Issue 10, Fall 2016

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CATALYST

NOVEMBER 16, 2016 VOLUME XXXIV ISSUE X

A student newspaper of New College of Florida

COP22 SUMMIT PALMER HISTORY pg.

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ACTIVIST NEWSLETTER pg.

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Hundreds gather in downtown Sarasota protest against Trump following national backlash to election

BY MAGDALENE TAYLOR Following the announcement of Donald Trump’s victory at the Nov. 8 election, members of the Sarasota community quickly came together to organize a peaceful public declaration of their stance against his presidency, in what became one of the largest protests in recent Sarasota history.

Vee Matalau and Nate Quinn, both recent graduates of local Booker High School and Pineview High School respectively last spring, together helped coordinate an emergency protest that occurred at Five Points Park in downtown Sarasota on Saturday, Nov. 12.

“Join us in fucking it up and making a difference,” Matalau said during sign-making prior to the event.

The protest happened in the same spirit as numerous protests across the country since the announcement of Donald Trump as presidential elect on Wednesday, Nov. 9. Some of

Magdalene Taylor/Catalyst

Members of the Sarasota community standing in solidarity against the election of Republican candidate Donald Trump as President of the United States,

these protests, like ones occurring in New York City, have continued daily following the election. The focus of these protests covers a wide range of issues with Trump’s views and his plans for his presidency. Many of the protests

focus on immigration and deportation, racism, sexism, LGBTQ+ safety and rights, the environment and class issues. Despite the varying issues that some protesters focus on, there remains unity in the protests themselves. While

the vast majority of protests have been peaceful, there have been reports of fires and smashed windows in places like Portland, Oregon.

Numerous cities across Florida have held protests since the election, including Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, St. Petersburg, West Palm Beach and Tampa. According to Fox News 13, a heated confrontation occurred in Ybor City during the Tampa protest when protesters encountered members of the Marine Corps on a pub crawl to raise money for Wounded Warriors, an organization that donates money to veterans who were wounded in combat and their families. No arrests were made in that protest, though hundreds of protesters have been arrested across the country.

Meanwhile, there has been a rise in hate crimes, harassment and violence against minorities since the election. As of Friday, Nov. 11 at 5

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Minimizing social stigma:

BY JACOB WENTZ drug tolerance and the benefits of psychedelics 26 states and the District of Columbia have laws that legalize marijuana in some form. This number will increase by three after the recent election results, showing a gradual decline in national stigma towards marijuana use. Does this decline in stigma towards marijuana parallel a decline in stigma towards other drugs?

Will psychedelics become legalized sooner than you think?

Marijuana legalization reaches new highs

More states than ever before have laws that legalize marijuana. In the most recent election, North Dakota, Arkansas and Florida passed ballot initiatives legalizing the medical use of marijuana.

Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada and California took their previous legislation a step further and legalized the recreational use of marijuana.

WHAT’S INSIDE

The amount of states that legalized the recreational use of marijuana has doubled, now totaling eight.

Many states have also decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana. The rate of marijuana tolerance has gradually increased nationally, though states ultimately regulate the laws and conditions that allow for treatment.

National marijuana toleration is increasing, but what about psychedelics?

Psychedelic researchers

Though support for legalizing psychedelic drugs is low, current research suggests that there are certain benefits of both psilocybin mushrooms and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).

Many clinical trials have demonstrated that psychedelics can profoundly improve areas of difficulty such as spiritual wellness, addiction, OCD and

4 SRQ TO NoDAPL

depression.

A Phase III trial, the final step before FDA approval, for psilocybin mushrooms could start as soon as next year.

The support for psychedelics is led by organizations such as Psymposia and the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS).

Pysmposia is a magazine that provides important stories, conversations and interviews about emerging social issues on psychedelic science, drug reform and harm reduction. As a leading source on drug reform, Psymposia attempts to educate its readers about drug policy, safety and research.

MAPS, founded by NCF alum Rick Doblin (’87), is a non-profit research and educational organization that “develops medical, legal, and cultural contexts for people to benefit from the careful uses of psychedelics and marijuana.” The vision statement found

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MEDIEVAL FAIRE

on www.maps.org states: “We envision a world where psychedelics and marijuana are safely and legally available for beneficial uses, and where research is governed by rigorous scientific evaluation of their risks and benefits.”

MAPS furthers their mission by conducting scientific research into spirituality, creativity and neuroscience, training therapists, working to establish a network of treatment centers, developing psychedelics and marijuana into prescription medicines, and educating the public honestly about the risks and benefits of psychedelics and marijuana.

The research conducted by MAPS asserts that there are benefits to LSD-assisted psychotherapy, MDMAassisted psychotherapy and medical marijuana.

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12 ROLLER DERBY

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NEWS PAGE 2

COP22 convenes in Marrakech

BY CASSIE MANZ Representatives from over 197 countries have gathered in Marrakech, Morocco for the twenty-second session Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), otherwise known as COP22. The meeting is a follow-up to COP21 in Paris and will take place from Nov. 7 to Nov. 18.

“The politically difficult step was Paris,” Robert Stavins, an environmental economist at Harvard University, told the Wall Street Journal. “The technically difficult steps now remain.”

In the Paris Agreement countries aimed to tackle climate change by pledging to keep the global temperature rise this century “well below” 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to further limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The agreement also called for a peak in greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible and hoped to achieve a balance between sources and sinks of greenhouse gases in the second half of this century. It was agreed that countries would put forth plans as to how they were going to cut emissions and progress would be reviewed every five years. Lastly, it was determined that $100 billion a year in climate finance for developing countries would be gathered and given by 2020, with a commitment to further finance in the future. The money is meant to come from developed nations.

Show me the money The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is arguably one of the most important aspects to come out of the Paris talks.

The Fund plans to respond to climate change by investing into low-emission and climate-resilient development. It aims to “limit or reduce greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries, and to help adapt vulnerable societies to the unavoidable impacts of climate change,” according to the GCF website.

So far, 57 developing countries are receiving readiness support from the GCF, with $16 million in readiness grants already approved. Of these countries, 37 are Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and African States. The GCF Board hopes to approve $2.5 billion in funding proposals in 2016.

However, Piyush Goyal, India’s minister of power, told the Wall Street Journal several days before the Marrakech conference began that little of the GCF money developed countries have promised to funnel into developing world green energy projects has begun to flow. He said

illustration courtesy of Chloe Baron

Trump's election will have a significant impact on the United State's future role in domestic and international climate change policies.

that financing to upgrade the dirtiest outdated technologies, such as the majority of India’s coal plants, has dried up.

“Everybody believes in principle there should be a 100 billion dollars that should come from industrialized countries to help developing countries transition but nobody agrees what type of money we're talking about and who's responsible for what specific amount,” said Professor of Political Science Frank Alcock. “I cannot imagine right now under Republican leadership with Donald Trump as president that a penny will flow in terms of official government money into this Green Climate Fund.”

Following up Paris The Paris Agreement entered into force on Nov. 4 after it cleared the final threshold of having at least 55 signatories representing more than 55 percent of global emissions ratify it, including the United States, China, the European Union and India.

The relatively quick ratification will be beneficial in furthering action in Marrakech.

The talks in Marrakech will face several obstacles, including hashing out details of the Green Climate Fund, ratcheting up plans to achieve the 2 degree goal and determining the logistics of how countries will be held accountable to the plans they set for themselves in Paris, a difficult dilemma. It was agreed on in Paris that the requirements each country set for themselves would not be mandatory; when the United Nations (UN) tried a mandatory approach many countries that failed to meet their requirements

"Ya gotta play with their masculinity." © 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.

quit.

Urgency (and disappointing election results) in Marrakech On Nov. 3, a UN review of national pledges from governments that have ratified the accord to cut carbon emissions said they fall short of the levels needed to keep the rise in global temperatures under 2 degrees Celsius.

The report found that the pledges would see the world on track for a rise in temperatures by the end of this century of between 2.9 and 3.4 degrees Celsius.

Environmental groups and other experts have urged governments to step up their plans for limiting the rise of global temperatures and to retain the sense of urgency felt in Paris last year going into Marrakech.

In her opening address on the first day of COP22 UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa said that the early entry into force of the Paris Agreement, while a cause for celebration, is also “a timely reminder of the high expectations that are now placed upon governments.” Espinosa said that the peaking of global emissions is urgent, as is attaining more climateresilient societies.

Espinosa underlined several key areas in which work needs to be taken forward. She stated that finance must continue to allow developing countries continue to green their economies and build resilience, and that fully engaging non-party stakeholders including businesses are central to the global climate action agenda.

“I don't think that the agreement is enough to prevent that [temperature rise more than 2 degrees Celsius] from

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

happening but it’s not a bad thing, like it’s a start,” Vice President of Green Affairs (VPGA) Orion Morton said.

“I don't think that as much as they purport will change because of it but that isn't to say that there won't be real tangible change that comes as a result.”

Representatives in Marrakech worry how the results of the United States election will play out in regards to the agreement and climate change.

President-elect Donald Trump has called climate change a “Chinese hoax” and has vowed to back out of the Paris deal. He has also promised to withdraw the Obama administration’s biggest climate regulations and cut off U.S. aid to the GCF. While Trump wouldn’t be able to cancel the deal unilaterally, he could begin the process of withdrawing the U.S. from it, which would have a major effect on the effectiveness and success of the Marrakech conference, and take other steps that could freeze U.S. climate policies, according to the Wall Street Journal. The reality of a Republican controlled Congress is also a scary thought for many climate scientists.

At the Marrakech conference different days are dedicated to different topics. So far they have covered topics including cities at the center of climate change and water resilience in Africa.

Before the conference wraps up on Nov. 18 much work needs to be done if real action is to been seen.

Information from this article was gathered from wsj.com, bbc.com, greenclimate.fund, cop22-morocco.com.

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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CAMPUS

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Democracy Matters more than ever with new club BYJASMINE RESPESS

After the results of the election, more than ever students are concerned about democracy. The Democracy Matters club was recently formed. CoPresidents Mary Stevens and Franklin Sklar are interested in having a diverse amount of people in club. They want to focus on actions. Democracy Matters is a non-partisan organization. Anyone is free to come and talk about the issues they care about and want to see addressed. The meetings are held in the Old Mail Room on Tuesdays at 7 p.m..

Democracy Matters is part of a larger national organization. There are chapters at multiple colleges and universities such as, University of California Berkley, Miami University of Ohio, Queens College, Southern Methodist, University of Texas Austin, Colgate University and more.

According to the Democracy Matters website: “Democracy Matters, a non-partisan campus-based national student organization, works to get big private money out of politics and people back in. Offering paid internships to undergraduates, Democracy Matters mentors the next generation of leaders dedicated to strengthening our democracy. Students organize actions and projects connecting pro-democracy

reforms to issues of environment, civil rights, education, health care, foreign policy, and more.”

“New College is the first Florida school to be a part of Democracy Matters,” co-President of the club, third-year Mary Stevens said.

The group was founded by National Basketball Association (NBA) player Adonal Foyle and his parents, Joan and Jay Mandle. Foyle is a poet and an activist while his parents are Colgate University professors.

The Democracy Matters website also states: “Our mission is to strengthen democracy by: (1) training young people how to be effective grassroots organizers and advocates, and (2) supporting public financing of election campaigns (“fair elections”) and other pro-democracy reforms.”

“We are all about Citizens United,” Stevens said. “Because it allows corporations to donate millions of dollars to people’s campaigns. [...]

[Corporations] are not a person, it’s a business.”

Democracy Matters works to allow people to be in more control of what goes on in elections.

“We want to put elections back in the hands of citizens,” Stevens added.

“We need to change things.”

Stevens said that the club wants

to work towards making Florida a state that has publicly funded elections, therefore there would not be money from large corporations. She said that there are already United States municipalities that implement this practice, but the club wants to make it a national standard.

The club has also already been working on a petition that would allow classes to be canceled on election days.

“I want to expand [canceled classes on election day] outside of New College to other colleges in the area and the state,” Stevens said. “Even though we have early voting, a lot of student like to go on election day. [...] It is a big deal.”

The club would also like to provide more information on local elections, so that students and the community at large can be more informed.

The club is hoping to host New College professors and leaders in the community who can share their knowledge on local and national politics.

“If you know there is an election,” Stevens added. “You are going to want to know who is up election and what they stand for.”

The Democracy Matters club has just begun, and they are hoping

“Wallternatives” keep the party going

BY RYAN PAICE

Due to the lack of police personnel on campus throughout this fall semester, Walls have been in peril and several have been forced to either reschedule or give up their party. Since the first couple problematic weekends, however, RAs have begun to co-sponsor Walls to keep the party alive. So far, the “Wallternatives” have been a successful route students have been able to use to supersede the police personnel problem, but with the search for the right candidates for the unique position of policing New College – and the extensive training period – this might be the student body’s only solution for keeping the weekly party going for the rest of the academic year.

Walls require two police officers on duty throughout its duration – a rule implemented after an incident in 2008 – which has proven to be quite a problematic rule for the parties this year, as the NCPD has been two police officers under their standard of thirteen since August of this fall semester. While options were presented to students in order to keep their Walls running – including 1) working with Student Affairs to make their Wall a “collaborative/partnered event” an even two weeks before the party to ensure it being substance free, 2) have an RA cosponsor their now “Wallternative” that must be substance free, or 3) having to sit down with a member of the NCSA cabinet in order to reassign Wall funding, or reschedule it outright.

There is a clear administrative desire for substance-free Walls, as the

only two immediately viable options require that status, in an effort to “mitigate stress on police.” The first few “Wallternatives” have gone off successfully, without issue or injury, but it will be up to the already-overworked RAs to maintain the party tradition that keeps the honor college’s perpetually stressed student body entertained.

“We are currently hiring for a few positions that would put us back to a functional minimum for safety, but once they are hired it will take 8-16 weeks before the officer can be on their own,” Assistant Director of Student Engagement Tara Centeno wrote in an email. “I don’t know if we will have that level by second semester but everyone is working towards getting this taken care of as soon as possible.

“I think these alternatives have been a way to still provide students with the opportunity to have things going on, but ultimately to operate at the level we all want to be at – we need more police staff.”

Second-year B-Dorm RA Araya Barnes co-sponsored the Space Whale Wall on Nov. 12, which went without a hitch - as most walls do. While the substance-free requirement might provide some sort of peace of mind for those concerned, the lack of capability to prevent all substance use and the often-unproblematic nature of Walls leads to the question of why it is such a strict and inescapable factor among the only options presented to students.

“We need to make it substance free so that we can have funding and such for things to happen,” they said.

“And although my personal opinion on

that matter is that it is kind of silly, I understand the necessity of it, and I think it is a very interesting loophole that honestly I’m grateful for [because of her desire to throw RA events].”

There might not be a unanimous stance on the matter of the substancefree requirement, but there is something that can be unanimously agreed upon: at least there are walls again. The long-standing tradition is an essential part of campus social climate and stress relief, an opportunity to ignore a few responsibilities and just enjoy yourself and your friends. While the current alternate route might not be entirely perfect, the simple fact that music is blasting and people are dancing is comforting to many.

“I feel like this might be a good way to bridge the gap – I think it is a little misguided for a start, but it’s something… It’s better than ‘OK, Walls are done kids, no more of that!’” Barnes said. “I feel as though the idea of even cancelling Walls is kind of dangerous, because – let’s be real – people need to have some way to blow off steam here.”

With the difficulties in keeping Walls running this semester – and maybe even the switch from PCP to COUP – campus culture has been in an awkward state of transitional muddiness, ever challenged by a lack of funding, understaffing and bureaucratic hoops to jump through. Luckily for the students caught in this dysfunctional mess, Walls will continue to live on, thanks to the RA staff members willing to give up their small bit of personal time to keep the party pumping.

to increase interest. On the night of the election, NCF Democrats club and Democracy Matters hosted a viewing party featuring vegan, vegetarian, gluten free and meat tacos.

“Even though the election is over,” Stevens said. “The work is not over.”

The Democracy Matters club is open to first, second, third-years, thesis students as well as members of the larger Sarasota-Manatee community.

Politics affect everyone, so everyone is welcome to get involved.

Drug tolerance

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Growing public push for psychedelics

The 2016 United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on drugs is notable for increasing the voices of nongovernmental actors, representing civil society in the session for the first time.

Civil society is also getting involved outside of the UN, with groups such as Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), Moms United and the Latin American Caravan for Peace, Life and Justice rallying hundreds of people to call for repealing global drug prohibition.

On April 19, 2016, a demonstration outside of the UN headquarters advocated for the support for access to psychedelic drugs.

The demonstration took place on April 19 to commemorate Bicycle Day, or April 19, 1943, the date that Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann intentionally ingested his new creation of LSD-25.

Hofmann reportedly took off for home on his bicycle when he began tripping on his creation. Hofmann reported wavering vision, a sense of motionless, and a “weird, unfamiliar world.”

The demonstration was led

by Psymposia and the Psychedelic Society of Brooklyn. The two groups took on the question of why to use and support psychedelic drugs by providing personal answers under the format of “Psychedelics because…”

The increased social involvement in drug reform suggests that the stigma surrounding psychedelics is slowly declining. In addition, an influx of research provides scientific evidence that psychedelics benefit areas like spirituality and creativity and can help with depression, OCD and PTSD. Information for this aticle was taken from www.maps.org, www. rollingstone.com, www.psymposia. com, www.governing.com, www. psychedelic-library.org, and www. stopthedrugwar.org

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Racist Arizona sheriff finally gets the boot

BY ANYA MARÍA CONTRERAS-GARCÍA Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County has been called “the Donald Trump of Arizona” for his hardline stance on illegal immigration. Older white conservatives have kept him in a position of power for the last 24 years, but this election cycle a growing number of Latinx voters showed him the door.

Arpaio is well-known for running eight jails in which inmates are forced to wear pink underwear, endure the sweltering Arizona heat and are only given two meals a day; “saturation patrols” – sweeps in Hispanic neighborhoods without evidence of criminal activity, in direct violation of federal regulations against racial

profiling – and his extreme position on illegal immigration, which includes workplace raids and frequent traffic stops often involving racial profiling.

He is also known for instigating the “birther movement”, a false accusation that President Barack Obama was not born in the U.S. On Tuesday, Democrat Paul Penzone defeated Arpaio with 55 percent of the vote, sending a message that the power of Latinx voters is increasing and anti-immigrant hostility carries electoral consequences. Arpaio’s defeat is an important step in repairing the relationship between Maricopa County’s law enforcement and the community it is supposed to protect.

Although this is a victory for Latinxs in Arizona, the precedent of discrimination that Arpaio left behind

is still to be fought. Arizona is the home of S.B. 1070, a law which requires police to determine the immigration status of someone arrested or detained when there is “reasonable suspicion” they are not in the U.S. legally. The author of the bill, Kris Kobach, has joined Donald Trump’s immigration policy team.

Now there is chatter that Donald Trump, an Arpaio-enthusiast, may appoint him to be the next secretary of Homeland Security.

“He lost his power when undocumented people lost their fear,” Carlos Garcia said, executive director of Puente, one of the advocacy groups formed to counter Arpaio’s divisive attitudes towards Latinx immigrants.

“For us, what is most important now is to undo the damage and culture of hate that he has brought upon this county.”

To secede or not to secede? South FL could become 51st state

BY ANYA MARÍA CONTRERAS-GARCÍA

The mayor and city commission of the City of South Miami have passed a resolution “advocating for the legal separation of Florida into two separate states, creating the 51st state in the Union and naming it ‘South Florida’,” according to the official resolution.

The new proposed state of South Florida would have 24 counties, comprising 39 percent of the total area and 67 percent of the total population of Florida.

The motive for the split comes from the fact that South Florida generates 69 percent of state revenue, yet the capitol of Tallahassee tends to ignore the interests of the bottom half of the state.

The most notable grievance

listed in the resolution is Tallahassee’s disregard for the effects of global warming on the southern half of the state. This comes after news that Rick Scott has ordered officials not to use the terms “climate change, global warming, sustainability, or sea-level rise,” according to reports by the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting.

South Florida has been called “ground zero” for effects of sea-level rise.

“North Florida is approximately 120 feet above sea level while the average elevation of South Florida is only 50 feet with a very large portion of South Florida averaging less than 15 feet above sea level,” the resolution reads.

Areas in this high-risk zone for sea level rise include Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, Biscayne National Park, Lake

Okeechobee (the source of much of the fresh water in Florida), and the Turkey Point nuclear reactors (which are 42 years old and less than 5 feet above sea level). Additionally, some of Florida’s wealthiest counties – Monroe, Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade – are only 5 feet or less above sea level.

“The creation of the 51st state, South Florida, is a necessity for the very survival of the entire southern region of the current state of Florida,” the resolution reads. “This is only the first step in a very complicated process and it will ultimately require the approval of the electorate of the entire state as well as Congressional approval.”

A copy of the resolution was sent to all municipalities in Miami-Dade County and the governing bodies of all 24 counties that are in the proposed South Florida region.

“I think New College needs a week like this so we can begin a conversation about what type of community do we want to have here and how do we invite, appreciate, and celebrate all members of our campus community,” Williamson said in an e-mail interview.

The week of events was meant to give students the skills to handle tough situations. A wide variety of topics were provided – such as “Communication in Cyberspace” and “A Cultural Clash Simulation” – to appeal to many students.

The results of the presidential election unexpectedly changed the significance of Respect Week.

“The nation and the world need you to be informed, thoughtful, and engaged citizens,” Williamson said.

“Divisive language fueled a lot of the

campaign and election. Now is exactly the time that we educate and empower each other.”

In conjunction with many other events being organized on campus in response to the election, Respect Week gave students, faculty and staff an opportunity “to practice this selfawareness and self-reflection…[to] think about what they're putting into the world,” Jessica Maxon, Director of First Year Programs, said in an e-mail interview.

“It's not so much that we needed Respect Week because of the election, but for the aftermath,” Thelma Santiago, Health Educator, said in an e-mail interview. “We need to be prepared for some difficult but necessary bridgebuilding, and Respect Week allowed us to begin that process here on campus.”

Respect Week changes in light of presidential election

BY ANYA MARÍA CONTRERAS-GARCÍA

Despite the nation electing a president who has repeatedly insulted minorities, veterans, the disabled, women and anyone who disagrees with him, New College students got important lessons in respect last week.

In place of the week of antihazing programs required by the State University System, Dean of Student Affairs Robin Williamson organized Respect Week as a way to build a more inviting and appreciative community on campus.

After speaking with students, Dean Williamson noticed that cultivating more respect among peers was an important need to improve campus community.

BRIEFS

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Sarasota to Standing Rock

BY ANYA MARÍA CONTRERAS-GARCÍA People from all over the world are flocking to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe encampment in North Dakota to support the months-long protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), which threatens the water supply of millions of people and is set to be built on sacred Native American land.

This week two New College students, partnered with Black Lives Matter Tampa, prepare to be among the hundreds who have traveled there to show solidarity.

Second-years Ximena Pedroza and Kayla Kisseadoo are preparing for a more than 30 hour drive to the Sacred Stone Camp this Friday to bring much needed supplies to the campsite and join the protest against the DAPL pipeline. They will be holding a donation drive for money and supplies every day of this week in Hamilton Center during dinner hours.

The co-founders of Black Lives Matter Tampa previously traveled to Standing Rock to ask elders how community members here in South Florida could best help them. They came back with a list of much-needed items and ways to support the struggle.

“One of the things they’re most concerned about is getting access to heat,” Kisseadoo said. “They’re asking for hand warmers, solar chargers, firewood and cold weather gear. It’s freezing up there and it’s only going to get colder.”

Making the drive is necessary because some desperately needed goods, like sharp items in tent repair kits or large quantities of water, cannot be taken on planes.

The New College students headed to Standing Rock want to make the purpose of the trip clear to others.

“Don’t make this about us,” Pedroza said. “People wear masks when they’re protesting because when you are standing for sacred land your face doesn’t matter. You don’t matter. The land matters. The indigenous tribes matter. Water matters. That’s it. I want to make sure that when people talk about this they don’t talk about us but about the issue at hand. This is bigger than a person. Talk about Standing Rock.”

What are the best ways to support those in Standing Rock?

“Donating is really helpful," Kisseadoo said. "Educating yourself on what’s going on and help spreading the word on social media is also really powerful.”

The Council of Green Affairs will be holding an informational session about DAPL on Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. on campus where Pedroza and Kisseadoo will be speaking.

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NEWS PAGE 5

How creating an AOC can take two and half years

BY ELAN WORKS Something stressed to prospective students as a strong feature of the academic landscape at New College is the ability to create an area of concentration (AOC). Third-year Sabrina Finn recently finalized her AOC, “Interdisciplinary Studies of Language,” after two years of struggling to navigate the process. In Finn’s experience, faculty are generally not keen on getting involved with a student attempting to create their own AOC: “It took me two and a half years to get to the point where I could say I have two professors to sponsor me.”

“I came in with the notion that we create our own AOC, and if the school didn’t have something you could create your own AOC in it,” Finn said.

“Since first year, pretty early on, I’ve been trying to do a Linguistics AOC and pretty much everyone I talked to said ‘no don’t do that, it’s not possible.’”

Finn explained in an interview with the Catalyst that one of the most difficult things about creating one’s own AOC is that the process requires two faculty members to co-sponsor a student created AOC. “They don’t necessarily have to have a specialty in what you’re AOC [is] in, but they have to be able to evaluate your work,” Finn said, explaining that only recently had she found a professor willing to sponsor her thesis and AOC. After the initial sponsor had agreed to work with them, finding a co-sponsor was easier.

“One of the biggest things that got in my way was the lack of faculty involvement,” Finn said, explaining that because of the interdisciplinary nature of her AOC, she had talked to many professors. “A lot of faculty members don't want to get involved with creating an AOC unless you already have as

bunch of faculty members involved. So every time I would go to a professor, they’d say ‘Well have you talk to this other person?’ And it would go back and forth in a pretty big circle and it kind of went around and around and around. A lot of professors would just tell me ‘this isn’t possible’ without telling me why it's not possible.”

The other glaring problem with student created AOC’s is that they can not take the name of a pre-existing program at another school. This is the reason many people turned Finn away, ‘linguistics’ is a major currently offered at various other institutions.

“I found that as long as I didn’t call it a Linguistics AOC I could do a lot more with it,” Finn said. “It sorta depends on what your program would look like somewhere else and whether we have something here that could sorta-kinda match up with that, and if we have ways to fill in those holes, and if we have professors that might want to sponsor you.”

This may come as a surprise to first-year students, who were told by admissions that student created AOC’s are easy, or common. After a semester at New College, first-year Sarah Wilhide expressed that her opinion of studentcreated AOC’s has vastly changed.

“Now I think the process is great, in theory, but in practice it’s a bit confusing,” Wilhide said. “It kind of feels impossible to me now.”

Although not impossible, Finn has advice to those interested in tackling the process of pursuing an AOC not offered here.

“It takes a lot of stubbornness and a lot of self-motivation, and a lot of selfdirection, and a lot of people telling you no,” Finn said. “If you can’t put the time in, creating your own AOC is probably more trouble than it's worth.”

photo courtesy of Sabrina Finn Third-year student Sabrina Finn intends to graduate with an area of concentration in Linguistics.

The Activist Newsletter Katelyn Grimmett/Catalyst

This week (11/16 – 11/24), activists have the opportunity to participate in meetings, conference calls, vigils, care package deliveries and protests. Read on if you want to get involved in the community regarding indigenous rights, environmental issues, national politics, refugee and immigrant resettlement, transgender equality or racial issues.

BY ANYA MARÍA CONTRERAS-GARCÍA Wed, Nov. 16 Standing Rock Event Meeting @ 6:30 p.m.

(Private residence) 1325 Cocoanut Ave and 14th St, Sarasota, FL Stand Up Fight Back SRQ will be having a potluck and an organizational meeting for their upcoming Standing Rock event in December. Activists will be discussing the event, the speakers, the goals, etc. and will take input, ideas and suggestions. Please park on 14th Street between Cocoanut and Tamiami Trail. Please bring food to share. Newcomers are welcome. For more information, check out the event page on Facebook.

Wed, Nov. 16 Election is Over: Now What? Conference Call @ 8 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Join leading movement thinkers Mab Segrest, Tarso Ramos and Suzanne Pharr for a panel discussion conference call about the threats, challenges and opportunities after the election and implications for organizing strategies. The discussion will be followed by ideas for how to move this discussion to local groups doing racial justice work. For more information and to register for the conference call, check out the event page on Facebook.

Thurs, Nov. 17 Indigenous Solidarity Conference Call @ 8 p.m. – 9 p.m.

This conference call is an opportunity to discuss the work of non-Native white people in decolonial work. Topics include: U.S. settler colonialism, settler privilege and responsibility, mourning the loss of land-based spirituality, guarding against cultural appropriation, connecting to Indigenous solidarity work, building decolonial/anticolonial analyses and responding

to Standing Rock. For more information and to register for the conference call, check out the event page on Facebook.

Sat, Nov. 19 March Against Racist Policing @ 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Downtown Bradenton, FL Join protesters demanding an end to racist policing by Bradenton police. Data recently uncovered by Manatee County NAACP shows that although the Black community makes up roughly 16 percent of the city's population, Black people account for 75 percent of those killed by police in Bradenton. The records also show disproportionate stops and citations of people of color. For more information on the protest, check the event page on Facebook.

Sun, Nov. 20 Transgender Remembrance Day Vigil @ 4:50 p.m.

New College of Florida New College’s TPARTY will be facilitating a candlelight vigil for Transgender Remembrance Day. Students will gather at Z Green around 4:50 p.m. and will walk to the bay at sunset to remember and honor those who have lost their lives to anti-trans violence. For more information, contact Elliot Gardner at elliot.gardner15@ncf. edu.

Sun, Nov. 20 Love Has No Borders Care Package Delivery @ 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.

12535 Tinsely Circle, Tampa, FL 33612 Activists will be delivering care packages to resettled refugees in the Tampa community as an act of solidarity. Care packages include food, school supplies, coats, toys, hygiene products and other needed items as refugees adjust to new homes and new lives. For more information, check out the event page on Facebook.

13th annual Sarasota medieval faire “it's like RuneScape in real life”

BY AUDREY WARNE From 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., for three weekends in November, you can escape the stress of final papers and ridiculously lengthy readings to enjoy what may be the best thing America has ever invented – medieval and renaissance fairs.

The first renaissance festival took place in California in 1963 and, since then, the tradition has spread across to almost every state as well as some parts of Canada. Florida has a substantial selection of medieval and renaissance fairs throughout the year, most of which take place in the slightly less sweltering autumn and winter months.

For all you Medieval and Renaissance Studies AOCs, this year’s theme is the 1199 siege of Château de Chalus-Chabrol – famous for being the place where King Richard the Lionheart of England was killed via crossbow.

Actors participate in a dramatized reenactment of the event throughout the festival with mild to moderate historical accuracy. (If you’re interested in participating, most festivals hire local actors and students a few months before the event. Auditions for next year’s festival will take place in August of 2017.)

If medieval history and weaponry is not your thing, medieval alcohol (and craft beers on draft) may interest you.

Along with the mead, wine, beer and cider available at one of the many bars throughout the festival, the Sarasota Medieval Faire has added a pub crawl to this year’s festivities.

“This was the first renaissance or medieval festival I've been to that I

remember, so I really wasn't sure what to expect,” second year Jason D’Amours said. “I only knew that there would be turkey legs. It was really silly and entertaining. It was nice to just walk around and see everyone in their outfits as they were acting or playing music.

I've never seen so many bagpipes in my life.”

With 100 booths and 14 stages, the Sarasota Faire has a broad selection of medieval and renaissance clothing, weaponry, jewelry and entertainment.

“Right now we have about four shows going on right now all over the country,” said Donna “Ravyn Lunatic” Davenport, who works at Boss Wench, a booth which sells handmade medieval and renaissance style clothing. “We do renaissance fairs and medieval faires and pirate shows in almost every state in the country.”

Some individuals choose to travel with the faire, moving around the country to participate in different festivals each weekend. Some festivals are single weekend events while others set up for months at a time, a few are permanent with events held yearround.

“I’ve been doing this for thirty years,” Davenport said. “I started out as a patron, just like everybody else, and I used to frequent this booth [Boss Wench] a lot. One weekend they called me and asked me if I could work for them one weekend because they were short on people and, 12 years later, I’m [here] all the time.”

Information for this article gathered from renfaire.com and sarasotamedievalfair. com

Giulia Heyward/Catalyst

Admission into the fair could be paid with either cash or with the assistance of 'Lady Visa.'

Giulia Heyward/Catalyst The fair offers discounted tickets to college students who bring their student ID.

Florida Faires & Festivals

Bay Area Renaissance Festival - Tampa Camelot Days Medieval Festival - Hollywood Florida Faerie Festival - Bonita Springs Florida Renaissance Festival - Deerfield Beach Florida Renaissance Festival - Miami Gasparilla Pirate Fest - Tampa Gulf Coast Renaissance Faire - Pensacola Hoggetowne Medieval Faire - Gainesville John Levique Pirate Days - Madeira Beach Kiwanis Lee County Medieval Faire - Fort Meyers Lady of the Lakes Renaissance Faire - Tavares Pirates in Paradise - Key West Sarasota Medieval Fair - Sarasota St. Augustine Pirate Gathering - St Augustine Treasure Coast Pirate Fest - Fort Pierce Giulia Heyward/Catalyst The Sarasota Fairgrounds were split into area with jousting, theater plays, food and games.

Ticket Pricing: Adult admission: $17.95 Seniors, students and military admission: $15.95 Pub crawl: $30

Giulia Heyward/Catalyst

Giulia Heyward/Catalyst

Artists held booths where individuals could purchase products from trades reminiscent of the medieval era.

Vendors held booths selling fur, rabbit heads and leather items.

Giulia Heyward/Catalyst Children seen playing with hula hoops in the middle of the festival.

Giulia Heyward/Catalyst

Patches of land were left unoccupied for attendants to relax, lay out blankets or play with hula hoops.

Giulia Heyward/Catalyst

All of the signs utilized speech of that time period, including this one located near the entrance.

CATALYST

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2016 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst

PROFILES

PAGE 8

Calvin Bryant: A brilliant businessman is a master gardener

BY KATELYN GRIMMETT Calvin Bryant never graduated from high school. He never studied for the various specialized skill exams he’s passed with flying colors. He’s selftaught in all he does – from opening a Caribbean-American restaurant, operating a contracting business and gardening a stretch of land he calls the Garden of Eden.

Employees working for his contracting company sometimes pass him while he’s in the garden – stationed right outside the company warehouse – and they tell him, “you are out of your mind.” They say this because Calvin talks to his plants. With frequency.

“That’s what makes it work,” he says. “I do it, and I’m very serious, I talk to it every day. I tell ‘em how much I love ‘em and they just love it – I mean, you can almost see a little leaf waving around, you know.”

The garden grows year round and it’s booming in any given season. Right now, winter crops are at their peak in the Garden of Eden. These are mostly greens like collard, turnip, mustard, cabbage, broccoli, onions, rutabagas, tomatoes and okra.

Calvin sells greens by the bunch for three or four dollars, the same price as a head of lettuce, a few turnips or onions, and so on. A lot of his harvest is given free of charge to church events and dinners, which he helps cooks for (he can make a mean pot of greens).

“I give away a lot to elders, I sell some,” Calvin said. “Thanksgiving coming up, I will sell out, I will sell everything I got. But it’s not that important that I profit. The part that I love the most is seeing people eat it, enjoy it and come back and tell me how good it is. It makes me feel good that they love it.”

Calvin gave me a tour of the garden – a privilege I’d been building anticipation for throughout our interview. It was worth the wait. I had to hop over rows of crops growing up to my knees. The bottoms of my jeans soaked up the morning’s watering session and my feet sank slightly into the soil with each step.

“Try this,” he said, handing me a folded piece of mustard greens he ripped off from a dinosaur-age-sized plant that glowed neon green in the sunlight. The bite was refreshing at first, light and crisp. Then the mustard spice hit the fan. I tried to smile and coughed instead. Calvin assured me that the flavor simmers down when cooked.

Next he showed me rutabaga – a root vegetable I hadn’t heard of before.

When fresh, rutabaga has a tender texture but the vegetable hardens up by the time it reaches the store. Calvin’s rutabaga was ripe and ready to harvest.

“You can’t get it any better than that.”

The Garden of Eden grows all organically, a feature that Calvin says draws people in from all over who’re looking to get a taste of nature’s magic. He shared some of his organic methods with me (he grows onion and garlic between rows to repel pests and

composts with horse or cow manure) but, mostly, he attributes his green thumb to the grace of God. “If you look at what I really do, I actually work on the negative side of things,” he said. “I go out there and I till up all the ground, I kill all the grass and I take these dead seeds and I bury them.”

I asked why he called the seeds “dead.” Botany class didn’t leave room in my head for much imagination.

“They’re all dried out and when I put ‘em in the ground and they get moist, God brings ‘em back alive,” Calvin explained. “Actually, I can’t do that. I can’t make anything grow but I’m committed to it, It’s a part of me.”

Calvin was brought up on a farm in Georgia, where he developed his love for Mother Nature and learned how to reap the benefits of nurturing earth. He says it’s in his blood. Calvin owns that farm in Georgia now. He bought it 35 years ago and manages it from down

all photos Katelyn Grimmett/Catalyst Calvin holds up a single, enormous leaf from one of his mustard plants. He calls them "elephant ears."

"If you independently grow, you know what you’re growing and you know what’s going into your body. My thing with me is I like to be independent." here.

“I’m an earth boy. I love farming, I love tilling the ground. I think you get new life, new energy from it. You get a real good spiritual blessing because mother nature produces all this positive stuff.”

Calvin came to Sarasota – to Newtown – in 1957. In 1969 he built the home he lives in now. His contracting company has built several houses in Newtown, as well as the Goodwill off Martin Luther King Way and the Community Bible Church.

Calvin has always had a vegetable garden going at home but the Garden of Eden did not receive its first seeds until the 80s, when Calvin kickstarted his contracting business and purchased the land where the warehouse and the garden sit today.

His warehouse has an office but you’ll never find him there. He prefers to be sitting just inside the large garage entrance, where anyone can find him to buy a bunch of greens and cars going down Myrtle can honk hello or friends can drop by to say hi.

Walking into the garage, there’s an old jeep stripped to it’s frame and hand welded in several spots - Calvin taught welding classes for 14 years.

His makeshift office is a few chairs and a table piled up with blueprint rolls, miscellaneous tools, smushed papers and a few crushed soda cans. It is a mechanic’s cave inside, but outside is a gardeners’ paradise.

“I tell people, I don’t know what the garden of Eden looked like but I believe Eden’s got competition because this garden is really lookin’ good,” he told me, smiling a wide smile.

"It makes a world of difference when you get it fresh. The vitamins, it’s not processed, it doesn’t have all the chemicals," he said.

Calvin Bryant's super-sized garden, or super-small-scale farm, is located on Myrtle Street, a little east of Booker High School.

Horse or cow manure sourced from local farms creates an all-natural compost Calvin uses to fertilize the Garden of Eden.

CATALYST

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2016 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst

FEATURES

PAGE 9

Meet the new Chief of Staff: Olivia Van Housen

BY DYLAN PRYOR

Third-year General Studies student and new Chief of Staff Olivia Van Housen is a fresh face in the New College Student Association (NCSA), yet many students may be familiar with her from such roles as the coPresident of Animal Interest Club, or looking dapper in front of the Florida Capitol in the latest issue of the New College Nimbus. She spoke with the Catalyst to share about her approach to her new position, as well as what the community can expect from her in the coming months.

“I saw the position was opening and I felt that it would be cool for me to be an actual part of the NCSA, because I’m interested in government, and I hadn’t been involved in a role in student government before, so it was something that interested me,” Van Housen said.

“I saw the position as a way to gain experience and help the student body, and the position is a helpful position for keeping things on track, doing things that I was comfortable doing.”

Van Housen’s previous positions include serving as co-President of Animal Interest Club with fellow thirdyear Codee Vogler and as a Resident Advisor (RA) during the fall semester of her second year.

As Chief of Staff, Van Housen serves as the chief administrator of the Executive Cabinet and assists CoPresidents Paul Loriston and Miles Iton with anything they need. She is the second Chief of Staff to serve under their presidency, after deciding not to apply at the start of the term due

photo courtesy of Olivia Van Housen

Last month, Olivia Van Housen became the NCSA's latest Chief of Staff.

to studying off-campus as part of the Semester in Tallahassee program.

“I had been off-campus in the spring, previously, and because I had been off-campus, I felt that some of the dynamics and New College itself could have changed in some way and I didn’t want to come in as someone who had been away for an entire semester, into a situation that could have possibly changed a great deal,” Van Housen said.

“So I felt that it would be better for someone who was part of New College’s growth while I was away to take the position.”

After easing back into the campus climate during the first half of the

semester, Van Housen has hit the ground running with her new role within the NCSA and looks forward to working with many people on campus to help the NCF community.

“I’ve been pushed to talk to people I wouldn’t necessarily talk to, and form relationships with people I might not have without being in the position that I am, just because I don’t really get out much,” Van Housen said. “I’m working with the security officers, talking with them, talking with the library staff, other members of the NCSA cabinet, talking with all of the TAs [Teaching Assistants].”

Going forward, Van Housen hopes

to continue reaching out to students, hearing their concerns and gauging what projects would be most helpful to the community, while also encouraging more interaction between the NCSA and the student body.

“I like hearing other students’ ideas for changes they would make to the school, or projects ideas that they have, just in general, and seeing how feasible the ideas are, and try to help them get those ideas implemented,” Van Housen said. “I am trying to get people involved, and encourage them to change the things that they see as problems.”

Van Housen also promised to get a head start on such responsibilities as working with staff to set up late night library hours for upcoming finals, after scheduling issues during midterms resulted in multiple late nights at the library being canceled.

More information on campus issues and events will be provided via email as they come. Van Housen also has office hours Fridays 12 to 2 p.m. where students are welcome to ask any questions with answers that are not online.

“I know I send a lot of emails, but I try to make them important, since there are things that some students really need, they might not pertain to everybody, but they might pertain to someone, that’s why I send them out,” she said. “I’m both trying to be involved with the growing of New College and the changes that are coming to New College, and trying to understand those.”

Going from A+ to Strong Sat:

A thesis student’s guide to navigating (and making the best of) narrative evaluations

BY PARIESA YOUNG First-years will receive their first evaluations in the coming weeks, and although they may have experienced New College's unique grading system by seeing little paragraphs stapled to exams rather than a letter or number at the top of the page, the evaluation system not only takes some getting used to, but provides an extra dose of academic anxiety to new students.

As a school of high-achievers and intellectuals, New College is prone to seeing academic challenges and stress.

For some, the feeling or fear that we’re just not good enough to be here isn’t easy to shake.

This fear is infinitely multiplied by the transition not only away from our homes, families, siblings, friends, and nearly everything familiar, but away from the academic style and expectations that followed us from elementary to high school.

When I realized that for so many reasons both logical and illogical, mental and physical, I could not write the 15 single-spaced pages I would need for my Oceanography final in my second semester at New College, I could not look up my grade point average, estimate the weight of the final paper

and write just enough to pass the class Instead I did nothing, not even the bare minimum. I “unsatted” the class and therefore my contract.

After failing a contract in only my second semester of college ever, I thought I was done for. Although I had number of medical, mental, personal problems I could have blamed, I could not help but come back to my intellectuality. Something I’d always fallen back on in high school had crumbled away in college. At a school where many of us probably feel a particular fondness for our intelligence or our ambitions, the feeling that accompanies academic struggle and criticism is exceptionally affecting.

While my first unsatisfactory evaluation was a shake to my intellectual confidence, it was first and foremost a result of my mental illness, exacerbated by all the struggles that accompany moving to college.

However, the experience made me completely reevaluate how I participate and interact in academic environments where I was being asked questions I had been conditioned out of knowing how to answer.

High school teachers in every discipline were always impressing on me that there was one right answer.

Tests and quizzes came in two varieties: multiple choice and short answer.

And yeah, sometimes there was some matching thrown in the mix. Essay and short answer questions were always implying that there was a correct way to write them. I even had a biology teacher who graded essays based on whether or not we had used a list of words she deemed necessary (regardless of how incorrectly we may have used them).

As a social sciences student at New College, I was suddenly being asked to give my opinion, to consider and calculate, to research and analyze, rather than fill in the blank. My professors were no longer asking me for the correct answer (well, sometimes they were), but asking me how an argument holds up, how different perspectives and experiences may factor in. Not that my high school teachers never asked my opinion (and sometimes I made it known either way), but at New College, there is a whole new meaning to class participation.

While the transition was challenging, scary and often discouraging, it has made me into a critical thinker, a hypothetical considerer, a rhetorical questioner.

Although I still don’t speak up in class as much as my professors might like,

still second-guess myself before making an assertive statement in a paper, and still feel like my whole thesis might just be plain wrong, New College has taught me a new way to think about the things I learn and how I can contribute to the discussion, not just absorb information.

I remember that each year as my courses and assignments become more challenging, I become more and more capable to do what is asked of me.

And thanks to the initially terrifying narrative evaluations I received from my professors, I am able to recognize where I have succeeded and where I can improve.

I remember the feeling of hopelessness, of anxiety, imposter syndrome and not-being-smart-enough that comes with being immersed in a new academic environment. But despite seeing the words “weak sat,” “room for improvement” or “unsatisfactory,” we are smart enough and good enough to be here.

While I was not prepared for the expectations that accompany values of liberal arts education, both success and failure has allowed me to feel all the better about it as a nostalgic, sentimental, now-almost-secondsemester thesis student.

CATALYST

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John Lennon protest letter valued at $72,000 found in vinyl

BY CAITLYN RALPH

In October of 1965, the Beatles were awarded the Member of the British Empire (MBE) medal, given to those who excel in their fields, by the Queen of England.

In November 1968, John Lennon gave his back.

Fast forward to 2016, and someone in England got more than the gift of music when they rediscovered a vinyl bought for 10 pounds at a useditem sale in their attic. In the vinyl’s sleeve was Lennon’s protest letter to the Queen of England.

Lennon penned a protest letter to the Queen of England, citing dissatisfaction with the country’s international affairs.

According musician Yoko Ono, married to John Lennon, he defined the term bagism as a force against stereotypes and prejudice during their peace campaign in the late 1960s.

The letter, signed “John Lennon of Bag,” reads: “Your Majesty, I am returning this MBE in protest against

Britain's involvement in the NigeriaBiafra thing, against our support of America in Vietnam and against Cold Turkey slipping down the charts."

“Cold Turkey” was a song by Plastic Ono Band, Lennon and Ono’s music project.

The vinyl is now valued at $75,000.

How were there two copies?

The anonymous owner brought the discovery to a Beatles expedition in Liverpool. There, a music memorabilia expert, Darren Julien, said, “You can quite clearly see that the signature in this letter has been smudged. My theory is that John Lennon never sent this draft because of the smeared ink,” according to CNN. He continued, "If you're writing to The Queen, you want the letter to look pretty perfect, you don't want the ink to be smudged. This suggests that he wrote a second version of the letter, which was the one that was actually sent to The Queen."

PAGE 10

Kelly talks space

What the future of space exploration could look like under a Trump Presidency

BY KELLY WILSON

The future of space exploration didn’t seem to be a topic of discussion in the 2016 election. However, as we look to Elon Musk to develop the technology to offer a way to escape earth for the next four years, the Trump administration has come up with a plan.

Robert Smith Walker, a former republican congressman from Pennsylvania, was tasked with drawing up the blueprints for what president elect Donald Trump’s space program would look like. At a meeting of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC) on Oct. 26, Walker unveiled this policy for the first time.

It includes nine key points and begins with a commitment to global space leadership. Walker plans to reinstate the National Space Council and put none other than the vice president elect Mike Pence in charge.

Another important point includes

shifting budgets from researching Earth Science and Green energy to deep space exploration.

Walker insisted that putting humans back onto the surface of the moon was important in the future of space exploration. However, he gave no indication of how a Trump administration would create the extra funds to implement any part of this plan. In fact, he found it unlikely that NASA would receive funding at all.

“We are not likely to get huge new numbers for the space program in the future, even if we get the budget settled,” Walker said in the COMSTAC discussion.

Thus, a plan that may seem promising to people who watched the space industry crumble during the great recession seems now to be nothing more than just an empty campaign promise.

Information for this article was taken from SpaceNews.Org

How to legally sell your body

BY KELLY WILSON For students trying to make a few extra bucks, donating plasma isn’t the only way to use your body to supplement your income. While these methods may be more selective in who they allow to donate - and more invasive - they can make more money than the average plasma donation.

Hair - Forget donating your locks to charity. The internet is filled with ebay-like sites where you can sell your hair auction style. ‘Virgin’ hair that has never been dyed or chemically

straightened will make you the most money in this market. According to Wikihow, 12 inches of straight blonde hair can fetch up to $300.

Space on your body - You’ve seen it joked about on T.V. shows as a joke, but believe it or not, selling space on your body to create a body billboard is a reality. In 2009 a company called Air New Zealand paid 30 United States citizens $777 or a round trip flight to New Zealand to advertise the company on their foreheads. In 2005, a web designer Andrew Fischer sold space on his forehead to advertise for a company

called SnoreStop and made $37,375, according to NBC. Sperm - To sell this bodily fluid, you might have to go to a a little bit more trouble. According to David Plotz in an excerpt from his book, The Genius Factory: The Curious History of the Nobel Prize Sperm Bank, the process began with an 18-page application, and then moved onto an in person interview before the donation even took place. If you were to pass this process you could make an average of $209 per deposit.

Eggs - Selling your eggs is not an easy process. It includes an application

similar to a sperm donation, and multiple trips to a clinic for check ups leading up to the donation. But, according HuffingtonPost it can make you up to $8,000.

Poop - According to the Washington Post you could be flushing money down the drain when you could be making up to $13,000 a year. A company called OpenBiome uses donated feces to treat C. difficile infections but requires an extensive screening process.

Songs you should heAR fun, feel-good 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 fun, feel-good songs – take a look at the results below.

BY CAITLYN RALPH AND JASMINE RESPESS “Let’s Love” - Echosmith Many don’t know, but this top 40 act started as a side-stage band on Warped Tour. (I saw them open at a tiny bar in Downtown Orlando… that makes me a cool kid, right?) Comprised of the wunderkind Sierota siblings, Echosmith produce endless feel-good indie-pop hits. Case in point: “Let’s Love” is an infectious sing-along about young infatuation destined to put a cheery smile on your face.

“T-Shirt Weather” - Circa Waves This is not the first time I’ve written about “T-Shirt Weather” by Circa Waves (it’s actually the third).

But here’s why: The Liverpudlians have created a quintessential, carefree, postsummer jam through charismatic lyrics and upbeat instrumentation. Pop this golden track on your playlist, and get an instant boost of happiness during your daily routine.

“Honey” - Swim Deep Swim Deep are one of my favorite bands, and I wish everyone in the world knew them. “Honey” is a call to chase your dreams disguised as a light-hearted, simple and lovely track defined by the lyrics, “Take your feet out your shows and go crazy / Don’t just dream in your sleep it’s just lazy.”

“Stay Fly” 3 6 Mafia So, there's a lot of pretty terrible things going on, but like the song, I gotta stay fly. This song helps.

“Stronger” Britney Spears A throw back, is one of the best medicines. I had this song on my clip-it.

It never gets old and it reminds me that there is a brighter tomorrow.

“Hey Ma” Cam’ron A sing song rap song that reminds me of brighter days.

CATALYST

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2016 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst

PAGE 11

Not So New College: The past of the Palmer Buildings

BY CAITLYN RALPH No. B Dorm is not rapidly sinking into the ground, as some might say.

Sitting pridefully as a bright blue beauty on the academic side of campus, B Dorm is the last remaining Palmer Building still used as a residential hall.

Other than its location, B Dorm stands out for its communal-style bathrooms and its reputation for individuality, community and – to most Pei campus dwellers – mystery. Until now.

New College was founded in 1960 and accepted its first class of students in 1964. (Fun fact: That first class included 101 students. Originally, 100 were admitted. However, the 101st student Ted Held (‘60) hitchhiked 2000 miles to the campus without acceptance. “His strong desire for an education earned him a place as the 101st member of the Charter Class,” said a September 1965 issue of the Catalyst.)

World-class architect I. M. Pei was hired to design New College’s campus in September 1963. Later that month, Pei told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, “New College is the greatest challenge I have ever faced.”

Before financial problems caused him to resign from New College in 1967, the Pei courts were built.

Previously, the campus was simply the Charles Ringling mansion (now known as College Hall), the land between it and US 41 and a little bit of land past US 41.

Pei originally wanted to knock down College Hall and make room for dorms on the bay. According to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, it was believed he also wanted dorms on stilts over the bay at one point. Going past US 41 was a last resort.

A March 1965 edition of the Catalyst said students were readying to move into the new dorms on the eighth

Protest

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 p.m., the Southern Poverty and Law Center, which tracks hate groups and hate crimes, counted 201 incidents of election-related harassment and intimidation across the country. Antiblack and anti-immigrant incidents were most common, with anti-Muslim incidents following. K-12 schools were the largest venue for these incidents.

ThinkProgress.org reports that this amount is typically only seen over a five to six month period, yet occurred in just three days following the election.

At New College specifically, the student and faculty response to the election was overwhelmingly negative.

On Veterans Day, Friday, Nov. 11, President Donal O’Shea, Provost Steve Miles and Dean of Student Affairs Robin Williamson sent out a collective email calling the election “the most acrimonious campaign in recent American history” and stating that New College “will always stand for civility, critical thinking, and rational discourse.” The statement ended in saying that New College is committed

of that month. While the dorms were being finished, the Charter Class called a motel on Lido Key and “the barn” – now the Four Winds Cafe – home. In December 1965, the Catalyst published that Pei was reportedly disappointed with the response to his dorm designs since only one student sent him a letter of praise.

On May 12, 1967, it was announced that married students were now allowed to live in dorms. Two weeks later, single occupancy rooms were opening up for the first time to students.

However, it was on Friday, June 2 when plans for dorms on the west side of campus were first approved.

“Plans to build new dormitories and an academic complex on the Palmer (West) Campus were approved at a joint meeting of the Executive and the Architectural and Plant Committees of the Board of Trustees,” the June 9 issue of the Catalyst stated. The goal was to have the Palmer housing complete by the fall semester of 1969. On Nov. 29, 1967, New College was officially accredited.

In March 1968, plans for an “instant campus” on the west side were presented to the Board of Trustees, who at that point declined to provide an immediate decision. The “instant campus” was to be low-cost project completed in six months using concrete block construction. Most of the rooms would be single occupancy and share a bathroom.

In fact, an issue of the Catalyst stated, “[President John Elmendorf] indicated, however, the college was definitely interested in discontinuing the use of the I. M. Pei-designed buildings on the East Campus by students.”

Why? High-operating costs from private bathrooms and heating/cooling systems. In April 1968, there was still no decision on the “instant campus,” which called for a $1.5 million dollar complex including dorms, classrooms and dining. Previously, Elmendorf said the probable completion date was January 1969.

Finally, on April 13, 1968, the Board of Trustees gave the go ahead to the “instant campus.” The catch was that a joint plan to rent out the Hamilton center (the east side of campus) “to executive groups on a management basis” needed to be approved first.

“The Executive Committee authorized the start of construction only if the contract with corporations interested in using the East Campus as a conference center is signed,” the April 14 issue of the Catalyst said.

In May 1968, the plans for the east campus to become “New College Conference Center for Continuing

Education” were approved by the Board of Trustees. Simultaneously, Miami architecture firm Pancoast was contracted for the design of undergraduate facilities on the west side of campus - what would become the Palmer buildings. Ground was to be broken as soon as possible – potentially within a month. On May 23, plans for the west campus – including blueprints for dorm designs – were presented at an open house. By the end of May, student suggestions were added to the architect’s plans.

“Each floor of the two-storied cottages will house 10 students in 6 single rooms and 2 double rooms. The rooms will be built around three outside walls with a living room in front and a large bathroom in the center,” the May 30 issue of the Catalyst reported.

The Dec. 5 issue of the Catalyst reported that the groundbreaking for the new residences was scheduled for the following week.

to ensuring that all members of the community are safe and respected.

In light of this, the Sarasota protest against Trump was a peaceful and positive stand against the policies and discrimination of Trump and his supporters. Hundreds of people of all ages, including families with babies, marched together through downtown Sarasota chanting “Not My President” and other slogans, then returned to Five Points Park for a range of speeches given by local activists representing Black Lives Matter, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, as well as LGBTQ+ and Latinx communities.

The Party for Socialism and Liberation and ANSWER Suncoast (Act Now To Stop War and End Racism) had a table during the speeches, where they provided information about upcoming events, offered a sign-up list for emails about said events, and sold t-shirts and literature.

Throughout the march and the speeches, there was an emphasis on eliminating hate. Though there were brief moments when members of the crowd would chant “F*ck Donald Trump,” this was quickly toned out in favor of positivity and focusing on how

people can continue to combat hate.

The event saw an increased police presence within downtown Sarasota, though no arrests took place. At the time of the event, the entrance to Fruitville Road off US-41 was blocked by police cars. It is unknown if this is directly related to the protest. The event furthermore received news coverage from a variety of major local sources.

ABC 7 WWSB MySuncoast reports that over 200 people attended the event, including one Trump supporter who came to hand out water to “show them that we’re normal people who want to see the best for our country just like they are.”

Quinn, who is known for his activism for trans rights at Pineview High School, said after the event that he was proud of Sarasota: “Sarasota went red but it doesn’t look like it from this crowd.”

Quinn was inspired to help coordinate the protest in light of his previous activism for trans rights in the Sarasota area. He spearheaded “Nate’s List,” a list of trans-inclusive policies to be implemented in Sarasota County schools. Because of this campaign, Quinn knew there would be people

who wanted to protest against Trump’s presidency.

“I think everyone that hates Trump needs to come together,” Quinn said.

Third-year Hannah Procell reiterated Quinn’s sentiment: “It was so powerful to be there on Main Street sending out peace signs and chanting […] it was extremely empowering.”

As for Matalau, she was inspired to plan the event as a way to “keep breathing.”

There will be more events in the near future to stand in support of the groups represented at this weekend’s protest, with a Black Lives Matter protest being held in Bradenton on Saturday, Nov. 19 against local police discrimination. There will furthermore be a protest in Tampa supporting an increase to the minimum wage.

Answer Suncoast will be providing transportation from Sarasota to those who are interested.

“History takes attendance,” Procell said. “This is the kind of start we need to keep momentum, to not lose sight of the fact that everything is possible if we do it together.”

photo courtesy of the NCF Digital Archives

Outside of what looks to be B or E Dorm in May 1973.

THE BACK PAGE CATALYST The Bradentucky Bombers take on the Vice City Rollers WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2016 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst

BY KELLY WILSON

In light of recent events, Roller Derby remains a feminist powerhouse and an inclusive and welcoming environment for skaters and supporters alike to enjoy a night of sports and fun.

On Nov. 12 the Bradentucky Bombers took on the Vice City Rollers from Miami-Dade at the Astro Skate and fun center in Bradenton in their last home game of their tenth season. The game started with a pre-game outside the rink at half an hour before the match started at 5 p.m. Before the game started, the Bombers took a moment to commemorate their veterans, and recognized team members who had been part of the team for the past ten years and then began their match by introducing the players on each team.

The crowd cheered for the players, with names like Tess Tickles, Dannahbal Lecter, Diva, and Blink 1sk82 as they flew past on skates. The bombers took an early lead and kept their lead throughout most of the night.

During the derby, and half-time, punk music reminiscent of Friday night’s Scene Wall at New College played in the background as the announcers announced points, and reminded fans to buy a raffle ticket to support the Rolling Rebels. The Rolling Rebels are a younger roller derby team, or as the announcers called them, the future bombers.

Towards the end of the night they started to fall behind. However they were rescued by Tess Tickles who received 34 points in her last two rounds as jammer bringing the team up to 181 points over the Vice City Rollers.

Roller derby operates with two teams, with one jammer each. The jammer wears a hat with a star on it over their helmet. The jammer’s goal is to pass as many people as possible, and earns one point for each person that they pass. The lead jammer has the ability to decide when the jam is over indicating this by tapping their hips.

However, not only is roller derby an intense sport it is also a sport associated with strong women and feminism movements.

“Roller derby is probably one of the only full contact sports that the default is women,” third-year Mollie Saumier, also known as Margaret Scratch-Her of the Bradentucky Bombers, said.

The women who participate come from all walks of life and have many interesting and diverse day jobs outside of the roller rink.

“You can find skaters of literally any size, shape, age, and background at the very top of the sport. I have teammates who are college professors,

graphic artists, waitresses, physical therapists, you name it!” fourth-year Ana Cheng, who plays roller derby for the Tampa team, said in an email interview.

The Bradentucky Bombers closed out their season with this game, and a tradition called a spank train where their videographer crawled through the player’s legs and got spanked by each member because it was his birthday.

Tampa team’s season ended recently as well. But, for those who want to learn more about the sport Cheng recommends checking out the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) page on Youtube.

The next season of roller derby for both the bombers and the Tampa team is expected to begin sometime in March of next year.

PAGE 12

all photos Kelly Wilson/Catalyst

The Rolling Rebels collect donations for their junior roller derby league

The Bradentucky Bombers created a spank train for their videographer on his birthday

The Bombers won 181 to 148 over the Vice City Rollers