A & E

News

Opinions

Sports

The Snow Must Go On

For a Team or For

PleasureBridgeport Government

Center Blockade

Whatever the Obstacle FOllOW YOur

heart

NemO Was IgNOred bY

sOme

Malloy’s Budget

Proposal

What’s Coming

Next Door to Campus?

http://hccperspective.blogspot.com March 2013

2

Horizons StaffEditor-in-Chief

David Weidenfeller

AdvisorProfessor Karyn Smith

Educational AssistantBrandon T. Bisceglia

Editors

Santi Achinelli, Katelyn Avery, Jessica Brooks, Karen Fernandez, Sherly Montes, Sam Rosoff

Staff WritersLauren Cherry, Amanda Figueroa, Joey Gargano, Angela Gee, Joshua Hamel, Kathryn Hanrahan, Neil Knox, Jack Loretan,

Shaquana Minott, Latisa Pacheco, Alex Rovello, Remy Sanon, Emma Tecun, Shannon Vaugh

Senior Staff WritersDannyy Alamo, Stephanie Castillo, Elizabeth Figueroa, Rachel Kulikowski, Rebecca Legoute, Myranda Sinkler

Art and Design Director:David Kisly

Design Advisor:Professor Andy Pinto

arts & entertainmentcont ntseThe Snow Must Go On ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 3By Alex RovelloStAff WRiteR

Explosive Cup of Joe ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 3By HouSAtonic HoRizonS StAff

What’s Coming Next Door To Campus? ����������������������������������������������� ��������� 4By KAtHRyn R. HAnRAHAnStAff WRiteR

League of Adventurers�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 4By SHAquAnA MinottStAff WRiteR

St� Vincent’s Gives the Mall a Heart ��������������������������������������������������������������� 4By KAtelyn AveRyeditoR

Malloy’s Budget Proposal: ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 5By eMMA tecunStAff WRiteR

Money Problems ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 6By RAcHel KuliKoWSKiSenioR StAff WRiteR

It’s About That Time Again ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 7By SHeRly MonteSeditoR

Natural>Makeup ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 7By StepHAnie cAStilloSenioR StAff WRiteR Hip Hop: The Impact On Society �������������������������������������������������������������������� 8By JeSSicA BRooKSeditoR

Apple Mania ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 8By MyRAndA SinKleRSenioR StAff WRiteR

Nemo was Ignored by Some ���������������������������������������������������������������������������� 8By KAtelyn AveRyeditoR

Whatever The Obstacle “Follow Your Heart” ��������������������������������������������� 10By neil KnoxStAff WRiteR

Opening of the World Artist Network ����������������������������������������������������������� 11By lAtiSA pAcHecoStAff WRiteR

Positively Artistic �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 11By dAnnyy AlAMoSenioR StAff WRiteR

For a Team or for Pleasure ����������������������������������������������������������������������������� 12By JoSHuA HAMelStAff WRiteR

3 HORIZONS • News

By Alex Rovello

StAff WRiteR

While a good portion of students enjoyed the time they had off during the Blizzard of 2013,

many others in Bridgeport found it was and still is a nightmare. A week after the storm, many streets were impassable, and only the warmer temperatures and the resolve of the residents got them rescued from this hor-rific storm. But what was taking so long?

It’s all about the public works vehicles. According to the Bridgeport News, The City of Bridgeport has many snow-remov-al vehicles and equipment in their public works system to help eliminate excessive amounts of snow. But despite possessing the latest machinery, it still wasn’t enough to get rid of the record breaking snowfall. The great Park City dedicated seven pay-loaders, including their operators, to help in the overwhelming cleanup effort. How-ever, after President Obama declared a state of emergency for this region, the city was forced to bring in an additional 11 ex-tra payloaders from outside contractors.

According to WTNH-TV, as the snow levels rose, the city was forced to obtain an additional 25 more payloaders and op-erators from lesser hit areas. Even with the extra manpower, the city was unable to keep up with the strength and intensity of the storm. Also hindering their efforts, were the numerous abandoned vehicles, left by residents who ventured out in the storm despite the continuing pleas from many officials and press to stay indoors. This resulted in the abandonment of many

cars stuck on the side of the street and in some cases, in the middle of the street. This blocked the snow plows from doing their jobs and tow trucks had to be brought in to remove these vehi-cles, which were towed to the Central High School parking lot. Cars that were simply parked on city streets also im-pacted snow removal, so snow emergency rules were put into ef-fect and cars that were not moved as required were also towed.

The city of Bridge-port, under a state of emergency, was aided by the National Guard in its cleanup efforts. As a result, the city also acquired 12 tri-axle trucks and five snow melting machines. Once surrounding towns such as Danbury and Stratford offered their as-sistance, the clean-up effort was said to be a “breeze.”

Despite all these efforts, many Bridge-port residents feel that the city didn’t move quickly enough, and WTNH News 8 re-ports that mayor Bill Finch will hear feed-back from residents at a public hearing on Tuesday night.

Julian Sampio, a junior at HCC, had

endless amounts of trouble getting to school. He recalled, “Although the high-ways were clear, the streets downtown were hard to navigate. The snow was piled so high in some places, that I couldn’t even see into the intersections.” He said, “I had to drive really slowly and by the time I fi-nally got to school, I was already late for some of my classes. The clean up took way too long, but the time off was pretty sick.”

Once the state of emergency was lifted

and HCC was reopened, students still had challenges getting to their destination. Although pathways were shoveled and sanded throughout the campus, there were hidden patches of ice to contend with. “I almost slipped coming down the stairs from the parking garage,” said student, Jackson Waldo, who feels that spring can’t come soon enough.

The Snow Must Go On

Connecticut residents awoke to find their cars and homes buried under record amounts of snow.Photo by Brandon T� Bisceglia�

Explosive Cup of Joe Grenade Finds Way To Internal Affairs

By HouSAtonic HoRizonS StAff

BRIDGEPORT, CONN. - On Feb. 27, a curious package was brought to the Bridgeport Police Depart-

ment’s office of Internal Affairs, located downtown at the Government Center on Broad and State St., at about 11a.m Wednesday morning.

The suspect, whose identity is un-known at this time, apparently handed an employee a package at the center and then asked for it to be delivered to Internal Af-fairs. The package in question, which took the form of a coffee cup once delivered, was inspected and found to contain what was believed to be a hand grenade.

Upon discovery of the presumed explo-sive device, all of the buildings with about 150 employees, were evacuated. Con-necticut State Police Bomb disposal units were dispatched to the scene to remove the device according to state regulations.

William Kaempffer, Bridgeport Police spokesman, did explain in moderate de-tail the security measures when a deliv-ery comes in and where these procedures failed. Kaempffer went on to say, “the se-curity and evacuation procedures will be re–evaluated.”

Housatonic Community College re-sponded to this event by allowing gov-

ernment employees to wait in the lobby of Lafayette Hall during the building investi-gation to determine if there were any other threats in the building.

School President Anita Gliniecki stated that because this was considered an isolated incident, the school decided against any “stay in place” or “lock down” proce-dures. Gliniecki also maintained that had there been any threat to the school campus students and faculty would have been no-tified by the school’s public address system, which was updated after the most recent emergency drill. contiButionS By: eMMA tecun - StAff

WRiteR; niel Knox - StAff WRite;, d.c. WeidenfelleR - editoR in cHief

The police enforced blockade on Wednesday, February 27 due to a grenade found inside the Bridgeport City Annex compound.Photo by Kathryn Hanrahan�

arts & entertainmentnewse

4HORIZONS • News

By KAtHRyn R. HAnRAHAn

StAff WRiteR

Many students here at HCC have noticed the construction going on next door, but what exactly

is taking place beside Campus? UrbanS-pace, a firm involved with the Bridgeport Rejuvenation project has renovated 333 State St, once an eyesore on campus. We now have an apartment building with both one and two bedroom units next door to the school. The apartments are modern style as well as some luxury with views of Long Island Sound. Amenities include GE en-ergy saving kitchen appliances as well as full size washers and dryers in each apart-ment unit.

According to www.333STATESTREET.com, the website involved with the build-ing’s leasing opportunities lists rent cost from $975 to $1850. Students I spoke to and interviewed believed that the rent was affordable with the aid of a roommate or two and liked the idea of a more lively downtown. General Studies student Kelly J. Donnelly didn’t know about the apart-ment building but liked the idea. “I think having apartments there will be beneficial to students not just for the campus but also

because it’s close to public transportation. It would also bring business to the local shops and boutiques,” Donnelly said, “ I would even consider living there if the building is child friendly.” Other students thought the rent would be too expensive for a full time student who can only work a part time job. Housatonic Criminal Justice Major, Tina Minutolo commented, “People living in downtown brightens both the city and our campus, though I don’t know too many students who can afford that.”

333 State’s first floor is aimed toward commercial renters, so far part of the first floor remains vacant. I took the time to see what students thought would be help-ful additions to the neighborhood. Don-nelly shared that it would be great to have a bookstore “Competing with Folletts’ overly priced texts and supplies.” Minutolo would like to see a “relaxing and healthy” eatery where students can grab a quick lunch without having to go too far. Student Danny Ballaro shares Minutolo’s opinion, “I would like there to be a Panera Bread franchise, and I’m still waiting for a Star-bucks in the downtown area.”

Besides places to grab a bite away from the school Cafeteria, Ballaro stated that a dance studio would benefit students in

the theatre arts program among students “who just want somewhere to let loose in between lectures. Zumba or Yoga classes would be beneficial to students interest-ed.”

Upon the time of article publication, Bob Carlson, in charge of building con-struction, was unavailable for interview or comment.

By SHAquAnA Minott

StAff WRiteR

Housatonic Community College has a few groups that involve stu-dents and group trips off the cam-

pus; one such club is the League of Ad-venturers club. This new group on campus is an idea of how to combine outdoor, edu-cational, and cultural activities into one.

On trips that the group would go on, the scholars would visit a lot of places that are inspiring and beautifully significant. A lot of the trips that peers take are cheap because they don’t like paying a lot of money for activities especially if they’re outdoors. The scholars get to get out and go places to breathe in the fresh air and to take in the scenery. Every trip that they take they like to get some exercise, educa-tion and fun in.

The League of Adventurers like to think that they can offer different per-spectives to students who probably never thought of careers outdoors. The LOA hopes to bring adventure to the college, as

well as a way to do something essential to them all making contact with the land that we live on. Being in direct contact with the

land that we live on allows one to learn so much about the outdoor nature.

It was an idea that was thought of in the

fall of 2012 by a few people who work at Housatonic. Firstly Tamara Michelin who is the president, Imedla Fernandez who is the treasurer and thirdly Jennifer Bisson-nette who is also the secretary play a huge role in the LOA group.

There are also a few more people who are important to the team, these people are Claudia Maldonado she is on the Student Senate and last but not least Marlene Ca-sanova and she is in the Student Life Of-fice.

The cornerstone and club faculty advi-sor goes by the name of Dave Koch. Get-ting to the know the history where we live Koch feels “we all need a safety valve, a way to retreat from the irritations and problems from our daily lives. To connect with real things for a little while and find the strength and solace in these things.”

What’s Coming Next Door To Campus?

League of Adventurers

St� Vincent’s Gives the Mall a HeartBy KAtelyn AveRy

editoR

The 7th Annual St. Vincent Heart Health Fair took place on Saturday February 16, 2013. The fair was

held at the Westfield Trumbull Mall from 10am-2pm.

Admission was free and attendees were provided with a purple St. Vincent’s Hos-pital tote bag to collect free sticky notes, pens, pillboxes and water bottles in. Mu-sic played at a moderate level and a giant inflatable heart was placed at the front of

the fair. Attendees were also given a raffle ticket that was signed by a representative from each station within the Lord and Tay-lor Court. Each station allowed people to learn about topics ranging from diabetes to high blood pressure.

Lacie Medina, one of the nursing stu-dents in attendance explained “There’s a lot of different booths. Different perspec-tives are given. You just want to answer their questions.”

Indeed all of the booths were more than happy to share some facts, and Medina’s station even allowed people to step on a

machine called a Tanita Body Composi-tion Analyzer. This machine resembles a scale and it tells people if things like their BMR, fat percent, BMI, and fat mass are in order.

Rita Santacroce, a doctor in atten-dance, covered high blood pressure. Santacroce was concerned about the lack of knowledge people have about high blood pressure because of the easy steps to prevent it. People with high blood pres-sure in their genes need to be especially careful, but Santacroce said “Just good preventative care, good diet, and exercise”

should do the trick. Santacroce’s station also provided blood pressure screenings. I sat down for the test myself and Santa-croce found that my blood pressure was a little too high. She commented that it may have been the excitement of the fair, but I should also incorporate more exercise into my life.

As attendees ended their roundabout from station to station they were asked to drop off their raffle ticket. People leaving were then able to enjoy all their freebees, pamphlets, and new knowledge.

The club at Bash Bish Falls State Park in New York State. Photo courtesy of the League of Adventurers

New apartments right along side campus. Photo by Kathryn R� Hanrahan�

Visit HCC Online!Curious about the services, courses, and programs at HCC? Go to http://www.hcc.commnet.edu, the college’s home page. From there you can

navigate the various departments, search for courses, or follow links to other useful sites, such as MyCommnet and the HCC Foundation.

5

Malloy’s Budget Proposal: A Hinderance to Higher Learning?

HORIZONS • News

By eMMA tecun

StAff WRiteR

Governor Malloy is making huge budget changes for Connecticut community colleges this coming

June, which will affect the programs and services which are available to students. Students will be informed if there is any way that the budget could be reversed, and if not, what will become more difficult for students.

Governor Malloy has recently released his two-year budget proposal. This propos-al has not yet been made official and will still be deliberated on until this coming June. What students should be wondering is, “What’s in it for the community col-leges?” The block grants, which are given by the government to HCC is to be spent on many educational programs and with

only general provisions on how it may be spent. Additionally, these funds Con-necticut community colleges rely on have been receiving falling over the years. Now with the new budget proposal there may be something to either help reverse the bud-get, or simply make things harder for stu-dents.

Governor Malloy does say many posi-tive things about a budget proposal for larger grants for education. The budget proposal “recommends increase grant for education in several areas” but in some ar-eas the grant will either be cut or remain “flat.” These changes Malloy is said to be making will include a 7.1 million dollar cut from the regional community-technical colleges, and 7 million from Connecticut State Universities, according to the Hart-ford Courant.

Chris Carollo, the executive director of

the HCC Foundation, says that budget cuts are almost inevitable. Carollo says, “There will be many difficult decisions of which programs to change if cuts are going to be made.”

The largest proposal that Malloy made with his last budget in 2011 was to combine all Connecticut State University Systems, the community colleges, Charter Oak State College and the Board of Governors for Higher Education to create a larger Board of Regents. This consolidation process was supposed to create an expected sav-ings of 4.3 million dollars. Since that time, the Board of Regents has developed a plan which has helped to create a larger educa-tional attainment for Connecticut schools.

Although there will be changes it may not be completely negative, but where does this leave Housatonic? Housatonic is cur-rently dealing with a budget cut that had

been previously decided and is now look-ing to what the Governor’s proposal will bring.

Housatonic has had to deal with bud-get cuts in the past and departments had to make strong cases as to why they should still get funding. In this fiscal year students should be aware of budget cuts which could even affect scholarships. “The main point is that it’s going to affect students, unless we do something about it,” says Carollo.

Although many are undoubtedly ex-pecting a budget cut, there is hope for cuts not to drastically change the services offered to students. This new proposal is causing many to be doubtful, because there will be additional educational opportuni-ties for higher education, with no new tax raises. Many are questioning Malloy as to where he will be getting these funds in such a fiscally challenging time.

6HORIZONS • News You Can Use

Money ProblemsBy RAcHel KuliKoWSKi

SenioR StAff WRiteR

Do you ever feel like you never have enough money saved up for any-thing? No matter how hard you try

to put your hard earned cash aside, your bank account still ends up in the double or even single digits? Saving may not be impossible but it is definitely not easy. Re-serving money can be an important thing for everyone, someone might need to save money for their college tuition, or have a good amount of money set aside to do something important like buy a reliable car or put a down payment on a house or an apartment. Accumulating a decent amount

of savings can also provide luxuries such as new clothes and vacations. However, the reality for most college students is that sav-ing money can seem like an unachievable task.

Having a job, whether it’s part time or full time is the perfect way to start saving up during school. Nevertheless, it becomes difficult to save when bills come up, or when someone purchases things to make themselves happy. Also, working and go-ing to school can sometimes clash.

Amanda Friot, a current student at HCC, explains “It’s hard for myself to save money in general because I love to spend, but it’s even more difficult to save while in school because my hours lessen at work

in order to be able to attend school period. Not to mention the gas I need to get me there and the money that I am spending on food because I rarely stop home in be-tween.”

According to USAtoday.com, “an As-sociated Press-Viacom poll finds Money problems, not bad grades, are the reason cited by most college students who have considered dropping out.”

The pressure to save money can seem stressful during your time in college, and it certainly will be.

A graduate of Florida State University, Chloe Taylor reflected “I found that saving money while I was in college, although a priority, was extremely difficult. Between

the price of tuition on the rise, ridiculous book prices, and the difficulties in finding employment in which you are able to fit in school and studying, savings is nearly im-possible. No matter how many months I ate ramen noodles I was still living paycheck to paycheck.” On a lighter note, Taylor also stated, “It was not until after graduation when I was able to find a career that saving became more realistic.”

Completing schooling to earn a degree is definitely worth it in the long run. People attend college to find a career that not only renders them financially stable but also successful. That is what definitely keeps college students going through financial struggles.

arts & entertainmentnews you can useo

7HORIZONS • Opinions

It’s About That Time AgainMidterm Studying and Grades

By SHeRly MonteS

editoR

Ah, midterms! Most students don’t look forward to them, but we all know that we must complete

some sort of project, paper, or test in or-der to determine how well we’re doing in class. But how much can you really pre-pare for a midterm assignment? Do you study days and weeks in advance? Or do you cram and get things done the night be-fore, wondering how your studying habits are affecting your performance?

Midterms are a matter that should be taken more seriously and studying in gen-eral is extremely important for overall educational success. Midterms help deter-mine where you stand in your class and it’s something that should be taken seriously by all students. I wouldn’t suggest cram-ming material into your head the night be-fore because you won’t retain it very long. If you study a little bit everyday, odds are you’ll remember it in the long run and it’ll come to you much easier.

In fact, according to a Health News ar-ticle featured on UPI.com, Dr. Philip Ala-pat said, “By preparing early and being able to better recall what you have stud-ied, your ability to perform on exams is increased.”

General Studies Major at HCC, Nyra-sia Lomax says, “Midterms come to my mind, but I don’t dwell on it because I

don’t like worrying or stressing over mid-terms. I am going to try group studying with friends and I’m going to study when I have time but I don’t want to stress over it.” Lomax says she doesn’t like to stress over things like midterms, but she also ad-mits that there is some material that she needs to study a little harder. “I am wor-ried about my music history class because it’s so much information but I hope I pass

the class overall.”Having just graduated High School last

June, I have come to find that if I study in advance I won’t have any issues recall-ing information when it comes to an exam. I also believe that there are subjects that seem easier to study for than other sub-jects that I have a harder time with. But I like to keep in mind that they’re all equal-ly important and I know I should prepare

myself enough to be able to pass all sub-jects, not just the ones I like or the ones that are easiest. Although there have been various instances where I didn’t study until the night before or I would literally study a few minutes right before the exam by having my friends quiz me. Whenever I did this, I would probably only remem-ber one or two immediate things and I’d be shaking my brain for more during the actual exam. I wouldn’t suggest this type of studying to anyone!

“I like to know what I’m studying for so I don’t have to study for subjects that won’t be on the midterm,” says Nursing major Chantel Collazo. “I usually study a week before an exam but I am worried about my math exam, because math was never my favorite subject and it takes me awhile to fully understand what I’m learn-ing,” says Collazo.

Studying for midterms doesn’t have to be this big thing that takes up all your time. It is simply something that should be done daily leading up to the exam if you want to be prepared and end up passing your midterms. The same goes for papers and projects. You’ve gotta work hard, and research the things that you need in order to turn in something that will get you a good grade and more importantly, some-thing you can be proud of.

By StepHAnie cAStillo

SenioR StAff WRiteR

Beauty is what you make it. Today in

our society we are so focused on looks and eye-catching fads; makeup is essential to any look, but going with no makeup seems to be the great move. Covering your face and blocking your pores with makeup is not only unhealthy for your skin but can also be unattractive in many forms. You can overdo it easily.

Makeup is often times applied face down to lower neck and chest area to add balance in your skin tone. In pictures, the flash only makes it ten times worse; giving the face an over the top glow and making your hands and sleeves appear dull and lifeless, sort of resembling a glow worm doll.

No doubt our history with the cosmetic world comes a far way, and it’s not go-ing anywhere because some women de-

pend on wearing make-up daily. Pamela Corbett, 34, a Psychology major says, “I cannot leave house without putting on my blush, lipstick, and mascara.”

Mascara is a very popular makeup used to enhance the look of eyelashes; it is an essential part of wearing makeup that is also available in many fashionable colors like blue, pink, and purple. Deborah Har-rington, 20, a Human resource major said, “I don’t wear makeup, I’m the get-up-and-go kind of girl - sometimes I wear mascara but that’s it.”

According to womenshealth.gov, mas-cara may not seem like it’s effective in any way but it actually is because if a decent amount of mascara gets into your eyes it can cause an infection. Brutal infections can potentially become an ulcer in the cor-nea, loss of lashes, and blindness.

Not only are there risks and chemicals that involve the use of makeup but apply-ing makeup is very time consuming. Con-

suming much of your time and precious dollars. The use of makeup is known to make an impression because many women choose to wear it on special occasions as well. It’s just not worth it, because a natu-ral face says a lot more about a person than covering it with makeup.

Mechanical Engineering major Yas-hua Agosto said, “My personal preference is natural beauty, makeup is a mask for people used to cover up being insecure for how they really look; its unattractive.” Make-up not only takes away from your natural beauty but what does it do to your self-esteem? It sits on top of your skin, blocking pores that release natural oils. Covering your face you might as well wear a mask because you are taking away who you are as a person. When you are applying makeup what are your thoughts? Stop. You are beautiful the way you are, the way you were born.

If you’re planning to remove makeup

from your day to day lifestyle and it be-comes difficult to adjust to a fresh face; a great substitute to go natural would be to use a facial moisturizer. Facial moisturiz-ers help protect your pores from dirt, keep-ing skin moisturized and pores cleaned. Instead of wearing makeup, apply mois-turizer to the face daily which leaves skin with a natural glow. If it seems to be too much of a change, start slow and each day reduce one makeup item applied to your face. A great tip would be instead of using foundation, and heavy powders like blush; go for eye shadow and slowly eliminate your potentially skin damaging cosmetics.

After washing face apply moisturizer and see the difference in skin for an overall more healthy appearance. Don’t be afraid to be you, and show who you truly are. It shouldn’t be a debate whether to keep it natural or to wear makeup but ultimately the choice is yours.

Natural>MakeupDon’t Be Afraid to Show Who You Really Are

Take the time to study.Photo By Sherly Montes

Got some news you want covered?Let us know!

Write to housatonichorizons@gmail.com.

8HORIZONS • Opinions

Hip Hop: The Impact On SocietyBy JeSSicA BRooKS

editoR

Music has affected the world for decades and with each passing generation, the power of music

has only intensified beyond the control of any human being. Classical, Blues, Rock, Hip-Hop, R&B and Country are just some of the very few forms of music that have impacted the world.

However, the real hot button topic that has taken over talk shows, radio topics and even the dinner tables in homes across the globe is which form of music has affected and still affects the newcomers of each generation? The only obvious answer is Hip Hop!

As I have contemplated the many dif-ferent answers of this questions and battled a few back and forth conclusions of my

own, Hip-Hop music has influenced the world in every way imaginable. Hip-Hop, also known infamously as Rap music, by definition is a music genre consisting of stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, which is a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanting.

If you ask me, Hip-Hop music is a form of spoken word. It is a form of music that will talk about topics that will make you uncomfortable, but often question on your own beliefs and social understanding.

Some of the heavy hitters in the Hip-Hop section of the music industry today would have to be Jay-Z Eminem Kanye West and Lil’ Wayne just to name a few. These men have demonstrated some of the most controversial lyrics along with their fellow rappers like Tupac Shakur, Biggie Smalls, N.W.A. and Ice-T who have paved the way for them to do so.

How are all of these men related except for their positions in the music industry as

rappers? They all have shook the world to its core with some if their artwork and have shaped the way young adults view the world and some of the leading figures in it. These individuals have helped create a culture that has affected the world unlike any other genre of music could.

With lyrics that would make your grandmother clutch her pearls or father choke on his morning coffee, Hip Hop is proven that it is not for the weak hearted, but the message behind most of the art has a reason for the rawness that it is delivered in.

Though there are many people who think that Hip Hop only has only negative influence on society and American culture as a whole, some disagree. According to Lisa Wilson, a student at Springfield Col-lege, rap music can be a positive form of expression. “Biggie, Tupac and Jay-Z spoke and still speak for the young group of people in society who don’t feel like

they have a voice.” The fellow Journalism major also be-

lieves that the early Hip Hop artists have made it possible for other artists today to even feel like it is ok for them to express themselves lyrically. “We all have inspi-rations and different ways to express our-selves. Just because most rap artist speak on their personal experiences and it may not be relatable to me personally, doesn’t mean its a bad influence. Its just their ex-perience.”

Wilson’s words made me realize that Hip Hop has the impact that it does on today’s society because it solidifies the theory that we are more alike than dif-ferent. The impact has lasted because each new generation has the ability to lis-ten to someone that is poetic and honest about what some people go through, even though some people of society would like to ignore the reality of the lives some lead.

By MyRAndA SinKleR

SenioR StAff WRiteR

Since the invention of smartphones, cell phone use has changed com-pletely. The convenience of being

able to make a call, surf the web, and get directions simultaneously and instantly has revolutionized society. Smart phones have become like carrying around a com-puter that fits neatly in the palm of your hand.

One of the most successful smart-phones is the iPhone, produced by the Ap-ple Corporation. The Apple iPhone has be-come a formidable force in the technology world, thriving since its introduction in 2007, with the production of the iPhones 2, 3, 3s, 4, 4s and now 5.

Mikal E. Belicove currently resides in Laguna Beach, California but is originally from Sherman and Dayville, Conn. He is a writer for Entrepreneur Magazine, blog-ger for Forbes Magazine, and a corporate communications and business manage-ment consultant according to Belicove.com.

Belicove knows a lot about technology and he even consults for Apple. He under-stands how lucrative a business Apple has become. “Apple is here to stay,” says Beli-cove. “Technology is dependent or based on demand, what consumers are craving,

iPhones have become the ‘must-have’ phone.” According to Apple’s Press Info as of Sept. 24, 2012, Apple announced it has sold over five million of its new iPhone 5, just three days after its launch on Sept. 21, 2012.

Half of all U.S. households own at least one Apple product, according to CNBC’s All-America economic survey. If we go by these numbers, then with Connecticut’s current population of 3.5 million, at least 1,750,000 Connecticut residents own at least one Apple product.

Connecticut currently has five Apple stores in the state. They are in Danbury, Farmington, Greenwich and Stamford, with the most recent built in downtown New Haven near Yale University; which opened Sept. 22, 2012.

iPhones are so revolutionary because they can do many other things besides just making a phone call. There are billions of apps that are downloadable onto the phone that can do just about anything. You have the ability to listen to music, play games, surf the internet and even deposit a check simultaneously while making a phone call.

“Apps are specific to consumer and what they need,” says Belicove. “App makers are thinking ‘how can they make life easier?’”

According to Apple’s Press Info as of March 5, 2012 more than 25 billion apps

have been downloaded from its App Store by the users of the more than 315 mil-lion iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices worldwide. The App Store offers more than 550,000 apps to iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users in 123 countries around the world, with more than 170,000 native iPad apps available.

These apps are what have given Apple its true success; without them the iPhone would just be another touchscreen smart-phone. The apps have the ability to hold everything needed. They are a daily plan-ner, bank, map, book, alarm clock and thermometer, just to name a few of its many abilities.

“The only reason I love my iPhone is because I can use all the functions on my phone without disturbing my phone call,” says Jasmine Denis, owner of the iPhone 4s. “But at the same time I don’t like all of my information on the phone and don’t like having GPS on.”

iPhones hold a lot of information; it seems like they have become less like phones and more like actual personal as-sistants that can do almost anything for you because, there’s probably an app that can do it for you.

“Something will eventually be in-vented on the other side that will even the playing field,” says Denis, not confident in Apple’s’ future. “The only way Apple

will stay relevant is to invent new tech like 3D phones, but anyone can invent it it de-pends on who does it first.”

At the same time other companies are coming out with their own versions and products that are rivaling Apple’s. There are tablets in response to the iPad, and the Android phones in response to the iPhone which have their own “App Store” called the “Market” and another called “Google Play”.

Christina Johnson is an avid Apple hater and Android user, the proud owner of the Galaxy s3. She claims that people only buy apple products because it acts as a status symbol.

“Android is better, it has all the exact same features plus some that the iPhone doesn’t have at all for cheaper” says John-son, “I don’t need to be that cool.”

As of right now Apple is at a point where the world is content with the collec-tive abilities of the many Apple products. This is why five years after apple was first presented to the world its newest products are still being instantly sold out. But at the same time other companies are catching up, eager to try and take Apples’ place. Only time will tell if Apple’s lead in the smartphone business will continue but for now Apple is a force to be reckoned with, currently at the top of their game.

Apple Mania

By KAtelyn AveRy

editoR

Nemo was no surprise. The Weather Channel warned Connecticut resi-dents that a blizzard was coming.

Preparation procedures were supposed to be put in place by people and town offi-cials but not everyone stepped up.

My family and I were lucky that the where we lived in the Long Hill section of Trumbull the streets were plowed within the first two days of the storm. Other parts of Trumbull like Frenchtown Road didn’t have a lot of room and could not be plowed all the way. This meant that the snow was in mounds that spilled over into the street.

My family and I had not stocked up on food which caused our emergency trip to the grocery store. Our pantry wasn’t going

to last the three or four days some Strat-ford and Bridgeport residents had to wait.

On a bright note HCC student and Bridgeport resident Desiree Swendson said, “My family did prepare well for the storm, we had all the food and supplies we needed.” Swendsen’s family had been safe but I couldn’t help think about other peo-ple, as I realized my family and I would have had to make two opened bags of animal crackers and cheese work for three days, had our town’s snow plows been de-layed.

In Monroe the streets were plowed one lane at a time. HCC student and Monroe resident Daniella Dossantos said, “There was one lane on Saturday and two lanes on Sunday.”

Bridgeport was in even more trouble, as Swendsen explained. “The snow plow delay was the biggest problem. They

should’ve been plowing the roads as the storm started just like other towns. Say there wasn’t enough equipment all you want, there was no reason that they should’ve waited so long to begin plow-ing. A city is supposed to keep its people safe and this put many people’s lives at risk because ambulances and other emer-gency vehicles could not reach anyone.”

Other residents felt the same frustra-tion. HCC student and Bridgeport resident Tatiana Richardson commented, “We need to have someone who knows what they are doing, so when a crisis does happen they will be prepared to deal with the situ-ation in an efficient manner.” Bridgeport residents certainly were united over the storm as the plows worked slowly to get the snow off the streets.

Both Bridgeport and Milford lost their sidewalks. For Bridgeport Swendsen

commented “Although the streets were plowed, they were not safe. There were too many issues with piles of snow being too high to see oncoming cars. I personally walk most places and I had to wait until a lot of the snow melted and even then I was practically walking in the middle of main-street most of the time because there were no sidewalks. It’s terrifying when you’re sick and walking to the doctors with cars barely skimming by you, only a few inch-es away.” Indeed the crosswalks in front of Housatonic, used by students to get to Dunkin Donuts, also became storage plac-es for snow. This made my trip there espe-cially hard even two weeks later. Housa-tonic opened in the middle of the chaos, but to be fair they couldn’t push school off forever, as we lost two days of school.

Nemo was Ignored by Some

9HORIZONS • Opinions

10HORIZONS • Arts & Entertainment

Whatever The Obstacle “Follow Your Heart”By neil Knox

StAff WRiteR

Local singer and songwriter Irena Hart has some sound advice for students intent on pursuing a musi-

cal career. “No matter what obstacles are put in your way, never give up and always follow your heart.” She should know. Hav-ing arrived in the United States at the age of 12 and not speaking the language, she was faced with overcoming the cultural and language barriers that followed. The Ukrainian born Irena Malarchuk found the transition difficult at first. Deciding that the only recourse available was to adopt a steely determination to fit in no matter what the cost. It wasn’t easy, especially at school, where she faced the daily ridicule from fellow students, who singled her out because of her language difficulties. She says that this was her first lesson in deal-ing with adversity. She would fall back on this lesson many times in the course of her own personal life, as well as her profes-sional career.

During a recent audition for the televi-sion show “The Voice” she did not make the cut, but says “I certainly wasn’t going to just give up because I didn’t fit a par-ticular criteria the judges were looking for. I performed a song from my homeland and it just didn’t sit well with the judges, that’s okay, I learn and grow from these type of experiences.” In 2011 she also auditioned for “America’s Got Talent” and didn’t suc-ceed, but it didn’t get in the way of her trying again in 2013 for “The Voice.” If anything she realized that keeping herself open to new ideas and evolving her stage act were a direct result of these setbacks. “I’ve changed my style several times over the years” she says, adding “I do take criti-cism seriously and take into account what is being said, then if I feel the suggestions are practical I will try to implement them.”

One of her first changes was to give her-self a more American-ized name and adopted the stage name Irena Hart. Success wasn’t far behind. Having one of her own songs fea-tured on the hit TV se-ries “Burn Notice” was a “huge thrill, it just adds to the desire, let’s you know that you have what it takes.” The song, titled “On the Dance Floor” is also one of her first music videos and received some critical acclaim. She stated in a recent interview, “I was going through my Britney stage at this time.”

She now says that she is heading back to some of her earlier musical influences, especially in the acoustic arena. “I just feel I’m being led in yet another direction, and some of my earlier musical influences are coming more to the fore. My European perspective of music is re-emerging and it adds a certain freshness to my music now.” Some of her earlier musical influ-ences include the likes of James Taylor, Bob Dylan, and Madonna, and “don’t for-get my grandfather in Kiev, who left me a love of all things musical.”

Despite the fact that she has her hands full with family responsibilities, she has a 12 year old daughter, and maintains a full time job at an engineering company in Fairfield, she keeps her priorities in order. “I only go on tour during the sum-mer months when my daughter is in camp, and I play local venues during the winter weekends to keep my talents sharp.” And even with a full schedule she has focused on giving something back to the commu-nity.

While performing at a Peace Day rally in New York City’s Union Square Park one weekend she was taken back by the number of homeless adults and children who frequented the area. “I took some time between shows to reach out and get to know some of those kids and found them so personable and intelligent and eager to learn about music. I thought that it would be a great idea if children in this situation where given an opportunity to take up music and learn an instrument. So I decided along with a few of my business partners to form a non profit organization and seek out some state and federal grants to set something up with this in mind. And of course we receive donations as well but the grant money is what we really need to get this off the ground and headed in the right direction.”

The result of these efforts is the non-profit Harmony4Kids Foundation, which will offer a chance for young children and young adults a chance to find a healthy outlet in music. It will offer them instru-ments, voice coaching, scholarship oppor-tunity and an opportunity they might never

have had in their current situation. Anyone wishing to volunteer can reach the foun-dation at their website of the same name. They will accept any musical instruments in need of slight repair, such things as sheet music, and other music equipment.

Ms. Hart was emphatic when she stated that “without the educational background I have and my degree in engineering, which allows me to work and fund most of my own work, most of these things would never have come to fruition. For anyone just starting out who believes that it is all about just cutting a hit record and then the sky’s the limit, come back to earth. This is a very tough career to pursue on your own. One of the reasons I started to become self sufficient was the realization that dealing with a record company amounts to giving up any and all of your rights to our music. This is a cut throat business and in order to maintain creative control I’ve taken most of the business aspect into my own hands. And without my educational background, which included studying at Juilliard Acad-emy, I would not be able to do what I truly love to do.”

Her first full length album titled “Heart Strings” debuted in 2009 and she is cur-rently awaiting the release of her second album “Bermuda Road” which was origi-nally a book of poems she published early in her career. It came about while she was experiencing some life changes and is named after the street in Westport, Conn., where she was living at the time.

When asked what advice she would give to someone in college who was think-ing of pursuing a musical career she stated matter of factly “finish your education and finish it at the top. Always have the safety net of a career around you. If one day you have achieved some success and feel ready to venture forward into music full time, then you can do it on your own terms.”

arts & entertainmentarts & entertainmente

Photo Courtesy of irenahart�com�

Please Recycle This NewspaperMost of the classrooms at HCC have both a garbage bin and a blue recycling bin. There are only two things that you should put in those bins:

- Printer Paper/Notebook Paper- Newspaper

These items CANNOT go in the recycling bins:

- Food- Plastic of any kind, including bottles- Other packaging

Any non-paper items that you throw out while in class must go in the regular trash. The cleaners will not separate our waste for us. Any time you dispose of regular garbage in the recycling bins, the entire contents of that bin goes to the landfill.

Horizons remains committed to assisting in efforts that will result in a cleaner campus and community. Please help us help you by recycling responsibly.

11HORIZONS • Arts & Entertainment

By lAtiSA pAcHeco

StAff WRiteR

Emerged from MySpace as a popular art group, the World Artist Network (WAN) opened its first art gallery

inside the historic Arcade Mall, adding to downtown Bridgeport’s distinctive down-town area.

This non-profit organization wants to help ordinary people with extraordinary talents to not only develop their skills, but to promote their work in hopes to articu-late a global phenomenon and encourage the freedom to institute creativity in the community.

“How could we help artists showcase their work and teach them the necessary business skills along with good connec-tions?” said Valeria Garrido-Bisceglia, director of WAN. Her idea sprung into action with the help of her husband and other volunteers. They began advertis-ing in electronic newspapers, art blogs, community events, and collaborated with other art organizations. Soon, they became prominent in the art industry, no longer needing to set up folded tables outside.

The grand opening took place on Feb. 21, as artwork from France, India, Aus-tralia and all over the United States was showcased. The gallery was crowded with guests ranging from artists themselves and admirers of their work.

As a featured artists at WAN, David Mel Brown has the advantage of exhib-iting his artwork for exposure and profit. His artwork allures his viewers and serves as an eloquent display of his narcolepsy.

“My dreams are tunneling patterns of color, vivid and life-like,” Brown said. He spends most of his nights wide awake and trying to tire himself out. Painting hap-

pens to be one of his successful trials that helps him to relax and fall asleep. His lat-est work, Mask of Fear, is an acrylic paint-ing that took him only ten minutes to draw. He describes it as “a scary experience, a 2 a.m. nightmare” associated with his nar-

colepsy.Another artist, Bruce Williams, favors

the use of pastel (a type of crayon) to cre-ate a soft delicate hue. Williams says his paintings are a reflection of the peaceful-ness of the shore. He lives by the water, so he paints related scenes like the moon-light.

As a child he developed an interest in painting and eventually attended Silver-

mine Art school in Wilton, Conn. Wil-liams could not imagine his life without art. “It’s deep within and it’s what I have to do,” he elaborated.

His favorite artist is the Tonalist from the 1800’s, which inspired his soft faded

and foggy/misty paintings, like Fayer-weather Island Evening and Harbor at Night. Williams also marvels at the art-work of Braidy Hughes, which is currently displayed at the WAN gallery.

Hughes is a self-taught artist from Aus-tralia; her drawings are done in thick black lines that feature naked and curiously sad women in bright colors, surrounded by goldfish.

WAN also provides art workshops to local public schools and community cen-ters; they believe that children should have their curriculum integrated with art.

According to Dana Foundation on neuroscience research, the arts is associ-ated with gains in math, reading, cognitive ability, critical thinking, verbal skill and a decrease in dropout rates. Incorporated in several schools across the nation, it allows students to focus more intensely and do better in the classroom. This technique has proved to be effective and has the approval of teachers.

While WAN is always looking for more help, current volunteers work closely with the children, allowing them to grow and learn through reading, drawing and sculp-tures, dancing, singing, and other ways of expression. “We give small group projects to teach skill sets according to their age group. We want to strengthen our image and enforce our mission to learn, share, create and inspire,” Garrido-Bisceglia said.

The World Artist Network offers art-ists, musicians, writers, and photographers (whether amateurs or professionals) the opportunity to display their work to the public as they have become quite popu-lar. For those who have an eye for fine arts or would like to explore their artistic side, touring the gallery which is located at 1001 Main Street, Unit 5 is the right place to learn. Look forward for more upcoming events, like open mic nights, poetry read-ings, and open calls. Expect in the near future to see breathtaking murals painted across Bridgeport, as these soon-to-be-fa-mous artists continue to have great impact in the art community.

Bruce Williams next to his artwork. Photo by Latisa Pacheco�

Opening of the World Artist Network

By dAnnyy AlAMo

SenioR StAff WRiteR

With my experience working in the Ac-ademic Advising Center building sched-ules for students, I’ve encountered many parents who wouldn’t allow their child to take an elective that involve the arts be-cause they feel that the arts are a waste of time.

There are many parents that believe that the arts are a crock. They don’t be-lieve it is worth spending millions invest-ing in the arts. They don’t understand how the arts can save growing scholars from drugs, alcohol and gang violence. They don’t realize that the arts make a big dif-ference in the lives of those who have a passion, drive or dedication to dance, mu-sic, art or photography.

Parents don’t understand that if your child is a business major taking a theater class can prepare them to have to speak in front of their work colleagues if they had to do a presentation. They don’t realize that if your major is human resources, a creative writing class can help you with your writing once you get into your field.

The arts are a positive way for young adults to release anxiety, stress or any type

of negative emotional hurt or pain. As a dancer I know firsthand how dance has helped me cope with the loss of my grand-mother in 2009. After being raised by her since I was 9 months old, losing her was probably the biggest hurt I’ve ever felt.

My grandmother encouraged me at a young age to perform. She allowed me to sign up for dance at 2 years old and when she saw how much I loved it, she pushed me to go for all my dreams and all my de-sires.

Dance was my escape from us not hav-ing much money, me being bullied all through grade school, not being able to speak up and not being comfortable with myself. It liberated me and made me real-ize that while I feel the rhythm, while my body reacts to the bass and while I paint a picture with my moves that I was also re-leasing all the hurt, the anger, the pain, the sadness, the weakness and the loneliness.

Rapper Reynaldo Castillo, also known as ReyMula, expressed how rap has al-lowed him to free anything and everything he’s ever felt about love, friendship, life and family. Rap gave him a voice and gave him the power to be heard by people near and far. He said that music made him feel like he was invincible; it made him feel

like he could not be touched. Growing up in Stratford and not being the most vocal person, Rap gave him the chance to say what he wanted to say and get it out of his system.

HCC student Christina Chery loves fashion and sees that as her art. “Because of my ethnicity I feel like fashion allows me to make a name for myself and allows me to be different from what people ex-pect of me,” she said.

“It’s like painting a picture; I allow people to see whatever I choose for them to see. With the help of colors, accesso-ries and different combinations I have the control to make the world see whichever Christina I want them to see,” she added. “Being Haitian, I am expected to be con-servative and not have a mind of my own because my parents should have planned out my life, but fashion has given me the freedom to go out and explore and find ex-actly who I wanted to be and create that person with no say from my parents.”

Student Jesse Montalvo said that to him the arts are a necessity. “We as young adults use music, photography, writing, drawing, painting, dance and fashion as a means to release our inner demons,” he said, “ inner demons being insecurities,

growing up, life, friendship, love or finan-cial stability.”

“The Arts allow us to make change within ourselves and accept things that cannot be changed and work to change the things that can be changed, whether it’s our family relationships, our love lives, our careers or our future goals. It gives the freedom to do whatever we want and be whatever we want. There’s no wrong way of expressing yourself artistically,” he added.

The arts are a powerful form of relief for young adults. It doesn’t feel like any-thing has to be perfect or thought out - it just has to be released. The arts give young adults the power to be creative, to be as crazy as they want, to be as loud as they want and as silly as they want. The arts are a positive and helpful outlet for young adults.

Positively Artistic

Horizons is on facebook!Visit the Housatonic Horizons facebook fan page to read the latest about what’s going on at

HCC as well as articles you won’t find in the paper, and to send us links, comments, and suggestions.

12HORIZONS • Sports

By JoSHuA HAMel

StAff WRiteR

All of Bridgeport’s athletics can be divided into two main sections, the group activities and individ-

ual activities. Bridgeport athletics is not completely organized, as evidenced by the students interviewed. AJ Castro and Franheska Colon both know nothing of the athletics in Bridgeport, despite going to school in the city. “Unless you count the sports I had to do in gym, I have done nothing outside of there,” Colon informed the paper.

These two sections cast a wide net over the city as it allows for both organized ath-letics and personal athletics. This choice is given to every student of the city, so they do not feel pressured into doing organized sports when they are not ready to do it. By having public park, the city accommo-

dates both sections, as apparent with the park being used by both the community and the individuals. The Parks and Recre-ation of Bridgeport’s website states where parks are and any upcoming community event there.

There are plenty of parks close by for kids to play on around the area. Went Field is less than a mile away and has a baseball diamond on it. It is perfect for the students to go and play on when the weather allows it. Only a few are out these days due to the snow and cold weather.

After some of the students had been interviewed, a pattern was noticed. Jack Kelly and his friends answered that they throw a football together more than any-thing else. Kelly said “I was never that athletic, so tossing around a football is the most I ever will do.” It was consistent with the idea that a recreational activity as catch and was their form of athletics. Oth-er students who did not want their names

mentioned said that they were not big on big groups for personal athletics.

With the community, there are a few athletics that people can partake in, but for the most part it is for a younger generation. The Boys and Girls Club is a great place for community athletics for most younger people. At the Boys and Girls Club, there are sport teams that younger kids can join and be a part of. This allows for a branch-ing out and for them to become involved in sports. AJ Castro spoke to the newspa-per and stated that the only athletics he had done was a part of a school team. After that, he had fallen out of touch with sports. Madeline Ortiz told about her experience on a youth softball team. “It was good. I was young, so I really enjoyed the experi-ence and the people I met.” However af-ter that, Ortiz has not had anywhere to do sports.

Community athletics are very limited when it comes to college students. When

looked at, only preteen basketball leagues were found as well as a college basketball team for University of Bridgeport.

The students revealed that they fanned out to plenty of parks to do athletics. Washington Park, Went Park, and New-field Park were among the parks that are located close to the school and students have easy access to them. They allowed for a more relaxed environment for rec-reation. These parks are open for their use and gives the more free range to run around and be really friendly, versus the rigors of community athletics.

When asked, Brenna Mcintyre said “I know that the Bluefish are a baseball team, but that is about all I know.” As she is not a resident of Bridgeport, this does not seem like a surprise. However it shows that the sports of Bridgeport are not out there, even for a student of HCC.

For a Team or for Pleasure

Warmer adventures are On the hOrizOn