Finding the Equation

By Horizons Staff

A video answering questions about how to successfully juggle community college life and other obligations.

Continuum 23: Education Documentary

To fulfill a requirement for HCC’s Honors Program, Nursing major Meoba Nsenga filmed a documentary in which she interviewed students, teachers, and administrators at several area high schools and from HCC. Host Brandon T. Bisceglia asks Nsenga about her experiences with the American educational system, and what she learned making her documentary.

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Holistically Balanced

By Desirae Williams
Staff Writer

Ever think of connecting with yourself on a deeper level? Of being able to listen to signals from your body? Or the emotions that your heart felt? Or even the simplest, yet most peculiar ideas that arise from your mind?

Have you ever thought about how this unique relationship, seemingly, works together without your conscious awareness? After so many questions, it is well to know that your thoughts may have answers if you take the initiative to redirect your life in a more holistic manner; focusing on the relationship between your heart, mind, and body.

Many individuals face a point in their lives when they seem to plateau, finding it hard to juggle responsibilities and what they ultimately want to enjoy out of this life. However, it’s better late than never to find some equilibrium in our lives, and to finally start appreciating it in a whole new way. Always remember that greater awareness of the complexities of our nature can help shape who we want to become in the future.

The first step would be to recognize this balance—mind, body, and soul—and that it can lead to higher achievements in life. Healthyliving.org provides multiple links to nothing but nurturing well-being sites. Concurrently, their mission stands by the holistic approach to life’s more bleak moments. They urge the understanding of simple things in life as a way of coping with hardships or appreciating what our rewards are.

Be smart, realize that healthy living is about understanding how your emotions can affect your thinking, and how your health can affect your body. When an aspect of your life is off balance- you have a cold, you’re upset after an argument- it usually affects something else; how you can complete homework assignments? If left to its own devices, any unbalanced lifestyle can lead to complications.

The connection between physical health and mental health makes them whole, and each part is of equal importance.

There are exercises that can enhance your physiology as well as your mind. Yoga, a callisthenic, has gained popularity amongst celebrity clients and people who swear by the harmonious lifestyle it promotes. The elements of this routine are a combination of physical postures, specialized breathing techniques, and meditation to promote relaxation. Although there isn’t any definitive evidence that states the health conditions that yoga combats, it is said to reduce stress levels, heart rate and blood pressure, as well as increasing lung capacity and mood.

The Community Health Network of CT knows firsthand that it is imperative to make exercise a part of the daily routine and created a statewide initiative called, “Healthy Minds, Healthy Bodies” to back its mission. It strives to educate the community through annual, daylong events that promote healthier foods, activity plans, and an overall well-being as a lifestyle, according to www.chnct.org. The design behind this program is another element of making balanced decisions.

A nutritional regimen is also a key component in maintaining a wholesome balance. According to Mayoclinic.com, it is recommended to intake as much fruits, vegetables, and whole grains as possible. The site urges people to formulate a meal plan that consists of balanced consumption of salts, sugars, dairy, and meats which contribute to overall health. The food pyramid, also known as MyPyramid, is strategically shaped and organized with the most important focus of the diet towards the base and the less frequent food items towards the top.

“It’s hard for me to eat the food that is supposed to be healthier because I don’t have a lot of time to plan,” Katherine Clark, General Studies major said. This is a common plight amongst everyone, and can be transformed, if a little effort is applied, to make a bigger difference in the end.

Focusing on how to live life more holistically and within awareness of one’s self, can be as simple as changing the food that is eaten or the level of activity that you participate in.

Attempting to address any imbalance will uncover the greater potential in us. As we begin to feel more control over our lives and health, it can make everything fall into order and bring forth the greater good in every situation.

“Changing my diet might be hard, but if it means becoming more balanced, I’m down to try,” said Clark.

Getting Registration Right

By the Horizons Staff

In this video, we attempt to give HCC students a walkthrough of Lafayette Hall to show them where to sign-up for classes and the best course of action to take in getting courses. Included are interviews with staff of the Financial Aid office and Academic Advising Center.

The Whole Foods Story

By Deb Torrreso
Outreach Editor

Fast food; what a concept! There was nothing fast about watching a carrot grow, but I don’t think making crops grow faster was the idea behind it. It had more to do with meeting the changing lifestyles of consumers and their needs. People are spending more time out of the home which ultimately leaves less time to shop for and prepare meals.

The family experience of buying food from farms and local distributors, and sitting down together over a home-cooked meal has been replaced for many by grabbing a bite here and there, while connecting with loved ones via cell phone or texting. This devolution was unavoidable. The problem is that no one saw the long term danger to our health as a result of this lifestyle.

While fresh foods were the better health choice, they had to be consumed in a timely fashion; busy lifestyles were making it more difficult to do that. A viable option was to create foods that could be stored until someone had the time to prepare them. TV dinners and the microwave solved that problem. At the same time, in order to create a fast food industry and provide the convenience of keeping foods on hand longer, foods would have to be modified in some way.

One of the processes to make this possible would be the making of Trans fats-a process called hydrogenation (adding hydrogen to vegetable oil). This substance has since been used in the manufacturing of foods, allowing them to stay fresh longer and have a longer shelf life. Trans fats are found in many snacks and fast foods. Unfortunately, the effect of ingesting these fats on a regular basis can be devastating as it can raise cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease.

It seemed like the world around food started moving at a faster and more competitive pace; mass production, packaging and marketing all played a role in the quality, or lack thereof, of the food we were putting in our bodies. Many of us didn’t realize the toll it took on the industry to develop new methods for food consumption.

A movie called Food, Inc. is as disturbing as it is informational as it takes us on a ride through the modern farming communities, examining the mistreatment of animals. Many farms have to administer antibiotics and steroids in order to keep animals alive under unhealthy conditions, and to “plump them up” for mass production.

Among many other issues, the movie takes a peak at the process of making packaged hamburgers. The producers report that hamburgers contain meat filler (which is used to create more product) after which it is cleaned with ammonia to eliminate the possibility of the E-coli bacteria. This process has itself actually become a competitive market. You can find more information at takepart.com/foodinc.

While many of the food industry’s dark secrets are surfacing, there is a light on the horizon as a result of it. There is a lot of buzz out there right now about healthy nutrition. There are informational books, classes, CD’s, and seminars popping up all over the place. Careers are being created in health coaching and counseling, and at the very least, there is an overdue awareness that if pursued, promises positive results.

Many people in communities are giving their time and energy to help change the nutrient-lacking path so many people are on by starting with America’s kids. British Chef Jamie Oliver is intent on “changing the way America eats.” He has been working within the school system of West Virginia to educate the kids, as well as the adults, in the benefits of eating more whole foods such as fruits and vegetables.

The country has witnessed Oliver slowly progress from being ridiculed by the naysayers, who believe there is not enough time and money to create healthy, proportioned meals, to evoking tears from appreciative parents and kids.

Don’t forget, kids eat what we let them. Their habits and behaviors are instilled from an early age and if no one tries to help change that, they may become overweight and unhealthy. Oliver proved his insights could arrest some of the thinking that leads to those behaviors - but it wasn’t easy.

For some kids, realizing they wanted to change this self-destructive habit was a painful experience; many of them had never gained the knowledge or support they needed to understand there were options.

Connecticut is following Oliver’s lead with a movement that is sweeping its way through Fairfield County to promote better health and wellness through exercise and nutrition.

Obviously, it’s easier to follow a healthy lifestyle if it’s started at a young age. Bringing this awareness to the school system is a crucial piece of the puzzle. A staunch supporter of this premise is Amie Haul, Director at From Your Inside Out. Haul teaches workshops using a new concept called Square Foot Gardening.

The kids learn to build a 4foot by 4 foot wood structure, divided into square-foot beds of organic soil. Haul teaches them what and how to plant. For example: as the beans grow up she has the kids build a trellis; and so on.

Haul believes in teaching kids better health by exposing them to growing their own foods, and understanding the value of eating foods that have not traveled long distances to reach the supermarkets. She wants to share with them the enjoyment of watching the vegetables and herbs grow, and to show the connection to how it affects their environment. The opportunity has been provided in part by Family Consumer Sciences (FCS), which is likened to “home economic” class.

According to Haul, building the gardens not only helps with woodworking skills, but helps to expand the abilities acquired for mathematics, history, sociology and spelling. There is also a positive by-product in that the kids are experiencing “the feeling of community and caring for something,” Haul said. “It’s really about getting people connected to each other, their food, the community and the land.”

Haul sees this project as a useful tool in life for these young people. Not only do students learn how to start and tend a garden; she also provides cooking classes where she demonstrates how meals can be made with these whole foods.

Fortunately adults are rethinking their eating habits as well. Parents, along with health care professionals are more aware of the positive effect good nutrition can have on health and lifestyle, and as a result are setting new examples by making changes in their own lives.

Yoga instructor Patti Tower, of Laughter with Yoga (www.thehappyyogini.com) has been slowly changing her eating habits over the last four years. She never thought she would give up certain foods like onion rings, but now she prepares the majority of her own food and eats very little processed and packaged foods-and no fast food.

“My advice to people just starting out is to drink a large glass of water 30 minutes before eating meals and chew food slowly and completely,” Tower said.

While changing one’s lifestyle can be a stressful option, taking control in even a small way could start someone down a path that leads to better health. Doing as little as replacing one unhealthy food with one healthy food, buying produce locally, and reading labels at the grocery stores to determine the fat and sugar content, are just some ways to make a big difference.

You can find more information as well as lists of farmers’ markets in your area at the following sites:
Northeast Organic Farming Association, (NOFA) www.nofa.org
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) www.farfresh.org/food/csa and www.csa.com

Good Luck and Think “Health!!”

Sports and Our Youth

By Veronica Pagan
Staff Writer

Bridgeport Raiders vs Danbury Vikings at Danbury's home field.
Photo by Veronica Pagan.

Any time you turn on the news there is talk of child obesity and other health risks to young people. Yet within the community there are sports offered to youth that can help keep them physically fit and academically motivated.

Pop Warner Football League was established in Bridgeport in 1987. The Pop Warner website states their goal is to inspire youth in the ideals of sportsmanship, scholarship and physical fitness.

Bridgeport Pop Warner is a branch from Pop Warner Little Scholars, which is a non-profit organization in its 77th year. According to the Pop Warner site, their staff consists of volunteers and coaches who are trained to offer the best and safest programs for youth.

In southern Connecticut, there are 20 different teams offering football for children between the ages of 5 and 14.

Their practices start in August, before school starts. They usually are Mondays and Fridays during the summer. When classes start the practices are three times a week for one hour for the 5-9 year olds and two hours for the 10-14 year olds. The practices are held at Newfield Park.

My 6-year-old son, Eugene Barros Pagan, is a former player for the 2009 Season of the Bridgeport Raiders and a current player of T-ball for the Indians. He enjoys playing sports.

“I love football and baseball, I love running and scoring points, and I like making new friends,” he says.

For those who feel that football is a rough sport for children, there is always baseball. The season just started for the North End Little League (NELL), which was founded by Nell Carter in 1954.

Indians vs Marlins. A T-ball game at the NELL field.
Photo by Veronica Pagan.

Their practices are held half an hour before the games. The games are on Monday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. The games are held at the NELL field.

2010 League Information Officer Steve Bailer says, “This program teaches our youth respect and loyalty and good family values. This can also rub off on the families who may not have had such an experience as a youth.”

“The volunteers, parents, and youth who participate in the program are willing to put their time in. Others are reluctant at first, but once the season starts they don’t regret participating,” says Bailer.

For more information about NELL baseball, visit http://www.eteamz.com/NorthendLL/
nellbridgeport@yahoo.com. To learn more about Pop Warner in Bridgeport, contact Alvin O’Neal at o_neal_alvin@sbcglobal.net, or 203-400-3164.

Forensic Expert Shares Experience with Students

By Kari Damato
Staff Writer

Dr. Henry Lee.
Photo by Kari Damato.

Dr. Henry C Lee, one of the world’s foremost forensic scientists spoke at HCC on April 28 about the role of forensic evidence in solving crimes, from ransom notes to designer shoes. Lee was a prominent figure in many of the most challenging cases in the last 45 years. A few of these cases include the O.J. Simpson trial, the JonBenet Ramsey murder, the Laci Peterson case and the murder of Helle Crafts, also known as the “woodchipper” murder. In addition, Lee has authored hundreds of articles in professional journals and co-authored more than 30 books.

Professor Samantha Mannion, coordinator of the criminal justice program and advisor to the Criminal Justice club, and Professor Joan Lloyd, the chemistry club advisor, thought that Lee would be the perfect speaker.

“Lee encompasses both the scientific expertise and criminal justice know-how. It will make the event the perfect cooperative effort between our two clubs,” said Mannion prior to Lee’s visit.

“We hope that students will come away from his presentation with a greater and more profound appreciation of the critical role that science plays in solving modern crime,” Mannion said. “Science is not perfect, but it has greatly narrowed the margin of error between guilt and innocence that has existed in law enforcement and our society for so long. Dr. Lee is an incredible engaging and entertaining speaker, and we are very pleased and excited to be hosting his presentation.”

Lee spoke in the events center, which was completely full. Immediately his great sense of humor and wittiness captured everyone’s attention. Lee said he came to this country “with $50.00 in my pocket and spoke no English, and now 30 years later I have lots of money but still don’t speak English.”

Throughout the seminar he handed out and even threw mini badges to people who answered questions correctly. As he spoke about the top 10 forensic scientists, he said, “He couldn’t believe the Chinese guy was number one [referring to himself].”

Lee started school in a community college, majoring in chemistry. After finishing school he was not able to attend his commencement because his family didn’t have money. He said he always kept in mind a saying he had learned: some people make things happen, some watch them happen, and others wonder what happened.

It was apparent that he would be the one to make things happen. He shared many photos from throughout his career, from his childhood, him receiving awards and being on talk shows.

Lee said, “This year no more talk shows, I am focusing more time on cases.”

He compared the show C.S.I and actual forensic work. He said the characters on C.S.I. never need warrants. “They carry a flashlight and find all the clues they are looking for, we have all different kinds of lighting and it’s hard to find clues with that,” he said. “C.S.I. also never shows any signs of stress or having to face the community, you need the public’s trust. It’s very important.”

Lee touched on a few of his more prominent cases, explaining his findings and what was involved. He related his different theories on the shooting of JFK. However, he said, “this is one case that will never be solved. When the original bullet was found, it was washed, removing all DNA.”

He concluded with information on the field of Forensics. “It has a lot to offer but it’s more important to find something you are good at and strive for your best,” he said

Lee stayed after the seminar for book signings and pictures.

Lee currently resides in Connecticut and is the Chief Emeritus for Scientific Services for the State of Connecticut and an occasional lecture professor of forensic science at the University of New Haven, where he has helped to set up the Henry C. Lee Forensic Institute. He is also a visiting professor at the East China University of Political Science and Law. Previously, he has served as Connecticut's Commissioner of Public Safety, the Director of the Connecticut State Police Forensic Science Laboratory, and as the state’s chief criminologist from 1979 to 2000.

For more information on Lee and to purchase his videos and/or books, visit http://www.drhenrylee.com.