Vendor unaffiliated with New College sprays overpass jasmine with Roundup
The overpass jasmine following the unauthorized use of Roundup. Photographed on May 4.

Vendor unaffiliated with New College sprays overpass jasmine with Roundup

On Apr. 11 at approximately 9 a.m., a work crew sprayed the Confederate Jasmine vine on the overpass connecting the residential and academic sides of campus, with an at-the-time unidentified chemical in an incident lasting about 15 to 20 minutes. Students quickly took notice and…

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DeSantis challenges Disney: what does that mean for Floridians?
Ron DeSantis depicted in front of Disney's EPCOT. (Image courtesy of author Caspian Rizzo.)

DeSantis challenges Disney: what does that mean for Floridians?

On Apr. 22, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, rising Republican star (and Catalyst regular) fired the first opening salvo in what might become an extended legal battle between his administration and the Walt Disney Corporation by dissolving the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID), essentially a county…

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New College faces a wave of phishing scams: here’s how to spot, report and defend against them
Emails are an integral part of every New College student, faculty and staff member's academic and professional lives---but phishing scams can present hidden dangers in this most mundane of tasks.

New College faces a wave of phishing scams: here’s how to spot, report and defend against them

Phishing—that is, a cybercrime where a target is contacted by email, phone or text message by someone pretending to be a legitimate institute or person in order to trick the target into revealing personal information, such as passwords or credit card details—is hardly a new…

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Email miscommunication costs several students their CARES Act funds
Up until this month, New College students have been able to receive up to $2,000 upon request as part of the CARES Act.

Email miscommunication costs several students their CARES Act funds

On Mar. 30, the Student Transcripts and Accounts Records Team (START) Center, the new multi-hyphenate agency billed as the “student-facing hub for Finance & Accounting, Financial Aid and the Registrar’s office,” released a weekly newsletter email. Near the bottom of the article was a small…

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Textbooks rejected by the Florida Department of Education for including Critical Race Theory and Social Emotional Learning
71% of textbooks for grades K-5 were designated to not be up to Florida's standards. Photo courtesy of Arthur Krijgsman on Pexels.

Textbooks rejected by the Florida Department of Education for including Critical Race Theory and Social Emotional Learning

The Florida Department of Education (DOE), under Gov. Ron DeSantis, announced on Apr. 15 that they have rejected 41% of the submitted text books for K-12 math curriculum citing Critical Race Theory (CRT), inclusion of Common Core and addition of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in…

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Families of transgender teens sue the state of Alabama over new laws
This recent legislation in Alabama mirrors Florida's own recently-voted upon "Don't Say Gay" bill, which was also met with community protest.

Families of transgender teens sue the state of Alabama over new laws

Two families with transgender children along with two physicians sued the state of Alabama on Apr. 12 in opposition to the state's laws which will make it a felony for doctors to issue any sort of treatment for transitioning medically—including hormones, puberty blockers and gender-affirming…

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How the Spring 2022 NCSA Presidential Elections revealed a troubling trend of overlooking students of color
Headshots of NCSA President-elect and second-year Grace Keenan, and NCSA Vice President-elect Xabier Rezola. Photos courtesy of themselves.

How the Spring 2022 NCSA Presidential Elections revealed a troubling trend of overlooking students of color

On Apr. 10, New College Student Alliance (NCSA) Election Supervisor and third-year Jack Sobel announced who would be New College's next Student President and Vice President, along with who would be filling the additional cabinet positions—including the new positions of Senate President and Senate President…

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Early stages of New College Challenge pose a bold initiative for campus renovations
From left to right: President Patricia Okker, Vice President of Student Affairs S. Marjorie Thomas, Professor David Brian and Strategic Advisor Marty Hylton, pictured on stage at the Sudakoff Conference Center.

Early stages of New College Challenge pose a bold initiative for campus renovations

On Mar. 18 during a Catalyst interview, President Patricia Okker alluded to something called the “New College Challenge,” described it at the time as a wide-scale renovation of New College’s spaces and places, and promised to release more information at a later date. That date…

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Jackson vs. the New Right: how a routine shift in the Supreme Court has become an ideological battleground
Judge Jackson is on track to becoming the first ever African American Supreme Court judge.

Jackson vs. the New Right: how a routine shift in the Supreme Court has become an ideological battleground

The Florida-raised Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson has dominated the news cycle as of late, with several Republican politicians spending their time during her hearings trying to show off by accusing her of not knowing what a woman is, being a proponent of critical race theory…

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