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CATALYST
APRIL 26, 2017 VOLUME XXXV ISSUE IX
New College of Florida's student-run newspaper
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10 Questions with NCSA co-Presidents Ximena Pedroza and Kayla Kisseadoo
BY MAGDALENE TAYLOR
where we would look at each other and know what’s next.
Catalyst reporter and Online Editor, Magdalene Taylor, sat down with recently elected NCSA co-Presidents and secondyears Kayla Kisseadoo and Ximena Pedroza. The unabridged version of this article can be found at ncfcatalyst.com. First question isn’t really a question, but tell me where you’re from and your AOC and your pronouns. KK: I am from Fort Lauderdale, my AOC is undecided, and my pronouns are she/her. XP: I am from Mexico, my pronouns are she/her, and my AOC is anthropology. How did the two of you decide to run for co-presidency? KK: We became friends because we met via the forum when we were doing
Photo courtesy of Carolyn Beer
Kisseado and Pedroza both cite their trip to Standing Rock, North Dakota as an important moment for their friendship, and decision to run as NCSA co-Presidents.
a rideshare for a protest in Tampa, and at that protest we were asked to go up to Standing Rock, ND to help out and bring up supplies on behalf of Black Lives Matter Tampa.
XP: Being able to go to a protest you already have similar ethics, and being able to come up with funding in such a short amount of time, we had really strong communication flow
What are your main priorities as co-Presidents? KK: The foundation of our entire platform is focusing on the spirit of New College - that is inclusive of everybody and meets everyone’s needs. Historically in the past… XP: In the past? KK: Currently, very much currently, there have been injustices on campus that are just unacceptable whether it’s amongst the student body or between the student body and administration and faculty and it’s kind of sad. It takes away from our spirit and who we are and the name that has been created, all that we are and our reputation and excellence. So that’s our
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'It's Good to be Gay!': Queery organizes Pride Month BY KATELYN GRIMMETT Pride Ball may have stolen the show, but a diverse series of events organized by Queery brought together the LBGTQIA+ community at New College throughout the month of April. Although Pride Month is nationally recognized in June to celebrate the liberating 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan, school is out for summer so Queery chose April to host several events for the campus community. “Some of the core intentions we had for the month were creating solidarity between LGBTQ folks on campus and creating spaces – like the Trans and Queer Love event – for people to share emotions and personal experiences in regard to gender and sexuality over all, as opposed to the spaces that we usually create on campus which are often intellectualizing of each other’s experiences and identities,” thirdyear Annie Rosenblum, a leader of
WHAT’S INSIDE
Cassie Manz/Catalyst
Pride Month provided events that allowed students to be prideful of their identities
Queery, said. In the past, Queery has organized an annual Pride Week. This year brought bigger and better things, including two film screenings (Moonlight and the documentary Screaming Queens), a potluck picnic and a night of student performances and drag at Pride Ball.
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“Visibility is really important,” first-year Queery member Cabrini Austin said. “Even though a lot of people in this school identify as LGBTQ, a lot can be overlooked.” Queery is consistently active in the larger Sarasota community, especially in relation to trans-rights issues happening in the area, and
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activism in general has been a strong suit for the club. Pride month shifted the club’s focus to the campus community. “We wanted to refocus our energy into creating events on campus for New College students to talk about healing, growing, solidarity and what solidarity means to us as LGBTQ students on a small campus that has so much potential for community,” Rosenblum said. Pride Month is culminating with a discussion between students, faculty and staff around the topic of “Gender in Academia.” Initially intended to be a Queery-led presentation and talk held at a faculty meeting, the event is expanding to allow for more dialogue and change. “Some people have issues with professors and staff in terms of respecting identity, pronouns for example,” first-year Queery member Cabrini Austin said. “It’s important continued on p. 10
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