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OCTOBER 4, 2017 VOLUME XXXV ISSUE IV
New College of Florida's student-run newspaper
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Puerto Rico still awaiting major aid photo courtesy of Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters
BY SAMANTHA RAMIREZ Category-five storm Maria set its path on Puerto Rico, lashing the island and U.S. territory with 150+ mph winds as it made its initial landfall in Yabucoa around 6:35 a.m. on Sept. 20. The tremendous storm, larger than the country itself, brought with it devastating winds and destructive flooding to all of Puerto Rico citizens could only refer to the island state after the storm as “apocalyptic” in their eyes. Puerto Rico endured the storm for hours, as Maria tore down buildings, shut off communications and damaged everything that it touched throughout the entire island. Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, meaning the people who call this place their home are American citizens, however these citizens are having a hard time seeing it that way.
Major relief to the island has not arrived from the U.S. and many are growing impatient with the lack of empathy from President Donald Trump. With the storm knocking down all communication and technological infrastructure, Puerto Rico lost 100 percent of its power and left victims in the dark. Many were not able to contact loved ones about their status until days after the storm. This re-
porter's family in Puerto Rico made contact with the U.S. from Aguadilla on Sept. 23, with my grandma battling alzheimers we were joyful to hear she was okay, but the worry of her medical state and the lack of power, fresh water and safety on the
island has yet to leave our thoughts. Major relief to the island has not arrived from the U.S. and many are growing impatient with the lack of empathy the President and the leaders of this country seem to be placing towards the islands catastrophic state. “My people are safe for the most part, there is still no power and because of the concern of robberies they can’t leave their houses alone. Their neighbors sleep on their cars so they won't have the gas and/or their battery stolen,” second-year Lucille Sanz said. “Now that Trump waived the Jones Act, more relief cargo can finally reach the island--however, a lot of us can’t comprehend how they’re being treated like second class citizens when they are American citizens.” The Jones Act, a federal law that continued on p. 11
A look at sports today: protests across leagues, C.T.E. continuing to haunt NFL BY RYAN PAICE CONTENT WARNING: Mention ofAaron Hernandez’s suicide
https://doc-0k-18-docs. googleusercontent.com/ docs/securesc/s7jurnmk912se8sp3mgg3hd8llrh0uos/obdpo7fpcdn719 co01n4qb7t57rv346b/1 506448800000/0533393 9401667025082/025783 83506865688437/0B4ze ECbsUTILVjVXY25YUU 52ZUk?e=download
With September having come to an end, October brings along a great many things, including the Major League Baseball (MLB) Playoffs, the National Basketball Association (NBA) preseason—which began on Oct. 1—and season opener on Oct. 17, more football and hockey and of course, Halloween. From players’ protests across both the National Football League (NFL) and NBA, to Aaron Hernandez’s brain scans once again bringing C.T.E. to the forefront of football, the sports world has been rife with stories. C.T.E. haunts the NFL without treatment Aaron Hernandez, former New England Patriots player and convict-
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have committed suicide. Whether or not the condition was the cause or even influential upon Hernandez’s behavior before or after his trial and conviction, C.T.E. often manifests itself within those effected in symptoms such as difficulty controlling aggression and impulses, disorganization, mood swings, degrees of dementia and even more. Hernandez’s brain scans prompted his estate to file a federal lawsuit against the NFL and the Patriots on Sept. 21, pursuing damages to provide compensation for Hernandez’s 4-year-old daughter, Avielle photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Hernandez, for the loss of her father. This image shows a normal brain sample compared to the brain of someone with C.T.E. The lawsuit hinges upon the allegation that the NFL and Patriots knew ed murderer, was found to have had a Chronic traumatic encephalop- about the possible consequences of severe case of C.T.E.—equivalent to athy (C.T.E.) is a significant degen- frequent head trauma and did not the damage found in elderly former erative brain disease believed to be provide enough protection to counNFL players—despite having left the caused by frequent and chronic head ter that threat. NFL when he was only 23 and having trauma found in over 100 former continued on p. 8 committed suicide at 27. NFL players, including several who
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Yale joins list of schools opting for gender-neutral terminology BY MAGDALENE TAYLOR Yale’s official documents will soon sound much like New College’s. After deliberation from students, faculty and administration, Yale University in New Haven, CT, will no longer utilize gendered terms such as “freshman” and “upperclassmen” in official campus publications. Instead, the school is adopting the more inclusive, gender-neutral terms of “first-year” and “upper-level students.” Yale is latest among many colleges and universities to make this decision, including University of North Carolina, Dartmouth College, Cornell University and Columbia University. In all cases, this terminology applies only to official campus publications and documents. The every-day word choice of students and faculty remains their own decision. This decision stems not only from a push for greater inclusivity toward trans and gender nonconforming students, but also to account for the fact that cis men no longer make up the gender-majority of college students. Colleges across the country are also moving toward gender inclusiv-
ity in other ways, with Harvard offering the opportunity for students to indicate their preferred pronouns during registration since 2015, for example. This is not necessarily a widespread new shift, however--the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience, formerly the National Resource Center for the Freshman Experience, changed its name in 1998. Yale also filed a lawsuit against the state of Connecticut in June 2017 over a state building code that requires buildings to have a certain number of gender-specific restrooms. Yale requested to be exempt from this code in order to provide more gender-neutral single-user restrooms, but their request was denied. New College utilizes terms like “first-year” for similar reasons, but also to better accommodate students who do not follow the traditional four-year graduation structure. Documents in the New College Digital archives refer to students accordingly in as early as 1968.
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Campus police release Annual Security Report (ASR) BY MAGDALENE TAYLOR
The New College Police Department (NCPD) has shared their Annual Security Report (ASR) detailing the rates of various crimes on campus. The report offers a comparative look at crime rates between 2014, 2015 and 2016, as well as fire drills conducted in the last three years and reported fires and cases of arson. In 2016, the NCPD reported one case of stalking, arson and motor vehicle theft. All other major offense categories, such as murder and sexual offenses, had zero reported offenses. The two years prior had a similar number of offenses, but in different categories. In the last three years, there have been zero reports of hate crimes, weapon offenses, murder/ manslaughter and other specific crimes. There have, however, been four total reported incidences of rape and four total reported incidences of burglary. Two areas of the report that saw significant variations are the drug and liquor violations. While from Information for this article was 2015 to 2016 drug law violation reobtained via USA Today, Inside Higher ferrals decreased from ten to two, liqEd, New Haven Register, and Yale Daily uor law violations referrals increased News.
from three to thirteen. Three people were arrested for drug violations in 2015, and one person was arrested for drug violations in 2016. No people on campus have been arrested for liquor violations in the last three years. In addition to on-campus crime data, the report offers a wide range of information regarding the definitions of different types of crimes, resources that are available to students and campus policy regarding matters such as Title IX. The report also offers measures that can be taken to promote personal safety and prevent theft of items, bikes, vehicles and identity. A significant portion of the report is dedicated to sexual assault and resources pertaining to it. The measures offered to students regarding the prevention of sexual assault pertain primarily to promoting consent and preventing oneself from the perpetrator of sexual assault, rather than preventing oneself from being the victim. The full data from the report is available on the NCPD portal on the New College website and was emailed to all students, faculty and staff.
CIW Women’s Group launch mobile museum campaign on sexual violence in agriculture BY MAGDALENE TAYLOR The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) women’s group has announced a new education and action campaign called “Harvest without Violence” to address issues of sexual harassment and assault against women farmworkers. The campaign is part of the broader Boycott Wendy’s movement. For this campaign, CIW will construct a mobile museum that will “shed light on the long-hidden history of sexual violence that takes place virtually without consequence on farms outside of the Fair Food
Program,” according to the CIW website, referring specifically to fast food chain Wendy’s refusal to join the Fair Food Program. The mobile museum will also highlight the successes and progress of women farmworkers along the East Coast. An estimated 4-in-5 women farm-workers experience sexual harassment or assault on the job. However, the Fair Food Program has virtually eliminated these instances on participating farms, according to the Boycott Wendy’s website. The Fair Food Program deploys a variety of protections against abuses experienced by farmworkers, including sexual abuse. In part, this campaign
"When is the next SAC meeting?" © 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.
is intended to continue to pressure Wendy’s to join the Fair Food Program, and therefore lessen the abuses that Wendy’s farmworkers experience. The campaign includes a protest at the Wendy’s headquarters in Dublin, OH, on Oct. 23 and a protest in New York City on Nov. 20. In addition to Harvest without Violence, CIW and the Student/ Farmworker Alliance are calling for a national week of action, Oct. 21-28. Information for this article was photo courtesy of Student Farmworker Alliance obtained via boycott-wendys.org and Farmworker women launch “Harvest ciw-online.org
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without Violence” campaign to end sexual violence in Wendy’s supply chain.
Giulia Heyward Magdalene Taylor Ryan Paice Jacob Wentz Anya María Contreras-García
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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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Students partner with NOAA for undergraduate thesis research BY JORDI GONZALEZ
Thesis student, Lukas Heath, is focusing his thesis on learning more about the condition of the Sarasota Bay by partnering with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to see if we have a shark nursery area in our backyard. After decades of plummeting shark populations around the world-with some species having declined by 50 percent in the last 15 years and others by around 80 percent--shark nursery areas have been on the rise thanks to federal and local efforts, especially in the SouthEast United States. These are areas where substantial data has been collected to prove that it is where specific species thrive. “It’s really important to protect their nursery areas, which is what we hope to do is get Sarasota Bay classified as a nursery area,” Heath said. “It will take a while, but I guess we’re on our way.” On Sept. 27 and 29, Heath, his advisor and thesis sponsor Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Jayne Gardiner and a few eager students set out for some potential data by shark tagging. There’s a quick surgery done on the boat to implant the tag into the body cavity. The team uses acoustic tags that
Photos courtesy of Lucas Heath
Sarasota Bay was declared an Estuary of National Significance in 1989.
emit a signal every couple of minutes, which are then detected by an underwater acoustic receiver (listening station). Thanks to a joint grant made with Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, these stations have been created throughout the nearby region. They also use bright yellow, conventional dart tags with NOAA’s phone number and an individual tag number on it. This is so that when someone recaptures the shark, they can call the phone number and report the tag number that they encountered, specify where they caught the animal and how big it was.
“I think it would be strange if Sarasota Bay wasn’t a nursery area for young sharks. Many of the relatively shallow and semi-enclosed bays along our coastline are important nursery habitats. Terra Ceia Bay to the north of us and Charlotte Harbor to the south of us are known to be important nursery areas for the blacktip shark, for example,” Dr. Gardiner said via an e-mail interview. In order for a specific habitat to be officially confirmed as a shark nursery area, three criteria must be met. First, sharks are more commonly encountered in the area than other areas. Secondly, sharks have
a tendency to remain or return for extended periods. Lastly, the area or habitat is repeatedly used across years. Luckily for Heath and New College at large, alum, Kevin Jensen (‘13), began the research process of discovering more about our Bay to see if the criteria could be met. Jensen focused on calculating the abundances of shark in the waters to meet the first requirement and found that there are actually a considerable newborn blacktip shark population, similar to those other nursery areas close by. Now, with that research data being passed on, Heath is honing in on the second criteria, finding out whether the sharks stay for long periods of time--typically a few weeks or months--or not. Since Heath has set out on his mission last May, he’s been shark tagging twice a month all summer and will finally conclude taking data this upcoming October. “Now that it’s the school year again I’m looking for students who might want to volunteer and get some experience,” Heath said. “We hope to keep this project going, so then somebody next year for their thesis could look for something different.” continued on p. 11
STEMfem-inist Friday: Perspectives from women faculty BY JASON D'AMOURS Seven well-revered women faculty sat in an Academic Center of Excellence (ACE) classroom at the first Feminist Friday of the semester to discuss their experiences as women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. STEMfem-inist friday, organized by STEMfem.--a student club which serves as a motivational resource for underrepresented students who wish to pursue a career in STEM fields--provided an interdisciplinary space for women faculty to engage in dialogue surrounding gender-based discrimination and to share how they overcame such obstacles. Professor of Biochemistry Katherine Walstrom, Professor of Biology Amy Clore, Professor of Applied Statistics Mine Dogucu, Professor of Neurobioogy Elizabeth Leininger, Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies Emily Saarinen, Professor of Physics Mariana Sendova and Professor of Chemistry Suzanne Sherman joined a panel in which they shared personal anecdotes about implicit and explicit sexism they experienced throughout their STEM journey.
A common theme throughout their stories involved sexism experienced on the job market, in the field, in research labs and steps students should take to overcome obstacles and reassure themselves. Professor Clore brought up implicit forms of sexism in the classroom, and observed that often female students are expected to volunteer to take notes or complete the paperwork for the group. She also shared a double standard that she experienced when working in the field as a mother. “There was this double standard of, ‘you’re supposed to be here all weekend,’ and also, ‘where are your kids?’” Clore said. Professor Sherman worked in a research group that she recalls being predominantly male. She remembers only two women in the group of 20. She eventually transitioned from an explicitly sexist postdoctoral experience to New College. “I was trying to get out of there as quickly as possible so the transition to New College was just wonderful,” Sherman said. Professor Walstrom, speaking to female STEM students in attendance, had one word of advice. “I would recommend never go-
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The first Feminist Friday of the semester was attended by students and faculty from different disciplines.
ing to a school where female students don’t seem supported,” Walstrom said outright. Most other professors echoed Walstroms advice and credited those female and male mentors who were not implicitly or explicitly sexist, those who often assisted them through difficult times. According to the National Girls Collaborative (NGC), college-educated women make up half of the total workforce, but only 29 percent of the science and engineering workforce. Furthermore, women scientists do dominate some disciplines, such as
the social sciences (62 percent), but very few are in engineering (15 percent) and computing and mathematical sciences (25 percent). Interestingly, these disparities are absent in K-12 education, except among girls of color and girls from lower socioeconomic classes. The National Science Foundation (NSF) reports that “female students' achievement in mathematics and science is on par with their male peers and female students participate in high level mathematics and science continued on p. 10
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New College’s internet network, friendly administrators and fear of Big Brother BY NOAH BASLAW For all those who were wondering, the New College Information Technology (IT) department does not operate like the United States’ CIA and NSA. Instead, it protects the community from malicious outside software and helps both students and staff with their own defective computers. Ever since Edward Snowden showed the world that the National Security Agency (NSA) was either actively or had the potential to look at any human’s internet activity, the fear of Big Brother intensified. Big Brother, or “BB,” was famously coined by George Orwell in reference to the infamous all-seeing, all-powerful authority of the federal government. Some students at New College have taken an interest in the shadow surveillance-state which lurks behind the screen. “I look at some freaky shit so hell yea I'm concerned about it,” thesis student Hunter Osking wrote in an email interview. Joint efforts between Federal government agencies and major internet service providers perform inappropriate surveillance on mass telecommunications networks. Though
nothing like these federal entities-except that they all use computers a lot--New College IT does fall within Federal agencies’ and law jurisdictions. “I respect everyone’s privacy, not just students [but] everybody as a whole,” Director of Network Service and Infrastructure Ben Foss said. “It’s not IT’s job to investigate, that the police’s job. Our job is to make sure you have quality and reliable services that are secure and just work. “Certainly if Student Affairs came to us with the backing of campus police, we would do everything legally we could.” Foss continued that while they are obligated to report illegal activity like “peer to peer downloading or other Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) violations, we are not in the game of censorship, we don’t look at the content of any email messages or instant messaging--though that is not to say the data is not there. If there was a subpoena we would be obligated to give the data to the authorities.” As the IT director, Foss “oversees all IT related infrastructure [including] telecommunications, network connectivity, both wireless and wired, all the security, servers and
storage - academic as well.” “We use a variety of tools - firewalls, access control lists, intrusion prevention systems. For collegeowned computers we have endpoint protections such as data loss prevention, antivirus and anti-malware.” The IT department can help with student or faculty computer problems too. If a virus does get onto a computer both the New College network ran by the IT department and New College’s internet service provider will let the user know in the internet browser window, according to Foss. In that case, individuals of the New College community can bring their ailing computers to the IT department in Palmer A’s Southwest hall. “We don’t want to do anything to void a warranty, and in those instances we will refer you to the manufacturer,” Foss said. “We help with virus removal or file recovery if the hard drive goes bad, especially if it's during thesis time - and certainly we help getting folks onto the network.” IT also gives network users good advice against computer infection. “One of the most vulnerable areas that any business, college, or home user has is themselves, and [the New College IT department] has security awareness training that all
staff and faculty are required to go through--[where] there is emphasis on phishing attacks. Foss reiterated that typically personal information is maliciously taken via socially engineering, or tricking people into giving their own information themselves. [These days] You read a lot about these sophisticated hackers, but really most attacks stem from a cleverly crafted email with a link in it.” Students can ask IT questions about their devices in person or through email, though no work study positions are open in this department as of now. “So far we have not heard that we will get any for this year,” Network Administrator Alex Kostova said through email. “There is always the question on if, or when, we will get funding for said positions,” IT Network Administrator Robert Constant recalled. “In my four-plus years here I have seen two student workers through the work study program.” While it is unknown by the IT Network Administrators whether there are funds for work-study there, the opportunity would no doubt be a great asset to students interested in computer networks.
Is no news good news? Ham Center newspapers cut from budget BY COLE ZELZNAK Sixteen percent – according to a 2015 Pew poll, that’s the number of United States citizens age 18-24 who read a daily newspaper. $3,000 – that’s the amount spent by the New College Student Alliance (NCSA) each year to furnish Hamilton “Ham” Center with free paper copies of the New York Times (NYT) and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune (SHT) every weekday. At the beginning of this year, where one used to be able to find stacks of these venerable publications, now reside approximately five copies of the board game Apples to Apples and a free weekly paper, the Sarasota Observer. Adjunct Assistant Professor of Quantitative Methods Duff Cooper could often be seen scanning an open copy of the NYT during lunch hours at Ham. “What happened to the newspapers? Why were they removed? Yes, I like [to] read the paper when I’m having lunch at Ham Center,” Cooper said. “I’ve noticed a lot of papers that
were left over. Perhaps just scaling back the number of papers to help eliminate waste might work. But, I can certainly understand the issues involved.” A budget line has existed to pay for the newspaper subscription since at least 2009, and in a 2015 announcement on the Forum, former NCSA Co-president Paige Pellaton stated that online access to the NYT would also be available to students. The passes enabled up to 20 students to view the newspaper online at one time. The removal of the weekday newspaper was a decision made by the 2016-2017 NCSA cabinet. According to NCSA Chief of Staff (CoS) Katie Thurston, the NCSA budget was changed last year because cabinet members felt that the newspaper Cole Zelznak/Catalyst subscriptions were prohibitively expensive and did not have sufficient The newspaper stand where the New York Times and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune readership to justify the cost. For- used to be is now occupied by board games, bus maps, and the Sarasota Observer. mer NCSA Co-president Paul Loriston was a member of the cabinet that ministration regarding the Activity having to throw them away because decided to cancel the subscriptions. and Service (A&S) fees used to fund they ended up spread out on the tables or the floor,” Thurston said. Loriston said that the decision was the NCSA. “Maintenance just ended up motivated by pressure from the adcontinued on p. 11
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New College Waterfront gets revamped BY TIM MANNING
Tim Manning/Catalyst
The Activist Newsletter Phoro courtesy of Jasmine Respess
BY ANYA CONTRERAS-GARCIA This week (10/4 – 10/12), activists have the opportunity to participate in community meetings, academic discussions, marches and demonstrations! Read on if you want to get involved in the community regarding climate justice, worker’s rights, racial equality or disaster relief for Puerto Rico. Wed., Oct. 4, Climate Justice: A Talk by Jacqueline Patterson @ 1:30 – 3 P.M. University Student Center, 140 USFSP Harborwalk S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 Jacqueline Patterson, Director of the NAACP's Environmental and Climate Justice Program, will be speaking on a panel titled "Social Vulnerability: Effects of Climate Change on Society." This panel is part of a two-day workshop organized by the Initiative on Coastal Adaptation and Resilience at USFSP. This event is free and open to the public. For more info or to RSVP, check out the event page on Facebook. Thurs., Oct. 5, Tell Ben & Jerry’s: Human Rights Can’t Wait! @ 5 – 6 P.M. Ben & Jerry’s, 371 St. Armand’s Cir, Sarasota, FL 34236 Join us in solidarity with farmworkers in Vermont for an action at our local Ben & Jerry's scoop shop to demand they stand up for workers rights! In 2015, Ben & Jerry’s pledged to only source from dairy farms that met humane standards for working conditions for dairy workers such as adequate pay, food, water, shade and breaks. For two years, Ben & Jerry's has made no moves to follow through on that promise.
On October 5th, actions will take place at Ben & Jerry's shops across the country. Join activists to deliver a letter to the Sarasota shop expressing concerns and demanding that they support the Milk with Dignity program now. For more info, check out the event page on Facebook. Sat., Oct. 7, Decolonize Columbus Day @ 5 – 8 P.M. Integration Statue, 75 N Woodward Ave, Tallahassee, FL 32304 Join FSU Students for Justice in Palestine in decolonizing Columbus Day with a rally and march demanding that we no longer celebrate Christopher Columbus as an American icon. For more info, check out the event page on Facebook. Sun., Oct. 8, Crisis in Puerto Rico: Discussion and Supply Drive @ 3 – 4:30 P.M. Fogartyville Community Center, 525 Kumquat Ct, Ste C, Sarasota, FL 34236 Join activists to discuss what is happening in Puerto Rico and wish community members good luck on their trip to deliver donations to the island. Attendees are urged to drop-off donations during the event. For more info, check out the event page on Facebook.
(left) Third-year Camila Vallejo stands in front of the many vessels students can take out on the waterfront for free. (right) Second-year Olivia Siegel enjoys the bay water on a paddleboard.
The New College Waterfront has all its vessels lined up neatly, ready to be taken out into the water. This semester, a refurbished waterfront with new staff and boats is looking forward to turning over a new leaf and a semester full of paddleboards, canoes and 420’s on the water. The reenvisioned waterfront looks ready to expand and grow into an exciting and sparkling new facet of the New College experience. This has all happened thanks to a concerted effort by the school and the new staff of the waterfront. This year, due to grant money given to the waterfront, it has been able to hire a full time staff member and three students. Long in disarray and with unclear hours, it has recently received an overhaul by the new staff members. Newly clean and organized, the waterfront is ready for a new season. Camila Vallejo, a third-year marine bio student, expressed her excitement about on part of the fall programming, excursions onto the bay. “What I’m most excited about is the nature tours were hoping to do on the paddleboards,” Vallejo said. “So we’re gonna go out and just teach people about Sarasota Bay and how great it is and all the different organisms that live with us.” The new waterfront envisions itself, in part, as a point of access to the beautiful Sarasota Bay and hopes to enable students and members of the community to connect with it. “We want to educate folks in the community about what’s in their own backyard, in the water,” J.R. Ayers, one of the new professional staff members hired to oversee the waterfront, said. “We saw a manatee mating this morning, we saw a dolphin, we saw a lot of crabs. [...] You go down that way, there are thousands of [cone jellies]; you can’t put your paddle in the water without hitting them.” That being said, the vision for
the waterfront includes more than just ecological exploration--the folks running it recognize, and hope to tap, its potential as a place for recreation. “We want see sail club function out of here, sail team train out of here, we want to get eco-tours going, but we also want to see people come down here and say ‘hey, me and me three buddies want to rent out a kayak,’” Ayers said. “We want to see the paddleboards go out, we want to put a volleyball net… We want to see robust activity.” Vallejo concurred and expressed her hope for a vibrant waterfront. “What I want to get most out of this is to have people be here and use this space,” Vallejo said, “and explore, ‘cause there are so many things that you can do here that you can’t do anywhere else...people are always complaining that they’re so bored, use the waterfront you know.” The waterfront could also connect New College to the local community. Ayers also has already reached out into the community and found support. His hope is to create a volunteer corps of savvy sailors and people who just want to give back in some way. “We’ve already got one person who’s went through the process this week. [gotten fingerprinted] and they’re official with the campus now… and we’re probably gonna have three or four more,” Ayers said. “A couple of these are ex-sailors, I mean they’ve been sailing forever. They’re willing to donate time to help teach windsurfing, sailing, the whole nine yards.” However, at the center of it all is the hope that the revitalized waterfront can become a space for students to spend time, be closer to the Sarasota Bay and the Sarasota community and have fun. Alum Olivia Siegel (‘16), a new continued on p. 11
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More Than Just Painted Ladies!
Ringling Museum provides students with educational opportunities BY AZIA KEEVER It’s a fall afternoon in Sarasota and the locals are padding the crosswalk outside of the Ringling Museum. A young person, about 20-yearsold, smiles at the gate guard who is turning them away from the front door. The locals are confused as to how this person has forgotten to put on shoes before heading to the museum. According to the guard’s face, this happens frequently. Ringling and New College staffs have historically called on each other for collaboration for the benefit of both students and the museum. Thanks to this collaboration between professors and curators, curators at the museum frequently teach classes at the college. “It’s almost like having your very own museum as part of the campus,” Art History Professor Malena Carrasco said. The proximity and availability of the museum makes its collections indispensable for classes. Professor Carrasco, when teaching her advanced class on Caravaggio, a late 17th century Italian painter quintessential to the chiaroscuro technique, utilized the museum. Each student in her class picked a chiaroscuro painting on display in the museum’s baroque collection to research for the duration of the class and had to present on it. For alum Francisco Perez (‘13) the adjunct positions that the college offers curators at the Ringling was fundamental for engaging in and learning more about their field.
“For instance I took Chris Jones’ Introduction to Photography and that was really important to me. Dr. McLendon’s Theory and Visual Culture class was perhaps the best class I took at New College,” Perez said. Dr. Matthew McLendon is the former Curator of Contemporary Art and Christopher Jones is the Curator of Photography and New Media. Jones is teaching another class this semester at NCF called Contemporary Photography focusing on curation. “But the opportunities at Ringling are not just for Art History students,” Carrasco assured. Former professor Margaret Konkol used the space for her Victorian Poetry class in the spring of 2016. At the end of the semester, each student picked a painting to write a poem on. On top of taking classes by curators of the Ringling, Perez worked at the Ringling as a volunteer for all four years at New College. They started their first year working for the now Curator of Collections, Dr. Sarah Cartwright, who was a research fellow responsible for organizing the museum’s object files at the time. “It was nice because sometimes I came across information relevant to my classes, which I used in essays,” Perez said. “There was a very real connection between my internship and my classes.” Internships at the Ringling frequently call on students’ experiences outside of their work at the museum. Third-year Kaithleen Coñoepan had an internship that lead to her work as a permanent fixture in the new East Asian art exhibit. She interned
as an Art Preparator, learning about soldering, woodwork, preparing for exhibitions, how to carefully handle art and deinstallations. Coñoepan remarked that her experience working at the Bike Shoppe was applied more often than she thought it would have been while interning at the Ringling. “I worked with other art preparators at the museum and they guided me in each task. I didn't expect for my actual work to be reflected in exhibitions,” Coñoepan said, “Some of the wooden frames that I helped build and stain were later used in their Japanese Bronze Culture exhibit.” There is a way to engage with Ringling for all students. The Ringling has been nested in between New College’s two bayside campuses since 1971, when Caples Campus was created through a donation towards an environmental studies fund from of Mrs. and Mr. Caples. Ever since then, students have been walking across the grounds to and from these two campuses, as the grounds and permanent exhibitions are free for students to come and go as they please. There are five gardens at the Ringling. The Dwarf Garden, Mable’s Secret Garden, the Millennium Tree Trail and the Museum of Art Courtyard. Mable's Rose Garden, established in 1913 and restored in 1991, is the most striking of the five gardens. “It is the oldest, continually maintained rose garden in the state of Florida,” Kevin Greene, the landscape superintendent at the Ringling said in a video on the museum’s website. There are over 1000 different
rose bushes and over 300 varieties of roses. There’s even a rose named after Dolly Parton and Mable Ringling. “I've done homework in some places at the Ringling and it's nice to go to their rose garden when I have lot of things on my mind,” Coñoepan said. “And I've used their library many times. Nothing can be checked out, but the books and written works they have is very unique and worth a look,” Coñoepan continued. Their art library is also free and available to students. It is the largest art library in the southeast, boasting 70,000 items such as specialized art databases which include auction catalogues from the 1930s to the present, more than 100 journal/ magazine subscriptions and a collection of rare books from the 1930s to the present. To get involved with the museum’s internships opportunities one should ask their advisor for information on who to speak with, as internships are provided on an individual case-by-case basis. Those interested in volunteering must complete an online Volunteer Application, participate in a one-on-one interview with a Volunteer Services staff member and complete an orientation and training program. To visit Ringling for free, a student ID must be presented at the entrance. Unfortunately, shoes are always required. Information for this article was gathered from various online interviews and ringling.com.
The hallway into the East Asian art exhibit featuring tapestries, statues, and pottery from multiple eras.
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The outside of The Center for Asian Art in the Dr. Helga Wall-Apelt Gallery of Asian Art.
A statue just outside the Ringling Museum's library looks out to its guests, a book on Ai Weiwei is on display and turned to the page of the Zodiac Heads displayed outside.
A statue in one of the many gardens on the museum's campus.
(above) Circle of Animal/Zodiac Heads by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, a collection of 12 monumental bronze sculptures. (below) Two "Distant Drums" roses from the Mable's Rose Garden.
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The situation marks yet another mark along the NFL’s turbulence route in dealing with C.T.E.—or, more accurately, not dealing with C.T.E. According to a report from Democratic members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, the league rescinded a payment of $30 million to the National Institute of Health (NIH) for concussion research when it was realized that the study’s findings would damage the NFL’s image, backing out of a signed agreement to instead let taxpayers bear the bulk of the lost money. Player protests from the NFL reach across to basketball The NFL’s player protests against racial injustice, sparked last season by then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, have influenced Black athletes across the sports domain. Despite a rule founded decades ago establishing how kneeling during the national anthem is actually against the rules, several players have expressed a desire, or even plans, to demonstrate their symbolic unity during the national anthem. Whether these demonstrations will arrive in the form of locked arms, raised fists, or the illegal kneeling—the enforcement against which has not been clearly defined by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. While
the league did distribute a memo on Sept. 29 reminding teams of the existence of the kneeling rule and the expectation of compliance, Silver has repeatedly refused to establish whether or not a player or players who do kneel would be punished. Regardless, teams across the NBA have expressed support for their players and their respective decisions in how they approach their demonstrations. “I think ultimately, we as the Celtics organization support our guys and their right to take a stand and protest peacefully and promote positive change,” Boston Celtics Head Coach Brad Stevens said. U.S. President Donald Trump’s took to Twitter to air multiple opinions regarding the national anthem protests, tweeting “Very important that NFL players STAND tomorrow, and always, for the playing of our National Anthem,” on Sept. 30, also ironically claiming that the modern NFL is “too soft!” despite the rising caution behind the sport of football in general, with C.T.E. so frequently displaying its ever-present threat in a game with such frequent, traumatic contact. Information gathered from theatlantic. com, nfl.com, and nytimes.com
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habitats for the species of mosquito that spreads Zika. Burr explained why compost bins are ideal breeding grounds for these mosquitos. “They plant their eggs on the sides of the walls and when the water goes up, they hatch out and they live in the water for a while… they’ll stay as eggs on the side of the container and then when the water comes up they’ll hatch out.” Although Zika hasn’t been discussed much lately, there is concern about staff and faculty members who are planning families, so mosquito control is a campus goal. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, approximately one-third of food produced every year is wasted. This adds up to 1.3 billion tons globally, and in Europe and North America, waste is estimated at 95-115 kg
Miranda Gale/Catalyst per capita per year, with most of the food lost later in the supply chain. Fruits and vegetables--highly compostable foods--have the highest waste rates. As of now, there are seven tutorial members and a handful of volunteers collecting food waste on campus. It’s a lot of ground to cover for a small group, but they manage. “I wish more people would [compost],” third-year tutorial member Emily Anne King said. “I’d say be proud of it because it’s a student run initiative. It was conceived and orchestrated by students.” “We are made of compost,” tutorial member Deric Harvey said. “Whether you like it or not!” “You are what you eat, you are what your plants eat,” King replied. Information for this article was collected from fao.org and informational materials provided by the CGA.
Meet an Emotional Support Animal! BY ANYA MARÍA CONTRERAS-GARCÍA
Anya Contreras-Garcia/Catalyst
Photo courtesy of Ezra Katz
Noodle
DOB: 5/28/2016 Age: 1 year and 7 months old Zodiac sign: Gemini Weight: 5 lbs Fun Fact: Her favorite food is cilantro!
Frijol
DOB: 05/01/2017 Age: 5 months old Zodiac sign: Taurus Weight: 1.7 lbs Fun Fact: Frijol was adopted from Crazy Cavies Guinea Pig Rescue in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida!
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SB2: How does your city grow? BY MICHALA HEAD “Both sides will educate us as much as the seek to sway us, let this good natured fight to the death begin,” SRQ Magazine publisher Wes Roberts said humorously as an audience of Sarasota community members anticipated a spirited debate regarding the motion that public hearings ought to be held for large scale development projects in the city. This debate took place at SRQ Magazine’s SB2 Rumble-Sarasota, How Does Your City Grow? event in the Mildred Sainer Auditorium. The “for” panel consisted of three members of Sarasota’s STOP! Steering Committee, dedicated to the town’s growth issues. The “against” panel included the President and CEO of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce and members of the private development sector that argued that the public already has more constructive opportunities to make their opinions known during the development process. The process of “The Rumble” involved each audience member casting a vote for or against the motion prior to hearing each informed argument of the panel speakers, and then casting a vote following the discussion to determine which side “swayed” the most votes. The winning side was determined not by
Michala Head/Catalyst
Sarasota residents get ready to rumble by casting their first impression votes for or against the motion.
the amount of people supporting it, but rather by the amount of people swayed to the other side through comparison of the votes before and after the forum. The Debate On the side of the motion was Mollie Cardamone, former mayor of Sarasota and STOP! Steering Committee member, STOP! Steering Committee member Kate Lowman and Eileen Normile STOP! Steering Committee Member and former City Commissioner. Opposing the motion was Kevin Cooper, President and
CEO of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, Chris Gallagher, partner at HOYT Architects and Javi Suarez of Apex-Studio Suarez. Each panelist notably had personal stakes in their argument. The essence of the argument against the motion was that all of the buildings are built to code and that citizens have input on what goes into the building codes that, granted, have not been updated for 15 years. Apart from that, Cooper made clear that people can email the Chamber of Commerce and have much longer,
individual meetings with developers to voice their concerns. The issue that the “for” panel took with the lack of public hearings in the current process is that public hearings would better be able to set convenience details into stone, whereas individual meetings did not guarantee any influence over development plans. Public Opinion Prior to hearing the debate, a few Sarasota residents weighed in on their initial opinions on the motion. “I hate what is happening to Sarasota, it is very sad,” Mat McCulloch, a member of the STOP! Advisory Committee, said. “Growth is not negative, it just needs regulation,” Ron Cardamone said, husband to “for” panel speaker Mollie C. Cardamone. “Who is making these decisions?” Donna Turner inquired about growth in Sarasota. Out of everyone the Catalyst spoke with, there was notably no one siding against the motion before entering into the Rumble. Following the debate, audience members had a chance to voice their concerns regarding the issue to the panel speakers directly. One woman employed the clever analogy that involved whether Suarez’s shirt was directly off the rack and how much better it would be if continued on p. 10
Boys, butts and baseball: Take Me Out review BY JACOB WENTZ Boys, baseball and butts–yes, bare: three elements that may, at first, deter some typical play-goers. These components, however, provide the basis for an important story that addresses issues of homophobia, class struggles, racism and masculinity. From Sept. 22 to Oct. 1, The Studio@620 presented Take Me Out, a Tony award-winning play by Richard Greenberg. The story, directed by Bob Devin Jones, follows the events that unravel after the main character–baseball star Darren Lemming– comes out as gay. Within the play, individualism, loneliness, isolation and the importance of team are prevalent themes that interestingly draw a parallel to feelings and experiences shared by many closeted individuals. Ironically though, these themes outwardly manifest themselves in Lemming after coming out, providing a personal account that critiques both the sports industry and the role that masculinity plays in attempting to express sexuality openly. In addition to homophobia, the
photo courtesy of The Studio@620
Kippy Sunderstrom helps Darren Lemming communicate his feelings and is often the one who calms Lemming down when he gets heated.
play addresses issues of class. Overcome with fame, wealth, success and popularity, Lemming feels as though his coming out will be readily accepted. Upon realizing that things are not that simple, the young, handsome center fielder slowly progresses from confident celebrity to contemplative human being. As Lemming grows more into himself, he seems to discover a soft
side that goes beyond his career, talents and image. He finds unlikely solace with his business manager, Mason Marzac, a complete foil to Lemming. Their friendship seems to form not only because Marzac is openly gay and helps Lemming accept himself, but also because the two are on the fringes of society. Whereas Lemming playfully
mentions that he is too far “above” typical social groups to have true friends, Marzac makes it known that he feels he is too far “below,” being introverted, quirky and repressed. I was particularly impressed with the diversity of characters within the story and how their different backgrounds influenced the way that they experienced some of the main themes: isolation, loneliness, selfacceptance, etc. The main character, Lemming, was born to a White father and a Black mother and grew up in a stable middle-class household. There are scenes that examine the strains of being a gay person of color, and how hate goes beyond just his sexuality. There are also two Spanish characters, completely separated from the team because of language and cultural barriers. They only ever appear together and seem to find comfort in their relationship with one another. They are not depicted to be as lonely as Takeshi Kawabata, who has no one to relate his experiences to. continued on p. 11
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 tailored to perfection to preempt her question, “Why would a developer run from a little extra input if it meant a fabulous result?” The results reflected that prior to the debate 72 percent of voters were for the motion that public hearings should be a part of the development process, 28 percent were against the motion and eight total voters were undecided. At the end of the debate, the “for” panel had swayed 5 percent of the voters to their side, as opposed to the 3 percent of the voters that the “against” panel swayed, so victory went to the “for” panel. The Rumble Itself SRQ Magazine recently started “The Rumble,” only having held one previously on how Sarasota has failed young professionals. “The Rumble” is a modified Oxford- style debate that
invited panels representing each side to answer a series of questions posed by moderators Jacob Ogles and Wes Roberts for two minutes, followed by a one minute rebuttal from the opposing side. When the moderators finished their round of questions, they invited audience members to come forward and ask any questions they may have formed during the debate. “The Rumble was launched as my baby from SRQ magazine. As a magazine one of our missions is to give voice to a variety of voices,” Wes Roberts said in an interview with the Catalyst. When asked about the mission behind the Rumble, Roberts said, “It is our feeling that when people have all sorts of opinions and one of the best ways to value them is to give
them light, this [the Rumble] is that [mission] in physical form… The goal of this is to remind people that you can have debates and they can be civil and constructive, that you can disagree and respect each other. “This [development in Sarasota] is a huge issue for people,” Roberts continued, “but if you talk to them on the street you find that their position is often ossified and it probably misses important information that they of course would not know because it’s not their area of expertise.” Throughout The Rumble, SRQ Magazine hoped that everyone would walk out with a deeper understanding of the issue. The buzz of excited conversation about development as people filed out of the Mildred Sainer Auditorium indicated that this goal was achieved.
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courses at similar rates as their male peers,” except for in engineering and computer science courses. Gender disparities begin to emerge in higher education, especially for minority women. Women earned 57.3 percent of bachelor's degrees in 2013. More than 50 percent of women receive degrees in the biological sciences, but only 17.9 percent major in computer science and only 19.3 percent in engineering. These numbers are even slimmer for minority women, who are awarded only 9.7 percent of degrees in the biological sciences and 3.1 percent in engineering. During the STEMfem-inist Friday panel, Professor Dogucu ad-
dressed these disparities and told the audience that we must look at these issues through an intersectional lens because clearly some are more well off than others. These statistics illustrate the importance of such events. “This event is important because it is a personable, inspirational and exciting way to hear our faculty's perspectives of getting to a highranking and well-respected position as a woman in a STEM field,” Haley Bryan, second-year and president and second-generation founder of STEMfem., said in an email interview. “Hopefully this opportunity to hear the journeys of our professors will inspire us students to overcome
any obstacles we might face on our own academic journeys.” Students were not the only ones to benefit from an interdisciplinary event like this one. Katherine Brion, professor of art history and current coordinator of Feminist Fridays, thought that such integrative events are valuable for practical reasons. “The more we're able to look at a particular topic or problem from multiple perspectives, the better we're informed and, if necessary, able to think of creative solutions,” Brion said in an email interview. Information for this article was gathered from ngcproject.org and nsf. gov.
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Songs you should heAR
In the Feels (Chill) Edition BY JORDI GONZALEZ With such emotional times as these, with the world seeming like it’s falling apart at the seams, both externally and internally, in the hearts of many, maybe digging into that dark forsaken space inside of us is what we need. Emotions are what let us know we’re human and tear-jerkers really accentuate that. “Mis” by (Sandy) Alex G The voice sounds vulnerable, it sounds far off, accompanied by a melancholic piano that imitates the melody of the song. Simplicity really does it a lot of the time. “I said I miss you so bad…” is the hook sung by the faint voice of Alex. “BTSTU (Demo)” by Jai Paul Gives off a very Chrome Sparks kind of sound, but a bit grittier in a way. The real amazing part of this track is that it’s only a demo version, but I do also highly recommend the “BTSTU (Edit)” version as well. The unexpected high-pitched voice truly captures the mood of the song. “Godspeed” by Frank Ocean This is basically just a waterfall of emotion that pours down on the listener. It’s got a strong gospel influence to it, and Ocean’s indisputably powerful and prominent voice shocks you and makes you take a step back. What’s being sung are some of caring and reassuring lyrics like, “I will always love you how I do,” and “Still I’ll always be there for you”. “Our Deal” by Best Coast This was a game changer for me in high school. I highly recommend watching the music video that was directed by Drew Barrymore that includes this song and two others from the same album; which is widely regarded as Best Coast’s best work. Again I feel as if the voice plays a crucial role in transmitting the waves of emotion going on in the song. “I Follow You” by Melody’s Echo Chamber This is definitely a modern psychedelic rock song coming from Tame Impala’s musical romance. In fact, Kevin Parker helped in the making of the song too, so there was probably a lot going on emotionally behind the scenes. The crazy guitar at the end is my favorite part.
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SHARK TAGGING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
Heath is not only tracking the species and their patterns, but additionally looking into the enviromental factors such as temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen levels and how thay may effect the fish populations. A lot of comparing and contrasting is underway between data from this year and last year. Especially since there was a tropical storm over the summer and a hurricane plowed through the area in recent history. Sharks are generally slow growing and take a long time to actually reach sexual maturity. Since they are slow to reproduce, this makes them easily subject to overexploitation and that’s why there have been major
declines in the populations of many species in recent decades. “All the data is going to GULFSPAN and it will be kept by them,” Heath said. The Gulf of Mexico Shark Pupping and Nursery (GULFSPAN) is a survey made for the identification of essential habitats of marine species that started up back in 1994 Only time will tell of the future for the shark populations by Sarasota. Hopefully, future thesis projects unite to accomplish the overall goal of securing the area. Unfortunately, Heath believes it could take five to ten years to get the amount of data necessary for Sarasota Bay to become a full-fledged shark nursery area.
Photos courtesy of Lucas Heath
The animals are brought on board quickly and safely returned to their environment.
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helps protect the financial interests of American shipbuilders by requiring supplies being shipped through U.S. ports to be carried by American ships, was waived by the Trump administration on Sept. 28, with the waiver lasting ten days. This waiver will facilitate the aid process towards Puerto Rico, since before the waiver shipping supplies and aid to Puerto Rico was doubled in expense. For many people on the island, this is hope that help is finally on its way, with many citizens on the island salvaging their last meals, last drops
of fresh water and medical supplies who have also been without power, communication and even a roof above their heads since the storm-this is their lifesaver. The entire country of Puerto Rico is in a state of emergency, predicted to be without power for sixeight months, a mass exodus of citizens flying into the states for safety is expected, as aid teams work to restore power and communications.
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"The proposal to cut the NYT and Herald-Tribune justified itself to us because of the easy access to the online publications that our institution has--particularly the New York Times," Loriston said. "This proposal was approved by the Towne Meeting.” “There's something important that's lost when the material nature of reading the newspaper is lost," As-
sociate Professor of History Brendan Goff said. The free weekly newspaper that has replaced the NYT and the SHT, the Sarasota Observer, features local news and allots generous space in it pages for advertisements hawking grand beachfront villas and cosmetic dental services. Polling info taken from Journalism.org
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Takeshi Kawabata, a Japanese star pitcher, could not speak English and was thus disconnected from both the team and American society. His feelings of loneliness were portrayed through various monologues in his native tongue, Japanese, which were loosely translated by narrator and team member Kippy Sunderstrom. Sunderstrom represented differences in class, having graduated from Stanford. He points out that he was accepted because of his academic prowess, not because of his talent for baseball. Sunderstrom’s intellect was obviously juxtaposed by Shane Mungitt, a pitcher from “somewhere in the south” that was brought in during the beginning of the season. Mungitt, an individual with many psychological problems carried from witnessing the tragic murder of his parents at an early age, becomes a catalyst for tension and drama within the play. Mungitt struggles with communication and is portrayed as a half-wit; all he seems to know is how to throw a ball with power and skill. After a game one evening, whilst talking to a reporter, Mungitt uses derogatory terms to insult both the races of his teammates and Lemming’s sexuality. In these moments, there’s an awkward, choking air of tension and discontent within the audience. This play made me uncomfortable, but it presented situations that could actually happen in American society today. In this way, the play holds a mirror to the world in an attempt to help show relevant problems, like many great realist works of the 19th century. Phillip Rankin brilliantly portrayed Lemming’s cool, celebritylike personality, but also skillfully captured the slow shift from overtly confident and proud to contemplative and “real.” Moments of rage, fury and frustration were also effectively depicted by Rankin--actions like hastily sweeping back his hair and nervously shaking his leg really
resonated. Chris Rutherford made the whole audience fall in love with Marzac’s quirks. There seemed to be a true harmony between Rutherford and his character, making the story all the more believable. He added a sort of comic relief, but also a loyal shoulder to rely on–for both Lemming and the audience. Drew Smith was very convincing in his portrayal of Sunderstrom. He delivered his lines with ease and comfort, coming off in a calm and collected manner, just as I imagine Sunderstrom would be. As much as I hated Mungitt, Amadeus Dameron really captured the character, which I imagine was very difficult to do. Mungitt seemed like he was truly out of touch with emotions, thoughts, himself and others, scarred from his childhood horrors. There were multiple full-nude shower scenes, which definitely kept the audience engaged. Being privy to what goes on in the shower room of the baseball team makes the play seem more real--there was no hiding behind tan underwear or other stage tricks. The Studio also engaged the audience in other ways, such as singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during one of the intermissions and providing drinks and other refreshments. From walking in and being warmly greeted by Director Bob Devin Jones to being offered free, warm brownies, I was very impressed by the overall experience. The Studio’s motto is “where the answer is always yes,” and it certainly lives up to that kind of hospitality. According to their website, “the primary goal of The Studio@620 is to bring together people from various cultural backgrounds and experiences, as artists, audience members, and volunteers.” To find out about tickets, events and pricing, visit thestudioat620.org
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waterfront employee along with Vallejo, spoke about this and her vision. “The big picture is we want to make the waterfront a bustling popular fun place for people to hang out, like the bay, but a recreation kind of place,” Siegel said. “We’ve got all these cool boats that people should be able to take out, we live in Florida-it’s a Florida college on the water-we should have a hot spot on the
water.” When all the pieces of the vision come together, the waterfront should become a hotbed of activity, bringing students, student groups and the local community together to celebrate the bay, escape the grind of classes and just have fun. Ayers, Siegel and Vallejo all warn folks to keep their eyes peeled for upcoming events. The waterfront should open sometime around fall break.
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Compost, condoms and coconuts! Compost tutorial keeps campus green
BY MIRANDA GALE
Composting has always had a few hiccups. The most recent debacle had third-year Compost Teaching Assistant (TA) Allegra Nolan perplexed: the compost tumbler seemed to be stuck, and no amount of turning could make compost come out. “Nothing was coming out,” Nolan said. “We were like, ‘oh no, the machine’s jammed.’ So we started with a stick, we started hitting the bottom and finally a friend of mine found a coconut--a whole coconut came out, that’s what was jamming the compost up!” New College’s compost system uses a compost tumbler to keep the compost rotated and aerated, utilizing aerobic decomposition--and occasionally, non compostable items find their way into the tumbler. The oddest thing Nolan has ever found in the compost? “Condoms,” Nolan replied, instantly. “You know, there are lots of things that you understand. You say, ‘oh, yeah, I get how someone might think that’s compostable but it’s really not…’ Not used, for the record. In the wrappers. But a pile of in the wrappers, unopened condoms.” Fruits and vegetables, grains and biodegradable carry-out containers from the Four Winds - although not the Four Winds cups labeled “biodegradable”, as those don’t seem to sit well with the compost tumbler - are all good to toss into the compost system. Large items, such as pineapples, pumpkins and coconuts should be broken apart first. Non-compostable items include meat, dairy, fruit and vegetable stickers and plastic bags, which many students use to compile compost and keep their personal bins from getting messy. Many students on campus partake in the composting system, funded by the Council of Green Affair’s (CGA) Green Fee and managed by the compost TA and tutorial. The tutorial meets twice a week for an hour-and-a-half, using the compost bike to collect leavings from the community bins on both sides of campus. The composting tutorial will distribute new personal compost bins once money from the Green Fee can be allocated towards ordering them. Nolan anticipates ordering perhaps another 200 bins and recently sent out a survey to students asking if they felt comfortable having compost bins right in the rooms. The design Nolan is interested in hooks on the inside of a recycling bin and is smaller than the current
bins, which student typically leave outside dorm room doors and empty occasionally. While the new design prompts students to empty bins in a timely fashion or face infestations of creatures and mold, the old outdoor bins will remain an option as well. Freezing compost in a plastic grocery bag, then dumping the biomatter into the community receptacle and reusing or recycling the bag is aso a viable choice. One might speculate that campus composting was set back by Hurricane Irma. Before the storm hit, Nolan talked to Alan Dawson, assistant director of Physical Plant, who suggested strapping the compost tumbler down to prevent it from blowing away, but Physical Plant was too busy with other preparations to implement this plan. Although many trees on campus blew over, the compost tumbler weathered the storm just fine, while the bins and the compost bike stayed safe in the bike shop. Storm collaborations aside, the relationship between campus compost and physical plant hasn’t always been ideal. Because the compost operation is completely student-run, funded and organized--except for Professor Carl Shaw, who sponsors the tutorial--institutional memory and student participation are essential to its survival. When students don’t prioritize composting, it doesn’t happen, and sometimes food waste is left to rot in less than stellar places such as in bins in and around the dormitories. “From time to time, [composting] actually goes dormant,” Director of Physical Plant Alan Burr said. “When it goes dormant, [the students] don’t really put it to bed really well. So there’s a lot of composting equipment left around the dormitories and it’s not being emptied on a regular basis or it just kind of all stops, and there’s not a lot of communication about what to do with it.” There are two main concerns about uncared for compost and both of these regard the compost bins themselves. Campus aesthetic and pest control, specifically Zika mosquitos are issues that come up when the bins aren’t maintained. For the first concern, Physical Plant bought and assembled the fence surrounding the compost site when Admissions expressed concerns about beautifying the campus for tour groups. The second concern is that pest control becomes especially problematic when composting containers are left out without lids, becoming excellent continued on p. 8
The Composting tutorial receives funding from the Green Fee.
all photos Miranda Gale/Catalyst
Campus aesthetic and pest control, specifically Zika mosquitos, are issues that come up when the bins aren’t maintained.
Compost TA Allegra Nolan works with the composting system.