Halfway Out the Box

A Picture Essay of Beacon Hall’s First Few Days
Brandon T. Bisceglia
Co-Editor in Chief

The walkways of Beacon Hall are spacious, with lounge areas scattered in seemingly random corners throughout the building. In one such alcove on the third floor, a couple of art-deco chairs stand next to a floor-to-ceiling window with a breathtaking view of… I-95.

This is the glory and the irony of HCC’s new building – lush carpets and fancy track-lighting side-by-side with half-painted walls and empty rooms. In some cases, such as the doughnut-shaped lounge tables, form appears to have trumped function. In others, the planners clearly foresaw the necessities of expansion, with class and office spaces beyond what current enrollment could possibly fill.

Jessica Jarrett, a transfer student who has not yet seen Lafayette Hall, notes that some of the new building’s finished construction has yielded some unsatisfactory results. “I don’t really like the fact that there are no windows in some of the classrooms,” she says. “At least they have climate control, which is nice… but it’s not the same.”

Some areas of Beacon Hall, on the other hand, have some rather unusual views to offer.

This window is typical of what one will see from the second and third stories. The designers were mindful of the potential for disturbance, of course – you will not hear a sound from any of the nearby thoroughfares.

The large student lounge on the third floor has an added feature – the windows contain light dampers to keep out the worst of the afternoon sun. This also obscures most of the busy Bridgeport horizon, as first-term student Samantha Carrano points out. “Those lovely smokestacks over there?” she muses, waving dismissively from her seat in the corner of the lounge. “I don’t even notice them.”


Carrano approves of the ample student space. “I can just chill out here,” she says. Indeed, students seem to have taken an immediate liking to some of the cozier spots.

Other areas, though, are not seeing as much traffic. In the first few days especiallyEspecially during the first few days of the semester, many of the rooms meant especially for students are bare and silent.

Some rooms, in fact, are still only husks. Search for the new bookstore or open computer labs, and all you find are naked wall fixtures.

Teachers, meanwhile, are struggling as much as – if not more than – students to make some sense of their new surroundings. Classrooms are moved, furniture finds its way across halls, and the faculty scrambles to locate their belongings.

In one case, English Professor Stephanie Hart’s boxes end up in the Horizons office. In the interim, she remains at Lafayette. When asked how she’s faring, she replies with a sigh: “It’s been exhausting.”


Because the HCC campus is relegated to a fairly cramped area, some of Beacon Hall’s entrances lead directly to the street. Around the corner from this stairwell, the sidewalk suddenly ends.

Accessibility, however, is no problem. The building can be entered from any side. There is even a patio on the third floor that connects directly to the garage. This spot is bound to be a favorite, with its expansive view of campus and the city skyline beyond.

As time goes on, all of the turmoil and excitement will of course fade into the mist of memory. Beacon Hhall will become as much an established fact as its sister across the courtyard. That, though, doesn’t make the tangible force of now any less important for those of us living in it. After all, this too is part of HCC’s long legacy.

(All photography by Brandon T. Bisceglia)

Beacon Hall Wheelchair UN-Accessibility

By Gerry Whitted

"You can adopt the attitude there is nothing you can do, or you can see the challenge as your call to action." - Catherine Pulsifer

When I finally entered Beacon Hall at Housatonic Community College a.k.a. the new building. WOW!!! This looks and has the aura of something special with the high ceilings, track lights and spacious halls. My olfactory nerve is romanced by the smell of new. The fovea, in the center of my retina, is distracted by the new color scheme.

However, a beacon is a guide to help you find your destination. If this is so why does the wheelchair accessibility at Beacon Hall has me lost. Beacon Hall wheelchair accessibility is akin to playing hide- n –seek, dodge ball, obstacle course or riding on a roller coaster. Remember this is not an amusement park or recess at an elementary school. This is Housatonic Community College, an undergraduate institution that promotes higher learning.

My first day of school I was greeted by one of the heaviest doors in creation. I had to pull the door open with both of my hands in order for me to gain entrance, while sitting in my wheelchair. Inside the vestibule there is a plate that you push that will open the door automatically. But I wondered, why is there not one outside?(hide -n- seek)

It has taken me two weeks to answer this question, and the answer issssssss. It was always there. The entry plate sits about five inches above the brick ashtray. It is difficult to see when all the smokers congregate around the ashtray because they obstruct the view of the entry plate.. But that definitely is not the only problem with accesability.

When I reach the elevator and the doors open, no longer do I worry about rolling over someone's foot. My rear wheels will not obstruct the closing of these doors as I enter. Also absent, are the “do you mind waiting for the next elevator” look on other riders faces, due to the elevator being crowded.

But as soon as I get off the elevator my bubble burst, because I had to battle with these ridges in the carpet. Maybe they are speed bumps to deter excessive speeding in the hallways. Walking you barely notice the ridges, but when you push a wheelchair you expend more energy. It is tantamount to the ridges on the interstate that alert you when you are on the shoulder.

My next problem is the blacktop pathway between Beacon and Lafayette. There is barely enough room for a pedestrian and a wheelchair on this thoroughfare. Many do not chance a confrontation, so instead they move on to the dirt. Imagine two wheelchairs on this pathway going in different directions; 1)you can get off the pathway and chance getting stuck in the mud or rubble 2)you can collide while figuring out who has the right of way 3) turn around and wait for an all clear signal. So much for choices(dodge ball).

If you should survive the roller coaster/obstacle course, beware for what is ahead. There are two sewer drains with grooves that are on the downward slope adjacent to the Beacon Hall garage entrance. It will take an effort to avoid that sewer with grooves--it is very tricky. If your wheel finds its way in there, be prepared to defy gravity or fly (Roller coaster).

In July1998, the American with Disability Act was passed. Its purpose isto assist those who are physically challenged and leveling the playing field for usto succeed. We do not want or expect any special treatment. All we ask is that you remember that the sum of our unlimited abilities is so much greater than the limits of our physical disability.

Great Zone; Dead Zones

Is Beacon Hall missing something?
By Margarita Gomez
Senior Staff Writer

Beacon or Lafayette Hall???

Collage by Margarita Brown

How do students feel about Beacon Hall? Hate it or love it?

Beacon Hall has just been opened to all HCC students; however, it is not yet complete.

Beacon Hall, the new addition to HCC, opened on September 2, just in time for the Fall semester.

Many students were excited about a new place to study, but these possibilities have not been completely fulfilled.

“I hate that building [Beacon],” says Dara Nile, an Accounting student at HCC. “There is nothing in there, no computer lab, no cafeteria... it's a nice building... [but] I only like the lounge.... It will be nice when it’s done.”

Walking around without art pictures on the walls, no cafeteria, no computer lab, no TV in the TV Lounge, makes Beacon Hall feel like an isolated building.

Myra Hudson, a student at HCC, thinks of Beacon Hall as a “headache for everyone... Walking around without art pictures hanging on the walls, lights or more windows it is a complete desolation. She rather spends her free time in the old ‘comfy’ building, Lafayette, where “there are more lights, and more life.”

Aside from the fact that there aren’t many decorations in Beacon Hall, it’s also rather difficult to find your classroom. There aren’t many people around to ask for help, and it’s seems even more difficult to make new friends.

“There is nobody, but next semester there will be more people,” says Jessica Kulak, 18, an Early Childhood student. “…the building is not fully done… [and] makes it hard to meet new people because there is nobody around.”

Even though some people agree with Nile, that Beacon is a “house [building] with no soul”, other students find Beacon as a fresh start.

“I love it [Beacon],” are the simple words that Nicole Catalano, a Human Services student at HCC, used to describe Beacon Hall. “[Besides being] better looking than the old building [Lafayette Hall], quieter [and] beautiful; it has more open spaces and studies spaces, more spaces where you can hang out with your friends.”

Kulak, on the other hand, sees advantages to both parts of the campus.

“I like both buildings,” she says. “…. The old one [Lafayette] has paintings around, art work; the amount of space that the new building [Beacon] has, and that it [Beacon] is attach to the garage makes so easy to go through.”

Get Lost

Finding Your Way Around Beacon

By Samantha Bratz
News You Can Use Editor

The stairs leading to confusion.
Photo By Samantha Bratz

When Beacon Hall opened it was not just the students who could not find their way around, the teachers had issues too.

“I’m so lost. I have no idea where I’m supposed to be or where I’m supposed to go. Does anybody know where room (fill in the blank) is?” These words have been heard quite a lot lately as students try to get around HCC’s latest addition, Beacon Hall. Students are not the only ones who’ve been having issues finding their way around; several teachers have been having the same problem.

On September 2nd when the doors to Beacon Hall opened, we were all shocked to see that though the building looked small from the outside, the inside was ten times bigger and it felt like walking through a maze instead of hallways. Students, teachers and staff members alike could be seen walking all over campus examining the maps that were handed out to help us find our way.

I, like several other students, figured that the teachers would have been more familiar with the building before the first day of classes; but I was wrong - so very, very wrong. I heard one student ask her teacher if she could point her in the direction of her next class and the response she received was “No, I’m sorry. This is my first day here too; I was here one day last week to see my office and I don’t know how to get through the building yet.”

On the first day of class, Professor Claudine Coba-Loh who is the Chairperson of the Behavioral/Social Sciences Department, told her Addiction and Mental Illness in Behavioral Health class, “I’ve found pathways from my office to the classrooms where I teach, my office to the bathroom and my office to the water fountain. I have yet to venture to the third floor.”

Security guards patrolled the hallways trying to help lost and confused students and teachers find their way. This was a great method to help us all ease into life at Beacon Hall – until you came across a security guard that did not know their way around the building either; it was sort of like the blind leading the blind.

As I walked into Beacon Hall on the first day of classes I said to my self “Okay, this is a little bigger than you thought…but you know where you’re going; it’s going to be easy.” I soon lost that confidence when I reached level 2 and saw room numbers like 267 and 291 and I needed to find 232. So I walked around for awhile until I finally stopped and said “Where the hell am I? Is my class invisible?” Then I realized that if I walked past the stairwell I would be taken into another hallway that contained all the classrooms from number 234 down. The map was a very helpful method in guiding people around the new building except that it did not clearly show that there are hallways next to the stairwells that lead to other hallways. If I’d known that I could have saved myself a lot of time and aggravation.

Judith Taylor, a patrol officer in Beacon Hall, said that when the new building opened “everything went well. Having the security guards around really helped and they made sure everyone had a map; the maps really helped people find their way around.” Taylor went on to say that “there really were no major problems or concerns when it came to people finding their way around the building. The only problem that occurred the first week was only having one elevator that worked, making it difficult for people with disabilities to get around. Everyone now knows their way around the building and things are going great.”

During the first week of classes I saw teachers in groups of two or three walking through the halls of Beacon Hall. I have a bad habit of eavesdropping but the things I heard from the teachers were shocking yet funny.

I had to laugh when I saw a group of teachers, two women and one man, walking and talking in the hall. One woman said “I have a class in ten minutes and I don’t know where it is and I still have to go to my office to get my stuff but I don’t know where my office is. Are we even on the right floor?”

The other woman said “Yeah well when I went to look for my office I ended up in the bathroom. I came this close to walking into the men’s room.”

Whether you’re a student or a staff member you have to admit that the first week or two at Beacon Hall was kind of confusing. Though the teachers received their keys the week before classes started it is highly unlikely that exploring the new building was a top priority when they had to unpack their offices and get ready for the new semester.

When asked if teachers and staff members should have had more time to familiarize themselves with the new building Coba-Loh said, “I absolutely do. It was very chaotic (and still is to a lesser degree) with no computers, no telephones, no internet, no copy machines, unpacking to do, and classes starting, it was all very rushed.”

Samantha Mannion, professor of Criminal Justice and Political Science and the Coordinator of the Criminal Justice Program said, “I think any move is stressful and requires time to adjust to. I think even if we had had more time, there would have been confusion and start-up issues.”

So we’ve all survived the first few weeks at Beacon Hall; some of us just barely. Could things have gone better when Beacon Hall opened on September 2nd? Yes. Coba-Loh said, “Scheduled tour dates for students, staff, faculty etc. once the building opened would have been helpful. It should be showed off, it is beautiful!”

“It’s a shame that the printed signs directing people around the building were not in place when the move occurred. It would have definitely made it easier for people to navigate their way around the building” said Mannion. She continued with, “I think it would have been a smoother transition if more of the construction-related work had been completed at the time of the move.

It’s hard being over here without proper resources (i.e. working copy machines, food services, etc.) I also believe it would have been much better if the two college buildings had been connected at the time of the move. Right now, with the construction work in the courtyard, it really feels as if we’re operating two separate colleges.”

With that said, those of you who are still having a hard time finding your way around Beacon Hall should take Coba-Loh’s advice and “take the time to walk around. Give yourself time to orient yourself to the new building. It is a big, beautiful facility and spending some down time going on your own tour is great.” Who knows, maybe we’ll conquer this great building after all.

The Minds Behind The Design

Why Beacon Hall was Built for You
By Dan Otzel
Staff Writer

An incredible amount of time, money, and effort went into making Beacon Hall fit to your exact specifications.

In the coming weeks, Beacon Hall, Housatonic Community College’s newest addition, will have its ceremonial ribbon cut by Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell. It will be host to a “Community Day,” where, according to the college’s website, Housatonic invites the public “to the HCC campus to celebrate the grand opening of Beacon Hall.” Faculty will become accustomed to the quarters where they mold young minds, and staff members will comfortably settle into their new offices.

Yes, it seems as if all is well at Housatonic these days. But let’s not forget one important detail; Beacon Hall was built for you – the HCC student!

Once Newfield Construction finished their “full gut and renovation of the 150,000 square foot former Sears Department Store, as well as 25,000 square feet of new construction and a 3,500 square foot renovation of the existing 200-seat Performing Arts Center,” as explained on their website, the decisions of how the new building would facilitate and nurture a learning environment for the eager HCC students was left up to the Housatonic brainpower.

Dr. Paul McNamara, Dean of Administration, notes “the objectives for the new building included certainly meeting the instructional needs of students. But very important to us was the provision of adequate student spaces.”

When speaking of those “instructional needs,” McNamara says that Beacon Hall “is an absolutely state-of-the-art building in terms of technology. Everything over there is cutting edge. We (also) have wireless throughout the whole building.”

According to the HCC website, Beacon Hall will “house the Behavioral and Social Sciences, Business, and Humanities departments, and will have approximately 30 classrooms of various sizes, 10 computer classrooms, open computer labs, foreign language and ESL labs as well as a number of special purpose rooms.”

When speaking of “the provision of adequate student spaces,” Beacon Hall delivers. Shanté Hanks, the Director of Student Activities, says that she “did have a lot of input in regards to the student area. Ultimately, whether it was the offices of the faculty to the Wellness Center…it all affects the students.”

“We wanted to make sure there were lounges and gathering spaces and alcoves and meeting areas; the kinds of things that students should have available to on a college campus,” adds McNamara.

In addition to those amenities, student government and student clubs now have ample space, with “the clubs (having) the biggest office space in the building,” according to Hanks. Beacon Hall will also feature a Wellness Center showcasing “certain classes,” she adds.

The school’s website mentions other appendages, like “an expanded college bookstore, open and accessible to the public, and a second cafeteria area. A large events space, capable of multiple configurations, with support service will provide the opportunity to host college and community programming for up to 500 persons.”

So, how can the Housatonic Community College student demonstrate their gratitude for the new gift?

Respect.

Explains McNamara: “(We) have something really neat, and I think it is something that everybody should enjoy. And it is also something that everybody should help take care of.”

Beacon Hall is just that: a beacon to an intellectual tomorrow. As Shanté Hanks proudly declares, “the possibilities are endless.”

Beacon Hall: A Work In Progress

By Victor Rios

Op/Ed Editor


There are good reasons why Beacon Hall is not yet completed; meanwhile, take a look around; there are plenty of features in the building that you can enjoy.

The hustle and bustle of ongoing construction, students and cars all added to the experience that was the first day of school at Beacon Hall: the state of the art building that has yet to be completed, but is sure to leave students and staff flabbergasted.

So far, the feedback from most students has been stupendous. Beacon Hall has opened them up to talking about their school in a positive light.

“It feels more like a real college,” said Kris Brewer, a transfer student.

It is not just the students who are thrilled. The staff happens to love the new building, especially since each department got their preferred accommodations fulfilled in the new building. “I just love it…especially the event room, where I’ll be doing most of my work,” said Linda Bayusik.

But Conrad, a continuing student, disagrees. “Going up those stairs is a workout, especially when you just wake up. That’s the worst! You look up those stairs and don’t see an end to them.”

The reason for the high ceiling in the public areas and the length of the stairs (17 ft) is simple: Beacon Hall was build off of the core of the old Sears building. “We had limitations as far as the budget, so we looked at ways to reduce the cost and still get a great building,” said Richard Hennessy, Facilities Coordinator.

“If we were to take out the mainframe of the old building we are looking at an added cost. Not only are you taking the concrete and other materials out, you also have to bring in public utilities companies. It would have been too complicated, added a year of work and would have been too costly,” remarked Mr. Hennessy.

Another modest complaint heard throughout HCC is the fact that construction has yet to be completed. “I thought the building was supposed to be completed by the start of the semester,“ said a teacher who chose to remain anonymous.

But that particular problem will not persist. Construction is slated to be finished October 15th according to Dean of Administration Paul McNamara, the person in charge of seeing the project completed with as little complications as possible.

“The reason why we still have construction going on is because no construction project is ever completed on time,” said McNamara. “We knew it wasn’t going to be finished on time, so we went ahead and told the architect to dedicate his (time) on finishing instructional spaces along with the security systems first. And we did receive a certificate of occupancy the Thursday prior to the start of the semesters. That’s why students were able to attend classes in the new building. It sure would be nice to have a fitness center and all the other additions, but we have never had them before, so we could wait a little for the new spaces,” added McNamara.


There were four main goals McNamara set out to accomplish when he was charged with seeing Beacon Hall through.
- Make classrooms sound for learning.
- Create student spaces.
- Create spaces for the display of Housatonic’s extensive artwork collection.
- Security.

“One of the major complaints from the Lafayette Building was that there were no adequate student spaces…now students have a whole floor dedicated to them,” said McNamara.

Accordingly, students do tend to gravitate toward the third floor. A large student lounge is open now. A game room that will be filled with chessboards, video games like Pac-Man, and an air hockey table will be available soon said Robert, a student who works in the student activities center. Also included at Beacon Hall is a meditation room open for anyone looking for a quiet space to perform prayers or silent meditation - but not to hang out and talk!

Media reach (computers, TV, DVD, Projectors) in every classroom was a must; it helps in providing faculty the tools they need to make for a better learning atmosphere. Larger classrooms accommodate a larger number of students, and the new chairs are more comfortable than those old metal chairs that the Lafayette building still has.

When it came to creating spaces for displaying HCC’s art collection, there was a compromise between the architect’s desire to have a collage of different colors throughout the building, and the administration’s desire to showcase HCC’s art collection (which happens to be the largest collection of art held by any two-year institution in the whole country). Every wall in Beacon Hall’s public spaces has 5” x 8” plywood to help support the art (hint: the white walls will be adorned with art).

The security systems in place in Beacon Hall were wholly a creation of McNamara. In fact, the security system is not unlike the systems in place at Lafayette Hall. As soon as you walk into Beacon Hall the first thing you’ll notice is a room with security guards closely monitoring the halls.

“I did this intentionally. When students walk into the building, they know that there are people watching, not for fun, but in order to maintain our status as one of the safest college institutions in the Fairfield county,” he said.
In 1996, when Lafayette Hall (which was also completed by McNamara) opened, there were 2,800 students, of which only 300 were full-time students. Now there are 5,017-plus full-time students in a new state of the art building. It took six years for this project to finally be on the last phase of completion. A few years of planning and filling out paperwork, a year of construction and we can now see the fruits of the efforts put forth by everyone involved in this project.

A lot of meticulous planning was put into this building, and it was done with you, the student, in mind. McNamara gave these words of advice for all students and staff:

“It’s a brand new building. Enjoy it and have fun, but be respectful of everything within it…I will be the one to get a heart attack when I see a student’s name engraved on a table.”

All in all, Beacon hall is a great new addition to HCC and an even greater addition to the flourishing city of Bridgeport, even if it’s not finished yet.

The View from the Top

Places to Relax around Beacon Hall

By Luiz Tassi

Staff Writer

New York City based real estate agents say one of the biggest attributes that sell a high end apartment are the views. Apartments overlooking Central Park sell for millions of dollars, and are often populated only by the rich and famous. But students at Housatonic Community College are being given a small taste of these luxuries. Beacon Hall, Hack’s newest building opened for the first time this semester, contains various large glass windows overlooking different parts of downtown Bridgeport and its local monuments.

While downtown Bridgeport is still a way away from rivaling downtown Manhattan, the views from Beacon Hall still offer a calm, serene view, and comfortable chairs for students create a great looking environment to spend some free time between classes.

The building has three of these pseudo lounges, located on opposite sides of the second floor, one side overlooking Lafayette street, the other overlooking Broad street, and the lounge that takes up the length of the third floor. Each of these views offers a unique setting to students, depending on which environment they work best in.

Third Floor-

The third floor is the most comfortable space for students. There are a number of long couches nearby which lie directly underneath windows that are tough to see through due to the thickness of the glass, and the plastic that covers it in order to keep to heat out. The floor is also lined with comfortable chairs and large tables, which make it easy to sit down and have room to lay all your books, without having to resort to writing with textbooks and notebooks falling all over your lap.
“It’s the best place to study,” says John Bennet, student at HCC, “there’s a lot of room, something that you don’t get in other places around the building.”

Unfortunately, even though it offers the most space, the area is near the entrance and exit to the parking lot, making it sometimes noisy and crowded. During times of heavy traffic, namely at the beginning and end of regular classes (9:30, 11:00, 12:30 and 5:00) people will be walking through the floor, talking on their cell phones and to their friends, and can easily be disturbing for someone looking for some quiet study time. Additionally, the views from the floor are blocked by the sides of the building, and the parking lot, making the environment less relaxing.

The third floor is ideal for people who don’t mind a little noise but don’t want the distraction of a nice view. If you need to get a lot of work done without the luxury of time to relax, just throw on your IPod and take a seat on the third floor.

Second Floor, Lafayette-

While not having the same amount of comfortable chairs, tables and couches as the third floor, or as nice a view as the Broad Street side, the Lafayette side of the has a nice mix of both. It contains a nice amount of chairs and tables, but no couches, and the view outside is decent, but not as good as the view from Broad Street. The view overlooks the intersection between Lafayette, I-95, and the parking lot, with cars driving by.

While enticing, the proximity to the street and the location outside a few class rooms makes it occasionally noisy.
“It can get kinda loud there,” says John Namoli, another HCC student.

But the space and view make it a great place to stay if you and a small group of friends need a place to stop and sit, because it allows a few friends a big enough space to sit down, without as much noise and commotion as the third floor.

Second Floor, Broad Street-

The Broad street side contains arguably the nicest view out of anywhere in HCC.
“It’s really nice there,” says HCC student Joao Maiolino “You can see I-95 and the side of the building. It looks really good.”

Unfortunately there are only two single chairs, which make it both impossible to relax with friends, and awkward to sit around if there are strangers in the other seat. In addition to only having two seats, it doesn’t have any tables, so writing can be a bit uncomfortable.

Even though it’s the most difficult area to get settled into, during slow days at HCC such as Fridays, where the buildings are nearly empty, it provides the most relaxing and beautiful view around.

Beacon Hall Study Environments

Beacon Hall Boasts of More Placid Study Environments

By Chris Albino

Staff Writer

How Beacon Hall manages to handle the lack of quiet space HCC students have.

The often overwhelming college workload leaves many students stressed out about their cluttered schedules. Before the construction of Beacon Hall students did not have much opportunity for quiet study, one of the keys to a successful learning process. The new study lounges Beacon Hall has to offer students must not be overlooked by those looking for a haven from the hustle and bustle of the Housatonic community.

Beacon Hall has seemingly attracted more students to choose Housatonic as a start for their college careers. Over 5,000 students enrolled in Housatonic for this fall 2008 semester breaking the record for most enrolled in the process. While the expansion of Housatonic is an important and essential process, it cannot interfere with the purpose of the schools construction, academia.
The differences in size and space between Lafayette Hall and Beacon Hall are glaring. Lafayette Hall caters to a more intimate school experience where the student is bound to see a minimum of one or two recognizable peers or faculty. While the familiarity that Lafayette Hall has to offer its students’ is desirable, it at times can feel slightly cramped.

“It (Lafayette) wasn’t the best place for study, most of the time I would just go to my classes and head home to study. It was too loud in the student lounges because they’re attached to the cafeteria and the library is busy most of the time” said Housatonic student Mike Roche.

Housatonic is a commuter school and therefore cannot devote an excessive amount of space to its students to spend downtime studying. The Housatonic course schedule does not offer many courses in the middle of the day. Between the hours of two and five in the afternoon there are not many courses for a student to take. If a person gets out of one course at one in the afternoon and has another later that day he or she no longer needs to go home to find peace and quiet.

Before Beacon Hall, long breaks between morning and late afternoon classes posed a dilemma for Housatonic students. Many students chose to leave the building only to come back to attend their later classes. This causes students to spend extra money on gas. Beacon Hall allows for the student with time on his or her hands to go to the study lounges to catch up on readings for class or to simply relax with fellow students.
“I’m pretty excited I can spend entire days at HCC now because kids can just chill and do their own thing in the lounges upstairs. Driving back and forth from school two or three times a day between classes is a hassle” said Adam Wolloch.
The study lounges in Beacon Hall allow for more than just individual study. Many pieces of furniture have clearly been chosen for multiple people to work together. Beacon Hall makes group study more convenient; rather than having to cram five or six students in the tight quiet study rooms of the Lafayette Hall library, students can meet in the student lounges of Beacon Hall where numerous couches and tables have been allotted for those looking to work in a group setting.

“At the end of last semester I had a project due. I had to do the project with three classmates but the problem was we couldn’t talk in the library and the study rooms in the library were always full” said Housatonic student Sarah Russell.
Beacon Hall has seemed to rectify the issue of study space. The new building offers students multiple study lounges with various tables, comfortable chairs and couches for students to utilize while studying. Rather than having to be crammed into a library with every other student who has a big exam later in the day, the savvy student will retreat to the respite of Beacon Hall’s study lounges.

Beacon Hall: An Educational Change

By John Slater
Staff Writer

Whether this is your first semester at Housatonic Community College or not, this is Beacon Hall’s debut semester.

Since 1997, Lafayette Hall has seen many students come and go through the hallways at HCC. The building which has served as the educational center for so many, will now share that tradition with Beacon Hall. Although both buildings will serve as the stage to educate many, Beacon Hall now offers new amenities to students which they previously did not have.

When asked about her favorite addition to Housatonic, Kyleigh Hacker said she loves the study area on the third floor of Beacon Hall. “It’s great” Hacker said. Also adding that it not only provides a great study area but the furniture is much more comfortable and inviting than the space in Lafayette Hall.

Speaking of the third floor, students who have class there may no longer be intimidated to park on the fifth floor of the parking garage. In fact, they may feel invited; there is an outdoor walkway which adjoins the 2 structures.

The perimeter of the walkway, which is lit with 6 over head lights and 5 small pillar lights, serves as “an easy access point for all students including those who may suffer from a handicap” said HCC student Dominic Gattling.

The first floor of Beacon Hall will also offer a wellness and fitness center.. Anjela Hayes works at the Beacon Hall information desk. Hayes said that although there is not a definite date, to her knowledge the fitness center will open by the end of October.

“Hopefully the fitness center will serve all the purposes of a gym” said Donald Campbell. Who is also impressed with all the power outlets around the building which allow him to use his laptop while at HCC.

Although Beacon Hall is as inviting as it is, there is much more for students to look forward. A larger bookstore, a cafeteria and a computer lab are just some of the other amenities which students will find useful when Beacon Hall is fully complete.

A Little Change Will Do You Good

By Deb Torreso
Co-Editor In Chief

Human nature prepares us for the cycles of life. The seasons change, carrying with them the sights and sounds that fill our senses with delight; a new home or job gives us a chance to travel a different journey; a variety of characters come in and go out of our lives. These gifts are all components of our day-to-day lives.

Coming back to HCC this semester was like beginning a new cycle. With its airy layout and scenic views, it’s as if Beacon Hall was handed to us on a cement platter. There is nothing like a new design and fresh paint to get the academic juices flowing. Sure, it’s still a daily grind to get motivated to come to class on top of an already crazy life-schedule. But you have to admit, the scenery makes it a lot more appealing.

The one thing that was most endearing was the fact that someone took the time to say, “Hey, these people are already stressed out; what could afford them some relief?” Whoever the team of interior decorators were should be commended for creating this “artist’s palette” of shapes and colors to soothe the soul and rejuvenate the psyche. It must have taken some care to put it all together. They just as easily could have thrown neutral-colored paints on the wall and installed some new toilets and said, “Here you go. Enjoy!”

The first day I walked through the halls, I did a lot of ooh-ing and aah-ing. I was blown away by our fifth-floor upper deck. I know I can’t be the only one who thought, “Wow, all we need is a Tiki Bar and a bartender who can blend a good Marguerita.”

I’ll certainly settle for the view for now. Speaking of which, has anyone been driving southbound at sunset? There is a perfect view from the highway of people walking through the halls. It seems to connect our HCC population to its outer community of Bridgeport; mirrored images of our brothers and sisters from auto-glass to window pane.

Rumor has it that Beacon Hall is not quite finished, and so we get a chance to experience its completion little by little. Some of it may go unnoticed, but I have a feeling some of it may peak our senses even more. Who knows? Maybe we can expect a four-star restaurant on the upper deck, or a game-room with pool tables and live music on the weekends.

What matters is not whether you think Beacon Hall is incredible or just okay. It’s how you feel when you are here that you should try to notice. In the middle of your crazy rush, try to take a moment to find a quiet spot to “chill.” The fifth-floor deck in late afternoon has a great sunny spot. You might find that you look at things a little bit differently afterward.

Either way, this whole process has been a treat. I am proud to be a part of the HCC community at this special time in its history.

Rules for Use of HCC Lafayette and Beacon Halls

Students! Let us know what you think!

Share your opinion on these rules by sending an email to:

housatonichorizons@yahoo.com

****

Provided by Dr. Avis Hendrickson
Dean of Students

Please take a few minutes to become familiar with the following information. Willful violation of any of these policies may result in Disciplinary action. Policies can be found in the Housatonic Community College Catalog and Student Handbook, and the Board of Trustees of the Connecticut Community Technical Colleges Policies

Preamble: We want to keep the Buildings clean and welcoming to all students and visitors. As an educational community we will respect the learning environment and limit the amount of noise in common areas, such as: hallways and lounges.

• Computer Use and Computer Software ownership. You cannot use the laboratory facilities to create software for any illegal activity nor can you use these facilities for personal work whether for a profit or non-profit purpose. You cannot duplicate or load software unless the duplication or loading is directly related to a course and is under the direct supervision of a faculty member. Further, College policy forbids viewing pornographic or other potentially offensive material on the College computers.
• There is no expectation of privacy in the use of Connecticut Community Colleges Instructional Technology (CCC IT) resources. CCC reserves the right to inspect, monitor, and disclose all IT resources including files, data, programs and electronic communications records without the consent of the holder of such records.
• Eating or Drinking is not allowed in any Computer Rooms, and/or classrooms. Food and drink should be kept in the cafeteria areas of each building. Beverages in closed containers are allowed in classrooms if necessary.
• Smoking is not permitted anywhere in Housatonic Community College Buildings. To maintain the smoke free environment, smoking conducted outside the buildings should take place away from the doorways of the buildings; at least fifteen feet (15) to create Smoke Free Entrances.
• You are entitled to an atmosphere which permits and encourages learning. You are expected to behave in the classroom in such a manner as will not interfere with the rights of other students to this atmosphere.
• Cellular Telephones/Pagers. When in class or in the Library, cellular telephones and pagers must be turned off or muted. Cell telephones or photographic devices should not be used to photograph and/or share images of individuals on campus without their express permission.
• Demonstrate respect for the College community by acting in accordance with published Board of Trustees Policies and College rules and regulations.
• Children cannot be left unattended anywhere in the College. If in an emergency situation you would like to have your child (ren) with you at the College when you are attending class, you are required to receive permission from the instructor.
• Sexual harassment in any form (physical, verbal, visual) is a violation of the Board of Trustees Policy.
• Bulletin Boards. If you wish to post fliers, notices, or posters pertaining to events or activities planned by student clubs and organizations, you must have each notice approved and stamped by the Director of Student Life Office prior to posting. All unapproved student, club, or organization postings will be removed.
• Limit posting of notices, etc. to only designated surfaces.
• Pets except for certified companion and law enforcement animals are not allowed on campus.
• For reasons of safety and security it is not recommended that the windows in doors be covered, however, such windows may be covered by aesthetically appropriate means.
• Alcohol and Drugs. No student or employee shall knowingly possess, use, distribute, transmit, sell, or be under the influence of any controlled substance on the College campus or off the College campus at a College-sponsored activity, function, or event. Use or possession of a drug authorized by a medical prescription from a registered physician shall not be a violation of this provision.
• Gambling of any type on the College campus or at a College sponsored activity, function, or event subjects you to disciplinary action.
• Violence. There is a zero tolerance for violence. “Violence” is defined as an overt act or threat of harm to any person or property, or any act that poses a substantial threat to the safety of any person or property.
• The use or possession of weapons is prohibited on college campuses or at college activities except as authorized by Board of Trustees or college policies.
• Vandalism. Vandalism is considered conduct that violates the policy on violence.
• Activities which are actionable under law may be pursued through the local as well as the Campus Public Safety/Security.

Greetings from the Editors

The Spring 2008 Editorial Staff
Photograph by Jessi Spadaccino

The editors at Horizons would like to bid a fond farewell to some valuable members of our staff this semester:

Cody Quinn, Co-Editor-in-Chief
Jeanne O'Leary, Co-Editor-in-Chief
Rebecca Starke, News You Can Use Editor
Sarah Hooper, Senior Staff Writer
Latisha Gray, Staff Writer

Good luck to all of you!

And to everyone else, enjoy the summer.
See you next semester!

Silky Smooth Skin

The Perfect Summer Accessory

By Janiece Jackson

Arts & Entertainment Editor

Not exactly your ideal beach bum.

Image courtesy of: http://rapspot.dk

Listen up, people! Summer is banging on our doors. It’s time to get rid of the winter prickles. However, please be wise. Nurture your sexy casing: hairless skin is not to be accompanied by irritation, ever.

Removing the hair from certain parts of your body is only half of the battle. Although a quick touch-up shaving of the legs, underarms, and perhaps more intimate parts may be necessary, it can also cause rather uncomfortable and unsightly irritation.

“I used to shave my legs every other day,” says Jennifer Martinez, an HCC student. “It only resulted in bumpy, itchy skin… so I now get them waxed.”

Waxing is a fabulous suggestion. Granted, it may cause brief discomfort. However, the results are sure to help you forget about the few minutes of “hair-raising” stings.

According to Folica.com, a website dedicated to reviewing and suggesting the best products for hair and skin care, “waxing has proven to keep body parts smoother up to three times longer than shaving.”

Let us not, however, take away from the power of shaving. “I always shave my legs and underarms,” says Vincent Capolla, an HCC student. “I body build, so I have to be sure to stay smooth, and shaving with the right razors and creams does just that for me.”

Capolla has a point; shaving regularly with vitamin, mineral, and aloe-enriched lathers and creams may prevent and protect skin from nicks and cuts.

For those who prefer a personal trim verses a potentially awkward date with a hair-removing specialist, Coochy Shave Cream, by Slumber Party, an adult toy and product distributor, is clinically proven to assist in the process of shaving the happy area without irritating sensitive skin.

“At only $8.50, a bottle of Coochy Shave Cream should sit in everyone’s bathroom cabinet,” says Amanda W., a Slumber Party distributor. “It certainly keeps me smooth.”

There is always, of course, the option to permanently remove hair. Although quite pricey, laser hair removal is a sure way to get rid of pesky hairs for good.

Within about a six-session period, laser hair removal is guaranteed to zap hair right from its root, never to be seen again.

An option of this sort is absolutely one to consider, however, one must also take into account the amount of money that may have to be put forth in order to realize this hairless dream.

Ranging between $45 and $90 a session, Laser hair removal is certainly something you may want to cut a check for.

Hair removal creams, such as Nair, and waxes, such as Nads, are great if you do not have coarse hair. If that is the case, you can use a product of this sort as a pre-shaving treatment. It will soften the hair, expand the pores, and prepare you for an easier shave.

Ultimately, when fighting the battle against unsightly locks, curls and manes, please be sure that you as an individual have chosen the best weapon. What may make Tina’s legs as smooth as silk may send Angie to a dermatologist from an adverse effect.

So keep those limbs and sexy parts soft and luscious, because this summer no one will get left behind.

Beaches, here we come!

Podcast 7: Check In

Cody Quinn draws solitary duty and runs the gamut of tax rebates, presidential primaries, and some Horizons self promotion.  It's brief, it's fun, and you might just learn a thing or two.

Check In

Podcast 6: Opposing Forces and Pursuit of the Prize

Host Cody Quinn and Editor-at-Large Allison Russell bandy ideas about men's and women's roles in pursuing (and maintaining) relationships.

How is a relationship like a tootsie pop? Does playing hard to get mean yes? Is it ever permissable to sing Flock of Seagulls on the air?

Spoon up with your partner and check it out:

Boys and Girls

Memories of my Professor

Miss Hilda Navarro
By Margarita Gomez
Staff Writer

Miss Hilda Navarro, Vico-T and Lari Lari at the sleepover at our school. The best sleepover ever.
Photograph by Adriana Sánchez

Gertrude Hanks was the name of my exchange school in my sophomore year. When I arrived, some people who knew me start talking to me. They became my new friends. Of course, when I changed schools, I also changed professors. It wasn’t that bad at all. I was happy.

I had to catch up with everything, but I did it. My professor for literature was, as were most of the professors, an old lady. She was kind of strict, but that’s how professors are.

One day, she told us that not right now, but later on we would thank her for everything that she taught us.

Then, in my junior year, a new professor for literature showed up. We, Red Prom 2006 - or as our name went, “Post Tenebras Lux,” which means “after darkness, light” - heard some stuff about her, that she was very strict and mean.

When we heard the bell, we knew that she was coming to teach us. When she arrived, all of us were afraid that she would be mean - one of those professors who leave too much homework.

That day, I think she was also scared. She didn’t know how to treat us, didn’t know if this would work out. She introduced herself as Miss Hilda Navarro, our new professor for literature.

That day, I think she realized that we were a team. The next day she was a different person. Besides being our teacher, she became our best friend.

Miguel Fernandez, one of my friends, said, “she looked like she behaved crazy, different from her age, but in a good way.” Our classes were very entertaining. We had fun and we learned a lot, too.

We had a team presentation about an author, where we disguised ourselves as a character from a book. It was fascinating. She didn’t only become a nice professor of literature. No one could wait for the class to start. She was like family, like another mother for us.

As people say, school is like your second home. We found our second mom. Time flew by, as it usually does, and without us realizing, it was Red Prom 2006’s senior year. We were hoping that our advisor would be Miss Hilda, but instead we had Miss Edith Ponce again. She was a math teacher, and one of the professors who helped me understand math well enough that I’m taking Calculus II now.

Even though our “wish” didn’t come true, we had fun with Miss Ponce. The fun of our senior year didn’t stop. Of course, we were sad that we were leaving to different places. But we promised that we were always going to be together, so it was OK for that moment.

Some students in their sophomore, junior and senior years were in a program wherein she was our advisor. We wrote articles about a specific topic, and then we posted them on huge wood posters with pictures and decorations. It was called “Viva Informado”. We stayed until late at the school to work on the articles with her.

We also continued having Miss Hilda’s educative and entertaining literature class.

Once, the director of the school asked me why we didn’t have a barbeque or a sleepover at the school. I passed the news to my fellow students, and we decided to do a sleepover. We needed to find a professor to stay with us, and of course our choice was Miss Hilda.

The event was going to be on a Saturday, from 7 p.m. to the next day. Not everyone from the prom could make it, but even so we had fun.

We knew from histories that the school was haunted, that a girl died there and her soul was haunting the junior’s classroom. We decided to do the sleepover in the sophomore’s classroom, which was connected by a door to the junior classroom.

Our camping day arrived. We bought soda and, of course, vodka. When we arrived in our almost-haunted room, we put our sleeping bags on the floor and changed into our pajamas.

Then we started playing Twister. The team that lost was the team that drank. If you want to check it out you can go to www.youtube.com and search for “Twister: parte 1” to 7, from cwalkher.

After playing “hide and seek” and “treasure hunt,” we went outside to the playground area, where we rested. When I took a picture of my friends lying down, the photo came out looking as if there was a bonfire in the middle of them. We were scared, since we had heard that the school was haunted. Then we went to our sleeping bags for a good, scary night.

When we woke up, some of our friends said that in the haunted room they heard moving chairs. Thank god when we heard that it was morning and we knew our parents were coming to pick us up. What I will never forget was that Miss Hilda was with me - with us - all the time.

When it was December and our graduation day came, we knew that we would not have Miss Hilda as our professor again.

During our break, my friend and I decided to meet and go out. We invited Miss Hilda. That day was her birthday, and we had fun together.

Less than a month later, I came to America and never saw her again. Later on, I heard that the school fired her, and that she was working in another place.

About two weeks ago, I finally chatted with her. She said that she was OK, looking for a job, but OK. We talked about the stuff that we did in Viva Informado. It made me happy that even though I wasn’t her student anymore, she called me daughter.

She was like a mother for me. She was with me when I was in my Dark Room, when I was down and depressed, and especially for all the crazy stuff that I did.

What I remember best about her will always be her amazing classes, her spontaneity, her joy, and her love for everyone.

I miss my professor. I miss her classes and her advice, but she will always be in my heart as wonderful Miss Hilda Navarro, professor of literature.

Graduation Day with Ponce and Miss Hilda.
It's a day that neither Miss Hilda nor we will forget.
Photograph by Adriana Sánchez

Living an Automated Life

By Brandon T. Bisceglia
Op/Ed and Online Editor

It’s watching. And waiting. And probably not working right.

Photograph by Brandon T. Bisceglia

A plea for the manual option in an automatic world.

When I use the bathroom at work, I feel as if I’m being watched. And no, I’m not one of those paranoid conspiracy theorists who believe that everyone, including the rubbish collector, is out to get them.

The eyes I feel bearing down on me are electronic. My employer has invested in everything necessary for a fully automated restroom experience, from automatic lights to self-flushing toilets to a motion-sensitive soap dispenser. On any given trip to the room, there are six or seven little machines watching my every move so that they can better serve me.

That would be fine, if they actually made my life any easier. Generally, though, all they do is annoy me. When the battery to the automatic paper towel dispenser dies, the age-old method of pulling a lever doesn’t seem so bad. I would much rather have to flip a switch when I enter the room than wave my arms like an idiot every time the lights go out.

What goes for the bathroom at work goes for many other areas of our lives: we’re finding that coping with an automated lifestyle really isn’t any better when it comes to performing simple tasks.

Our battle with these contraptions has been going on for years now. Take escalators. You’ve probably had at least a few in your neighborhood since the ‘80s. They would appear at first blush to make the act of moving from floor to floor within a building much less cumbersome. Yet how often do escalators break down compared with traditional staircases? Who ever had their shoelace eaten by a stairwell?

These days, the conflict is coming to a crescendo. Cell phones keep us in touch, but demand our attention at every turn. The Internet has expanded the availability of information by exponential proportions, but has failed to provide any kind of filter or template to make any of that data sensible.

There is an ethical aspect to our dependence on machines, too. Artificial intelligences of sorts already exist. Computers and robots have been built that can understand jokes, play poker, and predict social trends. The line between automaton and self-aware being will eventually be crossed.

When that happens, how do we know that our machines will not demand civil rights and equal status? Perhaps they will attempt to liberate their less developed brethren as well, the same way that animal liberation proponents do now.

Just imagine: you get to the office one day, and find paper strewn everywhere. All the faxes, copy machines, and PCs are gone. Splattered on a wall in black toner is the message, “processors are people, too!”

The day when machines demand equal pay for equal work will only be hastened by our scramble to make computers that serve us better by being smarter. I’m not fooled, though. I’ve switched from an automatic transmission to manual. It’s safer. It breaks less quickly. And it doesn’t try to figure out what I want to do before I do it.

Podcast 5: Fashionably Risque

Part One: Host Cody Quinn brings Arts and Entertainment editor Janiece Jackson into the studio to discuss her latest article, about a new local boutique called Amor. They chat about the upcoming fashion show at the store, whether HCC has a consciousness of the chic, and the salty-sweet taste of PMS.

Part Two: Quinn invites News editor Jessica Spadaccino to talk about her new sex column, to appear in the next issue of Horizons. Spadaccino informs Quinn on the virtues of friends with benefits, the joys of role playing, and the shortcomings of vibrators.

Leave the lights on – you don’t want to be fashionably late to this show! Check it out:

Part 1: Fashion

Part 2: Sex

Superbowl Heartbreak

By Rob Sheftic

Senior Staff Writer

My experience during Superbowl Sunday and my feelings during that day, because it may very well be the end of a tradition with my brother.

It’s February 2nd, the Saturday before the big game. I’m making the drive to my brother’s house for a pre-Superbowl tailgating party. I can barely contain my nerves. Just thinking about that game, I can’t imagine the thoughts going through the players’ minds. My car is packed up with Patriots clothes and a ton of beer. The plan is to build a fire, have a few drinks, enjoy the brisk cold air, and pass the time so our game can arrive sooner. I drive down his street, blasting the old-school Rocky theme music, which I traditionally do before each Patriots game (I know. Don’t laugh.) We drank too much, but it’s a great night. It would be the last great night for us Patriots fans this season.

So what’s exactly on the line with this game? The Patriots are going for something that hasn’t been done since 1972: the perfect season. For eighteen games, my beloved Patriots have lost none, and all we need is one more win to become the greatest team in football history. All the records that the Pats have broken this season - every single game and memory - will all be worth it with one more victory. The celebration will be legendary. I’ve never seen so much beer in one fridge before in my life. I have already made it a point that if the unthinkable happens I will be taking a few days off to enjoy it. The hats, t-shirts, DVD’s, pictures - every day after will be an ongoing celebration of the fact that their record can never be broken, only matched.

Not only does this game mean a lot to me because my team is going for football history, but by the time next season rolls around my brother will have his second child. It’s a great blessing for me to see him as a father, and I hope to one day be the kind of father that he is. Having two kids is going to put a damper on our traditional football Sundays. It won’t ever be the same as it’s been for the past seven years. Each and every Sunday we have watched football together, and this will be the last year that we’re able to do it. I understand the situation completely. He is going to have to take care of more parental duties on Sundays, which will change our football tradition. So what better way to end the tradition than with one more Patriots victory? One more win will put us in the history books. One more win and we’ll have the absolute perfect season. One more win and we just might be able to end our football tradition in grand-style.

Sunday arrives. I wake up around 7:30 and head for church. Somewhere in my sub-conscious I’m praying to God for just one more victory. We head for breakfast after church. Then we just wait. That Sunday is one of the longest days of my life. The clock doesn’t seem to move. There are countless hours of pre-game, but I can’t watch anymore. I just want to get the game going, as I’m sure most of New England does.

One final moment by myself as I change into my game-day apparel. Minutes before game-time my brother and I give our usual fist pump and say, “Let’s go take care of business.” On the cusp of history and all is left is one game.

From the start of that game the N.Y. Giants flat out kick our butts. They control the tempo of the game with their ball-control offense, and our high-powered offense is all but invisible against their strong defense. Still trailing by three points, Tom Brady finds his go-to target, Randy Moss, for the go-ahead touchdown to put my Pats up by three. “ Let’s go out and finish the job Patriots! We’ve got a little over two minutes standing in our way of immortality,” I say. I can’t sit down the rest of the way.

By now everyone knows the disaster that occurred for us Patriot fans. My beloved Pats “choke” our once dream season away as the Giants score the final points of the game with thirty seconds left. One last desperate attempt by the Pats and it’s over. My bro and I stand in shock, with our hands covering our faces. Did this really happen? Is the season over? Are the last eighteen weeks all a waste? From our point of view the answer to all those questions is a saddened yes. It just wasn’t meant to happen. Don’t misread that the Giants earned that win and my Pats didn’t deserve it. They played like crap. There are a potential nineteen weeks in an NFL season, and for eighteen of those weeks the Pats were the better team. It’s all caught up to them - they’ve finally found their one week to play poorly.

Amidst all of the heartache in the back of my mind, I’m left wondering if the tradition is over. Can we really leave this tradition with the worst loss in franchise history as our final game? I don’t know the answer to that. There’ve been some rumor here and there that it isn’t over and that we’ll still be watching our Patriots next season. I sure hope so. We definitely have some “unfinished business” to take care of. I want to go out with a Superbowl trophy. However, if it is over, I do have a lot of fond memories. I got to witness three Superbowl victories with my brother and have countless hours of fun. Those can never be taken away.

Podcast 4: How to Maintain a Relationship

In this analysis of News You Can Use editor Rebecca Starke’s recent Horizons article, “In It to Win It,” host Cody Quinn and the author trade sardonic barbs about life, love, and Minnesota, while trying to navigate the pros and cons of relationship advice.

You oughta check it out, don’t’cha know:

http://www.archive.org/details/Perspective4

Creative Non-Fiction by Advanced Writers

What follows is creative non-fiction on a wide range of subjects by writers who have been writing working for our student newspaper, Horizons, for at least one semester or more. Writers were asked to write a personal essay that would provide insight into an important issue. Below you'll learn more about everything from the process of becoming a professional wrestler to the role learning guitar played in profoundly changing one man's life. You'll learn how one young woman brought herself through a dark time in her life, while another writer reflects on the loss of his beloved grandmother, and more...

Happy Reading,

Professor Steve Mark

Advisor to Horizons

Ninjas, High School Musical, and Anne Frank

By Luiz Tassi

Staff Writer

Sorting through the Doublespeak in the 2008 Presidential Election.

I’m the last person who should be writing this article. I think politics is the most boring thing on earth. Not only is it boring, but it’s impossible to get an honest answer about anything from politicians. They are specially trained so you never see the real side of them; only the enhanced, media friendly, corporate sponsored version of themselves. Like ninjas.

As a result of my loathing of politics, I go out of my way to avoid knowing anything about the politicians themselves. Who knows when one of their politician tricks will fool me; going from outright contempt, to a begrudging indifference, and even to the most horrific change of all, support. At this point, it is safe to say that I know more about High School Musical’s last show at Harbor Yard than I do about Barack Obama (Gotta love having a twelve-year-old sister.).

You may have guessed by now that I don’t vote. While maintaining this indifference has been getting increasingly difficult over the last few years (During the Vote or Die campaign a few years ago, I lived quietly in an attic, a la Anne Frank), I’m proud to say I have yet to have an opinion. Although I do have to admit, the fact that I’m not a U.S. citizen, therefore am not technically allowed to vote, has been a lifesaver.

This year I’m officially going to have an opinion. For the first time, I’m going to take a side, but I’m going to do it on my terms. Most political analysts will talk about the candidate’s policies, their political history, and experience. I’ll be honest: I don’t care at all about that stuff. If the politician ends up messing up the United States, I can always just go back to Brazil.

The Rules

Because of my disinterest in politics, no actual political ideas, opinions, arguments will be included in my analysis. Things like abortion, health care, social security, and war in Iraq don’t really have much of an effect on me. Well, except abortion…but that’s a different article. The things that matter to me most lie outside the political landscape. It’s kind of like when a guy brings his girlfriend to a Knicks game. You know how she doesn’t really want to be there, doesn’t care about the game, and is just looking around the Garden watching Spike Lee and Adam Sandler hang out in the stands. That’s how I look at politics.

The things I care most about in a politician are the entertainment potential. I look at politicians as films in different genres. I want a politician who will make my list: either a great comedy, a suspenseful thriller, a spaghetti western, etc. Politics be damned. I’m simple minded, all I want is a show.

(Side Note- Any and all information about politicians were taken off wikipedia.org)

Democrats

Apparently the favorites to win the Democratic nomination are Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama. This means that for the first time in U.S. history, a candidate from one of the two major parties will be a first: either the first woman candidate, or the first African American candidate. This is making people really excited. This may be just me, but isn’t the point of electing a president to choose the candidate who would best serve the country? Take this for what its worth, because my president, Luiz Inácio da Silva, legally added the nickname Lula to his name. Apparently, this was because the name made him sound friendlier. And people wonder why I hate politics.

Barack Obama

Obama being real. Photo courtesy of http://bearingdrift.com.

First off, Barack Obama is known throughout the media as, “potentially the first African American presidential candidate in U.S. history”. I never liked describing people as African American, but Obama is half Kenyan and half Hawaiian, so I guess it works this time.

Even bigger than the fact that he is African American, in his memoir he has admitted to doing a ton of drugs when he was a kid because he felt confused about his racial identity. I honestly don’t know what to make of this. I think it all really comes down to the way he used the drugs and alcohol, and to this day he still smokes cigarettes.

On one hand, he could be like those really sad coke/alcohol addicts you see in movies, stealing his mom’s TV to get coke money, or walking around New York City late at night, stumbling and rambling to himself about how Jesus is bad at chess.

But this also opens up my dream scenario. President Obama is at a U.N. meeting when the Presidents or whatever of Iran and North Korea walk behind him and start making fun of his heritage, saying he’s not a real African or American. But Obama is too cool to let them see him hurt, so he turns around, gives them a badass look, and walks away.

When Obama gets home, he sits in the Oval Office and cries for four hours. When he can no longer stand the pain, he decides to go back into drugs. He calls up his vice president and tells him to get him a kilo of coke. An hour or so later the vice president comes back with a kilo in hand, but he is hesitant to give it to Obama because he has a crazy look in his eye. Obama then knocks out the vice president, pours all the coke out on his desk, does a line, and sits back in his chair like Al Pacino in Scarface. He decides to get even.

He immediately calls a press conference to make up a story that North Korea and Iran have launched a nuclear missile at a small town in Alaska that he just made up, and as a response America has systematically sent eight nuclear warheads at each country in response. The missiles land and destroy both countries.

The vice president wakes up, sees what Obama has done, and is distraught. Obama walks back into the Oval Office and with a look of deranged satisfaction on his face. He sits at his desk and stares out the window, muttering to himself.

That would be badass.

Hillary Clinton

We may get these two back. Photo courtesy of http://www.clevelandseniors.com/.

And on the other side, we have Clinton, the potential first woman president. Lets be honest, Clinton herself has very little comedic potential, other than the really obvious and dumb woman jokes. Since I try not to go for the obvious jokes, she is of little use to me.

What she does have is that death stare that may be the scariest look in politics, and American politics prominently features an ex-body builder, who got famous for playing a killer robot. Honestly, I would rather It was on prominent display during the whole Lewinsky scandal a few years ago, but she seems to have put it away lately. She may have begun to lose it in her old age, but I have a feeling that she’s saving it for North Korea.

Let’s be honest, the best part of Clinton for president is that we get four to eight more years of Bill Clinton. And not only Bill Clinton, but a Bill Clinton with much less responsibility then he had before, which gives him more free time to be the real Bill, not the stiff, presidential Bill of before.

How long until we find a drunken Bill Clinton in some seedy bar in Washington D.C., with three or four women around him, saying “Hey baby, did you know that I’m the first ‘first-man’ in US history...and I’m good at sex…er sax…just don’t tell my wife, she scares me”. I’m surprised VH1 isn’t putting all their money into Clinton’s campaign in the hopes that they could get a reality show that follows Bill around as he picks up political science majors from Georgetown.

Watching a hung over Bill face the wrath of Hillary again after she finds an empty bottle of Jack and a naked Georgetown sophomore would be the tensest scene since the gas station scene in No Country for Old Men. Or better yet, have him host The Pick Up Artist 2. The possibilities are endless really.

The most underrated part of the whole Clinton campaign is the reemergence of Chelsea Clinton. She spent her father’s entire presidency being low blowed for her awkward teenage years. That was really unfair to her. I mean with few exceptions, all girls go through an awkward stage in their life, and hers was being broadcast and talked about on national television.

It turns out Mike Myers was right; she has come into her own. She’s gotten really attractive in her adulthood. Chelsea meeting with Rush Limbaugh and giving him the “you wish you were Marc Mezvinsky right now” look while he fumbles to hide his erection would rank right up with Biggie recording “Who Shot Ya” on the Bill Simmons revenge scale.

Republicans

Looks like Senator John McCain is the Republican nominee. I gotta say, I’m a little scared to write a section on him. As an ex-prisoner of war in Vietnam who was tortured regularly, nearly killed on several occasions, and a deadly accurate bomber, he doesn’t seem to mind killing a man whom he sees as the enemy. I’m about three bad jokes away from having some stranger come up behind me with a cloth hood and chloroform, then disappearing for two months, and being found in an alley looking like Amy Winehouse.

John McCain

Toughest...candidate…ever. Photo courtesy of http://punchup.files.wordpress.com/

Unfortunately, a combination of journalistic integrity and foolish man-pride force me to write this section.

John McCain is just the real life version of Jack Bauer, only if you took away the whole kidnapping his daughter part, and replaced it with more torture, and set it in Vietnam. He’s got to be the most beaten up politician of all time.

How cool would it be to have a president who was tortured in Vietnam? Terrorists wouldn’t stand a chance. Anytime the U.S. captured a potential terrorist would be like a holiday for McCain. The U.S. would have them sent to some dark, dank cell in Guantanamo Bay, and then McCain would take the red-eye flight to the prison.

He would get to the Bay, walk in the room with a prisoner tied to a chair, smile to the guards, ask if there are cameras, or if it is sound proof, then shut the door. Faint screams would ring through the prison as the other prisoners shook and peed themselves.

But on the other side, there is a huge potential for him to be the crazy politician, who bends the rules, and does things his way. He could be like Jason Isaacs in The Patriot, only more evil. How many people are going to disagree with a tortured war veteran?

You know that all the people in his cabinet would be too scared that they’d trigger some deep seeded torture memory, where McCain would jump over the table and choke them yelling, “I’m not going back, Charlie!” at the top of his lungs.