Volume XV, Issue Three
November 3, 2011
The Scripps Voice Inside...
Breaking the Record: Scripps Career Planning & Resources Meets 92 Percent of the Class of 2015 By Michelle Nagler ‘15 Photography Head
Through the GOP’s in-fighting, is there one presidential candidate who can unite Republicans and take on President Obama in 2012?
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October was Breast Health Awareness Month! How did Scripps celebrate, and what do you need to know about your health?
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Congratulations, firstladies,” said Maldonado. The PHOTO BY MICHELLE NAGLER ye a r s ! Yo u ’ve h e l p e d meetings are meant to be Scripps Career Planning a chance to “say hello, to and Resources (CP&R) answer any questions and to break a record! For the lay a foundation for a good first time in the history of relationship.” Scripps College, CP&R So, to the eight percent of met with 92 percent of the my fellow first-years who have members of the first year not yet discovered the wonders class in just the first two of Scripps Career Planning weeks of school. That’s and Resources, I encourage a lot of meetings! (Two you to stop in and schedule an hundred and thirty six, to appointment with them. Stop be exact.) In light of this by the CP&R office the next accomplishment, I asked time you check your mail or CP&R’s Assistant Director grab a coffee at the Motley— and Career Counselor it’s right next door! Gretchen Maldonado to fill CP&R resources include me in on what this means lessons on proper résumé for Scripps. formatting, conducting Career Consultant Zaneh Williams (‘14) helps Samantha Abelove (‘15) set up an appointThe small size of each advanced searches for jobs and ment to meet with the professional staff. Abelove will join the ranks of her first-year classyear’s Scripps class means internships and performing mates who have sought out CP&R’s extensive services so far this semester. that it’s possible to meet mock interviews. If you’re with every new first-year undecided about what path individually. The class of your life will take after Scripps, to let students know what is available to them 2008 was the first to receive such focused through CP&R. CP&R can help you there, too. Assessments such attention from CP&R, with 2004 being the first as the Strong Interest Inventory will assess your Said Maldonado, “Some [students] want to year that an effort was made to kick off the get started right away. They have a plan.” But interests and identify occupations of those who start of first-years’ first semesters with a CP&R many students, if not most, do not have a plan. have similar preferences. The career counselors appointment. The goal of these meetings has are friendly, informative and eager to help. Make Meetings with first-years are not intended to always been to give incoming students a chance an appointment to see them! You never know—it put pressure on the students to know what they to meet with a career planning professional, and might even lead to a summer job or internship! want their careers to be. “We’re not scary career
Opinion Thank You, Patricia Goldsmith!
Students React to Re-SCOREing Scripps’ Discussion on Racism and Diversity By Ariel Bloomer ‘12 & Liz Lyon ‘12
Staff Writers
A review of Serendipity: Paul Soldner, Artist and Provocateur
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The Dirigible Plums prepare to make their flying Quidditch debut with the International Quidditch Association.
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The Scripps student teachin occurred on Friday, Oct. 21. A panel of about 10 students discussed their experiences with their respective Scripps Communities of Resources and Empowerment (SCORE) organizations, letting attending students know about the racism community members have faced. The issue of audience came up, and one audience member commented that most of those in attendance, due to their backgrounds, felt like something was at stake for them personally. The audience was described as 10 percent white by several of those in attendance. These numbers indicate that community members who needed to hear their fellow students’ feelings and messages about diversity were in low attendance. We concede that there were problems regarding the teach-in’s time and publicity. It happened on a Friday afternoon when some students may have had class or work. We also got word of the teach-in only a day
before it was to happen. But the audience’s composition seems indicative of indifference. This indifference toward other students and their concerns has got to stop. A problem that affects one Scripps student affects all Scripps students. If someone feels silenced or uncomfortable, it hurts the rest of the Scripps community. Silence may be indicative that a student feels her, his or their experience is invalid, but no experience should be invalidated. If people feel like their experiences are being treated as invalid, other students lose a chance at having a conversation that includes authentic exchange. The teach-in’s message should be part of an ongoing discussion around concrete ways the community can address oppression, ignorance and apathy or a lack of sensitivity on campus. As one member of the audience suggested, SCORE could do more to mobilize allies to get involved. But, as a panelist pointed out, SCORE clubs and
After 16 years heading an Admissions team that has shaped Scripps College through the students it has admitted, Former Vice President of Enrollment, Marketing and Communication (most recently Vice President for Institutional Advancement) Patricia Goldsmith is returning to her passions for the admissions side of education as vice president and dean of admissions and financial aid at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Though she does not commence her responsibilities at St. Mary’s College until 2012, Patricia Goldsmith’s final day at Scripps was Monday, Oct. 31. Goldsmith arrived at Scripps in 1995, serving as dean of admission and financial aid. She then served as acting dean of students from 1997 to 1998. It was not until 2009 that the title Vice President for Enrollment, Marketing and Communication was added to her official capacity as vice president and dean of admission and financial aid. In 2010, she took on the challenge of heading up advancement and working with the annual fund. Goldsmith has been a catalyst for change since she arrived all those years ago. Scripps can attribute its increasing visibility and selectivity to her and the admissions team she headed. Each incoming class, under her leadership, has left a significant mark on Scripps. She will be missed by all, and we asked students to share their memories and best wishes for her future endeavors. Turn to Page 3!
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2 • News Keck Science Department: Why Should You Care? By Nancy Herrera ’15 Design Editor
With a challenging curriculum, real research and interdisciplinary approach, the W.M. Keck Science Department of Pitzer, Claremont McKenna and Scripps Colleges has been described as “one of the most vibrant and cutting edge educational initiatives in this country.” To Professor Scott Gould, the physics professor who described the science department for which he works in the above terms, a large part of the department’s innovation comes from it housing the physics, chemistry and biology departments together in the same building. Being able to have lunch with colleagues in the chemistry and biology departments allows Gould to collaborate with them on “non-traditional projects.” One such project to involve all scientific disciplines taught in this joint science department includes an ongoing study on spider silk. Julia Massimelli, visiting assistant professor of biology, was also attracted to the joint aspect of the department. “I was walking in the hallways, and would interact with the professors in a friendly way. It is this [type of collegiate] environment that makes science great,” she said. Andrew Zanella, a chemistry professor and current director of the science and management major, started working for the joint science department in 1975. Since then, said Zanella, “a lot has changed.” These changes include more than just the name change from Joint Science Department to Keck Science Department. Zanella said that the entire department used to be located in the room that is now the Scripps art department in Baxter Hall. The department’s current building was obtained in 1992. Faculty and students have more than doubled over the course of Zanella’s professorship. Due to the increase in students, there are currently plans to expand the department with the construction of a second building on Pitzer. Some of the newest majors to the department, which has grown threefold in Zanella’s 36 years working for it, include neuroscience, environmental analysis and art conservation. Additionally, a proposal for a new biophysics major has been submitted and is currently under consideration. The science and management major was created 20 years ago, when biotech industries had just started taking off. Chemistry Professor Anthony Fucaloro, a professor instrumental in the foundation of the science and management major, had
The Scripps Voice Editors-in-Chief Vritti Goel & Lauren Prince Adviser Sam Haynes Design Editors Nancy Herrera Anna Petkovich Charlotte Rosenfield Senior Copy Editor Tori Mirsadjadi Copy Editors Megan Petersen Kate Pluth Section Heads Rebecca Dutta Alissa Fang Taylor Healy
Michelle Nagler Kaela Nurmi Ishmam Rahman
Web Managers Alix Franklin
Meredith Kertzman
Printer Gardena Valley Press Comments and letters can be sent to Scripps College The Scripps Voice, 1030 Columbia Ave, Box 892, Claremont, CA, 91711. You can also email The Scripps Voice at scrippsvoice@gmail.com or visit our website at voice.scrippscollege.edu. If you want to contribute to The Scripps Voice send your articles or photos to editor.scrippsvoice@gmail. com. The Scripps Voice is a student forum and is not responsible for the opinions expressed in it.
a vision for a major that would include sufficient study of economics to prepare its students for a career in industries that focused on science. The intense 18-course program has graduated about 100 students in total. Some graduates have established themselves in the biotech industries, while others are now doctors and veterinarians with their own private practices. For these graduates, the science and management major was excellent training because running a private practice requires business skills. Another program that PHOTO BY MICHELLE NAGLER highlights Keck’s focus on interdisciplinary studies is Jackson Badger (PZ) and Evelyn Byer (PZ) at the Keck Science Department. the Accelerated Integrated Science Sequence (AISS). According to the Keck Science Department is looking to change this oversight of the earth Department website, AISS is a “year-long introductory sciences. The department has hired a climatologist, and the lecture-laboratory course that integrates discussion of major next hire will be a geographer. principles and key findings in chemistry, biology and physics.” Biochemistry major Kelly Garten (‘12) said that her Students in the intensive course analyze major concepts, experience in the Keck Science Department was “very such as medicine and neuroscience, through the lenses of intense” and has “gone really fast.” Although the curriculum all the different scientific disciplines. Current AISS student was challenging, Garten thinks her experience has been Lauren Mitten (‘15) said that this approach has allowed her to worth it, because “grad schools respect Keck Science.” For understand different phenomena more fully. “There have been her senior thesis, Garten is working with Chemistry Professor many ‘so that’s why the world works that way’ or ‘that’s how Mary Hatcher Skeers, looking to discover more about the that actually happens’ moments in class” said Mitten. Mitten dynamics and structure of DNA. Garten’s thesis looks into the added that, because of AISS, “I know I’ll be better in whatever dynamics and structure of DNA with Phosphorus-31 NMR field I go into.” spectroscopy, a specialized viewing technique. Garten hopes Seemingly contrary to the Keck Science Department’s to use her thesis research to understand how protein binding mission is its apparent disinterest in the earth sciences, in DNA affects how drugs work. including geology, climatology and geography. Professor Professor Gould expressed the strengths of the Keck Gould explained that this lack of engagement is due to Science Department in terms of a culinary analogy: “Imagine historical reasons. Keck was established with the intent of a cauldron of bean soup. The ingredients by themselves, the educating pre-med students. The only classes needed to apply celery, carrots etc. are fine by themselves, but we [at Keck to medical school involve chemistry, biology and physics, Science] are like the complete soup. The mixture of flavor so there was no need for earth science classes to be included that you get is what is delicious. And that togetherness that we in the joint science department. However, the Keck Science have in this department, that’s what makes us special.”
Money Wise Women Mentors
Tips on Budgeting, Saving, and Investing By Mary Creedon ’14, Ina Herlihy ’14 and Maddie Ripley ’14 MWWM Columnists
Personal Budgeting Why should I care about budgeting? Forming a personal budget by tracking your spending is the single most valuable tool to control your financial life. You cannot control something you do not understand. Knowing where you spend every dollar you earn will allow you to evaluate where you can afford to cut costs and where you can treat yourself. Forming and maintaining a budget gives you the opportunity to spend your hard-earned money on the things you love and to cut costs mercilessly on the things you don’t. How do I form a budget? To create a budget, list all of your expenditures, and divide them into categories such as student loans, utilities, health care, rent, cell phone, car, food, gifts, clothes, entertainment and miscellaneous. Next to each category, place an “E” for essential or an “F” for fun. This will help you see what categories of spending can be reduced or eliminated to help minimize costs. How do I meet my budget? Begin following your budget by keeping your receipts and recording expenses in your cell phone, notebook or computer. If you have a smart phone, take advantage of applications to help simplify the process of tracking your spending. Computer software such as Quicken and Microsoft Money are also beneficial. These resources provide a comprehensive place to record and categorize all your expenses. Tracking your budget progress often is essential, to ensure that you do not forget to record any costs.
Saving and Investing How should a portfolio be divided? 30 Percent Domestic Stocks: You should have U.S. stock funds that cover small-, mid- and large-cap stocks (which just means small, mid-sized and large publicly traded companies). 15 Percent Developed-World International Funds: Invest about 15 percent in international funds of developed nations such as Germany, the UK, etc. 20 Percent Real Estate: This is referring to Real Estate Investment Trusts, which invest in domestic and international mortgages for residential and commercial real estate. 5 Percent Emerging-Market Equities: Along the same lines as the developed world fundsk, except these are for developing countries such as China and India (this can be rather risky, hence the 5 percent suggestion). 15 Percent Government Bonds: These are usually fixed interest and therefore quite predictable in their returns. They are safe so they balance the risk in the rest of your portfolio but will not give as high returns as the above investments. 15 Percent Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities: Known as TIPS, these protect against inflation (so your money won›t lose value over time). Treasury InflationProtected Securities provide the least return. Submit your personal finance questions to mwwm@ scrippscollege.edu. Our next workshop, focused on student loans, is on Nov. 12 at 11:30 a.m. in Humanities 121.
November 3, 2011 •The Scripps Voice •Volume XV •Issue Three
News • 3 A Thank You to Pat Goldsmith from Students Ariel Bloomer: At the end of JES weekend, as a senior in high school, I remember filling out my program evaluation at the same table where Pat worked sorting through the Polaroids they had taken to remember our faces. She asked me what I thought about Scripps, and how it was different from the other colleges I’d visited, and she sat patiently while I sifted through my head for just the perfect adjectives. This is how I remember her: as someone who asked probing questions, and whose presence inspired thoughtful answers. Felicia Palmer: Thank you so much for all your hard work and dedication throughout your time at Scripps, Ms. Goldsmith! I am honored to have had the opportunity to work with you as an alternate student representative to the board of trustee’s institutional advancement committee and to observe your efficiency and dedication to your integral role in keeping Scripps running smoothly. We will miss your humorous convocation speeches introducing the first year class each year.
Kate Pluth: I knew when I received my letter of acceptance to Scripps College that I was chosen to go to a wonderful place. Why? Because at the bottom of the page, you had handwritten a message directly to me. The fact that you took the time to acknowledge each hopeful, young woman individually spoke volumes of your commitment to represent Scripps in the best possible way. Your warm, inviting demeanor helped me
feel at home in an entirely new environment. I know that these qualities will help bring both joy and integrity to all your efforts, and I wish you the best with those efforts as you move forward. Thank you for everything!
Lauren Prince: I was reluctant to apply to Scripps College, but after attending an information session in Seattle, and listening to you talk, the charm and community that you spoke of as well as the types of students that would be surrounding me piqued my interest. Once I had been accepted, I went again to another information session with more concrete examples, photos, and alumnae. Your enthusiasm, smile and endless positive adjectives to describe Scripps sent shivers down my spine. It was then that I knew I would call Scripps my home for the next four years. Thank you so much for loving Scripps and making us love it just as much. You worked in a position that changes young women’s lives and places them on a path for growth, empowerment, and kindness. Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to walk that path. Briana Smith: As I wandered through the multicolored tables that advertised about a dozen different universities, my eye was caught by a kind-eyed woman who graced me with a smile and opened our conversation with a simple, “I’m going to show you why Scripps College is the place for you...” With my dismissive smile in place, I attempted to scoot away from the table and make an excuse about why I was not
looking to spend my next four years at a women’s college. But Mrs. Kind-eyes, whose name I had forgotten immediately after hearing it, was obviously unconcerned with my excuses. After taking me through a verbal tour of Scripps campus, she insisted that she would give me a travel grant so that I may decide for myself after I had visited. I walked away from the table feeling noticed for the first time in the 24 hours that I had been at the Yale Conference. As the only student who arrived alone, I was ashamed to be wandering around the conference without the support of my family and I was ashamed that my mother couldn’t afford the extra ticket to join me. But as I looked down at the business card in my hand, I left the conference feeling proud to know that if no one else remembered me, Pat Goldsmith knew my name. In hindsight, I can honestly say that if Pat had not plucked me out of the crowd and made me listen to her spiel about why Scripps was a great place, I would not be here today. I stepped onto Scripps campus and fell in love with the people and the community that welcomed me as if I were a lost child that had just found her way back into the fold. You see, home is a concept that means more to me than it does to most young people. I moved so much as a child that I never felt like I belonged anywhere and I never felt like I had a home. As Pat goes on to capture hearts and change lives in another location she will become a hero to so many more people who will be fortunate beyond belief to have Pat as a member of their community. But no matter where her journey
Jupiter at Opposition: 5C Students Take In Some Astronomical Sights By Megan Petersen ‘15 Copy Editor Claremont students and professors broke out the telescopes last week to take advantage of an opportune chance to look at the solar system’s largest planet. Jupiter was ogled through telescopes at the observatory on Pomona’s farm, hosted by the Pomona Astronomy Department, on Oct. 27, and at the Bernard Field Station, sponsored by the Keck Science Department, on Oct. 29. Bidushi Bhattacharya, the director of sponsored research and research programs at Keck Science Department, explained that the Earth, Jupiter and the Sun were all aligned in late October. This time, called opposition, is when Jupiter is closest to Earth, and it was therefore is the best time for viewing it. Jupiter was visible both nights, though to the naked eye it simply looked like a very bright star. With the aid of telescopes, Jupiter appeared to be about the size of the head of a thumbtack depending on the telescope. Four moons, famously discovered by Galileo Galilei in 1610, were also visible. (We now know that Jupiter has more than 60 moons total.) The stripes on the planet itself were also apparent, but according to Bhattacharaya a large storm which had been around since the 1800s has dissipated, meaning that the famous “Great Red Spot” is no longer visible—disappointing and surprising news to many of the people at the viewing on Saturday night. Many people at the viewing on Saturday came simply for the fun of it, and a number of people said it was the first time they’d ever looked through a telescope. Keck Science Physics Professor Stephan Naftilan, who spearheaded the project, noted the importance of sharing science technology with people beyond the science department. The joint science department of has, according to Naftilan, “been fortunate enough to obtain a great deal of high-tech scientific equipment over the past few years…[These
instruments] allow us to better instruct students, especially science majors.” Naftilan added, “However, I think we should also invite all students and members of the college community to see our ‘toys’ and learn something about what they can do.” Bhattacharya, whose doctoral dissertation was on the Aurora Borealis phenomenon on Jupiter, said that, though much is known about Jupiter, there’s always more to be learned about the gas giant. She said that one of Jupiter’s moons could have liquid water beneath an icy surface, meaning that scientists could someday find evidence of life there. Bhattacharya emphasized the importance of astronomy in our everyday lives. The light from Jupiter when it is at opposition takes about 32 minutes to reach the back of a person’s eye, but many stars are so far away that their light has been traveling for millions of years to reach Earth, she said. “The distances are so vast, that it puts our lifetimes and little planet into context in the grand scale of the universe.” On both nights of the Jupiter viewings, additional telescopes were trained on other heavenly bodies. Pomona’s one-meter telescope on Table Mountain sent images of the Andromeda Galaxy back to campus on Thursday night. On Saturday, viewers could see the moon and several star formations, including a pair of stars orbiting one another. More than 60 people made the trek to the field station Saturday night for the Keck-sponsored PHOTO BY YUSHUANG SUN viewing party, complete with cookies, candy and hot apple cider.
takes her, Pat will always be the reason I became a part of such an amazing community of women. So thank you, Pat. Thank you for being such a selfless, loving, and sincere person. Thank you for noticing me, and thank you for being the only person at that conference to approach me. In my mind and my heart, you will forever be the kind-eyed woman, standing on the other side of the table, and reaching out your hand to offer a lonely young woman a home.
Tori Mirsadjadi: I’m really grateful to Ms. Goldsmith for helping get me to where I am today. Being a Scripps student has become a huge part of my identity. I love it here, and I don’t think I would’ve grown into the person I am now, or been close to ready to face a future after graduation, if I’d chosen any other college. I’m so grateful to have become a part of the Scripps community, and I know it’s thanks to Ms. Goldsmith that this community is such an amazing thing, made up of such a dynamic group of students. I’m not particularly eloquent with gratitude, but I just want to thank you for shaping the community that is so fundamental to our experience at Scripps, and which has in turn shaped us. A Scripps Junior: Thank you for creating a memorable, personal and enjoyable admissions experience. From the moment I set foot on Scripps’ campus, to my acceptance, and then my arrival at Scripps, you helped create a wonderful start to my Scripps journey.
A Public Apology I would like to make a public apology to Professor Peavoy regarding the article on Core and diversity in the last issue. Due to miscommunication, carelessness and misinterpretation of facts, Professor Peavoy was unfairly singled out. The phasing appears to make allegations of racism, which was not my intent. No charge of racism has been made. I take responsibility for my actions, and apologize firstly to Professor Peavoy and secondly to the larger Scripps community. It is The Scripps Voice’s prerogative to be fair and use discernment in the articles published, and I know that the newspaper staff is always working to improve on those counts. This includes repairing infractions of journalistic standards of integrity and fair representation. I am hopeful my mistake can lead to some form of active change. All members of the community are working toward greater transparency in communication, and I would like to join them in this transparency by owning my misrepresentation of the facts and apologizing for it. If first-year students feel like they have been unfairly singled out or attacked in their Core classes because of any aspect of their identities, they should contact Multicultural Relations Chair Szeyin Lee (’14). Additionally, if any student has a problem with a professor’s comments or the way a class is being led, they should contact the Dean of Faculty’s office.
- Liz Lyon
SAS Speaks By Francesca Simmons ‘14 SAS Media Relations Chair Hey Scripps! First on the docket for our Scripps Associated Students update is this past Sunday’s SAS Snack. The SAS Treasurers, Ashleigh Shoecraft (’12) and Emily Watterberg (’12), presented their hard work in the budget breakdown at snack; if you were unable to attend snack but still have questions for the treasurers, please email them at scrippstreasurers@gmail.com. Also related to budgeting discussions, Scripps Investment Fund (SIF) funding
is available to Scripps CLORGS. Forms are available in the Student Union, so don’t hesitate to go and fill one out for your CLORG. The more money you have, the better! Forms will be accepted until Friday. Speaking of the Student Union, the next SAS BeHeard forum will be all about it! SAS representatives will be there to hear what you have to say about your Scripps space. SAS will be creating a Student Union policy and we want Scripps students to be involved in every part of the process. Plans for remodeling the Student Union will also be discussed,
so please come with any ideas on how you want your space to look, as well as the type of space that you want it to be. The forum will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011 at 9 p.m. in the Student Union. Be there and BeHeard! Next up on our docket: Peer Advocates! Many of you have probably seen them around the dorms. They have finally finished their training and will be available to aid the Scripps community. Within the next few weeks, the Peer Advocates will begin having office hours, and will be available for you to consult about College policies. If you have any questions about
independent study, internship credit, creating majors or any conflicts you might have with any policies, then these are the students you should be talking to! Every dorm is assigned a Peer Advocate, so keep your eyes peeled for your dorm’s advocate’s office hours within the following weeks. Finally, SAS President Antoinette Myers (’12) has a new email! From here forward, please email all SAS presidential related topics (questions, comments, concerns, etc.) to saspresident@scrippscollege.edu! Keep it SASsy, Scripps!
November 3, 2011• The Scripps Voice• Volume XV• Issue Three
4 • Opinions & Editorials What Kind of Messages are We Sending? Pending Alcohol Policy Changes By Melissa Anacker ‘12 and Tori Mirsadjadi ‘12 Contributing Writer and Senior Copy Editor
The recent controversial Health Education Outreach display on alcohol awareness on the eve of Scripps’ annual Eurotrash party raised discussion about alcohol awareness. A dialogue of how offensive students found the posters drew on a subtext of alcohol and safe partying. At the BeHeard forum on Oct. 12, there was much discussion of the College’s current alcohol policy in light of the Health Education Outreach displays. This included not just possible changes in the current policy, but ideas for the direction this revision should take. Though it is wise to warn all students that adding alcohol to any situation increases the dangers for all parties involved, it is also important for health campaigns to avoid increasing the shame or victim blame for assault survivors. Much discussion is happening surrounding concerns for students’ safety. Dean of Students Rebecca Lee has made changing the alcohol policy one of her top priorities, and has formed an Alcohol Policy Task Force with student, staff and faculty representatives. The new task force convened at the end of October and began reviewing campus policy. Ideas from the BeHeard forum were brought to Dean Lee’s attention, so students’ input was directly reaching College administration to become a part of effecting
How to lend your voice to this discussion:
Student input is very welcome. You can be part of current policy revision by sharing your questions, thoughts and concerns. Elizabeth Wilmott elizabeth_wilmott@ cuc.claremont.edu is asking for student input for HEO campaigns. Keep an eye on the Scripps Student List email for upcoming announcements from the task force and updates on the alcohol policy.
change. The idea of peer-to-peer programs, brought up in the BeHeard forum and implemented on a small-scale level at Friday’s Alcohol Awareness Carnival, was particularly prominent in these discussions. Part of the alcohol policy discussion includes whether current policy effectively addresses issues of safety and alcohol awareness. One issue resident advisers have been working on with administration is the “Closed Door” policy, which some worry endangers students’ welfare more than it protects it. If a Scripps student wants to have a drink in a Scripps dorm room, even if the Scripps student is of legal age, that student is compelled under current policy to keep the door shut or risk getting in trouble with the College. Resident Adviser Jennifer Mathai (‘12) voiced her frustration with the current policy: “If I am supposed to look out for students’ welfare, I can’t see what happens behind closed doors.” Closed-door policies foster a mentality, numerous BeHeard attendees pointed out, in which “safe” drinking means drinking without getting caught, more than actually drinking in a safe manner. At the BeHeard forum, a “Good Samaritan” clause, along the lines of the policy already adopted by Pomona, was suggested. The idea is to encourage students to report dangerous incidents in which alcohol is involved without fear of being punished. Considering Scripps’ alcohol policy in respect to the other colleges in the consortium, BeHeard attendees also took issue with the manner in which alcohol spending is currently handled by the College. Students would prefer for Scripps to be independent of Claremont McKenna when it comes to purchasing alcohol for parties, and to assert agency in the 5C culture by being able to provide our own alcohol. Another topic was the arbitrariness of the limit of gatherings in which alcohol is present to eight people. BeHeard forum members pointed out the ways that this number placed unreasonable constraints on residents living in suites, making it virtually impossible for them to throw parties in which alcohol is served. Also part of the discussion of drinking in residence halls, resident advisers’ obligation to report infractions was brought up as a problem. “As an RA,” Mathai said, “we already have a stigma, and people are less likely to call us when they are drinking behind
closed doors.” She emphasized that the current policy breeds bad habits. At the BeHeard forum, students voiced a desire for RAs’ roles to shift away from policing students and more toward supporting and helping them. The BeHeard forum also introduced the idea that making drinking such an insular activity is inhibiting a sense of dorm community. Substance-free spaces were mentioned as a way to promote dorm community and maintain the possibility for Scripps students to live in an environment that precludes alcohol from its social environment. Allowing alcohol, forum attendees emphasized, does not have to mean allowing parties to trash the Scripps campus; issues of noise and litter could be handled independently of the presence (or absence) of alcohol in such situations. Mathai also said that punishing open alcohol use sends a strong message, but that the message students seem to be getting is different from that which the College’s administration wants to promote. Keeping quiet about alcohol use is not the same thing as preventing it from being a dangerous problem. Attendees of the BeHeard forum took issue with the immaturity implicit in this refusal to address alcohol, urging the College to give students more credit as responsible adults and to take accountability for the fact that students can and will drink alcohol, whether or not it’s officially allowed by the College. “Alcohol is the number one date rape drug,” said Mathai, “and we don’t want [rape] to happen…We are not asking underage drinking to be allowed, but just that [drinking] be more open when it does happen because [acknowledging the reality of situations involving alcohol] could prevent a lot of problems.” The BeHeard forum emphasized a need for comprehensive alcohol awareness education being paired with sexual violence education, and the education on alcohol extending beyond a message of abstaining from alcohol and sex. Some took issue with equating alcohol consumption with promiscuity, and claimed that current Scripps alcohol policy reinforces negative “Scrippsie stereotypes,” in which we are considered as dichotomously belonging to either a slutty partier category or an uptight academic one. Mathai, who has been involved in addressing the policy, said that the policy changes are currently “in process.”
The Increasingly Thin GOP Field
By Nikki Broderick ‘14 Staff Writer
Even though the presidential election is a little over a year away, Republicans and Democrats alike have already been preoccupied with the question of who will get the Republican nomination. GOP nominees have been discussed, attacked, questioned and predicted to no end. There have already been eight debates since this May—18 months before the 2012 presidential elections, and we’ve already begun official debates between the candidates. So what have we learned from the field the GOP has given us so far? First of all, we’re learning that all President Obama has to do to secure his reelection is sit back and watch his opponents destroy one another. Remember when some Americans actually considered Donald Trump a serious candidate? After his embarrassing display, challenging whether or not President Obama was born in the United States and ultimately serving as catalyst for the public release of Obama’s birth certificate, other Republicans have started to dominate the field. Though 2012, Republican-Candidates.org lists 16 Republican nominees, chances are you only recognize the major players: Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Rick Perry and Mitt Romney, to name a few. There are other Republicans trying to squeeze into the field, as well. There’s Ron Paul, for starters. But there’s also Rick Santorum (Google his name…on second thought, don’t Google that), Newt Gingrich and Jon Huntsman. Not one of them— with the exception of Ron Paul—has achieved significant poll numbers. Trump was not the only presidential hopeful to embarrass himself in his bid for the GOP seat. All of the potential nominees have made a few mistakes, normally while attacking each other. Michele Bachmann condemned the HPV vaccine that Rick Perry, governor of Texas, mandated across the state. Herman Cain has made too many uninformed and embarrassing statements to count. (“If you aren’t succeeding in America, it’s your fault;” “When I’m President of the United States, I won’t know who the President of Uzibeki-beki-stan is”…need I say more?) At first, Rick Perry looked like a good bet for Republicans: a conservative Governor from Texas who played to the Republican base. But after the racist former name of his ranch became public knowledge, and after his sub-par performances in debates (sometimes outright refusing to answer a moderator’s question), Perry’s popularity has dropped significantly. Which leaves us with Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts. Romney has been one of the forerunners since the beginning, but he rarely takes an actual lead in the polls. At debates, Romney has performed strongly, although this may be
due to other candidates’ stealing the spotlight with mediocre showings and making him seem strong by comparison. So why hasn’t the Republican Party thrown much support behind Romney? His great success as governor may actually be his weakness. As governor of Massachusetts, Romney brought universal healthcare to Massachusetts, supported a woman’s right to choose and brought his state out of debt through a series of fees on licensing and closing tax loopholes for corporations. A few years after these strides in Massachusetts, Romney has condemned Obamacare (which shares the same public policy roots as Massachusetts’s Romneycare), has become staunchly pro-life and, shifting from the stance evidenced in his debt-saving taxation of corporations in Massachusetts, now voices the opinion that “corporations are people too.” In his attempt to appeal more to the Republican base, Romney has undercut what made him appealing in the first place, alienating himself from the accomplishments that had been fundamental to his success as a governor of Massachusetts. Romney, like other GOP candidates, is attempting to play to the Republican conservative base, to the Tea Party and to anyone else with a Republican agenda that will listen. They’ve thrown moderation out the window. Until the Republican nominee is chosen, these politicians will continue to turn against one another—and against themselves— to prove that they are the truest representations of the Republican Party. But what will all this Republican positioning produce in the general election? It will produce (even more) inconsistencies in these politicians’ portrayals of themselves. The Republican nominee will have to backtrack over his or her conservative leanings and attempt to convince newscasters and America that of course moderation on some issues is necessary. Unless someone steps it up, this next presidential election is going to be a landslide. It’ll almost be too easy for President Obama. But he’ll surely enjoy the view from the Oval Office for the next four years.
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COURTESY OF THE ORLANDO SENTINEL
All President Obama has to do to secure his re-election is sit back and watch his opponents destroy one another.
November 3, 2011• The Scripps Voice • Volume XV• Issue Three
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Opinions & Editorials • 5 Student or Language Assistant? How About Both!? By Daniela Cundro
Italian Language Assistant I still remember the day I arrived in the United States of America. It was the 24th of August, and “Welcome to Los Angeles” was written across the wall. I was crying. The day before, I had been in Siena, the small city in Italy where I use to work and live. Suddenly, here I was in Los Angeles! A new life was beginning! As the Italian Language Assistant for Scripps College, I will be making my life in this wonderful place until May of next year. You probably don’t know what it means to be a “language assistant.” We are something of a rare breed. We have student visas and, while we’re here in the United States, we assist in language departments’ conversation classes. As an Italian Language Assistant, I’m a “teacher” from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Monday, assisting students to learn Italian in their conversation classes. From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., I’m suddenly a student again and attend my digital photography class. There are two important aspects connected with this double life: the first is that I can empathize with students when they don’t understand Italian. As a foreigner, I understand that lost-in-space gaze. I do the same thing when I don’t understand English during my classes! The second important
aspect of my role as language assistant is that I understand how much more difficult it is to study any topic in a non-native language. I was reading a pedagogy book when I saw that there exists something called a “Language ego” that informs others that “you are what you speak.” This means that certain linguistic factors influence the way that the performance of a student is perceived, particularly in terms of class participation. I feel this, and this helps me relate better to my Italian students and make an effort to be more comprehensible for them. My wish to encourage them “to try” came from a problem of mine, not of them, and the strange thing is that I’m more able to help them than myself! Foreign students appreciate it so much when I tell them, “Don’t worry, it’s the same for me!” I think students recognize that I’m sincere in saying this, and they are comforted. I’m discovering that I love teaching Italian to the foreign students. It’s so exciting to see how much they really seem to love the Italian culture and language! Because of all the growth I’ve seen in my students’ abilities to speak Italian, I’m starting to feel like I might be able to transmit all the Italian words that I know straight into their eager minds! It’s a source of great satisfaction for me. I would sincerely like to thank Scripps College for giving to me this precious opportunity!
Above: Foreign language students, below: Daniela Cundro’s Italian students
PHOTOS COURTESY OF DANIELA CUNDO
STUDENTS REACT TO SCRIPPS’ RE-SCORE-ING, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 organizations walk a fine line. SCORE clubs and organizations should function as spaces where members can go to share their feelings and experiences without having to explain themselves or teach others. These can be dovetailing interests, and we need an emphasis on both to promote activism in the wider campus community. Anyone can start by joining SCORE for “Becoming an Ally” week from Nov. 4-7. But we hope that ally outreach and involvement doesn’t end with just this week. When seeking tenure, professors are evaluated in part by their level of community engagement; if engagement is a requirement for professors, why not for students? As illustrated by the audience at Re-SCORE-ing Scripps, there is often a huge gap between people who need to hear the message, and the people who attend to hear it. Perhaps as part of Core, it should be a requirement for Scripps first-years to attend at least two SCORE sponsored events (and write a self-reflective paper on it). Learning to think critically about our own actions and paradigms, and how to discuss them, should be an important part of a seminar whose aim is to develop students into critical collegiate thinkers. In what ways do you think Scripps could improve to become a more equitable community? Go to a performance regarding a type of music, literature, ability, political standpoint, religion or ethnicity that you may know nothing about. Talk to friends. Become an ally, or invite your friends to the next SCORE meeting. Share your ideas at the next teach-in. Write an Op-Ed for The Scripps Voice, or use other media to share your ideas with students. If everyone continues talking to each other, and (more importantly) if everyone listens, together we should be able to create a campus community where everyone feels the power of his, her or their voice.
November 3, 2011 • The Scripps Voice •Volume XV • Issue Three
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4. Noah’s refuge from the deluge 5. might provide shelter from a less-than-biblical storm 6. Pond or Winehouse 9 10 11 12 13 7. what remains when a limb (or trunk) is removed 8. initials for band behind “Such Great Heights” 14 15 16 17 18 12. asi __ la vida 13. description of Daria’s titular character? 19 20 15. format in which you might’ve originally obtained The Bends 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 16. __ Hammer, rapper who couldn’t touch his own fortune…because he blew it 29 30 31 32 17. response to “do you know how to agree in French?” 18. what you need to do to most words to put them in 33 34 35 36 the past tense 22. fish eggs 37 38 39 23. hovering red and black Hawaiian bird (sounds a bit like 33-across) 24. a sober friend with a license to steer you home 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 25. how aliens leave their abductees? 26. type of fly prone to bothering horses…and the 47 48 49 50 51 hoity-toity 27. what’s not allowed during dry week 52 53 54 32. __ Rainbows 35. Procol Harum song, “A Whiter Shade of ____” 55 56 57 58 38. degree which shows you mean business in your pursuit of higher education 59 61 62 63 41. poke 43. House painkiller 64 65 66 67 44. doctoral degree in law, might be pursued with 38down 68 69 70 45. Low __ (see page 10) 46. see 55-across 49. how you might view a new TV show (or a Hall Director) Across video games 2. world’s highest mountain range 40. you can make it fresh at PZ brunches, 50. group you might want to join if you can’t handle 8. a high one is basic if you’re down to get your hands wet and dry week 53. how those who adhere to Stinson’s code might refer 9. European Anti-Fraud Office; also, sticky to that which we celebrate every October (see page 6 – an evil count 42. might precede -Mo or -scavvy 7) 10. they’re behind The End of the 45. found on beanie babies’ tags 54. attendees of high tea are stereotypically this World as We Know It 47. Woolfish state abbreviation? 55. initials for grocery store to be found on 475 Foothill 11. Buckland, Nugent and Bundy 48. band behind this week’s theme Boulevard 14. Whistling star of 1928 cartoon 51. first and last letter sung on Old 56. a short chortle, perhaps inspired by someone’s dry “Steamboat Willie” MacDonald’s farm wit 19. Latin preposition for “with” 52. the receding of water 57. A-Ha song, “Take On __” 20. penultimate word of this week’s 54. if you’re far enough under this, you 58. throat-clearing sound theme might get some demure applause on the 61. position held by character referenced in 43-down 21. synonym for dry green 25. organization preoccupied with 55. frontman of 48-across (with 46-down) 63. best part of a muffin; also, an impressive place to 54-across 58. chemical symbol for pirates’ favorite reach in 2-across 65. initials for organization which facilitates crashing 28. it’s made 15-downs virtually noble gas? on strangers’ sofas obsolete 59. ___ code, upheld by Barney Stinson Answers to Last Week’s Puzzle 29. emptiness 60. perspective communicated by this week’s 30. type of Japanese pottery (see page theme? E C T H U L U L I C E F O O L D I G G N U O A R K E O J N A 10) 62. drink of Big Lebowski (pl), with 68-across G S H E E V E I L A M I A B U M P G A A A I L L B O O E B I 31. type of chart made all the more 64. Death __ Not Proud D R A G O N D R A G O N B I N D A H I P N O D A I F A T E I R O N I C boring by its lack of delicious fruity 66. Carla on Scrubs C A V E Y U M N O R A R O C A filling 67. genre of melodramatic singing O E R O S L A D O R W C O O P H E R E S A M O D E S T P R O P O S A L W E 33. a sushi-hater’s response to 2268. see 62-across O Z E D U P E E H C L I G E T R U O P E N E E K E A V down? 69. high tea usually occurs at 4 __ (see page 10) T A R D I S P T O O S E X Y S P H E R E S 34. high poetic form B I G E A I I I B L 70. chemical symbol which may lead you to think M A B D U G T I T A N S N N O T A B L E 36. a rubber one is less tuneful than a of poisoning A R O M A D I C K S R E M A I N V O I C E O I C I K P rock one A T N O L A N G N K N E N V Y N W H E R E T H E W I L D T H I N G S A R E H 37. foot (unstressed and stressed) Down A I P O I N K E O M A M G O 39. it was “all about making that ___” 1. participation in this may have you 3 days into a N B D A N T A I P T A I L D O L E L E G O B L I N P O T L for Boyz In Da Hood, but to those beard, if you’re a man or a hirsute woman G E O L R E E D A D D Y E O U R D U A A O S I J I D E W with moral scruples it was more like 2. a performer who overacts E S L I M P D A N Y A N T S G all about highway robbery and violent 3. __ _ only had a brain H A R E T O D A Y G O O N T O M O R R O W
November 3, 2011 • The Scripps Voice •Volume XV • Issue Three
Arts & Entertainment • 9 Williamson Gallery Retrospective of Influential Scripps Ceramicist Paul Soldner By Liz Lyon ’12 Staff Writer
Serendipity: Paul Soldner, Artist and Provocateur opened Aug. 27 at the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery with a formal reception Sept.10. The Paul Soldner exhibit is part of the Pacific Standard Time initiative sponsored by the Getty. Serendipity is an apropos exhibit not just for its place in the Pacific Standard Time initiative but also for its place as a fitting next step in the gallery’s series of exhibitions. Last spring, the gallery exhibited works by John Mason, Ken Price and Peter Voulkos, all of whom were influential mentors for Paul Soldner’s development of clay sculpture. Soldner created many pieces in myriad media, and a number of the ceramics pieces currently on display in the gallery were created during Soldner’s three-decade tenure as a Scripps professor. Serendipity is a retrospective on the life and work of Soldner, who passed away earlier this year. Although the timing of this exhibition comes as a fitting memorialization of Soldner’s art and work, Serendipity was conceived several years ago and was being planned while Soldner was still alive. The exhibition traces the development of his work and artistic style, presenting visitors to the gallery with a comprehensive perspective of Soldner as an artist. Soldner began dabbling in artistic media
“If he heard about a problem that wasn’t in his discipline, he’d come back to you two days late with ideas on how to work through it.” near the end of World War II, during his time as a soldier. Four claustrophobia-inducing walls display his photographs of the liberation of concentration camps, bleak and graphic
depictions of death made more effective by their manner of display. At the center of these four walls stands a bonsai tree, another form in which Soldner’s artistic interests expressed themselves. On the edges of the gallery are various slabs of clay in the Japanese raku style, some decorated with finely-painted figures, others with eerie silhouettes wandering through colored mists. The exhibition, with the range of pieces selected and their manner of display in the gallery, highlight Soldner’s scope as a jack-of-all trades. From the tall thrown pots that greet visitors like perfectly-formed Zambian ant hills to the portrait of John Lennon on a slab of clay, visitors to the gallery are welcomed with myriad artistic expressions such that they get a feel for the magnitude and scope of Soldner’s life as an artist. Of all the works in the gallery, the advertisements—for products of Soldner’s own invention—are the most whimsical pieces. Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery Collection Manager Kirk Delman said that Soldner “was interested in pursuing new ways of doing things, in the process and in figuring things out. He was a problem-solver. If he heard about a problem that wasn’t in his discipline, he’d come back to you two days later with ideas on how to work through it.” Soldner’s legacy as an artist fascinated by the artistic process lies most notably in raku. Soldner popularized the Japanese technique of raku during the ‘60s and ‘70s. In his adaptation of the technique, Soldner burned his clay pieces in containers, such as trash cans, and experimented with materials like newspaper or wood chips to get different effects. As a compliment to Serendipity, the gallery organized three workshops over the course of the semester to keep museum-goers and community members interested and engaged. The last of these workshops, in which participants will be able to celebrate and follow in the footsteps of Soldner, will be a raku firing on Saturday, Nov. 12. Workshop registration is online and requires a $55 fee.
The work of Paul Soldner, former Scripps ceramics professor, will be on display at the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery through Dec. 11 PHOTOS BY YUSHUANG SUN
Bis Aufs Blut Producer ‘A Feminist Tea Party’ Prompts Presents at Scripps Discussion of Women in Music
By Elisabeth Pfeiffer ’15
By Melissa Anacker ’12
Contributing Writer
Staff Writer
German filmmaker Oliver Kienle visited Scripps College on Thursday Oct. 20 to present a film screening of his latest project, Bis Aufs Blut— Brüder auf Bewährung (Closer than Blood: Brothers on Probation). This special event, hosted by the German Department, was attended by many students and faculty from the Claremont Colleges. Kienle originally studied German Literature at Julius-Maximilian University in Würzburg, and also worked part time for a commercial film producer in the area. Kienle wrote several novels prior to becoming involved in writing and producing films. When schoolteachers told him that they found the dialogue in his books better than the other content, Kienle took their suggestions to heart and, starting in 2001, took them up on their suggestions that he try screen writing. His first endeavor was a short called Falschrum, which Kienle wrote, directed and produced. Over the next three years, Kienle created 14 films, eight of which were presented at German and international film festivals. Kienle has won many awards for his films, including awards for Best Director and Best Actor for his film Lichtpause in 2004 and the German Youth Video Prize for Blaue Stunde in 2005. In 2010, Kienle graduated from the Baden-Württemberg Film Academy. Bis Aufs Blut—Brüder auf Bewährung served as Kienle’s final project for the academy. A coming-of-age film, Bis Aufs Blut—Brüder auf Bewährung is based off of experiences that friends of Kienle have gone through. The film follows the story of Tommy and Sule, best friends who, despite different social and cultural backgrounds, have always been like brothers. After someone reports to the police that Tommy has drugs in his house, Tommy spends six months in jail and must re-evaluate how he has been living his life. Hoping to break out of the cycle of drugs and violence, he decides to become a physics teacher. In order to pursue this new life, Tommy must evaluate the importance of his relationship with Sule, which is the only element of his life that remains an obstacle to Tommy’s reformation. Kienle’s fast-paced film was a success among the viewers at the Claremont Colleges. After the viewing, students and faculty had the opportunity to ask Kienle questions about the film. In this question-and-answer session, Kienle said that he wanted to raise awareness about the problems dealt with by young people in his film. Kienle also said that he believes punishments for drug dealing in Germany should be stricter to discourage German youth from participating in the harmful subculture surrounding drugs. For his next project, Kienle is working on a thriller. The Scripps College German Department hopes to bring in more guests for similar events in the future. For more information on Kienle’s films, visit http://www.oliverkienle.de/oliver1/index.html.
Last week, the Pomona’s Seaver House hosted a Feminist Tea Party. The event plays with the political spirit currently surrounding the words “Tea Party” by placing a political debate about feminism in elegant high tea-style surroundings, including costumes and a faculty led student talk. New York-based visual artists Caitlin Rueter and Suzanne Stroebe, who presented a similar event in New York by the women’s caucus at the College of Art’s Annual Conference, hosted the tea party. Their ongoing project is “somewhere between a contemporary consciousnessraising group, a performance, an installation and a joke,” says their website. They create the spirit of high tea occasions, complete with students dressed in elegant 1950s clothing that make ironic statements on the Beck/Palin political Tea Party movement and on the “golden years,” hearkening back to when women were still “ladies.” This unique art space and engaging faculty-led student talk came to Scripps this Monday in the form of “Low Tea,” an event brought to the College by the Core Program and students in its Core 3 section, “The Sexuality of Citizenship in the U.S.” The performance art piece encouraged casual drop in discussion about the current status of women’s rights and feminism, with or without Halloween costumes and to allow for feminist discussion in the context of the high tea ritual. Formal attire, though not required, was a fun addition to the atmosphere. Rueter explained the movement to the Claremont Colleges as “a way of allowing feminism to be discussed in a setting where people are informed about the dialogue, they are bringing their educational background. In previous talks we’ve had to open by explaining what feminism is, and so this talk was our most successful in terms of the kind of feminist dialogue we’ve been able to have, and really working the issues, and forming stimulating dialogue.” For the Oct.27 event, the Seaver House was decorated with lace doilies and elegant china, with strawberries, cake and cream for tea offered for guests. Though vintage and retro dresses were the attire of choice, the debate was doing anything but skirting feminist issues. Female performers and party girl mantras in music were discussed. Questions were raised as to whether there was “a way to map progress” in the scope of the pop culture lens for women to express themselves, and whether there was an alternative to songs like “Last Friday Night” or “Tik Tok” which mix women’s
self agency with destructive behaviors like binge drinking and drunk driving. What feminist music means was also discussed. Music was talked about as a creative force in women’s lives, particularly in respect to how women who write their own lyrics have an opportunity to speak about their problems. Artists who are less mainstream, tea attendees seemed to conclude, are more likely to perform songs that include feminist messages or positive images of female empowerment. As one student said, some women “just want to make music and at the same time bring an audience into the picture who participates.” Exemplifying this idea of female musicians’ freedom to represent themselves as feminists was the female indie folk band who performed at the event and stayed to sip tea and participate in the discussion. . aerienne, lead singer and banjo guitarist of Kitchen Hips and her Little Woooden Spoons, stayed after the Feminist Tea Party for an interview. A Pomona student who usually plays solo, arienne performed covers of female folk and Americana songs for the tea party with her newlyformed band, which included a violinist (Jane), vocals (Vanessa) and ukulele (Gabi). After getting the request to perform at the Feminist Tea Party, aerienne was inspired to form a band that could showcase her admiration for fellow female musicians. aerienne’s musical endeavors include solo pieces, ‘20s-style old-timey jazz hits, songs in groups like the one formed for the Feminist Tea Party, as well as what aerienne calls “experimental banjo folk.” Two other members of the group which formed for the Feminist Tea Party are accompanying aerienne in a punk performance in their other band Fizzy Cola Lip Kiss. aerienne has a strong stage presence which derives from her sense of confidence in who she is. “I love performing,” said aerienne. “Performing is a great way of expressing your feelings—in a way, dialogue with your eyes, you viscerally see the audience’s reactions. It becomes about all of us.” The performer’s direct connection with her audience was a key aspect of the Feminist Tea Party at Pomona and its later manifestation as Low Tea at Scripps, which was part dialogue and part performance. aerienne also drew attention to the way that her experience as a female performer was unique. She
November 3, 2011• The Scripps Voice • Volume XV• Issue Three
CONTINUED ON PG 10: WOMEN IN MUSIC
10 • Arts & Entertainment Fashion Spotlight: Lauren Melissa Ellzey ’13 By Ishmam Rahman ’14 A&E Section Head
Ishmam Rahman: How would you describe your personal style and what sort of things do you incorporate into it? Lauren Melissa Ellzey: I really like to wear dark, neutral colors. But I like to wear clothes that I feel fit my environment, so depending on what I’m doing that day, I’ll tweak the style. If I’m going to a café, then I’ll wear something that I feel looks a little bit more like I’m going to a café. On Monday, I went to West Hollywood so I wore a blazer, a button-up and some dark jeans with oxfords. It depends on where I’m going, but it always has this theme of black or neutral tones. I’m never bright. I don’t feel like bright colors fit my personality, and I always want to maintain my personality with what I’m wearing. IR: What is your personality? LE: I’ve been told that I’m kind of sarcastic but not in a mean way. I have a dry humor and sometimes I say things in a very flat voice. People don’t realize that I’m actually being nice to them and
“I always want to maintain my personality with what I’m wearing” they take what I’m saying as sarcasm just because my tone of voice wasn’t correct. So I guess that mood of neutrality and sarcasm is there in style. That sounds horrible. [laughs] IR: Do you accessorize a lot? LE: I don’t usually wear too many accessories, typically. Sometimes I’ll wear a watch, or I’ll wear a long necklace or a short necklace. But I stay away from accessories a lot because I have allergies to fake gold, silver and nickel. Plus I have two nose rings, which are my constant accessories. IR: Where do you normally get your
clothes? LE: I get them a lot of the time online from a website that I don’t want to name. [laughs] Just because I’ve been giving them away and people have been on campus now wearing the same clothes that I’ve bought. But I do have favorite brands. Star. MIMI is my favorite number one brand of all time; star. MIMI is from Taiwan. Then, I really like Redopin. I used to dress a lot from the Korean brand Dodostyle. I still love them. Recently I haven’t been dressing as significantly girly and I’m trying to lean more toward maybe dark-romantic as opposed to girly-romantic style. Dodostyle has started to use florals. So I’m not buying as much stuff from them anymore. IR: What are you majoring in? LE: I am a junior and I am doing a self-designed major in creative writing fiction and a minor in Hispanic studies. IR: Does your major alter your clothing style at all? LE: It significantly alters my clothing style. Well, it sounds a little ridiculous but whenever I’m writing a story, I typically go a while wearing Lauren Melissa Ellzey changes up her style based on her environment and plans for the day the clothes of my protagonist, like how she would dress. I feel like it helps happening...but not today. She’s a tomboy at Scripps? and she wears converse and skinny jeans. LE: I mean, I don’t typically sit around me understand her life experiences more. She also tends to wear oversized baggy judging people’s clothes all day. I feel like IR: Sounds like method acting. LE: [laughs] I call it method writing. clothes and layer after layer after layer. so long as every other day I turn around It’s really ridiculous but it really helps So I’m looking forward to it being winter and I see someone wear something that I a lot. Currently actually I’m having again so I can do that, and hopefully it’ll think is really cute, Scripps has got it going difficulty because my protagonist dresses help get me back into writing the next few pretty well! [laughs] in a style that I would never dress. So I chapters. IR: What are your thoughts on fashion PHOTOS BY MICHELLE NAGLER keep fighting dressing like her but it keeps
Scripps College Problem #49 Family Photos By Earnest Eleanor Staff Satirist
Friday nights in Claremont tend to be dead. My Fridays usually involve me catching up on the week’s new TV shows and staying up late for no reason. I sleep in on Saturdays. Snuggled up in that twin extra long, I can’t help but notice that “extra long” still doesn’t seem quite big enough for me to adequately stretch in all directions. My comfort levels are slightly less than optimum as I snooze and wait until the golden hour: 10:45 a.m. Time to get brunch—the best of all meals. Last Saturday was an exceptionally lethargic day. After brunch I was too lazy to make the arduous two-minute trek over to the field house pool. Instead, I opted for the much shorter oneand-a-half minute walk to Jaqua Quad, where I settled onto the grass (on my 100 percent Turkish Cotton beach towel, of course). Just as I had started to enjoy the sun’s rays hitting my skin, which had become dangerously close to pale after half a semester’s worth of accumulated minutes—nay, hours—in the library and by Claremont’s sporadic rainy days, I heard a child laughing. And a child crying. A family of four was taking family
photos. The source of less-than-relaxing sounds disturbing my sunning came from them. The laughter and tears I’d overheard came from their children: quite possibly two of the most adorable children in the universe (seriously, though). One child played with her father while a frustrated photographer attempted to coerce the younger brother into holding a teddy bear and pretending to enjoy getting his photo taken. This family was not the only one on Scripps’ campus that day. From my position on the lawn, it seemed as though our ivy-covered walls would soon be the backdrop for family portraits gracing many a living room. For the next several years, at least. Let’s face it: Scripps has a gorgeous campus. We have an abundance of greenery—lush and comfy watered lawns, not to mention those neatly trimmed hedges. And we have gardens: rose gardens, vegetable and fruit gardens, gardens enclosed by stucco walls, secret gardens I probably haven’t found yet…. Last year, Yahoo! News voted Scripps College as the fourth most beautiful campus in the world. (Yeah, that’s fourth most beautiful in
the world. No big deal, just more beautiful than hundreds of other colleges all over the world. Really, you can hold the applause.). But how am I supposed to focus on academics when there are families using our gorgeous campus? More importantly, how am I supposed to relax on our lush green lawn when it’s the site of a photoshoot? All these cute kids running around are really distracting. I take one second to look up from the philosophy reading I’ve brought outside with me (the sun creates quite a glare on the white paper, and it’s important to give your eyes a rest every now and then, you know) and BAM! Cute kids. Pretty campus. My gaze relaxes as I take it all in and I forget about philosophy (or whatever I was reading) and academics and all I can do is appreciate our amazing campus and how lucky I am to be studying here. Double distraction. Maybe Scripps maintenance should stop watering the lawns and planting flowers. Then families would stop admiring the beauty of Scripps College and I could actually get my homework done. It’s a tough life at Scripps, it really is.
WOMEN IN MUSIC, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 said that people who see her onstage and tend to assume she’s “a meek cute female banjo player” until she unplugs her banjo from the amp and lets loose. The strongest feminist affirmations made at the Feminist Tea Party came in the form of aerienne’s personal mantra about what it means to be a female musician: “never being afraid of your own success in this world…I think it’s about letting go of these expectations, and just letting go—let yourself go.” This Monday’s Low Tea in Seal Court extended the conversations on feminism and any issues students want to discuss in that context. Low Tea is expected to continue happening Mondays in Seal Court. Look for posters on campus announcing exact dates and times. Want to hear the sweet sounds of feminist punk? Catch aerienne and her band Fizzy Cola Lip Kiss’s premiere performance at Scripps Live Arts event, Athenafest. The punk music festival on Nov. 12 will double as a benefit for Rock n Roll Camp for Girls LA. The event, which kicks off at 1 p.m. on Bowling Green Lawn, is free but a $3 donation is suggested. All proceeds are going toward Rock n Roll Camp for Girls LA, an organization empowering young girls to rock! Athenafest will be sponsored by The Motley Coffeehouse, PEC Live Arts, KSPC 88.7fm and PZ Feminist Coalition. You can visit Collegescalendar.org for the complete lineup and details. Want to hear more of arienne’s music? Check her out on Myspace at listen in at www.myspace.com/kitchenhips.
Correction:
Correction to photo credit for Thrill the World is our last issue. The photos were taken by Dani Roach (PZ ‘14), not Jenna Tico (SCR ‘12) as mentioned.
November 3, 2011• The Scripps Voice• Volume XV• Issue Three
Student Life • 11
Let’s Get NAKED
Hello sexy readers! I presume the dearth of questions I’ve received this week has been due to the fact that everyone has been far too busy with their Halloweekends to compose a succinct question for me. No worries, dear readers, I’ve heard the rustlings of a question brewing in your costumed frolics through Scripps’ residence halls. Literally. I’ve heard you. Not to make you feel too self-conscious or anything, but the walls in these dorms are not soundproof. I can hear you sneezing next door. I can hear your music blaring four doors down. And I can definitely hear that rhythmically-thumping bed. Your music doesn’t mask the sound as well as you might hope. It doesn’t help matters that our twin extra-longs are made out of the most rustly, squeaky, crinkling mattress-plastic this side of the Mississippi. (This “our” includes you winsome Smiley-residing Scripps students. I’ve been there. Your Pomona-provided beds crinkle with the same unsexy abandon, if I recall correctly. And you have ants. Bad luck all around.) I’m all for female empowerment and taking control of sexual encounters. But I’ve got to say, I don’t advocate bringing your (male) hookup back to your Scripps dorm. There is, of course, the matter of the “chastity beds” (as a close friend of mine has dubbed them based on the alarm raised by their sterile plastic rustling). And our older buildings with their thin walls don’t help. But these are not necessarily Scripps-specific problems. Sexy sounds emanating from your neighbor’s dorm room can happen anywhere, at any volume. When it comes to Scripps, though, there’s also an uncomfortable gender dynamic complicating matters. The moment a clearly male-gendered person enters our halls, every Scrippsie eye is trained on him, ready to judge. Relative? Friend? Study partner? Sex partner? The poor fellow becomes a conspicuous intruder in our haven of women’s
college education. As his escort, you join the fray of judgment-passing gazes as curious eyes size you up and decide what to make of you and male body that accompanies you. There’s an element of pride in turning the tables, making the man into the male body to be scrutinized by a (largely) female gaze. But if you’re just hoping to spend a nice night with your boyfriend, maybe you don’t want to be making a feminist statement. Maybe you don’t want to announce to the world (or to your fellow Scripps residents) that you’re a sexually active, heterosexual young woman. Maybe you’re not one. My previous column discussed giggling, and how they can be an unfortunate signifier of discomfort. I’d like to encourage you to think before you giggle in this context. When you see a young man in a towel skulking back to a Scripps dorm room to reunite with his Scrippsie host, try not to ogle. When you hear some sounds that you can all too easily identify as sexual, try not to giggle. We may not be able to help the fact that dorm living makes our sex lives so very public, but we can at least exercise some empathy and not make our sexually-active hallmates feel singled out for their sexual choices. I stand by my original advice against bringing your hook-up back to your room, though. No matter the gender of your chosen sexual partner for the night, bringing someone back to your room means playing hostess. It means cleaning up afterward. And, most annoyingly, it means you can’t sneak away from the den of your sexual conquest in order to do some late-night homework in the sexual-distraction-free sanctity of your own room. I LOVE YOU! -SHE
Write SHE: Scripps Box #797
(no stamp required for intercampus mail!)
E-mail SHE:
editor.scrippsvoice@gmail.com
or
scrippsvoice@gmail.com (SHE encourages you to make the subject “SEXXX” or something. SHE also promises to ignore the email address from which your sexy emails are sent and assume everyone’s writing on behalf of sexually-awkward friends)
5 C Q U I D D I T c H
CLORG Spolight By Ariel Bloomer ‘12 Staff Writer
Scripps is now home to the most magical of new 5C clubs, Muggle Quidditch. The team name, the Dirigible Plums, is a reference to magical fruits that grow upside down and purportedly “enhance the ability to accept the extraordinary” (according to Luna Lovegood’s quirky father). The idea for the club came from Amy Borsuk (’14), who learned more about the fictional sport while fact-checking an article on gender equity in Quidditch for Ms. Magazine during an internship this summer. Muggle Quidditch, a game based on the high-flying wizarding sport of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, is played on college campuses around the world. Quidditch rules and tournaments are administered by the International Quidditch Association, a non-profit organization founded in 2005. The International Quidditch Association is sponsoring the 5th Quidditch World Cup this November in New York, with 100 teams (approximately 2,000 athletes) attending. Southern California schools with Quidditch teams include Occidental College, UCLA, USC and Moorpark College. Though the new 5C team won’t be headed to the World Cup, attendance of this event may serve as a long-term goal for the club. With only four practices held so far, the team’s goal for this first semester is to hold their first game on Nov. 19. Another goal for the Quidditch team this year is to be able to participate in spring tournaments, like last year’s Western Cup in Los Angeles. Borsuk, who is a self-described Ravenclaw “with a smidge of Gryffindor,” said that one of the great aspects of Quidditch is that “it’s a community where everyone knows they have something in common.” That “something” being a love of Harry Potter. Though the sport can be physically demanding, “it’s also really silly,” Borsuk said. She went on to describe the average 5C Quidditch player as enthusiastic and determined—“a blend of a Hufflepuff and Gryffindor,” which is not to say other houses aren’t welcome, of course. The team continues to welcome new members (of both the magical and muggle variety). Practice is held every Saturday at 2 p.m. on the Scripps soccer field. For more information, check the official team Facebook page “5C Quidditch 2011-2012.” COURTESY OF WARNER BROTHERS
November 3, 2011• The Scripps Voice •Volume XV• Issue Three
12 •Student Life
Halloween Candlelight Dinner
A Recap of Scripps’ Costume Creativity By Ariel Bloomer ‘12 Staff Writer
photos by Ariel Bloomer and courtesy of Kate Pluth
In true Scripps fashion, our very own Ellen Browning Scripps competed for “Best Character.” From left to right: Glinda the Good Witch, Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century, Rosie the Riveter
Senior girls dressed Treasure Troll Dolls
For many students, Halloween celebrations began on Thursday, Oct. 27, with the annual Halloween Candlelight Dinner and Costume Contest. With a menu that included “decomposed salad,” “spooky linguine” and “witches’ brew,” dinner was darkly delicious. But the highlight, of course, was the creativity of Scripps students, manifested in their amazing costumes. At no other time of year can one enjoy a meal with Rachel Maddow, a honey badger, a lumberjack, a penguin and an existential crisis. The costume contest lured dozens of students to the front of the Hampton Dining Room to show off their outfits, hair and makeup for judging by Professor Adam Novy, Associate Dean of Faculty Thierry Boucquey, Dean of Faculty Amy Marcus-Newhall and Assistant to the Dean of Students Deb Averette. Notable costumes of the night included Madeleine Albright, portrayed by Ellie McElvain (’14), who won “Scariest Costume” for being frightening to the patriarchy, and a Claremont Bubble worn by Sarah Stringer (’12), who won “Funniest Costume” for her representation of the colleges trapped inside a cellophane bubble. Stringer was not alone in making an elaborate homemade costume. Liz Miranda (’13) impressed with her Princess Mononoke costume. Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century and Ellen Browning Scripps competed among many past and present cultural icons for “Best Character,” but ultimately lost to representations of Holly Golightly and Snooki. After costumed revelry and dirt pies for dessert, Scripps students bussed their own tables and disappeared into the night. Their beautiful costumes may have met their demise, or at least a few spilled drinks, at the weekend’s many parties. For that one night, however, the genius of women was celebrated through artistic and inventive ensembles in Halloween fashion.
Ellie McElvain (‘14) dressed as Madeleine Albright
Thrill the World Zombifies Scripps Despite a lighting technicality that left half the field in relative darkness, zombies came forth from Jacqua Quad on Saturday, Oct. 29. At exactly 7 p.m. Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” blasted and millions around the world flailed their undead limbs to the classic dance. At Scripps College, 5C students fortified with Jamba Juice created a flash mob to raise money for non-profit organization Women for Women International. The Claremont event raised $650, according to master zombie and organizer Jenna Tico (’12), in addition to donations from Jamba Juice. Following this success, donations can still be made through the month of November. Additionally, the students who took part are part of the largest flash mob on record. Videos of the dance are on YouTube.com.
November 3, 2011• The Scripps Voice • Volume XV• Issue Three
6 • Features
The Month of Pink
Features • 7
Breast Health Awareness at Scripps College
By Ariel Bloomer ‘12 Staff Writer
October was National Breast Health Awareness Month, and Scripps joined the celebration of this prominent piece of female anatomy by going all-out pink. The dining hall served pink cupcakes with pink frosting and strawberry ice cream. Students were encouraged to decorate pink daisy cards in honor of cancer survivors and victims in their lives; daisy cards could be found in Seal Court, the Motley, the Malott Commons Office and the Tiernan Field House, and were ultimately used to decorate tree trunks on Elm Tree Lawn. 5C Colleges Against Cancer launched sales of their neon pink “I <3 Boobs” tank tops, and co-sponsored one of October’s Wednesday night Pubs, providing pink glow sticks for the students dancing in Dom’s lounge. On Monday, Oct. 24, Debbie Cantwell, the Founder of the Pink Daisy Project, gave a lunch presentation titled, “Making Pink Lemonade out of Lemons: Focusing My Need to Turn a Devastating Life Experience into Something Positive.” Debbie Cantwell has been honored as a “CNN Hero” for her organization’s commitment to helping economically disadvantaged breast cancer patients subsist economically. The organization provides gas cards, grocery cards and even some special pampering and professional family photo shoots for “sisters” with little time left. Breast Health Awareness Month is always a big deal at Scripps. Past Octobers have been full of speakers and events like the Debbie Cantwell talk, aimed at inspiring, empowering and educating students, staff and faculty. Events in previous years have also included “Power of Pink” walks, breast cancer survivors panels (featuring Scripps powerhouse women like Amy Marcus-Newhall, Judy Harvey Sahak and Sue Castagnetto), “Breast Cancer Basics” presentations, student art shows and concerts at the Motley, and even Chipotle fund-raisers for the Breast Health Awareness Organization. Why has this October seemingly left the Awareness out of Breast Health Awareness Month? Why the dearth of walks, panels, presentations, shows and fundraisers? Unfortunately, this October came in the wake of the Director of the Malott Commons Suzanne Zetterberg’s retirement and departure from Scripps College. Despite the efforts of other administrators and offices on campus, this October lacked some of the vibrancy of previous Breast Health Awareness Months at Scripps. With Zetterberg’s office empty and the Malott Commons director position unfilled, this October has been a paler shade of pink.
Fun Facts About the National Breast Health Awareness Month October is designated as National Breast Health Awareness Month. The first National Breast Health Awareness Month program took place in October 1985, a week-long event to fill the information void in public communication about breast cancer.
Today National Breast Health Awareness Month is organiized around several
national public service organizations, professional medical associations and government agencies working in partnership to build breast health awareness, share information and provide access to screening services. Source: www.nationalbreastcancer .org
Breast Cancer Statistics About 1 in 8 U.S. women (just under 12 percent) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in the United States, comprising just under 30 percent of all cancers in females. A woman’s risk of breast cancer doubles if she has a first-degree relative who has had breast cancer.
Self-Examination Instructions Thoroughly examine all sections of your breasts. (Don’t be alarmed if they do not look equal in size or shape. Most women’s breasts aren’t.) With your arms by your sides, look for any changes in size, shape or position of your breasts. Look for any skin puckering, sores or discoloration on breast of nipples. Place your thumb and forefinger on the tissue surrounding your nipple and pull outward toward the end of it. Look for any fluid discharge.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF SCRIPPS COLLEGE
November 3, 2011 • The Scripps Voice •Volume XV •Issue Three
November 3, 2011• The Scripps Voice •Volume XV • Issue Three