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CATALYST
NOVEMBER 2, 2016 VOLUME XXXIV ISSUE VIII
CAREER SEMINAR DAY OF DIALOGUE pg.
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A student newspaper of New College of Florida
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RA Confidential: The stress behind the success
BYJACOB WENTZ
Though a majority of students know their campus Resident Advisors (RAs) and what responsibilities they take on, most are unaware of the underlying systematic struggles that RAs have faced over the past few years. In addition to an increasing enrollment rate that alters the student to RA ratio, tensions between RAs and Professional Staff and inconsistencies in Resident Hall Director (RHD) positions have all contributed to conditions that can, at times, become overwhelming for RAs. The pressures put on RAs are so demanding that a support group was created at the CWC this year. Though the position requires hard work, patience and constant availability, most RAs believe that the benefits of the position outweigh the stresses. The Daily Grind RAs play a crucial role in ensuring the community’s well-being. Whether they are completing rounds of buildings, taking a shift “on duty” or planning
Jacob Wentz/Catalyst
RAs Erika Thompson and Riley Lewis, both second-years, work diligently in the RA Resource Room.
events to raise campus morale, RAs must serve as role models and support the community at all times. “RAs are in charge of overseeing the residence halls, maintaining their community and keeping the students safe,” thesis student and Senior RA Tessa Geier wrote in an email interview. The amount of time and effort that RAs must put in on a daily basis certainly shows the demanding nature
of the position. Though RAs get paid a stipend for 10 hours of work a week, the reality of the position requires each member to work much more time than that. “In total, I would say at least 20 hours a week went to RA responsibilities, which does not reflect particularly busy weeks or emergencies,” Amanda Graff (’11) wrote. Graff was an RA from Fall 2013 to Spring 2015.
“As an RA, you are on and ready pretty much 24/7 in case you need to respond to problems and crises in the community,” Geier wrote. “Most students aren’t aware of how much goes into the planning of programs and maintaining the community.” RA events, for example, require ample amounts of planning and collaboration, and most students are unaware of how thoroughly planned these events are. RAs attempt to include four core values that they think residents will enjoy and benefit from: skill, connectedness, creativity and responsibility. While the events aim to incorporate these four values, they manifest in a variety of different forms. “There are RA events that are just for fun, programs that educate on an important topic, raise awareness for issues such as diversity or sexual health, and events that build relationships in our communities,” Geier wrote. In addition to hosting community
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Bike Shoppe renaissance undercut by limited pay BY RYAN PAICE For years, the Bike Shoppe was known for its inconsistent hours that were announced randomly throughout the week and were easy to miss. But now that the student-run Shoppe features a small and dedicated staff of Teaching Assistants (TAs) and a functional system for replacement parts, the past hourly pay for the Bike Shoppe TAs are exactly that: those of the past. Split between three TAs, each of them are lucky to see $100 a month because of the job, despite the demand and responsibilities that come with three Photo courtesy of James Montgomery people being fully in charge of assisting the almost-900-student-population With the Bike Shoppe, students can rent out bikes, learn how to maintain bikes of with their bike related needs. their own, order parts for their bike on wholesale prices and have their bike worked Thesis student, James on by the TAs. Montgomery, the longest-tenured TA on the Bike Shoppe staff, has seen the salvaging old bikes for replacement Shoppe staff vary from mundane to turnaround of the Shoppe, fueling it with parts in unpaid time or going as far as extraneous. Many of these hours are the new hires of third-year Cole Zelznak even driving the occasional student to spent after the official hours end, or and second-year Kaithleen Conoepan. their off-campus house because their randomly and unofficially opening for From teaching visiting students how bike wouldn’t be able to be repaired on the unfortunate student who was not to fix their bikes to doing it alone to time, the responsibilities of the Bike able to make it during their new weekly
WHAT’S INSIDE
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hours. While their hard work has brought about what might be the best, most consistent version of the Shoppe to date, with consistent hours – Monday and Wednesday 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Friday dusk-till-dawn – much of that work is on their own, personal and unpaid time. The staff receives the standard $8.05 an hour, considerably less than the $10 per hour rate Zelznak earned when he worked on bike repair offcampus. As the hours are assigned right now, only eight hours a week are paid for through the New College Student Alliance (NCSA) and the Council of Green Affairs (CGA). “General responsibilities of the Bike Shoppe are upkeep of the facilities, teaching people how to fix bikes,” Montgomery said. “Because we are a coop we really want to impart information and educate people on how keep up their bikes and not just do it for them,
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ZOMBIES SURVIVORS TALE
CATALYST
BRIEFS
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2016 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst
PAGE 2
briefs by Jasmine Respess
Sarasota Manatee voters choose to early vote
There are multiple ways to exercise the right to vote. For many SarasotaManatee citizens, it is not desirable to wait in the long Nov. 8 line. When early voting begins, they are ready to cast their ballot. Early voting in Florida
began Oct. 24 and ends Nov. 6. The voting occurs at the usual sites, which are indicated on voting cards. Votes can also be cast by mail before Nov. 8, if a mail in ballot is requested. “I wanted a absentee ballot,” Thesis student Kasia Burzynki said. “I was not sure if I would be able to make it to the polls on Nov. 8 with school and work. “With all the chaos that’s been going on I sort of wondered are people going to just stay home but it doesn’t look like that’s happening at all,” Sarasota County supervisor, Kathy Dent, told the Herald Tribune. “There were 152,890 people in the two-county region who had either cast absentee ballots [or] voted inperson through [Oct. 28], a 29 percent turnout,” Zac Anderson of the Herald Tribune reported. Predictions about who will win elections, such as the primary election between Clinton and Trump, are made from the the early votes. Yet, until the Jasmine Respess/Catalyst final vote on the eighth, nothing in set in stone. One of the ways Sarasota citizens vote is by going to their local polling places.
Bones softball team almost cinch B league playoff The Bones softball season has come to an end for now, with one win and one loss in the playoffs. The team came up slightly short in the B league championship. In both games, the Bones came up from behind in the last innings. In the first game, against the Jokers, the team was victorious, but in the second game against the Ansbro Aldrich Flooring Company team, the Bones were not. The Bones are New College’s recreational softball team. It began
CORRECTIONS: In the "Strong roots and proud presenters: The Cultural Diversity Festival" article, Paola Baez Perez was cited as the host of the RA event. The event was also hosted by RAs and second-year students Ethan Kennedy, Isaac QuirosIam, Matthew Bocanumenth, Bailey Tietsworth and Jonathan Goodman.
over three decades ago. Students, staff, alums and professors play on the team. Other citizens of Sarasota and Manatee county populate the other teams. “I’m glad we got that first comeback win,” alum Daniel Anderson-Little said. “I am looking forward to resting my body in the off season. [...] Overall, the Bones are pretty successful.” The league has three seasons per year. The fall league ended with the Oct. 30 playoffs.
NCSA offers STI and Hiv testing A perk to being in college is that there are often free things offered around campus. Whether that be snacks in the library, stress relief arts and crafts in the Gender and Diversity Center (GDC) or free sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV testing in the New College Student Association (NCSA) office. The testing is offered every Sunday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Appointments take approximately around 15 minutes. The testing is completely confidential and walk-ins are welcome.
CARES community health organization is the institution that provides the STI and HIV testing. Sexual education and testing options are important in maintaining health on campus. Next to the NCSA office, is the Share room, where condoms, dental dams and information on different forms of birth control and pamphlets on sexual health are available. So, while getting tested, students can stop in the Share room and get tools for sexual health.
Celestine COUP wows Center of the Universe Parties (COUP) are a big deal. This year’s Halloween bash was nothing different. Under the theme of Celestine Halloween, campus was transformed into a creepy wonderland featuring, bonfires, finger foods, ornamental horticulture and bloody clouds with a chance of eyeballs. At COUP, musical sets went on until 3 a.m. Many styles of music such as, ambient noise, indie bands, EDM, Hip-Hop, rap and R&B were played. “Part of the magic of PCP is that we create the space, and the attendees co-create the individual and collective experience,” third-year Becca Caccavo said. “But the best part is that it was like making an art piece and watching life be breathed into it.” The COUP featured pieces made my students, such as a giant sun designed by first-year Jamie Moirarty. “Ash Rodrigues is an incredibly talented thesis art student,” Caccavo said. “So she spearheaded the sun project.”
“The sun was 10 feet in diameter,” Caccavo added. “We had tons of people helping to hoist it up [and] people walking by who joined in. [...] After we got it up everyone cheered and freaked out and it was a really beautiful moment.” Walls happen about every weekend, but COUPs allow for alums, students and their guests to go all out and have fun. “There was a lot of cool music for everyone,” Second-year Kaelyn Hartley said. “My friends had sets across campus, so I would make rounds to hear them.” Party goers showed off their creativity with topical costumes such as Eleven from the Netflix hit Stranger Things and on theme costumes such as gods and goddesses. “I would really encourage anyone with a vision to throw a PCP- it’s not easy, but it's a labor of love,” Caccavo added. “I feel really satisfied with the result, and incredibly proud of Ashley, Carley, Sade, Hannah, and myself.”
The legend on the graph "Percentage of AFAB Individuals in Declared AOCs" in the "Femmes in STEM" article from last issue (i7) is reversed. The dark bars should represent AMAB individuals and the light bars should represent AFAB individuals. Pariesa Young/Catalyst
“i looked it up on huffington post and now i get it" © 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.
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
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
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CAMPUS
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Speakers share international career insights at seminar BY PARIESA YOUNG
For the seventh year in a row, the International Career Seminar brought students, young professionals and international authorities together to discuss navigating jobs and work in an increasingly globalized world. As high school and college students alike pondered career opportunities abroad, speakers shared their experiences and insights. The seminar, hosted by the United Nations Association (UNAUSA) of Sarasota-Manatee and New College of Florida, began with coffee and refreshments at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 29. Roughly 50 people from area colleges and high schools came to Harry Sudakoff Center to learn how to pursue a career in countries around the world. Director of International Studies and Professor of Political Science Barbara Hicks has been organizing the seminar along with Dorothy Watson, UNA-USA Sarasota-Manatee former president, since its inception. Hicks’ research in Central and Eastern Europe as well as Watson’s years as a Foreign Service Officer are just a taste of the international experiences represented at the seminar. The pair use their own backgrounds to inform the day’s discussion by inviting speakers from a range of careers in the public and private sector. Following the schedule of speakers, seminar participants could choose to work in smaller break-out sessions on more focused topics. Hicks stressed that the seminar is not just for international studies students. She hoped the program would open up students’ eyes to a number of possible career paths, “whatever your major.” While international studies students were certainly engaged by public sector jobs, the seminar also hosted those in international finance, college counseling, and localized civic engagement. Despite a number of notable speakers coming from around the nation to speak at the seminar, attendance of students did falter. Hicks noted that about 30 percent of
registered attendees did not show up. “It’s not an easy thing to put on something like this, financially or logistically,” Hicks said. She hoped that attendees would recognize the great opportunity of networking at the seminar and invite their friends in coming years. For those who missed the day’s worth of programming and networking sessions, here is a recap of the notable speakers and topics: Former Sarasota City Commissioner Kelly Kirschner began the program with a discussion of his experience in Guatemala as a Peace Corps volunteer and USAID contractor. When asked about his best and worst experience in the Peace Corps, Kirschner remembered becoming close to the rural community he was stationed in through playing soccer, but also mentioned difficult illness and physical conditions that accompanied service. Also representing the Peace Corps, former volunteers Stevie FreemanMontes and Troy Montes served in Yap Micronesia and El Salvador, respectively. They shared strategies for applying to the Peace Corps as well as their experiences making the best of moving to an isolated, foreign town. Chief of Outreach in Human Resources for the UN, John Ericson, attended the seminar for his seventh and final year before retirement. With over 30 years working for the United Nations, Ericson shared the possibilities and process of working for the UN. Ericson works at the New York City UN headquarters and has travelled to New College each year to share tips and insights into applying for a UN position. City Commissioner and former Vice Mayor Susan Chapman hoped to be “a little bit inspiring” to the young people in attendance. After an expansive presentation of the skills and credentials needed to work in the UN, Chapman brought the group back to the ways they can build those skills at the local level. “You can get involved in your local community and develop those skills,”
Pariesa Young/Catalyst
More than 50 people, including UNA-USA members and students from local colleges and high schools, attended the career seminar in Sudakoff.
Pariesa Young/Catalyst
UNA-USA Sarasota-Manatee has resources and materials for students interested in world affairs.
Pariesa Young/Catalyst
GenUN Manager Anna Mahalak spoke to the room about her experience working on college campuses.
Chapman said. “You can develop those skills by finding the things that you really care about.” She recalled working as a citizen and neighborhood to mobilize skills and passion to create real change and improve conditions. “I would say I was a citizen activist way before I ran for public office,” Chapman shared. “What it means to be a citizen of the world is to think globally but act locally.” Dr. Daniel McGovern, in his first time speaking at the seminar, shifted the conversation to the private sector with his talk on international banking and finance. He began his career in the Latin American debt crisis and made the transition from academia and research to investment banking. McGovern has over 30 years of experience leading market research teams and serving as a negotiator and economic advisor for countries such as Russia, Poland, Brazil and Argentina. “It’s lifelong learning,” McGovern said about moving from sector to sector in political economy. However, he encouraged students, saying “there are clear paths to get the opportunities, the experience, the internships.” Citing William Dudley, New College alum and president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, McGovern illustrated a direct path from where students sit today to a top finance position. Sticking with the international theme, McGovern emphasized the transformative power of working abroad. “There’s something profoundly unique about going to another country and setting aside your stereotypes,” he said. Despite working at the more abstract, “macro,” level, McGovern stressed the importance and opportunity of working directly with people culturally and economically. “You can’t do business in a country without understanding the culture, the
traditions,” McGovern said. Another speaker who strayed away from public sector and NGO-based jobs, Robin Groelle shared her experiences as a college counselor who has worked across the United States and in Canada, Europe, Australia, Japan and the Caribbean. Speaking to the interconnectedness of education and globalization, as mentioned by Provost Stephen Miles in an introductory note, ties together many of the seminar’s speakers. Describing the Consortium of Colleges on the Creative Coast (C4) which connects Sarasota-Manatee colleges and universities, Miles invited the audience to consider how networking and synthesizing institutions can work at a local and global scale. Anna Mahalak, GenUN manager of UNA-USA in the United Nations Foundation, also spoke to the connection of education and global careers, pulling from her work on college campuses. She shared her own career path from undergraduate to Master’s and beyond. “It took a few years,” Mahalak said, encouraging students not to be discouraged by early rejection. She also stressed the importance of a job being a “culture fit,” and the way she found a job with the organizational, team and leadership structure that she likes best. While the day’s speakers focused much of their discussion on the skills, attributes and experience that prepare one for an international career, speakers also discussed ways to look for what they are passionate about in a job. Through the diverse speakers of the day and opportunities to talk to them over lunch and networking sessions, students from around Sarasota and Manatee gained invaluable insights and contacts to pursue an international career.
CATALYST
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2016 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst
NEWS PAGE 4
The who, what, where and when of the 2016 election BY KELLY WILSON
The most common question of the election season is of course who to vote for. However, with election day rapidly approaching it is important for people to not only know who they are voting for, but how to vote, what to do it someone is trying to stop you from voting, where to vote, and why the 2016 is going to be a landmark election year. Who: President Donald Trump and Mike Pence – Donald Trump is the Republican nominee for president with a platform based mostly on conservative Republican policies and anti-immigration rhetoric. Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine – Hillary Clinton is a former New York Senator and Democratic nominee for president. Her policies are based on democratic ideas with a focus on women’s rights. Jill Stein and Ajamu Baraka – Jill Stein is a third party candidate for president running on the green party ticket with very liberal policies and plans to create a green version of the New Deal. Gary Johnson and Bill Weld Gary Johnson is a previous governor of New Mexico running for president on the Libertarian party ticket. His policies largely favor states’ rights and would limit the rights of the federal government if put in place. Senate Marco Rubio has been highly publicized this year after his failed
attempt to run for president and losing in his home state of Florida. Rubio is a conservative Republican who opposes gay marriage and abortion. He does not support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes. Patrick Murphy is a democrat who is much less known. He believes that we should uphold Roe V. Wade and has voted yes on many measures in the past to support clean energy production in Florida. He also voted yes to extend unemployment rates and did not want to raise the retirement age. However, he is in favor of concealed carry and believes that people have a right to carry. Judges Charles T. Canady is a Justice of the Florida Supreme Court who chose to stand for retention this election. He is an extremely conservative justice and previous member of the Florida House of Representatives. Where he worked on a bill which would eventually coin the term “Partial Birth Abortion.” This year he was listed on a list of Judges that Donald Trump would potentially elect to the Supreme Court if elected as president. Jorge Labarga is a Justice on the Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice who chose to stand for retention this election. He is notably the first CubanAmerican to hold this position. He stands on the side of judicial review as being independent of party affiliation and opinion of the ruling justices. His major projects as a justice have been working to help the poor have access to lawyers and raising wages for court
employees. Ricky L. Polston is a conservative justice on the Florida Supreme Court. The media often considers him to be part of a conservative duo in the Florida Supreme Court with Justice Canady. Noteworthy cases of his past include representing anti-abortion organizations and dissenting in the Bush v. Holmes case which ruled Florida’s school voucher program unconstitutional. Representative in Congress Vern Buchanan is a Republican candidate running for Florida State Congress this year running for reelection in the 16 congressional district. He is among one of the richest members of Congress and is known for being probusiness and very conservative in his legislation. Jan Schneider is the Democratic candidate running for Florida State Congress representative in district 16. She is in favor of liberal policies including raising the minimum wage, LGBT+ rights and women’s rights. State Senator Greg Steube is a Republican running for Florida State Senate in the 23 district. He is a conservative politician who has held multiple positions in the Florida House of Representatives. He was previously running for the Florida House of Representatives when he changed his campaign to a state Senate campaign on Feb. 11 according to the Tampa Bay Times. Frank Alcock is a Democrat running for Florida State Senate and a Political Science professor at New
College. He believes that the district does not want another moderate or conservative republican holding this seat. He supports the creation of alternative energy sources and expanding Medicaid.
What:
On Nov. 8 we are not just voting for the president but also other issues. In 2016 there are 162 other statewide measures on ballots throughout the United States, which include notable issues such as marijuana legalization, minimum wage, gun control, the sale of tobacco and taxes. In Sarasota, the four issues on the ballot are solar energy, medical marijuana, tax exemption for disabled first responders, and property tax exemptions for senior citizens. Where: You can Vote Early at the following locations near NCF until Nov. 5: Supervisor of Elections Sarasota County Terrace Building 2001 Adams Lane Sarasota North County Library 2801 Newtown Blvd Sarasota Fruitville Library 100 Coburn Rd Sarasota Or, if you are registered to vote under your New College address, you can vote on Nov 8 at Light of the World International Church at 3809 Chapel Drive in Sarasota.
When:
Not only should you vote on Election day Nov. 8 – not Nov. 28 as
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Gender disparities in the huMANities
BY ANYA MARÍA CONTRERAS-GARCÍA
Most people don’t realize that non-cis males are underrepresented in several humanities fields. Research* shows that females receive only 31 percent of Bachelor’s degrees in philosophy, 44 percent of Bachelor’s degrees in classics and 27 percent of Bachelor’s degrees in music composition nation-wide. Does New College reflect these 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 philosophy, classics, medieval renaissance studies and music is has been lower than 25 percent. “Philosophy is very gender imbalanced and that's something we're working on in the philosophy program here,” said Professor of Philosophy Aron Edidin. “Demographically, we're right smack on national averages. For undergraduate population, the average is about sixty-percent female and fortypercent male, here and nationwide. About one-third of Bachelor's degrees in philosophy go to women here and nationwide. We just reflect exactly the
national patterns, but that's sort of discouraging because you'd hope we'd do better, so we're continuing to work on it.” “There is no indication of a gender divide amongst students who are in their first philosophy course,” said alum and philosophy student Olivia Levinson (’15) in an e-mail interview with the Catalyst. “After taking two or three philosophy courses, a gendered chasm develops. This means that there is equal interest in Philosophy, but something about the field pushes women away.” What is it about philosophy and other gender-imbalanced fields that keeps people of certain genders from pursuing or succeeding in these studies? “People have connected these gender imbalances to schema mismatches,” said Edidin. “Culturally we have a schema for philosophers: What's a philosopher like? What does a philosopher look like? What do philosophers do? Genders also have schemas: What are men like? What are women like? The thought is that there's a mismatch between the feminine gender schema and the schema for philosophers, and that's a barrier to women thinking of philosophy as part of their identity.” Another factor that might discourage non-cis males from continuing to pursue philosophy is a perception of hostile pressure within
class discussions. “Less experienced students have reported feeling intimidated by more experienced students, and because twice as many males take several philosophy classes than females, the more experienced students are disproportionately men,” said Edidin. “This winds up mapping onto a gender disparity.” Sources show that trends of maledominated philosophy are not unique to New College. On the popular blog Being A Woman In Philosophy, there is a word-cloud that highlights what phrases are used most often in posts on the site. The most common are “sexual harassment” and “failure to take women seriously”. “One of the efforts to breakdown the schema mismatch is to present exemplars, so we got funding for a series of lectures by women in philosophy,” said Edidin. “The idea is just to increase the visibility of the work of female philosophers. We also working on increasing the representation of women in the authors of readings we do in class.” In other humanities fields, like medieval renaissance and classical studies, gender disparities can be traced back to the origins of the subject matter. “The historical and literary canon [of medieval renaissance studies] is very
light on women for reasons that are fairly obvious, but still disheartening,” said third-year history and medieval renaissance student Victoria Deal. “I think having a range of perspectives when approaching a text is really important, particularly for a field like medieval studies that has been dominated by male scholars,” said Deal. “For example, in a class I’m taking now there’s an ambiguous sexual assault scene. The way I and my female classmates felt about that scene is probably different than how some other members of the class felt about it. The way we talk about it is different.” Gender imbalances tend to inform classroom experiences, even when students may not be conscious of it. “There’s a different feeling based on who is in the room,” said Deal. “The things I will say or point out about the readings are different based on who I’m comfortable having certain discussions with. I took a history class taught by a female professor that had no male students at all and it definitely felt different that other classes I’ve taken.” “There is totally a gender disparity in my classics class,” said humanities thesis student Taylor Allyn. “It’s mostly men. It’s taught by a man. There’s not a
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Expanding the bubble: Novo Network provides unique opportunity to learn about law BY DYLAN PRYOR This weekend, the CEO’s Novo Network program brought nine students out of the “New College Bubble” to network with NCF alums in Atlanta, Georgia. However, unlike usual Novo Network events, the trip also featured a Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) forum and focused on helping students interested in law answer a key question before they graduate: “Is law school right for me?” “This event really helped solidify my decision to go to law school, prior to coming here I wasn’t exactly certain if I wanted to apply, I wanted to use this experience to help me make an informed decision going forward,” thesis student Allya Yourish said. “I really believe after attending the workshops and going and speaking to law school representatives, that this is something I would like to do.” The trip was separated into two parts. After arriving in Atlanta on the first day, the students visited alum Glenn Hendrix’s (’76) law firm Arnall Golden Gregory, LLP, where Hendrix hosted a gathering of the Atlanta chapter of the New College Alumnae/i Association (NCAA). Students were able to discuss life after New College with many former students who
Thesis student Robert Smith thanks the Atlanta alums while first-year Ormond Derrick and second-year Angela Duda wait to do the same.
Thesis student Allya Yourish decided to apply to law school after participating in the event.
all photos Dylan Pryor/Catalyst
attended before them and have moved onto exciting and successful careers. “I really valued the opportunity to speak to alums, I get to speak to alums a lot while working for the giving challenge with the foundation, but really having this concentrated time to talk to them about not only their careers but careers their friends and fellow alums have gone on to really helped me get a broader scope for what is possible after New College,” Yourish said. “I got some email addresses and phone numbers for people I’m going to want to talk to about both how they got to where they are today and what I can do to get there as well.” The following day, students attended the Atlanta LSAC Forum event, where they were able to both participate in a variety of workshops concerning applying to law school and also speak with law school recruiters from across the nation. Representatives from over 185 law schools were in attendance to answer questions and help reinforce students’ interest in law school. “I learned a lot about international environmental law and climate change cooperation through law, and I found it interesting and I got a bunch of pamphlets from schools,” third-year Lara Herzog said. However, for some, the trip reaffirmed a different, yet equally important decision regarding graduate school and their future. “I learned that I don’t want to go to law school after this event, not because it wasn’t an amazing event, it was very eye opening, actually, but just because I realized I don’t want to be an actual practicing lawyer” second-year Angela Duda said. “And meeting alums the day before was really cool.” The trip was only one of three Novo Network trips the CEO plans each year in cooperation with the NCAA. In addition to Atlanta, students have the opportunity to visit alums in Washington D.C. and New York as they continue to plan for a successful future after New College. “The Novo Network program really encourages highly motivated students that want to get some experience that you can’t get on campus, in that type of environment, actually going to locations where you may want to work in the future,” Assistant Director of the New College Alumnae Association Glenn van der Molen said. “It’s an opportunity to network and hear from alums who have already been through the journey of using the New College degree and applying it to the real world, so if you think that’s something you’d get a lot out of, the Novo Network program is something you should look into.”
NEWS PAGE 5
The Activist Newsletter Katelyn Grimmett/Catalyst
This week (11/2 – 11/10), activists have the opportunity to attend spoken word, cultural heritage festivals, speaker panels, documentary screenings and VOTE! Read on if you want to get involved in the community regarding LGTBQIA+ rights, diversity, the war on drugs, indigenous rights, or national politics.
BY ANYA MARÍA CONTRERAS-GARCÍA Friday, Nov 4 Coming Out Monologues @ 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. The Four Winds Cafe New College of Florida New College’s Queery Club will be hosting this open mic to provide students and community members with the opportunity to not only share their “coming out” experiences, but also any thoughts and feelings about gender, race sexuality, LGBTQ+ identities and their intersections with religion, race, & ethnicity, etc. Participation can take shape through any form, including but not limited to: art, poetry, spoken word, music, and monologue. Allies of the LGBTQ+ community are more than welcome to attend and respectfully listen. For more information, check out the event page on Facebook: h t t p s : / / w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / events/881924405242952/ Sunday, Nov 6 Arab American Cultural Festival @ 12 p.m. – 7 p.m. Florida State Fairgrounds 4800 N US Highway 301 Tampa, FL 33610 Attend this cultural heritage festival to celebrate Arabic art, food and traditions. Organized by Tampa’s Arab American Community Center, the festival will feature delicious Arabic food, live Arabic folk dances, Arabic pop music, arts and crafts and more. For more information, visit aaccflorida. org/festival, call (305) 606-7433, or check out the event page on Facebook: https://www.facebook. com/events/1143659302391006/ Tuesday, Nov 8 Election Day @ 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. The polls are open on Election Day from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Any voters waiting in line at 7:00 p.m. will have the opportunity to cast a
ballot. You will be asked to provide a valid photo ID with signature at the polls. To check your voter status and find your local polling place, go to http://registration.elections. myflorida.com/CheckVoterStatus. NCF students can check the forum for rideshares to vote early. Contact George Thurlow with any questions regarding the rideshare at george. thurlow14@ncf.edu. Wednesday, Nov 9 War on Drugs @ 6:30 p.m. – 9 p.m. Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center 525 Kumquat Ct, Rear, Sarasota, Florida 34236 (941) 545-5635 Discover the state of drug addiction in the Sarasota community through a diverse panel of experts in the field and those closely effected by the epidemic, followed by a moderator led Q & A. This is a potluck event – please bring food to share. This panel is hosted by Stand Up Fight Back SRQ, a non-partisan group of activists who inform and educate the public on issues pertaining to social justice and environment through knowledgeable speakers, flyers, media and protests. Thursday, Nov 10 @ 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. HCL 8 (TBD) New College of Florida New College’s Students Targeting Oppressive Powers (STOP) Club will be hosting a documentary screening as part of a series of events to raise awareness of the plight of indigenous peoples in the Americas though out the month of November. The film will be When the Mountains Tremble, a movie about Rigoberta Menchú, an indigenous Guatemalan woman who won the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize. Stay tuned for more information regarding the location of the screening on campus and if there will be food.
Conversations with gardeners
at Orange Blossom Community Garden
BY KATELYN GRIMMETT When I got to Orange Blossom Community Garden for my interview with coordinator Barbara PowellHarris, a boy named Cameron ran up to the gate with the key to let me in. Cameron lives in the neighborhood and comes to the garden all the time, he tells me he likes “just about everything” in there. Orange Blossom garden is located on Orange Avenue, just east of the Central Cocoanut neighborhood in Newtown and a five minute drive northeast from the Rosemary District. “We sometimes say that Orange Blossom is where downtown meets Newtown, in a thousand ways,” Barbara said. “It’s where people of both segments of society come together.” The acre or so of land is cushioned in from the road by Orange Avenue Park, which provides afternoon shade thanks to a dozen old oaks growing there. Sounds of basketball and play float over to the garden as soon as school lets out. Kids come and go as they please when Barbara is around, which is at least once a day but often much more. Before my interview was halfway through, six or seven other boys ranging from elementary to middle school had come by to hang out. I realized later that the kids were showing me a live example of the benefit and the beauty of having a communal space with life growing in it all the time. It’s easy to see, the kids flourish there just as well as the plants and flowers do. “I have seen the way that community gardens grow community, how they bring a diverse cross-section
of a community together that would not necessarily have ever crossed paths any other way,” Barbara explained. “We’ve got people who live in the high-rise condos and people who live in public housing and we’ve got everything in between.” Barbara tells me more about the people that come to the garden than the garden itself. She knows where they’ve traveled, things they do or did, what they like to grow. I had the pleasure of meeting Pauline Everett, an elder of the garden. Slow-moving and unassuming, when Barbara told me that she teaches water exercise classes at Arlington Park I could only smile and nod my head in wonder. “I just have a mustard patch down here,” Pauline said, leading me towards her plot. There were two patches actually, one had grown up and out of the raised bed. Pruning is not in Pauline’s nature. “I figure wherever they come up that’s where they must be happiest.” Orange Blossom harbors a strong number of the area’s elderly population due to its partnership with Green Path Veteran’s Farm, a fairly new veterans organization. Neighboring a park, being set in front of Orange Avenue public housing, and having close proximity to Sarasota’s Children First, a head start family program, Orange Blossom Garden has grown strong relationships with kids of all ages. “There is no way you get a group like this. You could set out to assemble a group that is as diverse around here on a regular basis and you couldn’t do it– I’m convinced– if there’s not the common denominator of soil and a passion for growing food.”
Katelyn Grimmett/Catalyst Edny Exume, a student at Alta Vista middle, waters his raised garden bed. Edny comes to the garden twice a day, his favorite part of gardening is "the food."
Katelyn Grimmett/Catalyst
"I always wanted to be a part of a community garden in my mind, this place popped up and it's exactly what a community garden should be," Jacob Robl said. "Everyone helps everybody."
Katelyn Grimmett/Catalyst Students from Ringling College of Art and Design have a few designated sections of the garden, including this little corner.
Katelyn Grimmett/Catalyst Ringling students painted several of the benches and sheds around the gardenbeautifying the green space with colorful designs.
Katelyn Grimmett/Catalyst "We have 13 raised beds that the kids in the neighborhood can garden for themselves and their families," Barbara Powell-Harris, garden coordinator, said.
Katelyn Grimmett/Catalyst “Just having access to fresh herbs could stretch your whole food experience in a lot of different ways," said Barbara.
Katelyn Grimmett/Catalyst “As far as I’m concerned, everybody should know how to garden some of their own food,” Barbara said.
Katelyn Grimmett/Catalyst Anybody could grow four to six collards," said Barbara. "Collards are very versatile- you could use them anyway you’d use cabbage.”
Katelyn Grimmett/Catalyst "My grandfather used to say that working with soil is like interacting with the source of life," Celia Arroyo said. "Now I can see that." Celia and her husband, Otilio, tend to a large span of the garden, where they grow pinto beans, tomatoes, broccoli (a must have for Celia), peppers and several tropical trees including Pigeon Pea and Papaya.
Katelyn Grimmett/Catalyst "I figure wherever they come up that’s where they must be happiest,” Pauline Everett said of her overgrown mustard greens patch.
CATALYST
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2016 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst
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Pumpkin Patch Party persuades students that seasons exist BY JACOB WENTZ Pumpkins, hay bales and - most importantly - caramel apples, were just some of the goodies provided at the second annual Pumpkin Patch Party. Hosted by the Counseling and Wellness Center (CWC), this event brought fall splendor to many students who rarely see a notable change of seasons here in Florida. It’s hard not to notice that the weather has been beautiful recently. The temperature has gradually been getting lower and lower, and more students have been spotted relaxing outside. What better time to celebrate the season than in these gorgeous environmental conditions? “The Counseling and Wellness Center gets this event together for the students. This is our second annual one,” medical technologist Anne Smith said. “The event is definitely a team effort, but Anne goes above and beyond to make sure that everything runs smoothly,” CWC member Chacy Agnello said. “This event could not have happened without her.” The Pumpkin Patch Party gets funding from the Office of the President and Student Affairs, in addition to community donations. “We have a person outside of NCF who is very kind and lends us their industrial equipment to use, so we really appreciate that because we couldn’t afford to do the event without the generosity and kind donations of the community. It works out well,” Smith said. The scene of the event was lined with hay bales, scarecrows and pumpkins; typical fall necessities. There was even a tractor! In addition to the festive decorations, caramel apples, popcorn, cotton candy and apple cider provided a taste of fall to students. “The event takes a few months to plan, but everyone seems to really like it. All of the caramel apples are homemade, actually,” Smith said. “Myself and Marguerite here at the Counseling center, we do them from scratch the day before the event. It took us all afternoon.” The hard work definitely does not go unnoticed by students. The event had a consistent amount of people painting pumpkins, taking fall photos and making sticky messes. It was obvious that students really enjoyed the atmosphere. “We wanted to give you guys a taste of home, since this is where you live right now,” Smith said. “I had a lovely time with my friends. The food and pumpkins reminded me of home and really made it a lovely week!” first-year student Bailey Schneider said. In addition to the Pumpkin Patch Party, Smith helps plan the annual Fun and Fitness Expo. This year USF is hosting the sixth annual Fun and Fitness Expo on March 1, 2017, and full participation from New College is encouraged. At this event, students can meet local vendors and learn about
potential volunteer opportunities. Smith also has a new idea up her sleeve for spring time. “This year we’re going to do another event here on campus for the students in April. I don’t want to ruin it, but we’re going to do a carnival of sorts,” Smith said. “I’m in the planning stages of that right now.” The staff at the CWC certainly work together in a way that completely supports students. These events and the hard work that goes into creating these events is all inspired and aimed towards student happiness. “I always have fun. I live for these events, you know?” Smith said. The second annual Pumpkin Patch Festival proved to be a great way to relax, enjoy the weather and truly celebrate the fall season.
photo courtesy of Anne Smith
All of the caramel apples were homemade the night before the event.
Jacob Wentz/Catalyst
In addition to eating fall snacks, students were able to decorate pumpkins.
Jacob Wentz/Catalyst
Even thesis students Meaghan Klos and Madhavi Baiju found time to celebrate the season.
Jacob Wentz/Catalyst
The outside of the CWC was decorated with hay bales, pumpkins, a scare crow and even a tractor.
photo courtesy of Bailey Schneider
First-year Bailey Schneider was one of many students who posed with the fall decor.
photo courtesy of Lucy Sanz
Transfer student Aaron Spielman and first-year Lucy Sanz pose with the fall festivities.
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PAGE 9
Professors and students hope to bring fresh discourse on diversity with second annual Day of Dialogue BY CASSIE MANZ
There have been recent efforts among faculty and students to create more dialogue on campus. Planning efforts for the next Day of Dialogue have begun as professors brainstorm on how to bring dialogue to campus. During the Faculty Meeting on Sept. 14, Professor of Music Maribeth Clark created a motion to set aside the first day of spring classes for a “Day of Dialogue.” Professor of Sociology Sarah Hernandez seconded the motion. Discussion followed and several professors confessed concerns about cancelling classes for the first day of the spring semester and disrupting the class schedule. “It should not be one day, but instead it should be part of everyday,” Hernandez said in the minutes from the meeting. “But at this moment students have a sense of urgency. The work of last year needs this follow up.” “This is coming from students and the president of the New College Student Alliance (NCSA),” Clark said in the minutes. “The motion seeks to support students in their desire to make New College a better place.” The motion passed, but barely. Out of the faculty members present, 25 voted yes, 23 voted no and two abstained from voting. “I think what it shows is that people really care about their teaching here [...] they're voting for the academic experience in the classroom,” Clark said. “There's no reason we should impinge negatively on classes but we also need programming that acknowledges that our campus climate can be improved.” “The problem with diversity on campus is not just a student problem, this is also a faculty problem, this is also an administration problem, this is also an institutional problem,” thirdyear and Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion Leen Al-Fatafta said. “This doesn't really surprise me because we don’t make an effort to prioritize diversity on our campus so naturally when people are asked to prioritize diversity they find that abnormal. They're going to say no because they feel like there's no need for it because we never speak of how badly this place needs it.” Day of Dialogue was an all-day event last year that was committed to creating and encouraging dialogue. The event was in part a response to several issues that had happened on campus, including the posters created by Carlos Marcio Ramirez that threatened sexual assault and the two student arrests relating to drug possession that had occurred during the fall semester. These events were divisive among students and administration and created long forum threads. Many students felt that there had not been enough of a response to these events from administration and hoped the day would help with this. However, the organizers this year say that just because there has not been a campus-wide issue yet does not mean Day of Dialogue does not need to
happen. “I think there's a tradition of using these kinds of events as a response to problems,” Clark said. “What I would love to see is us think about these kinds of events as prohibition against problems.” As Day of Dialogue planning moves forward organizers hope to do a few things differently this year. NCSA co-President Miles Iton has created the Student Dialogue Committee to help plan and organize student efforts more efficiently. “I think in some ways [Day of Dialogue] was very successful and in some ways it replicated a lot of the frustrations that people feel on a regular basis at New College because we are part of the college as we work to do anything,” Clark said. “We bring the old patterns that we want to break at the same time that we're working towards doing something differently.” Iton hopes to make the conversation at this year’s Day of Dialogue more pertinent to problems New College is facing, like the forum and call out culture. Iton, who was involved in the event last year, said several student organizers felt that they did not get to talk about things they hoped the event would address last year. “Speaking from a lot of student organizers’ side, especially the students of color, it [Day of Dialogue] felt a lot like conversations that we'd been having at every other diversity event, which is how do we make white people cope with talking about whiteness even when we’re talking about whiteness in contention with other identities,” Iton
said. “As much as that is something that needs to be heard it was really disheartening for us as students of color to put all our energy into throwing this one event and having conversations that we really wanted to happen float by the wayside because we had to stop and still address like, ‘Oh we don't mean to hurt your feelings.’” Clark added that picking one specific topic for the day, like racism or ableism, might lead to more productive conversation. “Last year we were kind of concerned about saying what [Day of Dialogue] was about [...] and so we kept it very open and that was probably to the detriment of really focusing on something,” Clark said. “I hope that this year we can figure out what we're really focusing on and maybe have a more satisfying experience for some people.” Iton plans to hold a Real Talk event with the NCSA as a precursor to Day of Dialogue where students can talk to NCSA members as just students and not worry about the calculated communication of e-mail. “It’s going to be a very loose dialogic event,” Iton said. “[It’s] a precursor to Day of Dialogue in that you can have an event where we all come together, talk with each other and try to manage it well.” Al-Fatafta has been working on organizing diversity workshops to lead up to Day of Dialogue. However, student affairs professionals have asked to postpone an event that was set for Oct. 31. “Our fear is that we don't want to organize things just to organize them, just to have a diversity event,”
Giulia Heyward/Catalyst
Second-year Andreina Carrasquero and transfer Savannah Hawk were some of the students in attendance last year.
Al-Fatafta said. “We want whatever we organize to be educational and potentially transformative for the audience it attracts.” Al-Fatafta, along with Counseling and Wellness Center (CWC) counselor Duane Khan and Health Educator Thelma Santiago, hope to organize an action forum where different student groups and committees come together to fill each other in on current organizing efforts. She hopes this will better communication on campus. This past summer, Professor of Sociology Queen Zabriskie, Professor of Spanish Language and Literature Sonia Labrador Rodriguez, Clark and Iton attended the National Intergroup Dialogue Institute at University of Michigan Ann Arbor. The three day workshop is hosted annually by the university’s intergroup relations program to teach others the philosophy and techniques of their intergroup dialogue institute for the purpose of creating such programs on other campuses. The conference inspired Clark to work on instituting a program on campus that would provide sustained dialogue over time, comprised of students and run by students. Clark and Hernandez are working on creating an Independent Study Project (ISP) for first year students based on the curriculum. However, Clark wants the program to be interspersed throughout all of campus, much like a good writing program. She hopes to bring many of the teachings to Day of Dialogue.
Giulia Heyward/Catalyst
Leading up to last year's Day of Dialogue, chalk boards were left around campus by the committee to inspire a conversation among passerbys.
CATALYST Songs you should heAR
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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2016 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst
'CUFFING' edition
A lot happens in the music world between the Catalyst’s weekly production schedule. While Caitlyn and Jasmine 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’s best cuffing songs – take a look at the results below.
BY CAITLYN RALPH AND JASMINE RESPESS “i like you lots” - LANY “i like you lots” is literally the definition of cuffing wrapped up in one song. The couple met - most likely during the summer - “at the party up on the hill.” A while later, close to winter, the protagonist - now looking for a relationship - revisits the summer fling, suggesting to the love interest, “grab a coat the sunset’s right at 6:35 tonight.” Romantically, the lyrics continue, “it’s kinda cold, but I wanna hold ya” before declaring “I like you lots.” And, with that, the cuffing is complete.—CR “Swoon” - Beach Weather As soon as “you’re my cannibal lover” slowly and smoothly slides off frontman Nick Santino’s lips, “Swoon” sonically encapsulates the electrifying sensation of a new relationship overflowing with attraction, sexiness and chemistry.—CR “She’s The Prettiest Girl At The Party, And She Can Prove It With A Solid Right Hook” - Frank Iero And The Patience “She’s The Prettiest Girl At The Party...” is one of the most
RAs
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 events, RAs must help prepare campus for Fall opening and Spring closing. The range of responsibilities that RAs must perform throughout the year creates a strong need for teamwork and cooperation between members. “The RA group is one big family and we work as one big team,” Geier wrote. But Now We’re Stressed Out The everyday demands of being an RA surely contribute to the overall stress that accompanies the position, but a large amount of this stress derives from emotional labor. Whether handling roommate mediations, performing wellness checks or acting as first responders to crisis situations, RAs have to deal with conflicts that require strong problem-solving skills and hours of training. “I think an important thing to realize is that across the nation, and at New College in particular, the emotional labor that is being demanded of RAs in increasing tremendously,” Kaylie Stokes (’12) wrote. Stokes graduated this past May and served as an RA for a total of five semesters. The increased emotional labor stems from the fact that New College is the only public Florida university or college where student staff members are trained and expected to perform wellness checks. Because of its rigorous academic and social atmosphere, NCF is a stressful
subtly romantic songs that I’ve ever encountered. Starting slow, a haunting intro causes the song to confess, “You said you never wanna be saved / Well, that’s okay because I really wouldn’t know how / Just know that the best that I’ll ever be / Is whatever you make me and wherever you are.” And...I’m crying. Just like that.—CR “Dilemma” –– Nelly ft Kelly Rowland To me the creation of the rap song featuring a R&B singer is so perfect. Those are my favorite kinds of modern songs, so “Dilemma” is that on top of being the perfect cuffing season song. It is basically that meme about “the guy she told you not to worry about” meme come to life. “No matter what I do,” I can never ge this song out of my head. —JR “Southside” Llyod ft Ashanti In a similar vein, “Southside” is about not giving a s*** what people think and rolling with your bae to the other side of town. This songs features the kind of crooning we mostly left behind in the early aughts. Maybe it will make a comeback, but at least you can stream this now. —JR “(What a) wonderful world” Sam Cooke or Otis Redding
As you are sitting in the library stressing over your workload, you can listen to this song and think about your bae, but not too much because you have to focus. This song is funny because I am not totally sure if it is propaganda for or against academia. Anyways, “what a wonderful world it will be” when it is winter break and you can snuggle up with bae and not do homework (unless you are a thesis student of course.) — JR I’m Sprung - T Pain Probably one of my first true introductions to romance and love. Happy cuffing y'all.—JR
environment for many students. As a result, numerous students seek mental health services on campus and that support often involves RAs. “I remember one time last year during a particularly stressful time of the year, around spring mid-terms, RAs were asked to perform over 20 wellness checks in, I think, like three days,” Stokes wrote. “Being an RA means you are going to be dealing with very serious situations like suicidal ideation, sexual assault and alcohol poisoning just to name a few. While it was a privilege to be a trusted responder to these kinds of situations, it can also take an emotional and mental toll.” These conditions partly explain the creation of the RA support group at the CWC. “It gives us a space to support each other in the struggles of maintaining our well-being and that of our residents,” Geier wrote. “The RA position requires you to not only deal with your own daily struggles, but also the problems of everyone else.”
was the tension between the staff and housing and administration,” Graff wrote. These tensions are partly result of inconsistent staffing in professional positions. For example, Stokes was an RA for five semesters and had five different direct supervisors over that time. “Having been an RA for most of my time at New College, I can say for a fact that morale on staff was at an all-time low during my time as an RA,” Stokes wrote. “I know many RAs, especially my last year felt very underappreciated, taken for granted, and disrespected by professional staff. That, along with the increasing demands with no increase in pay or benefits was a big reason for past RAs not reapplying.” This shift in ideology among experienced RAs is supported in that 15 out of 20 of the current RAs are secondyear students joining the staff for the first time. In addition, many of last year’s RAs were graduating and couldn’t reapply, which partially explains why the number of new RAs was extremely high. “I’m pretty out of the loop about what’s going on with RA stuff this year, but I know that they hired Destinee Aponte who was a former RA to be one of the new RHDs and I would guess that has helped a lot with Student/ Professional staff relations and that there are less misunderstandings and frustrations,” Stokes mentioned.
Things Seem A Little Tense In addition to the responsibilities and emotional labor of the position, tensions between RAs and Housing Staff have been reported. “Over the past few years there have been increasing struggles between RAs and Professional Staff,” Stokes wrote. “The difficult part of being an RA was not necessarily my work (though the housing staff my second year as an RA did a terrible job of train us); it
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Voting
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 Trump would have some Floridians believe – or in this election by mail or absentee ballot, but you should vote in every election for the rest of your adult life, because the presidential election isn’t the only one that matters in creating change.
Why:
This election is particularly important because the new president will appoint a Supreme Court nominee to replace the late Justice Scalia but it is likely that the new president will not only appoint one new Supreme Court Justice but four. Since the average age of retirement for Supreme Court Justices is just under 79 this puts three justices at or around the age of retirement which makes it likely that the new president will have to appoint justices to replace them should they choose to retire.
How:
album art courtesy of wikipedia.org
No Pain, No Gain Though the working conditions
You are guaranteed the right to an un-discriminatory voting experience by the Voting Rights Act of 1965. If you believe you are being targeted by a “poll watcher” – especially if you believe they are acting discriminatorily towards you and trying to keep you from voting this should be reported to FBI field office or their Public Integrity Section. Information for this article was taken from ontheissues.org, ballotpedia.org, and Iwillvote.org. that accompany the position prove to have some sort of effect on RAs, most argued that the benefits of the position outweigh the stress and emotional demand. “Being an RA can get stressful at times but it is worth it,” Geier wrote. “Serving as a role model and a support system for students, you feel the difference you can make in your community.” It’s important to stress that, though RAs have a lot of responsibilities, no student should feel that they are a burden to their RAs or to avoid seeking out help or resources. “Students take on the job of an RA because they care tremendously for students and the community,” Stokes wrote. “It’s the responsibility of the Department of Student Affairs to make sure they are providing students what they need to be successful, healthy, and safe at New College and that includes an adequate number of RAs who aren’t overworked.” One thing’s for sure: being an RA comes with a good deal of give and take. The position gives students the opportunities to lead and shape their community, help others and form new friendships in a collaborative setting. “This year has been my favorite year yet. We work really well together and get along great,” Geier concluded. Though the past few years have been difficult for RAs, conditions seem to be improving. For those interested in becoming RAs, realize what it takes: strength, patience, collaboration, creativity and so much more.
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PAGE 11
Students battle for a grade:
Freestyle and Floetry tutorial hosts midterm BY GIULIA HEYWARD Classrooms have rarely gotten so loud. As bars and burns are flung in the air and beats played from a borrowed Fishman acoustic amp lead class discussion, it’s easy to forget that this is all for academic credit. Classic Freestyle and Floetry Tutorial is commonly referred to as simply Freestyle Tutorial. It started off as a four-student project sponsored by Professor of Classics Carl Shaw. In its third semester, it is a weekly tutorial led by New College Student Alliance (NCSA) co-President and third-year Miles Iton that meets in Ace Lounge from 5 to 6 p.m. Midterms occurred on Monday, Oct. 24, where students were expected to freestyle for several minutes in front of the class and then freestyle against each other with an entire classroom as an audience. The tutorial, which has generated a cult following, began when Shaw recognized one of his students in a video for another student’s Independent Study Project (ISP). “[Third-year student] Michael Pulsifer made a video of New College students doing New College things and Miles [Iton] was on it, as I would say, spittin’ poetry,” Shaw said. “We started talking, and he and Paul [Loriston, third-year and fellow NCSA coPresident] approached me about doing a mod tutorial on rap and hip-hop and I was excited to support them, since rap
Bike shop
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 but we are more than willing just to do it for them.” On top of that, Bike Shoppe staff have to keep track of their budget, including orders and expenditures, through the Fitness Center, having had to audit the Shoppe for the last two years in an attempt to clear up some discrepancies brought on by the insufficient old system of processing replacement part orders. In bringing in Zelznak and Conoepan, Montgomery intended to ensure a stable future for the Bike Shoppe, as he will be leaving the Shoppe at the end of his thesis year. With one less TA, the hours won’t be so unreasonably spread apart, but nevertheless, the eight funded hours are unrealistic in comparison to how much time is actually spent by the TAs working each week already. “We always stay open past the official closing time, and also sometimes we open up because people didn’t have a chance to make it to our hours,” Conoepan said. “Also, like sometimes we have to come in here and work on bikes when we aren’t officially open, and we’re not getting paid for that either.” Conoepan wanted to make clear that she believed that Zelznak was being underpaid for the amount of work he has been doing. While he didn’t
is one of the few places that poetry still thrives.” Shaw describes rap as an extension of poetry. “The rhythm, the beat and the expectation of flowing to the beat,” Shaw said. “A lot of what happened today incorporated flow and the use of it in interesting ways, you can come up with an infinite amount of ways of saying something, and that’s where the art in it is.” Shaw is the academic facilitator while Iton has taken on the role as a performance facilitator. Students can opt to receive either mod or full semester credit depending on whether they want to take the beginner or the advanced level of the class. There are weekly readings for all students and weekly compositions for students in the advanced level. Shaw and Iton are preparing for a public performance to take place at the end of the semester at the Four Winds Café. “Rap is a fantastic vehicle for discussing literature, poetry, genre and all of those fantastic elements that go along with studying literature,” Shaw said. “One of the readings we discussed this week also dealt with social issues, race and sexuality. It’s actually a fantastic medium for conversation and dialogue among all the students.” Iton sees the tutorial as a way to educate his peers on the history of a genre of music that started off in the Bronx and has become a worldwide accept all the credit, Zelznak had been open about how often he and the other TAs had to work on unpaid, unofficial time. The Bike Shoppe is not the only instance of TAs experiencing less pay than what they might deserve, and there is a meeting being organized by the new NCSA Chief of Staff and thirdyear student Olivia VanHousen for the TAs to discuss their pay. With the everincreasing student population, it seems commonsensical that the preassigned hours and funds might not be able to address everything the student workers have been dealing with as time has gone on. “When I took the job and wanted to start doing it, it wasn’t really the pay that attracted me, it was the fact that I get to work on bikes. I mean, sure we get tips once in awhile – and we totally accept tips [which are greatly appreciated by each of the TAs], but I’m not going to make a living wage working for the Bike Shoppe with two other TAs, and I don’t expect the school to make any funds for that. That isn’t to say I wouldn’t like to be paid more,” Montgomery said. “But I just understand how the budget and everything works for the NCSA, you know, other TAs sacrifice their time as well, so do actual class TAs. I think we are all in the same boat – like they’ll give a little bit of money so we aren’t entirely uncompensated for our time, like the real reward is being able to work on bikes and teach kids, you know?”
Giulia Heyward/Catalyst
Freestyle facilitator Miles Iton instructs the class on the basics of freestyling.
phenomenon. “[The best part is] not only seeing people be savage, because that’s always fun, but being able to give people a background to hip-hop,” Iton said. “ We talk about everybody just kinda jammin’ with the lyrics and listening to have fun but to be able to show the real-world connections and giving an accountability that it’s not just here for you to turn up and enjoy but you still gotta see the substance and the history.” The class also attracts students who aren’t enrolled in the class, who
Humanities
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 lot of women writers, there’s not a lot of women characters. There’s so much misogyny – all the female characters are weak; women are always traded as prizes and everyone is talking about how evil or manipulative women are – and we don’t really talk about it or address it in class which is the weirdest part. “We don’t talk about the overt sexism but we talk about basically everything else,” said Allyn. “We’ve spoken about sexism and social issues in like every other humanities course I’ve taken. I feel alienated and the men seem more comfortable with the readings than I do.” Even in fields that are not reading or discussion-heavy, gender imbalances still persist. “Is there a gender imbalance in music? Yeah, there is,” said associate Professor of Music Maribeth Clark. “It’s always been a sense of mine that the students that are attracted to music composition are mostly cis-men, and the cis-women I don’t think of as being so moved in that direction.” The sexist history of the music industry might explain the gender disparities that we see today. “If you look at the library shelf, the ML410s are the biographies and the ML427s are performers,” said Clark. “You’ll see far more women in the performers
come to still be a part of the fun. “It’s fun to see what people bring to the battles, especially since some of them are my friends,” third-year student Nathan Burnaman, who is not a part of the tutorial but attends the class from time to time, said. Burnaman was also the student who lent his amp to be used for midterms evaluations. The tutorial currently receives no funding from the school. At the moment, Iton is working on applying to the Council of Academic Affairs (CAA) for music equipment and decorations for Ace Lounge. category than in the biographies of the composer’s category.” “I try to encourage women who seem like they have those skills to move in that direction, but I think it’s more often that they don’t want to be part of that social group. They don’t feel like it’s their space. And that’s an issue.” Professor Clark attributes the disparity in New College’s music program to internationally observed trends of exclusion of non-cis men from certain genres. “New Colleges niche tends to be electronic music,” said Clark. “The same kinds of trends that make it hard for women to be recognized in computer science makes it hard for women in the electronic music genre. Video games tend to be a big thing that socializes young men into being interested in electronic music.” Why is gender representation important, anyway? “The problem is just a lack of diversity,” said Edidin. “You get certain perspectives and life experiences overrepresented when there's a lot more that could be contributed that just isn't getting there. Academia loses in that regard.” *Information gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/ d11/tables/dt11_290.asp **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.
CATALYST
THE BACK PAGE
Zombies conquer: A Survivor's Account BY ELAN WORKS
Of the 193 humans and seven zombies that began this year’s annual game of Zombies, no humans survived. Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016 At 3 a.m. Sunday morning two students called a group together for help with their thesis. Lily Gonzales stood in the center of an elaborate chalk circle on the bayfront pier and attempted a complicated ritual. A moment later humans started screaming and the apocalypse began. “Kyle, this is all your fault!” Gonzales screamed, limping towards a terrified group of humans armed only with squirt guns. Seven zombies were present at this first feat, but seven was enough. Later that same day the humans came together for the first “checkpoint,” a mandatory event for all humans who wish to continue being counted among the survivors. Monday, Oct. 24, 2016 At 4 p.m. a group of humans participated in the “Pretty Much Boned Already” feat and attempted to defend the first, second and third bases from the Zombie Horde. The humans managed to successfully complete this challenge, but there was not much room for celebration, 6 p.m. loomed. The checkpoint at 6 p.m. - named “Something to fear” - turned quickly into a bloodbath. 47 humans marched in a huge circle through an enormous gathering of zombies to the woods behind the basketball court, and at Johnson’s request looked for an encoded notebook on the forest floor. A possessed Gonzales appeared and unleashed an invincible berserker zombie, only 27 humans made it out of the checkpoint alive. Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016 At 4 p.m. on Tuesday all contestations were settled in “The Pit,” a gladiator-style feat in which humans were given tiny water guns and challenged to face three or more
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2016 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst
zombies for five minutes. One human went four rounds in the pit, each of increasing difficulty, and survived, before sacrificing themself to the Horde. Humans were granted safe passage to and from that night’s checkpoint. Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016 No humans showed up to defend Z tower at 4 p.m.. The two Game Masters took bloody revenge at the 9 p.m. checkpoint “Hellfire (reprise)” at Bon House. Humans were first required to decode the notebook found at the Oct. 26 checkpoint to reveal the location of the 9 p.m. checkpoint. 11 humans made it to Bon House and fought off multiple mass-charges of zombies while a ‘randomly’ selected human tried to hit a piñata blindfolded. Five humans made it out of the checkpoint alive. Later, Gonzales and Johnson ruled in favor of a group of humans in a dispute about whether the Horde had charged too early, and in what is now being called “The Pritzker Revival,” or by zombies “The Pritzker Disappointment,” some humans were given their lives back. Thursday, Oct. 27, 2016 “The Day All the Humans Died” Johnson called for an escort at 6:30 p.m, one human died (Johnson retrieved a pine cone from the Palmer Courtyard). At 9 p.m. the zombie horde convened in apocalyptic numbers on the Caples campus, where the humans had to fight their way to the Carriage House. Only one human survived the exit of this checkpoint, and was found quickly. “[Third-year Brendan] Legel let himself get trapped in a bathroom - he went to the only spot on campus where people would be sure to fucking look for him,” Johnson said in an interview. “[He] deserved whatever fate that he got.” The last human was killed by a
Zombies took place all over campus, including residential areas such as Z Dorm.
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all photos Dylan Pryor/Catalyst
Third-year students Alice Leavengood, Thomas Knight, Ryan Coleman and Harold Gonzalez battled for their brains during Zombies.
Catalyst reporter and first-year Elan Works can be seen with a group of humans.
Thesis student and Game Master Lily Gonzales begins a ritual to summon an Eldridge God at 3 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 23.
group of enraged zombies at 11:57 p.m. Thursday night, and the game concluded. Friday, Oct. 28, 2016 “I definitely felt like this was a different kind of zombies than I’m used to, the game has usually been stacked in favor of the humans and the zombies have trouble mustering the numbers; this year the zombies were extremely coordinated,” Johnson said. “We had a really good game out of it this year. I kinda wish we had had the last checkpoint with only one human but... we knew a lot of people were going to die in the process.” This attitude went along with the constant
blaming of Johnson for the apocalypse. “The cost of something is what you give up to get it,” Johnson revealed cryptically. “The whole summoning of the Eldridge God to help us with our thesis required something more, it required an exchange of something. While Lily was performing the incantation and standing in the circle, I was well off to the side and it was implied that I knew Lily was going to get damaged by this Eldridge god, and I just let it happen.” That bares the message many players took away from the 2016 New College Zombies event: it was all Kyle's fault.
Third-year Ryan Coleman faces off a group of zombies with third-year Alice Leavengood and thesis student Andrew Maldonado.