn`t sound like much oI a change.
We were taught to answer all questions
even iI we didn`t know the answer.
Nearly all HCC students shared that
making the test an easier Iormat was not
exactly a smart idea. Paul Chuhvov, a Pub-
lications student, reached out on the Iact
that standardized tests can only go so Iar.
'Seems to be a good ft with the book titled
dumbing down oI America, Chuhvov
said. 'AIter all the real test is: can you do
the work we are hiring you to do?
Students had choice words to say about
the change; Ior the most part, HCC was un-
sure whether the consequence oI this new
test would beneft students or not.
Attempting to make students under-
stand both sides oI the SAT story, Dana
Firmender, an English instructor at both
Masuk High School and Housatonic Com-
munity College, revealed her response to
the change in this examination.
Firmender is Iamiliar with working
with both high school students and college
students. AIter being asked her input on
this new Iormat, Firmender replied with,
'Whatever they decide to do, they better be
consistent and keep it. With education, so
much is changed and changed and changed
again, that kids don`t invest time and ener-
gy into doing well because they know its
just going to be changed/phased out again.
Firmender believes this new SAT lay-
out might require less studying and prepa-
ration and this could be better Ior students.
'It seems to measure more oI what stu-
dents already know, not how much they
can study, Firmender added.
By making the SAT questions simpler,
eliminating the essay, and lowering the
point score, is this really going to help stu-
dents? Mixed reviews came Irom several
diIIerent sources at Housatonic. Time will
tell the outcome. According to various pu-
pils and Iaculty around campus, the result
could go both directions. Until the youth
oI today is Iaced with the new SAT Iormat,
the outcome is unknown. Housatonic, as
well as many others curious students, will
just have to wait until the aItermath oI this
adjustment will surIace in 2016.
SATisfying or Ineffective: The New SAT Format
BY LESLIE PIZZAGALLI
STAFF WRITER
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8 HORIZONS News
Majoring in Medicine
BY NICOLE LAZARIUK
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
C
ould you be a nurse, physical
therapist or even a doctor?
Cam Magera, a Housatonic
student who is studying to become a holis-
tic doctor, wrote in an email that he doubts
himselI sometimes. 'Much oI the time I
have my doubts...How am I going to be
able to support myselI while going through
the process, am I good enough and smart
enough to do this? I take things on a dai-
ly basis because the big picture is just too
much Ior me to digest, he said.
A lot oI people who contemplate a ca-
reer in medicine must Iace the the same
doubts.
So how do you know iI medicine is
your calling? 'I was attracted to the med-
ical feld because it would allow me to
help people...As an EMT and Hygienist I
get patients who are aIraid. The greatest
Ieeling is when your treatment as a health-
care provider takes the Iear away, Brian
Cugini, a Housatonic student studying to
become a physical therapist, wrote to me
in an e-mail.
Nurse Practitioner Iveliz Oramas, a
Housatonic student studying to be a doctor,
was in high school when she discovered
medicine was Ior her. While on a trip to
India with a program called Building with
Books, she saw some things that changed
her liIe.
'There were pretty much no doctors or
nurses. All the people were looking Ior this
one woman. She was doing minor stuII to
help like bandaging and what she could
and I thought I`d love to do that Ior peo-
ple looking Ior care that no one else can
give...I always Ielt that`s the place that God
had put me, she said.
The misconception seems to be that
people get into medicine Ior the money,
but all three students Ieel money should be
the last thing you are worried about. Cugi-
ni Ieels iI you`re not in this feld Ior the
people then it`s not Ior you.
Oramas echoed this sentiment. 'You
have to love people. II you`re in it Ior the
money it won`t work. Oramas said. She
says loving it is what keeps you going be-
cause iI you don`t you`ll burn out and pa-
tients will end up not being treated right.
Magera also Ieels money and healing
don`t mix.
'I don`t think medicine should ever be
about business and unIortunately that`s
what conventional medicine has become...
It`s all about taking your skills and talents,
and dressing them in a coat oI compassion
so you can help others heal. Anything more
or less is a diversion and disservice, he
wrote.
So how hard are the classes should you
decide medicine is your calling? Although
Cugini`s job is based on the mouth he says
he still had to learn the anatomy and physi-
ology oI the entire human body along with
the biomechanics oI all the cells. So no Iree
pass there.
It seems iI you choose this major you
will defnitely be busy, 'It`s very common
to have a loaded schedule. I can`t remem-
ber a semester I took less than 17 credits.
My advice Ior students taking a large load
oI classes would be to organize and priori-
tize their workload...I believe the absolute
best way to study is to review the material
every day aIter class, Cugini wrote.
Oramas advises pacing yourselI and
not waiting until the last minute,'Break it
down day by day...trying to do too much all
at once won`t work, she said.
Another point they all seem to agree on
is that pulling an all nighter is the worst
way to study, 'Cramming Ior a major exam
is not the way to go. Even iI it gets you
through a test, chances are you`ll soon Ior-
get the concepts you`ll need to eventually
build upon, Magera wrote.
This is obviously a career that requires
a lot oI time. It`s more oI a liIestyle than
a job. According to Magera, your studies
will be your number one priority, '...I don`t
think any sane person wants to stay up till
2:00 a.m. studying chemistry or wants to
sacrifce their social liIe. Yet these are typi-
cally the things one needs to come to terms
with, he added.
Cugini agrees that his studies do inter-
Iere with his Iree time.'Yes, sometimes
your social liIe pays the price, but iI you
can commit yourselI to studying when you
need to as opposed to partying there`s no
reason why you can`t be successIul, he
wrote.
Cugini also advises getting your Ioot
in the door as soon as possible. '...II you
want to become a nurse but don`t get into
school right away, try to become a CNA
frst...II you want to be a dentist, it couldn`t
hurt to get a part time job in a dental oIfce
as an assistant or receptionist just to see
how the oIfce works and get reIerences,
he wrote.
Omaras says she worked her way up
and was working at one hospital in all
ways Ior ten years. The experience gives
her great insight into what it`s like to work
in all areas oI medicine.
Cugini and Omaras both agree it`s a
team eIIort, really they all have a part in
healing patients Irom the receptionists and
caIeteria workers to the doctors.
Cugini noted, 'II you get a bad EMT
Irom the start you`re in trouble.
As a nurse practitioner Omaras says
you are the advocate Ior your patients and
the doctors really listen to what you have
to say because really you`re the one with
the patient 24/7.
Maybe there is a place Ior everyone in
the world oI medicine?
Iveliz Oramas in her biology class in front of the plant labs. Photo by Nicole Lazariuk.
P
oetry is the art oI rhythmical
composition Ior exciting pleasure
by beautiIul, imaginitive, or ele-
vated thoughts. When you put poetry with
beautiIul and exciting women, you get
something so powerIul, it moves even the
hardest structure.
On Thursday, March 27, Poetic Soul
Arts and the Housatonic Museum oI Art
presented an event called The Women
Gather: An Evening oI Poetry Celebrating
Women`s History Month. Filling up every
seat, approximately 30 to 40 people were
in attendance.
Poets including Brenda`s Child, B.Le-
ah, Tahani Salah, Sick Prose, and Shanna
Melton poured out their soul to the open
mic.
Each with amazing and infuential lives,
their stories were told with unimaginable
passion. With each poem, the audience
could Ieel their sadness, anger, love and
lust in every word they spoke.
Most oI their inspiration to write these
poems came Irom conversation, experi-
ences and encounters with diIIerent peo-
ple. Nikki Giovanni`s poem, 'The Wom-
en Gather was what inspired this event.
This poem talks about a woman loving a
man and how women greatly infuence the
world around us. Women`s empowerment,
womanhood, and rising up out oI the shad-
ows is what these artists portray.
Shanna Melton, a poetry ambassador
and poet, was accompanied by Robbin
Zella, Director oI the Housatonic Museum
oI Art, to host this event. Melton shared
some insight about the main purpose oI
The Women Gather.
'It is more about highlighting the good
things that people are doing as artists in
this community and enhancing their expe-
rience, she said.
Since Ieminist translated more to
'womanist Ior this event, Melton also
hosts events Ior celebrating men`s poetry
like the event 'In His Words.
These women poets traveled Irom plac-
es like New York and Springfeld to oIIer
their words oI wisdom. They advocate Ior
silenced women, teach young girls, and
support other women in their journey to
acknowledgment.
'These women are incredible and tal-
ented. We all do a lot oI things and I think
a lot oI times we`re not as visible, Melton
said. 'Artists document what happens in
the world. We`re the storytellers and his-
torians, and we teach a lot through our po-
etry.
The Women Gather
BY ASHLEY SEETOO
EDITOR
Please Recycle This Newspaper
Most of the classrooms at HCC have both a garbage bin and a blue recycling bin.
There are onIy two things that you shouId put in those bins:
- Printer Paper/Notebook Paper
- Newspaper
These items CANNOT go in the recycIing bins:
- Food
- Plastic of any kind, including bottles
- Other packaging
Any non-paper items that you throw out while in class must go in the regular trash. The cleaners will not separate our waste for us. Any time you
dispose of regular garbage in the recycling bins, the entire contents of that bin goes to the landfll.
!"#$%"&' remains committed to assisting in efforts that will result in a cleaner campus and community. Please help us help you by recycling
responsibly.
9 HORIZONS News You Can Use
!"#$ & '(#'"#!)(*'(#
('+$ ,-. /!( .$'
-
D
o you ever fnd yourselI whin-
ing in Irustration over how
you`re 'such a procrastinator,
but fnd yourselI browsing the Internet,
going out with Iriends, or even cleaning
to avoid getting down to business? People
with this problem oIten have trouble meet-
ing deadlines or turning in quality work.
Studies show, however, that procrastina-
tion is actually benefcial to some people.
Entrepreneur and investor Paul Graham
noted that some oI the most impressive
people he knows are procrastinators. To il-
lustrate this in an article on his website, he
presents the notion oI 'the absent-minded
proIessor,` who Iorgets to shave, or eat, or
even perhaps look where he`s going while
he`s thinking about some interesting ques-
tion. His mind is absent Irom the everyday
world because it`s hard at work in another.
In a society so Iocused on productivi-
ty and eIfciency, the art oI procrastina-
tion oIten gets a bad rap. Sure, Ior some,
procrastination may lead to Iailure to ever
complete a task. It may cause work to pile
up until it becomes entirely overwhelming.
But is it always bad? Should one Ieel guilty
or ashamed oI being a selI-proclaimed
master procrastinator? Not exactly. There
is a defnitive line between active and pas-
sive procrastination.
'Procrastination is just a universal
state oI being Ior humans...The question
is not whether we are procrastinating, it is
whether we are procrastinating well, said
University oI San Diego proIessor Frank
Partnoy, in discussing his book, 'Wait: The
Art and Science oI Delay in Smithsonian
Magazine.
Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener, editorial
board member Ior the Journal oI Happiness
Studies and Journal oI Positive Psycholo-
gy, deems those who Iall into the passive
group to be procrastinators, while those
who succeed in active procrastination are
considered 'incubators.
In a CNN article, also Ieatured on
Oprah in 2010, Dr. Biswas-Diener noted
his observation that incubators possessed a
strength, in that they had 'a clear sense oI
deadlines, confdence that the work would
be complete on time, certainty that the
work would be oI superior quality and the
ability to subconsciously process import-
ant ideas while doing other-- oIten recre-
ational-- activities.
Soon-to-be HCC graduate Kimmy Di-
Tullio relayed her experience, saying that
she 'almost never procrastinates because
time constraints 'add unwanted stress and
prevent her Irom perIorming to the best oI
her abilities. She preIers to do everything
ahead oI schedule, so she`s always pre-
pared Ior what lies ahead.
Contrarily, UCONN graduate Angelica
Coppola said that juggling study abroad
trips, working part-time, and the grueling
work involved in a major in Animal Sci-
ence would have been 'a hellish experi-
ence iI she hadn`t been so successIul at
completing tasks at the last minute in order
to make time Ior more pleasurable activ-
ities.
What causes procrastination? Obvi-
ously, there`s the whole idea oI avoiding
dreaded work, or the anxiety it incites.
Sometimes it`s not even that the task is
diIfcult or daunting, but that it`s simply
something one has to do, rather than wants
to do.
What happens is, proactive procrasti-
nators are good at what they do, and as
long as the work is done well, and done
beIore the due date, procrastination oIten
goes unpunished. When one 'gets away
with it, there`s a thrill, an open invi-
tation to do it again. And so the title is
earned.
'I had so much on my plate, Coppo-
la said, 'anyone with that much work is
bound to get stressed. So to de-stress
she`d put things oII until the night beIore,
go out, party, and enjoy herselI. 'Come
crunch time, I was like a machine, pump-
ing out essays and lab reports in the quiet
hours when everyone was asleep. And I
still earned good grades. It`s just how I
work, she said.
John Perry, author oI 'Structured Pro-
crastination, notes that not all procras-
tinators dilly dally with exciting tasks,
however. On his website, Perry writes that
structured procrastination is 'an amazing
strategy. that converts procrastinators
into eIIective human beings, respected
and admired Ior all that they can accom-
plish and the good use they make oI time.
All procrastinators put oII things they
have to do. Structured procrastination is
the art oI making this bad trait work Ior
you.
How this is accomplished, Perry ex-
plains, is the way that structured procras-
tinators 'seldom do absolutely nothing;
they do marginally useIul things, like gar-
dening or sharpening pencils or making a
diagram oI how they will reorganize their
fles when they get around to it.
In determining whether or not pro-
crastination is a detriment, it is import-
ant to evaluate your success with the
act in the past. Procrastination is an art
Iorm, and it`s not suited to everyone`s
taste. II you Iind that you work well
under pressure, excel with the knowl-
edge oI a looming deadline, or seek the
adrenaline rush oI testing your ability to
accomplish the seemingly impossible,
you might be an incubator, also known
as an active, or 'structured procrastina-
tor.
II this is the case, incubators need
not Ieel ashamed oI their uncanny abil-
ity to be 'Last Minute Louies and
still get the job done. In Iact, New
York Times writer John Tierney said
'It`s certainly a saner strategy than the
bromide about never putting oII until
tomorrow what you can do today. By
that logic, you`d never stop working
there`s always something that could be
done today.
The Art of Procrastination
BY ASHLEY TEARE
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
'Procrastination is fust a universal state of being
for humans... The question is not whether we are
procrastinating, it is whether we are procrastinating well,`
A
t this point in liIe, do you
know exactly what you want
to do, career-wise? Where
do you see yourselI in about fve years?
Those pursuing a bachelor`s degree aIter
leaving HCC, listen up!
According to Johns Hopkins` survey
in 2012, '450 recent graduates Iound that
only 50 were employed Iull time, while
26 were working part time, 6 were
unemployed, and 6 underemployed.
How does that make you Ieel? Will
you Iall in the 6? We`ve all heard the
saying, 'Education is key, but nowa-
days, is it really?
It is unpleasant and rather disturbing
to know that there is a chance oI unem-
ployment in your Iuture, even aIter going
to school Ior all these years. On top oI
that, iI you`ve taken out a loan, you have
that to pay oII. Paying oII student loans
and not having the career oI your dreams
is tough. What good is it to have a degree
iI you can`t put it to use? When you think
about it, it kind oI backfres on you; the
Iact that a load oI money was spent Ior
you, to in return, make your own money
in the Iuture, and it doesn`t happen.
Getting an associate`s degree is just
the frst step, but it does not guarantee
you a job in your feld. You may still be
able to apply, but employers are more
quick to consider those with a bachelor`s
degree over an associate`s.
Joanne Anzenberger, who is one oI
the criminal justice proIessors here at
HCC, and also a retired police oIfcer,
said, 'II you want to be a parole or pro-
bation oIfcer, you have to have at least a
bachelor`s degree.
Now, you can apply to work at com-
mon places such as grocery stores and
in retail, but career-wise, you`re 'up the
creek without a paddle.
However, an associate`s degree can be
a good place to start. Students graduating
Irom our local community colleges have
the opportunity oI applying their asso-
ciate`s degree in any oI our Connecticut
universities to work towards their bach-
elor`s. You can even use your degree as
a minor and major in another subject,
which will later on expand your career
choices.
\Marilyn Wehr, our school transIer
counselor, said, 'All oI the students who
were Criminal Justice students here and
transIerred to SCSU, transIerred over
as Sociology majors. She says, 'It is
common that students change majors
when going to a university. Wehr also
suggested schools such as Westconn and
University oI New Haven because they
are more Iriendly when accepting cred-
its.
II you know Ior a Iact that you want
to be a teacher, do some research on how
high the demands are Ior certain sub-
jects. II you are currently majoring in a
feld such as Criminal Justice and unsure
oI what exactly you want to do, perhaps
major in Sociology or Psychology when
transIerring to a 4-year college/Univer-
sity, and use criminal justice as your mi-
nor. Not only will you still be able to ap-
ply in the criminal justice feld, but your
career opportunities will be more fexi-
ble. Wehr`s advice to the current students
oI HCC is to speak to your advisors and
proIessors about your career choices so
that they can help you.
You can go on websites including
'www.indeed.com to see where help is
needed. Or, you can simply visit a feld
in which you plan on entering some day
and fnd out what exactly is required to
become part oI the team. You might even
fnd out more inIormation that may lead
you to a new path in which you may be
interested. Don`t limit yourselI by limit-
ing your education. In other words, think
ahead and plan Ior the Iuture!
Make Your Education Count!
BY OLIVIA HODGE
STAFF WRITER
Visit HCC Online!
Curious about the services, courses, and programs at HCC? Go to http://www.hcc.commnet.edu, the college`s home page. From there you can
navigate the various departments, search Ior courses, or Iollow links to other useIul sites, such as MyCommnet and the HCC Foundation.
10 HORIZONS News You Can Use
T
he everyday liIe oI a college stu-
dent is time consuming, over-
whelming, and demands hours
oI on-the-go energy. This energy oIten
comes Irom the consumption oI caIIeine,
more so the thousands oI gallons oI coIIee
consumed by college students per day.
A study conducted by the NPD Group
(National Purchase Diary) showed that
more 18- to 24-year-olds are turning to
coIIee instead oI caIIeinated soda. That
same study showed that between 2002 and
2012 the percentage oI 18- to 24-year-olds
drinking coIIee increased Irom 25 percent
to 39 percent over a two-week period.
'I think college students start to drink
coIIee because they`re experiencing a
new atmosphere, said HCC student Bas-
sil Akach.
'Unlike high school, college means
more time studying and at the beginning
most students don`t organize their time
very well and they start drinking coIIee to
keep up, Akach added.
CoIIee is not the only way we get caI-
Ieine into our bodies, because as we know,
caIIeine also takes the Iorm oI soda, ener-
gy drinks, certain teas, and tablets.
CaIIeine is known as a nervous system
stimulant that oIten takes eIIect within a
Iew minutes oI consumption. The eIIects
oI it vary Irom person to person depend-
ing on gender, race, and metabolism, and
the eIIects can either be negative or pos-
itive.
'CaIIeine is a drug and can aIIect peo-
ple diIIerently just like any other sub-
stance. It`s important that consumers un-
derstand how caIIeine interacts with their
bodies in regards to their personal health
histories, said Ted Kallymer, caIIeine ex-
pert, biology/health educator, and writer
Ior CaIIeine InIormer.
Being aware oI how much caIIeine is
being consumed is also important and cru-
cial to knowing how it aIIects your body
personally. The way that caIIeine aIIects
you may not be the same way it aIIects a
Iriend or Iamily member, and the eIIects
are on a spectrum running Irom mild to
severe.
According to the FDA (Food and Drug
Administration), the eIIects oI caIIeine
can make you jittery and shaky, make it
hard to get a good night`s sleep, make
your heart beat Iaster, raise your blood
pressure, cause headaches, dizziness,
make you dehydrated, and/or make you
dependent on it so you need to take more
oI it.
Taking in more amounts oI caIIeine
can have serious side eIIects on the phys-
ical body, especially when you aren`t
keeping track oI how much you`re actu-
ally consuming. Many people don`t both-
er reading labels or counting how many
milligrams oI caIIeine are in their drinks.
Some might even consume more than the
recommended amount iI they aren`t care-
Iul or conscious oI what number cup oI
coIIee they`re on.
'CaIIeine overdose is dangerous and
can kill you, said the FDA.
Using caIIeine every day isn`t typical-
ly recommended Ior anyone because caI-
Ieine is meant to wake you up and stimu-
late your senses, but when you consume
it everyday and at all hours, it becomes a
norm, and your body adapts to it.
'When people use caIIeine every day,
their bodies get used to it, and they don`t
get the 'good eIIects oI Ieeling more
awake and able to concentrate unless they
use more oI it, said the FDA.
CaIIeine consumption among young
adults has been monitored through na-
tional surveys and studies perIormed by
research teams. It has also been noted that
the amount oI caIIeine taken in by young
adults, mainly college students, has in-
creased over the years.
The FDA reports on a 19-year-old
college student who died aIter taking an
overdose oI caIIeine tablets to stay awake.
CaIIeine itselI takes its own toll on the
body, but accompanied by lack oI sleep
made Ior a very dangerous and unIortu-
nate situation Ior this college student,
which is why being aware oI the amount
oI caIIeine taken in is important.
A saIe amount oI caIIeine to consume
daily cannot be defned and doesn`t really
exist because even a saIe amount varies
Irom person to person depending on a
person`s current health and medical con-
ditions.
According to CaIIeine InIormer, 'For
healthy adults with no medical issues, it is
generally agreed upon that 300mg-400mg
oI caIIeine can be consumed daily without
any adverse eIIects.
This amount oI caIIeine is equivalent
to 1 Starbucks Venti oI brewed coIIee,
11.7 12 f.oz. Cokes, and 5 8 f.oz. Red
Bulls.
These amounts are probably more than
what the average college student or per-
son consumes per day, but being aware
oI daily intake and these equivalencies
is benefcial to knowing how caIIeine is
aIIecting your body right now and how it
could potentially aIIect you in the Iuture.
Caffeine Takes Its Toll
BY SHERLY MONTES
MANAGING EDITOR
Caffeine comes in many forms such as coffee, soda, and energy drinks.
Photo By: Sherly Montes
Horizons is on facebook!
Visit the Housatonic Horizons Iacebook Ian page to read the latest about what`s going on at
HCC as well as articles you won`t fnd in the paper, and
to send us links, comments, and suggestions.
11 HORIZONS News You Can Use
W
hen Felicia Iagrossi was
16 years old, she started
receiving credit card oI-
Iers in the mail. By the time she was
21, she was deeply in debt, a mistake
that she is still paying Ior today. She
learned the hard way that iI you don`t
use a credit card responsibly, it can
land you in some serious Iinancial
troubles which can take years to Iix
and repair.
'I Ielt I was mature enough to open up
a credit card and pay bills because I was
paying my cell phone bill every month
without a problem, Iagrossi said. Her
mother had warned her not to get a cred-
it card, but Iagrossi wanted to prove her
mother wrong.
But like many people, she was un-
aware oI the hidden trappings oI late
charges, high interest rates and annual
Iees. Soon her small credit balances bal-
looned out oI control. Her fnancial sit-
uation took a toll on her academic and
social liIe. She couldn`t hang out with
Iriends. 'Working to pay oII debt made
it diIfcult to Iocus in school, Iagrossi
said. 'I was missing classes to take on
more hours, or I was too tired to get up
Ior class. Eventually she had to quit
school and work Iull-time to get her f-
nances in order.
But it wasn`t until Iour years ago
when Iagrossi, now 27, was in the market
Ior purchasing a home with her husband
Charles that her past credit mistakes real-
ly came to haunt her. She had poor credit
with great job security while he had per-
Iect credit, but lacked security within his
job. Iagrossi admits that his wiIe was up-
Iront with him about her negative credit
rating when they frst started dating.
'I have always been anal about Ii-
nances, he said. He likes to pay every-
thing on time as soon as his bills come
in. But when they went to the bank to
apply Ior a home loan they ran right into
a brick wall. 'My wiIe`s scores had an
impact on me, Iagrossi said. They were
told that they could not extend a line oI
credit to his wiIe Felicia. Charles would
have to put the mortgage in his name
solely, and she would have to clear up
the blemishes on her credit report.
'My mom never told me how import-
ant a credit score was, Iagrossi said.
But with the advice Irom the bank, she
hired an attorney to help settle her debts
and avoid having her wages garnished.
'Putting it oII wasn`t a smart option,
Iagrossi said. 'It caused more trouble
than I could have imagined. But even-
tually she was able to pay down her
bills and slowly rebuild her credit using
a secured credit card to boost her credit
rating. She also piggy backed oII oI her
husband`s good credit to help improve
her credit score.
'My score is not perIect or as high
as I`d like but it is currently at 680,
Iagrossi said. It took a lot oI time and
patience, but six years later, she is back
on track Iinancially. For Iagrossi whose
goal is to be a Criminal Justice Attor-
ney, having a good credit score is very
important. She can`t apply to law school
iI her credit is not in good standing.
'I watch my credit and my husband`s
credit very careIully, Iagrossi said. 'I
have credit monitoring and we pay cash
Ior everything except house purchases.
II she does use a credit card she makes
sure that it has at least 6 months no inter-
est, and pays it oII beIore the interest Iree
period expires.
For any college students who are
thinking about signing up Ior a credit
card, Tammie Pettway, StaII Accountant
at Gabriel Tax & Accounting Services, in
Bridgeport, oIIers the Iollowing advice:
1. Don`t sign up Ior a credit card iI
you really don`t need one.
2. II you do get a credit card, consider
getting a secured credit card which re-
quires an initial deposit which then be-
comes the amount oI your credit line.
3. Try to fnd credit cards that don`t
have annual Iees, oIIer cash rewards, and
have low interest rates.
The most common mistake that Pett-
way fnds is that people overuse and rely
on their credit cards as an immediate
Iorm oI payment. 'Be cognizant oI what
your needs versus what your wants are,
Pettway said. She advises people to use
their cards responsibly, pay oII the bal-
ances monthly and try not to carry large
balances.
As Ior Iagrossi she has Iound
that websites like Mint.com,
helps keep track oI her month-
ly bills and accounts. And other
websites like Credit Karma.com,
Freecreditreport.com.and Learnvest.
com give her tips on Iinances as well
as access to Iree credit reports. Even
though Iagrossi had a bad experi-
ence, she has weathered the storm
and learned Irom her mistakes. She
now pays all her bills on time.
'I hope other people may be able
to avoid this situation and don`t
make the same Iinancial mista
kes I did, Iagrossi said.
College Students Beware:
Hidden Dangers of Credit Cards
BY SEKINAH ERSKINE
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
A
s the spring semester works
up to the halIway mark,
seemingly simple tasks be-
gin to stockpile. Those 'visions oI sug-
ar plums over the holiday season have
now transIormed into night terrors oI
textbooks and equations, attacking much
like the horrendous cutlery that plagued
Wilbur in 'Charlotte`s Web. The inev-
itable procrastination oI that term pa-
per escalates to a Iew sleepless nights,
skipped meals, more dinners spent at
McDonalds than you`re proud to admit,
and a parade oI 'what iI questions on
your contemplated Iailure. Although we
have accepted this as a way oI college
liIe, this can become a vicious circle
that devastates your mental and physical
health. Simply put, you might stay up un-
til 4 a.m. studying Ior your test, but how
helpIul will that studying be iI you`re too
tired to even read the questions the next
day, or perhaps even sleep through class.
This is not a solitary struggle. Housa-
tonic has a large variety oI resources to
help you get your needs met in a way
that will help you Succeed. Student Mark
Lucas studies graphic design and has a
9-10 hour class schedule. Despite spend-
ing such a large portion oI his time at
HCC, he still chooses to come in an hour
early every day to use the gym in the
wellness center.
In Iact, while I was looking Ior stu-
dents to interview and asking around, a
Iellow student nods his head to Lucas
and lets out a laugh, 'this topic is per-
Iect Ior you! The student takes in a deep
breath while gripping the bar on the ex-
ercise equipment in Iront oI him. While
bantering back and Iorth on the stress oI
recent tests and papers, Lucas reveals the
source oI his sanity. AIter hopping Irom
assignment to assignment, getting to bed
on an average oI 3 a.m. and indulging
in Iast Iood in order to save time, Lucas
cringes at the thought oI another possible
quiz. His major sense oI relieI is spend-
ing an hour to simply work out.
'It just clears your mind, relieves
stress, and helps you sleep. I defnitely
think that by clearing all that stress helps
increase Iocus with school, he says.
The wellness center is Iree Ior all stu-
dents to use the equipment and oIIers
classes like Zumba every week to pro-
vide students with a positive outlet to re-
lieve stress and stay healthy.
Our bodies can be taken Ior granted,
yet we are equipped with the tools neces-
sary to succeed both personally and aca-
demically. As psychology proIessor and
Department Head Claudine Coba-Loh
phrases best (while reIerring to her
niece), 'Sometimes you have to remem-
ber to smell the fowers and blow out the
birthday candles. II a Iour year old can
do it, then an adult certainly can.
Around the end oI April in the spring
semester, stress and anxiety have a ten-
dency to Ilood the hallways and computer
labs oI HCC. Coba-loh reasons that stu-
dent may not necessarily be aware that
they are being neglectIul to their health.
Students might Iorget to eat, purposely
stay up late to Iinish an assignment, or
be too stressed to sleep. It all eventu-
ally triggers other impairments, such
as concentration and overall happiness.
Coba-Loh explains, something as sim-
ple as taking Iive deep breaths prior to
a test can relax you and increase your
chances oI success. Deep breathing trig-
gers the parasympathetic nervous sys-
tem, allowing heart rate, adrenaline, and
other Iunctions to regulate properly. It
can relieve the stress that impacts how
you Ieel, Iunction, and even treat others.
The end oI the semester reaches a
near breaking point with a juggling act
oI painstaking Iinal exams and the dread
oI Iiguring out Iuture plans, whether it
be registering Ior classes, transIerring
to a new school, or graduating and start-
ing a career. The thought oI deciding
the Iuture can make a student 'nope
out oI here, curl up into a ball and roll
away. ThankIully HCC oIIers an amaz-
ing counseling center near the lobby oI
LaIayette Hall. They assist students and
provide them with resources and guid-
ance. Whether it be planning a college
transIer or just needing to talk to some-
one about a stressIul day, the counselors
are more than willing to help students in
a saIe, judgement Iree environment. The
resources are available to help reduce
stress and relieve anxiety so students
will be able to treat their mind and bod-
ies with respect and succeed in school.
Now beIore the next exam, try taking
some time out to calm your nerves.
Perhaps put on The Lion King and belt
'Hakuna Matata into a hairbrush at the
top oI your lungs. Let yourselI relax to
an extent and see what kind oI diIIer-
ence it makes in the ability to study.
Take those Iive deep breaths beIore the
exam and don`t be aIraid to ask Ior help
when needed. There is a large range oI
resources to decrease stress and increase
productivity. The ability to manage
these issues are tucked within our
brains regardless oI how hard they
can be to Iind at times. Search the
nooks and crannies, pull that suck-
er out and walk down the halls with
the conIidence to master your edu-
cation like a brain ninja. Stronger
possibilities are waiting, the largest
diIIiculty is being awake enough to
see them.
Stress Management Like a Beast
BY DESIREE SWENDSEN
STAFF WRITER
/9. 9+?
II you`d like to have your ad posted in the new Pin it! section just send us the inIormation you want posted
with all pertinent data to horizonsbulletinboardgmail.com.
12 HORIZONS Opinions
F
or decades now, cigarette smok-
ing has been a major issue oI
debate. Should smoking ciga-
rettes be allowed in bars? On municipal
property? In cars? In the Iorm oI electronic
cigarettes? More oIten than not, these dis-
cussions result in the implementation oI
rules and regulations that leave the smoker
inconvenienced; there seems to be no re-
course, and those individuals who choose
to smoke are pushed Iurther and Iurther
out-oI-doors.
Conveniently, while Housatonic has
become more smoke-Iree in the past Iew
years, those in charge oI planning have
designated a well-equipped smoking sec-
tion right outside oI Beacon Hall. The par-
ticular area is spacious and Iairly pleasant,
appointed with many picnic bench-style
tables and receptacles Ior cigarette butts
(known colloquially as 'smokers` oases).
Despite the ten 'smokers` oases placed
strategically around the area, the ground is
littered with cigarette butts, as though some
reckless dolt had clumsily overturned the
world`s largest ashtray. The used-up cig-
arette flters cover the graveled area, but
are, quite bizarrely, most clustered around
the easily accessed receptacles.Why, when
already standing within two Ieet oI the
proper receptacle, would a person go out
oI their way to not use it? Is it surrounded
by deadly, invisible bees that only a cho-
sen Iew can see? I hope (oh, how I hope!)
that this is the case - the idea that people
are otherwise so ignorant is terriIying. And
also, bees! Deadly, invisible bees! That
would be pretty cool.
(It`s probably not bees.)
Mutant bees aside, the obviously incor-
rect disposal oI these cigarette butts could
have serious implications Ior smokers.
It increases the workload Ior whichever
employees must clean the area. This extra
work means extra time spent, and that time
costs the school money. There is a chance,
thereIore, that the school may decide that
such an investment is not worthwhile.
Smokers attending Housatonic could lose
their last reIuge, and be Iorced to huddle
in deIeated masses in the parking garage,
risking liIe and limb amongst the daredevil
drivers - all Ior the sake oI a quick drag.
It is also completely disrespectIul.
Housatonic is a shared community, pop-
ulated by smokers and nonsmokers alike,
and visited by individuals Irom outside
oI the college. This is a great disser-
vice, done to our community and cam-
pus when the ground is leIt so ugly with
reIuse. It`s not at all a good look Ior a
campus to sport. Ultimately, perhaps the
most interesting Iacet oI this little prob-
lem, this collective action oI not properly
disposing cigarette butts illustrates a Ias-
cinating phenomenon it quite clearly
takes more energy to drop a cigarette and
then stomp it out than it does to simply
slip it into the receptacle that is placed
at the perIect height. Engineers probably
spent a lot oI time designing this weird-
ly-shaped ashtray, just so that the smok-
er isn`t inconvenienced when disposing
a cigarette. Smokers should be grateIul.
This dirty carelessness is, in Iact, an ab-
horrent laziness that requires more work
and energy than the execution oI proper
disposal.
II smokers wish to keep their des-
ignated smoking area and iI they also
wish to conserve their energy Ior the
more important things in liIe (like, per-
haps, studying Ior Finals or completing
long-ignored projects that are suddenly,
magically due tomorrow), they would be
wise to use the provided receptacles ap-
propriately and keep their butts oII oI the
ground.
When Two Feet is Too Far
BY SARAH SPRINGER
STAFF WRITER
CigaretteButts: ~Smoker`s oasis in the smoking section outside of Beacon Hall. Photo by Sarah
Springer.
M
y Iondest memory oI Presi-
dent Anita Gliniecki wasn`t at
HCC. It was in New Orleans.
I traveled to Louisiana in April 2011
aIter having been named that year`s Co-
ca-Cola New Century Scholar in the All-
USA Community College Academic Team
Ior the state oI Connecticut through Phi
Theta Kappa, the national honors society
Ior two-year colleges.
Gliniecki had nominated me Ior the
award. Winning it was a big deal Ior HCC,
so she naturally came down south to sup-
port me. She introduced me to the top brass
at Phi Theta Kappa, with whom she was
already Iamiliar.
The congratulations and support were
welcome, but they were what any good ad-
ministrator was supposed to do promote
your school by promoting your successIul
students.
No, what stuck with me Irom that trip
was what happened aIter the ceremonies
ended: Gliniecki invited me to the hotel`s
bar (yes, I was old enough to drink).
As we sat together, she told me about
her previous administrative experience in
Michigan, her Iamily, her thoughts on Con-
necticut`s higher ed politics. She was cor-
dial, aIIable and intellectually sharp.
I had seen and talked to Gliniecki a
number oI times prior to that evening in
New Orleans, oI course. It was bound to
happen as part oI my job as a reporter Ior
Horizons. I covered her inauguration in
2007 as HCC`s Iourth president, got quotes
Irom her Irom time to time, and attended
many events at which she spoke.
Until then, though, I had never connect-
ed with her on equal terms, as a Iellow hu-
man being. I knew she was smart and com-
petent, but I wouldn`t have characterized
her as particularly charismatic. She was
oIten a polite, smiling presence, but also
tended to Iade into the background. Def-
nitely not the cult-oI-personality type.
Gliniecki`s humility and relatively low-
key personality may not have jived with
the stereotypical archetype oI a leader. It
would be wrong, however, to assume that
made her a poor ft Ior the job.
To the contrary: acting in true pub-
lic-servant Iashion, she kept the Iocus oII
herselI while keeping it on the college.
One need only look at the intense
growth and change she oversaw at HCC
during her tenure. When she arrived, the
campus was restricted to LaIayette Hall.
There were already Iar too many students
Ior the space. It could be downright claus-
trophobic.
Gliniecki and her team deItly coordi-
nated the opening oI Beacon Hall in 2008
and handled the near-doubling oI the stu-
dent body that went with that expansion.
The transition to a larger campus went
more smoothly than anyone would have
guessed. By the second semester aIter Bea-
con Hall opened, it was as iI it had always
been there.
It`s worth remembering that this mas-
sive expansion also occurred at the lowest
point oI the Great Recession, when the
state Iound itselI with huge budget holes.
Block grants Ior the community colleges
had already been inadequately Iunded Ior
years; now this was compounded with Iur-
loughs, early retirement incentives, and
other money-saving pressures.
It would be Iolly to say that students
didn`t notice any eIIects oI the recession at
HCC especially in our personal lives. Yet
the college continued to fourish.
This was in no small part thanks to
Gliniecki`s leadership, which has been so
successIul that the college is once again
undergoing a growth spurt, with a major
addition planned Ior LaIayette.
From a budgetary standpoint, Gliniec-
ki will be leaving HCC in a strong posi-
tion compared with Connecticut`s 11 other
community colleges. According to num-
bers compiled by the CT Mirror, HCC has
consistently had the highest unrestricted
net assets oI all community colleges in the
state during the last six years all during
Gliniecki`s time as president. Although the
system as a whole recently hit an all-time
low Ior its emergency reserves, HCC`s
projected holdings oI $6,756,640 Ior 2014
alone account Ior over two-thirds oI the en-
tire $9.7 million the system will have leIt.
Still, there are some challenges that even
a college president has no control over.
When Gov. Dannell Malloy merged the
governing boards oI the state`s Iour-year
universities with the community colleges
in 2011 in a money-saving eIIort, Gliniecki
Anita Gliniecki:
A True Public Servant for HCC
BY BRANDON T. BISCEGLIA
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
13 HORIZONS Opinions
'Valor Morghoulis
C
onIession time. This writer is not
much oI a television Ian. Having
lost all interest when several oI
the best shows ever to appear on a pre-fat
screen device were unceremoniously can-
celled, thereby breaking this writer`s heart.
I seldom venture into the nether regions
oI the Swamp People, Honey Boo-Boo,
Doomsday Prepper universe. I only do so
to catch up on the various sports I Iollow or
to get the latest skinny on a hot news story.
You see, television can be dangerous to my
mental health.
My children used to make Iun oI me
when they`d catch me engaging in conver-
sation with the set in our living room. 'It`s
not going to answer you dad. Or I`d over-
hear 'Leave him alone it`s the only time
he ever wins an argument. So, you would
think that aIter they had grown and gone
oII on their merry way I`d be Iree to rant
and rage at the talking heads who read the
evening news or the various athletes disap-
pointing me on a particular day but, no, I`d
sworn oII.
Well, I`m back. I`ve been drawn back
into the land oI make believe, that nonsen-
sical, oIten times insulting playpen Ior the
mind that is modern day home entertain-
ment. I was very reluctant at frst, but aIter
hearing all the hype surrounding this one
particular show I got a bit curious. Could
it be true? And hey what the heck, as long
as there were no vampires involved I was
willing to check it out. )Nothing against
vampires mind you, but let`s Iace it they
get more than their Iair share oI the small
and large screen now and in the past.) No,
this show, so I was told, was something
new, something out oI the ordinary and,
wait Ior it..there are dragons!! I LOVE
dragons, they are the most underused Iear-
some fre breathing creatures ever! ( Not
counting Rodan, who virtually destroyed
Japan in a couple oI breaths.)
This new show has dragons, plus the
assorted White Walkers, Worgs, Wildlings,
and seven gods (enough Ior everybody). It
takes place in a land where summers can
be nine years long and winters are to be
dreaded, a continent oI seven kingdoms
consisting oI the Unsullied, Flea Bot-
tom dwellers, bastard children, halI men,
knights and princesses. It is a land where
warring kings, noble men and women live
by codes oI honor, codes that are always
undetermined, broken by venomous deceit.
I`m hooked and can`t get enough, judging
Irom the response in the ratings, neither
can millions upon millions oI other world-
wide viewers.
OI course, by now you know I`m writ-
ing about 'Game oI Thrones, the Home
Box OIfce phenomena that is setting rat-
ings records and has created an entire gen-
eration oI Ians not seen since the initial
Star Wars craze oI the 80`s.
Its creator, George R.R. Martin, has
been called the new Tolkien and with just
cause; they share more than the same mid-
dle initials. Perhaps iI CGI and other pro-
duction technologies available today were
around at the time oI Tolkien`s books, his
world oI creations would have received the
type oI hype Martin`s have today. Don`t
worry about Tolkien he got his debut. Mar-
tin`s success will go unmatched. Just imag-
ine the movie deals and other ventures to
come out oI his series oI books.
I didn`t have HBO a Iew years back,
so I took a chance and went onto one oI
those 'enter at your own risk websites
where you can watch television shows and
bootleg versions oI movies Ior Iree. It was
painIul and tedious at the time, but I man-
aged to watch the frst season that way. The
Iunny part is I did it in a little less than 36
hours. AIter seeing the frst two episodes I
was all-in. Mr.Martin`s genius, in my eyes,
is that he spares none oI the main charac-
ters Irom the ax, arrow or the sword. He has
no problem killing oII his main characters,
and thats the diIIerence between this show
and many oI other long running shows on
the tube. You just know they`re not going
to whack Jethro on NCSI, or put the ham-
mer to one oI the main science nerds on
Big Bang. Nobody would watch the shows
anymore. G.O.T. loses characters almost
every week and that in itselI is one reason
enough to tune in.
But it`s Iar Irom the only reason. The
sets and locales are breathtaking: the
mountains and glaciers oI Iceland,the long
abandoned castles oI Scotland and Ireland.
Not to mention the costumes, the special
eIIects, and newly concocted languages
that make this production a money`s worth,
Iour thumbs up must see. And don`t Iorget
the dragons!!!
Season Four kicks oII Sunday April 6,
by the time this issue oI Horizons goes to
press all the Ians, including some oI the
proIessors on staII, will have some oI the
nagging questions leIt over Irom last sea-
son answered. HopeIully we will all have
some oI our thirst Ior revenge quenched, as
last season`s Red Wedding leIt some oI us
very thirsty. You can bet your last 'Hand
oI the King stick pin there`s going to be
retribution Irom the Stark side oI town. So,
grab your Iavorite soIa quilt or easy chair,
nuke some Orville Redenbacher`s or Paul
Newman`s Own and get ready. The new
season is upon us and just in time.
Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion have
been Iattening up and grown up a bit. Arya
Stark has been practicing her recitations
and Needle work, Sansa is fnally start-
ing to smartening up, Little Finger is oII
on his journey and the Master oI Whispers
(Ouch!) knows all. The Lannisters should
get some comeuppance, Danerys Stormbo-
rn moves toward King`s landing, and Jon
Snow still knows nothing. Enjoy the new
season, because you all know it will end
too Iast and many more main characters
will Iall by the wayside. So get ready be-
cause 'Winter is Coming.
Wildlings, White Walkers, And Worgs Oh My!!
56# @,<+ !" 30)# !" 56$(.#%
BY NEIL KNOX
OPINIONS EDITOR
was among those who questioned the wis-
dom oI placing institutions with diIIerent
missions and needs under one umbrella.
In 2012, she opposed yet another measure
imposed by the state to phase out many oI
the remedial courses available to incom-
ing students. In a recent interview with the
Connecticut Post, she said that although
the new program was ready, she was wor-
ried it would result in some students being
turned away Irom the college. These and
other issues will conIront whoever be-
comes HCC`s next president.
During Gliniecki`s 2007 inau-
gural speech, she told the audience
that 'Access must be matched with
success. Whether shepherding a
massive inIlux oI students, protect-
ing programs that beneIit the needi-
est, balancing the delicate Iinancial
tightrope, or simply promoting the
achievements oI one oI her students,
she has personally lived up to the
standard she set Ior the college nearly
a decade ago.
President Gliniecki made a diI-
Ierence in my liIe and the lives oI
thousands oI other students many
oI whom she never met. I`m glad I
had the opportunity to know her Ior a
brieI moment as more than an admin-
istrator, and I wish her well in all her
Iuture endeavors.
Brandon T. Bisceglia was a report-
er Ior Horizons Irom 2007-2011. He
served as Editor-in-ChieI Irom 2008-
2010. He returned to HCC as an edu-
cational assistant Ior the journalism
program in 2013. He is currently a se-
nior at the University oI New Haven.
Caption for white walkers wildings and worgs..
Courtesy of Neil K
~ the cult of game of thrones
Horizons is on facebook!
Visit the Housatonic Horizons Iacebook Ian page to read the latest about what`s going on at HCC.
14 HORIZONS Self Reections
H
ow do you say no to the per-
son who gave you the world?
Granted, your parents may not
be a shining example oI parenting.
Even so there`s also that connection
to them. So how does someone put down
their Ioot and say to their frst supporters,
'NO. It can be diIfcult. Most parents
just want what`s best Ior their children.
But I don`t want what`s best; I want what
will make me the most happy.
Maybe it`s a Iorm oI greed. Maybe it`s
just trying to get away Irom the 'Iamily
business.
I want to be a writer. It took me years
to admit that to myselI. A Iew mental
breakdowns, several colleges, and mul-
tiple Iailed attempts at writing, but I can
Iinally say I`m a writer. I get excited
when I hear a new word. I smile and
chuckle to myselI when I see a clever
use oI a plot point. I have a short story
I`m collaborating on, an anthology oI
poems that`s slowly becoming bigger,
and a short Iilm that is almost done.
But I still haven`t told my parents I
want to be a writer. And I fnd every time
I want to I get nervous. Queasy. And I say
to myselI I`ll save it Ior another time.
So I sit here typing this as I get closer
and closer to my 24th birthday wonder-
ing what I am going to do. UnIortunately
Ior me I don`t think I`m going to say any-
thing. How could I? I just Ieel like I owe
my parents too much, and while it makes
me miserable I Ieel like I can live both
lives. The liIe my parents want Ior me and
the one I want.
That`s wrong though. I have to make
a choice eventually, and the longer I
put it oII the worse I Ieel about it. But
Ior now I`m just going to be a writer.
And that`s all right
Fighting a Parent`s Expectations
BY FRANKLIN JUSINO JR.
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
T
hroughout my entire scholastic
career I was never very good at
math. Math to me was like a Ior-
eign language. It didn`t matter how hard
I tried, or how much I studied. It didn`t
matter how many times I looked at the ex-
amples. I never could understand math at
all. Throughout high school I was barely
passing math by the skin oI my teeth with
high Ds or borderline Ds. With that in the
back on my mind, I had a preexisting ex-
pectation Ior math in college. Knowing
I had to take math once again in college
was not a happy thought Ior me at all.
All it did was stress me out that much
more, because once again I had to take a
math course I was almost certain I was
going Iail. I would have rather avoided
that course it at all together. Nonetheless,
I still took it because it was required oI
me. I had to unIortunately take an alge-
bra class last semester; although I wasn`t
ready to take it at all. The frst day oI class
I was really nervous about what to expect,
and I worried about whether I was going
to be able to handle the course. AIter a
Iew classes I realized that with dedication
and paying attention in class I might be
able pass with more than the skin oI my
teeth Ior once.
I was doing my homework every night,
and taking all the notes Irom the board ev-
ery day. Two weeks aIter the class had
begun we had the frst test oI the semes-
ter, and I thought I was ready Ior it. I had
been doing all the homework, taking all
the notes, and I even studied Ior days
Irom my notes that I had taken during my
classes. Nevertheless, I still Iailed the test.
AIter I got that frst test back I was devas-
tated, because iI I had done all that work
studying and doing all my homework and
still Iailed. How was I supposed to stay
confdent that I was going to be able to
make it through the class? At that point I
was certain this class was going to be the
same as all the rest oI my previous math
classes that I had taken. I was leading my-
selI mentally down the wrong path with
all the negativity I had towards my expec-
tations to be able to pass this class unlike
all my previously Iailed courses. I had lost
hope that I could pass the class. II I was
going to continue to do all the work I had
done and still Iail. How was I expected to
stay positive that I could pass the class aI-
ter Iailing the frst test and all the work I
had done to try and pass the test?
As the class moved on, so did I. I had
fnally come to the conclusion that maybe
it was just that one test giving me trouble,
rather than the class itselI. So I continued
to keep taking all the class notes, doing
all the homework that was assigned, and
studying Ior all the tests that were given.
As the weeks had gone by I continued
to do my homework daily, take as many
notes as I could during the classes, study
Irom my notes each night, and I each
week beIore the tests I would go over all
the notes I had collected during class in
order to do better on my tests. Rather than
to dwell on the last one, I tried harder to
pass the next one with a higher grade than
a D. As the tests came every Iew weeks as
we`d fnish another chapter; I kept hoping
that I`d do better on the next test. AIter I`d
get each test back I kept getting back low
60`s grade or high 60`s then back down to
low 60`s again. I was never able to sustain
a constant grade, or get a better grade that
I thought I deserved. My grades were con-
stantly fuctuating. I never seemed to get
the grade I Ielt I earned. AIter the frst test
I went into the next ones with confdence
that I would do better next time, rather
than assuming I was going to Iail again.
The closer we had gotten to the end
oI the semester; I had come to the con-
clusion that math just wasn`t Ior me. I
came to terms with the Iact that math
was never going to be my strong point,
and that all that mattered was that I
didn`t give up. I realized that giving up
just because oI one Iailure wasn`t going
to make math any easier Ior me. I came
to terms with the Iact that I was obvi-
ously never going to be a math teacher,
and that I was okay with that. I learned
that bringing myselI down wasn`t go-
ing to help anyone, and was only go-
ing to just bring me down. I learned
a valuable lesson Irom my Iailure in
math. I learned that no one is good at
everything, I have my strengths that I
should use to help better myselI, and
my weaknesses that I shouldn`t let hold
me back Irom what I want in liIe.
Failure: The Two Faces To It
BY: MAGGIE BRUNETTO
STUDENT SUBMISSION
Growing up with sickle cell disease I
was always in and out oI hospital, new day
new tests to run on my body. I remember
my frst time being in a CAT Scan I was
seven years old. I was very nervous be-
cause the room was loud, the test lasted
what seemed to be Iorever. When I fnished
with the exam I spoke to the special doctor
who used the CAT scan on me and speci-
fed on these machines, they are called Ra-
diologists. I remember asking the Radiolo-
gist a list oI questions regarding their job.
He started explaining to me how he uses
the machine to look into my brain to see
'how smart I am. I instantly became Ias-
cinated with this part oI the medical feld,
Irom then on I knew exactly what I want-
ed to be when I grew up. Each time I met
up with a Radiologist I became more and
more interested in this feld oI study and
each visit I continued to ask more and more
questions, not regarding the test results but
regarding their job. I always kept in mind
about being a Radiologist. Moving Irom
New York to Connecticut I didn`t know
much about schools locally that majored
or even minored in the Radiology feld
until I spoke to my high school guidance
counselor Mrs. Ganino. She suggested I
looked into St Vincent`s College, literal-
ly fve minutes (walking distance) Irom
my house. Entering my senior year in high
school I already knew exactly what col-
lege I wanted to attend. I went to two oI
St Vincent`s college open house, spoke to
the dean, students, and oI course the pro-
Iessors. St Vincent`s College was one oI
those schools that you walked into and you
just know that is where you belong. I Ielt
comIortable and accepted there, the envi-
ronment was great and everyone was super
Iriendly.
When the time to apply Ior college came
around I already had my application ready
to be mailed. A Iew weeks aIter mailing my
application I received a response Irom the
college saying I have to take a CPT exam
to determine what classes I have to take
Ior the Iall. A rush oI emotions came to
stomach, nervous Ior the test but i thought
to myselI, did i get accepted? Does this
mean I am into St Vincent`s College? I set
up my appointment Ior this exam and stood
aIter school to receive help preparing Ior
the exam. When the time came to take this
exam I walked into the testing room very
confdent, with a positive attitude, and oI
course very anxious. The exam lasted
about two hours and a halI. I walked out oI
that room drained, my confdence wasn`t
there anymore, I had a gut Ieeling I did not
do so good on the math part oI this exam.
All I had to do aIter that was wait Ior a re-
sponse Irom the college.
About nine days aIter the exam I came
home to another letter Irom the college. I
just stared at the envelope I was kind oI
scared to open it. I literally just sat on my
couch and held the envelope probably Ior
about Iorty-fve minutes until I actually de-
cided to open it. A rush oI Ieelings came
to my stomach as I was opening the enve-
lope, twisting, turning, burning. The letter
I received said I did not get accepted to the
college. I never knew what it Ielt like to be
a Iailure until that day. I remember crying
myselI to bed that night, not sleep because
I did not get any. All I thought about that
night was the frst time I grew an interest
into the radiology feld. Am I not meant to
be a radiologist? Am I not smart enough Ior
it? What do I do now? I Ielt so disappoint-
ed in myselI, what iI I`m not successIul? I
am never going to make my parents proud
I`m never going to get my liIe together.
It took probably a good month to get
over that I did not get accepted to St. Vin-
cent`s College. I began to search up other
schools that oIIered Radiology study like
Quinnipiac and Western. They are both re-
ally good schools. Not only did I look up
other schools but I
Bumpy Road to Success
BY: JULIE VERA
STUDENT SUBMISSION
continued on page 15
15
began to look at other career choices. Be-
sides Radiology, Neonatal Nursing caught
my eye. Having sickle cell disease it is very
risky Ior me to have kids so I decided iI I
can`t have one why can`t I just work with
babies? An entire new search oI schools
came up again like Lincoln Tech , Sacred
Heart, Central Connecticut State Universi-
ty, and UConn. These Colleges were great
too. However, visiting them did not give
me that comIortable or 'this is where you
belong type oI Ieeling like St Vincent`s
College did. I Ielt out place and lost. They
were also very expensive schools and did
not provide that much fnancial aid and I
really wanted to avoid student loans. Again
I decided to talk to my guidance counselor
Mrs. Ganino where she suggested I attend
Housatonic Community College Ior their
nursing program. I was not too happy with
looking at Housatonic as a college choice.
From what my Iamily told me, Community
colleges are either Ior kids who did not do
good in high school or Ior the ones that do
not what to do with their lives. I knew ex-
actly what I wanted to do with my liIe and I
was not a bad student in high school.
That same day I flled out my applica-
tion in her oIfce and mailed it out. I re-
ceived a letter oI acceptance to the school
and set up my appointment Ior the place-
ment test. Once that was done I chose all
my classes according to my schedule and
waited Ior the semester to begin. Now that
I am here at Housatonic I am beginning to
understand that everything does happen Ior
a reason. I later Iound out that the Radiolo-
gy program was at cut at St. Vincent`s Col-
lege aIter the spring 2013 semester. When
I Iound that out I Ielt way better about not
getting accepted into that school, either way
I wouldn`t have been able to study about
Radiology in there. Another thing I gained
about my denial to the college was that the
school itselI was very very expensive 20k
per semester and 4k on books per semester.
I am not fnancially stable enough to aIIord
the schooling, let alone the books! I am
happy with my choice oI school , the pro-
Iessors at Housatonic are great and I saved
a huge amount oI money by coming to a
community college. Although I am happy
and grateIul with my choice oI college, I
still wonder how it would have been like
iI I attended St Vincent`s. I still do wish I
would have gotten accepted into the school
but there is nothing I can do about it at this
moment. Again, I am happy with the ways
things are going here at Housatonic and I
know iI I continue to do good in my classes
and keep my positive mind up better things
will come to me. HopeIully when the time
comes again to apply to a new Iour-year
college I do not have to go through disap-
point anymore and I will get accepted o my
choice oI school. Until then I will con-
tinue to do my best in all oI my classes
and maintain a positive mindset.
HORIZONS Self Reections
A
ll along my school career I`ve
always been into writing.
Since Elementary school, i`ve
had teachers and even my Iriends who
would help and support me to create an in-
teresting piece oI work, no matter the top-
ic. By the time I got to middle school better
my writing and be able to always create an
interesting piece, no matter the topic. By
the time I got to Middle School Language
Arts, my writing class at the time was the
only subject I showed any interest in. Be-
cause oI my prior eminence in the subject,
I excelled past the students` work, each oI
my teacher`s expectations, and even sur-
prising myselI on some assignments. I had
such a high standard Ior myselI that any
grade on an assignment that wasn`t an A or
A was Iailure Ior me, which only caused
me problems Ior myselI.
Starting out my eighth grade semester
I already had an understanding oI under-
standing and composing a written piece.
However, I knew this was an 'advanced
class being that it was my fnal year in
Middle School, so I was prepared and en-
thusiastic to learn whatever the criteria had
in store Ior me. Which was strange Ior me
because only until that year, did I actually
enjoy reading and writing. It was usually
something I received ample grades Ior, not
necessarily enjoyed. In my fnal year oI
middle school my teacher, Mr. Belfore,
changed that Ior me dramatically. Intro-
ducing me to diIIerent ways oI writing and
reading, whether it be reading in a chaotic
environment or writing a 2 page paper on
a topic that I know is extremely boring. In
Iact Mr. BelIoire introduced me to such
much, he infuenced the way I live my
liIe everyday. From the music I wake up
and listen to everyday, to the way I should
look at liIe`s inevitable obstacles and how
to handle them in a positive and produc-
tive manner. Along with close Iriends and
parental fgures, I consider Mr. BelIoire as
one oI my mentors. Changing my outlook
on common things, and being able to make
me enjoy something I had little care Ior.
Due to the Iact that I`ve previously been
working so diligently in the Language Arts
class, there was a mutual subconscious
understanding between Mr. Belfore and
I. Not necessarily Iavoritism, but we both
knew my reading and writing surpassed
just about every other student in the class.
I knew this a little more than I should have
and sometimes let that get the better oI me.
A perIect example is when we read the book
Stargirl. We were all required to complete
a summary oI the book when fnished. I oI
course did the assignment, but I know not
the best oI my ability. I received a B when
I was expecting an A. This should`ve moti-
vated me to keep any bias out oI my work
and do honest work; it indeed did. AIter
Stargirl, we were required to write a will.
We were told it was Ior a book assignment
but we were also told to be truthIul, god
Iorbid something was to happen to any
oI us. I learned my lesson on my Stargirl
assignment and completed the Will to the
best oI my ability, receiving an A. On our
fnal assignment, a summary oI a book we
read, it was pretty much the same scenario.
I worked diligently, removed my Iavorit-
ism mindset and did my work; fnishing
my fnal assignment with an A.
About a week or two aIter my middle
school`s graduation, I received my fnal
grades. Not caring much Ior other classes,
I looked immediately at Language Arts. I
did a double take when I saw a grade oI
B. AIter only so recently acing the two f-
nal projects, I was extremely conIused and
a bit upset seeing anything lower than an
A. I told my mother how I Ielt and she told
me to speak to Mr. Belfore. I didn`t how-
ever. I had an immense amount oI respect
Ior him so questioning his grading system
was absurd to even consider. I did howev-
er take it into consideration when I entered
high school. Because I was a Ireshman and
everyone has been there longer than me, I
Ielt, as all I would receive were disappoint-
ing grades, since I had no connection with
any oI the teachers. I did not let this bring
me down however, aIter all, Mr. Belfore
did teach me too much to give up when it
really mattered.
My 4 years in high school English
classes went by like a breeze. It`s true
i was disappointed with my B in 8th
grade but to this day I still believe that
Mr. BelIiore taught me more than other
teacher in any grade could try to teach
me. To believe in oneselI and let my
actions play out. Intentional or not,
I gathered that Irom hours oI studying
with him, and on my own. Each day I`m
assigned work, I`m glad I did. II I were
to stop trying when I got the Iinal grade
oI a B, I wouldn`t have had the con-
Iidence in myselI to pass through my
high school courses; I would`ve strug-
gled and probably end up Iailing like I
did the other classes I paid no attention
to. Entering college I was immediately
put into the required 101 Composition
class, skipping over and remedial and
not even being put near a reading class.
I think it`s amazing how a setback that
happened years ago could help push
someone through they`ll go through in
the long run. It`s easy Ior anyone to get
upset over something; it takes character
however to use that Iailure to progress
you in whatever tasks you set yourselI
you. Although I still don`t know why
I received the B, I`m happy I did. In
the end I can look at it as in immense
success.
Success through Failure
BY: DARRYL MERRITT
STUDENT SUBMISSION
16
HORIZONS The Creative Corner
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Found Poem by: Estrella Lopez
'Do not follow where the path mav lead.
Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.`
Harold R. McAlindon
17
HORIZONS The Creative Corner
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A thonk to 1ohn Lennon
Found Poem By: Donna Cashman
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The woy we toy connected
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Educotlon Entettolnnent
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Found Poem By: 1ordene Brown
'A leader is one who knows the wav, goes the wav, and shows the wav.`
John Maxwell
18
HORIZONS Pin it!
Writing Tutors Now Available
In Beacon Hall
MONDAY - THURSDAY
9:30 - 10:30 AM & 1-2 PM
SECOND FLOOR LOUNGE
Working on an assignment ?
Have a question?
Drop by and see us!
NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY!
QUESTIONS CONTACT KARYN SMITH
KSmithhcc.commnet.edu or (203)332-5133
WANTED!!
Do you love movies and love giving your opin-
ion? The Black Rock Ink Blot is looking Ior a
writer Ior 1 to 2 movie reviews a week. II inter-
ested, please email
blackrockinkblotgmail.com
Do you have a story you think we need to know? How
about a burning viewpoint you need to get oII your chest?
Or maybe you have the best brownies in town and just want
to share. Well, Horizons is YOUR paper. You do not have
to be a staII writer to contribute. Send stories or proposals
to housatonichorizonsgmail.com
19
HORIZONS Pin it!
/9. 9+?
II you`d like to have your ad posted in the new Pin it! section just send us the inIormation you want posted
with all pertinent data to horizonsbulletinboardgmail.com.
!"#$
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In General
The College is committed to creating a community that is safe and supportive of people of all gender and sexual
identities; this statement pertains to the entire campus community, whether on ground or virtual, students, faculty,
and staff. Two of the Colleges primary concerns are the health and well-being of each individual and fostering
healthy interpersonal relationships. The principles of the Board of Regents Policy on Student Conduct (integrity,
equity, respect and responsibility) address elements necessary for healthy interpersonal relationships and these
principles are especially important when relationships become intimate. Sexual intimacy is permissible only if it is
agreed to by all participants and all activity is affirmatively consensual at all times. Sexual misconduct, including
sexual harassment, sexual assault and intimate partner violence, against anyone is unacceptable and is both a
crime under State law and a violation of College policies, including but not limited to: Policy on Student
Conduct, Violence Prevention and Response Statement, Statement Against Harassment. The College is
committed to providing an environment free of personal offenses.

Reporting Encouraged
The College strongly encourages the reporting of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment, sexual assault
and intimate partner violence, as an effective means of taking action by reporting such acts to the appropriate
officials and pursuing criminal or disciplinary remedy, or both. The only way that action can be taken against
anyone who violates another in such a manner is through reporting. The College can provide those who report
sexual misconduct with many supportive options, including referral to agencies that provide medical attention,
counseling, legal services, advocacy, referrals and general information regarding sexual assault. The College will
preserve the confidentiality of those who report sexual misconduct to the fullest extent possible and allowed by
law. College employees, victim advocates or community victim advocates being consulted will make any limits of
confidentiality clear before any disclosure of facts takes place.
Statement Regarding Sexual Violence
20

Yes, YOU!

Were looking for good writers and fresh perspectives as your student newspaper, Horizons,
moves in some bold new directions in Fall 2014. Help us to shape the future of student
media on campus.

Join the staff, build your resume or transfer application, earn three credits, satisfy
the computer fundamentals requirement, and develop valuable writing,
interviewing, research, and computer skills. Make new friends, and serve as the voice of
Housatonic students through new print and online venues.

Sign up for Publications Workshop, COM 116 (Section 1), Mondays
and Wednesdays, at 2 p.m., or COMPLETELY ONLINE (Section 2).

For more information, email the instructor, Professor Steve Mark, at smark@housatonic.edu
HORIZONS Pin it!
1961 Hammond A-100 Spinet Organ
Working Condition w/ all original parts
Minor wood wear at Base
Asking $300
contact Neil @ 203-296-9532