Housatonic Horizons Oct 2012

7/31/2019 Housatonic Horizons Oct 2012

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Its Americas Turn Again ........................ .......................... ......................... ...... 3

By DeB TorresoeDiToremeriTa

HCC Offers Marine Biology Course ....................... .......................... .............. 3By Danyelle silvasTaff WriTer

Blackboard Learn: ....................... ......................... .......................... .................. 4By sherly monTessTaff WriTer

Priest Prefers Tree of Knowledge ......................................... ......................... .. 4By Jay leDermanConTriBuTing WriTer

Reality Check to HCC Students ....................... ......................... ....................... 5By JessiCa BrookssTaff WriTer

True Democracy: Does Might Make Right? ........................ ......................... .. 5By sanTiago aChinellisTaff WriTer

Criminal Free Zone .......................... ......................... .......................... .............. 5By ashile henDriCksonsTaff WriTer

Setting up Transfer Students for Success ......................... ......................... ...... 6By JessiCa BrookssTaff WriTer

Human Services Club: Helping People in Need ........................ .................. 6By arayansy garCiaseniorsTaff WriTer

Think Before you Ink ....................... ......................... .......................... .............. 7By elizaBeTh figueroasTaff WriTer

The Student Senate ....................... ......................... ......................... ................... 7By sinaya hoWarDsTaff WriTer

Bouncing Back...................... .......................... ......................... ......................... .. 8By reBeCCa legouTesTaff WriTer

Tutoring from your Laptop........................... ......................... ......................... .. 8By kaTelyn averysTaff WriTer

Language Acquisition:...................... ......................... .......................... .............. 9By niCole CarpenTersTaff WriTer

Stress and How to Deal With It ........................ ......................... ....................... 9By raChel kulikoWskisTaff WriTer

Long Live The Car! .......................... ......................... .......................... .............. 10By greg BlaCkWellseniorsTaff WriTer

Passion or Money? ........................ ......................... ......................... ................... 10By arayansy garCiaseniorsTaff WriTer

Being Involved ...................... .......................... ......................... ......................... .. 11By semharsamuels

seniorsTaff WriTer

Time is Money! ......................... .......................... ......................... ....................... 11By greg BlaCkWellseniorsTaff WriTer

Trashed ......................... ......................... .......................... ......................... .......... 12By D.C. WeiDenfellereDiTorin Chief horizons

True Religion ........................ .......................... ......................... ......................... .. 13By karen D. fernanDezeDiTor

Financial Aid Should Be Treated as a Loan ......................................... .......... 13By krysTle krysi piCCininoseniorsTaff WriTer

The Pot Calling the Kettle Nasty...................... ......................... ................... 14By sam rosoffseniorsTaff WriTer

Time and Money Out The Window? ........................ .......................... .............. 14

By amanDa frioTsTaff WriTer

Put on Your Zumba Shoes ............................................. ......................... .......... 15By moniCa TorressTaff WriTer

HCC Students Play Debuts .......................... ......................... ......................... .. 15By laneCe WooDsonsTaff WriTer

Pass The Remote and Popcorn, .......... ......................... .......................... .......... 15By Jay leDermanConTriBuTing WriTer

Oh My Zombie! ........................ .......................... ......................... ....................... 16By D.C. WeiDenfellersTaff WriTer

Zombie Survival 101 ......................... ......................... .......................... .............. 16By DaviD kisly, DaviD almazan, frankCsanaDi Jr.sTaff zomBologisTs

Horizons StaffEditor-in-ChiEf

DaviD WeiDenfeller

Advisor

professorsTeve mark

EditorEmEritA

DeB Torreso

EditorEmEritA

samanTha DelgaDo

karen fernanDez

laura gusTafson

stAff

WritErs

sanTiago aChinelli

Danny alamo

kaTelyn avery

JessiCa Brooks

CaThryn Cann

niCole CarpenTer

elizaBeTh figueroa

ellioT griffin

Tiffany harvey

ashile henDriCkson

anThony horan

sinaya hoWarD

raChel kulikoWski

reBeCCa legouTe

Jeffrey miller

sherly monTes

Joseph presTon

JusTin Quinn

Danyelle silva

sTeven simko

Doreen spears

morgan spenCer

moniCa Torres

JonaThan Williams-hunTer

laneCe WooDson

sEniorstAff WritErs

greg BlaCkWell

amanDa frioT

arayansy garCia

vanessa hylTon

saBrina leWis

krysTelle piCCininosam rosoff

semharsamuels

ChaDran smiTh

Contributing WritEr

Jay leDerman

ArtAnd dEsign dirECtors

Charles Chen

DaviD kisly

JonaThan shapiro

ArtAnd dEsign stAff

ClauDe Blake

frankCsanaDi Jr.

JoiCe Domingues-Torres

Brian kosarko

flahn manly

emmanuel maTeo

vonmarie navarro

kim nguyen

huBerT roBerTs

fernanDo vega

elaine Wheeler

JusTin Williams

dEsign Advisor

professoranDy pinTo

Cover Photos by David Wiedenfeller

Cover Layout by David Kisly

TABLEOF CONTENTS


3/16

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by dEb torrEso

EditorEmEritA

Things have got to start chang-

ing. For the last 20 or so years the

economy has been suffering a slow

and painful death, indiscriminately taking

businesses and our countrys manufactur-

ing with it.

Thanks to Governor Malloys 6801

jobs bill; the once failing metal industry

may glisten in the spotlight of growth,

again. Last fall, Malloy signed a bill al-

lowing $17.8 million for the development

of manufacturing programs in three com-

munity colleges: Housatonic, Naugatuck

Valley and Quinebaug. At HCCs ribbon-

cutting ceremony on October 3, Malloy

said we had 22 years of shrinkage in manu-

facturing, but reminded everyone that be-

fore this happened manufacturing had been

our strength. What built Connecticut was

producing high-value manufacturing, he

said. We need to be serious about prepar-

ing a workforce that would allow Connect-

icut to compete with high-value manufac-

turing, create good paying jobs with good

Mayor Finch took the podium with

purpose as he passionately acknowledged

the collaboration that brought this group

of legislatures, educators and manufactur-

ing businesses together. No one could say

this isnt the right trackthis is the right

Anita [Gliniecki, HCC President], doesnt

have to re-teach, promised Finch. Man-

ufacturing is coming back and today is a

great day!

HCC Academic Coordinator, Bill Grif-

Advanced Manufacturing Center, which

took the space of the old book store lo-

cated in Lafayette. This was the fastest

there had been a study back in the 90s,

under Governor Rowland which identi-

development: metal manufacturing, arts

data. It was determined that a work force

would be needed for the metal manufactur-

very pleased and hopeful with the great

pool of students the center has drawn. He

believes, building an economy on things

that add with value, like manufacturing,is

essential to our countries economic growthand development.

President Gliniecki is also pleased that

they were able to build the Center and start

person who brought this to fruition. I dont

think he slept for months, she said. Gli-

are not the labs of the past, they are high-

tech/high-skill, due to the science and math

they run on microchips and any contami-

nants can alter the measurements.

To complete this dream team, Grif-

program. Gugger oversees all aspects of

the program, and teaches day and night

classes. He knows the true value of coming

from the ground up in the manufacturing

industrysomething he believes makes an

-

tive.

At 18 Gugger went to a local machine

owner showed me the ropesand I was

hooked, he said. He soon became a lead

person, but became disenchanted after

getting $1 raises as he was offered only

4 cents; his boss said he was at his pay

limit. Frustrated at the idea that he had

-

knowledged due his not having a degree,

he decided to leave his job and go back to

school. Gugger got his engineering degree,

-

cation, he started a long career of teaching,

consulting and programming.

I went back and thanked

-

facturing boss.

Gugger sees the industry as

evolving from the old days oflearning by trial and error, to

empowering a new genera-

tion that will use the knowl-

edge of science and math as

the tools that will make them

more effective approach.

Basic Manufacturing is of-

fered in the fall and consists

of 16 credits and Advanced

Manufacturing is offered in

the spring for 18 credits with

class time and intern-

-

cations. There are 50 students

beginning the program and businesses are

already lining up to interview. Chris Huen

I have wanted to do a project like this

since I got out of high school. PC [Porter

and Chester] doesnt have anything like

said.

Austin Otis is happy with the fact that

the course is hands on and he can roll it

me to get a good paying job right out of

this program, he said.

manufacturing employees nearing retire-

ment, jobs are certain to open. This pro-gram promises to position a talented pool

of prospects. He sees the marketing aspect

in manufacturing businesses as hiring stu-

dents from the Centers program and hav-

ing such success they come back looking

for more.

-

mon purpose among all who have gotten

involved in the opening of the Advanced

Manufacturing Center, is that we must

produce products that we consume and

protect ourselves and the future of our

economy.

A few facts about manufacturing

according to our HCC brochure:

there are openings for 750 manu-facturing jobs in the Bridgeportarea

there are 17 million manufactur-ing jobs in the U.S.

the average manufacturer workerearned $77,186 in 2010

CT ranks #2 in the nation inhigh-tech employment

CTs, 5000 manufacturers em-ploy more than 168,000 people tocontribute more than $25 billionto the gross state product.

Its Americas Turn Again

-

Photo by: Deb Torreso

by dAnyEllE silvA

stAff WritEr

We all have spent some time at

one point or another down at

the beach in the summer, walk-ing along the shore and swimming in the

water. Ever come across some sea creature

and wondered what it was? How about the

feeling of hanging out in one spot in the

water and then in the blink of an eye notic-

to the left?

Housatonic offers a Marine Science

course. You learn about many different

topics from basics in marine biology to

the New England coast (that is the study

of landforms and the processes that shape

where you will be able to go out and learn

looking up the class in the HCC course cat-

alog you can get a general idea of the types

of topics that youll be studying.

Topics to be studied include: General

marine biology, intertidal ecology, plank-

ton biology, marine communities and the

geomorphology of the New England coast.

While marine biology is not offered as

a major here at Housatonic, sparking an in-

terest in the subject is a main idea behind

this course. Housatonic can be the place

where students who wish to pursue a ma-

completed so that they can transfer to a four

year college.Basics such as Math, English,

and basic Science courses can all be com-

pleted here at Housatonic and then trans-

ferred over to many other colleges.

Have you ever gone to the Maritime

Aquarium in Norwalk and seen those em-

ployees who wear the green shirts stand-

ing behind the touch tank upstairs on the

and other crabs interacting with the pub-

lic? That could be you! There is an op-

portunity for those students who have an

any age, to volunteer down at the Maritime

Aquarium in Norwalk. The aquarium is the

only aquarium in the U.S. to focus solely

on Long Island Sound. As a volunteer you

have multiple chances for opportunities to

rotate through various stations at the facil-ity and are involved directly with the visi-

tors and education of the visitors.

Anna Bryson, a former student at

Housatonic, said she loved the class. I re-

ally enjoyed this class the most out of all

my classes I took at HCC.

Bryson became a Marine Biology major

Coastal Carolina in South Carolina. Going

into the class, I had some basic knowledge

of the ocean and the creatures in it, but I

learned so much throughout the semester.

She said she would recommend this

class to anyone who has any interest in ma-

rine biology, no matter how big or small

the interests may be.

HCC Offers Marine Biology Course


4/16

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by shErly montEs

stAff WritEr

Blackboard Learn is a tool that was

designed to help students by pro-

viding the resources they need to

be successful in their traditional or online

of its users, Blackboard Learn has made

some major improvements to its system.

currently our Education Technology Spe-

cialist, there are three major changes that

Blackboard Learn underwent that make

it different from the previous versions.

Blackboard Learn now makes it easier to

icons cluttering up the site. Students can

now go directly to the section that they

need to without feeling overwhelmed

by all of the icons and links. BlackboardLearn has also incorporated easier means

of communication by allowing students to

email their professors via Blackboards in-

ternal email system. Students can even use

Blackboard Learn to share documents and

papers that they are working on, in con-

junction with giving you the option of cre-

ating Wikis and Blogs. Lastly, Blackboard

Learn can now use new elements such as

audio and video links for student assign-

ments. Blackboard is a student resource

that has many uses.

It can even be used as a depository for

class work and assignments during the se-

mester, adds Labrador.

Housatonics Director of Educational

Technology Laurel Kessler-Quinones,

says, Providing more offerings for stu-

dents is important. Blackboard Learn is

more complicated for the administration

working behind it because of course ev-

Learn is a digital resource that provides

Quinones also states that online tools

such as Blackboard Learn are advanta-

traditional classroom, creating accessibil-

ity for students. With students having such

busy lives and schedules, this online tool

allows them to go back and review the

course work at a later time or day.

Currently 7.6 % of HCC enrollment is

online, and online tools like Blackboard

-

tions of those students. Blackboard Learn

gives online students the same opportunity

to learn the way that traditional classroom

students do because they are both utilizing

the same resource. Blackboard Learn is

built up in areas of all disciplines which al-

low both traditional and online students to

access the same course materials, bringing

equality to the student body.

Although HCC student Christian Bar-

rera agrees that while Blackboard Learn is

a useful tool, he personally does not like

the site because, Its too dull, unattractive

my attention.

Some students are all for BlackboardLearn, such as Carolyn Huynh who says

Blackboard is faster and students can ac-

cess it. Huynh also says that resources

like Blackboard help students by giving

them an easier way to keep up with assign-

ments and email their professors.

With all the technological advance-

ments in todays society, Blackboard Learn

-

poses.

Blackboard Learn:A Truly Hands-On Approach

Photo by Sherly Montes

Priest Prefers Tree of Knowledge

by JAy lEdErmAn

Contributing WritEr

Oleksandr Dviniatin can recall the

it, the consequences were even more seri-ous.

This particular copy showed signs of

wear and tear, had been passed down by

throughout Ukraines Capital city of Kiev,

and was a symbol to practice religion

freely in a place where it was forbidden.

If caught with it, Dviniatin ran the risk of

imprisonment by Ukranian authorities, but

he was willing to take that risk.

Its hard to say if I was ever in any real

danger, said Dviniatin, who in 1987 stud-

ied to become a priest at the Kievan Theo-

logical Academy and Seminary in Kiev,

country declared its independence from

communist Russia.

In light of the independence, a religious

movement also took place among Eastern

Rite Churches in the region.

It was as if a burden had been lifted

from the people, said Dviniatin.

were free to practice religion without be-

ing persecuted. Following World War II,

people who practiced religion in Ukraine

were considered outcasts and, subject to

both being arrested and imprisoned.Dviniatin said the day Ukraine declared

its independence from communism was a

day he will never forget. 40 people walked

inside the church requesting to be baptized,

I oversaw every one of their ceremonies,

he said with a smile. But his work has just

begun.

In 2007 he was sent abroad to the Unit-

-

land, Ohio and a year later at the Holy

Trinity Church in Bridgeport, where he has

been the Pastor ever since.

Although his services abroad are man-

datory, Dviniatin was fortunate enough to

move his wife Galyna and son Igor with -

ies, including three in Ukraine and two

in the United States. This kind of work

is unpredictable, one day you may be in

he said.

But there is a reason he prefers this type

of work. Dviniatin credits his lifelong pas-

sion for studying. Its a lifetime process,

he said, It reminds me of a rising jump.

Youre either going up, or down. There is

no in-between. The process could not be

stopped without immediate downfall.The 42-year-old priest, who places

knowledge above all other things recently

applied for a green card and is looking to

make Bridgeport his permanent home.

Im glad to be here. Our church will

month, he said.

To further advance his joy of lifelong

learning, Dviniatin enrolled at Housatonic

Community College, where he takes Eng-

lish as a Second Language courses, and his

English is improving all the time, he said.

I should stick to using only one language.

Aside from preaching the word of god,

he has also written a book. The book, titled,is about

church in Ukraines city of Sumy.

It was published in Ukraine in 2003

and is read by young scholars throughout

the region. In order to obtain the informa-

tion needed to write the book, he took up

for two years, and in return he was granted

permission to study ancient archives and

-

wise been in the hands of the KGB. But

the documents were eventually released aspublic information following the indepen-

dence of Ukraine.

In fact the popularity of his book has in-

creased so much, in 2003 a second edition

was released, and in 2005 it was made into

Regional TV- Radio Company of Ukraine.

Dviniatin was interviewed by the produc-

speak with him, and he even had a small

For Dviniatin, it was a payoff for doing

what he enjoyed most.

I am aware that its hard for an old dog

like me to learn new tricks, he chuckled,

But I continue studying, and I get a lotof pleasure from the process of gaining

knowledge.


5/16

5

by AshilE hEndriCkson

stAff WritEr

The Clery Report is a statistical re-

port of all the crimes that occur on

college campuses. In September of

every year the University or College has to

give a report on all of the criminal activitythat has occurred in the last year. Colleges

have numerous rules and policies against

drugs.In the Clery Report for 9-10 and 10-

crimes. In this years report from 11-12

incidents. Four of these incidents were on

campus. The incidents were nonforcible

violations referral, and weapon law viola-

tions. Out of the four incidents two could

have been harmful to other students. The

eight incidents that are recorded are from

off -site campuses by the Milford Police

Department. According to the Clery Re-

port, Crime statistics from various off

-campus sites are gathered yearly and in-

cluded in the campus crime... The reason

being is the school has some off -site facili-

Most of the crimes that happen on cam-

pus are larceny (theft), students who leave

books or miscellaneous objects such as cell

phones, kindles, or iPads, according to Of-

We dont really have big problems,

losing and forgetting cell phones, books,

etc. I classify that as our biggest problem,

he said. We dont have as much crime to

report as other schools because we are not

a big time university or college that has

dorms.

campus, I feel safer then I did my freshmen

year at the University of Miami.

Tori, a freshman, agreed. I love the

community here, everyone here is nice

and want to be apart of the community of

HCC.

Students, remember to pick up your

things after you have left an area. Also the

enforcers of the policies of the school. Pub-

lic Safety will help a student jumpstart a

car if it needs that, they will even go to the

a ride to the train station. To faculty and

men or women who do so much to protect

the school say hello and tell them thanks

for what they do.

Three Tips to Stay Safe

1. Leave any situation where you feel

uncomfortable and tell a public safety of-

2. Before you leave an area look around

twice before leaving to make sure youdont leave things behind.

3. When walking anywhere late at night

from campus try and walk with a friend.

(One is a lonely number)

4. Call public safety whenever you feel

threatened (203) 332-5025

Criminal Free Zone

by JEssiCA brooks

stAff WritEr

On Tuesday September 11, 2012,

World Trade Towers Tragedy,

a lecture titled Racism: An American

Nightmare Lecture & Discussion was

about to take place. Professor Rob Nelson

had a moment of silence in honor of the

lives that were lost eleven years ago. As

Professor Nelson also took the time to ac-

knowledge the individuals that committed

this unthinkable crime and said Humans

acts they commit.

Nelson also

went on to say

that grouping

ind iv idua l s

pertaining to

race or ethnic-

ity based on a

negative conno-

tation was a form of racism. How ironic?

That the one thing this country is against,

people continuously do it, especially con-

-

versity, then took over the discussion. Wil-

liams started off by saying This conver-

sation will

d i s t u r b

many of

you, I

hope you

are ready.

Brutal

stories of

what African Americans had to endure in

the earlier century became more real and

actual stories were shared. Lynchings,

slavery, and loopholes of the constitu-

tion were just some of the few topics that

weighed heavy on this discussion. Dr.

Williams glanced over every persons face

while he took a pause and said, I told you

guys this lecture may ruin the rest of your

day.

The naked truth of how your own be-

loved country once ran its society can be

quite painful, especially if your heritage

includes people who had to endure the

struggle, but this lecture was not to bash

one culture, race or ethnicity; it was to cre-

ate a better understanding of how far we

have come as a united people.

Racism Lecture Delivers

Reality Check to HCC Students

by sAntiAgo AChinElli

stAff WritEr

Why do we put so much empha-

sis on the presidential election?

Barbara Richards and Charles

Meyrick both teach at Housatonic. Rich-

ards is a professor of Sociology, while

Meyrick is an Instructor of Business and

Economics, and both look at political is-

sues in very different ways respective to

However, disciplinary differences

aside, they both agree on one thing: The

2010 Supreme Court decision on

is

-

ity voters in the coming election, one that

will affect the very nature of the American

democratic process.

The court decision was made to clarify

personhood, a legal question that has been

debated since as early as 1809. The Con-

stitution uses the terms person and citi-

to contrarian viewpoints on what rights are

apply for both.

The presidential election is practically

upon us, and the candidates have shown

that they have fundamentally different

opinions of how American society and

how it

question of legal personhood, with Rom-

ney on the side of upholding Citizens Unit-

ed and Obama on the side of repealing the

court decision.

Meyrick sees this election as one be-ing one of incompatible types of thought.

the concepts of positive statements, (facts

8 percent) versus normative statements

like equality and freedom of speech).

He teaches students to realize that in order

to please one, you have to give up some

of the other: you cant have your cake and

eat it too.

Meyrick thinks that both candidates

bring different values to the table, stating

that for those who value greater fairness,

greater levels of equality, I would say that

President Obamas policies would achieve

that. If were looking for then

its clear that Governor Romney would

institute policies that are more friendly to

that.

Richards emphasized the importance

of Citizens United in the coming election.

When asked what she, as a professor of so-

ciology, thought the long-term impact of

this election would be, she responded:

I think that much more important is

the Supreme Court decision on campaign

At this point, endless amounts of

money can be raised by wealthy people

constitutional amendment to limit contri-

butions by anyone, any organization or any

person, to small amounts, we wont have a

chance for every person to have an impact

on the government.

Meyrick also thinks that this case was

an important one, but over the issue of

freedom of speech:

The process of one person, one vote

fails to measure the intensity of a persons

of my views? Well, one way is to allow

people to spend money to broadcast their

views, in an effort to let others know how

much it means to [them].

Even though the Citizens United case

allows for millionaires like the Koch

brothers to donate 8 million dollars to the

Romney campaign, Meyrick argues that it

doesnt mean that no one else is allowed to

contribute. Two guys can donate 8 million

dollars, or you could get 1 million people

to donate 8 dollars.The question of how this impacts mi-

norities in government remains unan-

swered. The upcoming election will not

should be protected. Which minority, put

bluntly, is going to get shafted? What Bill

Cosby said about his career now applies to

our government: I dont know the key to

success, but the key to failure is trying to

please everybody.

True Democracy: Does Might Make Right?


6/16

6

by ArAyAnsy gArCiA

sEniorstAff WritEr

Help for women in domestic vio-

lence shelters, men at halfway

houses, and blood drives spon-

sored by The American Red Cross are all

offered by the volunteers at Housatonic

Community Colleges Human Services

Club.

HCCs Human Services Club members

volunteer their time at community servicesto help people in the greater Bridgeport

area who are in need. We take care of

people, club member Nicole Cioppa said.

This Halloween, they will be donating

40 goodie bags to the children at the do-

mestic violence shelter in Bridgeport.

The kids cant trick or treat, so we put

together goodie bags for them, Club Pre-

ident Kimaya Bramble said.

The reusable totes will be given to the

Center for Women and Families by the

club and will consist of temporary tattoos,

gliders, slide puzzles, granola bars, water

bottles, and pretzels.

We wouldve liked to donate costumes

like we did last year, Professor and ad-

Lanci, said. But our budget for the club

is only $1000 per semester so it limits us,

and last year a student was kind enough to

come out of pocket for 40 brand new cos-

tumes to donate to the shelter.

On Nov. 13, 2012, the club will be vol-unteering their time at the blood drive that

will be held at HCC for anyone to come

and donate blood to The American Red

Cross. The event will take place all day

and posters encouraging students, faculty,

and staff members to donate blood will

be posted throughout campus. The blood

drive will be open to anyone who wants to

donate blood.

The club will also donate goodie bags

for 48 men at the Isaiah House in Bridge-

port. The bags will consist of college infor-

mation and toiletries.

In December the club will start offer-ing tickets for the Addams Family Play in

New Haven that will take place in Febru-

ary of 2013.

The HCC Human Services Club is open

to all HCC students. The club is for any-

one with an interest in community service,

not just majoring in human services, Lan-

ci said.

The club meets every Wednesday from

12 p.m. to 1 p.m. in the Beacon Hall, Room

BH 317A. Students can also join via Face-

book even if they cannot attend the weekly

meetings by typing Human Services Club

join button on the page. Information on the

club and ways of being involved are up-

dated each week on Facebook.

This year, 2012, The HCC Human Ser-

vices Club won the Community Service

Award along with a trophy for their com-

munity service work.

Current members of the HCC Human

(club organizer), Kimaya Bramble (presi-

Austin, Robin Drane, Patricia Wright,

Parker.

Human Services Club: Helping People in Need

Setting up Transfer Students for Success

by JEssiCA brooks

stAff WritEr

A

new program is on the rise, and it

is known as TAP, which stands for

Transfer Articulation Policy. TAPis designed to help all of the students at

community colleges who are interested in

continuing their education after an associ-

ates degree or completing two full years of

credits and transferring as a college junior.

Being a student at a community college

has put a lot of things into perspective as

far as class selections matching up with

what certain majors require. Lining up the

curriculum at the community colleges with

the four year universities is the objective

of the new program and it seems like the

impact of TAP could be huge on students.

A press release about the TAP Program

-

necticut, making professors aware that

TAP had been approved by the Board ofRegents for Higher Education earlier this

year in March. The key elements of TAP

include: the development of a common

General Education Core, common lower

division pre-major pathways which in-

clude 30 credits of transferable general

education credits common to all 12 Con-

necticut Community Colleges, junior year

status upon earning an associate transfer

degree, guaranteed or priority university

admission and associate and bachelor de-

gree credit limits.

Patricia L. Hirschy, a mathematics pro-

fessor at Asnuntuck Community College

the TAP coordinator for the project. She

said, We have a TAP implementation plan

that involves a variety of governance units

from the 17 institutions. My job is to make

sure the whole process continues to move

forward. Whether our students are mov-

ing between community colleges or from

a community college to a state university,

there needs to be a process that is easy to

navigate and understand.

As most transfer students know, horror

stories are all too common because of the

complicated process and possible classes

that have to be piled on top of the already

year because the criteria was not met in the

previous community college, but Hirschy

insists that the goal is to minimize the

number of students who take additional

because of transfer issues.

A major question that arises is if the

current transferring process from Connect-

icut Community Colleges to Connecticut

State colleges or universities are chasing

the students to other accredited learning

institutions in other states?

Professor Elizabeth Steeves, who is one

of the representatives on the TAP Steering

Committee for Housatonic Community

College, says that the TAP Program is an

attempt to prevent Connecticut students

from transferring to out of state colleges or

universities by making the general educa-

tion core match throughout the schools in

the state.

We dont want to lose our college

graduates. We want our college graduates

and work here and they can make our

state a more prosperous and well educated

state, she said.

Steeves also revealed that other states

have communication between the different

learning institutions to ensure the general

education core is identical. Pennsylvania

-

tions with general education requirements

across the whole state, both public and pri-

vate and the community colleges. Its all

on a website. We (Connecticut) dont have

that.

registering for classes and if she feels con-

transfer to a four year college.

To some degree, she said. When

I was in the process for registering for

classes I received a great amount of help

from the staff, but as far as transferring,

I think I have received a decent amount

of curriculum and I plan on transferring

to Uconn in Storrs, Connecticut for Psy-

chology.

-

mented goals for her future after Housa-

tonic Community College, but if she were

move would be, would she be as well pre-

pared to transfer to a four year university?

This is where TAP would pick up the

slack. The general education core re-

quirements would already be taken careof and a student would not have to guess

on which classes to take on their own. The

biggest concern at this point is when will

TAP come into play and start to affect the

students at Connecticuts community col-

leges? Even though the program is still

being tweaked and the framework is being

constructed so the trial is successful, the

project should be in full swing in the fall

of 2014.

Collage by Brian Kosarko

Transfer Fair

Wednesday, November 7, 201210 a.m.-1 p.m.

Beacon Hall Event Center, 2nd oor

Over 30 Colleges/Universities in Attendance!


7/16

7

Think Before you Ink

by ElizAbEth figuEroA

stAff WritEr

Putting permanent ink on your body

seems to be an even more alluring

topic nowadays for young people.

What is it about tattoos that makes so many

ink on their skin to say something about

who they are.

may affect young people who are on their

way to starting a new career. We can eas-

ily and painfully get them removed if nec-

essary with high quality laser treatment.

It is a process that is described as a laser

but feels like a rubber band being snapped

onto your skin repetitively. It cost more to

remove a tattoo rather than to put one on.HCC Student Arthur Gibson states,

Having a tattoo portrays an image of who

you are. His friend Aljay Williams piggy

backed off of Gibsons comment, Having

tats gives you more social opportunities.

People will approach you; people get no-

ticeable tattoos to get attention.

Both students did not have any tattoos

and had a similar opinion on what tattoos

meant to them. HCC career pathway co-

ordinator Terry L. Walden has an interest-

ing view on what tattoos are through his

eyes. A quoatations outside his door reads,

Your reputation is what you perceived to

be, your character is who you really are,

who you really are. They go towards your

reputation of how you want people to view

you. Character is the person within the

skin who shows others their capabilities

and identity of themselves through their

actions and personality.

Tattoos are the new trend for this gen-

eration, says Walden. Tattoos have to do

are you going to feel the same way about

the ink you put on your body? Having a

getting in.

When it comes to business who wants

to shake hands with a man that has a na-

ked woman on his forearm? Will yournew business partner take you seriously?

When people look at tattoos they already

get a judgement of how someone is based

on whats displayed on their bodies. If you

arm and tear drops under your eyes people

will look at you and know that you are in

a gang, or you have killed someone. Hav-

ing a tattoo on your body should symbolize

something deep and meaningful that you

will love forever. But whats so meaningful

to you now, like your zodiac sign, may not

be as important 15 years from now.

Before you ink, think deeply about the

future and your life ahead of you. Think

about where you are now and where you

Have those thoughts help you make the

best decision if you should get a tattoo or

not.

Yale New Havens career opportunities

are open for new doctors, nurses, and as-sistants. However, Sherry Guidice from

the human resource center stated, There is

no policy in hiring people with visible tat-

toos. Housatonic also does not discrimi-

-ing new employees.

However, down the line we do not

know if the rules will change and the no

tolerance will get higher when it comes to

having visible tattoos. Its best now to be

wise about the decisions you make so that

in the future you dont have to worry about

a regretful outcome.

HCC student Tiffany Olmeda has a Hel-

lo Kitty tattoo on her right shoulder. She

loves Hello Kitty and thought that was the

perfect spot for her to go.

I like my tattoo. I dont think Ill regret

it because I can cover it up with shirts if

necessary, she said.

It does become a hassle always having

to cover something so noticeable especial-ly if its a hot summer day and you want to

wear something cool. Her major is Early

Childhood Education, and she is striving to

be a social worker. Olmeda believes that

her tattoos wont jeopardize any new jobopening coming soon for her. She states,

It depends on what you have and wear. If

its a gun on your neck, I dont think that is

appropriate for a professional job.

Theres no doubt about it people want

-

ferent ways. One major way people do

that is through marking their bodies. Ted-

die Wilson, who attends HCC has a total

of 12 tattoos. He took his sweatshirt off

to show me where they all were. Most of

them were on his chest and upper arm. The

ones that drew my attention was the one on

said Paige, and the sky and clouds that

wrapped around his forearm. Teddie has

to him. The sky is for the love of his grand-

mother who has cancer. Wilson loves his

tattoos and has only one regret so far. Its

the one that is on his upper arm which is an

angel with clouds.

I dont know why I got this one. My

tattoos are things I like to do, what I am

into and for my family, he said.

he wouldnt know if he is going to regret

anymore tattoos in the future because he is

not sure how it will all come out when he

is done.

Many people are pro and con about this

touchy topic, whether it has to due with

religious beliefs all the way to how trashyor cool it may look on a person. Thinking

twice about getting inked up isnt a bad

idea. It could help you in the future when

its time to settle down with whatever you

would like to do in your life. The tattoos

you have now may not interest you in 20

years. As humans we change, loose ,and

gain interest for other things; its all part

of life.

HCC student Rebecca Figueroa says,

I thought about getting something on my

foot, but then I changed my mind. I dont

want to put something thats a temporary

thought to last forever on the one body I

have for the rest of my life.

by sinAyA hoWArd

stAff WritEr

Who is the student senate? The

Student Senate Is made up of

HCC students who are interest-

ed in help out matters relating to students at

HCC. They are active HCC students com-

mitted to being the voice of students here

at HCC.

According to Catherine Williams,

Acting President, and Kenneth Rotunn-

jory, Acting Vice-President, their goal is

students and to be the voice of the student

body. They say that they are always here to

help and are your student senate.

The student senate is comprised of Wil-

liams, Rotunnojr, treasurer, secretary, and

some senators. The Student Senate tries to

How can you become a part of the Stu-

student at HCC, have a G.P.A of 2.5, and

receive 50 signatures from active students

here at HCC. You go through the applica-

tion process where you will be interviewed

by the Director and Assistant Director of

Student Activities and then be interviewed

by the senators themselves. The senate

looks for students who are committed and

have a desire to improve HCC. The student

senate elections are held at the beginning

of the school year.

Why does having a student senate here

and only deals with the welfare of HCC

students. The student senate is here to be

the voice of the students. They vote and

plan on activities, trips, and clubs that are

here at HCC. They also address issues that

are brought up by students at HCC.

Where are they located ? The Student

BH 317, along with the Director and As-

sistant Director of Student Activities. Their

meetings are held every Tuesday come in

and hear whats going on at HCC and even

bring a few of your ideas to the table.

The Student Senate

Who, What, Where, and Why

Image by: Elizabeth Figueroa


8/16

8

by rEbECCA lEgoutE

stAff WritEr

Weve heard the saying keeping

an A is much harder than fail-

ing. Well, it is the middle of

the semester and many students at Housa-

an A or even a B average is much more dif-

grade.

According to Professor David Koch,

who teaches Western Civilization I and II,

it is all about time management. Based on

even a high average are those who lack

time management skills. His advice to

those students: Prioritize, prioritize, pri-

a student gets an assignment they should

Sometimes students may forget that

professors are available. All of the profes-

an email address. It is actually mandatory

available and are there to clarify, rectify

may create.

However every student is different,

thus, time management is not always the

that for him, it wasnt that he didnt know

how to prioritize, it was just that some

Everyone learns differently and some-

times you just get bad professors that you

dont understand and arent helpful, he

said.

Housatonic understands students like

structured educational institution, tutoring

is provided. The Academic Student Center

provides tutoring for almost any subject.

For those who are spiraling downward in

math, there are walk-in sessions during a

certain time on Tuesday and Friday morn-

ings. Unfortunately one-on-one tutoring

sessions are appointment based only in

room B116.

Thats probably the most inconvenient

thing about the tutoring center. Sometimes

you dont have the time to make an ap-

pointment, Damaris Torres sighed while

-

demic Student Center, I mean sometimes,

for writing, you can just walk in and wait

for an empty spot or if a student is late or

cancels, thats what I did and it was worth

it, but I get it if someone doesnt want to go

through that.

However, this is does not mean one

should get discouraged. For those who are

bombarded with personal responsibilities

as well as school, Housatonic does provide

online tutoring as well. The link is con-

veniently located right on the Academic

Student Centers website with detailed in-

The librarians at Housatonic are very

helpful, and are good resources, at least

when I was at Housatonic, that was the

case, comments HCC alumna Anna-Kay

Fletcher. When it comes to research pa-pers and projects (which is usually a big

part of the a students grade, depending on

the class) the library offers several ways to

help Housatonic students.

also known as the ILL, allows a student to

borrow a book from any library not only

state wide, but across the nation. There

will always be a librarian available to help

students with this program. Students have

access to books across the nation. They

can even choose whether or not they want

to pick up the up book (if it is close by of

course) or wait for it to be delivered; which

usually takes about a week or two depend-

ing on where the book is being delivered

from.

Many students probably are unaware

of how useful these librarians can be. Pe-

ter Everett, Housatonic Librarian, stressed

the fact that the library has over 50 differ-

ent databases to help students, and not only

that, but many students who are a bit con-

fused when it comes to completing research

papers, projects, or other assignments can

actually speak with a librarian in a one-on-

one session. Everett calls this a reference

interview. This isnt an interview that re-

quires an appointment, nor is it something

that is usually planned. However, according

to Everett, there will always be someone

available in the library to guide students.

like fog busters, meaning they can lead

individuals on to the right path, unravel-

ing the questions of what to write, how to

all this information, that invades a student

whose grade depends on such a project or

paper. Almost like a parent teaching a child

to ride a bike, these librarians are patient

and here to help. They are available seven

days a week, their hours are posted on their

website, and they even have a Facebook

page.

Not only can students learn to use the

databases, but during these sessions; stu-

dents learns how to complete a citations

probably didnt even realize they may need,

-

ditional setting that has always worked, and

still does.

When it is all said and done, the real

effort to get back on the ball is up to the

individual. The resources are available

throughout the week and even the week-

ends. So dont get caught in the old cliche,to get back or even stay on the ball, it takes

effort to do the work and initiative to utilize

the resources that are offered at Housatonic.

Bouncing Back

by kAtElyn AvEry

stAff WritEr

Tutors are provided free by Housa-

tonic, but for some students the tu-

busy schedule. Students who are subject to

this problem should check out online tutor-

help in a variety of science, math and Eng-

lish courses.

Fall, spring, and summer students have

access to etutoring.org, and, according to

Academic Support Director Marianne Te-

cun, tutors have been known to stay on etu-

toring.org until 11 p.m.

Online tutoring was originally created

for the needs of evening students, but Tecun

says,Daytime students like it because they

have busy schedules. Tecun also made it

clear that the online tutoring is free, so stu-

dents should have no problem heading over

to etutoring.org and creating an account.

Students may use echat or eques-

tions to help them with questions on

homework problems. Echat is a live chat

with a tutor and equestions works like an

email account that you send messages back

and forth with. The wait time should be

shorter than the one for papers, accord-

ing to Tecun. With papers a student submits

. There will be comments and corrections

placed in the paper along with comments in

the margins.

Online tutoring can be useful but has

Ramirez stated that he used online tutoring

two years ago and they gave him vague

answers and the return time was delayed.

However, Tecun showed me that the

papers were being returned within a day of

their arrival, or shorter, and the margins were

periods that depends on when you submit

your paper as Tecun mentioned,Although

we advertise 24-48 hours sometimes its 72

echat or equestions Tecun also told me

that online tutoring only works if you are

used to an online forum and if you are will-

ing to ask questions in order to help the tu-

help with.

Students may think that etutoring sounds

broke paying for, but Etutoring.org is com-

pletely free, and Tecun wants students to

be aware that if theyre asked for a credit

card number then they should know it is a

scam. Tecun wants students to avoid any

fraud so that they get the most out of their

online tutors. These online tutors are real

people but they may not be from HCC. The

said, Each tutor who works online has a

process through the CTDLC (Connecticut

Distance Learning Consortium).

Interested students should go to etutor-

ing.org and click NorthEast E-Tutoring

account, or they can stop by the tutoring

center, and someone there will set up an ac-

count with them.

Tutoring from your Laptop

Image by: Claude Baker


9/16

9

Destination

Graduation

Plan your schedule by knowing the exact courses you need to graduate

Just follow these simple steps below:

GRADUATION EVALUATION: Get a copy of your Evaluation

REGISTER: for Winter 2012 and/or Spring 2013 classes

WHERE:

TIME:

by niColE CArpEntEr

stAff WritEr

Many students at Housatonic have

other than their native tongue,

at some point in their life. In our increas-

becoming more and more common to be a

bilingual student. For those of us who are

-

gual students whod like to learn a third,

Housatonic offers more than a few differ-

ent languages for us to choose from. With

such a prominence of diversity in our cul-

ture, it is more important than ever to learn

a second language.

Not only is foreign language required

to transfer to some four year universities,

language can enhance their job prospects,enrich traveling, and be a rewarding chal-

lenge, says Housatonic Foreign Language

professor Driss Mellouk. Are college

courses the best way to acquire a second

language? How can students take on this

task, and retain the language learned?

Mellouk is a new instructor at Housa-tonic, teaching students here Spanish and

French. Professor Mellouk grew up speak-

ing and learning Arabic as well as French,

and learned Spanish in high school. He

continued studying Spanish, as well as

teaching Spanish as a second language,

as an undergraduate and graduate student.

Mellouk learned English on his own, and

continued to take English classes when he

language background, Mellouk is knowl-

edgeable and well-versed in the process of

learning a language. Learning a language

is something hard, but not impossible, he

believes. Its never too late to learn a lan-

guage.

Mellouks history learning language issimilar to Housatonic student Raul Quiro-

ga, who is studying computer science.

Quiroga grew up speaking strictly Spanish

in his home, and was part of the English

second grade. Being able to speak Spanish

at home and English at school was essentialin retaining both languages. Quiroga has

studied a third language in high school; he

to get by. It is essential to have people

to practice with, he says, and to dedicate

yourself to speak the language often.

The most important piece in learning

a language, Mellouk says, is to love the

language you are learning, and to use your

that you are able to learn the language are

also important, he believes. While many

way to truly learn a language, this can be

a challenge for many students. Mellouk is

--

ity to speak it, and do so often.

I believe that students can talk since

Speaking often, and incorporating the lan-

guage into your everyday routine is essen-

tial to learning and retaining the language.Mellouk also suggests forming study

groups to practice with, as well as im-

mersing yourself into the culture of the

language- watch television shows, listen to

music, seek out foreign movies.

Mellouk advises having fun learning

-

guage in class as well as outside. Learn-

world, and understand the differences in

many cultures.

For Mellouk, language acquisition is

essential. Although its a challenge, stu-

it, feel it.

by rAChEl kulikoWski

stAff WritEr

Do you ever feel like you are under

a lot of pressure, pressure that af-

fects your daily life? You are not

alone. According to Statisticbrain.com,

in a study done in April of 2012 By the

American Psychological Association, 77%

physical symptoms caused by stress.

because even though it affects such a large

number of people, everyone has different

reactions to stress. Most people feel stress

is a negative thing. However, if you are

ever in danger; stress is the thing that can

help you think straight. Stress is involved

-

sonality. Your stress does have a positiveaffect in an emergency. On the other hand

during everyday tasks such as dealing with

work or school, but not always in a posi-

tive way.According to Claudine Coba-Loh, Be-

havioral and Social Sciences Department

Chair and Professor of Psychology and Hu-

man Services, The stress can either propel

you to action or cause you to procrasti-

nate. For many people stress can get you

motivated to complete a task to lessen the

stress. For others though, it causes them to

could be helpful to give someone initiative

Stress can take a toll on you not just

emotionally but physically. Coba-Loh also

states that physical symptoms from be-

ing too stressed out include headaches,

backaches, and [being] more suscep-

tible to colds due to your immune system

weakening. Psychological/physical effects

of stress include sleeplessness, appetite

changes, If you

think back on the statistic earlier, 77% of

-

ber of these symptoms due to stress.

School priorities can become stressful,especially for college students who typi-

cally have things like full time jobs or fam-

ilies to worry about. For instance, former

University of Bridgeport student, Courtney

Cacchione, shared that things such as be-

ing on time, and a lot of homework have

If you feel you identify with the per-

centage of Americans whose stress is af-

fecting their lives, there are things you can

do to help yourself cope. If stress is getting

out of hand for you some healthy activities

-

cise, yoga, or meditation says Bridgeport

Hospital nurse Emma Branca. Branca also

states It is important to have a good sup-

port system of friends and family. When

she is at home, Cacchione says that what

she does to deal with stress is just basically

for yourself to cool off is one of the easiest

ways to relieve stress. Even though life canbe demanding, stress does not have to hold

you back.

Language Acquisition:How to Do It, and Why It Matters

Stress and How to Deal With It

By: Joice Domingues-Torres


10/16

10

by grEg blACkWEll

sEniorstAff WritEr

A

h, the daily life of a college stu-

dent. Monday through Friday is a

hectic wave of work and school,trying your hardest to juggle both jobs

without going insane. Of all the mate-

rial objects in your life, your vehicle is the

backbone of what makes it possible to tri-

umph over getting to appointments, work,

school, balancing your social life, and other

miscellaneous tasks with destinations that

might just be impossible to come across if

it wasnt for your baby (your car!).

This is why it is absolutely imperative

that you take good care of your vehicle. In

this article, I am going to enlighten you on

some easy steps to increase its longevity,

keep it running smoothly, and also make

you somewhat able to drive through the

dreaded white masses of frozen hell, more

commonly referred to as snow.One of the most critical factors you

need to address is the importance of service

checks. Some cars require it to be done as

-

ers as low as two thousand miles. Typically

out by checking in your vehicles service

manual. The oil in your car is held in the

same regard as the blood in your body. It

is critical to your survival and if it is kept

dirty or neglected, you wont live to see

that rip roaring birthday night of your 21st.

To put it simply, oil functions to lubricate

the pistons in each of the cylinders of your

car. If the oil is dirty or contaminated until

it is reduced to sludge, the friction causedby the grit and shavings will cause your en-

gine to seize up.

Another good tip to point out is the

importance of actually driving your ve-

hicle. An analogy for this necessity would

for your body. If you lounge around your

house all day like a house cat, not being

active, eventually you wont be able to

perform as well as you would like. If you

do not drive your vehicle on a relatively

frequent basis, the rotors on your car willbegin to rust (causing failure during brak-

ing), and your battery will run out much

more quickly due to the fact that the car is

its charger only when the vehicle is operat-

your car to be properly circulated, whereas

keeping it inactive in your garage may

It is also very important that, especially

in the winter, you allow your car to reach

operating temperature before you mash the

gas as if youre trying to outrun a tornado.

A general rule of thumb is to wait until the

needle in your temperature gauge reaches

above the red line. If your car does not

reach operating temperature, condensa-

tion will evaporate and start to accumulate

through the system.

If your car has a manual transmission,

you should always be wary of not riding

-

sure weakens the springs in the clutch and

wears it down as a whole as well.

One of the better tips is to make a con-

to the appropriate PSI level. If your tires

-

tance when rolling, and also provides the

bonus of increased traction. It is also rec-

ommended that you check your tire pres-

sure at the start of the cold season, as theylose pressure during this time. You also

are going to want to make sure your tires

-

able for you, the driver. The tread life of

your tire will decrease if your tires arent

tread wear.

It would be advisable to also change

lower your gas mileage, and replacing it

be purchased at any auto part store, but you

might want to consult your vehicles manu-

al to be certain of where yours is.

In regards to driving in snow, there are

you additional traction. It would be a good

idea to have a designed pair of snow tires,

along with a pair of wet/dry tires for the

majority of the seasons. If you want to go

buy that give you additional traction as

well. Also, factors such as looking ahead to

anticipate drifts and ice as well as braking

to keep in mind. In addition, it is wise to

keep your cars weight distribution bal-

-

ing wheel. If your car tends to have bodyroll, it may be a good idea to incorporate

mild understeer into your winter driving.

One of the biggest ways to maintain con-

trol in ice or snow is to keep power to the

wheels if you are losing control. By gently

pressing on the accelerator as opposed to

the break when skidding, you direct much

of the weight to the back of your vehicle,

giving you more traction to recover.

There are several other ways to increase

the lifespan of your vehicle. If you incor-

porate these tips into your maintenance and

Long Live The Car!

by ArAyAnsy gArCiA

sEniorstAff WritEr

When people have a job or a ca-

reer and do it for the money

they will earn versus their desire

profession. While some people believe that

an earned degree means an individual has

all people who study and earn a degree in

that some do it for the money instead of

an acquired desire. When people are really

good at the job they do their passion for it

shines right through them.

seen the lack of passion in is health care.

Ive encountered many nurses and even

with their jobs.

-

care professional who disliked their job

was when my mother was hospitalized the

time she had open heart surgery. One nurse

was very kind and helpful, while another

was rude and unwilling to lend her assis-

tance to a sick person.

According to the Bureau of Labor Sta-

tistics (BLS), the top ten highest annual

paying jobs in America are:

1. Surgeon

3. Engineering Manager4. Airline Pilot

5. Dentist

6. Lawyer

8. Computer and Information Systems

Manager

9. Marketing Manager

10. Natural Sciences Manager

Everything is about business and

competing for resources, HCC Professor

of Business, Michael Mandel said. This

world runs by business focus.

Although every business may ultimate-

ly be about earning money and gaining cli-

entele, patients, or students, a passion for

what an individual does will give them the -

Another occupation I have discovered

absence in passion is education, mainly

school teachers with special education in

particular. My presumption based upon my

some educators teach not because they like

children and making a difference in their

lives, but because they get holidays and

summers off along with manageable day

hours that are weekend free.

-

pecially younger people, Human Services

major Tiffany Harris said. My major is for

passion because I like helping people.

Life throws curve balls and it can take a

Even HCCs professors have had their

Although HCC Business Professor Ed-

ward Becker was an English major hoping

to pursue a career in advertising, he turned

to a degree in business to help him get a

more suitable job. If I knew then what

I know now, I would have been far more

Becker said.

Discovering your passion for the suit-

able career path you want to accomplish

can be a challenge. Sometimes we go down

one road and uncover an alternate route

that leads us in the right direction.Seven year CNA turned human services

major, Nicole Cioppa said, I like helping

people get their lives together and make

their life worth living for.

Are HCC students passionate about

their studies and majors? Evening students

are more focused, Professor of Business

David Brown, said. Day students tend to

be younger, searching for what it is their

focused.

Lets face it, the economy is doing bad-

ly right now with the unemployment rate

in the U.S. at a 7.8 percent as of Septem-

ber 2012 according to BLS, and a limited

selection of jobs with a good pay rate, but

does that mean we have to be stuck doingsomething we absolutely hate?

biggest movie star or singer, but you can

help yourself by narrowing your likes and

dislikes to discover a career youd be hap-

py with.

In my point of view, anyone that likes

what they do for a living will not only be

spectacular at it, but will also be what I

The best way to go about discovering

options based on your list of likes. Think

about what career is going to make you

happiest without having to over stress

about not making enough money.I have a passion for writing and fash-

ion, so I decided to pursue journalism to

accomplish my dream job of working for

a high fashion magazine as a writer for en-

tertainment articles.

Time is the most valuable thing we have

in the world so why waste it doing some-

thing were unhappy with? Life is too short

in life, it doesnt mean youll enjoy them if

you spend more time hating what you do

for a living rather than making a living.

Your Degree: Is it for Passion or for Money?

Image by: Claude Baker


11/16

11

Like Horizons on Facebook and Follow Us on Twitter!Visit the Housatonic Horizons Facebook fan page to read the latest about whats going on at-tions.-pus news as our reporters discover it!

by sEmhArsAmuEls

sEniorstAff WritEr

Imagine going to school and seeing a

bunch of students walking around with

banners, shirts and passing out things

for a club or cause and you had no idea

what was going on. You look lost and so

confused. Why didnt you know about the

event? How did these other students hear

about it? Well, you are not the only student

that feels this way.

Blake Richard, a student that has beengoing here for about three years, didnt

know about the gym or activities we have.

Its such a shame, he said.

He is not the only student that comes

to HCC and does not know what they of-

fer. There are many other students like

They do not promote their activities well.

Last semester I noticed that the Wellness

Publications Workshop you have to do a

campus coverage article as a requirement.

If it hadnt been a mandatory assignment,

I would not have known. Some students

want to be involved with HCC and are not

due to the lack of knowledge and the school

not promoting what they have to offer.

-ting the students know once in awhile isnt

enough, we need more. Not a lot of people

look at the bulletin board in the college to

see what is going on or how they can be

involved because it is rarely updated. Ev-

ery time I take a look at them in the Bea-

con Lobby it has mostly the same thing.

There are rarely any news events. So, I

can imagine students that do look at the

bulletin board think it is the same stuff and

just stoplooking at it after a while. HCC

needs a new solution to get these students

involved.

To better this campus and to get stu-

dents more involved, I think we should

have a radio show or a daily/ weekly news-

paper instead of monthly or even an onlineradio show that shows up on the HCC web-

site. That will bring the students together to

become more involved. They would know

what is going on on campus and there will

not be as much confusion and more stu-

dents will be involved. Another great way

to get more students involved is to have

TV screens in front of the elevator and

TVs in the cafe with a radio show or just

listing of events coming up so students can

see what is going on. Pictures or videos of

previous events could help gain interest of

new events to come too, if graphics were

involved.

In order for students to have a great col-

If they do not know about the events how

are they supposed to be? I feel that if HCCcould promote events better, more students

will be involved and as a whole the school

and student body will be in a more com-

fortable atmosphere.

Being Involved

by grEg blACkWEll

sEniorstAff WritEr

If you were to talk to ten successful

entrepreneurs, or people with viable,

successful careers, chances are most of

them will will insist upon the importance

of developing a work ethic at an early age.

If all HCC students had a part time job in

conjunction with their academic studies,

-

cial. Several students at HCC may already

be tipping the scales of what is humanly

possible through their consistent work-

load demands from professors, but many

as well. Other than the obvious aspect of

making money, having a job providessubliminal bonuses such as keeping you

-

ing your resume and evolving a persons

work ethic into an impressive display for

employers and yourself.

Dedication is siphoned throughout your

dealings with work via positive feedback

and results, as well as having a desire to

perform particularly well on a task, you

may gain an incentive as a result. The out-

come of this increases your dedication and

will to do better.

in a wide array of pursuits. Having a job

-

your effort into the task at hand, you will

in several other aspects of life, whether

it be your professional career endeavors,

educational goals or in any other activities

pertaining to your livelihood. To this day, Ido not believe I would have the motivation

to keep seeking accolades if it wasnt for

having a job.

Even the most undesirable of jobs will

help your resume. Work done previously

-

perience. For instance, if somebody from

a well known college has a bachelors in

applying for the major position, and anoth-

er person has the same level of educational

the company would be more inclined to

hire?

Working on

a consistent ba-sis truly seems

to transform

your mentality

towards all av-

enues of working activities in general as well.

of completion and chances are, especially

when passionate, you will continuously

strive to reach your goals with your will to

succeed.

Despite all of these reasonings and ad-

vantages for having a job, there are several

students in college who do not have a part

time job. They may have other sources of

income or have guardians to help them

make ends meet. They may also be too

busy keeping up with their seemingly ab-horrent workload as it is, which is com-

mendable. They may even just prefer some

students do not realize is that any amount

of work will provide them with short term

The entire duration of college studies inconjunction with working has made quite

an impact on my present and future. I cur-

rently have quite a bit of money to spend

on my college bills geared towards my BA,

I can pay off my rent for the apartment I

own with impunity, and I am able to pay

off my car bills- all in a timely fashion.

gives me quite a sense of freedom and self

reliance.When I didnt have a side job, I

had to be dependent on my parents and was

always paranoid when I wanted to or was

required to buy something.

As many

of us know

only too well,having quite

a bit of free

time tends to

make your

mind wander from your studies. Facebook,

Google, Youtube and other sites are but a

few of these conspirators of potential aca-

demic ruination. If you have that much

time available, you may also be tempted

to go out for a few hours socializing, with

the result being you end up spending less

time on your studies than you would in-

tend to. I recall myself before I had a job

while simultaneously working, noting that

there is some stimulus involved with hav-

ing a job that prepares me to go into full

blown work mode and complete my schoolwork. When I was unemployed, my spare

time was simply put to more trivial mat-

ters. It is safe to say that the source of this

success was due to time management and

a stronger work ethic. Having a part time

job while working will provide you with

less time, and as a result you will be morefrugal with spending it.

According to brockport.edu, students

with part time jobs have increased in 1984

from 49 to 57 percent. Despite this statis-

student and full time worker Candy Re-

inoso said, Having a job allows me to live

my life without worrying as much. I also

feel so much better about myself knowing

I have an active schedule. I have a family

to support, I need to hold down a job, but I

feel such a sense of accomplishment in the

process.

Mary E. Eady, a counselor to students

at HCC states, Having a part time jobdoesnt only assist students with bills and

and balancing time, but also helps them re-

alize what they do not want to do in terms

of careers. Do they really want to ask cus-

tomers if they want milk or half and half in

their coffee every day? Do they want to be

getting paid minimum wage forever? Hav-

ing a part time job is very important in my

eyes because it gives them the urgency to

press on through school.

Throughout my life, whether it be per-

taining to budgeting, social interactions,

schoolwork and potential jobs, having that

-

tending college has made quite a difference

in transforming myself into what I am to

this day. If you do not have a part time job,try one out and watch as it truly augments

your life.

Time is Money!


12/16

12

by d.C. WEidEnfEllEr

Editorin ChiEf horizons

Unsightly. Disturbing. Blighted.

Neglected. Trashed. I could keep

going. Better yet a better list.

Broken glass. Paper Goods & Food Con-tainers. Plastic & Aluminum. Used con-

-

bage Bags...FULL. Needles & Pill Bottles.

Clothing & Childrens Toys. Oil, Anti-

Freeze & Batteries.

going with this one too. What is this?

These are the items (the possibilities are

endless) carelessly tossed to the ground.

The side of the road, sidewalk, schoolyard,

Downtown, Uptown, West side and East, it

doesnt matter its everywhere. Litter.

Imagine if you will 145,638 people, (es-

timate population of Bridgeport in 2011 ac-

cording to the United States Census Bureau

(quickfacts.census.gov) all holding their

estimated by the Environmental Protection

Agency. Doesnt seem like much you say?

Numbers are scary, yes ,and the numbers

that follow should be. How much trash is

that? Thats about 669,934 lbs. of trash

in one day. For a year thats an estimated

244,525,910 lbs. of regular household

trash, not to mention the countless poundsof whatever else we dont want, just refer to

the list above. Now ask yourself, how much

of that makes it to where its supposed to

go and how much of that trash accidently

falls just beyond the public waste recepta-

cle, only to blow about the city or lazily left

about to seep and sit and collect about our

landscapes.

It is sad to see a city falling because of

economic stability issues. However, it is

much more disheartening to watch one die

of neglect. It is quite hard for me to fathom

how we as human beings can be so careless

with the only home we have.

In an age of GO GREEN and hybrid

cars, and please save the whales, and the

Eukari Monkeys too, there seems to be a

massive breakdown when it comes to peo-

ple picking up after themselves. The sad

truth comes loud and clear in the photo-

graphs you see here.But its not just the scraps of garbage.

Discarded furniture is becoming more and

more common, especially in the lower

income areas of the city, areas seemingly

forgotten because of negative stereotypes

and where people do not always have the

means to dispose of bulk garbage when

there is a need to do so.

Daniel Acosta, who resides in the sec-

tion of Bridgeport known as The Hollow,

believes much of this comes from social

stigma. Honestly, a lot of the big stuff

stems from the rampant bed bug problem

people will tag them as dirty so they try

and remedy the issue on their own, leav-

ing infested furniture in abandoned lots,even their own parking lot Ive even

seen couches just feet from the front door.

This issue is not just an unsightly problem

but doesnt help the citys plight against

because the garbage does not get disposed

of properly the critters are left to infest.

years working for The Bridgeport Furni-

ture Collaborative, an organization that

deals in furnishing low income apartments

with donated furniture.

I spoke to a representative of Orkin

Pest control while performing an inspec-

tion of a local furniture warehouse and he

said.Though the bugs can only travel up to100 feet maybe further if necessary, they

can live over a year without a bloodmeal,

the eggs are a pain in the ass too, theyre

sticky and very resilient. So here we have

a case of littering on the larger end of the

spectrum that is not only unpleasant to see

-

pensive nuisance for the community. The

Center for Disease Control and Prevention

website does state that bed bugs are not

considered a public health concern but that

bites can affect individuals differently.

Many of us have seen those television

spots showing the devastation of massive

spilled an estimated 53 million gallons of

crude oil into the Prince William Sound

back in 1989 or the more recent Deepwater

but what about the damage caused by oil,

anti-freeze and hundreds if not thousandsof other chemicals that are both absent-

mindedly and purposefully dumped into

the ground and water systems? People,

animals, plants and the environment that

supports them gets sick. Referring back

to the Environmental Protection Agencys

webpage, the dangers that come are not al-

ways apparent immediately, but can pose a

health risk just the same.

Contaminated drinking water is usually

there are others to suffer. Along our shores

pollutants poison and threaten clam, oyster

and mussel beds. Many areas, including

most of Bridgeport waters, are closed to

water marine life are affected by this care-lessness, while it takes years for wetlands

to recover, time depending of course on

how badly they were contaminated. Beau-

tiful, natural resources are abused by the

hand of careless people.

Of course, there is always the economic

side to litter. How much money is wasted

have to clean up after other people, beyond

the normal city upkeep and garbage pick-ups?

According to the organization Keep America

Beautiful people careless littering costs the

United States $11.5 billion a year. Looking

around my hometown of Bridgeport I can only

wonder how much of that is spent here.

A home is a usually the biggest purchase

made in a life time, so of course the condi-tion of the surrounding properties is and

open spaces becomes very important. Its

a pretty smart question to ask when about

to put a down payment and take on a mort-

gage commitment of 20, 30, 40 years. How

people take or dont take pride in where

they live is a concern for me. Are you go-

ing to spend and spend again cleaning up

your property because other people wont

take care of their garbage? I wouldnt!

The crummier and dirtier it is, the hard-

er it is to sell the house, even if that partic-

ular property is well kept and maintained.

The harder to sell the home, lower the price

dips which then in turn affects the values of

the homes adjacent and so on.Bottom line is we all should be taking

care of where we live. Thats not just our

house or apartment. Thats not just the

neighborhood or town. Thats not just your

city or county, nor you state. Our home is

out that out.

There is so much out there we can do to

help; fundraisers and group clean-ups. Let-

-

ers and charitable organizations, but the

to care.

My challenge to you all is to become

part of the solution. Take pride in where

WE live. Educating people in ways con-

trol how much garbage they produce andbringing to light the idea that it is cool to

keep it clean. The idea that life is too busy,

too cool, too lazy or somebody elses re-

sponsibility is leading to the death of our

home, and to be thoughtless of for holding

on to your garbage until the opportunity to

throw it away properly presents itself is ri-

diculous.

temptation to drop it and leave it starts in

think about these words from Mahatma

Gandhi - What we are doing to the for-

of what we are doing to ourselves and to

one another.

Here are three of my favorite organiza-

tions dealing with protecting our environ-

ment. Feel free to contact them for more

information or to get involved on a larger

scale.

Connecticut Audubon Society

Our State Headquarters is located at

(203) 259-6305

The Long Island Sound Foundation

General Information, Publications and

Activities:

Long Island Sound Foundation

1084 Shennecossett RoadCommunity & Professional Bldg 19

Groton, CT 06340

Toll-Free: 866-326-8954

Phone: 860-405-9166

E-mail: susan.mcnamara@lisfounda-

tion.org

Friends of the Earth

www.foe.com

Toll Free: 1-877-843-8687

Friends of the Earth DC

1100 15th Street NW 11th Floor

Washington, DC 20005

Trashed

By D.C Weidenfeller

By D.C. Weidenfeller


13/16

13

by kArEn d. fErnAndEz

Editor

M

y friends, family, and I often ar-

gue about religion and other ide-

ologies. To paint a picture, about

a month ago, when visiting my cousin

about spiritual beliefs. As I recall, I made

one comment and two minutes later, the

argument got even more heated! I was re-

counting the events of the day before when

I was visiting my parents and they said,

Karen, your daughter is getting big, shes

already four years old...we think its time

you baptized her. I immediately took of-

fense to their suggestion and quickly re-

disagreed with me, called me crazy, and

proceeded to recite a long list of reasons

why I had to waterboard my daughter,

one point being that, If, God forbid, So-

leil died, she wont go to heaven! Unfor-

tunately for my cousin and the rest of my

family, I do not agree with their spiritual

practice. However, this does not give them,

or anyone else, the right to shove their re-

ligion down my throat. I for one, think

Documents

Housatonic Horizons Oct 2012