2

Horizons Staff

Editor-in-ChiEf

Lovanda “dava” Brown

Advisor

Professor steve Mark

Editors

toM CahiLL

saMantha deLgado

Laura gustafson

deB torreso

ashLey weLfare

dave weidenfeLLer

WEb dEvElopEr

adaM BeLLo

stAff WritErs

MiChaeL Bandy

eryn BarCia

JuLia Bowers

JaneLLe Cook

karen fernandez

sandrene foster

aManda friot

arayansy garCia

soraya garCia-saCCo

kiMBerLy Jennings

Peter Murszewski

destiny nieves

krystLe PiCCinino

seMhar saMueLs

soMaLi saMueLs

Chadran sMith

Jeff sPenCer

sEnior stAff WritErs

Mary anderson

ashLey CaMPBeLL

stePhanie CastiLLo

Chris gaLLi

JaMes harLow

keri-ann JaCkson

Jay LederMan

Ciara Lewis

rauL rodriguez

Jose rosas

eriC swanson

dana souza

austin vaughn

Lauren weinstoCk

distribution And promotion CoordinAtor

BoBBi Brown

Art And dEsign dirECtor

aBeLardo PuLido

dEsign Advisor

Professor andy Pinto

Barnum Stands Tall Through Force of Wind ......................................3By Peter Murszewski staff writer

The Spanish Placement Test ...................................................................3By arayansy garCiastaff writer

HCC’s Faculty and Students Have the Chance to Showcase their Work! .........................................................................4By sandrene fosterstaff writer

College Receives Multi-Million Dollar Grant for Manufacturing Center ......................................................................4By JuLia Bowersstaff writer

Juggling Work and School .....................................................................5By seMhar saMueLsstaff writer

These Boots Were Made for Rockin’ .....................................................5By karen d. fernandezstaff writer

How To Travel Smart and Look Good ..................................................5By Chadran sMithstaff writer

Rush for the Sugar Rush ........................................................................6By aManda d. friotstaff writer

Looking For Places to Concentrate? .....................................................6By Jose a. rosassenior staff writer

Quantity Over Quality for Housatonic’s Hungry? ..............................8By austin r. vaughn senior staff writer

The Curse of Feb 15th .............................................................................8By ashLey weLfareeditor

Online Blues ............................................................................................9By JaMes harLowsenior staff writer

It’s Not All About Her This Time ..........................................................9By david weidenfeLLer editor

I Couldn’t Care Less About the End of the World “Predictions” ...........................................9By saMantha deLgadoeditor

Pursuit of Happiness ...............................................................................10By Laura gustafsoneditor

HEY, I Said That! ...................................................................................10By david weidenfeLLerstaff writer

Already a Month Too Late .....................................................................11By rauL rodriguesenior staff writer Rush Hour Relationships........................................................................11By Lauren weinstoCksenior staff writer

“Smart” Phones .......................................................................................12By toM CahiLL editor

Bullies Everywhere .................................................................................12By Mary e. andersonsenior staff writer

Sculpting Minds: Exhibit Takes Shape in Gallery ..............................13By MiChaeL Bandystaff writer

“Broadway” at Housatonic .....................................................................13By kiMBerLy Jenningsstaff writer

From LIN-Ping to LIN-Sanity ..............................................................15By Jose a. rosasstaff writer

Jeremy Lin: Real Deal or Overrated? ..................................................15By Chris gaLLisenior staff writer

Stop the Madness ....................................................................................16By Mary e. andersonsenior staff writer

His Airness II: Kobe Bryant ..................................................................16By austin r. vaughnsenior staff writer Cover Photo by Kristina Kyoryosh

3HORIZONS • News

by pEtEr murszEWski stAff WritEr

The city of Bridgeport is home to many historical and beautiful build-ings such as the Goodwin Stoddard

House, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and the A.W. Burritt House. One of the most rec-ognizable buildings in the city, however, maybe in all of Connecticut, is the Barnum Museum. The domed building stands as a reminder of the city’s golden days that even a tornado couldn’t destroy.

The tornado of June 24, 2010 did mas-sive amounts of damage to the Barnum Museum. The foundation of the building took a beating during the tornado to the extend that it had to be closed until all the renovations are finished. There are bricks that are knocked loose and are embedded with pieces of debris from the storm. Even though the storm did a great deal of dam-age, the collection inside the Museum sur-vived relatively unscathed. The curators would have to move the entire collection to do work on the foundation of the building so they have decided to do a larger renova-tion project to fix other minor issues with the building.

According to Executive Director Kath-leen Maher, estimates to have the tornado damage repaired range from $6 to $7 mil-lion. With the expanded renovation the costs are expected to reach $15 to $17 mil-lion. The renovation project was awarded to Swanke Hayden Connell Architects, a restoration firm that has worked on projects such as the Statue of Liberty. Even with possible grants being awarded to the Bar-num Museum Foundation they have only raised $250,000, far short of the amount needed to complete the repairs. Fundrais-ing has not officially started, but the mu-seum is currently accepting donations.

The Barnum Museum was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. Being on the National Register the Museum needs to be fixed according to specific guidelines. This drove the cost of renovation up, placing more stress on the Museum and the City of Bridgeport to come up with funds. If the Museum wasn’t a historical building it would be easier to

do the repairs as there are no special guide-lines to follow. These restrictions are part of the reason why the Museum has not re-opened as of yet. Maher said the Museum will be opening the back gallery at the end of April. The Museum staff decided this is the best way to keep bringing money in for renovations and to keep the public in-formed on the process.

While riding down 95 as you come up on the exit to get to HCC look over and take notice of the dome. It’s a symbol of a city that has been through a lot, a symbol that stands tall, a symbol that even an act of nature can’t bring down.

Barnum Stands Tall Through Force of Wind

The Barnum MuseumPhoto by Abelardo Pulido

by ArAyAnsy gArCiA

stAff WritEr

The Spanish Placement Test is a test that is offered to students to test their knowledge on Spanish so that

they’re not wasting their time taking class-es they don’t need. The idea of the test is to place students in the appropriate class, depending on what they know about the language. Taking a foreign language is a requirement for many colleges.

It is also mandatory for all Housatonic Community College students to take the placement test before they can take any of the courses available. The Spanish Place-ment Test at Housatonic is conducted by Instructor Jamilet Ortiz.

There is no cost involved in taking the Spanish Placement Test, and it’s open to all Housatonic students. According to Ortiz, it’s not considered a pass or fail test, and is an online multiple-choice test, which takes approximately 15 minutes to com-

plete. Students will know the result of their placement once they finish the test.

As Mathematics Professor Elizabeth Stapel, from Phoenix, AZ puts it, “ A placement test does not try to “grade” your knowledge; instead, its purpose is to deter-mine how much you know and how well you know it.”

“Some of the test is easy”, Housatonic student Samantha Bratchell said. “I found it hard because they give you random para-graphs and you have no idea what they’re saying. It was like 15 minutes and had easy stuff and hard stuff.”

Students who have never taken a col-lege level Spanish course are required to take the Housatonic Spanish Placement Test if they intend to register for any Span-ish courses. Students, who have not taken a Spanish course at Housatonic, are required to take the test or get a waiver in order to register for any classes. “Waivers are based on interviews with me,” Ortiz said. Stu-dents who have already completed a Span-

ish course at Housatonic are not required to take the exam.

There are three levels of Spanish cours-es. The first one is considered an elementa-ry level and is for students who know little to nothing about the language (Spanish 101 & 102). The second is an intermediate level, and is for students who know how to speak, read and write it (Spanish 201 & 202). The third and last level is for ad-vanced students who want to study Spanish literature and composition (Spanish 251 & 252). According to Ortiz, advanced Span-ish isn’t being offered for the time being at Housatonic because of improper place-ment in the Spanish courses that has led to these classes not being able to get filled up enough to develop the class.

Placement, and course development and fulfillment, is the reason the Spanish Place-ment Test is new this semester at Housa-tonic. “The test was a two-year process. It didn’t just happen overnight,” Ortiz said.

Testing begins March 28th through the

end of the spring semester, and will take place in the language room of the Beacon Hall building in room 238. It is by appoint-ment only, and will be held Wednesdays 9:30-10:30 a.m., and Thursdays 2-3 p.m. Any student interested in taking the test is advised to contact Ortiz 24 hours in ad-vance preferably via email at JOrtiz@hcc.commnet.edu, and include their banner ID.

Ortiz said that the earlier students take the test; the better because it will allow instructors to add needed classes and dis-card unnecessary ones. In her message to Housatonic students Ortiz said, “I just want everyone to come see me and take the test. Come on! Let’s learn a language!”

The Spanish Placement Test

4 HORIZONS • News

by JuliA boWErs

stAff WritEr

State officials recently announced that Housatonic would receive a portion of $17.8 million state grant. It will

benefit both the school and the community by creating a Housatonic Community Col-lege Advanced Manufacturing Center for Southwestern Connecticut. This program will benefit not only the students but the newer direction of the economy. Manufac-turing careers are becoming more prominent but are also becoming more difficult. Rather than having a simple task in a factory, the job now requires skills that require experi-ence and higher education than before.

“The center will be created not only with current HCC students in mind, but with high school students, current workers, and careeer changers as well,” Academic Dean Elizabeth Roop said in a press release. “It will provide people with the skills they need for employment and careers in today’s expanding manufacturing environment.”

State Rep Tony Hwang concurred, “ It will help HCC establish a manufacturing educational center that will benefit our lo-cal businesses through a skilled workforce that can compete in a highly competitive global marketplace. It reflects the collec-tive efforts of local legislators acting as a cohesive bipartisan team in helping our community by helping to create an envi-ronment that will spur job growth that the state so desperately needs.”

Academic Coordinator Bill Griffin add-ed that the center was built and designed with input from the region’s manufacturing community.

“I am most pleased that Housatonic’s manufacturing program has been selected for this grant,” said HCC President Anita T. Gliniecki in the press release. “With this funding, the college can complete the ex-pansion of a regional advanced manufac-turing center.” The help of this grant will expand the college’s manufacturing educa-tion capability and will provide students with the newest technology, knowledge,

and skills needed in today’s manufacturing business.The manufacturing center will feature a manufacturing lab, an engineer-ing and design studio, as well as a welding lab. Not to mention, in the manufacturing lab will contain an inspection/metrology center, a computer lab with twenty stations, Rapid Prototypes, and Computer Numeric Control machines.

Officials said that although manufactur-ing careers have been viewed in the past as being for “kids that didn’t want to study” the perception is changing. Manufacturing jobs have become more difficult and are higher paying than the national average job.

“We see manufacturing as one of the growth areas in Connecticut,” Gliniecki said. “The college has conducted intensive discussion and research with local manu-facturers and vocational technical school partners to bring this manufacturing cen-ter to fruition and increase the training and education opportunities for the residents of Southwestern Connecticut.”

In addition to higher pay, the job oppor-

tunities for these jobs are increasing. Man-ufacturers require special skills and train-ing which can be costly. Housatonic has already partnered with Emmett O’Brien and Platt Tech High Schools to get students straight from high school into college and than on to their career path. The best news about this program is instead of students looking for an alternative school or trying to find a job with only a high school degree with significantly less training they are un-likely to find a decent job, but by going to Housatonic after high school students will have up to six years of hands on experi-ence, a college degree, and a much better success rate of getting into a good career right out of the gate.

As Griffin puts it in the press release, “Our vision was to create a manufacturing center for this part of the state that would provide students with the education and training they need for manufacturing ca-reers right here in Connecticut.”

College Receives Multi-Million Dollar Grant for Manufacturing Center

by sAndrEnE fostEr

stAff WritEr

Are you artistic? Do you have a pas-sion that can be shared with oth-ers? Is creativity a drug you can’t

live without? Are you interested in letting your voice be heard? Housatonic has its very own Literary Magazine titled Images where students are given the opportunity to showcase their creative pieces. These works include poems, illustrated graphics, photographs, short stories, and much more.

English professor and advisor of Imag-es, Scott Empric, states that Images started many years ago as Beanfast, advised by Professor Robert Isaacs. He heard an over-whelming buzz from students who wanted to showcase their creativity. He worked for many years as advisor of Images and later retired.

In the year 2005, Images was restored by Professor Empric and Professor Sam-berg who became co-advisors. Empric states, “ We made sure the deadlines were met and [we chose] the right pieces for the magazine.” They took the initiative to capture students who were eager to display their poems, short stories, and artistic work.

Empric adds that, “He oversees the ship; makes sure it doesn’t sink.” In other words, he oversees the production of the magazine: from reviewing and choosing submissions to laying out the magazine and having it published. In Spring 2010, Lovanda Brown became Editor-in-chief alongside Michael Bednarsky. The two

joined Empric because they felt there was a need for students and others to have the opportunity to have their work published.

Brown has since returned as Editor-in-chief to work with Empric on the upcom-ing issue. “Both of us are interested in creative writing, and we knew what a valu-able experience it will be for the students,” Empric said.

Empric and Brown are not only grant-ing students with the opportunity to show-case their creative pieces, but they wel-come students to join the team! Students and faculty members have the opportunity to work edit and choose the most artistic pieces for the magazine. Empric says, “If you are interested in becoming an Editor of Images, please provide an explanation of why you would like to fill this position and a submission of your work.”

In addition, Empric and Brown hope to have a reception of the publication’s spring release. Featured authors will have the chance to share their talents and creativity aloud.

Images give the spark to students who are seeking to send a message through their artwork. Brown says, “We are looking for tasteful and artistic photographs and pieces that we hope can convey powerful mes-sages to our audience.” Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.

If you are one of these individuals who would like to unleash your creativity, you can send your work along with your infor-mation to Sempric@hcc.commnet.edu or you can stop at Empric’s office: LH-A222.

HCC’s Faculty and Students Have the Chance to Showcase their Work!

Images Advisor- Scott Empric and Editor-in-Chief- Lovanda Brown Photo by Cassandra Fama

5HORIZONS • News You Can Use

by sEmhAr sAmuEls

stAff WritEr

Some students may find a job over-whelming, tiring and annoying while attending school and others might

find it fun and enjoyable. We all know that a job has its advantages and disadvantages. What we never hear about is how students manage both work and school.

Melanie Torres, who is an 18-year-old who attends Housatonic Community Col-lege, also works full time. She works to pay for her college tuition and discovers that doing both is extremely hard. “Some days I feel like giving up,” she said. How-ever, if she doesn’t maintain her schedule

then how will she be able to keep attend-ing school? She goes to school Monday through Thursdays 8:00 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. then attends work from 3 -10 with only one day to relax. With the busy schedule that Melanie has, she rarely has time for herself. You would think that she would be sleeping on her day off, but surprisingly she reserves this day for homework.

Stacey Lemy is a 19- year-old mother who attends HCC, and works 30-40 hours a week. How is this possible?

“Young students want to party without a care at night, chill with their friends and do all kinds of outrageous stuff. But a job takes away from this,” says Lemy.

With the help of her mother and the

daycare she manages to take care of her daughter, to be a full time student, and an employee. To get school and work done, Stacey schedules all of her classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays and only takes four classes a semester. Her work schedule varies on the days she’s not in school. She plans her weeks in advance, and she writes down a to do list everyday from the most important to the least.

Melanie and Stacey both are very busy students but as we can see that how Mela-nie is handling school and work isn’t work-ing for her. She barely has time to study or devote to her classes. Stacey who is more organized and has more on her plate but is adjusted well with her busy schedule.

What’s messing Melanie up is attending classes through out the week. The best way would be less classes two days a week, like how Stacey scheduled hers. There’s more time to focus and do homework without work getting involved, or r even cutting work hours or classes would be a huge im-provement.

Although it might take longer to gradu-ate or leave less money in your pocket, maybe cutting down your classes to being a part time student or even cutting your work hours can benefit both in a huge way. It would make it easier to manage both a job and school.

Juggling Work and School

by ChAdrAn smith

stAff WritEr

Before spring break, students were frantically thinking about where to go, what to do, and most of all,

what to wear! Last week, a few students here at HCC shared that they’re reluctant in their travels due to not knowing how to dress in a different place. They also ex-pressed concern about packing with lim-ited space.

Kelly Miller, a student here at HCC, dis-cussed the amazing week she had planned, “I’m going to Florida for spring break, and I have a long flight.” Still, she had a pro-voking question on her mind, “How can I dress comfy, but not look like a bum?”

Whether you’re going to be a beach bunny or a snow bunny, there are a few ways to make your vacation a breeze. Here are a few travelling tips:

One should try bringing a sweater or jacket that can easily be pulled in the event of unexpected weather. Also, a nice scarf will jazz up any outfit and can double as a layer to provide more warmth. Comfort-able shoes such as sneakers or flats are per-fect for travelling, and they are easy to pull on/off when getting checked in through security. This look is flexible yet casual, and it can be easily customized to anyone’s preferred style.

Since baggage regulations are ever evolving, minimizing your packing is cru-cial! One should be sure to pack the basics, and choose pieces of clothing that can be mixed and matched for maximum ward-robe flexibility. A combination of a few T-shirts, a sweater, and a long-sleeved top will give anyone the option of layering as the weather may be subject to change dur-ing your trip. Here are a few points to re-member:

● Refrain from wearing a lot of acces-sories – they can be a hassle

● Pack travel sized toiletries

● Bring an iPod, your favorite book, or crafts – to entertain you on that long ride

● Bring snacks!

● Pack light – avoid paying extra

Once again, don’t forget to dress com-fortably! Pack minimally and most impor-tantly, have fun!

How To Travel Smart and Look Good

by kArEn d. fErnAndEz

stAff WritEr

If you’ve had enough of the same old cafeteria food and “Big N’ Nasty” burg-ers at Micky D’s, you are not alone. If

you’ve had so much Dunkin’ Donuts that you’re growing one around your waist, it’s time for an intervention. Feel like you need a drink or two at the end of class with a good, moderately priced meal? Well, fret no more, fellow scholar, for there is hope!

It’s Two Boots Pizzeria of Bridgeport, located at 281 Fairfield Avenue, just a cou-ple blocks away from HCC (seven minutes away on foot to be exact). Two Boots origi-nated in NYC back in 1987 and as popular-ity began to grow, so did the business, open-ing here in Bridgeport back in 2007. Mainly a pizzeria, Two Boots is also a full-service restaurant including a performance stage for live entertainment throughout the week.

The owners describe it as “idiosyn-cratic” combining Cajun-Italian cooking to create its unique menu. “The pizza is awesome and they’re named after people, which is kinda cool,” said David Enriquez, religious Two Boots-goer and HCC stu-dent. He refers to such pizzas as “The Newman” (from the sit-com Seinfeld), the “Cleopatra Jones,” and the “Tony Clifton” to name a few.

“Two boots has become one of my fa-vorite hangout spots; being within walking distance from school makes it super conve-nient,” he added.

Not only can you stop in for a slice of pizza on your break, but you can get dinner and a show on Open Mic Night Wednes-days from 8 p.m.-11:30 p.m. after class. “It allows for local performers to get expo-sure, and the atmosphere is amazing,” said Enriquez. After all, it was voted the Best Restaurant With Live Music by Fairfield

Weekly’s Reader Poll for four consecutive years.

If you’re not able to attend their Wednesday night event, don’t worry. There’s always something going on at Two Boots. They have Comedy Night Thurs-days at 9 p.m., Live Bands/Open Jams on Fridays and Saturdays, and Karaoke Night Sundays starting at 6 p.m. They recently had a free Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras event with a live performance by “Shaka and the Soul Shakers,” with appetizer and drink specials all night, as well as tons of free beads.

The best part is, you won’t break the bank! Bring the whole class, even your professor; Two Boots offers discounts for HCC Students and faculty as well as dis-counts for locals and half price drinks (de-pending on the event). Siblings Veronica and Jared Burke, both HCC students and pizza mongers, offered their take on Two

Boots: “The ambiance is great! I think the artwork is really cool, and the people are very nice,” said Veronica. When asked about the pizza, Jared said, “It’s so worth it, original and tasty.”

“The music is a plus, local talent adds to the experience,” shared Veronica, while Jared added, “it’s a fun place to go with friends, drinks and pizza? Oh yeah!”

When asked if they would recommend it to students and faculty at HCC, the Burkes said, they would because it’s close by, not expensive, and definitely not like McDonald’s so you won’t feel guilty after eating there.

So if you’re starvin’ like Marvin or on the roam for some Patron, stop by Two Boots before or after class just for kicks.

These Boots Were Made for Rockin’

Illustration By Abelardo Pulido

6 HORIZONS • News You Can Use

by AmAndA d. friot

stAff WritEr

The vending machine business has been continually growing, and vending machines can be found

frequently, said Healthy Vending Machine Reviews. They are found here at Housa-tonic. With that being said, we have even more than one in our reach just a few yards down the hallway.

One thing for sure is that the majority of our vending machines contain nothing but sugar that is loaded with fattening in-gredients. Yes, the packaging is flashy and inviting, but do students realize that by grabbing that last minute snack can result into the most horrendous crash which will most likely occur in the middle of the day or early evening? This will affect student’s energy levels and attention spans on top of already being exhausted and overwhelmed by our already daily issues.

“The study looked at over 2,300 kids,

and found that the ones who ate vending machine food had higher sugar intake, lower dietary fiber, and iron intakes,” said Social Workout Networks. Often, I see students at Housatonic Community Col-lege with their heads on the desk, bodies sprawled out and eyelids fighting to stay up. It seems as if every tim e a situation like this presents itself, that there is without a doubt, an opened potato chip bag hov-ering over their books or a candy wrapper lingering underneath the chair.

“I believe their needs to be a balance. School vending machines should provide an equal amount of both healthy and sweet snacks,” said Sheena Daniels, a former Housatonic student. By having healthier choices such as granola bars or Welch’s fruit snacks, people would likely be more calm and alert. Healthier foods will allow you not to feel as if you are having a caf-feine-induced heart attack. “Shockingly, it is a proven fact that just by eating one chocolate chip will cause you to be hyper

enough to accomplish walking 150 miles,” says InsaneFacts on Twitter.

Sweets are indeed tasty, but is the crash worth your motivation being shot and com-pletely wiped out? “Sugar breaks down quickly in your system, giving you only a brief pick-me-up,” says Free Healthy Tips.

I suggest before you attempt writing that five page essay that is due next period to re-evaluate your diet. Try a coffee and a banana versus a bag of Cheetos and a Kit Kat bar. Instead of slacking and wasting precious minutes watching those racy junk food commercials that make vending ma-chines appear even more appealing, look around your own kitchen and put thought into a better choice of food variety. You have the option of feeling like a million bucks depending on what you put in your body. So get off the bandwagon and be more creative and healthy with your eating habits. What we should strive for is energy and good grades, not hitting the snooze button all day.

by JosE A. rosAs

sEnior stAff WritEr

Children, jobs, and personal matters are all part of the many concerns HCC students may experience.

College can be a challenge, especially for an adult. Finding time to study, come back from work tired, and taking care of children (if there present at the time) can surely be stressful.

Yet HCC can be known not only for its great professors and flexibly in schedules, but also for the great opportunities it pro-vides its students with. The two building have spots where students can either study for an upcoming exam, working in a proj-ect as a group, or even give the chance to turn your homework into schoolwork.

The original building, Lafayette Hall, has two floors which both have hot spots to check out. On the first floor, comfort-able sofas are located in the main lobby, by the information center. Perhaps one may look at those places as a waiting place or

somewhere to chill before a typical school days starts. The entrance on Broad Street has two study sports right in front. Also right before the computer labs in the sec-ond floor (rooms A230 and A232) there are also a certain number of sofas that one can visit during their time of need.

Although Lafayette Hall may be a good place to work on school assignments, Beacon Hall is, to me, the best place to study for an exam. With a range of spots to choose from, Beacon Hall would be the building to experience complete silence when needed. Entering though the main entrance, right in front of the evening division, there are a few seats where stu-dents are often reading or working indi-vidually on work with their laptop.

On the second floor, comfortable study spaces are available right next to the event center. Also to the left of the Events Cen-ter, one can find more study spaces. By room 223, there is a huge student lounge that’s big enough to fit many students in case they need to do some last minute re-

view before an exam.The most study spaces that can be

found in HCC are located on the third floor in Beacon Hall. In fact half of the third floor in Beacon Hall is dedicated for study space. On one side there are some offices and classrooms, while in the other, there are a large number amount of seats available for students to get the concentra-tion they may be seeking for.

If you want to feel more peace and quiet, the third floor would have to be the quietest place out of the whole school, es-pecially during the afternoon/night hours of any day. However, Friday is the day not many students are in school, and although the school isn’t open for the whole day, during the times it is open, spending a Friday morning on campus would not be such a bad idea.

Because the majority of the study spac-es are located in the halls of the buildings, there aren’t any rules that say you cannot bring snacks or drinks when studying in one of the hot spots HCC has to offer.

However, it would be wise to consider not putting your drinks right next to a text book that may have cost you about $300, or otherwise, accidents do happen and you wouldn’t want any liquids spilling on a costly textbook.

If you don’t seem comfortable with studying in what some would consid-er “a hall way” rather than an actual study room, the library in Lafayette hall offers several rooms for studying or working on projects with groups. The only thing is there must be at least three students that want to use the room at the same time. Otherwise, the librarians won’t allow the rooms to be used. Sometimes studying in groups can work much better than study-ing individually, so what better way to study than gathering a group and head-ing down to the HCC library to take full advantage of the many opportunities the campus offers?

Rush for the Sugar Rush

Looking For Places to Concentrate?

Illustration By Abelardo Pulido

Would you like to voice your opinionsor concerns to the Editor?

YOU CAN!Just share your feedback with usat Housatonichorizons@gmail.com

We can’t wait to hear from you!

7HORIZONS • Profiles

by JEff spEnCEr

stAff WritEr

Housatonic Community College is home to many inspirational and helpful professors and faculty

alike, but none stick out more than HCC guidance counselor and social worker Mary E. Eady.

As I ventured out on a chilly Monday to interview a potential faculty or student for a profile snapshot, I looked no further then the counselor offices, some of the friendliest and most inspirational people in any University or College. Entering the room, Mrs. Eady sprang from her chair and quickly asked if I needed any assistance. While looking at Mrs. Eady’s eager face, I realized that she was the same counselor that directed me in my Spring classes after I had an interesting first start to my fall se-mester at Housatonic Community College.

She instructed me to get comfortable and to have a seat on the couch adjacent from her room. With a wide smile, Eady stated that one of the most important goals in her life right now is to help students of the school. “I love more than anything to help the students of this wonderful school be as successful as possible as they enter into a new path in their life.”

“I find life very interesting, but I don’t

really have any obstacles I really just find myself getting by like everybody else and finding strategies and ideas to get by,” she said as she was greeting students with a smile and a hello.

Eady is truly an inspiration to me and to many students here at HCC. While the interview was taking place my own class-mate Greg Blackwell was taking notes and even said “I remember you from when I wasn’t doing well at school” he said to Professor Eady, “and you definitely point-ed me in the right direction, as my grades have greatly improved.”

Eady is also proud of her volunteer work in Fairfield County for the last 35-40 years. “I am very big on charity and providing for people that are in need,” she added.

A resident of Bridgeport since birth, Eady said, “Even though Bridgeport, CT has it’s ups and downs, I have been a proud resident since the day I was born. This city may have some bad parts, but it still has many good people and still does many good things.”

Eady, a true social worker in and out of the college campus, has made an impact on many lives in Bridgeport, CT and beyond. When she retires, she hopes to travel the world spreading peace, love, hard work and happiness to every country, and person she encounters along the way.

Mary E. Eady: Showing Support for Students and Her Community

by kArEn fErnAndEz

stAff WrittEr

With light olive skin, jet black hair, and a persuasive smile, Dagher is not the tallest guy at

HCC. Starting back in 2009 and majoring in engineering, he’s three months shy of obtaining his associates degree, currently with a 3.6 GPA.

“I like it better here, I feel a ‘family’ atmosphere,” he explained, comparing HCC to Norwalk Community College, which he previously attended.

Originally from Beirut, Lebanon, twenty-two year-old Dagher describes himself as a “humble” guy coming from a conservative but very supportive fam-ily. “My parents always encouraged me to follow my dreams;” his parents and twenty-four year-old brother still reside in Beirut, “yes, I miss them a lot, but we Skype almost everyday,” he added.

In 2009, a young and determined Da-gher left everything he knew in Leba-non to pursue “more opportunities” and dreams of “building a better future” here in the states. He dreams of becoming an aerospace engineer and designing jet en-gines for a living, a far cry from a concert pianist, his childhood dream which wasn’t realized due to stage fright.

“I still play the piano as a hobby; I compose my own pieces,” he says, adding that he’s still working towards overcom-ing his stage fright.

If there’s one thing Dagher is sure of, it’s his future. He moved here by him-self and settled in with second cousins in Bridgeport’s North End. “I don’t miss my country... I love everything about the U.S.,” he said.

He doesn’t waste time either. He’s been working full-time as a math tutor at HCC’s Academic Support Center for three years.

“It makes me happy to see students pass,” he added. And it’s no wonder they’re passing. This tutor not only speaks English, but also fluent French, a little Russian, some German, and wants to learn Spanish.

“Your attitude determines your alti-tude,” he explained, “anything I want, I go for it, I’m a fighter!”he said.

In his final semester here at HCC, Da-gher, along with a team of engineering stu-dents, is working on the Sustainable Liv-ing Project to “improve the quality of life in cities such as Bridgeport.” The program is being sponsored by the National Science Foundation and NASA.

“We’re creating a system that turns air into ice and water using solar energy to cut electric and water bills,” he explained, and gave credit to Professor Ryder, (head of the engineering department and program advisor of the Sustainable Living Project) for being both a great professor and friend.

“He gives me good advice,” Dagher said. He also praised Director of Admis-sions Deloris Curtis for guiding him and being exceptionally kind.

Dagher said this is the “land of oppor-tunity,” and that no goal is impossible to achieve through hard work and persever-ance. And he’s definitely seizing the op-portunities coming his way; he plans on working in his field once he graduates and perhaps continue his education at a univer-sity.

“I want my family to be proud of me, and I too want to be proud of myself one day,” he said.

by ArAyAnsy gArCiA

stAff WrittEr

Think you know all of Housatonic’s students? Meet Earlyn Williams, 19, from Bridgeport. She is a

friendly and cheerful person who is op-timistic about life. Earlyn likes helping people, especially children.

In summer of 2011, she was a counsel-or at a non-profit organization for kids. Earlyn is into music and enjoys dancing, and listening to Chris Brown. She has an interest in photography as well. When it comes to food, she said “my favorite food is baked mac and cheese.” Earlyn loves the color green and describes it as “organic.” She also has a passion for sports, with basketball in particular, and likes watching ESPN First Take.

Earlyn Williams’s ambition is sports and entertainment. She dreams of trav-elling to places like Dubai someday and said, “Dubai is what I pictured a futuris-tic city to be like when I was little.” Ear-lyn also dreams of working for ESPN or CBS in the future.

For her future, she said, “I hope to be happy and not stress over money…I don’t have to be rich, but I don’t want to stress over money.”

When referring to her challenges, Earlyn said, “My biggest obstacle in life is not knowing exactly what path you want to take.”

She is most proud of herself for tak-ing the initiative to continue her educa-tion. Earlyn stated that her parents are her biggest motivation because they didn’t finish high school. She said, “My dad didn’t really care about school, he wanted to be an athlete…but he’s the one who brings me to school and gets my foot in the door.”

Earlyn is currently majoring in gen-eral studies and has plans to further her education by transferring to a four-year college. She stated that the women in her family have taken the biggest step in go-ing back to school.

Whatever the future holds, she said, “Everything happens for a reason and will work out for the best.”

Snapshot Profile: Joseph Dagher

Student Profile: Get to Know Earlyn Williams

Mary E. EadyPhoto by Cassandra Fama

8 HORIZONS • Opinions

by Austin r. vAughn sEnior stAff WritEr

Theodora’s Food Service is the of-ficial provider of foods for both cafeterias at HCC and has been for

almost a decade. I find the food to be a bit pricey, and the flavor definitely doesn’t make it worth it. For me, students look-ing for a tasty meal wouldn’t really be able to find a quality one from this expen-sive, bland company. However, downtown Bridgeport has much to offer in the way of good food at fair prices not too far from campus.

Yet I was surprised to find most students don’t mind a quick, hot, tasteless meal be-tween classes, and have even cultivated strong friendships with the cafeteria staff.

Cafeteria frequenter Heidi Meagher says the food is “fine.” “[If a McDonald’s was here] I wouldn’t eat it”, said Meagher, who dines on a salad and enjoys the caf-eteria’s healthy dining options. “It’s less expensive than a diner. Also the staff is re-ally nice. I’ve only been here a few weeks and I already have a ‘usual’.” It seems that

service really hits home for Meagher and other cafeteria regulars.

“The cafeteria employees are the big-gest sweethearts I know,” says John Signes, HCC student and Cafe fan. “If I want a burger on a croissant with bacon, they’ll make it for me no problem and only charge me five bucks. I don’t know anywhere else where that would do that.”

When asked if he’d rather have a Mc-Donalds on campus, Signes responded, “If I wanted to eat crap; I’d go to a toilet.” Signes even said he has friends who have graduated who have given him money to buy food from the cafeteria for them be-cause they miss it. “The prices are fair and the service is great,” continued Signes, “I usually tip them two dollars a week.”

“They really go the extra mile”, said HCC student Josue Bonilla. “I was a cook, so I’m a picky eater, and I love the food here.”

Bonilla also complemented the cafete-ria staff on their hygiene, “I see them wash their hands several times every half hour that says something to me.” An anonymous friend of Bonilla and Signes also comple-

mented the cafeteria’s service, saying, “I really love these guys.”

However, some students also see the discrepancy between price and taste that led me to begin this journey, but they ad-mit the convenience of quick and easy food serves their needs well enough. “[The food] has a ‘so-so’ taste, but it is expensive. Sometimes choice is dependent on price,” said Keenan Rock.

“The cost doesn’t equal the quantity,” Shawn Pattaway said on the difference be-tween McDonald’s and cafeteria servings. “You pay more here, but you get way more food. It’s not as good [as McDonald’s] but it’s food and it’s convenient.”

It seems that despite the “so-so” taste and high prices, the cafeteria’s service, choices, and convenience keep HCC’s hungry happy and not searching for more. After all, as an anonymous source said, “there are several restaurants in walking distance if you’re looking for something different.” However, for a quick snack be-tween classes it does its job, with a smile.

If, like me, you are hunting for a quality flavorful meal there are tastier and possibly

cheaper dining destinations within walking distance from campus. Melt, a deli-style cafe, specializing in deli and grill sand-wiches is just two blocks down Lafayette Blvd from campus. Their prices may run a bit higher than the cafeteria on their premi-um sandwiches; however, they offer natu-ral, quality foods and drinks, which leave your tongue happy and begging for more.

Two Boots Pizzeria, which has been described as having good food and great beer, is also only a couple minutes away from campus on foot. With a Louisiana/New York hybrid feel, Two Boots offers both Cajun, metropolitan, and Italian food packed with varied and exotic flavors at moderate prices. (For more on Two Boots, see Karen Fernandez’s article in this issue.)

These are only two of the flavorful din-ing destinations available in downtown Bridgeport. Right across the parking ga-rage on Lafayette is Lulu’s and Dunkin Donuts, and just four blocks down heading past the Post office is Joseph’s Steakhouse if you’re looking for a delicious, high class meal.

Quantity Over Quality for Housatonic’s Hungry?

by AshlEy WElfArE

Editor

Yes, Valentine’s Day is long gone and Cupid is done shooting our behinds with heart shaped arrows,

but how come the days after VDay, love suddenly wants to diminish along with the red balloons and chocolates?

Love is suppose to be something that stays true no matter what holiday it is. So why are couples breaking up, potential love are staying “just friends”, and hearts getting broken after Feb 14?

The problem is about this holiday, is that in the next few months, the feeling of love and romance seems to die down. Its like, if it isn’t Vday, roses don’t get sent to their significant other, chocolates and love poems don’t get received, and that passion seems to die down. It doesn’t seem as im-portant to give some chocolate or roses say

for instance, March 2, like it would on the 14th of Feb.

Valentine’s Day is by far not only the romantic, but also the most superficial day of the year. Many chooses to fall in love, just in time for gifts, yet as soon as it hits 12:00 a.m., Cupid is back on vacation and love is once again out the door until the next year, So, do all see it like that?

Sebastian Johnson, 21, says, “Valen-tine’s Day is actually a overrated holiday and it shouldn’t take one day to show some-body that I care for them.” He explains that also people take this holiday too seriously, and that he doesn’t need the specific day to show his appreciation and care.

Brittney Williams, 23, a former HCC student says, “Reason why I do not care to celebrate Valentine’s Day even if I was in a relationship is because I wouldn’t want to get so excited about love for one day. I love to be in love, and not for one day”

But what is very apparent is the pas-sion to fall in love does die because of the lack of Valentine’s Day cards that are no

longer in stock. No, love, especially true love, doesn’t need one day to be proven. There are days where one will wish that their significant other will take the one that they love out on a date, just because its Wednesday. That’s what Jessica Kyle, 31, said to me, “I have been dating this guy for about a year now, and the thing that I love about him is that he chooses to show me his love and affection more than once a year. We actually don’t cele-brate Valentine’s Day because of the extra “hoopla” that can occur.”

Valentine’s Day isn’t actually about one day. The thought of sharing your feel-ings with someone you choose to give your heart to should be celebrated all the time. I guess, at the end of the day, this ar-ticle is simply trying to state to love, love every day.

The Curse of Feb 15th

Illustration By Abelardo Pulido

9HORIZONS • Opinions

by JAmEs hArloW

sEnior stAff WritEr

Online classes are considered one of the best tools for a busy student. It provides a college student with

the ability to work and go to school at the same time. The days of organizing your work schedule around school or vice-versa is finally over. The typical student can take some classes online like, math, english, art history, psychology, and some hybrid sci-ence classes. However, some of the core classes students need to take, and some extra-circulars still aren’t available online.

Some examples of those classes peo-ple want to take are, Business Finance, Business Law, Computer Applications, 200-Level English courses, French, Italian, and Western Civilization classes. These are just a few of the many courses students like myself would love to take at home but can’t.

Naugatuck Valley Community College here in Connecticut offers some classes online like, Principles of Astronomy, and Principles of the Human body. Geteducat-ed.com says that, “Online education con-tinues to rise, with roughly 6.1 million col-lege students having taken an online course

in the fall semester of 2010, according to a report by the Babson Survey Research Group.” So it would only make sense that we are offered more available online class-es, and maybe it would even help HCC’s enrollment rise.

Other students are also feeling the need for more online classes to be offered at HCC. First year student Cathy Migliazza says, “It’s only my second semester here at HCC, but I look forward to taking on-line classes while enrolled. I just wish I had more to choose from. They fill up so fast because there aren’t too many choices.”

TJ Donovan, another HCC student, on

the other hand does not agree with the stu-dents who believe we should be offered more. He argues the complete opposite, “I have taken classes in school, and online, and I think that online classes should not be offered. All classes should be taken in school.”

There are schools like the University of Phoenix who don’t offer just online courses but online degrees. Some students are asking for HCC to do the same. But for now, people will just have to be satisfied with online classes already offered.

by dAvid WEidEnfEllEr Editor

Abortion. A touchy subject at any dinner table and this moral argu-ment may never be settled, so that

will not be the focus of my argument, but rather the lack of support for the men faced with this issue. Yes, men do face this issue and much more support should be offered for the man in need. Yes, of course, there is support out there, but no one ever hears about it. It’s safe to say that you rarely even hear how abortion affects the male half of the equation. Of course, the ultimate deci-sion to terminate a pregnancy is that of the woman, so us men are left with a sort of helplessness and because of the sensitivity of this issue I have decided to use my own personal experience to support my argu-ment.

After a girlfriend and I made the deci-sion that termination was the best course of action, we made the necessary arrange-ments to go to the women’s center. That’s where she would have a basic examination to make sure that the pregnancy was “nor-mal” before being given a pill, which will begin the process of a non-invasive abor-tion. Before this pill is given, she talked with a psychologist, who is provided to all clients to make sure that the woman is fit to make such a heavy decision and that she is okay through the process emotionally.

Of course support for the man in this

situation would typically not be provided at the clinic, but the thought had been planted and I began to realize that this as-pect is rarely even spoken of. Men do have feelings, and we shouldn’t have to feel like we can’t talk about it.

Of course I talked about it with my girl-friend, but she too was going through a lot, like both the physical and the emotional pain, so she was not the best one to talk to. Besides, she needed me to help her with medications and monitoring her and also supporting her letting her know that things would be all right. I was lucky that I had a private therapist and a strong network of close friends and family that were able to help me through this ordeal.

Looking on the Internet there are sev-eral sites with testimonies, and personal stories from men for men. Afterabortion.org even has a section dedicated to re-sources for men, names and places for the few groups out there for men. The website afterabortion.org contains such informa-tion, but why is this information so hidden, almost elusive, like men healing is all but taboo?

This information should be much more readily available to men. I feel that it should be okay for us to speak our feelings and that it is important that we have support. We should not be ashamed to talk about what we are experiencing, nor should we be to ask for help. As sociologist Arthur Shostak says, “Most of the men I talk to think

about the abortion years after it is over. They feel sad, they feel curious, they feel a lot of things; but usually they have talked to no one about it. It’s a taboo.”

We need to remember and to show the emotional impact such a decision has on men, and because ultimately the man is left helpless to effectively stop the abortion should the partners disagree, so the ques-tion does not revert back to yes or no but to how do I cope with this, with the least amount of repercussion to myself and my relationship? Not more grief and suffering? Help and support should be offered equally to both persons should the need arise and should always be easily accessible to any-one. Men’s centers in schools and other social settings should promote groups and healing retreats, as should private organi-zation such as churches. It’s not about the “who”; it’s about where to get to get the help we as men deserve.

Not all people have access to the Inter-

net, or access to private therapy on such short notice. Free easily accessible support for men should be readily available from social service programs, even promoted in medical offices community centers and any other public forums where support groups are held. Men should not be afraid to band together to support each other through such a life changing event due to lack of help, lack of accessibility and groups that cannot be easily found, or the stigma that men do not need such help because it doesn’t affect us like women. We as men don’t feel it like a woman does; we feel it like men do. And we need our own support.

Finally, most of us have heard that “we” when a couple makes the important an-nouncement that she is pregnant. “We are having a baby” or the “Sara and Cliff are expecting another little boy”. If a man is in-cluded in a pregnancy brought to term, it is only equally important that he be included in the abortion, not so much in the actual decisio, as the woman does have control of her body, but involved in the respect that it does have a very strong emotional impact on men and that we too have a healing and grieving process.

Email Dave Weidenfeller at dcweid.weidenfeller8@gmail.com to respond or comment on this article.

by sAmAnthA dElgAdo

Editor

December 21, 2012 is getting clos-er, and with websites and people counting down the days to the end

of the world, I feel the need to point out how ridiculous it is to fear this date.

The specific date of 2012 came from the Mayan calendar. There is no real “Mayan Prediction,” only what experts have inter-preted the ending of the calendar to mean. The Mayan calendar is based on a cycle and on December 21st this cycle will end. On this date, the Mayan calendar called the “Mesoamerican Long Count” resets itself to zero. The beginning of a new cycle was a huge celebration in the Mayan culture. Considering that this particular cycle has been 5, 125 years in the making, I think it is

cause for a celebration. One rarely talk-ed about interpretation behind the Ma-yans choosing this specific date is they believed that the inhabitants of Earth will have a new beginning in which we will go through a positive spiritual transformation. It is interesting to read the beginning of the new cycle as posi-tive and then to have a completely dif-ferent beginning described as a catalyst for a catastrophic event.

Another reason why no one should take any end of the world predictions seriously is because all end of the world prophecies (I mean, as far as I can tell, I’m pretty sure the world is still here.) have been wrong thus far. They’re so many “foreseen” apocalyptic scenarios I would need to write a thick book to ex-plain them all. The most recently foiled

prediction was by Family Radio Host, Harold Camping. Camping first pre-dicted that May 21, 1988 was the day Christ would return using a formula from the Bible. When that did not hap-pen he then said he did his calculations wrong and that Sept 6, 1994 was real date when the Second Coming would happen. His last prediction was that on May 21, 2011 the righteous would fly to heaven while the world burned until the end date October 21, 2011. What I still don’t fully understand is how any-one could take him seriously? If he was going by the Bible and the Bible says that no one will know when the Sec-ond Coming is, how can you believe he knew a formula that can tell the exact date of the end?

Online Blues

It’s Not All About Her This Time

I Couldn’t Care Less About the End of the World “Predictions”

“They feel sad, they feel curious, they feel a lot of things; but usually they have talked to no one about it. It’s a taboo.”

Continued on Page 10Photo courtesy of Blogspot.com

10 HORIZONS • Opinions

by lAurA gustAfson

Editor

Happiness is defined as a “state of well-being characterized by emo-tions ranging from contentment to

intense joy.” I cannot say that I am always happy, or that I possess an excess amount of joy; that would be a blatant lie. Recently, however, I searched for a smile in the halls of HCC, and saw faces of exhaustion, an-ger and discontent.

“Everyone looks miserable,” agreed Alyssa Astarita.

I hate to accept this as our current real-ity. I know life can be challenging, but we have so much to live for that a lot of what is diminishing our happiness seems petty when put into a larger spectrum. Let’s take driving for example. On my daily com-mute, I know who is happy and who is not. That seems like something silly to be sure of, but I see it.

I immerse myself in the far right lane, so I do not slow down businessmen on their morning drive. Sometimes I rebel and I am completely aware that I am doing it. I stay in the middle lane or even the fast lane when I have every intention of not driving past a steady speed of sixty-five. What I cannot wrap my head around is why there are so many unhappy people on the road. I have received more middle fingers, death stares, and the very obvious “I’m going to scream and curse” while all four of my windows are closed, while traveling on the road.

I do not know where each car is headed

when I drive, but we are all traveling in the same way. We have a destination, and we need to reach that place on our map in a timely manner and prefer to not be held back by traffic delays, accidents, school buses, etc. I often find myself wondering that if people are this unhappy on the road; do they ever break a smile when they are not behind the wheel of their vehicle?

In David D. Burns, M.D.’s The Feeling Good Handbook, he immediately outlines moods in the first chapter entitled “You can change the way you feel.” He gets down to the basis of what people think causes their unhappiness. “Others attribute their bad moods to the state of the world-the shaky economy, the bad weather, taxes, traffic jams, the threat of nuclear war. Misery, they argue, is inevitable.”

After I read this, I thought to myself, “what a way to live?” It seems as if un-happiness has become one of the ugliest trends in our society that we cannot seem to shake. I consider instances when I find myself and others unhappy. I wonder if we are harping so much on the initial idea of “being happy” that when all is said and done, we are actually unhappy as a result.

According to an analysis released via blog by psychologist Daniel Kahneman, it reasons that “experiencing self” and “remembering self” are two very differ-ent ideologies. An individual needs to take an experience for what it is worth and ne-glect the short term memory that hindered the longevity of the positive memory. He went on to further emphasize how a guest at one of his speeches approached him with

a story about his afternoon at an orchestra. This guest said that the experience was beautiful, but as the performance reached its end, one of the speakers gave out a loud screeching noise. This noise, as he put it, ruined his entire experience.

What renders a positive period of time, or a brief unpleasant moment? I think ev-ery person should take into account that things happen unexpectedly, and these

short encounters should bring a smile, not a frown. I used to be pessimistic about sev-eral things in my life and then I discovered that I can laugh at myself. I laugh when I trip on my own two feet, I laugh when I spill coffee all over my clean clothes, I laugh when I say something I shouldn’t have, and I laugh when I see something for the first time.

I know “happiness” is considered a temporary feeling, but what if all of us, as a community and a college, took larg-er strides in making others and ourselves happy?

Back to my previous example of driv-ing, sharing happiness with others has proven to bring about a chain reaction. When I prepare my departure out of the HCC Parking Garage, I see tired students with eyes drawn out anticipating their exit from school as well. Whenever I see a car waiting to leave, no matter the traffic, I stop and let them go ahead of me. Ironical-ly enough from this one small gesture, they let out another car, and so it continues--a share of common understanding and bliss.

Happiness has a special meaning to ev-ery person. I continue to try my best in stay-ing as positive as I can, and I think we are all better off living and maintaining a hap-pier mentality on life. As the band the Fray said, “Happiness is a firecracker sitting on my headboard, happiness was never mine to hold. Careful child, light the fuse and get away. ‘Cause happiness throws a shower of sparks.”

Pursuit of Happiness

by dAvid WEidEnfEllEr

stAff WritEr

Here in America, we as citizens have certain protections and rights. These rights are said to be

“inalienable”--whatever that means. One of these rights that seems to always be taken for granted is the one that protects speech. This gives us the right to say what we want to say as long as it does not di-rectly hurt or threaten any body or entity AND in no way says that we must like or agree with any of it.

It seems that who we should be worried about are the people who are disregard-ing our rights and trying to limit what we should be able to say and where we can say exactly what comes to our minds. I feel that this is happening because of a blurring line between freedom of speech and the fabric

of moral code and how it is implemented within our government and other special interest groups.

For example, producer Ed Olivera of the Chaz & AJ orning show on WPLR was chastised for two programs for a comment he made on a tragic 911 call in which a 17-year-old girl from Ohio passed away when her car went off the road and into a pond or river on the side of the road. Yes, of course the situation is tragic, but should Olivera received such negative outcomes. The comments were to the nature that when the phone connection to 911 ended that the young girl had opted to hang up and post her status to Facebook asking for help. Sure this can fall into the category of bad taste or bad timing, but not wrong. There were many listeners who did in fact find the humor within this statement in making the connection to how important

Facebook and other forms of social media have become to mainstream society. There is no wrong doing here except maybe bad taste, and that’s a maybe.

Remember we don’t have to like every-thing we hear, and we don’t always have to go along with it, but people shouldn’t harp on others for saying what they feel. Everybody has a difference of opinion and we all have different likes, and senses of humor etc. What is funny or appropriate to one person may not be funny or appropri-ate to the next.

Also it is important to remember that people will be people and they will say whatever it is they have to say. The idea that we can speak with a person freely without threat of repercussion

is important, and time should be taken before judgement be made on what some-one is saying. Think of the personal im-

pact, meaning how the apparent offensive language affects you on a personal level.

Thicker skin or tolerance to language and the things people say will alleviate many problems. We speak of tolerance all the time, tolerating other people’s beliefs and other culture’s customs, no matter the deviance they may express to us, but become super sensitive when it comes to what we say. It should not make any dif-ference. Thoughts are created by humans and therefore can’t be wrong. I stand by this: Words should be free the same as WE! In the wise words of Salman Rushdie, the British Indian novelist: “Free speech is the whole thing, the whole ball game. Free speech is life itself.”

Email David Weidenfeller at dcweid.weidenfeller8@gmail.com to reply or comment on this article.

HEY, I Said That!People really need to thicken their skinwhen it comes to what other people say.

As I research websites like Decem-ber212012.com, which is dedicated to proving the validity of 2012, I feel they are taking advantage of people’s fears es-pecially when I come across a “gift shop” where you can order “end of the world” T-shirts. How can I believe the end of the world is coming when your own website is not taking it seriously? Networks are also taking advantage of the hype with shows like “Doomsday Bunkers” premier-

ing this month on the Discovery Channel. There is also the show on National Geo-graphic called “Doomsday Preppers.” The episodes follow the lives of these preppers and how, in the event of the emergency, they are prepared for the ending of the world. This show opens viewers’ eyes to how serious people in America are taking the end of the world scenarios. And there are a lot of scenarios according to National Geographic. These predictions run from megaquake, economic collapse, global

pandemic, a 2012 cataclysm, to nuclear war, solar-flare-induced power failures, or an extreme oil crisis that leads to the unrav-eling of society.

Housatonic student Lisa Hinton doesn’t believe the hype around 2012 and won’t until she sees it happening herself. If such an event were true Hinton says, “I would pretty much, since I’m a mom, make sure that my son had everything he needed. I would stock up on mainly nonperishable food, so it would last longer, and ammo

because people are going to be crazy.” She also says “I would pray a lot too and hope that [the predictions] were wrong.”

With that said, I will concede to the point that the fate of the world, for the most part, is out of our hands. But in my honest opinion, we have nothing to fear. At least in 2012 that is.

I would love to hear from you! Email me at delgadosamd@gmail.com if you have questions or comments about this issue.

Continued from page 9

Illustration By Abelardo Pulido

11HORIZONS • Opinions

by rAul rodriguE

sEnior stAff WritEr

What is wrong with this school’s advertisements? Seriously, last semester not many people

knew of the movie nights hosted at the school and most recently the Valentine’s Day masquerade ball was practically a no-show. There should be more adver-tisements or at least more talk of it from teachers. I mean I know this is college. But what’s the point of hosting these things if only a handful of people show up?

When it comes to in-school advertise-ment it should not be too much of an issue to put up a big billboard that illustrates up-coming events for the month. This school could even post the events calendar in the school paper Horizons, or even send out e-mails to the students on exciting news. That would be cheap and, most important-

ly, quick. Brandon Batista, “The people who

run [the advertising in the school] should spread the word of mouth. I didn’t even know about it till the day the event was held.”

On Valentines Day Housatonic hosted their own Masquerade ball. I attended with some friends only to find that no more than 15 people actually went to the event. There were decorated tables that were empty and so much food to be had even though the party started 2 hours prior and still had an-other 2 left until it was finished.

Why is that? I only found out that day about the event and it was through word of mouth. That’s not to say it’s bad to find out through friends. But one would assume you would want people to see the posters or possibly e-cards of the party.

Now on the HCC calendar located on the school’s website, www.hcc.commnet.

edu, you are able to find all of this. But that’s not exactly going to grab people, right? No visual aid, or specific details on the event exactly, leads to uncertainties and misguided people. But, even worse is how the complete lack of ambition to publicize this.

Two people at the dance named James Willis and Teresa Wirtemburg discussed with me how they felt about it. They said they found out a week ahead by a mutual friend and felt they didn’t have the neces-sary time to prepare for it.

When asked about how he felt they could improve these organized affairs, James said, “Let people know more ahead of time.”

Another example is that there was a trip to New York held on March 3. I was told by another student friend about the trip. She said to pay soon because he tickets go on sale immediately. I thought, “I doubt

anything will occur.” Of the students I’ve talked to from HCC, including Jon Ayala and Justin Quinn, they’ve said that they weren’t aware of anything.

Now why is it that they host these great trips at school yet don’t properly tell us about it? I’d figure that if you want a big-ger turnout to these things people should be advocating them more promptly and in turn more people would show up.

I know it’s college and not everyone wants to attend or simply cannot go. But if this school wants more people attend-ing their events then they should definitely take action and learn how to promote these gatherings. Today, you can’t just tap people on the shoulder to get their attention. You have to grab them by the neck and scream in their ear. Then you will notice that ev-eryone in the room is paying attention.

by lAurEn WEinstoCk

sEnior stAff WritEr

In this day and age, I can’t help but look around my surroundings, and come to notice how involved and busy people

are. Everyone always seems to be in a rush. People rush to work, rush to lunch, rush back to work, and then rush home. Students rush to class, and then rush to work and then rush to hang out with their friends. But mostly I notice how much people rush into each other. When first meeting someone, the connection seems so strong, is it best to right away become that person’s everything, or is better to be slow and steady in order to win this race we call a love life? When it comes to rela-tionships, I couldn’t help but wonder, how fast is really too fast?

Someone once said, that “love is blind.” So is something called a one night stand. You could just be going out to the bar with some of your buddies or girlfriends from work, and four cocktails later you meet someone who you have an instant connec-tion with. Then a hour later you ditch your posse and decide to spend the rest of the night with the hot new stud you just found. Or did they perhaps find you? In all reality, we know that the next step is sleeping to-gether. How do you know its right? What if you could see a future with this person? Wouldn’t the sex ruin your chances? Sex always makes things complicated. It’s one of the big reasons why people become in-volved in a relationship, literally overnight. If you have such a strong connection with another, it is best to get to know him or her first before blowing your chances by sleep-ing together so suddenly and giving away the spark and the fun on the very first night.

After interviewing my good friend Si-erra, I found that her vision of love is, “Out with the old and in with the new” After dat-ing someone for about two years, the rela-tionship finally came to a bitter end. She began to go out to clubs every weekend and the very second time she went, with

the snap of her fingers she met someone new and that person is now her boyfriend, only forty eight hours later. Sierra is just one of the many people that get wrapped up in the lust and capturing infatuation with a new flame.

Another huge reason why people are rushing into relationships so quickly is for the feeling of security. Everyone loves to feel as if someone cares and loves them un-conditionally. People love to brag if they have a boyfriend or girlfriend because it shows other people that they are cared for by another. Sierra, is someone who can relate fully to this. During our interview I have came to the conclusion that the rea-son she loves having a boyfriend is simple; “I like to feel as if someone always cares about me. I like the feeling of security when having a boyfriend. I like someone always being there for me and how com-fortable it feels being with someone you love.” She said that she also tends to rush into relationships because she hates the thought of being alone. Sierra is not the only one. Most people feel the same way as she does, and as soon as someone shows just a bit of attention to them they are au-tomatically hooked and want nothing more than to start a relationship to feel secure and safe.

One of the great things about being in a relationship is always having that person to hang out with. Let’s face it, everyone gets bored here and there, and when you are in a relationship, there is no need to get bored because you can call up your lover at any point of the day or night and ask them to hang out with. However, people should learn to lean on their friends for comfort and support before rushing into a relationship just because they don’t want to be bored. Family is also an important factor. You first need to have that kind of support system to lean on before leaning on a boyfriend or girlfriend and expect them to always be there at your beck and call to hang out with you. Your friends and fam-ily are the ones that value you the most

in your life they will always be there no matter what. With friends comes honesty, and your friends can push you to become a better and stronger person without needing someone constantly to have by your side. You will begin to love yourself more and it will push yourself to become who you want to be without having a significant other there to define you.

I can draw on my own experiences to this. I had met a boy named Andrew a few years ago. We quickly had an instant con-nection and rushed into a relationship to-gether. We dated for four years. During the entire relationship, because I didn’t know myself completely or have a back bone of my own, I began to have interest in every-thing and anything that Andrew liked. He would introduce me to all different bands and movies, and even though I may not liked everything he showed me I would pretend I did. Recently, our four year love came to an end. I was easily devastated because I had lost myself so much in him that I have forgotten completely who I was, and the things that I used to love, and the things that used to make me and only me happy. Because we rushed into a relation-ship all the quickly I got so wrapped up in him that I had lost all track of myself and my own interests. Before jumping the gun and starting a relationship, you must first know who you are and love every inch of who you are. Then when meeting some-one you can show that person who you are as an individual. It also makes you all the more attractive to them. Establish a friend-ship with them so that you know who they are and then you can decide weather they would be a good candidate for yourself.

When you first get to know someone, you get so lost in their infatuation that all their qualities become heightened. They seem like this amazing and perfect person for you. Some say a soul mate. You forget to look for those first signs of trouble. Of course people fall in love left and right, and I am not against love, If it feels right in your heart, for all means take that chance

because we only live once. However, form-ing a friendship first hand is so much more important to do so that you can understand and know who they are and then decide if this is someone you want to be with or not. During my interview with Sierra, I asked her about her previous relationship she had just ended. “When I had first met Josh, I was so delighted by his attention that I completely disregarded any red flags that may have came up in the beginning. Later on in our relationship, I found that he was highly controlling and abusive. He would never trust me and always be looking at my phone. I couldn’t even go to my work shift without seeing his truck drive around the parking lot outside to make sure that I was actually at work like I told him.” This can happen to anyone who decides to rush into a relationship just to feel secure, or safe or to simply have someone to hang out with. It can become dangerous because you don’t know this person yet, and you don’t know who they are. Establishing a friend-ship is the way to go in order to be happy and successful with the person. Sierra also adds, “I believe that it is important to take things slow, and establish a friendship first. Rushing into it may scare the person away. You don’t know the person well yet, so it is difficult to say whether you would be happy being in a relationship with them.” Maybe she should listen to her own advice.

All in all, relationships are hard. They are something that you have to work on, and they all have to do with compromise. Compromising, a beginning to a relation-ship is the best way to go in this generation. I think the dating world needs to really take a big step back, and remember how things were in the old days. Getting to know someone, and going out on various dates, and really getting to know that person to their very core before getting overly in-volved. Today, you just cannot be too care-ful with what you can find out there, and its always important to remember, slow and steady can surely win the race.

Already a Month Too Late

Rush Hour Relationships

Got some news you want covered?Let us know!

Write to housatonichorizons@gmail.com

12 HORIZONS • Opinions

by tom CAhill Editor

The more your phone does for you the less you have to do for yourself. Once the population is upgraded to

3G, or whatever meaningless alphanumeri-cal combination they tag on us next, we’ll be formatted to their liking and all remains according to plan. If the brains behind this operation have it their way, the next Iphone may promote even less thinking than its predecessor. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be a smart person with a dumb phone than a dumb person with a smart phone.

It almost sounds silly to speak of tele-phones in such a way, but this is reality; this is what it has come to. The computer has shrunken to “pocket size”, and there is the potential to help create a brilliance in society that has not yet been dreamed. Instead, however, we live in America. The land of the free and the home of the An-gry Birds. The hunger for knowledge has been replaced with a buffet of availability, except it’s serving up hot plates of Bejew-elled, Where’s My Water and Fruit Ninja.

Yes, those are the top three paid apps for the iphone. These games speak for them-selves. Don’t worry though, the free apps are filled with real thinkers such as Move the Box, Egg Punch and Contract Killer. I’m not opposing all leisure activity, but

these brain rotting apps have no purpose on a smart phone. You have to go out of your way to find an app under the “education” category, which certainly won’t be visible in the top 10, or even 100 for that matter.

Making these accusations based on as-sumptions would be one thing, but these are the figures from the itunes App Store itself. The people have spoken. Facebook sat at what to me was a surprisingly low number 21. I don’t need to look far past my class-room or workplace to realize Facebook’s popularity, but why the necessity of having it on your phone? Regardless, if you were to accumulate the educational value of the Top 100 Free App list, you’d gain about the same from watching season one of Ren and Stimpy.

I grew up in the 90’s too, and indulged in my fair share of mindless entertainment, but I know better now. I went 18 years of my life without owning a cell phone, so having one is more a luxury than a neces-sity. It is our generation but more impor-tantly the generation to come who I worry for: People who will know nothing else but “smart” phones. People whose interac-tion will be so fundamentally impersonal that face to face contact will die off. Peo-ple whose attention span will be at record low with an insatiable demand for stimula-tion. M.T Anderson depicted this type of scenario very well in his book Feed, where our constant need to be stimulated led to

computers and televisions being hooked to people’s brains at birth.

Our ancestors would have killed for an opportunity at the information we now have at our finger tips, but instead I’m sure are cringing at where we’ve gone with it, all at our own discretion.

In Apple’s defense, none of these games or Facebook are default applications on the Iphone. Each user chooses to foil their im-maculate machine with networks of social disaster. Choice is key here, really in this entire argument. The IPhone could be used as an educational device, and at its core was designed to be. It’s how people our age prioritize activity that gives it such a bad reputation, and rightfully so.

I get it. You’re having a rough day so far at work and you need a minute to fill the rest of the world in on your mundane expe-rience (Facebook status) or maybe you just need to slice 2 dimensional watermelons with your index finger (Fruit Ninja). Waste your mental health on your own time, but the convenience and availability now threaten our education and work force. I work at a company with over 150 em-ployees who I come in contact with, all of whom I see occupied by their cell phones while on the clock. Maybe I am stuck in the past, but playing with your cell phone on the job should fall under insubordina-tion or at least some form of incompetency. Today, more or less, this is acceptable. I

just don’t see this need to be constantly connected with someone or something oth-er than the people we are physically with.

Apparently no longer in 2012 is it con-sidered rude to postpone eye contact with somebody while they are talking to you, and casually browse your smart phone. Manners and social etiquette have gone out the window along with smart phones, and we are currently rewriting our social norms to cater those too important for face to face. We are an efficient society, not a personal one. We would rather get out 9 text messages to 9 separate people in 1 minute than to have a verbal conversation with 1 person. Again, most of my genera-tion was forced to initiate verbal contact in order to conduct any form of a relationship. We still have that foundation, but are let-ting it slip away through technology. If we get too comfortable with smart phones we will soon forget the alternative methods of communication.

Whether this is the right or wrong move as a society is debatable but it will cause a change none the less. This is a change conservatives like myself dread everyday, and write articles such as this to bring the minority view to light. My generation isn’t conscious enough to see the big picture. What type of society is the smart phone promising for our future?

by mAry E. AndErson

sEnior stAff WritEr

I met my first bully when I was in the second grade. Robert Faulkner, as I remember him, had brown rotting teeth

and always wore heavy combat boots. One of my favorite activities was playing teth-erball during lunch. If I was lucky, the caf-eteria would serve its special chocolate oat fudge and I could enjoy two favorites at the same time.

One day I decided to save my fudge un-til after my tetherball game, so I carefully wrapped it in a napkin and placed it on the ground by the game stand. In the middle of my game, I noticed a loud thumping sound and was surprised to see Robert laughing while stomping his clunky boots on the ground with all of his might.

To my horror he was actually stomping on my fudge! Having already ruined my day at that point, he made it even worse by what he did next. Still laughing, he then proceeded to eat my fudge that he had pulverized with his boot. He did it right in front of me.

Bullying has been around long before society ever assigned a name for it. Over time it has gotten worse, but especially for school kids. Bullies have become increas-ingly ruthless with their tactics. For some kids, getting bullied has even become a part of their daily school ritual. The sad thing is that bullying does not stop after middle or high school.

Instead the bullies carry the same be-haviors into adulthood, and apply them to their current circumstances, sometimes with tragic results.

I often think of the late Rutgers fresh-man Tyler Clementi. Clementi was a vic-tim of cyberbullying until he ended his life by jumping from the George Washington Bridge into the murky and unloving waters of the Hudson River. I find myself wonder-ing how fellow intellectually bright col-lege students could have found enjoyment

in persecuting him simply because he was different. Bullying does not always end in tragedy, and if you make a point to carefully observe the people around you, you may

find many surprising examples of bullying in everyday life.

Have you ever had anything hurtful hap-pen to you at work like being purposefully excluded from events? This is an example of bullying. Have you ever had a superior give credit for your work or idea to someone else? Again this is a form of bullying.

Consider peer pressure in its many forms. Even your best friend who may continually tease you because you refuse to smoke or drink is a bully. Recently I was at a take-

out restaurant, and the cashier was rude to the point of intimidation. She resented any questions that I asked her, and she held an insulting demeanor. When I questioned her about her behavior and gave her my best ar-gument, “There is no reason that I should leave here feeling worse than when I came in,” she responded “This is how I am and

how I talk to everybody.” This is an exam-ple of retail bullying. To get a better idea of how to spot examples of bullying it is best to have a working definition. Bullying can be defined simply as “treating someone in an overbearing or intimidating manner”. With this definition in mind, I believe a per-son might find that there are bullies every-where. Consider this scenario: You board an evidently popular train. As you assess the crowded aisles for somewhere to sit, you fi-nally spot the only unoccupied seat next to a woman who rudely decides to place her handbag in the seat. She does not make eye contact with you and when you politely ask, “May I have this seat?” she rolls her eyes and offers the seat.

What about the driver that cuts you off on the highway or constantly blows his horn to communicate his displeasure with you? Think about those huge tractor-trailers that often dominate the highway. Sometimes they operate in the wrong lanes, and other times they project clear non-verbal warn-ings for other drivers.

What is the best way to handle a bully? It is best to confront the bully in the safest way that you can. For school kids, it is best to notify someone in charge like the princi-pal. If the bully is in your work place, you can try approaching him or her and explain in a calm, clear and forthright manner, and explain to this person just how their behav-ior is impacting you and the workplace. If this does not work, your next step would be to report the bullying to your supervisor.

It is amazing that bullying appears to ex-ist at a subconscious level. Many people be-lieve that bullies really feel inferior and that they bully or put others down to feel better about themselves. What is even more amaz-ing is the symbolism that can be found in my example above with Robert the school-yard bully. Just as he stomped on my fudge and ate it right in my face, bullies stomp on your desires and consume them right in front of you as well.

“Smart” Phones

Bullies Everywhere

Illustration By Abelardo Pulido

13HORIZONS • Arts & Entertainment

by miChAEl bAndy

stAff WritEr

The Housatonic Museum of Art, located in Lafayette Hall, is now featuring an exhibit entitled

“Sculpture of the 21st Century”. The ex-hibit showcases sculptures from members of the Sculptors Guild, an organization of artists based in New York City.

According to their website, the Sculp-tors Guild was founded in 1937 and kept up by donations from many famous phi-lanthropists. Its mission is “to promote, encourage and serve as an advocate for sculpture and to make contemporary sculpture a relevant part of the cultural experience”.

Robbin Zella, Director of the museum, says she chose this exhibit after friends in the Guild approached her about it. “[Art-ist] June Ahrens, whom I’ve known for 20 years, and Judith Steinberg approached me and asked me if I wanted to feature the exhibit,” Zella said. “Then, I was able to secure Nick Capasso, Senior Curator of the DeCordova Museum as curator.”

Zella says that the pieces range from highly representational, to modern realis-tic, to very conceptual. “I hope [students] will become excited about materials and making things,” Zella said. “The ideas [of the pieces] are very good, but the tech-niques are even better.”

Sculptor Steven Dono, whose piece

entitled “Ruin of Belief” is featured in the exhibit, says he hopes it will make students think. “What more can you ask for?” said Dono. “Not everybody will like this piece, but as one of my professors once said, ‘If everyone likes it, you’re do-ing something wrong’”.

“Ruin of Belief,” which Dono began constructing in 2004, is loosely based on the Cocteau movie “Orpheus”. It repre-sents politics in America and how many people are being mislead. “The Statue of Liberty is held hostage to the mast [of the ship], and the wrecked ‘ship of state’ is on a track to nowhere,” Dono says.

According to Zella, all the sculptures in the exhibit have different meaning, and she hopes that students will take the time to enjoy looking at all of them.

“There’s more to education than just earning a degree,” Zella said. “Poetry and art and music are the things that speak to us and make our spirits soar. Artists’ work speaks to something greater and encour-ages us to be our best selves, and I think people are hungry for that, especially now.”

“Sculpture of the 21st Century” runs until March 23. For more information on the Sculptors Guild, check out their web-site at www.sculptorsguild.org.

by kimbErly JEnnings

stAff WritEr

Tired and bored of doing the same things all the time? There are sev-eral exciting upcoming events hap-

pening at Housatonic. Come support your fellow classmates and enjoy a night of entertainment with friends or family at no cost. All theater events are sponsored by the Theater Club Program, are free, and are open to the entire student body and public.

This semester the Class Act Theater Production (HCC theater majors) will per-form Welcome to Arroyo’s by Kristopher Diaz. The Theater Club Program also invited outside production companies to Housatonic. Outside productions will in-clude Love 146, Urbintel, and Masque. All performances take place in the Lafayette Hall’s Performing Art Center.

Class Act student production’s Wel-

come to Arroyo’s is a comedy and drama presentation about Alejandro Arroyo, who owns the newest (and cleanest) lounge in New York City’s Lower East Side. His sister, Molly, has a nasty habit of writing graffiti on the back of the wall of the local police precinct. Officer Derek is a recent NYC transplant with something to prove. Lelly Santiago is a socially awkward col-lege student who may have discovered that the Arroyo siblings’ late mother was one of the founders of hip-hop music. Two DJ’s /narrators/Greek chorus members spin the story in this hip-hop theater coming- of- age story. Opening night is Friday May 3 at 7:00 p.m. and will continue on through the weekend with additional performances on Saturday May 4 at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday May 5 at 1:00 p.m.

All cast members are Housatonic stu-dents. The actors are Dalquane Brown, Sanjee Pauling, Juan Ayala, Lamont Mack,

Amy Craw, Heli Vaher, and Jamaar Farm-er. Behind the scenes the choreographer is Amy Craw and stage Manager/ Assistant Director LJ Jepsen. The play is directed by Geoffrey Sheehan, professor and program coordinator of the Theater Arts Program at Housatonic Community College. Sheehan is excited about the production of the up-coming performance and says the students are “having fun exploring” this early day hip-hop and rap story line.

The upcoming Theater Arts sponsored events for this semester:

Events in recognition with the 3rd Thursday Cultural Celebrations:

March 22, 2012, Celebrating a culture of Hope and Rescue featuring Love146, a group that works toward the abolition of child sex slavery and exploitation through prevention and aftercare. Representatives from Love 146 will be here to inform and engage students in discussions and a theat-

rical production.April 19, 2012, Celebrating the Culture

of Men featuring Urbintel (Poetry. The-atre. Power.) and their spoken word theatre piece, “The Male Ego.” Here five men tell a story that challenges everything thought to be known about men, to expose the man through his male ego.

Outside /In performance SeriesTuesday April 3rd, 2012, Masque The-

ater Company will be presenting a puppet/Mime/Dance/Music show “This World, the Next, and then the Peach Orchard.”

For more information about the produc-tions you can visit their websites: love146.orgurbintel.commasque-theatre.org

All the performances begin at 6:30 p.m. and take place in Lafayette Hall’s Perform-ing Arts Center. Don’t forget to save these dates.

Sculpting Minds: Exhibit Takes Shape in Gallery

“Broadway” at Housatonic

Queen by Stephanie Rocknack in the Burt Chernow GalleryPhoto by Abelardo Pulido

LOST AND FOUND: In the Public Safety/Security Office room A105The Lost and Found Dept. has accumulated a large quantity of items.If you have lost something, please stop by the office.Thank you,Public Safety Dept.

14 HORIZONS

15HORIZONS • Sports

by Chris gAlli

sEnior stAff WritEr

You cannot pick up a newspaper or turn on ESPN without hearing the name Jeremy Lin. “Linsanity”

is everywhere and in his first four career starts he has totaled 109 points, more than any other person in his first 4 starts since the NBA/ABA merger in 1976, beating out Allen Iverson, Shaquille O’Neal, and some guy named Michael Jordan.

As a New York Knicks fan I am cer-tainly enjoying all the attention that Jeremy Lin has been receiving, but I do not think he will produce at the high level that he did when he first started with the Knicks.

Many colleges did not even give Lin a chance, and in an article in The New York Times, Mark Viera quoted former Cornell coach Steve Donahue in saying, “We all felt the same way: we could get better.” This is Cornell, an Ivy League school, and a school that is much more known for their academics rather than basketball.

Although he might not have gotten a scholarship offer from Cornell, he did have a backup plan, Harvard. His college career started like many other people who were not highly scouted out of high school,

averaging only 4.8 points per game in 18 minutes of play, but had career highs his junior year averaging just under 18 points in almost 35 minutes per game. After his 2009-2010 senior year Jeremy Lin gradu-ated with a 3.1 grade point average with a degree in economics.

But this is not an article on just who Jer-emy Lin is, it is also an article on where he is going, and if he will be a “one hit wonder.” Yes he has broken NBA records already in his short NBA career, but he has also been cut by two NBA teams and was only days away from being cut by the third, the New York Knicks.

The NFL also found such luck this past year with the player Tim Tebow, who many doubted he could ever do anything. This was something the NFL greatly profited from. So could Jeremy Lin and “Linsanity” be the NBA’s version of “Tebowmania?” The day after Lin hit the game winning three point shot in Toronto, the average ticket price for the following game against the Kings went up by over $100, and also at the same time the MSG Co. stock price rose to an all time high.

In my opinion the NBA will continue to hype Lin up even as his numbers go down, which is inevitable as the NY Knicks key

players are now all back from injuries. There is just too much money to be made, and with the rise of Jeremy Lin they have also now added another fan base that has been declining since the retiring of Yao Ming, and this is the Asian community.

Lin is the first American born player to be of Chinese or Taiwanese descent and is one of just a few Asian-American players in NBA history. So with all of the new fans pouring their way into basketball arena’s to watch Lin, I think that the NBA will defi-nitely capitalize on this, and continue to market Lin’s brand name as much as pos-sible, even if he ends up being unsuccess-ful the rest of the season.

Many people believe that Lin is the real deal, and some brave sports fans say that he has already proven enough in his first ten starts to show that he is good enough to play and start in the NBA. As a Knicks fan for a very long time, and not knowing what it feels like to win a single playoff game since the year 2000, I am not ready to just roll out the red carpet for Lin. I can agree that what he did in his first ten starts averaging 23.8 points per game, and 9.4 assist per game is impressive, but also averaging 5.9 turn-overs per game is something that needs to go down if he wants a steady NBA career.

There were many different reasons why Jeremy Lin has started off successful, but I think that none were as important as the other NBA teams simply not knowing any-thing about him. By this I mean they did not know exactly how to approach him de-fensively, and this is evident in his first few games, as it seemed he was able to drive the lane with ease.

Now that the other teams are picking up on his tendencies you can see in his per-formance that he has to adjust his game to continue his career, which is something that he has already started to do. Because of this I think that he will ultimately have a mediocre career in the NBA, and him and the Knicks would have the greatest chance of winning if he is a 10 point and 10 assist a game type of point guard, and he will also have to commit less turnovers.

For the Knicks to win their first playoff game in 11 years, and even possibly win their first playoff series since 1999, I be-lieve that all the “Linsanity” needs to dial it down a notch, and the Knicks should focus on playing team basketball, which is some-thing that might come to be a problem with a roster highlighted by Carmelo Anthony.

Jeremy Lin: Real Deal or Overrated?

by JosE A. rosAs

stAff WritEr

Download complete in 5...4...3...2…1, super LIN-tendo has been activated! After experi-

encing loss after loss, the New York Knicks find themselves in a comfortable position. Lots of expectations grew from this team, especially after the acquisition of Tyson Chandler over the off-season. Several be-lieved the 3rd year guard Tony Douglas would be the answer at the point guard position, which would then put the Knicks in a contending spot for already having Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire. Unfortunately for New Yorkers, more was needed to have any high hopes of being a contending team this season.

On December 27, 2011, the beginning of a new era for both the Knickerboxers and Jeremy Lin emerged. It was not until that day that Lin was able to find a home with a basketball squad that was desper-ately seeking a PG that would constantly contribute on nightly basis.

“I was competing for a backup spot and people see me as the 12th to 15th guy on the roster. It’s a numbers game,” said Lin after being cut by numerous clubs in the NBA.

Although Lin found a team, it didn’t take much time for the Knicks to send him to the Development league (A league where NBA teams can assign players from their roster to show improvement). On Jan-uary 20, 2012, Lin recorded a triple double 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists in the D-league, which lead to the Knicks recalling him three days later. Before the “Linsanity,” the team had become an 8–15 team, causing them to be out of the playoff

picture at the time. On February 4th, 2011, Lin recorded 25 points, five rebounds, and seven assists coming off the bench and outplayed All Star guard Deron Williams. From that game on, Lin just continued to impress time after time, becoming of one the “Hot Topics” in the sports world.

Amar’e Stoudemire would then miss several games due to the loss of his older brother, and Carmelo Anthony would also miss some action due to an injury. Without the two star players, the Knicks’ luck would just continue to sink down right? Wrong! The absences of Anthony and Stoudemire granted Lin more fame and more time to prove to the world just exactly what type of player he is.

Despite Jeremy Lin graduating from Harvard University, he did not get take part in an NBA draft. Lin is an American of Tai-wanese descent, and because there aren’t many American players with international descent that take a huge step, he was being talked about by many. His talent was not-ed not just by the media, but also by some famous people as well. Floyd Mayweather, a professional boxer, said on his Twitter account “Jeremy Lin is a good player but all the hype is because he’s Asian. Black players do what he does every night and don’t get the same praise.” Whether racial or not, lots of criticism followed Mr. May-weather’s comments

Not all the celebrity attention was up-setting, Kevin Durant, a Small Forward of the Oklahoma City Thunder, updated his Facebook status to “Jeremy Lin is killing it! Have you seen him play yet? Happy for him!”

Former 8 time All Star Yao Ming, also noted Lin’s skills by saying “He gives a lot of hope to kids with the same background

like his: Asian-Americans, second gen-eration or maybe third. If he keeps play-ing like this, he could be an All-Star, don’t you think? Right now, he is handling ev-erything -- the game and the attention he is getting -- perfect.”

Lin also received recognition from the league by naming him the Eastern Confer-ence Player of the Week.

At that time Lin was putting up big num-ber and contributing in big ways. Not only did the stats shows he was a rising player, but also the game that was played in Toron-to against the Raptors showed exactly why he deserves to play in this league. With time winding down and the game tied, Lin was given the ball and then he nailed the game winning shot, which ironically, had Canadians cheering for him after beating their squad. This grew much attention for the sophomore that even Los Angeles Lak-er forward Metta World Peace, was shout-ing “Linsanity! Linsanity!” while waving his hands above his head. The Knicks went on a 7-0 streak while in 6 of those games Lin was their starting PG.

Apparently not every Laker player seemed to be impressed with Lin’s perfor-mance. Kobe Bryant, the leading scorer for the Lakers, was asked about Linsanity before facing him in New York and said, “I know who he is, but I don’t really know what’s going on too much with him.” NBA fans were puzzled at Bryant’s response, es-pecially since not only were New Yorkers giving the kid lots of recognition, but also around the country and worldwide. “I don’t even know what he’s done. Like, I have no idea what you guys are talking about. I’ll take a look at it tonight though.” said Bry-ant to the reporters. Little did Kobe know that Lin would make his presence known

a few days later by dropping 38 points (a career high) and 7 assists, outscoring Bry-ant who finished with 34 points.

Its not every day you get to see a player who barely saw any NBA action last sea-son with a squad and then receive lots of recognition for reviving a New York club who was in desperate need of some help.

Lin becomes a restricted free agent at the end of the season, but before the season ends the playoffs are still to come. Whether Jeremy Lin can lead the Knicks deep into the playoffs or not, one thing for sure is that many will remember his name.

From LIN-Ping to LIN-Sanity

Jeremy Lin surpassing lots of expectations and continuing to reach for higher standards.

Cartoon by Bryant Arnold.

16 HORIZONS • Sports

by Austin r. vAughn

sEnior stAff WritEr

His Airness, Michael Jordan, has been the NBA’s reigning king and most legendary player since his ex-

plosion into the league. He won the 1985 Rookie of the Year and racked up six NBA championships, five NBA MVPs, fourteen all-star appearances, and a host of other records and accolades. However, since his last retirement in 2003, sports commenta-tors, pundits, and fans alike have been look-ing for the heir to his throne. Apparently, as a Jordan biographer has tweeted, MJ him-self believes that man is Kobe Bryant.

“I never said Kobe was better than MJ. MJ just told me Kobe’s the only one to have done the work and to deserve comparison,” tweeted Roland Lazanby, a Jordan biogra-pher, on January 15. While Jordan’s stats are unbelievably impressive, Bryant’s aren’t exactly lackluster either. He is a five time NBA champion, two time NBA finals MVP, and 14 all-star selections just to top the list. His career doesn’t show any signs of slowing at all. Bryant holds the second highest point total in a single game at 81; the first being Wilt Chamberlain’s historic 100 point game. Bryant even passed Jor-dan as the all-time leading scorer in NBA All-Star game history on February 26.

Although MJ has one more champion-ships than Bryant, the teams around them during those championship seasons also speak volumes about their play. While Jor-dan was winning championships, he was surrounded by an all-star Chicago Bulls team including Scottie Pippen and Den-nis Rodman; meanwhile, Kobe won his five with the help of just one other all-star, Shaq, in his first three and won his last two with a team of rotatable supporting players.

Another important factor, pushed by NBA fan and HCC student Keenan Rock, is that Bryant is still in the game. “Jordan is great, but no question Kobe will be greater than Jordan,” said Rock. “You hear Jor-dan’s name thrown around alot, but he’s done. Kobe’s not done yet, and probably one day we’ll hear Kobe’s name like we do Jordan’s.”

“[I] didn’t know about [Lazanby’s] tweet, but I always thought that myself,” continued Rock. “I’ve always thought how could you put Jordan and players like LeB-ron [James] in the sentence when Kobe has the experience. I mean, [Kobe] has five rings. One more and he’s right there with Jordan.”

However, Rock does not pretend to downplay Jordan’s greatness, “No doubt Jordan is a great player and he changed the game of basketball, but Kobe took it to a whole new level.” “Kobe’s learned from Jordan and other great players and made it his own,” said Rock.” The best change was when Jordan came in, but greatest player? I’d definitely say Kobe.”

Meanwhile, Jordan’s legacy and stat-ure have permeated our culture so much so that Bryant’s play may be unable to break through that ideal. In a random poll taken on HCC’s campus, twelve people said Jor-dan was “the greatest” to only five for Bry-ant. Bryant and Jordan’s stats are almost identical and with Bryant poised to pass Jordan before the end of his career, he may

be the greatest player on paper. Still the idea strikes a questionable chord, will the people see him as greater than Jordan when that happens? Jordan has been heralded as the game’s greatest player for so long he has become almost like an untouchable legend; the indisputable greatest. However, when Bryant does get his sixth ring and pass all of Jordan’s other “untouchable” hallmarks, will he take his place or will Jordan be en-shrined forever without question despite his stats’ usurpation?

His Airness II: Kobe Bryant

Jordan defends against Bryant in 1998.Photo by Henny Ray Abrams. Courtesy of sportstalknetwork.tv

by mAry E. AndErson

sEnior stAff WritEr

Winning is a gauge of success for most sports fans. When the tide turns and a loss occurs, angry

and violent fans often take center stage to let their displeasure be known.

Superbowl XLVI gives an example. When the New England Patriots lost this year’s Superbowl, several college students from the University of Massachusetts ex-pressed their displeasure by starting a riot on their campus complete with bottle throwing and fireworks. Why, with such little importance, do people choose to pub-licly and illegally demonstrate their dis-appointment? New York Jets fan James Mohr, 28, was hospitalized and had to undergo surgery after a brutal beating by Kansas City Chiefs fans who were at the game at MetLife Stadium.

The answer may be that losing is only a contributing factor involved and the real catalyst may be lurking in many of us, merely waiting for an outlet. In a perfect world, fans of a losing championship team for example, would appreciate that while their team did not win, they occupied a coveted position at number two. Instead too many fans personalize the loss whether it is because they are living vicariously through the athlete or because the team symbolizes their world, life and personal struggles.

Some scholars, however, place the blame on the players and teams. William Weiner, a Manhattan based sports psy-chologist, believes, “there is a culture of aggression and masculinity that permeates out onto the fans. Having a conflict and not backing down seems more appropriate in this environment for some. It becomes an outlet for their life’s aggression.”

On a more local level, many HCC stu-dents believe fans become violent because they are sore losers and that alcohol, far from causing any reaction, only intensifies the reaction that is already present. Linda, a general studies major, feels that while many fans are dedicated to their team, they also want to win to have “bragging rights”. Leo, a Criminal Justice major, is also an athlete and admits that he has reacted to losing with some degree of violence in the past both as a player and a fan. He feels that when fans feel “passionate” about their team or sport, emotional reactions are more likely to occur. Leo says, “Vio-lent fans do not face many consequences for their behavior, and I think they should.”

I agree it would make an impact if fans were to pay for their violent behavior. First of all a record should be kept of violent fans and they should be prohibited from purchasing tickets until they have attended

an anger management class and also com-pleted a community service requirement set forth by the local judicial system.

Imagine if Olympic luge coach, Wolf-gang Schadler, had his way and an ideal world existed where victory is not counted by wins or losses, but by effort. Where if a person can truthfully say to themselves, “I did the best I could, I gave everything I had, then I am a winner.” Although this is a healthy attitude for fan and athlete alike, is it enough to change a society’s way of thinking and acting on its impulses? Per-haps the words of Stanley Ralph Ross, “the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat” paint a more accurate picture of society’s motivations for winning. Regardless of a fan’s motivation, violence has no part and should be abolished so sports can be en-joyed as they were meant to be.

Stop the Madness

Housatonic Community College has a student Senatte whose mem-bers are elected annuall by the student body. The Student Senate serves to promote good citizenship and harmonious relation-ships throughout the col-lege and the community. It serves to provide a forum for student representation and to provide orderly di-rection of college activi-ties. The Student Senate assists the Office of Stu-dent Life in the allocation and the distribution of the Student Activity Fund. Any Student who meets the necessary academic requirements, meets the Student Senate require-ments as outlined in the membership application, and pays the student ac-tivity fee is eligible for elec-tion to the Student Senate.

For more info. about The Student Senate Contact 203.332.5094.