Catalyst

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Volume VI, Issue 27 May 13, 1997 Bread doesn't rise in the Bonseignor House. WRESTLING WITH BOOK PRICES by Rocky Swift So where does the buck lead in the trail of textbook sale profits? publishers. They absorb about 66% of the books cover price. For a $70 textbook, that's $46.20. High production and promotion costs are the primary reasons for high prices. The economies of scale in producing means that the company can afford to sell bazillions of the newest John grisham pile at a low price. Certain academic books cost more individually because the mar ket is relatively small. For a textbook that has a market of only a few thousand peo ple, the typesetting, editing, and promoting costs are spread out over a Jot less volumes. The actual cost of paper, printing, and editing costs 37.3% of the cost of the textbook according to lhe American Association of Publishers. The average income after taxes only amounts to 7.6% of the cover price, and although prices vary amongst the acade mic disciplines, a publisher's profits remain about the same. Marketing and promotion cost account for another SEE "TEXT" ON PAGE 2 INSIDE Yearbook ..................... 2 Scotland the Brave .............. 3 Ivory Tower ................... 3 HIV Vaccine ................... 7 Black Leather .................. 8 Letters to the Editor ............. 9 MEETING ADDRESSES STUDENT CODE NEW FOOD SERVICE by Hugh R. Brown Last week's town meeting focu ed on revisions of both student code and food service. Discussion followed each section, but no major decisive action were taken because a quorum was not present. Keara Axlerod discussed potential re visions of the Student Code. The guest policy occupied most of the discussion. Axlerod read each subsection of the Student Code that pertained to the guest policy. Another suggestion was that Student Court (rather than the Housing Director, as the code currently states) should have jurisdiction over written complaints again t visitors. Students also discussed ways to make university police action more consistent and more amenable to student-guest rela tions, and to reform the guest pa s procedures. For example, it was suggested that guests with a group of students should not be accosted at all. The other major topic of discussion, also opened by Axlerod, was the possibil ity of replacing Marriott with Mim's Healthy Gourmet as food service contrac tors. This measure contractually could guarantee the use of organically grown and locally produced foods. Although the use of organic and locally grown food i likely to mean higher food prices, several students said that they would pay more money for better quality food Indeed, the prices of the Marriott food plans are expected to increase, anyway. Jen Rehm inteijected that a New College self-run food service would be conducive to better customer satisfaction because the food service management would answer directly to the authority of New College. A straw poll unanimously supported these measures. A petition is now in circulation to demonstrate student SEE "MEETING" ON PAGE 2 CAUTION-AUTO ALERT! by Heather Oliver It's difficult to keep in mind the fact that we live in a crime-ridden area. Unfortunately, some New College stu dents won't be able to forget that for a while. On May 3, the chain of crimes began. Following an alarm at the Mail Room, the RV place near Viking was burglarized. TVs, microwaves, and assorted things were taken, and the perpetrators evidently tried to hotwire two of the vehicles (the Mail Room was not actually broken into). The burglaries continued throughout the week. Three students' cars were broken into in three different parking lots. Two were technically off-campus (the privately owned former Circus Hall of Fame lots near the Bookstore), and one was in the lot behind Hamilton Center. All three had their front passenger-side windows smashed and their glove compartments rifned through, and one had her tereo partly removed, a large bag of tapes taken, and a tin of papers taken from the glove box. The last victim is at this time unable to determine whether anything is missing from her car. It's statistically unlikely that your car will be burglarized, but ask the three stu dents victimized how significant statistics seem now. To reduce the likelihood that your car will be broken into, it is recom mended that drivers lock their doors, keep windows rolled up, cover or remove loose SEE "CRIME" ON PAGE 2

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2 The Catalyst "MEETING" FROM PAGE 1 interest in a new food service sphere. NCSA Co-President Matthew Grieco also announced vacancies in NCSA of fices: l Student Life Committee position, 2 Library Committee vacancies, l Food Service Committee spot, 2 Fitness Center Committee positions, and l NCSA Vice President (due to Heather Rickenbrode's resignation). Martha Alter, NCSA Co President, announced that a "Thank You Dean Mike" luncheon will occur on Friday, and that the NCSA had agreed to buy a cake. "CRIME" FROM PAGE 1 or portable objects, and refrain from keeping spare keys in the car. Although this perpetrator's actions have been more destructive than greedy (he/she even left a full coin holder behind), a more serious thief would be attracted to CDs, text books, and purses lying about the car. As all of these burglaries have taken place in fairly open areas, it is highly probable that the perpetrator will be spot ted if he/she strikes again. If you see anyone fiddling with the passenger door of a car (or breaking the window!) call the cop shop at 359-4210. From the NCSA: The following should have been included at the end of section 5.4 of the revised NCSA Constitution. "The student involved may choose to waive the right to use the prosecutor." lfN.. TlwC-,.. ,.,...__...... General Editor Michelle Wolper Managing Editor Heather Oliver Entertainment Editor Aaron Gustafson Staff Writers Hugh Brown, Charles Choi, Pat Griffin, Rachael Herrup-Morse, Robert Knight, Rachael Lininger, Jessica Reid, Rocky Swift Layout Cyndy Ekle Sara Foley Business Manager Tom Heisler Contributors John Mogilewsky, Anne Tazewell News "TEXT" FROM PAGE 1 12.9% of the books price. Promotion costs means that your professor gets a free copy while you have to pay. These costs also go to funding videos, grading services, and other free goodies used to woo professors to their book. Also, the pamphlets and ads used to convince professors to adopt a publisher's textbook rarely mention price. This pro motes the idea to professors that different brands of textbooks are all priced about the same, so they rarely consider price May 13, 1997 when assigning books. "I choose them by contact, not price," says chemistry professor Paul Scudder. So are students getting exploited with high textbook prices. In as much as peo ple will never do anything for free. Even so, the profit margins for authors, college stores, and publishers are relatively low. If it makes you feel any better, the pub lishers trade group says that books only account for about 5% of your total school budget, but I think we are all sick of per centages by now. Still upset? Too bad. NC IMMORTALIZED by Cyndy Ekle meals at Marriott; about half of the stu dent body participated. Carolyn Ward wanted something that would help her remember her days at New College when she looked back in 20 A few students lent photographs for the yearbook. Pictures of the Queer Ball, ___________ Halloween PCP and years. So she decided to pub-You can purchase Headbanger's Ball reprelish a yearbook. a yearbook for five dollars sen ted many students. The organizer com-during lunch and dinner in Organizers scanned picmented, "It's an expression the cafeteria. tures to improve the of love for the school and of the images. The student body. We wanted to capture the essence and spirit of New College and immortalize it in print." With SAC funding, Ward, Trina Sargalski, Sarah Young, Kin Ping Koo, and I took mug shots of students during 97-page yearbook will be printed on glossy paper and has a cover featuring the New College Four Winds insignia. The yearbook should be available at the end of this week. Have any questions or comments? Save 'em 'til next year. The Catalyst is available on the World Wide Web at http :/lwww.sar. usf edul-catalystl Direct submissions and inquiries to: The Catalyst 5700 N. Tamiami 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 5:00p.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 News BRITAIN GREAT NO LONGER By Pat Griffin There are millions of posters of Braveheart plastered throughout Scotland, the word "Freedom!" emblazoned in large print. Sean Connery is personally bankrolling the most prominent national ist party there. As glamorous as this sounds, it is backed by an almost univer sal will of the people. The Scottish Nationalist Party doubled its membership in parliament in the last election. 90% of Scots voted in the last election for either Mr. Connery's party, (of which he is head only by wallet, not administration), for a third party with a similar agenda, or for the strong new majority party, Labor. All of these support something called "devo lution." This means granting greater autonomy to non-English areas in the United Kingdom, such as Scotland, Wales, and possibly, to one extent or another, Northern Ireland. What is certain, though, is that the Scots are getting a powerful in dependent legislature, and the Welsh a somewhat less powerful one of their own. The Conservatives, who were uncere moniously booted out of office all throughout the United Kingdom, have warned that devolution could lead to the breakup of the union. Scotland and Wales, who totally ejected all Conservative rep resentation inside their borders in the election a few weeks ago, don't appear to have a problem with that. Even in England (which has the most to lose polit ically by such a breakup should it occur) the concept has not generated a great deal of controversy lately. The Scottish parliament will have 129 seats, and will have total control over ed ucation, health and legal affairs in Scotland. The Scottish people will vote in the fall on whether or not this assembly will also have tax powers. The Scots have maintained their separateness in legal code and schooling de facto throughout their more than 300 years of political union with England, with occasional ex ceptions being marked by bloody conflict. The Welsh will get somewhat less vast powers over their own internal matters, but what they do get, like Scotland, will be absolute. They will not be given the opportunity to grant the legislature taxing abilities. The Welsh have become much more integrated with the English than the Scots have, and therefore the pull for autonomy is not as strong. It is still commanding enough, however, to send a clear mandate to the newly-appointed Labor party to grant the assemblies. Those assemblies are Labor's most in ternationally recognized babies, and they show every indication of going ahead with the projects as they have promised prior to election. One interesting issue still left to be resolved is the fact that right now Scottish and Wels h MPs, (Members of Parliament in the UK.) would retain their seats in Commons, and therefore would have control over educa tion and law in England, whereas English MPs would have no say in Scotland or Wales. The other major issue to the devo lution process still left undecided is Northern Ireland. Even there, hopes are high for negoti ations toward some form of separation. The Sinn Fein has gained two important seats there, including one for Party head Gerry Adams, and Labor has appointed Sinn Fein-friendly people to negotiate with them. The biggest rankling point seems to be the British habit of referring to Sinn Fein as the IRA. While Sinn Fein have represented the IRA in political ne gotiations in the past, and probably can speak for them now to a large extent, they both insist that they are not one and the same. With the Labor Party so committed to devolution throughout the British Isles, this slipup is likely to be written off as a matter of tact from a new ruling party. In Scotland, greater autonomy is guar anteed and virtual independence is available for plebiscite in the Fall. A great degree of self-determination is also on its way for Wales. Irish nationalists in Northern Ireland are hopeful for compro mise. What makes these events even more historically earth-shaking is that England isn't balking at any of this. May 13, 1997 3 OUTSIDE THE IVORY TOWER International The death toll is at least 1,000 for an earthquake that hit Khorasan province in Iran on Saturday, and around 5,000 more were injured. The quake struck at 12:28 PM with a mag nitude of 7.1 on the Richter scale, and most of the damage was in the villages and towns between Birjand and Qaen. Iran experiences dozens of tremors every year. The U.S. State Dept. said it is ready to take in 5,000 refugees from Bosnia whose right to stay in Germany has ex pired, and the total may be boosted to 7 ,000, depending on the efforts of German aid programs. Germany took in more than 320,000 Bosnian refugees, more than the rest of the other European Union nations combined. National The House passed a bill by 286-132 on Thursday that would allow juveniles as young as 13 to be tried as adults for federal violations like violent crimes and drug offenses. The bill authorizes $1.5 billion over three years to help states fight teenage criminals, who ac count for the largest portion of all violent crime in America. Clinton said he opposed the Republican measure "because it fails to provide a compre hensive plan to crack down on youth and gang violence." A similar bill is pending in Senate. The FCC has approved reform of telephone industry cost schemes. Among the alterations to the current pricing schemes are that the cost of multiple phone lines to residences and businesses would increase. According to the FCC, basic local phone rates would not change, though the average monthly long distance bills are ex pected to be lower as a result of the FCC's lowering of the long distance carrier access charges to local phone company lines. In addition, $2.3 billion was voted to be set aside help to con nect schools and libraries to the Internet.

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4 The Catalyst May 13, 1 997 A FOND FAREWELL by Mic h elle Wo lper Radio New College up and running. This was my last issue of The Catalyst. Hope you liked it. I know that our stability and consistency may frighten some of you who search for a conspiracy. As my year-long stint as editor of The Catalyst comes to a close, I'd like to leave you all with a few parting words. Respect goes to the staff this semester. As your reward, you will get to do it all over again next fall. (And also, you will be drinking cheap vodka instead of the usual cheap grain at this year's Catalyst party.) Your efforts have never been ignored. Thank you, SAC, for making this effort financially possible. To confirm your suspicions, The Catalyst is actually a tool of The Man. Dean Michalson pays me each and every week to write stories about how cool he is. We tried to co ver it up, b ut you s l y students figured it out. Hiding this is futi l e, I sad l y r eal ize. Thanks for not harrassing me whe n I came to ask you for money. Next semester, I'll be in priso n or doing my thesis, or both. Now I'll deny another suspicion. Contrary to popular belief, it is not the job of The Catalyst to get students involved in stu dent g o vernment. Actually, that is the job of The Albatross. Betcha didn't know that! Best of l uck to Heather and Charles (the editors next fal l ) who w ill spe n d countless hours doing a thankless (but w o rthwhi l e) job. As always, I appla u d ou r intelligent critics, who construc tively tell us whe n we're messing up and when we're doing a good job. Non e o f this would b e possib l e without the s u p port of D r Maria Vesperi and Dean Mike, who gave me the freedom and trust to run this paper. I'm still amazed and by the many wonderful changes at New College this semester, a n d that peop l e who actu ally made them happen. Thanks to those who spent many hours formulating a viable NCSA Co n stit u tio n (which was finally signed by the deans on May 8 ) And kudos to those who got Long live The Catalyst. We keep the same name every year. Rest assured that we are still secure in our control and ownership of everything. Later. NEW COLLEGE RADIO SUNDAY MONDAY TU'ESDAY Wl.DNlSDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATU'RDAY AM 10:00 lMJ.sic m.edley mysb!ty s'h.ow PM 12:00 M4tt+Hilh.JY. Lex 'n' Bmn Sutli1f AT14tchY. lot 'IT\ usic j 'IT\.OOtl: l\.001\ Dead + trip 'hoJ n' 'IT\.Ore-smn.ee till< Be t'hete. 2 : 0 I ( A mY. Morm.il\0 K::ooki. n 'W'i th B ti:a. n S u tllif hmes Slou Steetle 'OAke ''Non.-sleepy 'IE'ads haitvy 1IEtal Folk 80s, 90s, boot Cutlin + Sari cl n. Etic P 'Acts &ton. .Ali.ci1 Marini tips jwidentietyo: 011. ""O.AX" 1T\ v.sic Ml:i M.om.o in.dustti:a.l 'n' stoti.es" lmusic m 'Usic I ba. b ble a11!> n.l.?.ht witli lolld rolitics lon.d one song. new--.:aw 2:0 ll AmY. B !Nick WI 2.:07 Pu1!l4 Scott fin.illy loll. tilo u tll.oti ty AmyJ2.. j ulll).e /hlp 1l.o] !punk wl style INick Metro" 1 tll.eit s'h.ow I sexxv call in. ll.atd.cote 4:0 )( d'l{qm !:YY. E.nn Guntet AT14tole N E.nn. G La11!> ltim.e Monda. y does stuff fut Nylon. Spolll,E ni11!> ft::Jr:a.y the ea.tly m..om two full ll.outs h.11!> nit;> music

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The Catalyst Entertainment May 13, 1997 5 A PEEK AT THE INSIDER'S GUIDE The following email message was sent to selected New College students a few weeks.ago It really needs no introduction, so read on. ***************************** Dear Student, I am writing to ask for your input on an article I am writing about New College. I am a writer for the Insider's Guide to the Colleges, a nationwide col lege guidebook. It would be a great service to high schoolers, thinking about attending New College, if you could take a moment to read the article below and let me know if there are any factual errors. If you would e-mail me your comments, I would really appreciate it. Thank you very much for your assistance. Blake Rawdin Managing Editor Insider's Guide to the Colleges ****************************** The image of a smoke-filled room crowded with black-clad, angst-ridden teenagers comes to mind when some stu dents describe New College. One student described his classmates as all the kids who didn't fit in at high school. This unique bunch of kids, however, strives for success within the experimental milieu of New College in Sarasota, Florida. New College has an unconventional educational system, one of the main at tractions for its relatively small student body. Instead of following a core curricu lum, students are able to design their own courses of study with the help of a faculty advisor. To further encourage students to pursue their interests in a noncompeti tive environment, the school does not issue grades. According to students, moti vation has to come from within. It only works if you're self-motivated and inde pendent. You need to have a strong sense of self to survive, one student said. Another undergrad reported, Grades don't mean anything to me. In high school, I got As and felt I learned nothing. Now I slack off on day-to-day assignments, but I try hard for the big projects. New College students choose from a variety of estab lished majors or design their own. Faculty advisors suggest graduate school oriented academic programs for those who foresee further education.) Many students agree that the departments are gen erally equivalent in quality. While the faculty does not include national famous professors, students feel the professors are all high-caliber. Class sizes tend to be small; students and teachers are on a first name basis and interact at a familiar level. We go to parties at their houses. They come to our parties, one student said. Students serve on all faculty committees. Outside of classes, New College un dergrads spend a good deal of time studying, with classwork taking priority over extracurricular activities. Students usually study in the main library, the Jane ,_B; COok'Bancroft Library. Although some students say the library is not great, they can take advantage of interlibrary ex change with other Florida colleges and upperclassmen are given their own carrels in the library. Favorite places for social study include the student center, the bay during good weather, and dorm rooms. Many students get involved in the student weekly paper, The Catalyst. Others join Amnesty International, or the New College Student Alliance, a student government group, which one member described as a grassroots democracy. Some fault their classmates, however, for being apathetic: A lot of people theorize about politics, but you don't get much di rect action, one said. Although they may not always act on their convictions, stu dents generally consider themselves politically liberal, smart, alternative types As one student said, I can't think of any one here who is conservative. I don't know one Republican. However, another student strongly disputed the Democratic slant on campus, saying, Socialist ideas are very welcome here, but with that comes the freedom to have individual po litical opinions. We are not all the same here Some of the hot issues on campus are gender issues and race. The school has a small but well-accepted homosexual community, and many students participate in an annual dance-a-then to benefit AIDS research While students have diverse in terests they generally come from similar backgrounds: white, upper middle class, and suburban. Most New College students confine their social activities to campus. Walls, parties randomly thrown together when the urge hits, give students ample oppor tunity to express their eccentric side. Cross-dressing is reportedly big at parties. One of the more organized dances is the PCP, or the Palm Court Party, when stu dents tie dye, listen to music, and dance Alcohol consumption isn't exactly con doned at the school, but one student said that cops look the other way most of the time. Town residents often complain about the noise at New College parties, but the town offers few alternatives for student entertainment. The campus has a 70s Spanish feel which is very Florida, one student said. Upperclassmen at New College generally move off campus, but most freshmen and sophomores live in the three campus dorms. Students in B and Viking dorms have single rooms; in Pci dorm, residents share doubles. Each dorm has its own character, but some students consider Viking the least appealing because it's an old converted motel. Another dorm, which will include three-person suites, is still under cons truction Dorm residents often leave their doors open, so their liv ing space is in a sense communal. According to one student, It's like an apartment complex in a strange, abstract way. Security concerns are minimal among students; locking the door is the only security measure most practice. Campus residents eat in one central cafeteria and are required to be on the meal plan. The food is prepared by the Marriott food service. Students also enjoy eating at the Granary, a health-food restaurant, and at Taco Bell. New College does not have a varsity sports program but its athletic facilities include a gym, racquetball, tennis, and basketball courts, a soccer field, and a pool. Students at New College, with its al ternative experimental curriculum and easy-going social environment, are far from traditional, but they share a deep sense of belonging and commitment to their school. According to one student, spirit is high, but it isn't expressed through the usual channels: We don't wave flags or wear colors or anything, but there 's a lot of commitment to the com munity.

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6 The Catalyst May 13, 1997 A VACCINE FOR HIV? by Charles Choi On April 29 the University of Pennsylvania (UP) reported that one year ago, two chimpanzees were given a dose of HIV large enough to infect 250 ani mals. But two months prior to that, they were given what is called a plasmid DNA vaccine, and as a result, their immune systems seemed to prevent the infection Vaccines in general make the immune system react with the defensive proteins known as antibodies that only attack spe cific diseases should they ever attack, and some vaccines stimulate white blood cells called "killer T cells" to go and attack in fected cells. Mostly, vaccines do not result in disease themselves, for they only use inactive or weakened versions or components of these diseases. DNA vaccines use plasmids, which are circular loops of DNA molecules that are autonomously replicative. DNA vac cines differ from traditional vaccines, in that they make the body temporarily manufacture germ proteins by injecting plasmids (that harbor cloned genetic ma terial from the germs in question for gene expression) into a small percentage of cells When the immune system encounters these proteins, there i enough informa tion there to trigger a response. The DNA vaccine genes do not become a permanent part of the genetic makeup of the target. DNA vaccines do not seem to carry the potential risk of being infectious, un like the weakened disease forms of vaccines. In addition, unlike inactive component forms of vaccines, DNA vac cines can stimulate killer T cell response. The HIV DNA vaccine used about 75% of the viral proteins from the outer coat and core. Each chimp got six injec tions over 15 weeks, and then two booster shots. Two months after the last booster, the two chimps got dosed with HIV. Researchers found signs of a slight and temporary HIV infection six weeks later in one animal and eight weeks later in the other, but there was no further trace of infection after that, and Dr. David Weiner, lead researcher, said that this was consistent with how traditional vaccines worked. Phase one of the clinical trials on vol unteers already infected with HIV started at UP but no results are available yet. Researchers found no evidence to support initial concerns over the possibility that injected DNA would result in chromoso mal damage or autoimmune diseases In fact, earlier this year, the FDA approved initial tests of the HIV DNA vaccine on uninfected volunteers at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Kenneth Ugen came to the USF College of Medicine around two years ago from the UP Medical Center, and continues to be an integral part of the DNA vaccine development team, and said, "Some guarded optimism about the development of an effective vaccine against against HIV. We still however, have a long way to go." DNA vaccines should also be able to protect against multiple variants of a dis ease which is critical when it comes to responding against diseases that mutate their surface signatures, called antigens, and thus avoid an immune response And, since they are derived from human speci mens, problems with divergent mutants can be minimized. Preliminary findings in related re search have shown that treatment with the vaccine can also halt the presence of HIV in chimpanzees previously infected. And certain drugs in addition to the vaccine may aid in both antibody re ponse and cell mediated immune response. DNA vaccines should also be easier to manufacture than traditional vaccines, as they are easily manipulated even by high school students for lab classes. The plas mid DNA can be reinjected at times with booster shots in order to refresh and reinforce immune response SHOW US THE MONEY b y Ro bert Knight The SAC has depleted its funds for the year, according to chair Hazen Komraus. He said that the some of the things which drove the SAC over its bud get were repeated hot tub repairs, replacements of silverware and plates in the cafeteria, and reimbursement requests. However, he said, that's no cause for panic. NCSA Co-Presidents Matt Grieco and Martha Alter, Barbara Berggren and Komraus decided to tap the NCSA re serve budget for SAC use Currently, $6,884 remains of the $12, 000 NCSA re serve This is not the CSA's operating reserve, but rather a reserve that usually serves as a buffer for the following year and usually stays up in Tampa, untouched. To make up for these unexpected allocayear end events that the SAC normally funds, such as the Graduation PCP, have all been allocated money. Komraus said that he did not anticipate the SAC having -----------------to allocate more than another few hundred To make up for these unexpected allo cations, Tampa will possibly increase the SAC's funds by $10-20,000 next yea r so that a pinch such as this would be avoided at the end of next year. dollars, and that would probably go to ward extra funds for Graduation PCP (if needed) and dance performances. "The SAC in 1996-97 got $70,000," said Komraus. "We had $I 2,000 reserve -----------------from accumulations that weren't spent tions Tampa might increase the SAC's funds by $10-20,000 next year so that a pinch such as this would be avoided at the end of next year. As of Thursday's SAC meeting, all the over the last few years and we spent all of that this year Officially, the SAC has no more money [for the school year]." go away. this is tbe last ISSUe.

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The Catalyst May 13, 1997 7 THE FACTS ON AIDS by Rachael Herrup-Morse HIV and AIDS have been in the news lately. However, many people do not know exactly what HIV is or how it works. A crash course in virology is in order. HIV is a retrovirus. Its genetic material is composed solely of RNA, and it infects its host's cells by hooking on to it by cell surface recognition molecules (imagine lots of little circular barbs). These barbed molecules are thought to grip onto the cell. This then allows the retrovirus to inject its RNA into the host cell with an enzyme called reverse tran scriptase. The viral RNA is then converted into DNA by the reverse tran scriptase and incorporated into the host genome. Once the virus is safely lodged within the genome, it uses the host's cell material to build more viral particles. This process is continued until the cell is completely filled with these particles. The cell then goes through a process called lysis. In laymen's terms, the cell breaks open and dies. The free viruses float around the body and find other, uninfected cells, and the process repeats itself. This goes on until the body develops antibodies, the virus becomes lysogenic (it incorporates itself wholly into the host genome and becomes inactive), or the host dies. Lysogeneity and immune response can occur simultaneously. If your body devel ops an immune response then most of the free virus are destroyed along with the in fected cells. However, it is possible for viruses, once they become lysogenic, to become shadows. They remain in a latent stage inside the cell and, for an unknown reason, the immune system does not rec ognize them. It is known that when a virus goes into latency, it can be triggered by some thing and reactivate. However, what that trigger is or how it signals the virus is not known. The host cells that HIV attacks are im mune system cells (T-4, T-8, phagocytes). The idea is that it kills these cells over a of time, whether your body devel ops antibodies or not, and destroys your immune system. AIDS is not a disease; it is a syn drome, a collection of about 25 diseases which manifest themselves with or with out HIV. If these diseases occur without HIV the person is diagnosed as having only that particular disease such as kaposi sarcoma, or pneumocystis pneumonia. If they occur with HIV, the person is diag nosed as having AIDS. In this mainstream theory, HIV is thought to be a Jentavirus. One which in fects the body first and then causes the disease at some later time. This explains the gap of years between mv infection and the appearance of AIDS. The diseases that constitute AIDS are fairly weak diseases that, under normal circumstances, one's body would easily fight off. The reason people die from AIDS is that these diseases attack your body when it has a weakened immune system. There is an alternative theory of the HIV/AIDS relationship to the one offered above. This theory claims that HIV does not cause AIDS, but is highly correlated with it. HIV is like any other retrovirus and either is eliminated or driven into la tency once the immune system responds. HIV isn't seen again until the onset of AIDS which suggests that HIV is not the cause, but merely a symptom of AIDS. In this theory, HIV becomes an opportunity virus rather then the cause of immune system breakdown. The cause, rather, is thought to be multifactorial. Different people are in dif ferent risk categories and those categories are behavior determined. Certain activities have a detrimental effect on the immune system. High use of cocaine, nitrate in halants (poppers), heroine, AZT and others weaken the immune system and allow the other infections such as the AIDS defining diseases take hold. Other environmental factors such as malnutri tion or foreign proteins (in the case of hemophiliacs) will have the same effect. So, HIV will appear, like any other virus that goes into latency, when the immune system is Jess able to fight it because of drugs or malnutrition Although the news media throws around the terms HIV and AIDS with great regularity, the actual mechanisms of the diseases are never discussed. Having a better understanding of how they interact with our bodies may help us process the overwhelming amount of information that comes to us courtesy of the news media. A. Parker's Books & The Book Bazaar Horror Fantasy Science Fiction Prose Poetry Art Reviews Theory 10/o Student Discount Submit to box 598 or lininger@virtu. (Issue 1 is in the Student Activities Office.) 366-1373 366-2898 1488 Main Street, Sarasota Out-of-Print, Used and Rare Books

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8 The Catalyst Op inions May 13, 1997 GUEST OPINION: BLACK LEATHER JACKET Contributed by John Mogilewsky I was loafing around the house last Friday (as is my indul gence on Friday afternoons), reading a science fiction novel, when a housemate asked me if I wished to accompany him on some errands. I accepted and we drove to a local Barnett Bank to deposit his paycheck. We went in, waited in line, and eventually came to a rather surly bank employee. She was having problems, apparently, so she said, because my housemate's account was in Sarasota, and the bank was in Bradenton. She asked for a photo ID and a Social Security Number in adclition to the Barnett member card, talked, stalling, as it turned out, until finally the check went through. We made our way to the double glass doors, gathering cash and deposit slips, joking about the particularly intense look we were getting from someone in uniform peering from behind a stucco corner outside the door. The police officer erupted from behind the corner, hand on his pistol, shouting for us to put our hands on the wall while three other officers ran out from their hicling place along the ex terior wall of the building, shouting the same and threatening likewise. Stunned by the fact that any move I made may have filled me full of ballistic lead, we slowly made our way to the wall as brisk hands ran over my body. I asked the officer on me if we matched some kind of description. Yeah, he said. You're supposed to be robbing the place. It turned out to be quite a mistake on the part of the bank. Seeing two long-haired men wearing olive green and musty leather made someone push the panic button. Also, I had gone to the bathroom while waiting in line; with an unshaven face and leather jacket, I suppose I could be taken for a robber, though, as I was unmasked, a quite stupid one. The officers, upon realizing we had no guns, or bags of money, were quite apologetic and eager to laugh with us at the easily startled bank employees ("Shoot, they called you guys in for taking the money out when you were putting it in"). I was tempted to give the employee re sponsible a good talking to, but refrained, as the officers were doing that quite well anyway, and that, on the whole, the experi ence was quite energizing. The experience did demand its thoughts, driving home on the worse parts of 301, the naked misery cut open for angry com muters. Being black, I thought, would be like having this black leather jacket permanently grafted onto my skin. Every white look would be one of suspicion, open hate, or both; normal busi ness becomes a war with white folk's preconceptions as you try to get a job, an apartment, a college education. If I had to deal with crap like this every day, I think I'd shorten up that "war on whites' preconceptions" stuff to something a little shorter. CONSERVATION NEWS Contributed by Anne Tazewell The end of the academic year is upon us. In between winding up final projects, papers and exams I imagine that students are thinking about the next step: moving out. Don't let the rush of going home and/or on to summer travel adventures lead you into a packing frenzy that finds you discarding stuff at the last minute that can't be squeezed into the car or that is too bulky to box and ship home. Breathe deep. Take a moment to think what you are going to leave behind: that really comfy couch you bought at a second-hand store, a popcorn or coffee maker, winter clothes, school books. Every year a large dumpster is placed next to the Pei dorms and loads of usable stuff gets trashed by departing students. Last May I noticed a few guys with a van "diving" in the dumpster and happily retrieving lots of great stuff, until they were run off by the campus police. This year give your unwanted, but still usable stuff, another chance! A Goodwill truck will be stopping next to Palm Court on Saturday, May 17 and Wednesday, May 21 between 3:00pm and 5:00 pm to pick up donations. Place donations in Palm Court near the steps by 3:00 on the scheduled pick-up day. The Goodwill driver will be checking this area periodically in be tween other area pickups. If you live in the B or Viking dorms leave items that you wish to donate outside by your respective parking areas by 3:00. The driver will stop there after picking up at Pei. Goodwill accepts any items that still have a useful life. This includes furniture, appliances, clothes, books, linens, towels and school supplies. If you have an appliance, TV or VCR that is broken, label it clearly with a sign and put it out with the Goodwill stuff. I will see that it gets donated to the local chil dren's science museum where kids can enjoy the opportunity of taking it apart and exploring its insides. Boxes for donated items are also placed in all the dorm lounges. Please, fill them with your stuff! LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor, I wanted to respond to the recent letter to the editor about computer use and saving energy. Although the suggestion about using a computer's sleep mode or turning off a monitor when not using a computer was helpful, information steering students away from turning off their computer when not using them was misleading. I followed The Catalyst's advice and checked out the USF Energy Conservation web site which is part of the Physical Plant site in Tampa. There it is recommended that to save energy, you turn off your computer completely if you don't expect to be using it within the next hour. Computer components are currently a lot more durably built and will not be adversely affected by being turned off and on. Respectfully, Anne Tazewell

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The Catalyst Editorials May 13, 1997 9 EDITORIAL: DEAN MIKE ROCKS LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor, In this our last issue for the school year the Catalyst would like to join the student body, the faculty and the administration in wishing Dr. Gordon E. "Mike" Michalson a fond farewell as he finishes his last semes ter as Dean and Warden of New College. The fact that Dean Michalson has earned such universal adulation from such conflicting groups of people is a testament to the tremendous job he has done in his short tenure as dean. As per the request of Tim Richardson and Stud e n t Court thi s letter to the editor is an attempt to fulfill the requirements l e vied to me for the in fractions occurring February 16, 1997 at Valentine s PCP. As many of you know, I, T.Jay Brown, was arrested that night and charged with possession of alcohol and giving alcohol to someone under 21 years of age. As a school we owe Dean Mike a huge thanks for the work he has done to insure the continuous funds and autonomy that allow New College to retain its unique character As students we are indebted to Dean Mike being sensitive to our concerns when negotiating with Tampa, and for working damage control whenever we have done stupid shit. The Catalyst owes him for faith fully sponsoring and supporting our dinky paper every semester. We are grateful to Dean Mike for always being quick on the draw with a witty quote, and for never hiding behind the veil of bureaucracy to avoid a touchy issue Although I was not the one drinking the beer, ignorance of the law and a lack of vigilance on my part is what got me in this situation As I was speaking to a fellow student that night, she asked me if I could pass her her beer. Without thinking twice about it, I leaned over to my left, picked up the bottle and proceeded to pass it to her. At this time, Sgt. Shideler asked us for both our IDs. I did not realize how strict the laws are against underage drinking in this state and how serious the police are about enforcing those laws. Even though I was successful in having this case turned over to Student Court in lieu of Sarasota County Court, I realize that not everyone will be this lucky With this in mind, I implore everyone at this college while at Walls and PCPs to take extreme caution while dealing with alcoholic beverages. For those of you 21 and over, I urge you to drink responsibly and not to excess For those of you under 21, I can only ask that you wait a few years. Obviously, the best solution is to wait until one becomes of age, but I know that would be naive of me to expect everyone to do so Given this, I can only hope that you will learn from my errors and that you might think twice the next time you feel the need to imbibe. Goodbye Dean Mike, welcome Professor Michalson. We look forward to sleeping through all of your classes about Jesus and embittered Germans Thank you, T.Jay Brown LETTER TO THE EDITOR My name is Jessie Noon and I would like to explain to all loyal readers of the Catalyst what happened to me on the night of the Valentine's Day PCP and how it has affected me and might affect others within our community. I was inside of the black plastic-walled labyrinth in the center of Palm Court, conversing (in Spanish, strangely enough) with a stranger I now know as my fellow stu de nt, T.J. on the evening in q u estion. As people around me were pounding away on the i r drums, and everything seemed to be going right, I finished off the final swig of an alcoholic beverage which happened to be on the ground beside us. Directly after re t urning the empty bott l e to its place, I heard the voice of Officer Shideler behind me questioning first, if we were New College Students, and sec ond, if we had any I.D. I was a bit confused and tried to exp l ain that I was a stu d ent but was carrying no I.D., but Shideler then requested that we follow h im. I got up, watched T.J. get up a n d follow the two officers around the bend, and in an act of panic and pure adrena l ine, I fell to the ground, dove under the makeshift walls and ran swiftly home to my bed. About a week later, I finally made contact with T.J., who explained the charges made against him and those held against me, even though I remained unidentified. With some of his sly judi cial maneuvering, T.J. had made a compromise with Sgt. Shideler that, if I were to turn myself into the University Police, both of our cases would be re ferred to Student Affairs and the charges against T.J. would be dropped. After some speculation, I decided that this ac tion would reap fair results for all parties involved, and agreed to the previously mentioned terms. I've pleaded guilty to the charges (possession and consumption of alcohol) and have received a sentence from Student Court. T.J. and I are both very l ucky that our cases have been handled in this way. Any sort of alcohol or drug charge wou l d have resulted in a tainted record for life. I am grateful to Sgt. Shide ler and Student Affairs for being so unde r standing. I see n ow that avoiding the arrest was not a smart thing to do, and such actions could have a very negative effect on the cop/student relationship on campus. Right now, we are all very fortu nate that first-time offenders are often given "second chances I know from ex perience that this rarely happens in the real world. I would like to urge to students to be aware of their actions and willing to take responsibility for them. If they are drink ing underage in and around the dormitories, they should realize that there is constant risk of getting caught. As a society, we all need to recognize and re spect the laws of our country which are upheld as well within our campus. From personal experience, I have found that there are many officers on the force here in whom I can trust. It is only right that I (and we) give them proper respect in re turn. This means acting with good judgment at an times, according to the rules and restrictions of which each one of us are aware, whether inside or outside of the New College borders -Jessica Noon

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10 The Catalyst Announcements May 13, 1997 CAREER CENTER Summer Internships Available in Gay Civil-Rights Activism The Free State Justice Campaign (FJSC) is offering sev eral internships for the summer term in a variety of specializations Most internships w ill run from June l to August 15, 1997 Interns should expect to work between 10 and 15 hours a week during this period. Most work sites will be in the BaltimoreWashington-Annapolis triangle, although field organizing interns may travel occasionally to the Eastern Shore, western and/or southern Maryland. Each student intern will work with a mentor, who will train, supervise, and advise the intern(s) assigned to him or her The mentor will be FSJC's lobbyist or field coordinator, or a member of the FSJC. This is an unpaid internship. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age enrolled at least half-time in an accredited institution of higher learning or have graduated from the same within the pre ceding 12 months, and have a strong commitment to equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people Applicants must have a car or other suitable access to trans portation during the internship period. Application deadline: May 15, 1997. For further information or to obtain an applica tion you may call Dr. Michael Marcuse at 301-847-0302 or e-mail him at mm14@umail.umd edu. MINI STORAGE AIR CONDITIONED DE-HUMIDIFIED Storage For A Box Or A Houseful Monthly & Long Term Rates HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE OFFICE FILES BOATS&RVS 1909 Whitfield Park Loop 758-1545 Your Sarasota/Bradenton Storage Connection Off Whitfield Avenue Between Old & New Highway 301 Old Whitfield Park Loop 301 *( I Whitfield Ave. 1997 NYC Summer Internships If interested in a New York City Summer Internship, stop in the Career Resourc e Center to review a guide which lists op portunities for undergr a duate and graduate students interested in internship positions in NYC government. Apply Now for the Buena Vista College Network Be a part of the movie industry. Any full-time undergrad uatecollege student who is interested in being a part of the movie business and in good academic standing is eligible. Applicants must have 24 hours/7 days per week access to a computer and a car Looking for students who communicate clearly, complete an application and assignments on time, fol low directions and love the movies. Students will need 4-5 hours per week to visit assigned theaters and to electronically transmit the information Students will receive a flat rate of $30 for each assignment. Application deadline: July 1. Summer Internship Opportunity Merrill Lynch,Bradenton Summer interns needed to assist Financial Consultant !Investment Broker. This internship offers valuable experience with a dominant Wall Street firm. Learn the fundamentals of financial markets and sales.Schedule is very flexible, minimal pay and professional exposure. If interested, call Wilber D Geiger, Financial Consultant at 7 46-1123. Special LOW Rates For Auto Storage Climate Control Lockers For Clothing, Linens, Electronics, Photos or Collectibles Walk-in Closets ... Ideal For Garden Tools & Equipment, Files & Inventory Storage, or Household Goods Clean All-Interior Units With 24 Hour Electronic Security r-------------- FIRST 2 1 : MONTHS'RENTAL : :50/o OFF: I NEW RENTALS ONLY I