10 October 2019
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OSE Policy Changes Perplex CLORGs OSE mandates weekend programming to "support campus vibrancy"
By Anna Gao ’21 and Crystal Juan ’22 Staff Writers
n Sept. 22, student leaders from O over 20 Clubs and Organizations (CLORGS) met with staff members
from the Scripps Office of Student Engagement (OSE) during a mandatory CLORG retreat. Attendance to the mandatory retreat was one of three new policies implemented for CLORGs this school year. The second policy requires Scripps CLORGs to host one “Saturday Program” during the academic year and the third policy introduces a new event registration process through OSE. Many CLORG leaders claim they were first informed of these changes at the CLORG retreat, including Grace Shao ’21, who serves as Scripps Associated Students (SAS) co-treasurer, Funding Advisory Committee (FAC) non-voting member, and Asian-American Sponsor Program (AAS) co-head. “I was there representing two of my other CLORGs and this was the first time I had heard of the new programming and how it worked in terms of how it was to be funded,” Shao said. “It was a lot of very, very new information.” According to Shao, there did not appear to be a clear channel of communication between SAS and OSE. “In terms of opening that communication line up, I think it would’ve cleared up a lot of confusion and would have allowed SAS to advocate for OSE with this new initiative,” Shao said. Many other student leaders also expressed frustrations with communication and transparency. “I appreciate the goal of the new policies, but I think the specifics are not thought out to accommodate the rich diversity of Scripps CLORGs,” President of Collage Club and Editor-in-Chief of Scripps Yearbook Julia Lohman ’21 said. “OSE admitted that they did not consult any student CLORG leaders on the changes, and I think if they had, the resulting policies would be beneficial to everyone.” Co-President of Scripps Politics Association Maggie Bynum ’20 echoed this sentiment. “I understand and a p p re c i a t e that OSE is trying to support CLORGs and the Scripps student community, but their poor communication has created a lot of confusion and frustration for me,” Bynum said. “I wish OSE would be transparent with student leaders about how and why they decided on these requirements. I also wish that they were more receptive to student feedback during the CLORG [retreat].” Many student leaders who were interviewed did not recall receiving any notification from OSE about the new policies.
However, Brighitte Preciado, assistant director of student engagement, and Brenda Ice, assistant dean and director of student life state otherwise. According to Ice and Preciado, “as part of the registration process in April 2019, CLORGs were informed they would be required to host one Saturday event during the 20192020 academic year.” The document in which the policy was mentioned was distributed to the Scripps student body on April 19 and April 23 of this year reminding CLORG leaders to register their clubs. However, these are not the same parameters that were outlined to student leaders at the CLORG retreat. The ninth out of 10 total bullet points under the section titled Spring 2019-Spring 2020 Registration Requirements states that CLORGs “must host one event during the first 6 weeks of school on Thursday, Friday or Saturday in support of campu[s] vibrancy and alternative programming initiatives.” According to Ice and Preciado, the Saturday Programming is part of the Residence Life Vibrancy Initiative, which works to support the Scripps Centennial Plan, under the Inclusive Student Success Initiative. The Scripps Centennial Plan “is a blueprint to ensure the College’s future is filled with infinite possibility in the 21st century and beyond,” according to its official website. The Inclusive Student Success Initiative is one of four theme areas; the others including Innovative Learning Organization, Distinctive Identity, and Mission Driven Outreach. The Inclusive Student Success Initiative strives to “enlarge the Scripps experience so that it represents all identities, amplifies each voice, and imbues every member of our community with confidence, courage, and hope” (Scripps Centennial Plan). “Our goal is to create programs that encourage students to connect with others outside of their residential communities to enhance their overall sense of belonging to Scripps,” Preciado said in an email. “The Saturday programs are but one way we are working to achieve that goal.” Despite these intentions, Saturday Programming has created some complications for student leaders. S o m e l e a d e r s struggle to see how their CLORG can create Saturday programming for the larger student body. “Yearbook is an application-based closed staff,” Lohman said. “Why do we need to host a public event? What would we even do at such an event?” Bynum also describe similar struggles with the Saturday Programming. “Weekend-appropriate program-
OSE admitted that they did not consult any student CLORG leaders on the changes, and I think if they had, the resulting policies would be beneficial to everyone -Julia Lohman '21
ming does not align with [Scripps Politics Association’s] mission statement,” Bynum said. “I do not think students want to attend an academic or pre-professional-focused event on the weekend.” “I appreciate that OSE is trying to improve social life at Scripps because I agree that it is lacking,” Lohman said. “However, in making these new standards universal requirements, I think they are ignoring the different needs of different clubs.” Blend, which is a SCOREbased affinity group that serves students who identify as multiethnic, multi-racial, transracial adoptees or third culture kids, is one such club. “What [Blend mainly does] is to host weekly meetings for students and we can’t simply move the day — I know for me personally, having that community space weekly on the day we do is really important for my health and success,” said Blend Treasurer Madison Gates ’21. According to Gates, Blend doesn’t have the funding for Saturday Programming; the club’s budget only covers meetings. However, Ice and Preciado have taken steps to ensure that funding will not be an issue. “Funding for Saturday events is supported by the Office of Student Engagement,” according to Ice and Preciado. “CLORGs who need assistance with program planning can contact ose@ scrippscollege.edu to learn more about our Program In a Box initiative.” The Program In a Box includes activity instructions, a program layout, a list of supplies which OSE will provide and a flyer template, and one snack and one drink from a list of options. Some Program In a Box examples include Game Night, Minute to Win It, DIY Stress Balls, Trivia and Treats, Lawn Games and Cookies and Conversations. However, most CLORGs that have already submitted Saturday Programs elected not to participate in the Program In a Box initiative. “Their suggestions for events we could throw that were ‘free or low cost’ were things that showed they didn’t respect the very serious work most CLORGs are doing, whether it be educational/pre-professional or the community building/mentorship programming of SCORE CLORGs,” Gates said. Bynum also expressed economic worries. “I am concerned we are wasting resources, like our SAS budget and our time on an event that no one will attend,” Bynum said. Gates also notes how the burden of creating a more vibrant campus for Scripps disproportionately impacts student of color leaders at Scripps.
“As student leaders who are already doing so much work to create spaces for students of color on campus, spaces that the school itself should but doesn’t provide, we don’t have the time or energy to be doing more,” Gates said. “We aren’t getting paid for all of the work we do to ensure that POC at Scripps have community spaces and to require more of us is ridiculous.” An additional change introduced by OSE includes a new event registration process was also documented in the 2019-2020 CLORG registration requirements. This document states that CLORGs must “track events hosted throughout the year.” The event registration process includes a proposal form that must be submitted at least 10 days in advance to OSE. Information that must be provided on this form include event location/time, projected number of attendees, a detailed outline/ plan of the event, projected cost with a budget breakdown and the advertisement for the event. Once submitted, OSE staff review the event proposal. If the event proposal is rejected, CLORG leaders will receive guidance for resubmission. They must receive approval from OSE before they may move forward with the event. Following the event, CLORGs must also submit a Post-Event Tracker form. CLORG leaders must give a short description of the event including if the goals of the event were reached, if the CLORG would repeat this event, if this event could be improved and if items were given away. They must also include final program cost, final number of attendees and a photo of the sign-up sheet that includes name, student ID, email and signatures of attendees to promote accountability and sustainability of CLORGs, according to Preciado. “We get our budgets from SAS, which is a completely separate nonprofit from Scripps College,” Gates said. “No Scripps College office has any right to see our budgets or suddenly demand changes that impact our budgets, especially without talking to SAS first. SAS already is very thorough in auditing clubs budgets, and so it’s unnecessary and patronizing for OSE to suddenly demand to also be allowed to know how we are spending our money.” Despite initial reactions, the longterm effects ofthese new policies on CLORGs and their student leaders remain to be seen. “They really should have done better to build trust with the community and not spring this on everyone in the way they did," Gates said. "It really shows a lack of respect for the student leaders who do so much for the Scripps student body.” Illustration by Gabi Seifert
1030 Columbia Avenue | Claremont, CA 91711 | Box 839 | scrippsvoice@gmail.com | Volume XXIX | Issue Two
2 • News
Meet the President The Election of Melinda Ximen ’23 By Julia Cox ’23 Staff Writer
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fter a three week long election between four candidates, the first-year class president has been announced as Melinda Ximen ’23. A native of Cupertino, California, and potential economics major, Ximen has big plans for her first year as a member of Scripps Associated Students (SAS). On why she decided to run for class president, Ximen cited her wish to become involved in the Scripps community. “Running for first-year class president really let me meet a lot of new people, and even if I didn’t win, I still would’ve had the experience of talking to people,” Ximen said. Ximen’s interest in politics and government began in high school after working at a non-profit law firm for two years and a criminal defense law firm for one year. Ximen also took advantage of opportunities in high school to plan events and organized events featuring therapy dogs and cookie decorating. In addition to being a part of SAS, Ximen is currently a business manager for The Student Life newspaper and a member of the Claremont Business Group. Ximen’s vision for her presidency emphasizes uniting Scripps students, especially first-years. So far, Ximen hopes to create a first-year class shirt and start competitions between the dorms, with a boba or pizza party for the winners. “I know it’s hard for us to interact with each other once we get our friend groups, so I want to have everyone wear their class shirt on the same day,” Ximen said. Another major goal of Ximen’s is to plan events for all first years at the 5Cs. “It’s kind of hard to meet people at the 5Cs [...] so I want to do events that are for first-years to meet other first-years at different colleges,” Ximen said. Most importantly, Ximen will place feedback from students at the center of her presidency and work to include their
thoughts in her decisions. “I want to talk to Scripps students and ask them what exactly they want in this school year,” Ximen said. When she’s not studying or at a SAS meeting, Ximen can be found watching movies or doing portrait photography. “Even though I feel like my personality [is] pretty happy and carefree, I really like watching dark thrillers,” Ximen stated. “I like to read Wikipedia summaries of the movies before I watch them […] I’m just spoiling the entire plot for myself, which is so weird,” she said. Ximen also has experience with portrait photography, having done numer-
ous solo and group portraits for prom and other events. Ximen intends to plan events that people will attend, making communication with constituents a necessity. “If you have any ideas for what you want to see this year, feel free to reach out to me any time,” Ximen said. Ximen’s goals align with the expectations of SAS, which state that that the purpose of the class president is to “unify their respective classes,” according to the SAS Constitution. Ximen’s win demonstrates first years’ excitement about her vision.
Photo by Hannah Grunow
10 October 2019 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XXIX • Issue Two
News • 3
Money, Food Justice, and Challah: the transition from Challah for Hunger to Scripps Challah By Kendall Lowery ’22 Copy Editor
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f you’re passionate about baked goods like I am, chances are that you’ve joined me in the 11am Seal Court queue for fresh Friday challah. For the past 14 years, Challah for Hunger (CfH) has sold their delicious loaves to support organizations dedicated to food justice. The club was founded by Scripps alumna Eli Winkelman ’07 in 2004 as a way to connect with the Jewish community during her years at the 5Cs; the organization began to spread as the second chapter was started at the University of Texas, then the third at UCLA, ultimately spanning to its current 80+ chapters worldwide. Over the course of the past 15 years, CfH has hosted leadership summits, food justice initiatives, and was even featured in President Bill Clinton’s book Giving: How each of us can change the world. However, the leadership at CfH’s founding chapter has recently finalized their split with the international organization, announcing their official name change to Scripps Challah in an email proclaiming that they were cutting out the CfH “middleman” on Sept. 30. I sat down with Sarah Sanchez ’20, one of the club’s co-presidents, to find out more about why the group decided to make this shift. Like many CfH/Scripps Challah volunteers, Sanchez became involved in the organization early in her college career. “My friend Arianna and I started signing up for braiding because we’re both Jewish and missed those roots and it was a really fun activity to do on Thursday nights,” Sanchez said. “Now both of us are the co-presidents, all because of this way for us to hang out as awkward first years!” This intersection of bonding, baking,
and free challah for volunteers is a major draw to the organization, but their impact is also felt outside of the Claremont bubble through their donations to organizations dedicated to food justice. “We partner with different organizations each semester— this semester we’re partnering with Uncommon Good,” Sanchez said. “We donate our money to them but we also want to be able to bring them onto campus and help them spread information about their organization. We also work with groups at the college such as the Scripps Food Recovery Network— we had them lead the braiding shifts and they were present for Friday sale, giving out their bags and stickers.” This passion for advocacy lead to the bakers’ ultimate decision to break from the CfH international. Under the umbrella of CfH, 10 percent of their thousands of dollars in profit was going to the national organization. Additionally, they were constricted to only two charities that they could donate to, one of which had to be Mazon, a charity chosen by the national board. “We support Mazon,” Sanchez said. “But we wanted to have
more flexibility so that it during certain weeks we would be able to funnel all of our money to different causes. For example, during the climate strikes we wanted our money to go to specific climate organizations which is not something that is possible through CfH— we needed more control over our own finances and our bank account in order to be able to do that.” The CfH/Scripps Challah board finally decided to take action last fall, voting on the pursuit of a break from CfH and contacting organization officials. “We were actually able to reach out to the founding member Eli Winkleman. We had a conversation with her and she was fully in support of our break, which I think relieved everybody’s hesitancy because we wouldn’t want to dismantle her legacy even though she was no longer involved in CfH,” Sanchez said. “I think the national organization is more sad to have us leave than if we were another club— we’re the founding chapter, we’ve been around the longest. This would have been our 15th year as part of their organization, so I think having us leave lowers their numbers a little bit which is sad for them, but we have to consider what’s best for the community and not what’s best for their publicity.” Despite this split, rest assured that you can still count on your Friday challah. “The only thing that is changing is that our name dropped ‘for Hunger’ and that the money is going to a slightly wider variety of organizations,” Sanchez said. “In terms of the on-campus experience for volunteers and buyers, there’s not going to be any difference: we’re still going to be taking credit cards, cash, and hopefully Claremont cash at some point – that’s our next big project!” Interested in volunteering? Check out the Scripps Challah Facebook group or their Instagram @scripps_challah.
Illustration by Vivian Monteiro
Unapologetic in Their Strength: Claremont Foxes Women’s Rugby Team Riley Harmon ’22 Staff Writer
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he 5Cs, along with NCAA sports, boasts a wide variety of club sports. One of them, the Claremont Foxes Women’s Rugby Team, has found both regional and national success. To learn more about the team, I sat down with the president of the Foxes, Abby Power ’21. “Once a week you get to play a game… it is really amazing being out there with your team, accomplishing so much together,” Power said. The Foxes is a club rugby team at the 5Cs that plays under the Pacific Desert Collegiate Women’s Division II league. In 2019 they went undefeated in league play and in 2018 they won the Gold Coast Conference of Intercollegiate Rugby Women’s DIV II Title. Power joined the Foxes her first year at Scripps never having played rugby before. Reminiscing about her first practice she recalled thinking, “I don’t really know this sport yet, but I like the people here, so I’m going to stay,” she said. “Then, I loved the sport as I learned more.” The team itself has been a major aspect of Power’s life at Scripps. She is a Community Coordinator for Dorsey Residence Hall and Manager of the Scripps Bike Shop, but has found rugby to be one of the things she cares the most about at the college.
“Whenever people would ask me how I was doing, I would always end up wanting to talk about rugby because I really love the team and love the sport,” said Power. “In rugby there are 15 people on the field; you all have to work together, and you have to all support one another,” Power said. “We all want to see everyone on the team grow and see everyone on the team become more confident in their rugby abilities.” These rugby abilities require a wide range of talents including speed, strength, and intense focus. Power described the Foxes’ rugby style as strategy-heavy while simultaneously physically exhausting. As a forward, Power’s main role is to sprint around the field, supporting other members of her team in order to maintain possession of the ball. Despite the prowess required to attain success in rugby, Power discussed a misplaced stigma often put on women for playing rugby because of its nature as an extreme contact sport requiring lots of strength. She counters that stigma with the idea that, “having a group of women who are so unapologetic in their strength … and who are not willing to take those negative comments and internalize them I think is really awesome.” Power has a deep care for her teammates. She described the team as similar to a family, often spending lots of time together outside of practice.
According to Power, “women’s rugby tends to have a pretty strong gay community which has been amazing for me.” She felt that it allowed her to relate to many members of the team and feel supported immediately coming into college. “Sexuality in rugby is celebrated,’’ said Power. “Being a part of the team has allowed [players] to feel so much more open in that, so much more supported in that.” The strength and community that the Foxes foster has given Power the confidence to accomplish other difficult trials in life. As President of the team, Power expressed hopes to translate these feelings to new and younger players as the season begins. In regard to their plans for the upcoming season, “the goal is really just to work hard every day because we want to go to nationals, and we want to be successful,” Power said. “We will be successful if we do all the little things.” Power is instilling the value of working hard every day into her team. She practices all the little things, such as coming to practice on time and jogging between water breaks, to lead by example in order to drive her team to success within their community. The Foxes will pursue their goals at their first home game on Nov. 16, 2019 and, as always, the Foxes welcome new players. No experience is necessary.
10 October 2019 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XXIX • Issue Two
4 • @TFH
New Relaxation Room Coming to Sallie Tiernan Field House By Eloise Magoncelli ’22 Staff Writer
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he Tiernan Field House will soon open a new space, adding to the long list of services provided by the gym. This room, which has been named the “relaxation room,” is furnished with a bean bag chair, a television, a couple of couches and a massage chair. The space resembles a comfortable recreation room where, instead of huge tables designed for holding computers and various study materials, a coffee table is ready to hold card games, resting feet, or a mug of tea. It is intended to embody a space for wellness that reflects the core values of the TFH. The central ideals of the Field House’s mission statement emphasize the provision of resources and support to develop holistic wellness and to promote an awareness of different forms of health throughout the community. “At the core of the Tiernan Field House mission is to support holistic wellness and a life-time of well-being, thus dedicating a room within Tiernan furthers the accomplishment of our goals,” Lisette De La Trinidad, the Health & Wellness Coordinator at the TFH said. While the addition of this relaxation room does mean that this space can no longer be used for exercise classes, spin bikes can still be found in the downstairs dance room and the supplies needed to host a range of dropin exercise classes are now accessible in the room adjacent to the relaxation room. According to De La Trinidad, the ultimate goal of the relaxation room is to create “a new way to use TFH, enhancing everyone’s ability to engage in wellness-related activities”. Not only does this new wellness space provide a place for casual relaxation like napping or getting a massage, TFH coordinators also plan on using it for “Peer Health Educators to host their
Photo courtesy of Inside Scripps
office hours” and as a space to hold “program meditations or podcasts related to well-being,” according to De La Trinidad. Additionally, the space will promote education by providing literature on wellness-related topics and will be a place to go for those in need of
this space might play in comparison to the other rooms within TFH and existing rooms like browsing and recreational rooms throughout the residence halls. The TFH continues to stray from the one-sided traditions of a gym, which typically cater only to physical exercise needs and lack an emphasis on mental health. The TFH is unique across the Claremont Consortium in its capacity to be used as a resource for physical strength as well as mental health. The atmosphere created by being in wellness spaces that encourage relaxation alongside hard work is vastly different from that found in other 5C gyms, which contain traditional training rooms surrounded by offices. The TFH prides itself in promoting the importance of both mental and physical health among 5C students and the development of the gym itself, along with its resources within it, emphasizes this value.
“The TFH is unique across the Claremont Consortium in its capacity to be used as a resource for physical strength as well as mental health.” condoms or menstrual pads. Unfortunately, one of the two massage chairs was stolen from the building’s balcony during the construction of the relaxation room. Despite this setback, coordinators are waiting for just a few more items before they officially open the space for all to enjoy within the next two weeks. As a source of relaxation and education, it will be interesting to see the different role that
FRIDAYS AT THE FIELD HOUSE The Tiernan Field House’s fun, dry, alternative events for Friday nights at Scripps Sarah Nunez-Lafontaine ’22 Advice Columnist
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or those of us searching for substance-free events on campus, Fridays at the Field House offers a fun way to enjoy late night campus life without the stress of walking all the way to Doms just to be caught in an empty, overheated space. Every Friday from 10pm to 1am, Tiernan Field House hosts an array of activities for Scripps students, ranging from floating movie screenings to Bob Ross painting parties. The Field House opened up this year’s season of Fridays at the Field House with an Ice Cream Social that was widely attended by the Scripps student body, particularly by first years experiencing one of their first college weekends. These events typically draw crowds of around 40 people who enjoy mug decorating, pancakes
and the many other activities planned by Scripps students. Upcoming events include the aforementioned Bob Ross painting evening and a Disco/Halloween party being planned by Mary Iris Allison ’22. “I think it is important, especially when you’re new to campus, to know that you don’t have to feel pressure to go out and party or drink,” Justine Iwata ’21 said. “Sometimes I feel like that’s all that you see here, but there are a fair amount of people who don’t go out every weekend and that’s okay.” Fridays at the Field House offer a safe and dry alternative to students who don’t feel like partying at night. The time slot overlaps with prime going out hours, but allows those students who want to find a group of like minded people to hang out with that opportunity. It also allows for students who may partake in party culture to switch things up a little bit; for those weekends
when a party doesn’t sound all that appealing, these nights can offer snacks and stress-free night. A great place for free snacks and adorable homemade dorm decor, it is not uncommon to see a Scrippsie’s decorated chest cast on their wall, or a delightful sunflower painting, courtesy of an event at Tiernan. Itawa also commented on how these Fridays demonstrate and further promote Tiernan holistic wellness among Scripps students, which she sees as part of Tiernan’s mission. Fridays at the Field House initiative shows their commitment to providing students healthy alternatives to going out. Be sure to swing by the Sallie Tiernan Field House from 10pm-1am every Friday for some high quality food and fun!
10 October 2019 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XXIX • Issue Two
Features • 5
“We’re Not Doomed and We’re Not Okay” Author Jonathan Safran Foer in Conversation on Climate Change By Aya Burton ’22 Staff Writer
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n Thursday Sept. 26, best-selling author Jonathon Safran Foer joined science reporter Jacob Margolis at Scripps Presents for a conversation about Foer’s latest book, We Are the Weather. Though renowned for his novels, Foer’s more recent nonfiction works deal intimately with the role we as humans play in global warming, starting with the food we consume each day. S e t t l i n g i n to h i s s e a t o n stage at Garrison Theater, Foer spoke with Margolis about the extremes he experiences as a writer between privacy and publicity. He obser ved that especially with his nonfiction works, talking brings the content to life in a way that is long overdue for many audiences. Even at Scripps, among an audience composed primarily of liberal college undergraduates, when Foer asked for a show of hands only four individuals had a comprehensive plan of attack for combating climate change in their everyday lives. For Foer, We Are the Weather emerged as a means for him to engage with the climate crisis and to share that struggle with others. “Writing is the best way for me to take something seriously,” he said to Margolis when asked why he felt the need to take on climate change. He describes his book as developing from a culmination of too many “enough” moments: moments when he could no longer tolerate being a person who
does nothing despite being wholly aware of the damage we are inflicting on the planet. In a brief excerpt read from his book, Foer spoke about how we constantly distance ourselves from the effects of climate change, making them appear abstract and isolated even when they are personal and present. Global warming, Foer urged, demands conscious and deliberate action, not simply sympathetic emotion. As college students, there often seems to exist a chasm b e t w e e n e m o t i o n a n d p o w e r, b e t w e e n what we feel and what we can actually change. Foer arg ue s t hat we can in fact make an impact by closing the gap between our awareness and our lifestyle. By doing what we know we n e e d to d o , we can find some emotional relief as human beings on this warming earth. What do we need to do? Foer emphasizes the importance of specificity when changing one’s habits to make them more ecologically sound. How many times a year will you allow yourself to fly on a plane? How many times a month will you Lyft or Uber; at how many meals per week will you consume animal products? This last question is the one Foer dwells on in his book and for much of the evening. Science has proven that eating dramatically less meat and dairy comprises a profound part of the solution to climate change. We Are the Weather advocates for a plant-based diet in which no animal products are consumed at breakfast and lunch. This shouldn’t be too difficult as Claremont students with access to five dining halls offering diverse vegan and vegetarian fare. Foer believes this “uninvention” of food mostly simply means eating as our grandparents did. All it takes is a series of behavioral changes that can be made easier once one realizes they make a choice every time they raise a fork to their mouth. Foer suggests we take “five seconds of pause” when making dietary decisions. In doing so, he claims we will also gain a better
Global warming demands conscious and deliberate action, not simply simpathetic emotion
He could no longer tolerate being a person who does nothing despite being wholly aware of the damage we are inflicting on the planet
All it takes is a series of behavioral changes that can be made easier once one realizes they make a choice every time they raise a fork to their mouth understanding of our values and ourselves. Foer’s words likely resonated with many students as they left the auditorium. How might we become not only more mindful but more active, engaged citizens of this planet? Maybe it begins with choosing scrambled tofu over an omelet at brunch (in response to a question from the audience, Foer noted that eggs are terrible for the environment and especially for animals), or swapping out whole milk for a plant-based alternative when ordering a drink at the Motley. From a raise of hands, the entire audience filling Garrison on Thursday believed that individual action can make a difference when it comes to combating climate change. We have to be productive, proactive, and persistent in these individual decisions – starting now.
Photo courtesy of Jonathan Foer
10 October 2019 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XIX • Issue Two
8 • Opinion
The Myth of Electability D o e s E l e c t a b i l i t y Tr u m p P l a t f o r m ? Amelie Lee ’23 Copy Editor Intern
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hen you ask Democrats who they’ve decided to vote for in the upcoming primaries, often you’ll receive a scrunched expression and begrudging admission that, “while I don’t love Joe Biden, he’s the most likely candidate to beat Donald Trump.” L i k e a n increasingly lonely single college student, America is settling — settling for a mediocre candidate that does not have the ability to bring about the change that this country needs. Somehow, in our panicked desperation to oust the orange racist in chief, the 2020 election has become more about “electability” than the candidate who would actually make the best president. This fear is for good reason— ever yone’s focus should be on preventing Trump from winning in 2020. Yet instead of looking for the candidate with the most potential, there have been countless news articles and editorials claiming that the majority of Democratic candidates don’t seem “electable” enough to the American people, portraying Biden as the safe, reliable option instead. While Biden seems like a phenomenal choice sitting next to Trump on the presidential ballot, America should be pursuing candidates who would effect meaningful change rather than simply
settling for “safe.” As important as it is to prevent the sitting president from taking a second term, voters should not have to sacrifice their values in order to prevent the repetition of Nov. 8th, 2016. And they don’t. The issue of electability is akin to the issue of “likability” thrown at Hilary Clinton four years ago—simply a distraction from political policy and the overwhelming danger of Donald Trump. Fo u r ye a r s ago, very few people found it plausible that a xenophobic reality TV star was “electable,” and yet American politics proved public opinion wrong. As long as the party base is energized and enthusiastic about voting Trump out of office, the idea of “electability” shouldn’t fuel votes in the primary elections.
Fundamentally, accusations about electability are more about an unwillingness to challenge the status-quo of political representation than they are about a candidate’s probability of becoming president.
Statistics show that this concern is unsupported, with polls from The Washington Post and ABC News placing Elizabeth Warren above Trump in estimated 2020 election results, proving that even if the perception electability was an issue, we don’t depend on Biden for success. F u n d a m e n t a l l y, a c c u s a t i o n s about electability are more about an unwillingness to challenge the status-quo of political representation than they are about a candidate’s probability of becoming president. Democrats’ misplaced investment in Biden is valuing the reliable option of a moderate white man over those who actually align with party beliefs. With this unusually large crop of passionate and articulate candidates, every time we talk about Biden’s “electability,” it detracts from discussion about the platforms and ideas of the actual frontrunner in Iowa, the first gay candidate for president and countless other qualified options. Democrats need to look to the candidate that aligns most with their stances and one that they feel will best represent the American people. In the words of Elizabeth Warren, “This dark moment requires more than being ‘not Trump,’ because a country that elects someone like Donald Trump is a country that’s already in serious trouble.”
Photo Courtesy of LA Times
10 October 2019 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XXIX • Issue Two
Spotlight • 9
Vulnerability isn’t for suckers, fear is By Faith McDermott ‘20 Staff Writer
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hate vulnerability. The thought of it makes me want to upchuck the shrimp salad I just had for lunch and lock myself in my room until I run out of La Croix and potato chips and therefore have to resurface for sustenance. The idea of allowing someone to see the parts of me I’m not exactly comfortable with or proud of, and then possibly reject me, is absolutely terrifying. And in all my dating experience I still tend to avoid it like a bad case of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease. You see if we’re being honest, and therefore vulnerable (excuse me while I gag), I’ve never dated someone who I’ve really liked. Instead, I have this habit of coupling up with guys whom I’m lukewarm about, but whom I perceive to have the hots for me. Now attraction is in the eye of the beholder, so that’s not to say all the men I’ve been with have been horrendous. I’ve dated some intelligent, driven, funny, men (although some of them have been real twats—you know who you are). Yet, all of the relationships, situationships, and flings I’ve had throughout my teens and early twenties have been with men who some would consider a catch. That ‘some’ just never included me. Putting these thoughts to paper makes me feel like an absolute ass, but this article is about vulnerability and so I’m just going to lay it all out there. Some of you probably think I’m a real whack job. I mean, who the hell dates people that they don’t like? Isn’t the whole point of dating to foster a connection with someone you’re actually attracted to? If we’re operating on a purely logical level, then yes, all these things would be true. However, humans are complex, contradictory, emotional beings. And, as a painfully insecure 21-year-old woman whose been burned before, I’m hungry for validation and I’m petrified at the idea of getting hurt. This sense of screwy logic has ruled my dating life for the past couple of years, and it may have taken me a while, but I’ve recently come to accept that attraction cannot be manufactured and it has to be a two-way street. I’ve tried to force it and fake it, and honestly, I do a decent job of convincing myself and the other party. But if it’s not authentic and mutual, things will eventually crumble. And guess what? When you’re with someone because you’re looking to be loved rather than to love, their rejection feels like a kettlebell to the gut. The person who was supposed to be low-risk was never really low-risk after all;
when you let someone else’s perception of you dictate your self-worth, the stakes become incredibly high. As luck would have it, I recently met someone. I met a man who is kind, and witty, and sexy, and as I got to know him, I came to realize my feelings for him were more than just friendly. I enjoyed spending time with him fully clothed, but I also couldn’t help but feel something when he kissed me. In other words: he petrified me. Vulnerability was not the enemy here. Fear was. Fear is what prohibits connections, prohibits growth, prohibits the possibility of something absolutely wonderful happening. So, I decided that I would go for it. I would ride it out, I would allow myself to be myself, I would do the unthinkable: I would be vulnerable. But alas, the universe rarely gives you want you want when you want it. Two days after a movie night makeout fueled by lust and two buck chuck, he informed me that he was sorry, but that he was seeing someone else. He said that they weren’t exclusive but it seemed to be heading in that direction. He said that he wanted to be transparent, he didn’t want to hurt me, he really wanted to remain friends if I was willing. At first, I cried. In fact, I cried behind the information desk at the library while my friend worked the afternoon shift and handed me tissues while I silently sniffled. Then I was angry. I was the type of angry where you slam down your soup bowl in the dining hall because it was not what he did, it was the fact that he knew all the ways men had wronged you in the past, and he did it anyway. It was how he had claimed to be different, and the fact that you had believed him. It was the fact that you are just so sick and tired of your emotions being collateral damage. However, anger is exhausting and is oftentimes unproductive. Anger is an emotion that needs to be felt, but also needs to be unpacked. While I
thought I was pissed, I was actually disappointed and feeling all the uncomfortable emotions that come with rejection. So on a Tuesday in Seal Court, we talked about it. I’m kicking myself for this now, but on that day, I was not vulnerable in the ways that he deserved. If you feel that I don’t owe this boy anything, keep reading. You see, he didn’t try to defend himself. He listened to everything I had to say, he admitted some of his deepest darkest insecurities to me, and even if I didn’t want to believe it, I knew he was being genuine. He gave me the perfect apology, and while I did express my frustration and my hurt to him, we ended the conversation under the joint impression that we were going to move on. However, I don’t know if I can. For the longest time, I thought vulnerability was feeling exposed in a way that leaves you powerless. However, that’s not the case. Vulnerability is being honest even when it’s not necessarily something the other person wants to hear. Vulnerability is being authentic to your wants and needs even if they don’t align with another person’s. Vulnerability is unapologetically speaking your truth. And on that afternoon I failed. While I said I can move on, I’m not sure that’s true. Because even though I want to forgive, I know that I’m not there yet, and I’m not sure we could ever go back to how things were. When I told this man that I was going to write about him, I wasn’t sure what that was going to look like. I thought a couple weeks from now I’d write a piece about forgiveness and how good people do bad things and how making peace with others’ wrongdoings will set us free. And maybe I will write that piece down the line— who knows? But for right now, I do owe him a dose of vulnerability, so I will leave him with this: N*, I know you are kind, and gentle, and warm, and probably one of the best listeners that I know. You are a wonderful person who did a not-so-wonderful thing, and the only thing that makes you is human. Someone very wise once told me that forgiving a person involves separating them from the other people who have wronged you and treating them as an individual. N, I know you’re sorry. While I can’t guarantee I can wholeheartedly forgive you, I want you to know that I’m really going to try. *Initial has been changed to protect the privacy of the individual Illustration by Gabi Seifert
10 October 2019 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XXIX • Issue Two
10 • Opinion
Surviving Flu Season Annie Wu ’23 and Amelie Lee ’23 Staff Writers Illustration by Gabi Seifert
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ike many students who grew up in healthobsessed Asian households, we’ve been trained to react to a sore throat with nothing less than abject panic and the quick consumption of a large variety of solutions and pills. Flu season is awful— there’s nothing like mucus to drag down your daily educational pursuits. Here’s our comprehensive guide to dodging germs this October. Preventative measures: Before the slightest sniffle even hits, there are precautionary measures one may take to prevent a cold from happening. If you haven’t already, get a flu shot from one of the many clinics in the next few weeks. Target also offers flu shots with most health insurance. Following an especially tiring night or exposure to cold weather, take some vitamin C—two oranges or a gummy tablet could be the boost your immune system needs. Try to get extra sleep when you’re feeling weak; it’s your body’s way of telling you that it needs the rest. We cannot emphasize this enough: listen to your body. If you feel overworked, sad, or stressed, your immune system will slow down while your cortisol levels pump up, kicking the cold virus into high gear. Liquids: Unfortunately, once the symptoms set in, you’ll
probably need a bit more than oranges and sleep to fix the situation. When you feel yourself getting sick, try to consume as much water as possible. While it’s habituary to suggest drinking fluids, water will replace the electrolytes you lose when you’re sick, speeding up recovery and relieving symptoms. Top off your avid liquid drinking with extra sleep and rest and you’ll be on your way to recovery in no time. Better yet, use the age-old remedy universally agreed on by Asian moms: lemon water and honey. Drinking warm water with a squeeze of lemon will open up your nasal passages when you are congested, soothing your sore throat and stuffy nose. Honey is the key ingredient here, acting as an anti-bacterial and cough suppressant. Self care: While self care won’t fix the illness immediately, taking the time to relieve symptoms with home remedies will make your cold much more manageable. Grab some ginger tea from the dining halls and stock up on hot soup. Make sure you eat lots of protein to ensure that you have energy to fight the cold. Just as importantly, take care of your emotional wellbeing. Scripps has all the resources you need if you dig a little to find them. Visit Sallie Tiernan Field House to meditate or implement light exercise into your day. Stop by the Margaret Fowler Memorial
Garden to relax or get out of your room as you study. Any lawn, pathway, table or bench on campus holds the potential to be your next breath of fresh air. Pre-week: Prepare your body as best you can with a flu shot. Mentally prepare for the inevitable feeling of soreness and mucus that accompanies flu season. Day 1: Convince yourself that you’re not actually getting sick— it’s probably just November allergies or a three-day hangover. Take a vitamin C just in case. Day 2: The sore throat has become an undeniable terrible cold. Down a gallon of water and stock up canned soups in your dorm so you won’t have to leave your bed for several days. Day 3: Sit in bed sadly, thinking of how you took breathing through your nose for granted and how you would get so much work done if only you were well. Day 4: Drink water/tea, eat three meals consisting of chicken soup that you can barely taste, drink water again, and then consider getting out of bed. Day 5: Your nose might be really dry from blowing it every two minutes, but you’re finally ready to venture back into the world again. Your classmates will appreciate you coughing in their general direction every few minutes.
Bullet Journaling: The Latest Lifestyle Trend Sara Michael ’23 Staff Writer n average, our short term memory can hold seven pieces of information at a time. Even for highly organized people who make Post-It notes and lists for hours on end, our brain capacity makes it hard to keep track of everything going on in our hectic lives. Enter the bullet journal. You may have heard of this social media sensation: there are currently 4.4 million photos under the hashtag “bullet journal” on Instagram and it has been likened to the Marie Kondo-ing of notebooks. At its core, bullet journaling is all about meaningful and organized living. According to the official bullet journaling website, “The goal of the Bullet Journal is to help its practitioners (Bullet Journalists) live intentional lives, ones that are both productive and meaningful.” Ryder Caroll, a 39-year-old Digital Product Designer, founded this practice in 2013 with the idea of meaningful living at the forefront. Caroll was diagnosed with attention-deficit
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disorder (ADD) in his teenage years. During college, he used bullet journaling as a way to not only effectively manage and organize his work, but also to collect thoughts and small meditations he had throughout the day. The language that the Bullet Journal operates in is rapid logging, which uses bullet pointed lists to organize information and to schedule events. The bullet points fit into three categories: tasks, events, and notes, and each category uses a symbol to indicate a scheduled, completed, or irrelevant task. There’s a daily log, a monthly log and a future log, which is used to track upcoming holidays, birthdays and special events. You can track meal plans, fitness routines, water intake and mood fluctuations all in one little book. There’s no right or wrong way of doing things when you’re bullet journaling. You can get as imaginative as you like, or you can create methodological spreads that conform exactly to the ones posted on the Bullet Journal website. Tova Levine ’21 took up bullet journaling after inspired by one of the residents in her hall. She said, “I like being artsy, and [bullet
journaling] is a way to be organized and creative.” Nora Tahbaz ’23 started bullet journaling about a year ago because she was inspired by YouTuber Amanda Lee. “[Lee] has such an amazing artistic ability, and she shows her monthly bullet spread creations step by step,” Tahbaz said. “First I started doing the same spreads as her, but now that I’ve gotten the hang of it, I’ve started to base my spreads off of hers, but doing my own ideas.” Tahbaz explained the benefits she sees from bullet journaling. “It helps me organize everything in my life,” Tahbaz said. “It is also a coping tool for dealing with stress and anxiety. It’s calming, and when I’m finished, I always feel like I’m more organized and ready for my week/month ahead.” This is part of the magic of the Bullet Journal: it captures moments and deadlines before they become existing memories. As Caroll put it in an interview with Anna Rusell for The New Yorker, “For us, lists aren’t just stuff we have to do. Each task is an experience waiting to be born.”
10 October 2019 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XIX • Issue Two
Opinion • 11
Taylor Swift is Happy (Finally) on her Bright and Dreamy Seventh Album “Lover” By Bella Miller ’23 Music Columnist
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aylor Swift has built her musical empire on a foundation of raw emotional honesty, releasing albums that resemble scrapbooks or diaries in their intensity and specificity. It’s the little details like the make and model of a car, or the color of a dress, that add invaluable body to Swift’s songs and transport listeners to her expertly crafted scenarios. Yet she has a way of making even the most particular of experiences universal in the way only a true songwriting mastermind can. For example, not everyone’s ex drives a “stupid old pickup truck”, but the majority of people have an ex whose picture they would like to burn. This is why her relative happiness on her new album “Lover” is so impactful; Swift’s seemingly endless supply of heartbreak lets you know her expression of joy is real. On this album, Swift is very much in love (hence the title), even sparking engagement rumors with the release of the single “Lover” and its allusions to items being borrowed and blue. “Ladies and gentlemen will you please stand / With every guitar string scar on my hand / I take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover / My heart’s been borrowed and yours has been blue / all’s well that ends well to end up with you,” Swift sings, mesmerized by the ease of this relationship and her disbelief that it’s all really hers. Swift’s previous album “Reputation” was incredibly polarizing among critics and fans alike. “Lover” feels more like a continuation of the glittering pop perfection that characterized “1989” (the album before “Reputation”) than the dramatic frustration of “Reputation.” She opens “Lover” with a track that provides a seamless transition out of that era. “I Forgot That You Existed” is a tongue-in-cheek dismissal of critics, past lovers, and a certain rapper that has embroiled her in multiple scandals. She laments these various groups for getting her “in her feelings more than Drake.” “I forgot that you existed,” she sings. “And I thought that it would kill me, but it didn’t / and it was so nice, so peaceful and quiet.” Swift shines especially brightly on “Cruel Summer,” the timely anthem that immediately follows “I Forgot That You Existed.” Producer and frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff works his magic, making heavy use of a synthesizer to match the soaring exasperation of the lyrics. Swift falls apart over a summer love seemingly doomed from the start, singing “I’m drunk in the back of the car / and I cried
like a baby comin’ home from the bar / Said I’m fine but it wasn’t true / I don’t want to keep secrets just to keep you.” She caps off that verse by taunting the object of her affection, yelling “I love you, ain’t that the worst thing you ever heard?” Although the album is permeated by overwhelming happiness, she touches on her anxieties about her relationship on another standout track. “The Archer” is the fifth track of the album, which, according to an Instagram Live video posted a few days before the release of “Lover,” is the slot in which Swift always places her most personal songs. It’s moody and reflective and full of self-doubt, opening with the lines “Combat, I’m ready for combat / I say I don’t want that / What if I do?” The metaphorical archer is likely a reference to the symbol associated with Swift’s astrological sign, the Sagittarius. Sagittarii are known for being incredibly open and adaptable people with plenty of vision, but are often independent to a fault and have trouble committing. These traits ring true in “The Archer”, as Swift sings “Easy they come, easy they go / I jump from the train, I ride off alone / I never grew up, it’s getting so old / Help me hold onto you.” There is further evidence that Swift is aware of her astrological sign; on “State of Grace”, the opening track to her album “Red”, she refers to her and a partner as “twin fire signs”. Much has been made of Swift’s musical and personal growth, or lack thereof. She has a knack for telling stories about high school, complete with references to prom queens and cheerleaders, which many critics find irritating as she is now 29 years old. Some of these references do feel cloying, but she still deftly uses these themes on “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince.” She ties the dated tropes into her present on the chorus, opening it with the line “It’s you and me, that’s my whole world,” and singing “Voted most likely to run away with you” to cap it off. There is inexplicable comfort in only needing one person, and Swift ruminates on that throughout the album as she navigates being in a stable long-term relationship. Many fans and critics alike are calling this a transitional album and are speculating as to Swift’s path forward musically. Some of the strongest clues lie in “False God”, a song that somehow avoided several expected pitfalls. This track is Swift’s take on seductive R&B, and helps her carve out a more mature pop niche that doesn’t alienate her younger audience. Additionally, the song highlights her natural voice, soft and airy as she sings “We might
just get away with it / Religion’s in your lips / Even if it’s a false god”. The only song featuring another artist on the album is “Soon You’ll Get Better,” an emotional country-tinged ballad about Swift’s mother’s battle with cancer. In a surprising (yet also perfectly fitting) move, Swift brings in the Dixie Chicks, country powerhouses who were arguably one of the earliest victims of what we now refer to as “cancel culture.” A few nights before the invasion of Iraq in 2003, lead vocalist Natalie Maines told the crowd at a concert in London: “We don’t want this war, we don’t want this violence, and we are ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas,” referring to George W. Bush. Fallout was swift and all-encompassing, and they were effectively barred from country music radio indefinitely. As a young pop-country star, Swift remembers this event relayed to her by public relations representatives as a cautionary tale to stay away from politics. This philosophy has cost her some fans, who noted her refusal to comment on certain events as other musicians of her stature became increasingly political. She has only very recently started to express her political beliefs, posting messages of support for democratic midterm candidates and voicing her acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community. However, “Lover” does have its missteps; “The Man,” a coy song remarking on the sexism Swift has endured in the public eye throughout her career, feels forced. “London Boy,” an ode to the hometown of her boyfriend Joe Alwyn, comes across as corny. Swift stumbles when she tries too hard to reverseengineer songs. The consensus of “Lover” is that Swift has been forged by the fire of heartbreak and has emerged stronger and more resilient than ever. She is remarkably close to her happy ending, the one she’s been writing and rewriting since her first fairytale wedding depictions in “Mary’s Song” and “Love Story,” songs she wrote nearly 15 years ago. She has weathered the storm that comes with spending half of your life in the public eye, and is finding her place as a more mature pop star. For fans who have been through the ringer with Swift, it’s a refreshing feeling to see her mostly content and carefree. Even if this isn’t her most consistent or lyrically powerful album, you can’t help but smile along with her.
Hustlers: A Good Movie, Just Not a Feel-Good Movie By Abby Sorkin ’20 Film Columnist very critic and fan has said that Hustlers is a good movie. They’ve also said that it is a fun movie. Typically, that means the movie is also a feel-good film: entertaining, with relationships the audiences are invested in and most importantly, one where the audience walks out with a smile. I’d call Hustlers incredibly entertaining, thoughtprovoking and hopefully award winning, especially for J.Lo. But feel-good? I’d stop short of calling it that. Because as fantastic of a movie as it was, I didn’t walk out of it with a smile on my face. In fact, I walked out of Hustlers with a pit in my stomach. The movie refuses to let you consider any one of it’s characters a hero. Every move made by our protagonists, Ramona and Destiny, that could be considered laudable and heroic is immediately undercut. One of the ways the director achieves this is by never letting you fully leave the real world. There’s a reminder with the way the story is told, through interview, made shockingly clear when the reporter
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turns off the tape recorder and the movie is abruptly silent. This is a genius stylistic choice but it’s also a violent reminder to the audience that this movie is based on a true story—that everything you are watching actually happened. People have had their lives ruined, not just by Wall Street and the Great Recession, but by vigilante-style strippers. But these women also lost everything in the process. Also important to achieving the constant anti-hero bent is the never-fully-letting-you-root-for-anyone undertone, other than for the moments where Ramona and Destiny are working together and seeming to build an empire (granted, this empire is built on top of drugged men and stolen credit, but damn do these women work). This underscores the knowledge permeating throughout the film that eventually it will all fall apart. This is achieved by the use of past tense framing. The moment the story starts, the audience knows that the relationship between Ramona and Destiny will break somehow, as that is the first question that the reporter, fantastically played by Julie Stiles of “10 Things I Hate About You” fame, asks Destiny during her interview is “why she did this? Why did you get involved with Ramona?” With a past tense, there’s a sense even this
friendship between two desperate kindred spirits, mothers, strippers, with loyalty and desperation bonding them together, a bond that begins with awe and a fur coat, ends in flames. There’s almost always a sense that Destiny, who hates being dependent on people, is in fact dependent on Ramona. One of the best scenes is the moment at Christmas, where in a callback to their first encounter, Ramona gifts Destiny a fur coat. However, this is undercut by the voiceover of Destiny sounding negestolic and sad as she discusses this exchange. And the very next scene is when the downfall of their empire truly begins. This dynamic, this sense of doom hovering over the story means that the terrible choices made seem spotlighted. Constance Wu and Jennifer Lopaz are brilliant and their camiderade and care shines in every scene but the movie never lets you forget that this doesn’t end well. And it’s for that reason, I’m unable to say that I would give it a rewatch. Certain scenes, yes, (catch me watching Ramona’s opening number weekly) but the movie as a whole left with an ache in my heart and despite it’s charms, that’s not what I seek out when I give a movie a second view.
10 October 2019 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XIX • Issue Two
Entertainment & Lifestyle • 12
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Find a hobby: To distract you from the constant fear of loneliness, get really into an activity. Like slacklining at Pitzer, or rolling around on those weird roller-skate things at Harvey Mudd. Other hobbies include: Binge drinking, crying in Honnold or yelling at happy
8 CUFFING SEASON
Take a good, long look in the mirror and realize that you are destined to die alone.
Graphic by Emilie Hu
By Sarah Nunez ’22 Advice Columnist
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he cold weather is upon us and, as if on cue, sweaters are being pulled out from bottom drawers along with cute boots that will always be too warm for the southern California “winter.” Tinder bios are being refreshed with photos from Toga party, and all across the campuses, many fear the return of Cuffing Season, the season where many students may perhaps find themselves scrounging the 5C’s for a winter relationship. October is a spooky time made even scarier as phones vibrate to messages like “We should talk” or “What if we dated?!? Haha, just kidding... unless...” It’s a natural process, where the animal inside all of us begins looking for something warm to hold on to during hibernation. So, here are some tips for all of us single ladies, who clearly have nothing better to do than think about finding a relationship.
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Form an unhealthy relationship with a friend, leading to the inevitable questioning of said friendship, followed by a drunken make-out session/fight.
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Change up your look: I suggest never not wearing pajama pants. Real pants are for those of us who are still looking, so just accept being alone and throw on those flannel bottoms with a hole in the ass and a stain above the crotch.
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Blame everything wrong with your love Consider adopting a cat, life on astrology; just to get ahead on the “He’s a Sagittarius! That’s whole “crazy cat lady” experience. why he couldn’t commit.”
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Accept the fact that this season is made-up, and just an excuse to shame women into thinking they need a relationship to define themselves. Cuffing Season is simply Facebook stalk a former another way for society middle-school crush, to tell us that being just to see if they are still alone is unacceptable, a viable option. and shaming us for not wanting a relationship. Whether you want a partner or not, it is nobody's damn business. There is nothing wrong with you, and there is nothing wrong with being single.
Contemplate freezing your eggs as you come to the realization that you may never find love in your twenties, and that each passing year means that your eggs are dying!!!!
Spend all your money on $20 scented candles and self-help books: I recommend lemon-patchouli and The Power of Me.
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10 October 2019 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XXIX • Issue Two
SPOTLIGHT
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ONE
Th e S c r i p p s S t u d e n t G a r d e n
IN NINE HUNDRED:
By Maggie Thompson ’20 Guest Writer
Larissa Cursaro’23
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a n d H e r Wa s t e - F r e e J o u r n e y By Julia Cox ’23 Staff Writer
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s the climate crisis begins to heat up (both politically and literally), environmental awareness is the most important it’s ever been. Though the idea of going waste-free may seem intimidating, Larissa Cursaro ’23 has tips for those aspiring to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle. A native of Claremont, California, Cursaro plans to major in politics and environmental analysis-policy. When she’s not at a climate strike or writing reviews of zero-waste items like bamboo toothbrushes and reusable pads, she can be found working at the Motley or attending a Café Con Leche meeting. An avid advocate for the planet, Cursaro is always working to find new ways to show the environment some love. Cursaro’s dedication to sustainability began in high school when she realized that the contents of the recycling bins at her school were ending up in landfills. As a result, Cursaro founded a recycling initiative centered around successfully recycling cans and bottles. Over the course of her senior year, the new recycling boxes ended up in half of her school’s 100 classrooms. “We mostly got cans and glass, which is great because only 9 percent of recyclable plastic is ever recycled but almost 80 percent of aluminum is recycled,” Cursaro said. The initiative has since been passed on to two students who are continuing Cursaro’s work and expanding the initiative to nearby elementary schools. However, Cursaro didn’t stop there. After inspiring a teacher to go wastefree with his daily school lunch, Cursaro created an Instagram (@ keepherthriving), hoping to inspire other people to make small, ecofriendly changes in their lifestyles. “I made the Instagram with the intention of helping maybe a handful of people in the first year,” Cursaro said. However, the impact was much broader. After only three months, Cursaro has received over 70
messages with questions about environmental lifestyle changes. Even more impressively, over 50 of those people have followed up with Cursaro after taking her advice and have shared their own experiences with her eco-friendly suggestions. “ I t ’s j u s t a w e s o m e a n d fulfilling to see [the tips I promote on Instagram] manifested in other people’s lifestyles,” Cursaro states. Cursaro recognizes the challenges posed by pursuing an eco-friendly lifestyle and has highlighted several simple ways those trying to lessen their environmental footprint can do so. “Shopping locally, if it’s something that is financially feasible, is a really good option,” Cursaro said. “Thrifting is also a really awesome way to reduce your environmental impact in the textile industry. It’s also… really inexpensive.” For your textbook needs, Cursaro recommends purchasing from the affordable website and store Abe Books, which mails used textbooks in recyclable cardboard. Etsy is also a reliable place to find various zerowaste items such as toothpaste tabs, bar shampoo and silk floss. “One of my number one [eco-friendly changes] was going to reusable menstrual products… I’ve saved a lot of money through that,” Cursaro said. Other top changes include the switch to bar shampoo and reusable metal water bottles. Despite her already significant impacts within her community of Instagram followers and friends, Cursaro hopes to continue influencing
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people to prioritize the environment. “I eventually want to become a congresswoman and advocate for the planet and anyone that’s underrepresented in our system,” Cursaro said. “Environmentalism now is something that’s very privileged… I want to advocate for something that’s more intersectional.” For now, Cursaro plans on making one significant lifestyle change a month to positively impact the environment until she has the means to effect even greater change. Earth’s current climate crisis means that we have approximately 12 years to reverse the damage inflicted before the earth is permanently affected. “This is something we should be caring about especially because this is our future,” Cursaro said. “We are getting educated, we are spending tens of thousands of dollars on our education, and what are we going to do with that if in 12 years the planet is destroyed? We are the future, and if people don’t do anything now there is no future for us to live in … It’s really important for all college students to advocate for the planet.” Though thinking about the future of the planet can be scary, Cursaro sets an example for making small changes with a big impact. Photo by Hannah Grunow
he garden behind Browning Hall rarely gets foot traffic. In fact, most students have never heard of it at all. To be fair, walls enclosing the space make it hard for determined searchers to find, let alone curious wanderers. One exit door opens to the road between Browning and Frankel/Routt and another leads to the parking lot behind the rose garden; consequently, students can only access the space through Browning by walking north along the main hallway on the ground floor. Its seclusion has helped keep it out of the public eye, and until recently, out of the lives of the majority of Scripps students. Yet, the garden has a significant past at Scripps. Fully built and designed by students i n 2 0 0 2 , t h e t re e s , v i n e s , and physical layout embody collective student organizing. Over the years, the garden has hosted sustainability fairs, facilitated campus composting and grown organic food for the dining hall and the local community. However, due to a lack of consistent institutional leadership tending to the space, the garden has slowly become forgotten in recent years. Internal knowledge of the garden has generally stayed within the Scripps G a r d e n Club and its members, yet there were no continuation records after the leaders of the 2017-2018 school year graduated, according to current garden leadership. During that same time period, Scripps also hired a new Landscapes Operations Manager with limited institutional memory. Today, the garden is run by Sophie Perry ’22 and Emma Crownover ’22, two student leaders passionate about environmental justice, social change
10 October 2019 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XXIX • Issue Two
and food justice. As the new Scripps Student Garden Coordinators, they see the garden as a powerful nexus of those fields. After the garden’s grand re-opening on Sept. 21, Perry and Crownover are working diligently to revitalize the space and the influence it can have on the Claremont community. Their new roles include “coordinating maintenance, plantings, and harvestings in addition to maintaining a compost program for residence halls kitchens and overseeing the care of the herb garden all while promoting the revived area (including the BBQ) for student use,” Crownover said. Yes, there is a BBQ grill in the student garden. In addition to the grill, the garden is currently packed with a full
change, the distinction draws from a powerful reenvisioning of the garden’s purpose this year and for years to come. Perry and Crownover want the garden to be a vibrant community space for all students regardless of membership or participation in a club. They want all students to get their hands in the dirt without feeling dirty. According to Perry, “that means spreading awareness about the student garden space and encouraging everyone, regardless of participation in weekly meetings, to use the space, eat the veggies, engage in conversations, a n d b u i l d a c o m m u n i t y a ro u n d environmentalism and food justice.” Along with reviving the physical garden, the Scripps Student Garden is partnering with the SAS Sustainability Chair to develop long-term off-campus gardening opportunities to support food justice in the community surrounding Claremont. They are currently working with Huerta del Valle, a local organic community farm in Ontario, so students can help make organic produce accessible to people living in the Inland Empire. At the moment the Student Garden is coordinating weekly volunteer trips to Huerta on Friday mornings from 8 to 11 a.m. However, the long term goal includes o f f e r i n g compensated internships for students working with Huerta, as well as making farm volunteering a p ro g r a m t h a t provides class credit. While the Scripps garden has fallen quiet in recent years, the space will soon hold powerful conversations and new kinds of life. For those interested in getting more involved, join the Scripps Student Garden facebook group or follow the Instagram account @ ScrippsStudentGarden.
A Fo r g o t t e n H i s t o r y, a Vibrant Opening, a n d a Po w e r f u l Fu t u r e for Regenerative Environmentalism bed of lettuce, another full bed of kale, some radishes, rainbow carrots, yellow and red beets, swiss chard, calendula, nasturtiums, and two varieties of
arugula. More is still to be planted this season and in the coming spring. Perry and Crownover are bringing big changes to the garden. This year, the pair has decided to rebrand the Scripps Garden Club as the Scripps Student Garden. Though a seemingly minor
Photo Courtesy of Scripps Student Garden