Catalyst

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The Volume V, Issue 26 April 30, 1996 Yurt It's N ot Just For Breakfast Anymore! Profile: Gordon Bauer by Michelle Wolper "Either through accident or design, my professional career has been quite eclectic." To put it mildly. Assoc. Professor of Psychology and Social Sciences division chair Gordon B. w ..J u:: 0 ex: c.. Bauer has investigated a va riety of topics over the years, from post-traumatic stress disorder to cognition and behavior of dolphins and whales. The latter is the focus of his research. Bauer also supervises research on learning and memory in honeybees, "a student-run program I'm actually quite proud of," he said. The program was es tablished by student Sabrina Burmeister. She graduated in 1994, but other students still study the bees in projects of their own device. There are honeybees. And then there's Oscar. Oscar, Bauer's big and cuddly four year-old golden retriever, is the students' other source of research. "Oscar has had two theses written on him," said Bauer. Bauer's specialty of animal research SEE "PROFILE" ON PAGE 6 INSID E Ivory Tower ................... 3 Manatee Deaths ................ 4 Student Government ............. 6 Fostering ..................... 7 Catalyst Contest ................ 8 Editorial: Elections .............. 9 MEETING SOUGHT TO HEAL DIVIDED CAMPUS Catalyst Staff Report Over the past week, New College stu dents have experienced first-hand the power of the written word. Angry posters in Hamilton Center sparked a wave of controversy campus-wide, calling into question community standards for com munication, definitions of rape, and the role of RAs on campus. At the heart of the controversy is the allegation that an RA-elect took sexual advantage of a for mer student. David "Estrellita" Salinas organized an unofficial town meeting last Friday in response to what he saw as "the campus being torn apart." Although students at the meeting had strong opinions about the issues dis cussed, most were critical of the way those issues were rai ed on the walls of Hamilton Center. Many at the meeting ex pressed outrage at the mass postering campaign. Some were upset by the methods used. "I think [the postering] has been what has upset me the most about the whole thing. What I saw, in my opinion, was extremely disrespectful to people in general," said Kelly Nichols. Others expressed concern for the indi viduals at the center of the controversy. "All I see is two people's lives being de stroyed by their friends ... it's getting worse and worse because people are putting stuff up on the walls," said Graham Strouse. Jenny Smith summed it up: "I hate it when I go into Ham Center and I read a lot of stuff and the people that I agree with and the people that I disagree with both make me angry ... it makes me think that New College students are hypo critical and cruel." RA selection and the ability of the SEE "MEETING" ON PAGE 2 CHILES STRIKES DOWN ORIMULSION by Aaron Olk The controversy surrounding Orimulsion ended last Thesday, when Governor Lawton Chiles and his cabinet rejected the fuel by a 4-3 vote. Orimulsion, the fuel that Florida Power and Light had supported for months, will not be coming to the Parrish plant any time soon. Environmental advocate groups con sidered the defeat of Orirnulsion a major victory for the environment, but Florida Power and Light claimed that it was a loss for taxpayers. Orimulsion's advan tage over the fuels currently used in the Parrish plant was its low cost. Environmentalists were concerned about the possibility of spills and increased nitrogen oxide emissions from the plant. Orimulsion would be difficult to clean up in the event of a spill, since it spreads through the first 10 feet of water instead of remaining on the water's sur face, like most fuels. There were additional fears that the fuel combined with salt water could form a mix that would harm marine life. One study done at the University of Miami indicated that an Orimulsion spill would be no more dangerous than the spilling of Fuel 6, the fuel currently used in the Parrish plant. Chiles and environ mentalists were concerned because there has been no recorded spill of Orimulsion, and therefore no way to tell what effect it would have on the environment.

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2 The Catalyst April 30, 1996 JOHNSON ORDERS MAIL REMOVED FROM BOXES by Kate Fink Director of Housing and Student Affairs Mark Johnson ordered a set of anonymous letters, which accused a stu dent of rape, removed from campus mailboxes. The letters were sent through campus mail, and arrived in student and faculty mailboxes last Thursday Tite letters named the accused stu dent as a "sick man," and said he did "not deserve to be a member of our community." They were sent from USF's Tampa campus. University Police are currently investigating the case Some students were upset that mail had been pulled from their boxes, but Johnson defended his position "I per cieved the flyer as innappropriate and a violation of a students' rights," he said. Johnson sent a letter to faculty and students on Friday about the mailing "As a community member, I'm offended because such actions are simply wrong," he wrote. "They are criminal and hypo critical. The letters arrived after a series of posterings and discussions about rape and sexual assault on campus, including an unofficial town meeting last Friday [see related article on page 1). General Editor Kate Fink Managing Editor James Reffell Staff Writers Charles Choi, Evan Greenlee, Aaron Olk, Graham Strouse, Rocky Swift and Michelle Wolper Layout Heather Oliver Business Manager Sara Foley Computer Expert lien Zazueta-Audirac Contributors Vik Kanwar "MEETING" FROM PAGE 1 RA's to fulfill their duties was discussed at length "It's really appropriate to expect cer tain kinds of behavior from the people we've put up as leaders," said Noah Teitelbaum. Sara Greenberg responded to the alle gations on the posters, saying, "Having sex without a condom, given the danger of AIDS and other STDs ... is irresponsi ble sexual behavior. I think that someone who's going to be an RA, who is going to be responsible for dispensing information about safer sex to students, if they re someone who has sex without a condom [they're) not someone who's responsible enough to be on the staff." lien Zazueta-Audirac expanded the question, "It's not just about sex. What about RA's who are into heavy drugs? ... There is an issue of trust. What we need to be addressing is not this case, but what do we do when an RA is not trusted by the community?" Some students felt that the lack of trust was rooted not in the RA staff, but in a Jack of communication about RA re sponsibilities. "What was our fundamental role?" asked current RA Chris Frost. "Everyone has in their own minds what RA's are supposed to be ... I feel personally that perhaps I haven't been successful, and as a staff, we haven't been successful. The reason is that maybe we didn't understand what the community as a whole wanted of us." Kelly Singer felt that some of the role was inherent: An RA is set apart from the rest of the student body and is given more responsibilities people who are put in their positions need to be extremely sensitive to that imbalance [of power)." Students also discussed problems with the RA selection process Lisa Stampnitzky explained her experience: "I was on the RA selections committee last year. It's very difficult to decide when you only talk to a person for half an hour. I think that the process needs to be re formed and maybe there needs to be some recourse after the process." There was disagreement over what that recourse should be, and what power students have to remove RA's "If this person made decisions that are clearly not good decisions to make for someone who has to dispense advice, then I think we can say no, we don t feel comfortable having this person fulfill that position,"' said Greenberg Kristian Weihs disagreed: I don't know if this person can be fired from a job because the community doesn t agree with what this person has done." He added that "sometimes in life people who make stupid decisions and do s tupid things learn a lot from that. Current RA Eric Piotrowski said, "If SEE "MEETING" ON PAGE 3 The Catalyst is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.sar. usf edu!-catalystl Direct submissions and inquiries to: The Catalyst 5700 N Tarniami Tr. Box #75 Sarasota, FL 34243 catalyst@ virtu.sar.usfedu Submissions may also be placed in the Catalyst box marked "Letters to the Editor/Contribu tions" (in the student government boxes next to Barbara Berggren's office). Letters to the Editor should be no more than 250 words. Contributions may range in length from 250 to 500 words Submissions should be labeled as either letters to the editor or contributions and include names and contact information Online submissions should indicate in the subject line if they are letters to the editor or contributions. No anonymous submissions will be accepted. Submissions should be received by 5:00 p.m. Friday in order to appear in the following week's issue. The Catalyst reserves the right to edit submissions for reasons of space, grammar or style. Sponsored by Maria Vesperi and Dean Michalson

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The Catalyst April 30, 1996 3 "MEETING" FROM PAGE 2 you learn from the mistakes you make it's because you suffer consequences for those actions." He added, 'If New College as a whole is diss atisfied with the choic es that are made, people should s a y some thing as a unit. Students also discussed the necessity of community standards. "It s not just up to RA's to behave it's up to us to hold each other to higher standards. Students have to be willing to confront each other, and they're not. This has been a trend on this campus and it s been incre a sing," said Zazueta-Audirac. Meg Moore added that the word 'community doesn t just mean putting up with people's loud music occ as ionally and sitting with a group of people whom you might not always like, it a l s o m e ans com promising .. Establishing community standards was proposed as a possible solution to issues of sexual responsibility at New College. Possibilities for such a standard focu ed on communication: "If our community standard on this campus is that men and women need to be aware that the y need to communicate about what their boundaries are before they end up in bed t og ether, then I think that' a fair s t a ndard to have," said Zazueta-Audirac. Students discussed the idea of creating guidelines for dealing with ambiguous sexual situations, but some resisted the idea of creating enforceable rules The policy at Antioch College was pointed to as an example of the dangers of such rules. Salinas gave a possibility "If it's an a mbiguous sexual situation, don t do it." Singer added that, maybe there should be a town meeting where we at tempt to come up with some sort of definition of rape on this campus." Finally students addressed the prob lem of how to deal with allegations of acquaintance rape on campus Asked Greenberg what avenues has a member of this community when they've been violated or violence has been directed against them?" Zazueta-Audirac added that "I think we all know that if a woman takes a rape case to court she's got almost no chance, there are legal avenues but there s no real justice there. Moore reminded students that "Any of us can be accused of something, and ju t because you've been accused of something doesn't mean anything." As the meeting concluded, Coree White offered to collect suggestions for future di cussions and possible solutions Right now I've got enough time to put something in motion and hope. This is the b e st thing I've seen happen in a situation like this yet. ick apolitano added that "whatever we decide, we have to remember that we're dealing with real people." UPCOMING BACCALAUREATES "'Experimental Metaphysi c s: Uprooting the Locally Realistic Picture" by Ali Tafti, Thursday, May 2 at 10: 00 a.m. in Selby 12. Area of concentration: Physics. Committee : George Ruppeiner, Aron Edidin, Peter Kazaks, Su anne Hauger (consultant). "A Practical Theory of Participatory Democracy" by Geoffrey Kurtz, Friday, May 3 at 3:00p. m. in College Hall 214 Area of concentration: Political Science Committee: Keith Fitzgerald, Paul Buchanan, David Brain. "Ambient Music in thel990'sa CD project" by Bobby Devito, Monday, May 6 at 4:00p.m. in the College Hall confer ence room. Area of concentration: General Studies. Committee : Steve Miles, Helen Rees, and Heidi Harley. "Bleeding Hearts: Concentration Camps in the Boer War and British Public Reaction" by Ken Burruss, Wednesday, May I at 10:00 a.m. in the Anthropology Lab. Area of concentration: History. Committee: Laszlo Deme, Lee Snyder Maria Vesperi. Editing Under Pressure: An Analysis of the Pressures Influencing News Publications and Editorial Roles and the Beginnings of a History for the New College Catalyst" by lien Zazueta Audirac, Thursday, May 2 at 12:30 p.m.in the Cook Hall Solarium Area of Concentration: Humanities. Committee: Maria Ve peri John Moore, Arthur MeA Miller. World OUTSIDE THE IVORY TOWER A gunman in the s outhern Aus tralian s tate of Tasmania killed at le as t 3 2 peo ple and injured 19 after firin g indiscriminately at a popular tourist s ite last Sunday The gunman, who has a his tory of mental illness, held two or three people hostage before his arrest on Monday Up to two million Muslims marked Haj on Saturday chanting prayers at Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia for hours. The annual pilgrimage to the holy site is in memory of the last sennon pr o phet Mohammed gave 14 centuries earlier. Tens of thousands marked the 1Oth anniversary of the Chernobyl acc ident on Friday. The day before the solemn event a new radiation leak developed at Chernobyl. The leak was caused by lax work practices. A spokesman for Chernobyl said any contamination caused by radioactive dust was cleaned up overnight with no threat to the envi ronment. National The Olympic flame an ived at Los Angeles International Airport from Greece on Saturday on it s way to Atlanta for the centennial Summer Games It was flown by helicopter to .the Los Angeles Coliseum, the site of the 1984 Olympics where a torch lighting ceremony was held. President Bill Clinton signed the 1996 Budget Bill on Friday, ending a fight with Republicans in Congress that shut down the government a record two times. Clinton also signed the Omnibus Counter-terrorism Act of 1995 that resur rects guilt by association State and Local Police said two fatal automobile acci dents in Sarasota county last week involved drunk drivers. On Saturday, April 20 a 12-year-old and her 13-year old friend were hit by a car. The girl died; her friend was seriously injured. On Friday, April 26, motorcyclist Barry Allan Urban was struck from behind. He wa declared brain dead on April 27.

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4 The Ca ta/yst April 30, 1996 A DEADLY PLAGUE by Heather Oliver tide tox.in is weakening the animals immune sy s tems allowing Two hundred and fifty-one manatees have died in the state of other factors to kill them. Florida this year and it's only April. The latest analyses of blood Screening the dead manatees blood and tissues has shown and ti sues have failed to yield conclusive evidence of what is no known red tide toxins, and bacterial cultures have not shown causing this die-off. any indication that bacteria is the cause of this epidemic All One hundred and fifty-two animals have been found dead in viruses and unusual bacteria present in the samples are being southwest Florida alone since March 1, when the Department of isolated and examined as possible culprits. Tests on brain tissue Environmental Protection (DEP) realized there was an epidemic. will reveal the presence of any hazardous pesticides or herbi"This is a tragic situation, but the cooperation and outpouring cides. of support has been overwhelming," wrote DEP Secretary DEP researchers, Sea World scientists, and local resource Vrrginia Wetherell on the DEP s World ================= staff have also captured live manatees in Wide Web page. "The manatee is one of "The story of every animal runs the "hot zone" for testing and release Florida s greatest treasures, and we are through its veins. While we don't The blood samples will be analyzed and working hard to find out what's killing expect to find the answer, we hope to compared to blood collected from dead them. be able to gain some important manatees By using the samples taken Florida Marine Research Institute's insight."-Scott Wright from live manatees as the control chief Ken Haddad and head marine -----------------group, scientists will look for any sigmammal pathobiologist Scott Wright have stated that, although nificant differences between the live and dead animals' blood they have results from the blood and tissue samples of many of content. If the live animals have been exposed to the disease the dead manatees, there is nothing conclusive "The story of analysis could reveal unusual blood cell counts or antibodies. every animal runs through its veins. While we don't expect to Whatever is causing the disease may be present in the control find the answer we hope to be able to gain some important ingroup s blood but for orne reason is absent from the blood of sight," said Wright. animals that have already died. ''The necrop ies, numerous independent analyses and now Over 70 employees throughout the DEP have been temporarthe initial lab results are all providing clues. It's our job to ily reassigned to help with this effort. DEP try and determine how they all fit together to tell the scientists will continue sampling the story," said Wright. "We are piecing together water for unusual bacteria and toxins every bit of information and we hope, as the as technicians prepare slide samples of investigation continues, these clues will help blood, lung, brain, kidney, liver and us narrow the list of pos ible suspects other tissues to be tested by other lab-Thus far, the only common symp tom is fluid and purple lesions in the lungs, which indicates pneumonia, a common killer of manatees. The ma jority of manatees that have died have been large, otherwise healthy adult animals found in the waters of Southwest Florida, from Englewood to Marco Island Juvenile animals don't seem to be affected. Because researchers are finding no Live manatees with these symptoms, they believe that these animals are dying very quickly. "One of the challenges of this mortality episode has been that we aren't finding any sick animals, and we need a con trol group to be able to determine what is abnormal," said Wright. Before this epidemic, the record year for mortality was 1990 when 206 manatees were found dead In 1995, Florida reported a total of 201 manatee deaths. In 1982, 39 manatees died in a red tide event, but the difference was that many were found ailing. When dead manatees are recovered most are transported to the FMRI Pathobiology Lab in St. Petersburg, where necropsies are performed and samples prepared. Field necropsies are per formed on the animals that are badly decomposed, but when sampling for tests, the fresher the better. Current speculation points to red tide a factor in the deaths of manatees and other marine animals It is possible that the red oratories The DEP manatee program receives no direct governmental funds, but is sup ported solely through the sale of "Save the Manatee" license plates, boat registration, and contributions. If you come across a dead or injured manatee, call 1-800Dial-FMP or (*FMP on a cellular phone) at once. The fresher the carcasses, the better the data that can be collected. For further information, visit the DEP world-wide web page at http://www.dep.state.fl.us BIRKENSTO(K inal comfort shoe.

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The Cata/ st April 30, 1996 5 IT'S NOT YOUR ORDINARY YURT by Charles Choi It took shape slowly like an origami flower under time-lapse photography From its separate parts, it folded in on itself, resembling an Indian tepee when it began, and a Mongolian yurt when it ended. The crystal beside Sudakoff Center is finished now, green on the outside, its in ide painted bright with light diffused by the prism hanging from the ceiling The structure is a temporary relief shelter, designed to be one of a host of plywood crystals on a mission to house the homeless. Inventor Don Wilkinson said "When it becomes global folk knowledge, it has the potential of keeping the rain off more people than any building in history." The motto for the houses is "Ask the man who needs one Wilkinson grew up in New Hampshire in a family of lumbermen, graduated from Dartmouth College and received a Masters in Architecture from Harvard University. He said he first began to see the "great need for some simple human shelter" during his service in the army of occupation in both Japan and Gem1any after World War II Afterwards he settled down in Siesta Key. Wilkinson has spent more than 12 years developing these shelters, which two people can assemble in a day. Experiments with cardboard models led him to build the plywood crystal. "I don't think any architect could cre ate any of the structures we did in his mind, using only paper and pencil, or a computer," he said. Each plywood crystal is made from 18 4-by 8-foot sheets of plywood that are cut in half diagonally for a shelter 16 feet across and 12 feet high. They cost $800, and are cheaper and stronger tha n tents of the same size. Crystals of sizes up to I 000 quare feet have been developed 'The cost of com puter analysis by our engineers is greater than the _. cost of the buildings, so we have not taken that approach We test the buildings by jumping on them You can jump on the roof and it won't give an inch said Wilkinson The plywood crystals will be part of the contribution to the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements, in June in Istanbul Turkey Sarasota is one of only a dozen cities in America invited to join the summit. Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Seattle, and Baltimore are among others to be at Habitat II, as the conference is also known Wilkinson has a model in the yard beside his house just south of Siesta Key, with a horseshoe nailed right above the entrance with its curving arms pointed up wards Invet1ed omegas are traditional wards against evil. Although the temporary relief shelters have not yet been raised in large numbers, that may soon change Canadian logs that have been loaded on Japanese ships in Western Canada were converted to ply wood as they crossed the Pacific. "One more cut in the plywood would make it ready to use as temporary hous ing. Kobe has 300,000 people in need of temporary housing, and we are working with people in Canada and the Japanese Embassy trying to make this happen "Imagine an aircraft carrier heading for Kobe or Somalia with tons of plywood, stacking them like Dixie cups, and deliv ering them by the hundreds to suffering people," Wilkinson said variations of plywood crystals 10% OFF SHIPPING WITH THIS AD Pack &Ship 941-727-7447 HOURS: 9-6 M-F 10-3 SAT SUNSHINE SHIPPING & BUSINESS SERVICES, INC. 4509 14TH ST. W.-CORTEZ PLAZA BRADENTON, FL 34207 RIGHT NEXT TO CIRCUIT CITY VISA & MC ACCEPTED WE SHIP IT ALL NO ITEM TOO BIG OR SMALL Individuulistic Fashion For Guvs And Gals 6G09 Slipenor r\venue Bcl1md Gulf Gate Mall 927-3785

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6 The Catalyst April 30, 1996 "PROFILE" FROM PAGE 1 and investigation was a prime and devel oping interest at quite a young age. "When I was growin g up I had a room full of aquariums a t home, which housed turtle s, fro g s snakes h a msters and tropical fish." Raised in New Jersey Bauer often took trips to the Museum of Natural History and The Bronx Zoo as a child "I know it s not P.C., but I love zoos," he said. Bauer's work in the Peace Corps took him to EI Salvador in 1973, where, for two years, he was an educational consul tant at the National School for Mentally Retarded Children. He worked mainly in teacher training and curriculum design He also initiated new special education schools. "It's a tradition for a Peace Corps vol unteer to say, It was much tougher when I was a volunteer,"' he said with a laugh. Bauer values his experience at the Peace Corps and is glad to speak to any students who are interested in the program Bauer also worked with the Veterans Administration and did research on post traumatic stress disorder As a research health scientist for the Honolulu branch of the Department of Veteran Affairs, Bauer conducted a national survey which exam ined the stress responses of therapists when their patients commit suicjde. Bauer that the initial intensity of such stress is comparable to that which a per son experiences when a close family member dies. In the late 1980s, he also conducted a study of the Special Forces Veterans who fought in the Vietnam War. He questioned whether their specialized training and ex perience with high levels of combat provided immunity from post traumatic stress disorder His results fit into a model which Bauer summarized: "the disorder can arise in anybody exposed to a traumalic event in life." Bauer was conducting resear c h at the University of Hawaii when he was invited to New College in 1991 as an assistant professor-a position he accepted. New College had just received private money to pay a psychology professor who con ducted dolphin research. Since New College lacks dolphins of its own Bauer had to look elsewhere for his research. He spent five years as a re search cientist at EPCOT Center studying social cognition in dolphins. He was soon impressed by the caliber of students at New College; he also en joyed the academic environment and students' resourcefulness in conducting independent research outside the eta s room. "One pleasure of working here, he said is that students have the motivation and intellect to execute action very well." SAC MINUTES FOR APRIL 22, 1996 Members in Attendance : Hazen Komraus, Lisa Stampnitzky Alice Solomon, Stephanie Weiss, Joy Kanwar, and Peter Kezar (sitting in for Keyoor Patel). Profe or Rob Constable, David Daugherty, and Rob Lacuse asked for a new amp and speakers for the electronic music studio since the equipment in the room now belongs to the professor $249 AMP+ $10 shipping, $410 pair of monitoring speakers $669.00 total. Unanimous vote to allocate the whole amount. David Daugherty asked for $60 for new 45's for the jukebox. Many of the records in the box are badly scratched and he would like to see more variety in the music selection-perhaps more rap, funk and nineties music. Lisa suggests putting up a list to see if other people have a strong interest in getting certain songs. Unanimous vote to allocate $60. Jesse Abrams asked for 350 copies from the NCSA budget for the next issue of Candyfuck. Some debate about whether student money generally should go to fund every magazine on campus Jesse explained that each copy would be folded and double sided so he only needed $35 from the committee Unanimous vote to allocate $35 from the NCSA copying budget. Jesse also asked to put the thirty dollars he had gotten last week for chemi cals to kill Brazilian pepper plants towards getting gloves for peopling help ing him apply the chemicals. Since last meeting, someone had donated the neces sary chemicals to Jesse, and he no longer needed the money for that purpose. The committee agreed to his request. Neil Lott asked for $18 for 40 stakes and plastic rope to stake out an area to pro tect pine trees by the Carriage House Unanimous vote to aJlocate $18. Dexter asked for $200 to pay four DJs to bring their equipment for this weekend's alumni PCP. Since the bandroom equip ment got stolen, he needed to rent the equipment from them. Long discussion ensued. (The SAC had funded the PCP $350 for decorations earlier this month). The question was not whether the SAC would fund this, but where the money from the Alumni Assocation, who were responsible for funding the PCP was going. Dexter said to food. The SAC asked him to take $100 out of the money they had already allocated him for decora tions and add it to an additional $100 dollars Four votes for $100 with Hazen and Joy abstaining Ellie Stanford carne to ask for hotel and food compensation for her dad, Ron, and his associate Ivan Drufovka who came to New College to show their documentary on a Santeria practioner. Total expenses: $165.85. Funded unanimously. Vik Kanwar and Colleen Butler came in to ask for $100 for the man who will do the sound for the New College Alternative Culture and Music Festival and also for 100 copies of the flyer for the show (May 5thl 12 noon to 10 pm). The proposal for $100 and $2.50 from the NCSA copying budget was funded unanimously. Other news: Recommendation was made to Barbara Berggren to give Brian Whitener $500 in cash for the Cyclone pinball machine he is getting for the school since the owner won't accept a money order.

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The Ca ta/yst March 19, 1996 7 HOW TO WIN FRIENDS WITH POSTERS by Graham Strouse Wall-postering is a very powerful form of communication It makes things happen. Take Martin Luther a little known monk from Wittenberg, who plastered his 95 Theses on the wall in the Vatican s cafeteria. The German Reformation started, spread all over Europe, and cre ated so much tension that a band of reformers called the Puritans left Europe, populated the Northeastern United States, and lost their sense of humor thus inspir ing Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, which became a bad movie star ring Derni Moore. This is to say putting up signs about touchy issues can result in unintended consequences I'll be frank. I like most of the folks around here, including many of the people who've put up some of the most viru lently worded signs. But I don't like seeing people hurt each other I get upset and start kicking around chairs until my right foot turns lovely shades of purple. Since I value my physical well-being, I'm offering some suggestions about mass communication. If you value my health I beg that you at least consider what I have to say. Remember that if I break my foot, I'll probably be so distracted that I won't finish my thesis, and thus have to stay on another semester. Humor me, and you get rid of me. Craft Your Words: The act of creat ing a poster is an act of writing. When you put a poster up on a wall or window, people see your words, not you. If you put up an angry poster in the mid dle of the night, it's your words that readers will react to. You may be the nicest, most mild-mannered person in the world, but once you commit that poster to the wall, you don't exist anymore. Avoid the overstated argument. As columnist Russell Baker put it "The over stated argument distracts attention from the merits of the case, and focuses it, in stead, on the absurdity of the overstatement." Colorful analogies com paring ostrich farming to the Holocaust, for instance, will likely lead your audi ence to the conclusion that you are a noodle-head. So make your point be precise con cise, and vivid but don't go overboard And in the name of Strunk and White make sure your spelling is accurate. Avoid Angry Slogans: If you re upset about the cruel treatment of ostriches on ostrich farms, don't go to the local ostrich farm and post a sign saying All Ostrich Farmers Are Butchers!" It may make you feel better to express your outrage with violent slogans. Don't. If you're mad vent to your friends play racquetball, kick a chair, whatever. You owe it to yourself and your cause to cool down. You want to change people's opin ions, not alienate them. Slogans have their uses A catchy phrase that sums up your cause both ralliEs the troops and lets people know what you stand for. Slogans that make a positive statement are usually more effec tive than negative slogans. Use alliteration and assonance as much as you are able They re catchy lit erary tricks. "Up with Ostriches," for instance, is the sort of phrase that sticks to the roof of your mouth like peanut butter Target Your Audience: Preferably not with ballistic missiles. Remember that you re trying to reach the people on the other side of the fence, and those who are sitting on it; choose your words accordingly. This may sound manipulative, but a great deal of interpersonal interaction in volves one person trying to change another's opinion If anything, the act of trying to understand the other person's point-of-view is ennobling. It also helps you to define your goals. If ostrich farming is a way of life for a community of thousands, and is deeply entrenched in their culture and economy, you're not going to to be able to just walk in and free the birds. Define your goal re alistically and reasonably. Try, "I wish to enlighten the butchers of ostriches to the fact that their treatment of these magnifi cent animals is cruel." Stick to your guns, but don't be shrill. You'll win respect, and maybe some converts. Substantiate, Contextualize: Notice how I keep harping on ostriches? It's a stupid example, but ostrich abuse i something specific, vivid, and concrete. It puts flesh on the bones of the argument. It gives it a center. If you want or need to u s e facts and figures, make sure you cite the source The more neutral, the better. "The Ostrich Liberation Front" would not be the best source for an ostrich advocate to quote. Accurate numbers facts and laws give you credibility. Personal accounts move people emotionally particularly on the most potentially divisive issues. They bring anger into focus Know the Legal Definition of Libel: If you commit libel, people can sue you for all the ostriches you're worth. According to The Guid e to American Law, "Libel is a type of defamation which can be seen such as writing printing, ef figy, motion picture, or statue, while slander is a defamation that can be spoken or heard." Defamation is any damaging statement which can not be corroborated by physi cal evidence or written documentation You can't, for instance, say that "Farmer Brown buggers his birds" unless you've got photographs, police reports or some such. Eyewitness quotes won't cut it un less you've got pictures or documentation To the Reader of Posters : Please give writers the benefit of the doubt. I've been going to school here for five years and I've seen plenty of things committed to the walls in writing that come across as stupid, insensitive, or just plain bizarre A few stealth posterings come from grandstanding cowards who want some attention Still I find it difficult to believe that most folks spill vitriol over the cafe teria walls for kicks. Anger is the flip side of pain and fear Nobody will convince me otherwise. Posters are the Beginning of Communication, not the End: Pestering and other forms of mass communication get folks' attention Talking to people face-to-face isn't easy, but it s the only way to make people truly understand why you feel the way you do. The pre ence of a face and a body reminds the Other Guy that you both bleed the same way. Approach people; be vulnerable. E-mail them if you have to, but get in touch. Three last words: Sign your name. Graham Strouse, box 248.

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8 The Catalyst April 30, 1996 FREE DINNER & MOVIE FOR TWO WHAT A CHEAP DATE! Last week' contest was submitted by Wolff Bowden, who suggested that students come up with a catchy nickname for the new dorms that are being built behind the soft ball field. The dom1s will be known officially as the Dallas and Elizabeth Dort Complex. Congratulations to Byron Hartsfield, who submitted the winning entry to our con test. He receive two tickets to Burns Court Cinema. Below is his sugge tion: 1 really don't think this needs rnuch of a nickname. we call Pei dorms "Pei"-why not call the Dort Dorms "Dorn "Hey, whf'fe ya goin', Julian? "Oh, I'm he-aded over to DORT." "Where's your room next year. Fiona?"' "Oh, J'm in 1 03 DORT. Se-e w11at a nice ring it ha 7 Well. not nice." exactly, but at least catchy. Apparently, pick-up lines filled Palm Court last weekend during a certain shindig. In celebration of the fine art of flirtation, we'd like you to tell us the best pick-up line you've heard at New College for our contest this week. Winners will receive a $20 voucher for Primo's and two tickets to Bums Court Cinema Drop those entries in Box 75, our boxes by Barbara Berggren's office, or e-mail us at catalyst@virtu.sar.usfedu. CONTRIBUTION: ALTERNATIVE CULTURE AND MUSIC FESTIVAL b y Vik K a n wa r After a four-year hiatus, the region's largest free music and political culture festival returns to ew College this Sunday, May 5. The event, The New College Alternative Culture and Music Festival (NCMF), will be held on the ath letic field from 11:00 a.m. to 9 :00p.m. and will feature 15 bands. This year's line-up includes Tampa ska kings Magadog and the power-punk trio Joe Popp, both national acts who re side in th e area. Magadogjust got off a nati o n a l to u r and Joe Popp ca n be seen in a F ox network commercial with Lenny Dykstra doing a funked-out version of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." Following closely on the heels of these veteran bands are two "up-and-com ing" ba n ds: Skahumbug, who are featured on this year's "Spawn of Skarmageddon" CD o n M oon Records, and Speed the Minnow, who are already described as Tam p a's b est punk band. Other out-of-town acts include Miami's Ed Matus' Str u ggle, Disco u nt from V ero B each, and Or l ando indyr ock legends Braille C l oset, who wil l be doing a special "unplugged" set for the show. Clo er to home, some loca l highlig hts in clude Jesse Potterve ld's l ive rap outfit R ed Tide and Evan Garfinkel's latest project Cap'n Quint. Jake Smal l formerly fronting Slip, may also surprise us with a short solo set. Rounding o u t t h e l ine-up will be seven of the most exciting acts from the Sarasota-Venice Bra d enton area. All the bands w ill play for free and will be al lowed to bring a l o n g merc h a n dise for the day of the show. Apart from the music, the fes t will focus on p o l itics a nd yo uth c ult u re. A number of pol itica l /activist organ izatio n s will table the event and youth-or i ented recreational activities will take place throughou t the day. The NCMF were started several years ago by former New College s t udent James Schmidt, a n d stopped ab ru ptly after h i s gra d uation i n 1993 This year, it cou l d be the largest stu d entru n event in New College h isto r y a n d will req u ire a l ot of stude n t participat i on and help. T h ere will be a Town Meeti n g on T u es day, Ap r i l 30 in Hamil t o n Ce n ter a t 5:00 p.m. to dis cuss t h e even t and assign volunt eer positions. BuRNs CouRT CiNEMA 506 BURNS lANE DOWNTOWN SARASOTA 955-fii.M Now SHowiNg The truth about the secrets that Hollywood hides In the closet From Bront e' s timel e ss novel of rom antic longing and i n trigue Jane Ey-re A Tribute to the pow e r o f motion pictures! Kenneth Thran, Los Angeles Times ([;he Sta.'l /11a.ketz "A Wonderfully Mad Odyssey!11 Janet Masl in, New York Ti mes with '<'.J2l ( d "HILARIOUS, FUNNY & TOUCHING!" Peter Trav is, Rolling Stone )1 Miawinter' s rak 1995 Academy-Award Winner Best F o r eign Language Film STARTS MAy ; The A cclai med New Fi l m f r om I ra n The White Balloon Andy Garcia is looking for Things to Do in Denver Wnen You're Dead STudENTS Free Popcoro w/Purchae of any Drink (just show student ID) Ask about Student Memberships

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The Catalyst April 30, 1996 9 EDITORIAL: SUPERVISING ELECTIONS For two days, students cast their votes in the first New College Student Alliance under the amended NCSA Constitution. The result: a record turnout. Elections Supervisor Griff Parish was mo tly to praise for this feat. There were, however, a few problems with some unortho dox spellings of candidates' names, and some candidates who turned in late petitions still ended up on the ballot, when they otherwise would have had to campaign as write-in candidates. One candidate's name was also left off the ballot for almost a day. We ought to follow election procedure more carefully in the future. After all, several people worked a long time to get the Constitution to read the way it does today. Now that the Constitution has changed the way we elect our student government, we need to pay extra attention to how our elections are run. Good job; but next time, please plan a little more carefully. LETTER TO THE EDITOR Here, at New College, I keep expect ing to find that things are different, but I keep finding that they're not. I thought that the people would be different. I thought that we had a "strong sense of community" ... and so, we wouldn't let one of us be destroyed, and we certainly wouldn't destroy one of us But I was wrong The one I am talking about is Ernie Souhrada a former New College student. A few months ago, Ernie was accused of great crimes, banned from this campus, arrested, and hauled off to jail. If that were not enough, The Catalyst printed a succession of articles that have led the students of New College to believe that Ernie is guilty. I know that The Catalyst has not outright stated that Ernie is guilty. But it sure as hell has been implied They did nothing to support him Professors did nothing to support him Students did nothing to support him. We are all responsible, and we are all guilty. We all let this happen and did nothing to help him. Perhaps you are reading this and thinking, "Why does it matter? He probably did it. There's no proof to the contrary. But there is still no proof that he did it. People are still inno cent until proven guilty in this country So why? Why did we chase away an inno cent per on? People cannot care enough to even show one bit of support for a fellow human being -I'm not saying supporting him by claiming his innocence as opposed to his guilt; I mean support in the sense of feeling the slightest sympathy for what he had to go through. -Evelyn Chiang Editor's Note: Ernest Souhrada pled "no contest to the charge of grand theft He never admit ted guilt, but is considered guilty in a court of law. -Corrections-In last week's issue, we reported that Tim Richardson's current position as Residence Counselor would be renamed as Assistant Director of Student Activities. The name of the position will be Assistant Director of Student Affairs. In our April 16 issue, The Catalyst reported that Ernest Souhrada had pled guilty to a charge of grand theft. He pled "no contest" to the charge. 11() 1 .. 1 J .. f)f) 4/13 1:11 a.m. Off campus noise com plaint caused Wall to be s hut down. 4/13 2:16a.m. On campus noise com plaint for a party in First Court. 4/14 1:57 a.m. On campus noise com plaint. The volume of the Wall was turned down. 4/18 A female New College student reported an incident of indecent expo sure near Bayshore Road and University Parkway 4/20 3:05 a.m. A student was given a notice to appear in court for underage possession of alcohol. 4/20 1:15 a.m. A student reported two tires slashed on his car parked in the Sudakoff parking lot. 4/20 4:32 p.m. A student reported the theft of a calculator and a checkbook from a backpack left in the Gameroom. 4/21 5:20a.m. Two students arrested for trespassing on the roof of College Hall. The case was referred to Student Affairs. 4/24 3:24a.m. University Police re ceived two on campu s noise complaints about a movie being shown in Palm Court. 4/25 Officer 106 (Walker) took a report on the distribution of letters that were possibly libelous and slanderous in stu dents' boxes Mark Johnson removed the letters and an investigation is in progress 4/25 5:15p.m. Assoc. Professor of German Glenn Cuomo had a bicycle ac cident on campus. EMTs responded and took him to the hospital. 4/25 8:55 p.m. A sexual battery report was taken by Officer Lange. 4/27 3:41p.m. University Police re ceived an on-campus noise complaint. The matter was referred to the Residence Counselor. 4/28 2:26a.m. University Police re ceived a noise complaint on the PCP The sound was turned down in re sponse 4/28 6:09 a.m. A second noise com plaint was made and the PCP music was shut off.

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10 The Catalyst April 30, 1996 ANNOUNCEMENTS To those who contributed to the faculty food card: since I received no response saying that they were opposed to allow all staff to use this food card as well, this food card will be used for faculty and all staff. Thank you. Neil Lott From Tracie: Movie Night: Wednesday, May l, 9 p.m. in Pei 309 ... Clueless. Popcorn and soda provided. Everybody is welcome! Good TV Night: Thursdays, 8-11 p.m. in Pei 309 ... come watch all the NBC sitcoms. My TV can be used at other times too: to watch movies, afternoon or Saturday morning cartoons, the news, etc. Just Jet me know! Candy candy candy! The box has been refilled! Drop by and grab some candy. Need to relax? Herbal tea in Pei 309. Come, have a cup and take a break! Interested in Habitat for Humanity? Just ask me for information. The New College Cinco De Mayo Music Fest & New College Foundation Thank You concert, May 4th, 1996, 12-6 p.m. at New Caples, with the original Curtis Hayes Blues Experience featuring Bob Phelps, Martin Daughtry, Bobby DeVito, Tony West, and Curtis Hayes. Pro sound by JAM Audio, and food will be served. Upcoming film in the Latin American Series: 512 TBA Memories of Underdevelopment from Cuba Admissions is updating the viewbook for next year. If you want to be quoted, submit your entry in writing to Sonia in admissions, Robertson Hall, no later than Friday, May 10. We're mostly interested in quotes about experience with the academic program, but quotes about social life and adjustment are also needed. If we use your quote, it may be edited for style and mechanics (not content), and we may need to take your pic ture. Please include the following extensive information with your entry: 1. your name 2. phone number and the easiest time to reach you there 3. campus box or off-campus address 4. area(s) of concentration 5. faculty sponsor 6. planned year of graduation 7. hometown 8. high school (and last school attended if you're a transfer) 9. an indication as to whether you mind if your picture is used and 10. an indication of when you plan to leave town at the end of the semester. On Sunday May 5, there is going to be a New College Alternative Culture and Music Festival. As part of this festival we are going to have a variety of campus and community political tables. Anyone inter ested in setting up a table should contact Colleen Butler: Box 85, phone 355-8473, or email butler@virtu.sar.usf.edu. Come to the New College Slavic Vocal Ensemble's spring concert on May 9 at 7:00p.m. in the College Hall Music Room. Don't let those the ses and exams prevent you from hearing them belt out haunting melodies of love, death and extended metaphors involving fruit. I am trying to compile a collection of New College Myths and Legends to be available during orientation next year. If any member of the New College community has a story you think is appropriate and interesting you can write it down or record it and leave it in box 85. If you would prefer to dictate it to me you can ring me at 355-8473 or e-mail me at butler@virtu.sar .usf.edu and we can set up an appointment. Thanks! Career Center Announcements AmeriCorps Members Wanted : In Florida, AmeriCorps Members will serve at National Parks, National Wildlife Refugees, and other areas involved in the South Florida Everglades Ecosystem Project. A living allowance of $4,185 for a 900-hour term and an education award of $2,363 upon completion which can be applied toward exist ing student loans or future schooling. For an application and information contact: SCA/Interior AmeriCorps, P 0 Box 550, Charlestown, NH 03603 or e-mail: AmeriCorps@sca-inc.org. Naturalist Internship at The Conservancy: If you have a background in ecology, education or a related field, you may qualify as a Naturalist Intern for Summer Day Camp. Interns are paid on a semi monthly basis and housing is provided. For more information please contact Sharon Truluck at The Conservancy, 1450 Merrihue Dr., Naples, FL 33942 or e-mail: nplconserv@aol.com. Production Assistant: A Sarasota production company is looking for an in dividual to assist with script writing, teleprompter setup, time keeping, research, guest recruitment, and production. Must be reliable and have own trans portation and available every Thursday and Friday. For consideration, please call 941-927-1807. Volunteer Opportunities: Lenox, Massachusetts For people of all ages looking for an opportunity to serve themselves by serving guests of Kripalu Center. Holistic in scope, the volunteer program of fers a chance to practice the tools of yogic lifestyle. No previous experience with yoga is necessary, but a strong commitment to personal growth is. You must be in good physical and emotional health to meet the daily challenges and opportunities that come through living this lifestyle. Volunteers may come for a week or several months. Call 413-448-3124 for more in formation. Videographer Needed: WWSB is looking for a recent graduate with TV camera experience to shoot news clips. Please send resume and cover letter to: WWSB, 5725 Lawton Drive, Sarasota, FL 34233, Attn: Julie Ford. For further information stop in the Career Resource Center; PME 119.