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CATALYST
SRQ FILM FEST pg.
MARCH 15, 2017 VOLUME XXXV ISSUE IV
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RINGLING FIRE pg.
NEWTOWN ALIVE pg.
New College of Florida's student-run newspaper
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Anya María Contreras-García/Catalyst
Faculty passes resolution in support of immigrants BY ANYA MARÍA CONTRERAS-GARCÍA In response to escalations in national anti-immigrant rhetoric, New College faculty unanimously passed a resolution in support of immigrants and diversity at the March 8 faculty meeting. The resolution recommitted faculty to support members of the New College community “regardless of country of origin, religion or immigration status” and recognized diversity as “indispensable” to higher education. It went on to urge the school to “maintain the absolute confidentiality
of…anything that might imply or define immigration status absent a subpoena or other lawful order” and to continue providing “salaries, resources, scholarship and fellowship assistance to non-U.S. citizens…regardless of changes to immigration policy.” This resolution was introduced in response to the failure of a similar proposal at the previous faculty meeting. On Feb. 8, Professor Steven Shipman, associate professor of physical chemistry and program advisor for gender studies, introduced a letter issued by Pomona College in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program
that asked political leaders to continue and expand the program. The letter has been signed by more than 600 college and university presidents, including 10 Florida schools. While President O’Shea hesitated to sign the Pomona College letter because he feared it could have resulted in political retaliation and put students more at risk, he supported the idea of standing in solidarity with affected students. The complication was just figuring out how. “We would do anything that we legally can,” O’Shea said at the March 8 faculty meeting. “If there is something that we legally cannot do, we can’t do
it.” Many members of the New College community expressed concern that publicly urging the school to protect students could lead political leaders to pressure the school to do the opposite. “If we pass a resolution demanding a certain policy […] and as a result these policies are open to scrutiny by some higher power that seeks a ruling on it […] that’s the tactical problem that I see,” Professor of Sociology and Environmental Studies David Brain said at the March 8 faculty meeting.
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School Board delivers resolution to transgender bathroom debate BY KELLY WILSON The room was nearly empty by the time that the public hearings began at the School Board Meeting on March 7. After Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) students showed off their robots and the School Board recognized their allstate music students, the Chair of the Sarasota County School Board Caroline Zucker offered an escape to students and parents. Next on the agenda? Transgender bathroom rights. Zucker offered the opportunity for departure for the parents who just wanted to honor their child’s accomplishments, which left the room almost empty except for advocates and supporters of Nate’s List, a campaign working for transgender rights in Sarasota, who planned to use this time to address the issue of bathroom rights in schools in Sarasota County. Among them were many New College students. It quickly became apparent as
WHAT’S INSIDE
Kelly Wilson/Catalyst
The Sarasota County School Board Meeting prior to discussing bathroom policy.
speakers began, that members of the school board had heard many similar speeches in the year since Nate Quinn first spoke on the issue. Yet, the fight for transgender rights is important now more than ever.
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The new administration has, in a twist of events, created a change to the federal Title IX policy which rescinded two important letters put in place during the Obama administration. These letters provided guidance for the
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PEI: PAST & PRESENT
Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Education (DOE) on issues such as gender identity and civil rights protections. For a more detailed explanation of the changes, check out the previous issue of the Catalyst in print or online. In a speech, a New College student - second year Hayley Trejo - pointed out that fighting back at a local level was a stepping stone to getting rid of discriminatory federal policies. “When they go high, we go local,” Trejo said. However, the School Board’s displeasure with the subject became evident when Nate Quinn stepped up to the mic. Quinn went over his three minutes to speak and was interrupted by buzzers. Immediately, when he showed no signs of submitting to the buzzer noises and leaving the podium, Zucker shouted
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