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tobeHeard
HCCHeadlines:50Yearsof
HigherEducation
GettingSome
CultureThrough
HCCEvents
http://hccperspective.blogspot.com May 2013
FindOutWhats
Annoyinginthe
ComputerLab
Sculptureandthe
TeachersView:
David
Livingston
2
arts & entertainment
cont nts
e
HorizonsStaff
EditorinChief
DavidWeidenfeller

Advisor
ProfessorCynthiaBoynton

EducationalAssistant
BrandonT.Bisceglia

Editors
SantiAchinelli,KatelynAvery,JessicaBrooks,KarenFernandez,SherlyMontes,SamRosoff
SeniorStaffWriters
DannyyAlamo,StephanieCastillo,ElizabethFigueroa,RachelKulikowski,RebeccaLegoute,MyrandaSinkler
StaffWriters
LaurenCherry,AmandaFigueroa,JoeyGargano,AngelaGee,JoshuaHamel,KathrynHanrahan,NeilKnox,JackLoretan,
ShaquanaMinott,LatisaPacheco,AlexRovello,RemySanon,EmmaTecun,ShannonVaugh
ArtandDesignDirector:
DavidKisly
DesignAdvisor:
ProfessorAndyPinto
AsHCCs50thBirthdayApproaches............................................................ 3
BYNEILKNOX
STAFFWRITER
HCCClubsGetaNewBudget........................................................................ 4
BYKATELYNAVERY
EDITOR
HCCinaNutshell............................................................................................ 4
JACKLORETAN
STAFFWRITER
HiddenSpaceOnthe3rdFloor...................................................................... 4
BYLATISAPACHECO
STAFFWRITER
WeeklyChristianStudyGroupatHCC........................................................ 4
BYNEILKNOX
STAFFWRITER
WellnessCenter................................................................................................ 5
DANNYYALAMO
SENIORSTAFFWRITER
SmokeSeshAnyone?....................................................................................... 5
DANNYYALAMO
SENIORSTAFFWRITER
UndertheStaircase.......................................................................................... 5
BYMYRANDASINKLER
SENIORSTAFFWRITER
TheEveningDivision....................................................................................... 5
BYJOSHUAHAMEL
STAFFWRITER
EarlyChildhoodLaboratorySchool............................................................. 6
AMANDAFIGUEROA
STAFFWRITER
SocialMediaLetsStudentsKnow.................................................................. 6
BYEMMATECUN
STAFFWRITER
WeShouldAllWantToBeHeardAndParticipate..................................... 7
BYNEILKNOX
STAFFWRITER
IveGottaDoWhat?.......................................................................................8
BYSHERLYMONTES
EDITOR
IsItTheManOrTheTopic?.......................................................................... 8
BYKATHRYNHANRAHAN
STAFFWRITER
SummerClasses:............................................................................................. 9
BYJESSICABROOKS
EDITOR
TheMeditationRoom...................................................................................... 9
AMANDAFIGUEROA
STAFFWRITER
CulturalEventsatHCC.................................................................................. 9
BYKATELYNAVERY
EDITOR
DisruptionsInsidetheComputerLab......................................................... 10
BYLATISAPACHECO
STAFFWRITER
ImNotWhereIWanttoBe......................................................................... 10
BYELIZABETHFIGUEROA
SENIORSTAFFWRITER
SecurityGuardsProveTheirQuality...........................................................11
BYKATELYNAVERY
EDITOR
RovingReporter..............................................................................................11
BYREBECCALEGOUTE
SENIORSTAFFWRITER
BringingThe90sBack:............................................................................... 12
BYSTEPHANIECASTILLO
SENIORSTAFFWRITER
Murder$heWrote......................................................................................... 12
BYDANNYALAMO
SENIORSTAFFWRITER
TheGhostsWillWalkPartTwo................................................................... 13
BYD.C.WEIDENFELLER
EDITORINCHIEF
HCCAlumnaGivesBacktotheCommunity.............................................. 14
BYSAMROSOFF
EDITOR
WhyHeStays................................................................................................. 14
BYRACHELKULIKOWSKI
SENIORSTAFFWRITER
HORIZONS
3
HORIZONS News
arts & entertainment
news
e
BYNEILKNOX
STAFFWRITER
As HCC approaches its fItieth anni
versary,thePresidentialArchiveisbeing
assembled to meet the deadline. Due to
yearsofbenignneglectandtheinitiation
of the digital age the archive has gone
overlooked.
Working on such a project would be
a daunting task for even a professional
archivist, yet it has become a challenge
thatonememberoftheschoolstafftakes
upwithenthusiasmanddetermination.
The diminutive fgure oI Esther Wat
stein stands alone in a small room of
packed fle cabinets and piles oI news
paperclippingswiththeslightestlookof
exasperation.Butafterspeakingwithher
foronlyafewminutesyougettheidea
thatthisistherightpersonforthejob.
Sheisbynomeansaprofessionalar
chivist, but she has graciously accepted
the challenge of organizing, cataloging
anddeterminingtheimportanceofeach
of the iems at her disposal, while more
andmorepourineveryday.
'There is a defnite need Ior policy
tobewrittenregardingwhatneedstobe
saved.Moreandmoreoftheschoolsre
cords and schedules are only accessible
online now which results in a problem
maintaining written records. She notes
that this is a requirement for any ar
chive.
In some cases determining what ac
tually needs to be archived is relatively
easy,butmuchmoregoesintothemak
ing of a schools history than just the
obvious materials. So Ior the specifcs
Watsteinwasfortunateenoughtospend
a day at the University of Connecticut
withBetsyPittman,aprofessionalarchi
vist.
I am very grateful for the time she
spent here at HCC and allowing me to
spend a day with her at UCONN to get
an idea of what a real archive should
looklike.Hopefullyallthematerialand
documents you see here now will be
properly packaged and dated or future
reference.
When the expansion is completed
here in LaIayette Hall we can fnally
move the archived materials to the
schoollibrarywhereitactuallybelongs,
she says, also noting that the expansion
shementionedforLafayettewouldadd
a couple oI more foors to the existing
building.
Some of the more intriguing items
Watsteindisplayedwereoriginalschool
catalogs dating back to the frst semester
atHCCin1966,alumninewsletters,and
originalcopiesoftheschoolsyearbooks
startingin1968.
The school newspaper, which was
started and frst published in 1967 as
SpeakEasy seemed to be one of Wat
steins personal favorites from the ar
chive.Shemakessurethattherearethree
copiesofeachissueandnotesthename
changesforthepaperoverthecourseof
thepast50years.
It started out as SpeakEasy, then
was changed to Housatonic Voice in
1973, and then to the Proud River Voice
in 1977. Horizons was the last name
change in 1978.
Havingbeenamemberofthestaffat
Housatonic since the 1980s on a part
timebasis,itisclearthatWatsteintakes
pride in her commitment to seeing this
projectthroughandisnotshyaboutask
ingforhelp.
Any help from students would be
appreciated. Right now the project isnt
quitegettingtheattentionwewouldlike,
but hopefully that will change when
wordstartstospread,shesays.
Taking into consideration the large
numberofrecords,includingthenumber
ofonlinerecords,thisisaprojectthatis
just now in its infancy. Bringing every
thingtogethercohesivelyandaccurately
will require much in the way of man
powerhoursandasenseofcommitment.
Because of available funding the
concept of forming a viable, research
able archive wavers from time to time,
but at least at this point it seems within
reasonthatstartingsomewhereisbetter
than just allowing things to pile up and
remaininaccessible.
An archive is meant to to be ac
cessed by all students, and because of
that, the only that really works is hav
ingitallwrittenandonpaper.Astudent
cangain anamazing perspectiveofthis
collegebydoingtheresearchhereinthe
archive.Anystudentiswelcometocome
byandhavealook,shesays.
Ifthereisanyonehereonthestaffat
HCCwhocouldgettheprojectliftedoff
thegroundandheadedintherightdirec
tion it is Watstein, a person who takes
greatprideinataskthatisvoluntary,not
demanded,butyetverydemanding.
AsHCCs50thBirthdayApproaches
PresidentsArchiveGearingUpforSchoolAnniversary
EstherWatstein,HCCsArchivist.
PhotobyNeilKnox.
TheHCCStudentCatalogfrom1974.
PhotobyNeilKnox.
TheHCCFacultyArtShowfromDec.20,1971Frombottomleft:MichaelStein,DavidKintzler,Barbara
Rothenberg,BurtChernowandRonAbbe.
PhotobyNeilKnox.
Directions how to hnd vour advisor using the HCC website.
GraphicbyRebeccaLegoute
4
HORIZONS News
BYKATELYNAVERY
EDITOR
H
CCclubscontinuetomanageona
modestbudget.However,thisyear
provestobeevenmorethrifty.
Professor Boylan is the Assistant Pro
fessor of History and the History Club
advisor at HCC. When questioned about
his clubs budget, Boylan said, This se
mester the budget was cut, in the past we
had $1,000 but this semester we received
$400.
Whilethebudgetwascutthissemester,
Student Activities Department Director
Linda Bayusik explained it was not be
cause of lack of funds. Bayusik explained
thebudgetcutsliewithinhowclubsactu
allydealwiththeirmoney.Alotofclubs
arenotspendingtheirmoneyandwewant
clubs,shesaid..
The $1,000 budget had to be cut, ac
cording to Bayusik, because it wasnt fair
to other clubs who needed money. The
restoftheclubbudgetmoneyiskeptina
shared pool of club money. 20 clubs exist
atHCCandthe$20,000clubbudgetisnow
distributedinafairerway.
Clubs are allowed to ask for money
whentheyneedit.Thereisnosetlimitbut
they[HCCclubs]needtoaskforareason
ableamount,saidBayusik.
The $400 may sound small but it has
covered some of the history clubs needs.
Theclubhasusedthemoneyfortranspor
tation on a trip to Antietam in Maryland,
followedbyHarpersFerry,W.Va.
Boylan found the history club had an
easytimeaccessingextramoneythatthey
needed in order to go to on a day trip to
Plymouth Plantation. The process is not
particularly diIfcult. The diIfculty with
themoneyisifwewanttoopentheeventto
HCCbecauseweneedbuses,saidBoylan.
HCC clubs may not be able to do
schoolwide trips all the time, but small
tripsoreventshavebeenaffordedontheir
modestbudgets.
HCCClubsGetaNewBudget
JACKLORETAN
STAFFWRITER
M
ostpeopleknowwhatHCChas
toofferwhenitcomestodiffer
ent majors and courses. On the
other hand, you arent really sure what
youre going to be walking into on your
frst day. So here is a little something to
inform you of what kinds of students go
here, where they are from, and what they
areherefor.
AccordingtotheVitalStatisticsreport
provided by President Anita Gliniecki,
5,968 students attend HCC currently.
62.2%ofthatpopulationarewomenmen
cover the other 37.8.
Unlike most universities and colleges,
HCC has a much higher average age: 27.4
years old. The reason is that people are
here to change their lives and hopefully
move on to something better after maybe
a few rough years after high school.This
school is unbiased and allows everyone a
chancetocomeinandmakesomethingof
themselves.
Thegeographicdistributionisquitelo
cal,butstillspreadwellamongsurround
ingtowns.Bridgeportaccountsforrough
ly 47.1 oI HCC`s population. The next
highest percentage Irom a town is at 13
from Stratford. The valley towns, includ
ingShelton,Ansonia,DerbyandSeymour,
all consist oI 10.7 oI the population.
Milfordaccountsfor5.4%Trumbull,5%
Fairfeld, 4; Monroe, 2.2; and fnally
Easton, with a whopping 0.3. The rest oI
the students are from other towns, which
adds up to about 12.3 oI our population.
Theethnicdistributionconsistsofthree
main races, and then small percentages
from other races. Of the three Hispanics
represent the lowest percentage, at 26.6%
oI people at HCC. 31.1 are AIrican
American, and 36.3 are White/Cauca
sian. The rest of the population is spread
out among those who are Asian, Native
American,NativeAlaskan,NativeHawai
ian,andpeopleofmultipleraces.
69% of the students here are part time
looking for associates degrees or just
enough credits to transfer to a larger uni
versity.Ofthe5,968students,about5,400
areherefortheirassociatesdegrees,about
150 Ior a certifcate, and roughly 400 are
undeclared, trying to fnd their career paths.
HCCinaNutshell
BYLATISAPACHECO
STAFFWRITER
T
rying to fnd a quiet space on HCC`s
campus during the school semester
should be easy its a college after
all.Butifthatweretruestudentswouldnot
complainorseekoutotherprivateareasto
thinktothemselves.
'This is the most quiet place I could fnd
oncampus.Icanactuallythinkhere,said
HCCstudentCynthiaCalderon.
Shefoundtheareaonedaywithafew
people studying and thought that it would
also be benefcial Ior her to study there as
well.
Peopletalktoomuchandaresoloudin
thecomputerroom,likesomeareasinthe
library.ButIhavenodistractionshereand
thisroomhascool,freshairsoIcanrelax.
Calderons one annoyance about using
this private room instead of the computer
room is the schools WiFi. It logs me
offafteranhourofuse,shesays.Thisis
aproblemsforstudentswhoaretakingan
onlinetestwithapersonallaptop.
HCC student Kiana Riddick says she
lovestheprivatehall.ItsmorequietandI
canconcentratemore,whilethelibraryhas
noisycopymachines.
Igotheretwotothreetimesaweekto
do my homework and listen to my music
onalowvolume,Riddicksaid.Thereare
justtoomanyloudphonecallsinthecom
puterroom.
She accidently discovered the room
whilelookingforherclassatthebeginning
ofthesemester.Iturnedaroundandfound
thisloungespotwithbarelyanyonethere,
shesaidenthusiastically.
ItsaprivatestudyhallthatIuseformy
homework,saidstudentStefanieMartillo.
Shesaidsheuseditmoreoftenlastsemes
terwhenshewasloadedwithassignments.
This third-foor-glass-window setting
next to room 356-357 has 'comIy seats
andisrarelyoccupiedbystudents.Itscon
sideredthebestseatsinthehouseforits
peacefulandrelaxingsurroundings.
HiddenSpaceonthe3rdFloor
BYNEILKNOX
STAFFWRITER
W
hilemanystudentsoncampusat
HCC are practicing Christians,
several of them interviewed re
centlywereunawareoftheChristianStudy
GroupthatmeetshereweeklyintheStudent
Center.
Located in room BH-317 on the third
foor oI Beacon Hall, the group Ieatures an
itineraryofBiblestudy,othereventswhich
include discussion of noted Christian au
thorsandtheirworksandalumnimeetings.
ItisalsonowbeingfeaturedonBridgeport
radio station WDJZ-1530 on the AM dial.
Facilitators of this group include Pro
fessor Shari Harris and Professor Thomas
Hardy.Harrissaysthatthegrouphasbeen
hereoncampusforseveralyearsnow.Par
ticipationisnotaweeklyrequirementbutit
isencouraged.
When discussing the issue with several
students,onlyonewasawareofthefactthat
such a group existed. Though Terrence I
hadntuseditasofyethedidsayifthesitu
ationarosewherehefelthewassuffering
fromacrisisathomeorinhisfaithhewould
defnitely be interested in participating. He
alsonoted,IamapracticingChristianand
it is good to know there is such a resource
hereoncampus.
Terrencesstudypartner,RonnieC.,was
also unaware of the groups existence. Its
really not something I would take part in
eventhoughIcomefromaChristianfamily.
Ihavenoobjectiontothegroupbeinghere
atschooleventhoughIknowthatseveralof
myfriendswouldbeputoffbythethought
of a religious group meeting here on cam
pus.
Ifanystudentwouldliketoparticipateor
get an idea of what the group does weekly
theywillbemeetingeveryTuesdayduring
semester at 12:30 p.m.
WeeklyChristianStudyGroupatHCC
HorizonsisonFacebook!
VisittheHousatonicHorizonsFacebookfanpagetoreadthelatestaboutwhats
going on at HCC as well as articles you won`t fnd in the paper, and
tosenduslinks,comments,andsuggestions.
5
HORIZONS News
DANNYYALAMO
SENIORSTAFFWRITER
A
nyonewhosmokesatthecollege
is told where they can and cant
smoke,butmanydontknowthat
thereisasectionthatiswellhidden.The
side of Lafayette Hall near the childrens
center is not used by smokers but is the
only place that theyre really allowed to
use without going really far. There are
seats,shadeanditsrightalongthebusline.
Studentsarealwaysgoingtothesmoke
areanearthecomputerlabsinBeaconHall
orinfrontofthebookstoreinBeaconHall.
Kierston Braxton, a sophomore at HCC,
saysherfriendsthatsmokealwaysendup
dragging her to the area near the Beacon
HalldancestudiowhentheLafayetteHall
smokeareaismoreconvenient.
Braxton also said,I dont smoke, but
whenIgowithmyfriendstheywanttogo
outofthewaybecausetherearentmany
places for them to smoke. I didnt even
knowthattheareanearLafayetteexisted.
Michael Porter, an HCC student, says
thatasanavidsmokerhedoesntlikehav
ing to walk all the way from one end of
thebuildingtotheotherbecauseitdoesnt
give him enough time to enjoy his ciga
rette. But with the new discovery of the
LafayetteHallsmokingarea,hefeelslike
hewillbeabletoenjoyhimselfandhave
enoughtimetogettoclass.
MarkFredrickson,afreshmanatHCC,
says that when hes between classes he
triestoquicklygetinasmokebreak.But
having to go to another building, he just
waitsuntilhesdonefortheday,whichis
inconvenient.Hesayssometimeshefeels
like he needs it. Now knowing about the
LafayetteHallsection,hecanstayinLa
fayetteHallandmakeittoclassontime.
SmokeSeshAnyone?
DANNYYALAMO
SENIORSTAFFWRITER
S
tudents and faculty of HCC have
most likely all been on the frst foor
of Beacon Hall. Usually during the
time classes are changing, the frst foor oI
Beacon is flled with students and teachers
rushing around. However, when the rush
ends and students fle into the classrooms,
eversitdownonthosecoucheslocatedon
the frst foor and look around? Especially
when it`s quiet? You can hear music soItly
pouringoutofanopendoor,andinsidethat
doorappearstobeagym!
The gym at HCC is labeled The Well
ness center. Even though the gym is right
on the frst foor and people probably walk
byiteveryday,theydontpaymuchatten
tion.HCCstudentJulieLarsonsharedthat
she has seen the Wellness Center but has
neverusedit.
Faculty member Claudine CobaLoh,
Professor of Psychology and Human Ser
vices, explains that she thinks it is great
wehavetheWellnessCenter,butshedoes
notknowmuchinformationaboutit.
When you enter the Wellness Center,
there are a few people working out and
some popular music playing. Who meets
youatthedoorisstudentworkerRonTo
mas. He explains that any HCC students
orfacultycanusethegym.Heisthereto
makesurethegymisasafeenvironment
and encourage health and ftness.
Tomassays,IfyouareanHCCstudent
or faculty member and would like to use
thegym,thingsyouneedareacurrentstu
dentID,towatchashortinstructionalDVD
and fll out an application. II you complete
thatyoucanhaveafreegymmembership
right at school. This could be especially
helpfulforpeoplewhowanttouseapublic
gymbutfeelmembershipscanbepricey.
WellnessCenterExposed
BYMYRANDASINKLER
SENIORSTAFFWRITER
T
heres a place in HCC that every
onehaspassedatleastonceintheir
timehere:thestaircasebythecom
puters and the security oIfce. On the sec
ond foor there is an alcove oI sorts that
studentshavebeguntofrequent.
On approaching the spot there were
two people crouched over an iPad taking
serious notes. One of them was Michael
Walton, an HCC student who is taking a
writingclass.Afterbeingsentouttowork
on a project he found that this particular
spot under the stairs was suitable for his
needs.
Being here is less distracting, says
Walton. 'I fnd peace and tranquility here.
Tisha is Waltons classmate. She ad
mits that they usually frequent the big
loungejustdownthehall,butdecidedona
whimtocometothisspotunderthestairs
togetawayfromthechatter.Thisistheir
frst time being in the spot, but they Ielt
thattheywouldcomebacktoit.
Right here is just relaxing. It blocks
outeverythingthenoiseandthelights,
says Tisha. We can really think about
whattoworkonforourproject.
Another HCC student, Xavier Mal
donan,wasfoundwithhisfeetproppedup
and iPod headphones frmly stuck in his
ears. He says hes only been to the spot
underthestairsacoupletimes,butheen
joysit.
I come here to waste time and just
kick back, says Maldonan. Its quieter
withlesspeoplerunningaround.
The spot under the stairs seems like a
valuablepartoftheHCCcommunitythat
everyoneseemstooverlook.Afewlucky
studentshavebeenabletoexperiencethe
refreshing silence that accompanies the
spotunderthestairs.Butperhapsthisspot
should stay anonymous, or it will be just
asbusyasanyotherpartofHCC.
UndertheStaircase
BYJOSHUAHAMEL
STAFFWRITER
T
heEveningDivisionatHCCisan
assettoparttimeteachersandstu
dentsalike.
William GriIfn, a high level worker
intheEveningDivisionsaid,Itmakesa
great contribution to the parttime teach
ers.
This hidden place provides support to
over 300 part-time teachers employed at
HCC. It helps them with anything from
sending them their contracts to making
suretheirmailisavailableforthem.
GriIfn said, 'I would use it iI I was a
part time teacher.This goes to show his
confdence in the services they provide.
Patria Spignollo, another worker in
theEveningDivision,said,Thedivision
helps mediate the student to instructor
gap.Theycangetemailsfortheirteachers
hereandiftheyarehavingproblemswith
aclassorparttimeteacher,theycancome
heretoresolveit.
A lot of students are sent over to this
divisionwhentheyarehavingissues,but
otherwisetheyarenotthatwellknownby
thestudents.
Parttime teachers, however, are well
awarethattheplaceexists.
Joanna Bavosa, a student at HCC had
no idea this place existed. I do not even
knowwhattheydo,shesaid.
Thisshowsalackofknowledgeinthe
studentcommunityandshowsthereneeds
tobeaspreadofinformation.Ifastudent
isinneed,theyshouldknowwheretogo
insteadofbeingsentaroundandhopingto
maketheirwaythere.
TheEveningDivision
PleaseRecycleThisNewspaper
MostoftheclassroomsatHCChavebothagarbagebinandabluerecyclingbin.Thereareonlytwothingsthatyoushouldputinthosebins:
PrinterPaper/NotebookPaper
Newspaper
TheseitemsCANNOTgointherecyclingbins:
Food
Plasticofanykind,includingbottles
Otherpackaging
Anynonpaperitemsthatyouthrowoutwhileinclassmustgointheregulartrash.Thecleanerswillnotseparateourwasteforus.Anytimeyou
dispose of regular garbage in the recycling bins, the entire contents of that bin goes to the landfll.
Horizonsremainscommittedtoassistingineffortsthatwillresultinacleanercampusandcommunity.Pleasehelpushelpyoubyrecycling
responsibly.
6
HORIZONS News
EarlyChildhoodLaboratorySchool
AMANDAFIGUEROA
STAFFWRITER
I
tmakesiteasierforstudents,staff,and
faculty if they are coming to Housa
tonic Community College to bring
their children to the Laboratory School,
explained Heidi Szobota, director of the
EarlyChildhoodLaboratorySchool.
ThelaboratoryschoolatHCCisaplace
where children can play and learn while
their parents are in class or at work. For
those who are students at the Childhood
Educationprogram,thelaboratoryoffersa
chancetogethandsonexperience.
The Early Childhood Laboratory
School(ECLS)providesasafe,nurturing,
nationally accredited early learning en
vironment for children of students, staff,
facultyandthecommunityitalsoserveas
a laboratory setting and resource for stu
dentsintheEarlyChildhoodProgramand
otherdisciplinesinthecollege.
Itisanexcellentprogram,saidMari
annZiembroski,clerksupportofthelabo
ratoryschoolatHCCwhohasbeenwork
ingfor10yearsinthedepartment.
'The ECLS holds a maximum oI 47
children, onethird of the children that
attend to ECLS are from the students at
HCC,saidSzobota.Thelabo
ratory school has a certifcate
ofachievementof 10yearsof
school readiness Irom 1997-
2007 as a preschool.
The laboratory is deter
minedtomakeitselfahealthy
institutionanditisdevotedto
providing a healthy environ
ment that enables children to
develop socially, physically,
emotionally and intellectually.
Inaddition,theypledgetoof
fer a caring, supporting and
healthy place where children
and their teachers prepare nu
tritioussnacksandenjoytheir
stayattheECLS..
The laboratory school also
prepares the children for kin
dergarten so that the moment
theyleave,theydosowiththe
skillsneededfortheirnextstep
in their early future. We fol
low the Connecticut preschool
standard and planning experi
enceforthechildren,saidSzobota.
CassandraMaldonadoisthemotherof
Ricardo,oneofthechildreninthelabora
toryschool.Iamimpressedwithmychild
becausehealreadyknowshowtospellhis
name,theABCs,andhehaslearnedalot
justinoneyearthatIhavebeenbringing
himhere,saidMaldonado.
The staff and faculty are
really good and they know
how to handle the children.
Alsotheyareveryhelpfuland
supportive when it comes to
the children and other things.
Theplaceisreallycleanand
healthy and the staff always
wash their hands constantly
when they are going to do
something regarding the chil
dren, said Maldonado. She
would recommend this place
toallofherfriends.
Armando Figueroa is a
student at HCC. One day
Figueroa heard one of his
teachers in class talking to
one of his classmates who
was pregnant. Once I heard
of this news I decided to go
down and check the place,
saidFigueroa.
This is how he came to
know about the laboratory
school.OnceIgotthere,Iwent
inside and talked to the staff
members. They were polite and showed
me the place. I also noticed that the en
vironment was friendly, safe and clean,
explainedFigueroa.
Thelaboratoryschoolisabighelpfor
the parents of all these children who are
currently enrolled in preschool. I do not
have any children, but I do have a neph
ew. I was eager to tell my sister who has
achildandisalsoastudentatHCC,and
needs help with her child while she is at
school,saidFigueroa.
In addition to classes, Szobota offers
parenting meetings, supervised feldwork
opportunities and community resources.
Children are naturally curious and learn
bestwhenallowedtoexplore,manipulate
realobjects,worktogetherwithadultsand
otherchildren.Theclassroomactivitiesre
fect these needs and Ioster independence;
empathy,cooperationandcreativity.
The ECLS has an art show made by
the children called The Little Hand Art
Show.The art is exhibited in the Lafay
ette Hall cafeteria throughout the entire
month ofApril. For those who need help
with their children, the Housatonic Early
Childhood Laboratory School is the right
placetogowithahelpfulandsupportive
staff, and a good learning environment
accessible to all those who need an extra
hand.
Thelittlecornerofscience.
PhotobyAmandaFigueroa.
Aviewoftheatmosphereoftheclassroom.
PhotobyAmandaFigueroa.
BYEMMATECUN
STAFFWRITER
Student are consistently updating and
checking into their Facebook andTwitter
feeds,butlittledoHCCstudentsandfac
ultyknow,schoolinformationcannowbe
foundinthesesameplaces.
The ability to gain information on
school events, changes in schedules, and
on campus activities is easier than you
think.HCChashadaFacebookpagesince
2007, and has recently begun using Twit
terandTumblr.Itisapparentthatstudents
arenotawareofthis.
AccordingtoMeganE.Federico,who
worksinmarketingandgraphicdesignat
HCC, just about 70 oI students are part
time, and most of these students wants
to get into their classes and get out. Fed
erico says, Liking us on Facebook can
defnitely help these students get involved
becauseitsjusthowpeoplecommunicate
now.
Ahugedisconnecthasbeencreatedbe
tweenstudentsandHCCnewsbecauseof
thelackofawarenessthatourcollegenow
has information which can be obtained
online.Allstudentsandfacultyshouldbe
awareofthesocialmediapageswhichour
collegehastobeabletostayupdatedwith
events,activities,andchangeswhichhap
penthroughoutthecollegeallthetime.
Even fulltime students who spend
hoursatschoolthroughouttheweekwere
notawareofthepages.
Like many other students, Amanda
Hasiotis has not been aware of the social
media pages. I had seen posters around
schoolbutdidntstoptopaymuchatten
tiontothem,butknowingourschoolhad
a Facebook defnitely would have been
helpfulifIknewearlier.
Smartphonesandsocialmediaaretak
ing over colleges throughout the nation,
and HCC is no different. Other colleges
areusingtheseresourcesmuchmorefre
quently than any other and are fnding
much success in getting information to
theirstudents.HCCisstartingtomeetstu
dents where they are, and from there get
students interested and involved on cam
pus.
Theonlinecalendar,whichcanalsobe
found online, holds relevant information
which is continuously being updated and
addedto.Theinformationwhichisonthe
schoolssocialmediapageshelpstomake
the information relatable and relevant to
studentsandevenfacultywhoareusedto
usingthesesitesandarefamiliarwiththe
technology.
It is understandable for students to be
hesitanttowardthesocialmediawhichour
schoolhasstartedusingandcanusethese
sites at their own discretion, but it is im
portantthatstudentsareawareoftheon
line opportunity. Most students fnd Face
book and Twitter to be easily accessible,
and now that HCC is online, the college
istryingtoreachstudentsinawaywhich
positively benefts each student.
HCCsFacebookpageis
availableatfacebook.com/
HousatonicCommunityCollege.
ThecollegesTwitteraccountis
twitter.com/HCCinfo.
SocialMediaLetsStudentsKnow
7
HORIZONS News
BYNEILKNOX
STAFFWRITER

W
hile students were gearing up
for the end of the spring se
mesteratHCC,itappearsasif
the recent Student Senate elections were
overlookedbymanyofus.
The school boasts an enrollment of
over 5,000 students, but only 250 votes
weretabulated.
Despitetheoveralllackofstudentpar
ticipation,Senatemembersseemedunde
terredabouttheturnout.Onereasoncited
for a lack of voter interest was students
beingawareofjustwhoisinvolvedinthe
annualelectionprocess.
With many students attending classes
while holding down jobs and providing
forfamiliesallatthesametime,itseems
asifthestudentgovernmentwouldbethe
last thing with which we should be con
cerned.However,weshouldalsoremem
ber that our student government is the frst
linkbetweenthestudentbodyandschool
administration. It is our responsibility to
make sure we are represented properly
andbythebestavailablecandidates.
When the gavel sounded at the ap
pointedtimeandinitialproceedingswere
out of the way, the new President of the
Senate was named. Claudia Moldonado
will be replacing Catherine Williams in
the Fall 2013 semester.
Everyactivitythattakesplaceoncam
pus,includingthevariousclubactivities,
hastobescrutinizedbytheSenateforap
proval.Allocationoffunds,alongwiththe
tedious task of making sure every event
runsassmoothlyaspossible,istheresult
ofwhathappensduringthesemeetingsin
room BH-317D in the Student Center.
There is no indication that any of the
participants meet these challenges be
grudgingly, but student support and par
ticipation would enhance the experience
forallconcerned.Watchingtheproceed
ingsgivesonethefeelingofjusthowdif
fcult it is Ior a representative government
tofunctionproperly.
Vibrant student government requires
participation by all students and those
placedinchargebythestudentbody.Af
ter all, iI we the students fnd a particu
lar activity to be a Iun time or fnd one
that doesnt quite meet our approval we
would have the opportunity to voice our
opinions and be heard. We shouldnt
complain if something sponsored here at
school doesnt live up to expectations if
we chose not to take part in the process
ofchoosing.
A recent club event sponsored on
campus resulted in a poor turnout and
the caterer supplying food for that event
was left not only with too many meals
untouched, but also with an unpaid bill.
Theunusedfoodwasgivenfreeofcharge
toanystudentluckyenoughtobearound
at the time, but the question of payment
was another matter. The Senate resolved
the issue, even though it wasnt their re
sponsibility.
ItisinthebestinterestoftheSenate
tohandleanyunpaidbills,eventhougha
particular club is responsible for it. This
is something that will be discussed and
settledatalaterdatebytheStudentLife
OIfce, said Kelly K. Hope, the Assistant
DirectorofStudentActivities.
'The student LiIe oIfce is responsible
for training the club advisors, and this
shouldbethelasttimesomethinglikethis
happens,Hopecontinued.
It was also noted during this meeting
thatthereisaneedfornewworkersinthe
Student LiIe Center on the third foor oI
Beacon Hall.Any student wishing to be
considered for an available position can
fll out an application at the center.
Anystudentwhowouldliketoapply
for these positions should be receiving
fnancial aid, as Iunding is not available,
should already be registered for the fall
semester before applying, added Hope.
They should also intend on being at
Housatonicformorethanonesemester.
II you would like to witness frst-hand
the workings of your Senate representa
tives, or want to get an idea of exactly
how the procedures affect everyday life
on campus, then stop by the next meet
ing and participate. Make your feelings
known.Gettoknowwhoitisthatrepre
sentsyouandyourinterests.
Even if you have an issue that you
think would make your time at Housa
tonic more enjoyable and enhance your
journey,thenthisistheplacetobeheard.
While some of us may deem the entire
process boring and remain uninterested,
thisistheplacetocomeandgripeabout
it.Demandawayforgreateraccesstothe
candidates involved, ask questions, and
beapartoftheprocess.
Itisvitaltobeinvolvedinthegovern
mental process at all levels. If we chose
not to be, then we give up the right to
complain about the policies that a par
ticular government implements. It starts
here on campus and it will will be a re
sponsibility we will all carry on into the
world. So, lets all bear a portion of that
responsibility.
WeShouldAllWanttobeHeard
andParticipate
StudentSenateMeetingApril25,2013
8
HORIZONS News You Can Use
BYSHERLYMONTES
EDITOR
C
lassesarealmostover,summerisal
mosthere!Butwait!Haveyoureg
istered Ior the Iall semester yet? No?
Takeafewstepsbackandwalkintheright
direction.ThatdirectionwouldbeLafayette
Hall,becausethatswhereyoucangolook
up information about available classes for
thefallsemester.
Registration for the Fall and Summer
2013 semesters began April 2, and registra
tionfortheFallsemesterwillcontinuetorun
untilAug.26.
Get things done early, I cant say that
enough!, said Registrar James Connolly.
Connolly went on to say that before you
come to the registrar, he recommends that
youseeyouracademicadvisor.
'You can register every day Ior the Iall
semester. Register early but complete your
fnancial aid Ior the semester frst. II we
dont receive a payment, you get dropped
fromyourclasses,feesmustbepaidbyMay
15andfullpaymentisneededbyAugust6.
Connollyalsosaidthattheregistrardoes
send out reminders of payment to students
strictlythroughemailtotheirstudentHCC
emails.
Registering as soon as possible is key
here.
'You can`t walk in here one week beIore
classes start and expect to get classes you
needandwant,saidConnolly.
Registration doesnt have to be this big
thing where you take out a few hours or a
daytocometocampustoregister.Through
theHousatonicwebsite,studentsareableto
register for classes online and they can get
stepbystep instructions right at home by
going on to the HCC site and clicking the
RegistrationisEasybutton.
HCCsAcademicAdvisingCenterisalso
usefulintheregistrationprocessinfact,its
key!
Meeting with an academic advisor is
helpful because an academic advisor can
discuss with you requirements for your
major,canhelpyoupickclassesandsetup
your schedule for the upcoming semester.
The academic advising center is available
toallstudents,yearround,andduringpeak
advisement periods students can walk into
theacademicadvisingcenterwithoutanap
pointment.
Isatdownanddiditallonline.Itseas
ierandmoreconvenient,saidHCCstudent
ColbyNolan.Advisingishelpfulbecauseit
helpsstudentsgetontherighttrackwiththat
they want to do with their lives, and what
education to get to be able to achieve their
goal.
From personal experiences, registra
tionhasbeenprettyeasy.Ijustloggedonto
Blackboard Learn and picked the classes I
needed. Then I was done. Nice and easy,
saidNolan.
Nowthatyouknowwhatyouhavetodo,
goon!Registrationishappeningnow,sodo
itwhileyoucanstillgettheclassesyouneed
atthetimesyouwant.
arts & entertainment
news you can use
o
BYKATHRYNHANRAHAN
STAFFWRITER
W
hydoProfessorJohnSophaks
classes fll up within the frst
Iew hours oI registration? Is it
his teaching style or the class discussions?
General studies student and anticipat
ingspringgraduateJanileMurraysaidher
highlight being a student here was being
a part of Professor Sopchaks Psychol
ogycourse.Hewasafunprofessortobe
around,hereallygetsinvolvedwithpull
ingusinandmakinglessonsrelatable.
Sopchak started off at HCC as an ad
junct professor back in 2001 before be
coming a fulltime senior professor spe
cializing in seven felds oI psychology
in the spring of 2004.Although Sopchak
specializes in the teaching oI PSY E111
and PSY E112, he enjoys a higher Iocus
on lifespan development and child psych
anddevelopment.Lastfallhetaughttheo
riesofpersonalitybutwontbeteachingit
thisfall.
I like to leave
courses behind that
the other professors
really enjoy teach
ing, said Sopchak.
This semester Mi
chael C. Amico
taught the personal
itycourse.
Afterlastsemes
ter, I was astonished
on the relationship I
built with this par
ticular professor, the
way he changed and
educated my views
on multiple catego
ries of psychology.
Hecouldtakeaclass
of complete strang
ersandmakethema
family at the end of
thesemester.Despite
everyones adversities
attending a local community college in
themiddleofanurbancity,Iamhonored
to know professor Sopchak and would
recommend him to anyone, no questions
asked,studentJessicaLawrencesaid.
Ikeepmyteachingstyleupfront,hon
est, and real, I dont hold myself above
anyotherperson,Sopchaksaid.
Sophie,anicknamereceivedbyhisstu
dents,utilizesconceptsfromthetextbook
but incorporates a realistic view painted
by professional experience in both the
medical and community policing feld.
Since registration opened on April 1,
SopchaksPsych101classhas29people
enrolledforthefallsemesterand28stu
dentssetupforChildPsychandDevelop
ment. Sophie expressed how hes excited
to see the seats fll up and view Iamiliar
names on the rosters in the higherlevel
psychologycourses.
Remembertoregisterearlyandreserve
yourseats.Also,goodluckinwrappingup
the spring semester as we take fnals and
planforsummervacation.
IsittheManortheTopic?
VisitHCCOnline!
Curious about the services, courses, and programs at HCC? Go to http://www.hcc.
commnet.edu,thecollegeshomepage.Fromthereyoucannavigatethevariousdepart
ments,searchforcourses,orfollowlinkstootherusefulsites,suchasMyCommnetand
theHCCFoundation.
IveGottaDoWhat?
RegistrationSteps
TheRegistrationisEasypageonHCCswebsite.
PhotobySherlyMontes
PsychologyProfessorJohnSopchakoutsideofHCCsBeaconHall.Photo
PhotocourtesyofProf.HenrySchissler.
9
HORIZONS News You Can Use
BYJESSICABROOKS
EDITOR

$980 Ior two summer classes?! That`s

absurd!exclaimedNadiaJohnson,a
student at HCC. Students and sum
merschoolneverhadthebestrelationship,
andnowthedivideisbecomingevenbig
gerbutnotjustbecauseofhomework.
Money seems to be the root of the
problem when talking about summer
classesincollege.Itseemsthatthepric
esareontherisewhenstudentsandpro
fessorsaremissingoutonfuninthesun.
Johnson wanted to take two classes
during the summer so that her fall se
mester schedule wouldnt be so heavy.
I just wanted to get ahead of the game
so I could have time to work and go to
schoolandnotfeelsoboggeddownwith
a heavy course load, said Johnson. I
came to a community college and Im
gettingtheseprices,soIshuddertothink
whatfouryearuniversitiescharge!
Therecouldbemanydifferentreasons
why Johnsons two desired classes cost
$980. Maybe it was because they were
math and art, or maybe because they
are accelerated classes. But one thing is
certain:asacommunitycollegestudent,
moneyisamajorfactorthatdeterminesa
studentscourseloadandwhyattending
communitycollegeisthebestchoice.
Since the Bursar`s OIfce creates the
prices for classes whether it is summer,
fallorspringsemesterclasses,itwasim
portantforthemtobreakdownhowthe
formulaforpricingworks.
For example, three classes at three
credits apiece in the traditional fall and
spring semesters cost $1,799, while tak
ing the same classes during the summer
session will cost you $1,931. That is a
$132 diIIerence just Ior taking the class
esduringtheJuneandJulymonths.
The chart, which is available to all
students, includes the exact pricing for
classespercreditandtheadditionalfees
that are required to take classes here at
HCC.
According to the HCC Web page, in
2012, Tuition for a threecredit course
is $473, including Iees, whereas now
the threecredit course for the summer
classsessionis$515.
A$42differencemaynotseemlikea
bigdealtomostpeople,butwhenpinch
ingpenniesisacrucialelementinyour
chanceatlearning,itbecomesimportant.
Though the cost of summer classes
are continuing to rise, there hasnt been
asolidresponsetothecommonquestion
asked: why? What is the reason Ior the
increase in cost? In order Ior students to
getaheadintheirstudies,summerclass
esseemliketheobviouschoice,butwith
therisingcosts,thatmaynolongerbean
optiontosome.
SummerClasses:
TheCostOfLearning
AMANDAFIGUEROA
STAFFWRITER
A
licia Mcqueen is kind of a new
student she has only attended
two semesters at HCC. Because
IamnewIdonotknowabouttheMedita
tionRoom,saidMcqueen.Iamgoingto
fnd more inIormation about the Medita
tionRoomandIwillusethisplacetogo
inandpraybecauseIliketoprayandwor
shipGod,saidMcqueen.
Mcqueen thinks that the Meditation
Roomisanexcellentplaceoncampusfor
peoplewhodonothavetimetoworshipor
toprayintheirhomesbecausetheyspend
mostoftheirtimeinschool,theroomisa
greatplacetogo.
The Meditation Room is located in
Beacon Hall 118, on the frst foor near
theWellnessCenter.Insidetheroomthere
aresixindividualarmchairsandtwolittle
tables. One of the tables is between two
chairsandtheotherisinacornerontop
of it there is a box of tissues and some
blankets. There are also two signs, one
outside and the other one inside on the
doorthatsay:Thisspaceisforindividual
quietmeditationandprayer.
Abigail Cabrera is a student at HCC
whorecentlyfoundoutabouttheMedita
tion Room. I sat down in front of it one
day,butatthatmomentIdidnotknowit
was the meditation room, said Cabrera.
Cabrera believes that it is very comfort
ableandquiet.NowIcangoatanytime
or when I feel stressed out I just go into
the room to pray, and then I feel calm,
saidCabrera.
Also if a person just wants to have
somequiettimetostudy,thatpersonjust
has to come in to the Meditation Room,
whereheorsheisgoingtohaveplentyof
silenceandconcentration.
Dominick Jurkowski is a student at
HCC and he does not know about the
Meditation Room. But Jurkowski might
usetheroomtogoandstudy.Ithinkthat
the room is good to have in the school
because it shows that the college wants
to help its students to accommodate their
spiritualneeds,saidJurkowski.
This room offers students a nice quiet
timewheretheycanrelaxfromallofthe
stress that they have or might have from
homework,workandprojects.
TheMeditationRoom
BYKATELYNAVERY
EDITOR
C
ultural events enhance students
viewsoftheworld.
If a student at HCC wants to
become educated there are some options
available.
Director of Student Activities Linda
Bayusik explained that the Student Sen
ate approves what proposals are brought
before them for events by clubs or stu
dents requiring funding from the Student
Activity Fund. 'Clubs/students need to
bring a full proposal to the Student Sen
ate explaining what the event is, dates,
times,costsassociatedwiththeevent,and
other necessary info. The Student Senate
thenvotestoapproveornotapprove,said
Bayusik.
As for events where the school would
nothavetopaythespeakerorgroup,As
sistantDirectorofStudentActivitiesKelly
K.HopeandBayusikworkcasebycase.
'We would see iI it fts in with the college.
Paperworkwouldbeprocessed.Wewould
see what it is and if the Events Center is
open and then the student activities oIfce
sponsorsit,saidBayusik.
Bayusik made it clear that any event/
speaker that was trying to sell some
thingorconsistedofabadmessagesuch
asoverthrowingthegovernmentwould
notcometoHCC.AlsotheEventsCen
ter can host outside organizations that
arenotonlyforHCCstudents.
Whenaskedaboutculturaleventsbe
ing at HCC, student Shaye Staurovsky
said, Im sure they have them, but I
never hear about them. This problem
has been addressed, as Hope has used
flyers,wordofmouth,andthecalendar
toinformstudents.
Indeed,culturehasbeenintheplen
tythissemester,althoughHopewanted
students to know you need to look for
events at the right time. Student Life
plans more activities and events at the
beginningofeachsemester,saidHope.
For example,WelcomeWeeks are held
in the beginning of the fall and spring
semesters. However, there are usually
events that run every week, according
toBayusik.
An etiquette program called Who
GotSwag,hostedbyDebraMontalvo,
also came to the school. On April 29
the workshop was held at 3 p.m., and
itfocusedonhowtodresswellforsuc
cess.TheAntiDefamationLeaguealso
provided a civility and understanding
workshop on Feb. 5 at 2 p.m., and on
Feb. 6 at 12:30 p.m. Each workshop
was90minutes.
Hope added that there was a Black
History Month game show which had
a turnout oI 30 to 35 students. Passive
programing was also used which con
sisted of pictures and some reading in
aplacewherestudentscouldseethem,
whichwastheglasswallsintheStudent
Life Area. The passive programming
was used for Black History Month,
IrishAmericanMonth,andPassover.
The passive program has actually
worked well, said Hope. I have seen
students outside of the office window
stoppingtolookatthedisplayandread
theposters.
Some of the cultural events are re
vamped events that have run before,
while others may be new. Either way,
students have many choices when it
comestocultureatHCC.
CulturalEventsatHCC
DirectorofStudentActivitiesLindaBayusik
PhotobyDavidBayusik
AssistantDirectorofStudentActivitiesKellyK.Hope.
PhotocourtesyofRyanFarrington.
Usedwithpermission.
10
HORIZONS Opinions
BYLATISAPACHECO
STAFFWRITER
I
twas8a.m.whenthisguyinsidethe
computer lab started blasting his mu
sicsoloudthatIcouldhearthelyrics
therewasnowayIcouldconcentrateon
mybiologyhomework,saidAbigailCa
brera,asophomoreatHCC.
Cabrera sits on the chairs next to the
staII oIfces on the second foor oI Beacon
Halltostudy.Shewonderswhenthetime
will come where students will follow the
rulesandanswertheirphonesoutsidethe
computerroom.
EverytimeIgothere,therearepeople
talkingtotheirfriendsabouttheirpersonal
lives who got drunk over the weekend
andgotintimatetheseloudconversations
arealwaysnexttome,shesaid.
Cabrera mentioned that there was
one instance when a student was watch
ingavideoonlineandlaughingoutloud
suddenly a frustrated women got up and
shouted at the student to be quiet so that
shecouldstudy.
It was then that other students com
mentedandagreedwiththewomanabout
theneedforsilenceinthecomputerlab
signifyingamomentofvictory.
Thesignsarepostedeverywhere,out
sidethedoorandinsideonthewallofthe
computerroom,allsayingthesamerules:
No loud music, No eating, No streaming
videos, music, etc... indicating that the
computerlabshouldberespected.
However, HCC junior Rashaad
Hawkinsthinkstherearetoomanystrict
rules.
Although not a student this semes
ter,hegoestothecomputerlabtocreate
graphicdesign shirts. The only problem
is,helikestodothiswhileplayingmusic.
I do my homework with my music
playing,nomatterwhereIam,hesaid.It
washisdailyroutineasachild.
Hawkins attempted to justify his dis
obedience by saying, No one wants to
talktosomeonewithheadphoneson.
SophomoreMarkyshaDouglasagrees
withHawkinsthattherulesareabitstrict,
especially when it comes to streaming
music.
AslongasIhavemyheadphoneson
then why isn`t it allowed? she said. 'It
helpsmefocuswhenIm
listeningtomusic.
Douglas said that she
wouldnt play music in
the classrooms because
its disrespectful to the
teacher.
But why not show the
samerespectfortherules
oI the computer lab?
Iusethecomputerlab
for music and for my as
signments, said student
Elton Perry. His sugges
tion is to block the web
sitesiftheschooldoesnt
want students streaming
music.
Thismightseemlikea
goodidea,butblockingtoo
much could affect students
fromusingthecomputeref
fectivelyforassignments.
SeniorRobTaylordoesntchallenge
his distractions. Its easier to leave than
saysomething,hesaid.
He, too, has heard rap music blasting
from headphones, phones going off and
peopletalkingloudlywhilehewastrying
tofocus.
Computer Lab Coordinator Sherry
Harris said she was unaware of the dis
ruptiveactivitiesgoingoninsidetheBea
conHallcomputerlab.
Yet, she added, 'students have come to
my lab at the Lafayette Hall because of
noisecomplaintsintheotherbuilding.
Harris is all for supervision in the
computerlab,butthatwouldcostmoney
andmaybeaworkstudywouldbeableto
dothejob.
Director of the Information Technol
ogyDepartmentAnthonyVitoladeclined
aninterviewregardingthetopic.
Clearly upset by the situation, he
spoke what he tried so hard to hold in:
The rules are obeyed by the competent
students.
And although he makes the rules, he
cannotenforcethembecausethatisajob
forthesecurityteam.
WhileIwaspresentinsidetheLafay
ette Hall computer lab on April 17 at 4
p.m.,Iexperiencedthesamesituationthat
occurs inside the Beacon Hall computer
room:theneedforagroupofstudentsto
chatabouteverythingbesidestheirhome
work.
Thenoisebecamelouderandlouderas
the printers kept going off and the whis
pering started to spread. The lab experi
ence became uncomfortable and annoy
ingandIbecameirritated.
Although leaving is an option, where
else can we go? Why should we be pun
ished for being mature college students
with a better knowledge of respect for
others - knowing right Irom wrong?
Ifthiscontinues,thiswillnolongerbe
aschool,butafrathouse.Chasedoutby
the loud and cantankerous students, con
stantlythinkingofthemselves.
IfonlythestaffhiredbyHCCcouldbe
asbraveasthewomanwhostoodupand
demandedsilence,insteadofleavingitin
thehandsofstudents.
DisruptionsInsidetheComputerLab
RulesareObeyedbyCompetentStudents
Astudenttakesaphonecallusinghisheadphones.
PhotobyLatisaPacheco.
ImNotWhereIWanttoBe
BYELIZABETHFIGUEROA
SENIORSTAFFWRITER
H
ousatonicisnotthedreamcollege
where people desire to go. We
mayhavegoalsandambitionswe
planned on accomplishing, but for some
reasonbumpsintheroadhavesetusback.
HCC student Kimberly Cruz attended
CentralConnecticutStateUniversitywith
afullscholarship.Whileatcollegeshegot
pregnantbyherhighschoolsweetheart.I
wantedtobethisstrong,powerful,inde
pendent woman with no kids traveling
around the world and owning my own
company, said Cruz. Even though her
sonwasntapartofherplan,shewasal
waystoldthatchildrenareablessing.
The liIe we live in can be very diIf
cult, and as humans we set expectations
forourselveswithaplantoexcel.When
walkingonthatstraightandnarrowpath,
a bump in the road can make us take a
detour.
Formyself,HCCwastheonlyoption
for college due to poor grades in high
school.Ienteredintothiscommunitycol
lege with an open mind to embrace all
the positivity around me. I was planning
on being in and out within two years. I
thought I would be graduating from
Housatonic with my associates degree
in journalism by the spring oI 2013. My
mission was to attend a fouryear school
with a full scholarship. Due to certain
requirements I wont be graduating until
2014.
RightnowIamnotcontentwithwhere
Iaminlife.Iwanttobebetterandstrive
toward a Iour-year university. It`s diIfcult
when you have a mindset and it doesnt
match up with whats going on around
you.Itmakesyouunpleasedandnotwant
to settle. Many people dont want to at
tend a community college. Its not a big
excitementyoutalkaboutwithfriendsor
Iamily. You may be in HCC Ior certain
reasons. It could be because a university
wasnt in your budget or personal things
havehappenedthatbroughtyouhere.
Beingatacommunitycollegemaynot
be that exciting for some, but everyone
seems to be at HCC Ior a specifc reason.
You may not be content on where you are
right now but what will you do to make
the best oI it? Since I will not be graduat
ingthisyearIwillcontinuetoworkhard
andstayfocusedongettingtoafouryear
school and the accomplishment will be
rewarding.
One thing I learned is that when Im
content,thatmeansIamcomfortableand
whenIamcomfortable,Igetstuckinmy
repetitive lifestyle. I am very happy and
thankfulforthepeopleImetatHCCand
whatIhavelearnedhereeventhoughIm
notwhereIwanttobe.Ienvisionsome
thing bigger to grow on different levels,
and if HCC is where I have to be for a
littlewhile,Iwilldoeverythingpossible
tocompleteitsuccessfully.
Got some news you want covered?
Letusknow!
Writetohousatonichorizons@gmail.com.
11
HORIZONS Opinions
SecurityGuardsProveTheirQuality
BYKATELYNAVERY
EDITOR
T
he security guards at HCC work
hard to protect the school. The
team also helps staff and work
study students by opening up oIfces. Se
curity guards can also be seen unlocking
classrooms for the professors. Students
canalsoseethattheyaresafe.
HCC student Jess Jennings believes
thesecurityguardsareapproachableand
agoodpartofHCC.Ibelievethey[the
securityguards]areallverynice.Theyll
talktoyouandeverythingifyoutakethe
time to start a conversation with them,
saidJennings.
Studentsareabletosayhellotosecu
rityastheguardswalkthroughhallways,
check stairwells and lounges, and make
surethateveryoneissafe.
Head of security and Police Mas
ter Sergeant Christopher K. Gough has
worked in his position for 10 years and
has had a good experience so far. When
asked if HCC students were respectful,
Gough said Very, Very. With a few ex
ceptionsthatyougetanyplace.Wehave
agoodrelationship.
The good relationship does involve
askingpermission,though.Whenaskedif
studentscanmakechalkdrawingsonthe
courtyardsidewalk.Goughsaidtheyneed
permission.
Playingonthegrassisalwaysaccept
able, though. I love the warm weather
becauseIlovetowatchthestudentsplay
frisbee, hacky sack or football, said
Gough.
GoughpresentedHCCsJeanneClery
Disclosure of Campus Security Policy
and Campus Crime Statistics, which
showedHCCwasonalowcrimestreak.
Between2009and2011,littlecrimehad
occurred 2011 saw only four reports
on campus. The incidences consisted of
one sex offense (nonforcible), one drug
abuse arrest, one drug abuse violation,
andoneweaponlawviolation.
Some HCC classes are also taught at
Jonathan Law High School in Milford,
Conn. In 2011 some crime near that
campus occurred: four sex offense non
forciblecrimes,oneliquorlawarrest,and
threedrugabusearrestswerereported.
Aside from these few crimes, HCC
students can rest assured they are safe,
although if anyone is nervous while on
campusGough,wantedstudentstoknow
securityescortsareavailable.
The garage and school are patrolled
duringallworkinghours,butifastudent
reallyfeelsunsafe,Goughexplainedthey
arewelcometoreportanything.Wehave
a zero tolerance for violence, weapons,
alcoholanddrugssaidGough.
RovingReporter
BYREBECCALEGOUTE
SENIORSTAFFWRITER
Question: What are your goals Ior the summer? In other words, what is on your summer bucket list?
'Going to concerts, to go fshing, to
gosomewheretropical,hiking,camping
andgetanothertattoo.
BeckyBok,Junior
PhotocourtesyofBeckyBok,Jr. PhotobyRebeccaLegoute.
Befarawayfromschool,andhave
COMPLETEFUN.
CarolBrooks,Senior
Photocourtesyof
EsperanciaLeger.
Havemycarbythesummer.Gotoa
fewstripclubs.
EsperanciaLeger,Freshman
PhotobyRebeccaLegoute.
GettoLosAngelesforanelectronic
conventions, the E3 Summit. Find a spiri
tualbalance.
JeremiahA.Louis
PhotobyRebeccaLegoute.
Travel to Machu Picchu, a ruin,
an Incan or a Mayan ruin. My main
objectiveistomakemoremoneybe
foregoingthere.Itisoneoftheseven
wonders of the world and I have an
Internetsitetogetupthissummer.It
hastodowithhealthandwellness.
JohnHernandez,Freshman
PhotobyRebeccaLegoute.
Igowheretheuniversetakesme
even if its under a bridge. John
Vergara,Senior
PhotobyRebeccaLegoute.
Myplanistogetanewjobandwork
hardoverthesummer.
JonathanJasonGonzalez,Sophomore
Photocourtesyof
KedeshaFerguson.
Relax, travel, work, might sign up
forasummerclass,andIreallywantto
justenjoymyfreedom.
KedeshaFerguson,Freshman
PhotobyRebeccaLegoute.
Take a math class at HCC
andgetanA.
SamanthaDelgado,Senior
PhotobyRebeccaLegoute.
Travel to Canada, Miami,
Labor Day Parade in New York.
NancyBarnaba,Freshman
12
HORIZONS Arts & Entertainment
Bringingthe90sBack:
FashionTakesOver
BYSTEPHANIECASTILLO
SENIORSTAFFWRITER
B
aggy clothing is comfortable
to wear and used for lounging
around,likeintheearly90s.But
recently its becoming more of a fashion
statementthroughouttheurbancommuni
ties.Boyfriendjeansandoversizedtshirts
are popularized: you see them in maga
zines,andwomenarepayingmoreatten
tiontowhavtspopularasopposedtowhat
theypreferwearing.Whyshopwhenyou
can just wear your boyIriend`s clothes?
This fashion trend can also be more af
fordableforwomen.
SashaBedford,21,ahumanresources
major,loveswearingherboyfriendsover
sized tshirts and says its a way to feel
comfortable and also a hip way to dress.
I wear leggings and his tshirt because
thats what I feel most comfortable in,
saidBedford.
Not only is Bedford able to be com
fortable,butshegetscomplimentedatthe
same time. Stars like TLC, Rihanna, and
Rita Ora are known for rocking an over
sized tshirt and glamorizing it to perfec
tion.Ordinarypeoplecandothesame,or
better. On the other hand, some students
particularlymenmayfeelthatwomen
dressing like men is a little off from the
norm.
Its a hot mess and not attractive for
women to wear baggy clothes. It doesnt
show that the person has selfrespect or
iseducatedatall.Iknowbumsthatdress
better than that, said Ken Rotunno Jr., 35,
a general studies major. Rotunno, as the
class president, feels strongly about this
fashiontrendbecauseitisnotawaythat
hewouldwanttheschooltoberepresent
ed,orinanyprofessionalcareersetting.
Primarily in the 1990s this oversized
fashiontrendwasseenalotinmusicvid
eos and out in the urban communities.
Oversizing your wardrobe seemed to be
theitfactor,andmanypeoplefollowed
thetrend.Todayyouseethistrendcoming
outonabroaderscale,suchaswithVicto
riaSecretsPINKsection.Theysellmany
oversizedsweatpantsandhoodiesthatare
forwomenbutarewornwithanonchalant
yetglamorousappeal.Almostanyonecan
pulloffthelook,fromolderwomentothe
youngergeneration.
arts & entertainment
arts & entertainment
e
Murder$heWrote
ALifestyleBrand
BYDANNYALAMO
SENIORSTAFFWRITER
S
upreme, Elite Soles, The Unico
, Obey and introducing Mur
der $he Wrote. Founded by CEO
SynquesJefferson,Murder$heWroteisa
streetwear brand that caters to empower
ing women. Jeffersons vision is to have
alifestylebrandthatstandsonitsownin
an industry which is dominated by male
brands,streetwear.Notonlydoesfashion
interest her, but Murder $he Wrote con
sists of Jeffersons takes on art, music,
andlifestyle.Murder$heWrote,M$Wfor
short,isamixtureofdominatingwomen,
sex appeal, and equality for all. Jefferson
frst launched M$W in the Iall oI 2011, and
eversincethenshesbeenaforceofnature
intheworldofthestreetwearcompetition.
Jefferson has since been involved in
many collaborative events with other
streetwear brands. From fashion shows,
launchparties,socialmediahypeandpop
up shops, Jefferson has established quite
afewrelationshipswithherpeers.Jeffer
son wants M$W to become a universally
known name, using social media to pro
mote her brand. She recently had a 2013
spring/summer launch party and launched
her M$W brand website, where consum
erscanshoponlineforheritems.
SophomorestudentGraceGutierrez,an
associateofJefferson,saysthatshethinks
itsamazingforJeffersontohaveherown
brand.Gutierrezsaysthatshefeelsproud
to know someone that has chased her
dreams and made it a reality. Gutierrez
saysunfortunatelyshehasntattendedany
oftheM$Wbrandsevents,butbasedon
whatsheseesonthepopularsocialmedia
appInstagram,sheneedstoattendoneas
soonaspossible.
Jefferson stated that M$W is only go
ing to get bigger from here. M$W will
be one of the most known, respected and
wornstreetwearbrandsintheworld.
JeffersonplanstoexpandM$Wandto
promotefurtherfromherconvenientarea
once she has designs that cater to every
lifestyleandevent.RightnowJeffersonis
designingnewpiecesforherlinethatwill
belaunchedatsomepointinthefall.
Jeffersonsaid,Iwillbecomeaknown
entrepreneur in the fashion world, I will
make my mark and I will make a state
ment.
Jeffersonslineatthemomentconsists
ofgraphictees,beaniehatsandsweatsuits,
and she hopes to sooner than later make
bottoms,differentvarietiesoftops,acces
sories,shoesandouterwear.
Notjustaname,butaLIFESTYLE.
PhotocourtesyofSynquesJefferson.
ToviewororderM$Wgearyoucancontact
JeffersononInstagramat@murdershewrote
brand,onTwitterat@MSWGANG,onTumblrat
mswgang.tumblr.comoronInstagramat
@Synques.
DirectionsforStudentGraduationEvaluationOnlineMYCOMMNET
1.Signontoyourcommnetaccount,thenenteryourNETIDandPassword
2.ClickStudentTab,thenStudentSelfService
3.ClickHCCifApplicable
4.ClickStudentRecords,thenStudentDegreeEvaluation
5.SelectCurrenttermandWhatIfAnalysis
6.SelectTermyoubeganandwhenyouchangedmajors
7.IfearlierthanFall02,selectFall02andclickcontinue
8.SelectProgramthencontinue
9. Select frst major then submit
10.GenerateRequestthensubmit
11.PrintGeneralRequirements
ReturntoWhatIfanalysistoselectanotherprogramtoEvaluate
AreasdesignatedasMETarecompleted
AreasNOTMETneedtobecompleted,seeanadvisorforpropercourseinstruction
13
HORIZONS Arts & Entertainment
BYD.C.WEIDENFELLER
EDITORINCHIEF
T
he weather is getting warmer
and for most of this that means
summer vacations, or a course
to catch up before the fall semester. or
maybe work picks up and it is simply a
matterofachangeoffocusfromabusy
courseloadto50hourworkweeks.But
for the Ghosts of Bridgeport, as my
dearfriendJoshBrellisandIcalledthem
during our frst shortly lived attempt at
flmng a documentry on the homeless, the
nightsmaygetalittlemoretolerablecli
matewisebutthatdoesnotmeanthings
are any easier. If this piece gets you an
ger do something about it, dont just sit
around hoping somebody else will. Fol
lowingthispieceisarecentpressrelease
fromSouthwestRegionalMentalHealth
Board and their May is Mental Health
Month calender of events. Get involved
andbecomeapartofthesolution.

WHAT
Soon the frst van pulls up to the sec
ondsectionofunderpassandpullstothe
side. Slowly at frst we move toward the
Hondaminivan,thenmoreandmore.A
young man and woman exit the vehicle
androundtothebacktoopenthehatch.
They produce their small card table and
two large coffee urns, 8 gallons each.
Coffee has arrived, cream and sugar pre
mixed,takeitorleaveit.Witheachcup
oI coIIee a 'God Be With You is given
freely with love. Today is even better
they brought the large cups, the tan and
brownoneswithpicturesoflittleteacups
andsaucersonthem.Theyalsohavetops
too keeps the coffee hotter longer. The
line melts into an unsophisticated blob,
and as each are served their share they
mutter back to their spot and their be
longings.Soonenoughemptycupslitter
thesidewalkundertheunderpass.There
is an infux oI cigarette buts as well.
NexttopullupistheoldSubaruout
back.Thistimethecrowdmoveswitha
little more purpose and the unsophisti
cated blob forms almost at once. People
begintopacktheirbodiestogetcloseto
the center around the back of the short
stout woman, owner of the car. Its the
bagel lady in her usual thick brown and
tanstripedknittedsweaterandmatching
frumpyhatsheisafavoritearound.She
picks up the fakey sweat goods Irom lo
calbakeriesandputseachoneinasand
wichbag,andthenintothebananaboxes
in the back of her car. She too, just like
thecoffeepeople,comestothebridgeev
erySunday,afriendlyfamiliarface,and
a smile every Sunday. More and more
coIIee cups fnd a home on the sidewalk,
kickedaroundunderfoot.
A larger Grumman delivery van with
GODS NEW FAITH MINISTRIES
pullsupandthesophisticatedblobturns
into a maddening mob.The pastor steps
out and greets with smiles, a tall well
build black man, in a black suit and red
tie. (When asked about the red tie, the
answer never wavers like a builder, A
soberingsymbolofthebloodChristshed
formeheisanadmittedrecoveringal
coholic now the minister of his church)
Hiswifeaccompanieshim,alsoapastor
of a different church, she is more petite
and well refned. Her eyes stare wearily
about; this is the frst time here. She tries
tofakeasmile,anditshowstothetrained
eye,butherenoonewouldnotice,shitno
one would care either way, real or not.
We are used to that, even more we are
usedtobeunnoticedandunseen.Ghosts
among the living gathering in the, out
skirtsofthehood.
The pastor sets up his table and puts
three large boxes from the back of the
van while other members of his church
scrambleaboutthebackorganizing.The
pastor quiets us down and says a short
meaningful blessing, words that most
of us can relate to, and then tells us of
the blessings he has brought us from
his church. The frst box contains bo
logna and cheese sandwiches made by
the older church day care program kids
thedaybefore,twotoabag.Theseusu
allygetstashedawayforlater.Thenext
box-assorted favors oI those individual
sizebagsofchips,andthethirdboxare
the little sandwich bags of homemade
chocolatechipcookies.Attheendofthe
tableiscauldronofwarmth,thechicken
soup.StacksofStyrofoamcupssitbeside
it, along with napkins and those cheap
white plastic spoons. Steam escapes the
pot, dancing up until it dissipates into
nothing.
Food stashes begin to form in the
backpacks of many, and many stand in
line for another bowl of belly warming
soup.Ayoungboyemergesfromtheside
doorofthevanandwalkstothetable.He
is holding several boxes one is placed
by the legs of the table and the pastor,
andoneisalsoplacednexttothecoffee
table. Three more are placed along the
wall of the underpass, they are used as
makeshiftgarbagecans,cupsandspoons
immediately begin to pile up, but still
more fnd their way to the pavement.

WHY
We gather here under the John Street
underpass not just because there is no
where else to go. We go because of a
warming friendly smile that comes with
a hot cup of coffee. We go because of
a friendly smile goes a long way in our
hearts coupled with a hot cup of coffee,
orplateoffood.Thesepeoplecomehere
toseeustoseeus.Thatsumsitupright
there. Here we are seen. In fact here we
arenotjustseenbutwearelookedatas
people,humanbeingsequalsthathave
somehow hit a rough patch in the sea.
These people, these helpers of human
ityseebeyondthedirtsmearedclothing
and overwhelming orders of urine and
bodyodor.Theyseepastthenonsensical
ramblingsofsomeastheywalkthrough
life alone in medicationinduced hazes,
missingoutontheboththeamazements
oftheworldandthesimplicitiesofdaily
living. They see the socially forgotten,
theundesirables,thosedeemedhopeless
with bleeding track marks up and down
their arms. They understand, they see
thatthehopehasbeenwipedcleanfrom
our souls, left to our own demise. Giv
en just enough to survive, just enough
to hang on. They see the organic living
man and woman not their class or their
prison record, six fles long. They see us,
andwithasmile.Herewearenotghosts
amongtheliving,norarewethepoverty
stricken,thementallyillortheaddicted.
Herewearenotthehopelessandthelost,
here we are humans, and here we are
real, even if just for a couple of hours,
itmeanstheworld,becauseweseeour
selves.

HOW
With all our differences interweaved
togetherwearestillonesinglelivefeed
ofhumanity.Itistheywhodonotbother
to listen. It is those who stereotype and
givefalsetestimonyaboutapeoplewho
gone unnoticed. They spread fear and
lies in hopes of saving a fucking buck,
though behavior is greatly similar on
bothsidesofthesocialstatusboulevard.
Little to they know that our social fall
ing is nondiscriminating and will bind
anyone within its feshless grasp in an
instant. The line that separates our road
isbutwirethin.Howwegethereisirrel
evanttous,itonlymatterstothem.How
istheleveltowhichtheyregardus,how
isthereasoningandexcuseusedtoshrug
ourissuestothecoolbackburner.How
wetrainourselvestocopewiththedaily
pains and ordeals is something one can
not effectively explain. It differs greatly
from any culture shock the Grand Olde
United States ofAmerica can hand you.
There is no controlled experiment, no
number of visits to John Street or cap
turedphotographstogivethetruesense,
essenceorspiritofaSundayspentunder
theJohnStreetUnderpass.
TheGhostsWillWalkPartTwo
14
HORIZONS Prohles
BYSAMROSOFF
EDITOR
D
avidLivingstonwalksaroundhis
classroom meticulously paying
attention and giving directions to
eachstudentsartwork.
The HCC art department needed a
sculpture instructor Ior its spring 2013
class. In search of a professor who was
capableofdemonstratingbothknowledge
andabilitytocreateartfromnumerousob
jects, the New York artist was Iound.
David Livingston, 30, with an exhibi
tion record that extends six years, won
Iourth place prize Irom the Schafer Gal
lery`s What is Sustainability?`
Nervous about his frst semester at
HCC,theprofessorsaid,Iwouldliketo
stay at Housatonic Community College
andinspirestudents.
Iwantmystudentstodeveloptheabil
ity to think visually and critically about
art.Theywillmakeartbyhand,gainmo
tivationanddiscoversomethingnew.
For his frst time here in the class
rooms,Livingstonisdoingquitewell.
Davidbringsawealthofknowledge
and experience to his position as an in
structor,saidRobbinZella,thedirector
oftheHousatonicMuseumofArt.
He is an excellent teacher and has
worked for the museum in the Peer Do
cent Program engaging young students
through the study of our art collection.
Studentswereabletoaskquestionsrath
erthanstatingfacts.
Born and raised in New York City,
Livingston created his frst arts and craIt
project from construction paper cutouts
ofSesameStreetcharacterswhenhewas
3.
He enjoyed reading comic books as
a child and tried to emulate the illustra
tions. His love of art grew out of such
experiences.
I always loved
to draw, Livingston
said.Istudiedatthe
ArtStudentsLeague
drawing live models
and decided that I
wanted to pursue art
professionallyincol
lege.
He received his
bachelors in Studio
Art from Kenyon
College and had his
frst art displayed
two years later at
Come Play With
Us` in Brooklyn, NY,
whileworkingonhis
MastersinFineArts,
fromPrattInstitute.
Through my
work I get new
ideas,hesaid,smil
ing. By creating
'complex fgures in
content and form,
heevolvedasanart
ist.
Professor Liv
ingstons charisma
and hip personality
allows him to relate
to his students and
getsthemexcitedandinterestedaboutart.
He seeks to inspire and motivate stu
dentstodowhattheythoughtwasimpos
siblebecauseoftheirlackoftraining.
HCCFreshmanJoshuaRodriguezsaid,
I never thought I would have the poten
tialtodotheartforthisclass,butIbecame
creative.
His favorite project was made out of
clayandbasedonTheGatesofHell.
We had to think dark how hell
wouldbelikeandhowwepictureditand
turnitintoasculpture,hesaid.
Rodrigues said other students should
take sculpture as an art elective. Even
without experience, like himself, it will
helpthemgrowasanartisticindividual.
HCC student Kadidra Felix, shares a
similar experience for theThe Gates of
Hell project. She was surprised at how
openmindedshebecame.
Because of my religion I was skepti
cal, but I was able to express a different
sideofme,shesaid.
Iwanthimtostickaroundforsemes
ters to come. I think students will beneft
fromhisclass,especiallyinthemornings
insteadofamathclasssculptureisway
morerelaxing.
John Favret, the Chair of theArt De
partment who gave Livingston a job for
the semester had no response to whether
theprofessorsjobatHCCwouldbecome
permanent.
However, he mentioned David Liv
ingstonisaverygoodinstructor.Hisstu
dents respond well to him and they seem
toenjoythesculptureclass.
Livingston currently has artwork dis
playedattheHCCMuseumforthefaculty
art show and on his website: http://www.
davidlivingstonart.com.
His wormlike sculptures are hand
sewnandstuffedwithfabric:wool,poly
esterorsyntheticfabric.
They are meant to be carried, but
are designed to be unwieldy and burden
some,hesaid.
WhenIperforminpublicwiththem,
theychallengemephysicallyasIstruggle
tocarrythem.
He evxplained, they are symbols of
thegreedyglobalcapitalistsystemandthe
role I play in it... an investigation of the
wayinwhichmyinternalpsychologyhas
beenshapedbythissystem.
UnsureofhisfutureatHCC,Livings
tonseeshimselfcontinuingtomakethree
dimensionalobjectsthathecanuseforan
audienceinaperformance.
HCCAlumnusGivesBacktotheCommunity
BYRACHELKULIKOWSKI
SENIORSTAFFWRITER
H
CCcontainsawidevarietyofpro
fessors from full time to adjunct
faculty. Most of these teachers
continuetheiremploymenthereeveryse
mestersomealotlongerthanothers.
Professor Grant Clifford Roti is full
professor of english at HCC. Colleges he
received degrees from include State Uni
versity oI New York (Albany), UCONN,
andtheUniversityofIllinois.
Roti started his teaching career here
back before HCC was even located in
Bridgeport.Whatmaycomeasasurprise
to a lot oI students is that when HCC frst
openeditsdoorsbackinthelate1960sit
was located in Stratford. The school had
multiple locations used for classes. As a
resultofthis,studentsandteachersdrove
orhitchhikedinordertoarriveatthedif
ferent locations in which classes were
held.Rotirecalls,Iwouldhaveacarfull
ofmybooksandtwoorthreestudents.
Currently Roti teaches about four
classesatatime,inthefallandspringse
mesters. Some of the classes he instructs
include English 101, 102, British Litera
ture,andWorldLiterature.Rotiispleased
abouttheclasseshecurrentlyteaches.He
explains I get to teach them over and
over and over again which I really enjoy
because you can take different poems or
different pieces of literature each semes
ter, and if I were at a fouryear school
sometimesyougettoteachyourrealinter
estonceeverytwo,three,fouryears.
RotihasbeenbeeninstructingatHCC
for about 42 years. He says he could re
tire, but explains I enjoy doing it, I am
alwaysvirtuallyaworkaholicsoIactually
enjoyteachingthe101sandthe102sand
manypeoplejustgetburnedout.Healso
likesthefactthatthereissuchawideva
rietyofstudentsattheschoolespecially
all the age differences. Quite often you
get those older people who will bring in
something thats rather fascinating, Roti
pointsout.
Jennifer Avery was one of Rotis stu
dents. Avery recalls, I thought he came
off as friendly and approachable. She
wasastudentinhisEnglish102classand
explains,Hegaveus(thestudents)good
questionstowriteessaysforthequestions
really made me think more about the lit
erature.
In this day and age it is diIfcult to fnd
someonewhoispassionateabouttheirca
reer. However, it is refreshing to see that
Rotiissomeonewhostilltakesjoyinhis
careereven42yearsintoit.
WhyHeStays
DavidLivingstonnexttohisartwork
PhotobyLatisaPacheco.
DavidLivingstonnexttohisartwork
PhotobyLatisaPacheco.
HCCLibraryContactInformation
(203)3325070
www.hcc.commnet.edu/library
15
HORIZONS
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SOUTHWESTREGIONALMENTALHEALTHBOARD
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HORIZONS