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CATALYST
BLACK FRIDAY USF GETS NEW GRANT
NOVEMBER 29,2017 VOLUME XXXV ISSUE XI
New College of Florida's student-run newspaper
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Have gambling and greyhounds run their course? a potential amendment to the Florida constitution
BY MIRANDA GALE
By economic standards, greyhound racing is a dying sport. Bets placed on live Florida races have dropped 56.6 percent since 2006 and public support is at an all time low, with top Google searches for “greyhound racing” delivering viewers to sites such as PETA.com and others ethically opposed to the practice. In the past decades, lawmakers banned the practice in all but six states. Florida still leads the pack in this controversial sport, with 11 tracks, the world’s oldest greyhound racetrack (Derby Lanes in St. Petersburg) and an estimated 4,000 dogs kept in training kennels. A press release dated Nov. 1 details District 20 Senator Tom Lee’s new proposal for the Florida State Senate: a constitutional amendment that would would ban greyhound racing across Florida. Commercial greyhound racing in the United States dates back to 1919, when the mechanical lure--rather than
photo courtesy of Washington Post
Greyhound racing has been legal in Florida since 1931 and the state still has the largest amount of active dog tracks in the nation.
a live lure, commonly used in greyhound field coursing--was invented and the first racetrack was built in California. Coupled with underground gambling, greyhound racing operated illegally when it first started, leading to lawsuits all the way to the Supreme
Court. Often associated with mobsters and fixed races, racetracks gained unsavory reputations even before concerns of greyhound mistreatment became more widespread. In 1931, Florida legalized the sport as a way to increase economic ac-
tivity during the Great Depression and other states followed. At the height of greyhound racing, racetracks operated legally in 19 states and frequently skirted ethics issues involving gambling, mistreatment of dogs and abuse of other animals, including in one instance of monkeys as “jockeys” that resulted some of the monkeys being shaken to death. Dog racing peaked in popularity in the 70s and 80s but has lost momentum with younger generations. Florida’s legal ties between gambling--the money behind the sport-and greyhound racing run deep. A 1997 state law requiring licensed gambling institutions to be coupled with another form of entertainment--horse racing, jai alai or dog racing--ensures that greyhounds continue to run, even if post-Depression generations lose interest. Tracks run pari-mutuel betting systems, in which bettors place wager in pools run through the track and
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Republican tax plan passes through the House, Senate Panel: how might it affect you? BY RYAN PAICE
https://doc-0k-18-docs. googleusercontent.com/ docs/securesc/s7jurnmk912se8sp3mgg3hd8llrh0uos/obdpo7fpcdn719 co01n4qb7t57rv346b/1 506448800000/0533393 9401667025082/025783 83506865688437/0B4ze ECbsUTILVjVXY25YUU 52ZUk?e=download
Without holding one hearing to discuss the over 400-page legislature, the Republican tax plan—the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act—was passed through the Senate Finance Committee (SFC) and the House of Representatives. The bill passed through the House with a vote of 227-205, without a single vote for from 192 Democrats. The SFC passed its own version of the bill with a vote of 14-12, following party lines. Passing the tax plan would be the first major legislature of Trump’s presidency, following the multiple failed attempts to pass the American Health Care Act (AHCA) through the Senate. The House of Representatives is currently in a Republican stronghold, so the passing of the tax plan is to be expected, but the Senate will be the true test for any Republican legislature. However, with a six-vote lead—52 Republicans to 46 Democrats—the Republican legislature still stands a strong chance of passing.
WHAT’S INSIDE
Photo courtesy of Sarasota Herald-Tribune
(Pictured) New College graduates receiving their diplomas at the 2015 Commencement ceremony. New College is often referred to as a "feeder school," due to the large amount of graduates who go on to graduate school afterwards.
The two houses would still have to come to an agreement upon a version of the bill, which might represent a challenge, given the difference in legislative goals between the Senate and
6 Dance Collective
the House of Representatives. Unlike the House’s bill, the Senate’s includes a repeal of the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a provision which currently requires that most
10 Weekend @ JDub's
people have health insurance or pay a penalty. Regardless of the upcoming difficulties the plan will face, the passing of the plan through the House and Senate within two weeks of its official Congressional introduction is an impressive feat itself. “It’s a combination of shrewd legislative maneuvering and political necessity,” former official of the National Republican Congressional Committee, Ken Spain, said in an interview with the New York Times. “The result is landmark legislation moving at breakneck speed. It’s a monumental accomplishment.” The tax plan would enact a $1.5 billion tax cut for businesses and individuals, but has been panned for likely lead to a larger trade deficit and national debt, worsening income equality and increasing the outsourcing of American jobs. An analysis of the tax plan projected that the bill would, in a few years, raise taxes on low-income Americans, according to the New York
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Corruption in Tallahassee threatens Gillum's governorship BY COLE ZELZNAK Nearly two years after arriving on Tallahassee’s development scene and promising to take part in rebuilding the state capital’s downtown, Mike Miller vanished. Miller disappeared because he had, apparently, seen enough. An undercover agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miller had spent two years in Tallahassee as part of a nationwide probe into political corruption in local governments. Tallahassee’s city government is seeking to rebrand the city as dynamic new growth spot for investors with heavy pockets--the kind of investor Miller and at least two other agents posed as. In June 2017, fed-
eral investigators issued subpoenas for about eight local business elites, more than 12 of their firms and their communications with city and Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) officials. Since then, city officials and their attorneys have given conflicting information about their relationship to the FBI investigation, and a string of ethically questionable actions by officials has made its way through the news cycle. City Manager Rick Fernandez decided to take a leave of absence on Oct. 30, a few days after the Tallahassee Democrat published suspicious text messages between Fernandez and a lobbyist. Fernandez is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of a state
ethics investigation. An audit publicly released in November found the appearance of a conflict of interest in city contracts, but no outright crimes. Nearly $450,000 was awarded to a firm that employs City Commissioner Nancy Miller’s brother-in-law. The audit also found no evidence that Miller’s husband, John Buss, made an effort to secure special benefits for his brother’s firm. Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum is currently embroiled in a campaign for the Democratic Party nomination for the Florida governorship. Gillum is the most high profile Florida politician to come under suspicion in the FBI’s investigation. Gillum maintains that he is not the focus of
the investigation, but doubts remain after it was revealed he may have had a private dinner meeting with a potential FBI undercover agent at the Edison, a posh new Tallahassee restaurant that was built in part with public funds. Gillum’s campaign criticized a Sachs Media Group survey that found that 83 percent of respondents are somewhat or very concerned about corruption at City Hall. The outcome of the FBI’s investigation, and its implications for Gillum’s campaign, remain to be seen. Information from the Tallahassee Democrat and WCTV.
Emmerson Mnangagwa sworn in as Zimbabwe’s President BY COLE ZELZNAK An intense and tumultuous period in Zimbabwean politics has culminated in the successful installment of a new president after 37 years of rule by Robert Mugabe. New president Emmerson Mnangagwa, a longtime member of Zimbabwe’s political elite, was nicknamed “the crocodile” for his ruthless approach to civil unrest in the 1980s. In his inauguration speech, Mnangagwa reassured potential foreign investors that he would stabilize Zimbabwe’s troubled economy.
Mnangagwa, who called Robert Mugabe, his predecessor, the country’s “founding father,” was dismissed as Vice President earlier this month. Mnangagwa’s dismissal sparked mass protests and resulted in a military intervention in Mugabe’s administration. Mugabe, who has repeatedly faced major pressure to step down from the presidency, named his wife Grace Mugabe as his chosen successor. On Nov. 21, news that Mugabe planned to step down spawned widespread street celebrations. Mugabe’s resignation letter was read out in
parliament, halting impeachment proceedings against him. Mugabe was not present at Mnangagwa’s inauguration, but the incoming administration has apparently assured Mugabe that his health and welfare will be looked after. According to some reports, Mnangagwa has also assured Mugabe that he will be immune from any future prosecution. Although Mugabe has been deposed, it remains to be seen how much Mnangagwa will deviate from his approach to government. Both men are members of the Zimbabwe
African National Union, Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF), the country’s ruling political party. Zimbabwe’s chief struggle is a faltering economy with a history of rampant inflation. In the past decade, inflation became so severe that the country was forced to abandon its own currency. According to some estimates, the current unemployment rate is 90 percent. The recent unrest has done the Zimbabwean economy no favors, but some analysts predict that confidence in Mnangagwa will quickly prove a boon.
$35 million for new USF Sarasota-Manatee research center BY COLE ZELZNAK More than 800 alumnae/i, donors and other community members gathered on Sunday, Nov. 5 for Brunch on the Bay at the University of Florida’s Sarasota-Manatee (USFSM) campus. Brunch on the Bay is the USFSM’s foremost fundraising event and guests enjoyed a wide array of food and drink vendors and raised money for scholarships. Scholarships fundraising was paired with an initiative to help fund a new science building for the campus. In cooperation with USF’s main administration in Tampa, US-
FSM leaders recently unveiled the 75,000-square-foot facility. The project’s official title is the SarasotaManatee Science & Research Building. According to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, USFSM students taking biology and chemistry classes have to drive to the teaching labs at Mote Marine Laboratory on City Island. The $35 million building would give USFSM students access to worldclass lab facilities. It would include biology and chemistry laboratories, lecture halls, clinical space and conference rooms, all of which the current USFSM building lacks.
Although the building is being funded largely by the State University System (SUS), USF is seeking $10 million in private donations to help with the building’s significant cost. Brunch on the Bay was the first of USF’s local fundraising efforts. When the building is complete, it will join the newly expanded Heiser Natural Science Center at New College of Florida (NCF) as one of two major science and research facilities in Sarasota. Cross-registration will allow students enrolled on both campuses to make use of the new facilities. “It will allow us to train science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics majors as well as work with USF in Tampa on our nursing program,” USFSM Interim Regional Chancellor Terry Osborn said. USFSM’s Science and Mathematics department was established in 2015. The university is currently developing a nursing program in response to a need from Sarasota-area hospitals and clinics. The new facility will be located on the south side of the USFSM campus, off of Seagate Drive. Information from Sarasota HeraldTribune and Suncoast News Network
CORRECTION: In the "Experience New College" piece from Issue 10, William Botoroff was incorrectly identified as the President of Bible Club. He is one of four co-Leaders along with Gabriella Elmir, Mauryn Brownback and Cassandra Azeredo-Tseng. "Who tf signed the Catalyst email up for updates from Forever 21?" © 2017 the Catalyst. All rights reserved. The Catalyst is available online at www.ncfcatalyst.com, facebook.com/NCFcatalyst instagram.com/NCFcatalyst twitter.com/ncfcatalyst The Catalyst is an academic tutorial sponsored by Professor Maria D. Vesperi. It is developed in the New College Publications Lab using Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign and printed at Sun Coast Press with funds provided by the New College Student Alliance.
General Editor Managing Editor Copy Editor & Writing Coach Online Editor Layout Editors Social Media Editor Staff Writers & Photographers
Giulia Heyward Magdalene Taylor Ryan Paice Jacob Wentz Anya María Contreras-García,
Jordi Gonzalez
Jason D'Amours Noah Baslaw, Miranda Gale Michala Head, Azia Keever, Tim Manning, Samantha Ramirez, Cole Zelznak
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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NEWS PAGE 3
Racing Dog Retirement Project makes adopting greyhounds accessible all photos Miranda Gale/Catalyst
BY MIRANDA GALE Greyhounds may be the fastest dogs in the world, but they’re also mellow, magnanimous and grade-A couch potatoes. And unlike many kinds of purebred dogs, where obtaining the family pet of one’s dreams may involve back-and-forths with breeders, waiting lists for litters and American Kennel Club (AKC) papers, the most common way of bringing home a greyhound is through an adoption organization, where retired racing dogs are selectively placed and fledgling owners receive guidance through the process. The Racing Dog Retirement Project (RDRP) of Myakka City is one of the most prevalent local groups for greyhound adoption, working with the tracks, trainers and breeders to get greyhounds--injured, retiring or just plain slow--out of the kennels and into adoptive homes. A 501(c)(3) organization, they rehabilitate greyhounds who have never been inside a house, climbed stairs or encountered sliding glass doors or swimming pools. With a team of volunteers, RDRP prepares straight-off-the-track greyhounds for new homes, weaning them from raw meat to dry kibble, cat testing, spaying or neutering and working hard to match dogs with perfect families. How to adopt a greyhound? Be-
Liam, a retired racing dog, is camera-shy but happy in his forever home.
fore starting the adoption process, which includes a phone interview and home visit, RDRP suggests that prospective greyhound owners take time to learn about the dogs. One of the most ancient dog breeds--and due to this, a nearly universal blood donor in veterinary emergencies--archaeological evidence shows that versions of greyhounds were used for hunting since around 9000 B.C.E. While they come in many colors, greyhounds are rarely gray: the name is a mistranslation of the German grieshund, meaning “old (ancient) dog.” They are sighthounds and have stereoscopic vision, which means that they see moving objects more easily than still ones. Thin skinned and bony, greyhounds are especially susceptible to skin injuries and dislike sitting due to the positioning of their hips. On the track, they accelerate to maximum speeds of 43 miles an hour. However, while off the track, greyhound enthusiasts commonly refer to their furry friends as “couch potatoes,” as napping is a favorite activity and often takes up to 16 hours a day. “They are professional sleepers,” Ken Smith, a seven-year volunteer dog walker with RDRP, said. “With a greyhound, sleeping is like an art form.” Attending a RDRP meetup at
Retired greyhounds often appear at RDRP events, helping raise money and educate potential adopters about the breed.
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Black Friday: sales, swarms and student workers BY JACOB WENTZ For some students, the Thanksgiving holiday provided a time to relax, eat food and catch up with family. For others, the break was inevitably interrupted by Black Friday. Black Friday, regarded as the first day of the holiday shopping season, traditionally takes place on the day after Thanksgiving. In recent years, however, stores have started to open their doors on Thanksgiving evening, drawing crowds of full-bellied shoppers to their sales. While increasing hours of operation increases the amounts of sales on Black Friday, workers must often sacrifice their holiday plans for their job commitments. The Humans The holiday sales weekend is the busiest shopping time for stores. This weekend consists of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Sunday and Cyber Monday. In order to account for holiday shopping, stores hire seasonal workers. A survey conducted by the National Retail Federation (NRF) reported that stores would hire between 500,000 and 550,000 seasonal workers in 2017. As stores expand their hours, workers lose time devoted to their holiday plans. “I was frustrated because most of my holiday was taken up working
and I was not able to go back home for Thanksgiving,” first-year Marcela Prado Zapata wrote in an email. “Not everyone’s awful during Black Friday, but some people really need to learn some manners.” Zapata works at Journeys in the Mall at University Town Center (UTC). “People don't understand that we are humans too and it’s pretty sad,” Zapata wrote. “I was working so much I didn't get a chance to shop at all which was a bummer.” First-year student Isabella McDonnell was also working during the weekend.
I do get paid extra (time and a half) and I don’t have family in SRQ,” Mintner wrote in an email. “This year for Thanksgiving there was extra work [...] [T]he owners are typically high stress due to the holiday combined with whatever medical issue is going on with their pets, so we get a lot of disgruntled pet owners,” Mintner continued. The Numbers An estimated 69 percent of Americans—about 164 million people—planned on shopping during Thanksgiving weekend, according to NRF’s annual survey. In 2016, 101.7 million shoppers
“People don't understand that we are humans too and it’s pretty sad. I was working so much I didn't get a chance to shop at all which was a bummer.” “I worked Thanksgiving from 4:30 to 11:30 p.m. because we were open all night,” McDonnell wrote in an email. “I work at the Starbucks by the mall so we were very crowded [...] On Thanksgiving we would get huge crowds of people every couple hours when different stores were opening (Kohls, Walmart, etc).” Thesis student Stacia Mintner works in a veterinary emergency room. “I volunteer for them because
percent said they would not shop during the holiday weekend. Of the 31 percent, 52 percent said they would not participate because they do not enjoy the experience. 51 percent said they never shop during the weekend. 27 percent said a good sale or discount on a product they want could get them to change their mind. Millennials planned on spending the most during the holiday weekend this year: an estimated 61.9 percent planned on participating, followed by 49.5 percent of Generation Xers and 27 percent of baby boomers. Online shopping also increased; in 2016, shoppers spent a combined total of $5.27 billion online on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, which was a new record. For 2017, $5.57 billion was expected to be spent, which is an increase of 5.70 percent. Amazon claimed between 45 percent and 50 percent of all online Black Friday sales, according to a new report from GBH Insights. GBH called the results "eye-popping.”
flocked to stores on Black Friday. NRF estimated that 115.7 million shoppers will have braved the crowds in 2017. These figures show a 13.8 percent increase from 2016 to 2017. Cyber Monday was estimated to have the second highest shopper count at 78.4 million. Thanksgiving Day showed the least amount of Information gathered from nrf.com, finder.com, businessinsider.com and shoppers at around 32 million. bestblackfriday.com. Though many took advantage of deals over the Thanksgiving weekend, some consumers refrained. 31
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NEWS PAGE 4
$35 million budget for new USF Sarasota-Manatee research center BY COLE ZELZNAK More than 800 alumnae/i, donors and other community members gathered on Sunday, Nov. 5 for Brunch on the Bay at the University of Florida’s Sarasota-Manatee (USFSM) campus. Brunch on the Bay is the USFSM’s foremost fundraising event and guests enjoyed a wide array of food and drink vendors and raised money for scholarships. Scholarships fundraising was paired with an initiative to help fund a new science building for the campus. In cooperation with USF’s main administration in Tampa, USFSM leaders recently unveiled the 75,000-square-foot facility. The project’s official title is the SarasotaManatee Science & Research Building. According to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, USFSM students taking biology and chemistry classes have to drive to the teaching labs at Mote Marine Laboratory on City Island.
ral Science Center at New College of Florida (NCF) as one of two major science and research facilities in Sarasota. Cross-registration will allow students enrolled on both campuses to make use of the new facilities. “It will allow us to train science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors as well as work with USF in Tampa on our nursing program,” USFSM Interim Regional Chancellor Terry Osborn said. USFSM’s Science and Mathematics department was established in 2015. The university is currently developing a nursing program in response to a need from Sarasota-area The original USFSM map. The new science building will be located on the southeast side of hospitals and clinics. campus. The new facility will be located The $35 million building would give funded largely by the State Universi- on the south side of the USFSM camUSFSM students access to world- ty System (SUS), USF is seeking $10 pus, off of Seagate Drive. class lab facilities. It would include million in private donations to help biology and chemistry laboratories, with the building’s significant cost. Information from Sarasota Heraldlecture halls, clinical space and con- Brunch on the Bay was the first of Tribune and Suncoast News Network ference rooms, all of which the cur- USF’s local fundraising efforts. When rent USFSM building lacks. the building is complete, it will join Although the building is being the newly expanded Heiser NatuPhoto courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Saudi regime attempts vast reconsolidation with high-up purges and war cries BY NOAH BASLAW An estimated 500 people of high ranking authority within the Saudi family and regime were detained in the Ritz-Carlton hotel in RiyadhSaudi Arabia’s capital city, beginning on Nov. 4, 2017. The next day, eight Saudi authorities died in a helicopter crash with no public statement as to the cause of the crash. There has been a radical movement in a highly-geopolitically significant middle eastern nation. The newly consolidated authority of Saudi Arabia is rebranding. $800 billion of detained Saudi elite capital has been seized by the Saudi government, according to The Economist on Nov. 7, 2017. The sudden strike on the Saudi elite coincided with beorgening ruler, Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s (MbS) creation of an anti-corruption committee in the first days of November. MbS and their most trusted agents are the only people to enter or leave the luxurious hotel containing the detained elite. Saudi domestic politics have not been this significantly volatile in decades, and both the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the German The Federal Intelligence Agency (BND) have expressed their dissatisfaction with the recent emergence of MbS in the past. The Federal Intelligence Agency of Germany (BND) released a memo in January 2015 detailing King Salman and his son Prince Mohammed
bin Salman’s burst to intervene in foreign influence and consolidate domestic politics, noting that, “Saudi Arabia is losing confidence in the United States as a guarantor of Middle East order. Riyadh appears ready to take more risks in its regional competition with Iran.” The report was rebuked days after by the German government to step in line with France’s engagement in fighting Assad in Syria-which depended and still depends on Saudi-led groups. The U.S. deep-state’s most recent battle with Saudi Arabia came with an attempted coup in Qatar, a small sovereign, oil-rich, nation on the Arabian Peninsula. Saudi Arabia and their coalition of other Arab nations officially declared a blockade on Qatar in June of 2017--officially declaring that Qatar had been working too close with terrorist groups. “The CIA blocked the coup in Qatar and the Saudis reacted by dumping the CIA-selected Mohammed bin Nayef, who was to be the next king,” a Saudi insider told Asia Times (AT) in July of 2017. “The Saudis are scared. The monarchy is in trouble, as the CIA can move the army in Saudi Arabia against the king. [The purge] was a defensive move by MbS.” Those detained in the purge include billionaire investor Al-Waleed bin Talal who owns sizable capital stakes in Twitter, Lyft, Citigroup and 21st Century Fox. “Prince Alwaleed's arrest is
likely to reverberate across dozens of companies that count on the investment company that he founded,” CNBC reported. Other big names detained also include Prince Bandar bin Sultan, a former Saudi ambassador to Washington and confidant of former U.S. president George W. Bush, according to Middle East Eye. Bandar bin Sultan, nicknamed “Bandar Bush” by the Bush family, was wrapped up in the infamous ‘28 pages’ on the Saudi-led attack on New York City in 2001, according to CNN. Same old, same old? Mohammed bin Salman asserts his reforms are stark changes, but his Vision 2030 program is dependant on old plans based on Saudi oil. The November purge came from the will of Mohammed bin Salman, who vowed to investors days before the purge that he aimed at uprooting corruption and ending Saudi Arabia’s dependence on oil exports. The projected 2018 initial price offering (IPO) of Saudi Aramco--officially valued as the highest IPO in history at $2 trillion--is slated to initially earn the Saudi regime $100 billion. Saudi Aramco is a nationalized petroleum and natural gas company. Salman’s regime plans to fund the modernization of Vision 2030 by becoming a “financial powerhouse”--an allusion to the Aramco IPO--according to Al Arabiya, Saudi Arabia’s state sponsored media outlet. Opting to financialize the oil
company signals that the Saudi regime is seeking more profit than the plain ole’ petroleum can supply. The real economy is not providing the significant gains Saudi Arabia once enjoyed. The Saudi Aramco IPO is merely another consecutive stepping stone in the quest to milk its oil rents for geopolitical and economic control. Like all trends in financialization, economic growth comes with higher systematic risk. A financial crisis can be as devastating as physical violence, something the Saudi regime has good practice in. The tragedy in Yemen and Saudi knack for disruption The U.S. and Saudi Arabia are going through a rough patch in their relationship because of the increasing voluntary extremism on behalf of the latter in desperation to hedge against falling oil prices and regional competition with Iran. The strained relationship is also coming at a time where both states are more indebted than ever from the endless wars they both fund together--the most significant being fought in Yemen and Syria. “For two-and-a-half years, the U.S. government has backed Saudi Arabia’s intervention in Yemen every step of the way,” The Intercept reported Nov. 20, 2017. “The United States has dispatched warships to reinforce the blockade. It has refueled continued on p. 11
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NEWS PAGE 5
Iran-Iraq earthquake: another New Radio New College natural disaster disrupts the airwaves BY SAMANTHA RAMIREZ
Iranians frantically dug through rubble in a search for survivors on Monday, after a devastating earthquake struck near the Iraqi border that killed or injured hundreds of people. More than 500 people were reported dead and thousands injured after the earthquake, which has been, so far, the deadliest of 2017, struck near the border of Iran and Iraq late on Sunday. The full force of the earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.3 on the Richter scale, surpassed the earthquake that hit Mexico City in September. The force of the earthquake, recorded at 9:48 p.m. on Sunday, was felt as far away as Turkey and Pakistan. The epicenter was located near Ezgeleh, Iran, about 135 miles northeast of Baghdad. Seismologists in the country said it was the biggest quake to hit the western part of Iran, causing heavy devastation. Rubble from the earthquake caused buildings to collapse, destroyed cars and has left people sleeping in the streets in fear of aftershocks. According to the IRNA, the state-run news, it is reported that 530 people were killed and 7,460 people were injured in Iran. At least 535 people were hurt and eight were killed on the Iraqi side of the border according to the Health Ministry. A region particularly hit harder was the city of Pol-e Zahab, a city in the western Iranian province of Kermanshah, authorities said that at least 236 people had died in the city--which has a population of 30,000--and the main hospital was believed to be at least partly running. The earthquake received a lot of attention with hundreds of people in Tehran waiting in lines to donate blood for medical aid in response to a call from the government. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered a message of condolence after the disaster and urged rescue workers to not stop their search for survivors.
“The officials should hasten in these first hours with all their might and determination to help the injured, especially those trapped under the rubble,” his office reported. By Monday evening, Iranian officials stated that the rescue mission was nearly over. An S.O.S. alert however, is out for those who have reached safety to report their status, as well as a global effort to donate money for aid and relief. Foreign reporters were not allowed to visit the scene, which is a different approach and a change from previous disasters that have hit this year, which have received abundant media coverage. The Iranian Red Crescent used rescue dogs to search for survivors since the earthquake that hit the city of Bam in 2003, which resulted in the deaths of 20,000 people. The country’s reli-
“The officials should hasten in these first hours with all their might and determination to help the injured, especially those trapped under the rubble.” gious leaders regard dogs as unclean, but the use of guard and rescue dogs is accepted. After the quake on Sunday, the public and opponents of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad--who was president of Iran from 2005 to 2013--have spoken out against a program introduced by him to build low-income housing, incontinued on p. 9 Photo courtesy of Global Solutions
Approximately 530 people were killed and 7,460 people were injured in Iran due to the earthquake.
BY ANYA CONTRERAS-GARCÍA If you tune in to WSLR 96.5 FM on Thursday or Saturday nights between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m., chances are you’re going to be listening to something you won’t hear on any other radio show. And I don’t mean really obscure hairflipping college hipster bands–think more like 20th century classical music played at half-speed over dissonant jazz between disorganized conversations about the Clintons and Dungeons & Dragons. New Radio New College (NRNC) is a student-run radio show on WSLR 96.5 FM, Sarasota’s community radio station. The station’s relationship with New College goes back to 2000 when the New College Student Alliance (NCSA) applied for a license for 96.5 FM which they transferred to WSLR Inc. in 2009. WSLR and New College agreed to a contract that allowed student representatives on the radio’s board and stipulated that the station provide student internships and remain in geographical proximity to New College. New Radio New College’s first show went on air in May 2013, created by alums Kay Saffe (‘12) and Zane Plattor (‘12). Saffe and Plattor passed the torch to thesis student and Catalyst staff member Noah Baslaw, who started getting involved fall semester of his first year in 2015. Since then, third-year Jacqueline “Jackie” Lebouitz and thesis student Aaron Pond have taken over the Thursday and Saturday night slots, respectively. “My show consists of promoting new releases on sites like Bandcamp while still playing some of my personal favorite tunes from my music library,” Lebouitz said. “I also like to bring guests into the studio or have them call in for the occasional interview or roleplay.” I sat in on Jackie’s show Nov. 9 with second-year Olivia Siegel, who is also a member of Comedy Friends-New College’s improv comedy group. Between playing college radio classics like Modest Mouse and The Temper Trap, the two engaged in a rambling improvised role play over the air about an acrobat who frees all the elephants from the circus right before his most dangerous performance. The exchange was light-hearted and creative and not like anything I had heard on other radio stations. But nothing could prepare me for the chaos of Aaron Pond’s Saturday night show. Take all the creativity from Jackie’s show, add a generous por-
tion of obscurity and subtract any semblance of organization or consistency. The product is a mind-bending experiment of genre-defying public media. Somewhere between a radio show and an Andy Kauffman-esque performance piece, Aaron’s take on New Radio New College is truly…well, new. “I think it’s hard to not be a performance piece,” Pond said. “How do I break people’s need to know what’s happening? I do that by excluding them right off the bat, by having a show where I don’t really know what’s going on, it’s falling apart, the show’s in decline. People are like, ‘What’s going to happen?’ and now suddenly the idea of, ‘What’s going to happen?’ becomes the central thing.” His unique manipulation of already musically complex compositions interrupted by disjointed monologues on politics, pop culture and philosophy leaves listeners with a totally unique auditory experience. “I try to use this as a platform to help other students do and think interesting things, engage with sonic material or even just the act of performance in a way most people wouldn’t conceptualize before,” Pond said. Students of the past and present have established New Radio New College as a platform for experimentation and self-expression, and the legacy will continue with whoever is up to the challenge. “Folks that have worked with NRNC have confidence to speak, their own interpretation of what ought to be heard and a love for music and improvisation,” Baslaw said in an email interview. “I recommend that interested folks try out what it feels like to 'do your thing' in the station at WSLR. [...] The audience is small. It gives me room to experience messing up. It’s a very low stress environment.” “It’s a really wonderful way to express yourself in a safe, comfortable environment, and it presents a great opportunity to work on your presentation skills,” Lebouitz said. Okay, this sounds cool. How do I get involved? Contact Jackie Lebouitz at jacqueline.lebouit15@ncf.edu or check out the New Radio New College Facebook page. Come sit in on as a guest on a show and see if you’d like to take the reins! Make sure to tune into WSLR 96.5 FM on Thursdays and Saturdays from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. Check out wslr.org or the WSLR 96.5 smartphone app to listen to live or archived shows.
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Dance Collective
prepares for showcase during high energy rehearsal
BY TIM MANNING “One more time,” Matthew Bocanumenth shouted as Demi Lovato’s newest anthem, “Sorry Not Sorry,” blares through the fitness center. Now just over a week before the show, the dances for this semester’s Dance Collective are coming together. After months of planning and practicing, this edition of the biannual dance extravaganza is about ready to take the stage at Sainer Auditorium. The culmination of this semester’s work is now just over a week away, as Dance Collective shows on Dec. 1 and 2. Organizers and choreographers Eugenia Quintanilla-- a thesis student--and Matthew Bocanumenth, third-year, spoke with the Catalyst about this year’s Dance Collective, how it compares with past years and what the show means to them means to them. Thesis student Quintanilla has been involved with Dance Collective since she arrived at New College in her first year, and has seen constant improvement in the quality of dances during her time here. With only 13 dances--past years have seen up to 25-and some choreographers exploring new approaches to creating dances, this year does not look like it will be an exception. “For me, it’s exciting because I only have one semester left, so it feels exciting, but I think every semester the quality of [dance collective] gets better and better, but this semester we have a bunch of people who are adopting existing choreography,” Quintanilla said. “So it’s neat seeing how people take stuff that somebody else has made and make it their own in a way, whether that’s different forms, or putting more of their own choreography into it.” While there will be fewer dances than in past years, there will be no lack of variety. This year’s dances include
pieces set to P!nk, Portugal the Man, Adele, Tinashe and the Crookers, to name a few. And, while this year’s showcase will be marked by variety and quality, there is more to the event than just the two showings that the public get to see. Dance Collective serves as a space for people to keep dancing, taking risks, challenging themselves in new ways and learning new skills. Taking the risk of joining a dance in Dance Collective is a huge step, but every semester all sorts of people taking that leap. “I see Dance Collective to be really growing,” Bocanumenth said. “I think that often people see the show and just think ‘wow, I really want to do that,’ so seeing all these new dancers is really fun. At the beginning of the semester they were shy and sometimes weren’t really confident about being able to dance, and just working with them throughout the whole semester and seeing their growth and evolution, that’s pretty cool. “At this year’s showcase you’re gonna see people you’ve never seen on stage, putting themselves out there and really getting into it and I think that’s cool,” Bocanumenth continued. “I also think personally, in my piece, it’s one of the hardest pieces I’ve done. Every time we finish, we’re all just out of breath, and it’s just very fast paced with very sharp moves, so that one has been pretty difficult. But it’s been a lot of fun doing that.” In addition to providing an opportunity to challenge oneself, Dance Collective creates a space on campus that gives the opportunity for people to be creative and diligent in new, not school centric, ways. For people who take on the responsibility of choreographing, there is a different set of challenges. “It’s really great to do something creative outside of what you’re doing
all photos Tim Manning/Catalyst
(Top) Dancers give an ending pose at the end of the performance for the song "Swalla." (Middle) Bocanumenth gives a fierce look for Tinashe's "Company."
continued on p. 11
(Left) Second-year Maximilian Espinoso moves his hips during his duet with Bocanumenth to "Instruction." (Right) Dancers twirl to a group ballet piece.
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(Left) "Swalla" is a high energy contemporary performance. (Right) The "Oh Na Na" performance is an ode to the dance moves of popular Korean pop performers.
(Left) The "Drowned Girl" piece is an emotionally, raw performance. (Right) Second-year Alyssa Borgschulte's "Company" borrows moves from the iconic Tinashe music video.
Bocanumenth's choreographed dance to Demi Lovato's "Sorry Not Sorry" ends with dancers up in the air and landing onto the stage.
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Importing of trophy elephant tusks may soon be legal BY AZIA KEEVER “Selling a threatened animal’s life to raise money for ‘conservation’ is like selling a child on the black market to raise money to fight child molestation,” the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) concluded in a statement against the Trump Administration’s decision to lift the Obama-era ban on the importation of elephant trophies. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWC) announced their decision at a conference co-hosted by Tanzania and Safari Club International (SCI), an organization of hunters. The advisory conference--deceptively named the International Wildlife Conservation Council--enables trophy hunters to exercises their influence over the laws set in place to regulate them. Though in the SCI’s mission statement they state that promoting wildlife conservation is one of their areas of focus, it is clear that their other interest, that of “protecting hunters' rights” is their main objective. The FWC’s decision was added to the Federal Register days after the FWC’s announcement at the conference. “Legal, well-regulated sport hunting as part of a sound management program can benefit certain species by providing incentives to local communities to conserve those species and by putting much-needed revenue back into conservation,” a spokesperson for FWC told multiple news sources including National Public Radio (NPR) and Slate. “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has determined that the hunting and management programs for African elephants in Zimbabwe and Zambia
will enhance the survival of the species in the wild.” They are “ignoring the copious science that trophy hunting undermines the conservation of threatened and endangered species,” Wayne Pacell, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States, said on his blog. Despite the FWC being aware of the “poaching crisis facing Zimbabwe,” in their statement added to the Federal Register wrote, “the Service is able to make a determination that the killing of trophy animals in Zimbabwe, on or after January 21, 2016, and on or before December 31, 2018, will enhance the survival of the African elephant.” The FWC, in conjunction with the SCI, thereby agreed that Zimbabwe was able to monitor trophy hunting sustainably under military control, since that was what was happening at the time of the announcement: former President Robert Mugabe was kept under house arrest by a military coup. Elly Pepper, the Deputy Director of the Natural Resources Defense Council, found it “perplexing” that the Trump Administration could find that Zimbabwe is successfully managing its elephant population amongst political upheaval. In 2015 “The Obama Administration reasoned that the fact that Zimbabwe's elephant population had declined from 84,416 in 2007 to 47,366 in 2013 showed the country had failed to successfully manage its elephants,” Pepper said. “Further, Zimbabwe didn’t demonstrate any ability to protect its elephants—its management plan was outdated and failed to detail how it would implement elephant conservation goals—
not to mention the country’s laws and regulations regarding elephants; Zimbabwe’s government provided little support for elephant conservation; and Zimbabwe failed to provide data showing how trophy hunting revenue actually benefits local communities and elephants.” Amid an uproar across the nation, President Donald Trump tweeted he will put the decision to lift the Obama-era ban on the importation of elephant trophies from unstable countries on hold, stating trophy hunting as a “horror show” and that he does not support it. But the fight is far from over. Trump’s “hold” on the lifting of the ban is not a complete rejection of it. The attempt to lift the ban is just one more example of the leniency government officials have to quietly realize their desires into existence within the Trump administration. “Why is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service—a government agency—attending conferences hosted by a special interest group on taxpayer dollars and announcing policy changes that it hasn't made public?” Pepper said. “That’s a stumper for sure.” It’s no stumper—it is part of a growing initiative to push for the trophy hunting of endangered species by the Trump-era FWC. Just two years after African lions were labeled as threatened and endangered, U.S. wildlife officials have begun accepting permit applications for the importation of lion trophies. The lion population has decreased 43 percent in the last 21 years and is extinct in seven African countries, according to the African Wildlife Association. The International Union for the
Conservation of Nature estimates an average of 600 lions are legally killed each year. “Over the last decade, there have been numerous attempts at establishing a continent-wide population and these studies vary between 20,000 and 35,000 animals,” Blood Lions, a campaign against canned hunting and the exploitation of lions, said on their website. This adds up to a three percent loss of population each year that doesn’t include natural deaths, poaching and livestock protection. Despite supporters of trophy hunting claiming the sport could encourage local communities to conserve and grow their vulnerable species populations, the rate of legal killing is unsustainable. The Great Elephant Consensus concluded in 2014 that the African elephant population was down 30 percent in seven years. A keystone species to the continent’s forests and savannahs, their lives are more important than the monetary value of the ivory from their tusks, estimated at $21,000. Information gathered from NPR and slate.com Photo courtesy of ABC
Elephant tusks (pictured) are still legally poached.
Replace that turkey with tofurky: some tips for vegans this holiday season BY JASON D'AMOURS What’s thanksgiving without the turkey? An increasing number of families had to explore this possibility this holiday season as more and more families are committing to a vegan diet. Whether it’s for environmental purposes, anti-racism or health reasons, vegans are faced with the task of adapting holiday traditions usually centered around a warm, roasted bird. According to the Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG)—“a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public on vegetarianism and veganism and the interrelated issues of health, nutrition, ecology, ethics and
world hunger”—more people every year are faced with this task. According to a 2016 national survey conducted by Harris Poll and asked by the VRG, 3 percent of the U.S. population aged 18 and over were vegetarian or vegan. This would mean that 8 million adults are vegetarian or vegan and the VRG estimates that of this number, 3.7 million are strictly vegan. Their 2015 data report a similar estimate of 8 million vegetarians or vegans in the U.S., but at the time, they only estimated 1 million to be vegan. As more and more people change their dietary habits, more and more companies have started to cater to the vegan market. Take a stroll through your local
Whole Foods or health food store this time of year and you’ll be surprised to find a vegan version of your favorite holiday staples. Miss turkey? Try Tofurky--a vegan tofu and wheat protein turkey! Stuffing? Avoid the sausage and replace that chicken broth with vegetable broth! Mashed potatoes? Come on now, you don’t really need that butter! Mash some Yukon Gold potatoes with spices and some unsweetened almond milk (and you could even add some Earth Balance vegan butter if you desire the creamy texture that pairs well with your Tofurky)! Desert? Whole Foods offered ready-to-eat vegan pumpkin pies. And don’t forget to top that pie with Trader Joe’s whipped coconut cream! Recipes for homemade vegan
roasts, mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes, no-bake pies and other staples are circling pinterest, instagram accounts and blogs on the internet in case you want to D.I.Y. your vegan holiday meals. So, what’s thanksgiving without the turkey? It’s just thanksgiving, but without the turkey. Becoming or staying vegan this holiday season is not as difficult as it may seem, thanks to corporations recognizing us as a valuable market and the thousands of vegans out there who share their scrumptious recipes of the holiday staples we all crave. Information for this article was gathered from vrg.org.
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Write Night: the WRC is the place to go as finals loom over the horizon BY MICHALA HEAD No prompts or preparations are required for students to get help with their lab reports or reflection papers at New College of Florida’s Writing Resource Center (WRC). Tucked away down a hall in the Jane Banecroft library, New College’s Student Writing Assistants (SWAs) are at the ready to help with final papers, theses, or any other writing needs. With finals approaching, students are finding themselves facing down page counts that may appear overwhelming. Thesis students are juggling continued thesis work with finals. The WRC is there for the students of New College whether their final papers are due in one week’s time or it is mid-September and they are just feeling stuck on an assignment. Chelsea Torregrosa, a thesis-student and SWA, wants people to know that this work can be made manageable through visits to the WRC. “I want people to know that you do not have to be struggling to come in here, we can make things easier for you before you start to struggle… we do take struggling people and make their lives easier too but you don’t have to be struggling to come in,” Torregrosa said. Torregrosa has been a SWA since her second year at New College. She often emphasizes the importance of organization in the writing process. Torregrosa discussed how mini-deadlines make writing more comfortable. “We can help people with time management so if you want to come in and talk about how to possibly get things done, we can break it down into manageable pieces,” Torregrosa said. Apart from the standard appointment, the Writing Resource Center has additional offerings such as Thesiscamp, which is three fourday blocks in January where thesis students can make progress on their theses, get feedback and work among other thesis students. They also offer late night hours every spring semester known as Thesiscrunch for thesis students only. Dr. Jennifer Wells, Director of Writing, also oversees a Healthy Writing Habits Tutorial for pre-thesis and thesis students. “Healthy Writing Habits was helpful last semester because I was able to dispel rumors and fears [surrounding thesis] by setting myself up for success,” Torregrosa said of the Healthy Writing Habits tutorial.
Michala Head/Catalyst
New College's Writing Resource Center is full of cushioned seats, whiteboards for brainstorming and tables for people to meet with the SWA's.
“I made a schedule with goals for the next year, it made it completely doable with the span of time that I have… Another great thing [about the tutorial] is that we celebrate each other’s successes.” In order to join the tutorial, one must contact Dr. Wells. Students are also encouraged to make recurring appointments in order to develop their writing skills and learn new tools or approaches. Everyone involved with the WRC is consistently updating their tools and strategies for the benefit of students. Dr. Wells discussed what has been done to improve the center since she came on four years ago, giving the example of how SWA’s are trained. “Before, SWAs were not required to take a full semester course before being eligible to apply to be a SWA,” Wells said. “As a result, there were concerns about whether or not SWAs were qualified to work with students on writing, or whether SWAs were giving correct information to students. Now, all SWAs have taken Pedagogy in Practice as well as participated in additional training before each semester begins.” “SWA’s are trained as generalists, we can help anyone with any paper,” Torregrosa said of their training. Although English and Literature is her Area of Concentration (AOC), she is equipped to help with lab reports and philosophy prompts alike. Wells also brought up her collaboration with other centers through professional networks and the increased presence of New College’s Student Writing Assistants at conferences, which Torregrosa discussed as well. “Lena and I presented at the National Council of Teachers of Eng-
lish (NCTE) convention in Atlanta and did a presentation about our partnership with Outdoor Academy (ODA),” Torregrosa said, referring to their training of students attending Outdoor Academy as Student Writing Assistants. SWA’s are constantly seeking new ways to do their jobs and help students write effectively. Every semester, they are expected to work on a SWA-ject. Torregrosa’s is a 20172018 SWA strategy book for future SWA’s and students alike to refer to. She hopes that future SWA’s will make editions for each year that follows. The WRC is a resource for students, it is in place to alleviate any stresses of writing and aims to make writing a positive experience. “There is sometimes a myth that writers write in isolation, or writing has to be awful, or that good writers just sit down and good writing pours out of them with no effort, but none of these things have to be true, and the WRC is a place where students can counter those myths with a healthier reality,” Wells said. “There is also a New College specific myth that NCF students don't need help, or asking for help is a sign of weakness.” “Half of NCF students have figured out coming to the WRC isn't even about getting help, it is just about not being alone in the writing process, about making writing less stressful, and about realizing all writers struggle to write well and there are things the WRC can offer to make it better,” Wells said. To schedule an appointment at the WRC, go to ncf.mywconline.com.
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Greyhound Adoption
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 Sun N Fun Resort on Nov. 18, Smith brought along Comet--one of his two adopted greyhounds--and a wealth of greyhound knowledge and enthusiasm. After meeting a friend’s dog, Smith became enamoured and adopted his first greyhound a week later. “They’re not good guard dogs. Somebody knocks at the door, [the greyhound thinks] ‘you go get it!’ so you don’t want a greyhound as far as security goes,” Smith said. Smith also explained features of the adoption process, including the foster program and training and support offered to new owners. While many people interested in eventually adopting often foster dogs first, “foster failures” are common, with the attempted foster-er becoming a greyhound parent instead. Along with frequent in-person meetups and adoption events, RDRP offers open-house tours of their Myakka City facility every second Sunday of the month. More information about adoptions and fostering can be found via their website. “They’re a really good dog if you haven’t had a dog before,” Smith said. “They want to eat, they want to be with you and they want to sleep. That’s their goal in life.” Comet, resting contentedly at Smith’s feet, declined to comment for this article. Information for this article was gathered from rdrp.org, grey2kusa.org and nationalgeographic.com.
Iran-Iraq earthquake
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 cluding in Pol-e Zahab. Many of the buildings had been poorly constructed, which could have increased the destruction and death toll from the quake. His defenders argue that the buildings were on fault lines and that nothing could have been done. Initial reports from the Kurdish region of Iraq reported less damage and fewer deaths on that side of the border. Iran lies on dozens of fault lines and is prone to quakes. Residents are familiar with the government’s lackluster relief efforts and have started aid relief groups themselves. The United States, which does not maintain normal diplomatic relations with Iran, has offered and sent aid in the past quakes to have hit the region. Information gathered from nytimes.com
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New York to Paris: Museum of Modern Art celebrates its history with the Foundation Louis Vuitton Photos courtesy of Audrey Warne
SUBMITTED BY AUDREY WARNE The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York and the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris have co-organized an exhibition entitled “Être moderne : le MoMA à Paris” (which translates to “Being Modern : the MoMA in Paris”) which showcases over 200 pieces from the MoMA’s permanent collection and archives in celebration of the museum’s history. The exhibition, which opened to the public on Oct. 11 and will continue until March 5, includes masterworks by Pablo Picasso, Marcel Duchamp, René Magritte, Salvador Dalí, Mark Rothko, Frida Kahlo and Georgia O’Keefe among the over 100 blue chip artists whose works are on display. The pieces, plus more than 100 objects from MoMA’s archives, traveled across the Atlantic in 17 shipments from New York, making the loan MoMA’s largest to date, according to a press release from the Fondation. The co-organized exhibition spans four floors and ten galleries and traces MoMA’s history from its establishment in 1929 to its current space and the extensive building and renovation project the museum began in 2016. The first two galeries focus on the museum’s early history--with sections entitled “19291939: A new museum, The European
(top) Le faux miroir, an oil on canvas piece from 1928, by Belgian painter and surrealist René Magritte.
(bottom) Cuban-American artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres 1990 work Untitled (USA Today) features candies individually wrapped in cellophane and stacked in the corner of a gallery space. The work's "ideal weight" is 300 pounds and viewers are free to take the candy.
origins of modernity and American abstraction”--and the shift in location of avant-garde and modernist artistic production from major European cities to New York after the Second World War. The third gallery focuses on the minimalist and pop art trends of the 1950s and 1960s, with sections entitled “Series and minimalist structures and Pop America” tracing the development of a distinctly American modernist art in the post-war period. The next three galeries contain works from the late 1960s and onward that challenge established concepts of politics, society and art itself, with sections such as “Art in action and Images and identities : USA 1975-2000.” The last four galleries present artistic trends and movements that have emerged since the 2000s, with a focus on the impact of the digital age and globalization. The first gallery contextualizes the theme of contemporary notions of modernity, with sections entitled “Digital/ Analogue and 21st century : new horizons” while the other three feature individual works from contemporary artists Janet Cardiff, Roman Ondak and Ian Cheng. Information gathered from fondationlouisvuitton.fr and moma.org
JDub’s indie spin on Black Friday weekend BY TIM MANNING Saturday, families settled in behind brand new LED TVs, icing the bruises earned battling for that larger-and-brighter-than-life display and apprehensively eyeing day three of turkey-centric meals. Jeff Bezos saw his net worth explode to over $100 billion, enough to buy the NFL and the MLB, or, alternatively, cover out of state tuition for all out of state students at New College for about the next 200 years. Meanwhile, in the backyard of a local brewery, away from the fray of the malls, locals perused the work of local artists in a more bohemian commemoration of consumption. JDub’s, a Sarasota microbrewery that churns out often adventurous craft beers, frequently throws events to keep folks coming through and tasting their creations, which include unusual flavors including raspberry, maple and dandelion. This past weekend, they threw the 73 Degree Flea Indie Market Lunch, an unabashedly indie event bringing
together local artists, entrepreneurs and one lone food truck to share, promote and sell their goods. Attendees filled mason-jars with their favorite beers--the less prepared and the more cynical accepted their drinks in plastic cups--then set out to wander through stalls brimming with handiwork. A wide range of vendors presented a diverse collection of products ranging from massages to handknit scarves and T-shirts adorned with hand-pressed designs. Sarasota Candle Company brought handmade candles with flamboyant names like “Take it Easy” and “When Monkeys Attack.” Noelle & Lola, based out of Stuart, Florida, displayed their unique and brightly patterned handbags, while Sunshine Canning passed out small-batch jams, pickles and mustards. For Elma Felix, the artist and entrepreneur behind Ebijou Studio, her Sarasota-based business is “a labor of love.” “I’ve always made my own jewelry ever since I was little, whether
it was a bracelet, or even just a piece of cord with a bead on it,” Felix said. In her current jewelry making endeavors, a particular style of colorful fabric characterizes her bijoux. “Everything is made out of Ankara wax print fabric--those are made on the West coast of Africa. It’s a different way of depositing color onto cotton, basically, so you use wax to both deposit the color and seal it.” Molded into earrings, necklaces and scarfs by Felix, the colorful patterns of the Ankara fabric make Ebijou’s products bright, unique and exciting. Even in an artisan fair, the colors of Ebijou’s stall shone through. But for Felix, who works full time in Sarasota as an architect and urban planner, Ebijou serves a purpose beyond being a fount of bold, madewith-love accessories. “It’s sort of a creative outlet, which is how I kind of balance it,” Felix said. “I get home--I call it my six to eleven--it’s the job that gives me a little bit of meaning, a little bit of context to life.” At Poetry Cowgirl Nail Polish, a
shop for gluten free, cruelty free and vegan friendly handmade nail polish, Kristen Beals concurred with what Felix had said. For her, making nailpolish was an opportunity be creative and to escape a mundane job. Also like Felix, Beals makes all the products that she sells. “Everything is handmade. I hand-bottle and hand-pour, and I label everything. We were living in San Diego, and I was working a job that was not really very creatively satisfying,” Beals said. “And there’s an indie polish scene online--of course, cause there’s a network for everything online--and I started out just as a customer buying polish from other people, but I needed a creative outlet and my background is in art, so I decided to start making polish myself, and it just kind of branched out from there.” For Nevaeh Thompson, by far the youngest vendor at 11 years old, art provides a similar balance. Thompson got her start selling art continued on p. 11
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greyhounds and gambling CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
payouts vary depending on how many people bet on which dog. Although attempts have been made in recent years to de-couple racing and gambling, special interests have lobbied to keep the current laws in place. Advocates for the continuation of the current iteration of the sport include dog trainers expressing concerns for their livelihoods and breed enthusiasts convinced that without the funding from the gambling industry, the breed will fade. A post titled “AntiRacing Blogging” by Dennis McKeon on gra-america.org, a pro-racing site, argues that racing is necessary for the continued efficacy of the breed. American racing greyhound populations
Tax Plan
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Times—contradicting many of Trump’s promises about the plan. The plan would trim the number of tax brackets from seven to four, get rid of several tax deductions—while doubling the standard deduction most taxpayers claim—and would bring the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent, a significant and expensive difference. The estate tax is, in the House’s version of the plan, is eliminated. The Senate’s bill, on the other hand, does not entirely get rid of the estate tax. Despite the bill’s swift passage through the House and SFC, Democrats have stood unified in their opposition, panning it for its large corporate tax break and its elimination of the estate tax. Cutting the estate tax was projected by the Joint Committee of Taxation to result in a $320 billion increase in the national debt from 2017 to 2025. The tax, which currently takes 40 percent of estates exceeding $5.5 million from individuals and $11 million from married couples, would only impact the wealthiest two percent of American inwill likely challenge the decision, stop- dividuals. 99.8 percent of U.S. citizens ping dog racing at the casino. Working fail to meet the tax’s criteria. around the 1997 law, Magic City Casino “The bill Republicans have brought plans to offer jai-alai activities instead. to the floor today is not tax reform,” House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi Information for this article was gathered said in a public statement. “It’s not even from grey2kusa.org, thesportsgeek.com, a tax cut. It is a tax scam.” washingtonpost.com, floridapolitics.com, Information gathered from nytimes. gra-america.org and advocacy.britannica. com, forbes.com, thebalance.com an purpose of many dog breeds, which are divided often into two distinct subsections, “show” and “field.” Senator Tom Lee, a republican whose constituency covers parts of Pasco, Hillsborough and Polk counties, introduced Proposal 67, an amendment to the Florida State constitution. As of June 2017, only 19 dog tracks remained active in the United States and 11 of these are in Florida. Sarasota and St. Petersburg have their own tracks, with others scattered throughout the state in Jacksonville, Naples and Pensacola, among other cities. In July 2017, Magic City Casino in Miami won a legal battle against special interests, including dog breeders who
As of June 2017, only 19 dog tracks remained active in the United States and 11 of these are in Florida. and breeding programs depend on the systems and structures of racetracks. Without these structures, the “unique and highly functional population” will be compromised, as genetic diversity of non-racing dogs is insufficient for the continuation of the breed. The function of purebred greyhounds may change with the removal of racing--as has the
Saudi regime
manipulates the violent volatility. Furthermore, the U.S. ardently helps the Saudi regime while turning a blind eye to their role in arming militant groups which are likely to ‘cause problems in the future’. Saudi Arabia and Israel versus Iran On the same day of the initial Saudi purges--Nov. 4--“Yemen’s Shiite [Houthis] rebels fired a missile at the airport in Riyadh on Saturday. The Saudi-led military coalition fighting the [Yemeni] Houthis said the attack could be considered ‘an act of war against the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.’ It was intercepted by Saudi air defenses, though the explosion shook homes and could be heard in the capital of about 6.5 million people,” Bloomberg reported. This missile was the farthest militia munitions have entered Saudi airspace. Picking sides is a sign of war. Israeli and Saudi cooperation-amidst recent violence from Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Shi’a political party and militant group of Lebanon-has blossomed. The cordial nature between Israeli and Saudi interests is surprising, considering the official claim to be at odds with one another. Combating Iranian militant groups in Lebanon is something Israel and
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Dance
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 academically and it’s worth it; even if you don’t choreograph your own piece, to dance in someone else’s piece is a nice physical time, if that makes sense. I think if you’re focusing so much on school, having scheduled time to not focus on school or anything else that you're stressing about is really great,” Quintanilla said. “And I do think that taking on the challenge of being a choreographer or just leading a piece and directing it is a big responsibility so it kind of teaches you how to time manage, and you kind of have to be on top of yourself.” Quintanilla also encourages people to take the risk of joining or directing in Dance Collective, even if it feels like a step out of one’s comfort zone. “I would say to people who thought about participating in the show but didn’t, that they should just go for it in the spring if they see the show and they really like it,” Quintanilla said. “Or that if they’ve never choreographed before that they should do it anyway, cause for me, I never choreographed before coming to New College at all, I’d only danced in other people's’ pieces, so it was really nice to challenge myself to do something like that creatively.” The showcase for the 2017 Dance Collective will take place on Friday, Dec. 1 and Saturday, Dec. 2 at Sainer Auditorium.
JDub's
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 Saudi planes, sent the Saudi military targeting intelligence, and resupplied them with tens of billions of dollars worth of bombs. The conflict in Yemen has left, 7 million people facing starvation and another 1 million infected with cholera.” “Some of us thought, perhaps, we could, with a more robust, covert action try to vet, identify, train and arm cadres of rebels that would at least have the firepower to be able to protect themselves against both Assad and the Al-Qaeda-related jihadist groups that have, unfortunately, been attracted to Syria,” then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said at an event for Goldman Sachs in 2013. “That’s been complicated by the fact that the Saudis and others are shipping large amounts of weapons—and pretty indiscriminately— not at all targeted toward the people that we think would be the more moderate, least likely, to cause problems in the future, but this is another one of those very tough analytical problems,” The Intercept reported in 2016. It is unclear where middle eastern militant groups acquire funds or weapons at any given time, but it is clear that a general influx of firepower from regional authority centers
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 Saudi Arabia want. The Saudi regime encouraged the Lebanese Prime Minister, Saad Hariri to resign--on Nov. 4 2017--for getting to close to Hezbollah coalition parties in their own sovereign government. War between Saudi and Iranian forces would be catastrophic for the world. “The major OPEC oil producers, all abutting the Persian Gulf, export almost 20 percent of the world's oil supply through the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to global markets. The strait, a mere 34 miles wide at its narrowest, sits pinched between Iran to the north and Oman to the south. Were a war between Saudi Arabia and Iran to erupt, this chokepoint could easily be closed,” CNBC reported, “with consequences which would be severe and immediate for the global economy.” The middle east is a tinder box. The world's big actors are tied up in a knot that appears to be in a volatile spin-out. What is more troubling is that the structures of the ‘free world’ (i.e. international financial markets or the United States) are not reasonable mediators for the mess in the middle east. They are a part of the mess itself.
when a self portrait of hers was featured in FACEing Mental Illness: The Art of Acceptance, a community art project dedicated to destigmatizing mental illness and creating a community for those whom it affects. “I love doing art, and it’s a chance to be calm, so it helped me, cause I struggled with ADHD. So, every time I was struggling, I would do art and it would calm me down,” Thompson said. For 73 Degrees’ youngest vendor, creating and selling art has contributed to the growth of her self confidence. With her artwork in Selby Library and having sold a piece to a successful Sarasota businessman, the process of making art has become central to Thompson’s life. “It has helped transition into being comfortable with accepting her challenges, instead of people making fun of her,” Thompson’s mom, Idalia Rivera, added. “Some people used to tell her ‘you need to take your medication,’ so it helped her to bypass all that.”
CATALYST
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2017 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst
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The ‘Sitcom edy Friends remind us why we love improv BY GIULIA HEYWARD While cars were being loaded with laundry and bodies that were coming home, another group of students were lining up to enter the Black Box Theatre (BBT). Once chairs were full, students piled onto the floor, waiting in anticipation for the Comedy Friends to arrive. A “Fresh” Theme Song: A remix of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song played as the Comedy Friends ran across the stage. Thesis student James VonHollen remained on the red couch, which would stay as the permanent fixture on the stage for the remainder of the show, leafing through an issue of the Catalyst as his prop. “The audience is the key component,” first-year Briana Lutzi said. “They are part of it, and we have nothing without them. Nothing at all.” Prior to the show, attendants were asked to write random phrases or punch lines on scraps of paper. These scraps of paper were then picked at random from the improv group and then became the catchphrase of the characters once they entered a scene. At the beginning of each new improv game, the audience was polled on what the setting or characters should be. The show consisted of several improv games, where the setting and characters were often decided by the audience. Some of the improv games included: “The Dad Game” “The Dad Game” had VonHollen, third-year Alba Abrams and first-year LilyAnne Rodriguez cast as a father with his two children. Three storylines were decided by the audience and, with each change, the characters switched roles. Abrams was the muggle father watching his two children go off to Hogwarts, VonHollen was a former bullied kid attending his high school reunion where he planned on parading his children as “Nat Sci geniuses,” while Rodriguez was at the DMV for one of many traffic violations--they had been waiting there for years. “Good Cop, Bad Cop”
“Good Cop, Bad Cop” had first-year Charlie Leavengood and thesis student Austin Venhaus as cops, while first-year Robert Lawlor played a criminal. Lawlor left the room while Leavengood and Venhaus discussed what Lawler’s story should be with the audience. Lawlor then had to figure out what he was being interrogated for: he had murdered the inner child of an attendant in the audience while using sulfuric acid on the ice planet of Hoth. “The Party Game” Thesis student Austin Venhous played a party host who was tasked with figuring out who the attendants were. The audience had chosen to have Lutzi play Shrek, second-year Olivia Siegel as one (or any) of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) and Rodriguez as a retail sales employee. A "Dope" Intermission The improv group positioned chairs in a circle, as each took a seat. A “doobie,” in the form of a used lollipop stick, was passed around as each Comedy Friend picked a random word, including “Publix sandwich” and “cucumber.” These were then used for the final skit of the show where an anxious customer ordered a Pub Sub from an impatient Publix employee and the corporate office of Publix discontinued every ingredient except for Honey Mustard and olives. The Recap The ‘Sitcom’-edy Friends show lasted for an hour and 45 minutes. Upon its completion, audience members jumped to the stage to congratulate their friends. Although not intended, the show had been scheduled on Tuesday, Nov. 21 at 9 p.m., the day prior to when many students were leaving for Thanksgiving Break. The show was also scheduled the same day that the latest edition of Nimbus, the alumni publication from the Office of Communications and Marketing, had come out. On Nimbus’s front page was the Comedy Friends improv of last year, celebrating winning the title of fourth best college improv group in the nation.
(left and above) Liam, a retired racing dog, is camera-shy but happy in his forever home.
all photos Giulia Heyward/Catalyst
Many greyhound owners note that these dogs recognize others of the breed and love being around other greyhounds.
Retired greyhounds often appear at RDRP events, helping raise money and educate potential adopters about the breed.
(left and above) Liam, a retired racing dog, is camera-shy but happy in his forever home.