February 17, 2014

Special Edition

thescrippsvoice.com

February 17, 2014

The Scripps Voice

since 1996

Your School. Your Issues. Your Paper.

FRONT PAGE HEADLINE HERE AND HERE AND HERE AND HERE WEE

News or OpCalifornia Penal Code Section 490.7 Ed Column (a) The Legislature finds that free newspapers provide a key source of informationheadline to the public, in many

cases providing an important alternative to the news and ideas expressed in other local media sources. The

By Anissa Joonas ‘13 Legislature further finds that the unauthorized taking of multiple copies of free newspapers, whether done to Staff Writer sell them to recycling centers, to injure a business competitor, to deprive others of the opportunity to read them, or for any other reason, injures the rights of readers, writers, publishers, and advertisers, and impoverishes the marketplace of ideas in California. (b) No person shall take more than twenty-five (25) copies of the current issue of a free or complimentary newspaper if done with the intent to do one or more of the following: (1) Recycle the newspapers for cash or other payment.

(2) Sell or barter the newspaper.

(3) Deprive others of the opportunity to read or enjoy the newspaper.

(4) Harm a business competitor.

“[Ellen Browning] Scripps’s principles were straightforward. She believed in education and free speech, she was an advocate of women’s suffrage and women’s clubs, biology interested her, she abhorred discrimination and privilege, she favored temperance and world peace.”

Captions include a brief, clear description of the action in the photo written in the present tense. Include any relevant information as well to make the caption worth reading. Friday Sept. 13, 2013. Photo by Aidan-UC Harley San ‘16.

Diego Ellen Browning Scripps biography

By Anissa Joonas ‘13 Staff Writer

The First Amendment covers all forms of communication including music, theater, film and dance. The Constitution also protects actions that symbolically express a viewpoint. Examples of these symbolic forms of speech include wearing masks and costumes or holding a candlelight vigil.

-American Civil Liberties Union

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

California Education Code Section √94367 √ 94367. (a) No private postsecondary educational institution shall make or enforce a rule subjecting a student to disciplinary sanctions solely on the basis of conduct that is speech or other communication that, when engaged in outside the campus or facility of a private postsecondary institution, is protected from governmental restriction by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution or Section 2 of Article I of the California Constitution.

1030 Columbia Avenue | Claremont, CA 91711 | Box 386 email: scrippsvoice@gmail.com | Volume XVII | Issue Eight

2 • News

An open letter to the Scripps College students, faculty, staff, and administration Y

ou may be wondering why we decided to have a storyless front page for this issue to protest student censorship. You may think it’s dramatic, ridiculous, even unnecessary. And, trust us, we try to strike frivolity from this newspaper anytime we see it. By making our front page blank, by demonstrating against silencing of student voices here and everywhere, we are protesting not just against the disposal of our newspapers on Friday but against a number of policies and occurrences this year that have directly targeted and silenced Scripps students.

We are protesting the silencing of student opinions with the restarting of the LASPA Center hiring process without consulting or notifying students. We are protesting the blatant disregard of student opinions with the selection of the 2014 commencement speaker without the approval of the student committee tasked with making this decision.

We are protesting the college’s neglect of the fight that students are waging against classism and imperialism by the classist and imperialist over- and undertones of Scripps’ new campaign. We are protesting the indifference towards the voices of students, faculty, alumnae, and parents and the lack of respect for students’ visions for their own lives with last fall’s speedy passing of difficult barriers for students who wish to self-design their majors.

We are protesting the notion that there is one kind of leadership, one good way of expressing our thoughts, and that all Scripps students are of one mind. We are standing in solidarity with students protesting the lack of a Native American Studies program at the colleges, the lack of representation of

and support for students of color at Scripps, and the lack of serious discussions of class on campus. We are protesting these things in earnest, and we are demanding that we be heard.

As is often the case when a person’s rights are being denied, it is not useful to dwell on the intentions of the person who is denying that right, who is refusing to listen to those voices. The point is, after all, that someone knows they are silenced, and by concerning ourselves with the intentions of those in power, we are further ignoring and further silencing those whose voices are already being smothered.

We therefore turn our attention away from those who intentions are already well known, and we focus on student voices in this issue.

As a student publication, we often have to disclaim that the views expressed in The Scripps Voice do not necessarily reflect the views of Scripps College, or even of those of us on the editorial staff. However, in this issue, we would like to boldly assert that the views expressed in these pages do represent Scripps College—because without its students, this college would have no voices at all.

We blame no single person or entity for the transgressions laid out here; when a community fails its members, we are all at fault. That means, however, that we must work as a community to address these problems and prevent them from returning to our campus. As we demand that we be heard, we also urge our classmates to continue speaking out in their loudest voices, and we charge our administration not merely to hear us, but to match our words with the force of action consistent with them.

Sincerely, Megan Petersen ’15 and Aidan Harley ‘16 Editors-in-Chief

February 17, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Eight

Opinions & Editorials • 3

“AFFLUENZA”

The Scripps Voice Editors-in-Chief Aidan Harley Megan Petersen Advisor Sam Haynes Design Editors Elizabeth Lee Jessica Lin Elena Pinsker Copy Editors Ashley Minnis-Lemley Alexandra Vallas Photo Editor Emily Morris Business Manager Rosario Bennett

photo courtesy of Social Media Today

Webmaster Emily Morris

Defense shows classism alive and well in the United States

Multimedia Director Laurel Schwartz Columnists and Staff Writers Ashley Achee Lucy Altman-Newell Noor Asif Tamar Kaplar Natalie Camrud Nancy Herrera Stephanie Huang Kayon James Elizabeth Lee Meagan McIntyre Caroline Nelson Kara Odum Bailee Pelham Julia Thomas Christina Whalen Nicole Zwiener Staff Photographers Noor Asif Julia Black Tianna Sheih Nicole Zwiener Comments and letters can be sent to Scripps College The Scripps Voice, 1030 Columbia Ave, Box 386, Claremont, CA, 91711.

You can also email The Scripps Voice at scrippsvoice@gmail. com or visit our website at voice. scrippscollege.edu.

The Scripps Voice is a student forum and is not responsible for the opinions expressed in it.

By Elena Pinsker ‘17 Design Editor

I

n June 2013, a 16-year-old Texas boy got behind the wheel of a truck with three times the legal alcohol limit and traces of Valium flowing through his blood, driving 70 mph in a 40 mph area. Brian Jennings, Breanna Mitchell, Hollie Boyles, and Shelby Boyles were all killed that night. Yet, eight months later, he faces no jail time and virtually no repercussions for his crimes. You see, this 16-year-old boy was not only drunk and high when he got behind the wheel, he was also suffering from an affliction that a Texas court viewed as an explanation — and, seemingly, a justification — for his actions: “affluenza.”

The drunk driver claimed that being from a wealthy family meant that he was never taught that his actions had consequences — that he suffered from this “affluenza” — and thus could not be held responsible to face the consequences of his actions. Seeing the irony here? He now faces only 10 years

of probation and an unspecified amount of time in a rehabilitation facility paid for by his parents.

The Texas driver’s access to large amounts of money is seemingly the reason behind him “getting off easy” for the deaths of his four victims.

With regards to the Texas drunk driving case, it is baffling that such

“He suffered from this

“affluenza” — and thus could not be held responsible to face the consequences of his actions.” a weak and purely classist defense was able to spare a young killer the jail time that he deserves. The fame that he has received as a result of this “affluenza” perpetuates the idea that those who are wealthy are above the law — that having enough money can make it okay to quite literally get away with murder. Although

California Assemblyman Mike Gatto has called for this “affluenza” defense to be banned in this state, we cannot deny that classism still exists in the United States.

While the Texan teenager could have (and should have) been made an example to show the country that nothing, not even wealth, makes driving under the influence acceptable, his sentencing has done the opposite. It proves that, to the U.S. government, the four victims’ lives have a literal price — one that the teenager’s parents can easily afford. It sets the example that the wealthy are exempt from following the laws that govern the rest of the country, and establishes a dangerous precedent for the future. It is an insult to the families and friends of not only the four victims in this case, but everyone who has ever been affected by a drunk driver.

It seems that a trip to an expensive rehabilitation center is the price in Texas to pay for four lives, but it is unlikely that those who will never see their loved ones again agree.

February 17, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Eight

Opinions & Editorials • 4

Why scripps college should not invite speakers like

peggy noonan

By Aidan Harley ‘16 Editor-in-Chief

W

hen I asked Peggy Noonan during her questionand-answer session on Feb. 7 whether she considers herself a feminist, I was expecting the poetic, outdated answer that I got.

She said she believes in equality but was disillusioned with the feminist movement of the 1960s that came of age as she did.

While that was just the beginning of my day of interaction with Noonan, her answer, for me, set the tone of the whole afternoon and evening.

Noonan is an articulate, opinionated journalist who’s had a successful White House career that the “West Wing” junkie in me envies. The journalist in me should turn to her for advice and follow her lead. The message I got from the event encouraged this simplistic correlation. Because I am interested in politics and journalism, I should look up to this woman who has been successful in both arenas, regardless of our politics. Everything about that night seemed to be soaked in this message.

However, this event misunderstands what feminism is as much as Noonan does.

Feminism is not about fostering “girl power” at the expense of men. Feminism is about dismantling forms of oppression and hegemony that allows forms of oppression to thrive.

Women are not exempt from being called out when they oppress others or are complicit in

Peggy Noonan with Editors in Chief Aidan Harley ‘16 and Megan Peterson ‘15.

Photo courtesy of Mellissa Cross Harley

oppressive hegemonic projects.

It is the goal of intersectional feminism to end this idea of uncritical “girl power” rhetoric. And in inviting Noonan, a woman who is stuck on a definition of feminism that is over 50 years old, to speak here, Scripps has highlighted the fact that there is still a substantial part of our community, from students to administrators, that not only don’t identify as feminists, but also have no concept of the transformation feminism has undergone in the last 50 years. I did not anticipate such egregious ignorance at the level of a women’s

college, especially one with a gender and women studies requirement.

On a more traditionally political note, Peggy Noonan was not the most productive speaker because she does nothing to combat the so-called “liberal echo chamber” that is the Claremont Colleges, which seems to be the goal of the Elizabeth Hubert Malott speaker series. I do not have to refute the faulty logic of Noonan’s assessments of the current political climate—every reputable and not-so-reputable news source has done it for me, hundreds of times. She is not taken seriously in the majority

of political discussions, especially in academic ones. Her conclusions, both in her writing and in her talk, rest on personal anecdotes, her layman’s understanding of politics, and her memories of working in the administration of Saint Ronald Reagan. As a student of politics who is a walking left-wing indoctrination parody—nose ring and all—it is unreasonable to think that Noonan’s insightful “perspective” is in any way going to make me think critically about my political beliefs.

But you know what might? A serious, conservative academic who has published books that are used in classrooms. Invite a Chicagoan economics academic to come speak—we idealistic, Scripps, pinko commies can’t dismiss such a person’s views the way we can and did dismiss Noonan’s. Noonan is a speechwriter turned political talking head and Fox News favorite. If the goal of the Malott Speaker Series is to spark dialogue, the selection committee should invite a speaker whose work is relevant to the work with which Scripps students base their political beliefs.

Regardless, Noonan’s visit was still an evening of perspective for me. The smaller question and answer session was almost devoid of racial and material diversity. Garrison was filled with smartly dressed members of the extended Claremont community, though members of Scripps’ Politics Department were surprisingly absent.

February 17, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Eight

Opinions and Editorials • 5

PRO SCRIPPS CAMPAIGN: WHY I WANT MORE

Meghan Gallagher ’15 Guest Contributor

I

love this school. I am grateful everyday that I am privileged enough to live here and to learn here. I am continually inspired by incredible Scripps women who challenge my beliefs and broaden my horizons. Scripps has undoubtedly shaped my identity (both in and out of the classroom) and for that I will be forever thankful.

When I heard news of The Campaign for Scripps College and how it boldly states that “We Want More,” I was ecstatic. I do want more for Scripps, and that’s not something I am ashamed of. Ambition is not a bad thing. Progress is not a bad thing.

All too often women and girls are conditioned to self-sacrifice and put aside their own needs for the needs of others. We are taught that part of being “good” and gracious means accepting what we are given and being satisfied, settling for what other people are willing to give instead of fighting for what we want. This

I am a firm believer that you can’t campaign slogan is bold and maybe a little bit obnoxious, but clearly help anybody until you first help we need a push. For those feeling yourself. I plan on doing incredible guilty about the college’s request things with my life. I plan on changing for progress, I ask if the same kind the world and I believe I can make of backlash would be occurring at a a difference. I also believe that this coed school? To me, this discomfort change needs to start at home, where we are socialized surrounding and educated. We ambition is I plan on doing need to combat a distinctly this notion g e n d e r e d incredible things with that as women phenomenon my life. I plan on o f a w o m e n ’s and one that changing the world and institution, we students should must settle for be questioning.

I believe I can make less than our Wa n t i n g m o r e a difference. I also male-dominated o p p o r t u n i t y, believe that this change counterparts. j u s t i c e , innovation, and needs to start at home, W h a t k i n d o f knowledge for my where we are socialized w o r l d w o u l d we live in if no school and myself and educated. one demanded does not mean justice? Or if no that I care any less about global literacy or accurate one fought for opportunity and representation for Native Americans. knowledge? We can’t just hide in In fact, I would argue that my Scripps our courtyard gardens lamenting education makes me distinctly more the state of the world, we need to actively and aggressively combat qualified to tackle these issues.

injustice, and I think that starts with the radical notion of wanting (and asking for) more. So I ask my fellow Scripps students to question why they feel so uneasy and outraged by this new campaign and to challenge patriarchal ideas about what we as women do and do not deserve. I think that we deserve progress, and I am not afraid to ask for it.

got an opinion?

WRITE TO US! If you would like to be a guest contributor, send us an email at editors@ thescrippsvoice.com

feminism and cultural appropriation Kayon James ’16 Feminism Columnist

C

ultural appropriation cannot be recognized unless the culture being appropriated is recognized as such. African-American cultural appropriation has been influenced primarily by two different forces whose histories are inextricably intertwined. One is a White-American impulse to view African-American culture as non-existent. This is a continual impulse that produces a continual extermination: both of literal bodies through economic imperialism and human spirits through cultural appropriation.

As a result, a cloud of shame has hung over many African-American communities that causes them to reject and distance themselves from the culture of impoverished members. As a Black woman, I can say that there are many parts of me that didn’t want to mark Kimberly “Sweet Brown” Wilkins’ “Ain’t nobody got time for that” as a product of Black culture, but it is.

As a working-class woman of culture, the news segment resonates with me, often many times in a single

day. “Ain’t nobody got time for that” rings true in a world where time literally is money for those who are viewed as human cogs in a machine of capitalism. From slaves, to sharecroppers, to wage

For African-Americans to fight against cultural appropriation, Black folk must first work together in solidarity to dismantle the chains of shame that cause us to internalize the poverty and deprivation that has been imposed on us. History must be acknowledged before healing can begin. earners, to police targets, to slaves in the Prison Industrial Complex.

“Ain’t nobody got time for that”, but “that” is something which cannot be contained. Whether it be bronchitis

or police brutality, “Ain’t nobody got time for that” is a saying that many African-American can chuckle and relate to (once the shame of Sweet Brown’s state-induced poverty subsides).

Respectability politics are the practices that Black people living in America have adopted as an attempt to protect themselves from being viewed as less valuable, respectable, and worthy than Whites. It involves a rejection of all things marked as “ghetto”, “poor”, and of the “dark side” of urban life. This rejection, however, leads to the obstruction of the fact that a historical deprivation of resources is an inextricable part of African-American culture, and it was never our fault. Deprivation requires a depriver, a subjugator — an overseer constantly using threats of violence to keep you in place, so entangled in fear and scars that you are left with little strength to fight against your deprivation. For African-Americans to fight against cultural appropriation, Black folk must first work together in solidarity to dismantle the chains of shame that cause us to internalize the poverty

and deprivation that has been imposed upon us. “It was never your fault.” History must be acknowledged before healing can begin. Redlining, racial profiling, and a refusal to acknowledge the wrong done against Black folk are all “histories of the present” that continue to impact our lives. There would be no shame in our accents or mannerisms if there weren’t associations with secondclass personhood attached to it. We must first acknowledge whose gaze truly contains this taint and how we internalize it before we can fight against the caricatures of our people.

If African-American patois dialects were recognized as language, there would be no tolerance of its implementation by non-Black folk for “sassy” or comic effect. If we recognized the fear contained in White imperial gazes when they viewed the strength of Black womanhood, we would never accept how it is continually mocked. If we recognized that African-American culture is a source of value, strength, and support, we would never allow it to be appropriated and deprived of its significance.

February 17, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Eight

Special Report • 7

6 • Special Report

Classism Matters — Help Create the Student Advocacy Group Addressing It

Felicia Agrelius ’17 Guest Contributor

C

ollege is supposed to be the great equalizer for lifting highachieving students out of poverty and into the world of the upper class.

Once we’re here on our generous financial aid (that everyone should be so jealous of…don’t you wish your parents couldn’t pay for their children’s education, too?) classism is presented as a problem that should no longer apply to us.

But that only works if you really believe that the green grass (unsustainable?), charming (appropriative?) architecture, cleaned-daily (by whom?) residence halls, and instantly available food actually create an oasis where we could all be free of the oppression and marginalization that exists “outside of the Claremont Bubble.”

Scripps students read about oppression and analyze how it impacts the world outside of Claremont, but when our institution is at fault change falls to the wayside. But we know Scripps is no utopia: LASPA director searches get restarted. Funds continue to be mismanaged although all we need

is More. We have Indigenous and Native American studies courses and no department. There are startlingly few resources for disabled students.

Classism, too, is affecting the Scripps community in very real and immediate ways.

Classism affects me when I could not buy my textbooks online or on time because my book stipend did not come in the mail until classes had already started discussing the readings.

Classism affects me when the reimbursement system expects that I have money to spend for clubs and then am able to wait for the school to pay me back. Not everyone has money to spare, and club funds should be handed off proactively instead of retroactively.

Classism affects me when I go to work at one of my three jobs on campus. I am financially reliant on myself and need to pay for things like laundry and textbooks. My need to be very aware of how I spend the money I make is gloriously juxtaposed with the endless Claremont Cash refills that some students seem to get. Swiping an ID card instead of trading actual dollars

seems to be a visual equalizer for the various classes. But not everyone has the same amount of Claremont Bubble dollars as everyone else. We should probably stop trivializing our money even though it seems kind of like Monopoly money. It is, after all, money that comes from somewhere, whether that’s your own paycheck or your family’s.

But I’m not writing this to criticize how people spend their money.

I’m writing this because it’s time to bring conversations about socioeconomic class to Scripps.

The aggressions committed on our campus need to stop being ignored and unnoticed. We need to stop shouldering our financial statuses in silence and come together to make a safe and comfortable community for everyone.

These pleas are not just being written here then forgotten. The examples that I’ve written about are only a few ways that I have been directly impacted—this isn’t the Lower Class Experience at Scripps. In fact, I want to hear about how classism affects others on campus, and I want us to create an organization that mobilizes Scripps

students to solve institutionalized marginalization, creates dialogue, and empowers the working class without tokenizing or trivializing our experiences.

February 26 at 6:30 p.m. in the SCORE living room is the first meeting of the new working-class advocacy group that will soon be officially recognized on campus.

Join us in discussing its mission and structure. There is a Facebook group, Classy, that you can also join to receive updates on our progress.

It’s a space where you can get involved by voicing concerns, ideas, or anything else. Contact me, Felicia Agrelius, for more information.

Currently, there are parts of Scripps that are damagingly classist and both students and the administration realize that it is a huge problem. There is no organization to address this, so we are creating one. We need to work together and with other student advocacy groups to empower each other on issues of class and its intersection with other forms of oppression.

Change is happening. Take part in it.

February 17, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Eight

an open letter from aasu To the Scripps College community: On February 16, a group of concerned students representing multiple CLORGs on campus came together to form the Scripps Coalition Against More in reaction to President Lori Bettison-Vargra’s decision to re-start the search for the LASPA Founding Director. The LASPA Center is the priority project in the We Want More campaign, and LBV’s rejection of Margaret Okazawa-Rey was a rejection not only of an outstanding candidate for Founding Director, but of the values of social justice and community voice that Dr. Okazawa-Rey embodied in her work. The decision discarded months of work by students, faculty, staff, and alumae who overwhelmingly advocated for her inauguration, in effect silencing the Scripps community that the LASPA Center and the We Want More campaign is supposed to serve. As students at Scripps, we are taught to think critically. Thus, we are forced to question who this campaign is truly serving, and what kind of vision LBV and the administration have for both the LASPA Center and the future of Scripps College. Signed, The Scripps Coalition Against More FMI, or to voice your concerns: whowantsmore2014@gmail.com and whowantsmore2014.tumblr.com

February 17, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Eight

8 • Student Life

Scripps Advocates for Survivors of Sexual Assault Launch student-operated hotline

By Lucy Altman-Newell ‘17 Staff Writer

S

cripps Advocates for Survivors of Sexual Assault, already a very visible presence on campus, became even more visible on February 15 when the group, founded in Fall 2013, launched their student help hotline. In addition to hosting events which promote safe, positive, and consensual sex, and which examine sexuality and other intersections of identity in the media (such as the event “Miley Cyrus: Cultural Appropriation, Racism, and Slut-

shaming in the Media), Advocates will be providing peer support through the support line. The line(909) 214-2138- is open from 8 p.m. 8 a.m. seven days a week. Those who need support outside of these times can go to Monsour Counseling at the Claremont Colleges (open 8am-5pm Monday through Friday for walk-ins or by appointment (909) 621-8202; after hours, call Campus Safety at (909) 607-2000), or call the Project Sister Family Services hotline at (909) 623-1619 or the House of Ruth hotline at (909) 623-4364.

Advocates — as well as the other

organizations listed above— is such a critical group because, explains Advocates Secretary Maddy Klein ’15, “The first disclosure [of sexual assault] has the most impact on how a healing process will go, so a positive validation and support on the phone can be key.”

Every member of Scripps Advocates has gone through extensive training and has passed an exit interview.

Advocates are trained on topics such as crisis intervention, causes of sexual violence, Rape Trauma Syndrome, and issues of intersectionality and how this effects the likelihood

of becoming a victim of sexual assault; participate in listening workshops; and learn how to take care of themselves when they get emotionally overwhelmed. “We’re lucky to have an amazingly dedicated group of people who attend weekly trainings and meetings,” says Klein of Advocates. “They’re great.”

Those interested in Advocates can find more info on Facebook or by emailing non-emergency questions to scrippsadvocates@gmail.com.

Interested in becoming an Advocate?

Applications are due April 4 by email or via hard copy at SCORE.

why scripps should induct margo okazawa-Rey as laspa center director

By Kayon James ‘16 Feminist Columnist

I

have enjoyed a rather privileged existence during my time here at Scripps. Since my times as a prospective student, I have strolled through the rose garden and relaxed in the perfectly manicured grass.

Walking throughout the dorms as a first-year student, I marvelled at the exquisite architecture. The view from Browning’s browsing room balcony imbued a sense of peace even during the most turbulent of times.

As a first-generation college student, I have often been told to make the best of whatever resources I can acquire here. At the Turf Dinner last year I ran about, amazed at the clubs I could join for free and the facilities I could use.

“Exprimir” was a word one friend taught me. “Squeeze every last drop you can out of this place.”

And this is why I have done my best accomplish during my time here as a student. Four years flies by fast, and I won’t experience the full privileges of a Claremont University Consortium Student forever: the free counselling services, the easy trips to the Student Health Services, the free gym use — everything comes and passes, so I am grateful to Scripps for the time I have to enjoy it all.

It is with this spirit of gratitude and

love that I wish for the advancement of Scripps. Some students and administration may remark that Scripps can be viewed as especially commendable when compared to other colleges and universities; but comparing oneself to contemporaries always slows and inhibits progress.

The Scripps College website describes the vision of its founder, Ellen Browning Scripps, as such: “At Scripps, every woman has the chance to pioneer new paths: to engage her imagination, explore her own potential, and encourage her own style of leadership in an environment that supports independent thinking, creativity, and personal expression.”

This constant repetition of the words “her own” creates a sense that established norms are hardly an acceptable path for Scripps students to follow. They may provide reference points and inspiration, but they should not be replicated.

As this declaration implies, they should be revolutionized and imbued with new life instead. In light of a baffling announcement that the search for a Founding Director of the LASPA center would be relaunched, President Lori Bettison-Varga cited “broad and diverse expectations” as the reason. The email stated that “an ambiguity” was created “that left more questions than answers”.

The statement reminds of moments

in Professor Chris Guzaitis’ Queer Theory courses when students would gather together and sort through poststructural ideas. We would become more and more agitated as we never found solid conclusions in our readings. I remember how students often complained that we were essentially “only creating more

“At Scripps, every woman has the chance to pioneer new paths: to engage her imagination, explore her own potential, and encourage her own style of leadership in an environment that supports independent thinking, creativity, and personal experession.” questions rather than answers”.

In light of this, Professor Guzaitis would often respond by stating that this was the essential goal of poststructuralism: constant inquiry.

The theories we read often challenged us to question the normativity around us and generate historical genealogies of our current

moment.

In this light, I believe that Scripps, as both an institution and student body, should always have a spirit of constant questioning. It is within “broad and diverse expectations” that we can grow and and develop rather than the fruitless soil of “narrow and limited expectations”.

There should always be more questions than answers; and if there aren’t, then the answers themselves should be questioned as well.

When students signed the petition to select Margo Okazawa-Rey, a renowned scholar and activist, to become Founding Director of the LASPA Center for leadership, we were (and still are) certain that she would help to establish this spirit here at Scripps.

As shown through the experiences and positions listed in her curriculum vitae, we believe that Dr. OkazawaRey would have helped us to establish “own style of leadership in an environment that supports independent thinking”.

We voiced our opinions in our petition, and had them cast aside during a decisive relaunch whose motivations can never be discerned.

While living in a Southern California paradise, many Scripps students are left to wonder: What kind of spirit is truly to be imbued upon us during our time here?

February 17, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Eight

Arts and Culture • 9

heart of darkness

By Caroline Nelson ‘16 TV Columnist

I

n an episode of “Top of the Lake,” Jane Campion’s darkly beautiful miniseries, one of the characters explains that, according to Maori legend, at the bottom of the titular lake there beats the heart of a demon.

From what we’ve seen of the lake and the community around it, this fits right in.

The miniseries, which appeared on Sundance last year, stars Elizabeth Moss as a detective investigating the disappearance of a pregnant twelve year-old.

She grew up in this town, or so we’re told (Moss’s accent would suggest that she has just come there by way of a less than stellar dialogue coach).

She is aided by David Wenham’s “local” head of police, if by local we are meant to understand Sydney. Dodgy accents aside, both are serviceable leads,

Photos courtsey of Metro.co.uk

in the latter case definitely more than serviceable. I’ve always found Elizabeth Moss rather bland as an actress, but in this case a certain blank inscrutability does her good. Wenham is a fascinating creature, equally plausible as white knight and mustache twirling villain and every shade of grey in between. In this role he is both charming and repellent depending on the moment and from which angle you look at him.

Honorable mention should also be made of Holly Hunter’s turn as a guru whose ramblings tread the line between profundity and insanity. With her gravely voice and her usual ferocity, she owns each scene she gets.

The reception this miniseries has gotten from male critics has a patronizing thread to it, best exemplified by one critic’s joke in a list of best television of 2013 that this was a perfect show

for people who used the word patriarchy on a regular basis.

Though “Top of the Lake” is a story about sexual abuse and misogyny, it is irritatingly reductive to write it off as a misandrist rant. Aside from the usual issue of writing off anything deemed a women’s story or women’s show, a reading this straightforward fails to grasp the twisted, dreamlike logic of the work. The New Zealand wilderness evoked

by Campion is a primal and hostile place where, although the supernatural would not be out of place, the audience is not offered the easy out given by its spiritual forebearer, David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks.”

That show’s explanation of demonic possession is actually comforting; we like to dwell on monsters but who are we kidding?

Something would have to be pretty bad to outclass humans.

stephanie huang visits “wasteland”: the west coast’s “beacon’s closet”

By Stephanie Huang ‘16 Fashion Columnist

H

aving given my take on vintage haven Beacon’s Closet in New York a few issues back, I decided to shed light on my opinion of the West Coast holy grail equivalent: Wasteland.

I stopped by the Wasteland on Melrose last Valentine’s Day for a little self-loving (jokes, it was actually just coincidental). Melrose is my personal favorite L.A. location, as it has more selection than the Santa Monica location has. Like many vintage/cosignment stores, Wasteland offers both a selection of high-end (from rag & bone to Maison Martin Margiela) and retail store (like Urban Outfitters) that are either gently worn or from past seasons as well as very unique vintage finds.

The one aspect that seems to distinguish Wasteland from all other consignment stores, like the common favorite Crossroads Trading

Photos courtsey of Yelp and WithoutMelissa.blogspot.com

Co., is that it also carries a range of new brands that are often only found online, such as UNIF, Kelsi Dagger, Australian import somedays lovin’, Swedish import Cheap Monday, etc.

In the same way, apart from having multiple locations, Wasteland has an online store as well.

Because Wasteland has the option of buying new,

consigned, or vintage, shopping can often satisfy a group of people with diverse likes and interests, and friends with completely different spending habits will all be able to find something that makes them happy.

While prices are reasonable for what you’re getting (often, designer pieces at tenths of the

original price), prices at thrift stores in general, especially at Wasteland, have seen an increase over the years. Due to the increasing popularity of thrift stores (I blame Macklemore) and Wasteland’s growing reputation as a cult favorite, prices still can be a bit steep at times, with some pairs of designer denim (J Brand, Vince) still marked at $65.

February 17, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Eight

However, I see Wasteland as more of an experience, because even when I walk away with nothing, like I did last Valentine’s Day, just being able to curate your own collection of styles from such a diverse selection can be satisfying in itself.

Plus, there’s always good food on Melrose to fill the unavoidable and insatiable appetites right after.

10 • News

scripps welcomes “the feminist wire

writers for round-table discussion

Contributing Editor Sikivu Hutchinson.

Photo courtesy of “The Feminist Wire”

By Natalie Eisen ‘17 Staff Writer

O

n the evening of February 13th, several editors and writers for “The Feminist Wire” came to Scripps for a discussion on the website, its foudning, its mission, and its structure. The round table featured Tamura A. Lomax, co-founder and managing editor; Monica J. Casper, managing editor; Aishah Shahidah Simmons, associate editor; and Sikivu Hutchinson, contributing editor.

“The Feminist Wire” was born from a moment where racism, sexism, and the media collided.

Lomax described feeling a “need to intervene,” because no one was interested in the black feminist side of the story. “We set out to create a space for that other side of the story,” she continued.

Casper would go on to detail the “invisible labor” involved in creating that space. “We all get very, very tired,” she said. All writers for “The Feminist Wire” are volunteers—they contribute to the website in their free time (many of them work in academia or have families), and are not compensated for their work.

Casper described the website as a “collective.” “Nobody owns The Feminist Wire,” she said. “It just lives.” This collective structure does require what Casper described as a “tremendous amount of trust,” as well as “love and collaboration.” With no one person in charge, everyone must rely on one another to have work completed on time that fulfills the standards of the website.

“We have each other’s back,” Simmons continued, “even when we don’t agree.” She elaborated on

Associate Editor Aishah Shahidah Simmons.

Photo courtesy of “The Feminist Wire”

Founding Editor Tamura A. Lomax.

Photo courtesy of “The Feminist Wire”

the “invisible labor” necessary for The Feminist Wire to remain online.

Although the editors are constantly in touch, they rarely, if ever, meet in person. Instead, they hash out all details of the website via email and chat. Some of the editors at the roundtable met for the first time that night, a fact that inspired laughter from both the round table and the audience.

Simmons sobered quickly, though. She explained that what made the Wire unique was that they were willing to “pull out and tease various issues” in a way particular to the website. This often involves the creation of forums, where several people will look at an issue from different perspectives. This process often requires many people, but the collective is incredibly thoughtful when it comes to adding new

members. This is true whether they are writers or editors— after all, Simmons said, they “try to embody the work we produce on the site.”

This work includes not only work from collective-approved writers but also pieces from college, high school, and middle school students.

Hutchinson is an especially strong force behind getting young voices on the site— she is incredibly interested in the issues of young women of color in the LA area, whose voices are systematically silenced. Because of this, these voices that aren’t normally given a chance to speak are often presented on The Feminist Wire. The round table ended with a Q&A session before the editors and the audience dispersed.

Managing Editor Monica J. Casper.

Photo courtesy of “The Feminist Wire”

February 17, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Eight

11 • Opinions & Editorials

Emerging Markets and Currency Devaluation 2.

1.

1

50

1

Rupee

USD

=

USD

62.5

=

Rupee

4.

3.

PRICE OF EXPORTS

FOREIGN INVESTMENTS INFLATION

PRICE OF IMPORTS

Kara Odum ’15 Economics Columnist

E

conomies worldwide have been struggling to recover after the 2008 financial crisis, with many still dealing with repercussions over six years later. Emerging markets have been hit especially hard, and are now resorting to rash economic maneuvers to maintain the minimal gains they have made over the past year. Several countries, including India, Turkey, Russia, Vietnam, and South Africa, have been resisting a decline in exports by artificially deflating their currency. Currency devaluation is when a country enacts “a deliberate downward adjustment to the value of a country’s currency, relative to another currency,” which in this case is the US dollar or euro (Investopedia). Unlike currency depreciation, devaluation

is a monetary policy tool used by countries with a fixed exchange rate to combat trade imbalances and difference in imports and exports.

Monetary policy is enacted by central banks to control the money supply and set policy affecting imports and exports. When an individual country devalues its currency, that country’s exports become cheaper while imports become more expensive; this has the effect of boosting the local economy by promoting consumption of domestic goods.

However, there are several drawbacks to devaluation, which include the risk of declining foreign investments, rising inflation, and disabling the import of necessary commodities.

Foreign investors look for currency appreciation in emerging markets; however, with wide spread currency devaluation, capital will be allocated

IMPORTS OF NECESSARY GOODS less efficiently. Also, with the cost of imports rising, domestic markets will become less efficient due to a decrease in competition.

Higher import costs will also create problems for countries that are not self-sufficient and rely upon imports of necessary commodities such as fuel and food.

With rapidly increasing prices, the central banks will have to subsidize imports in order to get necessary supplies to citizens, but some governments only have the funds to carry this out for a few months before they either have to change policy or the World Bank will have to step in.

The lower cost of exports also has its price since an increase in demand for domestic goods will lead to inflation currently shown by Vietnam, which is experiencing a 1-month high for inflation.

While this strategy might work temporarily for one country, this simultaneous devaluation will ultimately fail to have a lasting impact. As more and more countries devalue their currencies, more goods are exported at lower costs, which increases global competition.

After a while all of the participating countries are back where they started after losing the competitive edge gained by devaluation. This is a classic game theory conundrum: it is in each country’s best interest to devalue their currency, since they will enjoy temporary gains and will miss out if they don’t. But eventually, the benefits will cease. The strategy will ultimately lead to a state where the countries will suffer from inflation, inability to import necessary goods, and decrease foreign long-term investment.

February 17, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Eight

12 • Student Life

sochi mishaps outshine olympic athletics Tamar Kaplan ’16 Staff Writer

I

t’s Olympics 2014, folks! A time when people worldwide emulate patriotism for their respective countries while also joining together to marvel at the incredible athleticism of the participants. This year’s Winter Olympics have taken on a new theme, however, as people focus more on the shortcomings of Sochi than on the sports themselves.

The International Olympic Committee has had its hands full with problems ranging from weather difficulties to guest accommodations, and no one has let them forget it.

The weather has proven to be a major issue for the outdoor sports.

Sochi is located in the southern part of Russia and therefore has a much warmer climate. The temperature on Monday reached 61 degrees

Fahrenheit and is expected to continue as such for the duration of the games.

Such temperatures are problematic for skiing and snowboarding because the snow has become too soft and slushy.

The subpar conditions have already led to several critical injuries suffered by athletes from both sports. Consequently, other participants have removed themselves from events out of fear for their safety.

Athletes including American snowboarder Shaun White have made their frustrations well known as the higher temperatures prevent them from practicing before the competitions. As a result, they must adjust to the courses during the events themselves, performing below what they would have if the courses were up to usual Olympic standards.

The International Olympic Committee is downplaying the issue and attempting to remedy the weather conditions by bringing in snow machines and snow saved from last winter. Even with the reserves, time constraints for repairs have led to less than ideal half-pipes and ski courses.

Unfortunately for the athletes, the shortcomings of the Russian government and the Olympic committee have essentially placed the results of the competition beyond their control. The weather problems have placed athletics on the backburner, as the medals are awarded less for ability and more for who is lucky enough to perform before the course becomes useless and dangerous mush.

Athletes are not the only ones disappointed with the conditions.

Visitors from around the world

have been complaining about Sochi and they’ve taken their virtual torches and pitchforks to social media. A twitter account entitled “SochiProblems” has already gained more than 320,000 followers on twitter.

While some posts are congratulatory tweets to athletes, most are complaints about the disorganized and at times unsanitary conditions. While many people have found the satirical works amusing, Sochi locals whose home is being mocked and who actually have to continue living in the poor conditions are unimpressed.

Right now it seems as if no one is satisfied with how the games are going. Hopefully the committee will have all of the kinks worked out soon so that both the participants and viewers can focus on the Olympics’ true purpose: the athletics.

cms women’s sports schedule februrary 20

februrary 21

Swimming & Diving: SCIAC Championships @ Commerce, 10:30 a.m. (diving only) W a t e r P o l o v. H a w a i i @ H o m e , 7:00 p.m.

B a s k e t b a l l v. R e d l a n d s @ H o m e , 7:30 p.m.

februrary 26

Swimming & Diving: SCIAC Championships @ Commerce, 9:00/5:00

februrary 28

L a c r o s s e v. O c c i d e n t a l @ H o m e , Zinda Field, 7:00 p.m.

Te n n i s @ L a V e r n e , 2 : 0 0 p . m .

februrary 22 Swimming & Diving: SCIAC Championships @ Commerce, 9:00/5:00 Tr a c k & F i e l d : 1 8 t h R o s s i Relays, 11:00 a.m.

S o f t b a l l v. C h a p m a n @ H o m e , 2:00 p.m.

Basketball @ Cal Lutheran, 7:00 p.m.

februrary 23 S w i m m i n g & D i v i n g v. S C I A C Championships @ Commerce, 9:00/5:00

march 1

march 2

Swimming & Diving: NCAA Diving Preliminaries @ Grinnell College W a t e r P o l o v. O c c i d e n t a l @ Home, 11:00 a.m.

S o f t b a l l v. W h i t t i e r @ H o m e , 2:00 p.m.

Swimming & Diving: NCAA Diving Preliminaries @ Grinnell College

from the sas faculty staff relations chair Max Greenberg ’14 SAS Faculty Staff Relations Chair

T

he SAS Faculty Staff Relations Chair’s job is to facilitate communication between the faculty, staff, and students on campus. I have been working hard this year to create better modes of direct communication, plan fun events, and bring students’ ideas and opinions to faculty and the administrations’ attention. I am always open to student, staff, and faculty ideas and input, so if you have something to say, let me know!

Here are some updates on what I’m doing this semester: Last semester, I started the Cook with Malott series, where students

got to learn how to cook fun dishes with Malott’s head chef, Garrick; he has been so helpful and generous with his time and resources. These cooking workshops are a fun way for students to interact with staff and learn a new skill. This semester we will have another session of Cook with Malott, so look out for it and sign up (it fills up fast)!

I am also working on having a BeHeard forum with faculty next month. The forum’s aim is to foster open dialogue between faculty and students in a casual, comfortable space. If you have any ideas for topics that you want to discuss with faculty, email me at mgreenbe7973@scrippscollege.edu.

The Barbara and Scott Bice Faculty-Student Dialogue Fund is a fantastic resource for non-academic faculty-student interaction. If you want to have dinner, see a movie and discuss it, or go bowling with a professor, you can get funding to do it through this fund! Faculty and students can apply for extracurricular events that foster conversation and relationships both academic and personal.

The deadline to apply is March 7 at 5 p.m. SAS has a card-writing station for Professor Chris Guzaitis, who resigned this semester, to thank her for her time at Scripps and all of the wonderful things she did for our community. She was

extremely involved in clubs and organizations on campus, chaired the FGSS department, and was a mentor, advisor, and friend to so many students on campus. SAS is providing thank you cards in Seal Court for you to sign. However, if you missed your chance and would like to send her a card, picture, or video to her, feel free to send me an email at There will be another faculty, staff, and student mixer this March in the Margaret Fowler garden, which is another great way to have conversations with faculty and staff in a more casual and comfortable setting.

February 17, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Eight