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CATALYST
BRIEFS NCSA ELECTIONS pg.
November 21, 2018 VOLUME XXXVII ISSUE X
New College of Florida's student-run newspaper
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Facing the reality of the end of dog racing in Florida BY BAILEY TIETSWORTH Although the dust has settled after another tumultuous midterm election in Florida, the state and its citizens now face the integration of a slew of new constitutional amendments. Out of the 11 measures on the ballot which passed, Amendment 13 addressed the controversial sport of dog racing. The amendment prohibits pari-mutuel—a betting system where the winning bets take a share of a pool of bets—organizations from racing dogs and bans people in the state from wagering on live dog races. By January 2021, an industry in decline nationwide will lose its foothold in the Sunshine State. Some may see this as a victory for the advancement of animal rights. However, according to the National Greyhound Association (NGA), 13,000 Florida families will find themselves without employment and many greyhounds will be dislocated by the enforcement of the new amendment. The NGA expressed their disappointment concerning the passage of Amendment 13 in a brief statement sent
Photo courtesy of the Boston Public Library A postcard from the early 20th century depicting greyhound racing in Florida.
out in an email blast and posted on their website. Written by Executive Director of the NGA Jim Gartland, the statement detailed the organization’s plans to ensure that the displaced greyhounds find a home or new track, presumably outside the state, along with their concern for the
future of the thousands of Floridians who make a living through dog racing. In an email interview, Gartland further elaborated on the NGA’s grievances, claiming that dog racing had a significant impact on Florida’s economy. “It is projected that Florida could
lose $600 million a year in taxes, let alone the dollars spent locally by kennels, owners and trainers and all other associated groups and employees as well as all of the charity money the tracks provided to local municipalities,” Gartland said. Gartland also advocated for the people who work in dog racing, saying that generations of families have relied on this industry to sustain themselves. “A large portion of the greyhound industry grew up in and or has worked solely in this business for years and years,” Gartland said. “They may not have the educational background or training to transition to other fields. Sure, they can look for other work, but after 20, 30 or 40 years in one profession, how do you change your life?” The fates of the 11 tracks around the state also lie in limbo. Gartland noted that some of the facilities house cardrooms and other related gambling activities, so these operations may continue even after the dog racing has ceased.
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Constitutional amendment 4 restores 1.5 million Floridians’ right to vote BY KATRINA CARLIN
https://doc-0k-18-docs. googleusercontent.com/ docs/securesc/s7jurnmk912se8sp3mgg3hd8llrh0uos/obdpo7fpcdn719co01n4qb7
Around 1.5 million people in Florida are going to have their voting rights restored, thanks to the 5 million people who voted “yes” on Amendment 4. This constitutional amendment will automatically restore the voting rights of former felons upon the completion of their sentence, as long as they were not convicted of a murder or a felony sexual offence. The amendment passed with 64.5 percent of the vote, surpassing the 60 percent required for constitutional amendments. Advocates believe this amendment’s passage will widely benefit those who have been the victims of institutional racism in the justice system. “This policy [of voter disenfranchisement] targets minorities but also targets poor Whites,” Steven Keshishian, second-year and Million Hoodies West Florida policy co-chair said. “Realistically, one out of five Black people in Florida had their voting rights removed. If that isn’t racist to you, or isn’t a symptom of
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systematic racism, what is?” Florida was among four states with constitutions that permanently disenfranchised people with past felony convictions. Though a clemency process existed, it often failed to address former felons’ applications in a timely manner. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, a non-partisan law and public policy institute, the number of disenfranchised Floridians grew from an estimated 150,000 in 2010 to 1,686,000 in 2016. The Brennan Center also referred to former Gov. Rick Scott’s clemency rules from 2011 as “the most restrictive in several administrations.” This year, a federal district court judge in Tallahassee ruled in the case Hand v. Scott that the discretion of the clemency board violated both the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S.
Constitution. For one New College student in particular, this issue hits close to home. “My dad is really excited, because he hasn’t voted in almost 10 years,” LilyAnne Rodriguez, second-year and NCF fellow for NextGen America, said. “It’s a big deal, because he’s really involved in politics. He’s the reason I got into political science.” Having a family member deal with disenfranchisement gave Rodriguez a more personal view of the issue. “When it’s someone you know, like a close family member, and it’s not a statistic, it seems like [the restoration of their voting rights] should have happened immediately,” Rodriguez continued. Many other students also supported the passage of this amendment.
“one out of five Black people in Florida had their voting rights removed. If that isn’t racist to you... what is?”
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Comedy friends
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“Higher turnouts mean a better democracy in general,” second-year Rory Renzy said. “If you have 1.5 million disenfranchised people, that affects how a democracy functions.” Renzy, president of Democracy Matters, asked national organizers if the New College chapter could campaign for Amendment 4 during the on-campus door knocking on Halloween. “It was nice seeing this realized, because last year our [door-knocking] was to get it on the ballot, and this year it was to get people out to vote for it.” Keshishian was also among those who canvassed to get Amendment 4 on the ballot. Despite not being able to endorse Amendment 4 in his official capacity as New College Student Alliance (NCSA) co-president, he worked with Million Hoodies West Florida and Florida Student Power to spread the word prior to the election.
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briefs by audrey warne
Ringling Museum of Art reinstalls three galleries The second phase of the Ringling Museum of Art’s gallery reinstallation was completed in early November with the re-opening of the five galleries closed this summer for renovation. Three of the five galleries—galleries 16, 17 and 18— were completely reinstalled, with new lighting, paint and, in some cases, works of art. Gallery 16 highlights the Ringling’s collection of 18th and early 19th century British art—including Moonlight Landscape, a work by Joseph Wright of Derby that has not been on display in over a decade. Gallery 17 features neoclassical and classical works, with 18th century neoclassical paintings and sculpture juxtaposed with Greek amphorae and pottery. Gallery 18 showcases 18th century Italian and French works alongside pieces of contemporaneous furniture from Venice and Sicily. All three galleries integrate the decorative arts into the gallery setting, drawing visitors’ attention to the broader cultural and artistic currents of each time period. The renovations are intended to give each gallery a distinctive look by
Photo courtesy of the Ringling The Ringling’s Curator of Collections, Dr. Sarah Cartwright, presiding over the reinstallation of gallery 16.
accentuating the color and thematic differences in the works, as well as reduce
viewer fatigue through contrasting paint colors and softer lighting.
RCAD hosts PAPERJAM, an alternative book and zine fair
Image courtesy of Petar Pirizović PAPERJAM will take place on Dec. 1 from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m at the Alfred R. Goldstein Library.
Ringling College of Art and Design (RCAD) will be hosting PAPER JAM, an alternative book fair, on Dec. 1 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Alfred R. Goldstein Library. The fair will feature comics, zines, graphic novels, artists’ books, photobooks, creative writing, illustrated books and experimental printed
matter as well as food trucks, a raffle and a DJ. Featured guests include Bluebird Books Bus from St. Petersburg, Graphicstudio from Tampa, IS Projects from Fort Lauderdale and madeby Gallery from Sarasota. The event was organized by RCAD’s Letterpress and Book Arts Center, the Brizdle-Schoenberg Special
© 2018 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 Student Alliance.
Collections Center and Goldstein Library in collaboration with SRQ Zine Fest. For more information about the event visit sites.google.com/c.ringling.edu/paperjam. Alfred R. Goldstein Library is located on the RCAD campus at 2700 Bradenton Rd.
General Editor Managing Editor Copy Editor Online Editor Layout Editors Staff Writers & Photographers
Audrey Warne Michala Head Cassie Manz Bailey Tietsworth Charlie Leavengood & Cait Matthews Eileen Calub, Katrina Carlin, Alexandra Conte, Izaya Garrett Miles, Calvin Stumpfhauser
Sincerely, the Black Kids accepted to 6 film festivals Former New College Student Alliance (NCSA) Co-president Miles Iton (‘14) directed a documentary about the challenges faced by Black student leaders on college campuses across the nation with the help of local community activist Shakira Refos and Ringling College of Art and Design (RCAD) student Eduardo Correa. Entitled Sincerely, the Black Kids, the film showcased the experiences of students from American University, Cornell University, Clemson University and New College of Florida. “Ultimately, it was our goal to give black and brown students their own opportunity to share their unbridled truth,” reads Iton’s director’s statement. “There need be no sensationalism of their voices for any political gain. All this film hopes to offer is genuine insight into the lives of those who bear the brunt of how deep political climates have affected campuses across the country.” Since the film premiered in Sainer Auditorium last May, it has been accepted to six different film festivals across the United States: Atlanta Black Gay Pride Film Festival, Awareness Festival, Gary International Black Film Festival, Social Justice Film Festival, Spokane Social Justice Film Festival and North Carolina Black Film Festival. The film was also invited to the Bellingham Human Rights Film Festival and the Et Cultura in St. Petersburg. Sincerely, the Black Kids has also won a silver jury prize in the Documentary Short category from Social Justice Festival and will be screening as a “Best of [the] Fest” feature from Spokane Social Justice Film Festival. For more information about the film visit filmfreeway.com/SincerelytheBlackKids-1.
Direct submissions, letters, announcements and inquiries to: The Catalyst 5800 Bay Shore Road Sarasota, Florida 34243 ncfcatalyst@gmail.com 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
NCSA elections experience complications Izaya Miles/Catalyst
BY IZAYA MILES This was a milestone election for the New College Student Alliance (NCSA). The election on Tuesday, Nov. 13 was the first election that took place entirely online, as all future NCSA elections will be. However, all but one of the candidates who ran did so as write-ins on voting day, and the one that did try to get their name on the ballot did so for a position that was not up for election. Only 50 ballots were cast in total and, in all but one of the positions, the majority of votes were abstentions. According to the Great Book, the Supervisor of Elections must be appointed a week before the election takes place. As Isabella Cibelli Du Terroil, thirdyear and recently appointed Supervisor of Elections discovered, that can be quite a short amount of time to complete all the duties the position entails. “I think it would be way better if they [appointed the Supervisor] at the start of the semester, or at least a month in advance,” Du Terroil said. “Trying to learn everything in a week is really difficult.” The Great Book and the NCSA constitution together comprise a 69page reading assignment for the newly appointed Supervisor, which can be difficult to learn and rightly apply during a normal election. Learning responsibilities of conducting voting procedures all in a week as well as figuring out how it all applies to online voting proves an even more challenging task.
Second-year Isabella Cibelli Du Terroil, Supervisor of Elections, at the polling station on Wednesday night.
“Whenever there’s a transition to an online platform it always presents challenges, because people are used to the old ways or technical difficulties arise,” Du Terroil said. “I only had a week to become Supervisor. I had to rush and read all the duties and responsibilities, but then some of those duties and responsibilities get shifted because of the online platform.” But there were more than just transitional complications. Not one candidate running had registered to be on the ballot; every single one became a writein on the last day of the campaign. “Having people not officially run basically made this election solely a write-in election,” Du Terroil said. “Which should not be the case because
when you don’t have official candidates, you don’t have extra advertisement.” The lack of advertisement on the part of the candidates contributed to a turnout of only 50 voters, though Du Terroil expressed hopes that familiarity with voting via NovoConnect and the greater importance many students place on the spring elections will lead to higher levels of participation in the future. “I didn’t have any idea about the election,” first-year Rhys Shanahan said. “Classes are on Tuesday and the coverage was poor.” In addition to a lack of advertising, the number of write-in candidates led to technical difficulties, as voters needed to type in candidates’ listed names perfectly on the ballot for it to register properly on the Excel sheet. “And then, of course, people like to write in funny things and write in essays about all sorts of things unrelated to the election or the ballot,” Du Terroil said. “That’s always fun to deal with.” One takeaway from this election is that the Supervisor requires more time in order to do their job properly. Because of this, an amendment to the Great Book that would appoint the Supervisor a month before the election will be appearing in a future Towne Meeting. Another is the importance of official candidates, which Du Terroil reiterated in the Forum email that contained the election results. “If you want a proper election, you need a proper ballot which requires a proper campaign,” Du Terroil said.
ELECTION RESULTS Student Court Justices:
William Bottorff, Jan Greer, John Cotter
Counselor:
Sawery Markham
Second Year Student Allocation Committee (SAC) Representative: Agnes Bartha
Third Year SAC Representative: Ormond Derrick
Residence Life Representative: Sydney Rosenthal
Speaker of the Towne Meeting: Daniel Schell
Diversity Representative: Ozan Gokdemir
Green Affairs Representative: Zachary Schoenblatt
The positions of Student Affairs Representative and First Year SAC Representative were not able to be decided in this election, and future action is currently undecided.
Planned Parenthood offers on-campus patient escort training for new volunteers BY EILEEN CALUB Far too often, patients seeking reproductive health care from non-profit organization Planned Parenthood are harassed by groups of anti-abortion protestors. Therefore, to reassure patients and provide comfort, community volunteers called “patient escorts” walk the patients from their cars to the entrance of the health care center every Tuesday, usually the day abortions are provided. On Saturday, Nov. 10, New College alumna and Planned Parenthood organizer Annie Rosenblum (‘14) conducted an Escort Training & Brunch at the Four Winds Café to inform students about how they can assist Planned Parenthood staff and improve the healthcare experience of clients. Before the training, as students munched on breakfast scones catered by Four Winds, Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida (PPSWCFL) CEO Stephanie Kight gave a warm welcome to students, introducing the mission of Planned Parenthood and encouraging them to get involved. “Super thank you for volunteering to do this,” Kight said. “There’s not a pa-
tient we’ve seen who wasn’t grateful to be walked to the building. It really makes a difference.” Kight also shared a humorous story of an encounter she had with a protestor as she was trying to exit the health center for a lunch break. Upon stepping outside, where several dozen protestors stood in wait, Kight was confronted by a woman who recognized her as the CEO and accused her of “eating baby parts.” In response, Kight simply burst out laughing, having never heard such an allegation before. “We can’t accept these cruel things [protestors] say to women coming in for care and to our staff,” Kight said. After Kight departed, Rosenblum made a few opening statements of her own, expressing how excited she was to see new faces eager to learn about patient escorting. Trainings are usually held at Planned Parenthood centers, but Rosenblum decided to facilitate the event on campus to make it more accessible for students. “When I was a volunteer, there were a ton of students doing it,” Rosenblum said. Rosenblum started working as a patient escort during her first year at New College, having discovered the
“There’s not a patient we’ve seen who wasn’t grateful to be walked to the building. It really makes a difference.”
Photo courtesy of Annie Rosenblum Planned Parenthood CEO Stephanie Knight speaking to New College students interested in patient escorting.
position through a Forum email. Now, most patient escorts are elderly women, some of them snowbirds who are active volunteers at their local clinic up north. “I would love to see more young folks doing it again, especially New College students,” Rosenblum added. Rosenblum provided a Health Center Escort Training Manual for attendees, outlining important guidelines for patient escorting and sharing various facts about the protestors to prepare future volunteers. The manual acquaints readers with groups known for organiz-
ing protests at the PPSWCFL, including fundamentalist Christian organization Operation Save America, Stop Planned Parenthood (STOPP), Priests for Life and Catholic pro-life organization American Life League. The manual also lists several tactics used by anti-abortion protestors, such as sidewalk “counseling,” pickets, obstructing access and, on rare occasions, violence. Some protestors toting “anti-choice liter-
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Brant’s used bookstore sells old books for new looks BY CHARLIE LEAVENGOOD
Calling all book lovers! Situated between Lime Avenue and Apricot Avenue is a world of wealth, if one believes knowledge is the greatest treasure. Adventure seekers looking to solve mazelike tunnels of books and searching for the “perfect” read among thousands have a home at Brant’s Used Books. Brant’s Used Books, a second-hand bookstore in Sarasota, is having a sale from Nov. 20 to Dec. 2 to sell the 25,000 books in their warehouse. The sale marks the first step of owner Barbara Barone’s new project to open up more space in the store and promote community gatherings and events in the future. She would also like to bring in a small coffee shop. “I want to create a place that can be enjoyed by the community,” Barone said. Glen Brant opened Brant’s Used Books 62 years ago in an old army barrack built in 1942. After he passed, Barone’s mother purchased the store and moved locations. After Barone’s mother passed, Barone took over the store and moved it to its current location. Over
the years, Brant’s has moved three times. During each move, Barone packed away thousands of books that she didn’t have space for on the shelves, and these are the books that will be sold at the event. Brant’s Used Books has a book on every subject, including history, language and spiritual healing. Comics, best-sellers, cookbooks, out-of-print books and an entire bookshelf of Goosebumps chapter books call this store home. Not counting the stored books, Brant’s holds over 150,000 volumes, all of them used. Brant’s also has a “Books on Trade” program where people can bring in their old books and get store credit for books of similar value to the one they brought in. “The amount of books that we’ve traded in the last 62 years of business have, I’m sure, saved a lot of trees from the landfill, so I’m really proud of that,” Barone said. Very few used bookstores still exist in Florida, largely due to corporate competition, but Brant’s manages to stand strong while also remaining affordable. “I try to match Amazon and eBay prices within a few dollars,” Barone ex-
plained. Barone specified that the sale is not to rescue Brant’s, but simply to aid in minor building improvements and expand possibilities for a study space and a coffee kiosk. Barone has already started to utilize the back patio of Brant’s for events. Sarah Gerard, author of the novel Binary Star and the essay collection Sunshine State, organized a poetry reading on Nov. 8 at Brant’s. “I wanted my students to be involved in local literary culture,” Gerard said. Gerard is the Writer-in-Residence at New College for the 2018-2019 academic year. The reading featured students in Gerard’s writing class, Identity in 21st Century America, as well as acclaimed author Patty Yumi Cottrell, who read an excerpt from her book, Sorry to Disrupt the Peace. The evening concluded with s’mores and burning papers with people’s worries written on them. Barone hopes the 1,000 square feet warehouse she’s cleaning out will turn into a usable space. She sees it as a place
to host book and writing club meetings, book signings and informational sessions about how to publish a book and how to run a bookstore in the age of Amazon and eBay. All these efforts are for the loyal patrons of Brant’s. “My customers have kept me in business all these years,” Barone said. “So I’m very grateful.” Brant’s Used Books is located at 429 N. Lime Ave., Sarasota. Barone is seeking volunteers and workers to help unpack the warehouse books and sell them. Volunteers will receive free books, and workers, who lift the heavy boxes out of the warehouse, will be paid. Each position requires a minimum 3-hour shift. To volunteer, sign up in store or contact Barone at brantsbooks@gmail.com Barone will host a Reddit AMA on Nov. 27 where she will talk about how to run a bookstore. Time is TBA. Information for this article was gathered from brantsbooks@gmail.com.
The bookshelves at Brant’s are full of messages left by booklovers. all photos Charlie Leavengood/Catalyst
A cozy reading nook hidden behind a wall of bookshelves.
One of five shelves filled to the brim with R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps Series.
The most recent location of Brant’s used to be a trophy making store, so Barone recycled the work bench wood into more bookshelves.
The face of Brant’s. Max is the resident pup who is always looking for a buddy to cuddle with while they read.
First Comedy Friends improv show of the year: coming soon
es for the scene, and at any point during the game someone can yell “change.” “So if I had just said, “I am a lizard” There’s no conglomeration of students more rowdy on campus than and then someone yells “change,” then I the Comedy Friends, or, according to have to change what I just said to somethird-year Olivia Siegel, the Comedy thing different like, “I am a bird,” or lit‘FREAKS!’ The Comedy Friends is an erally anything,” Lawlor said. “It creates ever-evolving group of students who get scenes that just go in so many different together weekly to play improv games. directions.” Thesis student and Comedy Their goal: to laugh, to play and to get down and dirty with comedy. A few Friends newcomer Abigail DeGregorio times a year, they traditionally have a auditioned for and was accepted into the show in the Black Box Theatre (BBT) troupe this semester. Her favorite game that is open for attendance by any and so far is “Four Corners,” which involves all on campus. Their next show will occur four people who stand in a square and roon Thursday, Nov. 29 at 9:30 p.m. in the tate regularly to match up for a variety of BBT, and is bound to cause a wave of fun two-person scenes. “It’s a really chill group of people,” and games. According to Ben Kearns (‘11)—a DeGregorio informed. “I enjoy being in “comedy fellow,” or a New College grad- it, and I encourage others to be in it if uate who used to be a member of Com- they so desire, or if they feel like they edy Friends—the club has been around want to get silly.” Every person can bring something since 2011. Nowadays, “comedy fellows” are allowed to return to participate in new to the table of comedic dynamics, so shows as long as they can make it to a the members strongly hope that people rehearsal beforehand. Before the club was come out to auditions if at all interestofficially created, there was a similar but ed. When Siegel decided to audition, she non-canonical improv group called “The was excited. “I saw the Comedy Friends my first New College Football Team.” Siegel has been in the Comedy year, and then was like, ‘I’m funny! I want Friends for about a year and a half, and to audition,’” Siegel shared. “I wanted to spoke on the semesterly evolution of the do some form of theatre because it’s my troupe, which currently has nine friends. only outlet for performance. It’s super “The dynamics are constantly shift- freaking fun. It keeps you on your toes ing behind the scenes,” Siegel said. “I and if something starts to get stale it’s rethink it’s a good thing in a way because ally easy to pick it back up.” Lawlor speaks of improv as a great it keeps everything fresh and we’re not falling into rhythms. Instead we’re kind way to express oneself by temporarily beof constantly having to adapt to people’s ing someone else. “Every year you get new people own stuff, so it’s pretty cool.” Some of the games that the troupe with new ideas and new personalities plays include “Four Corners,” “Alba’s Air- and that’s always a good thing for implane,”“It’s All Fun and James,”“Change,” prov, because everybody’s style of improv “Lily’s Lip Sync,” “Sitting, Standing, Ly- is different,” Lawlor said. “Come out and ing Down,” “Pillars,” “Schmucks” and audition even if you don’t think you’re funny because someone else might think “Dad Game.” Third-year Bob Lawlor joined the you are.” Comedy Friends in his first year and is a The next Comedy Friends show will occur strong advocate for “Change,” described on Thursday, Nov. 29 at 9:30 p.m. in the as a challenging game which involves BBT in Hamilton “Ham” Center. three-person scenes. In “Change,” memAuditions occur at the beginning of every bers get suggestions from the audience school year. for emotions, relationships, items or plac-
BY CAIT MATTHEWS
The group gets rowdy.
Olivia Siegel and Bob Lawlor are expressive with their arms. all photos Cait Matthews/Catalyst
The Comedy Friends 2018 are comprised of Charlie Leavengood, Lily Rodriguez, Alba Abrams, Austin Gray, Abby DeGregorio, Corinne Leavengood, Erin Everdale, Olivia Siegel and Bob Lawlor.
Abby DeGregorio and Olivia Siegel get heated in a game of ‘Four Corners.’
CATALYST
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Wednesday, November 21, 2018 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst
Photo courtesy of The Party for Socialism and Liberation-Florida
PAGE 6
Thesis students talk alternative research methods BY MICHALA HEAD
The Activist Newsletter Throughout this week (11/21–11/28), activists have the opportunity to participate in food shares, luncheons and important dialogue on health disparities in the community. Read on if you want to get involved in the community regarding homelessness and advocacy, LGBTQIA+ discrimination and local politics!
BY CASSIE MANZ Thurs., Nov. 22, ALSO Youth 5K Turkey Trot @ 7 a.m. - 12 p.m. Hyatt Regency Sarasota - 1000 Blvd. of the Arts, Sarasota. Currently in its ninth year, the annual Turkey Trot has provided a platform to benefit ALSO Youth, a non-profit organization that supports LGBTQIA+ youth in the community. This race across the Ringling Causeway Bridge welcomes thousands of participants each year. Tickets are available online, with a speciality discount to runners 15 years of age or younger. Donations are also accepted. Thurs., Nov. 22, Streets of Paradise Thanksgiving Foodshare @ 12 - 4 p.m. Five Points Park - 2801 Newtown Blvd., Sarasota. The nonprofit photo series and advocacy homeless organization is hosting the first event in their winter programming. Join founders Greg Cruz and Allan Mestel at Five Points Park in downtown Sarasota in order to distribute food to the homeless community this Thanksgiving. Any left over food will be boxed into to-go plates for those in need to take home. Fri., Nov. 23, Prayer, Protection and Solidarity @ 1 - 2:30 p.m. Islamic Society of Sarasota - 4350 N. Lockwood Ridge Rd., Sarasota. Every Friday, join in with a local group of Sarasotans as they meet on the sidewalk of the Islamic Society of Sarasota’s Mosque to stand in protection and solidarity with and for the worshipers arriving for Friday prayer. Mon., Nov. 26, League of Women Voters Hot Topics Luncheon @ 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Marina Jack Restaurant - 2 Marina Plaza, Sarasota.
Photos courtesy of Tonya Wiley
The League of Women Voters of Sarasota welcomes new members and existing members looking for new ways to get involved to attend their New Member Orientation at 11 a.m. The orientation will last for 30 minutes and takes place prior to the Hot Topic Luncheon. Following the orientation, New College Professor of Political Science and Environmental Studies Frank Alcock will discuss what happened in the general election and what we might expect for the future. Tickets for the presentation and luncheon are $25 for members and $30 for non-members. To reserve your seat for the orientation and/or luncheon email rsvp@lwvsrq.org. List your name, the name of the event and how many tickets you’d like. Pay at the door by cash, check or credit card. No shows will be billed. Mon., Nov. 26, Anti-Racist Meeting @ 6 p.m. Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center - 525 Kumquat Ct., Sarasota. The potluck will begin at 6 p.m. and the program follows at 6:30 p.m. Working committees will share updates and then the group will continue discussion of Joseph Barndt’s book, Understanding and Dismantling Racism. Tues., Nov. 27, Newtown CHAT Environmental Initiative @ 6 - 8 p.m. North Sarasota County Library - 2801 Newtown Blvd., Sarasota. This meeting is hosted by the Multicultural Health Institute (MHI) and is a weekly event focused on continuing conversation on existing health toxicities and inequities in the community. Solutions, grassroots efforts and other opportunities for collaboration will also be discussed.
Shark tagging for Marine Biology AOC Alexa Baldino’s thesis.
It turns out that shark tagging and the band Queen have something in common: each are thesis research topics for New College’s 2015 cohort. For reasons ranging from limited information on a topic to desire to work outside of the box, students have been innovative when researching material for their thesis projects, and this year’s thesis students are no exception. “I conducted behavioral and electrophysiology experiments on a species of African clawed frogs for my thesis to analyze mechanisms of vocalization,” Neurobiology area of concentration (AOC) Kelly South said in an email interview. “The behavioral component of my thesis involved recording the mating vocalizations of the males of the species and analyzing them for their spectral and temporal properties of both their advertisement call and approach call, calling to females and approaching females.” The background work related to South’s thesis was quite limited, allowing her to participate in relatively new research. “In comparison to all of the other areas of research that the frogs have been used in, I have a very limited amount of studies regarding general vocalizations across the genus and no specific studies about my species have been published,” South said. Marine Biology AOC Alexa Baldino had to change her thesis topic due to unforeseen circumstances. “I am observing the effects of red tide on upper trophic level fishes and ecosystem recovery,” Baldino said in an email interview. “This was achieved by taking sub samples [samples drawn from larger samples] of Sarasota Bay by using a gillnet.” Baldino’s original thesis topic was part of a continuation of a past thesis student’s work and focused on identifying the Sarasota Bay as a nursery for blacktip sharks. However, after the severe outbreak of red tide this past summer
there were mass migration and death of marine species, causing Baldino’s plans to change. “There is very little [information] about red tide’s effects on sharks and rays, or what happens after a red tide event and how long it takes for the ecosystem to return to its original state,” Baldino said. “Especially in Sarasota, which is wild, because red tide happens nearly annually here.” Baldino’s initial plan to expand on a previous student’s work is not entirely uncommon in the natural sciences as Chemistry AOC, thesis student and Catalyst staff writer, Katrina Carlin mentioned in an email interview. “Sometimes, in the chemistry department, students can do an Independent Study Project [ISP] that is tied to a thesis student’s work,” Carlin said. “I did [this type of ISP] my second year when Maggie Swerdloff was thesising.” Meanwhile, Humanities AOC Sofia Eury had to search out of state for her thesis on the popularity and phenomenon of the song “Bohemian Rhapsody.” At the American Library Association Annual Conference in New Orleans, Eury came across the Rock’s Back Pages, an entire database dedicated to rock music. Along with documentaries, magazines and news articles, Eury has also tracked down academic journals discussing the song. “Sometimes it’s like a scavenger hunt throughout internet bibliographies, so the entire process actually remains quite entertaining,” Eury said in an email interview. Art/Art History AOC Jack Micoli uses art historical research, such as studies on illuminated biblical manuscripts, to contextualize his artistic production. He is currently working on paintings of childhood fantasies that he hopes will convey the concept of nostalgia as a form
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Amendment 13
groups and shelters who did not seem concerned about what would happen to the greyhounds while they were workCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ing so hard and spreading lies to get this amendment passed.” “The property may have some valThe Humane Society of the United ue but the specific construction of them States (HSUS) has offered and will conwould not be of much use other than tinue to offer help in this transition to a what they were originally intended for,” new Florida, void of dog racing. Florida Gartland said. State Director for HSUS Kate MacFall Aside from sending greyhounds echoed the non-profit’s commitment to to adoption organizations, owners may cooperate with Florida tracks, should choose to look for tracks elsewhere in the they want it. “The Humane Society of the Unitcountry to send their racers. Tracks in Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Texas and West ed States has offered to assist at some Virginia remain as beacons of hope for point, should they need it,” MacFall said. this struggling sport and the NGA will “We would be thrilled to assist with the help any owner transport dogs to tracks placement, transport and such: anything outside of Florida. Gartland assured that that they need. It’s up to them, they can the NGA cares about the well-being of choose to accept that help or not.” As one of the supporters of Amendthe dogs and that they find a home, wherment 13, the HSUS celebrated the pasever that may be. “We had and have over 100 adop- sage of the amendment in a press release tion agencies that supported us through- on Nov. 6, which heralded the end of an out this fight and have worked with us industry that is “responsible for inflicting for years,” Gartland said. “We will utilize pain, suffering and death on thousands of them and all of our other resources to gentle greyhound dogs.” make sure that every single greyhound is MacFall explained that the poptransitioned properly. It makes no sense ularity of dog racing in Florida has defor us to work with outside anti-racing clined over the past decade due to shared
Planned Parenthood CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 ature” may try to dissuade patients from entering the healthcare center, offering other alternatives to abortion, while more aggressive individuals may hold up pictures of what they claim are aborted fetuses and yell at patients. “We remind the patients that they do not have to listen to protestors, but the idea of patients internalizing these stigmatizing and judgmental words is heartbreaking,” Rosenblum said. The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, signed by former President Bill Clinton in 1994, legally prevents protestors from blocking access to abortion clinics. As a result, protestors
Amendment 4 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “I spoke to people, we asked people to sign pledges saying they’ll vote for the amendment, both here and in the Newtown area,” Keshishian said. “The main work we did was programming and policy work, and just talking to people every day about it.” The results from the election on Nov. 6 institute the passage of an amend-
Thesis research
must hover on the sidewalk, a few steps away from the clinic entrance. However, they may attempt to block cars from entering the parking lot. “Most of us have been patients at some point in our life, but I’m pretty sure you weren’t aggressively berated when you were going to the dentist or chiropractor,” Rosenblum said. Although the crowd of protestors may be intimidating, the training manual urges volunteers to “be assertive without being hostile” and to “be vigilant and observant.” Escorts should calmly greet patients and walk them to the entrance of the building or back to their car while guarding the patient from cameras, if news organizations are present. Health center escorts should not speak to the media. Moreover, Planned Parenthood has a strict Volunteer Code of Conduct and Non-Engagement Policy, which states that escorts should never engage ment that will fundamentally alter the shape of democracy in Florida. The state’s new constitutional amendment will give over one million more Americans the right to participate in the voting process. Many New College students and voters around the state helped advocate for its passage--and next time they vote, the formerly disenfranchised will be able to vote alongside them. Information for this article was gathered from ballotopedia.org, sentencingproject.org and vox.com.
ally doing it, but the desire is there to be questioned and eventually led me toward more effective art projects.” Micoli added that thinking too hard about his projects would lead to CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 boring and forced artwork, and that he usually bases his thesis work on random, of individual spirituality. creative impulses. “For example, I have some kind of “You should never let practicalideep animal desire to make a twin bed ty obscure what you enjoy about your frame out of wood, because I just real- work,” Micoli said. “Let what excites you ly want to sleep in a bed that I made,” run wild for a second, then find a way to Micoli said in an email interview. “My make it make reasonable, or achievable.” professors have dissuaded me from actu-
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concerns about animal rights, decreased interest in animal entertainment and increased interest in alternate forms of gambling. “Floridians [know that they] can enjoy those other kinds of gambling without involving the gentle giants that greyhounds really are,” MacFall said. Breeding for dog racing has decreased in the last decade in tandem with the decrease in gambling on the sport. MacFall felt that breeders took preventative measures once they saw that Florida voters could pass an amendment to prohibit dog racing. “I’ve heard from the industry that some of the breeders, who are mostly in Kansas, have already backed off a little bit with the possibility of [the passing of Amendment 13] on the horizon,” MacFall said. “They take about two years to get a newborn pup up to speed [for] racing. Now that this has passed I suspect some will decrease the amount of puppies that are born quite a bit, because Florida has 11 out of 17 tracks in the country. We have two-thirds of the industry essentially, so this is a big market for them in terms of selling the pups.” MacFall has an optimistic outlook
on the situation, despite the industry’s efforts to distance themselves from opponents to dog racing. “I think at this point, we’re all on the same side now that Amendment 13 has passed,” MacFall said. “Everybody wants to make sure the dogs are taken care of.” Just over a mile away from New College, the Sarasota Kennel Club plans to continue like normal, with their “Championship Greyhound Racing” set to return this December. Their website shows no indication of their future intentions, but Sarasota residents can most likely expect local greyhounds in need of a home in the near future.
with the protestors, stay at least 10 feet away from them and not respond to insults or threats. “It’s understandable to be angry and upset,” Rosenblum said. “Some people are too angry or too anxious and shy. It’s a lot to manage.” For people who may not be comfortable with facing protestors, Rosenblum suggests sending encouraging notes to staff and patients. As another alternative, members of New College’s Generation Action chapter who were present at the training encouraged attendees to participate in on-campus activities which support Planned Parenthood. Rosenblum hopes there will be a revival of New College students engaged as patient escorts at Planned Parenthood. “Reproductive healthcare is essential, life-saving healthcare, and everyone deserves access to nonjudgmental, comprehensive services,” Rosenblum said. “The
most rewarding thing about escorting is knowing that you are there to help them on one of the possibly most difficult days of their life.”
When contacted for an interview, the Humane Society of Sarasota County declined to comment and the Sarasota Kennel Club did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Information for this article was gathered from humanesociety.org, grey2kusa.org, wikipedia.org, sarasotakennelclub.com and ngagreyhounds.com.
To sign up to volunteer, email volunteer@myplannedparenthood.org. Planned Parenthood Health Center of Sarasota is approximately 10 minutes away from campus by car, located in the Rosemary District. Students may also take a Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT) bus downtown or organize rideshares. Rosenblum will facilitate a Planned Parenthood Orientation & Training on Wednesday, Nov. 28 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Planned Parenthood Sarasota Headquarters. Food will be served. Information for this article was gathered from plannedparenthood.org., lifenews.com and pewforum.org.
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siesta key crystal classic brings in over 65,000 attendants BY ALEXANDRA CONTE
This year the Siesta Key Crystal Classic International Sand Sculpting Festival brought in over 65,000 attendants, surpassing attendance rates since the festival’s inception eight years ago. Sand sculptors take part in this competition not only for the title, but because the sand on Siesta Key Beach is known for being cool and soft to the touch, making it perfect for sand sculpting. “It [the festival] is an outdoor art gallery with some sculptures built up to 10 feet tall,” fresh. PR & Marketing representative Trish Ivey said in an email interview. “There is nothing else like it in this area.” According to the festival’s webpage, the competition was created eight years ago to boost the local economy and present sand sculpting as a medium of art. The organization claims that in 2017 the festival brought in an additional $9 million in tourism revenue to the Sarasota area. This year, over 60 vendors signed up to host booths at the festival, selling a va-
riety of clothing, accessories, fine jewelry and food. “Brian Wigelsworth, the event creator and master sculptor, hand picks each sculptor that gets invited to this event,” Ivey said. “The whole point of this community event is to increase tourism and help businesses in the off-season.” According to Ivey, 61,000 people attended last year’s festival. The festival’s attendance has grown by about 50,000 people in the last eight years; roughly 10,000 spectators attended the first festival in 2010. This year surpassed previous attendance records with over 65,000 visitors. Individual sculptors or teams of two came from across the world to compete for first place in their craft. This year, seven individuals competed in the “solo artist” category and eight pairs competed as “artist teams.” “Alice Down the Time Hole” by Melineige Beauregard (Canada) and Andrius Petkus (Lithuania) took home first place for doubles (overall), sculptor’s choice and people’s choice. “Time is
What You Make of It” by Maxim Gazendam (Netherlands) won first place in the single category (overall) and sculptor’s choice. “The Tears and Beers of a Clown” by John Gowdy (United States) won people’s choice award for solo artist. The competition had seven judges who looked for sculptures that met criteria specific to the form and method of sand sculpting. All of the judges have a background in art, which is one of the qualifications to be a festival judge, and almost all of the judges are part of the local art scene. The group is a combination of artists, art studio owners, employees from local art museums and professors from Ringling College of Art and Design. “I grew up here,” Christa Molinaro, a judge at the event and the exhibitions and publications manager at the Sarasota Museum of Art, said. “Moving back here [to Sarasota] I wanted to do this. [The sand] is something that Siesta Key Beach is famous for. My friend works at the Ringling College of Art and Design, and he asked me to judge, so I agreed since I
feel connected to my hometown.” The event had several interactive options for guests. The Quick Sand contest is a demo in which two master sculptors have 10 minutes to sculpt a masterpiece, one of which is then declared the winner by the audience. The festival also held an amateur competition on Saturday, in which anyone could sign up and create works of sand art. There were four competition categories: Turtle Bale (team of up to four members), Hatchlings (a single or duo of children under 10 years old who may receive verbal coaching from parents), Loggerheads (a single or duo of children 10 to 17 years old) and Leatherbacks (a single or duo of members 18 years and older). The first prize winner of each category won $100. Ivey encourages New College students and alumni to check Facebook for next year’s event, and stresses that volunteers are always needed. Information for this article was gathered from VisitSarasota.com and siestakeycrystalclassic.com.
All photos courtesy of StudioF.com and Siesta Key Crystal Classic
Melineige Beauregard and Adrius Petkus after winning peoples choice and first place in the team division for their work “Alice Down the Time Hole.”
“Alice Down the Time Hole” won people’s choice, sculptors choice, and first place for the team division.
First place and sculptors choice in the solo division.