HORIZONS MAGAZINE < > Every Story Counts: ¬ One Professor, Forty Countries ¬ HCC Ranks Top Seven ¬ Infinite Memories in Ten Years ¬ One Topic, Two Perspectives ¬ Two Sides of Creativity from One ¬ What’s Over 21? Jordan Peele ¬ Giving College a Second ¬ One Birthday, Zero Warning Go-AroundHTTP://HOUSATONICHORIZONS.COM FALL 2017 > HORIZONS MAGAZINE Horizons Fall 2017 > MAGAZINE STAFF WRITING STAFF Advisor Professor Steve Mark Editor-in Chief Managing Editor Editors-at-Large Eric Vazquez Kathleen Chaves Emily Aquilino Martin Fenicien Senior Staff Writers Lucas Jailene Ethan Gianni Kaelin Isabelle De Souza Cuevas Goodrich Sapienza Baugh Brown Staff Writers Carl Meghan Chanelle Katie Matthew Simpson Brooks Mattis Selander Thibodeau Chelsea Iesha Nhathalie Vogel Brown Jean-Baptiste 2 HTTP://HOUSATONICHORIZONS.COM FALL 2017 HORIZONS MAGAZINE < > > MAGAZINE STAFF DESIGN STAFF Design Advisor Professor Andy Pinto Designers Director Gina Ricco Assistant Director Brandon Pouncie HTTP://HOUSATONICHORIZONS.COM FALL 2017 3 > HORIZONS MAGAZINE > Highlights We decided, as a team, to examine the many borders and barriers that students approach and cross in their academic careers as well as in their lives away from school. In the magazine you will find personal essays, profiles, and maybe even some helpful tips that spotlight a particular border that has been explored by our writers. These stories range from adventures of country hopping on a European vacation to leaping hurdles while living with a clinically diagnosed mental disorder. 06 14 News Personal EssaysEssay 53 57 Opinion Arts 64 We dug deep to find the stories and we dug deeper to tell our own. From the entire staff of NYCU Short Takes Horizons, we hope you enjoy! 4 HTTP://HOUSATONICHORIZONS.COM FALL 2017 HORIZONS MAGAZINE < What’s Inside > The staff of this semester’s Horizons magazine elected to center our focus around award-winning author Sergio Troncoso’s impactful visit to our college. Through the annual One Book One College event, Troncoso was invited to share a day with our school and discuss the themes and inspiration for his collection of essays: Crossing Borders 04 EDITOR NOTES 42 ROCK MY WORLD MAKE THE ROAD TO SANCTUARY I JUST WANT A REASON FOR MY 06 CITY 45 TEARS COLORING IN THE BACK OF AN AA OVER FORTY COUNTRIES MINUS ONE 08 48 ROOM 10 MAKING A COMEBACK 50 TEN YEARS AT A TIME WHAT IF AMERICA LOVED BLACK HOUSATONIC COMMUNITY COLLEGE PEOPLE AS MUCH AS IT LOVED 12 IS ON THE MAP 53 BLACK CULTURE? NO SPORTS AT SCHOOL A STUDENTS IS GOD FOR ME? 14 54 DREAM 16 A LETTER TO MY MOTHER 55 “UBER” EVERYWHERE, SKRT SKRT 18 DEPRESSION MADE ME 56 WHY THE DARK LORD WRITES 21 CHANGING PERSPECTIVES 57 JUST THE BEGINNING 24 A NEW AGE OF CATHOLICISM 57 THE NIGHT I PULLED THE TRIGGER 25 BEATS ME BLACK AND BLUE 58 GAMING WHILE BLACK HCC’S ONE BOOK ONE COLLEGE HANGERS, MOTH BALLS AND CROSS PATHS WITH AUTHOR SERGIO 26 VIRGINITY 60 TRONCOSO FROM LAUGHS TO SHRIEKS: JORDAN WHAT, ARE YOU WAITING UNTIL PEELE’S CROSSING OVER FOR “GET 28 YOU’RE MARRIED? 62 OUT” 30 TUNNEL VISION 64 THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME YOU’VE GOT YOUR WHOLE GPA IN ADULTING SUCKS 33 66 YOUR HANDS LIKE A NEWBORN FLOWER I NEED TO WHAT IT MEANS TO FORGIVE 34 BLOSSOM 68 LOVE JUMPS THE TALLEST 36 LANGUAGE BARRIER LAUGHS GET 70 NO TIME LEFT BEHIND TIPS FOR SHIFTING FROM SUMMER WELCOME TO MY TRAGEDY 38 72 FUN TO FALL FOCUS 41 I AM MY OWN BORDER 73 I MAKE POUR DECISIONS HTTP://HOUSATONICHORIZONS.COM FALL 2017 5 > HORIZONS MAGAZINE > Make The Road to a Sanctuary City By Nhathalie A. Jean-Baptiste Staff Writer Many come here for suggested to City Council about the need of Bridgeport freedom, for equality, for safety, President Thomas McCarthy and becoming a Sanctuary City. and opportunities. What happens the committee a resolution for “There are mothers and fathers, when their sanctuary is being immigration and immigrants, “Let and children, and college students threatened and they are the them buy a work permit, whether in this room who are living in fear targets, feeling unsafe in their its one year, five years, and when every day of Immigration and communities? they get this right, then they can Customs Enforcement knocking On March 20, at a work at becoming a citizen if they on their door,” said Murley. He Bridgeport City Council Meeting want to become a citizen,” Wilson proceeded to continue and speak immigrants and vocal individuals said. of all the other members of Make voiced their fear for immigrants in Mike Murley, who works with Make The Road CT, and their advocacy. Bridgeport, feeling that immigrants The Road Connecticut, also spoke He also spoke of the compassion are targeted and not being able about the issues that immigrants and fight of the members of MRCT. to feel the safety that they are to face once coming to this country. He told of their struggles and risks. be given for themselves and their He even claimed that for thirty “They’re risking everything families. years of his life he had taken his to make Bridgeport a safer and Clyde Wilson, a concerned “citizenship for granted.” He spoke friendlier place,” Murley said. and passionate advocate, to the council and began talking In accordance with the idea of 6 HTTP://HOUSATONICHORIZONS.COM FALL 2017 HORIZONS MAGAZINE < Bridgeport becoming a Sanctuary “We have been able to might not be here tomorrow,” > City, it would offer protection make a living for ourselves, we Crystal Aguirre, a volunteer with to immigrants that came to this work hard to have a quality life, Make The Road CT, said. country for reasons of their own here in Bridgeport. My sons and Malaska Hernandez, recognizance. daughters have taken root here, another volunteer, expressed how He even gave a reality and this is a place they have great it would be if Bridgeport check scenario to the council always considered their home,” became a Sanctuary City. about if local police began working Vasquez said. Immigrants would feel safe, closely with federal immigration She explained the can call the cops if in need and be offices, many families would hardships she and her husband able to feel like they can live free. face deportation and parents had to face in recent weeks They feel just as impassioned as and children would go through because of the hatred towards Mike Murley. separation. And, he believes that is immigrants and refugees in recent “And right now they do not not what needs to happen. immigration laws being placed. Her feel safe, and as long as they don’t “I see our community in them,” biggest fear is what will happen to feel safe I don’t feel safe,” Murley he said, adding that we are all her children if she and her husband said, as he pleaded for Bridgeport family, that Bridgeport is a family. were faced with trouble. to become a Sanctuary City. “They are not just our friends and “We feel it’s not fair we Make The Road CT and neighbors, they are our brothers have to worry about our sons their volunteers only want an equal and sisters,” said Murley. and daughters being placed in an life for the immigrants they help. orphanage,” Vasquez said. She If you would like to show A native of Mexico, also claimed she and her husband your support and help them voice Alejandra Vasquez, who has been has dedicated to and invested into for Bridgeport to be a Sanctuary a resident of Bridgeport for 11 Bridgeport, in hopes the city will City, you can join them at their years, came here for a better life repay in favor. organization at 850 State Street for with her family. She gave her take “Not my parents, but my meetings. on the need for Bridgeport to grandparents, my uncles, aunts, become a Sanctuary City to the and cousins, weren’t born here; it’s council. a scary feeling knowing your family HTTP://HOUSATONICHORIZONS.COM FALL 2017 7 > HORIZONS MAGAZINE > Over Forty Countries By Eric Vazquez Editor-in-Chief Minus One Professor Paul Rogan likes to ask was a good draft number. A draft the war,” Rogan remembered. questions in class. It’s unclear makes people pay attention. There When the professor was still just whether he is testing the knowledge is a humanizing effect. People a teenager, a chance encounter be- of the room or if he has actually speak out more and investigate tween his father and another more forgotten the answer. This may be the intentions of our government famous minister would be influ- part of his genius. when they are forced to serve it. I ential in formulating his eventual Unlike some history enthusiasts, was paying attention. Most people views on the war. the professor is a Western Civiliza- didn’t know where Vietnam was. The professor’s father met Dr. tion teacher who doesn’t care about That’s a pretty expensive geogra- Martin Luther King Jr. in Minne- dates. His students likely won’t phy lesson,” Rogan said. apolis in 1962. Ministers would get be tested on what happened in the Paul “Moose” Evans, a former together and have a breakfast once U.K. on April 23, 1564 or in Flor- classmate of the professor, was a a month. At one of those gatherings ence on May 3, 1469. But they will big, muscular, intimidating guy, Dr. King spoke to them. discuss Shakespeare’s impact on the kind of guy no one tangled “My dad came home and he was the modern English language and with.