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CATALYST
BRIEFS ELECTION
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SEPTEMBER 26, 2018 VOLUME XXXVII ISSUE III
New College of Florida's student-run newspaper
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Demographics and delays: The struggle to get the cohort of 2018’s demographics BY ALEXANDRA CONTE The incoming cohort of 2018 marks the smallest class size in eight years with only 222 students. The last time an incoming cohort was this small was in 2010, when there was 221 students. The 2015 cohort was the largest class in New College history with 295 students, 73 more than this cohort. In the 2018 cohort, the average SAT score on the SAT before March of 2016 was 2196 and 1313 for the redesigned SAT. The average GPA was around 4.03 for first-years and 3.72 for transfer students. Seventy-nine percent of students are Florida residents, 18 percent of students are from out of state and 3 percent are international students. The gender makeup of the class is 64 percent female and 36 percent male. This statistic is calcu-
Hispanic or Latino 16.5% Unspecified 0.4%
Black or African 6.3% Alaskan Native 3.2%
White 66.3%
Alexandra Conte/Catalyst The racial demographics of the 2018 cohort.
lated based on self-reporting by students. The state of Florida does not include other pronoun options so these statistics might not accurately
First year class size and performance metrics fail to provide yearly funding BY BAILEY TIETSWORTH
https://doc-0k-18-docs. googleusercontent.com/ docs/securesc/s7jurnmk912se8sp3mgg3hd8llrh0uos/obdpo7fpcdn719co01n4qb7
As the campus changes to house a larger population of students and faculty, the school fails to bring in anticipated funding. These money problems stem from a failure to meet required state university performance metrics and a lack of first year enrollment. At the end of every academic year, the State University System (SUS) looks at the performance metrics for certain schools in Florida. Out of the 11 schools that participated in the performance metric reviewing, New College’s scores landed within the last three. This meant that, along with the University of North Florida (UNF) and the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), New College did not receive any performance funding from the state
tify as black or African American, 66.2 percent identify as white (which includes Middle Eastern), 16.6 percent identify as Hispanic or Latino, 3.2 percent identify as Native American or Alaskan native and 0.45 percent are unknown. “Last year we reported 233 students, so we are down by 11,” Joy Hamm, dean of admissions and financial aid, said. When asked if the growth plan would be affected by the decline in students over the past two years she said, “Not this year, obviously we need to grow our number but we have to balance that with the retention rate so we just made some adjustments with our admissions process this year.” Parting from tradition, new student demographics were not re-
Asian 7.2%
for the 2018-2019 year. In the 20172018 academic year, when the SUS reviewed the performance metrics from 2016-2017, the school’s scores were strong enough to receive around $2.6 million in performance funding. This funding was used for non-recurring purchases, such as employee bonuses and renovations to the hood system in the Heiser Natural Sciences building and ventilation improvements in the old part of the building. The school fell short this year in the performance metrics concerning four different areas: Median Average Wages of Undergraduates Employed One Year after Graduation with a score of four out of ten, Academic Progress Rate (2nd Year Retention with GPA above 2.0) with
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reflect the community. Continuing with demographics, 7.2 percent of students identify as Asian, 6.3 percent iden-
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Bayfront memorial held for Allyson Arvin BY CAIT MATTHEWS
photo courtesy of Arvin’s family
On Sept. 12, Allyson “Ally” Maizie Arvin (20) died of natural causes related to Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH). The New College community came together on Friday, Sept. 21 for a memorial service organized by the New College Student Alliance (NCSA) in honor of Ally. Students met outside of Hamilton “Ham” Center and traveled to
the bayfront. At the Bay, Rev. Melanie Kim led a short service while students passed out candlesticks. Additionally, Ally’s family held a “Celebration of Life” service in Clearwater on Thursday, Sept. 20. As per the family’s requests, donations to the CARES Foundation are preferred in lieu of flowers. CARES is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of those affected by CAH, a rare adrenal disorder that is underfunded and unknown to many in the healthcare field. Love goes out to Ally’s family, friends and the campus community during both the grieving process and the celebration of Ally’s life. “Her wicked sense of humor, her charity and her understanding nature will be sorely missed. I now feel like I’m lacking something, but that I’m fuller for having known her.” -Julian Hunter
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CATALYST
BRIEFS
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2018 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst
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briefs by Cait Matthews
Currency crisis: annual Turkish inflation rises Historically, the Turkish economy has faced extreme issues with chronic inflation and depreciation of currency, with the most notable peaks in inflation rates occurring between the late 1970s and the early 2000s. Turkey’s currency, the lira, fell 42 percent in relation to the United States dollar. The annual inflation rate hit 17.9 percent in August, reaching a record high since 2003. This rate is more than three times the official target for inflation for 2018. Last month, the rate was 15.85 percent. Transportation costs saw a 27.13 percent rise in August, while food and non-alcoholic drink prices rose 19.75 percent. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has attempted to gain more control over Turkey’s economic policies, speaking out against high interest rates and appointing his son-in-law as the finance minister. This shift un-
dercuts the desired independence of the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT). Between April and May of 2018, the CBRT raised its main policy rates by 500 basis points in an attempt to hinder an 18 percent fall of the lira. According to the president’s son-inlaw, Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak, the CBRT is totally independent of the government and will take all necessary steps in order to increase price stability. Foreign investors have become nervous, pulling and selling their lira investments and buying dollars and other currencies. These recent inflation increases have led to speculations on how a crash of the Turkish market could affect other world markets. “Monetary stance will be adjusted at the September monetary policy committee meeting in view of the latest developments,” the CBRT said in a statement.
Beach bacteria briefly breach acceptable levels While several no-swim adviso- recreational water standards. “Residents and visitors may reries were lifted for Sarasota beaches in the past couple of months, one turn to swimming and other water was reinstated this past Thursday, sports at this beach site,” the SaraSept. 20, at Longboat Key Beach. sota County Department of Health County health officials revealed that said in a statement. The red tide bloom started offenterococcus bacteria were above an acceptable limit in the waters, shore in October of 2017 and moved its way to shores and likely from natural sources. There was a “When making beaches of Florida, wildlife. Sciwrack line of decaybeach day plans, ravaging ing algae, as well as entists estimate that dead fish, continuing be sure to check due to the particularly along the shoreline, nature of this the latest reports intense caused by the recent bloom, it will only really ease up once water red tide bloom. on beach temperatures cool off Enterococcus in the coming winter is a bacteria that can conditions.” come from a number months. Red tide advisory signs are still of sources, including animal and seabird fecal matter, diapers, agri- in place until the algae blooms dicultural and storm water runoff and minish. sewage treatment plant spills. “When making beach day On Friday, Sept. 21, Sarasota plans, be sure to check the latest reCounty officials once again lifted the ports on beach conditions,” the Deno-swim advisory, with water quali- partment said. ty reportedly reaching a level that is satisfactory with both Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state “I finally caved and followed Kylie Jenner” © 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.
Hurricane Florence aftermath
Photo courtesy of Staff Sgt. Helen Nash Virginia National Guard soldiers on their way to shelters with supplies.
Hurricane Florence first touched down near Wrightsville Beach, N.C., with maximum sustained winds near 90 mph and movement at a rate of 6 mph. While Florence had dropped to a Category 1 storm by the time it reached landfall on Sept. 14, its slow-moving nature caused rainfall of up to 40 inches that resulted in disastrous flooding. Residents who were unable to evacuate soon became stranded in homes, cars and on rooftops as floodwaters began to rise. Rescue services (first responders, volunteers and private citizens) did their best to help hundreds of people and animals throughout the first day. The death toll reports began to increase as various storm-related accidents occurred. Florence dwindled to a tropical storm, moving at a rate of 3 mph westward into South Carolina, and then was projected to go northwest and northward through the Ohio Valley. While North Carolina and Virginia evacuated state prisons in the
forecasted path of Florence, South Carolina did not—and has not—since 1999. “Previously, its been safer to stay in place with the inmates rather than move to another location,” Dexter Lee, a spokesperson for the South Carolina Department of Corrections, stated. Even after the hurricane’s path cleared the area, the Carolinas saw more than a dozen rivers spilling over their banks, with signs of swelling waters and continued flooding creating even more harm for residents, farmers and businesses. “People in flood-prone areas or near waterways need to remain alert as rivers crest and stay above their banks in coming days,” North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper warned. As of Sept. 20, more than 8,100 people remain in dozens of shelters across the Carolinas and Virginia, with around 96 percent in North Carolina alone. The flooding, intense damage to roads and lack of electricity makes it difficult—and dangerous—for people to return home.
Corrections
The headline for the article on last week’s front page story on Crisis Preganancy Centers (CPCs) incorrectly claimed that CPCs were a “pro-choice alternative to Planned Parenthood” instead of correctly claiming that CPCs are a “pro-life alternative to Planned Parenthood.” The Catalyst apologizes for the mistake.
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, Alexandra Conte, Izaya Garrett Miles, Calvin Stumpfhauser
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.
CATALYST
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2018 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst
NEWS PAGE 3
Kavanaugh confirmation vote postponed as Ford allegations pick up speed BY CASSIE MANZ
Early this summer, President Donald Trump’s nomination to the Supreme Court seemed likely to go through, with Republicans in control of the Senate. However, in the past month Judge Brett Kavanaugh, Trump’s pick, has been accused of sexual assault, plunging his nomination into scandal and uncertainty. This past June, Justice Anthony Kennedy resigned from the Supreme Court of the United States after serving for 30 years. To fill the vacancy, President Trump nominated Kavanaugh, a U.S. Circuit Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. In February 2016, when Justice Antonin Scalia died, former President Barack Obama chose Merrick Garland, chief judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, as his Supreme
Amidst recent sexual assault allegations, Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination faces uncertainty.
Court nomination. Garland had long been considered a prospect for the Supreme Court. However, Senate
Note the vote: The highstakes midterm election BY IZAYA MILES
This November, Florida will be holding an election 20 years in the making, with no less than an astounding 13 amendments on the ballot. This election will see one of the most watched senate races in the country and the most contentious gubernatorial race in years. Amendments This year, 13 amendments to the State Constitution are on the ballot. This is not because of a sudden wave of citizen participation; only two of the amendments come from the citizens’ initiative. And the legislature has not become particularly active, either; they only proposed three. The lion’s share of the amendments originate from the Florida Constitution Revision Commission (CRC), a body formed once every 20 years with the express purpose of, as the name would suggest, revising the constitution. “Much of what happens in Florida and the way Florida runs is affected by its constitution,” Associate Professor of Political Science Frank Alcock said when asked about what he considered to be the key issues of the midterm. “I consider it part of my responsibility to make people more aware of the Florida constitution and what they’re looking at on the ballot.” Brief summaries of each amendment on the ballot can be found in the sidebar but further details can be found on Ballotpedia, the League of Women Voters of Florida website and on the Tampa Bay Times website. The Gubernatorial Race The race to 700 N. Adams St. has been one of the most dramatic and contentious in Florida’s recent
Saul Loeb, AFP/Getty Images
history. On the right is Ron DeSantis and on the left is Andrew Gillum. This race has been declared a tossup almost unanimously, with most polls giving one candidate only a slight lead over the other. But who are these men, and what do they have to offer Florida? Ron DeSantis, born in Jacksonville, is the candidate on the Republican ticket. A Harvard Law graduate, DeSantis served five years as a Navy Judge Advocate General Corp (JAG) prosecutor where he earned a Bronze Star. In 2013, DeSantis won a seat in the House of Representatives for Florida’s 6th congressional district, where he served until Sept. 2018. When he resigned, he cited personal qualms in accepting a salary when he felt he would largely be occupied by the gubernatorial race. This is largely in line with DeSantis’s previous behavior, as he’s rejected payment during government shutdowns and refused congressional benefits. A cornerstone of his campaign has been his support of President Donald Trump. DeSantis’s platform is firmly conservative, with major issues being, as his campaign website puts it, “continuing Florida’s economic momentum” and a desire to “end judicial activism.” However, DeSantis takes a conservationist stance on the environment, proposing a fracking ban in the state of Florida, as well as a number of other environmentally minded measures. Andrew Gillum, born in Miami and raised in Gainesville, is the Democratic candidate for governor. Gillum entered politics when, as a senior at A&M University in 2004, he won a seat on the Tallahassee City Commision. He remained a city councilman until 2014, when
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declared that any appointment by the sitting president was “null and
void,” according to NPR, and that the next Supreme Court Justice should be chosen by the next president, who was to be elected later that year in November. President Obama never managed to have Garland confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate. President Trump, after taking office, nominated Neil Gorsuch who was confirmed as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court and took the oath of office on April 10, 2017. Many Senate Democrats are frustrated that Mitch McConnell actively worked against Obama’s nomination and stalled for months but has rushed through Kavanaugh’s nomination, despite Democratic senators requesting an archive of documents from Kavanaugh’s time in the Bush administration, where he
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Ammendments on the ballot Amendment one, proposed by the legislature, would extend homestead (legally defined as the one primary residence of a person) exemptions. This would be a tax cut amounting to about $750 million across the state of Florida. Amendment two, also proposed by the legislature, places a cap on how much a non-homestead property can increase in value. Amendment three, proposed by a citizens’ initiative, would remove the ability for the Florida constitution to be amended by the legislature or CRC as to allow casino gambling. Significant backers of this amendment are the Disney corporation and the Seminole Tribe. Amendment four, from a citizens’ initiative, would mandate the restoration of felons’ (not convicted of murder or a sexual felony) ability to vote after their sentences (including parole and probation) have been served. Amendment five, from the legislature, would require any proposed tax increase to receive a supermajority in the state legislature to be instated. Amendment six, from the CRC, is composed of three parts. One would institute Marsy’s Law rights to victims of crimes, one would extend the mandatory retirement age of state judges to 75 and the last one would weaken the power of administrative agencies to interpret the law. Amendment seven, from the CRC, increases benefits to the survivors of fallen military personnel and first responders, requires a supermajority to increase tuition and fees of state college and enshrines the state college system within the constitution. Amendment nine (eight was removed), from the CRC, bans offshore drilling on state-controlled coastlines and bans vaping from everywhere cigarettes are banned. Amendment 10, from the CRC, establishes state departments of Veterans Affairs and Counterterrorism. Additionally, it establishes the start and end dates of Congress during off years and prohibits local governances from failing to establish state constitutional offices (like an elected sheriff position). Amendment 11, from the CRC, is considered a ‘house-cleaning’ amendment, intended to remove defunct language from the state constitution. Amendment 12, from the CRC, prohibits public officers and justices from lobbying for six years after their retirement from said public office. Amendment 13, from the CRC, bans dog-racing.
Miki Kratsman:
People I Met at USF Contemporary Art Museum BY AUDREY WARNE People I Met is a conceptual mixed-media piece documenting Miki Kratsman’s attempt to use Facebook to identify 9,000 portraits of Palestinians he took during his 30 years as a photojournalist for the Israeli newspapers Hadashot and Haaretz. The installation features 2,000 printed portraits hung individually in nine registers across three of the gallery’s walls, with 150 bronze plaques facing the portraits. Inscribed onto the plaques are a selection of Facebook comments revealing the identities and current whereabouts of the individuals depicted in the portraits. Some were killed by Israeli soldiers, some went missing years ago and have yet to return home and some were imprisoned for their participation in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Others are living normal lives, working at grocery stores or happily married to their childhood sweethearts. The work of the Buenos Airesborn, Tel Aviv-based photojournalist and activist will be on display at the University of South Florida’s Contemporary Art Museum (USFCAM) until Dec. 8. The exhibition also features works from several of Kratsman’s other contemporaneous projects, including selections from his Bedouin Archive and his Displaced photography series, table-top collaged panoramas of Arab villages the Israeli government has slated for demolition and a 2017 video project entitled 70 Meters... White T-shirt which consists of footage of a year of shooting in the Palestinian village of Nabi Salih. Kratsman’s work centers on documenting life in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories and, according to a press release published by the museum, attempts to “uncover personal stories while revealing the violent, often detached nature of Israel’s military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.” The show is the first USFCAM exhibition organized by Christian Viveros-Fauné, the museum’s newly appointed curator-at-large. ViverosFauné will also begin teaching courses on contemporary art and
art criticism at USF’s School of Art and Art History in the spring as the 2018-2019 Kennedy Family Visiting Scholar. Prior to joining the USF faculty, Viveros-Fauné organized the first iteration of People I Met in 2017 at the Quinta Normal Venue of the University of Chile’s Museum of Contemporary Art. “Christian Figueras-Fauné is a very well-known critic, curator, writer and former gallerist based in Brooklyn, New York, and we are expecting him to bring some very exciting exhibitions to us,” Noel Smith, the deputy director and curator of Latin American and Caribbean art at USFCAM, said. “As the only purely contemporary art museum in the Tampa Bay area we are constantly looking to do the best that we possibly can and we feel a huge responsibility to bring the most interesting, vital and important artists of our time here to the community and we found this person [Christian-Fauné] that we felt would bring us the best.” USFCAM is nearing its 30th anniversary and as a university-run contemporary art museum, its focus has often been on work that is highly political and that deals with contemporary issues and concerns. “We have always had art with a kind of political content,” Smith said. “At the USF Contemporary Art Museum we look for artists who not only are very aesthetically skilled and have a tremendous aesthetic talent and expression, but who also talk about things that matter. We have always had a political content to our exhibitions – it’s nothing new.” In addition to the exhibition itself, USFCAM is hosting a number of related events including a university-wide symposium entitled Politics of the Portrait / Photography as Activism on Oct. 11, a classical music concert in the USFCAM galleries on Nov. 1 and a screening of the documentary film 5 Broken Cameras on Nov. 16 as part of the museum’s “Film on the Lawn” series. USFCAM is located at 3821 USF Holly Drive, Tampa. Admission is free. People I Met can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/kratsman.people.i.met.
Miki Kratsman: People I Met installed at USF Contemporary Art Museum, 2018, photo taken by Will Lytch.
Miki Kratsman, still from 70 Meters...White T-Shirt, 2017.
Miki Kratsman: People I Met installed at USF Contemporary Art Museum, 2018, photo taken by Will Lytch.
Miki Kratsman, two images from Displaced, 2010.
Miki Kratsman: People I Met installed at USF Contemporary Art Museum, 2018, photo taken by Will Lytch.
Miki Kratsman, Al-Baggar, 2015.
CATALYST
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2018 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst
FEATURES PAGE 6
Students bare all for titty wall BY MICHALA HEAD
The Activist Newsletter Giulia Heyward/Catalyst
Throughout this week (9/26–10/3), activists have the opportunity to participate in activist trainings, panels and presentations concerning student rights and the November ballot. Read on if you want to get involved in the community regarding state politics, protests and knowledge building..
BY CASSIE MANZ Sat., Sept. 29, Legal Observer Training @ 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Selby Public Library - 1331 1st St., Sarasota.
what will happen if it does or does not pass and who opposes and supports each amendment. The event is free and registration is not required.
Tues., Oct. 2, Salt of the Sarasota’s American Earth Film Screening @ 7 Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) p.m. chapter is hosting a legal Fogartyville Community observer training, where Media and Arts Center volunteers will learn how 525 Kumquat Ct., Sarasota. to act as legal witnesses at political demonstrations Join Fogartyville in a and public protests. screening of Salt of the These trained observers Earth, a film chronicling document any incidents the agency of U.S. workers of police misconduct or made by a team of radical, violations of the rights blacklisted filmmakers sixty of protestors. ACLU years ago. membership is required to attend this training; one can Thurs., Oct. 4, Know Your join online or register for Rights Panel @ 6 p.m. membership at the event. New College of Florida, Email sarasotaaclu@gmail. HCL 8 - 5800 Bay Shore Rd., com with any questions. Sarasota. Mon., Oct. 1, Stop Ballot Confusion! Florida Constitutional Amendments - What They Really Say @ 6 - 8 p.m. Manatee County Central Library - 1301 Barcarrota Blvd. W., Bradenton. With 13 constitutional amendments on the Florida ballot this coming November, the League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan organization, hopes to clear the confusion in this presentation. They will explain what each amendment proposes,
New College’s American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) club is hosting two lawyers on campus to answer any and all legal questions students may have concerning their rights. Questions can be asked at the event or submitted through an anonymous Google form, linked in their email announcing the event. Minutes will also be sent out, for all who cannot attend. Questions can be campus or non-campus related. Thai Spice will be served!
First-year student, Cora Van Vleet gained immediate attention among her cohort within her first month on campus due to a polaroid photo collection of breasts of all shapes and sizes. Stashed in her armoire is a fledgling movement known as the “Titty Wall” begun by Van Vleet, through which she seeks to further the Free the Nipple campaign (which formed through a 2012 documentary that gained traction from celebrity endorsement in 2014) by normalizing breasts of people of all genders and backgrounds. What started as a pet project shared among friends in Tampa, Florida is now beginning to grow in popularity on New College of Florida’s campus for students who are 18 and older. “As I was meeting new people and telling them about it everyone has wanted to participate and I started to promote the wall,” Van Vleet said, also bringing up the fact that she recently posted about the project on her personal Instagram page. “Another big thing that I wanted to emphasize is that not all breasts are the same and I feel like social media really only portrays these perfect, perky
First years CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 leased to faculty and staff during the first meeting of the year in August. “We have been working on getting in some last minute final transcripts so that we can calculate final GPA,” Hamm said in an email interview, explaining why the demographics have not yet been released. In person, Hamm said that this delay is because when some students apply they use the last set of grades they received from their junior year in high school, and their GPA could be different than on their final transcript. In the past the Catalyst included the incoming cohort demographics in the first issue of the academic year. The first issue always falls in early September. The Catalyst website is updated a few days after the print version is released. “We’ve never known who is in the entering class until after the contracts and first tuition payments come in,” President Donal O’Shea said in response to an email asking for information concerning the demographics. The demographics show that the entering cohort is very disproportionate in both gender and race and ethnicity. “I feel like with the limited number of students of color it only creates an opportunity to show diversity through tokenization through the students of color,” third-year Cabrini Austin, vice president of diversity and inclusion initiatives (VPDI), said. “If you look at the flyers or advertisements of the school you find the token black person and it sucks but
Photo courtesy of Cora Van Vleet
This uncensored photo was removed from Van Vleet’s personal Instagram page. boobs with no scars, no stretch marks or anything,” Van Vleet said, “that is most of the time not really accurate. So hopefully this helps make everybody’s body acceptable and shows that everybody is different.” Van Vleet stated that this project, as it is new, is not yet fully organized and its trajectory will most likely depend on responses and participation, “I really want it [the wall] to be covered,” Van Vleet added. To learn more visit @coravanvleet or @ freethenipple on Instagram.
from a black student looking at the flyer it’s like, ‘Oh okay,’ but then the demographics say something different.” Tokenization is the process of using minority students to appear ethnically diverse on campus, making it more appealing to prospective students. Austin believes that it is up to the students to organize resources to support minorities because administration does not currently do so. Their position is to serve as a liason for the student body in the New College Student Alliance (NCSA), which includes hosting a bi-weekly Council of Diversity and Inclusion meeting. This is when the student body and representatives discuss their issues and how organizations on campus could work to become more inclusive. “We try to let first years from minority backgrounds know that certain organizations exist where they could go and feel comfortable,” Austin said. “I started going to Black Student Union (BSU) meetings, where it was very affirming and validating to be in a space with people who experienced what I felt. There wasn’t a BSU four years ago but now you can see the campus get more diverse.”
Here are some clubs/resources on campus that provide support networks: Asian/ Pacific Islander Alliance, Student Alliance, Black Student Union, German Club, Latinx, Middle East Interest Club, Queery, Trans Party, Bible Club, Catholic Solidarity, Chaverim and Hillel.
CATALYST Elections CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 he won a mayoral bid for the city of Tallahassee. During his run for the Democratic nomination, Gillum was considered the most progressive of the Democratic contenders and proudly wore the support of Senator Bernie Sanders. Gillum won a plurality in the Democratic primary with 34 percent of the vote. Gillum’s campaign is heavily centered around social and economic justice. Two of the issues that most distinguished him during the primaries were his outspoken support for the abolishment of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the institution of single-payer Medicare-For-All. Other proposed policies include a stricter policy on firearms, a more forgiving attitude toward former criminals after they are released and a major corporate tax rate increase of 30 percent.
Budget CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 a score of one out of ten, University Access Rate (Percent of Undergraduates with a Pell Grant) with a score of six out of ten and Freshman in Top Ten Percent of Graduating High School Class with a score of four out of ten. The other six categories had perfect scores. John Martin, vice president of the Finance and Administration Office, believes that the Board of Governors (BOG) will soon alter the way that the SUS allocates performance funding. “The BOG is going to change the formula, they’ll probably talk about it in October,” Martin said. “Because they recognize that it doesn’t make a lot of sense, because our scores were good. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to penalize three schools, so they’re going to change that.” The incoming first years also had an impact on the yearly budget which Martin and the Finance and Administration Office create. Martin explained that the office bases the yearly budget on billable credit hours and not a projected student headcount. For 2018-2019 the estimated budget was based on 28,000 billable credit hours, not on the projected 822 enrolled students. Unfortunately, these hours have decreased since the 2017-2018 year. “Right now enrollment is down a little bit from last year,” Martin said. “So that means there are fewer students paying fees and also we still have lots of tuition and fee waivers we’re doing.” The school issues tuition and fee waivers in the form of student scholarships. This means that in exchange for higher revenue, the school provides funds for students to lessen the price of enrollment. For the 2017-2018 fiscal year,
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2018 www.ncfcatalyst.com | @ncfcatalyst
The Senatorial Race The contest for the Senate has attracted national attention, due to the especially slim control the Republicans have over the upper chamber and the unusually narrow race in the midst of what many pundits believe will be a “blue wave.” In an interesting comparison towards the Gubernatorial candidates, Governor Rick Scott and Senator Bill Nelson are both significantly less ideological and more centrist. Rick Scott, the current Governor of Florida, is the Republican nominee. After a successful business career, Scott became Governor of Florida in 2010. Scott’s campaign is centered around the “Make Washington Work” Plan: a combination of the implementation of term limits, congressional pay and benefits cuts and the reinstatement of the line item veto. Additionally, he seeks to make tax and fee increases require a supermajority vote. It should be noted that in his critiques of Washington, Scott does not strike a populist tone—indeed, he sounds more like a dissatisfied employer.
Bill Nelson, the Democratic incumbent, is a fixture of Florida politics, having first joined the Florida Legislature in 1972 and winning a seat in the House of Representatives in 1979. Nelson is running on the moderate platform that has worked so well for him in the past. Nelson seeks to very mildly expand Medicare (just enough to close the ‘donut hole’), protect entitlements and install greater consumer protections. How To Get Involved For someone who is not registered or with out-of-date registration, RegistertoVoteFlorida.gov will have the resources necessary to lead them through the process. Vote.org/ polling-place-locator/ is a resource to locate the nearest voting station, while Vote.org/absentee-ballot/florida/ can begin the process to register for vote-by-mail, though it still requires a few days to mail the form. It is critical to immediately engage in whatever steps necessary, as the deadline for general registration is Oct. 9, the absentee ballot must be sent by Oct. 9 and the election is set to occur on Nov. 6.
“we estimated $5,040,000 would be generated in tuition and fee revenue,” Martin said. However, for this fiscal year, 2018-2019, the estimated revenue generated from tuition and fees came to $4.6 million. These decreased revenues provide a discouraging view for the school’s progress, as they do not align with the goals of the growth plan, which projected to see 900 students for the 20182019 academic year. However, Martin looks at long-term effects of the growth plan and feels confident that the financial situation of the college will improve in due time. “We would’ve liked [the enrollment] to have been higher this year,” Martin said. “The growth plan dollars we got only kicked in last year, we’ve only had them for one year. When you learn a little bit more about admissions you’ll figure out, you’ve got to start recruiting sophomores, juniors, seniors. It’s going to take a couple or three years to start moving the needle.”
ty and teaches in consortium with Stanford University. However, news of the letter to Feinstein leaked and the story quickly snowballed as The New York Times and the New Yorker reported on the letter but did not reveal Ford’s name. Ford worried her story would be twisted and decided to come forward. On Sept. 16 the Washington Post published an article naming Ford and detailing her claims against Kavanaugh. Ford claims Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when he was 17 years old and she was 15 years old at a party in suburban Maryland. The Post described how in 2012 and 2013, Ford went to therapy during which she discussed the incident and called it a “rape attempt.” Ford also took a lie detector test, on the advice of her lawyer Debra Katz, and provided the results to the Post. According to the Post, the results “concluded that Ford was being truthful when she said a statement summarizing her allegations was accurate.” On Sept. 18 Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grass-
Kavanaugh CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 served as both White House counsel and staff secretary. Despite Senate Democrats putting up a fight, it was expected that Kavanaugh’s nomination would be relatively smooth. But that changed on Sept. 12. Earlier this summer, Christine Blasey Ford sent a letter to Senator Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, describing an incident concerning Kavanaugh. In the letter, she wrote that she expected her name to be kept confidential. She also contacted the Washington Post, but struggled with coming forward publicly, fearing what it would do to her and her family. Ford is a psychology professor at Palo Alto Universi-
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ley cancelled a meeting for Thursday, Sept. 20, where committee members were expected to hold a vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination. According to CNBC, the meeting has not been given a new time or date, as of now. Democrats are calling for a FBI investigation into the matter before Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing should proceed. “The sexual assault allegations that have been brought against [Kavanaugh] show how misogynistic, and honestly how straight up awful he is,” third-year and Acting President for Generation Action Alexandra Barbat said in an email interview. “I and the rest of Planned Parenthood support Christine Blasey Ford. Rapists should not sit on the highest court in the country. Having him on the Supreme Court would be so dangerous, and would prove how little Congress cares about people’s lives.” Meanwhile, many are drawing comparisons to Anita Hill’s testimony in 1991 during the nomination hearing of Clarence Thomas, now Supreme Court Justice. Hill came forward and accused Thomas of sexual harassment. Hill is calling for the Judiciary Committee to do better in handling Ford’s allegations than it did hers in 1991. She believes the committee was partial and biased. Stakes are high as the midterm elections are fast approaching. Republicans are eager to confirm Kavanaugh before November, fearing that possible Democratic victories in the Senate would tip the majority. Democrats are eager to postpone the hearing as much as possible. According to NPR, Ford is set to justify in front of the Judiciary Committee concerning her allegations on Thursday, Sept. 27. In breaking news, on Sunday, Sept. 24, national news organizations reported that Senate Democrats are also investigating a sexual misconduct allegation against Kavanaugh by Deborah Ramirez, a former classmate of Kavanaugh’s at Yale University. Information gathered from npr.org, cnbc.com, wallstreetjournal.com, newyorker.com and nytimes.com.
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Four Winds Cafe hosts first pop-up show of the year BY EILEEN JOY CALUB On Friday, Sept. 21, the Four Winds Cafe hosted its first popup music show of the school year, showcasing up-and-coming Florida artists including newly-formed band Lemón Royale, Electro-R&B producer Nicholas Gambardella (who performs under the name Gamby) and rapper and songwriter Ryan Burke. Admission for the event was free. The event was organized by Four Winds employee and thesis student Becca Caccavo. “It sort of fell into my lap,” Caccavo said. The event partially came to fruition through her roommate, recent alumnus James von Hollen (‘14), whose girlfriend Briana Lutzi is the lead singer of Lemón Royale, and a former New College student. “Briana was looking for a venue to do a show and I was like, ‘Hey, we could do it at the Four Winds!’” Caccavo coordinated closely with Lutzi to plan the event and opening acts. “Briana essentially figured out the lineup and she organized the logistics,” Caccavo said. “Briana’s really in the music scene in Sarasota and Gamby does violin for Lemón Royale, so Gamby was going to be performing both with Lemón Royale and as Gamby.” Dismayed at the decreasing number of campus events in recent years, Caccavo hopes that this popup show will be the first of many this year. “We used to have Four Winds shows a lot,” Caccavo said. “It’s changed so much. The process of throwing an event has become harder. Not only that, but the police presence on campus has intensified, which can make throwing events and inviting people from off-campus intimidating.” After performing at Growler’s Pub one night, Lutzi was approached by Gambardella, who commended her singing and asked if she would collaborate with him. Lutzi, Gambardella and fellow musician friends began working on original songs
Image courtesy of Becca Caccavo
Eileen Calub/Catalyst Lemón Royale performing at Four Winds.
together. In mid-2018, they officially decided to form the six-piece collective, Lemón Royale. The band comprises of Lutzi as lead singer, guitarist Liam Kaiser, pianist John Hetherington, producer and violinist Gambardella, bassist Andrew Appleseed and drummer Damon Owens. As for the band’s name: “We drew different words out of a hat,” Lutzi said. “We landed on ‘royal lemon’ and then we flipped it around.” Musical inspirations and influences for the band include Hiatus Kaiyote, Moonchild, Jordan Rakei, Donny Hathaway and Jacob Collier. The band tries to “play around with all different sounds” and incorporate them into their music. “It’s neo-soul, funk, jazzy, indie cool, weird and awesome,” Lutzi said, describing the band’s musical style. “Strangely curious and uplifting.” All songs by Lemón Royale are crafted by the members themselves. “Everything we’ve written is the most honest it could possibly be,” Lutzi said. “If I’m trying to express joy in my song, it’s because it’s my true honest joy that I have when I’m writing it.” Lemón Royale’s music will soon be available on Spotify, Soundcloud, iTunes and Bandcamp. Before departing to set up for the show, Lutzi stated, “We’re all so grateful to do this. We want people to have fun and dance, eat, sing, cry a little if you want. Just enjoy it.” Though currently based in Tampa, Electro-R&B artist Gambardella, who performs under the stage name Gamby, is originally from Sarasota. He developed an interest in music at a young age and began playing the violin when he was 4 years old. Gambardella began seriously pursuing music when he was 19, after his first semester of college. “I was doing nursing school, I didn’t like it and I missed doing music, so I got back into it. I moved to
Eileen Calub/Catalyst
Gamby performing at Four Winds.
Nashville for a few years and then moved back [to Sarasota] and have been just pushing since,” Gambardella said. On the origin of his name, Gambardella said, “It’s actually a nickname of mine that has been passed down through generations. My cousin, my dad, my uncle, we’ve all been Gamby at one point, so I figured what a cool way to move the legacy on.” Through his music, Gambardella conveys his story and past experiences. “More or less, Gamby is an alter ego of my original self and it’s a lot of things that I’ve dealt with in my life,” Gambardella said. “Mental health issues, a lot of different abusive things that I’ve been through in my life, and kind of pushing them all together into music that can make you feel good, but also, if you dig into it, it’s got a double meaning.” Fans can find Gamby’s music on Spotify, iTunes, Soundcloud, Youtube, ReverbNation and Amazon.
Featured on the cover of his newly released EP, Astraea, is the EP’s namesake, his cat.
Students gradually streamed into the Four Winds as night fell, situating themselves on couches or moving through the food and refreshments line. Dancers crowded in front of the stage to vibe with the music. Notably, Gamby played a Guitar Hero guitar controller as a bass guitar during one song. At one point, Burke joined Gamby on stage and freestyled. Together, Gamby and Burke performed “Everything” as the final song of the opening act. After a brief intermission, Lemón Royale began performing at 9 p.m. The band played a set of alternating slow and energetic songs, some grounded by the beat of the drums or the strum of the bass, some carried by Lutzi’s soothing voice, but all very funky. “I felt the show was cool, I liked the lighting,” first-year Kanti Gudur said. “There were really strong, raw vocals. I wasn’t planning on coming, but I’m glad that I did.” Amidst the bustling crowd, a delighted Caccavo commented, “It’s a huge turnout. It’s fucking dope.”