Issue 3, Fall 2015

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SEPTEMBER 23, 2015 VOLUME XXXIII ISSUE III

WHAT’S INSIDE

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ON CAMPUS DELIVERY

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A student newspaper of New College of Florida

Sarasota says:

Millennials Matter Pariesa Young/Catalyst

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12 DOWNTOWN DISNEY

BY PARIESA YOUNG In a poll of about 25 students present at the feedback session for Sarasota County’s Comprehensive Plan, 90 percent of participants reported that they do not plan to stay in Sarasota after graduating. More and more young people – or “millennials,” the generation aged 18 to 34 – are moving away from Sarasota, leading to a unique and pressing issue: the depletion of Sarasota’s workforce.

Millennials make up only 12 percent of Sarasota’s population, despite being the largest and most diverse generation in the U.S.. Sarasota’s median age is 53.1. The population of millennials exists mostly in the area’s

colleges, but graduates are choosing not to stay in Sarasota.

“I love this little tropical paradise just so much, but it doesn’t have the large, dynamic community and culture that I want to surround myself in once I graduate,” thesis student Patricia “Tricia” Johnson said in an email after the event.

The large baby boomer population here is retiring and Sarasota and Manatee counties are preparing for a mass exodus from the workforce, as nearly all boomers will have reached retirement age by 2025. With an aging population and a shortage of workers, Sarasota’s planners are in a bind. Finding new ways to attract and retain millennials is a central goal in

the reworking of Sarasota County’s Comprehensive Plan. “ One of the big things turning me away from Sarasota is that they’re trying to create a community of people that just aren’t coming without first taking care of the people in need,” Johnson said. “I’d rather live in a community that actively caters to all of its members before living somewhere that just wants me because I’m young.”

Elma Felix of the county planning division described a comprehensive plan as a “policy-based document which guides future growth.” In updating the document – the first draft of which is due in January – the county plans

continued on p. 11

Planned Parenthood defunding controversy resonates with students

BY GIULIA HEYWARD A string of illegally recorded videos, along with a determined group of pro-life advocates, might singlehandedly sever federal funding for Planned Parenthood.

The Center for Medical Progress has released a string of 10 videos depicting officials of Planned Parenthood discussing the sale of fetal tissue for profit and making changes to their abortion procedures in order to facilitate this practice. The videos have spurred several investigations

by House Committees and a cry from members of Congress and Republican officials to strip a reported $235 million that the organization receives from the government.

Planned Parenthood, in response, has denied the allegations, claiming that the videos were heavily edited and that the practice of recording officials without their consent is illegal.

Evidence from an outside

STI/STD Testing & Treatment Contraception Cancer Screening and Prevention Other Women’s Health Services Abortion Services Other Services graph by Giulia Heyward/Catalyst with information from 2013 Planned Parenthood Annual Report

In 2013, Planned Parenthood completed 10,590,433 total services ranging from STI/ STD testing to cancer screening and prevention.

investigation, headed by former Wall Street Journal reporter, Glenn Simpson, and his firm, Fusion GPS, supports this claim. The report suggests that long pauses, discrepancies between the transcripts and the reported video file, and instances of goading from the undercover actors to instigate remarks

from the Planned Parenthood officials all point to highly edited videos.

Representatives Dianna Black and Renee Ellmers have drafted a bill that will cut off federal funding for Planned Parenthood and transfer the money to other women’s health organizations. For this bill to pass, it will require approval

from Congress and the president, a difficult task according to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

“The president’s made it very clear he’s not going to sign any bill that includes defunding,” McConnell said in an interview with WYMT, a Kentucky TV station.

Members of Congress are threatening to block any funding to the Obama administration, which could result in a government shutdown.

Officials at Planned Parenthood do not seem to be intimidated by the opposition.

“They have been discredited at this point and all of us know that their true aim is to severely restrict or eliminate access to legal abortion,” Planned Parenthood’s Communications and Advocacy Coordinator Erin Jensen said.

“Our organization has been around for over a hundred years and we’ve certainly

continued on p. 11

CATALYST

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst

BRIEFS

briefs by Angela Duda

City of Sarasota deregulates Uber and other taxi services Uber vehicles, as well as other taxi services, will no longer be regulated by the city of Sarasota.

Though city commissioners fought fiercely to regulate insurance rates and car inspections for Uber vehicles, supporters of the service piled into City Hall and swayed the vote to be unanimously in their favor.

Prior to the meeting, which took place on Sept. 8, the commissioners took a very different stance on Uber.

For months they had attempted to regulate Uber just as they had been regulating other taxi services. “[We would] address criminal history and driver backgrounds, transportation rates, vehicle inspections and insurance,” Parking Manager Mark Lyons said.

Lyons noted that the insurance company used by Uber is not an acceptable service under the Florida Insurance Guaranty Association.

Despite all of these perceived flaws, customers on campus have little complaints. Second-year Alexis Pujol, who began using Uber in New York last January, praised the company for its ease of service and cheap fares. Though she has yet to use the service here in Sarasota, if given the choice between a regular taxi service and an Uber taxi, Pujol said she would choose Uber.

Eva Cross, a third-year student, used Uber for the first time earlier this month. Speaking specifically about the Sarasota driver, she said, “they wanted to get to know us, unlike a taxi, which feels so hostile... [and] it was so much easier because you can put your card info into the app and then you’re good to go.”

Whether deregulation was the right move, or a dangerous one, Cross ended on an important note.

“I wouldn’t get in without someone with me.”

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A COUP of German activism: Don’t be witchcraft that arschloch! and wizardry

In the wake of widespread antirefugee propaganda, Aktion Arschloch (Action Asshole), a German activist group, pushed an anti-Nazi song, “Schrei nach Liebe” (Cry For Love), to the top of Germany’s charts. The song, released in 1993, tells the story of a fictional extremist who is insulted for their beliefs, ending the chorus with the word “Arschloch.”

Die Arzte, the punk rock band that released “Schrei nach Liebe,” wrote the song as a statement against the Hoyerswerda Riots of 1991. The riots began with a group of neo-Nazis committing acts of vandalism against Vietnamese vendors, and then later evolved into the bombing of asylum seeking foreigners. From there it became one of the most well known anti-fascist songs in Germany.

Now the song is being used against right-wing extremists who, much like the fictional character in “Schrei nach Liebe,” are against allowing refugees into Germany. Their beliefs are founded in what Aktion Arschloch calls rampant xenophobia.

These beliefs aren’t always covered

up or hidden, either. “With the refugeecrisis, many people are more open about their xenophobia,” 18-yearold Anika (Nicky) Malzan explained, speaking about her experiences as a German citizen. “They either disguise themselves as concerned citizens, or are just outright racist and Islamophobic.”

And intolerance isn’t found only within Germany’s borders, but in other countries as well, she argues.

“The distribution [of refugees] in Europe is generally rather unfair, as countries like Italy and Greece, both of which are struggling heavily with their economy, take in very large numbers of refugees, while countries that are better off like Denmark flat-out refuse to take in refugees, or like Slovakia, take in a total of 200 refugees, but only Christians,” Malzan said.

The situation is undoubtedly too large for one activist group to completely resolve, but the impact Aktion Arschloch has had on Germany is substantial.

When asked what she thought about the group spreading awareness via “Schrei nach Liebe,” Malzan replied, “I think it’s pretty neat!”

Internship opportunities offered in Tallahassee Internship Coordinator Andrea Knies partnered with the Provost’s Office, who celebrated Constitution Day with free cake, bumper stickers, and voting registration forms, to inform students about the Tallahassee off-campus study program offered in the spring. While the Young Democrats and the cake table competed with each other for attention, a notable crowd hovered around for information on this unique study opportunity.

“There are so many [internships] available in Tallahassee during the legislative session, and in general through connections with faculty and alumni,” Knies said. “There may be some compromises in internships, because some are really competitive, but we will try our best to match students to a position.”

The program will take place at the beginning of ISP and last throughout the spring semester. Students will be expected to take a Mod 2 Tutorial to

“Oh you mean that lit mag that ate the Catalyst at club fair?” © 2015, the Catalyst. All rights reserved.

The Catalyst is available online at www.ncfcatalyst.com, facebook.com/NCFcatalyst, @ncfcatalyst The Catalyst is an academic tutorial sponsored by Professor Maria Vesperi. It is developed in the New College Publications Lab using Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign and printed at Sun Coast Press with funds provided by the New College Student Alliance.

complete necessary paperwork, and then, next semester, take one remote NCF course (either with a professor currently off campus or online), one internship, and one or two Florida State University (FSU) classes. It is important to note, however, that the student will be required to create a unique ISP alongside the semester requirements, as FSU classes begin in January.

One need not worry about costs, either. Tution will be paid to New College as usual, and housing will be provided at no cost.

Students who are interested must apply by Oct. 9. The application can be found on the New College of Florida website.

Unfortunately, the Semester in Tallahassee program is not available to first-years; but if interested, there may be another opportunity. “As long as everything goes as planned and there are no hiccups, it will be offered next year,” Knies assured.

General Editor Managing Editor Copy Editor Online Editor Layout Editors Staff Writers & Photographers

Kaylie Stokes Pariesa Young Yadira Lopez Caitlyn Ralph Haley Jordan & Audrey Warne Bianca Benedí, Katelyn Grimmett, Giulia Heyward, Sydney Kruljac, Jasmine Respess, Ryan Paice, Dylan Pryor, Angela Duda

As one of two proposed themes for this Halloween’s Center of the Universe Party (COUP), Something Wicked This Way Comes dominated the competition with its broad, accommodating ideas.

The desperation of thesis student sponsors Garrett Murto, Lara Grauerholz-Fisher, Logan Starnes and Catalyst writer Bianca Benedi, who would, after this year, say goodbye to the possibility of a campus wide, witchy, Harry Potter inclusive event, was so strong that the only other contender, a Star Trek v. Star Wars COUP, respectfully withdrew.

Despite being the only sponsors who proposed a theme, a petition to allow further theme suggestions has circulated, resulting in an Emergency Towne Meeting. Whether the school can officially expect a witchy COUP remains to be seen.

Instead of holding the COUP on Oct. 31, as initially planned, the sponsors – who have the power to schedule the date – have agreed to move it to Nov. 7. “We feel that [moving it to the beginning of the next month] is the best option because it allows for religious celebrations on the 31st, allows us to use the Black Box [Theatre] as a rave space, and extends Halloween for an entire week,” Starnes said.

Though the group proposed the Yule Ball during their second year, it did not receive enough support to move forward. To compensate, this year they developed a theme that appealed to a more significant number of students. They plan to allude to other concepts of witchcraft and wizardry, such as the Shakespearean witch, and show not just Harry Potter, but other magical movies such as “Hocus Pocus” and “Practical Magic” as well.

“We’re going to have a lot of decorations and Easter eggs,” Starnes said. “[The] Three Broomsticks at Four Winds, a sorting ceremony in Ham, a potions and astronomy class, a Department of Mysteries rave space, and Quidditch on Z Green.”

For those wary of party culture, there will be various trivia and card games – notably the card game Coup (at a COUP!) – and recipes from the Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook, which are sure to please.

Direct submissions, letters, announcements and inquiries to: The Catalyst 5800 Bay Shore Road Sarasota, Florida 34243 ncfcatalyst@gmail.com

The Catalyst reserves the right to edit all submissions for grammar, space and style.

No anonymous submissions will be accepted.

Submissions must be received by 12:00 p.m.

Friday for consideration in the next issue.

CATALYST

ON CAMPUS

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PAGE 3

9 new cars cause parking wars on campus

BY KAYLIE STOKES With the largest incoming class now on campus, student complaints of having nowhere to park have followed.

However, with 717 registered vehicles – including students and staff – and 1,033 non-restricted parking spaces not designated for visitors, motorcycles, or unloading, a more accurate complaint would be having nowhere close to park.

Students seem to believe that their inability to find a close parking space is due to the dramatic increase in cars on campus, but the data suggests something different. When asked to guess how many more cars there were on campus compared to last year, student responses ranged from “at least 25” to more than a hundred. As of now, there are 407 student vehicles registered – an increase of only nine compared to this time last year. Look back one more year, to 2013, and the difference jumps up to 29, slightly more significant but not dramatically so.

It was thought that the parking problems around the residence halls could be the result of a greater number of students living on campus, but even those numbers do not account for the perceived increase in cars. The fall 2014 semester began with 646 on-campus students, while fall 2015 began with 657 – an increase of only 11.

This could explain the parking competition on the academic side of campus. In order to accommodate the increase of students, a greater number of upper-years were granted off-campus approval. This semester New College has 221 students living off-campus, a

Kaylie Stokes/Catalyst

There are 717 student, staff and faculty cars registered on campus.

43-student increase from the previous fall. More students living off campus means more students driving to class and looking for parking near ACE and the Heiser Natural Sciences Complex.

With more than 1,000 parking spaces on campus, the problem is not that there are not enough spaces, but that students want to be as close as possible to their destination. The 1,033 parking spaces referenced at the beginning of this article include parking spaces at Old Caples (8 spaces), Sainer Pavilion (41 spaces) and the Keating Center (20 spaces) as well as the lot behind the library, which was closed until this past Monday.

Student frustration has stemmed from circling the parking lots closest to the residence halls and classrooms.

The lot in front of Sudakoff holds 125 regularly registered vehicles and the lot behind Ham holds 77. The Heiser and ACE parking lots total 122 spaces together.

The complaints about parking are relative on a campus this size.

“I was talking to Kim [Bendickson], and she said when she was at Florida [State University] it wasn’t called parking, it was called hunting,” Parking Services Coordinator Richard Bartelt said. “You would go to school an hour early just to drive around the parking lot in the hopes of getting a space.”

Parking Coordinator Mary-Ellen Barnick, who has patrolled the parking lots of New College for the past nine years, says that there is always more parking troubles at the beginning of

the year.

“It’s the start of the semester and once they get acclimated they’re going to learn to leave their car and either ride their bike or walk,” Barnick said.

Barnick is responsible for writing the on-campus parking tickets and says the majority of tickets are written for students not purchasing a permit.

“This year I broke my record of 30 and wrote 33 tickets in one day,” Barnick said. “But most of those will probably be waived once they purchase their permit.”

While the school offers a variety of parking permits, including motorcycle parking, value lot passes and other specialty passes, the most common are the regular student and staff annual passes. These passes are free for those who have a New College license plate – a $35 yearly charge. For students and staff who do not have the NCF tag, this permit costs $75 annually.

The cost of campus parking permits has not seen an increase since 2010, and falls far behind most other campuses. A standard parking pass at the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg will cost a student $226 a year and specialty passes can cost even more.

This year New College’s parking services has collected $28,410 in parking permit fees and will expect to collect just under $20,000 in fines throughout the year. These figures are too low to keep itself sustaining and the difference is made up through the auxiliary budget and other avenues of funding.

Co-speakers explain the Towne Meeting

BY JASMINE RESPESS The Towne Meeting could be considered the epicenter of democratic life at New College. Since every student is automatically a senator in the New College Student Alliance (NCSA), it allows students a space for presenting, ideas, propositions and problems they see on campus.

“As far as the NCSA goes the power is pretty expansive,” Thesis student McAlister Grant and co-speaker of the NCSA Towne Meeting said. “Any power not delegated specifically to another body are given to the Towne Meeting.”

The NCSA office is located in Hamilton Center and is open to the students.

“When in [a] Towne Meeting we are working together towards shared goal,” thesis student and co-speaker of the NCSA Evann Soltys-Gilbert said.

The speakers expressed that the Towne Meeting is an impressive body at New College. They gave an example of a recent Towne Meeting where students came together to discuss the changing of the name of what was formerly known as Palm Court Party to what is now called Center of the Universe Party (COUP).

“The student body had the choice

to make [the] pole and make the choice before it was made for them,” SoltysGilbert said.

“The Towne Meeting is the strongest tool the students have for voicing their concerns and holding the administration accountable,” Grant said.

“Everything that is brought through the Towne Meeting is voted on,” Soltys-Gilbert said.

Soltys-Gilbert explained that the Towne Meeting is place where important things, such as the Counseling and Wellness Center budget are voted on.

The speakers both said that they share the information that will be given and what will be voted on at least a few days in advance if possible.

“It’s not clear, or it hasn’t been in the past, that the Towne Meeting is where students can make the most difference,” Soltys-Gilbert said.

Both co-speakers were adamant about making sure students know they can be a part of legislation and bringing issues forward.

“It’s a lot easier to talk at Towne Meetings than I thought,” third-year Kasia Burzynski said. “It’s a simple process to submit an agenda item for discussion and for your views to be heard. It’s really affirming when you

Jasmine Respess/Catalyst

When inclement weather prevents the Towne Meeting from being held in Palm Court, Hamilton “Ham” Center is a reliable alternative.

realize that other students care about similar issues and are doing things about them.”

Grant also gave the example that positions, such as the Council of Diversity and Inclusion, can and have been created through the Towne Meeting.

Towne Meetings have been increasing in attendance, with up to around 75 students attending this past Wednesday, with the highest this semester being over 120. This is up

from last year, when it was a struggle to get 50 people to show up and stay.

The co-speakers are hoping to increase visibility and get those numbers even higher.

Making sure that students know that the Towne Meetings are happening and are a good use of student time are the co-speakers main goals.

“The biggest thing that we can do is making sure the meetings are run effectively,” Grant said.

CATALYST

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NEWS PAGE 4

CEO granted $1.1 million for its second consecutive year

BY HALEY JORDAN In the 2014-2015 academic year, nearly 80 percent of first-year students participated in career workshops.

The number of students enrolled in internships increased by 140 percent and the number of first-year students using the Writing Resource Center (WRC) increased by 240 percent.

With the establishment of the Center for Engagement and Opportunity (CEO) came challenges in identifying and addressing the most critical student needs. As the center met the requirements of the state’s Performance Improvement Plan it was reinstated its initial grant of $1.1 million for the 2015-2016 academic year.

The center was created with two broad goals: connecting undergraduate arts and sciences to the work force and student success and persistence to second-year and graduation. “The first year was a lot of trying things and seeing what worked,” said Andrea Knies, internship coordinator at the CEO. “This year we are being more strategic about what we take on and the activities we deliver.”

In its first two semesters, the CEO has organized a part-time job fair where 130 students met with 15 employers, offered graduate school entrance exam preparation in which 56 students participated, created peer mentor programs, and co-hosted an internship workshop with USF Sarasota-Manatee and Ringling College of Art and Design, attended by 28 local employers. In

total the CEO has hosted 25 careerfocused events with 612 students in attendance.

Knies said she would like to see more students take advantage of the graduate school preparation services.

“I think because we refer to it as career services, people don’t realize that that includes graduate school prep... if you want to go to a graduate school at anytime that this is also the place to help with that.”

The center is also hoping to increase event attendance by organizing workshop clusters lasting three days each. “Instead of just doing workshops periodically throughout the semester they are going to group them by theme,” Knies said. “We found that there are so many things going on on campus that for us to just do a workshop here and there doesn’t really have the impact that we need.”

A CEO survey conducted at the end of the 2015 spring semester found that 90.3 percent of students were satisfied with the CEO. The center attributes the success to its central location, new staff, increased visibility through CEO events, outreach and campus partnerships, and new programs designed to keep students engaged with the center from orientation through graduation. The center also currently offers Leadership, Engagement, Awareness and Professionalism (LEAP) sessions, the CEO Next program, and a mentorship program.

The LEAP sessions originated from alumni opinions on what they

believe would be most beneficial to New College. “We looked at different programs on professional development and leadership but we didn’t want to just tell students what to do,” Knies said. “Because that’s not the New College way.” To provide this, each LEAP session is centered on a particular piece of research. The sessions are offered every other week in Hamilton Center on various topics related to professional skills, leadership and collaboration, and each last 30 minutes.

“We do address public speaking but we look at things like why it is one of the biggest fears and what causes this anxiety,” Knies said. “Rather than just saying imagine them in their underwear... if you can understand where that anxiety is coming from psychologically, biologically even, you can help yourself based on what’s happening to you.”

CEO Next is a six-week summer program that offers CEO’s services to recent graduates. “The idea of CEO Next was making sure that students who were fourth-years when we started still had the opportunities that are going to be developed as we continue with the office,” Knies said. “In your fourth-year you are doing your thesis - you are really wrapped up in that, you might not be thinking about what’s next, so right after graduation you still have that option, and for free.”

The Academic Mentor Program links rising second-year students with the next year’s incoming students over the summer to provide information and

tips about adjusting to New College’s academics. The student mentors will be nominated by faculty based upon academic success and leadership qualities.

As of this year the center is also offering to pair students with alumni for mentorship. “It could be an alum who is in a geographic area of your interest, or an industry that you’re interested in, or even somebody who went to the graduate school you are interested in,” Knies said.

In addition, the center had a number of ongoing initiatives including developing an internship preparatory tutorial or ISP, create an online system for the completion and signing of internships, increase student and faculty knowledge of internship best practices and regulations and ensuring students have an internship prior to their fourth year. The CEO also aims for 60 percent of students to have participated in an internship by graduation, successful semester-away internship programs in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C. and to increase additional experiential learning opportunities in addition to internships.

“Students should know they don’t have to know what they are looking for or what they need when they come here,” Knies said. “You can just come and say ‘I am confused about this or I want to explore this, I don’t know how to get started,’ we can help with that.

Just know that we are a friendly office and we can help even if you don’t know what you need.”

Ancient skeletons reveal origins of the Basque Country

BY SYDNEY KRULJAC For decades, anthropologists have been baffled by a unique language and ancestry belonging to the Basque Country, located in Northern Spain and Southern France. Finally, scientists have determined the origins of the Basque due to the recent discovery and results of eight ancient Iberian skeletons found in a cave in Northern Spain.

Some earlier theories suggested the Basque were descendants of indigenous hunters, whereas others said they were pure descendants of the first modern humans to arrive on the continent of Europe. However, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) journal has since indicated their ancestry spawns from early farmers who mixed with local hunters on their way to Iberia before becoming “isolated for millennia” according to the BBC. “It was just four to five years ago when it became generally accepted that the early farmers in Europe were migrants from the south and east who spread out as opposed to the theory that farming spread throughout

Europe by cultural diffusion or rather by word of mouth,” thesis student and anthropology AOC Garrett Murto said.

“It is because of this that the Basques were considered to be descendants of isolated hunter-gatherers; they don’t exhibit the genetic similarity to eastern and southern Europeans so therefore they cannot have been farmers during the Neolithic.”

The Basque have a unique language, Euskera, that does not resemble any other language spoken in the world, yet caught between Spain and France, they have distinct genetic qualities similar to their bordering countries.

By studying the Iberian skeletons found in the archaeological site Atapuerca, a population geneticist, Mattias Jakobsson, and his team from Uppsala University in Sweden discovered the genomes that are the closest ancestors to what are now the present-day Basques.

“Our results show that the Basques trace their ancestry to early farming groups from Iberia, which contradicts previous views of them being a remnant population that trace their ancestry to Mesolithic hunter-

gatherer groups,” Jakobsson said in an interview with phys.org, a science, research and technology news website.

These findings give insight to the demographic processes that took place in Europe and Iberia within the past 5,000 years.

“Every year we find human and animal bones and artifacts, including stone tools, ceramics, bone artifacts and metal objects,” Dr. Cristina Valdiosera said in an interview with phys.org.

“It is like a detailed book of the last 10,000 years, providing a wonderful understanding of this period. The preservation of organic remains is great and this has enabled us to study the genetic material complementing the archaeology.”

According to the BBC, the same migrant group who introduced it to both central and northern Europe brought agriculture to Iberia. This group expanded from the Near East around 7,000 years ago beginning what is known as the Neolithic period.

Once these groups settled down, they began to interact and mix with the local hunters and gatherers, indicating the skeletons found were more closely

related to a hunter-gatherer ancestry than a pioneer farmer one.

After the migrant farmers and hunters were mixed, they became isolated from other European groups, unaffected by the spread of IndoEuropean language and culture like its neighboring countries.

“This reminds us that culture is not static even though in some instances like the origins of the Basques, people still can slip dangerously close to making that argument,” Murto said.

“The Basques are a genetically isolated population […] There is no reason to think that the early ancestors of the Basques were not involved with other populations in their area and that there was not an exchange of ideas occurring.

The dissemination of culture and the interactions between cultures can be correlative but is not reliant on a desire or reluctance to reproduce with members of other cultures.”

Information for this article was taken from: bbc.com, ancient-origins.net, pnas. org, phys.org, mynewsdesk.com

CATALYST

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NEWS PAGE 5

Psilocybin Day of Action fosters discussion on role of psychedelics in medicine

BY AUDREY WARNE This past Sunday, Sept. 20, Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) participated in a coordinated day of action centered on raising awareness and bringing attention to the psilocybin compound.

Psilocybin Day of Action is a project developed by the 920 coalition.

The coalition’s aim is to increase awareness of recent medical research on psilocybin and provide contextual information about the traditional healing uses that have been practiced for thousands of years by indigenous peoples all over the world.

“Psilocybin has shown promise in end-of-life therapy, treating anxiety and depression, and promoting long-term psychological health,” according to the SSDP website.

Psilocybin has also been shown to significantly reduce the effects of cluster headaches, long acknowledged to be one of the most painful conditions known to medical science. Nicknamed “suicide headaches,” the suicide rate among sufferers is said to be 20 times the national average. Approximately 400,000 people – an estimated one in 1,000 individuals – suffer from cluster headaches in the U.S. alone.

Clusterbusters is a non-profit research and educational organization dedicated to finding effective treatment

for cluster headaches. The organization was in part created to explore the role of psychedelics (primarily LSD and psilocybin) in the treatment and prevention of cluster headaches. In one experiment, 22 out of 26 psilocybin users reported that the use of psilocybin had aborted their attacks; 25 out of 48 psilocybin users and 7 out of 8 LSD users reported cluster period termination; and 18 out of 19 psilocybin users and 4 out of 5 LSD users reported remission period extensions.

Studies on psilocybin and its effects on the human brain and body have been ongoing in the U.S. since 2000. One Johns Hopkins study on psilocybin found that participants exhibited more “openness,” a term that includes traits related to imagination, aesthetics, feelings, abstract ideas and general broad-mindedness.

“Hopkins scientists were able to reliably induce transcendental experiences in volunteers, which offered long lasting psychological growth and helped people find peace in their lives,” according to Time magazine.

The study involved 18 healthy adults, the average age being 46, all of whom participated in five eight-hour long sessions with either various doses of psilocybin or a non-psychoactive placebo. Nearly all of the volunteers were college graduates, 78 percent regularly participated in religious

activities, and all were interested in spiritual experiences. Fourteen months after the study, 94 percent of those who received the drug said the experiment was one of the top five most meaningful experiences of their lives and 39 percent said it was the single most meaningful experience of their life. The research was funded in part by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and approved by Johns Hopkins’ Institutional Review Board prior to being published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.

“The first two psilocybin studies conducted at Johns Hopkins, in 2008 and 2011 respectively, showed that psilocybin occasions [can result in] personally meaningful and spiritually significant mystical experiences [that can] produce positive changes in attitudes, mood, altruism, behavior, and life-satisfaction,” according to the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). MAPS, an organization created by New College alum Rick Doblin, is dedicated to the development of medical, legal and cultural contexts in which people can benefit from the careful uses of psychedelics and marijuana.

There is a huge gap in scientific research on the psychedelic front, primarily as a result of reactionary controlled substance laws that were created in response to the perceived role of psychedelics in the 1960s. One of

the first major scientific studies on the benefits of the psilocybin compound, the Harvard Psilocybin Project (19601962), ended with the termination of Timothy Leary and his partner Richard Alpert, now known as Ram Dass, from Harvard. The study led to the regulation of the once-legal psilocybin compound, first under the Drug Abuse Control Amendments of 1965 and then under the Controlled Substance Act of 1970.

The Controlled Substances Act was responsible for categorizing a majority of psychedelics, including marijuana, LSD, MDMA, DMT, psilocybin and peyote, as Schedule I drugs, a category defined by substances with both a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use. The demonization of psilocybin, and other psychedelics, led to the use of their compounds, even in highly controlled academic settings, being banned for the next 20 years.

Psychedelic research began to pick up again in the 1990s, with Rick Strassman’s revolutionary experiments with the tryptamine compound commonly known as DMT. Strassman was the first person in the U.S. to embark on human research with a psychedelic in more than 20 years, and his struggle in obtaining the compound and inability to complete his research as he originally

continued on p. 11

The Holy Trinity of delivery to New College

BY RYAN PAICE With limited weekend hours at Hamilton “Ham” Center, New College students must often venture outside of the provided food services. Luckily for those students who have the time and transportation, there are plenty of restaurants to choose from along US41, University and downtown. For those who might lack the aforementioned attributes, there are several delicious and surprisingly affordable restaurants that offer delivery service to New College.

While there are not as many delivery options are there are local restaurants, the few restaurants available to order from can provide just about anything a hungry student could wish for. Although most of the options are restricted to Asian food and pizza places, these restaurants are all varied and unique from one another, and a delicious meal is within an hour away.

Chinese food delivery is an essential delivery option to have, and fortunately for New College students, China King delivers with huge portions of affordable Chinese food.

Interestingly, the most impressive meal from China King was their fried chicken wings. Beautifully cooked and breaded, it would give any WingHouse a run for their money. In addition to scrumptious lo mein, fried wontons and soups, China King offers a vast array of other items to devour. Their moo shu pork was not

particularly impressive, nor was their duck sauce. It might be silly to include this, but the fortune cookies were oddly unsatisfying as well. However, China King offers huge portions of quality Chinese food for a really reasonable bill.

Outside of China King, the Sarasota area does not offer much in the way of delivery to New College that is not a pizza restaurant. Luckily, there is a huge variety of pizza restaurants, each with their own distinctive feel.

If one were to be a fan of the generic chain-style pizza, Pizza Hut (941-753-2222) and Papa John’s (941952-9966) are available to order from at any time, and can offer attractive deals.

However, when this reporter attempted to place an order with Pizza Hut, there were several complications with the order, and the estimated delivery time was a ridiculous four hours. Whereas with Papa John’s the pizza was delivered just within 45 minutes.

If one were looking for a unique kind of pizza to order, Joey D’s Chicago Style Eatery & Pizzeria (941-364-9900) offers Chicago-style deep-dish pizza that is sensational. A pizza from Joey D’s might not be quite as affordable as one of the chain pizza restaurants that could offer you some deal or other, but it came in a little over 30 minutes and the quality was noticeably better. It is also pretty difficult to walk away from eating a deep dish pizza without being stuffed. Second-year student Mika

Ryan Paice/Catalyst

A quart of egg drop soup, a carton of rice, and two delivery platters from China King.

Lorenzo called it the best pizza he had ever eaten. Other than pizza, however, Joey D’s has little else to offer.

The last pizza restaurant just so happens to be one of the best delivery places a college student could wish for, and that is Eleni’s Pizza Works (941758-8700). Their food is much more natural and fresh than all of the other delivery food available to order, and the French fries were “very crispy but also very wholesome,” second-year Hunter Osking said. “Like Sunny’s fries, but with more seasoning.” The 5-inch pizza was loaded with fresh ingredients, and was both filling and delectable for an

unbelievable $4.29. The salad and soup were decent, and the bread that came with the order was great. Eleni’s is a small and little-known place, with food made from beautifully fresh ingredients and for prices that are simply astounding.

Out of everything, Eleni’s Pizza Works was the most impressive delivery option available for New College students. With the wholesome food, handsome prices and decent variety, Eleni’s is really everything a college student could wish for. If Eleni’s might not have what you are looking for, China King and Joey D’s are also great options for delivery.

Galerie features revolutionary

BY GIULIA HEYWARD When Nathan Wilson graduated from New College in 2013, he ran into the very common problem of being a young artist trying to make it in an industry that values age and education over talent.

Wilson creates art inspired by mathematics and the environment.

“My undergraduate thesis concerned the determination of core perceptive properties with which we evaluate form in our everyday lives,” Wilson states on his website.

“Mathematical systems exist independently of human presence and are embedded in our physical world.

Natural illustrations of proportionality, symmetry, and notions of inflation/ deflation and partitioning are not dated to a particular time period and are not confined to, or ascribed to, a particular set of ideals, which makes them widely accessible to a variety of audiences.”

Galerie Dänknéiss was born out of Wilson’s frustration. The gallery is a multidisciplinary showcase featuring artwork from Wilson and a host of other talented young artists.

On Sept. 18, the gallery featured work from New College students and alums including Michael Miller, Belle DuVall and Dawn Aberle.

Alum Diana Watson (’09) does not consider herself to be an artist,

instead explaining that her art is hair.

She was, however, a major figure of Galerie Dänknéiss as she was in charge of finding the venue.

“Art spaces are hard to come by,” Watson said. “We wanted something that was small and independent. We wanted to give people an opportunity to showcase their artwork outside of the college circuit.”

The gallery is comprised of several rooms, each characterized by white walls that put the focus on the art.

Some of the featured works, all under the common theme of perception, were geometric sculptures or digital art that challenged the viewer to think in an unconventional way. Artwork retailed from $150 to $2800.

Attendees seemed pleased with the show.

“Great locale, great selection, and great fun,” alum David Miller (’11) said.

“I give it five out of five stars.” Miller found out about the event through his neighbor, another alum, Coral Moore (’11), who chose to give the gallery 10 out of 10 stars.

Galerie Dänknéiss is still a gamble at this point. The grassroots project was mainly funded through investments made by the Galerie Dänknéiss team.

More information on Galerie Dänknéiss can be found on their Facebook page and their website, dankwatch.com.

(leftpage) (top) David Miller admires art with Catalyst reporter Giulia Heyward. (bottom) The gallery is located in Towles Court, the artist colony in Sarasota. (right page) (top) Some of the artwork featured was by the gallery’s organizer, Nathan Wilson. (middle) Sculptures

by New College alum Paige Rowritz. (bottom) Featured artwork by thesis student Davin Aberle.

DänknÊiss

artwork from student artists

CATALYST

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst

REVIEWS

PAGE 8

Pablo Escobar as the subject of Netflix original series ‘Narcos’

BY KATELYN GRIMMETT Pablo Escobar was elected to Colombia’s Congress in 1982 – at about the same time, he was shipping an estimated 70 to 80 tons of cocaine from Colombia to the U.S. every month.

The Netflix original series “Narcos” follows the rise and fall of Escobar and his life as a notorious and extremely evasive drug trafficker with a political agenda.

The series documents the massive manhunt for Escobar, using events and details loosely based off and validated by collaboration with Steve Murphey and Javier Pena, the DEA agents who eventually helped Colombian police end Escobar’s terrorism in 1993.

Directed by José Padilha, “Narcos” takes its audience to the peaks, forests and colorful cities of Colombia for a dark but riveting drama about the manhunt for drug kingpin Escobar. Narrated by the voice of Boyd Holbrook, the actor who portrays DEA agent Steve Murphey, “Narcos” is filmed almost entirely in colloquial Latin American Spanish and requires a decent amount of subtitle reading, perhaps the main reason the series has been called “fullimmersion TV.” While season two has been confirmed for October, critics are finding fault with the show’s “un-binge watchable” nature and surrealistic qualities. That binge watching has evidently been accepted and now encouraged is a story in itself but that “Narcos” calls for the watcher’s full attention is reflective of the series’ attempt to document such a convoluted time in Colombia’s history.

The first episode of “Narcos” begins with a definition of magical realism and a disclaimer stating, “There is a reason magical realism was born in Colombia.”

image courtesy of moviehooker.com

The first season of “Narcos” is available for streaming on Netflix.

The elements of surrealism in the plot of “Narcos” is no coincidence, it is an echo of the world Colombia lived in under the peak of Escobar’s influence.

“This is not the show about good American cops who go to a third world country to save the poor people from a bad guy,” executive producer José Padilha said in an interview with theWrap. “Nobody’s good in this show.

Everybody’s gray. Escobar – one of the things he did was, he put a bomb on a plane to kill one person – he brought the whole plane down. He’s obviously an evil person, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a soft side, for his family.”

Escobar began as a small but prominent drug dealer. In 1975, he began his own cocaine operation with Miami as the main target. By the mid1980s, the Medellin Cartel, formed by Escobar, was controlling 80 percent of the global cocaine market. Escobar had become the 10th richest man in the world, a fact widely published by Forbes magazine.

At one point, Escobar had such an overwhelming amount of money that he had it buried in multiple locations.

At the time, he was developing a “Robin Hood” image. One of his strategies to keeping his excess money in check was to give it away in large stacks to the poor. This is certainly why many people financially aided by Escobar in Medellin mourned his death and perhaps why around 25,000 people attended his burial. In his lifetime, Escobar had many hospitals, schools and churches constructed throughout western Colombia. It is no question why the people of Medellin fell in love with this drug dealer so easily.

One of the interesting techniques used throughout “Narcos” is the use of real news footage and photographs.

The series often flashes to black and white recordings of the war against Colombian cartels at the time. Other footage includes Reagan’s famous “Just Say No” campaign, photos of the real Escobar and clips of a plane blown up

by Escobar.

It was around the time of the plane explosion that Escobar’s Robin Hood image began to fade and the Search Bloc, a group of “incorruptible” officers and agents formed just for the purpose of tracking Escobar, became particularly effective. It was the beginning of Colombia’s war on drugs, a war singlehandedly set in motion by Escobar.

“There were 10 to 15 car bombs on a daily basis,” Javier Pena said in an interview with the Observer. “The Search Bloc was made up of the uniform guys who did the operations and the intelligence people in plain clothes. I lost some good friends that he had killed.

It was personal. And then you look at the history of Escobar, he had killed attorney generals. He killed judges. He killed a presidential candidate.”

Between the rich Colombian landscape and culture, the exquisite purchases of Escobar and his practically effortless strategy of paying off cops at the beginning of the series, the question of whether the drug trafficking life of Escobar has been romanticized in “Narcos” has come up. Perhaps it has been to some degree. However, two of the reasons for the extent of Escobar’s influence in Colombia were his extravagant lifestyle and his initially respectful nature toward the public. He played both the character of the powerhungry king and that of Robin Hood.

Escobar’s life was certainly not comparable to the life of just any drug dealer and “Narcos” doesn’t let that detail go under the radar. His shift from potential president to mass-murdering madman is certainly not overlooked in the series either. So, if a historical fiction series based off the life of Pablo Escobar sounds captivating, “Narcos” may just be the show for you. Just make sure to mind the subtitles.

Colbert brings new energy to ‘The Late Show’

BY RYAN PAICE After 22 years and 4,263 episodes of hosting “The Late Show,” David Letterman has relinquished his job to Stephen Colbert – the eccentric star of “The Colbert Report” – and so far it has gone very well.

While “The Colbert Report” will undoubtedly hold its own place in the hearts of fans, “The Late Show” has found its next star host in Stephen Colbert, and nobody would have been able to just pick up the show and run with it as well as Colbert has. Colbert, who played a fictional character with the same name in “The Colbert Report,” can finally be himself instead of the character parody of right-wing television show hosts.

Everything about the show is fresh; from the stunning new set to the introductory theme song complete with lovely animations presenting New York City and introducing the guests of the show. After 22 years of the same host and largely the same show, the change is welcome and well executed. Even the

design of the title is new, and it has a brilliantly clean and simple look that really does “The Late Show” justice.

The theater in which “The Late Show” is filmed, the Ed Sullivan Theater in Brooklyn, New York, has not changed a bit, but the new set is a jaw dropper.

It is an impressive combination of the classic New York look that Letterman had for so many years with a bit of the modern feel that could be found on “The Colbert Report.” It is a surprisingly nice fusion, and Colbert has to be comfortable on such a beautiful set that’s got a little taste of home for him.

The introductory theme song is new and lighthearted, and as the camera pans over the animated New York City the names of the guests appear on buildings and on the tops of trains, or on the field of a stadium. It is a creative approach, while still maintaining simplicity, and the introduction is one of the best new changes that is not Stephen Colbert.

Another nice change is the new accompanying band, with the goofy and enjoyable Jon Batiste leading his

Stay Human band in replacing the old and odd Paul Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra. This reporter was never a huge fan of the disruptive band leader presence, but Batiste is an enjoyably ridiculous guy that does not have the creepy kind of vibe that Shaffer had. In fact, Batiste’s youth and goofy energy play right into Colbert’s own ridiculous intensity, and the two seem to have a fun dynamic.

Speaking of Stephen Colbert, he is still very enjoyable as himself and not just as his “The Colbert Report” character, and the intensity that he brings is exciting. Where Colbert really shines though, in classic “The Colbert Show” fashion, is in his chemistry with the guests. From Joe Biden to Stephen King to Amy Schumer, the topshelf guests fail to deter Colbert from being himself, and the conversations are consequently hysterical. While he cannot be at the same level of ridiculousness as he achieved with his guests on “The Colbert Report,” that is alright, as now the guests can have a real conversation with him.

Where the show might fail to impress is if viewers go into it without the realization that the Stephen Colbert from “The Colbert Report” was a constant performance to be in character, and that he is not going to have the same level of ridiculousness that many have come to think of as the real Colbert’s personality. If prospective viewers wanted to get into the show, they should approach it with the expectations for a more professional and grounded personality, and they will be pleasantly surprised with Colbert’s perseverant eccentricity and energy.

While many loved David Letterman, he never had the same kind of charisma that Colbert oozes, and relied mostly on material and guests to provide substance to the show. With a new host capable of carrying the show on his back if necessary, “The Late Show” should just continue to improve, as the same quality comedic material and topshelf guests can finally be matched by the star quality of the new host.

CATALYST

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst

LatinX club to promote more inclusivity

BY DYLAN PRYOR The beginning of the school year brought many new clubs to campus, including LatinX, a club that celebrates Latin American culture. Club president and founder, second-year Jennyfer Gonzalez, hopes to promote a safer campus and more inclusivity at New College.

“Last year, my roommate and I were talking about the new Disney princess that’s coming out and we got very angry because it is a very stereotypical version of what a Latin woman is like and it was just very frustrating that we had to deal with these micro-aggressions all the time,” Gonzalez said. “So my roommate decided to leave school and I feel like this was a reason to it. And I just didn’t want other people to leave because of that.”

Gonzalez is eager to begin working toward the club’s goals.

“The mission statement is to combat stereotypes that are perpetuated in everyday society and to unite all the students who identify as LatinX,” Gonzalez said. “And you do not have to be LatinX or speak Spanish to be part of this club.”

The club had its first official meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 15. Twentysix members were in attendance. It also elected its first board, which includes Gonzalez as president, second-year Lorraine Cruz as vice president, firstyear Dani Patarroyo-Avila as secretary,

“Grandma” opens on a break-up.

Reeling from the loss of her partner of many decades, Elle (Lily Tomlin) lashes out at her younger girlfriend, Olivia (Judy Greer). She says their four months together meant “nothing.” She calls her “a footnote.” She all but slaps her across the face.

Yet the minute Olivia walks out the door, Elle bursts into tears. Her measured tone and crass insults reveal themselves as a bluff: she wears and uses them as a weapon-armor hybrid, hurling them out before retrieving them as if they’re boomerangs. You can’t hurt her, the sting of her words implies. But she can hurt you.

Elle Reid, or “Grandma,” feels like the type of character Tomlin should have played by now. She comes equipped with the zingers that Tomlin can spout in her sleep, but she’s imbued with a depth that the actress rarely gets to dig into. It’s to the film’s great benefit that Tomlin is the face, soul and beating heart of “Grandma,” a lightly funny and razor-sharp character study that builds with emotional force.

After Elle kicks her girlfriend out, she is left alone – estranged from her daughter, and with only $42 to her name – to grieve over her lost loves. But her teenage granddaughter Sage (Julia Garner) abruptly shows up pregnant, in need of $630 for an abortion. Sage’s mom can’t – or shouldn’t – know about all this, and Elle, wise ol’ grandma that

PAGE 9

SWAlk About It SUBMITTED BY MADELEINE YOUNT

photo courtesy of Jennyfer Gonzalez

LatinX Club shares the Spanish language and Latin culture with the community.

and thesis student Garrett Murto as treasurer.

“I wanted to be an active member of LatinX, and I’ve been talking to Jenny about the club,” Patarroyo-Avila said. “I was very interested before we officially met…and secretary seemed like a very good fit for me.”

LatinX has already begun enthusiastically planning upcoming events such as hosting keynote speakers, forum posts highlighting current events in Latin America, Latin movie screenings, and Hispanic Heritage month.

“For Hispanic Heritage month, [Ana “Xime” Pedroza] and I are in charge of making food, so I’m really

excited to make food, because I have never gotten to make LatinX food, so now I get to learn how to make it and it’s really exciting,” first-year Ana Bez commented.

LatinX Club will be meeting Tuesday evenings, 8:00-9:00 p.m. in the Old Mail Room, and anyone interested in joining is welcome to either email Gonzalez or simply show up to the meetings.

“This is new so I want everybody to be included, this isn’t my own club, it’s everybody’s club,” Gonzalez said.

“So please come, I really do need the help and I really appreciate the ideas.”

Tomlin gets role of her career in ‘Grandma’ SUBMITTED BY DAVID CANFIELD

FEATURES

she is, considers herself an important companion for a day of money-begging and major life decisions.

Their journey evolves into a reckoning for Elle, as she revisits slivers of her past to find someone, anyone, to help her granddaughter out.

Initially, as they go from place to place, the scenarios play out no less broad than a typical Tomlin vehicle. Elle acts out in a coffee shop after being told she’s causing a disruption; she plays it amusingly slick at a tattoo parlor, where she meets up with an old friend (played well by Laverne Cox) who owes her some money.

Whenever “Grandma” looks to be running the risk of caricature, however, Weitz rolls up his sleeves to reveal another trick. As with his opening scene, the writer-director presents his protagonist’s armor with greater velocity as its effectiveness weakens.

The script is confident. Elle’s past is pieced together with patient rigor, as in every scene we learn another detail or two about this raging, grieving “Grandma.” She meets up with an old flame from 40 years ago (played by Sam Elliot); she broke his heart on her path to self-discovery, and he carries that pain with reluctant resentment in their reunion. She later reunites with Olivia, sparring with her once more in her place of work; Elle cruelly admits to having “loved loving” her before another barrage of attacks.

In confronting the father of Sage’s baby, Elle uses her anger to better use,

viscerally condemning his refusal to take responsibility. Each vignette in “Grandma” peels back a layer, with Elle – and Tomlin – emerging rawer, more flawed but no less sympathetic.

The set-up gives great actors such as Elliot, Greer and Cox worthy scenes to chew on. They work with the script to craft defined characters in an exceedingly tight timeframe. Tomlin, at the film’s center, powerfully guides the film into richer, more complex territory.

It’s also nice to see Weitz make a good movie. Since his terrific breakout “About a Boy,” the Oscar nominee has churned out a series of misfires: the toothless “Admission,” the maudlin “Being Flynn,” the legitimately pathetic “Little Fockers.” With “Grandma,” he captures reality with the degrees of wit and intelligence that were entirely absent over the last decade of his filmography.

And yet Weitz doesn’t entirely escape his shadow. His direction, like so many of his recent films, is frustratingly conventional. Each scene lands with resonance individually, but they’re too consecutive, too neatly feeding into the next. There isn’t enough breathing room.

Weitz could simply sit back and allow us to rest with Elle and Sage in reflection – to feel them and the emotional impact of their various encounters.

Satisfactory Now playing at Burns Court Cinemas.

Whether you are applying for a Goldwater, Fulbright, NSF REU, or Critical Language Scholarship, your application essays are one of the few opportunities to show off your personality and make an impression. It may be difficult anticipating what fellowship reviewers look for in applicants.

Writing clear and focused responses on your application will make it stand out to reviewers, especially after they have already evaluated hundreds of applicants. Fellowship programs want to sponsor students who confidently express themselves with clarity and support their arguments, and reviewers will perceive these qualities of your writing as extensions of yourself.

According to New College's Assistant Director for National Fellowships, Courtney Hughes, there are five steps to successful fellowship applications: 1. Evaluate whether or not you fit the fellowship. Do you possess the qualities they are looking for?

Are you comfortable with and committed to the requirements of the program?

2. Now that you have established that you want to apply for the fellowship, start early; you should start writing at least four weeks in advance, sometimes much more!

2. Read the application and instructions with care, making notes on deadlines and materials that you may need to request from professors.

3. Constantly refer to the essay prompts and ensure that you clearly answer them.

4. Proofread. Have Courtney Hughes, Assistant Director of Offcampus Study and Study Abroad Florence Zamsky, Student Writing Assistants (SWAs), professors and friends give you feedback. Since you do not know the judges reading your essays, having many people proofread them will ensure that your message is clear.

Shameless Plug: Writing Resource Center SWAs are trained in helping students with fellowship writing. It is suggested that you set up at least two conferences with different SWAs to review your essays. The Center for Engagement and Opportunity (CEO) will also be holding fellowship information sessions within the coming months.

The first session will be on the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship which provides winners with up to $5000 for study abroad September 24th from 12 to 1pm in the CEO.

CATALYST

FEATURES

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst

PAGE 10

Wall previews

BY GIULIA HEYWARD Saturday, Sept. 26 - Innocent Wall Innocent Wall will be hosted by thesis students Nasib McIntosh and Alejandro Rosado.

“I was inspired by the music of Black Kray aka Gucci Kray la Goth,” McIntosh said. “The Wall will be a throwback to an era of simplicity as well as a beacon pointing the way towards new horizons and conceptions of love, humanity and harmony. Never forget 1999 to 2005, the glory days. The struggle for reparations and justice for the horrors of slavery, colonialism and imperialism continues.”

Wall attendees, who have been promised “thug ballads,” should congregate in Palm Court. “Be prepared to plumb the deepest depths of your soul for that thing that you lost touch with long ago but have always yearned to rediscover,” McIntosh continued.

NCSA Updates

BY CAITLYN RALPH On Wednesday, Sept. 17, a Towne Meeting was held in Hamilton “Ham” Center. Legislation included a Four Winds customer satisfaction survey, changing “Center of Universe Party” to “Center of the Universe Party” - both with the acronym COUP, and a presentation of the “Something Wicked This Way Comes” COUP theme. An Emergency Towne Meeting is planned for tonight at 9:00 p.m. after a petition of more than 100 signatures was garnered.

New Recording Studio/Band Room Technical Assistant (TA) and thesis student Kamron Scruggs catalogued and made an itemized list of instruments and equipment in the Band Room. Scruggs also set up office hours and a Band Room practice schedule. There is now a Recording Studio Session Google Form. “I held the first session this year to get firstyear Shelley Pritchard’s independent film voice overs recorded, which came out crisp, clear and very listenable,” Scruggs said.

Council of Academic Affairs (CAA) Humanities Representative and thesis student Erika Folk made a proposal at last Friday’s CAA meeting to explore the possibility of adding more information to the course descriptions that professors create. The elements would be required and include prerequisites, cap of enrollment, whether the class is geared to particular years, the level of the course, and how often the course is offered. “Some professors do provide this information already, but I feel that making it a standard part of the descriptions will very much facilitate student understanding of what courses they should take each semester,” Folk said.

A regular Towne Meeting

BY BIANCA BENEDI Not every document in the NCSA Archives reveals a crucial event, but they do all tell a story, and they certainly all serve as a reflection of life at New College today. Minutes for the Towne Meeting of December 15, 1987 show New College students and the hubbub of student government life before the school was separated from University of South Florida (USF), including issues that have apparently never fully been resolved over a quarter of a century later.

“6:00 p.m. Dave Dagon calls meeting to order; Jonathan White begins furiously scribbling minutes,” the minutes begin. As the current Executive Secretary, I empathize with White.

“6:01 p.m. Dave begins discussion of the never-ending problem of the noise policy. Asks for the middle ground position between radical ‘Hey, we can party, and you can’t sleep or study ever,’ and radical ‘Hey, you can forget ever partying again’ positions. ... The return of the Student Court launched. Our court, not their police, will be the agent of enforcement of noise policy, where on-campus complaints are involved.”

How the Student Court, which in the present day does not have emergency meetings held in the middle of the night when noise complaints are most often reported, would deal with noise complaints more effectively than police

is not described. Perhaps it would only deal with recurring problems?

“6:13 Jonathan raises the the issue of the Student Defender as the logical and fair balance to the Student Prosecutor in our court, and attempts to elicit support for a Constitutional Reform package in that direction.”

The success of Jonathan’s attempt is not included, but the Student Defender/ Student Prosecutor system appears to be a starting point for how the court has developed.

The Chief Justice under current Student Court rules should look for violations and potentially bring them forward, while two counselors serve as defendant for each party involved.

“6:25 Dewey asks about general neglect by administration to their duties of informing first-year students of their student government set-up as well as the actual nature of the contract and other academic concerns.” If relying on administration to delineate the rules and functions of the NCSA wasn’t an effective method in the 1980s, then at least we can be reassured that we are not unusually incompetent in being unable to effectively inform students now.

The most notable discussion at this

particular Town Meeting comes at the end. “7:08 Tomassino Kelso moves that efforts be made to explore feasibility and worth of secession from USF to become a private or separately public institution. Mike Scagliotti seconds.

Discussion - a lot of it. More or less in favor of the exploration, anyway.”

Before transcript-style minutes became the norm among NCSA secretaries, minutes would typically be kept like this, where the secretary documents the topic of discussion, actions taken, and a brief mention of the discussion around it. The result is that we are unable to know the specifics about how this discussion occurred.

“More or less in favor of exploring,” offers the possibility of disagreement among the student body.

We have spent rather a long time now as an established public school separate from USF, and when discussing the history of that separation it doesn’t occur to the average person that students themselves may not have unanimously supported the idea of separation, or the reasons why a student wouldn’t support it.

But either way, the separation happened. No decision at New College is unanimous. It never has been.

EVENTS: SEPT. 23-30 On Campus

Wednesday, September 23 • 8:00 p.m. Anime Club Meeting @ HCL 8 Thursday, September 24 12:30 p.m. Plant Power Party @ Ham Center

•

Friday, September 25 12:00 p.m. Feminist Fridays @ ACE Lounge 6:00 p.m. Jesus Club @ GDC 7:00 p.m. Radical Acts of Kindness @ GDC

• • •

Saturday, September 26

•

Sunday, September 27 • 4:00-8:00 p.m. Free HIV testing @ NCSA office Tuesday, September 29 • 4:30 p.m.

• 6:00 p.m. Animal Interest Club Meeting @ GDC Wednesday, September 23 • 8:00 p.m. Anime Club Meeting @ HCL 8

Want your event to be featured on our calendar? Email ncfcatalyst@ gmail.com by the Friday prior to your event.

Off Campus

Wednesday, September 23 • 8:00-9:30 a.m. Free Yoga @ Siesta Key Beach • 7:00 p.m. Team Trivia @ Growler’s Pub Thursday, September 24 • 5:00 p.m. Art after 5 @ Ringling Museum Friday, September 25 • 8:00-9:30 a.m. Free Yoga @ Siesta Key Beach • 5:00 p.m. Towles Court Art Walk @ Towles Court Saturday, September 26 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Dowtown Farmer’s Market 8:00-9:30 a.m. Free Yoga @ Siesta Key Beach 6:00 p.m. Nokomis beach drum circle @ Casey Key 9:00 p.m. Live music @ Growler’s Pub

• • • •

Sunday, September 27 8:00 p.m. Game night @ Growler’s Pub

•

Monday, September 28 8:00-9:30 a.m. Free Yoga @ Siesta Key Beach 9:00 p.m. Karaoke @ Growler’s Pub

• •

Tuesday, September 29 9:00 p.m. Open Mic @ Growler’s Pub

•

CATALYST

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst

JUMPS

PAGE 11

Millennials CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 to focus on seven unique aspects: environmental systems, mobility, economic development, public utilities, land use and urban design, and quality of life and synergy.

“I’d like to see more affordable housing, urban planning that encourages community, a larger job market for ‘creatives,’ a better public transportation system, greater diversity in the community, less snowbirds, nicer old people,” Johnson said.

The current plan is more than seven years old, 12 pounds, 1,200 pages long and rife with jargon and complex policies. The planners aim to update the data and background information in the plan, highlighting the severe demographic shift that will befall Sarasota if the county fails to keep millennials around.

“We [will] take this to our administrators, to our County Commissioners, and say ‘Here’s what we heard today’ and ‘Look at this demographic, isn’t this startling? What are we going to do?’” Felix said. “[The workshop] just really confirmed a lot of things that we expected.”

Less than half of Sarasota’s eligible population participated in the workforce last year, which means that younger people are not working – or not finding jobs. For many New College students – 61 percent of those present at the forum – career opportunities are the most important factor in choosing a place to live, and if Sarasota’s job market has nothing to offer, recent graduates

will undoubtedly move away to seek better opportunities.

Sarasota’s economy is largely focused on the service industry – known to be dominated by low-wage jobs – and caters to the many retirees who call Sarasota home.

But even if there is a job lined up, it is hardly worth taking without an expectation of affordable housing and a manageable cost of living. Of the top 10 rising industries for millennials in Sarasota, only one – nursing – offers a median salary adequate to afford a single family home in Sarasota.

According to U.S. Census data from 2013, nearly 60 percent of renters in Sarasota pay more than 30 percent of their income for housing. This represents a severe cost-burden for more than 18,000 Sarasota residents.

A recent study from the Florida Housing Coalition found that the number of low-income renters in Sarasota who are cost-burdened by their rent has increased 12 percent in the last 10 years. This study estimated that more households in Sarasota County are burdened by housing and transportation costs than in New York City and San Francisco, according to the Herald-Tribune.

There are 407 students with cars registered on campus, which leaves more than half of our student population to depend on public transportation or bikes to get around Sarasota. Many students cited public transportation as a key factor which must be improved to

keep young people in town. Students referenced dangerous bike lanes, narrow sidewalks and difficult SCAT schedules as areas for improvement.

After career opportunities, quality of life was the next important factor in choosing a place to live, with 26 percent of students at the forum making this their priority. A lack of recreation for young people was mentioned as a contributing element which keeps millennials from staying in Sarasota.

“Sarasota is beautiful but super boring sometimes,” Johnson said.

Furthermore, socially equitable conditions are a point of attraction when a graduate seeks out a place to live. When asked what can be done better in this area, many students mentioned feeling dissatisfied with the way Sarasota has treated its houseless population. Florida has the third highest homeless population in the nation. In past years, this has experienced a large amount of public attention, dating back to Sarasota being named the “meanest”city to the homeless in 2005.

Third-year Zachary Roper cited panhandling policies as one way local Sarasota governments have attempted to curtail the rights of the homeless.

In 2013, the City of Sarasota passed an ordinance banning panhandling, which was quickly targeted by the American Civil Liberties Union as a curtailment of free speech. Its constitutionality was not upheld and panhandlers are still a common sight on the busy medians along North Tamiami Trail.

Information for this article was taken from heraldtribune.com, census.gov, flhousing.org.

Psilocybin

Planned Parenthood CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 received attacks like this before.”

Planned Parenthood reportedly does not use federal funding for abortion procedures. Instead, the money goes to different services that will suffer if the organization loses a significant chunk of its funding.

“Studies and polls show that the American people do not support defunding,” Jensen said. “They, in fact, support Planned Parenthood continuing to receive federal funding. It’s also important to remember that no federal dollars go towards abortion except in extremely rare instances of rape or incest, or when the life of the mother is in true danger. For the overwhelming majority, there are no federal dollars to spend on abortion. [The funding] goes to other services such as breast cancer screenings, cervical cancer screenings, sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment, and evidence based sex education, things like that, preventative health care is what that funding is used for.”

Planned Parenthood serves approximately 2.7 million patients across the country.

“If Planned Parenthood were to be defunded because Congress decided to cut off funding, those patients would lose their healthcare, and their access to Planned Parenthood,” Jensen said. “Many of them would have nowhere else to go

Still, students are wary of Sarasota’s treatment of the homeless and mention that empathy and support to those who have been left without stable living conditions are an essential facet of an attractive community. An interest in improving the lives of homeless people is something that Felix said she had never heard before in prior workshops.

This was the first time Sarasota County has come to New College to glean student opinions of the community.

“It’s a shame that Sarasota hasn’t gotten to know us and vice versa,” NCSA CoPresident and third-year Paige Pellaton said at the forum.

“I think the meeting was the beginning necessary to a relationship between Sarasota County and New College students,” Johnson said.

Felix noticed that most of the Comprehensive Plan workshops held over the last seven to eight months were being attended by an older demographic.

“Our typical demographic is over 60,” Felix said. “To hear the perspective of New College students was definitely refreshing. Until we get on the ground and have conversations with students and young professionals, we’re just guessing.”

Comments, questions and concerns regarding Sarasota’s Comprehensive Plan can be submitted electronically to planner@scgov.net.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 and, for a large number of people who go here, we are the only doctor that they see.”

The issue is frustrating for students who are involved with the local Planned Parenthood and participate in clubs that support the organization.

“Planned Parenthood has been incredibly important,” second-year and social media representative for VOX, Margot Mooney, said. VOX acts as a liaison between the school and the local Planned Parenthood. “They have been able to let me in, and get an appointment for birth control or pelvic exams much faster than any doctor’s office, particularly in Sarasota where there’s an aging population, and doctors aren’t, for the large part, taking new patients.”

Additionally, several students also volunteer as patient-escorts at the local Planned Parenthood of Sarasota Health Center.

“I have never been more surrounded by a more genuine and caring, selfless group of people,” second-year student and patient-escort Annie Rosenblum said. “They truly care about patients and they care about not just providing abortions for people but for providing all kinds of different health care options that better people’s lives. It’s just a really beautiful group of people who work there.”

Patient-escorts accompany individuals who have scheduled appointments to obtain an abortion procedure from their cars to the facility.

“We’re the first point of support and safety for patients as they are entering the building,” Rosenblum said. “The protesters out back usually have some signs with some pretty graphic images, they like to shout through megaphones, and they like to sometimes video record us.”

“There is no excuse that can possibly be given for the moral bankruptcy of Planned Parenthood,” Republican Representative Jody B. Hice said in a recent speech. “It’s time to defund this while the investigation occurs.”

At this moment, the bill has been approved by House Republicans and is awaiting a decision from the House Democrats and the president.

“It’s just disturbing that health is so politicized,” New College alum and Volunteer and Advocacy Coordinator of Planned Parenthood Catherine Wolfe said. “Health is a human right, and something that people should absolutely have access to and the fact that people are using it as political fodder is really gross.”

Information for this article was taken from newyorktimes.com, tampabaytimes. com and usatoday.com.

desired are well documented in his book, “DMT: The Spirit Molecule.”

Participation in Psilocybin Day of Action included the screening of documentaries, distribution of educational materials, the hosting of formal or informal discussions, panels, and debates around the nation as well as through SSDP’s international branches in Canada and Mexico.

New College’s participation in Psilocybin Day of Action took place in the Gender and Diversity Center. Students watched informational videos on the medicinal benefits of psilocybin and other psychedelics, both physiologically and psychologically, and held informal discussions on the cultural, historical and pharmacological components of psychedelics and their use throughout the world.

SSDP’s participation in Psilocybin Day of Action has allowed for more open discussion about psychedelics.

Information for this article was taken from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, clusterbusters. org, maps.org, 920coalition.org, ssdp.org, hopkinsmedicine.org.

CATALYST

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst

THE BACK PAGE PAGE 12

Local Disney tourist destination undergoes wide-scale renovation

BY CAITLYN RALPH

About a two and half hour drive from Sarasota, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, just outside of Orlando, is host to one of the most popular tourist destinations on the globe: Walt Disney World. An estimated 52 million people pass through each year, with almost 18 million of them visiting Magic Kingdom alone. At 27,258 acres, the theme park metropolis is the size of San Francisco and twice the size of Manhattan. The area includes, but is not limited to, four theme parks, two water parks, more than 30 hotels, four golf courses, and a massive “downtown” themed shopping and entertainment district. This district - formerly known as Downtown Disney - is currently transforming into Walt Disney World’s newest vision: Disney Springs.

Opened 40 years ago on March 22, 1975, Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village, as it was originally called, has blossomed into a “shoppertainment” center, complete with various retailers, restaurants, Cirque du Soleil’s La Nouba, and popular concert venue House of Blues all surrounding a picturesque lake.

In 2013, the Imagineers announced Disney Springs.

“The transition from Downtown Disney to Disney Springs is where Disney is trying to get a lot more of the local crowd back,” said The Boathouse Front of House Manager Steve Lintner.

One of the initiatives is to keep the area’s establishments open later to garner more of the “late crowd” that Downtown Disney didn’t really have.

“It’s been pretty much shut down 10, 11 o’clock and everyone goes back to their hotels. So, they’re trying to keep everything open a little more, yet still keep the family friendly atmosphere,” Lintner said. “It’s not really a bunch of

clubs that are open that are bringing the older crowd, but [the options are] still family friendly.”

At double the size, Disney Springs is slated to be complete in about two years. The complex’s reimagination is modeled after a 1900s town with four “neighborhoods” - Town Center, The Landing, Marketplace and West Side.

The first phase of the renovations was The Landing, which features waterfront dining options. New restaurants include Morimoto Asia, a pan-Asian experience from “Iron Chef” star Masaharu Morimoto, and The Boathouse – a nautical-themed restaurant, shop, and boat ride attraction trio. An “Indiana Jones” bar is also in the works. The Town Center pulls from Spanish-style architecture and will host the shopping district while the Marketplace includes an over-the-water causeway to a more integrated family-friendly experience.

Lastly, the West Side, mostly unchanged, boasts lively entertainment options such as Cirque du Soleil, House of Blues, and the retro-styled bowling alley Splitsville.

In terms of accessibility, the Disney Springs renovations will accompany the construction of two new parking garages.

With one at four stories and the other at three stories, the structures will be able to hold more than 5,000 cars combined.

Lintner said that these new parking and traffic projects go along with the effort to get the local crowd back at the center.

“They’re working on adding additional lanes of traffic. Eventually you’ll be to go straight from route four directly into the parking garage, so you won’t even have to take an exit,” he said. “We’re just trying to make it all that easier for the locals. They really want that crowd in.”

The entire project is set to create more than 1,500 construction jobs and another 4,000 jobs once in operation.

Information for this article was taken from orlandosentinel.com, insidethemagic.net, themouseforless.com, jimhillmedia.com, uscitytraveler.com, and wikipedia.org.

(top) The first Disney Springs addition that opened was The Boathouse, which is a complex that contains a restaurant, a store, and a boat ride attraction with an old-fashioned nautical theme.(middle) A Downtown Disney staple, the hot air balloon attraction takes passengers in the air, above the Disney Springs renovations. (bottom) The Boathouse features a new attraction where car boats take passengers out on Disney Springs’ center lake. all photos Caitlyn Ralph/Catalyst