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CATALYST
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NOVEMBER 23, 2016 VOLUME XXXIV ISSUE XI
A student newspaper of New College of Florida
SEA LEVEL RISE
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BLACK LIVES MATTER
all photos Jasmine Respess/Catalyst
A march against racist policing in Bradenton started at Manatee Library and ended at the City Police Department.
Protest against racist policing marches through downtown Bradenton BY JASMINE RESPESS
Outside the Downtown Bradenton Central Library, a growing group of people gathered a half an hour before noon. Those in attendance included students, community members, leaders, parents and grandparents. People of varying races and backgrounds gathered there to march in protest of racist police practices. The marchers walked with yellow signs that stated “Black Lives Matter” and “no justice, no peace” in black lettering. The protest started at the library, went through the Bradenton Farmer’s Market, stopped traffic on Manatee Street and ended
in front of the Bradenton City Police Department. The Black Lives Matter movement has been going for over a year now. Still, unfair policing practices have been occurring across the nation. These practices disproportionately affect black people in the United States. A protest against the unfair treatment of black people by police was held on Nov. 19 at Manatee County Library in downtown Bradenton. In aftermath of the appointment of Donald Trump, the Black Lives Matter movement is more relevant than ever. In Florida, the deaths of young people of color such as, Rodney Mitchell
and Elias Guadarrama have lead to sorrow, anger and action. “If you are a humanitarian,” President of the NAACP Rodney Jones said to the gathering of about 60 marchers. “Of course all lives matter, but we’re here because black people are targeted most often.” According to the NAACP website, “African Americans are incarcerated nearly six times the rate of whites.” Recently, The NAACP uncovered statistics about jarring discrepancies regarding deaths by police and arrest of black people in Manatee county specifically. One of the statistics was that black people make up 9 percent of
the Manatee community and make up 27 percent of the arrest. The consensus at the march was not that the racist police practices need to be exposed, the information is out and know, instead there needs to be something done about it. “We need to know,” Beltran said. “What is the [city’s ] plan to stop racist policing.” The marchers were met with varying reactions as they walked their path. There were positive reactions from passersby who cheered and waved,
facilitator, said. “There’s enough dedicated people that we’re getting two major projects off the ground.” One of the projects Refos referenced is a youth leadership summit intended to be held at New College during Black History Month. The Black Student Union is partnering with the chapter’s Education focus group to organize the event and Sociology Professor Mecca Zabriskie has been working with Booker High’s dance director Melissa Lodhi to develop a curriculum. The chapter decided back in August to hold meetings on the New College campus, keeping in mind the school’s location on the border between Sarasota and Manatee counties. Refos also notes New College as a dependable ally to the movement for black lives. “New College has traditionally been powerful advocates for social justice and we see the people trying
to make a difference and using the resources that the school provides to assist us,” she said. “That’s what Black Lives Matter Manasota is– it’s about us using our resources to empower the [black] community.” Though Black Lives Matter Manasota is not yet a registered chapter, the group is officially recognized by the movement and is working with the Tampa chapter to become formally registered – an intensive, paperworkheavy process. Updates were given on group projects and new initiatives and wider discussion opened as the meeting unfolded. The Restorative Justice focus group presented an email letter composed to be sent to local news media demanding that they cease the “use of victims’ mugshots in reporting on unrelated crimes,” as the subject line reads in the email draft.
Natasha Clemons announced that her court case fighting for justice against the deadly shooting of her son, Rodney Mitchell, by the Sarasota Police Department is being taken to Supreme Court. There are several fundraisers in the making to support her campaign. President of Manatee county’s National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Rodney Jones, attended the meeting with several of Sarasota’s high school activists in tow to promote a protest happening that Saturday against racist policing. At the meeting, the group addressed a new movement to express solidarity for oppressed or marginalized groups by conspicuously wearing a safety pin. Several people of color present expressed concern with the trend being overwhelmingly ally-
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Black Lives Matter Manasota continues to empower black lives BY KATELYN GRIMMETT
An update on the Rodney Mitchell campaign, a fifth annual toy drive and a discussion on the safety pin trend, were all on the agenda at the Black Lives Matter Manatee-Sarasota meeting, held on the New College campus in ACE Lounge this past Wednesday. The meeting began with a reading of the Black Lives Matter mission statement and a reminder of the Manatee-Sarasota (Manasota) chapter’s goal: To work on the movement towards equality and dignity of black lives on a local level.” Introductions were made with a focus on new faces, who were welcomed to share what brought them there and how they hope to contribute to the movement. “It’s great to see the people that are returning every week,” Shakira Refos, a chapter leader and the meeting
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INDIE MARKET
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NEWS PAGE 2
Rising seas will alter the politics and future of Florida BY CASSIE MANZ As 2016 comes to a close, it might seem like most people are aware of climate change and hopefully accept the reality of it. After all, this year is predicted to be the hottest year on record, blowing past the record temperatures set by 2015. And yet there are still those conservative uncles who will sit next to you at Thanksgiving and argue that climate change is “a hoax,” maybe even one created by the Chinese. Republican Senator Marco Rubio, Republican Governor Rick Scott and Republican President-elect Donald Trump are all good examples of these “conservative uncle” archetypes who are also in charge of making laws that will dictate how the United States and Florida participate in the fight against climate change and prepare for the inevitable effects of global warming. Climate Central, a nonprofit news organization that reports on and analyzes climate science, reported that rising seas, a crowded coastline, spongy bedrock and the relatively common occurrence of tropical storms put more people and property at risk from storm surges exacerbated by sea level rise in Florida than in any other state by far. Perhaps one of these factors alone would not be so bad but when all of these characteristics are confronted with greater high tides and storm surges they become detrimental. In South Florida $69 billion worth of property will flood at high tide by 2030, according to a 2014 study “Risky Business: The Economic Risks of Climate Change in the United States.” Roughly 2.4 million people in the Miami area live less than 4 feet above the high-tide line; sea level rise has doubled the risk of a storm surge at this level in South Florida by 2030. By 2100 sea level is expected to rise between 6.6 and 30 feet. The estimates for regional sea level rise in Southwest Florida range between 5 and 9.4 inches by 2050 and 10.4 and 19.8 inches by 2100, according to a 2009 draft technical report released by the Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council. Although that seems far off, the seas are already rising and many places - including Florida - are already seeing the effects. In fact, Miami Beach experiences flooding so frequently the city has already spent more than 100 million dollars on coping measures. Rubio and Republicans, where do they stand? Senator Marco Rubio has not always held his current position on climate change, one that denies that
human activity is causing climate change. When he was a Florida legislator he said in 2007 that climate change gave the state an opportunity to become the “Silicon Valley of that [green energy] industry.” He began openly doubting climate change science when he ran for U.S. Senate in 2010. He was a favorite of the Tea Party, known for its libertarianism and science denial. During his time as a U.S. Senator, Rubio has signed the “no climate tax” pledge circulated by anti-tax lobbyists that promises to not support a tax on carbon, a clear move for fossil fuel companies. He has claimed he would roll back Obama’s Clean Air Act actions and he supports increased offshore drilling and the Keystone XL pipeline, according to Newsweek. In the eyes of an environmentalist, none of this is good. Rubio has remained silent and absent on the threats of climate change, an issue that is important to many of his constituents. His inaction has also angered public officials in Miami who feel left alone to deal with a massive and pressing problem. A June 2015 poll of Florida's 27th Congressional District, including Rubio’s hometown of Miami, found 81 percent of respondents believed climate change is a problem Congress should address, and 82 percent wanted Congress to support economical ways to mitigate the problem, according to Newsweek. Although climate change denial is common among Florida Republicans, there are a few Republicans who have accepted it. Representative Carlos Curbelo, also from Miami, was the first House Republican co-sponsor of a resolution last year acknowledging that climate change is a problem that needs to be addressed and wrote an op-ed for The Miami Herald entitled “Climate Change Cannot Be a Partisan Issue,” according to Newsweek. Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, another Miami Republican, also signed on to the resolution. Policies and procedures In a 2009 report on climate change in Florida, the Florida Oceans and Coastal Council stated that coastal wetlands, salt marshes and mangroves are all expected to be negatively affected by sea-level rise. Florida’s beaches and coastline will experience varying levels of erosion. In the Marine Policy Institutes’ study, an important impact of sea level rise that will greatly affect Florida is greater high tides and storm surges, which have the potential to be detrimental to coastal infrastructure. Climate change will change the geography of Florida, onshore and
"I am the media" © 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.
The potential impact of sea-level rise on South Florida.
image courtesy of umich.edu
offshore, including its barrier islands, rising seas will affect homes and roads in inlets, estuaries and coastal forests. low-lying coastal areas, but what is not In a study entitled “Synopsis of talked about as much is the effect it will an Assessment: Policy Tools for Local have on water systems and the health Adaptation to Sea Level Rise” published of residents and visitors, for example, in 2009 by the Marine Policy Institute at the potential of bursting septic tanks Mote Marine Laboratory it was posited contaminating groundwater in Miami that although the Florida government because of sea level rise. Climate change has been working on policies and will also affect the economy, especially processes to cut greenhouse emissions Florida’s, where tourism and real estate so as to slow global warming and sea are two huge players. level rise, there is a concerning lack The Mote Marine study promotes of planning for the effects of climate the importance of adaptation to sea change that will inevitably happen. level rise at the local level. Impacts Seven years later and it remains may differ by region depending on unclear how much has been done to the different biophysical and socioplan for the effects of rising sea levels economic features of communities, thus in Florida. adaptation to sea level rise should be However, the study is hopeful tailored to specific local vulnerabilities that local and state governments have and needs. And with not much help in enough time to plan even for the high Florida from Tallahassee or Washington global estimates of a 40-inch sea level D.C. it seems the work will be left to rise by 2100. local governments. According to the document: “There is yet time for communities to Information from this article was adapt to sea level rise and they already gathered from newsweek.com, sealevel. have a number of tools in hand to climatecentral.org, mote.org, newyorker. begin this work: land use planning, com and flseagrant.org. coastal development rules, ecosystem conservation plans, public facilities and infrastructure investments and post- CORRECTION: In the "Trump rally" article from Issue 9, disaster redevelopment planning.” Career Service Rep Erika Thompson was According to the Florida Oceans incorrectly identified as the CWC Rep. and Coastal Council, climate has the We apologize for this error. potential to “threaten every aspect of life.” Most people understand that
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.
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CAMPUS
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What now? New College stands together to respond to Election 2016 BY DYLAN PRYOR On Nov. 8, students were left reeling with the idea of a Trump presidency. When Nov. 9 hit, the campus was left with a new question: what now? “The country has always had some elements that are not, what we might like, or what we might choose, but in various different challenging moments, there have always been people that were willing to step up and reshape history, and sometimes even make very good things about very bad things,” Professor of Political Science Keith Fitzgerald said. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong being in a sort of state of assessing and reassessing at this moment, where we are.” Rather than remain silent, the community erupted with a range of reactions to the results of the election. During the election watch party, several students exchanged hugs and words of comfort, while some just sat quietly with their friends and took solace from the presence of others. While the student body was rattled, it was clear that New College was united and no one would have to be alone in the days to come. “It gave me hope, because the community came together and we were
all supporting each other,” second-year Ximena Pedroza said. “Multiple people came up to us, saying that they’re there, that if we need to talk, they’re here, that if we need resources or anything… They were just…‘How can we help each other?’”. In the days after, New College stood together as the campus erupted with a display of reactions and students worked to find new and unique ways to comfort and support both themselves and the rest of the community. “When these things happen, people have every right to react to them appropriately,” third-year and New College Student Alliance (NCSA) coPresident Miles Iton said. "All I'm going to say is, I still ain't surprised and I still won't be scared." The most visible of the campus reactions were a wide variety of chalk messages scrawled across the Overpass and near the dorms by students such as second-year Jack Micoli, who wrote a message reading “fucking WHY” near Second Court. The messages ranged from expressions of shock to consolations and encouragement. “It was the day after the election, so I spent the day cleaning and periodically crying. The act of making huge angry chalk signs was really therapeutic,” Micoli said, although he later reflected
that there were other things he could have written due to coming from a place of privilege. “Yeah it absolutely does suck, the election results threaten people's basic human rights, but your rights - ablebodied white cishet males, generally speaking, will remain intact as they typically have in this country,” he said. “The chalk signs did help me relieve some stress, but there are better ways for a privileged person to contribute.” However, while chalk messages will eventually wash away, efforts to stand with the community did not. Thesis student and former NCSA coPresident Paige Pellaton recently created the “New College United” poster campaign to spread messages of hope and encouragement across campus in cooperation with Sophia Doescher and Leen Al-Fatafta the NCSA. “The NCF United campaign is basically, a passive programming campaign that I am getting involved with to remind New College students who might be in despair or not necessarily know where to go to that they have the rest of the New College Community as their support system,” Pellaton said. “It is a very passive campaign, it’s the one way that I know that I can help in a way that is not necessarily draining a ton of energy, but is also hopefully going to
Pending impeachment of NCSA co-Presidents halted by student response BY GIULIA HEYWARD
It was a Friday evening, classes were out and yet dozens of students remained on the academic side of campus to witness the reveal of one of the most controversial Student Court cases to date. “It’s come to our attention that Paul [Loriston, third-year] and I should resign as NCSA [New College Student Alliance] co-Presidents on the advice of Student Court,” third-year and NCSA co-President Miles Iton said. The Cabinet Meeting took place on Friday, Nov. 18 at 5:45 p.m.. Due to the sheer amount of people in attendance which included Event Coordinator Tara Centenno and Dean of Student Affairs Robin Williamson - Chief of Staff and third-year Olivia VanHousen began the Cabinet Meeting by having members of the Cabinet introduce themselves. Afterwards, other members of the NCSA, from discipline representatives to the Mac Lab TA, were found to be in attendance and also introduced themselves, among giggles from the audience. Student Court Chief Justice and thesis-student Allen Serrell and Student Court Counselor and secondyear Sage Ray, who was revealed to be one of the complainants behind the case, were both in attendance. The first offense brought against the co-Presidents was the lengthy hiring process for the new Supervisor of Elections after the previous Supervisor, third-year George Thurlow, resigned;
the second offense is for lack of attendance at faculty meetings and the third offense was the presentation of an agenda item by Paul Loriston to extend the late fall NCSA elections at the Nov. 14 Towne Meeting. Serrell, who opted to recuse himself from the case, expressed hope that the hearing, should the case go to trial, allow all participants to end on good terms by the outcome of the case. “We don’t want to make it anymore inconvenient than it already is,” Serrell said. “But I think that it’s something that’s serious enough that the student body should be made aware of it. [...] I just want to thank you two again for meeting with me, I think it was a productive conversation and I think this was a way to show that we can deal with our disagreements in a way that doesn’t have to be acrimonious.” Loriston and Iton, however, disagreed with the nature of the case. Loriston and Iton maintained that that the lengthy hiring process for the new Supervisor of Elections, as well as Loriston’s presentation at the Nov. 14 Towne Meeting, was due to their interest in hiring a qualified candidate and the shortcomings of the Human Resources department, a requirement for any individual working a job with the New College of Florida in order to appear on the payroll. Loriston also maintained that the cold weather deterred him from wanting to present at the Towne Meeting, which took place in Palm Court, for any longer than he had to. The two also stated that Iton
had attended a faculty meeting in the summer, while Loriston had attended the other, while working his second job as a Campus Spaces Assistant and that the only agenda item voted on was for Day of Dialogue, one that Iton had been a part of. “This [the student court case] does seem acrimonious because, if someone fucks up, the proper thing is to tell them,” Loriston stated at the Cabinet Meeting. “The not proper thing is to hush up about it, form a case, and then tell me that I should resign. That’s rude, disrespectful and not representative of what true democracy should be like.” Additionally, Vice President of Relations and Financial Affairs, Cheikhou Kane, brought up a previous issue of malfeasance from Ray on the basis of micromanagement of individuals, particularly women of color, on the Cabinet. A written statement was formed asking for a recall election but was never sent out to the student’s list. “In the interest of civility, in order to keep pushing the school forward, nothing was made further at this point,” Kane stated, referring to the written statement that was never sent out. “Now, on our side, I find it quite disrespectful.” At various points, VanHousen interjected to remind the attendants to remain respectful. “Stop!” VanHousen said. “I will not have anyone antagonizing each other
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put back good faith in the community.” The NCF United campaign currently has over 45 signatures and students can submit positive affirmations for the campaign via a Google Form that is accessible on the forum.
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BLM Manasota CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
centered. The discussion ended with the all-encompassing point that the safety pin trend focuses on individual racism rather than systemic racism. Chapter meetings meet biweekly and are an essential way for anyone to get involved with the movement for black lives. Project updates, direct action info and community promotion are all recurring agenda items. The Manasota chapter is on the move. “An important thing we did is getting with the Links organization, an older group of African American women that are very curious about what we’re doing and want to support us,” Refos said. “They created a platform for us to speak and they’re 100 percent behind us.” There were several members of Links present at the meeting and one member expressed that the organization could potentially sponsor the youth summit project. A key benefit from the new association with Links is that it “legitimizes the chapter in the eyes of elder community,” Refos explained. An obstacle that has shown itself clearly for Black Lives Matter Manasota is a wide gap between older and younger generations. “I think that historically there have been a lot of people that have utilized the black struggle and made it into some sort of pet project, white guilt thing,” Refos said. “So I think that a lot of it is, with these projects, being able to show what we’re doing as opposed to saying it.” Deidra Larkin, one of the chapter’s leaders, spoke to the potential benefits Black Lives Matter Manasota has to offer Newtown as a Historic African American community. Larkin grew up in Newtown and spoke to how the Manasota chapter can empower the community. “[The chapter] can educate people about the things that we see but don’t quite understand, it can help develop community pride as an organization that stands behind them and gives them a voice,” Larkin said. “Some obstacles are just being divided and how we’ve allowed the system to divide us and how, a lot of times it’s the new generation against the older, fearful generation. There’s a common ground now: our lives do matter, and we can move forward from that.”
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Donate to communal Ham points card BY RYAN PAICE With the fall semester winding down and the balances of students’ meal plans dwindle, the value of communal Ham points is ever increasing. More and more students are finding their meal plans entirely drained, leaving the community card to be their only consistent source of food – at least until the end of January, when the ISP period ends and the spring semester rears its stressful head. Students who still have Ham points can donate to the community card to help feed other students – whatever points left in the community card by the end of the semester will carry over to spring – by emailing Bill Moore at ma4021@metzcorp.com. Simply include the amount of Ham points you want to donate, your N number and a signature. “There is a desperate need,” Metz General Manager for New College
Bill Moore said in an email interview. “There are students who are not eating at this time.” While the community card’s funds are low, as of Nov. 21, each semester late donations give hundreds of hungry students a consistent source of food. Those on-campus and without transportation only have a limited number of eateries at their immediate disposal, with 4 Windz and Hamilton Center housing the only two consistently-open food sources on campus – neither of which prove to be very cost-friendly – and the only two that take students’ meal plan points. With the limited number of options and money, many Novo Collegians every semester rely on the communal Ham points available to anyone who needs it. Despite its importance, the community card does not replenish or sustain itself, and any donations made are greatly appreciated and accepted.
FACEing Mental Illness workshops connect art and stigma BY RYAN PAICE Despite how increasingly knowledgeable we become with mental illnesses, the stigma behind the existence, treatment and diagnosis of such is deeply ingrained in within not just the United States, but many nations and cultures across the world. “FACEing Mental Illness: The art of Acceptance” is a community-wide art project led by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, birthed with the goal of breaking that stigma by putting a face to the whole of mental illness itself. Not just one face will do, however: anyone in the area who lives with a mental illness is encouraged to submit their own self portraits, or attend one of the many workshops that will be thrown, so that viewers know the face of mental illness is not a face of one – it is the face of many, and anyone. All that is required of the art is that it be a “self portrait,” in “any artistic medium that expresses how they feel about their challenges or how they feel they are perceived by others.” Artists will be interviewed, and video and audio-taped by Carrie Seidman of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, for their own stories in a weekly column. Workshops will be held in November, December and January, with all kinds
of art supplies provided, as well as professional artists present for advice or guidance. “The project will culminate in a free exhibition at the Ringling College of Art in Design in March 2017,” the project prospectus reads. “In which all the artwork and stories will be displayed and a national mental health advocate will speak. A documentary film following the progress of the entire project will also be produced.” In-kind and philanthropic contributions are graciously accepted, as anything ranging from art supplies to money helps. A project fund has been established at the Gulf Coast Community Foundation – which keeps donations taxdeductible – so to make a contribution, send a check, made out to the Gulf Coast Community Foundation and with “FACEing Mental Illness Project Fund” written in the memo line. Call Kristin Taylor at 941-486-4615 for any questions regarding contributing. “All of the people who deal with mental illness are of all ages and races, and all types,” Carrie Seidman of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and the project’s head, said. “It isn’t anything we should feel the need to be ashamed of, or anything we feel like we have to hide.”
The face of mental illness is not a face of one – it is the face of many, and anyone.
NEWS PAGE 4
Hate speech hurled at NCF students of color BY ANYA MARÍA CONTRERAS-GARCÍA
Content Warning: This article describes real instances of extreme racism and sexism, including uses of slurs Since Donald Trump’s election, a wave of intimidation, violence and harassment against minorities has swept the country. News feeds have been riddled with headlines like, “Student wearing hijab threatened with being set on fire” and “Vandals spray-paint transgender woman’s car with hate speech” but incidences such as these seem far-removed from our New College bubble. Until it happens to some of our own. A group of six first-year New College students had a chilling experience at the Siesta Key Beach drum circle last Sunday. They arrived at the beach around sundown, and it wasn’t long until the situation became alarming. “The first thing that happened was the evangelical guy promoting hate speech from the Bible,” Selena Goods said, who identifies as a queer, half-Filipino half-Black woman. “They had a huge-ass sign that was like, ‘Gays, Homos, Drunkards, Fornicators, Thieves – You’re Going to Hell’, in big red font. Then there was this one girl who was like, ‘Oh, but God loves everyone’.” “She came over to me and started talking,” Olivia Pertierra said, who identifies as a Latina woman. “She said, ‘Jesus loves everyone… I voted for Donald Trump, and Trump doesn’t believe that, he just wants the illegals out.’” According to Pertierra, the woman who approached her was referencing Trump’s hardline stance on illegal immigration, regarded by many as coded racist language against Latinxs. * A few minutes later, part of the group of New College students overheard a potentially racist comment as a white woman walked past them. “We didn’t hear what the rest of her conversation was, but we just heard her say, ‘They’re acting like their monkey ancestors,’” Sarai Minott said, who identifies as a dark-skinned AfroCaribbean woman. “I was like, ‘Ima hope that’s not directed to the black people, even if it wasn’t it’s still racist, so fuck you.’” Later, the group of New College students were sitting near the shore watching a group of young white people gathered around a beer pong table. “A bunch of young people were drinking and a police officer [got out of the golf cart and] approached them,” Goods said. “One of the young white men walked up to him with a beer in his hand and shook the officer’s hand. Then the officer drove away. That’s important because we didn’t feel like the police officers could help us at all. And then out of nowhere, we weren’t even expecting anything, some white girl screamed at the top of her lungs, ‘Nigger!’ with a hard R.” “How are you, white woman, going
to sit here and tell me, woman of color, that a word used for the subjugation of people who look like me wasn’t said in a racist way?” Minott said. “I don’t understand why white people try to define what is and isn’t racist to people of color.” Later in the night, the group noticed that the drum circle was winding down and decided to leave. As they walked away from the beach towards the parking lot, a man in the crowd behind them shouted, “Go back to Africa!” Minott, one of the two black students in the group, attempted to confront the man who shouted at them. “I went over there and was like, ‘Yo, who said that shit to me? What the fuck is wrong with you?’ and they all just stared at me,” Minott said. “At this point I was furious. I got closer to him and was like, ‘Do you want to say that shit again?’ but they started ignoring me so I just walked away.” Disturbed and enraged, the group of New College students walked towards their cars to leave the beach when they realized they were being followed by the white men who had just heckled them. “The younger white dude who had shouted [“Go back to Africa!”] earlier had followed us out to the parking lot and was talking to Sofia [who identifies as an Afro-Latina woman] and said, ‘I like Africa! That’s where all the good weed is,’” Tali Spiliadis said, who identifies as a queer Jewish woman. “Then I said, ‘Fuck off,’ to this other guy that was coming up to us to, like, defend him,” Spiliadis said. “Then they said, ‘You fuck off, you dumb sluts.’ And then we were like, ‘Fuck you! You can’t call us sluts!’ They just kept on saying ‘Sluts! Sluts! Sluts!’ We walked away.” As the group of New College students got in their cars and began driving away, a group of white men in the parking lot began chanting, “Build a wall! Build a wall!” “It was really shocking to have blatant racism directed towards me, especially as my first day as an adult because it was my [18th] birthday,” Goods said. “Also, it kinda pissed me off to see white people on the forum be like, ‘Let’s make friends with Trump supporters,’ when me and all my close friends got racist shit said at us while all these white males are trying to discredit our experiences by telling us we should be passive, essentially.” “I felt really scared and all of a sudden aware that it wasn’t just online or pretend but in real life,” Spiliadis said. “This is more real than I thought. I can’t just assume that I’m safe and that my friends are safe.” Violent and racist incidents have spiked nation-wide. The Southern Poverty Law Center has counted more than 700 cases of hateful harassment or intimidation in the United States since Donald Trump’s election. Many perpetrators explicitly invoked Trump in their harassment.
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NEWS PAGE 5
Japan hit by magnitude 7.4 earthquake BY RYAN PAICE A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck off the coast of Japan on Tuesday, Nov. 22, at 5:59 a.m. local time, which was followed by tsunami warnings issued for the Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures. The warnings were later downgraded, but waves reportedly as high as 1.4 meters were recorded at the Sendai port, and residents were advised to avoid the shore and get to high ground, leading to widespread evacuation from Sendai to Fukushima, with tremors felt in as far as Tokyo. Fukushima, the site of 2011’s destructive magnitude 8.9 earthquake and tsunami that followed, suffered a handful of minor injuries and factory disruptions. Flights to and from the Sendai airport were disrupted, and while the Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant’s reactor number 3 stopped operating at 6:10 a.m., it was back up and running by 7:49 a.m. The power plant is reportedly safe and intact.
Citizens of the Japanese coastline evacuated from the coastal area and were urged by local TV and broadcasting not to go back immediately. “It was huge and lasted so long,” Akemi Anzai, resident of Minaimisoma - a city north of the Fukushima plant said. “The tsunami siren warning can be heard from the coastline. The ground is still shaking. I’m so scared. But my concern is rather the situation at the nuclear plant.” Fortunately for the people of the Japanese coastline – and especially the people of Fukushima, who have already endured their own hardships after the nuclear accident following the aforementioned earthquake and tsunamis of 2011 – there was no nuclear accident this time, and major property damage and personal injury was largely avoided. Information from The Guardian and The Telegraph.
Kanye hospitalizes himself after cancelling his Saint Pablo Tour
The Activist Newsletter Katelyn Grimmett/Catalyst
This week (11/23 – 12/1), activists have the opportunity to participate in protest marches, donation drives, peace rallies and speaker panels. Read on if you want to get involved in the community regarding racial justice, protest etiquette, national politics and reproductive justice.
BY ANYA MARÍA CONTRERAS-GARCÍA Wed, Nov. 23 March Against Trump @ 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. Lykes Gaslight Square Park, 410 N Franklin St, Tampa, FL 33602 Join Love Has No Borders for a massive march in Tampa to reject Trump and the hate crimes he has inspired. Activists will be marching at 7:30 p.m. through downtown Tampa. Join in solidarity with all people who face horrific consequences as a result of this election. Bring noise makers, banners, signs and water. For more information, check out the event page on Facebook. Nov. 23 - Dec. 10 Greg Cruz’s 5th Annual Toy Drive
rodrigoferrari/Flickr Creative Commons
BY RYAN PAICE The prodigal rapper Kanye West was kept under observation at a Los Angeles are hospital on Monday, Nov. 21, after having his concert promoter – Live Nation – announce that the remaining dates of his Saint Pablo Tour have been cancelled. While West has his share of moments, the week has been a roller coaster for the musician; from revealing his support of Donald Trump, to ranting about Jay Z and Beyonce – and leaving the show after only three songs – Kanye has had a particularly concerning week, coming to a head with his own voluntary hospitalization. The LAPD responded to a medical welfare call at about 1:20 p.m. (4:20 p.m. EST), according to a source familiar with the case. No criminal activity was involved, and “the decision to hospitalize West for his own health and safety,” according to the source. There were no reasons given for the cancellation of the rest of his Saint
Pablo Tour, and many have questioned the mental health of West after his outof-character week, including Snoop Dogg, who made a video in reaction to Kanye’s rant that went viral. Many have cited the loss of his mother for his mental instability, but it remains speculation. Not that it isn’t believable: West, who lost his mother and source of personal grounding, Donda West, in November 2007, has gone on the record in blaming himself for the death of his mother. “If I had never moved to L.A. she’d be alive,” West said in an interview with Q magazine. “I don’t want to go far into it because it will bring me to tears.” Regardless of whatever reasons Kanye has for his eccentric outbursts of the past week, and the resulting hospitalization, confused and concerned fans across the country hope for his recovery. Information from NBCnews.com and USMagazine.com.
of love and compassion to American public. This event have ASL interpreters, and Deaf community is welcome! more information, check out event page on Facebook.
the will the For the
Tues, Nov. 29 National Day of Action in Tampa Post-Election Keep the focus on important local social and economic justice issues after the election. A major strike of Tampa Bay childcare, homecare, and fast food workers is being organized in Ybor City with support of Black Lives Matter and other community groups throughout the region. For more information, contact Kelly Benjamin at kellybenjamic@gmail. com.
If you are able to donate new Thurs, Dec. 1 Ask the ACLU @ toys, books or clothes to his drive 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. for local foster kids please contact Selby Public Library, 1331 1st Greg Cruz at lyfetruth@yahoo. St, Sarasota, FL 34236 com. The deadline to donate is Dec. 10. Items can also be brought to Since the Presidential any Black Lives Matter Manasota Election, more questions than ever meeting which are held in ACE have come up about the future Lounge at New College of Florida. of a person's civil liberties. The Sarasota Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is Tues, Nov. 29 Peace Rally in presenting a panel of lawyers to Tampa @ 2 p.m. – 7 p.m. answer those questions and share Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, what the ACLU will do if Donald 600 N Ashley Dr., Tampa, FL Trump carries out some of his 33602 campaign promises. Lawyers will answer questions about our Join activists uniting together rights as protestors and what is to peacefully show Donald Trump legal regarding handing out flyers, and his supporters that we who gathering personal information, have fallen victim to hate speech protesting, civil disobedience and – Muslims, women, Latinx, the what that entails. The event is LGBTQ+ community, people with sanctioned by the ACLU and is free disabilities, and any minorities – and open to the public. For more that #LoveStillTrumpsHate. Invite information, check out the event friends and loved ones, make page on Facebook. signs and share peaceful thoughts
Rosemark District Indie Market brings the funk to Sarasota BY MAGDALENE TAYLOR This Saturday, Nov. 19, marked the first ever Rosemary District Indie Market, an outdoor event mixing together elements of farmer’s markets, craft fairs and vintage flea markets into one space celebrating the artisan, creative aspects of the local Rosemary District. The event featured 20 vendors, all of whom were from Sarasota and neighboring towns. The emphasis was on all things “indie” (short for independent) as the name suggests, which manifests in things like vintage clothes, handmade jewelry and repurposed furniture. Ashley Rogers, lifelong Sarasota resident and owner of Canned Ham Vintage, a vintage furniture, clothing and accessory store at 701 Cohen Way, where the event took place, calls the event her “brainchild.” “We’re not a farmers market, a flea market or a craft show - we’re a place where you will find the most random, awesome stuff,” she told Sarasota Magazine prior to the event. “We don’t fit into a box.” In an interview with the Catalyst, Rogers explains how growing up in the Rosemary District, she was surrounded by strong, creative women. This inspired her to continue that legacy in the neighborhood. After owning Canned Ham Vintage for a year and having travelled to vintage markets across the state, Rogers felt it was time to bring these markets local. “Sarasota is our home, and we’d like to bring the funk to Sarasota,” Rogers said. “There’s a lot of young, college students here, and we wanted to work with that young vibe,” she continued. The market itself did indeed have a young vibe, with lots of local families with small children and college aged students checking out the thrifted clothes. Inside Canned Ham Vintage, things were a little bit more representative of what Sarasota is known for - shoppers mainly fit into the upper class, white retired demographic, with enough money to drop $250 on a vintage dress for a Gatsby themed benefit gala. Even if it a bit out of our student budgets, it’s nevertheless a very cutely curated shop worth a visit. Rogers knows her stuff, too, with each item tagged with the era the piece is from and the available info about the piece. For those shoppers looking for clothing from a specific time to match an event, Rogers was quick to direct them to which pieces would be appropriate or anachronistic to the era. And for all you record collectors, both the store and other vendors at the event sold staple albums at a decently fair price. Other vendors at the event included Hearts Art Designs, owned by Sarasota native Sean O’Malley, who repurposes salvaged and reclaimed wood for one-of-a-kind pieces of
furniture in a collective-type space in the Rosemary District. New College students have previously come to him for Independent Study Projects on furniture-making. Other vendors included Fresh Farmer, a pop-up thrift boutique, Kari Bee Designs - who makes jewelry out of dead bees - and Sunshine Canning, owned by a New College alum. “This is where your Sociology degree will get you,” Lisa Fulk joked, the owner of Sunshine Canning. The event also featured produce from Geraldson Community Farm, a farm based in Bradenton that specializes primarily on Asian variety vegetables and CSA (Communitysupported agriculture) shares, where people from the area can pay an annual fee and receive a portion of the produce. Unlike much of the the Sarasota Farmers market, products sold at the Rosemary District Indie Market were actually local. As with much of Canned Ham Vintage, many vendors at the market remained a bit out of a student budget, but the notable exceptions, like the vegetables from Geraldson Community Farm and the yummy unique jams and pickled produce from Sunshine Canning make it definitely worth a visit. On top of that, Yummy Kebab’s food truck was parked at the event serving up tasty and fairly priced Mediterranean food. There may be some change-over in vendors in the future, and the event is likely to grow. The current plan is for the market to happen every third Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., with free admission and free parking. There’s nothing to lose in checking it out - you might walk away with something you can’t find anywhere else.
Magdalene Taylor/Catalyst The Indie Market is planned for every third Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Magdalene Taylor/Catalyst In addition to indie goods, fruits and vegetables were offered from Geraldson Community Farm
Magdalene Taylor/Catalyst Both the store and other vendors at the event sold staple albums at a decently fair price.
Magdalene Taylor/Catalyst Canned Ham offers up a selection of accessories and jewelry.
Magdalene Taylor/Catalyst The store also sells unique household items and furniture.
Magdalene Taylor/Catalyst Although many of Canned Ham's items fall over a college student's budget, there's no harm in trying on beautiful vintage dresses you'll never afford.
Magdalene Taylor/Catalyst Canned Ham owner Ashley Rogers travels to find many of the unique items sold.
Magdalene Taylor/Catalyst “Sarasota is our home, and we’d like to bring the funk to Sarasota,” Rogers said.
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The Electoral College: a defective elective system? BY JACOB WENTZ The electoral college has existed since the drafting of the Constitution, but many argue that it is an outdated form of government. In two of the last five presidential elections, the winner of the popular vote lost the electoral college vote, raising questions about the democratic process of American government. What is the Electoral College? The federal government’s website states that the Electoral College “is a process, not a place.” Established by the founding fathers, the Electoral College directly decides the winner of presidential elections. Within this system, there are 538 electors. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the President. A state’s amount of electors is determined by its number of Congressional representative; one for each member in the House of Representatives plus two for those in the Senate. But if the electoral college decides who wins the presidential election, does your vote really matter? Yes. Most states have a “winner-take-all” system in which states award all of their electors to the winning presidential candidate. However, other states like Maine and Nebraska function under a variation of “proportional representation.” Is the Electoral College outdated? In lieu of recent presidential election results, many people are pointing out the flaws of the Electoral College system. “The Electoral College is definitely outdated,” Associate Professor of Political Science Keith Fitzgerald said. However, Fitzgerald asserted the difficulty of disentangling the validity
of the Electoral College from shortterm politics, especially when the total popular vote disagrees, as the winning party credits the system for their win and the losing party blames the system for their loss. “If you could separate yourself off from any political commitments you have and ask yourself ‘are there any reasons why this makes a ton of sense in a contemporary standpoint?’ it’s going to be hard to come up with those reasons,” Fitzgerald said. In an interview with Sean Illing, Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale University Akhil Reed Amar argued that one of the major reasons for the establishment of the Electoral College was slavery. “In a direct election system, the South would have lost every time because a huge percentage of its population was slaves, and slaves couldn’t vote,” Amar said. Amar asserts that the Electoral College allowed states to count slaves, albeit disproportionately, providing the South an “inside track in presidential elections.” “It definitely creates an advantage of smaller states over bigger ones,” Fitzgerald said. This advantage is caused by a national disproportion of population size to electoral college votes. In smaller states, such as Wyoming, you get 3 electoral votes for about 580,000 people. This means that each elector represents around 193,000 people. In larger states, such as California, you have 55 electoral votes for about 38.8 million people. This means that, in California, one electoral vote represents about 705,500 people. “Your vote in Wyoming counts more than your vote in California,”
image courtesy of 270towin Each state's number of electors is determined by their representation in Congress.
Fitzgerald said. “We have the general sense that the rule should be one person, one vote; everyone is equal as a citizen in the say they have in the electoral process.” But the Electoral causes a disproportionate process of representation across the country. If votes are not truly equal, is this system truly democratic? “The Electoral College is a violation of democratic norms,” Fitzgerald said. “But I don’t think it’s the biggest problem we have as far as democracy is concerned.” Fitzgerald argues that the system that emphasizes the importance of equal opportunity also suggests that one must be wealthy to go into politics successfully. “However, you can’t presume that the outcome of the presidential election would’ve been different; had
we had a different system, a different set of rules, Donald Trump would’ve done things differently, and so would Secretary Clinton,” Fitzgerald said. “You don’t know that Clinton would’ve won if you had a popular vote, and so the idea that somehow this outcome is illegitimate because he had fewer votes than she did isn’t totally justified.” It seems clear, however, that the Electoral College is very outdated. Founded to create an equal playing field for slave states, the system creates a disproportionate value of one vote across the nation. “It’s just sort of a wacky system,” Fitzgerald said. Wacky, and hardly democratic. Information from: www.archivs.gov, www.law.yale.edu, infoplease.com, and vox.com
Kasa Sushi: Your new go-to spot for Japanese food close to campus BY MAGDALENE TAYLOR Kasa Sushi opened up this last Wednesday, Nov. 16, making it the closest place to grab sushi near campus unless Sushi Bros ever returns. The new spot replaces Queen of Sheba, a well-loved Ethiopian restaurant that unfortunately closed earlier this year. The location remained empty for the last few months, until just a few weeks ago the new signs for Kasa Sushi were put up on the property, announcing that the Japanese restaurant would be coming soon. In the days leading up to the grand opening, cardboard signs in the window gave us a countdown to Wednesday afternoon, when Kasa opened its doors to the public with a full menu. I checked it out with my partner on Thursday afternoon for an early dinner. The decor is upscale casual, with leather chairs and white table cloths. The location is rather small, however, lending to a comfortable vibe. For the first few minutes, we were the only customers in the restaurant. As such, the waitstaff were ultra attentive - a
Magdalene Taylor/Catalyst The $12.50 sushi lunch special
feature that continued even as more customers arrived. Expect frequent check-ups from the waitresses asking how you’re doing. My partner and I each ordered sushi entrees that come with miso soup and a salad, which is always my
preferred way to begin a sushi dinner. I ordered a spicy combo, which came with a crab roll, a tuna roll and a salmon roll. He ordered a combo which came with a traditional tuna roll and multiple pieces of nigiri. All the sushi was perfectly fresh, especially the nigiri, and in decent
portions. For $17 a person, you’ll be having a feast. If you’re trying to stick closer to the $12 range, you could easily do so by ordering two rolls of sushi and maybe adding a bowl of miso soup. Go for lunch and you can get three rolls, soup and salad for $12.50. Kasa definitely offers options for a range of budgets that’ll leave you full and content. Every table receives a free dish of edamame to snack on while waiting for their sushi, though this may be for a limited time. Kasa also does hibachi, and sells a number of other traditional Japanese foods beyond sushi. Their more expensive sushi rolls and entrees all looked beautifully displayed - it’s certainly the type of place where you’ll be staring down other people’s orders as the waitstaff brings them out. Kasa is so close to campus that there’s truly no need to head downtown for decent sushi, but it’s good enough in its own right that it would be worth checking out even if it weren’t bikeable through the Bayshore neighborhoods.
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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst
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'Cutthroat Kitchen': Cult-classic show is brought to students' doorsteps BY GIULIA HEYWARD With the recent announcement of Food Network shows being removed from Netflix, college students everywhere mourn the loss of an era. But for one short evening, one of the soon to be axed shows, Alton Brown’s Cutthroat Kitchen, made its way to the doorsteps of New College dorms. NCF Cutthroat Kitchen was once an event idea of one hopeful and then Z Hall Resident Advisor and second-year (RA) Miles Iton. After becoming New College Student Alliance co-President the following year, Iton, along with co-President Paul Loriston, planned to recreate the cult classic show in Hamilton “Ham” Center on Friday, Nov. 18. “We felt as if the community needed to get together,” Loriston said. The following event also marked the first time that a collaboration between Housing, Metz and the NCSA has happened, something that Iton affectionately refers to as a “three-way cross over.” “This was more difficult to do
(left to right) Co-host and third-year Miles Iton poses with one of the dishes. Competitor and second-year Abigail DiGregorio cooks while judges watch.
last year with all the difficulty we had with Student Affairs,” Iton said. “But this year, with Robin [Williamson] and Jess [Maxon], this really was a wild success. This was something that a lot of students had been asking about.” Students were allowed to enter the competition under the guise of competing single-handedly, or in pairs. However, upon arrival, competitors were notified to form four teams, changing the dynamics of the competition in seconds. During round one, competitors were given a table
filled with ingredients and given twenty minutes to make appetizers. Two teams were sent home, leaving two teams-and only eight students remaining-cutting the size of the competition in half. The finalists were one team consisting of second-years Jack Belk and Colin Mulligan with transfer Olivia Short. While the second team consisted of second-years Ashley Brockoway and Abigail DiGregorio with thesis student Marianna Bonilla. “I found it to be a beautiful event that challenged people’s creativity,”
transfer student and Four Winds employee, Savannah Hawk, said. “There’s definitely a time constraint when you’re working at Four Winds, although you know the ingredients when you come to work.” After much deliberation from judges Dean of Student Affairs, Robin Williamson, Director of First Year Programming Jess Maxon and Event Coordinator, Tara Centenno, Belk, Mulligan and Short were the winners of a pizza party worth 100 Ham points, while the second team each won a Metz gift card worth 15 Ham points. The winning meal would be served in Ham the following week. “I really enjoyed seeing other people cook,” third-year and Vice President of Relations and Financial Affairs, Cheikhou Kane, who is also a fan of baking, said. “It reminds me of when I’m [in the kitchen and] enjoying myself. It was a really nice vibe, I really enjoyed it.” To see more photos of NCF Cutthroat Kitchen that accompany this article, go to ncfcatalyst.com.
all photos Giulia Heyward/Catalyst
Co-host and third-year Paul Loriston announces the winning team at the end of the second round.
Competitors third-year Jessica Brown and thesis student Cayli Caruso attempt to deliver a stand out appetizer in the first round.
One of the members of the winning team, second-year Colin Mulligan, prepares the team's dish in the final round.
Judges were blown away at the end of every round, declaring that picking a winning team was their challenge.
Four Winds employees and third-years Lorraine Cruz, Mary Robertson and secondyear Andreina Carrasquero sampled some of their peers' plates that were shared.
Competitor and second-year Ashley Brockoway manages to have a grin on her face, even among the high stakes of Cutthroat Kitchen.
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President-elect Donald Trump evokes deja vu in those who lived through the Reagan administration BY KELLY WILSON On Oct. 15, 1982, one year into Ronald Reagan’s first presidency, his press secretary laughed at the AIDS crisis, which disproportionately affected gay men. In June 2015, in the landmark 5-4 decision, the United States Supreme court ruled same sex marriage legal and overturned any state bans. This new ruling for many, seemed like a step in the right direction as it allowed for the legal right to marriage of people like Kevin O’Connor, a Metz employee at New College. However, with the recent election of Donald Trump becoming a reality, many people are now struck with a sense of deja vu for a period they had already survived. Although students who were raised for the most part under the Obama administration might be barely old enough to remember a President Bush, people of an older generation survived it. O'Connor remains positive we can survive the new wave of dissent as well. “So how did I survive it? On a positive note. I didn’t. I was angry. But that was then and I think we’ll survive. Because I survived then and I survived George Bush. I can survive Donald Trump. Somehow,” O'Connor said. In the 80s, President Ronald Reagan refused to even mention the AIDS crisis, O'Connor recalls. Press Secretary Larry Speakes turned the conversation into a joke by implying that the reporter who brought up the epidemic must have had it, according to Huffington Post. “The gay men were stigmatized. They were traumatized. They didn’t know what to do, they didn’t know what was happening,” O'Connor said. He recalls a narrative similar to many of the time of friends being scared to share dishes with a man with a Kaposi’s sarcoma - a type of cancer that
Anya Maria Contreras-Garcia/Catalyst
"I need feminism because... without feminism we have Trump - ugh" said Kevin's sign.
develops in later stages of AIDS which was then known as “the gay cancer” for fear of catching the disease they had little knowledge of. “People would bring over their plates when they would have dinner with him and they’d take their plates with them and wash them because nobody knew at the time,” O'Connor recalls. Other questionable activities involved any form of skin to skin contact, as people who did not understand the disease thought it could be transmitted through saliva, or tears. “Mothers didn't want me picking up their babies. People didn't want to kiss you on the cheek. People certainly didn't want to have sex with you, especially other gay people. It was very isolating and demeaning," openly gay author Edmund White said in an interview with CNN. President Reagan strongly influenced the so called Moral Majority, a belief that AIDS was a disease created by god to punish gay men, and did not acknowledge the AIDS crisis until the mid 80s. In combination with the American public’s view on the War on Drugs, created by President Nixon, the view of people with AIDS at the time was very negative.
In order to help prevent the spread of the disease there was a push for needle exchanges, however, advocates for this program such as Jon Stuen-Parker, a Yale School of Public Health student and former intravenous drug user at the time, were arrested for handing out needles on the streets. Recently, though, needle exchange programs have become more popular in the United States as a way to prevent the spread of AIDS. However, Vice President-elect Mike Pence, and former Indiana Governor was morally opposed to needle exchange programs in his state. After he defunded Planned Parenthood a crisis was created among low income residents of the state who could not get tested when Planned Parenthood closed. Governor Pence refused to acknowledge the problem. Eventually, Governor Pence agreed to help create a temporary needle-exchange program in 2015, which helped, according to The Huffington Post, but it came too late for residents already infected with the disease. Much like President Reagan’s public acknowledgement came too late for many gay men who also suffered from AIDS. O'Connor recalls one way of getting through the crisis then was
getting involved and coming together to help each other. “My friends were part of an organization in New York - called Act Up - I was very much in support of it,” O'Connor said. “I worked for a group called the Gay Friends and Neighbors Incorporated. You know strangely enough early in the AIDS epidemic the most supportive group, which is not strange, was lesbians. We got so much help from lesbians.” While many groups are coming together to try and fight a very strong push to the right from conservative Americans, the fight is only reactionary at this point and comes almost too late for many who had already been discriminated against. In 2013, the voting rights act of 1965 was torn apart in a highly unpublicized supreme court case, which many Democrats suggest was just the beginning of discriminatory hateful policies that allowed Donald Trump to become the next president-elect. “The [Trump Administration] is frightening,” O'Connor said. “Especially for some of the people with rights that they have now earned. That they shouldn’t have earned that they should have had all along. It’s scary. I know the students here especially were very somber. The next day after the election was very somber on campus. It was really depressing. I know that the students were depressed. It was a horrible. Horrible evening. I was very upset. “Will I lose my rights as a married gay man? Potentially. That’s pretty scary. I’ve only been married for one year. We got married on my mom’s birthday she was 87. We’d been together for 17 years. Just for me to lose that right.” However, O'Connor remains hopeful that times are changing and the future is bright, especially among New College students.
Songs you should heAR cooking 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 cooking songs – take a look at the results below.
BY CAITLYN RALPH AND JASMINE RESPESS "Tears Dry on Their Own" Amy Winehouse I often listen to this when I make dinner. This song, like much of the Back to Black album is very sad. If I cry, I just act like it's the onions. "Trap Queen" - Fetty Wap I genuinely thought this song was about cooking chicken parmesan. Far off from the actual content but still a good song for stirring it up in the kitchen.
"Blended Family" - Alicia Keys My mother and I used to listen to Alicia keys when we baked. Most of her songs are classics, but her new album is features this touching song about modern families. So, it is a perfect song to listen to while cooking, eating and bonding with family blood or chosen. “Milk And Cookies” - Melanie Martinez Melanie Martinez is a 21-yearold singer with the most unique style in music right now. Boasting a twisted vintage baby look, Martinez created a candy-coated debut album that is anything but sugary pop music, often delving into complex ideas through
extended metaphor. “Milk And Cookies” starts like the battle scene in a movie before falling for Martinez’s catchy vocals, complete with the characteristic lyric, “Hush, little baby, drink your spoiled milk / I’m fucking crazy, need my prescription filled.” “Brain Food” - Milk Teeth A perfect punk song, “Brain Food” is literally about being bored. The track is representative of Milk Teeth’s old school grunge-punk style, channeled in an awesome chorus that cuts up heavy guitars with frontwomen Becky Blomfield’s vocals.
“Pink Lemonade” - The Wombats “Pink Lemonade” by the Wombats has nothing to do with the drink. (To be honest, I’ve just chose songs with some kind of food item in the title - they may or may not be good to play while cooking, I’m not sure.) However, the protagonist in this track has realized his partner is cheating on him, and, like taking a nice swig of refreshing pink lemonade, comes to terms with the situation. The song’s bitter lyrics are disguised by suspiciously light-hearted instrumentation, creating a sarcastic anthem for anyone who’s had their heart broken by an ill-fated lover.
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 but there were also negative comments and altercations. Specifically, a woman who wrote “All lives matter” on a piece of paper and held it in protesters faces as they passed. Those who were attending the Farmer’s Market seemed taken off guard and reacted by taking pictures. Some were upset, due to the interruption of their sales, but still, some were understanding and supportive. Most were silent and waited for the group marched on. Those who partook in the protest included members on Black Lives Matter Manasota organization, NCF students and citizens of Manatee and Sarasota who wanted to express their concerns over police practices. “I went to support the Black LIves Matter movement,” NCF second-year and Catalyst reporter Cassie Manz said. “To protest the pattern of racist policing in Bradenton and the country.” Another NCF student who attended the protest was third-year Hannah Procell. She explained that she had attended a anti-Trump rally in Sarasota the week before. “It felt so important to continue staying involved and supportive of causes that push for justice and equality that I made an effort to ride to Bradenton with my friend [Cassie Manz].” Procell said that she believed the march through downtown and the Bradenton Farmer’s market were productive actions. “There was also a demonstration in front of the police department's building which I felt was very successful in calling attention to our grievances with the disproportional stops, arrests,
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst
and killings of people in the black community of Bradenton. [...] This type of peaceful yet powerful demonstration is important because "real" political change can truly occur when people of a community come together to send a message to its leaders.” One of the more intense moments, was the blocking of a major road in downtown Bradenton. “Blocking the road can be an exciting experience. It's like getting a tattoo, after your first one you want more,” Black Lives Matter Manasota protester said. “I would have liked to see more people out there on the front line but I understand that it is way less complicated to wear a safety pin and call it a day.” During the protest, police were present. They did not respond or interfere with the protesters demands directly, even though the protest was about their practices specifically. They did watch from afar and kept in communication with the protest leaders. The protest, which was filled with chants of “power to the people,” “the KKK is not ok,” and “the police in this hood are no good” ended right in front of the Bradenton City Police Department. A large yellow banner the words “Black LIves Matter” painted on it was angled at the station. Apart from one lone officer in front of the main entrance, there was no action from those inside. The cops that were already out kept a comfortable distance. Demonstrations in honor of those who have died by police fire as well as a mannequin challenge were held outside the station. More protests are on the horizon, and there is no end in sight until equality is achieved and there is justice for marginalized people.
What Election 2016 taught us about winning your Thanksgiving table argument BY DYLAN PRYOR
I think we can all admit it’s been a tough past couple weeks, and we could all use a break. However, with the angry orange man now looming over both society and the dinner table, there’s a new danger on the horizon: Thanksgiving table talk. And once the topic of elections gets dropped, let me assure you, you’re probably best off just hiding under the table. But Election 2016 has taught us a few lessons, so if you can’t do that, here are a few tips for how to win an argument with your more politically questionable relatives. 1. Don’t use the word “wall”. Or “great,” for that matter. Try using “partition,” and “splendid” instead. In fact, just break out your thesaurus. Time to drop those SAT-level synonyms. 2. Don’t send any emails involving Benghazi at the table. We all know how this one turns out. 3. Don’t agree to release your
tax records until after the argument. Remember that you have nothing to hide, so your relatives should just take your word for it, and let you keep on hiding things. 4. When things get tough, just start belting out Katy Perry’s “Part of Me.” Once you start singing singer and songwriter Katy Perry’s hit song, there’s just no way even your most disagreeable relatives won’t sing along. And if that doesn’t work on its own, put on the music video. There are guns in it. 5. Prove to your younger cousins that you’re “just one of the kids.” Pokemon Go puns and Star Wars references work great for this. 6. Live tweet your Thanksgiving argument to gain an army of lessinformed followers. As long as you stay away from the subject of facts or “how things are,” you’ll do just fine. 7. Claim the argument is rigged. I know it, you know it, everyone knows it. Believe me.
What now?
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 “Basically, I’m just looking for pieces of advice or words of encouragement you want to share with people in the New College community,” Pellaton said. “All responses are anonymous, and you’re more than welcome to submit or alter any responses you can.” Off-campus, students like Pedroza and second-year Kayla Kisseado continue to actively protest the results of the election alongside many other Sarasota residents. “Protesting is very, very empowering, there’s something about being united with a group of people who are from different backgrounds, hold different issues with this presidency, are being marginalized in different ways, even being with allies who are not being marginalized but don’t agree with this presidency because they understand how this is hurting, so, so many people,” Kisseado said. “And being united with them, just like chanting, marching, peacefully through the streets and such, having people look at you is very empowering, it makes you feel safe.” In regards to how other students
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and we are not attacking each other.” Both Ray and Serrell opted not to speak on the specifics of the case, stating that, once the case was finalized, it would become public record. “There are arguments being brought up here that are for a trial,” Ray said. “While I recognize that there are a large number of people on from the student body, this is not the time and place for it. If somebody does have a specific question for me, let me know.” Attendants, some of which included NCSA officials, took issue with news of both cases. “I see a lot of biases here, you seem to allow systems of oppression to be perpetuated,” second-year and Humanities Representative Andreina Carrasuqero said. “I think hiding this from the student body is not okay there are women of color in this campus that probably should know, everyone should know that this has been going on - not just NCSA officials or people on the Cabinet. This issue exists outside of New College and New College also perpetuates this.” Others in attendance included former co-Presidents and thesis students Shelby Statham and Paige Pellaton, as well as former third-year student and former Chief of Staff, and Catalyst online editor, Caitlyn Ralph. “I just want to say, as the former Chief of Staff, who worked with Late Night Library Hours and also the elections, I could not imagine having your Chief of Staff and Supervisor of Elections resign and having to deal with these,” Ralph said. “I commend you both for that.” Thesis student Harn brought up
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can get involved in protesting and other expressions of support, Pedroza noted the importance of being knowledgeable about what causes they support. “Get educated about what you’re going to defend, because when you want to get involved, you will be asked questions, left and right out of everything, they will try to discredit you, and the slightest sense that they’re getting that you don’t know enough… they will shut you down, and if you know more and more, you will just prove them wrong, further and further,” Pedroza said. “Also be an active ally, if you see someone saying racist remarks to any marginalized community, or anyone in general, stand up, say something.” Despite the path students choose or any opposition that they might face, asking questions and taking action will clearly be crucial going forward for those unsatisfied with the results of the election. “You fight for justice because the fight itself is where you find your own sense of meaning, so as crushing as defeat can be,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s the dignity of the struggle that makes it worthwhile, that’s where we find our own dignity and our own humanity, it’s the fighting for justice that makes politics a worthwhile human endeavor.” the nature of the case, which involved two members of Student Court. “We know that this is a small school, how is Student Court supposed to remain impartial?” Harn asked. “Are you saying that you didn’t know that they were working on this legislation?” In fact, it was the amount of Student Court members who opted to be recused from the case that contributed to the case being pulled. “After a complaint draft was discussed in the most recent cabinet meeting, two more Justices decided that they should recuse themselves from a potential hearing,” second-year and Student Court Justice Jackie School wrote in an email to the student’s list, a couple days after the Cabinet Meeting. “Great Book section 1003.4 states ‘[n]o action may be taken at a meeting where more than half the voting members are proxies.’ There are a few potential paths forward to deal with a situation like this, but the complainants have decided not to continue pursuing the case.” Williamson spoke at the meeting, discussing her amazement at the involvement from students who receive almost zero guidance from administration in positions such as the NCSA. “I also hope that we would show understanding to the Cabinet who, from my perspective, don’t get a lot of guidance, or you get what you get from years past so sometimes, people make mistakes, and there needs to be some understanding and some conversation and some communication,” Williamson said. “There are also other underlying issues that we need to have conversations about as a community. [...] This dialogue is really the first step, I think this could really go a long way. That’s just my two cents, spend it well.”
CATALYST
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst
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New music, new friends, new location: Newstock returns for another successful year BY CAITLYN RALPH At 80-plus degrees, Saturday was warm one - even for November in Sarasota. However, the hot sun didn’t stop plenty of students from grabbing a blanket and a friend and a block of shade to partake in campus’ most charming event, Newstock. Strewn on the Nook’s adjacent grassy area - different from the usual Z-Green location - Newstock welcomed attendees with music, crafts, food and good company. “We thought it would be more fun there. It’s more shaded, it’s more cozy,” second-year, Resident Advisor (RA) and Newstock organizer Hope Sparks said. Talented acts that took the stage on Nov. 19 included New College’s own student-filled jazz band New Catz, Sarasota’s Passerine (which include Professor Of Sociology David Brain), Orlando’s Sailor Ripley, Pensacola’s Renee Is A Zombie and campus mainstay Acapellago. Crafts were scattered throughout the lawn, welcoming guests to enjoy the live music and organic atmosphere offered by the friendly event. Student-run booths surrounded the area, selling baked goods (for Dance Collective!), handmade crocheted items, poetry, henna and more. Newstock is operated annually by RAs, who organize the event from start to finish - an exhaustive process that requires everything from booking and paying the musical acts to scheduling booths to providing food. “I thought it went really well,” Sparks said. 0PTiMYSTIC! & Friends closed out Newstock. On the final act, Sparks said, “The last set was surprising for a lot of people, but I think it was really good. I was talking to some of the people who went, and they said that if it would have been someone else closing Newstock, it probably wouldn’t have been as good. It was a nice transition from Newstock to the Wall.”
all photos Caitlyn Ralph/Catalyst
Passerine, which includes Professor of Sociology David Brain, entertained students with their folksy tunes.
Students spread blankets, listened to live music, talked with friends and enjoyed each other's company.
One of campus' most beloved events, Newstock set up shop on the Nook's grassy area Sunday.
Crafts and candy were spread throughout the lawn, welcoming students to partake in the RA-run event.