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FEMMES IN STEM ZOMBIES WEEK pg.
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OCTOBER 26, 2016 VOLUME XXXIV ISSUE VII
A student newspaper of New College of Florida
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$6000 worth of darkroom equipment reported missing BY MAGDALENE TAYLOR AND ELAN WORKS The potential theft of darkroom equipment over the summer has come to the attention of the student body after a Student Allocations Committee (SAC) meeting revealed that theft of $6000 worth of darkroom equipment was missing. At the time of the meeting, no formal investigation had occurred by the New College Police Department (NCPD). Following the SAC meeting and the increased concern for the darkroom by the student body as a result of the meeting, the NCPD is now in the midst of an investigation. The SAC meeting, which took place on Oct. 16, had darkroom Teaching Assistant (TA), and third-year Sabrina Finn, requesting funding to replace the missing items. At the beginning of the semester, Finn began her duties as darkroom TA, with previous darkroom TA and alum Tricia Johnson (‘12) having graduated in the spring. As the SAC minutes state, Finn initially did not have a key to the
Former TA speaks on NCPD investigation
Giulia Heyward/Catalyst
The sole indicator of the darkroom entrance is a sheet of lined paper where the words ‘dark room’ have been scribbled in pencil.
darkroom, and had to have a new one made. The previous key remained in the possession of Johnson, who was unable to return the key in the spring after a family emergency forced her to leave Sarasota. Johnson was unable to return to Sarasota until after she returned from a job in Europe. The original key that Johnson possessed was given back to Dawn Shongood, Student Government Business Manager/Coordinator, this
fall. Other than the original and remade key, the only other existing key to the darkroom was in the possession of the NCPD. Though there is a yearly list of people who are able to borrow the key from the NCPD to access the darkroom, that list does not carry over from year to year. At the time of reporting, a key list for the darkroom for this academic year does not exist.
The NCPD furthermore does not have a documented list of occasions when people borrowed the darkroom key between March and September of this year. At least one student was able to get access to the NCPD’s darkroom key without having been on the list. In an email to Dawn Shongood, the NCPD confirmed that by June 1, 2016 they would stop letting students borrow copies of their darkroom key for the summer. This narrows the window in which the equipment went missing from six months to four months, from June 1 until Sept. 15, when Shongood confirmed Finn had been given a key. Once Finn gained access to the darkroom, she found the room to be in a state of disarray, which Johnson explains to be the result of her unforeseen departure, and furthermore entirely lacking in cameras. The SAC minutes as well as minutes from the Council for Student Life (CSL) meeting report that the darkroom was seen to have empty beer cans, potentially
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'Groundbreaking' new addition to Heiser Natural Sciences Complex BY CAITLYN RALPH In a sea of rankings and statistics, it’s easy to lose track of where New College stands. However, every once in awhile, one sticks out. Case in point: unbeknownst to many, our tiny liberal arts college on the bay produces the third highest proportion of science and engineering PhDs when factored in the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics’ research on the matter - solidly ahead of the quantitatively esteemed Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This is how President Donal O’Shea began his speech at the Heiser Natural Sciences Complex (HNS) addition’s Groundbreaking Ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 19. Covertly concealed behind a large blue gate in the center of Bayfront Campus, construction is well underway on the nearly 10 million dollar project, which will house a variety of faculty offices, classrooms, labs and gathering spaces for the Natural Sciences and beyond.
WHAT’S INSIDE
Caitlyn Ralph/Catalyst
Outfitted with a set of hardhats and neon yellow vests, those closely involved with the Heiser construction project broke ground at a ceremony on Oct. 18.
“The Heiser addition will have a major effect on the campus as a whole,” O’Shea said in an email interview. “It will complete the science complex, creating a highly connected space that is more welcoming to all students, and more
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supportive of serendipitous encounters among faculty and students.” How it happened “Students work really closely with faculty members - and for that you need lab space, you need students
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working with other students, you need spaces for them to congregate,” O’Shea explained in his speech at the Groundbreaking Ceremony. “And we were totally maxed out on space.” Professor of Biochemistry and Division Chair Katherine Walstrom detailed the addition’s history, which dates back to the original building’s construction. A problem reduced the size of that original building by about a third, causing the space to now be quickly outgrown. Acknowledging the lack of space, Professor of Biology Sandra Gilchrist submitted a proposal for a new wing to the Board of Governors’ list of projects to fund around 12 years ago. “The original plan was for growth with appropriate space for the sciences,” Gilchrist said in an email interview. “We were in E building with two of our faculty at that time and ACE was not on line.” Professor of Chemistry Paul
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Dark room
Heiser
connected to alleged partying said to have occurred within the darkroom on nights such as Center of the Universe Party (COUP), formerly known as Palm Court Party (PCP). Johnson disputes the claim that any partying, or specifically drinking of alcohol, occurred in the darkroom during her time as TA, stating instead that she had only used the room occasionally for storage of her and her friends’ items on such nights. In a Facebook interview, Johnson said: “At Graduation PCP, I allowed some friends to keep their bikes and bags and such in the darkroom during the event, but kept the keys on me throughout the night and let people in as they needed to use the room.” Johnson reports that after graduation COUP, the cameras that are now missing were in their designated cabinet in the locked darkroom. The cabinet itself required a lock, though according to Johnson was occasionally difficult to lock. “The cameras were in the darkroom when I locked up for summer,” Johnson said. What occurred between Johnson last locking the darkroom in the spring and Finn re-opening it in the fall remains a case for the NCPD. Both the SAC and CSL minutes include other darkroom items such as film and chemicals as missing, though Johnson asserts that the darkroom traditionally runs on a low stock of these items. “In its very nature the darkroom is a place of exploration and experimentation. Since most people who use the space are mostly selftaught, there has always been and will always be some destruction that occurs in the space as they figure out which techniques work and which do not,” Johnson said. “That is a large part of why the TAs traditionally maintained low stock of chemicals and such - while there was a high interest in the darkroom and using it, more often than not it was likely that someone who was not fully aware of the intricacies of the processes would ruin whole batches of paper and chemicals by accident,” Johnson said, explaining this as a natural component of working in a darkroom primarily used by people exploring the medium. All major items in the darkroom have a barcode, according to Johnson, which can be used by the NCPD if a stolen item is later sold to a pawn shop. No items from the darkroom have yet been retrieved.
Also, according to Milton, the architecture company was chosen by first advertising the project, inviting design proposals and scoring them based on quality of staff and experience, and hosting presentations for a selected few. In the end, Harvard Jolly - which has worked with educational facilities, including labs, in the past - was hired. Tandem Construction was hired as well. The open breezeways in the original HNS building are to be closed off, air conditioned and connected to the new addition. HNS 1.0 will also be painted to match the new addition, which will pick up on ACE’s current color, uniting the campus’ buildings. In the new complex’s center, where the old building and the new building meet, plans for a lobby are in place, which include seating for all visitors. The Natural Sciences division office and the Chair’s office will be relocated to that lobby from their present home inside the mathematics wing. Currently, the undergraduate computer science professors and graduate data science professors are located on the third floor of the Academic Center (ACE), far away from their collaborators in HNS, due to the lack of space. These faculty will be moved into the HNS addition’s first floor, clearing out those ACE rooms. “Computer science courses are currently sporadically located in Hamilton Classrooms, ACE and Heiser, which I think unintentionally fragments the entire department. Having a central location will definitely help make the department feel more structured,” first-year Parankush Bhardwaj said in an email interview. A physics lab is to sit down the first floor’s hallway. Upstairs, more faculty offices will line the hallway, along with biology and chemistry labs. One key aspect of these plans is room for growth, an area where the original HNS building fell short. What are currently designated as classrooms on both floors of the new building can be converted into future labs, a proactive attempt to contain growth under one roof. The Building Committee consisted of Gilchrist, Scudder, Professor of Mathematics Patrick McDonald, Professor of Physics George Ruppeiner and Walstrom as Chair. Green initiatives Like ACE, the new Heiser addition will be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certified, under its silver status. Local and reusable material is to be used for the construction, creating an energy
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“An alum told me that I had a nice lede." © 2016, 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 and taught by visiting instructor Yadira Lopez. 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.
Caitlyn Ralph/Catalyst President Donal O’Shea displays the shovel he was provided, symbolizing the official groundbreaking for the addition.
efficient building complete with electric vehicle chargers in its parking lot. Vice President of Green Affairs Orion Morton says that the Council of Green Affairs (CGA) plans to provide funding for solar panels on the new addition, though it’s still tentative. The idea has been in the works for a few years, but last year the CGA was informed by administration that solar panels were no longer possible. After moving forward with other projects, the CGA was once again contacted at the beginning of this year - but this time by Physical Plant, who wanted to discuss solar panels for the building. “I’m not entirely sure what happened with them telling us all of that last year, but I’m glad we’re able to move forward,” Morton said in an email interview. “The CGA and the Green Fee were actually established with alternative energy (specifically solar) as the primary focus, so it’s satisfying to see that original intention finally coming to fruition. The funding is coming from the Green Fee, which comes from a percredit-hour fee (like the health/athletic fee) paid by students. “The installation of solar panels on the new addition is definitely a good start to improving our environmental footprint, though there’s still so much to be done. The panels will only offset a portion of the energy used by the new addition, not all of it - but there’s room to install more in the future,” Morton continued. “We’re viewing this initial installation as a catalyst for more panels to be added to campus in the future, since these will be our first.”
General Editor Managing Editor Copy Editor Online Editor Layout Editor Staff Writers & Photographers
Pariesa Young Giulia Heyward Ryan Paice Caitlyn Ralph Audrey Warne Katelyn Grimmett, Jasmine Respess, Dylan Pryor, Elan Works, Jacob Wentz, Kelly Wilson, Cassandra Manz, Anya María Contreras-García, Magdalene Taylor
Community effect Another key aspect of the new Heiser addition is collaboration space for students in every discipline to use. Hallways on the building’s second floor will be widened and outfitted with seating. Also on the second floor, a terrace with seating will hang over the entrance, and the landscape outside the complex will be transformed into another gathering space for campus denizens to enjoy lunch, work together and study. Citing a paper she read, Walstrom emphasized the complex’s collaborative layout, forcing students and faculty in different fields to constantly pass each other through the hallways. “Everybody in the whole Division has had input in the process,” Walstrom said. Speaking on within-sciences collaboration, Bhardwaj said, “I’m really excited about the idea of prospective collaboration between computer science and the other science departments. “Physics and computer science should be better integrated for students wanting to understand the hardware portion of computers,” he continued. “The opportunities are endless, even students concentrating in biology or chemistry can use the computer science department to learn how to simulate complex science experiments digitally.” During her speech at the Groundbreaking Ceremony, Walstrom notes, “When we designed the gathering places for the new wing, we were hoping that they will become a destination for all New College students - and not just the Natural Sciences.” 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.
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Femmes in STEM: Gender disparity in STEM fields BY ANYA MARÍA CONTRERAS-GARCÍA Non-cis male representation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields has long been a concern in academic communities. Research shows that the percent of American Ph.D.’s earned by women in 2011 in areas such as physics, computer science, engineering and math can be as little as 18 percent. But does New College – named as one of the top 10 most gender-inclusive and LGBT-friendly campuses in the U.S. by the Princeton Review – reflect national trends of male-dominated academia? According to data from New College’s Office of Institutional Research*, about 60 percent of graduates in recent years have been assigned female at birth (AFAB), while the percentage of AFAB individuals who declared their areas of concentration in fields like mathematics is as low as 7 percent. “If you look at all the workers in STEM fields there are definitely typical gender disparities, and in some ways I think New College does track with those disparities, but not in every discipline,” Katherine Walstrom, chair of the Natural Sciences Department and professor of biochemistry, said. Studies have shown that women are underrepresented in fields where success is believed to require innate talent and brilliance. Cultural stereotypes may enforce the belief that men are more likely than women to possess raw brilliance or aptitude, leading to discrimination in those fields. “[In this study] the fields with the highest gender disparities were the ones which people thought were most important to have innate ability in to be successful, some of the highest ones being math and physics,” Walstrom said. Also high on this scale were music, philosophy, engineering, and computer science among others. Gender disparities in humanities fields will be covered in next issue of the Catalyst. But what is it about STEM fields that keeps non-cisgender males in the
margins? “Math-phobia can be imparted to students and that can be very gendered,” Professor Steve Shipman said, professor of physical chemistry and program advisor for gender studies. “To get very far in chemistry [and many other STEM fields], you need calculus. Part of it is denigrating math as a tool and implying that it’s not for women makes people much less likely to be comfortable with it and use it.” “There’s a societal pressure that females don’t do math, that it’s almost unattractive to be good at math,” Eirini Poimenidou, professor of mathematics, said. “One of the biggest problems I think we’re having in math is the gender disparity. Last year I was teaching an Advanced Linear Algebra class where I had 15 males and zero females. This is going to be a new priority for the math program.” “I feel females need active encouragement [to pursue math],” Poimenidou continued. “It’s really a question of confidence, not ability. It seems the way some females react to challenges in the curriculum is, ‘This is not for me,’ and they never come back to math. We need to have more resources and a supportive environment for them.” Systematic confidence issues among non-cis males in STEM fields may be attributed to imposter syndrome, a psychological term referring to “highachieving individuals,” particularly women, who believe they do not deserve their success and are persistently afraid of being exposed as a fraud. “It is a low self-esteem thing: ‘I’ve been faking it this whole time, and it’s only a matter of time until they realize I’ve been faking,’” Shipman said. “[It’s this feeling that] everybody knows what they’re doing, you’re the only one who doesn’t know what they’re doing, and you’re just tricking everybody. It’s particularly relevant to women in STEM fields.” “When your confidence is shaken, you should just believe in yourself and do it. The boys are all going through the same thing,” Poimenidou said. Lack of representation can continuously discourage non-cis male
Percentage of AFAB Individuals
Percentage of AFAB Individuals in Declared AOCS
Percentage of AFAB in AOC* Percentage of AMAB in AOC* Applied Chemistry Comp. Math Physics Math Science Declared Area of Concentration (AOC) *AFAB/AMAB stands for assigned female/male at birth. NCF Office of Institutional Research breakdown is by assigned sex at birth. Percentages are rounded to the nearest tenth. There is no information on preferred gender breakdown in AOCs.
Anya Maria Contreras-Garcia/Catalyst
image courtesy of courtesy of Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education (EDGE)
image courtesy of courtesy of Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education (EDGE)
Professor Eirini Poimenidou with a group of Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education (EDGE) participants at New College in 2013.
students from pursuing studies in STEM fields. “The image of a scientist is still this older white guy in a lab coat, or in Tevas and an ugly Hawaiian shirt, but that image can be very alienating to a lot of people,” Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies Emily Saarinen said. “I try to go out of my way in my classes to highlight underrepresented scientists,” Saarinen continued. “We talk about scientists like Tyrone Hayes, Nalini Nadkarni, Colleen Cavanaugh – I want to show students people who have backgrounds like them or look like them who did really important research. It’s hard to achieve something when you don’t see people who look like you in the field.” Beyond New College, support for non-cis male students in STEM fields may be much slimmer. “At the moment I am not seeing a big gender disparity in the classes I teach, but once you move beyond the undergraduate level, I do tend to see major changes,” Saarinen said. “I see a lot of females pushed into certain kinds of work like teaching instead and not being supported for field research, which has a lot of negative repercussions.” “Often when field research stations are run by older men, young women aren’t seen as a positive asset. Our bodies often do things like menstruate and nurse which are seen as an inconvenience. But my female colleagues and I have done field work with a baby on our back, which is cool because we’re training another
generation,” Saarinen said. “Babies are not an inconvenience; they are a biological reality. I study butterflies, so why wouldn’t I have my little caterpillars with me?” One effort to address this lack of support is the Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education (EDGE) project. “I hosted the EDGE program at New College in 2006 and 2013,” Poimenidou said. “We invite women who have been accepted into grad programs for math, and the summer before they start, we have this month-long program where we teach them two of the courses that they’re going to take. We also create a support network for them to go to when they freak out in their first year of grad school. I as a female mathematician need my support network which I find with these women.” “I’m hopeful that we can make a difference for non-cis male students going forward, that there is a place for you and you can succeed in doing field research,” Saarinen said. “The strength of the discipline is only going to be improved the more diverse group of scientists we have working in it.” *Information received from New College’s Office of Institutional Research is organized by assigned sex at birth. There is no information regarding the preferred gender breakdown of AOCs. Information from this article was sourced from the psychological study “Women are underrepresented in fields where success is believed to require brilliance” in the journal Frontiers in Psychology.
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Hormonal birth control has been connected to depression
NEWS PAGE 4
BY JASMINE RESPESS
Birth rates between the ages of 15-19 have been decreasing in the United States since 2013 according to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This change has been largely attributed to the availability of birth control to high school and college age students. Although this decrease is viewed as positive, many people report that hormonal birth control has affects their mood negatively. A recent study in Denmark has claimed there is a positive correlation between hormonal birth control and depression. People take birth control for a myriad of reasons, so they can have sex without getting pregnant, for acne management, to treat menstrual cramps and pain, even to treat moods. “Over the years, more than a few patients in my women’s health practice have told me that their hormonal birth control — the pill, patch, ring, implant, injection, or IUD — made them feel depressed,” Monique Tello, MD, MPH wrote for Harvard Health Publications. However, a just-published study finally meets the criteria to qualify as highquality - and therefore believable. “The study of over a million Danish women over age 14, using hard data like diagnosis codes and prescription records, strongly suggests that there is an increased risk of depression associated with all types of hormonal contraception.” The study published in Jama Psychiatry claims that teens taking hormonal birth control have an 80% increase risk of taking antidepressants. Before, it was deemed near impossible to scientifically prove that birth control was the cause of the higher rates of depression, due to other factors such as preexisting conditions and life circumstances, but now there is academic proof to back up what many who take birth control already know to be true. “The risk of depression has been recognized since women were able to get their hands on oral contraceptives,” National Women’s Health Network executive director Cindy Pearson said about the Danish findings. What’s changed is now there’s data to back up the experience of many women. “It makes sense biologically,” she says, “and it’s been reported by women for 50 years.” “I have used three types of birth control since 2015, the pill (pirmella), the injection (depoprovera), and Nuvaring,” alum Madeleine Yount (‘12) said. “I decided to start birth control to help me with me my mood swings and some of the depressive feelings I was having immediately before the start of my period.” Yount explained that her doctor was aware of her existing anxiety disorder before she was prescribed birth control. She did feel a change in her mood after starting birth control, but she traveling abroad at the time,
Jasmine Respess/Catalyst Many people choose low estrogen birth control options to decrease the effects of hormones.
so she attributed the depression to the stress. Yount then decided to try Depoprova (Depo), since it last for three months, and she would not need to remember a pill. “The first few days of Depo were okay,” Yount recalled. “Then I had terrible mood swings. I wanted to be alone. [...] I ostracized my closest friends and cried for no good reason. [...] When I called my mom she was scared for me.” Yount explained that on depo she lost interest in hobbies, gained weight and experienced symptoms similar to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). “For me, every day was a challenge and I began to get used to it,” Yount said. “I did not see myself anymore. [...] Because I was so accustomed to my own erratic behavior, I did not know what my “normal” was.” When Younts symptoms started to include hair loss and an inability to eat, she got off Depo and got on Nuvaring. Yount improved. Nuvaring, unlike other birth control, is concentrated hormones, so it does not affect the body for as long. “Now that I am on my third month of Nuvaring, I still have anxiety and depressive thoughts,” Yount said. “But I know when they will be and can mentally prepare for them. [...] Nuvaring is not ideal, and I have some other side effects, but holy hell when I look back at who I was even a few months ago I don’t recognize the person I was.” New College students expressed that they would of liked to have had their doctors be more informative in terms of the effects of hormonal birth control. The issue with conclusively citing that birth control was the cause of depression is that people who take
birth control do not exist in a bubble. So, claiming that birth control was the truly affecting mood was complicated by other events in people’s lives. “Lo Estrin made me seriously depressed, and I think that really effected my first year of college,” thesis student Cayli Caruso said. Caruso stated that she was on the birth control for a year, and it affected her mood very negatively. She got off of it and transferred from University of Central Florida to New College and her mood improved. “There wasn’t really a conversation about side effects with the gynecologist,” Caruso said. “I looked up [the possible effects] of birth control online and that’s how I found the answer.” “Thing I found most true from changing [birth control] brands all the time, is that all of them are going to affect your mood in some way,” Caruso said. “Now that I am off of birth control, this is the first time in four years I have been clear headed.” Caruso originally began birth control to treat heavy menstruation. She is nervous to not be on birth control at all, but is glad to be feeling better. Since birth rates have been decreasing, the reasons why doctors might be less forthright with negative side effects make sense, but for those who have mental illness, it is important to know how medications could affect them. “My doctor really minimized the interaction between birth control and mental health,” thesis student Melissa Rettig said. “But people I knew who worked at Planned Parenthood cautioned me about taking hormonal birth control in regards to my depression.” Although she suffers from depression, Rettig did not claim that hormonal birth control was not an
option. Rettig explained that at first, she did suffer from mood problems relating to birth control, but she experimented with different methods and made it work for her. She tried both Lo Estrin and Nuva Ring, but eventually returned to Lo Estrin. “What I hope is that see access to education about reproductive health in general,” Rettig said. “With education and greater access to resources, more people with uteruses will be able to make informed choices about what kind of health care is best for them.” The study on the Danish women adds clout to the experiences of many people on birth control and will hopefully encourage doctors to be more open with their patients about potential side effects. “This fits into a long history in which the experiences of all kind of women, but especially brown, black and poor women, have been de-legitimized,” Rettig added. “I think that the fact that we have to have this empirical evidence to back up how women actually feel is ridiculous.” The empirical evidence proves what many people on hormonal birth control have been claiming all along. The cited studies may be found at the sourced below: http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/ can-hormonal-birth-control-triggerdepression-2016101710514 Skovlund CW, Mørch LS, Kessing LV, Lidegaard Ø. Association of Hormonal Contraception With Depression. JAMA Psychiatry. Published online September 28, 2016. doi:10.1001/ jamapsychiatry.2016.2387
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NEWS PAGE 5
Sabal Trail pipeline construction underway BY CASSIE MANZ Florida Governor Rick Scott owned $53,000 in Spectra Energy stock in 2013, the same year he signed into law two bills designed to speed up permitting for the Sabal Trail Transmission, a 515mile interstate natural gas pipeline spearheaded by Spectra Energy Corp. that will travel through the upper half of Florida before connecting with another pipeline around the Orlando area. While the stock was part of a blind trust, Florida’s ethics laws historically prohibit public officials from owning stock in businesses subject to their regulation, reported Newsweek. The Sabal Trail Transmission is a joint venture of Spectra Energy, NextEra Energy, Inc. and Duke Energy. The pipeline, that will begin in Alabama and travel through Georgia, will “provide transportation services for power generation needs to Florida Power and Light (FPL) and Duke Energy of Florida (DEF),” according to the Sabal Trail Transmission website. It is projected to be finished by June 2017. Of the 515 miles of pipeline, 268 miles will be located in Florida. The pipeline will affect 12 counties in Florida, including Alachua, Hamilton, Suwannee, Gilchrist, Levy, Marion, Sumter, Lake, Polk, Osceola, Orange and Citrus Counties. Economic Impact Although Alabama and Georgia will not benefit from the gas the pipeline will carry, Spectra Energy says the states will profit from increased jobs and the economic impact. In a study conducted by Orlando-based Fishkind & Associates, Inc. (Fishkind), it was concluded that the project will generate an estimated $755 million during construction for all three states and employ 5,667 people. The permanent economic impacts will result in 527 jobs, $22 million in annual wages and $74 million in total economic output. In Florida 2,709 jobs will be created during construction, of which 288 will be permanent. The permanent
economic impact is estimated to be $13 million in annual wages and $43 million in total economic output. Despite the economic boost the pipeline will bring to the region many environmental activists argue against the pipeline, for a variety of reasons. Construction of the pipeline could potentially cause sinkholes or contaminate the Florida aquifer and the pipeline itself could explode and leak methane into the atmosphere. Opponents also argue that the pipeline will lock Florida into a natural gas economy. “They’re saying it’s going to bring jobs and all these things but I think what they’re really trying to do is to secure natural gas in the state,” Michelle Suarez, an activist with Organize Now and Florida Institute for Reform and Empowerment (FIRE), said. She believes this will impact Florida’s path to renewable forms of energy as well. Property Fights According to the Orlando Sentinel, about 25 properties in Central Florida and 135 in the Southeast were targeted by the eminent-domain federal lawsuits filed in March by Spectra Energy, who claims that it has the federal authority to seize properties under the Natural Gas Act. Sabal has already purchased easements from 1,248 owners and is asking 346 more owners to turn over their property. On their website Spectra Energy promises there is no evidence that demonstrates that natural gas pipelines affect home loans, property values or insurance costs. However, many homeowners are not convinced. “We had a buyer for the property, and they walked away, because of the pipeline, “ Gerald McGratty, a courtappointed receiver who oversees the development Greenpointe Communities, told the Orlando Sentinel. He reported that the Sabal Trail offered him $600,000 for the property, but he believes it has caused him millions of dollars in losses. So far,
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The Activist Newsletter Katelyn Grimmett/Catalyst
This week (10/26 – 11/3), activists have the opportunity to attend speaker panels, lectures, fundraisers, career seminars and club meetings. Read on if you want to get involved in the community regarding gender issues, women’s rights, LGTBQIA+ rights, or international careers.
BY ANYA MARÍA CONTRERAS-GARCÍA
Wednesday, Oct. 26 Gender Rights as Human Rights @ 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Selby Auditorium University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee Sarasota, FL 34243 A selection of panelists will speak on the topic of gender rights and human rights. Topics will include women in India, rural women in Africa, men’s gender issues in human rights, men’s role in women’s rights, and New College’s own student Leen Al-Fatafta will speak about Arab Feminism. There will be time for questions from the audience and informal conversation. For more information, go to usfsm.edu/event/ human-rights-panel/.
Wednesday, Oct. 26 A Conversation with Jim Obergefell @ 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Sainer Pavillion New College of Florida 5313 Bay Shore Rd Sarasota, FL 34234 The New College Gender Studies Program presents a conversation with Jim Obergefell, the plaintiff in last year’s U.S. Supreme Court landmark decision affirming the constitutional right of same-sex couples to marry in all 50 states. Jim Obergefell, now among the most recognized faces in the LGBTQIA+ rights movement, will share an intimate, gripping account of the legal precedents and personal hardships behind this unforgettable victory for the gay community. Admission is free. To reserve a seat, go to donate.ncf.edu/events. For more information, check out the event page on Facebook.
Thursday, Oct. 27 An Evening with Jim Obergefell: Cocktail Reception @ 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
courtesy of sabaltrailtransmission.com The Sabal Trail will bring 268 miles of natural gas pipeline to Florida.
Isermann Gallery (behind Sanier Pavillion) New College of Florida 5313 Bay Shore Rd Sarasota, FL 34234
This cocktail and hors d’oeuvres reception honoring Jim Obergefell follows his free lecture at Sainer Pavillion. Tickets to the reception are $125 and reservations are limited. An autographed copy of Mr. Obergefell’s book, Love Wins, is included in the ticket price. All proceeds will benefit the New College Gender Studies Program. Tickets are available for purchase at donate.ncf.edu/events. For more information, check out the event page on Facebook. Saturday, Oct. 29 International Career Development Seminar @ 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sudakoff Hall New College of Florida 5845 General Dougher Drive Sarasota, FL 34243 Are you thinking about a global career, whatever your field of interest? Global careers can include anything from graphic artists to computer scientists. Come hear eight speakers from various organizations and fields discuss how to build an international career. Discuss your questions and ideas further with them in break-out sessions and a networking reception. This seminar is free for students. Morning coffee, lunch and afternoon networking reception included.
Friday, Oct. 28 Feminist Fridays Meeting @ 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. ACE Lounge New College of Florida
Feminist Fridays meets every Friday at noon in ACE Lounge. This week’s topic is “Supporting the Student Experience - A vision for student group advisors.” Tara Centeno, Assistant Director for Student Engagement, will lead a conversation about a vision for student group advisors to best support student experience. New College has over 50 active student clubs/organizations on campus that provide tremendous opportunities for students to pursue their passions and interests. This meeting will explore different avenues of providing support for our student groups.
1st annual zine fest @ Daddy Kool Records BY AUDREY WARNE Daddy Kool Records hosted its first ever zine fest on Saturday, Oct. 22 outside its storefront in downtown St. Petersburg. Victoria Huddy, an employee of Daddy Kool records, organized the event in an attempt to make zines more accessible for individuals who may not already be familiar with the scene. “A lot of the zine fests around St. Pete always end up being in like warehouses and on random corners and people don’t really know where to go, I wanted to bring something to the mainstream of Central Avenue,” Huddy said. “I wanted to have the event be very prominent, with people out in the street.” Located at 666 Central Avenue, Daddy Kool is primarily a record store (with an emphasis on contemporary alternative and rock music) but the store also contains a wide selection of CDS, books, music merchandise, zines and patches. “We’ve been carrying zines for the last year on a small scale, and it’s been building itself up pretty heavily,” Huddy said. “We sell them so well I was like ‘Why don’t we do a zine fest here?’” The fest consisted of a variety of zine and comic vendors, a smaller selection of used books and clothing, a food truck and booths by Daddy Kool records itself and Fat Tire brewing company – who provided free beer to all over the age of 21. The event was open to any interested vendors, with an emphasis on encouraging all interested applicants to participate. “There was a variety of different types of zines,” second-year Jason D’Amours said. “Some were artsy, some were comics, there were a bunch of different feminist zines. I spoke to one human rights organization that was giving away free anti-capitalist and anti-police state zines. The guy was telling me that most of the artwork and letters in the zine were actually done by people in prison.”
Audrey Warne/Catalyst “We want to do a lot more zine events, push books and comics and zines and all these platforms that we’ve been kind of going into,” Daddy Kool employee Victoria Huddy said. “We actually will start carrying comics [in Daddy Kool] in November.”
Audrey Warne/Catalyst
The comic and zine artist Josh Sullivan in front of his booth (@joshcomics/joshcomics.com).
Audrey Warne/Catalyst The poster for Daddy Kool’s Zine Fest.
Audrey Warne/Catalyst The event was held on the street in front of and beside the store and included zine and comic booths, a food truck and people selling used books and clothes.
Audrey Warne/Catalyst
Audrey Warne/Catalyst
“There was also this one booth at the event that just had a huge canvas and they were encouraging people to just paint whatever they wanted on it,” said second-year Jason D’Amours (they/them). “We ended up painting a (really poorly done) Four Winds logo.”
“The weather was so nice,” said D’Amours. “It was the perfect day for an outside festival in downtown St. Pete.”
Audrey Warne/Catalyst The inside of Daddy Kool Records - the store is located at 666 Central Ave, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
Audrey Warne/Catalyst A selection of the zines available at Daddy Kool records - the store hopes to expand its selection with more zine and comic centered events.
Audrey Warne/Catalyst “A lot of the different zine creators had other things for sale. Some were selling buttons and stickers at a really affordable price (like $1 for a button!!)” said second-year Jason D’Amours (they/them)
CATALYST
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2016 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst
FEATURES
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What you’re not hearing about Hurricane Matthew BY KELLY WILSON
While some New College students worried that their fall break would be ruined by Hurricane Matthew’s terrible timing as it made its way up the East Coast, others worried for the safety of their family and friends who would be effected in other countries. Matthew was a record breaking storm that did major damage in many countries. However, American media is not famous for its coverage of current events in other countries, and this storm was handled no differently. Instead of discussing the hurricane’s impact on other countries, American media favored images of boarded up windows and empty grocery store shelves. Some sources even tried to dilute the over-saturation of serious storm coverage by adding politics into the mix. The Drudge Report stirred up controversy by stating that it might be over-hyped by liberal media in an attempt to prove climate change real. Other sources attempted to create meme’s of the storm, and some news anchors didn’t make it hard for media to do this. “This storm will kill you, it will kill your children, it will kill your pets and everyone you know,” Fox News anchor “Shep” Smith said in a video that would become viral and inspire multiple memes. Despite the jokes, Matthew was a serious storm that shattered records for storms of this type. The Washington Post called Matthew one of the highest Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) generators in the last 50 years. Matthew ended a nine-year streak without a category five hurricane in the Atlantic Basin - the last hurricane of this strength was Hurricane Felix in 2007. It was also named the longest lived hurricane of this strength in this area and the longest lived hurricane ever after September. And it had the third fastest intensification in a 24-hour period, falling only behind Hurricane Felix, once again, and Hurricane Wilma in 2005. Because of this intensity and lengthened period of activity, Matthew left a long trail of destruction in its wake. But, areas outside of the United States were hardly, if at all, covered by American media and most people do not know the extent of the damage in other countries. The Lesser Antilles Matthew passed through the Lesser Antilles, island countries located North of South America and South of Puerto Rico, on Sept. 28. In preparation for the storm, island countries off the coast of South America prepared by closing schools, cancelling flights in and out of the area, closing down businesses and government operations, even opening shelters for people seeking refuge from the storm’s effects. While passing over Barbados that day, Matthew was determined to be a tropical storm. Sustained winds of up to 39 Miles Per Hour (mph) were reported.
Officials across the area issued tropical storm watches, that later turned to warnings in anticipation of Matthew on Sept. 28. On the Island of St. Lucia six shelters opened and 133 residents took refuge in them according to the St. Lucia Times. The hurricane passed over the island on Sept. 29 and the shelters closed the next day. There were no reported deaths due to the storm on the island. However, flooding and a major loss of agriculture with an up to 85 percent loss of agriculture in some areas. Loss of power was also an issue with loss reported with up to 70 percent of users. In response to the storm the National Emergency Operation Center (NEOC) was fully activated by the government in St. Lucia. The St. Lucia Red Cross distributed nonfood items to over three hundred people and crews were sent out to examine the damage. According to on the Island of St. Vincent one person died as a result of Hurricane Matthew. They were attempting to alleviate flooding by removing a boulder from their gutter according to The Jamaica Observer. In Martinique a wind gust of 89 mph was reported in St. Pierre. Throughout the island 55,000 people were left without power and 4,000 without water. Three people sustained minor injuries that were blamed on the hurricane. The Électricité de France requested additional crews from Guadalupe and French Guinea to help restore power to those who lost it during the storm. Schools in the area were able to reopen on Sept. 30. South America Among other records broken by Matthew, it was the lowest reaching storm of this intensity, beating out the previous record holder, Ivan in 2004. This means that Matthew was able to cause destruction in parts of South America in a way that was completely unique from what has ever been seen in these areas due to a hurricane. As Matthew moved across the area to become a category four storm while passing over warm waters in the area and residents were urged to take it as a serious threat. In preparation of the storm, tropical storm watches were declared on Sept. 28 for Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, and the northern coast of Colombia from the Colombia– Venezuela border to Riohacha. In Columbia, the watch was later upgraded to a warning. Officials closed beaches and opened shelters across the area. Residents in the ABC islands were advised to board up their homes and stock up on supplies which led to long lines causing images similar to those that over-saturated the media in the United States. Because of the storm, Curaçao’s government postponed their 2016 general election until Oct. 5. In Aruba, the first Kingdom Tournament - which was originally scheduled from Oct. 3 to Oct. 6 - was cancelled due to unforeseen effects of the storm. Residents in this
area were advised by the government to stay indoors. It tore through an area that had had very little recorded rainfall for the last four years. According to The Washington Post at least 18 houses were damaged in the floods in La Gujira. Later, one person would die as a result of the hurricane due to flash flooding in Uribia. This flooding prevented many Columbian citizens from voting in an important peace referendum with the guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. It was reported that up to 70 percent of urban areas experienced some form of flooding, which included polling areas. However, government officials tried to stay positive about the effects of the storm. “Families that evacuated are returning to their homes,” La Guajira Governor Jorge Velez told the Associated Press. “The dikes and wells filled up, the earth is moist, and this benefits agriculture in an area where it hasn’t rained for five years, benefiting the community.” The Caribbean Yet another record was broken by Matthew in Jamaica, according to Florida State University (FSU). FSU researchers did a study to determine how many hurricanes have hit Jamaica since 1851 which is when reliable hurricane records trace back to. They found that between 1886 and 1995 only 12 hurricanes made landfall on Jamaica and none were as strong as Matthew. Matthew was also one of only two storms that had ever approached from the South - the other storm being Hurricane Sandy, which was only a category two storm when it passed through. However, many Jamaicans remember the destruction that Hurricane Ivan left in its wake in 2004 and many rushed to stores to prepare, even in the little amount of time that they had. The scene was again similar to that of the United States, but in a much more rushed fashion. Matthew passed over the region beginning on Monday Oct. 1 and despite the preparations two fishermen were reported dead due to the storm. People in the Bahamas were forced to re-live Hurricane Joaquin, a category four hurricane that occurred nearly a year ago and devastated the islands when Matthew impacted them. Matthew began its passage through the chain of islands on Oct. 2 and spent most of its time at peak strength here. A 10 to 15-foot storm surge was projected for potentially the entire chain of islands. Many people reported power outages, but crews immediately got to work trying to clear debris and get electricity back. Luckily, the eye of the storm passed to the south leaving many residents with less damages than originally expected. In the Dominican Republic, officials were forced to evacuate up to 800 people and 18,000 people were sheltered with friends. During
the storm, a weather station there measured nearly nine inches of rain to have fallen on the country when Matthew made impact and officials reported that storm force winds of 60 kilometers per hour (kph) could last for hours. The storm is blamed for four deaths in the area. In order to help victims of Matthew in the Caribbean and surrounding areas, T-Mobile made it free to text from the United States to the Bahamas, Bermuda, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Turks and Caicos. They will also waived roaming fees on calls and texts for customers in Bahamas, Bermuda, Haiti, Jamaica, Turks and Caicos through Oct. 7. Cuba In preparation for the storm more than one million Cubans were evacuated from their homes, according to a state run news channel Cubavision. The channel ran storm advisories on a loop warning people to get out of unsafe areas. Cuban authorities worked hard to evacuate up to 1.3 million people and volunteer civil defense members went door to door to help warn residents. Luckily for the island country however, the storm shifted from its original target of Santiago de Cuba the Island’s second biggest city to the of Eastern coast which is much more sparsely populated. The state media of Cuba reported no immediate signs of serious damage according to Associated Press. However, the Los Angeles Times reported extensive damage to the island’s northeastern coast and The Telegraph reported that the town of Baracoa was destroyed. However, the Cuban government refuses to accept US aid and USAID - the US government’s international development department, has not flown any aid into Cuba, and have not been asked to despite the fact that they are helping out in other affected nations. While other organizations are trying to help they have to jump through hoops to do so. Since there is no wholesale market in Cuba, and buying goods in large quantities would leave less for the rest of the population, relief organizations are sent money to buy goods little by little making the situation less than ideal. Haiti Haiti was easily hardest hit by Matthew, and most commonly covered by American Media. The Washington Post called Matthew the “largest humanitarian event” in Haiti since the devastating earthquake of January 2010. Matthew plowed through the country and destroyed agriculture and roads in the southeast part of the country, with predictions that it could drop as much as 40 inches of rain in some places and a warning of storm surges as large as ten feet. With a faulty infrastructure due to the earthquake in 2010, the government was determined to learn from their mistakes.
continued on p. 11
CATALYST
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2016 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst
FEATURES
PAGE 9
Breaking down NCF Zombies 2016 with its Game Masters
all photos Dylan Pryor/Catalyst
BY DYLAN PRYOR The long standing tradition of New College Zombies is a constantly evolving game of tag that has become as adaptable to the constantly changing campus atmosphere as the humans that must fight for their in-game lives. Each year, the Game Masters play a pivotal role in this evolution by meticulously and enthusiastically planning and executing the Zombie Apocalypse. Returning NCF Zombies Game Master, thesis student Kyle Johnson, and firsttime Game Master and thesis student Lily Gonzales spoke to the Catalyst to shed light on the latest incarnation of the zombie plague to hit campus - an event Johnson has been planning for two years. “Since the original game that I ran, I’ve had ideas building up in my Alum Dain Regis (‘11) gets ready to begin a week of Zombies. Thesis student Jack Cox dons a mask to get into the human head of what I wanted to do for the next hunter spirit. game that I ran,” Johnson said. “I didn’t think it would be two years later, but also been working with various campus playing the game to reach out to him Johnson also assures players that essentially, we are introducing a lot of administrative offices to make the game or Gonzales with any comments or there are still plenty of surprises in new mechanisms in this game, we have run as safely and seamlessly as possible. concerns. store before the end of this week. the berserker, we have the grabber, we “This might actually be the most “We are really nice people, we “Get ready for a new experience,” have the new concept of forts that we’re official Zombies ever run, we have really want to make the game fun and Johnson said. “There are a lot of new going to be introducing, and alternative approval, and Tara Centeno, the new safe for everyone, so if somebody’s stuff that we’re introducing, a lot of methods to solve contestations.” campus coordinator is really excited bothering you, if things are getting a new concepts, and a lot of new props The new twists as well as a new about it, we’ve also talked to the New little too intense, really don’t be afraid,” that we’re going to have a lot of fun story developed by the Game Masters College Police Department, so they’re he said. “Otherwise, I think this is going with.” are designed to help keep the game both on board… all the events are scheduled to be a Zombies for the history books, Additionally, players can keep an engaging and exciting for both new and so everyone’s going to be clued in,” this one’s really going to take the cake.” eye on both the forum and the official old players. Johnson and Gonzales hope Johnson said. “Really, the amount of When asked if they had any NCF Zombies Tumblr page in the to reinvigorate people’s love of the game help and outreach that we’ve seen from additional comments regarding the first days to come for the latest twists and and to inspire the whole community to the community in order to make the few days for players currently surviving updates of the week. participate. game safe and make sure that nobody or spreading the apocalypse this week, “It’s going to be quite shocking,” “It’s been slowly dying out, which gets hurt or nobody’s academics are Gonzales smiled. Johnson said. “It has nothing to do is a shame, because first-year was fun, disturbed has been really nice.” “I really hope you guys enjoyed the with the electricity.” second-year was really fun, and I thank Johnson also encourages everyone pit.” Kyle for that fantastic game,” Gonzales said. “But third-year… it just feels like it got less and less.” Johnson explained that a primary benefit of having another Game Master this year is that Gonzales was present for last year’s game while he was studying abroad, and therefore had more insight into what went wrong and how to improve. “It definitely helps out a lot with having that backup, because, you know I’m in my thesis year, it is a lot of work, and having somebody like Lily to do things like advertising and such, because, I mean they’ve just done such a fantastic job with that,” Johnson said. When asked about their favorite parts of Zombies, both Johnson and Gonzales praised the ability of the game to motivate students to participate in Humans gathered at the bay at 3:00 in the morning to begin a week of staying alive. the NCF community, while also creating and strengthening friendships within the student body. “I made a lot of friends in zombies my first year, and that’s pretty much the one thing that brings a whole bunch of shut-ins outside, it’s pretty much as athletic as New College gets,” Gonzales said. “Plus, I jump at every chance to dress up.” Johnson also cites making the game more community-friendly as one of his central goals this year. This year, he is focusing on both the health of the players and also cracking down on those that create a toxic environment Game Master Lily Gonzales, seen above, kicks off the first feat Anticipation hung in the air as students assumed their positions for the game. The Game Masters have of Zombies this semester. for the first feat.
CATALYST Songs you should hear WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2016 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst
spooky edition
A lot happens in the music world between the Catalyst’s weekly production schedule. While Jasmine and Caitlyn would love to cover it all, they can’t – so, instead, we gave them a category and had them write up bite-sized blurbs on a handful songs from that category. This week is spooky songs – take a look at the results below. it’s not just frontman Davey Havok’s BY CAITLYN RALPH AND jet black locks in the “Miss Murder” JASMINE RESPESS video. The overlords of the dark side, AFI are celebrating the tenth “White Noise” - PVRIS anniversary of their classic album Paranormal is the theme of PVRIS’ Decemberunderground in 2016. Not breakthrough hit from 2014, White only that, but the band recently did Noise. The title track is no exception some serious teasing of new music - a swirling mix of frontwoman on their Facebook - by posting creepy Lynn Gunn’s powerful vocals and videos that resemble the cursed mesmerizing production, “White videotape from The Ring at midnight. Noise,” paired with its supernatural - CR video, is Steven Spielberg’s Poltergeist transformed into four minutes of indierock gold. - CR “Zombie” - Jamie T “Zombie” by British singer/ songwriter Jamie T is a Halloween sing-along for every day of the year. Its performance video reflects a comical zombie flick, and Jamie T’s bloody gorgeous vocals will get even the living dead dancing. - CR “Miss Murder” - AFI There are so many reasons why AFI is an easy choice for this list - and
“Wear Wolf Bar-mitzvah” –– 30 Rock. In one of the cut to scenes on 30 Rock, Tracy Jordan sings a song that goes “Wear Wolf Bar-mitzvah spooky scary. Boys become men, Men become wolves.” Very funny and honestly a creepy concept. “Thriller” –– Michael Jackson An iconic song whose video terrified me the first time I saw it. Making zombies cool before all the movies and shows.
photo courtsey of wikipedia.org
Michael Jackson's "Thriller" is a Halloween classic.
Superstition –– Stevie Wonder This song is funny, since although it cautions against messing with the occult, the beat makes it seem like it could be funky and fun.
Students of New College!
Feeling out of balance? Need an activity that’ll help pull your overloaded mind from the drudgery of liberal academics? Yoga is an activity meant to develop the body, mind, and spirit, serving as the perfect counterbalance to the stress and tension generated during a busy week.
SUBMITTED BY OLIVER GOLDSMITH For decades a small yoga community has existed at New College. The sphere of yoga at New College is a safe space in which individuals are encouraged to explore their bodies and spirits in the same way we are encouraged to open our minds to academia. In yoga class, through the support and encouragement of others, we learn how to support and encourage ourselves, in doing so increasing and improving the overall quality of our individual lives, a benefit which spills over into community life in general. Yoga FAQs: Q: Do I need experience with yoga in order to participate? A: No, yoga classes at New College are open to all experience levels. From beginners to advanced students, all are welcome. Q: How should I prepare for a yoga class? A: Dress in comfortable and light clothing (although the fitness center AC can get a bit cold so maybe bring a sweater). Mats are provided at the fitness center, or bring a towel; it’ll work just as well. Q: What should I expect from a yoga class? A: A typical yoga class will involve
Giulia Heyward/Catalyst
Second-years Jason D'Amours and Catalyst layout editor Audrey Warne, third-year Cheikhou Kane and thesis student Oliver Goldsmith demonstrate yoga poses.
practicing a variety of asanas (poses) meant to challenge balance, flexibility, strength, endurance, and focus. Also expect breathing exercises, group discussion, meditation and buddy stretching. Q: If I’m not flexible is there any point of practicing yoga? A: Yes. It is a misconception that yoga focuses on contortionism. Flexibility is one of the benefits that develops upon practicing yoga, but should not be mistaken for the purpose of yoga. Regardless of whether or not you are a beginner or advanced student, there are limits on what we are able to do. The point of yoga is to expand these limits. Effort towards moving beyond
our limitations, whether physical or otherwise, is what yoga is about. Yoga schedule: Tuesday: 4:30-6:00pm, Fitness Center Wednesday: 7:00-8:30pm, Fitness Center Friday: 3:00-4:30pm, Fitness Center Saturday: 2:00-3:30pm, Fitness Center, with a potluck lunch following class Sunday: 10:00-11:30am, meet in front of Ham, walk to the bay together
Sat chit ananda Namaste
FEATURES
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Floridians at odds over Amendment SUBMITTED BY 1 GABRIELLE A.CONNOR
Floridians are being faced with a tough decision this upcoming election. Many residents are confused on whether to vote for or against Amendment 1 on Nov. 8. The bill is advertised as a smart solar initiative that will help solar energy consumers gain rights to own solar equipment. Opponents of the amendment claim that this is a way for utility companies to maintain their monopolies and to continue controlling the way that Florida citizens obtain energy. Alissa Schafer, solar communications and policy manager for the Southern Alliance of Clean Energy, said her organization has partnered with Floridians for Solar Choice to help educate voters on the dangers of voting in favor of the bill. Schafer said that the amendment is written to confuse voters with misleading information and promising voters rights that they already have. “It’s a form of voter fraud, really,” she said. If Amendment 1 passes, it would set the stage for utility companies to charge monthly fees and penalties, which will hinder solar growth in Florida, she said. “Florida has one of the highest potentials for solar energy in the whole country, but we’re not living up to that potential at all,” Schafer said. Donna Simmons, a Sarasota resident, was given previous knowledge on the bill and intended on voting in opposition of it; however, the phrasing and wording on the ballot led her to unintentionally vote in favor of it. “I read it three times and actually thought I was voting against it because of the way it was phrased,” Simmons said. Simmons said that she doesn’t feel that the public is being thoroughly informed on everything that the bill entails because the money for advertising and campaigning is solely in the hands of advocates of Amendment 1. “Nobody can compete with that kind of money and power,” Simmons said. “It makes me not want to vote.” The leading advocates for Amendment 1, Consumers for Smart Solar, have brought in over $21 million, predominately funded by large energy companies, Schafer said. Although Floridians for Solar Choice does not have the financial foundationthat Consumers for Smart Solar has, they are still doing everything they can to help voters make the right decision, she said. “In order for us to continue making positive progress, we first need to defeat anything that’s going to harm the progress we’ve already made,” Schafer said.
CATALYST Matthew
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 In wake of the storm the government insisted that all aid go through them. They want communities to stay where they are so that they can rebuild and become self-supporting when the aid stops. How to help Unfortunately, there is no official Facebook filter that users can use to spread awareness for this issue, however there are ways that we can help. Keeping in mind that money is the most helpful resource that you can give here are a few examples of places that you can donate to and things that you can do to help: Haiti Communitere is an organization that is helping in areas around Port-Au-Prince in Haiti. The Haitian Health Foundation is a reputable organization working in the area to improve the health of women, children and families in the area SOIL works with communities in Haiti on ecological sanitation which is extremely important based on the recent Cholera outbreak and they have sent a team to help in affected areas. Spreading awareness for little known organizations can help them get more donations over well-known organizations that often to less to help. In wake of the storm it is also important to buy locally in affected countries to avoid creating a second man made crisis.
Sabal trail
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 only $448,000 has been paid by Sabal into an escrow account. Environmental justice activists are also critical of the pipeline’s proximity to many low-income and minority neighborhoods. Oftentimes location of heavy industry occurs near already disadvantaged communities. For example, in Albany County, Georgia a proposed industrial compressor station facility, part of the Sabal Trail pipeline network, would have sat right in the middle of an African-American residential neighborhood. “Sabal Trail’s proposed pipeline and compressor station will further burden an already overburdened and disadvantaged African-American community in this area,” four Georgia Democratic congressmen wrote in a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) last October. In March, the Georgia House of Representatives voted 128-34 against a bill that would have given the pipeline project power to seize property, according to Newsweek. Water Contamination Activists are also concerned about the Floridan aquifer system, which underlies the entire state of Florida, as well as parts of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and South Carolina. It
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2016 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst
FEATURES
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Strong roots and proud presenters: The Cultural Diversity Festival BY JACOB WENTZ
The Cultural Diversity Festival, an event hosted by second-year RA Paolo Baez-Perez, celebrated the various backgrounds of Novo Collegians. The event emphasized cultural education, but in a fun way; there were many distinct foods to try, dances to watch and history to learn. With the cohort of 2016 being one of the most racially and ethnically diverse class in New College history, the festival flourished with multiple perspectives. The following countries were represented at the festival: China, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, England, Greece, Israel, Lebanon, Mexico, Palestine, Poland, Sweden and Taiwan. In addition to these 13 booths, there was a dance space in the black box theater and a reading in Spanish of 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. "The purpose of the event was to create an atmosphere for students to express where they come from while also educating others. The event was meant to be interactive with live presentations by the representatives to the students who walked around,” Baez-Perez wrote in a message to the Catalyst. In a time when a leading presidential candidate wants to build walls between countries and cultures, it is especially important to celebrate our differences. The live presentations provides drinking water for 10 million people. The aquifer accounts for 60 percent of the Florida’s drinking water and 90 percent of Northern Central Florida’s drinking water. “It’s a really cool system but it’s also very sensitive, especially to shoving a pipe through all of that,” thesis student Gabriella “Gabi” Frankhouser said. “It creates a lot of pressure on a large portion of the state. If and when the pipeline were to break, which [it’s] very likely to in that area, you have no water source.” “Sabal Trail’s pipeline will not contaminate drinking water or aquifers,” according to a page on their website entitled “Common Misconceptions”. “Natural gas is lighter than air, which means in the highly unlikely event that natural gas escapes from the pipeline, the gas can only travel up through the soil into the atmosphere where it dissipates.” However, natural gas’s primary component, methane, is 34 times stronger than carbon dioxide at trapping heat over a 100-year period and 86 times stronger over 20 years and therefore contributes to global warming even more than carbon dioxide. Additionally, if the Sabal pipeline did rupture in an area where there is a sinkhole, which is not unheard of in Florida, it could cause an explosion and contaminate the aquifer. Inevitable Unsafety
Jacob Wentz/Catalyst
13 booths, each representing a different country, made up the Cultural Diversity Festival.
proved to be very effective in portraying these differences, as the presenters involved spectators in a way that kept them engaged. “I represented Poland and Sweden,” first-year student August Raubo said. “It felt rewarding to participate in the festival because I got the chance to promote my countries and their respective cultures.” “It was really great to see all of the students speaking so passionately about their countries,” first-year student Abby Morse said. “The ultimate goal was to encourage the discussion about our roots and what makes us proud to be from where we are," Baez-Perez wrote. The event was made possible
by the combined efforts of multiple students, and their pride and passion proved to be popular among students. “There were 150 people who signed in but the true attendance is definitely closer to 200. So the turnout was amazing,” Baez-Perez wrote. “I mean who doesn’t love a good street fair like walk through with good food and great people.” The blend of food, music, history, pride and enthusiasm created an event that truly celebrated the diversity of our student body. “This event was awesome and couldn't have been possible without the great team of RA's we had working on it!"
In the past five years, the incident rate for Spectra Energy’s natural gas pipelines and facilities has been roughly half the rate of the industry average, according to their website. The company says their goal is to have zero incidents. “No matter how safe they claim to make these pipelines there’s always the danger of explosions, there’s always the danger of fugitive methane and there’s always going to be air pollution problems around compressor stations and natural gas infrastructure. And it’s just more natural gas which means more global warming,” Doug Miller, statewide coordinator for Floridians against Fracking and campaign director for Rethink Energy Florida, said. Many opponents of Sabal Trail believe the company cannot guarantee that the pipeline will never rupture or explode. For many activists, this is a risk they are not willing to take. “You can just predict that it [pipeline rupture] might happen, [but] we don’t know when, we don’t know to what magnitude, we don’t know geographically even where it’s going to go or how bad it’s going to be,” Frankhouser said. “And that’s just in florida.”
about this project.” However, Suarez believes people are still eager to learn about the pipeline and fight. She says it is important for people who oppose the pipeline to come together and organize. “I’m hopeful that where there’s a will there’s a way. And where there’s a will there’s creativity and willingness to sacrifice and to fight. And with that I think we can win everything,” Miller said. Activists have called on FERC and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the organizations that approved the pipeline, to allow an additional Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to be submitted written by an independent source. The EIS that all permitting for the pipeline has been based on was written by Spectra Energy. Suarez hopes pipeline construction will be delayed until this can be done. Sierra Club, Flint Riverkeeper and Chattahoochee Riverkeeper are suing FERC, “partly for not considering climate impacts in the approved EIS,” according to Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson, an Organizing Representative of Sierra Club.
Time Will Tell “A lot of people are in a state of shock,” Suarez said. “This pipeline is basically a done deal and they’re already starting construction and many communities are just starting to know
Information for this article was gathered from sabaltrailtransmission.com, ucsusa. org, newsweek.com and orlandosentinel. com.
CATALYST
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2016 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst
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PAGE 12
Big Mama’s Collard Greens Fest
brings Sarasota to Newtown
all photos Katelyn Grimmett/Catalyst
BY KATELYN GRIMMETT I was in the garden when Lou called me. When I answered he said “We got ‘em, Kat. We got the big dogs.” I knew better than to ask who or what the big dogs were right away. Lou Murray – the Vice President of nonprofit Newtown Nation and my internship coordinator – is always starting conversations somewhere in the middle. I let him go on about them big dogs and what it meant for Newtown Nation that the big dogs were coming out to play. That they were coming to us. Soon he was saying in serious tones we can’t let anyone take this from us, everyone wants it and we need to claim it. This is ours. That’s when I had to interrupt to ask what he meant by “big dogs.” “Whole Foods is coming to Big Mama’s,” he said. Big dogs and little time Before that moment, Big Mama’s Collard Greens Fest was just a ragtag – albeit brilliant – idea to promote Newtown Nation’s Farmers Market and get the community involved. Fast forward a few weeks and watch the quick-moving transformation from an idea to the kick off event for Transition Sarasota’s Eat Local Week, with two counties backing, four restaurant booths vending, Mayor Willie Shaw coming to say a Welcome, a steel-drum band playing blues and rock n roll, 100 programs printed in expectation and 12 competitors in a collard greens contest. We had three weeks to make it happen. We needed at least another month. We couldn’t get that so we scrambled and hustled and pushed our ideals to the side. In the end, we reeled in passer-bys with loud talk, good music and smoky smells.
After the collard greens contest, the competitor’s greens were put out for a free tasting at the event.
Newtown Nation’s Farmers Market shifted it’s usual Saturday Third-year, and NCSA co-President, Miles Iton, and thesis student morning hours to the afternoon in order to vend fresh Haiwen Yu munch on the D & R sampler dinner at the festival. produce at Big Mama’s.
We brought Sarasota to Newtown. We did it, but we also got lucky. Transition Sarasota underwent a sudden and major leadership shift just weeks before their sixth annual Eat Local Week celebration and was looking for something to come to them. So when Lou pitched his Big Mama’s festival idea that included a community collard greens competition, it was like delivery – they ate it up. Without the high title of kickoff event for “Greater Sarasota’s Eat Local Week” and Transition Sarasota’s powerful networking, the festival’s crowd would likely have been half its size. We took the chance and ran with it. But not without hitting some bumps in the road. Whole Foods pulled out of the festival just days before the event. They told us there wasn’t enough time to prepare. Lou was especially disappointed by it but, by then, there were enough names on the program to earn us a crowd. Sarasota’s Blue Rooster Bar and Grill jumped in not long after Whole Foods and offered their head chef as a decisive judge for the contest. With the self-given challenge “to prepare authentic southern fare for the whole family,” Blue Rooster was just the joint we were looking for. For the community, by the community Bridging the gap between Newtown, a predominately African American community, and “larger Sarasota” was a successful initiative of Big Mama’s, easily proven by the event’s
diverse attendance. The demographics revealed another success. The core purpose of Big Mama’s was to bring Newtown together in the heart of the neighborhood to participate in something designed for the community, by the community – a catchphrase that has become Newtown Nation’s philosophy. Transition Sarasota reached out to an audience through ads in HeraldTribune’s Ticket Sarasota and spreading the word through the organization’s social circles. Lou had a very different method of advertising. Fliers for the event were put up at the North-Sarasota (Newtown) Library, several businesses off MLK and applications for the collards greens contest were sent out to every church in the area. Hands down, the festival was designed for the Newtown community, a black community. One example of this is Lou’s request that the restaurant booths prepare collard greens a certain style to represent different ethnicities in the community. Whole Food’s had agreed to serve collard greens cooked with a cajunstyle. Cajun fell through but there was still Caribbean, Southern and Creole. At the festival, Newtown residents had the pleasure of reacquainting with Opal Bell, the owner of former Newtown restaurant Pride of Jamaica. Her booth served out a collard greens casserole prepared Jamaican-style (how else?). The three other restaurant booths vending their speciality greens – in addition to chef’s choice of sides and
desserts – were G’s Southern Kitchen and D & R Barbecue with Southern style, and Ray’s Vegan Soul with Creolestyle. G’s showed up with an innovative collard greens egg roll (southern with an asian twist?) and peach cobbler for dessert. D & R dished out ribs, pork and chicken grilled on sight in the slowsmoker behind co-owners Dale and Rosalind Hill. Ray’s Vegan Soul from St. Pete served up greens along with Bourbon Chickpeas, vegan mac and cheese and Basmati rice. Ray’s provided an option for several New College students with vegan diets who made it out to the festival. North-Sarasota (Newtown) Newtown is often perceived as separate from Sarasota. A blurb about Newtown found at sarasotagov.com calls out industrial land use surrounding the neighborhood for “isolating it from the larger community.” The fact that elders in the Newtown community can recall a segregated Sarasota with clarity inevitably has something to do with the disconnect as well. In his welcome speech, Mayor Shaw emphasized the importance of community events and, speaking to the festival, said “we need to do this way more often” and thanked everyone “for making this the best day of the week in Newtown and for this doing this thing the right way, with everybody in here.” Newtown Nation can always use an extra pair of hands. To get involved, email Lou Murray at newmurray7@gmail.com