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NOVEMBER 27, 2019 VOLUME XXXIX ISSUE XI
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New College of Florida's student-run newspaper
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Transgender Day of Remembrance:
Students honor trans individuals who lost their lives BY SERGIO SALINAS On Wednesday Nov. 20, students on campus honored Transgender Day of Remembrance. Third-year resident advisor Jas Marie organized the event, distributing transgender flags and stickers for students to show their support. Along with members of the faculty and administration, students walked to the bayfront, where a vigil was held to remember those who lost their lives in 2019 as a result of violence against trans people. “Trans Day of Remembrance recognizes that there's still a lot of hate toward people who don't conform to gender norms,” Marie said. “We have to live with the constant fear that people won't accept us or worse yet, that people will kill us. Trans Day of Remembrance honors that fear and those losses.” Trans Day of Remembrance began in 1999. Gwendolyn Ann Smith
Sergio Salinas/Catalyst (Left to right) Thesis student Cabrini Austin, third-year Resident Advisor Jas Marie, and second-year Gwen Roberts hold up a flag to show their support.
a trans activist in San Francisco created the Remembering Our Dead project in 1998, to record the deaths of trans people in the U.S. The first Trans Day of Remembrance was celebrated in San Francisco and Boston in 1999 to honor those who lost their lives. Now, 20 years since the first Trans Day of Remembrance and
trans people are still being killed. The Remembering Our Dead projects lists 37 reported trans deaths in the period between Oct. 1, 2018 and Sept. 30, 2019. In 2019, there have been over 250 trans deaths across the world. In the U.S., the Human Rights Campaign has found that regionally the South has accounted for 58
percent of transgender killings since 2013. In 2019, there have been 22 reported trans killings. Ninety-one percent of these killings were Black women, 68 percent occurred in the South. Since 2013, 82 percent of trans violence has occurred in states with no hate crime laws protecting sexual orientation and gender identity. One such killing was that of Bee Love Slater, a Black trans woman in Clewiston, Fla. Slater was the 18th trans person killed in 2019. Given that Slater lived only 133 miles from New College, it can be hard to think about the dangerous reality LGBTQ+ people face in places where the expression of identity is not socially acceptable. Celebrating Trans Day of Remembrance on campus serves as a reminder that while progress has been and continues to be made, there is still a long way to go in atcontinued on p. 10
Cultivating queer community on campus through literature, art and performance at unCoverstories Hayley Vanstrum/Catalyst
BY HAYLEY VANSTRUM
https://doc-0k-18-docs. googleusercontent.com/ docs/securesc/s7jurnmk912se8sp3mgg3hd8llrh0uos/obdpo7fpcdn719 co01n4qb7t57rv346b/1 506448800000/0533393 9401667025082/025783 83506865688437/0B4ze ECbsUTILVjVXY25YUU 52ZUk?e=download
Saturday morning, Nov. 23, was bright, breezy and beautiful, the perfect fall weather for flipping through sketchbooks, chatting with friends and picking up some exciting new reading material at New College’s first ever LGBTQ+ book fair, unCoverstories. This ambitious event, which featured a wide variety of literature, poetry, art, zines, crafts and live performances by students and local artists, started out as a point of casual conversation regarding queer literature on campus between Queery Co-Presidents Freddie O’Brion and Emily Garcia and Pride Hall RA Sarah Lane during the Spring 2019 semester. “Sarah was always interested in
WHAT’S INSIDE
Event-planners covered the Nook in book pages, giving the space a cute, crafty feel.
the concept of a book swap activity and I was especially passionate about bringing authors and artists to campus,” O’Brion said. “As we started planning the event formally, Sarah had the idea of reaching out to Jamie
because including a writing component seemed like a natural fit for the event.” Writing LLC RA Jamie Christos was happy to help the trio plan the event, knowing that unCoverstories
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Hometown Reflections
Holly Binns
would be a great opportunity to encourage students to actively participate in the world of queer literature while also making more intentional connections with their peers. “I think that ‘community’ goes far deeper than sharing a commonality with others,” Christos said. “Community arises out of a shared need, and a mutualistic ability to meet that need. So I think that the book fair, in centering and promoting queer art and experience, plays an important part in cultivating and strengthening the queer community on campus.” Lane echoed similar sentiments, affirming that unCoverstories was less about queer visibility on campus and more about encouraging continued on p. 6
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BRIEFS
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2019 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst
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BRIEFS BY ERIN NIEHAUS
Moving through the semester: Dance on Campus displays collaborative student performances A semester’s long project paid off; Dance on Campus displayed student talent in the Black Box Theater on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 and Sunday, Nov. 24 at 2:00 p.m. Professor of Theatre and Performance Studies Diego Villada and professional dancer Leymis Wilmott are the masterminds that put this production together. Students in the Dance on Campus take classes in jazz and contemporary, as taught by Wilmott. The finished result demonstrates both of these styles. The dance courses offered at New College are not always represented in the show, however. Villada and Wilmott offer dance opportunities in a variety of disciplines: jazz, ballet, and contemporary are just a few examples. The fall 2019 semester was the start of theater, dance and
performance studies (TDPS) curriculum. “TDPS offers students the opportunity to graduate with a degree from New College with an area of concentration that is a generalist education having taken classes and participated in performance classes of all types,” Villada said. Students can participate in dance classes for their AOC or as part of their NCF experience without being in TDPS. Villada suggests that anybody with a general interest in music should not be afraid to explore the options available. “Whether you have tons of experience or have never taken a single class in your life, we have something for everyone,” Villada said.
Photo courtesy of Performance at New College of Florida Wilmott (center) poses with a few of the students on the night of performance.
Chamber Music Tutorial enables students to continue playing instruments in an organized setting Before New College, some students came from high schools with a higher population and developed arts programs. Without a defined music performance program, thesis student Mairead Howley decided to start a Chamber Music Tutorial in her first year, with a couple of other equally-interested students. The tutorial is now a mod-credit full-length course taught by Sarasota Orchestra Violist Nathan Frantz. “It’s just like any other tutorial proposition,” said Mairead. “It was me and a couple other first years who were also interested in chamber mu-
sic. We contacted Mary Beth Clark, one of the music professors here, and she was like ‘this is a great idea!’” After a couple months of working closely with Clark, the small group of students were able to find their current coach, Frantz. The tutorial soon blossomed into a class that students can take toward a musicrelated AOC. New College only has a handful of performance-based music courses offered including this one. “We actually don’t offer a lot of music performance opportunities here,” Mairead said. “We have a lot of composition based classes, like mu-
sic theory or music history. Whereas Chamber Music is for students who want to keep performing.” For an entire semester, students in this course will master their assigned piece through weekly meetings and consistent practicing outside of class. Their hard work pays off with the end performance. This course welcomes any student with prior instrumental experience. It is not exclusive to the traditional string-quartet ensemble. Chamber Music has incorporated the sound of pianos, trumpets, french horns and several other “uncom-
mon” instruments. “There are people who have been playing their entire life, like me, and there are people who started in highschool,” Mairead said. “Each group is generally grouped by ability, so everybody has room to improve their performance.” Chamber Music will display their talent on Monday, Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m. during their end of term performance led by Frantz. Students are welcome to attend the show for free in the Sainer Auditorium.
Adding art to academia at Caples Fine Arts Complex New College values both excellent academic work and the arts. Students on campus can receive detailed preparation through art courses to pursue professional art careers. Both introductory and upper-level studios classes are offered as an opportunity for serious or ameatur artists. Third-year Abbie Wagner works
as a teaching assistant (TA) in the sculpture lab. Wagner noted that students have to buy their own materials for specific projects, but “the studio has a lot of excess wood and metal that can be used for projects.” Wagner’s area of concentration is economics with a slash in art, which she did not expect focusing on
"I just wanna like, call my mom, ya know?!" © 2019 the Catalyst. All rights reserved. The Catalyst is available online at www.ncfcatalyst.com, facebook.com/NCFcatalyst instagram.com/NCFcatalyst twitter.com/ncfcatalyst The Catalyst is an academic tutorial sponsored by Professor Maria D. Vesperi. It is developed in the New College Publications Lab using Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign and printed at Sun Coast Press with funds provided by the New College Division of Social Sciences.
before going into college. “When I first enrolled at NCF I wasn’t intending to pursue art at all, but I took a sculpture class my first year and just haven’t been able to stop taking art classes,” Wagner said. Wagner has been an artist since she was younger. Although she does not want to pursue a career in art,
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she would like to keep making art for the rest of her life. “My plans for the future are to continue in the path of economics,” Wagner said. “However, if there's any way I could also pursue art on the side, or at least continue welding— this is my main sculpture medium— that would be great.” Direct submissions, letters, announcements and inquiries to: The Catalyst 5800 Bay Shore Road Sarasota, Florida 34243 catalyst@ncf.edu The Catalyst reserves the right to edit all submissions for grammar, space and style. No anonymous submissions will be accepted. Submissions must be received by 12:00 p.m. Friday for consideration in the next issue.
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NEWS PAGE 3
Anna Lidia Vega Serova discusses her life and creative work in the context of contemporary Cuba BY ADRIANA GAVILANES On Nov. 21, Anna Lidia Vega Serova a Cuban fiction writer, poet and visual artist talked about her creative work in the context of contemporary Cuba at the Jane Cook Bancroft Library. The talk was titled “Vengo a ofrecer mi corazón” translating to “I am coming to offer you my heart” in English. Serova participated in an open discussion for students, part of the ‘Nabokov’s Early Novels: Resident and Stranger’ class taught by Professor of Russian Language and Literature Tetyana Dzyadevych. Serova participated in another discussion about her experience with writing and historical and contemporary Cuban issues for students attending upper-level Spanish classes taught by Professor of Spanish Language and Literature Sonia Labrador-Rodriguez. In 1968, Serova was born in Leningrad, a major city in the Soviet Union, to a Cuban father and a Russian and Ukrainian mother. Soon after birth, she returned to Cuba with her parents, residing there until her parents divorced at the age of 9. In her mother’s custody, Serova lived in different parts of the Soviet Union until she was 21 years old. At that time she decided to visit her father and family in Cuba.
Adriana Gavilanes/Catalyst
Professor Portugal, left, translates while Anna Lidia Vega Serova, right, presents.
“I fell in love with the climate, the people, the music, everything,” Serova said in a translated interview. “I never thought I would stay indefinitely, but I kept saying I wanted to stay for more time and now I’m still living there today.” When Serova returned to Cuba she had almost completely forgotten Spanish and was writing in Russian. She participated in contests hosted by academic institutions and won a few titles. Serova credits the rise in popularity of her literature to her experimental syntax with an unusual combination of Spanish and Russian with circumstances of the time. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Cuba entered a phase called ‘el período especial en tiempos de paz’ or ‘the special period in
times of peace’. In a time with very little food, no oil, no electricity, no transport; the way of life impacted the culture in Cuba, especially in literature. When Serova started writing there a rising interest in short stories rather than in novels or longer narratives. In order to save paper and ink, producing short story anthologies became more prevalent in Cuba. This way literature could display a larger variety of the works of many authors in one collection. “As a writer of short stories,” Serova said. “I was very fortunate to enter the field at the time when there was an interest in short stories. I never thought I was going to be a writer; I studied Fine Arts. I was a painter and I thought I was going to continue being a painter for the rest
of my life.” At the talk Serova gave about her creative work in the context of contemporary Cuba, there were a few Russian students and Professor of Russian Language and Literature Alina Wyman. There were a few times during the presentation where Wyman translated the questions asked by Russian students and answers from Serova from Russian to English for the audience. Serova identifies as 100 percent a Cuban writer yet visited the ‘Nabokov’s Early Novels: Resident and Stranger’ Russian literature class. During the class visit, Russian students explored more about Serova’s story and discussed the short story which the class had translated from English to Russian. Thesis student Miles Newmyer in the Russian literature course explained the perspective Serova added to the understanding of her prose which they translated. “There is always ambiguity when you read something,” Newmyer said. “The shorter the piece is, especially in literature, you just walk away with more questions, [however] the story was semi-autobiographical.” Serova emphasized that she likes to leave the interpretation of her short stories up to the audience continued on p. 11
Sarasota adopts new growth initiatives BY SOFIA LOMBARDI For decades, American cities have been struggling with the upkeep of infrastructure, affordable housing and heightened traffic levels. The city of Sarasota is fighting back against these issues with two strong-armed initiatives and working to fundamentally alter the roots of its worst problems. Sarasota in Motion is a citywide master transportation plan launched in Spring 2019. Sarasota in Motion is designed to feed off of input from local residents and function as a playbook for how the city will continue to invest in transportation infrastructure. The plan is currently in phase two of four of its development and is asking for constant virtual feedback from residents throughout the process. “It’s important that we hear from as many residents and visitors as possible as we formulate a holistic transportation plan for the city, how people get around and improvements that can be made,” Planning Director Steve Cover said in an interview with Sarasota magazine. “At the end of this process, we’ll be prioritiz-
ing projects and recommendations that will shape what transportation and mobility in Sarasota will look like over the next 25 years.” Traffic congestion is especially problematic for people who drive back and forth from their jobs. “It’s not only keeping more people in Sarasota, it’s providing that you can live closer to where you work, so you’re not in the car as much,” Vice Mayor Shellie Freeland Eddie said in an interview with the Catalyst. “We are not a Boston or Atlanta and we don’t have a metro or subway and we don’t have a large public transportation rideshare program. We’ll never be that city, but we can take interim steps to reduce the congestion.” Another significant issue facing the city of Sarasota is the lack of affordable housing within city limits. Affordable housing, by federal definition, is defined as housing that costs less than 30 percent of a household’s income. Forty-two percent of households in Sarasota County spend more than a third of their income on housing. For the past three decades, the Florida Legislature has reallocated more than $2 billion dollars away
from a trust fund dedicated to affordable housing. With this and an emphasis on single family housing development required by the city and county’s zoning code, developers face a unique challenge in their work to combat growing housing insecurity and gentrification. New buildings are catered to wealthy retirees, as they make up a significant portion of the area and can more than afford it. Thirty-five percent of Sarasota residents are over the age of 65, and over half of these residents can and have paid for their residences in cash. However, another sector of Sarasota’s population is being forgotten: service workers. Many retirees rely on the service sector to go about their daily lives. However, due to lower salaries, these workers—who include food prep workers, retail salespeople, and nurses—are forced to live outside the city. This predicament further contributes to higher prices for real estate within the city and growing traffic congestion due to longer daily commutes. Recently, the Sarasota City Commission has received $1 million from the county and has allocated
$1.5 million of their own money to the local affordable housing trust fund. They are currently working to combat the crisis through lowering the barrier to entry for developers and providing incentives to compensate for difficult requirements of the past. In the future, “they can as a developer in turn offer a more affordable rental price or a more affordable purchase price,” Freeland Eddie said. “Our communities are just spread out by design. So we’re doing the best we can to keep people out of their cars as much as possible by making it more affordable to work closer to where they live.” Both Sarasota in Motion and several ongoing initiatives to combat the growing affordable housing crisis are critical to the city’s continued growth. A decade from now, Sarasota, perhaps characterized by an abundance of public transportation, minor traffic and affordable housing options, may look quite different from the city known today. Information for this article was gathered from Sarasota Magazine.
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NEWS PAGE 4
Public impeachment hearings come to an end, political process continues BY IZAYA GARRET MILES Impeachment has not been a common procedure throughout American history. There have only been two articles of impeachment filed against presidents in American history, one against Andrew Johnson and one against Bill Clinton. Richard Nixon resigned before his could be voted on in the House of Representatives. There has never been a President whose impeachment led him to be removed from office, though Johnson was saved by a single vote. However, Donald Trump is likely to receive the unwanted distinction of being the first President this century to be impeached, a prospect that would lead to the utter befuddlement of every political forecaster for 2020. The case against Trump centers around his actions toward the Ukranian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Congress had authorized military aid to Ukraine, which is constantly under threat from its border with Russia. The White House withheld said aid, though when Congress be-
gan to investigate the withholding in September 2018, it released the aid as required. However, a released transcript of a July 25 called between Trump and Zelenskiy have sparked an investigation into how the aid was withheld. Throughout November, the House has called witness from the White House and State Department to reconstruct the circumstances behind the withholding. According to Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland and former Special Envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker, Trump has made it clear that diplomatic relations with Ukraine were contingent on the requirements set by Trump’s person attorney, former mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani sought to make the aid contingent on Zelenskiy’s government issuing an announcement that they were reopening an investigation into Burisma, a Ukranian energy company. Sondland claimed that Giuliani did not even necessitate that an actual investigation be performed, only that an investigation was announced.
Burisma was likely in the crosshairs of the White House due to Hunter Biden, son of former Vice President Joe Biden, being on its board of directors. Hunter joined Burisma in early 2016, shortly after being discharged from the Navy due to testing positive for cocaine use. Hunter, despite having no experience in the energy industry, was given a position on the board of directors, where he was collecting over $50,000 a month. Coinciding with this is then Vice President Biden pressuring the Ukrainian government into firing the prosecutor Viktor Shokin, which Giuliani has claimed was done to protect Burisma from legal scrutiny. Biden, and other members of the Obama White House, claim this was done in line with preexisting White House policy. Additionally, the transcript of the call between Trump and Zelensky shows that Trump wanted Zelensky to look into Crowdstrike and “the server.” This is in reference to a theory that Crowdstrike, the company that announced the Russians
had hacked the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) emails during the 2016 election, was actually covering for the pro-Clinton Ukranian government’s interference in the election, which they then framed on Russia. There has been no evidence to support this theory. The last public hearing occurred on Nov. 21, and the House has a few options on how to proceed. If the House Intelligence Committee schedules no more hearings, it will pass its findings to the House Judiciary Committee, which may hold more hearings or draft articles of impeachment outright, which would then be voted on the floor. The Senate is expected to then hold a trial, which may be an issue for the Democratic Senators in the primary, who would otherwise be out on the campaign trail. Impeachment of the President, according to the Constitution, should be done in cases of “Treason, continued on p. 11
Southeast Asia faces deforestation at alarming rates BY VIANEY JARAMILLO Deforestation has persisted for over 40 years in Southeast Asia. About 50 percent of the region's original forest cover has been lost and it is projected that some of the primary rainforests will be lost as well by 2022. This alarming rate of deforestation is the highest among all major tropical regions in the world that contain some of the richest biodiverse ecosystems. Eleven countries constitute Southeast Asia and of them Indonesia is highest in deforestation followed by Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. Some of the main causes of deforestation in Southeast Asia include an increasing human population, illegal logging, extraction of timber and agriculture. The region is known for being one of the primary sources of timber and agriculture of palm oil to meet the global need for it. Timber is used for various lumber products such as furniture and energy fuel. Palm oil, 80 percent of which comes from Indonesia, is used in numerous foods such as Nutella, bread, chocolate and plantain chips. Since Southeast Asia is a primary source for the global need of timber and palm oil, an increasing human population puts severe pressure on the area’s biodiversity. “[Based on projections] 98 percent of primary forests in Indonesia and Malaysia will be gone by 2022,”
third-year Daniel Duprez said. Duprez recently presented about deforestation in Southeast Asia for an Introduction to Environmental Studies course, and according to his research, the peatland present in parts of the region is what makes deforestation for agriculture so appealing. “Peat [or peatland], it’s like degradable biomass but it’s a really great and cheap way to fertilize a bunch of plants,” Duprez said. “So what happens is they burn all this peat to make fertilizer that is great for palm oil plantations, and palm oil plantations are terrible.” Palm oil plantations are environmentally detrimental because of significant amounts of biodiversity lost which cause habitats with undiscovered species to go unacknowledged, especially since 20 percent of rainforests in South Asia are among the highest in biodiversity in the world. Also plantations release large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change. In fact, nearly 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions come from deforestation and forest degradation. “The time that I researched it and the reason why I did was because [there was an incident where] all of the smoke [from palm oil plantations] moved across Southeast Asia and completely covered Singapore and I wanted to see what their po-
litical response was and they literally had to go into a state of emergency because [with so much smog] pregnant women and elderly were in severe danger.,” Duprez said. Duprez’s prior research involved the political implications of deforestation, and in an incident where smoke from a plantation in Indonesia reached Singapore he realized that no political action was taken from Singapore because they view Indonesia as a new market that Singapore is unlikely to compete with. This plays a role in the lack of initiative needed to reduce deforestation since the profits Indonesia gains off of palm oil plantations cause surrounding countries to put up with its harmful effects. Indonesia holds one of the largest carbon sinks in the world, concerns about palm oil plantations releasing the carbon arise. Carbon sinks are natural reservoirs that hold or store carbon. However, when the carbon is released from these storages more is added to the carbon cycle which causes global warming. It is important to leave carbon sinks alone because they help store excess carbon from the atmosphere and currently the atmosphere has too much of it. “It’s scary to imagine what all is going to be released into the air,” Duprez said, “Even thinking about all of the animals and plants that will go extinct because that’s their habitat.”
Solutions to reduce deforestation are difficult to implement because of corrupt governments, but politicians are trying to create restrictions on the use of land for deforestation in Southeast Asia, especially Indonesia. Currently, the government in Indonesia gets away with creating more palm oil plantations by allowing the use of degraded land that has undergone illegal logging and forest fires. However, restrictions would specify the conditions in which degraded land has to be in for the use of agriculture. “These massive multinational corporations are in there blaming [forest fires] on small farmers and since there’s no accountability there, there’s no way for them to know if it is just a farmer burning some of the small peatland or a multinational corporation setting fires just like in the brush,” Duprez said. Although corruption is a major obstacle, Professor of Political Science and Environmental Studies Frank Alcock believes a way to combat this is through the use of financial rewards and impediments known as “carrots” and “sticks.” “Carrots,” include financial rewards such as the payment for environmental services (PES) which offers landowners positive incentives such as conditional cash transfers to avoid and reduce deforestation. On the other hand continued on p. 11
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Kat Grimmett/Catalyst
The Activist Newsletter Throughout this week (11/27–12/4), activists have the opportunity to participate in group discussions, panels and donation events. Read on if you want to get involved in the community regarding activist journalism, feminism and LGBTQ+ support.
BY HAYLEY VANSTRUM Thursday, Nov. 28 10th Annual ALSO Youth Turkey Trot @ 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. Hyatt Regency Sarasota 100 Blvd of the Arts, Sarasota FL
to make a difference. Seidman will answer questions regarding environmental journalism, the opportunities within this field and the obstacles writers may face. This event is free and open to the public.
Start Thanksgiving morning with a scenic 5k run or walk over the John Ringling Bridge for ALSO Youth’s 10th Annual Turkey Trot. All proceeds of this event will benefit ALSO Youth, a local nonprofit that supports, educates and uplifts LGBTQ+ youth in the Sarasota area. Registration, which includes breakfast, is $40, but ALSO Youth will be offering a half-price registration fee for those under 14-years-old. This event is open to the public.
Tuesday, Dec. 3 The Divine Feminine in Religions Past and Present @ 6:30 – 8 p.m. Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center - 525 Kumquat Ct, Sarasota FL
Sunday, Dec. 1 First Sunday Monthly Dog Wash at PAW @ 12:30 – 5 p.m. Pinellas Ale Works Brewery 1962 1st Ave S, St. Petersburg FL Pamper your pup and enjoy some locally made beverages at Pinellas Ale Works’ First Sunday Monthly Dog Wash event. Dog baths are $10 and nail trims are $5, with all proceeds going to Friends of Strays Animal Shelter, a St. Petersburg-based organization dedicated to giving homeless animals a second chance at life. This event is open to the public. Tuesday, Dec. 3 Conversation with Carrie Seidman @ 6 – 7:30 p.m Second Floor Conference Room Selby Library - 1331 1st St, Sarasota FL Meet up with members of Sarasota Climate Change Meetup along with Sarasota Herald Tribune columnist Carrie Seidman for a discussion regarding news coverage of climate change and what local newspapers can do
Join local speaker Mitsi Ito for the continuation of Fogartyville’s The Divine Feminine: Coming into Balance, a six-week series of presentations, talks and exhibits regarding the concept of feminine energy and its unique traits. This event will be a panel discussion centering the presence of the feminine in both ancient and modern religions, and will continue the theme of bringing the importance of feminine energy to light. This event is free and open to the public. Wednesday, Dec. 4 SRQ Homes and Events Toy Drive @ 5:30 – 9 p.m. Evie’s Tavern and Grill - 1560 Main Street, Sarasota FL Support families in need this holiday season through donating toys and essentials during SRQ Homes and Events’ Seventh Annual Toy Drive. This year, SRQ Homes and Events will be collecting for Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center (SPARCC), an organization that provides support and services to those affected by domestic and sexual violence, along with four other local organizations benefiting mothers and children in the Sarasota area. Visit SRQ Homes and Events website or Facebook page for a full list of items in need. This event includes a free food and drink voucher upon donation and is open to the public.
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Local college students gather to learn about food insecurity BY SIERRA LAICO On Nov. 21, Ringling College of Art and Design (RCAD) and New College students gathered to learn about a problem that is familiar to over 40 million Americans: food insecurity. Oxfam America Hunger Banquet events allow organizers and participants to experience firsthand how individuals’ financial decisions affect others in the world. At these events, guests assigning them at random to either a high, middle, or low-income tier based on the latest statistics about the number of people living in poverty on a global scale. Each chosen level of income receives a corresponding meal: the 15 percent in the high-income tier are served an extravagant meal, the 35 percent in the middle-income section eat a simple meal of rice and beans, and the 50 percent in the low-income tier are given small portions of unseasoned rice and water. The tickets also give each participant a name, explaining where the character is from and what their current situation is. New College has become increasingly involved in combating the issue of food insecurity and houselessness, especially in Sarasota. Vista Volunteer Coordinator Sarah Lapton oversees events and opportunities for students to get involved in alleviating or better understanding the issue of food insecurity, especially among college students. Lapton helps run the New College food pantry and also was the New College sponsor of the Oxfam America Hunger Banquet. Lapton hopes that students will find a better understanding of food insecurity on a global scale. “I am hoping the students will walk out with a better understanding of what is going on in Sarasota and around the world with poverty and food insecurity,” Lapton said. “These two things are a huge set-back for families and some of our students may even be struggling with this." Participants in the high-income tier ate nutritious meals of pasta and salad at nicely decorated tables in a well-lit seating area. Participants in the middle-income tier sat at a communal table in a less-appealing area and were served seasoned rice and beans. Participants in the low-income tier sat on tarps in the grass, being forced to go up to a “bartering table,” exchanging their personal items for the duration of the event for simple items like plates and spoons to eat their meal of rice with. A big bowl of rice laid in the middle of the tarps, where participants would come and
serve themselves. As participants ate their meals, guest speaker Kameron Hodgens, CEO and executive director of the Glasser/Schoenbaum Human Services Center, equipped with graphs and alarming statistics informed participants about poverty in Sarasota. Hodgens taught participants about asset limited, income constrained, employed families (ALICE). “[The number of] Food insecure children in Sarasota county is 11,360,” Hodgens said. “Fifty-one percent—this number blows my daughters’ minds—51 percent of the students in Sarasota public schools earn free and reduced lunch.” Hodgens broke down her statistics by demographics, stating that single, female-headed households are impacted the most in the ALICE community, and that, in particular, the rural areas of Florida are home to many ALICE families. She wrapped up by saying that the number of people struggling in poverty has decreased over the past few years, but the number of people above ALICE has also decreased, and people affected by systemic inequalities such as single parent households, households under 25 years old, Hispanic and Black households all have fewer people above the ALICE threshold compared to their counterparts. Why is this happening, and why is this happening in Florida?” Hodgens said. “There are three main reasons: underemployment remains high, so not that people aren’t employed they’re just underemployed for what their skill-sets are. Lowwage jobs: Florida’s wages have not kept up with other parts of the country so those low-wage jobs continue to dominate the landscape. And then the rural areas are impacted harder.” The banquet ended with a group reflection, in which everyone sat around in a circle in the low-income tier section. Event coordinators asked participants to describe their experiences and to share what they may have learned. Hodgens gave participants the chance to communicate about what can be done to help address those suffering from food insecurity. Hodgens remains hopeful that the community can join together to help aid food insecurity: “There are some really cool grassroots efforts in our state to help families transition off of benefits for the betterment of their entire family.” Information for this article was gathered from oxfamamerica.org.
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Art by Katie Thomas
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 BY HAYLEY VANSTRUM and supporting meaningful relations between queer New College students. “I think that visibility is important, but I think the emphasis here is more on connection and representation,” Lane said. “We want queer students and artists to feel empowered and we wanted to create a space for them.” O’Brion, Garcia, Lane and Christos, joined by Queery Vice President Sierra Lamb, the New College Student Alliance (NSCA) archives and TParty, undeniably succeeded in their efforts to bring a positive and impactful queer space to campus with unCoverstories. The fair itself, made up of a large procession of local and student vendors, brought students out of their dorms and into the artfully decorated Nook to speak with members of queer-focused clubs and organizations, sample different genres of queer literature and shop for hand-crafted wares. Recent New College graduate Jackie Lebouitz (‘19), who sets up shop under the name ‘illudens,’ definitely provided in terms of unique handmade items with her collection of one of a kind copper jewelry and pillows. “[For pillows] I make an original design on paper and then trace over it onto unbleached muslin fabric,” Lebouitz explained. “From there, I have a whole bunch of powdered pigments I’ll use. I’ll make up some dyes and it’s like probably a two day process to make a batch of pillows but it’s so much fun and you get such interesting colors from the powdered pigments. They don’t blend up like liquid dyes do, so you get all these little surprise pinks and blues and things when you were just expecting a gold, so I love that, it’s been a lot of fun.” Third-year Katie Thomas, who showcased several of their eye-catching original paintings at the fair, also enjoys the process of incorporating color in their work, which they accomplish through the use of bold acrylic and watercolor paints. “I really like doing abstract work
and focusing a lot on color and the quality of the paints,” Thomas said. “I guess I’m inspired by forms and the absence of forms. I know that sounds pretentious, but I just really like color and watercolor is fun to paint with.” Lindsay Scali, a local artist who enjoys incorporating crafty elements such as felt, stickers and tape into her glitter-infused, collage-like work, takes a very different approach to her art, which is often inspired by memories and experiences from her personal life. “I use a lot of specific life events, like this piece right here I got really mad at playing bingo because everyone else was having fun and I was mad at everyone for having fun while I was pissed,” Scali explained. “[My work is] all very childlike to remind you that it’s not all that serious and you don’t have to grow up. The childlike mind is so innocent and pure and it’s like, why can’t we all just be like that?” While unCoverstories featured the works of many talented visual artists, the event remained a book fair at heart. Several local groups, including Rebel Hearts Publishing and Shelf Indulgence, presented impressive displays of queer-centric zines and books for event-goers to look through and purchase. Bluebird Books, a travelling library, brought their book-filled bus right up to the green, allowing event-goers to step inside and browse the collective’s current, cultivated stock. Mitzi Gordon, artist, writer and founder of Bluebird Books, describes the mobile library as a “travelling book culture project” that takes the books to the people rather than making the people come to the books. “We travel to different spaces, mostly within the Tampa Bay area and share tangible, handheld book culture in as many ways as we possibly can,” Gordon said. “We have an exchange library where people can take books and we bring activities like zine making and bookmark making and typewriters [to events] so people can get hands on with reading and writing in as many creative ways as possible.” Bluebird Books’ zine making
LGBTQ+ BOOK FAIR workshop, led by local artist and zine maker Emily Stone, was one of several opportunities for event-goers to get hands on experience with literature at unCoverstories. Lamb set up a blackout poetry station, where crafters could tear out pages from old copies of Twilight books and make their own meaning from the iconic novels, while Lane led a snack-filled gay book club meeting for those who wanted to share their current favorite reads and collaborate on a queer book reccomendation list. Christos, who spent time prior to the event collecting recommendations from websites, friends, faculty and staff, stressed the importance of getting fellow students to contribute to this list, which will be distributed to the student body upon completion. “[Sarah, Freddie and Emily] saw this as an opportunity to cultivate a sense of community within the LGBTQ+ student body by creating a space that is as much theirs as it is ours,” Christos said. “So we’re providing our personal book recommendations, but we’re also encouraging students to contribute their own favorites to a collaborative book recommendation list, and I really appreciate that. Not only are we sharing our love for queer literature with the New College community, but we want New to share their love for queer lit with us, too!” In addition to the vendors, book club and crafting events, unCoverstories also provided a venue for stu-
dents to make their voices heard during an open mic hour. While some event-goers had fun with dramatic karaoke renditions of Spongebob songs, others used the open mic as an opportunity to present their own original works. Performers, including Beca Hadwen and Clayton Bauldree, shared moving poetry and stories about their own personal lives and queer identities. “A big reason we decided to do an open-mic is because it creates a space for students to express their queer experience through writing and become part of the work that they want to see,” Christos said. “There’s something really inspiring about people speaking the words that they’ve written on paper.” Although all of the planning and preparing for unCoverstories only just wrapped up with the conclusion of the event on Saturday afternoon, O’Brion already has plans in action for the next big queer events on campus this upcoming semester. “Queery is involved with a variety of unique events,” O’Brion said. “We are looking forward to the hairshaving event we're hosting on December 5th and there will be plenty of events in the spring.” To be the first to know when events similar to unCoverstories pop up in the future, be sure to sign up for Queery’s email list through O’Brion, Garcia or Lamb and keep up to date on the Catalyst’s weekly column, the Activist Newsletter.
All photos Hayley Vanstrum/Catalyst Hadwen delivers a powerful slam poetry performance to a rapt audience.
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Local used book cafe Shelf Indulgence's "Blind Date with a Book" encourages readers to take a chance on a random novel based on a short description and nothing else.
Event-goers make their rounds through the circle of diverse vendors.
Thesis student Amaranth Sander fatefully opens The Bell Jar to the exact passage that inspired their fig tattoo while exploring the Bluebird Books bus.
Tiny Rain Bows is a Florida-based artist collective, currently made up of Jackson Cardarelli and Mia Hollenback.
Rebel Hearts Publishing is a small, Tampa-based independent press, specializing in radical books and zines.
Stone's zine making workshop taught event-goers how to create their own 6-page zines out of any type of paper.
"I really like to try to find inspiration from nature," Lebouitz said. "I know that’s kind of a thing that a lot of people do but nature is great, we love it."
Scali perfectly matched her colorful display of prints and flags.
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Student perspectives on going home for the holidays BY CLAIRE NEWBERG Students are neck-deep in finals, which leaves many of them fantasizing about returning home for the holidays. Returning home conjures up childhood memories of family get-togethers, making the holiday season one filled with nostalgia. The Catalyst talked to a few students about their holiday plans as they prepare to return to their hometowns. Third-year Marena Long is from Telford, Tennessee. Telford is a relatively small town, with a population of approximately 600 people. Long lives on a farm with her family and her grandparents are her neighbors. “For Thanksgiving, my friend and I run a race in Johnson City called the ‘Turkey Trot’ and it’s a 5K,” Long said. “We run three miles in the cold and we get a little medal and a t-shirt.” Preparing the food for Thanksgiving was a family affair for Long. “We weren’t allowed to eat a huge breakfast or lunch because of all the food we would eat at dinner,” Long said. “We do the whole turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce shabang. If there’s not pumpkin pie, then people would riot.” Music plays a significant role as well in Long’s family celebrations. “My mom plays songs on the piano and I have cousins that are pretty good at the guitar and can sing, so we all sit and listen to them,” Long said. “It’s always really country Christmas music, but I’d say music is a [big part
of Christmas] for us.” Third-year Annabelle Wilson grew up in the small town of Dade City, which is just north of Tampa. “I was born in Tampa, but I moved to Dade City in kindergarten,” Wilson said. “We moved into a small house that was supposed to be temporary, but it’s the same house that we live in fourteen years later.” Wilson described her neighborhood as very close-knit, explaining that she knows all her neighbors well after fourteen years. “I’ve always been called a ‘city girl’ by my friends because my road is paved,” Wilson said. “I live really close to one of the few stoplights in town, so I’m the city girl. All of my friends live in the backwoods and on farms with dirt roads. It was sort of special that I was able to have neighbors near me when all of my friends lived acres apart.” Wilson spoke fondly of holidays. Her family usually travels to her grandparents’ house for Thanksgiving and to Nashville, Tennessee for Christmas and New Years Day. “For Christmas, we skedaddle,” Wilson said. “We do not stay and I’m really glad about that because I hate warm Christmases. We wake up really early and do a small family Christmas with just my immediate family and then we go to my grandma’s house. She is our only relative in Dade City so we eat brunch with her. From there, we go to the airport and head to Nashville.” Wilson described downtown Dade City’s elaborate Christmas dec-
Photo courtesy of Marena Long
orations. The town hangs lights and the stores are adorned with decorations. “The major event is Church Street Christmas,” Wilson said. “On the weekend before Christmas, people go all out and all the houses on that street decorate to the max. People set up hot chocolate stands and there are church choir performances.” Third-year Omar Guerrero grew up in Santo Domingo, the capital city of the Dominican Republic. “[My childhood] was pretty good,” Guerrero said. “I used to go to the countryside a lot because my family has a farm in the south. I used to spend a lot of time there eating mangos and things like that.” Guerrero also spent a couple years living with his father in Miami during elementary school. “We lived in Doral, which is a suburban area of Miami,” Guerrero said. “It was way different than Santo Domingo. I played outside a lot and rode my bike all over Doral and I went trick-or-treating for the first time in Doral, which was so fun.” This year, Guerrero is planning on going to Miami for Thanksgiving, where his sisters will travel from Santo Domingo to spend the holiday with their father. “[Thanksgiving] wasn’t really a big deal growing up, but as I’ve gotten older my mom has started doing Thanksgiving dinners,” Guerrero said. “I have to give a speech every year and say prayers sometimes.” This will be one of the first
Thanksgivings that Guerrero will not spend in Santo Domingo. Guerrero plans on going back to Santo Domingo for Christmas break. “I really like [Christmas in the Dominican Republic],” Guerrero said. “I used to go to my grandfather’s house and we had the whole family there. My grandfather had a really big house, which was cool for us because I always lived in a city apartment. We got to play on the patio and go upstairs and run around.” Guerrero has not had as many chances to be with his family as he has gotten older, as he is in Sarasota, his father is in Miami, his mother is in Santo Domingo and his sister is studying in Spain. Holidays provide a time where the members of his family are able to come together. “It’s just nice being with family,” Guerrero said. “That’s something that I haven’t really gotten to do since I’ve become older because my family is spread out. We eat a lot, too. We have the standard Christmas foods, except with rice and beans.” Guerrero spoke about the differences between Santo Domingo and Sarasota. “When I’m here in Sarasota, I don’t really celebrate Christmas,” Guerrero said. “People here aren’t very Christmas-y. I feel that in order for me to have Christmas, I need to go home. When I go home, I’m with my family and my friends from high school, so it’s very different.”
Photo courtesy of Annabelle Wilson
Long and a friend run the Turkey Trot 5k every year in Johnson City, Tennessee.
Wilson was born in Tampa, Florida and then moved to Dade City at the age of five. Photo courtesy of Omar Guerrero
Guerrero and his grandfathers enjoy each other's company during a Christmas family get-together.
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A queen has risen: the story of Holly Binns BY KALI-RAY SKINNER “Five, six, seven, hit it.” Miss Lola Davenport appears from behind a curtain. “It’s About Time for a Miracle” by Beverly Crawford starts to play as Davenport struts with her hands on her hips and sass on her lips towards the crowd. She is one of few queens who sings live, her gospel-upbringing infuses her vocals, faith and attitude as a Black transgender woman in a cis-oriented society. A woman like her, so determined to fulfill her identity no matter the adversity that comes her way, is the embodiment of strength in today’s evolving society. Lola Davenport is her stage name, but Holly Binns is what she goes by in everyday life. Binns grew up as the child of a pastor in a small town in Arkansas. She was raised singing in her father’s church, playing the organ and keyboard since she was 7 years old. “Where I came from, we didn’t have a trans or gay community,” Binns said. “So anybody that I knew that was gay, we all came from the same class, like 2010 class. There was only like four or five of us throughout the whole town that was openly gay. I was the first.” She left home at 17 and moved to California, where she openly performed for the first time in her life. She experienced a sense of community, going to trans picnics and performing at open mic nights in “places that you wouldn’t even think a trans woman would be at,” Binns said, referencing biker clubs. “I felt so out of place, but the bible says, ‘when you have a gift, it’ll make room for you’,” Binns said. “When I opened my mouth and the song poured out of my mouth, they wanted me to sing again and again. After a while, it didn’t matter whether I was trans or not, because they loved me for me.” Binns and I share a personal connection, as she met my brother last year and they have been dating ever since. We often congregate at my mother’s house in Sarasota, cooking up a storm, laughing and sharing stories. Binns spoke about the process of her parents accepting her for who she is. “My parents were not really accepting at first,” Binns said. ”But within the last few years, my mom even tells me I’m beautiful, she’ll commend me on my performance and asks me for makeup tips.” Binns said that many of her trans friends do not have parents that are accepting of their identity and that can feel alienating. She said that it is not an easy battle and it is not something you can force, but it takes time. “Like I told you earlier sis, just
let go and let God,” Binns said. “If it’s really meant for you, it’s gonna come back to you. My mama loves me, my dad loves me, and [he’s] a pastor. My pastor loves me for who I am.” While she was living in California, she was trained as a peer-support counselor at an organization that provided support to LGBTQ+ individuals dealing with homelessness, abusive relationships, HIV or mental health issues. Initially she checked in as a patient, but the staff recognized that there was something different about her; she had leadership qualities that would be perfect for the role. “It was fulfilling because I felt like I was giving back,” Binns said. “I was doing something that a lot of us gay or trans people don’t get when they’re out there in the streets. A lot of people will have resources, but if you’re not in that group or category, you won’t know the information.” Binns taught a class called Dia-
mond in the Rough at the center that helped teach transitioning women the mannerisms and etiquette of being a lady. In the future, Binns wants to open up her own peer-support counseling center or LGBTQ+ center to offer those resources for all kinds of people. “If you have to pop hormone pills ‘til the sun comes up to get the results you looking for, bitch do it, do what you gotta do,” Binns smiled. When she moved to Florida, she started performing in drag shows, but she does not call herself a drag queen. “It’s not even drag, it’s just coming out and being myself,” Binns said. “I don’t consider this drag, I just consider this being a pretty woman doing shows, girl shit.” Binns performed Saturday Nov. 16th at the Purple Rhino Lodge in Sarasota, a non-profit organization that provides a safe space for LGBTQ+ fellowship. During her perfor-
mance of “It’s About Time for a Miracle”, she danced and clapped to her gospel roots. “Some people might say, ‘Well, you’re gay and you’re trans, so why do you say that?’” Binns said.“Well, it’s not about being gay and trans, it’s about your personal relationship with your higher-power, whatever it may be.” Binn's faith is what guides her every move and makes her comfortable with her identity as a fabulous Black transgender woman. “If anybody’s out there listening to me, if you are thinking of committing suicide or you are thinking that life isn’t worth it because of everything that’s going on, I promise you that you might be in the wrong area, you might have to find your tribe somewhere else, but I promise you, you will find people who love you for you,” Binns said.
All photos Kali-Ray Skinner/Catalyst
First-year Nat Kornblum, Lola Davenport, third-year transfer student Nicholas Pracko and first-year Zane Cullinane Walsh pictured together after the show on Saturday, Nov. 16.
Her set list included: “Rock Steady” by Aretha Franklin, “I'm Not Perfect” by Missy Elliot featuring The Clark Sisters and “It's About Time for a Miracle” by Beverly Crawford.
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TDOR CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 taining equality. “There's a poem/prayer by B. Herbert, a trans person of color, that really stuck with me,” Marie said. “They wrote this in 2017. ‘On this November 20th, Be tender with those who are mourning. Be attentive, to those who feel unsafe. Be encourag-
ing, to those who are revealing their truth. Be prepared, to be led into the possibilities of tomorrow by those who tomorrow wasn't built for.’” Since its start in 1999, Trans Day of Remembrance has grown into a global event, even celebrated in the small New College community. The creator Gwen Smith commented on the reach of the event in an NBC News interview. “On one hand, it's amazing to see how big the event has grown, but
Together, students walked towards the bay.
at the same time when all is said and done, we are still being killed," Smith told NBC News. At the bay, students read aloud the names of trans people killed in 2019. A moment of silence was shared as students took time to reflect. Afterwards, students shared their thoughts and feelings. Some students remembered people close to them who have suffered as a result of intolerance. One student noted how easy it is to forget how different
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things are outside of the ‘New College bubble,’ as the rest of the world can seem a daunting and volatile place. “So long as there are people who continue to care and to spread the word, I have hope that we'll reach a point where being trans is normalized” Marie said. “I have hope that we'll live in a world where people don't have to hide anymore, where people don't have to constantly look over their shoulder.”
Students took turns reading the names of trans individuals lost in 2019.
All photos Sergio Salinas/Catalyst
At the bay, students sat down to hold a vigil honoring those lost in 2019.
A moment of silence was shared among students.
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Anna Lidia Vega Serova CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 rather than prescribe a definitive truth, but she was able to clarify some elements from the short story that students were curious about. Additionally, Serova led a discussion for students in the multiple Spanish courses, including Lecturas
Hispanicas, Literaturas del Caribe Hispanico and a tutorial called Miradas interculturales sobre género. Rodriguez hosted the class and invited the students to ask questions to Serova. The discussion explored Serova’s transition from painting to
Impeachment hearings CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” Despite the legal language, no specific law must be broken for an impeachment to occur. “It’s best to think of [impeachment] best as a political process rather than criminal law,” Michael Gorup,
professor of political science, said. “That doesn’t mean it’s extralegal, it is still bound by the Constitution, but it is a political process.” The meaning of “high Crimes and Misdemeanors” is unclear, as is whether there is a legally enforceable
Deforestation CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 “sticks,” or command-and-control strategies, work to prevent deforestation through disincentives that fine, confiscate and imprison those caught logging and contributing to deforestation.
“I would emphasize incentives in response strategies,” Alcock said in an email interview. “This can involve both carrots and sticks. With respect to the latter, stronger laws, stronger enforcement capacity, and
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writing, issues during the Cuban revolution, questions about her short stories, her inspiration, writing advice and Cuban contemporary issues. “I was worried about not being super proficient at Spanish but the conversation was so comfortable and casual,” third-year Spanish student Ella Rennekamp said. “It was a really special experience to get writing advice [and] a look into the process of such an amazing writer. She is pro-
foundly dope.” Serova expressed great appreciation for being invited to speak and share her story and perspective. “I was invited by Sonia and I’m so happy to be here,” Serova said. “I paid a lot of attention to New College because my friend told me that [New College] is super liberal and queer. In any case, I’m here not only to talk about literature, not only to talk about Cuba but to offer you what
minimum a President’s actions need to transgress beyond drawing Congress’s ire. Standards and norms for the impeachment of the President are hard to divine, given the rarity of the process. “We have only had two [presidential] impeachments ever, and an investigation into Nixon that didn’t actually have an impeachment before his resignation,” Gorup said. “So, it’s
difficult to answer a lot of these questions as there is not a lot of history to turn to. Again, I want to emphasize that it is a political process, so there aren’t very clear boundaries as to what qualifies as an acceptable or valid article of impeachment.”
“A lot of fun stuff's happening inducements for better government oversight can all help. With respect over there and nobody really knows to positive incentives for the actors about it [and] that’s unfortunate,” that engage in deforestation activity, Duprez said. “But it’s important.” there has to be financial options or Information for this article was gathrewards for conserving forests.” Southeast Asia is still far from ered from blogs.ntu.edu.sg, princeton. reducing deforestation but with the edu, theaseanpost.com, wle.cigar.org, involvement of more people it is pos- forestnews.cifor.org and americanforests.org. sible that solutions can be better enforced.
Reader submission: Comic by Cannzana StockWil
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RHINO PROJECT EXAMINES HUMAN
IMPACT THROUGH CONTEMPORARY DANCE BY ERIN NIEHAUS The RHINO Project expresses a deep sorrow, cognizant of the suffering that the natural world has endured over ever expanding human greed. This multidisciplinary installment provided a variety of Sarasota’s creatives an avenue of self expression, exploring the human exploitation of the gentle beasts hunted for their ivory, whose population has been cut from over 500,000 at the beginning of the 20th century to 29,000. From Nov. 21 to 23, the Black Box Theatre featured three Dance on Campus performances that reflect the rising enthusiasm for the arts on campus. Dance on Campus is seeing a dance production sponsored by the Humanities department for the first time; more events are an exciting thing to look forward to as this semester ends and a new one begins. “There’s nothing like working on a show together,” Dance Instructor, Artist in Residence and Movement Consultant of the RHINO Project Leymis Bolaños Wilmott said. “There’s something really special about the intimacy that grows from that.” A beginning contemporary jazz class, the Irish step club, Professor of Sociology Queen Meccasia Zabriskie and over 40 students dancers performed in the showcase of their passions at the Black Box Theatre. However, the RHINO Project segment of the programming is part of an ongoing collaborative passion project from a variety of artists from the Sarasota community, primarily from New College of Florida, Ringling College of Art and Design (RCAD) and the Ringling Museum. “Students get to see what can happen when you’ve been working on something for over a year. Having a layered and rich choreographed class has been really impactful in a positive way,” Leymis said. The project has been gaining momentum for over a year; beginning with Wilmott meeting with Professor Sheryl Haler of Ringling College’s film department. Haler has frequently pursued themes of myth, nature and nurture during her 27 years working as a faculty member, specializing in the use of cloth and fabric within art. For the RHINO Project, Haler worked as the visionary and costume designer, producing striking imagery through the elaborate costumes, a central piece of the performance. For the dance, all six performers used the costumes to represent an animal. Phoenix Kadzis
represented the origin rhino and snow leopard, Rose Schimmel the white rhino and mandrill, Laila Kalantari the red rhino, Ryan Smith the stag, Sierra Lamb the tiger and Diego Villada the lion. The first installment involving the RHINO Project was a live iteration at the John and Mable Ringling Museum Thursday, Sept. 26. On Tuesday, Oct. 29, the film premiere of “Human / Nature” was preceded by a costume exhibit by Haler. The event, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, featured a question and answer panel with the collaborators behind the RHINO Project. During the three highly anticipated nightly performances at the Black Box Theatre, the RHINO Project’s performance was moving and dynamic. The original composition by Eric Berry was a journey of jungle ambiance and minimalistic instrumentals that accompanied the rise and fall of the creatures and humans presented in the piece. The piece begins with secondyear Phoenix Kadzis rising from the floor to face the light. The solo is emotionally charged, depicting a rhino entering life with a contrast of flowing and jerking movements to evoke the initial fragility of life. Following the solo, Rose Schimmel enters as the White Rhino and performs with Sierra Lamb a duet of budding friendship between human and rhino. The hugs and partnership is disrupted once Kadzis returns as a human, and the two humans capture and murder the white rhino for the ivory horn, as Schimmel’s costume is dismantled and she peforms a solo as a semi-human, semi-rhino scorned by exploit in the last moments of life. Laila Kalantari enters as the red rhino, displaying strength and fury in a powerful performance with the human dancers. Concluding the nearly 25-minute performance, Diego Villada and Ryan Smith joined all in the final gathering of creatures subjected to torment from loss of habitat and poaching. The film “Human / Nature” featured a different set of dancers in costumes expressing the story inside of the Ringling building, but “It’s been exciting to bring that work onto the concert stage, with theatrical lighting and a full cast of NCF Students,” Leymis said. The RHINO Project has been an exciting product of programs Connecting the Arts & Humanities and the Cross College Alliance, providing a flexible platform for artists of many stages and types of craft.
All photos courtesy of Shane Donglasan
The human dancers are intrigued by the rhino's horn.
“The Origin Rhino,” Phoenix Kazdis is beheaded by the humans.
Rose Schimmel grasps the red rhino’s horn after giving in to the greed of poaching.
As the piece ends, all costumes appear in a final convergence of animals, devoid of human presence.