Housatonic Horizons Fall 2020 by Housatonic Horizons

Contents Great Realization

Editor-in-Chief Louis Verderame

Managing Editor

When Cancer and Corona[virus] Collide By Alva Blair

How COVID-19 Changed My Worldview By Chrissy Getts Essentially Essential: The Change in How I Work and Interact By Aquiera William Who Would've Thought? By Lexi Underwood My Great Realization, Bettering Myself By Sean Stewart I Hate Character Development By Stephen Gonzalez The Odd Convention of Reinvention; COVID-19 a Blessing in Disguise By Jack Jones

Chrissy Getts

Staff Writers Alva Blair Arielle Rivera Aquiera Williams Channell Collins Emily Peslak Jack Jones Jezel Tracey Lexi Underwood Sean Stewart

Senior Staff Writers Gabriella Castorina Justin Figueroa Stephen Gonzalez

Horizons Advisor Prof. Steve Mark

Design Director Chris Bukoski

Design Advisor Prof. Andy Pinto

12 14 16 18 21 22

News 24

Grow What We Eat And Eat What We Grow By Alva Blair HCC Financial Aid Process: Plain and Simple By Alva Blair

Opinion 28

Life's Too Short to be an Empty Canvas By Louis Verderame

Personal Essay 31 34 36 39

2 | horoizons

Peace Be Still By Jezel Tracey The Hornet's Nest By Louis Verderame

Love Shouldn't Hurt By Chrissy Getts Health Changes Throughout Time By Gabriella Castorina How One Track Coach Helped me Defy All Odds and Live My Childhood Dream By Jack Jones Budding Talent By Justin Figueroa

42 45 46

The Era of the Billy D's Walk By Louis Verderame A Reorganized Bookshelf By Aquiera Williams Band Mom By Stephen Gonzalez

Profiles 50

51 52

Overcoming Self-Doubt and Other Challenges By Alva Blair Adapting Into a Badass By Lexi Underwood Teenager Graduates with Both High School Diploma and HCC Degree By Jezel Tracey

Where I'm Learning From 57 58 59 60 61 63

Making the Best of Quarantine By Chrissy Getts Productivity During The Pandemic By Jezel Tracey Learning During a Pandemic By Jack Jones Covid-Community College By Lexi Underwood

This Sucks By Stephen Gonzalez This is Not What I thought By Louis Verderame

Community College Stigma 64 66 67 68 69 70 71

Community College is Legit By Louis Verderame Which is Truly The Smarter Option? By Arielle Rivera Not That Different By Chrissy Getts Community College. The Right Way to a Higher Education By Justin Figueroa #HCC Has #CoolTech By Emily Peslak

Just Because Students Attend Community College, Doesn't Mean They are Dumb By Gabriella Castorina Don't Underestimate my Fate By Channell Collins

Our Great Realizations

4 | horizons

At the end of the Spring 2020 semester, I had the Horizons staff watch a short YouTube video entitled “The Great Realisation.” Tom Roberts, reading a bedtime story in the form of a poem to two children, imagines a future in which we will be looking back at the COVID-19 pandemic years from now and reflecting on a “great realization” we’ve had as a result of these difficult times. I asked the staff to imagine one story they would be telling––like the narrator in The Great Realisation–many years from now about the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting shelterin-place and social distancing and how it has shifted their perspective or approach to some aspect of their lives in one significant way. The articles that follow are the result. Our “Great Realizations” By Professor Steve Mark Advisor to Horizons

G r e at R e a l i z at i o n

When Cancer and Corona[virus] Collide

One family’s struggle to keep a husband and father safe during chemo By Alva Blair Staff Writer

here was never a Why Me? moment, only a Why Not Me? from the moment we were told “I’m sorry to have to tell you this…” But who would have guessed that along with that there would be Corona? It was bad enough that he had to be diagnosed with cancer. “That’s so unsexy - breast cancer in a man,” he always jokes. Yeah, breast cancer. It’s not rare but not common, either, and he caught it early; Stage 1. What is this What an affront That you would come slithering in This is no place for a symbiont A mere one-point-five centimeters, but the surgeon said it had to be cut. He’d never had an operation, not even a minor one. The closest he’d got to an OR was when I was having our girls; so he’d gotten nervous then. And he got a bit nervous when he was being

prepped for his surgery. But he got all out nervous at the news about the coronavirus and what contracting it could mean for him as he was going through chemo. He got nervous. So we all got nervous. He’s a verified news junkie, having been a journalist in another life (before America), so we watched the wave of the virus as it crested in China, troughed across continents to the U.S. and spread to our community. To have just become at peace with one For there to come another There is need to gird for the struggle But we will make it through together Our daughter came home from college to see him for herself but left to stay with an aunt because she didn’t want to be in any position to bring the virus home to him. Our younger daughter loves the sunshine and has been wanting to just go outside to feel the sun on her skin but can’t; she’s not allowed to. We rent in a

With coronavirus cases still on the rise in Connecticut, we continue to observe safety measures such as wearing masks when we venture on the road. For the first time in weeks our younger daughter was allowed to go outside; in this photo we’d just come back home after picking up her father after chemo. Our older “away” daughter sent a photo of her wearing a mask for solidarity. Photo by Alva Blair

6 | horizons

multi-family house, so the chances of holding a door knob or walking through air that someone with the virus may have sneezed or coughed in is too much of a risk. But he and I do go out. He has to go to chemo; that’s the only time he goes out. And I have to go to the supermarket and the laundromat. Masks, gloves, sanitizer Necessary weapons for “civilians” N95s, goggles, disposable gowns For intrepid “soldiers” on the front lines Extreme caution. That is the name of the game. Whenever I come home after being outside, my coat is hung on the porch, shoes are shucked by the door and immediately exchanged for house slippers, clothes are folded away in the back and a thorough wash ensues. Whereas he wasn’t afraid of cancer and only cautious with chemo, he is paranoid about Corona. And we feel. For family members who aren’t allowed to visit, no matter that they, like us, have not been touched by the virus. But that one day they may have gone somewhere and brought it to their homes and we allow a visit may be the day it comes to our home. So, we keep them away. As we shelter-in-place we watch how the rest of the world is dealing with the virus. How many on the streets are doing their best to keep safe and to make other people feel safe by wearing a mask. It may only be a placebo, but wear it we must. We see the struggles of the medical professionals putting their lives on the line to save those who they can and mourn the loss of those who they can’t; the struggles of families that have been fatally affected. Bodies being loaded into trailers, being buried in mass graves. We’re all in this thing together, sing the O’Jays Whether we believe it’s a hoax That it impinges on our constitutional rights Into our lives the presence of COVID-19 soaks We don’t fault those people at that Westport soiree in February; the news about the novel coronavirus had not been widespread then. But I was just stunned at the news that people in Seattle had had a dinner party and there was a house party in Chicago during the height of the pandemic. They could have chosen not to meet but they did! One dinner party, 8 coronavirus cases, said the news. I haven’t seen any news about possible virus cases as a result of the Chicago party, but I’d be shocked if there wasn’t.

We keep as much of our outerwear separate from our main living space as is possible. Photo by Alva Blair

Over 80,000 people have died in the US! My family is taking this virus very seriously. A lot of people are not wearing a mask or exercising social distancing. Some are even protesting the safety measures. Yes, it’s their choice, but making that choice should not adversely affect my husband. I have come to realize that be it cancer - and the upbeat attitude he has despite having that disease, or Corona - and the paranoia he can’t seem to help about contracting the COVID-19 disease, we are living in times that are seeing disruptions the magnitude of which some of us have never experienced and we can choose to care or be indifferent, but what we do in our own small circles has the potential to effect what happens outside. I have come to realize that I would much rather be paranoid and fearful if that meant keeping my family safe and my husband alive. As a family we hope and are taking the necessary precautions to come out of this - cancer in the age of Corona - whole. I pray we will be fine I pray we get through this The pace and the rhythm of our lives and our world have changed But hold on! Through this chaos there will be a chance for bliss

G r e at R e a l i z at i o n

HOW COVID-19 Changed My Worldview By Chrissy Getts Managing Editor

ike most things in our day and age, this quarantine quickly became politicized. Those wanting to reopen the country took to the streets (in their respective cars, six feet apart from each other) in protest and were immediately labeled as uncaring or unsensitive to the virus threatening our very lives. In contrast, those wearing layers of clothes, gloves and face masks to the local Big Y on a 65 degree day only to leave the store and hurry home became apocalyptic fear mongers. We suddenly lost sight of humanity, and learned to pass more judgements on each other, if that was even possible.

Photo by Chrissy Getts

I believe these assumptions have damaged our communities more than we can imagine. The right wing views are primarily concerned about the impending economic crash while we sit at home, while the leftist views are more focused on the virus itself and staying home. What remains unacknowledged here is that both of these opinions on the coronavirus quarantine are rooted in care for others and care for the country. They are not mutually exclusive. In other words, you can care about the economy while caring equally about peopleâ€™s health and stopping the spread of the virus. Shortly after the government regulations regarding masks were announced, my mom asked me to go to the grocery store, claiming that â€œpeople are more receptive to a young person not wearing a mask than an

8 | horizons

old person.” I didn’t think twice about leaving for the store without a mask. As a matter of fact, at that point, I didn’t even own one, and I didn’t want to. For my family, the masks are a sign of unnecessary control over our lives. I believe strongly in your right to do what you want, even if others don’t approve of it. At that point, the government did not require you to wear a mask, even though individual businesses reserved the right to refuse you service if you didn’t wear one. Even now, Governor Lamont’s Executive Order 7BB states, effective Monday, April 20, 2020, “any person in a public place in Connecticut who is unable to or does not maintain a safe social distance of approximately six feet from every other person shall cover their mouth and nose with a mask or cloth face-covering.” This means that you are not required to wear a mask outside of your house if you are able to maintain a 6 foot distance from other people around you. In my opinion, no government official or other person should be policing your action of not wearing a mask if you’re staying 6 feet away from others. An experience I recently had at the grocery store solidified this outlook for me. As I walked leisurely into the Stop & Shop, I made my way to the dairy section, where I saw several people gathered. I walked up to the refrigerator, maintaining my roughly 6 foot distance, grabbed my product, and began to walk away, until I was stopped by someone in a wheelchair

wearing a mask. He snapped, “hey!” in my direction and I, completely caught off guard, turned around and casually responded, “yes? What can I do for you?” What he said in return to me truly shocked me. “What you can do is take my health seriously and wait in line for milk like everyone else to keep your distance from me. It’s disrespectful enough that you’re too entitled to wear a mask out in public when people are dying because of shit like that.” Nearly speechless, I nodded, said thank you, and went on my way. Until I got home, I went over the situation in my head. ‘Did I completely miss that there was a line?’ ‘I didn’t mean to disrespect anyone’s health by not wearing the mask, jeez.’ ‘You know, I’m pretty claustrophobic and I don’t think I’d do well while wearing the mask. Maybe HE doesn’t care about my health.’ When I walked through the door, I announced to my parents that they would not believe what just happened at the grocery store! The story launched us into a massive conversation about how we can still be sympathetic to the current situation without wearing masks. Besides, I don’t bother anyone about things they do. What gives them the right to so viciously attack me for something as simple as getting a carton of milk? I understand people’s reservations and people’s fears, like the obvious ones the man in the grocery store had. Public health offi-

cials are united on the front that wearing the masks does help protect others, even if it doesn’t protect you while wearing it, so it makes sense that people would be judgemental of those who make the conscious choice to go out and not wear it. While I remain sympathetic to this argument and to the health concerns of others around me, I believe that treating others the way the man in the store treated me does not make any positive change in this situation. As a matter of fact, disrespecting others by making harsh and irrational suggestions about who they are, like telling someone they clearly don’t care about your personal health, only reinforces the negative stereotypes surrounding your view. The bottom line is that people respond positively to positivity. If you treat someone with respect, they will, more often than not, respect the argument you’re making and take it into consideration while making choices in the future. In the following days I continued not wearing the mask, and maintained my quarantine inside my house like everyone else. I got on group zoom calls with my friends and complained about being stuck indoors and how I desperately wanted to get my hair and nails done. It wasn’t until a few weeks after the incident that my view started to shift. I had, and still have, to some extent, the belief that it is imperative that we open this country as safely and as soon as possible. If we stay stagnant, like how we are now, the economy is going to

G r e at R e a l i z at i o n

crash and crash fast. Although dia, no matter what side you’re of each other are strengthened it seems impossible, that $2 on, that the other side is unwill- day after day and we are driven trillion dollar COVID-19 Re- ing to work and compromise further from unity. lief Package will eventually run with you. The faster we all begin viewing out and, when it does, we’re each other as fellow humans My experience in the grocery left with two options: reopen rather than political pieces, the store is reflective of the disconor have the 33 million people faster we’ll unite as a country. nect we face everyday in both on unemployment continue to live off welfare until we run our local and greater commu- If I can change my perspective, out of money. While this view nities, and it all comes down to everyone can. The realization I had about the is important to importance of recognize, it wearing masks lacks the certain is just a small element of comn order to create a example, and I munity that enstrive to continmore supportive less courages people ue to implement to come together polarized society some this choice in and support one times we need to take one my future. It’s another during not just about times of frustrafor the team and wear masks, it’s about tion, pain and the mask to make others the language we fear. use, the attitudes feel comfortable we have, and the Regardless of perspectives we whether or not maintain, all of you believe the which, if posiface masks actually stop the spread of disease, polarization. I hope everyone tive, create more healthy relaor if you think the government reading this article keeps what tionships between people and forcing you to wear something I’m about to say in mind: main- thus make progress towards a you don’t like is an infringement stream media shows are rarely united future. on your rights, the bottom line out for your best interest. The is that a lot of people are afraid primary goal of many media I personally want to use the exof this virus. In order to create a outlets is to get ratings and pop- periences I’ve had during quarmore supportive, less polarized ularity so they can make money. antine to create momentum in society, sometimes we need They do this by triggering your my efforts to think of others to “take one for the team” and most sensitive aggravations first. It is so integral to our sociwear the mask to make others about the current state of our ety to have community. I know feel comfortable and safe to go country, encouraging you to that we can achieve this goal to the grocery stores. We are watch again the next night. As together, and it all starts right told often by mainstream me- a result, our stereotypical views now, during quarantine.

,, "I

10 | horizons

, ,

,, -

Essentially Essential: The Change in How I Work and Interact By Aquiera Williams Staff Writer

orking in a wholesale store before the pandemic wasn’t exactly a walk in the park, but since the start of the stay at home order, various surrounding restaurants and businesses have closed, leaving the only reasons for people to leave the safety of their homes to get groceries or for medical purposes. Being appreciated as an essential worker and assisting those in need has its benefits, but with the fear and uncertainty created by the pandemic, there have also been some challenges and obstacles to ensure safety, not only for me, but for my coworkers and for shoppers. Nonetheless, there have also been plenty of upsides to still being employed during these unprecedented times. The head office of all wholesale stores has provided a two dollar increase to the hourly wage, as well as health benefits, paid sick leave, added vacation time, and a change in the dress code policy so that “team members are more comfortable. Workers in the store are even given a personal thanks over the intercom between the repetitive loop of song choices that shoppers tend to tone out automatically. The real highlight of my shift, however, is the direct thanks from a handful of the shoppers after they ask a question, or on their way out of the door. At least once a day I am gifted with a truly appreciative person who looks me in the eyes and says, “Thank you for working right now.” or “Thank you for coming in today.” It warms my heart,

even though I don’t know how to respond other than a resolute nod. On the other hand, there have been some incredibly chaotic moments as well, and the precautionary measures have made for a more stressful shift. Upon entrance to work I am greeted by a line of carts along the walkway to the automatic front doors, still closed with the metal shutters. All employees are required to enter through the back entrance and have to be buzzed in by a manager. If a manager is not on hand you are forced to wait, even if this exceeds the time you are expected to clock in. Next, all employees receive a temperature check. If your temperature is higher than 100°F, you are sent home, if not you are handed a face mask and off to your scheduled work. When the store opens, now an hour early for seniors, I have bore witness, many mornings, to a dozen people making a mad dash to the toilet paper aisle. The pallets of Clorox bleach, hand sanitizer, liquid soap, and sanitizing wipes, all gone in the first 30 minutes. Unfortunately, there are also those who take advantage of our earlier hours, and are asked to wait outside, but often refuse. Throughout the day, the long lines stretch past every department to the very back of a giant store. My coworkers and I began to describe it as a never ending Black Friday. If you’ve been to the mall when the latest game console comes out,

I’m sure you understand. The directional arrows on the floor go ignored, and the six foot rule doesn’t apply when crossing paths, but I try my best to keep a personal distance, and offer assistance when I can. I’ve been assigned a few different tasks over this period of time. From my main department in clothing, to checking receipts at the door, to gathering online orders for those who order online. The store can be a flurry of activity with several obstacles like abandoned shopping carts, sold out items, idle shoppers, and empty boxes blocking my path. I’m grateful that I get to stay busy and work, even though I’m putting myself at risk. I’ve gotten into a routine of washing my hands before and after every break, replacing my gloves every hour or so, and immediately changing clothes when I get home for the safety of my family. It isn’t a habit I’ll be breaking any time soon. This hasn’t been an easy time for anyone, but the greatest realization I’ve made is how no matter what, the workers of any business are essential. Regardless of the pandemic, a business needs workers in order to function. In order to provide the best service and safest experience, everyone should follow the guidelines and keep to an orderly fashion. I hope that once the pandemic has ended, we all appreciate all workers in all industries, because every worker is essentially essential.

G r e at R e a l i z at i o n

Who Would’ve Thought? By Lexi Underwood Staff Writer

ony Robbins said, “Self awareness is one of the rarest human commodities. I don’t mean self-consciousness where you are limiting and evaluating yourself. I mean being aware of your own patterns.” While being on lockdown during this pandemic, that quote has been circling around my brain. What are my own patterns? Are they good patterns or patterns that need to be fixed? How does one spot their own patterns? I thought I knew everything that there was to know about myself but because of this social distancing leaving me to be alone, I realized I am a young woman with many more layers to uncover. I always had ambition, but I definitely did lack motivation when it came to certain things I didn’t want to do. When it came to school work, I was more stressed out than normal, not because the work was hard but because I had to complete it in the comfort of my own home. I can be easily distracted and will allow the distraction to take over because it was better than forcing myself to actually do the work. I would start off signing into Blackboard and attempt to do any assignment for that day. While doing my work, something would

12 | horizons

take my attention away, whether it was my TV screen, my phone, or even myself. I would procrastinate until the very last minute and then be upset with myself for not finishing my work. I was writing a draft for my Publications class and I got writer’s block. Usually I would just take a few minutes away from my work so I could clear my head, I put on The Vampire Diaries and 30 minutes into Season 4 Episode 5, I realized 2 hours had gone by and I was still nowhere done with my paper. It’s easy to just do nothing, to not want to care but then I started thinking about my future and where I wanted to be. This work ethic was not going to get me the grades I wanted and was not going to allow me to fully be successful the way I wanted. I realize that my pattern was procrastinating and I needed to get that under control. While being at home more has allowed me to see my family more, it also allowed me to see where I was lacking. I had nothing but time, so why weren’t things getting done; it was because of me. I started to become uncomfortable with myself because not only was I doing this with school work

but doing this with myself. Things that I wanted to do, I pushed off til the last minute and in a sense, I felt as though I was losing myself. I’ve once heard someone say that “God makes you uncomfortable because he doesn’t want you to remain in the space that you are in”. Who am I when I am not working both jobs or when I am not surrounded by my friends or when I am not in school? Being alone made me feel uncomfortable because I guess I didn’t know who I was anymore. So I dug a little deeper within myself. In a weird way, this pandemic reminds me of the early 2000s, where as kids, our only entertainment was ourselves. Back then, I was comfortable and I wanted to get back to that part of myself, I was a kid who just loved to have fun and didn’t mind being alone at times. I would dance around and put on my favorite movie just so I can act it out. I always loved music and I love watching my favorite choreographers create a piece to their song of choice. Due to this pandemic causing many people to stop working, dancers couldn’t go to their studios and have a class, so they thought about teaching a class live online. This was a great opportunity for me.

Due to me not living where these classes take place and not having the funds to fly to the designated areas, this online dance class made it possible to go back to my old roots. I took a choreographer by the name of Ysabelle’s dance class that was on her Instagram Llive, and as I learned the dance moves, I started to feel something that I haven’t felt in a long time––happiness. Of course, I was late to the live Instagram chat but I immediately jumped in and started to learn the dance. At first, I felt awkward because I haven’t moved my body like that in so long but it was a good thing that she was repetitive with the steps. Once she completed the dance, she would rewind the music and start from the beginning so that way everybody can understand the steps more. I pushed myself to build the courage to dance again and because of that, I was able to unlock one of my favorite hobbies. Taking that first step in finding myself made me realize that the only reason why I procrastinate a lot was because I felt like some things had no purpose and I was only doing it because I had too. Doing something because I wanted to minimized the level of procrastinating I had. Everything that I did, whether it was for myself or for school, I gave it purpose and it changed my perspective on certain things. Instead of associating something with a negative thought, give it a positive one, make it worth doing something. I find it amazing that it took me to do something familiar from my past to make me feel good about myself and if I ever feel that If I ever get the feeling, that I don’t want to do something, I now know I can start by doing something I love to motivate me. Even though I miss being surrounded by my friends, being alone isn’t so bad because it allows me to pay attention to myself and push myself in ways I didn’t know I could.

The writer smiling, enjoying the nice weather, and proud that she was able to overcome one of this year's toughest challenges. Photo courtesy of the author.

G r e at R e a l i z at i o n

My Great Realization, Bettering Myself By Sean Stewart Staff Writer

ecognizing beauty when it seems that none is around can be a difficult task. No matter how dark the days have become, there is always a way to turn the overwhelming negative into a positive. It is now the year 2050 and I am now reflecting on a time in my life that was very strange and different, the Coronavirus Pandemic. A time that is now well documented in history as the pandemic that shocked the world. This was an unprecedented time for the human race. Nobody knew what they could and couldnâ€™t do safely. The worst part of it all, everyone became a threat. Every social situation contained friends with masks, unwilling to come close to one another with fear of getting sick. The government advised people to â€œsocially distance,â€? making people stand six feet away from one another to make sure they were safe from the dangers of others. It almost seemed like the world had a broken bone and every person living in it had to wait until it got its cast off in order to resume life as it was before.This had a tremendous effect on the mental health of the public. Without social interaction Photo of me on one of my runs during the quarantine of 2020. Photo courtesy of Sean Stewart

14 | horizons

people around the world were lost and looking for answers. It was in this time period where I had my great realization, something that would transform the rest of my life. I thought with all of this time in my hands I should be using it to get something done. I tried arts and crafts, doing puzzles, looking into selling old things online for money, really just doing anything to pass the time. After all of these little hobbies, I decided that a good challenge that would never end would be to get into the best shape of my life. I took up running, something that I had dreaded doing for years. Yup â€Ś thatâ€™s how bored I was. And I actually began to like it. I started out just trying to run one mile. I was able to do it but not without being exhausted at the end. After passing through what I have deemed the heart attack phase, I began to enjoy pushing my body the extra mile, adding extra distance onto my runs. I tried adding a mile each week until I got to five. I ran 5 out of the 7 days of the week. The adrenaline rush from running became addictive, and running multiple miles became an everyday thing. I started attempting to do things that I had never thought possible at my previous weight. I was jumping more and attempting to dunk a basketball, which is something I achieved in the late summer of 2020.

As I started to get into great physical shape I noticed that I was getting into great mental shape as well and my mental health improved. Getting away from constantly staring at screens whether being my cellphone, laptop or TV screen, and instead doing something productive for my body had given me a sense of purpose in a time where many people were looking for one. It made me feel like I was really accomplishing something with my life. It had given me the opportunity to start looking at the bright side of things. Rather than think about the negativity surrounding us in the world my run and workout let me escape and the time spent out exercising shaped my mentality for the rest of each day. I no longer only focused exclusively on the masks on the people around me and the darkness clouding the world, but instead was able to appreciate the beauty of the nature that blossomed before me. My confidence had grown to the point that I no longer doubted my physical abilities to do things. Whenever a challenge was placed in my way I overcame it. I would put workouts in place that previously I would have thought impossible for me to complete and I would crush them. This can do attitude is something that I took with me in the future and a lot of it was built during the quarantine because of the pandemic.

Running wasnâ€™t the only method of working out that I had started while in quarantine. I started doing pushups and pullups each day. I followed the same type of routine as I did with the running, increasing the amount of pushups and pullups each week.

G r e at R e a l i z at i o n

I Hate Character Development By Stephen Gonzalez Staff Writer

solation does a lot to a man. No man should be able to recognize obscure 90’s anime theme songs. No man should be taking the long way to take the trash out just so he can feel like he went on an “adventure.” No man should spend hours at a time looking at the price of an Airbnb in a location he knows he will not go to any time soon. I have had an ungodly amount of free time and in the midst of all the current craziness going on in the world, I’ve had a lot of time to figure myself out and set my priorities (somewhat) straight. Everyone is definitely going to say they came out of this as a new person and I mean… well, yeah. We’re in the midst of history right now. Years from now, kids are going to have to answer questions on their U.S History or even their science tests, based on COVID-19. This is the world we’re going to live in. That’s going to be the new normal. Of course you’re going to come out of all of this a new person. We’ve had to alter our entire lives and develop new routines and practices to survive in this new world. The world is bleak right now. The beautiful and vibrant canvases we’ve grown accustomed to have been painted to a lifeless and melancholy grey. People are dropping left and right. Corporate greed and taking hostages have now taken the forefront under the guise of being an “essential worker.” I’m scared. Not for me though. My parents are both taken hostage. Every day, when my parents come home I have a routine. I always dap my father up and ask “how was

16 | horizons

work, pa?” I go to my mother, hug her and kiss her forehead and ask her the same question. I’ve done this since I was a child. The idea that my simple gesture of compassion to my parents, could get me or anyone else in this household sick is absolutely terrifying. With that being said though, you’d think my parents would be a lot more shaken up. My father still works in the Bronx, which is said to be one of the COVID hot spots in the city. As a sales representative, he has to travel all across the Bronx to make sure he makes his money. My mother is still a deli manager at the same supermarket she’s always been at but now, the area she works in is now also a COVID hot spot. My parents aren’t scared though. They aren’t worried in the slightest. Their resolve is incredible and personally, I could never but I guess that says a lot about them as parents more than anything. The parents I’ve known for all 21 years of my life have changed but for the better. Almost like an upgrade? A Mr. & Mrs. Gonzalez DELUXE, if you will. In the midst of this craziness, I’ve changed as well? I guess? I don’t know. I mean, yes, I think much differently. I am a lot more cautious and I hate that. I’ve always been rebellious and a little out there. Growing up, my mother would always call me her “little rockstar.” So now, me, Stephen Andrew Gonzalez, the rockstar, is now stuck at home sanitizing. I don’t know ‘bout y’all but I personally have never heard a single story about Sid Vicious double sanitizing his kitchen.

Here is a cool and YOUNG man with his cool drink (alcohol) that makes him cool. Picture by Stephen Gonzalez, who is a very cool and young man. The most cool, even.

But I guess this really isn’t ALL too bad. I have been able to finish a lot of music I’ve been working on. I’ve caught up on shows and documentaries that have been on my list. Before New York completely shut down, I was spending a lot of time with my girlfriend. My buddies would come through and we’d hang out. I’ve had tons of brotherly bonding with both my older AND my younger brother. I WAS an owner of three dogs. I am now the incredibly stressed out (which results in papa’s “gogo juice time”) father of three supercharged hairy children who will refuse to use the bathroom outside but will gladly do it inside after they were walked for two and a half hours.

I think with all the time I spent to myself, I came to have an appreciation for the little things in my life. I wake up every day and appreciate all the universe has gifted me, for whatever reason. It sounds so dumb and redundant to say, but I have a roof over my head, clothes on my back, food on my plate and a loving family. I am madly in love with my girlfriend. My friends are all happy and healthy. There’s nothing more I could ever want. I’m still a rockstar. Don’t get me wrong. However, I’m just a rockstar who knows when to slow down and appreciate the life he lives. Still a rockstar, though.

T T N N N E E E V O NV N R I F O E O C R N T N N O E I O I V T T N N N I N VE O E C R N O OF ION TIO T N T N E N E O VE NV R F O N I O O C I E N T N N O O E N I I T NT INV VE N E E V O R N OF N C OF O G r e at R e a l i z at i o n

The Odd Convention of Reinvention; COVID-19 a Blessing in Disguise By Jack Jones Staff Writer

hroughout the 20 years of my life B.Q. (before quarantine) my identity completely omitted all signs of an athlete. I had never truly realized how one dimensional life could be when your primary focus, and vast amounts of your energy, are drained into the pastime of sport. However, throughout my tumultuous journey during quarantine, I was struck with a moment of complete clarity, an epiphany if you will. The amplifying sounds of guitars and the booming bursts of 808s and bass drums began to reverberate through my mind like a symphony of trumpets announcing the entrance of a noble king. It was at this exact moment that I realized sports would need to take a back seat, because lyricism, music production and anything under the realm of music is undoubtedly

18 | horizons

my true passion.

Many people fail to realize that the coronavirus did not only usher in an age of pure darkness and disease, but this pandemic is also equipped with the ability to drastically consume and bombard oneâ€™s mind with unprecedented levels of stress, anxiety, fear and above all else boredom. Therefore, during this process billions of people have been deprived of what were previously considered basic luxuries. Personally, I used to be enthralled by the jolts of exhilaration, along with the rushes of adrenaline that spread throughout my body and would bless me with that highly sought after sensation of levitating out of my physical body; not to mention, the unmatched exuberance of emotional outbursts that are so deeply intertwined with

N N F O I C O NT E N N E O O V I I T NT EIN ON C E R O V N OF ION ON I T T N E N N O VE V E N V I O N E N I E CO F R N C O N T O I O ION NT N E V E T R N N INV O F C O E T R ON ON N E I I V T T N N O IN overcoming my competitors. Although my career as a track and field athlete was cut short due to injury during the second semester of the 2019 school year, I had always held athletics dear to my heart, as they were constantly a source of coping and alleviating high levels of stress. However, as social distancing became the new norm world-wide, I quickly realized that revelling in the glorious nature of victory would soon vanish.

Without being able to interact with my peers on the basketball court, soccer field or the curves of the track, I found myself quickly sinking into an inescapable void of boredom, as well as a horrendous loss of identity. I would sit in my dark basement, lined with walls of concrete, totally ostracized from the rest of society attempting to find new hobbies to distract my mind from the inability to watch my basketball gracefully drop through the net, or watch as my soccer ball soared past the goal line. The boredom had truly consumed my mind. At times, I would find myself pacing around and twiddling my thumbs to pass the never ending days of monotony that seemed to be playing on repeat. I tried my hand at a few of my favorite pastimes, from drawing and painting, to grinding my way to accepting the Larry O’brien trophy from Adam Silver in NBA 2K20. Unfortunately, nothing that I was doing gave me the same sense of relief and fulfillment as compet-

ing in trivial games of sport with my friends. Instead, these hobbies would usher in unwanted forms of frustration. It wasn’t until I opened up the notes page on my phone and the GarageBand application on my computer, that I was able to find solace in a new activity. Writing lyrics became a new mode of translating my current thoughts and emotions onto paper, and producing beats became a challenge of tweaking tones, instruments and melodies until I felt they perfectly represented the sounds and feelings that were once trapped in my mind. Thankfully, after weeks of unending struggles, I managed to translate my overachieving mindset to the world of musical arts and literature! As wildly absurd as this may sound, COVID-19 swiftly became a blessing in disguise; my eyes were pried wide open to the vast number of untapped ventures that lay before my unknown path to achieving success and squandering my lathargic existence during the first few weeks of quarantine. During my years as an adolescent, I had always been hypnotized by the cornucopia of blissful sounds that can resonate from instruments working together effortlessly to project sounds, thus evoking a limitless number of emotional responses. From the face melting guitar solos of Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy page, contrasted by the subtle high pitched tones of Robert Plant’s triumphant voice, to the uplift-

ing and high tempo funk grooves produced by Stevie Wonder and his band mates; I knew that music was a form of relief and medicine that can correspond to any walk of life. Being inspired by the rock-centric aspects of 60s, 70s and 80s music as a child, I idolized multifaceted talents such as Phil Collins and Sting, who were not only masters of their respective instruments, but could also write and sing music that surpassed the expectations of their listeners and send them into an atmosphere of symphonic melodies, beats and chords. Therefore, at the mere age of 5 years old I purchased my first drum set and began working with my best friend’s father who had toured with bands such as Chicago, Springstein, Aerosmith and even Lady Gaga before her catapult into mainstream pop culture and stardom. Unfortunately, as I began to mature, it became evident that I would have to prioritize either my love for sports or music, and with little animosity or resentment in my heart and mind, I opted for athletics. However, as the path that I had envisioned myself traveling down suddenly became skewed, which included riding on the coattails of my success in track and field, my infatuation with drumming, music, poetry and hip-hop culture soon became revitalized. Frustrated by my lack of perfection and mastery in drawing, painting and gaming, I stomped into my room to breathe deep sighs of relaxation and throw on

R N N F O O I C N O NT NT O E E I V V T N EIN ON OF R N C ON N F IO E I V T N N T I N VE RE CO N N F O O TIO ION C N T N O V E N I T INV VE EIN N R E N O R O F C I T O N N O N I E E V O V I N T IN G r e at R e a l i z at i o n

my headphones, trying anything I could to lose myself in the music, as Eminem would put it in his smash hit “Lose Yourself.” Suddenly, I became awestruck with nostalgia as I turned to my 15 year old book of drum notes that chronicled my ten year experience as drummer. Whole notes, eighth notes, sixteenth notes, accents, paradiddles, fills and sheets of songs began to spark sensations of intrigue and tranquility that I had been yearning for since the quarantine had begun. The momentous amount of joy that I received after successfully completing a page of advanced level drum solos, or exquisitely duplicating the beats of John Bonham, Chad Smith or Dave Grohl was unmatched by any rushes of adrenaline that I had gained through track or basketball in almost half a decade! Since that day in early April, my room has transformed into a space that echoes with the sounds of crashing symbols, gruff snare hits and resonating ‘dooooms’ and ‘boooms’ of my high, low and floor toms. Although rock and funk music was at the core of my musical foundation, I think many drummers agree that the bass lines and drum focal instrumentals of rap and hip-hop music are insanely awe-inspiring as well. Therefore, I decided to shift my mindset to mimic the sounds and musical composition of great producers like Dr. Dre, Alchemist, Scott Storch, Timbaland, Pharrell Williams and many more. Despite the

20 | horizons

fact that I only have GarageBand downloaded on my computer, I was able to draw inspiration from these legends and mirror their unique sounds by adjusting the EQ, reverberation, chorus, tempo, delay and of course, by creating the roof shaking thuds of 808 bass patterns that are so prevalent in modern rap culture. After months of yearning for an emotional release, I constantly find my mind creating new piano chords, flute melodies and drum patterns, that when compiled together will not only evoke an emotional response, but get my peers out of their seats and start dancing along.

My musical journey throughout this quarantine has given me the realization that I am not only a one dimensional or singularly talented individual; in fact, I now believe that my persistent determination to succeed at doing what I love can yield some pretty amazing results that will indefinitely stick with me throughout the course of my life. Through my love of writing lyrics and creating music, I now know that there is a vast world that lays before me, full of new avenues, ventures and endeavors with like minded people that will guide me through the trials and tribulations of life. Even though music may not be the ‘end all be all’ in terms of a successful career path, music has pushed me to realize the untapped potential within myself that I had failed to recognize before this pandemic. In the past I have struggled

with self doubt and depression, yet music never failed to bring me joy and light during times of utter necessity; and to this day I believe that my intrigue with musical composition, history and production has granted me the the motivation to prevail, despite any obstacle that may alter the course of my path towards success and happiness. Finally, like many other college students, I have been frequently nagged by my mother to “find an internship, get your foot in the door!” So, I applied for an internship with Chaz and Aj at 99.1 PLR, along with their colleague John Kamal at 95.9 The Fox to hopefully gain an enormous amount of insight and experience in a career path that I would love to pursue. Luckily, John has seen me drum live in person, produce music and ramble on about my fascination with the music world, and offered me a position just weeks before quarantine struck. Although my internship will be delayed, I will forever hold a debt of gratitude towards music (especially rock, funk and rap) for enlightening me and presenting me with a new passion to not only alleviate boredom, but squander my lingering self doubt and nerves about being launched into adulthood as well. Thank you music!

N N N E E O V V I E Be Still N N T Peace I R O E RI N C OF ON F IO N I T O I N T T E E N EN V V N N V I O E N O F R N C ION O T O V I N NT N N I E E V E R N V O N F C O TIO N N ION EN E V V T N N N O I E RE C N F By Jezel Tracey Staff Writer

t’s one thing to say that you are going to do something, but another to actually do it. Many times we set high hopes and goals for ourselves, assuming that they will be accomplished; assuming that it will automatically be easy to get everything done. We pressure ourselves into overachieving and mastering whatever it is we want to get done in such a short time.

I too am a victim of desiring the best and ending up with the worst. I set high expectations for myself to accomplish both productivity and peace during this pause on life. One thing that I forgot to include with all this is to simply take my time. I rushed everything. No time to process, take in, or even breathe. While I thought that I was taking care of myself, I was actually digging myself a deeper hole of frustration and confusion. With quarantine existing, I and many others believed that this was a time of healing. This was a time to take care of and become one with yourself. Don’t get me wrong, this did take place, but it didn’t last for long. Assuming that my habits of procrastination and being lazy would convert into daily devoted time to mental health, I lied to myself. Everything that I had wished and hoped for disintegrated into a time of self pity and sulking, all because I moved too fast. Before this big pause in life I had a strong addiction. I was addicted to always being busy and getting work done. I did not have space in my day to manage and control my emotions, I was always on the go.

From high school, to college, the gym, and then to choir rehearsal, I always had something on my agenda. It wasn’t something I was fond of but, believe it or not, it helped me get the work done. I absorbed into this mental state of centering my focus on my responsibilities and assignments; it became my norm.

Since COVID-19 has forced everyone to stay home, it’s been hard to adjust to the sudden shift. At first glance I assumed that this would be an easy transition. I thought that I had been through “worse than this.” I even wrote about it in my articles and spoke about it when uplifting others. I presumed that with enough prayer and meditation this would fly over. I was not aware that this would impact my life. I was not aware that I was doing the complete opposite of what I was suggesting. In simple words, I was not practicing what I was preaching. During this quarantine I tried to do too many things at once. Whether it was doing my school work, recording singing videos, making a new poem, or being my dad’s personal manager; I had too much on my daily schedule. I tried to take everything I did at other places all inside of my bedroom; my mind immediately spinning over all the things I needed to get done and the heartbreaking news about COVID-19.

It took many mental breakdowns and brain farts of confusion for me to realize that I was moving too fast. After sitting down with myself and identifying how mentally distraught I was, I noticed that it was time for a change, a change in

me mentally, physically, and spiritually. I didn’t make this change through advancing in my skill of singing, doing makeup, whatever else I love to do. There was only one way this change would happen and it was through advancing in the skill of making time.

I needed to make more time and space for me to just sit and think about literally nothing. As crazy as it sounds, meditating and praying require you to think about something. I placed the computer, phone, and diary of notes away and sat down to let my mind breathe. I recognized that I never did this when school was physically in session and wondered if maybe this was why I had so many breakdowns and became extremely overwhelmed. I gave myself the time to smile, to cry, to think with nothing being on my mind.

Advancing in this skill gave me the great realization that I did not know how to be by myself. I did not know how to find joy in not having a thousand things on my schedule. These past 52 days have taught me that my life will never be fully lived if it’s through focusing on responsibilities and obligations but only if it is lived through finding peace and balance through every facet of our ever changing lives. I never would have thought that I would struggle with something that seemed so easy. I never would’ve thought that I would be able to find beauty within my brokenness. What I did find out was that I was able to find joy in being alone with my thoughts and myself.

G r e at R e a l i z at i o n

The Hornet’s Nest By Louis Verderame Editor-in-Chief

arch 16, 2020. My first shift of the new week, right as it was hitting the fan; I realize this would be no ordinary 8-hour shift. I pull into my parking spot and I paint on my customer service face before stepping out of my car. I walk in with my shirt and tie, my smock, and my willingness to work...There’s an overwhelming sense of emptiness, but a parking lot full of cars. Walking through the back room just to get to the time clock is a trip. Pallets on top of pallets of items. Store managers and department managers all taking off products, putting them on u-boats and giving out military-like orders. “You aisle 5” “you aisle 12” I walk back down from clocking in “Louis take this one, aisle 9, and when you’re done there’s another one waiting for you.” On this day I was not Grocery Clerk Louis. I was, “Aisle 9 Specialist Grocery Clerk Louis.”

As I walk out of the double doors, which separate the backroom chaos from the sale floor mayhem, pulling this 40 pound u-boat full of pasta. My first look at the sales floor was like a scene from a movie. Specifically the camera trick called the Dolly Zoom. The Dolly Zoom is when the camera is on a character and it zooms in with the character staying the same size and then the background goes farther back. You remember the “get out of the water” scene in Jaws? It was like that. If you need to, Google it. Aisle 9, for lack of a curse word, is a mess.

22 | horizons

Nothing’s on the shelf, but everyone is in the aisle. Either shopping, or just being spectators to the disaster. I bob and weave past people and park my u-boat on the opposite side of the pasta and I get to work. Time stood still. People coming up to my u-boat and searching it like it was a dead billionaire and they were looking for his money. Once the body search was over it seemed to calm down a bit, either that, or I got used to being within the mayhem. Somewhere in this time frame the second u-boat of aisle 9 product was brought out to me and I didn’t even notice. When I finished the first u-boat of pasta I brought the empty u-boat back to the backroom. The backroom was still laced with my co-workers running back and forth. I was turning around to go back to the second u-boat in aisle 9 when my manager came up to me and said, “Lou, have you seen the paper aisle yet?” I shook my head and said, “nah I haven’t, why?” He waved for me to follow him. We got to the paper aisle, and it was empty, in every sense of the word. All the other aisles had some product in them but this one was bare. I’ve never seen anything like that in my life. I walked back to aisle 9 and started to work on the second u-boat. Now that I was accustomed to the motion of the day, time seemed to fly. All of a sudden I was 4 hours into my 8-hour shift. I took a quick 30-minute break and went right back at it. I had a third aisle 9 u-boat with

my name on it that was waiting for me when I was done with my break. I went through that one pretty fast. When I was done with that u-boat, I was told to start working on aisle 5 product until my shift was up. Finally my time on the clock was wrapping up, and it was time to go home. Before I left though, I wanted to check aisle 9. I was proud of what I did on that part of the battlefield. I walked back and I slowly realized, Dolly Zoom again, that all the product I put up was almost entirely gone. I was too tired and over it to even try to comprehend my thoughts. I shook my head and walked away. I got back to my car to take off my customer service painted face only to realize it wore off long ago/ Looking back on that day, it’s crazy to think how one thing can throw everyone and everything into a tizzy. Everyone in that moment was drowning. Drowning for food, for paper towels, toilet paper, pasta, you name it, people were swimming to the depths for it. It’s changed me. The way I look at things now. I am a small cog in this machine of essentialness. I’ve always had the outlook of living in the moment, and unfortunately this is just a moment that we are in. I’ve worked in the grocery department for close to four years and this day will be in my mind forever. With all this I’ve learned to not take the ordinary days for granted. Some aren’t as good as others, but when your back is up against the wall and you make it through, you’ll have some good stories to tell.

The empty paper towel aisle. Photo courtesy of Louis Verderame

News

Grow What We Eat and Eat What We Grow

Organic Gardening Gomes to HCC By Alva Blair Staff Writer

lastic food! Food grown in feces. Ew. Organic, then! Oh, not really.

There is an almost palpable fear among many that the food they purchase might not be what it is advertised to be. Every so often a story about plastic rice or cabbage pops up on Facebook, or about salmon and oysters being bred in feces, or that the wax used to preserve fruits such as apples may cause cancer.

onto campus. They were excited and enthusiastic, and saw so much potential. They met the group who started the garden, along with [Academic] Dean [Robin] Avant and a lot of other interested people on campus and said ‘yes we need to be a part of this,’”Jelenik said.

Are these stories true? Whether or not they are, it behooves us, where possible, to take responsibility for at least some of what we eat. If that means growing our own foods, then why not? And if we don’t have to get our own hands dirty because real, organic food is being grown right here on our school compound, all the better, right? Well, that is happening now, as faculty, staff, and students come together to grow what we eat and eat what we grow! About two years ago, a small group of HCC staff including Kofi Adomako Ayisi, Biology Professor Sandra Barnes, Hyoja Tully, and Dean Rose Ellis, who has since left HCC, started a garden plot. It was nothing big, but it sprouted a big idea when, in August 2019, Executive Director of the HCC Foundation, Kristy Jelenik, joined the college’s family. She came, she saw, she made a connection. “I had a connection with a donor who was super interested in urban gardens. He had done this many times in the past so I brought him and his partner

24 | horizons

Monique Bosch, HCC Edible Campus Launch Director talking about plans for the garden. Photo by Alva Blair

College campuses around the country

University of North Carolina, Manchester Community College and even Yale University right here in Connecticut, are estabsuch as

lishing edible gardens

And “this” has turned into the HCC Edible Campus Project!

and school farms. And now they are at HCC.

There is a groundswell that’s happening; a movement, if you may. College campuses around the country - such as University of North Carolina, Manchester Community College and even Yale University right here in Connecticut, are establishing edible gardens. Housatonic has jumped on the bandwagon and is being led by Launch Director,Monique Bosch. She’s the donor’s partner previously referred to by Jelenik and comes to us with a wealth of experience.

“Now we’re back and we’re connected with the faculty who are very excited about growing food. They were doing it for 2 years on their own as volunteers and wanted to expand,” she said. She also volunteered the building plans of this edible garden.

Bosch is co-founder of the Green Village Initiative (GVI), which was established 11 years ago. Since then GVI has created 24 school gardens in Bridgeport, merged with several community gardens, and built an urban farm on Reservoir Ave. Bosch and her foundation partner have gone as far as Rhode Island and the Berkshires to build community

Right on the Southwest corner of the college, across the street from Bob’s and Highway Patrol, there’s going to be two separate garden spaces. Against the street there’ll be fruit trees such as apples and peaches. Closer to the wall by the Beacon Hall computer room will be the production permaculture garden. There, food will be grown for the cafeteria. A stone’s throw from there along the garage wall, native pollinators are planted to attract bees and insects to help with the growth of all the fruits, vegetables, herbs, and other plants that

will populate the various garden sections. Perpendicular to that wall, along the library facing the courtyard, hexagonal garden beds will be planted. Bosch explained that the placement of these beds is strategic. “We’ve found this design so conducive for small groups of children gathering around these hexagonal beds and having very easy access to the plants. The plan is to build a number of those right outside the pre-school so that [they] will be accessible.” Bosch added that there’ll be a growing tunnel as well and “whatever else they can come up with for the children to readily interact with the garden. All sorts of fun things.” Just outside of the Lafayette cafeteria, along the curved wall and around the corner to the patio area, will be the cafeteria garden and here you will find “the greens.” Hey, don’t knock it, greens are good for you! Our final stop is that little area by the Beacon garage exit, which will be home to fruit shrubs. We’re talking blueberries, elderberries, and husk cherries. And Bosch said both these spots – here and the Lafayette cafeteria – would be a veritable free-for-all. She gushed, “We want it to be a foraging experience so students can go by, pick a few blackberries on the way to class, some spinach

News

or lettuce for their salad and feel that they can access whatever is growing. We want it to be open and available for people.”

that with this project so hopefully we can run it in the Fall. That would be an elective right there!” she added.

HCC student Shirley Nowinski loves the idea of a garden anywhere. “For people who don't garden it is a reminder that plants can be grown almost anywhere and food doesn't just come from a supermarket,” she said.

Avant revealed that there would also be a series of continuing education and personal enrichment courses: Intro to Gardening, Intro to Herbalism, and Advanced Gardening.

Being able to grow what we eat and eat what we grow has so many benefits. We’ve already dealt with one – real food we can see, pick, and eat! Another is integrating the garden project into the pool of courses offered at HCC such as Manufacturing, which Bosch said the team is looking at for “a really cool trellising idea.” That means we’re going to have living walls! She also said the team was similarly looking at Engineering, in the hopes that they can incorporate “gro-lights so we can have in-door food growing.” These ideas were supported by Dean Avant, who disclosed that the HCC administration was looking at integrating the garden with the college’s offerings. “We’re building courses that also align so if anybody wants to look into agriculture as a whole, we might go up to even a certificate level and then push that into the bio areas. We actually have a course already – plant and civilization, and we’re going to market

26 | horizons

“This is amazing that we’re doing something like this because we don’t know our sources anymore,” Avant declared. There were specific guidelines, she added, which must be adhered to in creating the garden: No pesticides and fertilizers that are chemical-based, no wood that is pressurized and treated and seed sources cannot be GMO. “We have a lot of those pieces in place because we have the right leadership and donors,” Avant added. So, back off (alleged) plastic rice, take two seats (alleged) fake cabbage, as what’s planted at HCC will not come into question and Launch Director Bosch was emphatic about that. “That’s what we want to break and that’s what we want to teach about when we’re growing. We’re going to see the life in that soil and the quality of food grown in a natural environment where the soil life is key. And we’re gonna teach about that. We’re taking all these lessons and bringing them

to the next generation to learn and explore and empower them to grow their own healthy food.” Jelenik had high praises for the Edible Campus project. “This is a really meaningful partnership between the foundation and the college and it’s how the foundation is bringing value to the college.” Establishing the Edible Campus is a done deal. The launch was to have taken place on Earth Day, April 22, but the social distancing mode the country is in as a result of the coronavirus has forced a postponement until further notice. Suffice it to say, once the threat from the virus has passed fellow students, faculty, and staff will break ground and plant the seeds that will see us growing what we eat and eating what we grow - sans pesticides, sans GMO - right here at HCC. We’ll keep y’all posted.

HCC Financial Aid Process: Plain and Simple By Alva Blair Staff Writer

he Financial Aid office at HCC is making the process “plain and simple” for students going forward. Omar Livingston, Director of Financial Aid Services at the college, said students are being told right at the outset that there is a cost to taking more aid than they need. “Do you plan on going to a four-year college? Then maybe you shouldn’t be taking all this financial aid right now, especially if you don’t need to,” he said. This is the type of question and advice that the office is asking and giving students who have been awarded packages, but want to either use the full sum when they don’t need to, or borrow more on top of what they are awarded to “use for living expenses,” a reason Livingston said students have given for borrowing more. The federal government provides up to $57,500 in aid for undergraduate

degrees, which includes community college and a four-year institution. So, if a student at a community college who has been awarded the $4,500 that a typical full-time semester requires wants to borrow more, then they would be dipping into funds they might need in the future. The additional cost of repaying interest on full sums when that can be avoided, is also of concern to the financial aid office and it is in an effort to mitigate this and ensure students gain the full understanding of the repercussions of taking more than they need, that the director said his staff actually sit with students for the Entrance Counseling Guide instead of merely handing them a brochure. Here, the financial staff practically take them by hand, highlighting the loans and interests, before ensuring the student understands and signs the agreement which is compulsory to being registered for classes. Livingston said a lot of misunderstanding is avoided “just by having a conversation” with students.

Opinion

Life’s Too Short to be an Empty Canvas By Louis Verderame Editor-in-Chief

he point of life is being yourself, right? Why would you do anything less? If you want a tattoo, go get one! Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something for yourself. What if doing what you want will limit the job you want? Catch 22, like five years ago maybe. But now, in this current culture, you may be able to be yourself and still have your dream job. Times are changing. Tattoos for the most part have always been looked down upon. If you’ve ever noticed, it’s by people who generally don’t have tattoos themselves, which makes their remarks even more dumbfounded. My tattooed friend, James Dorsey, who is pictured in this article, says that “even though I don’t regret my tattoos, I feel I need to work harder at my goals than someone who doesn’t have tattoos.” “I felt I was looked at differently because of my tattoos. I needed to prove to people that I am a decent

28 | horizons

person,” he adds. For the most part, the representation of tattoos are negative; that the people that have tattoos are bad people. Tattoo apprentice Ryan Van Wart, at Silence is Golden Gallery Tattoo Shop in Shelton, really enlightens on how tattoos are, and should be viewed: “I think tattoos are an expression of someone. They tell a story or a lesson that someone is learned/has learned. Sometimes they can just be a reflection of who someone is from being serious to being carefree. Like the people who just get random things permanently on them shows they are free and don’t take things as serious. Opposite of that would be, someone who seriously thinks out there tattoos because they mean a lot to them….I view it as an expression of them and something they want.” Tattoos are a way to represent yourself, to represent something

that you believe in. With that being said, people who own a company may not want you on their team and that’s okay. It is a personal preference of theirs, just like it is a personal preference of yours to have tattoos. Would you even want to work for someone so narrow minded that they can’t look past your tattoos and see your ability to do the job? I wouldn’t. When it came to getting that “dream job,” I asked Dorsey if he was afraid to run the risk of not getting his dream job because of his ink and he said, “[when it comes to a job] I’d rather express myself as an individual.” The-Celtica-Tattoo.net, a website about all things tattoos says, “The last few decades have experienced a little shift in tattoo acceptance, having a tattoo no longer limits your success in your chosen career.” A tattoo on someone’s body shouldn’t affect how they car-

James Dorsey’s colorful ink on display. Photograph courtesy of Louis Verderame.

ry themselves, whether that is in a school setting, a professional work setting or even protecting our country in a military setting.

Van Wart adds “companies shouldn’t care about someone with tattoos because they don’t hinder someone from doing a job.”

you are a carefree soul in a vessel on earth during a period of time. We are awarded with time. Why waste it?

As far as tattoos in the workplace go, I think change is happening and moving forward. Van Wart says “I like how tattoos are becoming less stigmatized. There is a separation of work and person. People shouldn’t be their work and nor should a company have a say in what a person does off the clock. There definitely is a move away from it because companies are realizing having ink in skin doesn’t make them a bad person.”

If you are the best candidate for the job then it really shouldn’t matter what you look like or what you have on your body. Period.

This life that we all live is about individuality and originality. No one is the same. If your dream job won’t accept you for you, then maybe it’s time to change the dream; and maybe I am cut from a different cloth, but I feel it is YOUR life--do what YOU want.

When you’re older and you look back on life, will you say you lived it your way? Or did you live life in a construct of what society deemed acceptable? Tattoos are a way to keep a possible memory of a time alive, a way to remember a loved one who has passed, or a way to show that

“Life’s too short to be an empty canvas” says Dorsey. Ain’t that the damn truth.

P e r s o n a l E s s ay

30 | horizons

Love Shouldn’t Hurt By Chrissy Getts Managing Editor

remember the very first time my boyfriend hit me. Scalding heat on my arm marked where a bruise would later form, after being dragged through the school parking lot. A sharp pain struck through my body after his open hand connected with my cheek. Nonetheless, I was more concerned with his bleeding knuckles after he punched the brick wall he had me pinned against. Today, I’m proud to say that I’m stronger and more passionate, working as a legislative advocate against domestic violence and teen relationship violence. As I reflect on that experience from 10 years ago, I try so hard today to make it up to that 14-year-old girl, who so desperately needed a role model like the woman I am today. I’ve had a journey like no other, and though it has resulted in some of the highest points in my life thus far, it was not always easy. It is a story of abuse and cruelty, of humiliation and depression but, more importantly, my story is one of resilience. That instance in the school parking lot of my boyfriend’s high school began a long history of situations just like it. I can recall, on that same

night, sitting in the audience of our mutual friend’s debut in their spring musical. He gripped my thigh tightly during the performance, angrily, staring at his phone. At the intermission, he stormed off to the outside hallway with me following at his heels, eager to support him and make him feel better. I asked him curiously, “What’s wrong?” I was caught by surprise when he angrily snapped at me, “We are not going back in there with them.” I would later learn Ryan’s friends were texting him, teasing him about how shy and quiet I was. That level of shyness was nothing compared to how introverted and silent I’d fall a few short months later, when I would start ignoring my friends’ questions about the bruises covering my arms, face and neck. I’ve been through years of therapy at this point in my life to overcome and understand the abuse my first boyfriend put me through. I’ve read endless self help books, listened to hours of Dr. Phil podcasts, and listened to hundreds of playlists of inspiring music to help me reconnect the parts of my childhood that were shattered by five constant years

P e r s o n a l E s s ay

of physical, emotional and sexual abuse. Nothing felt like it was helping until finally, one day, it did. I remember sitting in my house getting ready to go waitress at a local wine bar. I really didn’t like my job there, but it was money, and I didn’t really have any plans for anything else at that point. After all, I had dropped out of college, completely removing myself from any social circle that I had while I was being abused. I was thinking about all the older women who work at the restaurant; they were in their thirties, their skin was saggy and pale, and a few of them were overweight; some were even addicted to cocaine and heroin. It was in that moment that everything clicked for me: I didn’t want to waitress anymore, I didn’t want to grow up to be like the women in that restaurant, and I certainly didn’t want to sit in my house avoiding going out in public in fear that I would run into Ryan or his family. Right before my shift at the restaurant, I went to Housatonic and registered for some English classes. The first thing I remember about Ryan’s house is that it was small. I had to walk up a steep, creaky staircase in order to get upstairs to the bedrooms, living room and kitchen. I remember, one day, waking up on the couch to Ryan lightly pushing my shoulders down into the scratchy, hard cushions while I nursed a headache that I can’t explain. His strength significantly surmounted mine, which is why I shoved him with all my might once I realized what was happening. All of a sudden I was being dragged off the couch and across the room. I lost my footing at the top of the staircase and fell down 23 steps onto the cold concrete in the garage. Ryan pushed me, head injury and

32 | horizons

sprained ankle in tow, into his car and drove us away from his house. We arrived at the nearby reservoir, a beautiful scene that had previously been the source of marriage proposals, talk of families, and dogs, and white picket fences on a hill with a house in the background, all soon to be washed away by memories of the most horrendous experience of my life; the night my views on men, sex, and relationships would be changed forever. The sky was full of twinkling stars and lightning bugs fluttering in the summer heat. I closed my eyes in the backseat of Ryan’s Nissan and trained my brain to forget. The excitement built up in me as I drove home from class. The commute from Housatonic to my home in Shelton isn’t far, and I was relieved it wouldn’t be long before I got to tell my mom and dad the news––I’d been invited to apply for Housatonic’s honors program! I’d be able to design my own honors project for classes of my choosing, and, even more to my benefit, having this title as an honors student would make me more attractive to master’s programs, in particular, the MA in Journalism at Columbia University. I got home and told my mom first: “I am SO proud of you!” she responded. My dad, equally impressed, took us out for pizza and beer at my favorite spot in New Haven to celebrate. We finally got to BAR and I explained all about the program to my parents, and my dad remarked, “I always knew you could do it. Look at how successful you are.” His comments made me recollect on a time where even passing my classes was difficult, let alone getting honors and keeping a near perfect 4.0 GPA.

I woke up one morning in my dorm at my old school, a freshman, trying not to wake my three roommates. The clock read 5:45 a.m., a time I didn’t usually get up for my 9 a.m. chemistry class. This time was different, as I’d have to fool around to try to cover up a black eye with the limited makeup that Ryan allowed me to wear. After several tries, I decided it was best to just skip class all together than go in looking the way I did. I didn’t want anyone asking questions, especially the professor, who I respected so much. This began an all too familiar pattern of skipping class and hiding from others when I had obvious bruises. I remember once getting a phone call from Ryan in the middle of class. I stepped outside the room, because I knew not to miss any of his calls. Ryan was in tears on the other end of the line. His best friend had tried to commit suicide. My heart broke over a situation in which I had no control and no relationship to. Yet, I packed up my stuff and mumbled “I have a family emergency” in the direction of the teacher and drove nearly three hours home in rush hour traffic to comfort Ryan for the next four days. I missed nearly a whole week of school. It’s 2020 now, and like most things, my relationship with Ryan got worse before it got better. For the duration of our breakup, I prayed and prayed for Ryan to get what he deserves. After all, I suffered with nightmares and PTSD. I had to live my life in constant fear he would come back, with no trust in anyone, not even myself. Ryan moved on so easily, he picked up his belongings, moved to Florida, and left me to pick up the brokenness he had left behind, all by myself, not to mention the couple thousand dollars in bills he had

The Resevoir. Photo Courtesy of Chrissy Getts

racked up on a credit card in my name. Why wasn’t God punishing him in the way He was so obviously punishing me? I didn’t get an answer to this question until January of 2019, when I received a phone call from one of my friends, Mark. He sounded concerned, so I spoke first. “Ok, something’s going on. What is it?” He paused. “Did you hear about Ryan?” My heart dropped in my chest. I hadn’t felt fear like this in a long time. Once I started breathing again, my mind raced through memories of abuse, and of pain. I wondered if he had returned to Connecticut. I wondered if my life was in danger. “No, I didn’t hear anything. Just tell me.” I waited for the inevitable news. I prepared myself to pick up my life and move out of the state. I was ready to put my safety plan

into action. “He’s dead, Liz. Committed suicide last night.” I asked myself, am I relieved? Sad? Angry? A combination of every emotion imaginable? Ryan committed suicide over a year ago. I still don’t know how I feel about it, but I have learned one thing. No one goes unpunished for the things they do, and no one lives without suffering, no matter how their Instagram profile may say something different. I begged God, for years, to show me justice for the way I had been wronged for so long, and when I was so young. Finally, it seems like He has, and I wish He hadn’t. I live now as a passionate advocate for women’s rights, focusing on preventing teen dating violence. I work as the regional manager of a boat club and as a legislative assistant to a state Senator. I volunteer

in central American countries to build schools and playgrounds and at women and family shelters to provide guidance and court assistance to families escaping domestic violence. My journey of healing is far from over. I still suffer from PTSD when a loud noise happens near me or when someone touches my arm from behind me. I still haven’t figured out this whole “relationship thing” quite yet, but I’m working on it. As William Young writes in in my favorite book, “The Shack,” “The Great Sadness is gone and [s]he experiences most days with a profound sense of joy. She became the child she was never allowed to be; abiding in simple trust and wonder. She embraces even the darker shades of life as part of some incredibly rich and profound tapestry, crafted masterfully by invisible hands of love.”

Health Changes Throughout Time By Gabriella Castorina Senior Staff Writer

34 | horizons

ealing with two illnesses is difficult, but once you engage yourself into doing something about it, things will turn out to be better not only for yourself, but even as time goes on. Was it good? How were you able to make these kinds of changes to your health? The thing that I never really spoke about with anyone is the fact that when I was ten-years old, I was diagnosed with Celiac disease, which means I have an allergic reaction to gluten, and even have an intolerance for dairy. This was something I was not happy about, even at a young age, but now at 20 years old, I am proud that I did what I needed to do in order to stay healthy, and make sure I feel great all the time! As a youth, my stomach was as big as if a basketball were inside of it; there would be bumps on my hands, knees, and elbows which ended up not being a pretty sight for myself, and for others who saw me like that. After going to a dermatologist to see what was wrong, he prescribed a certain type of cream for me to apply on the bumps in order for them to go away. But unfortunately, there were no positive results; it just remained the same or got worse. The tiny bumps on my hands were small, very itchy and very red which made them look visible. That was a time for me to head over to a Naturopathic Physician and see what she was able to do to help me make some changes to my health. At a young age, I did not care what I ate, or drank, but mainly I was not aware of what the unhealthy foods were doing to my body and causing it to function in such a harmful way. The foods I was gorging on were lollipops, regular milk, orange juice, pizza, ham, cheese, and even bread! This sucks because I am an Italian and a couple of the meals are what we mainly eat! Those specific ways that only my eating habits influenced my life made me just love those kinds of foods, even talking about it, or thinking about it scares me and it makes me think that I do not want to go back to where I was at that age because I would be a complete mess... The office had a calm setting. Peaceful music, a little water fountain with vibrant color rocks standing out, and the beautiful aroma of lavender was lingering throughout the room. My mother and I both sat there waiting for the Naturopath to come in, sit down and talk with us about everything that was going on. My mother took the paperwork out of the folder and placed it on the desk, going over everything such as my cholesterol, LDL, HDL, testosterone, estrogen, and

other health information that was on there. Dr. Tina Zigo, who was the doctor, looked over everything and was not happy with what she saw, She was not satisfied, and she began to ask me a bunch of questions such as “What are you eating?” “What are you drinking?” I looked over at her and I told her, “Oh whenever I have homemade italian wine on Sunday’s, I always put a bit of 7-Up in it to give it a good flavor. Her reaction was as if she was going to yell at me like I was her own daughter, “NO! Don’t do that!” She yelled and for the time being, I know not to do that anymore. The negative feelings showed how wise a person she is because she is a woman who cares about her health, and as well as she does for her own children as well. Just from being in her office, I felt it was with a safe, trustworthy and healthy person that manages to maintain such a healthy and ongoing lifestyle for the rest of her life. For the time being, I cut down dairy products such as ham, cheese, pizza, pasta, ice cream, orange juice, milk, waffles, pancakes, syrup and other products involved in the two food groups. Just from doing this, it was absolute hell! I was embarrassed to not have eaten anything that everybody else ate when I was at a party, celebration, or at my grandparents house. The more I kept following along with the diet, the results actually turned out to be successful as it should be! Not only was I amazed, but doing this really helped me out a lot! Four months later I went back to get my lab tests results, and then went to go see Dr. Zigo again to discuss what went wrong, what was right, and how everything turned out to be. Without being said, the words that I would never forget was, “It is amazing how you were able to reduce your cholesterol, and everything down in four months, and even for somebody at such a young age! Most adults do not even do this in four months, it would usually take a year for them to do something like this.” Now in 2020, I still manage to maintain to be healthy by cutting foods that are not good, making myself homemade smoothies, isolating myself from fast food and whenever I go out to eat, I always order a grilled chicken strawberry salad because who would not want protein right? With what she said, I was absolutely proud and to this day, I still cut down certain foods that I am not supposed to eat and I continue to maintain such a healthy, functional and helpful diet that still makes me feel great to this very day!

P e r s o n a l E s s ay

How One Track Coach Helped me Defy All Odds and Live My Childhood Dream. By Jack Jones Staff Writer

tanding at about 5’5” tall during my Freshman year of high school, I had worked tirelessly to assert myself as a local basketball superstar. Unfortunately, my genetic makeup basically decided to cease any and all of my properties of growth only a few months later. Prior to the start of my first high school basketball season, I decided that staying in shape and outworking my fellow athletes would give me an edge over my competitors. Therefore, cross country seemed like a suitable option to allow me time to goof around, immerse myself amongst new students, and develop the strength in my legs. After I had built a wonderful relationship with the long distance coaches, they gathered the sprinting and jumping coaches together, to set in motion a recruitment plan to have me join our school’s track team.

and a fairly versatile athlete. However, as they stepped into the gym for the first time, I can still vividly remember their jaws dropping to the floor, as well as the astonished expressions that had painted their faces. I threw down a one-handed tomahawk slam dunk during our warmups, which was commonplace for me, but an odd sight for anyone else. Keep in mind I was about 5’5” tall at this time and had been dunking since about eigth grade. Yet, my whole life I believed this ability to levitate and rise over my opponents was only a useful trait to have in the sport of basketball. That was, until Coach Sean Tait pulled me aside mid warm-up, with his eyes nearly bugging out of his head, he said to me, “You’re jumping for the track team, you don’t have a choice and you will be a state champion. No questions asked.”

Now, before I go any further, the only information that these guys had on me was that I was quick

Well, before meeting Coach Tait, or any of the track coaches at Trumbull High School, I had sep-

36 | horizons

Photo by Goran13 on iStock

arated myself from other athletes by adopting the coveted “mamba mentality.” This motto was coined by Kobe Bryant, who is renowned for his winning spirit, undying motivation, and willingness to succeed at all costs. My dad claims that I had instilled this desire within myself after watching Kemba Walker hit his famous step-back buzzer beater to beat Pitt during the Big East tournament. Later that day, as a 10 year-old, I went outside during a horrendous thunderstorm to parallel that infamous step back for hours on end. From that day forward, it was set in my mind that I was going to be an athlete for the University of Connecticut, no matter the circumstances! I even placed a bet with my father that same day, stating that If I were offered a Division I scholarship for any sport, he would have to purchase the car of my dreams.

es, professional trainers, and former Olympians pleading to them that I was worthy of being granted a spot on their teams. During a time when I felt worthless, Tait saw untapped potential and value that I could not even recognize within myself. He went as far as to reach out to Trumbull High’s former record holder in the long jump, and the current sprint/jump coach for High Point University in North Carolina, Max Coleman. Tait begged him to return home and guide me through offseason workouts, which he graciously accepted, stating, “If anyone is breaking my record, I’m sure as hell going to be his coach!” Having someone in my corner constantly fighting for me, giving me personalized attention, and treating me as if I were his own child, gave me hope that I can once again bring my dreams to fruition.

Flashing forward to my junior year of high school, I was told by the Varsity Basketball head coach that I was simply too small to be an effective player on the court. The only thing running through my mind in that moment was “F**k that guy, I will prove to him that he made the biggest mistake of his career by throwing me to the curb.” Unfortunately, this was my first major battle with depression. Although I was too young to realize it at the time, the signs were obvious. By this time in my track career, I had already been named All-State twice, won our conference championship on multiple occasions in both the long and triple jump, and was starting to garner not only statewide, but nationwide attention for my accomplishments. However, none of this mattered to me, I worked daunting hours trying to perfect the craft of basketball for 10 years of my life, and the results were quite the opposite of what I had expected. The only person who understood my drive and personality was Coach Tait. He recognized my ailment immediately, and knew exactly how to light the fire to ignite my prolific track career.

From the time I was a freshman, Tait decided that I was his personal pet project, his pupil and his favorite student athlete. Every single track meet, he encouraged my teammates to allot a time of minimal distraction, which would allow me to build my psyche and become laser focused. Furthermore, despite the fact that there were more than 25 separate events, lasting over 5 hours, Tait never left my side. He wanted to make sure that my mark and amount of steps were perfectly precise, leaving room for absolutely no errors. He constantly accompanied me to the long jump, triple jump and high jump, yet it was his level of dedication and admiration towards me that elevates his status in my mind as the best coach and mentor that I have ever had. Even if I were competing against some of the worst teams in the state, Tait forced my teammates to gather around the pit and cheer me on every step of the way. He knew that my goal was far greater than simply placing first every meet; he realized that I was gunning for our school, conference and state records every time I stepped on the runway, and supported my decision no matter the competition.

If I had never been forced by Coach Tait to join the track team my freshman year I would have undoubtedly spiraled out of control and ultimately abandoned my aspirations of becoming a big name athlete. During a time when I had lost all faith and confidence in my ability to succeed, Tait was there to pick me up and show me the light at the end of the tunnel. Unbeknownst to me, Tait had been avidly calling, emailing, and writing to college coach-

Under the guidance of Coach Sean Tait, I was able to achieve what I once thought was a lost and unattainable goal and life dream. For example, I had broken my trainer, Max Coleman’s school record by jumping 23’3” (his record stood for 10 years at 22’10”, my record has been in tact for 3 now), I was named All-State a total of 9 times (5x LJ and 4x TJ), qualified for Nationals on 5 separate occasions, won conference titles about 10 times, won

P e r s o n a l E s s ay

My junior year I was diagnosed with Osteo Chondritis Dissecans in my left knee, meaning that my cartilage and bone in that area had horrible degenerative properties, but that did not matter. My goal was to bring Tait the Coach of the Year award that he definitely deserved and desperately worked to obtain for 20 years. During my four years on the team, we went 12-1 every year, yet our coaching staff never gained the praise they deserved. Therefore, I decided to put my physical health on the backburner and grind my way through the long 5-month season. Although the FCIAC deemed the Danbury head coach the award winner of the season, I made it my personal mission to reach out to him and explain my personal circumstances and how much Tait has done for our squad. Without hesitation, our rival coach agreed to send me the plaque and present it to Tait during our end of year athletic ceremony. After this emotional presentation, I had pulled Tait aside and explained to him that my knee was beyond the point of recovery, but it was all worth it to bring him the glory he deserved. Even though Doctors urged me to never run again on a com-

38 | horizons

petitive level, I did not listen, I knew that I would get to UConn one way or another. My college coaches at UConn were stunned by the news and virtually revoked my scholarship, telling me I could stay on the team my freshman year as a red-shirt freshman and work with their physical therapy staff to help me recover. As the season progressed, I realized that the coaches did not treat me as an athlete with loads of potential, but a waste of their time, money and a spot on their roster. For the first time in my life I was deemed clinically depressed and was suffering from suicidal ideations. Even before calling my parents, due to my increased levels of nervousness and anxiety, I decided to call Tait and ask for his opinion on what I should do moving forward. He reassured me multiple times that I had not only made him proud, but the entire town of Trumbull, and if I decided to hang up my track spikes, no one would hold any resentment towards my decision. So, I left the University of Connecticut, and accepted a paid position as the jumping coach for Trumbull High to help bolster my self-esteem and confidence, which would hopefully bring balance back to my life; and that’s exactly what it did. During my first season as an outdoor track coach, I treated all of my athletes, no matter their level of talent, just as Tait had treated me. I brought an outstanding sense of team mentality to my unit of jumpers that was unmatched by anyone in the state.

state championships and finally felt the gratification from college coaches receiving interest from over 30 division I schools before committing to the University of Connecticut. In spite of all of this, I owed a debt of gratitude to my leader.

I brought an outstanding sense of team mentality to

,, my unit of

jumpers that was unmatched by anyone in the state.

I had sent the most jumpers to our conference and state finals in our school’s history. Yet, none of this would have been possible without Tait teaching me what it means to show devotion and care towards any individuals. Whether my athletes were struggling, or in a state of bliss, I knew that I had to be present for my athletes, just as Tait was by my side for 4 years. Although I was not able to fully live out my dream of being a star athlete at UConn, the guidance and lessons that my coach had taught me, meant much more than participating at the next level of competition. I will never forget everything that Coach Tait has done to positively influence my life.

Budding Talent

By Justin Figueroa Senior Staff Writer

e all have things we’re passionate about, whether it be ports, video games, cooking, or something else. However, none of us know we have these passions until we try them out for the first time. You may be a natural at something and never discover it simply because you didn’t try looking into it. Eventually, we all have to find something we’re good at and will enjoy doing for a career. I am no exception to this. Going into my senior year at Bunnell High School, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. I wasn’t looking at colleges at the start of the year or even before that. I wasn’t looking forward to going to college, and not knowing what I wanted to do only made me dread it even more, and my motivation to search for a college depleted day-by-day. I thought I’d just end up as a General Studies major like a majority of the population. That’s what I thought, until I took a certain class that would change my mind. This certain class I took was Video Production. I first discovered it during my senior year of high school, so it’s still very recent. I wasn’t sure what to think about it at first. I kept dodging video production throughout high school because it couldn’t fit with my schedule. I had other electives that either were required (per-

sonal finance) or I thought would be more interesting (psychology, game design). I knew little to nothing about video production, but I was more than willing to learn. I liked the people in the class and my teacher, Mrs. Pedersen, so I figured I might as well enjoy it while it lasts. Little did I know how much fun I was going to have. Our first project was to create a commercial for a product we chose out of a selection of items. My partner and I were responsible for making a commercial about Sunbeam batteries. We almost had too much fun creating this video. The video showed him getting Energizer batteries, although the employee told him Sunbeams were better. The customer proclaims “Sunbeam batteries are garbage, bro! Energizers are so much better!” Little does he know, that isn’t the case (at least in our commercial). “I’ve got to get new batteries!” he said furiously, going back to the store and getting the clearly superior Sunbeam batteries. Our slogan was, “Sunbeam batteries last as long as the Sun!” We won best video of the class. My video editing skills were so much better than a majority of the class, and we all started at the same time. It helped that Mrs. P was the teacher, because she only pushed the skills of the entire class, telling us to go even further

P e r s o n a l E s s ay

I applied to

Housatonic and committed to it. I thought it was all over and I

could move on

after learning what I wanted

to do, but that

wasn’t the case.

when we thought we had done all we could. This is when I truly felt like I could be a lot better at this. However, not everything was smiles and rainbows. I was going through a very stressful time in my life. Constant work from every class, lots of tests, people I never wanted to see again constantly coming back into my life, managing work for two clubs that I had parts in leading. It wasn’t easy. I eventually learned to deal with these challenges, viewing them as simply roadblocks to a great year. This was all happening when I was learning how to record the Morning Announcements for our school. I liked the intricate process of recording them, which was completely different from recording videos. We had to use this device called the Tricaster, which allowed us to record videos and broadcast them schoolwide. We were also able to broadcast videos live, but we didn’t do that as often. The Morning Announcements were probably the best thing to happen to me my entire Senior year. The people I did them with the most were named Joe and Nate. I couldn’t be there every day for the announcements due to a mandatory class the first semester, but I always looked forward to the days I could be there. Every day I was with Joe and Nate, we got caught up with our shenanigans so much, you’d never think we were doing our job. Watching

40 | horizons

clips from The Anchorman, comparing how he sabotages the news desk to what we are with the morning announcements, crying tears of laughter when one of us slaughtered an innocent student’s name, and every time one of us said the words, “Good Morning, Bunnell! I’m [insert name here], and this is the Bulldog Bulletin!” even more joy flowed through my mind, body and soul, like the cherry on top of a sundae, the whipped cream on pumpkin pie, or the vanilla pudding on Death-by-Chocolate cake! To think Mrs. P allowed––no, encouraged––all these shenanigans bends my mind, but all of us together would not be as close knit as we were if she didn’t allow it. At this point in time, I knew what I wanted to do for a career, but by the time I actually told myself I wanted to do this, it was already too late to apply to most colleges. This is around the time I applied to Housatonic and committed to it. I thought it was all over and I could move on after learning what I wanted to do, but that wasn’t the case. I became attached. Video Production became part of who I was. The second semester of the year, I was able to do the Morning Announcements five days a week, as I didn’t have a class sharing the period. Two new members had also joined the Bulldog Bulletin; Eric and, whenever he could be on, Ryan. If you thought our shenanigans were bad earlier, it only gets better––or worse––from here. Begging teach-

ers and other students to read a quick line, finding the goofiest locations to record, stuffing Eric into a recycling bin or locker because he was short enough to fit, forming the fake musical group “Kazoo Boys,” finding the greatest ways to simply say “Good Morning,” and of course, delivering the news like we’re supposed to. To say the least, I had the time of my life. Rarely did you see me walk into that classroom without a smile on my face. The highlight of our year is when we had to create a short 60-second commercial of anything. It was all up to Nate, Ryan and I on this one. Nate came up with the brilliant idea that we don’t create a regular commercial, but instead a movie trailer and told Ryan and I that, “we’re making Art.” Art was created to be a spoof on superhero movies. It was about this man who had traumatic experiences with art as a child, leading him to destroying all the art in Bunnell. But alas, the hero of this film, portrayed by none other than John Doe, will stop at nothing to protect the art of the school! Little did we know how much we were going to fall in love with something that was meant to be a short commercial. We used it as a commercial for when we conducted live shows, an “opener” for the Bulldog Bulletin, and we even made a second trailer that acted as our final project. We got more people to act in our trailer (by that, I mean a single, cool

person!) and a better establishment of the plot in the movie. It was our pride and joy, and the single video I’m most proud of. If only it could’ve never ended.

en’t used the cup, simply because I don’t want it to be ruined. I’d rather keep in the bag in which it once came, just to keep the memories alive of what once was.

Regrettably, all good things must come to an end. The Bulldog Bulletin, as we knew it, was one of those. Joe, Nate, Eric and Ryan were all Juniors at the time, so nothing was ending for them, luckily. You already knew that I was a Senior, so no matter what, you knew I was going to be gone the next year. What none of us knew until the last month of the year was that Mrs. Pedersen was also departing. She was leaving to go back to school at Texas A&M to one day become a college professor. It was a very emotional day when she revealed this, as I knew how much she supported me throughout the year.

I had already said my goodbyes to the crew prior to graduating, but on graduation day, I was able to see Mrs. P one last time. I bid her farewell and good luck at Texas A&M, and hopefully we get to meet together with Joe, Nate, Eric and Ryan just one more time.

During finals week, it was the last time I would be recording the announcements, so I knew it was going to be tough. I prepared a letter to Joe, Nate, Eric, Ryan and Mrs. Pedersen (no, not an individual letter to them all!). What I was not prepared for were the tears that flowed down my face near the end of the letter. They truly didn’t know how much they did for me, and quite honestly, I didn’t know how much they meant to me before I wrote the tear-jerking letter. For all the memories we made, Mrs. P gave all of us a cup with a custom design that has the Bulldog Bulletin logo on it. To this day, I still hav-

My journey to find my passion was a strange one. I found it in my senior year of high school and am wish to spend the rest of my life by either editing film, being a director for live television, or even being a TV personality! Truth be told, it doesn’t matter when you find your passion. Whether you’re 18 and fresh out of high school, or 35 and really don’t want to work a minimum wage job anymore, once you find that passion, never let your eyes stray away from it. And arguably the most important part of all, never forget the people who accompanied this journey with you. If it weren’t for the Bulldog Bulletin, I never would have discovered my budding talent. Cherish the memories you make with them now, for they go by quicker than you can say, “we’re making art!”

P e r s o n a l E s s ay

The Era of the Billy D’s Walk By Louis Verderame Editor-in-Chief

hat if I told you that one of my favorite memories in my life was getting an egg and cheese sandwich with my two best friends; from a breakfast place in Downtown Shelton, Connecticut. Would you laugh? Would you question? Or maybe, just maybe, you would wonder how a simple breakfast sandwich could mean so much to three people? Growing up in the suburb of Shelton on a cul-de-sac, there was never anything short of activities to do on our street, whether it was playing football, basketball or home run derby. We were kids playing outside their homes, all the while not being allowed to pass the stop sign at the top of the street, which would be out of view from all the parents’ windows. There was adventure past that stop sign, and we could taste it. For seven years my older brother

42 | horizons

Nick, our best friend James, and myself, started to walk (sometimes skateboard or ride our bikes) down to this breakfast place in downtown Shelton. I was 8 years old, my brother was 10 and James was 9. We were young kids. I am still surprised to this day that our parents let us do this. That place was called Billy D’s Full Belly Deli (Billy D’s for short) and if you are from Shelton, or maybe even the surrounding towns, you know Billy D’s. I am biased, but Billy D’s is the best breakfast sandwich place hands down. Our parents would drive us down here and there, but this idea was for the three of us to embark on as a trio. I don’t know whose idea it was to start walking down. One of us on a Friday must have just said, “Billy D’s tomorrow?” And it obviously just stuck. We started walking down every Saturday because we had off from school. “There wasn’t a better way to start a Saturday morning,”

James says. It wasn’t a little walk either. We lived on top of a hill and Billy D’s was probably a good two miles from our houses. All pavement, walking down hills the whole way, wearing skate shoes because of the little punks that we were. We were up for the challenge, anything to go past that stop sign. We would wake up on Saturday mornings at 7 a.m. 7 a.m.! What 8 year old is giddy to wake up on a Saturday morning when there is no school? The excitement was for the sandwiches for sure, but more so, it was quality time I was going to spend with my two best friends. It got to the point where I didn’t even need to set an alarm because my internal clock would go off at 6:50 a.m. I would wake up and I could hear my brother stirring in his room because of the wall that we shared. I would get dressed faster than you can say get up! And I would meet my brother in the hallway, being as

Nick, me, and James, practicing with our band Who’s On First. Another way in which we remain close. Photo courtesy of Louis Verderame.

quiet as possible to not wake our parents up and we would go out the front door, closing it ever so gently. As we would walk down our front steps, James would be just walking out his door to greet us. We would give “cool guy” handshakes, and we would start our journey up our street. The first time walking past that stop sign was game changing. We were doing something that we were always told not to do; and here we were doing it, finally.

Every Saturday for seven years all those walks seamlessly blend together and there aren’t any specific details that jump out. It was three best friends experiencing a freedom that they haven’t experienced before. We would talk about what we did in school that week, what music we were jamming to, and one of us always had a story about what girl they thought were looking at them in the hall. That one was always followed with a collective “yeah right!” by the other two.

“This was before smartphones, \ so we spent over an hour of quality time just talking and probably harassing each other,” says my brother Nick, laughing. “At the time we were just getting breakfast but looking back on it now we were building relationships.” With our feet hurting, we would round the corner onto Bridgeport Avenue, the smell of eggs and bacon would hit our faces and we could see the little white building off in the distance. We would arrive tired, but ready to eat. Billy

P e r s o n a l E s s ay

would turn and say “Hey fellas! What can I get for you?” Since we did this for seven years, after about year one, he would see us come in and he would rattle off our orders to us. Billy would point to me and say, “egg and cheese?” I would nod. Billy would point to Nick and say, “bacon egg and cheese with hot sauce?” Nick would nod. Billy would point to James and say, “bacon egg and cheese with hot sauce?” James would nod. I have to say I have since upgraded to an egg and cheese with a hashbrown but that’s a story for another time. Basically, hashbrowns are potatoes. HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS! It is so good! Anyway... We would all small talk for a minute, we would pay for the sandwiches and our Monsters or Red Bull energy drinks or Arizona Iced Tea (whatever we were feeling on that particular Saturday morning) and then we would take our seats. We always sat at the table near the window because it was the biggest table, and had the view of the street. We would sit in a triangle formation so we could all be involved in the conversation. On a warm day we would occupy the bench outside with the running creek that would go down into the Derby/ Shelton river. We would eat, joke, and laugh

44 | horizons

and when we left we would say goodbye to Billy and he would always say “thanks guys, see you soon!” and then eventually make the two-mile hike back home, this time all uphill, which wasn’t always fun, but it was something that added to the adventure. Nick eventually turned 16 and got a car and the three of us STILL walked down. It was just something that we did. We never even considered driving. To this day I don’t think we have ever answered that question. We all got older, got into relationships, got jobs and the era of the Billy D’s walk slowly came to an end, 2002-2009. In 2014 the three of us decided to walk down again. My brother and I had since moved across town, and we drove back to the old neighborhood where James still lived, we parked our cars on the street, and walked down. And I’ll be damned, it was like I was 8 years old again. That 2014 walk, James says, was his favorite one yet. “The three of us spent so much extra time together because of our walks to Billy D’s. Talking about music, skateboarding, video games, etc. That’s quality time I didn’t spend with other people and I think it had an impact on our relationships as adults - and part of why I’m closer to [Louis and James] then other people from the neighborhood,” Nick says.

James adds, “The walk means everything to me still because of the memories it gave me. It makes me appreciate when I was a kid and what I had during those years. It makes me appreciate that I rode bikes, skateboards, walked, played sports and so much more; and that I didn’t grow up with any smart phones, IPads or any of those things until later on. It also kept me close with two of my best friends/brothers for almost 20 years, and we have the greatest bond because of it.” So that was “the walk”, for seven years, every Saturday. I know it doesn’t seem like much, but that walk gave us all something I think we couldn’t have gotten without it. It gave us a special kind of independence wrapped up in an almost twenty-year friendship bond that is still strong to this day. Walking past that stop sign was monumental to us in so many ways. “The walk meant everything to me.” Nick says. “It was not only [about] independence but it was quality time spent with my best friends.” It is one of those moments in time that you just don’t forget, a childhood memory that can never be replicated. I know those memories sit in the back of all our minds. So, Nick and James...Billy D’s?

A Reorganized Bookshelf By Aquiera Williams Staff Writer From textbooks and dictionaries to magazines, notebooks and everything in between, there was an abundance of time, and an opportunity to put it all in some sort of order. I am not one to ever turn away any sort of reading material, but I never realized how many books I actually owned until I actually took the time to reorganize. A box was set aside for all of the baby books, bringing memories of some of the best bedtime storiesâ€“â€“and for the books I've read too many times to count. When the library opens back up I'll donate them for someone else to enjoy. Reading has always been a great pastime and distraction. Now I can look forward to reading something new.

Photo by the author

P e r s o n a l E s s ay

Band Mom By Stephen Gonzalez Senior Staff Writer

46 | horizons

irst and foremost, I love being in a band. Well, no one likes to call rap groups “bands,” despite them literally being that, but that’s an unnecessary argument. Regardless of what we want to call my group of musically talented buddies, I love being a part of this family. I’ve never had the all important role of being “the” responsible friend. I never wanted it either. Growing up, my dad always used to tell me that I’d lose my head if it weren’t attached to my body. He wasn’t wrong at all. As easily as I could get something, you bet I’d lose it twice as quick. Our band, FBN, was formed a year ago but it was never formed with the intention of being a music group. It’s kind of like a fraternity that just happened to make music and that’s where I think our strong suit is. Friends first, musicians second. We were booked for our first show together in January ,but since we don’t all live in the same state, we obviously all flew out. I was already on vacation and this was just an added bonus to said vacation. I hate planning. Point blank period. However, music is the only thing I care about extensively enough to be a control freak over, which is why I took the liberties in making sure this show could happen. I’d come right out of my class and sit in the computer lab and just mass email anywhere in Florida that would even take us. Week in and week out. Those hours probably could’ve gone to doing actual work but… whatever. Eventually, after digitally knocking on

the door of at least 20 venues throughout Florida, I finally got a response. Nothing special if we’re being real but to me, this was finally IT. All of the hard work and time I spent NOT doing the work I was supposed to do, finally paid off. Show day was magical. I leaped from my king sized bed (that I rightfully deserved because I paid half for the Airbnb so I definitely deserved the BIG room), played some Bachata and hopped in the shower. Despite my Spanish being relatively bad, I was singing full songs in Spanish like I was born and raised in San Juan. The day up until the show was a blur. All I can remember is constantly running back and forth between every member of the group and asking them “Hey, you ready?” constantly. I wanted everyone to be just as pumped as I was. However, in between me running up to everyone and tasting menthol on a Saturday morning, I noticed a member was out of it. His energy was lower than everyone else’s, and we all knew that that man was terrified to perform. I couldn’t let him stay like that. Not for the sake of ruining everyone else’s energy (because that’d suck) but because I couldn’t see one of my own, doubt themself. He was hunched over the counter, checking his phone. I knew he was in a bad place mentally at the moment because he was willingly drinking Florida tap water ,and if you know anything about Florida water, you’d understand why homeboy was in a bad place. While he’s hunched over the sink, I slide my way next to him and I start striking up casual conversation. Eventually, I see the nervousness in this man’s eyes. It pierced

P e r s o n a l E s s ay

right through my soul. I had to say something. I had to put this man at ease somehow. So I grabbed an empty water bottle and threw it at a friend who was passed out on the couch. Cracked him right in between the eyes but he didn’t move in the slightest. That improved his mood by a longshot but that was only my opening. I then finally sat him down and told him that I could SEE the anxiety riddled across his entire body. I moved all the takeout plates and cans of 4Loko off of the cigarette smoke-riddled couch and sat him down, looked him right in the eyes and reminded him that he was a superstar. That’s all I told him. That’s all he needed. His confidence was at an all time low and he just needed that boost. A few hours later, we made it to the venue. We got there relatively early but we had to set up all of our equipment so it was necessary. At this point, I have a hand in everything. I’m greeting everyone who came through, I’m setting up equipment, I’m speaking to the venue owners/employees etc. Anywhere I could be and spread positive energy, best believe I was there. Through the power of the Internet, we had people following us and wanting to be a part of our little movement. I was shaking

48 | horizons

hands and kissing babies of the fans who had been supporting me ever since I threw my first song on SoundCloud and it was magical. So many eyes lighting up. So many smiles were thrown in my face. Ever since I was a child, my mother called me her “little rockstar,” but this was the first time I actually felt like I earned that moniker.

Here I sit, t this side of

house full o

I was finally my mother’s little rockstar. With the purple lights shining bright on us (we obviously picked that out) and the horribly carpeted stage below us, it was finally showtime. As a fan, it was an incredible experience. As a friend, I was incredibly proud. During one of the sets, the obviously inebriated owner thought that this was his golden opportunity to make an ass out of himself. He tried to take a microphone and hop on stage and spout whatever drunken bullshit he decided was appropriate. That’s when one of my bandmates hopped in. He slid next to the owner and politely asked for him to get off the stage so he could finish up his set. The owner REFUSED. Shit was about to get ghetto. My friend put the microphone down and was ready to get it

shaking. Homeboy had almost two whole feet in height over the owner and was easily about to beat this man to a residue. I’m always for all of the antics. However, not when the antics are about to ruin something we all worked incredibly hard for. So another bandmate and I went to grab our giant amigo and we brought him outside. I busted out a pack of Marlboro menthols from my pocket, (which I’m unsure as to why I even had them considering I don’t smoke cigarettes?) sparked one up and handed it over to him. “Listen, if this were any other night, I’d let you beat the breaks off that man. However, this is our night and we’re not gonna let that goofy alcoholic ruin this for us.”

the most irresponsible man on galaxy; now taking care of a

of grown men.

I saw his fist unclench and his shoulders mellow out. My buddy was leveled again. He thanked me and we went right back inside to finish up. The day after the show felt like a fairy tale. I remember waking up in my master bedroom (you know, the one I deserved) and going downstairs to see everyone just laid out on the floor. I carefully tiptoed around the corpses and heated up whatever takeout I had left from maybe two days prior. Once everyone woke up at around 2:00 p.m., the group decided that this was the day that they decided wanted to do some “experimenting” with substances I know my mother wouldn’t have approved of. Now I’m not saying I partook

in the shenanigans but I will say that I entertained the shenanigans. If I saw someone do something stupid, I’d cheer them on. As any friend should. However, during the “experience,” several friends clearly had too much and decided they needed to go isolate themselves. I usually would respect my friends’ space but in this instance, I knew exactly what was going on and I couldn’t let anything happen. So here I am. I have three different friends freaking out all in different levels of the Airbnb and I’ve already been drinking so movement is a little difficult. But I’ve been in that position and have had horrible anxiety attacks around people who didn’t care to help me. (Not saying that the band didn’t care but everyone was way too far on

the deep end to even do anything.) I remember that feeling. I remember the hopelessness. I remember being scared for my life and the person in which I trusted my life with was full of nothing but apathy. I couldn’t let that happen to them. I went around to each one of my buddies, tried to talk them through their anxiety/panic attacks, brought them some water, gave breath coaching and literally anything else I could do to put my family at ease. Here I sit, the most irresponsible man on this side of galaxy; now taking care of a house full of grown men. I honestly couldn’t tell you why I even stepped up. I just had to.

Profiles

Overcoming Self-Doubt and Other Challenges

By Alva Blair Staff Writer

ardini Youge didn’t know about college; he didn’t think he would ever get here.

He looked like a young lumbering giant. A shy one. That’s the first impression I got as he got up from his seat in the lounge area on the second floor that backs up to Broad Street, and followed me into another lounge area just around the corner from where he had been sitting. I had approached him and asked if he would mind me interviewing him for possible publication in the Horizons magazine; he didn’t falter. As a matter of fact, he and another student were sitting on the chairs when I approached and asked them both. The other young man (several years older than Mardini) immediately said he had a class coming up in a few minutes (he was still there some 10 minutes after I finished my interview). Mardini looked at me with a shy smile and said softly “OK.” It was his second semester at HCC, and he was on the General Studies track. He told me he didn’t know what he wanted to do when he first got here. He wasn’t even sure he’d ever get to college in the first place. “I’m not the smartest person. I can’t end up being like Jeff Bezos,” he said self-deprecatingly. Mardini wasn’t very self-assured. “I had no confidence…For a long time, I thought I was going to be stuck after high school with just regular jobs…Doubts would have held me

50 | horizons

back,” he said. But despite his self-doubt, he kept his options open. “I have a couple friends who are way smarter than me and they could have gotten into UConn or almost got accepted or they did, but they chose to come to community college because you do the same classes for cheaper… After I heard something like that I chose to come here,” he said. But that was just deciding whether to attend college or not. During high school, his challenges were probably more daunting. Mardini shared that his parents worked really hard - his mom as a Certified Nurses’ Assistant who for some time had been grappling with the possibility of the company she worked for being closed. He said now it was just a matter of time. And his father who, until recently, had had a fulltime job, had been laid off and now worked two part-time jobs. With an accepting look on his face, he said they were busy trying to keep their family afloat – making sure bills were paid, putting bread on the table, keeping a roof over their heads. Plus, they were paying for his sister’s college education. He said time and money were not in abundance, and credited this with them not being able to be more involved in his high school experience. But he said he understood. Mardini has persevered. He’s here, and says he plans to go further. First, he plans to switch to a business major for next semester because

Adapting Into A Badass By Lexi Underwood Staff Writer he knows that with such a degree, he’ll be able to position himself to “make money.” Once he’s completed his Associate’s degree he wants to transfer to the University of Connecticut. But there is going to be a short break before that. While Mardini is aware that a college degree will take him places and allow him to command more earnings, he wants to ensure he has a back-up. “I was thinking of also doing a trade to become a plumber and then like starting a plumbing business…Originally in high school, I planned to do a trade ‘cause I was thinking I didn’t really know about college,” he said. But now we know he completed high school, made the step up to HCC, and plans on going to UConn, of course starting a plumbing business along the way. That confidence he says he lacked when he first thought of college? He might not have had it then, but he does now. It’s just kind of quiet.

t is easy to see someone’s success, because no one is showing their downfalls. Most people make winning look easy by showing a big smile on their face about their career, how and where they vacation, or just by simply doing things that satisfy their own needs. But true winning comes from the struggles, those hard times that a lot of people are shy to talk about. Before anyone was able to achieve their goals in life, they were unsure of where the path will take them or if this is the right path to take, self-doubtful and scared. Guess what? All of those feelings are normal. Just like Vanessa Butler said, “Every day is a struggle.” Butler is currently a professor at HCC who works in the Theater department, along with Geoffrey Sheehan, teaching Dance and Acting 2. Since the day I first met Vanessa, the energy she gave out to the students was like “You can do this!” or “You got this!” My favorite line she says is “Take the work seriously, but not yourself,” meaning just because you feel silly doesn’t mean the work is silly, so just have fun while doing the work that needs to be done.

It all started from birth. Her parents are professionally involved in the Performing Arts world, where her and her sister grew up dancing and role playing with each other, and seeing productions such as The Nutcracker, which Butler describes as “magical, crazy and amazing, where I was never discouraged not to join.” Just like many, we have our very good moments and then we have our hard moments. After grad school her hard time lasted on and off for 4 years, where she found herself struggling with the work in her dance and visual art. “It’s been my experience that the ability to bounce back comes from your mindset and willingness to change - the ability to adapt,” she said. Adapting to what she calls a “rollercoaster ride” and learning to be comfortable in it, the better the outcome will be for yourself. The discipline she received helped her develop and sustain the right mindset. Taking the hardest parts of being a human and showing that off in front of the world is equivalent to how a person is when they’re alone at home, dancing in the mirror; it’s a scary thing. But Butler keeps pushing through those fears by not dwelling on it. “I think it’s a good thing to regularly question your beliefs and reassess values. It keeps your brain elastic and adaptable,” she added.

Profiles

Teenager Graduates with Both High School Diploma and HCC Degree By Jezel Tracy Staff Writer

ave you ever felt like giving up on a dream of yours, even if you’re so close to achieving it? If so, you can relate to high school student Mason Perry, who has recently made history by graduating high school, and gaining an AA/ AS from Housatonic at the same time! College life is already difficult for so many students to complete. Imagine doing all this work while keeping up with high school assignments and extra curriculars! Crazy, right? Mason is not someone to be envious of, but rather inspired by, as he is an example of what hard work and persistence can produce. “Stop talking about the things you are going to do and just do them,” he said. From 7:30 in the morning until late at night, Mason is busy moving from his high school (Capital Preparatory Harbor School) to HCC for his classes,

52 | horizons

Photo by hxdbzxy on iStock

in addition to participating in sports or other after school activities, and holding down a job! First he arrives at high school and attends his first class for a few minutes. He then transfers to HCC to attend a Western Civilization course. Following the first course he goes onto his second, which is Public Speaking. Without only a short break for lunch, Mason travels back to school to attend core classes and do student government work.

Although these are great life skills, this started to become very exhausting.

By the time most high school seniors are done with their day, Mason is on his way back to campus for his Contemporary Literature class. He returns to high school, only to complete his enrichment classes and required sports. However, he’s not done even then! Mason also maintains a job and, like every other student, must complete his homework for both high school and college to prepare for the next fully scheduled day.

This mental distress caused Mason to always want to work harder than he usually does. This helps Mason in his very packed schedule. It also allowed him to be the better version of himself, causing him to accomplish things that are far beyond common successes at his age.

Anyone would want to be in Mason’s shoes after looking at his life from the outside. From a fancy car to a beautiful house, everything looks perfect in his life. However, after seeing what takes place inside those shoes, you may become afraid to even think about stepping in them. As they say the grass always looks greener on the other side. Mason struggles with the pressure of being the son of Dr. Steve Perry, a well-known educator. Mason faces a great deal of pressure from the success of his father, and due to the expectations of Mason to follow in his footsteps and continue his levels of confidence. “It always made me feel like I had to do better,” he said.

“Failure always hits the hardest,” Mason said. Instead of molding and developing his mindset on achievement, he was traumatized into the idea that all failures were bad failures. He was very hard on himself and never knew when he was actually doing something good.

Many believe that multitasking is something that cannot be achieved. However, if you set your mind to your goals, this theory will almost never exist in your conscience. Use the things that fluster your mind and make you question whether you will fail or achieve to help you in developing yourself. Don’t get too absorbed into how much pain it causes you to experience. Instead, spend time exercising the skills you learned from those experiences. The pressure that Mason experienced became unbearable at times, but he doesn’t let that pressure overwhelm his attitude for achievement. “I’ve gotten used to it to where it becomes regular, and it’s still hard at the end of the day, but hard work equals great success,” he added.

He was not allowed to behave like the “normal” type of kids, and he was always in a place of discomfort. This caused Mason to work harder, and feel the need to never fail at the things that he does. Achieving average was something abnormal for him. His father taught him two things: to strive for the highest and to never settle for the lowest.

Where We Were Learning From.

54 | horizons

As the campus (and the country) shut down in late March and we moved the entire college online, I asked the Horizons staff to write short pieces that captured this shift. How were they accessing class? What was their space like? What else did they want us to know where they were learning from, and how they felt about it? In these short pieces, you will get a sense of what those early weeks were like for students. Professor Steve Mark Advisor to Horizons

Where I'm Learning From

It has recently become very important to ensure your learning space is comfortable and set up to be most effective for learning. Take some free time in the future to rearrange your space so it reflects you as a student! Photo courtesy of Chrissy Getts.

56 | horizons

Making the Best of Quarantine By Chrissy Getts Managing Editor

pon hearing the news that HCC will be closed for the remainder of the semester and that all classes will be held online, I made the immediate decision to re-design my room to be more homework-friendly. I moved my bed near the window so I could use the natural light instead of a lamp. I set up my record player and a group of carefully selected candles on a table next to my favorite armchair to create a relaxing, meditative reading nook. After a few hours of cleaning and reorganizing, my bedroom is exactly the way I want it, and I feel totally prepared to take on this new style semester. I’m lucky enough to have my own laptop for this semester, which is incredibly helpful in time management. I don’t have to wait for my parents to be done with our living room computer in order to do my homework, and the flexibility of having a laptop allows me to access my work from anywhere, inside or outside of my house. I have experience, through a number of occasions, with online classes, so this format hasn’t been much trouble for me to adjust to, with the excep-

tion of being confused about the start date (I missed my first online class because I thought it was cancelled, whoops!). I was hoping, though, that my internship at the Connecticut General Assembly wouldn’t be cancelled, and that I could be a full time intern there if HCC’s classes were moved online. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, and I am stuck at home full time. Let the boredom ensue! Regardless, I’ve found a few ways of entertaining myself during my free time, such as learning a new song on guitar and piano each week. I’ve also dedicated time every morning in my room for a half hour workout and committed to a new (successful) skin care routine! Maybe this quarantine isn’t all bad. It’s given me the free time to invest in new activities and fix parts of my routine or schedule that I felt weren’t conducive to my busy lifestyle prior to quarantine. Isolation during this unknown time is important if we are to keep our loved ones safe, and I’m happy to play my part in that effort. Whatever quarantine has to throw at me, bring it on! I’m ready.

Where I'm Learning From

Productivity During The Pandemic By Jezel Tracey Staff Writer

ay whatever of quarantine and it feels like everytime I try counting down the days left that I will get back to physical interaction another five days gets added to the countdown. There was a lot of fuss about this virus but my daily life did not change. I still traveled to school, college class, and the gym everyday. Until Thursday everything changed, Spring Break started a day early.

flustered, I did not know how I could possibly feel an ounce of motivation and being in my comfortable bed at the same time. This was not good for my mental, spiritual, or physical being. I binge watched netflix and ate about four meals a day, I felt empty inside. As an addict to constantly doing something, I was fiending for that feeling of constant pressure. Lucky thing class is back in session, I got a little fix.

There was no time to set up anything for this case of emergency. There was no time to sit down and plan out what you can possibly be doing with your life. Instead, there was only time for us to react in fear and anxiety, buying all the toilet paper hoping that it would protect you from the Coronavirus. To be quite honest, the only things that have been putting me at ease are Netflix and a new meme on my Twitter feed. This virus automatically suppressed every feeling of motivation and perseverance for the last semester. I mean, it literally struck out of nowhere! It took awhile for me to understand and fully grasp that this pandemic was becoming a reality.

There was only one thing left to do, set up a schedule. Wake up at 7:00 a.m. and work out for thirty minutes, eat breakfast,and meditate, then get ready for my 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. full day of online school. Laptop on my bed, binder and planner at one side, a cup of mint tea on the other, I am now ready to work. Thank God my family is not noisy in the day but only in the late evening, I cherish that time of peace and quiet to get into full grind mode and get all of my work done.

After looking at all the relatable tweets I was able to see that I was not the only one going insane from not doing anything and not seeing anyone. I was

58 | horizons

This shift is wild and not easy to make but with full discipline I believe I will be able to fight through as many cases of procrastination and laziness that I can. This is now “where I’m learning from” and I have promised to myself to never take physical interaction for granted ever again.

s made evident by the global lockdown, our world is currently experiencing the worst Pandemic since the year 1919. Recently, world leaders have exercised their options in terms of enforcing social distancing, the closing of nonessential businesses and most importantly, the shutdown of schools on a global scale.

Learning During a Pandemic

As it became clear to students that our classes would transition to online learning, I immediately thought of the horrid consequences that would plague my ability to focus and be as successful as possible. For example, my mother is a teacher, while my dad is an oncology specialist and sales trainer, because of their occupational importance to society, there will never be a lack of necessity for valued educators or medically minded individuals within the workforce. Unfortunately for me, this means that my parents are granted the right to occupy the entire main floor of my house in order to complete conference calls, training exercises and obviously class as well. This left my brother and I no option but to claim our basement as the indicated college student work zone. Although the privacy and lack of interference from outsiders is absolutely fantastic, the desolation, darkness, noise and overall menacing feel to my new work location is undeniable and irritating as hell. The sounds of water boilers, heaters, gas and oil tanks reverberate through my ears in synchronicity while sensations of chills run through my spine from the 15 degree temperature that chills the room like an industrial grade freezer.

By Jack Jones Staff Writer

Photo by Jack Jones

Luckily for the sake of my mental and physical health, our basement has undergone a slight demo within the past weeks in an attempt to deter any issues caused by Corona. Although the basement allows for an outlet of escape and privacy, I canâ€™t help but feel consumed, trapped. and confined by the lonesome nature that this infection has caused. To be completely stagnant and restrained to the confines of oneâ€™s home feels more like a punishment, rather than exercising acts of precaution and safety. Oh, and do not even get me started on the Wifi!

Where I'm Learning From

Covid-Community College By Lexi Underwood Staff Writer March 23, 2020 Day 8 Location: My She Shed Mood: I Want My Life Back Dear Journal, Today was the first day back to school. However, it’s online. Safety first, right? With this outbreak happening, I am happy at least that one thing stayed consistent in my life. “School from home,” they said, and at first, it sounded pretty good, until I tried logging into MyCommnet on my laptop and the site wouldn’t load and then I started freaking out. Once I calmed down and noticed that there was a link that brings you straight to the website. “Back on track” is what I say to myself and started to browse through each of my classes to see how we will be handling this new change. Nutrition: Homework once a week along with a quiz due by every Sunday; at least I can use my textbook and notes. Acting II and Dance; complete the discussion board topics in both classes and a video conference call if needed. Last but not least Publications; continuing our work from before Spring Break and preparing for a way to make school online simple. So far, so good. I get into school mode and since I am in the comfort of my own home,

60 | horizons

I decided to make this time spent Zen-ful, burning (or smudging) my sage stick, for peace of mind and listening to Jhene Aiko’s new album, (it’s definitely a mood). My “she shed” a.k.a my attic, even if it’s not competed, is my favorite place in the house to be. After a few moments of procrastinating, I was able to complete all of my work but the feeling of emptiness came over me. I miss being in a classroom, I miss my classmates, and professors. To physically do something and have an actual human interaction, is what I was craving. If you asked me a month ago, how did I picture my next few months, I would say, sunny because it’ll be spring but the same as right now. However, today, I wish that was true. I do understand why this is necessary, but I do wish this pandemic would end. To keep myself positive throughout this new transition, I pray that there will not be any new cases, the ones who are affected will have safe recovery. I’m optimistic, so even though this is happening around the world, the main goal for this semester is to thrive, even while online.

This Sucks By Stephen Gonzalez Senior Staff Writer

in front of me, I have mid 2000s WWE matches playing constantly. This is supposed to be paradise but this just doesn’t work for me.

Currently, I am writing this in my very very very very cold and spacious basement (which also doubles as a “man cave” or whatever.) It’s about noon and since I’m used to being an opener at my job, I’ve been up since 4 in the morning. I’ve gotten myself situated with breakfast and all of the morning necessities at around 5. I did some minor cleaning and fell back to sleep at 7 and shot back up at around 11. I just finished the last cigarette in a pack that I bought on my 21st birthday. I’m not a cigarette smoker by any means but I could buy them legally so why not? By this time, I’ve already started working on the exact piece you’re reading now and I’m waiting on an Uber Eats order because things have been rough and I need this. Streaming on the television

Yes, I’m very happy to be in my own space working on my work on MY time. However, I’m having difficulties. For me, part of the reason I’m having a much harder time getting into the swing of things is because I’m in my own space and it makes no sense. Theoretically, you would think I’d be in a much better place, but no. I need to be in an active learning environment. It’s what I know best. I spent my entire educational experience with people; in a classroom; in real life. I thrive when working on a team. It motivates me to step my work up exponentially because, within every team, there’s an element of friendly competition. With the Horizons team, who are also my classmates, it’s not like I’m trying to out-do anyone at all. However, what I see are a bunch of talented young writers and I refuse to fall behind and look like a weak link in our little team. It drives me. To have that taken away and be put into an unknown world is definitely an adjustment that’ll definitely pass over; but for the time being? I am not a fan.

his sucks. Straight up. Theoretically, the idea of school at home is paradise for many and it is incredibly easy to see why. Seriously. You get to hang around in your underwear, do whatever and work at your own pace. I know a lot of people are tired of the daily monotony of dragging their lifeless corpse out of bed, grabbing whatever clothes are near you, MAYBE eating breakfast and trekking to HCC. I get it. Trust me I do. It sucks but a sick and twisted part of me actually enjoys this.

Where I'm Learning From

My home setup for these online classes, here we go. Photo Courtesy of Louis Verderame

62 | horizons

This Is Not What I Thought By Louis Verderame Editor-in-Chief

thought when all this talk about the virus came up I thought everyone was overreacting. “Nno way are they going to shut down school,” I thought, “Bo way are they going to quarantine us for 14 days.” It wasn’t until I went to my grocery store job that it all really hit me. Shelves empty, TP gone, pasta, rice, meats, produce, you name it, it’s gone. Multiple 8-hour days of stocking over Spring Break to only see at the end of each of my shifts, the product I spent hours stocking had been wiped clean. Within our spring break we got word that we will be moving to online classes through the first week of April. Then word again came that we will continue classes until the remainder of the semester. Not the ideal way I would want to end my final semester here at HCC, but it’s something that needs to be done. Logging on and doing my school work online has never been an issue. It’s just the loss of the school environment that has really taken a toll on me; and I’m sure other people as well.

I like to think of myself as a self-motivated person, but being at home, your mind is just not as motivated as it is when you are in a classroom. My workspace at home is in this room in my house that we call “the office.” It has books that I’ve never read, pictures from my childhood, a big window with a view to the street, and a bench for my dog to look out and bark at the multiple people walking by getting fresh air. It also has a desk which gives the room “the office” kind of feel to it. I have my laptop laid out, with a PS4 headset, cause my computer doesn’t have the new IPhone headphone port to it. I have whatever class notebook is being held at the same time I would have it if the class was being held how it used to be. There is a saying by Robert Schuller that says, “tough times don’t last, tough people do.” I am leaning on that saying a lot through all of this. We are in this together, we’re going to get through this together. This is just a minor speed bump in the grand scheme of life. We got this!

Community College Stigma

Community College is Legit. Community College is legit, I don’t care what anyone says. Neither should you. If Community College is what is best for you. Go for it! Louis Verderame Editor-in-Chief

ver the years Community College has gotten an unfortunate stigma attached to the double C’s. Community College has always been looked at as a step down. “Oh you go to college? Oh a community college?” We have all have had that conversation. There is a sense of un-legit-ness that shouldn’t be involved or in the same realm of community college. I am a firm believer that the school doesn’t make the student. The student makes the school. You make of it what you make of it. If you show up, pay attention and do the work, guess what? You’ll get good grades. I know it’s easier said than done; but trust me. I will give in and say sometimes college, in general, is hard because if you don’t know what you want to do it may be hard to focus on school. If that is you do not worry, you are not alone. Not being passionate about something hinders your work and also your attitude. You tend to not care because you don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. Finding something you are passionate about is super important, and you know what? Once you find that passion, go to a community college and get started on that passion for cheaper. Laugh at your friends who are taking the same classes you are

64 | horizons

while they pay way more money. I think sometimes students think and even people on the outside, think that community college is just an extension of high school. It honestly couldn’t be further from the truth. I’ve been a student at Housatonic Community College for three years and every single class I have had has been light years better than any high school I had. I find that, in my experience, Professors at HCC are so passionate about the subjects they teach. So much so, that they make you want to succeed. Are there Professor’s that aren’t great? Yes, but that is everywhere. Talk to people, ask questions about Professors and most importantly go on to RateMyProfessor.com and look up who you are taking. It could help make your decision for next semester a lot easier. People who laugh at Community Colleges have no idea what they are talking about, honestly. Everyone that I have talked to about Community College who has gone to a Community College has always said how much they preferred it. If you want to go to a big university that’s cool too, do you. Don’t sit up on your university high horse and look down on me for taking a different route. Sometimes, the road less traveled is the road most smooth.

Showing the true beauty of the HCC campus from on top of the parking garage. Photo Courtesy of Louis Verderame.

Community College Stigma

Which Is Truly The Smarter Option Sometimes the best option could be something you’ve never noticed before. Arielle Rivera Staff Writer

ometimes the phrase, “Ignorance is bliss” isn’t a good thing especially when it comes to community college. It’s a surprising fact that many people believe that Community colleges are sub par and the best type of education can only be found in fancy universities that come with insanely expensive tuition. But that simply is not the truth, community colleges actually offer the same amount of benefits that universities do, maybe even more. The main problems that come with the stigma of community colleges is the fact that many high school students along with their parents don’t have the proper information regarding community colleges. Many don’t know that colleges like, Housatonic Community colleges are for more affordable and students don’t have to worry about graduating with a mountain of debt. Plus, universities can pile on the work in the beginning--not giving students the time to adjust to their newfound surroundings. This can cause university stu-

66 | horizons

dents to feel overwhelmed and can lead them to doing badly in class. I however feel that Community Colleges, like Housatonic, help students by easing them into their new environment. When I first arrived at Housatonic, I was expecting to start doing twenty page papers and listening to long complex lectures on the very first day of class. But to my surprise that wasn’t the case. You see, the teachers were easy going, and instead of immediately throwing an assignment at us, our teachers took the time to teach us the material step by step and only started building up on the assignments when they knew we were ready. Don’t get me wrong, there are many good universities out there that offer different benefits for every student, but they can be a tad expensive. If you want my recommendation I would say to do your research on community college before you flat out reject them.

Illustration by Arielle Rivera

NOT THAT DIFFERENT. CC students can be just as successful as private school students! #EndCCStigma #CCinternships

Chrissy Getts Managing Editor

ommunity college education is sometimes associated with deficient facilities, poorly educated students, and lack of access to professional experiences such as internships. What is commonly not discussed, on the other hand, is the convenience of community college, most notably in its easily accessible campuses, affordable classes and open admission policy, benefiting students with substandard education. A popular misconception of community college is that, in comparison to private, more prevalent schools, students are not given as many opportunities to gain experience in their preferred field, which is not true of every community college. At Housatonic, internship opportunities can be found in several of the different programs, and students are made aware of them by the faculty of each department. Internship programs are available at Housatonic in the Criminal Justice, Human Services, Early Childhood Education and Medical Assisting programs, but you donâ€™t have to be a student in only these degree programs to have access to them. As an English and Political Science major, one of my required classes for this semester was American Government, through which

I found out about an opportunity to work as an intern with the Connecticut General Assembly, doing research and legislative work for a Connecticut representative in the Capitol building. This internship, I found out, was not only offered to the schools in the Connecticut Community College group, such as Gateway, Norwalk Community and Housatonic, but was also offered to several of the more prestigious Connecticut state schools, such as UConn and Southern. As an applicant to this program, I was required to submit two letters of recommendation. Thankfully, one of my recommenders was a contact from my full time job, but the second was a professor at Housatonic who was not only willing to write my letter, but happy to be a part of my application process, offering me great advice along the way. In addition there was an on campus representative of the program to guide me through the application process and work with me to ensure I was submitting all of the materials in full and on time. My experiences as an intern applicant is indicative that students at community colleges are offered the same types of opportunities as other students, and are given resourc-

Proving that community college students can be just as successful as students at other schools, HCC student Chrissy Getts accepts her job offer as a legislative research intern with the Connecticut General Assembly. Photo Credit: Chrissy Getts

es both on and off campus to help them submit an application that represents them in the best way. It is very important, in my opinion, to eradicate the stigma surrounding community college, as students who feel that others view their college experience negatively are less likely to produce a successful outcome from their community college education. Any student who has access to higher education is fortunate, no matter the style. What matters is that all members of the student community are prosperous in their educational endeavours, and that we support each other throughout. 67

Community College Stigma

Community College. The Right Way to a Higher Education

Community College is often frowned upon by peers and other big colleges. This is why you shouldn’t listen to them and make the smarter choice. #EraseCCStigma Justin Figueroa Staff Writer

or many years, Community College has been seen as inferior in comparison to a 4-year university.

Why is it that way? Is it because you don’t learn as much in a Community College? Is it because of the prestige other people get from their colleges? Is it because their athletic programs are always with one of the best? What is the reason? There is no real reason, besides one word; stigma. Our students have been stigmatized on thinking Community Colleges are not good places to learn, and that you have to go to a 4-year or Ivy League school if you want to get far in life. That isn’t the case whatsoever.

Community College can give you the same amount of education, while also being local. There may not be a place to stay on campus, so you have to commute to school every day. That isn’t a problem, even if you can’t drive. Public transportation is 100% free when you get your student ID and register for free transportation at your campus.

both pursue the same major (we’ll go with engineering) and you both get the same amount of education, do the same amount of work, and bust your behind to get the exact same job and position, what benefits do you get for being either student? You both reach the same goal, but you don’t have as much debt to pay off as the other student. That alone makes Community College worth going to. Community Colleges give the same benefit as prestigious 4-years at a lower cost and never having to leave your home state, but to this day, it is still seen as inferior to the widely received 4-year. It’s a stigma that should -- and will -- be erased. Forget the prestige. Enough with favoritism. Erase the stigma.

Another benefit, and likely the biggest of them all, is Community College is way more affordable than a 4-year college. Depending on your GPA, you could possibly get paid to go to school! What’s better than getting paid to learn?! Maybe a room full of puppies or kittens, or Hey Ya by Outkast. Otherwise, nothing is better. Yes, you’ll eventually have to pay for 4-year education, but you’ll have to pay only half of that debt. The final benefit is where you end up in life. For example, if you (CC student) and a 4-Year college student

68 | horizons

Community Colleges across America are doing whatever it takes to overcome the stigma students all over the world have been infected with

#HCC Has #CoolTech

Cheaper tuition means cheaper education, right? #WRONG #HCCisKillingIt

Emily Peslak Editor

o because HCC is a cheap--no--AFFORDABLE-- community college where students can grow as a person while getting a valuable education, the education lacks, right? NOPE. I’ve been at HCC for about 4 semesters total now and have to say it’s been a great college experience. It’s easy to get into. Affordable. Contains friendly staff and professors who truly care for your future. And what I just recently discovered was that they have super cool TECH. HCC offers degree programs for those who want to find a career and get hands on experience. There’s a nursing degree, for example. As I was walking a wing of Lafayette one semester, lost, I peeked to my right and saw shiny equipment: one very large classroom contained an actual surgery room set-up for students to practice. Big gourney, fancy

lighting overhead, tools, the whole business. HCC has some seriously cool hidden classrooms for various degree programs. Same goes for the graphic design room, where Apple computers are bigger than my future and are available for design students to create with no limitations. This is the very room graphic design students create the school magazine’s layout each semester, using their education to gain valuable experience for the scary world! HCC’s technology helps students learn how to use equipment necessary for their future careers. So because HCC is affordable, it doesn’t not mean that the education here is cheap. It means that it’s literally AFFORDABLE and HCC offers a great education that leaves you with more money in your pockets.

Community College Stigma

Just Because Students Attend Community College, Doesn't Mean They are Dumb Being in the judgemental stage is not the best ingredient at all #smart #school

Gabriella Castorina Staff Writer

n the past few years, more students have been attending community college right out of high school. With that also rises the idea that these students aren’t the brightest crayon in the box. Who cares? Everyone learns differently and works at their own pace! There should be no judgments of students who may seem not as knowledgeable, as they may have the brain of “Albert Einstein!” In addition to this stigma, people also assume that students in private schools are more knowledgeable than those who attend community college. Never make assumptions because you don’t know what goes on behind closed doors, or in another person’s life. As an HCC student, that thought was trapped in my head for a matter of time. Before my senior year of high school, I was already working on my college application essay to several schools, such as WestConn, UB, and UNH. While flashing back to my senior year of high school, I remember sitting down with my guidance counselor discussing my extracurriculars and other important information on my transcript. We sat in her office talking about how community college would be the most beneficial route for me to go due to my learning disability. At first, a thought that lingered in my mind was, “If I went to community college, would I consider myself as not that smart?” Here I am now, my second year here at HCC and all I have to say is, this is the best choice I’ve ever made, and the professors are a very big help whenever it comes to work they distribute for the courses. The benefits of community colleges that I have experienced turned out to be very successful. I am very proud of myself for taking this route because if I attended a four year university right after high school, I’d be ripping my hair out and stressing like a maniac!

70 | horizons

DON'T UNDERESTMATE MY FATE The guy who invented the Jedi went to Community College #eraseCCstigma Channell Collins Staff Writer

s a human being and student at Housatonic Community College, I pass by people all the time. Whether theyâ€™re discussing college or MY EDUCATION, everyone seems to have an opinion. One misleading and fairly common opinion about community colleges is our success rate. Many assume that since you are attending a community college, you will not be as successful as those taking classes in ivy league colleges or NYU. Now not only is that opinion just flat out wrong, but very ignorant. Community colleges are programmed to help those transfer into their 4 year degree. For those who are in the lower income range, financial aid (for those who receive grants and scholarships) covers 2 years worth of classes, which is better than taking out a $15,000+ loan for those four years, let alone for your masters. Not only is a smarter to start off at a community college because of the cost, you get to complete your prerequisites for cheap in a lower stress environment.

Now there ARE success stories that come from people who have gone to community college. The theater director at HCC Professor Sheehan mentioned he had former students go off and become television actors. Not only that, but some are off doing big theater productions, and the Theater Arts Facebook page has even more examples of students going on to do bigger and better things. For those who love Star Wars, you may have heard of George Lucas, the creator of the action packed trilogy. Lucas spent his first two years at Modesto Junior College in Modesto, California. George Lucas is now currently worth over 6 billion dollars. Other celebrities you may know include Guy Fieri, Jim Belushi, and John Walsh. There is a future promised for anyone who works hard and pushed themselves to their limits, and community college is a great step to take to do so.

housatonichorizons.com @HCCHorizons HousatonicHorizons