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CATALYST OCTOBER 2, 2019 VOLUME XXXIX ISSUE IV
New College of Florida's student-run newspaper
Incident at local middle school brings gun reform issues to focus BY ADRIANA GAVILANES On Sept. 20, a 14-year-old student was arrested for bringing a loaded pistol to Lincoln Memorial Academy, a middle school in Palmetto County. Earlier that same week, New College students made efforts to speak with U.S. Representative Vern Buchanan to combat gun violence at the district office in downtown Sarasota. Chief Deputy of the Palmetto Police Department Scott Tyler explained that other students at the middle school immediately notified teachers that the culprit was showcasing the .45 pistol in the lunchroom. Because students acted fast to tell their teachers, the middle school did not have to undergo a lockdown and no one was hurt in the process. “The juvenile was charged with
Photo courtesy of Charlie Leavengood
An estimated 7,000 protesters congregated at Bayfront Park on March 24, 2018 to listen to the children of the Sarasota-Manatee county speak on gun control.
Aggravated Assault, Possession of a Concealed Firearm, and Possession of a Firearm in a School,” Tyler said in an email interview. Two days earlier, New College students advocated for gun reform in downtown Sarasota. Thesis student Ormond Derrick and first-year and Catalyst Staff Writer Sofia Lombardi
visited U.S. Representative Vern Buchana’s district office and met with his legislative director to discuss the different gun reform policies Buchanan has supported and plans to support. On Buchanan’s government site
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On Sept. 3, the Sarasota City Commission unanimously voted to decriminalize marijuana under a Cannabis Civil Citation Ordinance, joining several other Florida counties and municipalities making similar adjustments. An ordinance promoting decriminalization cannot be enforced by local legislators as it is superseded by state and federal law, so issues have arisen regarding the potential for discrimination and the privacy of residents who accept civil citations. However, New College students will not see this ordinance implemented on campus. As marijuana possession and use is still illegal under both state and federal law, the specifics of this ordinance can get tricky. Under existing Florida law, possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana is a misdemeanor offense. If convicted, penal-
WHAT’S INSIDE
ties can range up to a year in jail and temporary suspension of a driver’s license. This ordinance is trying to change that through decriminalization—while still illegal under state and federal legislation, the local police force will have the ability to offer a civil citation, rather than a criminal charge. Taking effect 90 days postdecision (Dec. 3, 2019), a civil citation for the possession of 20 grams or less entails the option of a $100 fine or the completion of 10 hours of community service. However, one of the main concerns surrounding this ordinance is implementation. Police officers will not be required to offer a civil citation to individuals and it is largely up to individual discretion, which raises concerns for the potential for discrimination, especially based on race. Sarasota City Commissioner Shellie Freeland Eddie has called for an annual report of the demographics of
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SRTG and CAA merge, campus remains hopeful for student allocations BY KALI-RAY SKINNER
criminal charges made after Dec. 3 in an effort to track who is being offered this option, as the implications of a civil citation are vastly different from a criminal charge. “In the end, it does keep that person from having a criminal record, it does not become a police report, it’s not reported to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, so it doesn’t have background check implications,” Freeland Eddie said. Another prominent issue this ordinance brings up is the privacy of individuals who are offered a civil citation. In Florida, Sunshine Laws give residents the right to request public documents without provision of a reason. “The commission and the city is bound by Sunshine Laws,” Freeland Eddie said. “So what that means is that anybody could make a public
Recent budget cuts to the New College Student Alliance (NCSA) budget due to lower than expected enrollment has led the Council of Academic Affairs (CAA) grant for ISP, thesis and student funding to be integrated into the similar but more complex Student Research Travel Grant (SRTG). The only application for student funded projects will be the SRTG. With the soon approaching deadline of Oct. 21, students and professors are left wondering what effect this merge will have on the application process, funds available and availability of awards. Information about student demographics, the number of students currently enrolled this semester and the finalized NCSA budget have not yet been announced. The numbers quoted in this article are subject to change, as they are from the tentative NCSA budget. Effect of NCSA budget cuts Prior to this semester, the CAA grant came from the NCSA budget, funded by student fees. At the Board of Trustees Meeting (BOT) on Sept. 14, Interim Dean of Enrollment David Rhodes stated the new class of students
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Cannabis Civil Citation Ordinance decriminalizes marijuana in Sarasota BY SOFIA LOMBARDI
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CATALYST
BRIEFS
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BRIEFS BY CLAIRE NEWBERG
WRC offers help during crunch time The Writing Resource Center (WRC) is designed to help students with their assignments as well as their writing habits and skills throughout the academic year. Thesis students can find a quiet and helpful environment in the WRC along with events geared toward the thesising process. One such event is Thesis Crunch. Student Writing Assistant (SWA) Caroline Newberg described Thesis Crunch as, “[An event that] helps give thesis students the extra push to finish their thesis project in
the spring semester when they might be burning out.” The event is held over many sessions in the spring semester and is designed to provide a calm atmosphere where thesis students can focus on their theses. Thesis Crunch is usually held at night and provides attendees with "crunchy" snacks. During the Independent Study Period (ISP), the WRC offers Thesis Boot Camp, which encourages thesis students to come in daily to work on their projects.
Closer to the end of the year, the WRC offers practice baccalaureate presentations. During these practice presentations, thesis students can work on their delivery and receive feedback. Aside from organized events, the WRC also encourages thesis students to schedule and attend recurring appointments with a SWA. Appointments with SWAs can be made online at ncf.mywconline.com or through the official New College website.
Jacob Wentz/Catalyst It is typical for students to be stressed by the prospect of writing a thesis, but there are several resources that are there to help.
Thesis LLC designed to foster a helpful thesis community closer to dorms New College offers a number of different Living Learning Communities (LLCs) and this year one was added to the list: a Thesis LLC in Dort and Goldstein dorms. The Thesis LLC was created in order to provide a space for thesis students that was closer to their dorms than the library or the WRC. “This LLC is designed to comfortably support and guide thesising students toward graduation,” Resident Advisor (RA) Jared Plasencia said. Every thesis student living in Dort or Goldstein Hall is automati-
cally added to the LLC, but there are no requirements for participation in the LLC. Funding for the LLC has been officially approved, but the exact amount is not yet known. It is likely that both lounges will be renovated to be LLC spaces, with one lounge being a more recreational and fun space and the other being a place for work or studying according to Plasencia. There is also the option of the Writing LLC. This is a pre-existing LLC located in Z dorm that partners with the WRC. It is designed for students who enjoy reading and writing
"Just cut it off and let it float out into the ocean." © 2019 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 Division of Social Sciences.
and focuses on enhancing reading and writing skills. Weekly two-hour writing sessions are required for participation in the LLC. If interested in the Thesis LLC, contact Nicole Gelfert at ngelfert@ncf.edu or the current RAs, Jared Placencia at jared.plasencia16@ncf.edu and Sarah Sheffer at sarah.sheffer16@ncf.edu. If interested in the Writing LLC, contact Jennifer Wells at jwells@ncf.edu or in the WRC or current RA Bianca Jeanphillipe at bianca.jeanphillipe16 @ncf.edu.
Editor in Chief Copy Editors & Writing Coaches Online Editor Layout Editor Social Media Editor Staff Writers & Photographers
Jacob Wentz Izaya Garrett Miles & Anna Lynn Winfrey Haley Bryan Cait Matthews Adriana Gavilanes Chris Marie De Felipe, Vianey Jaramillo, Sierra Laico, Claire Newberg, Sergio Salinas, Kali-Ray Skinner & Hayley Vanstrum
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Library resources aid thesis students The Jane Bancroft Cook Library is a popular destination for students looking to work or study in a quiet environment. Thesis students in particular often congregate at the library because of this. Thesis carrels are scattered throughout the library. These are reserved private desks that can be used as a permanent place to store thesis material and to write. These carrels are completely private and are only used by the person who reserved them for the academic year. Reservation for a carrel can be found in the Library section of the official New College website. Research consultations are also available in the library. During a consultation, students can discuss research methods, search engines and sources. Thesis students are loosely prioritized in the scheduling of consultations. Scheduling for these consultations is also available in the Library section of the official New College website. The library website offers a crash course for Zotero, a bibliography-building software for organizing sources. This software can help ease the stress of building a bibliography by hand and in the organization process of thesising and sifting through long lists of sources. If a needed book is not in the library, then the library offers UBorrow and ILLiad. These are both resource allocating programs that connect New College with other colleges in Florida, allowing students to request certain books to be sent to Cook library from other college libraries.
Direct submissions, letters, announcements and inquiries to: The Catalyst 5800 Bay Shore Road Sarasota, Florida 34243 ncfcatalyst@gmail.com The Catalyst reserves the right to edit all submissions for grammar, space and style. No anonymous submissions will be accepted. Submissions must be received by 12:00 p.m. Friday for consideration in the next issue.
CATALYST
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SDS plans to extend support and individualize services through new Student Success Center BY HAYLEY VANSTRUM All students need a bit of extra help from time to time in order to set their plans into action and achieve their goals. Academic success, especially within the highly work-intensive environment of New College, can feel unreachable and fleeting. Stress builds up quickly and reaching out for help can sometimes seem difficult, if not impossible. This is exactly where Anjali Cadena, Director of Student Success Programs at the college's brand new Student Success Center (SSC), aims to step in and make a lasting difference in students’ lives. The SSC was created with the intention of providing students with three main services: the development of academic skills, an increase in feelings of belonging and connection to the academic arena and guided experience through academic peer coaching. While this office will work alongside the Center for Engagement and Opportunity (CEO) and shares similar, student-supporting goals, the two are distinct success-driven systems that provide students with different yet complementary re-
sources. The CEO primarily provides students with information and services regarding career planning, internships, research opportunities and professional skill development, while the SSC aims to focus on helping students with setting and maintaining academic goals, accessing support services when needed, becoming more engaged with course materials and getting involved on campus in a healthy and purposeful way. There are four major catego-
ries that the SSC’s actions will fall under: college skills support (study skills, time management, minimizing stress, setting goals, etc.), bringing institutional resources to the student (connecting students to the library, Writing Resource Center, Counseling and Wellness Center and other similar services), navigating transitions (attending to students during transitional times such as orientation, thesis year and graduation) and inclusion (welcoming students of all identities, abilities, backHayley Vanstrum/Catalyst
Student Program Development Coordinators collaborate at the SSC prelaunch, sharing ideas about the future of the center.
grounds and circumstances). In addition to working closely with the CEO, the SSC will also be deeply connected to Student Disabilities Services (SDS) at New College. “Both offices fall within the umbrella of the Department of Student Success and Advocacy, under one director and part of the same team,” Cadena said in an email interview. “[SDS] is also extending its services to maintaining the success needs of our students as another central priority of its work. Finally, the office of SDS will begin to involve more students in a peer support role to meet the social and support needs of students with disabilities through programming, advocacy etc.” Cadena believes that by making the SSC a new and important component of the services available to students who have been granted accommodations through SDS, students will be able to receive more personalized and consistent support from the college. “Our work with students with disabilities does not focus on granting/facilitating their accommodacontinued on p. 10
President Trump faces impeachment inquiries BY SIERRA LAICO Amid potentially confusing and misleading information regarding the impeachment inquiries against President Trump that have been launched by House Democrats, Americans are still attempting to piece together exactly what these inquiries entail, using past models of impeachment efforts from the Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton and Andrew Johnson administrations. Although many details regarding the Democratic impeachment push are still being straightened out, here is what is known: Despite Democrats calling for President Trump’s impeachment on the grounds of his collusion with Russia during most of his presidency, the impeachment inquiries have begun due to a phone call Trump had with the President of Ukraine. President Trump called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Jul. 25, 2019 urging him to fight corruption, suggesting he should investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden and his son Hunter who had business interests in Ukraine while his father was vice president and working closely with their government. On Aug. 12, 2019, a whistleblower, whose identity has not yet been released, reported an “urgent concern” due to the belief that Trump
was “using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country” to benefit him in the 2020 election. The report was filed to the Inspector General for National Intelligence, Michael Atkinson; and it is believed that the phone call and whistleblower complaint are related according to claims made by The New York Times and The Washington Post. After going under preliminary review, Atkinson found the whistleblower complaint to be credible, and thus reported it to the acting director of National Intelligence, Joseph Maguire on Aug. 26, 2019. Atkinson reported a redacted version of the complaint to House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff. Atkinson explained that Maguire had disagreed that the complaint arises “urgent concern,” which would have originally been required to be reported to congressional intelligence committees within seven days. On the same day, Sep. 9, 2019, three House chairmen—Foreign Affairs Chairman Eliot Engel, and Oversight and Reform Chairman Elijah Cummings, and Schiff—announce a wide range investigation into the dealings with Ukraine by Trump and his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani. On Sep. 17, 2019, Atkinson told Schiff that Maguire and the Justice Department had told him to not report the substance of the whistle-
blower complaint to Congress, which explains why the redacted version which was originally shown to Schiff. Two days later, the House Intelligence Committee met behind closed doors with Atkinson, who did not disclose any further information. On Sep. 24, 2019, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that the House of Representatives will begin a formal impeachment inquiry of President Trump. “The actions of the Trump presidency revealed the dishonorable fact of the President’s betrayal of his oath of office, betrayal of our national security, and betrayal of the integrity of our elections,” Pelosi said. In the next couple of days following the announcement, the Department of Justice released a five-page summary of the phone conversation between Trump and Zelensky as well as the whistleblower’s complaint to the public. What is an Impeachment Inquiry? Congress has constitutional authority to impeach a president, representative, cabinet member or Supreme Court Justice for “treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors,” according to the Constitution. The House of Representatives goes through the impeachment process, described in the third question, then the Senate holds a trial on those
charges to decide whether the President (or other office holder) should be removed and barred from and future positions of holding federal office. What does it take to actually impeach a president? A president can be impeached for abusing the powers of the office or for acting in a manner that can be considered incompatible with the office. Impeachment and conviction by congress is only a political punishment, due to the fact that sitting presidents cannot be tried in the federal justice system or convicted of crimes, which is why America has the process of impeachment in the first place. What are the steps of the Impeachment process? How long does it take? After a president has been impeached by the House, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court oversees the Senate trial. The office holder is entitled to present a defense and each side can call witnesses and present evidence. After the case has been presented, the Senate meets in a closed session to discuss. The Senate vote is then conducted in an open session, requiring a two-thirds majority for conviction. If the Senate votes to convict, the public official on continued on p. 11
CATALYST SRTG
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 is estimated at 180, which makes the total enrollment of New College estimated at 695. He stated the numbers will “likely change and could even increase before the final number is determined in October.” This number does not match up with the expected figure, which NCSA President and third-year, Steven Keshishian, calculated last year. The NCSA budget prediction for this year was forecasted to be around $160,000, but due to lower than expected enrollment, the budget is closer to $125,000. This amount is still being calculated. “We had the largest New College class ever graduating [last year], and then we had less students coming in [this year],” Keshishian remarked. The $125,000 budget factors in the large chunk of Contra and Administrative fees. These fees are currently predicted to account for $42,000 and are subject to change. The Contra and Administrative fees were added by the school three years ago. Contra fees cover fee waivers for students receiving full scholarships and Administrative fees represent a six percent charge on all NCSA transactions, covering expenses for administrative services provided by internal departments, such as the business office, Human Resources and Campus Police. “We realized that we didn’t have enough money, so we were like, what’s the biggest thing that we can find that the school can fund with their academic money that has more restrictions than our A&S money? It was the CAA,” Keshishian said. Another reason the CAA is merging into the SRTG is because last year about half of the applicants that applied for the SRTG also applied for the CAA, which lead to some internal difficulties. According to Business Manager and Coordinator of the NCSA Dawn Shongood, President Donal O’Shea allocated $60,000 towards the SRTG this semester, $10,000 more than allocated in the 2018-2019 school year. “It’s not a fun thing to deal with budget cuts,” Keshishian said. “We’re doing our best to keep the student experience the same as possible, while saving as much money as we can so we don’t go in the red.” NCF Foundation allocates part of the SRTG Funds The New College Foundation is donating $50,000 to the SRTG this year. More than twenty years ago, the SRTG was started by alumns who had great experiences traveling and researching during their academic career. Since then, the SRTG has been able to contribute and fund countless research projects, theses and study abroad programs for stu-
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2019 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst
dents. This year, both alums and private donors will contribute to the SRTG fund. “This is the first go around that we’re launching right now with the combined committee, and Nicole [Gelfert] is really overseeing the whole thing,” Director of the New College Foundation MaryAnne Young said. “So the Foundation’s role is we help supply the funds, but we don’t make the decisions.” Young explained that the Foundation has more leeway with funding allocation, but the college does not share that advantage. “Monies that come from the college are not quite as flexible as monies that come from the Foundation, because the college money is mostly state funding and the Foundation provides private funding, so it gives the college flexibility on how those monies are used,” Young said. “There are very strict regulations from the state—for all state universities— about how you use that money.” Once the SRTG committee decides on which students will be awarded, the students information is forwarded to the Foundation. The SRTG committee is comprised of the Fellowship Coordinator (Nicole Gelfert serving as an ex-officio), three faculty members, three alumni and a new addition of three student representatives. These three students will be selected from current CAA members who are not applying for the SRTG. Third-year Ky Miller received $1,200 from the SRTG towards her National Student Exchange (NSE) program in Spring 2019. “I don’t know how I would’ve paid for everything if I hadn’t gotten that money, so it was really useful,” Miller said. “I was in Japan for five months just studying anthropology and environmental studies and trying to travel as much as I could. It was really wonderful.” The Foundation asks that the students write a thank-you letter to a donor. In the spring, a scholarship luncheon is held where the donors and the students meet and get to know each other. “We don’t want students to worry,” Young said. “We want students to know there are monies available, it’s still the same process, we’re just trying to make it easier, streamlining and collaborating. That’s really what we’re trying to do.” Simple break-down of the new SRTG McKenzie Cameron was recently appointed Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA), which oversees the CAA and is a member of the SRTG committee. “With the merge, the SRTG will be able to accommodate all the things that the CAA would have funded,” thesis student Cameron explained in an email interview.
The SRTG application is the same as in previous years. The SRTG application has instructions, which vividly spell out eligibility, deadline and grant periods, application process, selection criteria and budget instructions and require a faculty letter of recommendation. “I’m currently working with administrators from several offices to find an additional source of funding,” Cameron said. “I’m particularly trying to find a way for students to get funding for conferences, since a lot of CAA funds have gone towards conferences in the past.” The award is allocated twice a year. For fall, the deadline to apply is Monday, Oct. 21 at 5 p.m. The spring application is open in Feb. 2020 and will close 5 p.m. the Monday after Spring Break. If a student is awarded a grant in the fall, they are able to use it through the spring as well, and vice versa. “We’re going to try to get the SRTG to meet more frequently,” Keshishian said. “This is in the formative, it’s becoming closer to reality, but you know [how] New College moves on New College time and we’re trying to make things move as quickly as possible.” Gelfert has drop-in hours on Tuesday, Oct. 1 from 11:30 a.m to 1:30 p.m. in Hamilton “Ham” Center and Monday, Oct. 7 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in HCL 1. She is also available for individual appointments for questions in regards to the application. The SRTG email is srtg@ncf.edu. “I hope this will encourage and support students considering applying and those who might want individualized help navigating the process,” Gelfert said in an email. 2018-19 1,300
Community Ham Card Game 420.69 Room The New 2,782.50 York Times Subscriptions Catalyst 11,000
2019-20 0
0 0
0
3,000 0 FSA (flexible spending account) Contra1,800 0 ceptives On top of the listed budget cuts, discretionary funds were completely cut from the following categories: VPSL, VPAA, Executive Secretary/ Archivist, Elections, Grill TA, Judicial Branch, SAC, Outreach Coordinator, Equipment, First Gen Student Welcome, We Serve You, Sexual Assault Awareness & Harm Reduction, Black History Month and Bike Shoppe expenses. A full version of the budget can be found on ncfcatalyst.com.
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Changes to the NCSA Budget ( a s o f c u r re n t c a l c u l a t i o n s )
2018-19 Academic 61,000 Allocation Exam 600 week lib. printing Speaker 15,000 Allocation
2019-20 0 0
SAC RA Discretionary Graduation Celebration COUP COUP Wristbands
53,000 7,400
0 (now paid by finance office) 37,000 2,700
9,000
0
9,000 400
6,000 400
President (fall) President (spring) Interim President (Summer) Chief of Staff VPSL VPRFA
2,800
2,240
2,800
2,240
700
700
1,960
1,470
1,960 1,960
1,470 1,470
VPDI
1,960
1,470
VPAA
1,960
980
Executive 1,960 Secretary/ Archivist Speaker of 1,470 the Towne Meeting SAC Chair 1,428
980
SAC Secretary Accessibility TA Chief Justice Counselor (2) EQTA's (3) Recording Studio TA Darkroom TA Maclab TA Forum moderator Bike shoppe TA Outreach commitee member Food pantry TA Fringe benefits
490
952
952
952
N/A
952
1,428
0
952
0
11,480
8,610
1,428
1,428
714
714
714
714
952
952
2,380 (2)
952 (1)
952
952
952
0
500
500
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Hayley Vanstrum/Catalyst
The Activist Newsletter Throughout this week (10/2 - 10/9), activists have the opportunity to participate in coastal cleanups, public meetings, and expos. Read on if you want to get involved in the community regarding environmental activism, economic justice, and LGBTQ+ pride.
BY HAYLEY VANSTRUM Thursday, Oct. 3 Nation Group Monthly Meeting @ 10 a.m - 12 p.m. Selby Public Library - Second Floor Conference Room - Selby Public Library, 1331 1st St, Sarasota, FL Join the Nation Group of Sarasota and Bradenton for their general meeting, held every first Thursday of the month, to discuss current affairs and plan activist efforts centering the concept of putting people in front of profit. The Nation Group is a part of Move to Amend, a coalition of individuals across America who seek to end corporate rule, promote social and economic justice and demand a version of democracy that is fair and equal to all. This meeting is free and open to the public. Thursday, Oct. 3 October Gay Group Happy Hour @ 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Bavaro’s Pizza - 27 Fletcher Ave, Sarasota, FL Join Gay Group Happy Hour (G2H2) for an evening of networking, community building and food at the organization’s monthly event, Gay Group Happy Hour. G2H2 is a group that brings queer-friendly organizations and businesses in Sarasota together to host monthly meet-ups at various local restuarants. This October, the event will be hosted by Bavaro’s Pizza and Boyer & Boyer, a local law firm committed to valuing the experiences of clients, educating the public and advocating for poor Sarasota residents. This gathering is free and open to the public. Friday, Oct. 4 - Sunday, Oct. 6 Come Out St. Pete The Grand Central District - 2529 Central Ave, St. Petersburg, FL Head up to St. Petersburg for a weekend of fundraising, community building and showing support at Come Out St. Pete, a series of LGBTQ+ centered events that seeks to celebrate both National Coming Out Day (Oct. 11) and the city’s rich queer history. Events include the Vogue Ball to
Benefit the Veterans of Foreign Wars on Friday evening, the St. Pete Pride Parade and Festival on Saturday and the PFlag Beach Party on Sunday afternoon. Visit facebook.com/comeoutstpete for more information on event details and times. All events outside of fundraising efforts are free and open to the public. Saturday, Oct. 5 Sarasota Bay Watch Annual Monofilament Cleanup @ 8:30 - 11:30 a.m. 1717 Ken Thompson Pkwy, Sarasota, FL Keep the Florida coast beautiful and prevent the death of local wildlife by joining members of Eco-Voice, South Florida’s non-partisan, independent online communication portal for individuals and organizations concerned with environmental issues in a wide-spread coastal cleanup, spanning from Bradenton to Venice. Volunteers will use kayaks and boats to access harmful trash, particularly monofilament fishing line, around the mangroves, shoreline, and ocean. This event is free and open to the public. Saturday, Oct. 5 Bradenton Veg Expo @ 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Bradenton Area Convention Center 1 Haben Blvd, Palmetto, FL In collaboration with environmental education and outreach group Solutionary Species, the annual Bradenton Veg Expo aims to get people involved in animal and environmental activism through providing community members with the opportunity to meet and talk with local health professionals, eco-friendly business owners, and animal protection advocates. This expo will host a variety of organizations and groups, such as Suncoast House Rabbit Rescue, Vegan Action and the Factory Farming Awareness Coalition and will feature live music, food, workshops and giveaways. This event is free and open to the public.
LatinX culture fair plans to celebrate student diversity BY SERGIO SALINAS In honor of LatinX heritage month, the Student Activities and Campus Engagement office (SA[u] CE), in collaboration with the LatinX leadership club, is organizing a LatinX culture fair on Sunday Oct. 6. The culture fair will have studentrun booths selling traditional dishes from students' respective countries. Second-year student and SA[u]CE worker Gabriela Ott is the main organizer for the culture fair and is looking to encourage students to come out and expand their knowledge of all the different LatinX cultures present on campus. "The culture fair is going to have music [and] free dance lessons,” Ott said. “Students are going to be able to run their own booths and sell food. We’re going to have some traditional toys and clothing so it’s gonna be a big mix of LatinX culture." The LatinX community on campus is far from a small one. According to the 2017-2018 New College fact book 17.7 percent of students enrolled at New College were of "Hispanic" heritage. With a sizable presence on campus, the cultural fair will offer all students the opportunity to not only learn about diverse cultures but to learn more about their cohorts as well. "I think giving any student any opportunity to increase your culture confidence to get to know your peers better to save space, to learn and grow together is an incredible opportunity and to do that through music, food and art and something that is so visual," Ott said. "It's kind of a casual thing; you can walk around and experience it with your peers. I think that's a great opportunity for anyone who might not know as much about the Latin community." When it comes to music, students can look forward to hearing a playlist of traditional Latin music and modern LatinX pop. Third year student and main booth organizer Marcela Prado Zapata will be in charge of the playlist and is taking suggestions from student run booths to have music that represents the LatinX community as a whole. SA[u] CE will also be offering free dance Salsa and Bachata dance classes for students looking to learn some new moves. “I'm requesting songs from the people who are participating in the culture fair,” Zapata said. “I'm a reggaetonera so I like a lot of reggaeton. I'll be playing some classics, LatinX icons like Selena and Celia Cruz for sure. Definitely gonna put in some Brazilian music,” SA[u]CE has worked in collabo-
Sergio Salinas/Catalyst The GDC is now decorated with the flags of different Latin American countries.
ration with the LatinX leadership club to plan the event. Second year and president of the LatinX leadership club Diana Quintero wears her LatinX identity proudly. A Mexican flag can always be seen flying off her balcony and her room decorated with posters reading "No mas deportacione" (No more deportation). The LatinX leadership club will have its own booth where Quintero will be taking polaroid pictures of students for the “We Are” campaign. Students will be able to identify more closely with their respective cultures rather than the broader LatinX identity to show the diverse cultures present on campus. “Students will have the opportunity to self-identify themselves within the LatinX umbrella because it can be very easy to get confused over where you are within the LatinX umbrella,” Quintero said. “Since anyone can identify under that it doesn't really serve justice to a Chicana like me, that's more specific to how I identify versus just calling myself LatinX,” The LatinX culture fair will be the second to last event planned for LatinX heritage month with the final event being a panel on LatinX identity in the workplace on Oct. 8. “Sometimes it can feel like we don't have a lot of visibility on campus, so having a space where we can celebrate the diversity within our community, the differences within our community all together and experience different cultures together is really really important to have that kind of safe opportunity to show that at New College,” Ott said. The LatinX Culture Fair will take place on Oct. 6 from 11 AM-3 PM in the Nook.
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FEATURES
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All photos Anna Lynn Winfrey/Catalyst
Third-year Megan Ballard has gone to the Farmers Market nearly every Saturday this semester. “I fucking love the Farmers Market,” Ballard said. “The first stop I make is the empanada stand. I get a spicy chicken empanada and a Sprite. Best hangover cure out there! Then I like to go smell the flowers, look at the fresh produce and just soak up the sun.”
The Sarasota Candle Company has had a stand at the Farmers Market for nine years, selling candles in repurposed beer and liquor containers with creative scents such as “Lido Beach Linen,” “You Smell That?” and “Sexy Time.”
SA R A S OTA FA R M E R S M A RK ET BY ANNA LYNN WINFREY The Sarasota Farmers Market has drawn thousands into downtown every weekend since 1979. The Market has expanded from half a dozen to over 70 vendors over the past 40 years but has remained in the same area of downtown. The market is open 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday mornings all year on Lemon and First Streets. All of the vendors are local small businesses and owners are usually required to be present at the market. Thesis students Rosemary DeMarco, Lucy Sanz, and Ella Denham-Conroy were found at the Farmers Market with smiles and the tops of pineapples.
Laura Garrison of Raw! Raw! On the Go, right, opts to work barefoot. She has been vegan for decades and has been selling raw, gluten free and vegan food at the Farmers Market for eight years. “We’ve established a good strong foundation at the market. We were told we would fail eight years ago because there weren’t any vegans and now people are emulating us here,” Garrison recalled. She said the market is a community center. “This is a culture, it’s unlike anything else. It’s a family,” Garrison remarked.
After running Perry's Roadside BBQ for over 40 years, Perry Washington doesn’t eat barbecue anymore. “I like hot dogs and hamburgers, no barbecue. I’ve had it so much, you get tired of it.You know what I mean? I just taste it to make sure it’s right,” Washington said. Washington sells barbecued ribs, pork, chicken and beef along with classic sides such as baked beans and mac & cheese. His daughter Kiesha is working on a vegan alternative. When asked how long he has been living in Sarasota, Washington replied, “I’ve been here since 1964, so does that make me a native?”
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This is a juniper bonsai tree from Lou’s Bonsai Nursery. Owner Louis “Lou” Rindner said the juniper is one of the most popular trees at his stand. The number on the bottom is how many times per week the tree needs to be watered.
Stefania Fochi (left) has been selling empanadas at the Farmers Market for nearly ten years. She used to call her company Empanadas by Stef but she recently re-named it The Empanada Girl. “I re-branded because that’s what everybody knows me as. Everywhere I would go, that’s how I would be greeted,” Fochi said.
Fochi emphasized the quality of ingredients in the empanadas. She imports Italian doppio zero flour—”they don’t use Roundup in Italy,” Fochi said—and cooks with many vegetables. “I only use whole foods, whole vegetables, so it’s real food. That’s really why I do it.”
Second-year Mary Jane Burson has been working at the Worden Farms stand for about a year. Her favorite part about working at the Farmers Market is the organic produce and the connections she makes with other people. “You can go everywhere and people
will know you just because you work at the Farmers Market,” she remarked. Her favorite vegetable is butternut squash and enjoys selling sunflowers and snapdragons. Burson added, “Come to the Farmers Market, it’s the best place in the world!”
Sarah Whannel co-owns and operates the Homestead Hydroponic Farm in Myakka City, Fla. She said that she enjoys chatting with customers and explaining how hydroponics works. “It’s nice to be able to sell something that you are completely involved in and then
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“The reason why we do that is so if you say, ‘Wow, I really want a bonsai tree but I don’t want to take care of it,’ then you would look at trees that have the number 1 on it,” Rindner said. “That means if you forget, nothing happens.”
Good Gums gum guru Isabelle Duncan is turning 81 in November and sells the powdered toothpaste she invented 30 years ago every week at the market. “I’ve always been into natural heal-
ing,” Duncan said. “I had some gum disease so they wanted to do surgery, [but] I didn’t want it. I like to experiment with my body because I believe the body is self-healing to a point.” Duncan was skeptical of her storebought toothpaste and thought she could find a natural solution. “My thought was, well what I'm using is [not good], so I went in my kitchen and put together this formula for me,” she said. The powder contains all natural ingredients such as baking soda, cinnamon, cranberry, vitamin C and sea salt. “[After] I quit using whatever junk I was using, the gums healed themselves,” Duncan recalled.
you can explain that well to other people,” Whannel said. She also enjoys being in charge of her own company. “It’s rewarding to do your own business for yourself,” Whannel added.
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Been there, done that The NEW New College advice column
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John Doucette speaks on New College and beyond BY HALEY BRYAN
SUBMITTED BY SYDNEY ROSENTHAL I dated a guy for a while who was really manipulative and he didn't let me dress or act the way I wanted to. I'm past that now and totally moved on, but I feel like I lost a few years of figuring myself out and haven't really been able to find my style since then. Any advice for someone who doesn't really know how they like to dress and doesn't even know where to start? I’m sorry you went through that, but I am glad you’re working on finding your personal style. Finding my own sense of style has always been an evolving process. In high school, I struggled with confidence and it used to be hard to know if I was following a trend or if I truly liked something. Because it’s so hard to fall into trends, I would recommend not looking at magazines or fashion influencers until you’re more in touch with your preferences. The biggest thing that helped me was going to the mall and trying on everything that I thought was cute. It is helpful to bring a friend who’s supportive but non-judgemental. Trying on clothes can be emotional and taxing, so try not to focus on sizes but more on fabrics, patterns, and how the clothes make you feel. The right outfit can make your heart sing. Do not feel like you have to find your style in a day and do not feel discouraged if you cannot find anything that feels like you. If this seems like too much, you can start with window shopping or researching brands online. For me, sustainability is important along with supporting small businesses, so I try to find brands that align with these values. Remember that when you’re looking online the clothes are on models and may not look the same as they do in person and that’s ok! Pro-tip: before you buy something online check out the store’s return policy. Hopefully, these tasks will help you to identify some attributes you want in your wardrobe, but you can also ask some of your close friends to send you a few words describing how they see your aesthetic along with thinking about a few styles you’d like to try. Do not be scared to try everything, even if it makes you feel silly at first. Also, if you see a classmate in a really cool shirt or pair of shoes ask them where they’re from. But joking aside, I feel like the thing that solidified my sense of style the most was thrifting. The diversity of clothes available forced me to focus on silhouettes, fabrics, and colors that I like. I personally prefer to go to a thrift store like Goodwill that’s sorted by color rather than size because the size is often inaccurate. I like that thrifting is relatively cheap and sustainable so I do not feel guilty about shopping. I try to go into a thrift store with a vague idea of what I want—for example, everyday dresses—and then I try to keep an open mind and let the thrift store gods guide me. The best fashion should make you feel good and you will know you found a piece of clothing that you like when you are excited to wear it. Take it slow and have fun, you got this!
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Teaching a range of topics from Social and Ethical Issues in Computer Science to Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, Professor of Computer Science John Doucette is a fan of all things mind and learning. Doucette recently spoke to the Catalyst during a disc golf excursion about his current pursuits outside of New College, the school’s culture and words of advice for students wanting to impact the community. Doucette specializes in artificial intelligence, multiagent systems, machine learning and social choice theory. He is known among his students for rigorous and challenging coursework that drives individuals to try their best. After four years in Sarasota, Doucette migrated to New York. He is currently an adjunct professor, remotely teaching a variety of tutorials and sponsoring a few thesis projects, while also working with a start-up in New York to help develop what he described as an automated soft-skills coach. This program helps individuals improve soft skills such as social skills and communication abilities, which help people work effectively in groups. Can you describe some of your current projects? “I work at Riff,” Doucette began, “where we make software tools that analyze conversations and tell the people involved in the conversations what they might be doing and whether their behaviors are conducive to good communication and collaboration among the group or harmful to that communication and collaboration among the group. Sometimes we also provide insights for people’s employers or instructors. So, we tell them things like after you gave your class this lesson in professional communications, when they next met and discussed the topic that you assigned they were 20 percent better at communicating: they took more turns, less likely to speak over each other, whatever it is that we’re interested in.” What are some of your interests in Computer Science? “I’ve always been interested in AI systems,” Doucette said. “I think that initially [entering New College] I was mostly interested in learning, and understanding how learning might work and how to learn patterns automatically. Later I became interested in automating the kind of reasoning that people do about each other. Helping to create programs that could reason about the likely behavior of people, or other programs, animals; other agents in the environment. In reasoning about the behavior of those other creatures,
decide which actions it should take to achieve some kinds of goals. The combination of those two things made Riff a pretty natural fit for me because the main difference is now that we’re modeling the behaviors of people using machine learning, rather than modeling the behaviors of agents using machine learning.” What was your inspiration for teaching at New College? “I came to New College with a very idealistic purpose,” Doucette said. “My own interests had always been towards understanding the mind, and coincidentally I had ended up focusing my studies on Computer Science rather than originally philosophy and neuroscience. I was amazed by the opportunities in Computer Science.” Doucette described the extensive experiences available to him within the diverse and active field of Computer Science and his intention to share that recognition of possibility and success among non-Computer Science students. “I feel like I had a sort of moral obligation to share my skill set which most of my peers did not do when they graduated,” Doucette said. “And specifically to share [technical skills] in the places where I thought where it could give people the greatest improvement and opportunities. I perceived that to be environments where people are idealistic and curious, but maybe not likely to realize how much technical skills could open their world.” What were your favorite parts about teaching at New College? “My favorite part about teaching was the personal satisfaction of working with students,” Doucette said. “Not just the impact, but it’s also the personal mentorship relationship you can get here as compared to many other places. It's nice to know the names of my students and to know what’s going on in their lives and watch them grow and mature and learn all about exciting stuff and send them off to do exciting things later.” Along with relating experiences with students, Doucette noted the pleasant experience with his teaching peers. “I really liked my colleagues,” Doucette said. “My colleagues were all people who I understood and respected and really easy and pleasant to work with.” Any least favorite parts? “My least favorite thing about New College was the people I couldn’t help,” Doucette said. “Sometimes continued on p. 11
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Two idiots yell at Billy Ray Cyrus for three hours BY CHRIS MARIE DE FELIPE After a week of piling up responsibilities, dealing with weak lovers, and a severe lack of time sizzling our brains with friends: Kyla “K Nasty” Baal and I were in intense anticipation of the looming night. Billy Ray Cyrus was performing a free concert in St. Petersburg, courtesy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “This whole weekend is just the pre-game for the Billy Ray Cyrus concert,” K Nasty said. But I knew that wasn’t the full story. “Girl whatdyu mean, my whole damn life has just been the pre-game for the Billy Ray Cyrus concert.” We nodded strongly at this realization, because really all our lives have led to us meeting here in Sarasota at our lovely Nerd School of Florida to go to Bucs Beach Bash together, to see the man, the master: Billy Ray Cyrus. After a fiery night at Manna Tea and Kava bar, we made our way to our dorms, gracefully ending the first day of Ladies’ Retreat Weekend by screaming goodnight from across the hall. “Sweet dreams, slut,” I called out. “I’m dreamin of Billy boy tonight!” K Nasty said, before my door shut. My Saturday began with an ominous dream where I received a campus map with an X over the street by Sudakoff from Elijah Wood’s Instagram, which does not exist in reality. Suddenly I am jolted awake by the marimba notes of my ring tone, leaving my chance to sleep in fading away. I spent the morning of the greatest night of my life so far grumpy because I would never know what Elijah Wood buried under that damn X. The rest of the day trudged on, until a few friends gathered to send us off. At one point, we all complained about our periods and realized many of us were synced. “I am ovulating for Billy Ray,” K Nasty said as we left for the Uber that would deliver us to the pearly gates of heaven. The kind Uber driver gave us the auxiliary cord and rolled down the windows, which is a special experience during the brilliant sunsets over the oceans connecting the two cities. Because we are not a lick more respectable than children, we screamed Alt J and danced until the sun set. The building anticipation for the concert was turning us into monsters. Upon arrival at the St. Pete Tradewinds Island Grand Resort, we were confused on where to go so we wandered barefoot, desperate to find Billy. Due to some makeup in my eye, I did not notice the tears streaming down my cheek until K Nasty choked out, “Girl, are you crying!”
Maybe my body knew what my mind was not prepared to understand. We were on the location. He was so close. We began to notice more people clad in floral button downs and sandals walking in one direction and figured our best bet was to trail them. “This is The Divine Comedy and the cowboy hats are Virgil, leading us to the innermost circle of Billy,” K Nasty said. Walking past a paradisal scene of white bridges over a small river, the flora and fauna was lit in soft greens, purples and blues. The passing groups of sunburned Florida folk were just as eager as we were to reach the beach. “Get it Papi!” K Nasty screamed as soon as she heard Billy’s gruff voice and bluesy baselines. He was performing “Go Johnny Go” and it was pristine. His voice was wonderful, and the ‘80s country songs he cycled through with bursts of energy were electrifying. We were overcome with what, in any setting other than a concert, would be considered catcalls. For the entirety of the concert, we were possessed by the terrible, terrible things we yelled. “The lord spoketh upon me... and he said, ‘Achey Breaky Heart!'” “You better stop being so sexy, Daddy Cyrus!” “All for you Billy… All for you!” “I’ll give it to you all night, baby boy!” We walked to the sacred grounds where the concert was but were overwhelmed by the impenetrability of the crowd. The tall bodies standing like riot police between us and Billy Ray blocked us from a clear view, so we made our way to the beach where a screen showed us the stage. Thank God for modern technology. We sat on the beach, feet away from the completely still waters of the ocean. The beach was crowded because of the immense turn out but more breathable than our alternative. The sound carried to us brilliantly and Billy Ray was definitely feeling himself tonight. When “Achy Breaky Heart” came on, we pressed our ears to the flour soft sands. “It’s like the Earth is singing Billy Ray Cyrus to us,” I shouted over at K Nasty, as the sound traveled through the ground to our humble ears. The energy of the night was in the air, the crowd was ecstatic after he name dropped Tampa by replacing the lyrics to “Tusla Time” with “Tampa Time.” After we realized that we are actually in St. Pete, K Nasty accepted the word of her new God. “Whatever you say, Billy! Welcome to Trampa!” The chords drew down to a silence, quickly overwhelmed by
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Billy Ray Cyrus will return to St Pete for the playoffs, which is good news for those with good taste.
cheers. K Nasty screamed in agony. “I’m just going to scream whenever there’s no music,” she said. “Like a baby. Wail until the music comes back,” I reply. We were the biggest nuisances on the beach. As the guitar weakly plucked the iconic notes of his final song, he entered a monologue. “I gotta thank y’all for comin’ out here. It truly is a celebration of free spirits out here. Wow. I’ll always remember this magic night down on the beach, it’s so crazy with the wind.” The introductory cords continued. “After it was banned from my home of country music,” his voice quavered ever so slightly, “We done made a new song, y’all raise your hands, I love you and I thank you Tampa!” This was St. Pete, not Tampa, but we all know what he meant. “Y’all made this a magic ride. This your song! This is your song, thank you!” The intro repeated once more and when he finally plunged into the song, K Nasty and I lost it. “We gon’ ride, you already know we gon’ ride sir!” we incoherently shouted through the chorus. We danced in our dresses into the ocean as Lil Nas’s vocal substitute wrapped up the concert. The crowd was not as receptive to the rapping. There seemed to be an awkward tension between them and the band until Billy’s middle verse came in and the swaying seniors gave into the sweet guitar solos and sultry country draw of Billy Ray Cyrus. “Hat down, cross town, feeling like a rockstar,” his voice growled, bitter and rough in delivery but smooth as all hell on the ears. The song whistled to a conclusion. As if from a movie, the wind kicked up the St. Pete sand. “Chris... I think I’m going to start crying too!” K Nasty said. “Hold my hand, man, it’s okay,” I said as the fireworks began. “God Bless the USA” rang out as the band packed up and the crowds cleared out. Billy was gone but not forgotten
as groups of people sang out his hits as the roars in the sky died down. “I think I died and went to heaven,” K Nasty said and we laid on the beach until we felt ready to get up. While making our way past the resort's tiki bar, we heard a Vampire Weekend song and let the tropical tunes of the Tradewinds playlist take us away. The wind twirled us around and we shamelessly danced in our flowing island tourist dresses. Suddenly, a man in plaid and a Nashville hat stopped us and asked, “Did you see us play?” We were panting from dancing for what could have been minutes or hours or days. We earnestly did not know, because combined we have the same understanding of the passing of time as a goldfish. He tells us that it was his band, again. He squatted down to talk to us while we sat on the pool chairs. He had stopped us from our dancing: we were disoriented and not receptive to the conversation. We were put off by the flirtatious man talking at us. We just wanted to shake our asses to Jimmy Buffet. We didn’t want any Margaritaville daddies picking us up. “Hello Chris, I’m a part of Billy Ray’s band too!” K Nasty said. “Oh nice to meet you, I’m actually Billy Ray Cyrus.” I said. He had not even left yet. We are assholes. A relaxing uber ride with the “Tampa” winds flapping our faces made us forget the awkward encounter and we relived the moments until it was time for us to part, ready for the most therapeutic sleep of our life with all of our stress, anxiety and abandonment issues cured by sweet country music. I woke up to a splintering headache and symptoms of a cold. Was it my blatant ignoring of my body’s need for sleep and nutrition? Possibly. Was it the sheer force of Billy continued on p. 11
CATALYST Gun Reform
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 there are no published records of his stances regarding gun control. Although, “Buchanan is usually a bipartisan vote on issues like gun control,” Derrick said. Derrick has been involved with the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) since his first year at New College. “Right now there are two bills I’m focusing on in my work with FCNL,” Derrick said. “The first one is the universal background checks bill. The other is the Extreme Risk Protection Order Act, also known as the red flag law, which is stigmatizing towards mentally ill people so we don’t tend to use that but that’s what a lot of members of Congress know it by.” House Resolution 8, the Bipartisan Backgrounds Checks Act of 2019, establishes new background check requirements for the transfer of firearms between unlicensed individuals. The bill specifically prohibits the transfer of firearms between private parties with the exception of licensed gun dealer, manufacturer or importer conducting a background check on the individual who is purchasing the firearm. House Resolu-
Cannabis
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 records request to the identity of anyone who was offered, completed, or failed a civil citation program for marijuana possession within a certain time frame.” The presence of Sunshine Laws has far reaching consequences when it comes to civil citations, as both state and federal law dictate marijuana possession as a criminal offense. “It could affect housing, it could affect jobs, it could affect whether or not you could live within public
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tions only,” Cadena said. “We [want to] create a coordinated network of services that considers the success needs of individual students.” Cadena, who joined New College as the Director of Student Success Programs on Apr. 29, 2019, believes in the school’s potential to improve the lives of students who face difficulties achieving academic success. “This was the only position I applied for because of the forward
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tion 8 was passed in the House of Representatives on Feb. 27 and will be presented to the Senate for consideration. Meanwhile, House Resolution 1236, also known as the Extreme Risk Protection Order Act of 2019, was sent to Congress for approval in a report. It has yet to be sent and approved by the House of Representatives and the Senate. The bill supports the efforts to remove access to firearms from individuals who are “a danger to themselves or others” mandated through a court order. A judge will determine whether the individual is considered an “extreme risk,” based on suicidal tendencies, posts about hurting others online and other criteria. If the individual is found to be a “risk,” law enforcement will temporarily remove the firearm from the individual’s possession. “The clear cut example of when House Resolution 1236 could have been applied is when the family members of the Parkland shooter saw signs of the shooter’s danger and contacted law enforcement explaining that their son might do something rash,” Derrick said. “But there was no clear process to restrict his access to firearms or do anything about that and obviously we saw the end results for that.” Tyler explained the current pro-
cedures in place for police officers to handle these high risk situations. “If we become aware of individuals who may have access to firearms and who make threats to harm themselves or others, we contact the individual and conduct a threat assessment,” Tyler said. “This includes verifying whether or not the person has firearms. If they do, we will take the firearms into protective custody.” Florida State Statute 790.401 calls for a Risk Protection Order (RPO), which allows law enforcement to immediately petition to the court for an ex-parte order to seize the firearms and ammunition of a person who has made threats to harm themselves or others with those weapons. If the individual does not voluntarily hand over their firearms and ammunition, then law enforcement may try to petition—under the Risk Protection Order—for a search warrant to ensure weapons and firearms the individual may have access to are secured. The Risk Protection Order also prevents the individual from legally purchasing or attaining more firearms when in effect. “Once the immediacy of the situation has passed, the RPO will again be reviewed by the courts within 30 days, giving the individual the right to appear,” Tyler said. “If a permanent RPO is issued, it will remain
in effect for one year and extensions may be authorized by the court.” Second-year Emma Gonzalez is a survivor of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting and is currently one of the leaders of the March For Our Lives movement. She explained in an email interview that the current way of preventing gun violence is failing. "Overall, both of these bills will make the Sarasota community, and many others around the country, safer by preventing those who pose a risk to their families and community from owning a gun,” Gonzalez said. “It is pieces of legislation like these that are crucial steps forward in the journey to save lives from preventable gun violence." People can help promote change, “Simply by contacting their members of Congress, protesting, voting in every election, and encouraging others to speak out,” Gonzalez suggests. Gonzalez stressed the importance of increasing political engagement among the community to constitute change. "I think people forget how powerful their voice can be, and how much of a difference they can make, especially young people,” Gonzalez said. “Change will only come if we make our voices heard by those in positions of power.”
housing based upon the severity,” said Freeland Eddie. Despite these potential issues, this decision has overwhelmingly been met with positive feedback by the local Sarasota community and is unanimously supported by the Sarasota commission. “The whole point of us as a commission offering a civil citation was to give an individual a second chance,” said Freeland Eddie. At-large City Commissioner Hagen Brody added, “[Not only is it] good for the community to know that we are really trying to respond to changing attitude on enforcement of possession [but] it allows law en-
forcement to focus on more critical problems.” Campus response has largely been supportive. “Decriminalization is definitely a great step forward,” Hannah Hoogerwood, President of New College’s chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), said. However, she emphasized the need for action past decriminalization. “We should not only be decriminalizing but every single individual in Sarasota jails imprisoned [for marijuana possession] right now need their records expunged and they need to be released immediately,” stated Kendall Southworth, vice
president of SSDP. While these proposed actions may be valiant, “[Decriminalization] goes as far as we can go as a municipality,” Commissioner Brody said. This will not affect the legality of marijuana use on campus. As New College receives state funding, it is under the jurisdiction of Florida state law, so this local ordinance is meaningless on campus property. While not affecting New College itself, the option of a civil citation will ensure that the nonviolent offense of marijuana possession will not severely impact the futures of local individuals—securing them a second chance.
thinking vision that at New College we seek to make clear and supported paths for every student to succeed in college,” Cadena said. “This commits us to regard every student as an individual with names, circumstances, accomplishments and goals.” In the past few months, Cadena has worked with a dedicated team to get the SSC up and ready to run. Case Manager Regina Rodarte will fill the role of supporting students in stressful circumstances. She will help manage setbacks they may be dealing with and make sure they can get back on track with as little difficulty as possible. Kaylie Stokes, Assistant Director of Student Success Programs, will help students set individualized goals and learn the skills they need to succeed in a college environment. The SSC will also have two assistant
directors of disability services who will assist students with disabilities through approving and facilitating accommodations and providing success skills and strategies. Joe Mayer holds one of these positions while the other remains unfilled. Last but certainly not least, the SSC is currently training certain students to become Student Program Development Coordinators. These leaders will assist in launching the center and designing a student coach position. Transfer student and Catalyst staff writer Kali-Ray Skinner has been working closely with Cadena and Stokes as a Student Program Development Coordinator and is excited about the work she has been doing to bring the SSC to life. “It’s a really great opportunity for me to learn about program devel-
opment and work in a team,” Skinner said. “Plus Anjali and Kaylie are really incredible individuals who I feel very proud to be working under. All of us are very passionate about the Student Success Center and the Student Disabilities Office.” Although the SSC is not open quite yet, Cadena hopes to see it in action in the very near future and is ready to start providing students with services that will improve their quality of life at New College. “Soon we will officially launch the Student Success Center with trained peers and well-organized, curated resources offered in an office with a fun, upbeat, welcoming, informal vibe!” Cadena said. Information for this article was gathered from ncf.edu.
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Photo courtesy of Charlie Leavengood
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Impeachment CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
trial is immediately removed from office. In addition, the Senate can conduct a separate vote on whether to disqualify the official from ever again holding federal office with a simple majority. There is no solid answer to how long this process takes. For example President Johnson’s impeachment only took about three months.
The Sarasota March for Our Lives occurred on March 24, 2018, and drew in an estimated crowd of 7,000. Those who gave speeches ranged in age from 10-18.
Photo courtesy of Giulia Heyward On March 14, 2018, the #Enough Walkout happened nationally as a response to the Stone Douglas High School shooting. 300 members of the NCF community gathered to participate in the walkout outside of ACE Plaza.
Photo courtesy of Charlie Leavengood At the Sarasota March for Our Lives, the above signs read: "We resist. We will persist. NRA u can't break us down. We are all one," and "Us? Guns? Pick One. STAND UP America." Photo courtesy of Charlie Leavengood
It has been reported that the congressional meetings are currently investigating Trump, and an unknown source told NBC News that Pelosi insisted to lawmakers that they need to move quickly. Information for this article was gathered from nbcnews.com, usatoday.com and nytimes.com.
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that's people who have external life circumstances where continuing at the college would be hard, sometimes that’s people who have just really bad experiences at the college for one reason or another. For students who are struggling now I think one thing that's important is that you should not be alone. Sometimes people are alone, but they should not be alone in the sense that everyone should at least have an advisor at the college with whom they have a relationship of mutual respect and trust and as long as they have that, that person can do a lot to help them; maybe much more than they realize. That person can often lean on administrative issues, or provide guidance that can resolve problems that otherwise seem untenable. They can help you provide for the future in a big way.” What were your favorite parts of the New College culture? “Something I admire greatly about the New College culture is the strong sense of curiosity that permeates the place,” Doucette said. “I think it's fairly easy to lose sight of that while you're here but there's something very pleasant about being around people who are mostly here because they are curious about the world and they want to understand something and they have a deep need to understand something. I also like the culture of being willing to try hard things and having them not work. I think that's a valuable
culture to have.” … and least favorite parts of the New College culture? “There are times when people feel socially ostracized at the college,” Doucette said. “Sometimes that may be because of stress and workload, or social environments or the nature or the dormitory situation, but regardless I think the sense of isolation and ostracization is definitely present and that's probably the part of the culture that I miss least.” Do you have any hopes for New College in ten years? “I would like to see the school change the degree to which we prepare our students collectively to achieve impact when they graduate,” Doucette said. “I think that we have a lot of people that are greatly interested in achieving impact, and have ideals and curiosity and learn a lot but I think that many of the measurements we take suggest that our students have limited impact when they leave, and I think we can do better by them in that sense. It takes them longer life before they start having significant impact than at other places, and then I think it could if we prepared them more carefully we’d be doing them justice.I think the college has a fantastic potential. I think the edu program gives you a lot of means which curious people can learn.” Any last words? “Stay weird.”
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Sarasota's March for Our Lives was an unofficial sister march to Washington D.C.'s.
Ray Cyrus ripping through my nervous system with his godsent songs? More likely. K Nasty and I had no voice for the next three days. “I shouted such sinful things at Billy Ray, the Lord took my voice away,” K Nasty said. Going about my morning, it occurred to me to check Mr. Cyrus’s Instagram. He loved St. Pete—Tampa—so dearly, I wanted evidence of his visit. And dear lord in heaven, it WAS him. A photo of the very same plaid
shirt and cap on stage next to Cyrus confirmed it. We should have begged him to let us on the bus and become some Billy Ray groupies. If we could not do that, then an interview or picture would have sufficed. I had a golden opportunity and let it slip through my fingers. To Billy Ray’s guitarist: if somehow my unworthy little review finds a way to your eyes, thank you for your stellar performance. We are sorry we mocked you.
BACK PAGE CATALYST Shell-b-q serves students m o u t h wa t e r i n g m e a l s WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2019 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst
until three o’clock in the morning [or] four o’clock in the morning, but BY VIANEY JARAMILLO it’s until we sell out,” Sharde said. “So I have no set time until Many students have seen or smelled the renowned traveling bar- maybe I fall asleep ‘cause I be gettin’ becue smoker, “Shell-B-Q,” at some tired,” she said while laughing. While students only account for point during their time at New College. The family-oriented barbecue approximately one fifth of Shell-Bjoint situates itself at the Shell gas Q’s sales, the barbecue has become station in front of the Sudakoff Con- a part of New College’s culture. Durference Center. They sell classic ribs, ing the hurricane when classes were baked beans, macaroni and cheese, cancelled, second-year Anna Wright wrote a poem about Shell-B-Q on the collard greens and dirty rice. Shell-B-Q has been in busi- Forum: ness at Shell since 2012, when the “Oh Shell-B-Q, Oh Shell-B-Q owner and cook, Sharde, decided to How smokey art thy delicacies pursue a culinary venture. Sharde Though panic and Dorian pursue started cooking when she was seven Your sweet sweet meat will see us years old. She followed her passion through for cooking, which eventually led to Our administration's neglectful starting her own cooking business. tendencies “My husband loves barbecuing, Some will feast down by the bay so he was taught how to be a pitmasIgnoring panic over campus ter and I just learned on my own,” But when water's seeping into Pei Sharde said. “I also love baking.” With Shell-B-Q...We'll be okay... When it comes to the location Your baked beans will sustain us.” of Shell-B-Q, Sharde was not focused on New College students as customAnother student, first-year ers. Instead, Sharde had her eyes set Brendon Gonzalez, wrote, “YESon other sources. “The airport is right there and SSSSS THEIR BEANS KILLLL,” on a [we’re] right in between Bradenton separate forum thread. When Sharde was informed and Sarasota, so you get a mixture of different people that come in and out that students write poetry and share of here,” Sharde said. “A lot of people positive comments about Shell-B-Q, from the airport actually do come she was delighted. “That’s exciting, like that’s good here when they get off the plane because there’s nothing to eat within so to know!” Sharde exclaimed. “I didn’t know that.” many miles from here.” Sharde is content with the sucThere are no set hours of operation for Shell-B-Q, but according to cess of Shell-B-Q and her familiarSharde, hours of operation can ex- ity with cooking and barbequing has tend until 4:00 a.m. on Fridays and definitely helped shape that success. “And so we’re here and I ain’t weekends, when they set up. “I try to be here at 5:00 p.m. un- going nowhere,” Sharde said with a til we sell out, so sometimes I’m here smile.
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When ordering from Shell-B-Q, expect to receive a substantial amount of food.
Shell-B-Q offers both spicy and sweet sauces.
All photos Vianey Jaramillo/Catalyst The operators of Shell-B-Q bring a large portable grill to the parking lot to keep the food hot and ready.