Catalyst

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A STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF NEW COLLEGE OF FLORIDA Special Elections Issue ATALYST Read up on candidate's views, stances, and ideas for the future in their own words. Page6 CATALYST.NCF.EDU VOLUME XVII ISSUE 8 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2003 24 hours to go: candidates make final push tOr votes Sarah Zell, Brian Cody, and Zeeshan Hafeez & Jon Schaan seek presidency through week-long campaign Students will elect their next New College Student Alliance president tommorrow. Three presidential candidates offered their time and. ideas for the presidency, providing the stu dent body with three varied approaches to managing bud gets and pnvileges. The NCSA president is the sole student representative in many administrative and fman cial interactions. He or she has a seat on the New College Board of Governors, and one vote in that body to represent students. The president is also a ambassador and other state The President is responsible for balancing the NCSA budget of about $400,000, which pay for New College employee salarie the Student Allocations Committee budget, and campus renovations. Current NCSA President Maxeme Tuchman said presi dential responsibilities require much more time than the 30 hour per week for which she is paid. ''It's more like 70 hours [of work] a week. Luckily [NCSA Executive Vice President] Corey Callahan does help out with it," Tuchman said. NCSA Constitution to be altered by Wednesday's ballot By Jack Short Several changes to the New College Student Alliance's constitution will be put to vote on Nov. 5. If passed, Town Meetings might be attended by a Sergeant at Arms, and the president might be required to swallow a live goldfish. Many of the changes are the result of directed efforts by the Constitutional Revision Committee (CRC) to update and refine the document. Others are necessary for compliance with Florida House Bill 353. The bill delineates re quirements that student governments must meet for the state of Florida to recognize them as official organiza tions. IfBill 353 passes, and two-thirds of New College students do not ap prove the proposed change to the constitution, SAC chair Chris Altes said, "we're basically operating iJiegally." Of the changes, those related to the bill will be blocked together on tom morrow's ballot, according to Foundation Representative and CRC member Lawrence Bowdish. Some other proposed changes have only superficial significance. Certain student government members' titles will be changed to match wordings in the University Board of Trustees' by laws. One proposition will render the NCSA president an 'ex officio, or non voting member, of the Board. Bowdish does not anticipate difficulty pa sing such propositions, which, like all pro posed changes, require approval by two-thirds of tho e students who vote. Other proposed changes are signifi cant. but essentially unopposed, said Bowdish. One amendment removes District Attorney power, giving the Student Prosecutor the authority to prosecute students at Student Court for violations of student code. At New College, according to Bowdish, stu dents with complaints should be responsible for bringing a fellow stu dent to the Student Court. This way, students will not be reprobated for ac tions to which none of his or her peers object. A proposition to allow 'removal by If Bill 353 passes in the State of Florida and two-thirds of the students do not approve these changes to the NCSA constitution, SAC chair Chris Altes said, "we're basically operating illegally." referendum' of Student Government of ficers allows students to bring an NCSA member to trial for impeach ment by collecting 50 signatures. Allowing a more 'grass roots approach to student government. Many of these propositions attempt to keep the tradi tional community attitude of New College. Many larger in titutions have re quirements for elected tudent government members-usually grade point averages. The house bill may for malize uch a requirement and create difficulty for New College be cause of the lack of grades. The proposition intended to resolve this would require the outgoing official to meet with the official elect, and arrange a "harmless, ntualistic act" by which to pass the torch. The hannless, ritualistic act would be the New College equiva. lent of requiring a minimum GPA. Former VP of Student Affairs and thesistudent Michelle Brown had sev eral suggestions-paddling, mud continued on 1 0

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The Catalyst Today: Scattered TStorms 85f7o Wednesday: Scattered TStorms 8';167 Thursday: Isolated Storms 85/66 Friday: Partly Cloudy 8'5/66 Saturday: Partly Cloudy 86/66 Sunday: Mostly Swmy 86/66 Monday: Partly Cloudy 86/69 WALL ASSIGNMENTS Friday: Alex Hague & David Higgins "Get Nashty'' Saturday: Ben Haber "Genderfuck" 1he CATALYST 2003. TM Card/ Jt. All "81lli re
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The Catalyst century" to politics in the 2004 presi dential election campaign. -Holly Lillis Ultimate Frisbee Nationals "Double, Wide! Double, Wide!" shouted pectator at the 2003 Club Ultimate Championships, the national championship for Ultimate Frisbee. It was easy to discern who those fans were cheering for, as DoubleWide from Texas battled Suffolk County, NY' Bo Hogg in an elimination game. Sixty teams, 16 each in the Open, Women's, and Mixed brackets, and 12 in the Master's, showed up for the tourna ment, held right here in Sarasota. With over 1,200 competitors, ''National ," as the players call it, is on an unfathomable scale for the average, scraggly, ultimate participant. NEWS BRIEFS relegation to the ninth through fifteenth place con olation placement bracket. Nationals is the third matriculation of a competition that starts at ection als. The strong from ectionals competed in regional matches to deter mine who would go to national -Greg Harris Festivus for the rest of us What do Barbara Bush and former New College Writer-in-Residence Matt Sharpe have in common? Both Bush and Sharpe were in town Saturday for this year's Sarasota Reading Festival. Now in its sixth year, the festival played host to numerous au thors and vendors of intere t to Novo Collegians. "It's a great day for this event," said New College Library A sociation President David Hess. "You can see most of the author walking around," Hess said, though he speculated Mrs. Bush was being kept under close survei11ance. Writing Re ource Center Student Assistant Mary Whelen was also closely watched at the fe tival, though the eye on her belonged to toddlers November 4, 2003 and their mothers. Wheelan and others from the Center pent the day reading storie. in ide the Festival's bamboo walled "Read to Me" room. Other New College involvement in the Fe tival included poetry award for several tudents and a panel discussion about the Fir t Amendment post 9/ll Saturday's games featured the sec ond round of pool play, where the winners from Friday's opening rounds battled it out to gain top seeds in the quarter finals and the easie t road to the cup. The losers were given one last chance to redeem themselves before Hess, who was manning the NCLA booth at the festival, said 200 to 300 people were lined up early in the morn ing to catch the former Fir t Lady peak inside the Sara ota Opera Hou e. Valerie Mojeiko/Catllyst The New College Library Association sold books for one dollar at the Sarasota Reading Festival. ew College Navy afloat again by Caitlin Young rom e beac behiliCl aples one can '(j serve peaceful wildlife and beaUtiful sunsets. Also visible are "the Bounty Hunter" aad .. the Sunflower," two of New College's 13 seacraft. The boats are managed by the Sailing Club. Thi informal group meets every Saturday at noon for sailing and boat maintenance. Currently, the club is awaiting the delivery of a new bed. A space shortage prompted the purchase, funded by athletic fees. Shelves and racks need to be built and added, but shouldn't be a problem with the turnout that the weekend gatherings usually draw. Generally, 15 to 20 people come out to experience the perks of a waterfront campus. There's no sort of mandatory attendance, and newcomers are constantly encouraged. Les ons are available for even the green est of boaters, though depending on the day they range from inten e one-on-one instruction to bemg given a small craft and wished luck. Usually the assembled plit into two shiff:s. Half will go out sailing while the other half stay behind and work on boat maintenance. That way work and play are both accomplished, as well as limiting the number of boats that have to be rigged at one time. A frequent jaunt is north to a small island nearb10ccasionally, when feeling ambitious, the wtll commit to a day trip and cross the bay, ending at the Salty Dog Pub. Destinations "depend on the day, depend on the wind," said thesis-student Pete Dow. "Depends on the sobriety," third-year Craig Schuetze added. Dow is the nominal leader of this nautical crew. He's been working with Sailing Club for almost three years and has made numerous improvements in that time. When he took over, there were no sea worthy vessels. Now all 13 crafts are though inevitably there are always a few undergomg New College students set out for sea aboard the champagne of sailboats. repairs. This year will be Dow's last, however, the future of the club is not set in stone. Dow thinks the management of the club will become more of a col lective effort, something he's glad about. "I don't really want for anyone to have to do what I've done," he said. Dow estimates he_'s done 80 to 90 percent of the work accomplished m the past two years. ''I wouldn't have done it if I didn't like to do it," he said. The move to group management will relieve the pres ure put on one person's After he leaves, Dow said he would really like to see some consistency. The boats runnmg and.the attendance to stay strong."

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The Catalyst FEATUR ES November 4, 2003 Halloween PCP 2003: More fun t an a sad clown can handle By David Savarese "You look so sad,'' said a pretty girl. "You look so sad," said another "?retty girl as I passed by the steps lead mg to Second Court for the fourth time in an hour. No matter how well a Halloween Palm Court Party (PCP) is planned, some attendees will walk back and forth between the festivities with a frown on their face. I did, but it was the make-up's fault. This year's PCP celebration was, ac cording to second-year Falon Mihalic "the best PCP that I have been to in m; time here." Students, alums and guests shook their bodies well into November 2, suitably called the Day of the Dead. There is little doubt that the plastic labyrinth, the Bowie-esque style of the event, or the kinda loud music brought pleasure to all during the course of the evening. Even those of us who fear and de pise the approaching Limbo that is post-PCP New College. Youth and innocence may have al lowed first-year transfer student David Gallo t o s ay I a m having a great time! owever, i was e p anning an maturity of PCP organizer, thesis-stu dent and Residential Advisor Jessica Mazza, that slapped the fun al1 over Palm Court "I just want everyone to have a good time because I have never thrown a party before and my mother always told me, 'if you a going to do omething, do it right,"' Mazza said. As the party was becoming a fullfledged whirlwind of lustful satisfac tion and magic, thesis tudent and SAC Chai, Chris Alte said, "T am ready to eat someone's liver ... and I am starting to itch." Mazza's PCP made me wish for a PCP fulfi11ment I have long since for gotten; perhaps it is an element of self-consciousness that borders on paranoia that pushes me far from fun. Perhaps. It's hard to explain the insanity of a Palm Court Fiasco successfully de signed to emulate the imagination of the late Jim Henson's Labyrinth. Although I have the necessary socio. logical qualifications and a student under my control (kind of), tt seems nearly impossible to describe the periodic party interactions of hun dreds of people that we all know far, far too well, with hundreds of people we don't know at all. After trying to ask thesis-student Megan Braid about the PCP environ ment, she aid, "Clowns are like my biggest fear I can't even talk to you." Her roommate the s i student Lowell Meye r s said, "lt's been an ex-ce en perience, bu v n the PCP yet." She was on her I out room.' Thesis student Jaclyn Bergarnino said, "(The chill out room] is where the real party is at!" The couches were comforting. I bought a soda, as the reporter cov ering the PCP is not a1lowed to get wasted the night of the event. In the event of an accident or emergency, staff w C style. Stop by (Media Center), or call for an appointment 359-4506 Open Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays, 3-9PM ; Wednesdays Thursdays. 3-SPM Valerie Mojeiko!Catalyst Hunter Jet _poses in Palm Court with sidekicks Faye and Sp1ke before headmg back to the Bebop. This trio is also known as Ringling Alum Jonathan "lonny Courage" Steelman, and sidekicks len and Peter. writers and editors mus t run for a camr u tempted to rank this PCP. She said '"I didn't really enjoy my ftrst PCP. and I don't really remember the PCPs my second year. So it's hard to compare." Thesi st udent and RA Emma Jay said, "I was dancing, and one of my tits hit me in the face, so I changed out of my costume." To me, this Hamilton Third-year Sam Holland agreed. He said, ''I think the DJ room is excellent." After about an hour and a half lis tening I re-entered the atmosphere of a PCP passed by. What an anti-climax. The world seem empty after so much fun. Let the World be Your Campus ... Study Abroadl Office of Career Services & Off-Campus Studies Palmer E, 1st Floor; 359-4261 www. ncf.edu/CareerServices

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ELEC' PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES' STATEMENTS -brian cody I run for the office of President for reasons both public and private. Above all, the experience of running and being NCSA President is part of my education, though not my curriculum. Education as a whole, in my mind, can be categorized into the areas of academics, social expe rience, and personal exploration. New College i special because not only are we encouraged to integrate these life facets, but we are surrounded by indi viduals articulate and intelligent enough to express the experience of living and keep it at the fore of our consciousness; we are sentient of life happening, and we come quite close to being able to lin guistically share the experience. Running for this office, and in serving, offers a plethora of rich experiences, the quest for which brought me to New College. I am not running on specific issues. I don't like the idea of a candidate having an extensive list of priorities and goals for their tenure, and feeling after the win they have a mandate to focus and achieve those goals, their own goals. Students may find but one of the issues important yet the candida t e can say "I was elec:ted because of my ( plural) is sues" and focus on those rather than on the true student will. The Executive Branch should execute the student will, and it strikes me the New College stu dent will is not overly known. Lacking opinion polls and the like, the student will i very ambiguous so the candidates can fall to their campaign issues for representation of the student will. If nothing else, the issues will be out-dated by the end of one's term, so. in this re spect relying on campaign Issues IS a faulty system. I have many what I term points for consideration," implying I feel they deserve attention, and though as a student I will feel one way on an issue, as President I will gain input on these issues and make decisions based on student will, not foregone conclu sions. In the stead of specific issues, I offer my views and priorities I am a student, above all. I offer the full scope of my ex tracurricular self and parts of my social and personal selves, but not the whole of me. The cabinet is undecided except from Marina Williams as Executive VP. I also feel it is the duty of the Executive Branch to make available resources to allow student initiative to shape the school. Through budget allocations, working with administration, and as a general personnel resource, the NCSA President should allow students to define their New College experience. This sense of opportunity through initiative is seen in our academics, where we create our own classes, and in the workings of the SAC where they but wait for students to come to them for fmancial backing to their endeavors This seems to me the epitome of New College ide ology and should become the mantra of the Executive Branch: Change through s tudent initiative not declaration." Just my opinion though zeeshan hafeez &jon schaan between students and faculty. Our second focus will be on social issues, most importantly both ethnic and ideological diversity. We propose setting up a diversity liaison from the student government to the admidistration and. to more formal process for allocating the money will be created, as well as more money for equipment in the fitness center. Our last focus will be on the secession and expan sion of New College. Student government should be m e involved in the seces ion from SF, to help problems such as parking. Student government s hould also play a greater role in the expansion of New College. A closer relationship with the adminis tration should be strived toward to address such issues as triple housing, and the future of the New College character. As we expand and secede better ties with the outside community need to be foster. So, because of our emphasis on a very approachable, accessible student government fucused on the academics, social concerns, and secession and expansion of New College I wilJ be voting for Z and Schaan. votin aa a c cause we are strivin g for a very accessible, approach able, and d own to eart h student govelll.lilent. Having two pres idents ( co-pre s idents ) will allow for more exposure, in an effort to truly listen to and ad dress the concerns of every individual student. campus and to ponder such thi n gs as affirma ti ve ac tion and other solutions. Another grave co n cern i s t h e lack and repression of ideological diversity. Openne s, freedom of expression and thought are very important tenets in the spirit of New College. We hope to create a more open and non-judgmental com munity by encouraging formations of groups and programming for ideological minorities. Our first focus will be on academics, which in cludes funding more student chairs to provide more academic excellence, and more variety of classes from these vi iting professors. In addition, through expansion of the CAA we hope to encourage and build a better relationship and better communication Seeing the huge intere t in basic training, crew, ul timate frisbee, soccer, tennis etc. more funding will also allocated to sports recreation for students and a sarah zell Being the NCSA president means many things, but it very rarely means an easy ride. It means grunt work. It means no glory, and little reprieve from the daily duties of communicating with and for students, to address their needs and concerns. It means returning hundreds of e-mails and phone calls a week to set meetings, keep in communication with tudents, and to keep up with the move ment of state and national legislation affecting higher education. It means getting up at 8 a.m. on the day after PCP to be at a Board of Trustees meeting by nine. It means not going to PCP in order to review impor tant materials again and again, to make sure there aren't any last-minute con cerns. And it means voting for students as a member of the Board of Trustees, charged with governing the school. It means staying on call through holidays, summer, illness, exams, and family problems. When the roof leaks, the president is either there to clean up the water, or makes the decision to have it fixed. It means playing politics at all lev els. When the president is not talking to a student, it means talking to some one else-likely an administrator, staff member, lobbyi t, legislator, or student government counterpart at another schoo1. It means bringing people to gether to flX the things that have gone awry or discuss ways to make student life and academics better. It means maintaining collaboration among departments-most specifically between the NCSA and key individuals like the New College president, provost, and dean of students. It means spending days and weeks trying to convince others to take action on behalf of the student body. It means spending even more defending the right to an affordable education and the con tinuation of academic and social liberties sometimes threatened by a burgeoning institution under the micro scope of accreditation. It is meaningful. Facilitating the op eration of the school to make sure that things run smoothly i a job that allows the president to reach out and hear con cerns of individual students and to make tho e concerns a priority. It means reminding faculty and staff that students are the reason we are all here. The reason there is a New College. I fit this bill. I love being busy and working hard. My time spent balancing editorship of The Catalyst, NCSA vice presidency, an internship in admissions and at Myakka River State Park, with being a student taught me the absolute details of time management. I am mar ried to efficiency, and thrive under pressure. I have spent my time building rela tionships and cultivating a keen understanding of the rigors of being a New College student, and I have dis covered a profound history that changes with the cycling of players and time. I have involved myself in as many aspects of New College life as possible, and I believe I have emerged successfully at the threshold of the one thing I want to do but have not yet done: the NCSA presidency. I am the person for this job because I am willing to mop the floors, clean up after Town Meetings, and to lose sleep. I am itching for the opportunity to con tinue to represent students at all levels and at all times. I have spent two years nurturing my ability to represent New College, and have no doubts as to my capability to lead and manage a pro ductive student government. If elected, the school, and more importantly the student body, will benefit from the ef fective and timely decision making, sure management, and (if necessary) change I will bring.

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TION A person's room can be representa tive of the type of person he or she is Not surprisingly, Brian Cody's room is no exception. Pei 100 models order and high aspirations but nothing planned for the room proved unachievable. to get a roll of good yet inexpenstve carpet building a loft, theatre seats, designing a and granting hospitaltty are actiOns that have made Pei 1 ()() unique. Hard work, creativity, and fol low through are the characteristics that are necessary for such an accomplish ment. Brian understands how to use those characteristics to be effective and successful. That understanding will translate well into the New College Student Presidency Being an interior designer may not be enough to vote someone into the Presidency, but what does make a good STATEMENTS OF SUPPORT president? Many people would argue that c ommttment and dedication are im portant. Brian's enthusiasm also exists outside Pei 100 most notably in the class roo?'l. I n addition, self-di cipline, prag m atism and leadership are strong aspe cts of B rian s personality Brian care s e noug h to be motivated about improv in g Ne w College, has the foresight and p ra gma tism to ee how his decisions work practic ally, and he has the self-dis cip lin e to se e those plans through. These tratt s com pose a more complete Presi d ential package. It i s rar e to find someone who can the i ssues w ithout getting caught m th e quagrru e of indecision. Brian is one of tho se peo ple. He is deliberate abou t every thing he does. If an issue arose that h e coul d not deal with prag h e is not afraid to ask for help. Support lS o f the utmost importance to a New College President, and Brian can get it. What about his actions or experience would qualify him for president? While none of the candidates have experience as the NCSA President, Brian possesses an intimately understands the workings of the NCSA. Brian has been in student government for most of his time here most recently in the Executive Cabinet' an in role in shaping and unplementtng policy. His experiences have painted him a complete illustration of how government works in both the micro and macro senses In regards to student government, Bnan's statewide work is impressive. As a pivotal member of the Florida Student Association' s Senate Committee Brian represents NC in the largest committee of that organization. Working with other students from around the state gives November 4, 2003 jefflundy in support of brian cody Brian perspective on how New College 'fits' into the state system, and how NC can benefit from that alliance. Brian has his finger on the pulse of the campus, but he knows what individ uals want as well. What is good for the New College group is not necessarily good for each person, but Brian doe his best to bring as many opinions together to make each decision work for a many as possible. Brian Cody s ability to work with outside groups, individuals, administra tion and power drills are all aspects of his personality that make him a great choice for NCSA President. If you do not believe me ask him yourself I Adesh Seuraj hereby, without reservation give my support to Ze es h an H afeez and J onathan Schaan as worthy candidates for the co-presidency po s ition here a t N ew College. a on are many an ied however the most importartt are with regards to their experience, their personality and their advocacy of audacity. o f u s he re at sc hool b ear am ple evi d e!lce to my They are always in a hurry to inconve to other and are adesh seuraj fact. right now Zeeshan works as a lawyer'sassisbmt .. .......... .-aM .. ii Zeeshan and John bring with them a host of is presently interning at an institution that aids indi viduals who have been wrongfully incarcerated. Are they the dynamic duo or what? that these aces wiJJ be representing Pei and B donn. the school bracket who will be mostly affected by the presidency result having a predominance of first and second years. knowledge and expertise both having held similar and comparable position s a t their respective high schools. The fact that they are knowledgeable precludes valu able time that would normally be wasted with learning about the idiosyncrasie of their position and hence directing more of their time into the college life and needs. Finally, who can deny under penalty of perjury that they have never heard the verbo e Mr. Hafeez from ham center while on their way to the library, only to encounter the suave John willing to help at the cou nter? You see, New College, an important part of b ein g president is the ability to be liked and to be in a go od conversing mood with everyone who is to be pl aced under your jurisdiction. I think that these two In choosing Zeeshan and John we are not electing a president who lives in Dort or Goldstein and pays remote or scant regard to the school populous affected most by this election outcome, but a co active team who has a lot to offer both to the school, the students, Pei and B-dorm. Secondly "Z" and John are two of the most affable people I have ever met and their relationships with Sarah Zell is a highly qualified, no nonsense person, a natural leader who has never let personal fears or goals stand in the way of doing the right thing I feel strongly that she is the best candi date for NCSA President, bar none. Sarah has involved herself in doing the right thing for New College ever since she got here. As a ftrst-year, she volunteered for Admissions, eventually winning an intern position she still holds. Last year, she led an orientation group, co-founded a successful alterna tive cooking circle, and held positions on more New College, Foundation, and NCSA committees than I can count. She joined the Coordinating Council of the Sarasota Green Party, helping facil itate the New College Greens, and a a reporter for the Catalyst broke several hard-hitting stories on USF's develop ment of the Crosley Estate. She ultimately was appointed NCSA Vice President for Student Affairs by current President Max Tuchman, a n d became Managing Editor of th e Catalyst under Mike Gimignani. Th e effect of her presence on both was a s t o unding. Sarah took the Council of Student Affairs, which didn't ever meet r e gularly before she got there, and ran a tight and productive ship. The Cata l yst, too, became a supe rior and more popular paper as soon as Sarah and Mike rehabilitated it. Her body of skills and qualifications astounds me, and what's more impres sive is that she never complains. She tells people she "loves being busy." The outcome of all her experience, in short, is that nearly everyone I've talked to trusts her. The New College administration often asks for her help and advice on projects, and listens to what she has to say. Students come to her with their issues all the time, and are never disap pointed by her effort on their be half. She has built anne mira guha strong connections with other Florida school and the community-at-large. Sarah Zell is a strong woman. She doesn't care what is said about her, be cause she's too busy working to address the concerns of fellow students. She fights for New College, but isn't afraid to take a position contrary to the school to benefit the student body. She is never afraid to ay what she feels to the right person at the right time in order to get things done. She is a dynamic speaker, competent and persuasive, charismatic, and has proven herself time and time again at working for and with students. And Sarah has ideas for New College One idea, creating a master plan for in support of sarah zell student space on campus, will poten tially save the NCSA precious time and money by actually planning for the fu ture. Sarah also wants to erase the gender barrier for Pei dorm space, which would alleviate some of the on going housing problems and give students more freedom. Most of her plans simply organize com mittee that are already in place, to make them do what they're supposed to do. No one knows more about how to do that than Sarah Zell, and no one else will get my vote.

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The Catalyst FEATURES November 2003 Florida House(s) innovative ways to conserve b y Greg Harris With all the environmental concerns facing t h e world today, from water hart ages and con taminations to global wanning, homeowners need to be in fo med about con ervation and sustaina bili ty techniq u es. O ne group try ing to do jus t th at right here in Sarasota is F l o rid a Hou se Learning Center. The Florida House program explains ecologi cal savings in economic term reach ing the e l d erly, fixed income commu nity, as the se lf-t itled video of the program illustra tes V al u es of water and electricity sa \ ed are meas ured on the bill scale, rather than only eco l ogical harmony. A ll appl i an ces i n the hou e have an "ene rgy star r a ting, whi c h means they are e nergy effi cient. The ki tchen sink has an a u t omat i c shutoff sensor, which al lows the water to begin and s t o p flo w i n g w ith out touching the noz zle. The bat h room s i nks have systems that a l low them to re-circulate hot water into the hea ter so water is not wasted waiting for the tap to heat up. Many rooms have skylights providing a source of free, energy saving daytime light. If you bring in your old ab.owed1R4. they w\\\ give you a water saving gpm unit free, no questions The property also contains a "Florida yard," consisting of a garden and mulch an d drough t -t o lerant plant -land s c aped spac e Grass is not used, a s it requ i re s too much irrigation. The banana plant is irrigated by "gray water"water previ ously used in the washer after being gathered in a cistern. No pesticides are used in landscaping and gardening, and micro-irrigation is also employed. Florida House has educated the pub lic about water and energy concerns in Sarasota County since its founding on Apri l 17, 1994. O riginally conceived by Southwest Flori d a Managem ent District (Swiftmud) in 1990 to deal with wa ter co n cerns, Florida House became part of a program that averted a possible build ing moratorium due to t h e overextended of i n frastruc tur e and u t ili ty ser vices at the time. Education a nd ince nlives were chosen over giving up and trying to kee p new people o ut. Volunteer Coordi n ator Kath y B alchin d i sc u ssed the return to a pre-air condi tioning ru led world in which efficient use of passive systems played a crucial ro le. "Those who came here in the begin n in g ha d a lo t more sen se th an a lot of peo p le t oday," sh e sai d "They h a d th e hi g h cei lin gs, they had the b ig windows and do ors ... we get s o spoile d by modem conv e nience s that we don' t really s top and think wh a t i t s doi ng to our re s ource s Located on the campus of the Sarasota County Technical Institute at the comer of Proctor and Beneva roads, Florida House is designed in a modern "Florida Cracker" style emphasizing cross ventilation and heat diffusion. Bamboo and cork flooring, aJong with several screened in porches and high ceilings culminating in a c u p o la, cons t i tute some of resource-sav i ng t echniques employed by pre-air conditioning Floridians that are being n!introduced through Florida Hou e. The house erves as a demonstration property, highlighting efficient usage of readily available conservation technolo-Valerie Mojeiko!Catalyst At first glance, the Florida House may look like an ordinary suburban Florida residence. Look closer and you will notice informational signs all over the front yard, a patio made of recycled plastic, "pocket slid ers with transom windows," and a lack of residents. gies. Staffed mainly by volunteers, the staff is ready and willing to give guided tours of the property and answer ques tions pertaining to green building. Today, Fl orid a Hou s e is a joint ven tur e of Swiftmud Sarasota County Technical Institute, and the University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service, which operates the facility. Every Wednesday classes are offered in different aspects of responsible Florida living, such as Introduction to Pennaculture and Preparing for the 2003 Storm Season. The c l asses are free, but advance sign-up is required. Registration can be made by calling 316-1200 or in person at the hou se. Hours are 10 a m to 1 p .m. Tues d ay through Friday and 1 to 4 p .m. on Saturdays. Beginning in De c ember, th e house will remain open until 4 p.m. Tuesda y through Friday. The garden i s alway s open. urns Court: try the beer, candy, and indie films by Eva Gutierrez "No kids come here except the diehard ones, s aid Burns Court Outreach Manager Magida Diouri. Bums Court, also known as the Sara ota Film Society, shows films that larger corporate theatres won't show. It's supported almost entirely by the elderly Sarasotans. For a downtown cinema that's painted hot pink and hip enough to serve Hairbo gummibears, Diouri wonders why more college kids don't come often. She said New College had a contract with Burns Court, and movies only cost one dollar for srudents. When the minimal contract fee was doubled, New College chose not to renew it. "That did bring you guys here, though" reminisced Diouri. Now movie s co s t $ 6.50 and $4 50 for members Diouri said the theatre ha s a big fol lowing only when people feel lik e g etting up and going out. Of those people New College kids make an appearance maybe one in 30 people" said, Zachary Blackburn for mer New College student and current Burns Court employee. Blackburn said he ''tries to treat them a bit nicer because I identify with struggles they go through in daily life." Blackburn works concessions, and recommends the peanut butter choco lates. Perhaps he s not a beer man. ''This is the best job I could ever have," said Blackburn, though it pays half as much as other jobs, he added. To support independent film in the area, Bums Court hosts a Filmmakers' Forum every other month Thes e film makers are people who are not s upported by srudios, ha v e little mo ney an d are mo stly s h oot ing in di gi tal film media," accord i ng to Diouri The Sarasota Film Society encourage s any mdependent filmmaker to enter the forum. On Oct. 20th Three Inch Heels, a film set in a strip club, played to a howling beer guzzling audience that filled every seat in the theatre. That's right, Burns Court serves beer. ''They serve beer here? I had no idea!" exclaimed fllm-goer "Mattie," rushing to the concessions stand with a bill in hand. Expect to pay $2.75 for Bud-Light, and $3.50 for Heineken, among other beers. Besides the concessions, Bums Court "bas a much better atmosphere than the Hollywood 20," said B)ackbum. W e show di fficul t films b ecause s omebody has t o show t h em ," ex plained Diouri "It s as imp o rt a n t as art g al le rie s showing art. Now Playing at Burns Court: The Station Agent The Magdelin Sisters Mambo Italiano Pieces of April For more information cal/955-FILM. Bums Court hosts the CineWorld Film Festival Nov. 7-16. The festival in cludes films from France, the UK, Australia, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Germany, Denmark, and the US. Tickets go on sale Nov. 3 for over 35 films.

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The Catalyst ELECTION Election for NCSA Presiden draws on issues & candidate experience [ continued from page 1 need to maintain quality work for such a time-intensive position. Hafeez spoke at the Oct. 29 Town Meeting for him self and the absent Schaan, proclaiming a platform of ocialism and secession." This "new and great vision for New College" does not entail traditional, political socialism, Hafeez said, but rather opening up "new social avenues" at New College. "Secession" involves a smooth and fmal split from USF and "annexing," or buying, the campus space New College currently rents from the city of Sarasota. 'We only pay $1 a year in rent, but that contract is up in 2059," said Hafeez, who believes such "seces sion" is a step towards solidifying the school's future. Second-year and current NCSA Archivist Brian Cody opted to articulate his personality and vision rather than presenting a list of typical campaigning promises he considers "hollow" and "easily unful filled." Confident he could fulfill fmancial and diplomatic responsibilities of the president. Cody said it is more important to an election to understand who candidates really are. He said his drive for presidency comes from a vi sion of New College as an institution that empowers students to "own the school as much as they need to own it." Cody wants to change the "static" role of th president as messenger of the [student] majority's un d efmed will" by enabling s tudents to personally approach government and administration with their concerns and proposals. Third-year Sarah Zell spoke of fine-tuning New C ollege through the Executive Branch she's worked.on as current NCSA Vice President of Student Affarrs. Familiar with presidential responsibility of "knowing how to provide students with and be a mouthpiece [for the student body], Zell at.d she plans to improve record-keeping, rela tionships, and New College's role m the Sarasota community. A stronger relationship between New College and local "vocal entities" topped Zell's proposals for the presidency. Such ties to Sarasota City Council and school boards offer New College a more self-sufficient role in the community," ZeU said. Zell utilized the most thorough ad campaign of all candidates, papering her name and as well as photos of her face and postenor throughout campus. She also held a campaign kick-off party at the Four Winds Cafe Thursday night for students to "come and hang out, and ask me questions if like.''. Cody opted for a tamer ad campru.gn of sdk screened portrait on patches, T-shirts, and one large banner. The patches bear only Cody's image and due to the candidate's professed disdain for campaign slogans. Hafeez and Schaan abandoned an ad campru.gn en tirely, to solidify themselves as personable and interactive candidates. 'We're not about politicking, we ju t want to talk to people," Hafeez said. To facilitate diversity-a major campus concern, particularly m light of the recent push for expansion-: Hafeez andSchaan propose the creation of an official governmental position devoted to diversity issues. It would be a po ition similar to that which Hafeez held within the Gender and Diversity Center as a first year. He was a liaison between s,tudents and faculty and administration concerning dispute tolerance and increased ethnic diversity. "We are pro-affirmative action," Hafeez said. Schaan said creating more forums for groups of ideological minorities on campus is also a step towards stronger diversity. "Conservatives have an even bigger P,roblem on this campus because they don't have a meeting point," Hafeez said. "By just opening up a space for them to meet and discuss, they can strengthen their voice on campus." Cody sees lacking ethnic diversity as a problem within the larger scope of ideological diversity, which must be embraced by the student community before any institutional changes can be made. 'There is a schism between wanting diversity and having diverse voices be heard. Ethnic diversity im plies diverse history, socialization, tradition, culture, religion ... all the things that shape a person's ideology. By wanting diversity, I mean I want (students] to share (their] experiences with others who see them in a dif ferent way. That's the start. We have students who bring great diversity to campus in that way, but the co uni o co ntocelebr irv' yet, Cody said. He added that before any true diversity can be a c hieved actually or stati s tically the student ni t y m ust decid e what they mean by a diverse environment. and how they, the students, plan on up holding it. Zell said working as a New College adrmss10ns mtem ;ulowed her to see the problems of increasing diversity. "It's difficult to encourage somebody who doesn t see others like themselves here to attend school here," she said. She agreed that fostering dialogue is the key to increasing consciousness and felt that student participation at the adrmmstrauve level, through Board of Trustees can also strengthen student say in diversification tactics. Zell said she would like to take a more casual ap proach to facilitating dialogue, to make the discussion a more substantial part of communal life. "Committees are so overdone, and a lot of times they don't do anything," she said. She added that Sarasota has great diversity to ex pose New College to. The president's role as ambassador to the public could bring local speakers and high school groups to campus she said. Diversity is just one of a mynad of concerns the student body wants to see addressed by candidates. To ensure informed voting, students should approach can didates individually to quiz them on whatever issues are pertinent to their own N_ew College Commissioner of Elecuons Mike Burch srud. ''I know all the candidates personally, and they're all very approachable. They'd love .to talk about ru:Ything," said Burch. ''This is a very 1mportant election for the future of New College." November 4, 2003 Ballot rev1ew NCSA President (One position available) Brian Cody Zeeshan Hafeez & Jon Schaan Sarah Zell Student Court Justices (Three positions available) Robert Albury Brian Ellison Gregory Ham's Brandon. Keene -chris Aftes Third-year SAC ( One pos i t i o n ava ilabl e) Ya'e l Morowati Damayanti B y ars Rae a Kay Hicks Second-year SAC (One position ava il a bl e ) Jeanell lnnerar ity First-year SAC (One p os iti on avail ab le) Isaa c Uu Gwendolyn Rob erts Res i dence Life and Food Service Rep. ( O ne position available) Danie Williams

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---The Catalyst NEWS November 4, 2003 oposed Changes to Vote on Constitutiona t e CSA Constitution Revisons The following will resemble what the ballot states concerning the changes to the NCSA Constitution: Do you approve of the Constitutional changes pur uant of House Bill 353? Yes No D you approve of the Constitutional changes en 1merated in block 1? Yes No Do you approve of the Constitutional changes enumerated in block 2? Yes 0 Do you approve of the Constitutional changes enumerated in block 3? Yes No rsuant to ou e -Establishing an individual legislator (New 7.2) -President as "Ex Officio" BOT member -SAC, CAA, or Athletics Committee Chair signature off on all allocations (5.5, 5.6) -Officer Qualification Requirement (goldfish?) -Removal of officers via referendum (9.2) Block 1 -Change Joint Facility to Space Committee(4.2) -Enumerate number of Academic Representatives, establishing that each academ ic committee has one vote in the CAA ( 4.2) -Establish Athletic Reserve (5.6) -Change wording in section 10.6 -Move some Presidential Responsibilities to Alumnae and Foundation Representatives (New 3.5 c, 3.6 e) -Change wording on 5.2 c -Must be a New College student to vote in an election (8.3) -Block2 -Striking down D.A. power (New 6.5) Block 3 -Giving Justices review power over allocations (New 6.4), striking SAC Review Committee L ____ ..:c::o::.:n:.:ti:.:.:n:.::U:.::e.::d...:fr.:.:O::.:m:.:..:..Jp!::a:.!g!.:e:....:.1-:-::-::-:-----l vi ion process taken as an opportunity to I?ake wre tling, and swallowing a live goldfish were extensive changes. He proposed a counc1l to faclh among them. tate communication among civic clubs and In order to prevent stripping power from the organizations whose architecture he says is sovereignty of the Town Meeting, which is explicitly nized and could u e some refinement. Accordmg to designated by the student constitution as the highest him, the SAC, the CITF allocations, and the Council authority at NCF, some propositions related to of Academic Affair (CAA), and those in charge of House Bill 353 had to be worded carefully. athletic funds operate independently and might be The Bill requires all tudent governments to have benefited by working together hould a situation rean elected legislative branch. In order to comply quire it. Related to the House Bill, he suggested that with "the letter of the law," as Altes puts it, while opsuch a council could fulfill serve also as an elected erating with "the New College spirit" intact, a legislative body. propo ition to have an elected 'legislator' will techThe SAC will receive attention as well. Though nically sati fy that requirement. The legislator will supported by Altes, a proposition to form an erve as a parliamentarian and Sergeant at Arms Allocations Review Board comprised of Student who, according to Bowdish, will essentially keep Justices (part of the New College's government's ju order at Town Meetings and eject rabble-rousers if dicial branch) is, according to him, largely neces ary. unnecessary. He admits that it will clarify some Currently, he says, the Town Meetings are legthings such a a student's ability to question the de islative and to somehow elect every student (since cisions of the SAC, but favors alternative solution the meetings are open to all students) would be a such as social sanctions in the rare instances that "parliamentary nightmare." misallocations occur. CRC member Steve Scott would rather see the re.2.:416 E A ew Co ta reported the theft of a 2' X 4 New College banner from within Hamilton Center. The theft occurred sometime between 6:00AM and 7:30AM on Sat. the 18th. The banner and brass curtain rods it was hang ing from were valued at approx. $ 250.00. 10/15/03, 6:02 AM: A female was observed loi tering behind the Campus Post Office in an apparent attempt to engage in prostitution related activity. She was stopped a hort distance north of campus. After a routine check for wants or warrants, she was issued a written warning that future trespass on campus would result in her arrest. Follow-up will be con ducted to ascertain if the subject has been placed on any prostitution exclusion zone roster. 10/15/03, 1:38AM: A passerby notified an offi cer that there was a man and woman apparently arguing off campus on the roadside in the 8200 Blk of N. Tamiarni Trail (Manatee County). The officer responded to that location after notifying the Manatee County Sheriff's Office (MSO) of the com plaint. When the officer arrived the subjects were not arguing. They stated that there was no need for any police assistance and that they were on their way back to their hotel room. MSO was notified of the disposition. 10/14/03, 11:18 PM: Sarasota Police Department Communications requested that the Campus Police check the area of the Airport Shell Station reference a compliant of shots being frred. Campus police and SPD units were unable to locate any problem. 10/04/03, 11:50 AM: A New College student re ported that an unknown suspect had apparently taken the license plate from her vehicle sometime overnight while it was parked in front of the Dort Residence Hall. The tag was entered into the FCICINCIC Computer system as stolen. 091l8103 9cGO PM: A ew CoDe e (acul mem ber reported that an unknown suspect had thrown a bottle through a door window at the Heiser Natural Science Complex, causing approx. $ 200.00 damage. 09/28/03, 1:50AM: An officer observed a vehi cle as it drove down Twining and proceeded to drive on the grass around the Pei Dorms. When the vehicle finally stopped in the area of the 41 Overpass, inves tigation revealed that the nonaffiliated operator appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. The subject failed a field sobriety test, and was taken into custody and incarcerated in the Sarasota County jail for DUI. 09/22/03, 5:40 PM: A New College student re ported that sometime between the 17th and the 22nd an unknown suspect entered her vehicle and broke the latch on her glove box, causing approx. $ 50.00 damage. The vehicle was parked in the Sudakoff lot, and had no signs of forcible entry. Nothing was stolen. 09/04/03, 6:45 PM: During a surveillance of the Sudakoff lot, an officer observed four juveniles mo mentarily loitering in a suspicious manner in the same area of the lot that recent thefts had taken place. The juveniles proceeded across U.S. 41 into the Library lot. Officers conducted an investigative stop of the juveniles on the west side of the Library. Their account of their actions and reasons for being in the area were inconsistent and misleading. Two screw drivers and a kitchen knife were found under a bush approx. 1 0' -15' away from where the juveniles were detained. After a check for wants or warrants, the four were warned that future trespass would result in their arrest and they were escorted from campus. Investigation and coordination with other agencies continues concerning the possibility of pursuing criminal charges against the group.

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The Catalyst PERSPECTIVE LL Cool J for NCSA President A candidate truly in the New College style Michael Sanderson OPINION There comes a time when leader ship calls for a black man on a white horse. This Wednesday, write-in LL Cool J for NCSA president. In the mid-'90s, LL Cool J came closer to winning the NCSA presi dency than several actual students. These were the days of the political strength of the New College Student Alliance, when the stakes were so low that students could vote with total sincerity. Yet few remember those halcyon days, myself included, before the NCSA president started requiring real leadership. We owe this disturb ing change to Rachel Morris, who through 1999 and 2000 demonstrated that someone who rose above the pet tiness of student government president could be taken seriously by the admini tration the Foundation, and even the Florida legislature. The earlier, more innocent spirit lives on in the dozens of minor posi tions throughout the student government. Since independence in 2001, the responsibility of the presi dency and therefore the NCSA elections have grown beyond the sense of drift that characterized them. Seriousness and stridency, Candidates should propose Cabinets (Oct 29, Issue 7, Volume XVII) Before you are swayed to believe that a NCSA presidential candidate should announce their full cabinet during a campaign, please take a mo ment to consider the other side. First of all, many schools run on a President/ Vice President Ticket and appoint the rest of the cabinet. Here it would be hard to do that, since the Executive Vice President is not a mandated position and we have a Vice President of Student Affairs as well as a Vice President of Academic Affairs, which would mean a candi date would run with up to three Vice President's. In a school that is so small, it can bt: hard to find enough straight out of the 1999 movie Election, have increased in the past few years. With the stakes up, it's less in the New College tradition of anarchy to watch the heated argu ments of unpopular kids who always wanted to run for student council in high school, New College partygoers who crave legitimacy, attention-seek ers, and those whose motivations are inscrutable. The Catalyst contributed to this unfortunate decay of civility, myself included. This recommendation of LL Cool J should not be see as a re jection of all the other candidates. In the past, with the insistence on back ing the "best candidate" -of at least the most pleasant person, which is usually the same-we lost sight of the e'spirit d'New College. The endorsement of LL Cool J also seems to betray the previous Catalyst favorite, Mr. T. The New College elections presence of the star of The A-Team and 1-800-collect ads epitomizes a media-driven candidate, the journalists' darling lavished at tention irrespective of his actual following. A vote for LL Cool 1 will return the NCSA election to the spirit of ir reverence that New ColJege Student Alliance elections once stood for, which like Palm Court Parties, radi cal education, and everything else, were so much better back in the old days. Wednesday, boldly cast a vote in favor of New College tradition. students to be on a cabinet, simply because being on student govern ment takes up a lot of time and between New College academics, jobs and other clubs and organiza tions, being an executive cabinet member is a big commitment. Therefore, by forcing a presidential candidate to run with their cabinet, it would mean that all of the people on the losing candidates slate would be unable to be a part of the executive cabinet. Lawrence Bowdish, the present dedicatedFoundation Representative, would not have served just on my cabinet. He is a great executive cabi net member, and if he had been forced to choose a slate to run with, the school might have lost an impor-Editorial: Presidential election is not a laughing matter The deci ion of who will be the next President of the New College Student Alliance is the most influen tial choice we as a student body will make this year. As a student body, we have a responsibility to consider the decision carefully, and should take the time to make our voice herd by casting a vote on Wedne day. The NCSA President is no vale dictorian or prom king, but a student leader who, if effective, can guide student initiatives through proper channels to facilitate growth and im provement of the school from the bottom up. Besides our most impor tant voice to the New College Board of Trustees, the Florida Student Association, and State Legislators, the NCSA President chooses how to spend the more than $300,000 that comes directly from our pockets in the form of athletic and service fees. In the 2002-2003 school year alone, these fees added up to more than $530 per student. The President has enormous power over the form ernment during their tenure throU&fl the selection of an executive cabinet. (S)he appoints the Vice President of Student Affairs, whose responsibilities include scheduling and facilitat ing all Town Meetings, chairing the Council of Student Affairs. The president chooses the Vice President of Academic Affairs, who chairs the Council of Academic Affair and is responsible for allocating academic funds and representing students dur ing academic decisions. In addition, the President chooses an Archivist, a Representative to the New College Foundation, and a Representative to the New College Alumnae/i Association. Put together, this exec utive cabinet, if chosen and lead properly, can be the vehicle for an effective, useful, and responsive stu dent government. We should compare the candidates not by charisma or popularity. Who has best understanding of the duties, responsibilities, and enormous workload that the job entails? We should consider who we trust to do the job, not who we like. If nothing else, we should take our community responsibility seri-1 Speak Out! Catalyst@ncedu tant student government official. Another problem would be that a presidential candidate that lost would not be able to be a cabinet member. In the 2001 NCSA election presidential candidate Michelle Brown joined Andrew Hossack's cabinet to be VPSA after she lo t her presidential bid. Sometimes the best cabinet members are the ones run ning, because it is clear that they want to be involved and they care about the school. I feel we limit our selves and the executive cabinet if a candidate has to cement in stone who they will have on their cabinet before an election has been decided. I un derstand Mr. Savarese's point, but I just wanted to give light to another perspective. Max Tuchman Bo Bentele's Thesis ''As You Like It'' Go see It! This week.

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r by Jeff Huber A colorful children's garden opened this Halloween and kids were allowed to explore the maze, play in the tree fort, and participate in a cos tume contest. The garden constructed over the last nine months, is an exam ple of what can be achieved with lots of hard work. "I put so much into it. I've worked nine months, [for] fifty hours a week. The building used to be an engine repair s hop for thirty years. This lot used to be -Brazilian peppers manifolds bottles, p alm trees and debris. said Alum and g arden co-creator Dave Jernigan. Jernigan worked hard to tum the s pace into an exciting environment for children and others. "There was myself, the proprietor owner Joan Marie Condon, her two twin sons Roy and Ray Fulk and various hands off and on." The work paid off, turrung an o l d l ot i n to an u n iq ue gar d en It 's a real1y encouraging manifes tat i o n of h ar d work and a litt le vision," sai d J erni gan There are many objects throughout the garden, including a stone teepee decorated with glass, pink flamingos, and a bowling ball on a spring. An awning sports clocks, phones, a Barbie doll in a tea kettle,and a Gl Joe action figure leaping into a chicken shaped birdhouse, with a Sun God coming out of the top. "We tried to incorporate a many recovered or recycled objects as possi ble," Jernigan said. A lot of the THE LAST PAGE November 4, 2003 project yields Children's Garden decorations came from the Alley Cat Cafe, which Condon used to own. "For a11 intents and purpose it was an inspiration of my employer when she was a child, she just dreamed of having a garden," Jernigan mentioned. Entering the garden is like stepping into a land only found in a storybook. Throughout the maze, there are iron sculptures of aliens, monsters, spiders, and other creatures. Ray Fulk welded the sculptures and Roy Fulk did the masonry. "The maze is planted with various types of passion vine,'' Jernigan said. It has many exciting twists and dead ends and is a feature of the garden. Another point of attraction is the tree fort. which has a slide known as the "Turbo Tube." It is part of a larger play ground area that has a mountain of tires. a giant chessboard, and a Tiki hut. An herb and butterfly garden holds various plants and vegetables that Jernigan planted over the last nine months. "I like to put my hands in the oil, and I like to watch plants grow, and wa c h t em come o ut. n i them specific co n ditio ns, t h ey more than reci p ro c ate,'' Jernigan s a id. "It' s great kid s are going t o l ove i t," said transfer student Brian Tang. "When I first came here it was ju t tires, broken glass, junk, the soil was awful, and it's really changed so much since then and now it's an amazing place," said Matt Jones, a visitor at the children's garden. "It's a little mystical and magical getaway."