Why Athletics Should Be In Our Community Colleges

By Rondale Williams

Staff Writer

Football players at Shasta College football practice.

Photo by Michael Hendrix

How athletics could affect the community college atmosphere in Connecticut in the areas of student life and campus diversity.

Look around the campus of Housatonic Community College at around 5 p.m. What is happening? Virtually nothing that resembles that of an actual college campus. There is no school spirit, campus involvement from students, or real attractions to keep students on campus for that matter.

There is a way to fix this problem however, if we added interscholastic athletics to the extra-curricular activities not only at Housatonic, but at all Connecticut community colleges. Maybe it would entice students to want to be more involved with campus activities because the interest in sports would either get students involved directly with playing these sports, or watching athletic competitions after school.

This is a community college after all, and most people in Connecticut probably have no clue that there are community colleges out there that actually have athletics. In states like New York, California, Texas, Mississippi, Kansas, and a few others, there are community or junior colleges that have full fledged athletic departments.

As a matter of fact, I myself participated in junior college football at a point in time, coming out of high school because I wasn't a very highly recruited football player of course. Factors like playing on a terrible high school team caused many guys on our football team to be overlooked when college coaches were recruiting. That caused me to look for an alternative to playing at a four-year institution and try and walk on to a football team. When I did, I found a junior college in California named Shasta College. The school was exactly what I was looking for and had everything a four-year college did, including dorms and almost every main stream sport imaginable like basketball, football, soccer, and volleyball, just to name a few.

There was also an awesome fan base in the town of Redding, Calif., where the school was located. Fans constantly asked us when games were and how we thought our season was going to turn out. Our teams would travel in-state to different community colleges and rivalries were big with many of the nearby colleges, much like you see with major Division 1 athletics. Just like big time football programs, kids from all over the country would come and play at our school in different sports. On our football team alone we had kids from as far away as Georgia and Connecticut, creating a truly diverse campus that only students at four-year universities enjoy.

I also remember college coaches from the likes of big football schools, like California and Oregon State, would even attend our games to recruit players to play at their universities. For example, on our team alone we had a wide receiver go to the University of California Berkeley on a football scholarship, and Jason Sehorn, the former New York Giant, played at Shasta and continued his college career at the University of Southern California.

Now imagine that same atmosphere at not only Housatonic, but at all community colleges in Connecticut. Wouldn’t it excite you to cheer for our school’s football team at a game on Saturday night? Or do we want to stick with the status quo, and just have a table tennis club? Maybe by implementing athletics we can give those student athletes in high schools that weren’t highly sought after on the recruiting trail the chance to play again and earn an athletic scholarship.

Our community colleges can even become a refuge for college players that may have had a troubled past at four-year universities. For example, look at the Cam Newton story and how he had gotten into trouble at the University of Florida for stealing laptops there after his first season. His sophomore year he left the university and went on to star at Blinn Community College in Texas, and was highly recruited by many schools, such as Auburn University. Then he later received a second chance to resume his Division 1 football career at Auburn and led them to a national championship this year. Maybe Connecticut community colleges can one day offer a second chance for a fallen athlete, just like the Texas community college offered Cam Newton a second chance.

Not only can we offer the opportunity for students to play sports and hopefully one day prosper in the field of athletics, but offering athletics can help the community college system prosper financially. As we all know, sports like football and basketball are big money makers for colleges and maybe we can draw some of that money into colleges like Housatonic with the implementation of athletics. At Shasta, for example, our student cafe profited greatly by selling food and snacks at games. The money from athletic donors also helped Shasta College create dorms to house student-athletes from out of state, as the dorms were not directly funded by the college itself.

With athletics we also offer the student body entertainment and give them a reason to want to stay around the campus. As I stated before one too may times I see students run out of class, run to their cars and head home. Not to say that students wouldn’t still head straight home, but maybe they would have a reason to come back to campus. If, say, Housatonic was playing Gateway Community College in a big basketball game. Many times at Shasta we had students go home the same way here at Housatonic. But many students and Redding residents would come back, if they knew we were playing our rivals College of the Siskiyous, or Laney College out of Oakland. Those games were big; whether in the football stadium or field house, students would pack the stands to see those games.

Through athletics we can create that same hunger for sports the way Shasta College or the Redding community had. Through rivalries and great athletic competition we can do that and keep students and Connecticut residents involved in our campus community.

Then, just maybe, we could draw kids to come from out-of-state to continue their academic and athletic careers at a community college in Connecticut because they would recognize the commitment and opportunities to athletics in our community colleges, creating the true diversity that a junior college like Shasta College had. So, what better way can we serve students than by giving them the same atmosphere they would enjoy at any four-year institution. To do that I believe there is no better way than athletics to begin making students become accustomed to the true atmosphere of what college should be.

How to Drop a Class on an Academic Budget and Schedule

By Michael Bednarsky

Arts & Entertainment Editor

If you organize how each class with help you graduate and/or transfer, you will find ways to work harder in the courses you take. Reduce stress, and envision your goals at all times!
Image courtesy of www.college-warehouse.com

Before you can drop a class, you have to first be enrolled in one. Students at various universities and colleges across the planet know how tedious the process of signing up for classes can be.

HCC students, regardless of tenure length, are aware that reserving course spots ahead of time is an intelligent move. If you sign up early via the Registrar desk, you avoid the congestion that builds up between semesters; the dreaded panic mode for unpunctual students. If you register online, you immediately get to pick your classes and pay; there is no confrontation.

Then again, the Internet option of choosing to take a class without paying only guarantees that you are penciled in; your spot can be handed to somebody else. Another student can align their finances first and sweep the rug out from under you, forcing a rearrangement of what you will plan to do.

Of course, you all know this already, because the dilemma is not surrounding that you secured any classes, but instead if you actually want to complete them.

The basic information about dropping a class is located under the “Registrar’s Office” tab on the Housatonic Community College website.

If you wish to drop a class shortly after a semester begins, it’s fairly easy. Students deserve to have that option readily available to them, in case a class does not assist their career as originally envisioned. Alternatives are abound: some courses have surplus editions with different professors, and some majors have several ways to achieve the credits for your overall goal (of course, including the core requirements).

You have a little under two months to drop a class without repercussions. That’s a sufficient amount of leeway to muse on if you are willing to bang out the remainder of any class you are stressing about. If you drop out of a class within the first two weeks of a semester, you are removed from the class roster; just like that.

The next span is the “Automatic Withdrawal Period” (third to sixth week of the semester), built to allow a student to drop a class without having to give an inkling of notice to the HCC staff or officials. Your mid-term and final exam grades will have a ‘W’ so that your records will indicate that you did not fail the class.

Then there’s the tricky part: once you enter week seven of the given semester, you will receive an ‘F’ if you make the decision to drop. This time-frame marks the last layer of weeks for you to drop, because you are no longer allowed to after week twelve. Nobody can force you to participate in a class, but you will ultimately fail the course by snubbing it from that point on. That will eat away at your G.P.A. (grade point average), thus hurting the overall continuity of your career at HCC.

Also, financial woes enter the equation. You may not be reimbursed for your original payment for the class. Refer to the Registrar further for more information, as each situation is different depending on the financial aid ratio/record of the student, and some courses have separate policies.

In some circumstances, you may just want to stick it out. If you are upset about a course, but completing it will facilitate your goal, then just grin and bear the scenario. Visualize yourself at the next step of your career. For example, if you are transferring to another college in due time, you should become determined to acquire as many credits as possible to go to your “dream school.”

On the other hand, it is never too late for you to change your focus altogether. College education routes may be recommended for a plentiful life (financially), but you do not have to pursue them!

Simply put, go forth with the situation if it will help you in the long run. Do not make the assumption that you will not like a course without allowing sufficient time for your analysis. Keep track of how your psyche reacts to your environment, and if you must opt out, just be sure to do it correctly. Develop a self-ultimatum, to push the length of your limits and possibilities.

Good luck, and enjoy your journey, regardless of what you decide to do!

Additional information on these matters can be found at our establishment’s official Registrar Office web-page.

Continuum 34: Wrap-Up

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How to Produce a Podcast / Tying Loose Ends / Stewie Disses Bridgeport / Beardsley’s Mysterious Murder

HCC is embedded in the heart of Bridgeport.

Photograph by Brandon T. Bisceglia.

How to Produce a Podcast (If You Have the Time) – Producing an hour-long show on your own isn’t as easy as it might seem. In honor of Continuum’s last episode of the year (and the last in its longer format) host Brandon T. Bisceglia explains the process he goes through to bring this content to the Internet.

Student Senate Updates: Tying Loose Ends – The Student Senate covered a lot of ground in its Dec. 9 meeting, which was the last of the semester. The final budget estimate for the semester (which you can see here) showed the Student Activity Fund remains well coffered.

The Student Senate inducted new senator Priscilla Mathew, its eighth and final member for the year. Mathew spoke to the audience about her leadership experience, and was questioned before being voted into office.

The Student Senate also resolved to pursue a stronger enforcement of its standing policies governing clubs’ submissions of minutes and attendance sheets, as well as the requirement that they attend Activities Committee meetings. Senators expressed concern over the persistent lack of cooperation by some clubs on the matter, noting that they had already relaxed the rules at the clubs’ behest.

Finally, the Student Senate pondered the strain that the ever-increasing student body is going to have on college facilities in the near future. Because full-time professors have not kept up with this growth, members also questioned whether there would be a negative effect on student advisement and other services.

Commentary: Stewie Disses Bridgeport – On Dec. 12, the popular adult cartoon, “Family Guy,” aired its Christmas special titled “Road to the North Pole” on the Fox Network.

In one scene, the character of Stewie compared the decrepit and polluted state of Santa’s Workshop to Bridgeport.

Mayor Bill Finch laughed off the remarks, and took them as an opportunity to promote the city by pointing out its positive features. This strategy is nothing new for Finch, whose administration launched its “Surprise, It’s Bridgeport” marketing campaign earlier this year to attract more business and tourism.

Finch’s and the Family Guy portrayals are both, in their own ways, fictionalized accounts of the city, exaggerating some truths and ignoring others.

Road to the North Pole clip

Surprise, It’s Bridgeport

This Week in History: Beardsley’s Mysterious Murder – On Dec. 22, 1892, James W. Beardsley, who gave Bridgeport the land that now houses Connecticut’s only zoo, was killed during a home invasion that was never solved.

The New York Times conflated the events surrounding Beardsley’s death, reporting that his demise may have been due to a “curse” that a local homeless man placed on him.

Beardsley Zoo’s website

News – Networking Politics




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Budget Update: Student Senate Finance Report

Continuum 33: Alliances and Fissures

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Community College Student Alliance / CAN Investigation / The White Wolves / Edmund Andros

Image courtesy of hcc.commnet.edu/IR

Community College Student Alliance – Community college student representatives from all over the state met at Naugatuck Valley Community College on Nov. 19 for a meeting aimed at forming a coalition that would allow them to amplify their collective voice at the administrative and legislative level, as well as to share ideas.

The organization, which calls itself the Community College Student Alliance (CCSA) discussed the drafting of its Constitution and brainstormed ideas for shared student life issues that the collaborative process might be able to help resolve at its first meeting. They also agreed to increase inter-college communication and encourage fellowship among the schools.

Student Senate Updates: CAN Investigation – A measure that was ultimately tabled at the Student Senate's general meeting on Nov. 18 about the possibility of imposing sanctions on the Community Action Network (CAN) for violations of state laws and/or school policies drew questions from the senators about practices spanning most of the club's existence.

Some matters involved the club as a whole, while others touched, without naming names, on individual members.

The Student Senate introduced a list of preliminary charges as well as a list of some of the actions the governing body could take if CAN is found to be culpable for any violations.

The Student Senate resolved to table any course against the club until a full investigation can be undertaken, which the senators promised to conduct.

The latest allegations stem from a demonstration CAN conducted aimed at promoting Democratic Congressional candidate Jim Himes on Oct. 27. Himes and Republican opponent Dan Debicella were at HCC that day for a debate.

CAN's actions come under the direct purview of the Student Senate and the Office of Student Life, which are jointly responsible for handling clubs.

For a complete list of the tentative allegations, click here.

Commentary: The White Wolves – On December 1, a jury at the Bridgeport Federal Courthouse gave a mixed ruling in a conspiracy case involving several reputed members of a local white supremacist group who were charged with attempting to sell guns and grenades to an offshoot of the Ku Klux Klan.

The group, known alternatively as the White Wolves and Battalion 14, has become infamous locally for its high-profile presence in the area.

Five people were charged in the conspiracy: two pled guilty over the summer. Of the remaining three members, one was convicted, and two were acquitted, included the group’s supposed leader, 29-year-old Kenneth Zrallack, who currently lives in Ansonia.

The jury made the right decision in setting Zrallack free on Dec. 1. In a criminal trial, it is up to the prosecution to demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt that the person on trial committed the crime. And in this case, there simply wasn’t enough evidence to prove that he was guilty.

Despite the extreme ignorance and horrid bigotry that drives such actions, they are protected under Constitutional principles that trump any level of disgust we may feel toward the White Wolves. They have the right to further their own ideas, no matter how repulsive they are.

What we can do, though, is speak out against them, learn to take their threats seriously, and keep a vigilant eye on people who espouse such abhorrent beliefs. Eventually, Zrallack may slip up and get himself put away for good. But even if he doesn’t, the rest of us can make a concerted effort to see that groups like his win no new converts with their hateful lies.

Read coverage by Connecticut Post about the case

This Week in History: Edmund Andros – Dec. 6 marks the birthday of one of the most reviled men in all of Connecticut history.

On that day in 1637, Sir Edmund Andros was born in London, England. Among other things, he would one day become Governor of the short-lived Dominion of New England – the only time in our history that Connecticut was ruled by anyone other than the American settlers.

He was also the indirect inspiration for one of Connecticut’s most enduring myths: the so-called “Charter Oak” incident.

A History of Connecticut, by Elias Benjamin Sanford

Sir Edmund Andros, by Henry Ferguson

A Complete History of Connecticut, Civil and Ecclesiastical, by Benjamin Trumbull

Biographical Sketch of Governor Robert Treat from the Connecticut State Library

News - Early Childhood Education Partnership, Course Evaluations, The Shepard Cycle, New Spring Courses, Continuing Education




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Continuum 32: The (Mostly) Science Show

Visiting the CDC / Climate Denial / Culture and Scientific Consensus / Psychic Kids

Students from HCC’s Honors Program stand next to an iron lung during their recent visit to the CDC in Atlanta. Image courtesy of Caysey Welton.

Interview: Visiting the CDC – Every year, HCC offers a special interdisciplinary course for students enrolled in the college’s Honors Program. The topics covered by the seminar change from year to year.

This semester, Professor of Biology Dr. Kathleen Toedt is covering epidemiology – the study of diseases and how they spread.

In mid-November, the students in the class flew to Atlanta, Ga. to visit the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), where they toured the agency’s on-premises museum.

Climate Denial – Dr. Michael Mann is a professor of meteorology and the director of the Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University. Mann is also the person responsible for the famous “hockey-stick graph” that has become a major target of climate change critics over the past decade.

At the annual conference of the National Association of Science Writers and the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing in New Haven earlier this November, Mann discussed the solidity of climate science and some of the genuine scientific uncertainties that remain.

He contrasts this with the misguided public discourse surrounding the hockey-stick graph and, more recently, with the manufacture of the Climategate controversy in 2009.

Climate Science From Climate Scientists: http://www.realclimate.org/

Culture and Scientific Consensus – Why do people with certain political and social values tend toward a particular set of seemingly unrelated beliefs about what the scientific consensus is on certain issues, while people with a different set of values think the consensus agrees with their perspective?

Dan Kahan is the Elizabeth K. Dollard Professor of Law at Yale Law School. He and his colleagues have looked into something they call “cultural cognition of risk.” What they’ve found is that a person’s cultural values play an important role in determining their assessment of risk, of what scientific consensus is, and even in whether someone is likely to believe an expert’s opinion.

The Cultural Cognition Project at Yale Law School: http://www.culturalcognition.net/

Commentary: Psychic Kids – A&E began airing the second season of a show called Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal this November. On the show, children with emotional and psychological problems are given “help” by psychics and mediums, all while being taped to sell to audiences.

Most of the supposed “experts” on the show have little professional experience working with troubled children, and all of them are invested in entrenching the kids that they really are being visited by ghosts or possess psychic powers.

This show demonstrates the harm of unscientific thinking, and takes advantage of the misery of children for a profit.

Skepchick’s letter-writing campaign to end Psychic Kids: http://skepchick.org/blog/2010/11/psychic-kids-letter-writing-campaign-edition/

News – HCC’s Ex-President Dies, World AIDS Day, Metropolitan Museum of Art Trip, Winter Wonderland Ball



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Continuum 31

Executive Positions / Canvassing / Guilty of Date Rape? / Bridgeport's Beloved Socialist

Jaclyn Willis, played by Shamorrow Bember, tells the court the story of the night she was allegedly raped.
Photograph by Brandon T. Bisceglia

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Student Senate Updates: Executive Positions/Canvassing - For most of the semester, the Student Senate has operated without most of its executive positions. That finally changed on Nov. 4, when Treasurer Konrad Mazurek became acting President and senator Juleen Moreno was voted as acting Secretary.

The Student Senate also decided to hold a special meeting the following Thursday in response to concerns that the Community Action Network (CAN) had possibly violated certain rules and policies during a demonstration the club held on Oct. 27 to promote Democratic Congressional candidate Jim Himes when he and his opponent, Republican Dan Debicella, were at the college for a debate.

Interview: Guilty of Date Rape? - On Nov. 3, HCC's Women's Center and the Performing Arts club cosponsored a production of No Witness, a play that explores the complexities of date rape. Twelve audience members are selected as jurors to render a verdict in the fictional court battle over whether a young man overstepped the line.

This Week in History: Bridgeport's Beloved Socialist - Jasper McLevy was mayor of Bridgeport for 24 years, from 1933 to 1957. He was also a prominent member of the Socialist Party. He was a closer friend to Republicans than Democrats, and was eventually criticized for being too fiscally conservative in city affairs.

McLevy's relationship with the city was deeply intertwined with his sometimes battered identity as a lifelong Socialist. Bridgeport also changed dramatically under his stewardship.

News – Jewish Culture, Frosty the Snowman, Mr. HCC, Musical Talent Show, Toys for Tots, Music Lessons




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Continuum 30: Student Senate / STATWAY / Extracurricular Activities / Yale School of Medicine

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Graphic courtesy of actiononaccess.org.

News: FOE Meeting Times, Gettysburg Trip, Ernest Newton, NYC Trip, Music Lessons

Student Senate Updates: The Student Senate continued a painfully slow growth process at its Oct. 21 meeting, inducting its fifth member, Business major Melissa Silver.

The Student Senate also took votes on allocating funds for clubs who had not supplied a budget proposal before the Spring semester deadline. Proposal deadlines had been reopened until Oct. 14.

Most clubs got what they asked for without too much question. The Photography Club, however, was flat-funded $2,000 after several items on their proposal were rejected. The club had been asking for nearly $5,000, nearly twice what any other club had received.

The Art Club was left in the same position, though their initial request was slightly lower.

The clubs may still receive the rest of the funding that they requested. Part of the reason that the Student Senate voted for flat-funding was that the budget proposals were, in Mazurek’s words, “messy.”

Interview: STATWAY – HCC’s Math Department has begun test-piloting a new program for developmental math students that shifts the focus of their studies from algebra to statistics. The program is called STATWAY, and was formulated by the Carnegie Foundation. If all goes well, the college will begin teaching the new program in 2011. The goal then will be to change the way that developmental math is taught in community colleges across the country.

Host Brandon T. Bisceglia speaks about the program with Mathematics Professor Theodora Benezra, who is heading up the research and development team at HCC.

Commentary: Extracurricular Activities – Ever since Beacon Hall opened in 2008, HCC’s enrollment has been increasing. Along with that expansion has come an added demand for more extracurricular events and activities.

Several groups have excelled at meeting this demand. They deserve a bit of praise for that success.

This Week in History: Yale School of Medicine – In November of 1813, the Medical Institute of Yale College opened its doors, making it the first school in Connecticut for the formal training of physicians. The Institute, which would blossom into the now-famous Yale School of Medicine, was the product of a unique agreement between the college and the State.

- Medicine at Yale, presented by the Harvey Cushing/John Jay Whitney Medical Library




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Life after School

By Wesley Collazo
Staff Writer

While the future is full of possibilities, it is always important to remember that success will be met with challenges. By preparing for those challenges, we can place ourselves on the path toward achievement.
Image courtesy of www.yapa.org.au.

The traditional design of school goes like this: get good grades, get into a great college, graduate with a degree and boom! You are now in the career you have always wanted.

However, this is a misconception from beginning to end. Many students are “lucky” or fortunate with the fact that success or a career comes at an early age. For others it is a constant struggle not just after graduation, but throughout their entire education, even starting as far back as high school. Many businesses are in a slump with the economic state, and so many jobs are not available. Trying to master life, career and business today is a struggle, and for many it will be an even bigger uphill battle.

Building a future from your college education is not as easy as it once was. The state of the world is making it difficult for young entrepreneurs to succeed. Students across the nation pour so much into a college education, striving to achieve that career that they have dreamt of since elementary school, in return only running into road blocks that no one could ever anticipate.

For example, as a communications major, my ultimate goal/dream is to open a successful public relations firm that serves to the masses across the board. Realistically, this will be a challenge.

Without selling myself short, I still realize that my dream may never happen. I am fine with that.

However, many students I have observed seem determined to conquer their field. They end up getting so consumed in being successful, that in return they are actually losing the battle. To help, one thing that needs to be addressed is the perception of achievement when you finally receive your college degree. Going through school I was always told, "go to college, receive that degree and you will be successful". Seem a bit far-fetched? To say the least!

There are ways to make the transition into your career easier. One way is to experience the inevitable struggles you will face in the future, through others today. For instance, I have joined forces with an up and coming clothing line business that is in its early stages. I work to help them develop their audience, and shed light on their products as a whole. It is a struggle to have all the ducks in order, but I see this as an opportunity that can potentially help me out in the near future.

Having a firsthand view of the struggle to establish a business, I can live vicariously through my employers, and learn to better prepare myself for the hard times I may face when I work towards a business of my own.

Because of this, I have realized that not only what I learn in classrooms will help me in the future, but that ultimately, having experience is the vital ingredient to success. I now know that mapping out a plan ahead of time before entering college will be highly beneficial when you are gearing up for the start of your career.

Continuum 29: Special - Politics in Connecticut

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Graphic courtesy of ctlocalpolitics.net

With the 2010 elections only a few weeks away, host Brandon T. Bisceglia tells stories from the campaign trail revealing the ways in which Connecticut politicians interact with the people, the press, and each other.

Part 1: The Narrative of Rick Torres

Part 2: Poll Fables

Part 3: A Stolen Laugh

Part 4: An Honest Ad

Part 5: Negativity

Part 6: Lawsuits Don’t Matter

Part 7: Millions of Dollars for You

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Continuum 28: Behind the HCC Library / Boughton & the Tea Party / Pandemic Flu in Bridgeport

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Library Associate Jennifer Falasco carefully applies a special glue to the binding of a book that has begun to fall apart.
Photograph by Brandon T. Bisceglia.

Part 1: News – HCC Museum Closing, Veteran’s Center Move, Women’s Opportunities in Math/Science, Men’s Center Open House, ECE Food & Clothing Drive, CJ Club Presents Sarah Tyman, World Music Performance, Psychology Information Sessions, Salem Trip, Transfer Fair

Part 2: Behind the HCC Library – Host Brandon T. Bisceglia speaks with Library Associate Jennifer Falasco to find out how HCC’s library gets and keeps track of its books. Falasco also discusses her lifelong background with libraries, as well as some of the differences between public libraries and academic libraries.

Part 3: Boughton and the Tea Party – Last week Democratic State Party Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo criticized Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor Mark Boughton because of several Tea Party rallies he’s attended. Boughton’s association with these groups represents a tightening alignment between Republicans and tea party groups – a relationship that may have both positive and negative impacts on the two factions.

Part 4: Pandemic Flu in Bridgeport – On October 11, 1918, pandemic influenza was reported to have infected 147 Bridgeport residents within 24 hours, and had killed the city’s police commissioner. It was the height of the worst flu outbreak the city – and the world – had ever seen. That same day, a new committee was formed to staunch the spread of the disease in Bridgeport. The efforts would come too late for the pandemic, but would inform public health policies into the twenty-first century.




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Continuum 27: Club Budgets / Institutional Research / Blasphemy / The Death of County Government

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Part 1: News – Author Sergio Troncoso, Safe is Sexy, Madonna y El Niño, SCORE

Part 2: Student Senate Updates – The September 23 meeting of the Student Senate produced a lively discussion about the process of securing club budgets, resulting in an extension of budget applications until October 14.

Part 3: Institutional Research – HCC’s official student count for the Fall 2010 semester was 6,197, another all-time enrollment record in a string of records that have mounted since Beacon Hall opened in 2008. Director of Institutional Research Jan Schaeffler talks about the meanings behind the numbers, her dual jobs as researcher and teacher, and other projects she’s working on.

Part 4: Blasphemy - September 30 is International Blasphemy Rights Day. The benefits of the right to blaspheme include the unimpeded dissemination of scientific discoveries, freedom of religious choice, and are even tied closely to the ability to criticize government.

Part 5: The Death of County Government – On October 1, 1960, the Connecticut General Assembly formally abolished the last vestiges of the state’s county government, making it the first in the country to do so. This level of government, though integral to the original formation of the colony, slowly turned into an ineffectual shell of its former self.

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East Coast Residents Should Anticipate Large Earthquakes

By Michael Bednarsky
Arts & Entertainment Editor

The Atlantic Northeast might one day be an infamous victim of Mother Nature.
Courtesy of www.datpiff.com

We live in the New York metropolitan region. Most of us are ignorant of the different routines of those who are far away, certainly with weather. When we think of California, for instance, the idea conjured up consists of beautiful girls, beaches, medical cannabis, and earthquakes.

Be sure to ponder that last one: earthquakes. There are several scientific studies regarding California's literal connection to the remainder of the United States; one day it will separate, and plate tectonics are mainly to blame.

A lot of people around here will go about their day at the usual rushed pace without much thought about earthquakes, but they would have to think again. We are overdue for an earthquake: a damaging, malevolent, and terrain-rearranging earthquake. Not “we” as in Bridgeport, or even the state of Connecticut. “We” as in the entire East Coast, combining New England, the Tri-State Area and even Canada.

Last June, a minor earthquake occurred between Ontario and Quebec, which trickled down into upstate New York, reaching all five boroughs of New York City. According the NY1 News Channel, the earthquake lasted for only thirty seconds, with a magnitude of 5.5. For some, this brought fears connected to their memories of 9/11.

Clearly, we are not impenetrable, but my how fortunate we have been with earthquakes! On the other hand, we have had our run-ins with hurricanes. The most-destructive hurricane for us was the “Long Island Express” hurricane (also known as the “Great New England Hurricane”), back in 1938. Places like the aforementioned California deal with natural disasters frequently, and midwestern states like Kansas take pride in the weather dilemmas that formed their history.

We, however, have a slate that has been sparsely tarnished. In 2008, New York Magazine announced that is it only a matter time before we have another issue, noting that New York's worst earthquake was near the Rockaway Peninsula, in the borough of Queens. This was in 1884, with a magnitude of 5. Another dilemma like this, especially in Manhattan, would cause financial setbacks that would deteriorate the environment and universal image of the location for some time.

We are less likely to be attacked by Mother Nature through earthquakes mainly because of the landscape. There's a reason why Western states are more prone to being hit. Earthquakes are caused by tectonic plates rubbing against each other, which perpetuate pressure, and the eventual split of the Earth's surface.

Parts of California are located on either the Pacific plate or the North American plate; the whole state is exposed to a fault line (the infamous San Andreas fault), making the ground a larger threat than in other areas. Los Angeles, one of California's many legendary cities, is about only fifty kilometers from the San Andreas fault, with smaller fault lines through the metropolis as well. After absorbing these details, it's obvious why the West Coast has a surplus of earthquake events.

It is near-impossible to guarantee when another earthquake will take place on the East Coast. A journalist is not well-equipped enough to predict it, unless there's a heavy interest and experience with weather present. With me, this is not the case; I am only delivering a cautionary announcement of what is to come.

Do not fear the future, though. When a state like California can work through natural disasters with ease, there is no reason why we cannot follow suit.

Any thing that happens will be worth talking about, and if an intense earthquake here is in my lifetime, the first thing I will remember will be writing of this article. Until then, I will enjoy or at least tolerate the weather near my residence, and patiently wait for the potential headline news.

Beyond Face Value

By Tori Centopanti
Editor-in-Chief

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org

“Lock jaw.”

I was branded with that dreadful nickname in high school. To my dismay, it caught on like wildfire and it stuck.

It didn’t even make any sense since it literally means what it says: a locked jaw - being physically unable to open your jaw. On the contrary: I’ve been called a loudmouth and told
I don’t know when to shut up.

The reason people teased me was that my lower jaw—and teeth—noticeably protruded out further than the upper. A birth defect I had absolutely no control over.

Girls were ferociously cruel about it.

A lot of them would ask if I had been punched in the face. No matter what my rebuttal, their grand solution was to “pop” my jaw “back into place.”

I would ask why they hated me so much. Surely I must have done something wrong to incur their wrath. The answer was always the same: “I just don’t like you.” Once, a girl even wrote “you’re ugly” in every page of my notebook when I wasn’t looking.

So much for sugar and spice and everything nice.

Nothing ever escalated in physical violence, but it was always a possibility. I had seen plenty of other girls get into nasty, ruthless fights—both on and off school property. One day, as students made their way to the buses, I watched as my main antagonizer seized another girl by the arm, flipped her into the air and slammed her backside into the pavement.

It all happened in less than two seconds. The only thought going through my mind was, “That could’ve been me. What if that had been me?”

It was a real-life production of “Mean Girls,” except more brutal and heartless. I lived in a near-constant state of fear.

Some of my tormentors went so far as to approach me in public and threaten to beat me up, right then and there. I couldn’t ignore someone who was in my face, hoping they would go away. I didn’t want to ignite any violence, but I also didn’t want to seem weak.

So I did the only thing I could think of: I reasoned with them. I debated that I had done nothing to offend or wrong them in any way; that there was absolutely no reason for us to fight.

It worked every time.

But I still dreaded going to school, a place I should have felt safe. School officials did nothing to alleviate the situation and I knew that I might not be able to talk myself out of every confrontation. Walking around town with my friends gave me anxiety—adding to the stress my mind and body were already under.

From a stranger’s perspective, the only things my jaw affected were my confidence and self-esteem. Little did they know that was the very least of my problems.

The real trouble began in sixth grade. I felt nauseated almost every day, a pattern that continued well into high school. I’d get acid reflux and heartburn no matter what I did. By the age of 20 I had a stomach ulcer, which is most common among senior citizens.

I couldn’t do anything that involved running because it made me feel sick and I had trouble breathing. My grades in gym class slipped and I stopped trying. I became a regular in the nurse’s office.

At first nobody believed me, not even my own mother. Everyone thought I was faking, because let’s face it, that’s what kids do. My underbite was normal up until middle school, when the misalignment of my jaw visually presented itself and then grew more pronounced.

But it wasn’t until I started high school that I was officially diagnosed with mandibular prognathism, which simply means that the lower jaw projects out farther than the upper. My orthodontist explained that since the mouth is the beginning of the entire digestive system, having a severe prognathism—like I did—ultimately led to medical and dental problems.

At just 14 years old, I decided that something drastic had to be done. That’s when I discovered orthognathic surgery, better known as corrective jaw surgery.

I wanted the surgery. But ultimately I needed it.

Preparation for the surgery was much longer than I had anticipated and my patience wore thin.

I wore braces for over four years and had all of my wisdom teeth extracted at once. The latter resulted in a rare complication: an abscess—a type of infection—developed in my throat, which almost completely closed up. I made it to the hospital just in time.

I figured if I could survive that, I could handle the hurdles that lay ahead of me. How wrong and naïve I was.

I underwent corrective jaw surgery in February 2008, and recovery turned out to be a more grueling process than I had imagined. I was the picture of misery. My jaw was wired shut for five weeks. I couldn’t talk or eat. Breathing and sleeping were practically impossible tasks.

I felt as if I had been through hell and back enough times to qualify for a frequent visitor pass. But in the end, every horrifying second was worth it.

I was certain that once I had the surgery, my “lock jaw” would be old news and the bullying would stop.

Once again, I was proven wrong.

Rumors that I had facial cosmetic surgery began circulating. I was appalled that anybody would say something so cruel and ignorant without any facts or proof.

I can’t lie: the surgery did improve my looks, but that was just icing on the cake. The most significant benefits I experienced were medical—not aesthetic.

The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeries’ website states that “While the patient’s appearance may be dramatically enhanced as a result of their surgery, orthognathic surgery is performed to correct functional problems.”

I’m living proof of this.

I can properly chew and swallow my food now, a simple feat that so many people take for granted. I’m finally able to eat food I’d been physically unable to before, like steak. My breathing has vastly improved and I run regularly for exercise—without getting sick.

I truly believe that my experiences have made me stronger and more open-minded, and I am grateful for that.

Not everything is at it appears, but most of us rely on sight as our main perception of the world around us. We can help it, though, if we try. A conscious effort has to be made to not judge a book by its cover, because everyone has a story worth telling.

Next time you see someone and find yourself making assumptions about them, or tearing them down in your mind, stop. Take a few seconds to think of how you’d feel if you were in their shoes. Teasing someone about their appearance and calling them names may seem innocent, normal and even amusing at times, but when you’re on the receiving end of it the fun stops.

It’s our differences as human beings that make life interesting. No two people in this world are exactly the same. Shouldn’t we celebrate that?

Let’s Save Water One Drop at a Time

By Sania Mathakutha
Staff Writer

We drink, we bathe, we flush, we swim, we wash, we splash, and we cook. Imagine one day without running water.

Especially clean safe drinking water. Water is one of the most important nutrients in the body and since it has no calories it might possibly be a significant factor in loosing weight and being healthy. Cells in our bodies depend on water to function. Without water the body begins to get dehydrated, your mouth can become dry, your eyes stop producing tears, and you might experience muscle cramps. Water is also needed for respiration and converting food into energy. To meet our food demand, farmers need water to grow crops. Without sufficient water, food prices go higher.

“Economically, why are people spending money on water when you can get it for free? The first step is to use reusable water bottles and fill them up in school,” says Professor of Mathematics Marina Philips, who advices HCC’s Friends of the Environment club. “You could also reduce the amount of time you spend in the shower to save water.”

Our civilization uses water as though we have limitless amounts of it. We run the tap just to get the water to our desired temperature before we use it. We do not stop and consider all the water that goes down the drain for no purpose.

Justin Szygiel, a student at HCC says, “It’s sad but unavoidable” when he sees people opening faucets and letting them run for no purpose.

Because of the drought that Connecticut is experiencing, fire dangers are at a high because of insufficient water. According to an article in the Darien Times fromAugust, Governor Jodi Rell issued a drought advisory for Connecticut.

“We are not in an emergency situation, but it is important for people to take sensible steps to stretch our water supply,” Governor Rell was quoted as saying. “I am asking all Connecticut residents to use common sense and to avoid unnecessary water usage such as watering lawns, washing cars at home or running ornamental fountains. While current water supplies are adequate across much of the state. I urge all residents and businesses to please cooperate with your local water utilities and follow their recommendations.”

Saving water should not feel like a sacrifice; when you save water, you are conserving it for the future. Water covers a majority of the earth and provides it with the ability to support life. Organisms don’t have to be told twice about the importance of water for their survival, existence and reproduction. Amphibians lay their eggs in water so that they can reproduce. Even flies understand the importance of water because they lay their eggs in it. Without water, organisms would not exist.

Using reusable water bottles puts money back in your pockets and saves the environment at the same time. Most bottles are never recycled - they end up in landfills, oceans or on the side of the road. Bottled water is not healthier or tastier then tap water. However, if you feel like you need to filter your water before drinking it, you could either buy a water filter for your tap, or a filter pitcher.

According to Professor of Biology Sandra Barnes, students collected water from several fountains at the campus last year, which she tested for microbes.

“Because the water is chlorinated, the bacterial count was very low,” she says. “The water coming through the drinking fountains is very safe – possibly better than bottled water.”

Never take water for granted. In a survival situation, having or not having water can be a matter of life or death. The human body can survive weeks without food, but can not last that long without water.

The majority of diseases in the developing world are water related. Many are because of poor management of human excreta. Some countries in the developing world rely on water from rivers and steams that can be contaminated by septic tanks and municipal sewage. The most common disease is Diarrhea, which is caused by contaminated water. According to the World Health Organization, Diarrhea killed 2.2 million people in 1998. Water is our main source of hygiene. So if you have water to flush your toilet, count yourself as one of the most privileged people in the world.

People turn on the sink and let water run as if it’s nothing valuable, forgetting the intensive labor someone had to go through for that miracle to happen. The question is, where would you be without water?

Easy Ways to save Water

· Use reusable water bottles and refill them at school or at home.
· Turn the water off while washing hands, brushing teeth, shaving and washing dishes
· Take shorter showers
· Cut down your laundry load by doing laundry at least once a week once you have a full load.
· Replace dripping faucets and pipes because every drop counts.

Continuum 26: Why We Needed the Constitution / Off-Peak Students / Long Island Express Hurricane

Part 1: News & Events - Bridgeport Library Book Sale, The Big E, Banned & Challenged Books, Read Aloud Day, Record Enrollment
 
Part 2: Why We Needed the Constitution – History Professor Dave Koch’s presentation at the Events Center in celebration of Constitution Day on September 17 tells about some of the major ideas and events that led the United States from independence, to the Articles of Confederation, and finally to a Constitutional Convention.
 
Part 3: Night & Weekend Students: Many of HCC’s services are only open during traditional daytime hours. Many more activities take place during the day. This leaves night and weekend students underserved and unable to participate in many aspects of student life – a position that is unfair, given that they constitute one of the community college’s target demographics, and that they end up paying for college functions that they cannot use.

Part 4: The “Long Island Express” Hurricane: On September 21, 1938, a category three hurricane plowed across Long Island and slammed into Connecticut, centering between Bridgeport and New Haven. It was the single worst natural disaster to strike the state in recorded history.

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Continuum 25: Student Senate Shortage/FEMA/Connecticut’s First Constitution

Part 1: Events

Part 2: Student Senate Updates – Recruiting Senators, HCC Foundation, Budget Estimates, Revision of Constitution & Bylaws

Part 3: Student Senate Shortage – Many students who served on HCC’s Student Senate last semester have either graduated or moved on to other activities. Only three members were left to run the group’s September 9 meeting. Host Brandon T. Bisceglia speaks with Director of Student Activities Linda Bayusik and Student Senate Treasurer Konrad Mazurek about the push to recruit new senators, and why they feel the Senate is important.

Part 4: News – Albertus Magnus Transfer Agreement, HCC Crime Statistics, Himes Internships

Part 4: FEMA - Last Friday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency denied Connecticut’s request for federal assistance for losses incurred by the June 24 storm that produced a tornado that ripped through Bridgeport’s downtown area. The denial reveals inequities inherent in FEMA’s policies, and questions about its overall usefulness.

Part 5: Connecticut’s First Constitution – On September 15, 1818, Connecticut Governor Oliver Wolcott signed the final draft of Connecticut’s first post-colonial constitution.
- Connecticut Constitutional History, By Wesley W. Horton

Continuum Website



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Continuum 24: News/Off to the Americorps/Stem Cells/Benedict Arnold

Continuum is inaugurating the new school year with a new format! Join host Brandon T. Bisceglia as he delivers news, interviews, and stories related to Housatonic Community College and Connecticut as a whole.

Part 1 - News and Events: Dean of Outreach/Vietnam Course/Welcome Back Party/Clubs/The Big E Trip

Part 2 - Off to the Americorps: Former Student Senate Vice President Chad Hunter discusses his time at the college and his decision to take a year off to serve the Americorps in California, as well as the drive to serve one’s community.

Part 3 - Stem Cell Commentary: A federal judge recently ordered a temporary ban on public funding for embryonic stem cell research, because of a law passed by Congress in 1996. Connecticut has its own laws that have created clear guidelines for the acquisition of embryonic stem cells, and may serve as a model for updated federal legislation.

Part 4 - This Week in History - Benedict Arnold: On September 6, 1781, Connecticut native and infamous traitor Benedict Arnold led British forces onto shore at the port of New London, in one of the worst battles to occur in the state during the American Revolutionary War.

Click on the button below to listen now!

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