catalyst - University of Florida

Features
Opinion
Halloween movies,
Sisters of Mercy
-page 4
Superstar
-page 5
Editorial: No
homework, just fun,
Guest Column:
Activism
-page 7
I may be synthetic, but I'm not stupid.
Volume X, Issue 7
Cuba week
commences
New College hosts New Urbanist architect ·
The community Orangewood brings academia to the design table.
by Mario Rodriguez
If you pass third-year Bindya
Mathew, stop, and inquire casually,
as she puts it, "'Oh, when did the
Symposium on Cuba start? Who are
the speakers?"' Her prepared answer is: "Read the fucking signs."
Then she will smile with slight exasperation.
Although not Cuban herself,
Mathew organized a six day conference revolving around issues of
Cuban life. Sponsored by Professor
of Economics Fred Strobel, Ilead of
the
International
Studies
Committee, the week-long symposium includes 14 presentations
given by students, speakers and activist groups. Moderators include
Assistant Professor of Spani'>h Jose
by Heather Whitmore
New Urbanist, Andres Duany is planning
Orangewood, a new urbanist community right here in
Sarasota. The week long Charrette, hosted by Associate
Professor of Sociology David Brain, kicked off with a
swank meet and greet event at the old Asolo Theater last
Wedne day evening.
There, Duany highlighted his "cutting-edge" desi«Yn,
which will reinvigorate the corner of highway 301 :'nd
University Parkway with a "complete professional
town". Duany's master plan also includes an urban research center for New College.
The Charrette process is the heart of the New
Urbanism's planning method. It involves pulling toge ther designers, landscapers, engineers, and financial
con. ultant, involved in planning process, for eight days
to battle out the master plan. The face-to-face Charrettc
cuts the "bureaucratic red tape" of conventional development by organizing all input at once . Traditional
Ianni involves
a dcsi 1 throu
a chain of in-
Spanish Terry Palls, and Assistant
Professor of Sociology Sarah
Hernandez.
Mathew omitted major topics of
discussion, . uch as the church, immigration, and the effects of
tourism. by necessity, saying that if
the event were any longer her sanity
would be at stake.
Having lived in Cuba for a total
of four months in the past year,
Mathew questions the sanity of anyone not interested in Cuban issues.
She recalled an asthmatic Cuban
friend who had to receive daily
shots because he would only get one
inhaler per month, usually containing half the expected ration.
"You have to sit there with a
blunt needle in your vein," Mathew
noted, "It's crazy the things
[Cubans] have to do." For example,
they can't buy medicine from the
U.S., she explained, so those with
asthma problems or those who need
antibiotics are out of luck. Cuba's
pharmaceuticals hail from Europe,
while their grain is imported from
Asia, as opposed to Montana, where
there is rotting surplus.
Meanwhile, Mathew said many
Cubans rot away themselves with
malnutrition."Everybody's in a consensus that Castro needs to be out,"
said Mathew, "and that this embargo
is way
citizen~.
I
''
SEE CUBA
'' ON PAGE
6
l_
october 27 1999
Last Wednesday,
Duany'~
Orangewood Charrette
Raccoons' romp on campus causes cute crisis
The campus has been ravaged by militant troops of hungry raccoons.
free to pillage. Nevertheless, the remarkable chatm of
these thieving raccoons has prevented most New College
students from proposing any course of action stronger
than secured garbage can lids and giving the raccoons,
who can have a tendency towards belligerence when
confronted, a wide berth. But do the masked mammals
pose a threat to the students of New College?
The North American raccoon, or Procyon Lotor, is
undoubtedly one of the most easily-recognizable creatures to be found across the length and breadth of the
United States, but there is more to them than ringed tails
and whiskered snouts. Students and other citizens of
Florida, where urbanization has caused the raccoon population to appear in populated areas in ever-increasing
numbers, should be aware of the risks and responsibilities incurred when sharing space with a population of
procyonids. Even more than the nuisance caused by the
raccoons' nocturnal trash can raids, first and foremost in
most people's mind is the threat of disease, particularly
rabies. This is an admittedly distinct possibility; one out
of every 200 raccoons will suffer from rabies, while others can carry distemper, roundworm, or any of a wide
range of diseases. Few of these are communicable to humans, but house pets are at a much more distinct risk.
Nor should students be lured by the moist-eyed innocence of raccoons into attempting to pet or feed them by
hand. Raccoons have incredibly strong jaws and claws,
and will not hesitate to bite or scratch if they feel they are
Raccoons may look cute and cuddly, but they may also be being threatened,lsEE "RACCOONS" ON PAGE 3
the carriers of rabies.
by Ryan McCormick Price, Esq.
Their black eyes glimmer with a roguish cunning as
they slink from the shadowed treetops, their fur dappled
in shades of hidden grey, padding on quiet claws to rummage through the heaps of refuse left behind by the
student body of New College. Thus far, their campaign
of twilight raiding has met with great success; so much
so, in fact, that the raccoons have stepped up their program, wandering freely about the campus under the
harsh light of day and in flagrant disregard of the presence of the very students whose trash the critters feel so
I
2
News
The Catalyst
KKK Rally Thrns Violent
A highly publicized Ku Klux Klan rally in
New York city on Saturday which drew thousands of protesters and bystanders started
peacefully before protesters clashed with the
demonstrators, and then with the police. Five
men dressed as Klan supporters talked their
way by police and rushed the KKK's head
knight, jumping on him and dragging him to
the ground before police interjected.
One of the Klan-a-likes was a high school
teacher from Brooklyn who said "We ran into
the group, and I ripped their banner away from
them .. .l was put to the ground before I had the
chance to do anything more. I would have
done all I could to try to stop that group from
organizing."
The demonstration had been widely publicized after the Klan were barred from wearing
masks with their costumes under an obscure
state law preventing public demonstrators from
wearing masks by the United States Supreme
Court. The Klan protested this decision saying
that by nature of their popularity, their personal well being was in jeopardy if their faces
were shown.
Yanks and Braves Meet in Fall Classic
The New York Yankees knocked off the
Boston Red Sox in six games and so did the
A&1anta &aves to the New York. Me~ ruining
any c ance o a ong awai e su way senes
between tbe two New York teams. The 1999
baseball World Series kicked off on Saturday
with a 4-1 Yankee victory.
Scientists took the first big step in a long
time in the battle against Alzheimer's disease
this week. Researchers at Amgen found an
Enzyme that cuts a brain protein in two, initiating the spread and build up of debris in the
brain. Scientists say that if their theory is correct, the next step is to start searching for a
drug that will stop and prevent the tragic disease.
catalyst
(~I . . . JWt ·~. o\II,.P.~
General Editor
Managing Editor
Shanon Ingles
Ben Ruby
Online Editors
Nikki Kostyun and David Saunders
Layout Editor
Photography
Michael Jones
Heather Whitmore
Staff Writers
Max Campell, Kathryn Dow, Darren Guild, Ryan
McCormick Price, Esq., Michael Sanderson,
Mario Rodriguez
Contributors
Andrew A. Jay
UN Sends Peacekeeping Force to Sierra
Leone
Six-thousand peacekeepers are to help the
troubled African State of Sierra Leone try to
restore civility after the latest round of civil
war. The main responsibility of the force will
be to collect weapons from the warring factions and protect relief workers from isolated
attacks. The recent civil war in Sierra Leone
has been especially violent -and especially for
civilians. US Secretary of State Madeline
Albright described what she saw as "unspeakable horrors."
Generally U.S. Budget Talks Stalemate
Scientist's Discover Enzyme Liuked to
Alzheimer's
Russia and Chechnya: A new chapter?
Russian rockets have been blamed by
Chechnyan forces for blasts that destroyed a
civilian marketplace and killed at least 140
people in the Chechnya capital of Grozny last
Friday. Russia bas been involved in Chechnya
affairs as of late after Islamic fundamentalists
from Chechnya invaded Daegstan, a small
province in southern Russia, during summer.
More recently, however, these rebels have
been blamed by Ru sian officials as playing a
part in the eries of terrorist bombings in
Moscow that left over 300 Russian civilian's
dead. Russian officials strongly deny Russia's
involvement in the blasts, saying that the
rebels are to blame. The tragedy is the newest
among a string of events dating back to 1996
involving Rus ia and the breakaway republic
of Chechnya.
The Republican led Senate and President
Clinton have squared off once again this year
over the US budget. In 1996, their inability to
come to a resolution shut down the government until the conflict could be re<>olved the
following year. Republicans want to cut taxes
and Clinton's spending proposals do not agree
with the lax cut. The result is that the two par~
ties have steered toward a third course:
slashing the national debt. This action could
have widespread political and economic consequences. Van Doorn Ooms, researcher
director for the Committee for Economic
Development, commented that "Neither party
had debt reduction as its priority, but it ended
up being the common denominator they could
on
the
dlock."
October 27, 1999
Safe Passage Route Opened by Israel
Hundreds of Palestinians, personal belongings in hand, traveled by bus or taxi 28 miles
across Israel to areas under Palestinian control.
The "safe passage," for many, was the first
time they had laid eyes on the country they
had fought against for years. Taxi driver Ali
Mohammed warned his passengers to be "careful with those permits, they are your ticket to
freedom." The safe passage signified an important step toward long awaited independent
statehood for Palestinians. Israel Prime
Minister Ehud Barak said that in the final
peace deal, he hopes to build an elevated highway so that Palestinians can travel between
Gaza and the West Bank without entering
Israel.
Lifetime Republican Patrick Buchanan has
left the Republican party to seek the refonn
party presidential nomination.
Buchanan, whose ultra-conservative speech
in the 1992 GOP convention was widely seen
as the beginning of Bush's downfall in the '92
election, left because he claimed, "our vaunted
two-party system is a snare and a delusion, a
fraud upon the nation." Buchanan also attacked NAFTA and GATT, claiming that U.S.
soldiers were not meant to be in the service of
a, New world order."
orne Of oc antln s new conira es 1
s
were not to pleased to be fighting alongside
the candidate, who recently wrote a book in
which he claimed that the Holocaust was not
sufficient justification for entering World War
II. Recent reform party convert Donald Trump
said of Buchanan, "He's a Hitler lover. I guess
he's an anti-Semite. He doesn't like the
blacks, he doesn't like the gays."
Information compiled by The Associated Press
and ABC online.
No, we cannot report
that Lieutenant Ripley
failed in preventing space aliens from
landing on the Earth.
Oh, well. Maybe next
The Catalyst is available on the World Wide Web at
http://www.sar.usfedu/-catalyst/
The Catalyst is an academic tutorial sponsored by Professor Maria Vesperi. It is
developed in the New College Publications
Office using Adobe Pbotoshop and Quark
Xpress for PowerMacintosh and printed at the
Bradenton Herald with money provided by the
New College Student Alliance.
Direct submissions and inquiries to:
The Catalyst
5700 N. Tamiami Tr. Box #75
Sarasota, FL 34243
catalyst@virtu.sar.usfedu
The Catalyst reserves the right to edit
submissions for space, grammar or style.
Contributions may range in length from 250
to 500 words. Letters to the Editor should be no
more than 250 words. Submissions should be
labeled as either letters to the Editor or
contributions and include names and contact
information.
Submissions in "rtf' or "WriteNow" format
may be saved to the Catalyst Contributions
folder in the Temp Directory on the Publications
Office file server, printed submissions may be
placed in campus box 75, and all other
contributions may be e-mailed to catalyst@virtu.
No anonymous submissions will be accepted.
All submissions must be received by 5:00
p.m. Saturday in order to appear in the following
week's issue.
3
News
The Catalyst
IFROM "RACCOONS" ON PAGE
1
I
.
.
c
and they WIJI almost certamJy see a
Circle C Trapping, a local company specializing in the live trapping and
looming human as a threat in any context. Raccoons, however, will not usu- removal of pests, nuisances, and other wildlife, describes their methods: a
ally pose a direct threat to humans so long as they are left alone. wire cage with a sliding door is placed in an area where raccoons have been
Unfortunately the swelling popul ation of procyonids on cam pus is making sigh ted, preferably near their usual feeding area or perhaps the trees where
direct friction between raccoons and students a very real possibility.
they usually make their home. The trap may be baited with practically anyAccording to Tom Barnard of the New College Housing Department, thing, although raccoons seem to favor cat food, chicken necks, and sweet
there are currently no plans in place to eliminate · the
com. The raccoon's entry into the trap causes the door
growing "raccoon menace". While it's obvious that the ..--,--,h,.------:::J--fu=-~--=------=:----. to slide shut, allowing the trap, with the animal inside
it, to be removed from the area.
raccoons are becoming more prevalent across campus,
and growing bolder as time goes on, the situation is cerUnfortunately for students with a strong desire to
indulge their primal hunting instincts, Tami Hardee of
tainly not considered a crisis. The Housing Department
has not received any complaints with tegards to racthe Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission says that
live-trapping requires a perm1t from the Florida Game
coons. While Barnard agrees that "rabidity may be an
issue", he doesn't feel that the raccoons pose a direct
and Freshwater Fish Commission, except in the case of
property damage caused by raccoons. However even
threat to the health and wbll-being of students.
with a permit, most regions of Flori<~:l (including
However, he warns, should any sort of incident occur in
Sarasota County) have statutes against the relocation of
which a student is harmed by the actions of a procyonid, rabid or otherwise, reprisal against the raccoons
Clips 0
Jive-trapped raccoons, due to the threat of spreading
disease to resident raccoon populations, and recomwill be "swift and severe", as soon as jurisdiction is established as to whose job it is on campus to protect
0
mends instead the humane destruction of the animal.
Since an orchestrated program of genocide against the
students from raccoons.
raccoons is not what is sought here at New College,
Head Groundskeeper A1 Matthews of the New
Tami has some much more practical suggeshons.
College Physjcal Plant has a more proactive take on the
Trash cans can be sprayed with a mixture of two cups
matter; he feels that students should take matters into
water to one teaspoon ofTabasco auce. The oil-based
their own hands. He recommends throwing things, alhot sauce will adhere to the raccoon's paws, causing an
though presumably nothing heavier than a tennis ball,
at raccoons to shoo them away from trash cans, and even suggests placing unpleasant burning when they eat that will usually dissuade them from furlive traps for the beasts. "Place them on level ground, though, because those ther raiding of the receptacle. Alternatively, students with a desire to
raccoons are fighting powerful when they're cornered. And don't try to maintain the sanctity of their trash can purchase raccoon-proof trash cans at
reach in and take them out." He says that while maintenance workers and Home Depot or Wal-Mart, or simply weight down the lids of the trash cans
groundskeepers have made particular note of the large number of raccoons they already own with heavy rocks.
For more information on procyonids, visit the Raccoon Web at
on campus, he sincerely doubts that any massive action will be taken against
them. Thus, it is the students' responsibility to care for and protect their own www.loomcom.com/raccoons, or call the Fish and Wildlife Commission in
garbage. Trapping, however, may not be a viable option for New College Lakeland at 941-648-3205, or visit your local library.
students.
... . .. ,.
A e p I hint for
keeping trash safe:
Spray trash cans
with a mixture two
f water an d
f
one teaspoon
Tabasco sauce to
repel raccoons.
les, Ben Ruby and David Saunders
PU\U9
t ui
OUTER
SPACf
1. Bram
Plan 9 From
Outer Space
1. The Shining
2. In the Mouth
of Madness
3. Hellraiser
4. Candyman
5. Psycho
6. Aliens
7. Pet Semetary
8. The Exorcist
2. Elivira: Mistress
of the Dark
3. I Know What YOU
Did Last Summer
4. I Still Know What
You Did Last Summer
5. John Carpenter's
Vampires
6. Leprechaun
7. Killer Klowns
from Outer Space
(It's still a classic)
8. Maximum Overdrive
9. Ghoulies
Straker's
Dracula
2. Legend
3. Interview
with a Vampire
4. Mary
Shelley's
Frankenstein
5. The Hunger
6. Anything by
Tim Burton
7. Anything Evil
Dead
8. The Prophecy
9. The Rocky
Horror Picture
Show
10. The Lost
Boys
Eldritch has managed to keep the Sisters of Mercy alive
Despite a terrible opening act, the Sisters pulled off a highly energetic and entertaining show.
by Kathryn Dow
Bowiesque look which was presented. The white leather jacket (slightly too
Andrew Eldritch may have renounced the goth scene, but hi rumored small), and white turtleneck completed his "NotAGoth" image. Even less
distaste for his black-clad minions did not show at the Sisters of Mercy show "goth" was the blue and yellow "United Federation of Planets" jersey-style
at the Orlando House of Blues (SoM at HoB, as we called it) on Friday, shirt he later changed into, to the elation of the NASA employees next to me
October 15. This show was the last North American date in their 1999 "To in the crowd. Contrary to the stories I'd beard over the years, "Uncle Andy"
The Planet Edge" tour. Mter Tube, a thoroughly uninspiring and out-of- seemed thrilled to be performing in front of a sea of black clothing. Though
place opening act, took his synthesizers and dull techno off the stage, and a his eyes could never be een behind his omnipresent sunglasses, he smiled at
brief wait, the Sisters came on, opening with one of their best and most pow- the crowd. He flirted with those in the front of the floor area by reaching his
hand out not quite close enough to touch, then taunting
erful songs, "Ribbons." Their attempt to kick-start the
show with this hard-driving opener unfortunately sufus with a coquettish grin. He tossed us cigarettes
fered due to a poor mix and a ridiculously goth ennui the
(Marlboro Lights, if anyone was wondering), and even
crowd seemed to be displaying. Maybe the audience
gave a friend of mine his drink, which was in a picwas still feeling the mind-numbing effects of Tube.
turesque Zephyrhills bottle, perfect for the mantelpiece
of any household. The concoction, later determined to
Regardless, after a few songs, the mix was leveled
out, and when the band struck the opening chords of
be a Vodka and Cranberry, was dubbed "SoM Swill" by
"Dominion (Mother Russia)", the concert suddenly skyone of the concert goers.
Eldritch is the only remaining human member of the
rocketed from merely good to truly excellent. From this
point, the band played mostly their old classics, such as
1980's lineup. He was,of course, joined by his long
"Something Fast" and "This Corrosion", turning the
standing drummer, bassist and keyboardist, Doktor
concert into a big sing-along, and a few newer tunes,
Avalanche, a very large machine, supposedly still run such as ''Summer" and "Romeo Down''. They are still Andrew J::ldritch looks like David Bowie. took at ning off of an old 286. Also joining him for this tour
theoretically going to be releasing this new material, but
him. lie's godlike. Nay, he is God.
were Adam Pearson (solo guitar, backing vocals, and
it has not yet happened. Despite the rumors I had heard of their change in bass), and Mike Varjak (rhythm guitar). Pearson joined the Sisters in 1993 ,
sound, the new songs came off as the old tried and true Sisters that we've and Varjak has been playing with them since the 1997 "Distance Over Time"
come to know. The high point of the evening was when the Sisters launched tour.
The newest incarnation of SoM still has the life and passion they brought
into "Vision Thing", which spawned some mild moshing and frenzied
screaming on the HoB floor.
u in the eighties. Hopefully, they will chose to swing through Florida again
Their chain-smoking frontman, Eldritch himself, really surprised me. I before too long. In the meantime, you can get your Sisters fix at
knew he had "changed his image" from the black-clad longhair of the eight- http://www.the-sisters-of-mercy.com (the brand-spankin'-new official site,
ies, so I was expecting the short, bleached-blonde hair and vaguely unfortunately still under construction).
Entertainment
Even with a stereotypical plot s
t
s
The catat . st
fll
. .
This movie, b t
'
upers ar S I e ICitS 8
es appreciated by hardcore SNL fans, may come across as a dud.
October 27 t999
laugh
by Nikki Kostyun
"This is my story and you should a tt t'
now" opens the movie
p Y a en IOn because its starting right
'
·
• uperstar, oddly enough with
b
.
performing synchronized swimming and crformiJ . pr~-pu escent guts
here, we are taken through the tce~a e ~fc of ~g ~~quite poorlt From
Saturday Ni}:ht Live prodigy, this tim~ M II sb~t <ln~t-her creatiOn o~ a
0
Gallagher. You know her· she's tile
~
~nn~m s Mary Kathcnne
' · ·
over-nnagmahve
· b
Catholic school teen who sticks her finge . . h
' . ' mov1e-o sesscd
·
' rs m er armptts and smells them
when she gets nervous.
s ·
• S uperstar is the most recent SNL sketch turned mov·
.
. .
£fall member Bruce McCulloch as director . d S'NI
.'e, wrth Krds_Ill the
v
.
an
, cre<~tor Lorne M1chaels
as prod ucer. rrom knowmg this we have an id ·a f h
r
I
.
h
II
f
'
'
c
o
w at to expect·
tOrm.u a Wit a o the stereotypical aspects.
·
· ''l plot
F1rst we need a funny, ostracized protagonist.
Duh.
Mary Katherine's paren ts died when she was an infant aft b ·
.
ciously ripped to shreds by a school of hammerhead sha k' Sher emg Vl1. ·
" th
1·
·
· r s.
e grows up
Molly Shannon (right) and WilL Ferrel (lert) do 'the r,obot '. S
Jvmg, on e ug 1est stree t, m th e ug liest house, with the ugliest do " O n!
J'
zn uperstar.
a Jury D_u_ty fan could love th is minia t~re pooch. She resides with ~~r feis ty
W hat's next in the form ul a? w 11 0 f
wb~elcha1r-b~und Grandmo ther, w ho 1s rem iniscent of a relative or frienJ of
affection. Fellow SNL · ~ '
co urse,. we need the unattainable object
until the mov1e-goer recognizes her as none other than Glyn 1·s 1o h ns, th e suf-'
f rage tt e mo th er f rom M ary Poppins.
player, and lust interest of ~a::y ~a7h~e~n~~~/ye~~!r,pglaanys tFhe stladr football
m play ·
h' h
·
'
· erre oes well
AIJ
schoolgirl. Mary
Katherine wants in life is' a k1'ss
"Not J· US t any k'ISS
ea
ll~g aH tg sch?ol J OC~, reg~rdless of the fact that is he appears over 30
·
.
·..
mmd Y.ou - a btg-tlme, hold-your-breath-'til-you -think-you're-going- to-faint' y rs o . . e and hJ~ tauntmg fn ends model the perfect stereot ical an
b~na f1de Hollyw~od-style kiss." Unfortunately no matter how ha d h ' ~f popul ar ktd~. Sky lS know n for his spectacular dance moves a%~ell a~ th~
tnes, no one wtll kiss her.
r s e
ances that he mvents, such as "the peppermint stick" and "the fa
h' "
Oh no s
th ' · ·
x mac me.
This ~pawns the g?a1 of the movie: Mary Katherine must experience one
.
· orne ,mg ts m ~he way of Mary Katherine's m1tmte love and adoraho": for Sky. It s our pnmary antagonist, girlfriend of Sky and the "most
of these Ideal romantic tongue baths, and the only way to ex e ·
h ·
to b orne vou
.1 "S
p nence t at 1s be~uhful, most popular, most bulimic girl at St. Monica's." Head ch eerleader
~
~1
1,
a
TAH." She
· h
·
'Vanous
er mu- Ev1
Elaine
as th e
s hre w oi' the »ch oo\.
send her "someone to make out with."
Flash forward to Catholic high school. Mary Katherine invitingly Jets
wind blow her thigh-length skirt up, revealing the ever-so-sexy cotton
What else do we need beR? The only
Hanes-for-Her briefs, before entering the social holocaust that is high school. through which Mary Katherine can become a "Superstah." Fortunately, tile
It's antics like this, tree kissing, and comparing the relative weight of her school is holding the "Let's Fight Venereal Disease Talent Contest." From
breasts, that make Shannon's character the driving, and almost only, comedic here the conflict reaUy begins. Evian informs Mary Katherine that she "canforce of the movie. It's idiosyncratic, it's well loved by SNL fans, and frankly not let hymenally challenged dogs try out for the talent show," which only
it's so odd it's funny.
fuels Mary Katherine's obsession with winning the contest.
"Skid mark." "Lesbo." "Boob sweat." Yes, those pious parochial students
Now the plot has been calculated; the stage is set. What remains of the
sure know how to compliment their classmates. However, this does not wear movie is a decent mixture of typical SNL humor, familiar comedic faces, predown Mary Katherine. "Did you know that I am rubber and you are glue, so dictable outcomes, and the occasional make-out session with a stop sign.
whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you,'' she informs the peo- Canadian Tom Green plays Dylan, the goofy altar boy and friend to Sky.
ple in the hall.
Mark McKinney, current SNL and Kids in the Hall member, is the relatively
Mary Katherine spends her afternoons working a the rewind girl at Kip's bland school priest Father Ritley.
Father Ritley is also responsible for Mary Katherine's placement in the
Video Store. It is here where she perfects her craft by "studying all the superstars in the movies." A~ a result, Mary Katherine spends dinners special education class. She is proud to be "special" enough to join this group
practicing telekinesis in case a bucket of pigs blood is ever poured on her of kids who end up being not mentally challenged, just really weird.
Have no fear movie goers, the movies does pack a bit of mystery. The
head. She also occasionally chooses to express her feelings through mono"retard class" receives an addition: Slater, the boy who doesn't talk and is rulogues from made-for-TV movies.
mored to have killed his parents. He is played by Harland Williams, best
remembered as the cadaver bearing hitchhiker in Something About Mary or
the urine drinking cop in Dumb and Dumber. Slater constantly reappears in
the movie, materializing out of a dusty road on his motorcycle, with a
twangy, almost seedy, musical score in the background which becomes anno ying after his 20th appearance. Who is this bomber jacket clad man'? Why
doesn't he talk? When was the last time he washed his face?
All that is left now are the climax and denouement, two parts that the
watcher can accurately predict by the time of their arrival in the movie. This
is when all the critical questions arc finally revealed. Does Mary Katherine
reach "Superstah" status? Does she get to kiss Sky'? Does Evian ever digest
food ?
Iu conclusion, no, Superstar wil1 not reach superstardom. It will not make
the viewer aware of the beauty of life or the corruption of society. It will not
provide the viewer with religious images and themes, or endle s masturbation humor. It will, however, provide the viewer with classic Mary Katherine
Gallagher humor, flat, insipid, taunting high school students. That, and some
all-inclusive words of wisdom from the star herself: "drugs are bad."
Not quite Carrie"! Mary Katherine gets slammed by the evil Evian.
6
News
The Catalyst
October 27, 1999
Duany's Orangewood will be built off of University Parkway
~ROM ('DuANY" ON PAGE 1
jdrew businessmen, visionaries, and stuL---------------'dents from the Sarasota/Manatee county.
Once the audience took their seats, Bob Chapman, architectural partner in
Duany and Plater-Zyberk, explained that the task of the Orangewood project
was to create, "smart growth rather than urban sprawl." After the next few
speakers, it became clear that there are two aspects to the proposed project:
economic success and community integration.
WJ. Mills, known for their work on Sarasota's new downtown library,
will head Orangewoods construction. From their
perspective, "financial success" is paramount. From
a sociological perspective, Brain spoke of the positive impact the design should have on the area, "as
a place that might integrate and also enhance the
economic, cultural, educational, and spiritual life of
the community."
Brai~ then handed the stage over to the land's
owner, Jean Charlotte. For five generations the land
has beeh a farmed orange grove, as well as a spot for
Ringling's circus to practice in the off-season.
Charlotte recently inherited the land and wanted to . "
turn it over for development. From the start
Charlotte knew she wanted to build a "place for culture, not just suburbs." She explained her vision, ""'fr
"On a stack of index cards and with a Sharpie
marker I wrote down 'ORANGEWOOD, PEOPLE,
and THOSE SEASIDE PEOPLE!!'."
Da
The stage was set. Duany took the podium to adat the lecture
dress an audience of peaked interest and admiration. "New Urbanism is a
reform movement," he explained.
Duany excited the audience when he explained his desire to combat suburbia with self-contained and walkable towns. He reminded doubtful
which is best about anytime."
Orangewood's revolutionary feature is its unification of leisure and work.
Duany's mission is architectural, political, economic, and ecological.
Overall, his goal is make a comfortable environment where both business
and social life can flourish. To create an optimal town-center, Duany's team
will draw up a series of codes that dictate street networks, pedestrian ways,
building heights, and housing distribution. The results wiJI be a reduction in
traffic congestion and pollution via a network of streets that replaces vehicular trips with walking-orientated routes.
Duany's New Urbanist (nco-traditionalist) vision of Orangewood means converting the 110
acres of land into a walkable complex of professional and civic buildings. Although the exact
composition of Orangewood is still unclear, it's
likely to include architectural firms, industrial
buildings, shops, restaurants, a civic/cultural cen} ter, a hotel, and a few live/work apartments.
S There are also plans to construct the first stop on
~ Florida's bullet train.
re
To the delight of both Brain and Duany, there
~ will be a facility for social research and action
'1
within Orangewood. For Brain,, the opportunities
the project has brought to New College are profound. "Personally I Ca!}'t believe my good
fortune to host a Charrette·right here on the New
campu ,"
Brain
commented.
College
Orangewood.
Orangewood will provide the perfect location
for the community action center that Brain has been cultivating on campus.
The project has inspired both praise and discontent among students.
Some students are concerned that Orangewood will not benefit for the environment or the Sarasota community at large. The impact on surrounding
•
&
. iiJld nei
moods and businesses was not an i sue in ua 's lectuJ;e 1
• ,
1
his co_ntributions io Disney's Celebration. The power of Duany's method, he
Concerned stu ents, sue as h1r -year il y Amishaw;'feeJ'~ s 16caii6n·
expJamed, is that he tries to, "envision a complete community where there is might be problematic: "He got at everything except the social justice aspect,
not one."
which appears to be very little." Armshaw went on to comment, "I'm basi"We design across the present,'' Duany said with flare, as he elaborated on cally really in favor of the project. I just wish it was different in some ways,
how his troop of nco-traditionalist planners would create a community mold the most important being including New Town in the design process."
based on alternative coding and civic involvement for Orangewood. This
"Police presence in New Town will go up. This could bring increased
community mold is supposed to propel Sarasota into the future. As Duany crime and New town's culture being shut down," explained forth-year Jen
put it, "The neo-traditional e thos is a way of pragmatically selecting what- Shaw.
ever works -best in the long run...we are rebuilding that
Embargoes hurt Cuba
(FROM "CUBA" ON PAGE 1
I
' - - - -- - - -- ----lout of date and the results of
cruelty and bitterness of a few people. The amount of suffering it's causing is ju t unnecessary and unjustifiable"
Mathew hoped, "People [at New College] are going to
start wondering,'Why don't they have these materials? Why f;lfliii~M~W!~-are they forced to do all these crazy things just to survive?"
Mathew was puzzled that anyone would not be interested,
"All these stories like that. How could you not be interested
in what's going on there?"
Students can take an interest tonight from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
in Sudakoff. Miami's Free Cuba, a pro-embargo activist
group, will discuss human rights abuses and dissidents in -~!tf~ MM~MlfWIIIIJ~~!IjW.'*
Cuba. Tampa' Cuba Vive, an anti-embargo constituency,
will talk about the embargo. Both organizations want to
offer student activist opportunities.
Thursday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Sudakoff, Alex
Chavez, President of the Gulf Coast Latin American
Chamber of Commerce, and Roland Piccone, President of
the Sarasota/Manatee International Trade Organization, will
address investment opportunities in Cuba.
On Friday, Mathew, Anamaria Diaz-Balart, and SheJiy
Bull plan to lead the forum from the perspective of women
on the topic of free speech, as well as to discuss urban bias, racism, and AfroNestor G~I will present his artwork and talk about his experience as a
Cuban culture and revolution. The meeting will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Cuban-Amencan on Saturday between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. in the coffeehouse.
the Four Winds Cafe.
Michael Canney will simultaneously display his photography.
..
... .
7
0 inion
The catal
Editorial: A call for no homework over PCPs
Well, it's October. If you didn't know that, you
call, "Committee for Student Well Being in the Face of
probably have noticed that every year around this
a Weekend of Wholesome Fun," or CSWBFWWF for
time people start behaving oddly. They dress up in~ short. The committee's first action will be to def~~ny cl_othes, and he~e at New College, they parclare that no papers, reading, or homework sh~l be
as igned over a PCP weekend. Also, nothmg
hc1pate m an annual ntual of debauchery
kn_own as a Palm ~ourt Pa~ty. _All_ of this
~~ \ V~ shall be turned into professors before a holibnng u to the pomt of thts edttonal: PCP
71f0 ~ day. This way even professors can expect a
good, homework bad.
·- ·
few work free weekends. There would, of
I-Jow can party crazed students, exhausted from
~
course, be an exception for the is tudents, who
participating in the PCP and in its auxiliary activi~) generally don't know what month it is anyway.
ties throughout the weekend be expected to focus on
However, we urge everyone to go easy on their patheir work? It just isn't fair.
pers and theses and have tons of fun this weekend. We
That is why, we at the Catalyst, demand the formahave all earned it, even the slackers (you know who
you are).
tion of a joint faculty/student committee to protect the
well being of over worked student and teachers. This
Maybe CSWBFWWF is a dream, but we can still
committee, which, for lack of a better name we would
enjoy ourselves without it.
Guest Column: Activism? What activism?
By Andrew A. Jay
ucate people about abuses towards
women, stuff like the clothesline
project."
I sit there, sipping from my mug,
staring at this representative of the
FMLA, the largest and best funded
group on campus, and think about
how few groups actually do something. Don't get me wrong, the
FMLA does a noble thing in educating people, but a million and one
punk bands and s_imilar groups are
Whatever."
That's what I hear.
"I don't care ... whatever."
Is this lack of compassion and
motivation left over from some
grunge era of a few years ago?
(fhank you Seattle!)
Or have we just given up, we
can't fight the capitalist machine,
let's just sit here and drown away our
misery with drugs and alcohol, and
wait to be as imilated.
,
ing people about the injustices in our and wait to be assimilated! I'm
society, in fact I just spent an hour, going to fight!
sipping on my mug, and being eduOr at least I want to ...
cated about how fucked up our
But how am I going to do it?
society is. But all this education
I don't know · · ·
means shit unless people stand up
It doesn't matter · · ·
Whatever ...
an d do somethi"ng·
I was sitting in my sociology
class earlier this week, sipping my
range/guava/passionfruit juice from
my New College mug that everyone
assumes is always filled with beer,
and listened to the professor ask students about activist groups on
campus.
Unproductive silence
lingers on for a minute or two, until
broken by a daring youth who
proudly admit she is part of the
FMLA. Wh
sor what the FMLA does she pauses
for a bit and replies "Urn ... I'm not
sure ... Urn ... I'll get back to you."
After a few tidbits from other people
about how a few of their friends are
part of this or that group, the same
· states "'u
FMLA representahve
"e ed -
Do you kno\v someone who you've always thought would be
perfect for New College.?
.
. .·
The Otfice of Adntis~ions invites you to add your favon~e ~nght, pass_zonal~, I
motivat~d, independent, eccentric {ins.~rt )'OUI 0\'\'1"'1 a?.JCctl.~<' hcr0.} h•gh sc 00
student (fr~shmari semor) to our m;;ul,ng l•st.
.
.
Please fill out the alladted form as completely ac; po~iblc and then return tl to u~.
_....._...
...... ___ ...
..--
________
~..-·.-------------·
Prospectave s udenl' · full nmn~
Mailing Addres5
Phonf"
7ip [ __
State '
C':ity
Numla~:
Year oi Graduation
I ligh $chool
Your~a.me
Ll- - - - - - - - -- · -
L--------------------
R~l,,tion.,hip to Student
Nc\·v College of U~l
Oiftee of Admio;-;iurt\
5700 N Tamiaml Trl
S~rasot:l I L 3423&
t941J v . 9.4 :>6<>
FA.'< <94 t) 359 4435
ncJdmiS$aOrls(~s.ar.usf.edu
We, at the Catalyst,
apologize for any
mistakes or misprints in the
last issue.
We retract all the information
in last week's Town Meeting
article regarding the Athletic
Fee Committee, Athletic Fees
and Activity and Service
Fees.
Contribution
Guidelines
Letter to 'Tbe Editor~ A
•
ous articles, letters an or
editorials, or an opinion
that is intended to be
shared with the student
body. Letters to the Editor
should be no more than
250 words~ and are not a
forum for free advertising.
Contribution: A factual
article written by someone
not on staff. Contributions
should be informative and
p~rtinent to the interests of
New College students as a
whole. Contributions may
ran_ge in length from 250500words.
Guest Column: A solicited OP.inion piece.
Guest columnists do not
necessarily represent the
views of the Catalyst, but
rather opinions of which
we feel the New College
community should be
made aware. Guest
columns may range in
length from 250-500
words.
All submissio~s should ~e
received by Fnday 5pm m
order to appear in the next
issue. E-mail or floppy
disk submissions are preferred.
8
The Catalyst
Newt: My mommy always said
there were no monsters---no real
ones---but there are.
The Clothesline Project will be held
on Tuesday October 26 from Sam to
6pm in Palm Court.
Come to Fight Club, on Friday
10/29/99 at Midnight in the
Fishbowl.
Newt: Why do grown-ups say that?
The week long symposium on Cuba
will be held on October 25-30 in
Sudakoff Center during the week
and the 4 Winds Cafe during the
weekend.
Announcements
Ripley: Because mostly, it's true.
Gurdjiieff and Ouspensky
Philosophy Lecture:
"The Psychology of Man's Possible
Evolutions"
will be held on Saturday November
6 at 3pm in the Selby Public
Library.
Electronic Ecologies: Cyberspace
and the Redefinition of Nature
will be given by Dr. Ursula Heise,
Associate Professor of Comparative
Literature at Columbia
University,on Monday November 1
at 7pm in Sudakoff .
Have a freaky All Hallows' Eve.
sac minutes 9.19.99
In attendance: Danielle Babski Party Fund
(chair), Andrew Jay, Lindsey Luxa, 4. FMI.A (Feminist Majority)
Carly Earnshaw
Christy McCullough, Shannon
Dunn,
Cathy
Heath,
Molly Requesting: $58.89 to develop
FMLA pictures and scan them
Robinson, Jen Shaw
All votes are unanimous with the ex- Allocated: $50.00 at Wal-Mart
ception of the chair who does not 5. SAC Secretary
SAC
vote.
Requesting:
$36.05. One additional
1. 4 Winds Cafe
hour
a
week
at $5.15/hour for the
Ayleen Perez
SAC
Secretary
Requesting: $400 to bring De Blois
Milledge and her band to the 4 Allocated: $36.05
Winds Cafe on 10/22.
Allocated $400.00 for hotel and 73.9 Allocations: $486.05
From Other Party Fund: $69.50
a person honorarium
From
Food Reserve: $92.00
2. Shabbat Dinner
**Danielle
Babski has resigned
Debra Herrick
SAC
due to time confrom
the
Requesting: $92.00 for food from
Jen
Shaw
will be the
straints.
Sahara
temporary
chair
as
of
9/19/99**
Allocated: $92.00 from Food
**SAC meets on Tuesday at 6pm in
Reserve
the
4 Winds Cafe**
3. Andy Warhol Party
***SAC
forms are available outside
Regina Gelfo, Carly Earnshaw
of
Barbera's
office and must be
Requesting: $114.50 for decorations
turned
in
before
5pm on Monday in
and copies
Allocated: 69.50 from the Other order to be held on Tuesday**
Mon. Oct. 25th 9:30 - Noon University of Florida
Law School will have an information table in the
Hamilton Center. Stop by to check out requirements
for law school.
10.18.99
Petit Theft
Victim reported that unknown person(s) stole her
26", ten speed bicycle from
a bike rack in the Pei
dorms. Estimated value is
$250, Status is pending
Congratulations New
College Campus. We are
proud to report that this
week has been almost
crime free. That's right, no
trespassing, no indecent exposure. Just wait until
after this weekend ...
5:00 PM Florida State University,
College of Law will hold an Admission Seminar and
discuss qualification to enter law school.
Oct. 27th 10:00- 2:00
October 27, 1999
USF at Tampa will have
Conservancy of Southwest Florida Internship :
Looking for students or graduates with an interest in
ation as it relates to education, science, research, museums, environmental protection, and wild
animal rehabilitation. Interns receive a cost of living
allowance of $100 per week, housing is optional and
may be provided at no cost. To find out more about
available internships at The Conservancy, visit their
website at www.conservancy.org.
Ocean Mammal Institute (OMI) Internship:
OMI offers an undergraduate college course January 5 January 26, 2000 on protecting the endangered humpback whales and field research techniques. Students
work with an organization to directly protect whales
and dolphins. Learn more about OMI by visiting the
website at www.oceanmammalinst.org.
National Security Education Program (NSEP):
Brief Overview: NSEP focuses on geographical areas,
languages and fields of study deemed critical to U.S.
national security. Scholarships are intended to provide
support to U.S. undergraduates who will pursue the
study of languages and cultures currently underrepresented in study abroad and critical to U.S. national
security. The scholarship amount is based on financial
need. The amount wilJ vary from the cost of participation in a proposed study abroad program to partial
support. The maximum award is $8,000. Must be nominated by home institution. Deadline: February 7,
2000. For more information check out our website at
www.sarasota.usf.edu/CareerCenter/Fellowships.btm#F
ellowship.