Feb 6, 2014

February 6, 2014

voice.scrippscollege.edu

The Scripps Voice

since 1996

Your School. Your Issues. Your Paper.

a look at scripps’ new campaign: do we want more?

the grass is greener at scripps

By Natalie Camrud ‘17 Staff Writer

S

With the new Scripps College fundraising campaign have come mixed reactions to the slogan “We Want More.” Some students believe it is inappropriate for such a privileged college to ask for “more.” Photos by Lucy Altman-Newell ‘17.

By Lucy Altman-Newell ‘17 Staff Writer

E

ach and every morning when I walk out of the intricately lovely Toll Hall to start my day, the beauty of Scripps College strikes me, no matter how much else is on my mind.

The well-kept orange trees lining the walkways, which wind among beautiful buildings, astonishing gardens, and manicured lawns; the mountains; the blue skies; the happy students — all are daily reminders that I am exceedingly privileged to be able to call such a beautiful place my home.

Yet beginning at the end of last semester when the “We Want More” fundraising campaign was launched, black and white banners demanding “more justice,” “more knowledge,” “more beauty,” “more truth,” “more opportunity,” “more innovation,” and “more leadership” appeared all around campus, detracting from the

Inside This Issue:

beauty of Scripps College, and leaving many students uneasy or downright infuriated.

“Of course we want to raise more funds,” says Hannah Huston (’17). “But proclaiming ‘we want more’ sounds so ridiculously bratty that I’m embarrassed by it.”

She’s not the only one who feels this way. Ali Smith (’17) says, “It makes us seem as though our faculty and student body are sitting around and complaining about our already very well-off and privileged school, and not actually putting the work in to get the things that we are legitimately lacking. Especially when looking at the boards where students were asked to write the things that we want more of, and seeing that they are primarily complaints about petty things like our limited selection of dining hall salad dressings.”

Page 8 - Arts & Culture

TV Columnist Caroline Nelson ‘16 reviews HBO’s “Girls”

page 5

Several students have also pointed out the classism of the campaign.

Says Aidan Harley (’16) “While I cringe at the words ‘we want more,’ and the blatancy with which we are demanding more money, I think it ironically highlights how little we talk about and understand material wealth and material privilege on this campus. I wait for the day when this school can have an honest conversation not only about the ways in which class is quietly but firmly asserted on campus, but also the ways in which our school operates that assumes all students are materially privileged.” This concept struck Isabella Rosett (’17) and her family just as strongly: “When my dad first got the promotional letter with the [we want more] motto on it, he texted me saying, ‘Sorry Scripps, you already have all my money and my only daughter, not much else I continued on page 2

Page 10 - Arts & Culture

Take a look at the 70th Scripps College Ceramics Annual

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

outhern California has always been known for its sunny skies and arid climate. But lately things have been a little too dry, and at this point everybody is wishing for a rainy day.

2013 was the driest year on record for California, and so far 2014 is no different. On January 17, Governor Jerry Brown officially declared California in a drought state of emergency. The lack of rain and subsequent drought has led to rampant wildfires that have come as close to the 5C’s as Glendora and Orange County.

Everyone at Scripps, myself included, loves the bright green grass covering our campus, but a little twinge of guilt goes through me whenever I hear the sprinklers go off in the morning or when I see the marshy puddles of excess water by the sidewalk.

Scripps Associated Student (SAS) Sustainability Chair Leah Hochberg wrote to The Scripps Voice that certain areas “are over-seeded to ensure that they remain green yearround” so that they are presentable for events like Commencement and Alumnae Weekend and create that distinctive, vibrant green covering the Scripps campus. “These areas are watered during the day in the beginning of the semester so the new seeds will sprout,” continued Hochberg. “But once the grass begins to grow, the watering schedule reverts to its usual nightly operation.” She added that sprinkler use during the day is often to check whether the sprinklers are functional.

The Director of Grounds Lola Trafecanty is aware of the issues surrounding water conservation, and has recommended lawn removal at continued on page 2

Page 12 - Arts & Culture

See photos from the Pomona Art Museum

2 • News

scripps’ “we want more” campaign continued from page 1 can give.’ Now that’s all I can think of when I see those banners.”

But beyond this, publicly proclaiming that “we want more” means, in the words of President Bettison-Varga, “no complacency.

No settling. It means taking on the challenge of victories not yet won.

Discoveries not yet made. Answers not yet found,” is in direct conflict with what many Scripps students believe in. Certainly it seems to go against everything I and other firstyears learned in Core I this past semester. Affirms a Scripps student who prefers to remain anonymous, “Beyond the sense of discontent and greed suggested by the slogan, it seemed to undermine the values that were emphasized in Core I and other Scripps courses. I had been encouraged to recognize and to question privilege, to appreciate more than I ever had before my access to such wonderful academic opportunities when such chances are unavailable to such a large portion of the world’s population, by no fault of their own. After discussions regarding the unjust distribution of power, the need to strive for equity and to recognize and correct exploitative patterns currently apportioning power, it seemed like ‘WE WANT MORE’ was the wrong way to share the Scripps vision.”

In fact, during our unit on colonialism, right before a lecture regarding the genocide and

Photo by Lucy Altman-Newell ‘17.

subsequent misrepresentation of Native Americans and their culture, a flyer [see above] appeared comparing Scripps’ self-declared new vision to expand as part of its destiny (for, proclaims the fund-raising video, “When Ellen Browning Scripps founded Scripps College, she wanted more [and] had no intention for settling for less, and neither do we”), with the vision of Manifest Destiny which inspired “American” men and women to take over more resources for their own means, regardless of the genocide and unjust distribution of power the fulfillment of their vision

would cause. (While fundraising is certainly an exceedingly far shot from genocide, the correlation between the two visions in terms of perpetuating the unequal distribution of resources is clear.)

The “We Want More” angle of the $175 million fundraising campaign misrepresents what Scripps students are all about. While not all object to the campaign in and of itself, the seemingly greedy and classist way in which the campaign has been publicized makes many feel uneasy, ashamed, and outraged. In fact, some have even commented that

if they had seen those banners as prospective students, they would have felt a lot differently about the school.

True to Scripps’ character, the students and families I spoke with did not voice complaints without offering solutions. A student who wishes to remain anonymous best articulates the view that many people have voiced in response to the campaign: “Perhaps we should focus on sharing the remarkable resources that we already have, and voice our gratitude.” Come on, Scripps. You can BE more.

scripps college’s response to california’s drought continued from page 1 a few areas of the Scripps campus and adding drought tolerant plants to the proposed areas. This would be a great way to cut back on water usage while also maintaining the beautiful landscaping that students love. The lawn between GJW and Kimberly has already been removed, and since hundreds of people walk there every day the grass probably would have died out on its own. According to Trafecanty, the central irrigation system at Scripps was installed in the 1990’s. Upgrades are underway to make the irrigation more sustainable and efficient but are not expected to be finished until this summer.

In the meantime, a conference addressing this issue is coming to Scripps later this semester. The American Institute for Progressive Democracy will be at Scripps on March 1. The Institute is bringing together 11 speakers from the 5Cs and southern California to address water issues. The keynote speaker will be Peter Gleick from the Pacific Institute, and all students are encouraged to attend this event.

Until then, there are many small

snow pack measured at 12% of normal amount 3

san francisco first to begin water conservation efforts 1

one-third of central valley jobs related to farming, to be impacted by drought 2

things that students can do to help conserve water, like not letting the water run while you brush your teeth and reporting broken sprinklers, which cause those egregious puddles of water, to grounds@scrippscollege. edu. Even cutting back on our water usage a little bit would help the state of California and uphold Scripps’s value of integrity and social responsibility.

40,000 people in danger of running out of water in next 60-120 days 4

February 6, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Seven

1. SF Gate; 2. ABC News; 3. ABC News; 4. NY Times

Opinions & Editorials • 3

15% Increase In Applications to Scripps College

The Scripps Voice Editors-in-Chief Megan Petersen Aidan Harley Advisor Sam Haynes Design Editors Elizabeth Lee Jessica Lin Elena Pinsker Copy Editors Ashley Minnis-Lemley Star Schneider Alexandra Vallas Photo Editor Emily Morris Business Manager Rosario Bennett Webmaster Sophie Saouma Multimedia Director Laurel Schwartz Columnists and Staff Writers Lucy Altman-Newell Noor Asif Natalie Camrud Katie Girvan Nancy Herrera Stephanie Huang Kayon James Elizabeth Lee Meagan McIntyre Caroline Nelson Kara Odum Bailee Pelham Julia Thomas Christina Whalen Staff Photographers Noor Asif 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 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.

Photo courtesy of SavvyKidsofArkansas.com

By Julia Thomas ‘17 Staff Writer

I

n recent years, the number of applications to universities in the United States has risen dramatically. Not surprisingly, as the Common Application has widened its reach to more colleges across the country, students are able to apply to more schools with ease. Time Magazine reported that in 2012, 750,000 applicants submitted 3 million applications, with an average of four colleges per student. Similarly, the 20132014 admissions cycle at Scripps College brought in the biggest pool of applications yet, with a 15% increase from last year and over 2,700 applications. Though many factors contribute to this increase, much can be attributed to Scripps’ media presence and efforts to reach out to students across the country.

“The increase in applications has come across the board,” said Scripps Vice President for enrollment Victoria Romero.

“No certain group of students has seen a peak.” While some colleges have seen an increase in international students, Scripps did not experience a significant growth in that area. Instead, the college received a noticeable increase

in applications from states such as Texas, Oregon, Massachusetts, Illinois, Arizona, New Jersey, and Hawaii. Romero explained that this increased interest may be due to DecemberFest, an event in which counselors from around the country

“Students are able to apply to more schools with ease...In 2012, 250,000 applicants submitted 3 million applications with an average of four colleges per student.” visit a variety of colleges in Southern California, as well as increased numbers of counselors visiting from the South and Northeast.

Scripps is also using different resources and an increased internet presence to reach out to prospective students. The admissions office also aims to keep publications current and reflective of today’s Scripps.

“We’ve done a lot of work to make sure that our publications are true to the Scripps tradition but also

February 6, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Seven

contemporary,” said Romero.

Last year, Scripps welcomed its largest ever first year class, with 272 new students. Though there has been much debate about whether admissions will evaluate applications differently this year, the admissions office has not changed the way they look at prospective students. “We have not changed the way we are reading a file,” said Romero. “It is still a holistic review. The application review process is not any different.”

The number of students who accept their offer of admission (the yield) is projected based on past enrollment and history. Though the admissions office is able to rely on past data and does their best to predict numbers, they are not necessarily able to predict how every student will react with each year’s admission cycle.

Romero explained that typically, the first year class loses eight to ten students in the summer time, but the class of 2017 lost very few over the summer months. Since the admission office’s prediction is largely based off of behavior, yield can vary from year to year. However, the Scripps Office of Admission plans on keeping the overall student body close to 950.

Said Romero, “We’re going to try our very best to make sure we don’t admit too many.”

MISSED CONNECTIONS

Opinions & Editorials • 4

By Alexandra Vallas ‘15 Copy Editor

him! So although we may not have met under the most romantic of o the girl outside of Smiley on circumstances, I’m still not entirely sure that I don’t love you. I just, you January 30: I told you I loved you. I’m not know, think we ought to meet first, entirely sure this isn’t true. This since I’m not very keen on professing is because I have no idea who my love to people without having you are. See, I thought you were a at least learned their name (though of course, that’s friend who has usually enough been promising I told you I loved you. I’m for me). me a serenade/ not entirely sure this isn’t (P.S. If you window visit true. This is because I have sing musical for the past no idea who you are. duets outside of week. You said Smiley, I’m 100% a name at the beginning that I missed, and I guaranteed to respond in harmony just sort of assumed it was that if I know the words and am in my friend recognizing me by my loudly room. So come back by and bring projected retelling of the final your favorite love duet and I’ll show scene of “Fifty Shades of Grey” and you the “Colors of the Wind” if that’s something you might be into.) discussion of BDSM. To my friend: It looks like I was wrong. However, This isn’t infriendelity. I promise. the person you were actually looking for is very lucky because you said You know you’re the only one for some very lovely things about her/ me.

T

“THE SCRIPPS VOICE” is now

VLOGGING!

Be sure to check us out on YouTube at

“The Scripps Voice Video”

kayon james on being the “lone voice” of a radical feminist of color Kayon James ‘16 Feminist Columnist My mother often read aloud the Bible verse “Behold, a lone voice crieth out in the wilderness”; and as a child I decontextualized it, stowed it in my heart, and imbued it with my own personal meaning. Throughout history, the voices of Black women have so often been ignored that our hearts have ached as though we were truly alone in that desert wilderness.

Words and statements from Black lips have often been placed in vacuums

labeled “violent”, “radical” and “incendiary” all because they fought the hegemonic burdens placed upon their backs.

By elementary school, I quickly learned the rules: “good” Black girls were heard, and “bad” Black girls were punished, placed in the corner, and made to be ignored.

Afraid to be hushed and ostracized, I learned to smooth my syllables into perfect Standard [White American] English, a melody my teachers could appreciate. In this language,

“By elementary school, I quickly learned the rules:

‘good’black girls were heard black & ‘bad’girls were punished,

placed in the and made to be

corner, ignored.”

too much emotion is dangerous.

A steady tempo and submissive vocabulary were taught to me. Like many others, I was educated to be as White American as a Black JamaicanAmerican girl could be.

Cultural ideals are already known to be unattainable, making “marginalization” a state of being several steps further away from the gold standard. This may be an incorrect expression, however, as the steps aren’t universally defined and the distance isn’t truly quantifiable. It is a pain that cannot fully be described, and even partial expressions are marked as result of “hypersensitivity”; thus, silence is learned quickly until normative language is acquired and/or ignored.

(I learned terms such as “social capital” much too late.)

All the while, assimilation is praised as the pressurized force of normativity is never accounted for: that is, after all, the very essence of normativity.

Gradually I grew from a Black girl to a Black woman. My limbs stretched and my consciousness grew, and my attire of assimilation became tighter by the day. Even now I struggle to remove an outfit of oppression while I write this piece. I question, “How can I make you listen to me?” and “Why do I want you to listen to me?” simultaneously. The desert is a lonely place to be in.

It is tiring to be so far away from the dominant standard, the one to which we are all told to lean into: White masculinity; and a Black working-class Feminist Studies major is far from it. So I add majors and courses that I hope will make you respect me. Starting last Fall I dove

into Psychology, hoping to find something more systematic and “objective,” but I had gone from Humanities to Social Sciences: one undervalued field to another in the hierarchy of academia.

But HARD science, that’s the one.

That will make you listen to me. To prove myself as “equal to men,” a woman in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). With that, I would be a success story: “the one who made it”, both a woman and minority in the Holy Grail of academia.

But I chose pre-Nursing and was met with dismay. I quickly learned that Nursing is hardly considered a career path at a privileged liberal arts consortium: graduate school and work in academia were considered far better paths. Never mind the cost of unpaid internships, or the few tenured positions available. “Prestige over practicality”, especially when the practicality of certain options for working-class students is never considered. (Consideration of career choice at these institutions is another article for another day).

So how do I gain your respect as a working-class woman of color, particularly after graduation? When will you listen to me deeply and weigh my opinions well?

Deep within, some of you will never take a radical feminist of color seriously. Even if you skim over this article and stop at this last statement, just consider this single though: when will you question the values system that you use to measure people’s lives, and the sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, and classist reasoning that is behind it all?

February 6, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Seven

Opinions & Editorials • 5

decision time for

ukraine Kara Odum ’15 Economics Columnist

T

he past few months have been chaotic in Ukraine.

From mass protests in the capital to allegations of torture, the country is expressing its great displeasure at President Viktor Yanukovich’s decision to back out of an EU trade pact. Ukraine is positioned in the center of two very large economic forces, with Russia on the east side and the European Union to the west.

About half of the country is in support of each side.

Ukraine officially became independent from the Soviet Union in 1990, which was followed by years of economic instability. It w a s n ’t u n t i l a f t e r t h e economy collapsed in 1998 that Ukraine finally met some economic prosperity in the early 2000’s. The economy in Ukraine has been suffering in the past few years due to a hard hit by the 2008

financial crisis, but Ukraine has natural resources and a highly educated workforce so they should be able to pull out of these economic hard times.

Moving forward, the country finds itself at a crossroads.

On one hand, Ukraine can choose to keep tight ties with Russia in exchange for subsidized commodities — especially cheaper gas — or, alternatively, they can try to integrate with the European Union, with the first step of passing a trade pact.

It is widely believed that integration with the European Union would be beneficial, although any short-term gains are uncertain, while siding with Russia is seen as only benefitting the rich and powerful.

Protestors and activists have been extremely active since November, when the President decided to not go through with the European Union trade pact.

Since then the conflict has escalated, thanks in part to the government passing antiprotest laws that threaten ten years of imprisonment.

Protestors have responded by taking over government buildings and building barricades in the capital city of Kiev. Recently, the president has tried to ease tensions by agreeing to appoint an opposition leader as the new prime minister and to repeal the anti-protest laws, but the protestors are not backing down.

Vladimir Putin has indicated that Russia will continue to help the country and is not connected to a particular governmental regime. However, Russia has not restarted its financial a i d t o t h e n a t ion a n d has unofficially renewed sanctions, so it will be interesting to see how Ukraine maneuvers its economic future between the European Union and Russia.

February 6, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Seven

Special Report • 7

6 • Special Report 40% of people with breasts have dense breast tissue

However, doctors have only spoken to less than 1 in 10 breasted people about breast density

14 States have enacted Breast Density Notification laws

Breast density : medicine’s “best-kept secret”

By Megan Petersen ‘15 Editor-in-Chief

E

ver heard of H.R. 3404?

Most women haven’t, and that, my friends, is the problem.

H.R. 3404, formally known as the Breast Density and Mammography Reporting Act of 2013, would require doctors to inform a patient if they have dense breast tissue and recommend supplemental screening, and would break the silence on what advocates group call breast health’s “best-kept secret.”

Despite what we are often told, one of the most well-established predictors of breast cancer risk is having what is known as dense breast tissue. About 40 percent of breasted people have dense tissue, which

Megan Petersen ‘15 illuminates gaps in mammography & breast healthcare

means that their breasts are comprised of more fibrous and connective tissue rather than fat. That percentage is higher among younger people.

Problems arise when people start getting their recommended mammograms to screen for cancer. Dense tissue and tumors both show up white on mammograms, so mammograms cannot detect tumors in denser tissue. A breast MRI or an ultrasound is required to detect tumors in dense tissue.

However, many radiologists do not inform patients that they have dense tissue or that mammograms cannot detect tumors in dense tissue. Fourteen states have laws mandating that radiologists and doctors provide patients with this information, but since there is no federal requirement,

many people are left in the dark, with very few doctors and radiologists informing women of their risk.

According to an article in the Wall Street Journal in 2011, an executive with the Radiological Society of Connecticut lobbied against her state’s bill to require informing patients because “it would increase costs and anxiety without much benefit,” a view which many similar lobbyists share.

However, advocacy groups such as Are You Dense?, which was founded by a cancer survivor whose stage 3c breast cancer was not detected by a mammogram, argue that people have a right to make informed decisions about their medical treatments and exams. A study commisseioned by Are You Dense? found that 93% of the respondents said that, “if informed of their dense

breast tissue would elect for additional screening as a mammogram is compromised due to dense breast tissue—missing cancer at least 40% of the time.”

Insurance companies and radiologists sometimes cite cost as another factor in providing patients with information. While breast MRIs do cost significantly more than a mammogram—$716.83 compared to $81.35, according to the American College of Radiology—a breast ultrasound costs on average less than $20 more than a mammogram.

While H.R. 3404 has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce for right now, there are things those of us with breasts—and those of us who care about someone with breasts—can do to protect ourselves and those we care

about.

1. Always, always, ALWAYS do your monthly self-exams. You can do them in the shower, in front of a mirror, and/or laying down in bed. Start by moving your fingers around the entire breast and armpit areas in circular motions. Do it with your arms at your side and with your arm raised above your head. In front of a mirror, make sure to check the appearance of your breasts. Note any changes in feel or appearance and get them checked out by a health care provider as soon as possible. EVERY MONTH. NO EXCEPTIONS. 2. Get regular mammograms when your doctor recommends them (usually around age 40), which can be free or at a discounted price through California’s Breast Cancer Early Detection Program. Planned Parent-

In the United States

Procedure costs

American women will be diagnosed with cancer in 2014, many of them probably won’t be told that their dense breast tissue was a factor in a missed detection or in their increased risk of developing it. To us here at The Scripps Voice, it is unacceptable that specialists would rather spare patients the “anxiety” of having to do a second test than allow them to make their own choices and know what the radiologists are really looking at when they perform a mammogram on their bodies. We should be long past the days when some arbitrary person gets to decide whether a female-bodied person can “handle” certain information regarding their own health.

Until that day comes, we will have to be our own advocates and advocates for one another.

Self Exams

$716.83

700

hood also offers some discounted breast exams and screening services.

3. Request a report from your referring doctor (Are You Dense? specifies that it should be generated by the radiologist rather than only a “form letter”).

4. If your report indicates that you have dense tissue, you can request additional screening. In some states, like Massachusetts, require insurance to cover ultrasounds if mammograms detect dense tissue, but everyone’s insurance is (unfortunately) different. There are a number of organizations that provide free or discounted breast ultrasounds though, since mammograms are a staple in breast cancer care, discounted ultrasounds can be harder to come by than mammograms.

Even though hundreds of thousands of

In the shower

600 500

dollars

400

In front of a mirror

300 200

$139.89 100

$81.35

$99.39

d m s) gra gram soun east o a r o m am amm t Ultr hb t M o s M a (b Film igital Bre RI M D ast Bre

Laying down

About 230,000 people will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year,

and 40,000 will die from it.

February 6, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Seven

Infographics courtesy of Aidan Harley ‘16

February 6, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Seven

8 • Arts and Culture

anything can GIRLS: happen?

Photos courtesy of JillStanek.com, ExiledOnline.com, and PopSugar.com

By Caroline Nelson ‘16 TV Columnist

L

ast year the trailer for Season Two of HBO’s “Girls” featured the song “Anything Can Happen” by Ellie Goulding. This was a nice thematic choice for a show that offered the possibility of real growth and change. But now with the first few episodes of Season Three I’m already beginning to feel like “here we go again…” I’m not sure if that’s a song or not, that’s just how I feel.

However, this new season isn’t a full-on disappointment; it goes down some interesting paths and has some good lines and subtle but revealing character moments. But it just seems to have lost most of its zeitgeist.

Maybe it’s the fact that this season just feels like more of the same or maybe it’s the fact that other shows now seem to have the “Girls” thing down better than “Girls.” “Broad City” and “Looking” come to mind, as zany and understated respectively.

Upon hearing the common criticism that “the characters are

really annoying,” I mentally respond, “yes but they’re supposed to be.”

However, my patience is starting to wear thin. There’s only so many times that I can listen to Hannah’s pretention and self-indulgence, or watch Adam act like his volatile immaturity is actually some kind of profound depth of feeling, only so often can I hear Ray complain about his perfectly nice (if mediocre) life.

There is only so much of Shoshana I can watch before she turns from endearingly ditsy to unbearably shallow, only so many times I can watch Jessa break things for the sake of breaking them, only so often can Marnie go to pieces over her intractable problem: that of being born in the wrong time period.

Whether or not we just repeat the same destructive cycles until we die is a matter of some debate. But whatever your personal answer is, in my opinion it makes for dreary viewing.

February 6, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Seven

Arts and Culture • 9

pomona art museum

Photos by Tianna Sheih ‘16 and Nicole Zwiener ‘16

Brutality & Beauty in “Flowers of War” Trigger Warning: discussion of sexual assault and violence

By Elizabeth Lee ‘16 Design Editor

I

have been debating for a while now whether I actually wanted to discuss this particular film in my column. Since my primary goal in this section is to present thought-out suggestions rather than review films as they are released, I try to select ones I think can be enjoyed and accessed by many. “The Flowers of War” (2011) is one of the most powerful films I have seen, and although I am someone who normally enjoys watching favorite movies on a constant rotation, I am unlikely to ever watch it again. This is a forewarning of the film’s unflinchingly brutal depictions of the Rape of Nanking during the Second SinoJapanese War, but for those who are willing and able to brave through the darkness it is, despite some moments of less-than-perfect dialogue, an emotional experience that will not easily leave you.

The film, directed/produced by the critically acclaimed Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou, was selected as China’s

official entry for the Academy Awards Best Foreign Language Film Category as well as nominated for a Golden Globe; however, it did receive very mixed reviews among critics.

Christian Bale stars in his second depiction of the 1937 Japanese invasion of China, the first time being his breakout performance at the age of 12 in Steven Spielberg’s “Empire of the Sun” (1987)—also a great film. I am quite an admirer of Bale’s work, but it could be said that his presence in “Flowers” somewhat overpowered the story, as well as the film’s predominately newcomer cast, and at times seemed more like a means of attracting international recognition. That said, he gave an admittedly compelling performance as John Miller, a rather crass and uncaring American mortician who, upon getting caught up in a foreign war, proves that the unexpected, ordinary man has the potential to be a hero.

As the Chinese army is forced to fall back, Miller, hired to take care of a recently deceased priest, takes refuge with a group of convent schoolgirls and the young boy looking after them in a cathedral. They

are then joined by a group of prostitutes also seeking safety, whom the girls regard with great disdain. All brought together, the worthless fool who doesn’t belong, the sinfully beautiful, and the virtuous embodiments of innocence struggle to survive the horrors of war.

It becomes a story about redefining honor and heroism, for there is more than one kind of hero that is realized as everyone struggles and makes great sacrifices to ensure the protection and ultimate escape of the young convent girls. There’s the last remaining Chinese soldier watching over the cathedral, the perceived temptresses already bound for hell, and the unfeeling foreigner who makes his living off of death.

In a time and place of total destruction and unbearable violence, innocence and pure beauty are still valued above all and by all, even a Japanese colonel, who weeps at the sound of young voices singing. It’s about how some things in life, like war, have the ability to bring out both the absolute ugliest and most beautiful aspects of human nature.

By the time I had finished watching the film my emotional response had become a physical one. I felt almost sick from all the violence, not just the visualization of it but the tangible noise I could feel moving through my body. But the tragic and unconventional beauty of these characters and their struggles to preserve goodness and innocence through such despairing darkness profoundly moved me. It’s a darkness no one should ever have to live through, but it is someone’s, in fact many someones’, reality. And if this is what some people are actually forced to endure, then shouldn’t I, as someone lucky enough to happen to be in my sheltered circumstances, at least be able to spend two hours watching it on a screen, two hours of facing what I could pretend doesn’t exist because it’s not my reality, two hours of concentrating solely on how much I care that it is someone’s reality?

I can’t change the fact that it is, but I can at least recognize it and remember to make the most of the life I am lucky enough to have, to make sure there is enough beauty in the world to balance out its brutality.

February 6, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Seven

Arts and Culture • 10

The 70th Ceramic Annual at Scripps’ williamson gallery

stephanie huang: Why I Chose not to Attend new york fashion week

Photos by Tianna Sheih ‘16

By Stephanie Huang ‘16 Fashion Columnist

I

had it all planned out since late last August: I would skip New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer (S/S) ’13 and Vancouver Fashion Week in September, and attend New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter (F/W) ’14 in February instead. It was blatantly obvious that I could not attend all while balancing a full course load and my wallet. Up until a month before the F/W ’14 shows, I was deciding on which days to fly, which courses I could afford to miss, and which shows to attend. Yet as the sacred dates neared, I couldn’t avoid asking myself whether it was all worth it or not.

Six-hour plane rides, the nightmares of LA’s beloved Super Shuttle, blizzard weather, make-up coursework, and a lack of time to truly enjoy one of my favorite cities (hello, brunch and five beautiful boroughs) didn’t seem quite so enticing the more I thought about it. There were also the odd rituals involved with Fashion Week that I wouldn’t mind missing, either: outfit changes three times a day, peep-toes in the snow, a refusal to take the subway and overuse of cabs, and a superfluity of social media and iPhones—all of which I’m not the biggest advocate of.

And while it was somewhat saddening to ignore the increasing number of unanswered event invites in my inbox, I told myself that I was distancing myself from the antics of the fashion world rather than the fashion itself. With the new era of street style and editor/blogger self-promotion at Fashion Week, the event is jarringly different from how it was years ago. Oscar de la Renta himself expressed frustration with the celebrified “megashows” of Fashion Week, stating that they were full of “20 million people with zero connection to the clothes.” It has become more and more difficult to separate the designer’s work from the chaos of the event that surrounds it.

Ultimately, this is an aspect of the industry that I want to separate myself from, and I hope that the industry will not become even more entangled with the celebrification and hype in the Fashion Weeks to come.

By Noor Asif ‘16 Staff Writer

O

n January 25, the Williamson Gallery at Scripps College hosted the 70th Ceramic Annual opening show, which is the only exhibition in the nation for contemporary ceramics to occur for the past 70 years since World War II. The show has been curated in the past by both curators who are involved with the Claremont Colleges and those who are not. At the opening, a majority of the people who attended were not students or professors; they were just lovers of art from all over Southern California.

This year, the show is exhibiting over 60 pieces of artworks by

twenty American artists. Their work dates from between 1945 to 2013.

The pieces, though all fitting into the genre of ceramics, are vastly different from each other. They give the room vibrant character, with the various colors, designs, and textures in their separate places. The room appears to be connected by these works and their differences, exhibiting the fluid relationship of ceramic art of the past flowing into the work of today.

The exhibition will be on display until April 6. The Williamson Gallery is located next to Steele Hall on Columbia. Its hours of operation are Wednesday through Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.

February 6, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Seven

Arts and Culture • 11

“daydreamer’s night”

Photo courtsey of The Graphics Girl.

By Christina Whalen ‘15 Staff Writer

A

yellowish light descends upon the 7Cs. The air begins to chill and people who traverse the fields, walkways, and suburbs of Claremont each day begin to settle into the hush of twilight, preparing for day’s end.

Soon the yellow turns to a deeply hypnotic hue and die blaue Stunde descends; a fragment of time so brief, so fleeting, and yet, as it passes we find ourselves transported to another world: the realm of Night.

Most people consider this to be a time, roughly between 6 p.m. and 1 a.m., where dinner is eaten, homework is hurriedly finished, and sleep is plunged into with the desperate self-indulgence that one might throw into the first embrace of a long-awaited reunion. Then we awake on the other side, where the sun is up, the birds are chirping, and the veil of night is promptly forgotten.

This is one of the most tragic realizations I’ve encountered: that so few people recognize the majesty of Night.

Now, while some of you might be reading and protesting that you don’t count because you stay up late all the time, let me ask: do you ever go outside during that time? If

not, I highly recommend you do. We’ve been taught that night is when the monsters come out: coyotes, Grendel, and various other miscellaneous ghouls that live in the shadows, waiting to mar our destinies. This, however, isn’t really too often the case, especially here in Claremont on a weeknight.

No, instead the world becomes a ghost town. By 2 a.m., it feels as though everything has been spirited away into a whole new realm: one where only you, the buildings, the moon, the stars, the mountain hares, and the distant coyote howls remain. With only the dreamy lights of each deserted campus to light your way (And the occasional Campus Safety golf cart, just to provide an element of adventure), everything seems alive with the whisperings of ancient magic.

Looking up, you see that the sky feels lower, closer, as though it’s come down to your level to walk the barren yet familiar walkways by your side; to cloak you and give you company. When the sun is gone, your eyes are brought to — low and behold — a dreamy soirée of the familiar and the strange. Each path, each building, each rock and tree—every element around you is highlighted in a whole new way. Things to which you may have never given a second thought are suddenly adorned with

a fantastical glow that leaves you no choice but to be convinced of their celebrity. All mediocrity is banished from the world when one merely stops to really look and appreciate the detailed nuances of their immediate surroundings.

In fact, to all those reading this article, I implore you: the next time you find yourself bored and restless, go outside and pick up the first random piece of foliage you find on the ground. Take a moment to look at it—not just as the object you know it to be, but as the organism it is, was, and could have been. Enter its world. Were you to embody its essence, what details of yourself would you hold to be most telling of your story? Perhaps the graceful gradient of color between one part and the next, or the uniquely chaotic little hole, now dried and brittle around the edges, where a bug found its way days before.

There are an endless number of these small wonders just lying at your feet, but only by taking a moment to forget time and place and really look, will they ever be known.

Similarly, in the cold, eerie glow of night, the magic of each detail is elevated to a whole new level—one where nothing matters but you and the nuances of the world. In the wee small hours of the morning, you don’t

February 6, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue 7

owe anything to anyone beside yourself, and with that the world is transformed into your own utopia of entrancing shadows and long-forgotten memories.

As we grow older and taller, we stop appreciating the infinity of tiny wonders scattered around our feet. We get too caught up in the big things on the horizon, and too apprehensive of dirt and (possible) disease.

Similarly, instilled in us is a fear of night and a belief that it’s nothing more than a time to sleep, stress, deviate, or drink.

But as the sun goes down and we’re left to ourselves; we are given the chance to step back in time—out of time—and into a kingdom all our own: where magic has been returned to the world and whimsy rules our hearts and minds. All that’s needed is for us to open ourselves and believe in the insurmountable range of opportunities to dazzle us.

And so I beseech thee: sit upon the ground and marvel at the ant’s kingdom once more; traverse the night and float through the misty, dark morning. Open yourself to the idea of inexplicable experiences, and allow yourself to be spirited away into the realm of imagination—you just might find your childhood waiting at its gates.

Title taken from the Adicts song of the same name.

12 • Arts and Entertainment

the scripps college

rumor mill

By Nancy Herrera ‘15 Staff Writer

I

n this segment, we will quench the gossip that goes around Scripps College, and relay the real truth: 1. Chris Guzaitis’ layoff was not a result of an administrative fallout. Guzaitis left Scripps College because she did not feel it was a personal fit for her. She preferred to move back to her community in Chicago, and pursue another line of work. The reason her resignation felt so strange was because of the official Scripps e-mail, which offered no clue to what her next job was. It also did not give students a way to wish her off, and she did not appear to receive a farewell party. This had made students suspicious as to why she had left.

2. There will not be an increase in tenure requirements. This was a rumor started after students despaired over having two great professors, Tony Crowley and Guzaitis, left Scripps College. The issue of tenure in higher education is a contentious issue however.

Members of the Scripps community tend to be in support of tenure. Even

here however, there are struggles in keeping a balance between professors on the tenure-track and those who are part-time and not on the tenure-track. Compared to other colleges, who are getting rid of tenure altogether, Scripps is relatively good at having professors who are tenured, and in hiring at least some new professors on the tenure-track.

We at the Scripps Voice acknowledge that the topic of tenure can be confusing, and so we will be conducting a two-part series on the tenure process, and the tenure debate. Part One will cover the tenure debate in general, and Part Two will focus on how tenure works at Scripps College.

If you have any rumors that you have been hearing (or reading about on the Internet!) about Scripps College, or any of the Claremont Colleges that you would like us to investigate, please email them to us at scrippsvoice@gmail.com

Professor Tony Crowley during his book tour in Fall 2012.

Photo courtesy of collegenews.org.

Professor Chris Guzaitis accepting the 2011-2012 Professor of the Year Award.

Photo courtesy of media.scrippscollege.edu.

101 INTRODUCTION TO AFFORDABLE COMMUTING

Students, today’s lesson is in comfort, convenience and value. When you ride Metrolink, you’ll enjoy having time to connect with friends via social media, easy parking, even some extra quiet time to study, all while saving some serious cash. Visit our website to learn more, and get ready to move to the head of the class.

metrolinktrains.com/student *except Weekend Day Pass

February 6, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Seven