Volume VI, Issue 9 October 29, 1996 They called me cracker and worse! TIBETAN QUIGLEY IMPRESSES BUT MONKS COME JURY STILL OUT TO NEW contributed by James Taylor ease the burden of baker Mary Joly. A COLLEGE Marriott's response to the Princeton's former employee, Charles Heathigh, was review survey designating them as "The hired for that purpose. Most importantly, by Mario Rodriguez Worst Food In The Nation" was remark­ however, Quigley has insisted on purchas­ Party animal? If the answer is yes, ably swift. Food service manager Mike ing fresh foods rather than his you might want to check out some McMee descended from Eckerd College predecessor's choice of frozen foods. wildlife of a different kind before the to oversee the operations and, more im­ "It's gotten a hell of a lot better ... Halloween PCP. portantly, damage control. [the] new manager does a few things dif­ "Wildlife, Tamed Mind: The Spirit of In the grand tradition of George ferently and suddenly vegetables aren't Tibet," a tour including twelve Tibetan Steinbrenner, the manager, Peggy mush and spaghetti isn't soup," responded monks, will perform at Sudakoff on Hendon, was replaced and New College third-year student Adam Clark to there­ Saturday, November 2 at 8:00p.m. received its third food service manager in cent hot food offerings. Admission is free for all New College as many years. "It's getting better and there are students. Her replacement, Bob Quigley, was more than five recipes being used at the The tour combines photographic im­ brought in by McAfee to improve the bot moment," added fourth-year Jason Jacobs. ages of the Tibetan landscape and culture food line and public and employee rela­ "There's better selection of drinks ... with ritual dance, prayer and philosophi­ tions. Quigley previously worked as and the salad bar is way better," noted cal debate. executive chef at Eckerd for tyvo years. In second-year Bridget Schettler. ''The rationale for this tour is two­ addition, he has ten years of experience as New students, unaccustomed to years fold," said John Newman, Professor of a hotel chef. of campus food, were more reserved in Asian Religions, who was instrumental in "The food preparations techniques their praise of Quigley's efforts. bringing the monks to campus. "The pri­ need guidance." Quigley observed upon mary [purpose] is funds for the [Sera] arrival. A new cook was also needed to SEE "MARRIOIT" ON PAGE 3 monastery that was destroyed by the Communist Chinese in the 1950s." MEETING WITH DEAN MIKE When the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) rose to power in the 1950s, they by Charles Choi College to get a cheap bid, as contractors invaded Tibet and set about purging it of As about 2% of the New College stu­ do not have to worry about a shortage of Buddhism, which clashed with the new dent population found out last Thursday work. A similar deal occurred in the regime's ideology. The CCP claimed that in the open discussion with Dean and 1980s with the first bid for the construc­ Warden Gordon Michalson, the new tion of Caples. However, when a second SEE "MONKS" ON PAGE 2 Dallas and Elizabeth Dort dormitories bid was made, the construction industry will not open next fall as promised, un­ was in a slump, thus the contractors un­ INSIDE less, as Michalson put it, "there is a God derbid. and all sorts of miracles occur." 1l1e plan at this point to make up for Ivory Tower ... ....... ...... ...3 The contractor went 20% over the the extra $400,000 of costs is to get Week in Preview .............. .4 projected budget for a $400,000 "deba­ $200,000 from public and private sources cle," as Michalson called it, and it is not and then to somehow cut $200,000 from Queer Formal ................. .5 possible to renegotiate the bid. There are the budget. There were a number of jokes Election '96 ...................6 two basic choices: start the demanding made about removing walls, bathrooms, process over again, or fiddle around with ceilings and stairs to save on costs, none Letters to the Editor .............8 the existing plan. of which were seriously entertained. Announcements ................ 10 Th~ :increasing demands for construc­ .- tion in Sarasota makes it hard for New SEE "MEETING" ON PAGE 3 2 The Catalyst News October 29, 1996 "MONKS" FROM PAGE 1 Chinese system." Western contemporaries. Buddhist con­ Initially a warring people, the Tibetans vents, although of lower educational Tibet had always been a part of China, a established an empire between the seventh caliber than the monasteries, represent stance the Chinese government maintains and ninth centuries which brought them in one form of upward mobility for women. to this day. contact with Buddhism. Two centuries According to Newman, the fact that Newman, however, feels that it's "not later, Buddhist monasticism was the dom­ monasteries provided ready potential for so much Communism that's driving [the inant cultural tradition in Tibet. transcending class was one of the reasons occupation), it's Chinese cultural and eth­ By the 18th century the Dalai Lama the CCP tried to root them out. nic superiority. It's racism." He has had become the reincarnating head of In light of such events, the first act of worked with the Tibetans for 20 years and what was, according to Newman, "a very the tour culminates with an appeal from compares their plight to that of Native quiet place" compared to the rest of the the Dalai Lama for recognition of the Americans. world. Tibetan plight as well as for cultural em­ "They feel devastated," he said. A common misconception, however, pathy. The second act includes a prayer in "Their traditional culture has been nearly said Newman, is that Tibetan monks prac­ the "Awesome Voice," a chant which one obliterated." ti ce martial arts. They never have. Rather, critic described, "as if one were descend­ In the late 60s, the Indian government the Dalai Lama calls for Tibet to once ing to the very foundations of the offered the Tibetans land in South India. again be hailed a demilitarized zone. universe." Thousands of refugees aided displaced So if you were expecting to see a mar­ This prayer is intended to be for the monks over a period of two years in re­ tial arts demo on November 2, think benefit of all beings, because altruism, building Sera monastery, which, at 477 again. Tibetan Buddhist rituals, said said Newman, is the basic motivation of years old, is the second largest monastery Newman, "are generally done to affect Buddhist education as well as an underly­ in the world. some sort of harmony within human soci­ ing goal of the tour. But recently, the population of Sera ety." Newman encouraged all New College doubled in the wake of new CCP reforms The other aspect of the monks' two­ students to enjoy the free show, and sug­ that allow anyone to flee Tibet. By enact­ fold rationale "is to acquaint Westerners, gested that if "you really want to know ing these "reforms," the CCP is putting a and Americans in particular, with the his­ the way things are you have to invest strain on Sera and other South Indian tory and tradition of Tibet . o as to some time to ascertain the facts." monasteries protesting the Chinese occu­ better allow them to understand the cur­ pation of Tibet. rent situation," said Newman. John Newman needs 10 volunteers to "Tibet is often idealized by The performance will also be narrated set up Sudakofffor the performance. Westerners," he said. "It's romanticized as by a nun, marking the first time Tibetan Anyone who has a special interest should 'Shangri-La' . which is kind of a silly nuns have been introduced to the West via report to the couches in front of the stereotype. But nevertheless, there's sound cultural performance. In fact, Newman Fishbowl in Hamilton center at 4 p.m. on truth in that stereotype." pointed out that Tibetan women have al­ Saturday, November 2. "AU the Tibetans I've spoken to said ways held high social status. Before the The ten strongest volunteers will be they would go back to the old system in a turn of the century, Tibetan women had chosen. second as opposed to the oppressive more social mobility than many of their The Catalyst is available on the World Wide Web at ,c;;: r•·talysf http ://www.sar. usf edu/-catalystl C•'M"•tllll~n..-f·,.,,.AI,....~ Direct submi sions and inquiries to: General Editor James Reffell The Catalyst Managing Editor 5700 N. Tamiami Tr. Box #75 Michelle Wolper Sarasota, FL 34243 Staff Writers [email protected] Charles Choi Sara Foley Submissions may also be placed in the Catalyst box marked "Letters to the Editor/Contribu­ Rachael Morris tions" (in the student government boxes next to Barbara Berggren's office). Letters to the Editor Mario Rodriguez should be no more than 250 words. Contributions may range in length from 250 to 500 words. Layout Submissions should be labeled as either letters to the editor or contributions and include names Heather Oliver and contact information. Online submissions should indicate in the subject line if they are letters Nicole Ganzekaufer to the editor or contributions. No anonymous submissions will be accepted. Submissions should Business Manager be received by 5:00p.m. Friday in order to appear in the following week's issue. Tom Heisler Contributor The Catalyst reserves the right to edit submissions for reasons of space, grammar or style. James Taylor Sponsored by Maria Vesperi and Dean Michalson The Catalyst News October 29, 1996 3 "MEETING" FROM PAGE 1 But the Palmer Buildings are far from OUTSIDE THE perfect.