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PAGE 1 THE Volume XV, Issue 11 it is not a wonderful life December 4, 2002 THE PRESIDENT STEPS DOWN: Andrew Hossack leaving office after leading New College students through two years of change by Sydney Nash After two years of hard work and dedication to New College, outgoing New College Student Alliance President Andrew Hossack is ready to focus on being a student again. "I look forward to being able to sit at the Town Meeting with a margarita in hand," he said. "I think that will be fun." Hossack led the student body through the process of independence, first lobbying the student body and legislators, then setting up the infrastructure of an in dependent college. He amassed along the way a great deal of respect for himself and for New College. President Gordon "Mike" Michalson said, "[Andrew] was exactly the right student at the right moment, since he brought insight and a strong sense of advo cacy to his role on the Board of Trustees when it got invented in July, 2001. He could preach the student point of view without coming across as preachy ... which meant he was taken seriously." Dean of Student Affairs Mark Blaweiss told the Catal st, "[Andrew's] for the New College Hossack assumed the presidency in Spring of2001 in his second year with co-president MoUy Robinson, then in her third year. He was reelected in fall of 2001 as a solo candidate, and he is now only the second NCSA president to finish a second tenn. The first was Rachael Morris, predecessor to Hossack and Robinson. Morris was and is well respected around New College and left some rather large shoes to be filled. "How does anyone else follow Rachael Morris?" Hossack replied when asked if he had fears in the beginning. Not only has Hossack matched Morris in 'survival,' but he also leaves behind a legacy of contacts, achievements, and challenges. In her position as the foundation alumni represen tative, Morris has been able to observe Hossack's presidency. "Andrew has been one of the strongest and most effective advocates of the student body that I have seen so far," she said. "More importantly, Andrew has taken thought for student governance be yond his tenure at New College, which is the essence of being a leader, in my opinion. He has estabNCSA President Andrew Hossack. and his willingness to see all sides of every issue demonstrated his maturity and leadership." achievement." TAMIAMI VICE: Prostitution most prevalent south of New College The North Trail Is, officially, the major scene of Sarasota sex industry by David Savarese As recently as Nov. 25, Sarasota County Sheriff's Office Special Investigations Bureau has targeted busi nesses operating as fronts for prostitution near and around Tamiami Trail. "Prostitution is all along the [Tamiami] Trail, from the Ritz [Carlton] all the way north to University Drive," Jay Frank, Public Information Officer for the Sarasota Police Department, told the Catalyst. "We really don't have a problem any where else." Tamiami Trail, also called US 41, cuts through the New College campus, and University Drive is just to the south. The proximity of ''the oldest profes sion in the world" has begun to make some Novo Collegians uneasy. "I used to feel very safe at New College, but I don't feel as safe as I did my first year here," said thesis-stu dent Maggie Phillips. "I can't give an explicit reason why, but the mood changed. Now I think twice before walking down to the bay at three in the morning." She continued, '1 try not to walk up and down Tamiami Trail." Second-year transfer student Megan McHugh explained the impression she has concerning the location of New College, and the impact that Tamiarni Trail has on the student environment: "Being isolated here is com pounded by the experience of living on a major highway, one that's tucked in front of an international airport. New College students rarely walk down 41 to begin with --it's alienating. If I'm not mistaken for a prostitute, I'll certainly get honked at a few times." During a recent 'risky business' operation, six busi nesses operating as fronts for prostitution in Sarasota were investigated, and 16 arrests were made. One busi ness, Fantasies in Lace, was as close as 5900 North Tamiami Trail. Frank said, 'We take it very seriously here. It's one of our quality of life issues and we go after them." Chief Eugene O'Casio of the University Police said, "[Prostitution] passes by. Some people stop at the gas station, and things of that nature, but that is about the limit of it. [University Police] tend to focus on the immediate area. We become bothersome and say, for example, 'This is a student residential area, and your ac tivities are not conducive to this area,' and they take the PAGE 2 2 The Catalyst NEWS December 4, 2002 Possible switch in food service provider considered ISP period inspires some, freaks out others by Caitlin Young At Wednesday's Town Meeting the NCSA Food Service Advi ory Committee will receive final input from tudent before they submit their reccomendation to the Office of Re idential Life as to whether the college hould go out to bid for a new catering ervice. Currently, their rec comendation is to go forward with the earch. Sodhexo, for merly Sodexho Marriott Service ha had the chool' contract for the pa t 10 years. On Nov. 23 the committee conducted urveys in the B Dorrn. Viking, Dort, Goldstein and Pei lounge in order to poll public opinion. There were 122 signed-in participant but more were present. The biggest concern rai ed were the price, required meal plan and the quality and healthiness of the food. "We can use thi data to de cide what kind of things we want if we go out to bid with another provider," econd-year Food Service and Hou ing Burbank said. Burbank ha been holding meetings, along with econdyear Repre entative and Catalyst Photo Editor Sarah Zell, in the Gender and Diversity Center on Tuesdays to di cuss the current situation. Students are eagerly encour aged to attend, and all comments are welcome. Residence Life Director Mike Campbell al o attend a time permits. Campbell thanked the com mittee for their research, which may be a more frank as e ment of student concerns and opinions. "It' not that all of [Sodexho's] data i not u eful," he aid, there's ju t "potential election bia ," ince most of Sodexho's urvey participants were regular cu tomers tho e mostly likely to be atisfied with the ervice. Sodexho report that 29 percent of 151 urvey partici pant are highly satisfied with the catering erv ice. 54 percent are moderately ati fied and 18 percent are di sati fied. one of the area urveyed quality, quantity, ta te, variety or over all value received over 40 percent high satisfaction rat ing Cleanline of di he and ervice area, appearance of em ployees, friendline and regular communication with tudents are all rated highly. The Sodexho urvey guide rec ommends that the ervice et up a food committee or con duct focus groups to get feedback from students." The Advi ory Committee plans to give their re ulLo; to odexho to or during bidding. The bidding process includes ubmitting a Reque t for Qualifacations (RFQ) and bringing it to the attention of catering providers. The ser vicers most likely to be intere ted in the campus would be Arrowmark, Bon Appetit, and Sodexho. There are pro and cons for going to bid. Since this is the end of Sodexho's econd five year contract, an extension would only be for one more year. When a new contract is formed, either with Sodexho or a new provider, there will prob ably be major improvement made. Thi is a good invest ment from the angle of the company because they can reap benefits over the length of their contract, usually five-years. With only a one-year extenion, Sodexho would have little incentive to improve their cur rent facilities and ervice. However, it is po sible that they could u e the year to se cure them elves more of a chance when the college bids after the exten ion nm out. "I feel like there' potential there," Burbank aid. Among the prai. e from stu dents, the friendly taff was the mo t appreciated with 103 vote Flexibility and good communication were students' other prai e for Sodexbo, a point that Burbank agrees is important. "If you don't have people dedicated to accommodating your school on the ground, then it doesn't matter what [the food ervice provider's] policy i ," he aid. going out to bid. While di cussions and demonstrations would be held, contracting with another company would be an unknown. Marriott/Sodexho ha had New College's contract the longest of any of the provider the col lege ha worked with. "We know that we can work with [Sodexho]," said first year committee member Falon Mihalic. "Are the cons so bad we need to go out to bid, or are they ftxable?" by Maria Lopez Independent Study Project spell in pirational creativity for some, and doom for others. The period that pa e during January makes some students ache for the routine of normal classes. When the right idea combine with the right spon-or and the right work ethic the results can be quite re warding. When thi fail. the re ults can be mo t fru trating. Some student elect topics that tretch their intellect and poke at their brains, while oth ers choo e topics that take a wacky approach to academia. Second-year James Murga is u ing ISP time to travel to Key We t and write ghost storie that are inspired by the ur rounding location. Mo t other schools do not allow uch cre ative freedom. Another second-year student plans to create purses out of cigar boxes for her ISP. One student mentioned the po ibility of pur:sui"r lJI; acrobatics as a po sible ISP. The is-student Michael Jones previously did an ISP on teaching Wicca to other stu dents. He did another ISP on drugs and drug policy. Another student read the Bible from cover to cover during ISP time. Some students prefer ISP that are more visually artistic or concrete, while oth ers prefer the traditional method of writing re earch papers. Science fiction, poetry, and other creative forms of writing have all been previ ously sponsored ISP's in some form or another. Second-year Carly Summers, plans to do an ISP that is a survey of C.S. Lewi books. When talking to students some were found frantically typing on the computer searching for an ISP topic. Generally tudent are familiar with what ubjects they are interested in, but the specificities are what most students truggle with. If a tudent is a fir t-year matter are complicated even more, since generally they are not as familiar with all the different profes ors and their ISP requirements. On the New College website, any tudent can find a description of each professor's areas of interest and their general requirements for pon oring an ISP. Once get1il'l. tg ship getting the work done at a regular pace and not procrasti nating can be tricky for most student Some professors try to combat this factor by requiring weekly meeting during ISP. Many students complain that ISP forms are due too early, but perhap this is meant to combat late comers and help them get inspired sooner. CATALYS The Catalyst is available on the World Wide Web at http://www. sar. usf ... ...... General Editor The Catalyst is an academic tutorial spon ored Contributions may range in length from 250 to Managing Editor by Professor Maria Vesperi. It is developed in the Michael Sanderson 500 words. Letters to the Editor should be no more Erin Marie Blasco New College Publications Office using Adobe 250 words. Submissions hould be labeled as Copy Editor Photographer Photoshop and Quark Xpre s for PowerMacinto h Letters to the Editor or contribution and David Riggin and Photo Editor and printed at the Bradenton Herald with money name. and contact information. Sarah Zell provided by the New College Student Alliance. Printed submissions may be placed in campus Online Editor and box 75, and all other contributions may bee-mailed General Manager Layout Editor Direct submissions and inquiries to: to_ catalyst@ncfedu. No anonymous submissions Michael Gimignani Caitlin Young The Catalyst will be accepted. 5700 N. Tamiami Tr. Box 1175 All ions must be received by 5:00p.m. Staff Writers Sarasota, FL 34243 rn order to appear in the following week's catalyst@ncf.edu 1 sue. David Savarese, Christopher DeFillippi, Information about upcoming events is welcome Ltz Palomo, Abby Weingarten, Sydney Nash, The Catalyst reserves the right to edit throughout the week. Whitney Krahn, Maria Lopez ubmissions for space, grammar or style. PAGE 3 r The Catalyst NEWS Breaking the mold and mildew on campus by Abby Weingarten S tu pidity i s not always the cause of computer failures. It doesn t matter how literate you are either there is a force of nature out there c apable of de stroying your beloved electronics at whim. Mold i s a home wrecker and Florida in its humid splendor is an ideal place for it to settle down. Thesis-student Mari McGrath wit nessed its wrath during her first year at New College "I've had computers funk out on me before so I didn t think any thing of it, said McGrath. She brought the computer to a repairman who asked her if she had accidentally gotten it wet. Things could easily have spilled into it if I were a drunken asshole which I did not become until my fourth year ," said McGrath. "I told them no I am not a drunken asshole and I didn t spill any thing into my computer ." The repairman exp l ained that the i n terna l com po ne n ts were covered with mol d and i t appeared as though water had been poured onto the machin e. Mc G r ath s computer w as brand ne w and h a d n e v er b een use d anyw he re but in si d e h e r P ei r oom. "The only logical conclusion was that the mold from my Pei room killed my computer," said McGrath. who wasn't exactl crushed warranty. iMac with a DVD upgrade, so reaDy the mold did me good." From the Continually fed by rain, the grayish green specks of mold reappeared, outlining the wooden window frames by the air condi tioning units. Orange-colored mold has visi bly stained the ceiling and burned through to the walls' interiors. But not everyone has been as opti mistic as McGrath about the mold epi demic. In the Social Sciences building, recurrent outbreaks of mold have been plaguing staff members for years. An employee who requested not to be iden tified has had to replace her computer four times since she started working there That is not her only complaint ; inhalation causes her to suffer chronic s inu s pres s ure too a common reaction to exposure Physic al Plant in spec ted th e S ocial S cie n c e s building five y e ars ago, seal ing th e outside, replacing windows, and cleaning the walls with water and bleach ContinuaUy fed by rain, the grayish green specks of mold reapvuuJcll.Llll". the wooden window Renovation would seem like a vi able solution; however the Social Sci ences building, along with Cook Hall, College Hall and others, is listed in the National Registry of Historical Build ings. This privilege means that any al teration plans are under heavy scrutiny. It is a very expensive proposition, said Phy s ical Plant Director Richard Olney. You can tear it down but you hav e to rebuild it e n tirely ." It i s also m a ndatory that a n archit e c t w h o i s qualified to d ea l wi t h hist o rical b u ild ings be employed for the task. Luckily, architect R andy Lewis, one of the fron trunners in the Ca d'Zan restoration project, has shown interest Vice Presi dent for Finance and Administration John Martin is currently archives. This art i cl e originall y app ea red in t h e Mar c h 22 2000 is sue: Special Report: Masked Students Build Wall of Duct Tape, adding still more intruige By Ryan McCormick Price, Esq. and Ben Ruby A wailing wall of disestablishmentarianism arose teriously in the darkling dawn hours of March 21, 2000 m Palm Court, constructed by a group of anonymous, black clad ski-masked students. The eerie and unnamable New Activist Collective (which, come to think of it, is rather nameable after all) has craftily built a strange struc ture of cardboard, duct tape and rope around four palm trees None of the trees were available for comment. The structure is pasted with a wide variety of printed media reflecting various concerns of New CoUege stu dents, including (but not limited to) women's and other gender issues, issues of poverty, issues of and other issues of grave importance, as well as arttcles covering various specific events which relate to other such sociopolitical issues. Novo Collegians are encouraged to use the supphes provided by the New College Activist CoUective to illus trate their various reactions, ideas and thoughts provoked by this structure. The Collective offers paints, markers, crayons and collageing supplies for general goal is apparently to foster a kind aesthetic dialogue between students the activtst collecttve students, and interested parties whom may or may not be students The New College Activist Collective (whose anar chist ideals forbid abbreviation) was founded by a group of students interested in fmding a ride to an activists' con ference in Georgia. These students, upon finding transportation, hit upon an epiphany fonned an anar cho-syndicalist collective. The no Their goal is to observe all New. s and sociological distinctiveness. This IS. their first .official pro ject, although rumour has it that theu next proJect may involve pinatas ... or possibly nuclear warhead Members of the New College Activist Collective ac complished this first project under cover of for precisely the same reason that they asked to remam anonymous to the Catalyst. December 4, 2002 3 reference. A hygienist could then maneuver a scope inside the walls to determine what organisms are living there. This procedure was done in the former Stu dent Government office in Hamilton Center to aid the transformation into a darkroom. Internally insulating duck work has also been done in the com puter lab. "It just kind of popped up here," said Physical Plant Director Richard Olney. "As I become aware of prob lems like this, I'm going to approach each one of them by an individual in spection." It is Oncore Risk Services that performs all indoor quality and in dustrial hygiene inspections of campus buildings. On Nov. 15, Oncore con ducted an Airborne Microbial evalua tion of Palmer A Building. Because di agnoses take three to five weeks, they have not yet informed Olney of what type of mold is plaguing the campus. WSM Company makes a pricey product called Sterii-Aire germicidal ultravi o let lighting that attacks mold When free flo a ting spor e s migrate to w ard s unli g h t, they c o lli d e wi th th e ul traviolet rays, which ar e 5 0 t i mes brighter than the sun, and th e particles are fried and disintegra t ed. O lney or dered Steril-Aire installed in the library three years ago and it has since signifl-diminished mold and mildew. He Burns Court Cinemas Frozen (aka Jidu hanleng), 1996 December 7 at 9:30 a.m. Burns Court Cinemas Admission free! A young performance artist decides to make his own suicide his last work of art On the longest day of the year, he plans to melt a huge block of ice with his own body heat and die of hypothermia. He calls this protest against the coldness of society Funeral on Ice." Based on a true story. 99 min. In Chinese with English subtitles This space intentionally left blank PAGE 4 4 The Catalyst HOLIDAY FEATURES Trying to make Chanukah fun again by Abby Weingarten It is indeed a magical story that started wtth a This holiday season, my tastebuds dah M b While the underwent a sour realization.1t seemed lone rebel named Ju acca ee. that the recipe for Chanukah was sud lb h d t denly missing one crucial ingredient. It name sounds more ltke an e OW-S ape pas a wasn't in the Matzo ball soup that drib bled down my cousin Jacob's double chin. And it definitely wasn't in the potato latkes that his Golden Retriever retrieved from my dinner plate. It was one of those culinary essentials that just couldn't be substituted with a pinch of kosher salt. Like a loaf of unleavened bread without its yeast, 1 felt trapped in my own Sinai Desert, on an Exodus in search of that thing I once remembered Chanukah to have: fun. Since Chanukah fell the day after Thanksgiving this year, it was like an ethical roller coaster ride of sorts, as we honored the Puritanical values that built our great country and the opposing ones we actually believed in. But the amusement stopped there. Every occasion that produces un warranted gifts is a field day for children. They don't question why they're being rewarded for existing. But what about the 22 year-olds whose only Chanukah privilege is to be forced to sit in a room full of relatives who condescendingly ask them what they plan do with their \ife'l And what about What is Chanukah supposed to mean to us? One would think that by the year 5763 we would have come up with more exciting methods of celebrating than an ancient hero, it turns out he was a rene gade, much like our modern-day Eminem. the Festival of Lights than spinning a dreidel I began to wonder: does anyone besides my Rabbi and poor oblivious children enjoy that? Can a see by a show of hands who knows what the word "dreidel" means? Will somebody please explain to me how Chanukah began without using phrases like, "they made it out of clay" and "something about a guy named Macaroni?" Miracles don't just happen on 34th Street If we could only remember why we started the tradition in the ftrst place, I thought, it would all make sense, and we could begin to put the excitement and wonder back into Chanukah for our generation. It is indeed a magical story that started with a lone rebel named Judah Maccabee. While the name sounds an ancient hero, it turns out he was a renegade, much like our modem-day Eminem. While Erninem lived in Detroit, Maccabee was from Judea, now known as Israel. Eminem made "8 Mile." Maccabee made had oil last eight nights. The word "Maccabee" means "hammer." MC Hammer was a popular rapper that Maccabee was Jewish. Emmem IS not. Over 2,300 years ago the Syrian king of Judea, Antiochus, ordered the Jews to convert to the Greek religion of the time. Some did, but Maccabee and his brothers refused, and instead formed an army, drove the Syrians out of Israel and reclaimed the Temple in Jerusalem. In victory, they wanted to light the eternal light, known as the Tamid, which is present in every Jew1sh house of worship. A tiny jug was found with only enough oil for a single day, but a miracle occurred and the oil lasted for eight days. "8 Mile" has miracu lously lasted in theatres for more than eight days. Despite the internet research, my personal flame for the Chanukah spirit just wouldn't ignite. As the family gathered around a luminous brass Menorah, my older Fighting over the turkey by Maria Lopez How wonderful to once again expe rience the smell of tender, succulent turkey, the flavor of Mrs. Smith's di vine pumpkin pie, the stir of noisy relatives, and the feeling of ten new pounds invading my body on yet an other Thanksgiving. Preparation for the meal begins early on in the day. My mother and aunt get up in the wee hours of the morning to poke at the frozen, slimy 22 pound turkey. Under the steaming hot water the skin glistens until it is soft enough for my mother to reach in and pull out the grossest part about the turkey by far: the gizzard. The turkey now lays limp as it is massaged down like a boxer going into the ring with butter and spices. My mother in fonns me that keeping the turkey damp is crucial to its survival in the oven. Later on when it is closer to noon my father begins peeling the potatoes in a rapid motion so that potato skins start zipping like little flying saucers into the pan below. I endeavor to open up the can of cranberries. I put it in the can opener. Mission accomplished. This being too simple of a task I proceed to set the table. Unsure of how many are coming I set 15 place settings. Relatives on holidays such as this come in droves and bring with them insur mountable expectations. The eldest relatives arrive the soonest, because they are hungry and eager to make con versation. After arriving they proceed to survey the status of the food. Suggestions are passed around as quickly as the napkins about how often the turkey should be basted, how long to cook the sweet potatoes, and how long we should wait for the others. In the background Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade flickers across the screen with a barrage of bands, floats, and extra cheery re porters. Another knock at the door brings more relatives to the table until we are filled to full capacity. As all the trays are put onto the table a series of oohs and ahhs commence. Then begins what I like to call 'serving time.' Everyone inevitably wants something desperately that is on the complete op posite of the table. So even when a relative has accumulated all of the yummy portions on their plate and is about to get the ftrst taste they are al ways stopped with fork in midair by a request from another relative for some other tasty morsel. Without a doubt the conversation will tum to politics or cur rent affairs and various opinions will be shot back and forth across the table. Often my opinion is asked since I am one of the youngest attending and they enjoy getting the younger generations perspective. 1 have learned to refrain from answering any and aU political questions and instead prefer to simply ask my neighbor to pass the gravy. Once the main meal is complete the turkey appears dried out as though it had lost its way in the desert and had December 4, 2002 brother and I tried to disguise our mo notones behind one hyper-enthusiastic cousin's chant. Glancing at Jacob's sanguine cheeks as he gripped the Shamas between his sausage-like ftngers, his teeth brimming with joy and bits of geftlte fish, I asked myself: what does he know that I don't? After looting the liquor cabinet for Manischewitz, I finally came to. I had been fooled by Jacob's feigned zealous ness for the religion, blinded by his gilded yarmuJke. Underneath all the trappings was just another anxious kid who had a giant present waiting for him in the living room. I remembered where that Chanukah fun I yearned for had escaped to-cards that thought they were funny. While Jacob was ripping the bubble wrap from his new Playstation, I thanked my aunt for the generous pair of Totes socks with the funny tracking on the soles. 1 treaded their hideousness out the door and away to the theatre. Upon walking out after a half-hour of the worst movie I'd ever seen, "Eight Crazy Nights," my brother and I wan dered into "Friday Mter Next" and got our money's worth. On the drive home from the film, we noticed the "Oil" light came on in his car. "Let's give it happ ," we laughed. been picked clean by vultures. Next comes coffee and dessert for those who have room, which of course a majority always do. At this point most relatives break away from the table and separate into groups where smaller conversa tions can commence. My father always seems to find a football game to get involved in. The mystical powers of the turkey begin to set in and people are getting sleepy. Generally my uncle is the first to fall asleep on the couch. My mother paces back and forth with mas sive volumes of dishes that I would just as well rather break than wash. My uncle snoring, the touchdown cry from the television, my mother washing dishes, soft chatter of gossip, clattering coffee cups, this is all indeed another Thanksgiving Day. PAGE 5 The Catalyst NEWS Radical cheerleading at New College .Itf's than a cheer about disccThere's a cheer that we have about street harassment satls actwn Wit the Bush administration. a cheer about the and I know we have several people h h d subsequent desue to pass wind in w 0 ave use George W. 's because of it. Another that cheer when they have been harassed on the street JUSt attack the thinly vetled bigotry of Caroli.na It works for people in practical everyday situations Senator Jesse Helms; 1t alleges of m' and genital fungi. said fourth-year Margie St More m-your-face than the Capitol teren. Steps, but less pushy than an eco-ter rorist or a 'Save the Children' infomercial, the Radical Cheerleaders is a loosely organized association that advocates the protection of civil liber ties and feminist and environmental causes. Aimee, Cara, and Coleen Jennings, three sisters from Lake Worth Florida, originally catalyzed this movement when they decided that traditional pick eting was an insufficiently attention-grabbing form of protest. Their new form of protest resembles cheerleading at sporting events only with the spirited movements, the peppy meter of some of their chants, and the occasional use of pompoms. At the 1996 Youth Liberation in Sarasota, the Jennings Sisters first demonstrated their moves and since, the movement has spawned autonomous Radical Cheerleading quads in i e e throughout the world. With its focus on left-wing politics and grass-roots polit ical action, it easily found interested participants at New College. With the language of many of the cheers being of an incendiary nature, they risk alienating everyone but those who are already in agreement with all of the ideals the Cheerleaders espouse. Radical Cheerleader of four years Margie Stieren expressed little concern. "Most of the time, I don't worry about that because everybody has dif ferent opinions,'' Stieren said. 'Radical are marginalized in everyday life. It seems normal, and it seems like radical people are entitled to state their view." Second-year and radical cheerleader Sara 'Sky' Kochanowsky thought simi larly about the shocking nature of some of the performances. "If it's not radical, wouldn't that be regular cheerleading? Kochanowsky said. "We're the Radical Cheerleaders, we talk about radical politics." Among the New College Cheerleaders, it is generally agreed upon that in addition to promoting awareness, the individual protestor fre quently benefits from the organization. "Part of it is to express radical view. i sm1tem.em, e times in a fun, positive, and invigorat ing way, and the other part is to empower yourself," Stieren said. "A lot of the cheers are expressing viewpoints in a very active way, and it's empower ing to be able to express yourself this way. There's a cheer that we have about street harassment, and I know we have several people who have used that cheer when they have been harassed on the street. It works for people in practi cal everyday situations." Karazowsky had similar sentiment. "A lot of the cheers are about gender politics. Things people have to deal with on an everyday basis. For the peo ple who have suffered sexual abuse, the 'Shoot the Rapists' cheer can be pretty empowering." With about twenty participants, a record high, the New College Radical Cheerleaders have been particularly active this year. The group has recently participated in Critical Mass bike rides, which protest U.S. dependence on for eign oil and reluctance to adopt alternative energy sources, and the Fast for Peace, which protests the war on Iraq. "Over Thanksgiving, this is the most immediate in my head, there was a fast in opposition to the War for town said. ''This event was a solidarity event for a protest going on in Washington, D.C.; [Critical Mass} was an awareness and having-fun type of event. It's easy for motorists to push around bikers when they're alone, but in a group, they're harder to fuck with." December4,2002 5 These are two sample cheers one Radical Cheerleader organization. For more, go to: http://www.geocities.com/ radicalcheerleaderslindex. html Riot Don't Diet RIOT DON'T DIET GET UP GET OUT AND TRY IT RIOT DON'T DIET GET UP GET OUT AND TRY IT hey girl (clap clap clap) get yer face out of that magazine you are more than a beauty machine you've got anger soul and more take to the street and let it roar RIOT DON'T DIET GET UP GET OUT AND TRY IT RIOT DON'T DIET GET UP GET OUT AND TRY IT ugh UGH! (clap clap clap) If cosmo makes you sick and pale you know what you need to do MOLOTOV COCKTAIL! liberate the beauty queen bum the bibles of the fashion scene LET'S (CLAP) GET (CLAP) MEAN!!!!!! Barbie 2-4-6-8 Barbie likes to masturbate She's been doing it since age 8 And her style is really great Religion told her she should wait So listen all you girls and boys Come on and grab all your sex toys We're going to make a lot of noise Learning about our bodily joys 2-4-6-8 Everybody masturbate! Police crack down on prostitution on US 41 near New College I FROM''PROST1TIJTJON" PAGE 1 I ploy are important to those who dwell and travel in that area. "We conduct both prostitution stings and John stings several times each month. We have the PEZ program. That's the 'Prostitution Exclusion Zone' program, which all prostitutes that have been ar rested are enrolled in. They are not allowed back into the exclusion zone. They are only allowed there if they work or live there. If they are arrested again in that zone for prostitution, the court penal ties are greater. Plus our regular patrol zones keep on top of the problem," said Frank. There are PEZ areas located be tween Bayfront and University. The market for prostitution is driven by the desires for sexual service. So there are police protections intended to penal ize solicitors as well as prostitutes. "We have 'John stings,' to target solicitors as weU as perpetrators," said Frank. During a John sting a female police officer walks the street and arrests solicitors. This 'John' is charged and brought to jail, and their car is impounded. These costs can be upwards of $600. During a recent John sting, over 10 men were arrested in the course of three hours. Due to recent changes in state leg islation, the monies collected by the fines imposed on Johns go towards funding drug-court programs in the state of florida. The monies going to support the drug-court programs were enacted in the same legislation that changed the classifi cation of a third conviction for prostitution from a fust degree misde meanor to a third degree felony. The justification behind this change was that a felony charge allows convicted prostitutes to participate in drug rehabili tation programs. Without the felony charge, prostitutes may not be eligible for drug court. The jail time that would result from a felony conviction is also a strong motivation towards serious participation in a rehab program, such as the First-Step programs available in Sarasota County. These First-Step programs are made possible because 59 percent of their fund ing comes from the state and county and 31 percent comes from client fees, and the rest comes from various other sources. According to their website, ''First Step assigns full time staff mem bers as part of the Drug Court team to provide screening, placement, referral, and short tenn counselmg. This is a pre-trial intervention pro gram within the state Circuit Court System. The client goes from arrest to as sessment and into the program. When the program is successfully completed, all charges are dropped. Group therapy is the modality of choice. The client must be re ferred by a parole, probation or pre-trial intervention officer and is treated 111 the least restrictive environment possible. Clients may be referred to more intensive detoxification. residential or outpatient treatment." Dr. Melissa Farley of San Francisco's Prostitution and Research Center quoted E. Giobbe's study concerning the life of a prostitute: "One woman (in another study) said about her health, 'I've had three broken arms, nose broken twice, [and] I'm partially deaf in one ear. I have a small fragment of a bone floating in my head that gives me migraines. I've had a fractured skull. My legs ain't worth hit no more; my toes have been broken. My feet, bottom of my feet, have been burned; they've been whopped with a hot iron and clothes hanger ... the hair on my pu sy had been burned off at one time ... I have scars. I've been cut with a knife, beat with guns. There hasn't been a place on my body that hasn't been bruised somehow, some way, some big, orne small." Chief O'Casio understood this. He said that, "A lot of people think that it is a victimless crime, and it's not." *If you are harassed by drivers on Tamiami Trail, report these activities to the Necessary law enforcement agencies. PAGE 6 6 The Catalyst SAC Minutes 11/25 and 12/2 NEWS e Ul timate Fri sbee C l ub Danny Wood In attendance : Jeanell lnne rari ty, Damayanti Byars Sydney Nash, Christopher Altes Emma Jay Patrick Hickey Andrew J a y All decis i on s unanimous unless oth erwise noted. Damayanti Byars as chair, abstains unless other noted e NC Canoe Club-Myakka tri p Andr e w J a y Craig Schuetze Reque s ted : $60.00 for food and fuel Allocated : $43.00 Andrew Ja y a bstains SAC Minutes 12.2.02 In attendan ce: Damayanti Byars, Christopher Altes Sydney Nash, Emma Jay Andrew Jay Heather Rasley Patrick Hickey Requested : $894 .92 fo r Fris bee s A llocated : $894.92 ( from Athlet i c Funds ) e Mrican P e ople's Sol i darity Committee Julia Onnie-Hay Requested: $1500.00 for s peaker Wande Abimo l a Courtes y http://www.ncfedu/UniversityPo/ice/ 11.19.02, 10:27 PM: UPD received a complaint of a suspicious male on the overpass. The subject was located and a field contact card wa s completed The subject said he was just passing through the area, and did not know he was on university property. eNC Cipher Naomi Campa Requested: $50.00 for bake sale Allocated : $0.00 All ocated : $1000.00 e Hillel esPIN Kit Reilly e Equipment Room Erin Rodgers Requested : $2034 89 for new wall equ ipment 11.18.02, 12:27 AM: UPD received a compla i nt of a suspicious person behind the Dort Residence Hall. An officer located the non-affiliated male on the F i tness Trail. After a routine check for wants and warrants the subject was issued a written warning Josh Goldsmith Requested : $200 .00 for Chanukah dinner and dreidel-spinning contest Allocated : $200.00 Requested : $65 .00 for rope for pen dulum Allocated: $2035.00 that any future trespass would resu1t in his arrest. Allocated : $65.00 Christopher AJte s i s opposed to gravi ty (and thi s reque s t ) e New College RA's 11.16.02, 3:32 AM: UPD received an on campus noise complaint reference the Wall party music in Palm Court. The officer notified the party spon sor and the volume was lowered When UPD received a second complaint at 4 :55AM the party was terminated e Student Activit i es Paints Dania Trespalacios Requested : $226.92 to refi ll paint s and brushes Allocated : $227.00 e Crucial BBQ Bill Thomas Requested: $500.00 for food A ll ocated : $500.00 Vern Fannin, Emma Jay Requ es ted : $1884 .00 for diversity s p iri t fes tival Allocated : $200.00 *Emma J a y a bs tains Don't cry for me Novo Collegium: a farewell to Andrew Hossack The struggle for independence In Hossack's fli'St semester as presi deD: Colle e was of tbe University of South Florida; however, he and Robinson were both aware that things might soon be changing. He said it was the desire t o be involved in these c h ang e s that was the o riginal insti g a t i o n of their candidacy When the prospect first presented i t self, Hossack and Robinson were immediately in favor of independence, but they first had to convince the rest of the student body. "I remember one Town Meeting, Titus [Jewell] and Rachael [Morris]'s resolution [for independence] was up," said Hossack. "[I remember] being like, 'this is what is good for your school, you have to vote this way' and it was so close. It was so close that we ac tually had to have everyone at the Town Meeting stand up and divide up into dif ferent camps, because we couldn't count their hands accurately enough. And they voted in favor of independence." From that point, Hossack's presi dency became a lot of lobbying to actually get legislation passed for New College independence. "I was calling legislators all the time, and calling our local congressmen and senators, and calling people who were sort of on the fence sending editorials to all the state newspapers," Hossack said. Hossack's efforts paid off ; New College was granted independence and he had his work cut out for him. Hossack was selected to serve on the new Board of Trustees, and in August of 2001 went to Miami for a two-day workshop on board duties. This was the first time Hossack met with the rest of the board as a whole. The board, including President Michalson, was immediately impressed with Hossack. "Andrew successfully es tablished warm w relations with tbe other board members and quickly became the respected student voice when board members had questions about student life, academics, et cetera," sai d Michalson. Not only did Robin s on and Hossack meet the entire board, as well as the boards and student governments from the other state schools but Hossack even had an exchange with Governor Jeb Bush at the Miami workshop Hossack recalls Governor Bush com ing up to him while the entire board was standing in line to have their photos taken "He turns to me, and he says 'So what are you guys wearing for your por trait, tie dye?' And remember, this is a couple weeks after he vetoed almost two million dollars from our budget for tran sition money, and so I was just in shock that he was making such a stereotypical reference about New College I was just like, 'No, actually, we couldn't find it in our budget to buy matching T-shirts this year,' and that was the end of our con versation." Aside from Governor Bush Hossack's interpersonal skills allowed him to establish close ties quickly with both outside contacts and New College's own board and benefactors. ''The main thing that was different about Andrew's NCSA presidency was the need to set up immediately good lines of communication between a board that was hungry for information, and the student body," said Michalson. "There wasn't a single Town Meeting I didn't go up there without butterill h es tn my stomac Hoassack said. Saving the Town Meeting The Town Meeting as the mo st powerful institution of the student gov ernment, makes New Co11ege a direct democracy It can overrule basically any decision any other branch of the NCSA makes, a power that Hossack said always intimidated him. "There wasn't a single Town Meeting I didn't go up there without butterflies in my stomach," he said. Despite his nervousness at Town Meetings, Hossack worked to protect its power that he saw as integral to New College student government. After in dependence, the NCSA constitution had to be rewritten to fit a new independent infrastructure. Hossack mostly opted to remain separate from the process of rewriting, but he stepped in to make sure that the Town Meeting held the same powers it had always held at New College. He made the difficult decision to veto the constitution that had passed, barely, by the student body. The constitution Hossack vetoed, he explained, would have changed New CoJlege into a representative democ racy. Instead, he tried to protect the principles New College and the NCSA were founded upon, and eventually a new constitution, more similar to older versions, was passed by the student body. ''I'm always impressed when an NCSA president doesn't flunk out" In the past year, Hossack worked to get students involved in the disburse ment of C ital Improvement Trust Fund (CITF) money activated the Counsel of Academic Affairs (CAA), and established New College as a pres ence in the Florida S tu de nt A ss o cia t ion. A s an independe n t in sti tution N ew Col1ege wa s a ble t o join FSA at th e end of the l ast academic year at a nom i nal fee compared to that of the larger state institutions The FSA is the largest stu dent lobbying organization in the state and joining gives New College a great political edge "I can t stress what a positive effect it's going to have on New College as the years go on ," said Hossack about FSA. Morris also s ees New College s membership in the FSA as a definite positive "[Andrew ] r ealized one of m y long-time goals by joining the Florida Student Association, which has brought considerable lobbying strength to the student body on legislative develop ments affecting the state university system," she said. Blaweiss is aware of the future Hvssack has begun to sculpt for New College. "[Andrew], as our frrst NCSA president of the independent New College of Florida, has set a strong foundation for Max [Thchman, presi dent-elect,] and all future presidents," he said. President Michalson said, "Also, based upon my past experience (includ ing five years as Dean and Warden), I'm always impressed when an NCSA president doesn't flunk out of New College PAGE 7 The Catalyst &c. You readers can go to hell! Ajournalistic bildungsroman Mike Sanderson before his job-interview haircut by Michael Sanderson This headline came from Onion Publi her Emeritus T. Herman Zweibel. and without warning, Oruon Publisher Emeritu T. Herman Zweibel defie his state-imposed retire ment and writes a column for the Onion, the newspaper founded by his great grandfather. As per his instruc tions, these col entirety and without copy-editing." Emeritus? Yes, this is the end, a fareweU column to conclude my tenure a General Editor of the Catalyst. Before taking on the senior position last fall, I held a number of other editing jobs, so that my entire journey from idealistic fU"St year to jaded thesis student ha been spent editing in some capacity. I devoted my elf to the weekly eight-page tabloid of record becau e I thought New College de erved a seri ous newspaper. At times, admittedly, it was an awkward fit. Yet in this journal istic bildungsroman, I realized that the discourse of serious newspaper journal ism involves 'reporting' as a false means to impo e rationally through local the local narratives of 'articles,' and that irony mediate the eparation from the printed discourse and ever shifting pia rna of lived experience. In better words, the world is com pletely insane, and we're in the middle When we're dull we are being rroruc, whether we realize it or not. played roles in the paper over my time here, who brought out my better side. Even as we devoted ourselves to careful facts in taid prose, were united in thi entiment. Foremost, the departed Max Campbell and current Managing Editor Erin Blasco, who put up with me and almost never lost their sense of humor, which they badly needed. I also remember Kat Dow and Zac Konkol with great fondness, for their attitudes and their competence. We stayed up past our bedtime al most every week to produce this tabloid, when we should have been hunched over The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte-or drunk in Palm Court. But no one else knows the statistical breakdown of books mailed through UPS to the campus bookstore in spring of 2000, or that the legislation propo ed that year would have merged New College and the USF Univer ity to create a large enough institutiOn to be it own univer ity. Who am I kidding? No one care not even me. I have wasted my life! I wouldn't have even gone to all those ew College board of trustees meet ings if they hadn't had the best coffee and pastries on campus. And then there were the liars, the petty bureau crats, the evasive sources, the bother orne organizer the mumbler the untraceable Key Person To Talk To, the brazen manipulator the inco herent intellectuals, the inarticulate official the plagiarists, the poor record-keeper and Rick Lyttle. Oh, why am I bothering with this bitter-fourth-year schick? It wa all the travail and pathetic catastrophe that made the project o interesting, and worth doing, all these years. Take for example, the great white whale of obfuscation, former Dean Bassis. He should have driven a normal person with cynicism (specifimyse stands out in my development occurred my frrst year, when I needed to contact Bassis the day before the paper was going to press, for a story on a sudden and wacky proposal to spin off USF' branch campu e into independent uni ver ities. After two me sages on his office voice mail went unanswered, I went down to Cook Hall, where I found him in talking to his secretary in the outer office. Oh yes, he said, ''I was just about to call you." Even as an idealis tic frr t year, I had to uppress a snicker. Ba sis then assured me the plan to break up the USF system was going nowhere. December 4, 2002 7 Yet now I mu t try to wrench myself back to academics. During the indepen dence fiasco I tried to read a book by Foucault, but I threw it off my balcony in di gu t. Too many words! Get to the point with me, or take your bu ine el ewhere! Unfortunate amounts of thi column are plagiarized, from memory, from the column of T. Herman Zweibel. When in the course of human event you find yourself relating to him on a visceral level, it is time to find something else to occupy your elf. Yet I can't help myself. In fact, thi week I have an interview at a real new paper, the St. Petersburg Times, which 1 intere ted in the kills I honed at the Catalyst. Specifically, my skill in deigning informational graphic but if a start. The St. Petersburg wa where Profes or Vesperi wa a feature writer and columnist for 12 year I forgot to thank Professor Vesperi! Your guid ance for the paper is in pirational, e pecially when we're not exactly bringing back glory, and without aying anything you don't already know, with out you-and you being you this wouldn't exist. New College, I ment a "Senior Feature Writer & Op-Ed Columni t." The BiU KeUer of New College. My fir t column, "Should Dean Ba is be brought back to kick around some more?" will appear this pring. I will also continue to cover things uch as the board of trustees and the admini tration-if media organiza tions didn't let their reporter have free food, they might have to pay them more. Someone once said, "Last words are for fools who haven't said enough." Given that, the pres ure for last words is abated. But I will say this: Thanks for reading this far. Letter to the Editor: Catalyst has most serious coverage of Crosley campus An interesting but unofficial jour nalism contest occurred during the past week. The contest comprised three newspaper articies covering the University of South Florida's decision develop the Powel Crosley Estate mto a new home for it Sarasota/Manatee commuter branch. The unwitting contestants were Chad Binette of the Sarasota Herald Tribune, an unnamed member of the editorial staff of the Bradenton Herald, and Sarah Zell, a student reporter for the Catalyst, the newspaper of New College. The winner in a landslide was Ms. Zell. Only M Zell's reporting covered the breadth and depth of the issues raised during two meetings between the resident of the Uplands/Eagle Nest neighborhood and Dr. Laurey Stryker, CEO of USF Sara ota!Manatee. The meeting was an attempt to get answers regarding USF's plans for development of the Crosley E tate and to raise ev eral i ues that question the wi dom of the decision. The Sarasota Herald Tribune, while covering some of the is sue well, cho e to run the story under a headline that reduced the complex i -sue to a simple routine NIMBY (not in my back yard) reaction. The Bradenton Herald, in strongly endor ing the flawed plans, attempted to dimini h the i sue to a "few tree and to discredit the dissenting neighbor by implying that we are ingrates who hould be giv ing thanks for not having to Jive next door to a hopping center. Ms. Zell, on the other hand, not only covered the i ues but she al o did her homework. She offered additional in formation that would eem to imply that USF Sara ota!Manatee has more advanced plan for far more exten ive building and development than what wa shown on the phase one drawings provided by Dr. Stryker. According to Ms. Zell, when asked why the full ex tent of building and development wa omitted, Dr. Stryker could only give a eemingly nonsensical reply, implying that a full and complete di clo ure would not have been relevant at these meetings. Where and when would it have been relevant? --Robert Piper Resident of the Uplands PAGE 8 -HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE Easy shopping for gifts within walking distance and under ten bucks b y Whitney Krahn This holiday season m ake use of New College's geo graphic blessings and walk to the treasure trove of gifts that lie within a mile of Palm Court. College students across the country will wish they had discovered this jewel near the comer of US 41 and University Parkway once they hear of the shopping mecca that are just a quick sprint away. Situated next to the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, a Shell station, he Classic Car Museum and the school book store, Novo Collegians have an (almost) endless array of gift options. To make matters mer rier, the gifts the Catalyst have found are all under ten dollars. The airport Though the airport's gift shop is the farthest walk of all three shopping destinations, it has an added bonus: the enjoyment a few extra mome nt s in Sarasota s brisk December air. However, upon approaching the entrance, be on the lookout for senior citizens who are un able to see over their steering wheel. A close encounter with a Cadillac could knock unsus pecting collegiate shopper out cold. Once inside the lobby, head up the stairs to find a brewery. a PGA Tour Stop, and the gift shop. Avoid the PGA shop; the findings under ten dollars are extremely limited. Also avoid the sales associates at the gift shop; one was particularly hos tile to this well-intentioned reporter. What's great about the air port gift shop is that half the items in the store have "Sarasota" written on them. This makes them perfect gifts for out-of-city relatives and friends. Shot glasses are $5.99, mugs are $6.99, and kids T-shirts are $8 99 For a gi f t that catche s the Floridian vibe without advertising Sarasota the shop offers a wide array of pastel candles with sea shell s embedded in the wax ; they will set you back $5 99 a piece. Flo r ida's Finest key lime or coconut patties can be yours for $6 99. Or, go in with your roommate and pick up two boxes of Florida sweet ness for $12 for a savings of $1.98. Since the airlines won't let you take a real gator back home this holiday season, the gift shop offers the next best thing: "The Original Florida Fu d g e -a-Gator." For $ 7 9 9, 10 f udge baby alligators make a unique and economical pre sent. Students with even tighter budgets need not refrain from partaking in gift-giving this year. The gift shop sells silly putty for $1.99 a container. Three dollar will purchase a keychain picturing a dolphin leaping through waves. The extra dollar you pay for the key chain accounts for the person alization that this gift offers. Each key chain has a name in scribed on it. Choose from Mary, Bill, "no fear," or "the boss," to name just a few of the possibilities. The bookstore The campus book store of fers more than organic chemistry textbooks and guides to writing about art. Yes, the right-hand side of the building contains an assortment gifts that rivals the vari ety of books on the left. Where else within walking distance can students buy a Tournament Frisbee Disc Master150G for $6 75? Packs of incense are available for $3 each. Give one to the roommate and smell the difference that "night spell or "dragon cloud" will make in your room. There is also no shortage of New College paraphernalia to be had in the bookstore. Medium-sized felt banners are 6.99 Green folders with the school logo embossed in silver are just $1.09 each. A quick s pi n of the p ost card rack re veals images of school landmarks on post cards next to South Park greeting cards. For $2, send home a card that has South Park's Cartman on the front saying, "My god has forsaken me." For some gifts actually in spired by the holidays. the book store offers three differ ent hard cover books For $8.99, you can take home Christmas Trivia, a book of "200 fun and fast facts." The same price will only get you 150 fun and fast facts in Hanukah Trivia, however. A seasonal favorite, The Night Before Christmas, costs $7.99. The less ambitious walkers can still satiate their gift-giving fix at the Shell station. For a mere $1.99, students have the option of purchasing a 16-pack of Crayola crayons or a plastic doctor kit. Badminton sets are available forjust $1.59. Those that don't have the time to knit a hat, yet still want to cover their loved ones' heads, will find solace at Shell. Bandana caps range from $4.99 to $5.99 and come in American flag, skull and crossbones, and camoflouge pnnts. The Classic Car Museum The Classic Car Museum is easily accessible without even taking the sidewalk along U S 41. Just cross the grassy span behind Pei's third court an you'1 find yourse l f in the parking lot in no time. Hidden i n side the museum is Sarasota's best kept secret who knew a car museum car ried records for only $3? A few greenbacks will put "Hookey Tonk in Percussion" or Englebert Humperdinck's "Sweetheart'' under your loved one's Christmas tree. Though most of the ear-in spired gifts at the museum are over $10 a little investigation yielded the discovery of a stash of glitter-infused fuzzy dice for $3 99, Grow-A-Saurs for $1.99 and glass-blown orna ments for $9 99 There was also a rack of t-shirts air brushed with Corvettes for $3. But hurry -there are only three left. The holidays are here. National Buy Nothing Day has passed. With 21 days left be fore Christmas and exam week drawing near, there is no time to waste. Put on those walking shoes (no bare feet at the air port) and start shopping. |