Spring 2019 - Issue 10 by ncfcatalyst

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BRIEFS WOMEN IN SCIENCE pg.

April 24, 2019 VOLUME XXXVIII ISSUE 10

New College of Florida's student newspaper

Paint[u] suggested to replace PCP were going to spend $5,000 on a finger paint party or something like that,” Jack Palm Court Parties (PCPs) have Brickhouse, Equipment Teaching Assisbeen a staple of New College since the tant (EQTA) since 2016 and thesis stuearly years of the school. These cam- dent, said. “I see this come up online, and pus-wide parties are, unlike most campus it’s both stupid, for a number of reasons, events, not substance-free and entirely and hurtful to me as an EQTA.” Paint Univerfunded by the New sity (Paint[u]) is one College Student of the campus parAlliance (NCSA). “Even if there isn’t ties that the business The NCSA, how- as many people Degy Dance is hired ever, is facing a to throw at collegtighter budget this showing up, [PCP] es and universities year, with the NC- is for the graduating across the country. SA’s budget dropstudents.” Paint[u] is a camping from $230,000 pus adaptation of to $150,000. Because of this, the NCSA was willing to the nightclub service GlowRage, which investigate potential alternatives to the offers “DJ’s, Lasers, Girls and PAINT,” traditional Graduation PCP, including according to its website. “I looked up videos and [their DJs] presenting a suggestion from the Office of Student Activities and Campus are on stage fucking around with fleshEngagement (SA[u]CE) to hold a sub- lights,” Brickhouse said. “I don’t want stance-free, paint-filled party in PCP’s this big, nasty dude waving a fleshlight around, especially when it’s costing so stead. “I heard from my friend that they much.”

The idea first entered New College through a promotional email sent to the SA[u]CE office. On Apr. 2, SA[u]CE approached the NCSA with the idea of holding a Paint[u] party. The most appealing aspect of the event was its affordability. “It was saving money by diversifying funds,” Tara Centeno, SA[u]CE director, said. “We were able to pull money from different budget areas. It wasn’t just going to be NCSA. It’s also a reallocation of the funds. Typically for PCP, $3,200 goes to security alone, and we were going to be able to drop security costs.” SA[u]CE’s active role in Paint[u] meant that the party would be able to receive some funding from the school, not just the NCSA. However, this would mean that the party would need to adhere to the rules of administration-run events, like being substance-free. After the $3,200 allocated for security costs,

pockets by Metz on [the residential] side of campus.”

pledged an investment of $567,300 to improve the facility over 10 years, but Stier said that most of that original money went to kitchen renovations and new equipment. Metz also paid for the recent furniture overhaul but involved students and housing staff in the decision-making process. “We involved NCSA from the very beginning to help with the furniture selection, just so we didn’t have any issues like other areas might have had,” Stier said. The new furniture was the first phase in planned renovations. Phase two, eight new benches outside Hamilton “Ham” Center, has also been completed. Phase three consists of replacing the golf-cart parking spot outside Ham Center with an outdoor grill and adding hanging lights on the trees for student events. Stier said that they would start working on phase three over the summer.

BY IZAYA GARRETT MILES

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Board of Trustees renew Metz’s contract until 2024

BY ANNA LYNN WINFREY On Feb. 26, the Board of Trustees formally renewed New College’s contract with Metz Culinary Management until June 30, 2024. Notable updates to the contract include the complete omission of the section on the Four Winds Café, potential price increases at the beginning of the 2020-21 academic year and a potential new catering supervisor position, which may lead to increased prices for students.

https://doc-0k-18-docs. googleusercontent.com/ docs/securesc/s7jurnmk912se8sp3mgg3hd8llrh0uos/obdpo7fpcdn719co01n4qb7

Points at Four Winds? Not Anymore Meal points will not be redeemable at the Four Winds Café anymore, which is slated to re-open in fall 2019. Senior Associate Dean of Student Affairs Mark Stier said that meal point expenditure at the Café could be added in 2024 when the contract lapses. “For the next five years it won’t be [an option],” Stier said. “Part of the benefits is that it will reduce any attempt to have larger food increases, because that money will be put back into the students’

Price Hikes? Not Yet Prices, which have not increased since 2016-2017, may rise by 5 percent in fall 2020. In the newest contract renegotiation, Metz may also add a catering supervisor position and make adjustments to meal plan rates. Re-elected New College Student Alliance (NCSA) President and second-year Steven Keshishian was involved in the draftings of the contract renewal. “I am not part of the fine details,” Keshishian said. “I went over it, I saw it, but it was a done deal when I got to it.” He advocated for lower prices, but noted that our bargaining power is much less than at other schools because of our smaller size. “I’m not happy with 5 percent,” Keshishian said. “I’m not happy with any percentage, but it makes sense.” Ongoing Renovations In the original contract, Metz

4-5 thesis art show

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6 astrology on campus

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C-STORE RECIPES pg.

API! not returning this year BY KATRINA CARLIN The All Power to the Imagination! (API!) Conference was described by co-founder and alumnus James Birmingham (‘06) as the longest running student-organized radical left conference in the United States. This spring marks the first time since 2008 that API! will not be returning to campus. API! was born out of a Conference Organizing tutorial in 2007, sponsored by Professor of Sociology Sarah Hernandez. Birmingham, along with Jackie Wang and Kotu Bajaj, created the tutorial after attending the National Conference on Organized Resistance (NCOR). Noting a lack of radically left conferences in the South, they decided to make something happen at New College. “I don’t think any of us thought this was going to be an annual thing,” Birmingham said in an email interview. “I wasn’t even really involved in organizing it the second year.” The first conference only had three organizers, who stuck with what Birmingham called a “more traditional” conference format than latter API! conferences did. The keynote speaker brought in by the organizers was Ashanti Alston, a former Black Panther member turned anarchist who used to write the Anarchist Panther zine. As API! grew, it began to attract a wide variety of interested presenters. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers came every year for 11 years. Earth First! presented a number of times, including facilitating a tree climbing workshop. Performance and workshops of all kinds abounded, from oyster cultivation to musical improvisation. API! represented the intersection of radical left organizers not just in the South but from around the world. Moreover, the conference had a huge effect on the students involved. “It was the only conference at

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8 dance & Parkinsons

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Wednesday, April 24, 2019 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst

BRIEFS

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briefs by Cassandra Manz

Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards two students

Since 1968, 81 New College students have received and participated in the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, according to Fulbright’s Grantee Directory, which includes institutional information up to 2018. This year, New College’s roster will increase to 83. Thesis students Evan Teal and Kaithleen Coñoepan were selected for the Fulbright. Teal received a Study/Research Award to Kenya. Coñoepan received an English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Award to Spain. She recently learned that she will be placed in the Canary Islands, the southernmost autonomous community of Spain. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program, created by Congress in 1946, is the largest U.S. exchange program and offers research, study and teaching opportunities in over 140 countries to recent graduates and graduate students, according to its website. Beginning in August 2019, Teal will be researching microbes that live in the midguts of malaria mosquitoes (Anopheles gembiae), working with the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), headquartered in Nairobi. Teal expects that he will be doing work in rural west Kenya, as well as in the main lab in Nairobi. Teal worked with the lab during his third Independent Study Project (ISP), which led him to apply to the Fulbright in Kenya.

“I had a close relationship with the people there, and I also had some unfinished work I wanted to do there,” Teal wrote in an email interview. “That meant that I had close connections in the country and a really strong project. My Fulbright research will also be based on my thesis which is pretty cool because maybe this time around my experiments will actually work.” Coñoepan studied abroad in Spain for a year during her third-year and knew she wanted to return after graduating. “When I started the process, I was getting ready to leave Spain and I knew I was going to miss it so I immediately started getting things ready to see how I could return,” Coñoepan said in an email interview. “The ETA position felt like the perfect fit. I used to teach the kids at the New College Child Center and I really enjoyed it.” Teal is excited for the many opportunities he will be able to explore while in Kenya. “I’m super excited to meet new people as well as old friends who I never thought I would see again,” Teal said. “Furthermore, the culture will be amazing. I’m hoping I’ll have enough time to travel to Mount Kilimanjaro and see the Serengeti! I’m an amateur photographer, so I want to get into wildlife photography maybe, too. Learning about the life

on the islands in Lake Victoria is something else that I just am personally interested in.” Coñoepan and Teal both encouraged students to apply to the Fulbright program, and Teal noted those who are considering applying should start now. Although it is a competitive application, Teal stated this should not dissuade someone from applying, “Just applying for things helps improve your ability to write grants,” Teal said. “I applied (and didn’t get) tons of fellowships before I even started to apply for the Fulbright! I think most New College students could find a country they could have a competitive chance with.” The application for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program for 2020-2021 is now available. Applicants can pursue this award opportunity as rising fourth years or as recent graduates, with the support of the New College Fellowships Office. To learn more about applying to the Fulbright program contact Nicole Gelfert at ngelfert@ ncf.edu. The “NCF Declare Deadline” to officially submit your interest and commitment to pursuing an award this upcoming Fulbright cycle is May 31. Information for this article was gathered from us.fulbrightonline.org.

Students attend Critical Language Scholarship conference in D.C. Thesis students Lorelei Domke, a Chinese Language and Culture Area of Concentration (AOC), Kaithleen Coñoepan, a Classics/Spanish Language and Culture AOC, and Naimul Chowdhury (‘15), a first year in the New College Data Science Masters program, attended the first annual Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Alumni Society conference on Mar. 30. The conference was held at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, D.C. Domke, Coñoepan and Chowdhury received funding from Student Affairs to attend the conference. Domke and Coñoepan are recipients of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, and Domke is also a recipient of the CLS. “The conference served as a venue to share our Department of State study abroad experiences, networking and language exchange, provide feedback about the newly formed non-profit or-

ganization and discuss open leadership positions,” Chowdhury said in an email interview. He now serves as the Data Coordinator for the society. While Domke, Coñoepan and Chowdhury did not present at the conference, the three students played a vital part in the weekend. “We served an important role as one of the only non-D.C. based schools to be present at the conference,” Chowdhury said. “Aside from meeting some incredibly accomplished alumni, we also participated in a productive Diversity and Inclusion workshop where we highlighted the ways in which CLS is lacking in diversity initiatives. After the workshop, Lorelei and I were asked to participate in a podcast recording to reiterate what we had discussed.” Chowdhury noted the beneficial outcomes of the conference for the greater New College community. “We attended this conference to

maximize our insights on what it takes to be a successful applicant to U.S. Department of State study abroad programs, and to make fully-funded study abroad programs accessible to all students at New College, especially those who feel like study abroad is not financially feasible,” Chowdhury said.

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.

The second annual NCF Zine Fest, organized by the NCF Zine Collective, will take place Saturday, Apr. 27, from 2 to 8 p.m. in the Nook. There will be live music, including acts from Mustard Service, Moongazer and Foom!, as well as food and tabling from art and crafts vendors. The festival will feature local artists and zine-makers from Sarasota, Bradenton, St. Petersburg, Tampa and Miami. The NCF Zine Fest is also a product of the student-run Zine-Making Tutorial, sponsored by Professor of Sociology Queen Zabriskie. NCF Zine Collective was organized in spring 2018 by thirdyear Anya Contreras-García, Hana-Karina Arraya (‘14) and Savannah Hawk (‘15). “Our goal is to create a platform for zine-making and -sharing within the New College community and to connect with other zinesters in South Florida,” according to NCF Zine Collective’s Facebook page. “We want to inspire students to express themselves creatively and spread the joy of self-publishing!” For more information, contact ncfzinecollective@gmail.com. photo courtesy of Naimul Chowdhury

Chowdhury, along with Domke and Coñoepan, attended the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Alumni Society conference in Washington, D.C. on Mar. 30.

NCF Zine Collective holds second annual NCF Zine Fest

Editor in Chief Audrey Warne Managing Editor Jacob Wentz Copy Editor Cassie Manz Assistant Copy Editor Eileen Calub Online Editor Bailey Tietsworth Advertising Manager Michala Head Social Media Editor Katrina Carlin Staff Writers Noah Baslaw, Haley Bryan, Izaya Garrett Miles, Adriana Gavilanes, & Anna Lynn Winfrey Layout + Design Team Harrison Angsten & Cait Matthews

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

Wednesday, April 24, 2019 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst Azia Keever/Catalyst

The Activist Newsletter Throughout this week (4/24 - 5/1), activists have the opportunity to participate in public meetings, lectures and film screenings. Read on if you want to get involved in the community regarding women’s rights, immigration reform and healthcare access.

BY EILEEN CALUB Sat., Apr. 27, “Women’s Rise in Leadership” - League of Women Voters Annual Meeting and Program @ 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Bradenton Country Club - 4646 9th Ave. W., Bradenton.

and native plants for sale. Support local artists and find ways to be active in supporting the environment. The Environmental Art Show takes place the last Saturday of the month. This event is free and open to the public.

Join the League of Women Voters (LWV) to enjoy a fine lunch and listen to a speaker on a topic of interest. The LWV is a non-partisan political organization encouraging informed and active participation in government. The LWV works to increase understanding of major public policy issues and influences public policy through education and advocacy. The featured speaker will be Jacki Dezelski, president and CEO of the Manatee Chamber of Commerce. She received her MBA and BFA degrees from the University of Florida and has been with the Chamber since 1996. Dezelski was named the 2015 Florida Chamber Professional of the Year by FACP and earned her IOM credential from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. She will talk about her experiences and the importance of being active in the community. Don’t miss this special event! This program costs $35 for members and $40 for non-members. Reservations can be made at www.lwvmanatee.org.

Mon., Apr. 29, Report Back From the U.S./Mexico Border @ 5 - 6:30 p.m. New College of Florida - ACE Lounge 5800 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota.

Sat., Apr. 27, Bernie 2020 Organizing Kickoﬀ @ 4 - 6 p.m. Mirella’s - 2909 Arlington St., Sarasota. Come together with friends, family and neighbors to transform America. Join Progressive Sarasota to hear from Sen. Bernie Sanders about his vision and what it’s going to take to complete a political revolution. This is a bilingual event in Spanish and English. RSVP at act.berniesanders. com. Sat., Apr. 27, Environmental Art Show - Origami Air @ 7 - 10 p.m. The Mable - 2831 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Stocking Savvy’s monthly Environmental Art Show gets crafty with Origami Air and the elaborate art of paper folding. Come see a full size coral reef made of paper and the many plants, animals and crafts including clothing! Have you ever been curious about how to make origami? Origami Air will teach you how at their crafts table. There will be free food, live music with KOJU the Dragonslayer and Form playing and a host of art

The Central American caravans at the U.S.-Mexico border have been at the center of the national and international news for the last few months. But what does the situation look like on the ground? Why are people fleeing Central America directed toward the U.S.? What is the experience of their journey and border crossing like? What role can journalism play in supporting the human rights of refugees and migrants? Hear from Francesca Tosarelli about her recent research and reporting from Tijuana at the U.S.-Mexico border. Tosarelli works as an independent filmmaker for documentary films and a video journalist for Al Jazeera, Yahoo, Scottish Documentary Institute, Al Jazeera Arabic, RAI Cinema and The Guardian, among others. She has been focusing on social issues, conflicts, gender and migration since 2011, from stories about female rebel guerrillas in the Democratic Republic of Congo to Baghdad feminist activists who rescue women escaping from ISIS to Central American migrants fleeing organized crime. She is a journalist with a crossmedia approach and has been working as a photojournalist, writer and VR author. This event is free and open to the public. Tues., Apr. 30, Film Screening: FIX IT – Healthcare at The Tipping Point @ 6:30 p.m. Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center - 525 Kumquat Ct., Sarasota. Join Move to Amend for a screening of FIX IT – Healthcare at The Tipping Point. This documentary takes an in-depth look into how America’s dysfunctional health care system is damaging the economy, suffocating businesses, discouraging physicians and negatively impacting the nation’s health while remaining unaffordable for a third of U.S. citizens. This screening is free and open to the public.

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Reactions to black hole image raise questions about on-campus gender discrimination BY HALEY BRYAN On Apr. 10, 2019, the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration released the first-ever image of a black hole. Over 200 researchers contributed to the project and worked for over a decade to accrue and analyze data from a global network of powerful radio-wave telescopes to produce the photo, which shows a bright orange and yellow ring formed as light bends in the black hole’s intense gravity. The black hole, named M87*, is 53 million light-years away from Earth and has attracted widespread attention on the internet. Another photo that was taken at the moment the image of M87* was processed, which shows researcher Katie Bouman in front of a computer screen with hands clasped over her mouth, has also been a source of national excitement and discussion. The photo of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) graduate student in electrical engineering and computer science went viral, subsequently establishing Bouman as the face of the project as well as marking a historical moment for women contributions in STEM fields. Bouman helped develop the algorithm that sifts through the spate of data in the project. At the same time, the photo of Bouman received extensive backlash online, where groups of men vehemently questioned Bouman’s role in the project. Amidst the groundbreaking achievement of imaging the first black hole, the harassment Bouman received online reminds students of the reality of gender discrimination in STEM, and accordingly begs the question: what is the state of gender discrimination in STEM at New College? “There’s no doubt in my mind that we women are capable of accomplishing things [in science],” third-year and physics Area of Concentration (AOC) Tali Zacks said. “But it is hard to get through that mental block of ‘I can’t really do it because I’m just a girl.’” Often credited as skillful teachers or mentors, women are not typically seen as influential leaders in the sciences—but of course, they are, and consistently have been.

“I didn’t learn anything [about how women can contribute to STEM] specifically from [Bouman’s accomplishment] happening, because I never believed it couldn’t happen,” second-year and computer science AOC Courtney Miller said. “What I did learn from is the reaction and how hard she was trolled—not just by internet trolls, but by respected members of the academic community [which happened because] we don’t expect women to be the ones leading the way on these kind of discoveries. That’s what left an impression on me.” Despite the progress in equality across academia and the workplace over the past century, women remain dramatically underrepresented in STEM fields, including physics and computer science. While women earn over 50 percent of all bachelor’s degrees, only 21 percent of physics and 33 percent of astronomy bachelor’s’ degrees belong to women. Additionally, in 2017, only 26 percent of the computing workforce were women, and less than 10 percent were women of color. “[Coming to America] as a postdoc, I was the only woman in the physics department at Emory [University],” Professor of Physics Mariana Sendova commented. “I said, ‘Wow, what has happened with this world?’ I see [the lack of women in STEM fields] as a huge imbalance. Here, at New College, I don’t think [gender biases are] so obvious as if you go to grad school, and for example, go in a physics department—then it becomes completely different.” Though students at New College pride themselves on inclusive thinking, the slanderous attacks people have directed at Bouman online echo a deeply embedded and distressing attitude toward women in science, raising questions about just how much a discriminatory mindset pervades campus interactions. “The only [discrimination I’ve experienced at New College is] what’s a big problem in computer science, which is the microaggressions from peers,” Miller said. “Sometimes I’ll feel like there are microaggressions or little things

continued on page 7 photo courtesy of Shutterstock

The black hole, named M87*, is 53 million light-years away from Earth and has attracted widespread attention on the internet.

2019 Thesis student Art show Pure Platinum

Photo courtesy of Abeer Obaido

Abeer Obaido, Blank I, 2018, oil on canvas, 53 x 37 in. (134.6 x 93.9 cm).

BY EILEEN CALUB Crowding the Isermann Gallery at the Caples Fine Arts Complex (CFA), students, faculty and community members admired paintings, sculptures and mixed-media installations completed by student artists and art historians as part of an intensive, year-long research project. These works include carved wooden stones, AI-generated imagery and even handmade instruments. From Thursday, Apr. 18 until Friday, May 10, the public has the chance to view works by New College student artists at the 2019 Senior Thesis Art Show. At this year’s exhibition, the featured artists are thesis students Elly Bovarnick, Jack Brickhouse, Corrine Leavengood, Jack Micoli, Jamie Moriarty and Abeer Obaido. At the opening reception, the student artists mulled about the gallery, greeting friends and discussing their work with curious attendees. At the gallery entrance, visitors could pick up a catalog featuring information about the student artists and descriptions of their projects, which synthesized technical skills and ideas. Some pieces were evocative of childhood nostalgia while others provided a criticism on politics and religion. “We are by no means a conceptual program, but we do ask that students develop core concepts that provide an aesthetic framework for their art,” Professor of Art Kim Anderson said. “The craft or execution of a personalized aesthetic must be strong to support their ideas, and that is evident across the board.” In their catalog descriptions, the artists explained their motives to create their thesis work and the reasons for choosing particular themes. “I seek to embrace the past, create in the present and move toward the future through revolutionary lutherie and the inclusion of graffiti in the discussion of the modern folk tradition,” Brickhouse stated. Brickhouse paid a tribute to folk traditions with a contemporary twist by creating a series of unique in-

struments made from wood, metal and “found items.” Other students unabashedly expressed their identity through their work. “I am tired,” Bovarnick stated. “I am tired of strangers asking me my ethnicity, telling me to smile, trying to hold my hand or give me a hug…In response to being othered and exoticized because of being a Jewish woman, I am reclaiming my identity through art.” Various mediums are showcased, ranging from videos to plexiglass. “My own stained glass is meant to engage with the history of stained glass and Christian ideology as a critique of the use of Christian ‘morals’ in furthering the growing fascist movement in the American government and populace,” Leavengood stated. “My work serves to empower all women and queer folk to feel visible, powerful, beautiful and justified in their own identity.” Leavengood utilized silk screen to emulate a “stained-glass” effect, depicting scenes of angelic and demonic figures in bold colors, hoping to create “positive propaganda for the LGBTQIA+ community.” Furthermore, students designed the advertising material for the reception and the exhibition. The catalog featuring information about the student artists was created by several student contributors: thesis students Audrey Warne and Obaido prepared layout and design while textual content was written by thesis students Shana Dickler and Mia Reich, as well as second-year Danielle Whiting. The catalogue was birthed after a semester-long Contemporary Arts Writing Tutorial. Anderson and Professor of Art History Katherine Brion originated the idea of producing a formal catalog as a collaboration between the Art and Art History departments. “The students are responsible for all elements of the final presentation including consideration to placement, wall text, labels, promotional flyers, etc.,” Anderson said. “This provides a professional practicum that will benefit them beyond

Photo courtesy of Elly Bovarnick

Elly Bovarnick, Fetus Casting for Pomegranate, 2019. Modeling clay, wood, 16 x 1.5 in. (40.6 x 3.8 cm).

Photo courtesy of Abeer Obaido

Abeer Obaido, Restore, 2018, oil on canvas, 27 x 34 in. (68.5 x 86.3 cm).

graduation. Through this process they learn the importance of creative agency in the presentation of their work, and I think they did an outstanding job of meeting this goal.” Just as the students labored intensively on their pieces, preparing the space for the exhibition also required meticulous attention to detail. “There are so many details that may go unnoticed to the casual gallery visitor,” Anderson said. “Works are hung at a standard height, and require a degree of basic engineering and math so that there is visual uniformity and appropriate visual proximity to other objects. If you don’t notice discrepancies, then they have done their job. It’s a relatively small space, especially with six artists

represented, but once the work is hung it really opens up and almost feels bigger, inviting reflection and exploration.” As the six Art students wrap up their time at New College, the threeweek Senior Thesis Art Show gives the community a chance to appreciate the departing students’ culminating work and celebrate the promising future of their artistic careers. “I think we were all very pleased with the final presentation of the work,” Anderson commented. “It shows diversity and breadth in their thinking and uniqueness in each artist’s creative vision. That is an underlying mission of the curriculum, and I’m always happy to see it manifest in the final capstone project.”

Photo courtesy of Jack Micoli

Jack Brickhouse, Grue (detail), 2018. Wood, metal, found objects. 41.3 x 27.5 in. (105 x 70 cm).

Photo courtesy of Jack Micoli

Jack Micoli, Golf Course Strip Mine, 2019. Oil on panel, basswood, brillo pads. 30” x 26”. Photo courtesy of Jack Micoli

Jack Brickhouse, Boxcar (detail), 2018. Wood, metal, found objects. 38.5 x 13.7 in. (98 x 65 cm). Photo courtesy of Jamie Moriarty

Jamie Moriarty, Finger Studies, 2018, PLA, MDF, micro servo, Arduino nano, LED, potentiometer, circuitry. Turn dial. 9x4x3.5 in (22.86x10.16x8.89 cm).

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Suns, moons and students: astrology on campus BY MICHALA HEAD

PISCES SUN, VIRGO MOON, ARIES RISING

New College students are turning to the stars to understand themselves and each other. If one approaches an 18-25 year old and asks for their sun, moon and rising signs, they will probably have an answer. Astrology memes are abundant on social media; the signs as TV show characters, dog breeds and much more can be found if an internet user knows where to look. Some students view astrology as fun, while others find themselves deeply immersed in this study of the sky. “Astrology is a language and a practice and the more that you study and invest in it, the more you get out of it,” thesis student Becca Caccavo, an Aquarius sun, Aries moon and Leo rising, said. “It is not useful to get disconnected parts.” Caccavo recalls sitting in the Four Winds Café a couple years prior and beginning vigorous study of her own birth chart, jotting notes into a gold-adorned notebook. “I took really meticulous notes about my stuff and so many people that I’d meet, I’d ask about their signs,” Caccavo said. “I would look at their chart and sort of have this Excel sheet in my brain.”

Caccavo, after years of study, now offers birth chart reports ranging from $20-$30, depending on what the client wants. According to Caccavo, her clients so far have been off campus; while students have expressed interest, they have not followed through. Caccavo explained that there is much more to astrology than the memes. “It’s pretty fucking dense, it takes studying,” Caccavo said. “Not only are you paying for my labor, you are paying for my knowledge, expertise [and] my continued investment in my education.” Astrology has a storied past and takes a detailed look at the sky the moment someone was born, compared to the sky present-day. According to the official site for the American Federation of Astrologers, early astrology goes all the way back to the Babylonians. They created the zodiac wheel in 700 B.C. that is used today. Caccavo also brought up the prevalence of astrology in India. A 2014 NPR article by Julie McCarthy entitled “In India, Science and Astrology Comfortably Coexist” discussed this in detail. “It is not uncommon in India to find highly educated people from accomplished professions becoming astrologers,” McCarthy said. For some on campus, however, as-

trology is not so much an intense study as it is an intriguing framework. “Trying to reconcile our interactions with the macro-patterns of the universe is a really fascinating concept,” first-year Beau Perkins, a Leo sun, Pisces moon and Pisces rising, said. Perkins explained that he considers astrology to be a more casual and fun practice for him. “I do see power in it in some ways but overall I think that I can’t give much credence to it,” Perkins said. In his two semesters on campus so far, he has discussed and contemplated astrology a good deal. “A lot of people have feelings about astrology and have feelings with astrology,” Perkins said. “Especially since it’s not a secret that New College is a particularly spiritual campus for a lot of people.” Perkins’ casual approach to astrology is not uncommon. A 2018 article in The Atlantic by Julie Beck entitled “The New Age of Astrology” explores why millenials have gravitated toward the study. “Over the past two years, we’ve really seen a reframing of New Age practices, very much geared toward a Millennial and young Gen X quotient,” Lucie Greene, the worldwide director of

J. Walter Thompson’s innovation group, told The Atlantic. The article states that astrology is well-suited for the Age of Information, since there is a low barrier to entry and different levels of research that people can do on the topic, based on their interest. Beck cited a 1982 study by psychologist Graham Thompson that showed people turned to astrology in times of stress. In the past, astrology has been mocked as an irrational pseudo-science. “Many people I spoke to for this piece said they had a sense that the stigma attached to astrology, while it still exists, had receded as the practice has grabbed a foothold in online culture, especially for young people,” Beck said. Caccavo stressed that astrology is not a pseudo-science, nor does it try to be a science. “Astrology is not a science, but it is a cultural, interpretive art,” Caccavo said. Information for this article was gathered from npr.org, theatlantic.com and historyworld.net. To learn more about Caccavo’s astrology reports, visit @beccaccavo on Instagram or look for her advertisements on the Forum.

See more: recipes made from your C-Store! BY ANNA LYNN WINFREY Students are reaching a point in the semester where many still have meal points but are growing tired of the standard fare. Read on for some creative ways to use up those points and eat well! All of these recipes can be made solely with ingredients from the C-Store located in Hamilton “Ham” Center. Bougie Macaroni and Cheese: This is the creamiest, dankest mac and cheese you’ll ever have: Metz’s mac will never taste the same. From this smattering of humble ingredients, you’ll make one of the best dishes you’ll eat all year. Make up a batch solo and eat the leftovers for a week, or better yet invite some pals over and cook it up together. After tasting this, thesis student Cannzana StockWil remarked, “This defi-

nitely tastes like a real meal compared to typical microwave mac and cheese. It’s nice to have this kind of a meal once in a while! It’s so amazing to know that these wonderful flavors are available at the C-Store.” Ingredients: 1 pound macaroni (you can use penne or anything else if they don’t have it) 1 stick (1/2 cup or 8 ounces) butter 4 cups milk: use whole milk for better flavor 1/2 cup flour 8 ounces of cheese, shredded: I recommend a combo of gruyere and smoked gouda. If you don’t have a cheese grater, fear not! Just thinly slice the cheese and you’ll be okay. Salt and pepper to taste Dijon mustard/ground nutmeg (optional)

Necessary supplies: 2 pots Whisk/spoon Knife/cheese grater Boil a large pot of water and add a healthy dash of salt. Meanwhile, in another pot, melt butter over medium heat and add the flour. Cook for about two minutes, whisking or stirring constantly, until it starts to smell nutty and turn a pale brown color. Then, slowly add the milk, stirring constantly. Add some salt and pepper to taste; a spoonful of dijon mustard and/or dash of nutmeg will kick it up a notch, but isn’t necessary. Once it starts steaming and bubbling, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for about 10 minutes until it begins to thicken. Make sure to stir at least every minute or so! At this point, your water is probably boiling so you can put in your pasta—

unless you like mushy noodles, cook it a minute or so less than the package recommends, since it will finish cooking in the sauce. Add in the cheese to the sauce once it’s thick enough and stir until all combined. Taste for seasoning and add more cheese if needed. Finally, drain your noodles and mix them into the sauce over low heat for a minute or so. You can bake this in a pan with some panko on top if you’re really extra, but I enjoy it straight out of the pot. Doritos Locos Nachos: I accidentally made these one day when I wanted to make nachos but the C-Store was out of normal chips. You can use any kind of Dorito, but my favorite is nacho cheese: the flavors meld with the real cheese and create a flavor you never thought you would taste before. Cheese-wise, I recommend cheddar,

all photos Anna Lynn Winfrey/Catalyst

The final product in a bowl. You could also garnish with some fresh herbs and/or chopped tomato if you want to get fancy.

Third-year Parankush Bhardwaj with a pop tart sandwich. “That’s dangerously delicious,” he remarked after trying it.

CATALYST Paint[u] CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 this graduation PCP will have a budget of less than $1,100, smaller than the Valentines PCP held earlier this year. Additionally, Paint[u] would not require as much of a security presence as PCP typically does. “The area was going to be smaller and confined,” Centeno said. “Versus a more campus-wide event. The area was going to be confined to Z-green, and then after the Z-green portion ended, we would have set up an after event in Palm Court.” This smaller, denser area, farther away from the campus’s perimeter, would have meant a smaller security presence would be required. Additionally, some of the duties normally handled by security would have been done by SA[u]CE staff. A poll was sent on Apr. 11 to the Forum, announcing the proposal. By Apr. 12, of the 130 votes, only 17 were in favor of the event. NCSA Chief of Staff and thesis student Eleni Spanolios, who had announced the event, had received 164

Black hole CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 that happen, and I’m like, ‘You don’t do that to the other hacker-bros—you are treating me differently.’ Personally, [the microaggressions I’ve experienced from male peers] hurts a lot, and it’s something that you just kind of have to work through. There have been very recent things that have happened [that were] very hurtful and not okay, and people in the department are complacent [about these situations of discrimination] because this is not something we address.” Professor of Human Centered Computing Tania Roy shares similar frustrations with experiences of microaggressions and unconscious biases, and commented on the unconscious biases dealt with prior to arriving at New College. “[Experiencing microaggressions are] challenging as they are subtle and sometimes you ask yourself if this is actually happening or you are over analyzing a situation,” Roy said in an email interview. “There have been situations as a graduate student and a faculty [member] that I have had to deal with, for example comments like, ‘You got this because you are a woman,’ and on the flipside I have been in classrooms where professors and fellow students don’t pay heed to your suggestions. This is where imposter syndrome keeps creeping back in and they were moments of struggle.” Imposter syndrome is no stranger to students at New College. Still, sexist prejudices ingrained in the public mindset seeps into student mentality, inevitably influencing the way non-male students participate in STEM fields. “New College is intrinsically a very open, hippy, diverse, amazing place,” Miller noted. “Our computer science department also happens to intrinsically be open and filled with mostly inclusive and diverse people; then we sometimes do get [students] that are reminiscent of the problematic behaviors that damage the

Wednesday, April 24, 2019 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst

emails regarding Paint[u]. “The results of the poll were shared with us and that was really helpful,” Centeno said. “It really helped us get a baseline that this was something they were not in favor of. But there were some people who went beyond providing feedback, and attacked people for this. That was a little hard to hear about, because these are people, and it’s scary to think that people can’t come forward with different ideas.” Several students were upset about the sudden proposal. For many thesis students, the Graduation PCP has been something to look forward to, and this would have been a radical departure from their expectations. “This is the first PCP I don’t have to work on,” Brickhouse said. “It’s like a stab in the back. Even if there isn’t as many people showing up, it’s for the graduating students, and they deserve to have something that they’ve been looking forward to.” Paint[u] is no longer being considered as a replacement to Graduation PCP, and potential sponsors of PCP will be able to submit their themes in the upcoming weeks. egos of minorities. Other schools don’t have the privilege that we have, where [male students] are the minority; at most schools, that’s the majority, so they have to address [gender discrimination]. I feel like here, we almost have a problem where we don’t most of the time have to address it, so when the one hacker-bro comes along, we kind of just say, ‘Oh well, we have a really good department in general,’ but that’s not necessarily because the department has done anything [to] make these people accepting, open or diverse.” The sexist backlash in response to the pioneering work to create a black hole image demonstrates the hostility women and non-male genders receive in the sciences. “I remember in high school my friend and I were taking evening classes to prepare for the exams,” Sendova commented. “There were only boys there, and you get absolutely depressed when you see them thinking quick and going to the board and solving these problems. I told my girlfriend: what are we doing wrong? This is difficult to do, and easier to say, but you should just ignore [male students] because a lot of men project strong-confidence [and] knowledge. I see this all the time—I see male students who talk absolute nonsense, but they talk it with confidence. Before, when I was at their age and someone was talking to me like this, I would say, ‘Oh you’re great,’ but now, I can see that sometimes, it’s gibberish.” Along with focusing on personal development, Roy notes that acknowledging the distressing nature of gender discrimination can serve as a motivator to continue working toward increased involvement of women and non-male genders in the sciences. “[Experiencing gender discrimination] does get overwhelming sometimes; I have always struggled with imposter syndrome and still do,” Roy said. “However, with experience and supportive colleagues, I have learned that my contributions and voice have the potential to add value. This has taught me to be assertive in situations and lean on my support net-

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Metz

API

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Previous Contractors The original contract with Metz was signed on May 31, 2014. Sodexo had been the previous food service provider since at least 2003. Residential Hall Director Adriana Diaz (‘12) experienced Sodexo when she first came to New College. “The food was worse,” Diaz said. Also, so was workplace morale: “I remember they used to make the cashiers cry,” Diaz recalled. “There were two cashiers that would cry because of the manager, and she would still be working as a cashier. And students would be like, ‘What’s wrong, are you okay?’ So, a very different attitude. [Metz General Manager] Bill [Moore] cares about his staff like they’re family as well.” This contract was a one-time renewal of the original contract signed five years ago, and a new bidding process will start when this contract is over in 2024. Metz will be eligible to bid again.

NCF organized by primarily students and I know it prepared a lot of API! organizers for conferences in both graduate school and on-the-ground activism,” Birmingham said. “We hosted speakers from all over the world and exposed students to educational experiences that rarely happen in the classroom.” API! attempted to bridge the gap between radical theory and practice. The presentations, discussions and workshops held over the years were all intended to bring together academia and activism. “API will be an opportunity to discuss how theory and practice can work together to create stronger, more successful social movements,” reads the conference website. “It operates on the principle that anyone interested in positive action can contribute to and learn from the discourse, experiences and methodologies of those actively engaged in efforts to change the world in a positive way” The current organizers of API! could not be reached for comment.

C-Store

Ingredients: Pop tart of your choice Ice cream of your choice (suggested pairings below) Suggested pairings: Strawberry pop tart and birthday cake ice cream S’mores pop tart and moose tracks ice cream Chocolate Chip pop tart and cookie dough ice cream Cinnamon pop tart and cappuccino crunch ice cream Sundae pop tart and chocolate ice cream Blueberry pop tart and strawberry cheesecake ice cream Necessary supplies: Plate Spoon Let the ice cream soften outside the freezer for a couple of minutes: your walk through the humid Florida swamp back to your room should suffice. Spread it out nice and even onto one side of the tart and pop the other half on top. If you eat this now—and you’ll be tempted, I’m sure—the ice cream will ooze out and go everywhere: it needs some time, at least 10 minutes, to firm up in the freezer. After that, you can take it out and devour at your own pace! (But don’t forget to put the ice cream away.)

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 monterey jack or smoked gouda, but you can use anything you want. The result was something even better than I expected: imagine a Doritos Locos Taco but actually crunchy and with fresh and crispy real cheese. Add some of the Taco Bell hot sauce packets you’ve been hoarding, et voilà! Actual food—which you made yourself—that tastes delicious! Ingredients: Doritos Cheese Beans (optional) Salsa or Taco Bell hot sauce packets (optional) Necessary supplies: Baking sheet Oven Knife/cheese grater Spread out Doritos into an even-ish layer on your baking sheet. Add beans if you want, and sprinkle some cheese on top. Bake in a 420 F oven for 5-10 minutes until desired crispiness is achieved. Pop Tart Ice Cream Sandwich: This is a treat for those nights. I would not recommend eating an entire sandwich alone or in one sitting, but they do keep remarkably well in the freezer. work if I need advice.” The accomplishment to look lightyears away from this galaxy does not go without instances of gender discrimination of women and other non-male scientists. With the exponential progress taking place in science and technology, there is still an archaic view of women roles that highlights the importance of acknowledging sexist prejudices, including within the scope of New College where students generally pride themselves on tolerance and inclusivity. “There are problems here, and sometimes I experience things from specific people,” Miller said. “But in gener-

al, this is a great environment to be in, relatively speaking, so sometimes you do get lulled into a sense of security that most people are really chill, but [the sexist backlash to Bouman’s work] reminds you that that’s not true. It doesn’t necessarily change what I think I can do [as a woman in computer science], but it’s a sobering moment, where [sexist prejudices are] something that’s still very important and not a novel concept that needs to be further built upon.” Information for this article was gathered from uis.unesco.org, aip.org and ncwit.org.

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PAGE 8

dance & parkinsons class showcased in music room

BY BAILEY TIETSWORTH

The Dance for Parkinson’s event, held on Monday, Apr. 15, in the College Hall Music Room, brought together students and Sarasotans to learn, dance and build community. Professor of Psychology Peter Cook and Dance Instructor and Artist in Residence Leymis Wilmott hosted the event in collaboration with Parkinson Place. As a culmination of the ‘Dance, Brain, & Parkinson’s’ course offered by Cook and Wilmott this semester, the event featured a session of seated dancing and a presentation from students on research-based findings. Cook and Wilmott facilitated a welcoming environment and concluded the event by encouraging those with Parkinson’s who participated to share their thoughts on the course and how it impacted their lives. Offered this semester for the first time, the course was structured in segments. However, those who took the class could not choose which aspect of the course they wanted to participate in,

they had to immerse themselves in every part. Cook led a lecture-style session for the first hour, where he discussed neuroscience, brain pathways involved in movement and how those things work and how they can go wrong with Parkinson’s. After the initial hour, Wilmott facilitated the dance aspect of the class, where she and percussionist Julian Douglas would guide students and community members through movements in both seated and standing sections. Those who could not stand could stay seated throughout the entire portion of the dance. “My approach also comes from movements from the African diaspora in the sense that once the drum starts, you don’t stop,” Wilmott said. Finally, the two focuses of the course, dance and psychology, came together in an effort to interview participants on how they felt after the movement. “Often we were doing some kind of empirical measure or pilot study of some sort that put together psychology

all photos courtesy of Bailey Tietsworth

The dance portion of the event began with movements that emphasized upright posture.

and neuroscience, and dance and movement,” Cook said. “We looked to have the students conduct interviews that had specific relevance to some of our broader questions. Part of that was an attempt to get a participant-centered view of how movement-based classes affect their general well-being while living with this debilitating disorder.” Aside from focusing on research, the course aimed to foster meaningful relationships between students and community members. Wilmott emphasized the importance of learning skills relevant for using outside of the New College bubble. Each class built off of the previous one, offering students opportunities to practice real-world skills in an academic setting. “This [event] was the end: an op-

portunity to share,” Wilmott said. “Having to share what what you’ve experienced, in itself, is a learned skill.” Reflecting on the course, both professors agreed that they would have approached the structure of the class differently, hoping to better integrate the dance and psychology aspects and possibly offering bi-weekly meetings earlier in the day. “It’s like a real liberal arts experience,” Cook said. “It’s community interaction, clinical interviews, empirical assessments of movements that are related to neuroscience, actual dance class, socialization, student-led research that’s under the control of faculty because it went through the Institutional Review Board (IRB); there’s a lot of pieces that were stuck together.”

The live drummer, Julian Douglas, worked with the class each week for every dance session.

Despite having such large movements, the participants rarely encroached on each other’s space for dancing.

Wilmott ensured that the dances included occasional interaction between neighboring attendees.