Volume XXII Issue 02

11 October, 2018

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The Scripps Voice

since 1991

Uncompromising Commitment to Inclusivity and Justice.

SCRIPPS REACTS TO KAVANAUGH CONFIRMATION Protest Promotes Solidarity but fails to Advocate for Campus Change

By Mauren Cowhey ‘19 and Rena Patel ‘19 Editors-in-Chief

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n Oct. 6, the U.S. Senate approved Judge Brett Kavanaugh for the position of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States in a vote of 50-48 in approval after a harrowing hearing process and FBI investigation.

Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and several other women accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault during his high school and college years. Scripps College, like many other universities in the country, held a protest against the confirmation on Oct. 9 that began in front of Malott Commons.

Students, mostly women, marched from Malott through Claremont McKenna and Pomona College before returning to Scripps campus. The protest was organized

by Gabby Jacobs ’21 and Madeline McCluskey ’21 in a clear effort to come together as a student body in solidarity to support survivors of sexual assault. Students held signs calling for the eradication of rape culture and misogyny that led to Kavanaugh’s nomination in the first place. They also voiced their outrage at the current senators in office and acknowledged their right to vote in the upcoming midterm elections.

“My main goal is for this protest to be an act of solidarity.” Jacobs said. “This is a time when more than ever, we need to support the survivors in and outside of our community.

Additionally, I hope that this protest will encourage our generation to vote and advocate for the causes they believe in.”

Students from all over the Claremont Colleges lended their support from making posters to ensuring that there are spaces available for students to decompress.

The Motley held an open space for poster making before the protest and

a space for decompression after the protest. In terms of administrative support, Jacobs said, “We have worked with the EmPower center as well as Scripps Advocates to make sure that everyone feels safe during this event.

We have worked with Assistant Dean and Director Campus Life Brenda Ice to ensure the safety of the event.”

While the EmPower Center was quick to spur to action following Kavanaugh’s confirmation by sending out an email on Oct. 4 highlighting resources available on campus, Scripps College Administration has done very little to show their support to sexual assault survivors on their own campus. The only response students received was from Dean Charlotte Johnson on Oct. 8 that reiterated the EmPower Center’s email while adding contact information for resources such as the House of Ruth, Monsour Counseling, the McAlister Chaplains, Scripps

Contact Deans, and Title IX and also urged students to not suffer in silence. However, both the protest and administrative response, though timely in relation to national news, did very little to benefit current students attending the 5Cs. While the protest was meant to stand in solidarity with survivors and be an outlet for people to express their anger or frustration with the outcome of the Supreme Court vote, it lacked a call to action on our own campuses. Many protesters expressed that they were marching in a “bubble” or in a liberal space in which everyone respected women. And yet, the march was dominated by women with very few male allies showing up to support them. Based solely off the looks of the male bystanders as the protesters marched by, it seems safe to say that we may not all be on the same page in this “liberal bubble.”

‘My main goal is for this protest to be an act of solidarity” -Gabby Jacoby ‘21

Tolga Kesler PZ ’22 was one of the few male-identifying students to attend the protest.

When asked about the lack of male-identifying protestors present, he said, “We need more allies and I should not be praised as a male showing up here. This is about women and women’s rights. All the men that did not show up to this event and are not speaking up for women are just affirming the Kavanaugh nomination.

Silence is consent. If you are not taking a stance then what are you doing?”

And while not speaking against injustice is kin to supporting injustice, protesting against an action that has already been executed and established by powers greater than our own will not help it be undone. Yes, voting in the midterm elections will be crucial for future decisions made by our elected officials of this country, but in terms of things we as students in Claremont can control and contribute, this protest can easily be categorized as simply a showcase of liberalism.

Rather than marching against a Supreme Court decision that we cannot influence, we should be marching to make change on our own college campuses. We should be taking a closer look at Title IX policies, especially policies related to sexual assault on other campuses.

We should be marching to stop rape culture on our own campuses between our own peers. Ending rape culture begins at the level of high schools and colleges. Kavanaugh was accused of sexual assault as a mere 17 year old. By focusing on the culture and policies that we promote on these college campuses we can make greater change than a post-Supreme court vote march. The march was a great first step, but to truly show solidarity to survivors is to harness that energy to make concrete change in Claremont.

Photo courtesy of Mara Morioka

1030 Columbia Avenue | Claremont, CA 91711 | Box 839 | scrippsvoice@gmail.com | Volume XXVII | Issue Two

2 • News

JOSE ANTONIO VARGAS

D e a r A m e r i c a : L e t ’s h a v e a c o n v e r s a t i o n

By Theri Aronson ‘20 Staff Writer n Sept. 26, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Jose Antonio Vargas, one of an estimated 800,000 undocumented Filipino immigrants currently living in the U.S., shared his life story with the Claremont community in Balch Auditorium. Vargas was hosted by the Scripps Presents series, funded by Chicano Latino Student Affairs, and presented in partnership with the IDEA Initiative. His conversation about his personal journey was in conversation with immigration community reporter and Southern California Public Radio spokeswoman, Leslie Berestein Rojas. In addition to talking about his new novel, “Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen,” Vargas opened up about personal details in his life, including his immigration status, inviting us all to empathise with him, and the other 11 million undocumented residents awaiting DACA status, or plagued by daily threats from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) federal agency.

In March 2018, President Donald Trump challenged Congress to enact a permanent solution to the “undocumented workers problem.” Although Democrats have fought continuously to hold up federal functions and fight against Trump’s aggressive efforts to detain undocumented persons already in the U.S. , both Republicans and Democrats alike have failed to come up with a DACA arrangement they can agree on. In April 2018, Trump repeatedly tweeted against illegal immigration, and blamed Democrats for Washington’s failure to enact immigration reform.

By Oct. 2018, there were 12,800 immigrant children being detained and separated from their families by the Health and Human Services Department under the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy.

These kinds of realities are the reason Jose Antonio Vargas works as hard as he does to advocate for undocumented persons. “We dream of a path to citizenship and that’s why we are the dreamers. Dreaming to be free in the country we call our home,” Vargas said. “I used to live the American dream when I was building a successful career in journalism, but I was living in a lie because I am an undocumented immigrant.”

In response, Rojas asked, “When did you first learn you were undocumented?” “You know,” he paused, “I didn’t even know I was illegal until I was 17. After going to the DMV to replace my driver’s license, they told me that my legal status was undocumented.”

Subsequent to finding out he did not have legal status to be in this country, Vargas graduated from high school, and then went on to become the first college graduate in his family. After college, he did what no one expected, and “came out” about his immigration “status,” printing his name on his own newspaper articles instead of hiding away. Vargas was determined to pursue his passion for journalism, and there was nothing that was going to stop him.

For seven years thereafter, and despite being undocumented, Vargas did not say anything about his

Photo courtesy of Scripps College Marketing and Communication

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status to his colleagues, afraid that they would fire him if they knew the truth. When he applied for jobs at various prominent news outlets, like the Washington Post and the New Yorker, Vargas simply lied about his citizenship. No one questioned, or even suspected that he was not being transparent about his status.

He confesses that he was back then, and still continues to be terrified of deportation.

“I am genuinely shocked I have been here this long,” Vargas said in reply.

During his time “in the shadows, hiding, lying, and passing as a citizen,” Vargas managed to achieve great journalistic success. In 2008, his coverage of the shootings at Virginia Tech won Vargas the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting. That same year, he went on to cover the presidential election for the Washington Post. In his conversation, he notes that part of what made lying to his coworkers easier was the ardent belief that, through his writing, he could be the best advocate for undocumented persons. “I always wanted to just write my way into America,” Vargas said.

It was upon reflecting on great literary novelists like Toni Morrison and James Baldwin that Vargas felt unexpectedly compelled to open up about his truth, and tell the world that he was an American, just without a valid green card or U.S. passport to prove it. He announced to the public that he would be joining the DREAMers campaign as soon as possible, as a way to support other undocumented immigrants who, like him, were brought without papers to the U.S. when they were too young to have a say. His lawyers told him he was committing “legal suicide.” He responded by starting his own NGO and campaign, Define American, in order to “heighten the understanding of what it means to be an American.”

He later revealed, through a New York Times article

published in 2011, that the rumors were all true: he was, in fact, an undocumented immigrant without papers, and was gay; he no longer had any intention of staying in the closet about it. Vargas spoke about his journey with great eloquence and strength. Hearing him describe his story so bravely brought tears to audience members, including myself.

Since “outing” himself, Jose Antonio Vargas has gone on to win awards for his immigration advocacy. PEN Center USA announced in 2014 that Vargas would be the recipient of the “Freedom to Write” award. He also has worked to ensure that Define American, his nonprofit aimed at facilitating dialogue on immigrations issues, continues to push for immigration reform, which includes the DREAM Act. In his book, “Dear America,” which he has recently published, Vargas details his career in journalism, his views on immigration, and his work in legal advocacy.

His story is virtually impossible to believe until you read his book, watch his documentary “Undocumented,” or attend one of his book tours in person. Yet, however unbelievable his story may sound, it can be a similar story to that of the 11 million plus people living in this country who are either telling, or internalizing their own story of hiding in the shadows. More than ever before, it is up to us to listen and learn from the stories others tell us. Vargas’ campaign is currently focused on social media outlets where people can share personal stories about how they define being American. The website also includes a blog where articles about immigration are occasionally published.

I encourage site visitors to sign the pledge to stand with Jose Antonio Vargas in his mission to change the way we define American.

Dear America: It is time for a new national conversation on immigration reform.

Tight Race Results in New First-Year Class President

By Jamie Jiang ’22 Staff Writer

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n Sunday afternoon, Sept. 20, the Scripps Associated Students (SAS) released the First-Year Class President Run-Off Election results. The email named Melody Chang SC ’22 president at 53 percent of the vote, with Hannah Ghamsari SC ’22 close behind at 47 percent, an approximately six vote difference.

SAS opened the first round of First-Year Class President elections the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 26, to last until Friday morning, Sept. 28. At least 133 Scripps First-Years (roughly half the FirstYear population) cast votes. All five candidates had previously submitted a “statement of intent” in the form of a poster stating their platform and qualifications, which were posted in residence halls, Seal Court, the Student Union, and on Facebook throughout the week. On Tuesday before elections, each candidate gave a speech stating their case in the Student Union. Executive Vice President Julia

Kelly SC ’22 moderated.

The first round of votes resulted in a run-off election, resulting from the technicality that no one candidate had received at least 50% of the votes.

From Thursday to Saturday first-years voted again to name Chang the winner.

The purpose of any class president is to “unify their respective classes” and plan “appropriate” class-specific and campus-wide events, states the SAS Constitution. They serve to represent their class to SAS when bringing class-specific issues up for debate. The responsibilities of the First-Year Class President, according to the SAS website, include planning class-specific events and sending SAS e-mail updates to the school.

First-Year Class President Melody Chang, whose musical speech promised more unity for the community and greater visibility for the class, plans to create a system called “We’re in this together.”

She hopes the event will allow the Class of 2022 to meet first-years from all other campuses taking similar classes. She also plans to use the system to

help connect first-years with upperclassmen who have taken similar classes.

“I also plan on ensuring communication is solid,” Chang said. She is adamant that SAS events be better made known to students.

Being First-Year Class President “means having the opportunity to be a freshman advocate”, Chang said. “[A president should] be someone the first-years feel comfortable reaching out to for anything!”

During her campaign, Chang held a social event called “Melody’s PUDDING your voice into action”, a pun on the homemade flan she brought to table.

Voters came to share ideas and hopes for the firstyear president.

“I was given the opportunity to meet so many people and share flan among our class!” Chang said.

Chang described the process of running for president as “spectacular” and thanked supporters and other candidates, whom she describes as running with “amazing integrity.”

11 October, 2018 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XXVII • Issue Two

Marketing and Miscommunication:

News • 3

How the new media request policy hinders student journalism at Scripps

By Jacqueline Loh ’22 Staff Writer

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omething that has been drilled into my head since I began journalism is: Always conduct an in-person interview. Speaking to someone one-onone creates a more natural dialogue. As a journalist, you’re able to talk to the source candidly, without the added hurdles or rigidity of emailing back and forth with someone. You can add details about how the source emphasizes certain words, their expressions, their tone, and their body language.

Now, imagine my surprise when I was writing my first article for the Scripps Voice, and was immediately told by my sources to direct all questions to Marketing and Communications.

I was confused by this policy. To me, it seemed odd that if someone asked basic questions about school or residential life policies, for example, why can’t one speak directly to the people in charge? Why is there an added barrier of going through Marketing and Communications?

The new policy for media requests states that all requests must go through Marketing on “behalf of the College, which includes responding to reporter requests, ensuring that the College provides accurate and timely information to the media, and maintaining records of media inquiries.”

According to Marketing and Communications, this process is intended to streamline media requests and prevent a backlog of emails. All journalists, including

those within student publications, are told to “provide their questions in writing and indicate the due date for their article.”

In a statement provided by Marketing and Communications, “email interviews are generally the most effective approach to obtain responses within the short deadlines that accompany most media inquiries.”

Though it may be true that a written response may be better for a quick turnaround time, this does not hold true for all articles or topics. Depending on the article, some writers may have a two week deadline, which provides plenty of time for reaching out to sources. Of course, the deadline for articles is a case-by-case basis, but an in-person interview can be conducted in as quickly as fifteen minutes to half an hour. On the other hand, email requests can take up to or more than two business days to fulfill.

It is worth mentioning that one can still request to conduct an in-person or phone interview. However, Marketing and Communications would prefer for media requests to come through email instead.

It’s understandable for a college to want to streamline media requests. As expected, there may be a lot coming from local or national media outlets.

However, what seems most alarming is that the responses to questions are curated statements created by Marketing and Communications. For example, if someone asks a specific faculty member questions, the person will be told to send questions to Marketing, who will then create a statement on

the issue.

The new media request inhibits the ability of a student publication to report on news and campus life objectively and truthfully. The only source of information from the college administration now is Marketing and Communications, and therefore student publications receive only curated, handpicked statements that are inherently created with a bias and, potentially, an agenda. Overall, this negatively impacts the way news is delivered and conveyed to the student body.

Each word of a statement is handpicked to create the best impression of Scripps. But what if students want to voice a negative opinion or concern about Scripps? How else is the school supposed to solve its issues and improve for the future? After all, it is Marketing’s job to create a positive, but somewhat artificial, impression of the school.

Ultimately, what student journalists, and any student who takes an active interest in what happens on campus, want is transparent and open access to administration. Scripps College is unique for having an aware and proactive student body who want to improve and give back to their community. Part of being an active member of the student body is being able to talk openly to administration without the added guise of curated statements.

These statements call into question whether the administration is readily available to hear student’s concerns, and whether students are even able to voice their concerns.

Writing Away Writing 50

By Priya Canzius ’20 Copy Editor

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tarting next fall, Writing 50, a mandatory course offered to incoming first-years and certain transfers at Scripps, will be removed from Scripps College’s General Education Requirements.

“Writing 50 has been required at Scripps for decades; it used to be English 50 before the English Department and the Writing Program were separated,” said Associate Professor Chair of the Department of Writing Kimberly Drake.

The removal of Writing 50 from Scripps’ curriculum emerged from the reviewers of Scripps’ Core program, who assessed the program throughout the Fall and Spring of 2017, according to Drake.

“The reviewers... made two recommendations in their report, one of which was that the current Writing Requirement should be eliminated, and that a new Writing Requirement should be constructed that would be fulfilled in the Core sequence in some way,” Drake said. “This recommendation was then sent to the Faculty Executive Committee (FEC), the members of which wrote a proposal that was approved by a majority of the faculty last April. The Director of the Writing Program was not a member of either committee and had no input on either proposal.”

The Reasoning Behind the Removal of Writing 50 and its Potential Impact According to Drake, the Committee expressed its concerns “that adjunct instructors lower the college’s national standing and that the college has too many GE requirements.”

Scripps employs part-time professors to act as Writing Lecturers for their Writing 50 courses. Due to their position at the college, these professors are not guaranteed job safety after Writing 50 is removed from Scripps’ curriculum.

According to Drake, most of these Lecturers “who have been teaching the course during the past several years will no longer be able to teach at Scripps, unless they have managed to find temporary positions in other Scripps departments.”

In regards to Scripps’ perhaps excess General Education requirements, it is true that Scripps does have more GE requirements than any of the other Claremont Colleges. Scripps currently mandates that students complete fourteen courses to fulfill their General Education requirement (including the three semesters of Core and three semesters of a foreign language), and only the Math and Foreign Language requirements can be waived by scoring well on a Placement Exam administered in students’ first year.

However, according to Drake, Scripps’ position on its General Education requirements “could have been

addressed and resolved in a number of different ways, but we were only presented with one proposal that came out of [the] Core review. Given the importance of writing in our students’ college careers, the process of rethinking the Writing Requirement should have included a much more lengthy and thorough discussion, one involving the input of all parties concerned.”

Scripps students, including Writing Tutors, were also not consulted by the reviewers or the FEC. While Writing Tutors are not attached directly to the Writing 50 program, tutors are “able to build on Writing 50 lessons during [their] tutoring sessions,” according to Writing Tutor Ana Nishioka SC ’19.

“The benefit of peer tutoring through the Writing Center is two-fold in that it refines the rhetoric skills of both the tutors and tutees,” Nishioka said. “Students are able to receive help with their writing in a way that is not didactic, but collaborative. This gives students the confidence to express themselves and voice their opinions. We like to say, “We make better writers, not better writing,” and in my experience, Writing 50 accomplishes this too. Both Writing 50 and the Writing Center give students a chance to develop writing skills that will carry them throughout all disciplines and beyond their undergraduate education.”

This is not to say that the Writing Center or Writing Tutors will cease to exist on the Scripps campus.

However, it is a real possibility that fewer students will be engaging in classes with a focus on writing.

Moreover, this decision may change the population of students who do choose to engage in these types of courses.

According to Boston Globe journalist Neil Swidey, “college has been, for a long time, considered the Great Equalizer; whatever you came from, whatever your economic circumstances were, as soon as you get on that college quad, the closing of that gap is supposed to begin magically.”

At this day and age, college seemingly can never be a complete “Equalizer.” For that to occur, the proverbial “playing field” that is so often talked about in regards to equality would have to be static; a more advantaged student would not advance in their education while a less advantaged student caught up with them. Yet, in some ways, this was Writing 50 for Scripps students: students who already understood academic writing and researching were required to take the class and did not necessarily benefit from it, but the students who had not yet mastered these concepts were rewarded with these benefits of taking it.

Although the playing field for these students was not leveled (can it ever be?), it shifted the field in a direction that benefited those who, perhaps, did not have a prior education that prepared them for the academic writing that Scripps requires.

Contrastingly, a formal writing program such as Writing 50 can also be considered a powerful tool of assimilation. According to Chantae Recasner, Professor at Cincinnati State, students with different socioeconomic and linguistic backgrounds “are/have been vexed by the contrary existence of a popular narrative (one might even call it an ideology) of education as the “great equalizer” juxtaposed to the actual practice of constantly being told their writing isn’t “academic enough.” I think we ignore how often we tell students their writing isn’t white enough.”

However problematic the “Equalizer” trope is, there still exists a bias in colleges — and the world — towards those who write in the way that has been approved of historically in academia.

“We attend a liberal arts college to learn how to think critically and across disciplines; and moreover, how to express those ideas coherently,” Nishioka said.

“How can we be expected to equally participate in intellectual discourse if we are not all given an equal and thorough briefing on basic rhetoric? College writing is more nuanced than high school writing and those skills deserve to be taught and learned explicitly.”

Furthermore, the skills that are acquired in academic writing can be transferred into oratory practices: a student who does not understand what they are reading cannot sufficiently write about it; nor can they participate in class without worry of embarrassing themselves.

According to the Director of the Campus Writing and Speaking Program in North Carolina, Chris M. Anson, “We know [students] can’t get it right in 15 or 16 weeks... [Writing academically is] so highly developmental that we can’t assume students will somehow learn it once and apply it brilliantly in the upper levels of the curriculum.”

That being said, Writing 50 was created to impact Scripps students’ ability to write academically.

“The mission of Writing 50, at least since I began directing the Writing Program in 2007, has been to help our students let go of the rigid and formulaic high school writing required for standardized essay exams and engage in the messy and uncertain process of building significant, original, and creative arguments supported by detailed analysis and also by collegelevel research- all of which are important preparation for many senior thesis projects,” Drake said. “The Writing 50 faculty and I have enjoyed supporting our students every semester through that intellectually and emotionally challenging process, but we also have a strong conviction that the course, along with other signature Scripps courses, is a form of resistance to the kind of corporate control over education that seems to be increasing in high schools and in many other colleges.”

11 October, 2018 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XXVII • Issue Two

4 • News Aya Burton ‘22 Staff Writer

How Green is Scripps?

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his past week, Scripps’ students enjoyed the first rains of the season, light sprinkles that lasted no longer than a few minutes at a time. Despite the rarity of rainfall in Los Angeles County, Scripps’ campus looks lush and green year-round. In order to maintain its grassy, flowering landscapes, Scripps must, of course, rely heavily on irrigation systems. Over the past few years, however, a number of initiatives have been implemented in order to reduce Scripps’ water consumption.

In the summers of 2014 and 2015, Scripps replaced its lawns with drought-tolerant and California native plants. The Jaqua lawns now use 30 percent less water than the previous lawn, which was installed in a time of water surplus. The college also planted groundcovers that keep the campus green with less water, such as fescues, Bermuda Princess 77, and Lippia Kurapia. In earlier years, Eucalyptus, olive, oak, and sycamore trees, which require little water to maintain, were also planted.

Additionally, a decomposed granite path now takes up the space between Dorsey and the Margaret Fowler Garden, and a central

concrete path on the sides of the Firelane road between Kimberly Hall and the Fowler Garden creates a non-lawn corridor.

In the past 20 years, grass has also been removed from the area between GJW and Kimberly and behind the Revelle House.

Additionally, ever since the Athletic field was installed, it has never been over-seeded during winter months when the Bermuda grass goes dormant. This saves water in contrast to the common practice of overseeding. The grass on the lawn has also been minimized at the diagonal entrance at 9th and Columbia.

More recently, the Toll hall project removed two areas of lawn from Oasis and Star Courts.

Where there was once lawn, there is now the student garden, with planting beds and orchard trees. In the planting beds, a mulching practice is used to retain moisture in the ground versus absorption during the hot months of the year.

All lawns are mowed on a biweekly basis, allowing for deeper root growth which reduces the need for more frequent watering.

Scripps’ irrigation systems have also been renovated to conserve water. More drip lines have been added as opposed to spray heads in planters. A recent analysis and test of the entire system also confirmed or modified watering

zones, allowed for major irrigation valves, and the repair of main lines. New irrigation maps are currently in progress for groundskeepers’ use. All recent projects, such as the Toll hall landscape, are on a drip and low emitter system that irrigates low water use plants.

Throughout the campus, sand-based flagstone and brick are used to allow for rainwater to percolate and recharge the groundwater.

Over the summer months, there were several changes in Scripps’ water use: most fountains were not in use, the Platt Boulevard islands’ planter spaces were reduced and replaced with low water use plants, and Scripps’ lead groundskeeper was trained and is now a certified water technician, which helps with water management in the field. The Scripps’ grounds team is scheduled to attend training classes on water efficient management, drip irrigation layout technologies, and continued education on low water use plants. As the evenings get cooler, water use will be reduced.

By keeping in place older water conservation initiatives and implementing new ones, Scripps, recognized as having one of the most beautiful campuses in the country, is also becoming more environmentally-conscious and sustainable.

Stop Wasting Your Life Away: Zero Waste Tips from Scripps Sophomore Kati Tuemmler Sondra Abruzzo ‘19 Guest Contributer

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i Scripps, it’s me Sondra, the SAS Sustainability Chair coming at you with some great tips on how to reduce the amount of waste you produce. According to the EPA, the average American produces about 4.5 pounds of trash each day, over half of which ends up in landfills. Since landfills hold large concentrations of greenhouse gasses and hazardous air pollutants, pose contamination risks to local water supply, and take up valuable open space, it is important that we limit how much we throw away. I sat down with Kati Tuemmler SC ‘19, a Zero Waste queen, to learn about her journey with the “low impact movement” and how we all can consume in smart and sustainable ways.

Sondra: Hi Kati, so first, tell me a little bit about yourself.

Kati: I’m an Aquarius, EA major- not declared yet but that’s what I’m going with- and I’m living in the Green LLC in Newhall, which is super fun!

S: To get us started, what exactly is the Zero Waste movement?

K: Well, Zero Waste is actually a bit of a misnomer. People in the movement are trying to change the name to “Low Impact Living” because “Zero Waste” implies perfection which is unattainable and often very discouraging.

So what the movement is about is essentially, reducing your footprint as much as possible by sending as little as possible to landfills and recycling.

S: So composting is A-Okay?

K: Yes, composting is ideal.

S: How long have you been doing “Low Impact Living”, and what has been your game plan so far?

K: I heard about the movement in February of last year (2017) from a girl on YouTube with a channel called “Trash is for Tossers.” I would definitely recommend her videos. Basically,

the first step in any low impact journey is assessing where your trash is coming from so can make a plan that works for you and reduces the most. For me, my trash was coming from food packaging, beauty and skin products, and other miscellaneous things that I was bringing in to my life mindlessly and throwing out mindlessly.The second step is find ways in each of those categories to reduce as much plastic as possible. Avoiding food packaging has been tough, since all the quick and convenient snacks are wrapped in disposable plastics. My advice is to plan ahead.

I always keep a piece of fruit or some nuts in a tupperware in my backpack in case I get hungry and need a quick snack. When grocery shopping, I make sure to bring my own bags and jars and go to places where I can shop in bulk (like Sprouts) to avoid buying items that would normally be packed in plastic. I have also really changed my beauty and health routine to reflect a more low impact lifestyle.

Swapping shampoo bottles for shampoo bars, bamboo toothbrushes for plastic ones, and one metal razor for all those plastic disposable razors, has made it so much easier to cut down on my plastic usage.

S: What do you see on campus that makes

you cringe regarding how much waste we as students produce mindlessly?

K: The main one is straws and plastic containers for food and drinks. You know, people will go to The Coop and get two coffees a day, and then just throw away their plastic cups and plastic straws that will take years to break down. Another thing that is frustrating is the disposable containers (those green coffee cups) in Malott. They all say that they are compostable, so people choose to use them even when they are dining-in instead of using the reusable cups.

S: Another thing I have noticed with Malott, is when I want to take something out, I will put my food in those paper bowls or paper cups. I should really keep a tupperware in my backpack at all times, and then if there is something I want to take out, I can just stick it in the tupperware.

K: Or you can put it in a little baggie, too!

Basically, what I keep with me at all times is my little “zero waste kit.” It includes bamboo cutlery, a reusable thin metal straw and boba straw, and a reusable rag that I use as a napkin.

And that has been super helpful, especially on days where the dining hall just has plastic utensils, or when I get something to-go at a restaurant or cafe, it just really helps to be prepared.I would say at the end of the day, it really is a mindset shift from expecting things to be convenient and disposable and cheap to realizing that all the waste we generate has such an impact on the environment and people around the world, and that it actually takes very little for us to make changes that will be so meaningful in the long run. It is hard, because you are losing that bit of convenience, but at the end of the day it’s worth the cost.

After you make the initial investment, all your items will last you much longer, you will save money, you can feel good about reducing your footprint, and you might even inspire others along the way.

11 October, 2018 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XXVII • Issue Two

News • 5

Nevada Lee ‘22 Makes the Case at the 5Cs for her Mother’s Congressional Campaign

By Ittai Sopher PZ ’19 Political Correspondent

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evada Lee SC ’22 recruited four students from the 5Cs over the weekend to campaign in her homestate and namesake in order to aid her mother’s candidacy for the House of Representatives.

According to FiveThirtyEight.com’s most recent projections Nevada’s mom, Susie Lee, the Democratic candidate for Nevada’s third congressional district, has a two in three chance of winning her race, making the competition one of the most competitive House races in the upcoming midterm elections.

“If we’re actually thinking of strategic ways to flip the house,” Nevada Lee said, “whether your motivation is because you are a Democrat or because you think that a restriction should be put on Trump, this is one of the districts that’s going to make that happen.”

After studying projections like the one from FiveThirtyEight, Nevada Lee is confident that her mother’s House campaign will also influence the Senate competition in Nevada between Democrat Rep. Jacky Rosen and incumbent Republican Sen. Dean Heller, considering Rosen currently represents the district Susie Lee is vying for.

A potential Democratic majority in Congress will have a large impact on the type of legislation that reaches President Trump’s desk. Gun safety is one of these issues, and in the wake of the shooting in Las Vegas last year, Susie Lee has been an outspoken advocate for national background check laws, bump stock restrictions, and barring domestic abusers from owning guns.

“I think that my mom running for Congress and the shooting that happened a year ago, definitely shifted my perspective from being very interested in international news to more domestic,” Nevada Lee said, regarding her motivation to be involved in her mother’s political campaign among other politics-adjacent endeavors. “I don’t think I would know nearly as much about politics or care nearly as much about politics if I didn’t have a politician for a mom.”

Candidates like Lee and Rep. Rosen, while more moderate than many Claremont Colleges students on serious political issues, can have a lasting impact on systems of political power in this country. For instance, Rosen has expressed disapproval for Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court based on Dr. Christine Ford’s allegations against him, while Sen. Heller, voted to confirm Kavanaugh. This means

Vote! ¡Votare!

Votez!

T

Helpful tips on registration - Find information for online registry at www.vote. org, www.vote.gov, or www. votebettersam.org - As an out-of-state college student, you can choose which state to vote in.

Consider where your vote will be most impactful and which state’s politics you are better acquainted with.

By Anna Mitchell ’22 Staff Writer

here are those among us who dream of politics, those who would rather not utter the word, and those who fall just about everywhere in between.

And, thus, there are those who vote religiously, those who’d rather not catch sight of a ballot, and those who fall, yes, just about everywhere in between.

This election year is vital (as all years are, many argue) to our future in the United States and elsewhere. Our current political climate is marked by a deepening partisan divide, resulting in complex public discourse around all issues, many of which specifically affect young citizens and their health, safety, and prospects. Regardless of political affiliation, this is a year in which to participate.

“You might not be a big fan of politics,

a shift in political majority; even if that only means swapping a few red House and Senate seats for blue ones, this shift can have massive implications.

“My mom is a lot more moderate than a lot of the students here, so I respect if students don’t want to come canvass; that’s fine,” Nevada Lee said.

“But California is pretty much already solidly blue, and we are only three and a half hours away from one of the top ten swing districts.”

However, for many students at the Claremont Colleges, travelling that distance is difficult. So, Nevada Lee is getting creative in order to localize her mother’s campaign efforts.

“I plan on organizing a phone bank back in Claremont, and I know that would be a bigger hit,” Nevada Lee said. “It’s kind of hard to ask people ask people to come all the way up to Vegas for a weekend that doesn’t involve partying.”

but you can still participate. All you need to do is vote for people you believe will work on these issues,” argues gun-control activist Emma Gonzalez of Parkland, Florida in a New York Times article.

If you have an opinion on reproductive rights, gun control, access to safe and legal abortions, immigration, healthcare, sexual assault and harassment in the workplace and elsewhere, wage-inequality, or the natural environment (and it would be hard to believe that you have no stance on or knowledge of any of these issues), then vote. If you believe in the efficacy of a democratic society, then vote. As Franklin D. Roosevelt once stated, “nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting.”

- If voting in California, you can also register in person (by Tuesday, November 6 for this midterm election!)

- Phone registration is offered in some states (check out aforementioned websites for info on your state) - Look up your state’s voter guide for information on issues and candidates on this ballot (you can find this simply by googling your state and “voter guide”) Happy voting!

11 October, 2018 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XXVII • Issue Two

8 • Feature

A Look at Scripps’ Alcohol Policy

By Faith McDermott ‘20 and Sasha Rivera ‘19 Staff Writers

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cripps College has never been known for its party culture. This fifth of the 5Cs has legendary bread pudding, a killer coffee shop, and dorms filled with antiques and artwork valued at more than tuition. Needless to say, parties have never been Scripps’ forte. However, that seems to be changing. Crank open your window on a Saturday night and you’ll probably hear something a little unusual: The beat of Drake’s newest hit and the screams of intoxicated college Co-eds seem to be drawing closer. The noise isn’t coming from North Quad or Mudd. It’s coming from third floor New Hall, the Clark Courtyard, and your neighbors’ pregame.

Something has definitely shifted, and while some may enjoy the presence of party culture and others may not be so fond of it’s encroaching presence, the more important issue is: What exactly are the rules regarding alcohol on campus?

After some digging it’s become clear that these rules, whatever they may be, are not exactly easy to find. As of the 2017-2018 academic year the policy, according to The Guide to Student Life, states that the college does not permit any violations of California law in terms of alcohol, such as underage drinking. Moreover, Scripps does not support the consumption of alcohol in circumstances where it negatively affects “personal conduct, health, academic achievement, or the interests of the Scripps community.” In addition, kegs are not allowed on campus unless they have been approved in advance by the Office of Student Engagement.

However, one of the most striking parts of the statement is its first line: “The College places the responsibility for observing state law upon each individual and expects each student to govern herself with standards of good taste and ethical judgment common to educated persons.”

But what exactly is the expectation “to govern herself with standards of good taste and ethical judgment common to educated persons?” How

would one decide what falls into the category of “good taste?” Isn’t taste something that’s subjective? Considering that Scripps prides itself on being a diverse community, one would expect that within this diversity there would be a wide range of tastes and preferences. Moreover, the language of the statement even comes across as victim-blaming by placing such a large focus on on the student’s personal behavior. Would these vague “standards of good taste” potentially be used against students? The additional gendering is also harmful to the many Scripps students who do not identify as women and use different pronouns. The lack of clarity is frustrating, yet the implications of this statement are even more irksome. It prioritizes decorum over well being. It allows students the agency to abide by their own moral compass. However, if their actions do not align with this mythical value system Scripps fails to explain, there will be consequences.

The Guide to Student Life explains that Scripps’ Program Relating to the Prevention of Illegal Possession, Use, and Distribution of Drugs and Alcohol by Students will bring disciplinary penalties or educational interventions on students that violate these policies and conduct standards.

In situations where alcohol or drug use pose immediate threats to a student’s health, such as alcohol poisoning, Scripps also has a “Safety First/Medical Amnesty Policy.” This means that a student who is receiving medical treatment and any students or organizations assisting this student in the process will not face judicial forms of punishment such as administrative review and mediation. This does not apply to other violations that may have been committed as a result of this substance abuse, such as violence and sexual harassment. The policy also does not prevent punishment from local or state authorities.

While it is important to note that Scripps does indeed have a medical amnesty policy, and that is a step in the right direction, the rules are in many ways still setting students up to fail. If you don’t know the rules, how on earth are you supposed to abide by them? The vagueness of many of

the statements adds to the confusion, and the information itself can be difficult to find. While Resident Advisor’s cover some of the basics in the very beginning of the year in residence hall meetings, specific details such as possible disciplinary measures are not given.

In addition, before coming to Scripps, the firstyears must participate in an Alcohol Edu program that discusses the risks of alcohol consumption and the dangers of binge drinking. While the program gives many statistics and activities involving possible scenarios, information about policies specific to Scripps and the other 5Cs is notably absent.

Moreover, when asked about the alcohol policy, a former RA said that they really did not know much about it and their training had not been very thorough on their role in terms of enforcement.

The fact that even a former RA is unsure about the details on Scripps’ alcohol procedures is appalling; if even they don’t know the information well, how should the rest of the student body be expected to know and adhere to the alcohol policies beyond the vague, confusing statements available on the Guide to Student Life?

CGUers: Where Are They Now? Edition

By Madison Yardumian ’21 Copy Editor

Upon entering my second year of college, I moved into my first ever college dorm. It went exactly how I imagined it: There was a palpable, wonderfully cliché buzzing in my ears as I entered the room. Excitement hung in the air like the set of command strips between my fingertips, ready to wage war on New Hall’s glaringly white walls.

There is something absolutely absurd and fantastic about a bunch of 20somethings all living exclusively around people their own age, all trying to figure out how to do their taxes, or be an ethical person while also making enough money to continue living in Southern California, in perfect rhythm. College is a completely nonsensical space, and getting to enter this mayhem 24/7 is something I and the 27 other first-years who lived at Claremont Graduate University (CGU) waited for with great anticipation.

For context, last year 40 Scripps first-years were placed in off-campus housing at the CGU Apartments on North College Ave. The year brought a series of very specific challenges and triumphs, culminating in the 28 remaining first years receiving priority housing, and the ability to pull anyone they wanted into this housing.

But why dwell on the past when the present involves living in a suite in New Hall? All kidding aside, I sat down with two former CGUers to inquire about how their year has been going thus far, and to further get a sense of how they

compared their experiences living both on and off-campus.

Olivia Silva SC ’21 currently resides in Dorsey, and upon request for comment bemoaned how “unnecessary” living at CGU felt.

“There are parts of Scripps I don’t even know exist because I didn’t live on campus,” Silva said.

“We could’ve had this all last year and it feels like we’re all trying to catch up.”

This statement alludes to a common sentiment amongst CGUers: a feeling that not living on campus prohibited us from truly feeling as though we had an adequate enough knowledge of our campus to feel as though we belonged there.

Silva and I both related to the little conveniences we get to enjoy now: exercising at Tiernan, being able to get a quick breakfast in the morning before class, or not being forced to get to class or social events 20 minutes early due to the bus schedule,.

For Justine Iwata SC ’21, currently living in a Routt suite, thinking about life at CGU brought up some very serious questions about mental health and safety.

“Living on campus has been a lot better for my mental health,” Iwata stated. “Because I’m living with six friends in a suite, I feel like I have a constant support system that was not as easily accessible when I was [living] at CGU.” For those who made a majority of their friends on-campus, CGU proved to be a rather isolating experience. Living a bus ride away from people who all live across the hall from one another can feel rather lonely.

“I feel so much more at ease knowing that everyone on campus and in my dorm is a Scripps student,” Itawa said.

I couldn’t agree more. Living off-campus has truly allowed me to see how much safer I feel on-campus. From well-lit streets, avoidance of crossing accident-prone Foothill, and a feeling of being able to walk somewhere at night without relying on Campus Security (or being scolded by passing Camp Sec officers for having the audacity to walk somewhere at night), the comfort I have experienced living on the Scripps campus has alleviated many of my day-to-day anxieties. I know that safety is not something everyone gets to feel in their lifetime, or even something everyone feels on this campus, but I feel very privileged to be able to exist in a space where I feel a fairly consistent sense of comfort. In the wake of the Kavanaugh hearing and Senate vote, that feeling of safety feels even more valuable.

And it is true that Scripps is not the ever-safe, positive, and accessible place we have imagined it to be. As CGUers joke about our fated position at the bottom of the housing lottery next year, we feel a greater connection to the college we are attending than to our famed proximity to Trader Joe’s. And now that we’ve displaced President Lara Tiedens from her place of residence, I am truly excited to see what spaces Scripps will convert to continue to accommodate more students. The Motley: Coffeehouse by day, living space past 11 p.m.? Only time will tell.

11 October, 2018 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XXVII • Issue Two

Opinion • 9

What to Keep in Mind on Coming Out Day

By Hayley Van Allen ‘21 Queer Columnist

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ational Coming Out Day (NCOD) will be celebrated for the thirtieth year in a row on Thursday, Oct. 11. Whether you are a straight ally or a member of the LGBT* community, it is important to remember to respect and support those who are coming out to you or others for the first time.

Coming out is a process that’s different for everyone. Most LGBT* people first come out to themselves, which can be anything from a sudden click of understanding or years of deliberation and/or denial. After this, some will come out to close family and friends, some will choose to stay in the closet for any number of reasons, and some never feel a need to come out because it feels unimportant or maybe just obvious. For those who do decide to come out, the act of coming out never really ends after the first time. It becomes a lifelong process of coming out to new people, a constant assessment of whether or not the person in front of them is safe to come out to.

NCOD was originally intended to be a form of activism following the March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights in 1987, however some believe that the day now only serves to aid heteronormativity. They argue that by encouraging the act of coming out, the day reinforces the idea that being gay or bi or trans is different and abnormal, rather than normalizing the existence of people who are not cisgender and/or heterosexual. Straight people don’t have to come out, so why should members of the LGBT* community?

While these arguments make sense, NCOD still holds value for the LGBT* community.

Even just basic acceptance of trans and nonbinary individuals is contested across the country. With the current political climate, coming out is an act of rebellion and bravery in a way that it wasn’t just a few years ago.

Additionally, increased visibility still makes a difference, whether for people who didn’t realize that some of the people they care about are LGBT* or to help make closeted individuals feel safer and more comfortable to come out.

If someone comes out to you on this NCOD or any other day, it is important to remember, above all, that this person has placed their trust in you and you must show you deserve that trust. Check in with them on how “out” they want to be and respect their choice. It doesn’t matter if you are a straight ally or a member of the LGBT* community. Everyone has a right to come out their own way, in their own time.

Here are a few quick “dos and don’ts” if

Photo courtesy of HiTOPS

someone comes out to you, for allies and members of the LGBT* community: Don’t come out as a certain identity as a joke. Making light of coming out does nothing but discourage and harm the people around who may have been considering coming out to you that day or in the future.

Do come out as straight or cisgender if you want to help normalize the act of coming out for your friends and family who aren’t really given a choice.

Don’t tell your friends or family that you “still love them” or that you “love them no matter what.” This unintentionally implies that being LGBT* is something bad and not necessarily deserving of love.

Do thank your friend/family member for trusting you. If someone comes out to you, they are placing a large amount of trust and faith in you. Show them you appreciate it.

Don’t talk about how obvious it was. Don’t tell them you already knew. Don’t make a joke along the lines of “it’s about time!” or “finally!” Figuring out someone’s sexuality isn’t some sort of game or challenge. For LGBT* individuals, coming out to yourself and others can be terrifying. Don’t make it harder.

Do tell them that you will be there to support them however they need you.

Don’t ask your friend if they have a crush on you. Just don’t.

Do ask (non-invasive) questions if your are unsure about something. If you do not know what a specific word they have used means, it’s alright to ask. Additionally, while some people come out to everyone at once, others come out in gradual stages. Make sure you know how they want to approach coming out so you can best support them.

“She’s Just So Desperate”

By Faith McDermott ‘20 Staff Writer

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’m a single 20-year-old woman who is kind of, maybe, definitely on the lookout for a partner. Because of this, I spend more time than I probably should thinking about human relationships and the complex dynamics that go into dating in the 21st century. However, I’ve been reminded yet again why dating really can suck.

Don’t get me wrong — I love meeting new people and having new experiences. I find even bad dates can almost always teach me something and I rarely walk away from a first date feeling as though it was time wasted.

However, I hate to play games. And yet, as a woman in the 21st century looking for companionship, I often feel as though I have no choice but to comply with silly rules that feel as though they were put in place by a bunch of middle schoolers: Don’t text first, don’t double text, don’t respond too quickly. Never say yes to every invitation even if you’re free.

Always see other people until you’re officially exclusive. If you really like them, don’t let them know until you’re sure the feeling is mutual.

All these rules function off a power dynamic.

The dynamic being whoever cares less wins.

Considering dating is about fostering human connection, I find it a little off-putting to think young people are taught to view a relationship as a competition, with the winner only having

won if they have successfully projected an image of indifference and the loser having lost for displaying mere interest in forming some sort of connection. Let me be upfront here and say it: This is stupid. It’s childish and unfair, and actually pretty cruel considering power is only gained by making the other feel lesser.

While I know this playbook is stupid and silly and oftentimes quite mean, I can’t help but succumb to and obediently follow the rules.

And after giving it some, thought I now know why: I am terrified to be labeled as desperate.

We live in a day and age where everyone and their grandmother is Instagramming pictures from the Women’s March and using #MeToo. However, the language used to describe women seeking male companionship is still incredibly sexist. This is a classic example of “if you walk the walk you gotta be able to talk the talk.”

The term ‘slut’ has been around for ages. So has ‘bitch’ and, especially the word ‘crazy.’ For years these words have served the purpose of making women feel as though their emotions, wants, and needs are invalid, excessive, or wrong. And more often than not these words come from male tongues that are purely seeking power, as a woman speaking or acting in accordance to her own wants and needs threatens their masculinity.

However the term desperate is on the newer side. Don’t get me wrong; fifty years ago women were labeled desperate, and at

that point in time it was still a pretty gendered term. However, the classification seems to have changed. In 2018, any women actively pursuing human connection whether it be physical or emotional are at risk for being labeled desperate by the opposite sex — or by other women.

Somehow, wanting to see a guy again after having great sex and several hours of meaningful conversation makes a woman ‘crazy.’ Double-texting to confirm plans that are supposed to happen within a few hours means she’s pushy. Because a woman expressing her desire for monogamy after several months of dating with no label makes her clingy. Because a woman wanting or needing anything from a man that he does not want or need in return is proof enough to deem her goddamn desperate.

These tropes are positively ridiculous and sexist and just plain old cruel. So, I’ve decided to say screw it. If I like a guy, I’m gonna let him know. If I haven’t heard from him in several days, I’m gonna double-text.

If I need something — or god forbid — want it, I’m gonna ask, and above all I’m not going to apologize. Games only work if both people play, and your dignity is not something that a cruel combination of consonants and syllables can snatch from you. So go ahead and call me your worst; I’m not scared anymore.

11, October 2018 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XXVII • Issue Two

10 • Arts & Entertainment

Seriously Good: The Rise of Asian Americans in Mainstream Music Jamie Jiang ‘22 Staff Writer

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remember when Asian American representation in mainstream media stopped firmly at Bruno Mars, whose Filipino descent swayed much more than the hearts of the API community. College students, Asian and alike, sigh with nostalgia over the infinitely replayable ballads of “Doo-Wops & Hooligans.” The sweet, lovesick melodies of “Doo-Wops & Hooligans” ushered Bruno Mars into the American radio in 2010 and to one day land him at the Super Bowl halftime show. That first album came out two years before “Gangnam Style,” a song infinitely less replayable and regrettably much more replayed than “Talking To The Moon.”

Nevertheless, it had made it big; and this, I thought, was the end of it. If mainstream musicians ever happened to have East Asian features, then it was because they were playing funny, and usually male, exaggeratedly unintelligent characters, like Mr. Yunioshi in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” or Long Duk Dong from “Sixteen Candles.” K-pop continued to enjoy its large share of listeners, but it has always been a niche group that keeps it afloat, never totally in the mainstream. It seemed to me that qualifications for being a popular Asian musician in America, at least in 2012, were speaking in a different language, having a big and ridiculous personality, and lacking originality.

But the story is different today.

In February 2016, “Dat $tick” by 16-year old rapper Rich Chigga (now Rich Brian) started making the rounds on Youtube. When you first watch the video, you literally sit tight, full of the expectation of cringing.

You wait for the punchline. The video is not without humor; Rich Brian has the deadpan hilarity of any 16-year-old rapper, at once both wildly arrogant and coolly self-effacing. He wears a pink polo and sits a

fanny pack on his hip and just owns it, like the most Asian dad of Asian dads. The Asian Superdad.

But — and this was hard to admit about him at first — he really was good. 88Rising, an up-andcoming mostly Asian-American-run music label that represents him, published a video called “Rappers React to Rich Brian ft. Ghostface Killah, Desiigner, Tory Lanez & More.” His simple beat and short, unembellished lines had actually won the approval of an audience of seasoned and established (and mostly black) rappers. While acknowledging the comedy, many rappers thought that his voice was unique and his song well done. The music is what they noticed about him; the music was what they recognized. Established non-Asian rappers embraced a brazen Indonesian teenager not for his comedic value alone, but for his talent.

However, there is a lot of controversy about this video and its use of the N-word, and there is something to be said about Rich Brian — as well as, it can be argued, Bruno Mars — using black culture and black musicians to bolster his reputation. This should not be forgotten and prompts discussion.

But there is a need for solidarity among minority communities that comes across in these moments.

I hope I can ask us not to lose sight of this hope, and support each other in our progress.

On Friday, Oct. 5, 88Rising held a concert in the LA area with Rich Brian, Joji, and several other up-and-coming Asian American and Asian hip-hop artists, rapping, and singing alternately in Chinese and English. Something about this moment seems like a monumental shift in the consciousness of young college students, a group known to worship music like a religion, and especially those of us who

Photo courtesy of Hot 93.7.com

are Asian.

Awkwafina, a female Asian rapper (!!!), recently smashed her way into the true mainstream through two movies, “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Ocean’s 8.”

She’s a comedian, yet her effortless humor takes nothing away from her very thoroughly acclaimed talent. She is featured in a Netflix documentary called Bad Rap, in which four “unlikely” Asian rappers try to make it big in New York. I’m watching out for her to make it big in another Hollywood blockbuster, and from there they won’t be able to hold us back.

Awkwafina, through Instagram posts, travel books, and acting, turns a comedic, larger-than-life swagger into the confidence and glamor of a true celebrity of the mainstream media. In so many ways Awkwafina declares that she is a serious artist and not a caricature made for our amusement.

An entertainment industry from which Asian Americans have been excluded with a laugh and a cold shoulder is finally ready for us.

And yet, we haven’t even addressed the Indie music scene, or the universe that is Los Angeles’s local Asian music scene. If, however, you feel like throwing your money at the next Bruno Mars or Rich Brian and seeing some Asian musicians make the future happen, the Alumnae/Student Diversity Committee and the Asian American Student Union is holding their annual outing to Tuesday Night Cafe, an API community open mic. Look at their expressions and think about how seriously they take their art. Really take it in, my friend. Nobody’s laughing at these artists. That’s going to be us up there someday, all of us Asian American artists facing the wide American public, ready to be taken seriously.

Rachel Chu & Me: A Personal Reflection on Crazy Rich Asians Hanna Kim ‘22 Staff Writer

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veryone has been talking about “Crazy Rich Asians.” I hear the buzz everywhere from sitting in Seal Court to social media to the bright colored movie posters of Constance Wu and Henry Golding embraced lovingly against a multicolored background. I’ve frequently been asked my thoughts about the movie.

The chairs reclined all the way back and there were only four other people in the theatre; two other older couples each sharing a bowl of popcorn. My mom and I found some perfect seats, so that we wouldn’t get motion sick from being too close to the screen. I was so excited for the movie to start, but a little bit anxious because I’m notorious for my loud reactions.

Kevin Kwan, American Singaporean novelist, first published “Crazy Rich Asians” in 2007. The book is inspired by his childhood in Singapore and was soon followed by China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems. The story centers on Rachel Chu, a Chinese-American Economics professor at NYU. She accompanies her longtime boyfriend, Nick, back home to Singapore where she learns of his family’s wealth and that he is one of Singapore’s most eligible bachelors.

My mom and I couldn’t stop laughing during the entire movie. There was a huge range of nuanced references that on one hand could be read as stereotypes, but were also experiences that hit

close to home with my mom and I. When Rachel’s mom unloaded plastic containers full of leftovers on her before her flight, I thought of my mom and grandma doing that for me before camp, soccer practice, or piano practice. When Nick’s family would stare at Rachel’s ring, clothes, and overall demeanor, it reminded me of moments in Korea when people on the street would tug my shirt to see what brand it was or scoff at my Old Navy polos.

It’s not that the “Crazy Rich Asians’” storyline is original as it is well done; it rarely goes for the

I saw so many of my experiences in the movie, and it was refreshing to see Asian American experiences being represented in such a nuanced yet humorous way. cliché. Romcoms have a tendency to portray their heroines as somewhat lost, until they find their perfect match. Not Rachel Chu; she is sharp, resilient, and clever. My favorite scene is when she plays Mahjong with Nick’s mom, a tense scene where they discuss the status of her and Nick’s marriage. She wins the game, mirroring the movie’s opening scene of a poker game with one of her TAs. She explains to to be successful in any game where psychology and choice are a factor, you can’t play “not to lose” — you have to play to win.

It’s impossible not to notice the movie’s

lingering shots of men’s bare chests, but this reverse objectification is subversively intentional: Asian men are rarely portrayed as attractive in media. This form of cinematography challenges our preconceived notions that Asian men are undesirable.

I saw so many of my experiences in the movie, and it was refreshing to see Asian American experiences being represented in such a nuanced, yet humorous way. Being Asian American in the United States is confusing because of the friction between these two contrasting sets of cultural expectations. Like Rachel Chu, its disorienting to identify so closely with more than one culture. My dad always says coming here is the “best thing that’s ever happened to him” because he was too anxious in the strict classroom settings in Seoul.

My dad is well known in my family for his rants about healthy food, vitamins, and exercise. He sent me Magnesium Citrate in the mail yesterday because I told him I was stressed about a paper.

My mother would rather talk to me over the phone and ask “what’s wrong?”

“Crazy Rich Asians” will end up on the Best Romantic Comedies in History list because it’s actually not about getting the guy to be fulfilled.

Rachel proves the importance of loving yourself and leaning on your family and friends for support when you need it.

11 October, 2018 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XXVII • Issue Two

Opinions • 11

WHAT’S AN ‘INSTAGRAM MUSUEM’?

Ali Bush ‘19 Music Columnist

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hat is a museum supposed to do? Educate?

Entertain? Promote the art of dead white men? It’s a slippery question that becomes even more unknowable as new “Instagram museums” pop up in cities around the U.S. Spaces like the Museum of Ice Cream in Los Angeles and Color Factory in San Francisco, provide visitors a perfectly lit and meticulously decorated space that produces pristine Instagram pictures.

Some marketed as museums, and other just as “experiences,” these spaces of bright colors and aesthetically pleasing graphics have bred anger and excitement in the art world, which is confusing because most of these spaces are not and do not claim to be art.

With pools of colorful sprinkles and brightly painted walls, these “Instagram museums” or “selfie factories” are designed for posing for a camera. Although a handful have of these spaces employed artists to help create these experiences, their design and conception seem to be mostly anonymous, and not credited to any specific artists, but rather to boards of directors and managers. And with many of these “selfie factories,” the end experience is buying a product like ice cream or makeup.

Thus, the “Instagram museum” is more of an entertainment experience or a social media playground than a museum. Cleverly, “Instagram Museum” developers took note of the crowds of people taking photoshoots in museums and waiting to take pictures in front of Claes Oldenburg sculptures and Roy Lichtenstein

paintings. They have simply responded to this demand for aesthetically p l e a s i n g photoshoot spaces.

However, calling these s p a c e s “Instagram museums” is misleading b e c a u s e m u s e u m s hold the responsibility of educating the public. However, museums can perhaps seem lofty, overly academic, and inaccessible to many people. Thus, the “Instagram museum” is a reaction to the stuffiness that still lingers in museums. But the overwhelming use of quotation marks around “Instagram museum” in this article illustrates the ambiguity of it all. Who is to definitively say what art is? While I argue that these spaces are not museums, I cannot say that they are not at all artistic.

It is the sickeningly sweet homogenizing of aesthetics that these spaces promote that is frustrating. The shallow themes these spaces employ like food and color have little substance, and are trendy, but not meaningful. These trendy locales also reflect just how important

Photo courtesy of JWT Intelligence

it is to know how to represent a virtual version of yourself on social media. Having access to these spaces that are perfectly arranged settings enhances a profile, while people without the knowledge of or access to these built-forselfies places have “worse” Instagram profiles.

These spaces homogenize what is aesthetically pleasing, what a good Instagram post looks like, and the aesthetic we should all aspire to.

Overall, I think that no matter where we are, be it the Met or the Museum of Ice Cream, we could all find more meaningful experiences if we take a moment to engage more deeply with the life around us, rather than engage with it via a screen.

Priya Canzius ’20 Copy Editor

A

fter sitting on my bed trying to focus straighten at the end of that day. I actually going back. on my French reading, I found my went the entirety of middle and high school I recently thought about going natural, fingers drift towards the ‘Netflix’ tab on my without wearing my hair “natural,” or as after seeing my curls forming after a computer. There, I saw an ad for “Nappily natural as it can be after a relaxer. It wasn’t particularly long time without having a Ever After,” a Netflix movie based until college that I walked around relaxer. I wondered what it would be like to on the novel of the same name ...it seemed with wet hair in public; after all, I look less traditionally ‘Indian’, which is what

by Trisha R. Thomas. This movie, like common couldn’t hide for an entire day of I am often identified as before I explain that even its melanin-imbued glory, practice to the week when all of college is I’m mixed. Would going natural cause me to loosen my had some major pitfalls, including practically a public space. lose a part of myself? What would I even be naturally the main character’s reliance and When I was younger, I would see losing if what I would be gaining is simply kinky curls dependency on men’s approval. other, blonder girls and envy their my god-given natural curls?

But this article isn’t about the every six to freedom when it came to their My friends with natural hair are gorgeous movie’s main character, Violet. It’s eight weeks. hair: they could cut it, dye it, and and always have been. That’s a fact of life. about me. transform their ‘look,’ whereas if But why, then, was it shocking to actually Story time.

I so much as cut my hair an inch shorter, notice a defined (albeit much less than I started to get my hair relaxed when I was it would act in a rebellious one inch) curl pattern frame six years old; my family had moved from way that I wasn’t able to. I my face? And then it hit me: I Washington to California, and it seemed like wondered what it was like couldn’t remember what my hair Would going common practice to loosen my naturally to express yourself through looked like when I wore it natural. natural cause me kinky curls every six to eight weeks. your hair. It’s a stereotype to lose a part of Because I’ve looked like this for Every time I got my hair done, I’d get more that women change their hair so long, this is my normal, my myself? compliments from the adults around me: I when they are going through natural. How unnatural is that? was going to break hearts once the size of something emotional. Despite Now, I’m not saying that my head matched the mass of hair atop it. the changes I’ve been through I’m going to confront the I was “lucky” because my hair grew long, in my life, I haven’t changed overwhelming pressures of my especially once straightened. I was told to the way I look for fourteen years. life by shaving my head like Viola did in the wear my hair up in public lest another kid I found what I liked and stuck with it. movie. That’s just not who I am. cut off a chunk.

Permanently.

But, I can try to remember what life was I avoided the water like I avoided the sun; Flash forward to the present day, and I like with curly hair. I can picture what I’d look even now, I can’t even say that I have ever still get relaxers done. I’m no longer tender- like now, now that my head has grown into voluntarily gone in a swimming pool in my headed, because my hair has been through my mass of hair. And I can imagine a future life. I hated washing my hair on Saturdays it all. I’ve noticed a loss in moisture, fall out, with curly hair, too. and the hours that it took to dry — and and I’ve sustained an impressive array of For now, I’ll just have to work out the kinks. then the hour that it took to blow dry and chemical burns to my scalp. And yet, I keep

11 October, 2018 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XXVII • Issue Two

12 • Creative The Faces of

Ms. Me

Claremont Pedestrians You’ve wanted to run them over, too.

Like most pesky law-abiding institutions, the Claremont Colleges have campuses that cater more towards pedestrians rather than drivers; for students who commute, this can pose many problems.

Now, if all the skateboarders, bicyclists, and people walking exhibited self-awareness and common courtesy, getting to class would be a much smoother experience for all students. Unfortunately, the 5Cs are home to many student pedestrian stereotypes who do everything in their power to increase traffic and put themselves in danger. These are the faces of Claremont pedestrians.

Jaywalk’s place Panic! At the Street Despite this erratic behavior usually only displayed by squirrels, there are some 5C students who have taken it upon themselves to also nervously panic in the middle of the road as soon as they notice a car.

They will calmly begin crossing the street, but instead of hurrying up when they notice you waiting for them in your vehicle, they will instead stop and anxiously scurry. Looking back and forth, these squirrel-like students will be unable to decide if they should go back or keep going. Unfortunately, this causes them to go into a state of shock due to the stress of sudden decision-making. The entire process takes about ten minutes even if you have been waving at them to keep going, as they’re just as likely to be waving at you to run them over. This can occur in the middle of the road if the student is jaywalking, or even at a crosswalk

Mean girls

Many Claremont students are phenomenal activists.

Some however take this activism and rebellion against rules to a level beyond typical social justice issues.

Putting oneself in danger is the ultimate way to oppose “The Man” and on a college campus, the easiest way to accomplish this as a pedestrian is by opposing crosswalks. Even if the crosswalk is just five feet away, it is a symbol of a governmental system of discipline, therefore these rebels must ignore it at all cost. But, fighting the system isn’t the sole reason for jaywalking.

The 5Cs are very pricey schools, and the tuition costs can leave many students in debt. Therefore, a classic sneak tactic to have tuition paid off is to pop out at the last minute from behind a parked car right before jaywalking. Looking both ways first is forbidden, of course. This gives any drivers exactly two seconds to hit their brakes or the jaywalker. If the jaywalking student survives, their craftiness pays off their school debts. You have to admire their risk-taking.

While these folks aren’t all Stay in your Lane necessarily girls, they definitely have the same attitudes as this movie character trope. Like Panic!, Bike lane? Don’t know her. Despite they will stop in the middle of the what the category name may imply, street as soon as they notice your these people do the exact opposite. car, whether they are jaywalking I am referring to the bicyclists or you are simply following the who wish to rebel against societal law and pausing at a stop sign. constructs (and civil engineers) by Unlike Panic!, however, rather than taking up space in ALL of the lanes. anxiously scurrying, they will stare These bicyclists are living their you down, glaring at you with a Mariah Carey fantasies in the most look of utmost disgust. How dare dangerous ways. The bike lane must you have the audacity to drive a be deconstructed and ignored as a car on their campus? How dare you true radical statement. Moreover, let your disgusting vehicle come these anarchists on wheels often within a mile of their presence? And take it a step further by ignoring all if you indicate that you want them road laws. While there are a decent to hurry up and cross rather than few who acknowledge that hand trying to assert their dominance signals and stop signs exist for at 12:55 p.m. on a Wednesday safety reasons, many would prefer afternoon? Well, you have officially to live dangerously. Drake famously become the scum of the earth and said “YOLO,” so that means when they will make sure to write a very riding a bicycle, you must never Sk8r bro angry blog post later in their Burn indicate which direction you are Book. about to turn or wait your turn at a These students are the ultimate chaotic evil in Claremont. They ooze stop sign. That would take the fun entitlement as they swerve through the streets, ignoring all traffic laws. away from all drivers!

Does it matter that in the state of California it is illegal to ride a skateboard in the middle of a public roadway? Not when you are a sk8r bro; laws don’t Text by apply to you! Sure, there is a perfectly good sidewalk and even a clear bike lane right nearby, but alas using either does not allow for the proper Sasha expression of privilege. These bros will always make sure to skate extra Rivera ‘19 slowly during high traffic periods on 6th street, especially if there is a line of cars behind them. And if you dare to honk at them for breaking the law and taking up space? Well, they will be sure to smirk right at you and throw up an obnoxious peace sign before taking their sweet time to move maybe a foot over.

by Nyarai Khepra ’22 You must miss me You must want me up under you You must miss my voice The way I walk The way I talk The way I am The way I be Or how I want to be How I want you to miss me How I want you to say my name Like you never had it on your lips But it’s been on your mind I been on your mind I stay on your mind Cause that’s the way I want It And I wouldn’t mind If I was the only thing That ran across Your thoughts The only thing that encompasses Your psyche Cause that’s the way you want it The only place you want me Is up under you Cause you miss my voice And the way I walk How I talk The way I be The way I am Just how you want me to be How I want you to miss me

So Many Cars in the City

by Anna Mitchell ‘22 I went to a city yesterday (doesn’t matter which*) where there were shiny cars lined up like ants and they almost blinded me (that’s why I recoiled) with their tint and their glint for the sun was an unknowing tyrant.

So many cars in the city makes me wonder what would happen if I tossed a brick that became myriad bricks and smashed all their tinted windows into itty bitty splintery shards and freed the people.

Maybe they’d all spill out onto the dusty pavement liberated minimally bloodied and I’d toss them each their own ripe oranges to suck on like teats so they might understand how tart and mighty true life is to the tongue. * The city is known as Los Angeles.

11 October, 2018 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XXVII • Issue Two

6

SPOTLIGHT

THE CLAREMONT COOKIE CONTROVERSY A

An Investigation

By Kendall Lowery '22 Staff writer

s we settle into the comfort of familiar academic routine, we resume the everlasting debate of which consortium dining hall reigns supreme. After approximately one month of listening to conflicting and inconsistent opinions, I have decided to embark on the quest of settling this persistent culinary squabble. After much contemplation, I concluded that the only proper way to begin would be with a consortium-wide cookie evaluation. I sought companions who would supplement my assessment, finally gathering a crew that included students that encompassed all levels of culinary training and cookie preference, ranging from a cookie appreciator to a student who had attended 4 years of culinary school. Without further ado, here are my findings — do with them what you will:

Claremont Mckenna

pitzer

Coconut Cookie from Collins consumed at 5:45 p.m.

M&M Cookie from McConnell consumed at 6:15 p.m.

This cookie exceeded expectations on every front; its initial appearance of thinness and lack of pliability promoted initial unease, but the chocolate chips were gooey and the coconut nicely fortified its flavor. Even the selfproclaimed coconut-disliker of the group enjoyed its consumption.

Harvey Mudd *Fresh* Chocolate Chip from HochShanahan consumed at 6:00 p.m.

Say what you will about Mudd, but their cookie system is exceptional. They are consistently dishing out freshly baked cookies straight from the oven that maintain a crispness and firmness along their outer rim while simultaneously incorporating that essential gooiness that creates a great chocolate chip cookie.

Though they have a slightly chalky aftertaste and their less fresh counterparts attain a store-bought quality with age, a fresh Mudd cookie is not to be missed. Sidenote: these cookies would pair excellently with milk.

This cookie embodies an admirable level of reliability — what you see is what you get.

The M&Ms were nicely spaced and there was a proper level of crunchines within the texture; I was content while consuming this.

Chocolate Chip Cookie from McConnell consumed at 6:10 p.m.

The slightly crisp exterior of this cookie gave way to a surprisingly soft center, and its good salt content and pliability kept me invested in its experience. It embodies the many dualities that are important in the construction of a tasty cookie.

7

pomona

scripps

FRARY

*Disclaimer* : though I am still awaiting comment from Malott staff, I have heard from multiple sources that the oven that previously produced Scripps’ cookies has been reappropriated to cook food for the Simple Servings section of Malott, resulting in a tangible lack of fresh cookies.

Peanut Butter Cookie from Frary consumed at 6:35 p.m.

When we entered Frary, what initially seemed to be three full plates of a plentiful array of cookies was revealed to be composed of homogeneous peanut butter cookies. Though their size was promising, their texture resembled that of play dough and the presence of peanut flavor was limited to their lengthy aftertaste. They garnered the emotional invocation of a light shrug.

FRANK Lemon Cooler Cookie from Frank consumed at 6:20 p.m.

These cookies were radiant. They were the result of the epitome of proper baking technique, with a crisp outside fading into a tender center. Upon their initial division, a burst of lemon smell was released (a mere taste of what was to come), and they proved to embody a lemoniness that was both subtle and distinct, fortified by white chocolate chips and zest that rounded out its flavor.

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies from Frank consumed at 6:25 p.m.

Frank demonstrated exceptional baking technique yet again, exhibiting a cookie with a light, soft center surrounded by a crisp border. The cranberries punctuated the oatmeal like rubies amidst a wall of igneous rock, with a slightly cinnamony aftertaste that left me wanting more. I cannot tell if the lengthy trek to South Pomona ramped up my appetite, but Frank’s cookies were truly phenomenal.

OLDENBORG

I regret to report that Oldenborg was cookie-less on the days that I attempted to evaluate the cookie situation. Had they anticipated a scathing review and intentionally hidden the cookies upon my entrance into the dining hall? That’s for you to decide.

11 October, 2018 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XXVII • Issue Two

Sugar Cookie from Malott consumed at 5:45 p.m.

This cookie was disconcerting in its texture, flavor, and even its classification. This was a sugar cookie attempting in earnest to become a snickerdoodle, but falling dismally short. It invoked emotions of confusion and despondence, best described via this emoticon: ;( Chocolate Chip Cookie from Malott consumed at 5:50 p.m.

Again, this cookie’s lack of freshness lead to its downfall. Its density and dryness invoked a store-bought feel — they approached Famous Amos territory.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookie from Malott consumed at 5:50 p.m.

Despite its toughness, this cookie’s flavor profile was impeccable. Though it was not freshly baked, it was the perfect amount of chocolatey, gooey, and rich, and its utilization of both dark and white chocolate tricks its consumer into a perception of natural gooiness that evades the storebought quality that plagued Malott’s other cookies. If you go to Malott, this is the cookie you should select.

MY COOKIE RANKING: 1. Lemon Cooler Cookie from Frank 2. *Fresh* Chocolate Chip from Hoch-Shanahan 3. Oatmeal Cranberry Cookie from Frank