5 March, 2015
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Egyptian Professor Mona Prince Speaks I
By Joelle Leib ‘17 Staff Writer
n 2011, what many of us read in the news about the Arab Spring, visiting Pitzer and Claremont McKenna College Professor Mona Prince lived. Prince shared her story as an Egyptian revolutionary at the CMC Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum on Wednesday, Feb. 25 to an audience composed of students, community members and professors. Prince worked as an assistant professor of English literature at Suez University in Egypt during Hosni Mubarak’s regime, a time in which she claims she did not suffer much because of her middle class status but felt that Mubarak’s corruption tarnished the Egyptian character. Thus, she declared herself a revolutionary and joined throngs of protesters in Egypt’s Tahrir Square demanding “Freedom, honesty, jobs, and better life conditions,” according to Prince. The revolutionaries toppled Mubarak’s regime and held democratic elections in 2012 to replace the former dictator. Prince, a well known activist and academic, was amongst the potential candidates to replace Mubarak, but Mohamed Morsi, the nominee from the Muslim Brotherhood, narrowly won the election and ascended to the Egyptian presidency.
At CMC, Egyptian Professor Mona Prince discusses the Arab Spring and her personal experiences. Photo courtsey of Fernando Veludo.
Morsi’s presidency brought much turmoil to Egypt and led to the formation of what many experts dubbed a “mobocracy,” or a legion of relentless protestors demanding greater freedom. Morsi responded to the mobocracy with violence and force, and was eventually removed from power in 2013 by the military. Prince believes that Morsi’s failed presidency proves that while “We may have succeeded in removing
Mubarak, we did not change as people that much.” She stressed that until the Egyptian people question themselves, the oppressive regime will remain in place, regardless of who is leading it. Recently, Prince has penned the memoir “Revolution is My Name” to recount her experiences in Tahrir Square. Under Morsi, “revolutionary” was a dirty word, and because the university administration accused
her of being one, it suspended her for six months. Upon returning, she faced death threats from her students and the Muslim Brotherhood who accused her of being Islamophobic, although Prince asserts that she was encouraging her students of both Christian and Muslim faith to engage in debate with one another. A dean from Suez University, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
SAS Hate Speech and Social Media BeHeard Forum Tackles Anti-Semitism and Intersectional Forms of Oppression on Campus By Taylor Galla ‘18 Staff Writer
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he BeHeard Forum on Feb. 24 put on by SAS brought a sizable crowd and much attention to a recent anti-semitic Yik Yak posting that prompted a larger discussion about the ways in which Jews feel on campus, as well as the ways in which oppression against all groups is addressed at the 5Cs. The discussion began with a breakdown of what exactly happened on Yik Yak where many hateful remarks towards Jews were anonymously spewed in response to people expressing concern about posters from a pro-Israel group on
Inside This Issue:
campus being torn down. Students recounted that this is the not the first time anti-semetic actions like this have taken place on campus; there have been numerous occasions where swastikas have been drawn or mezuzahs have been torn off of people’s doors. These actions have prompted enormous discomfort and an unsafe feeling for Jews on campus. This type of anti-semitic behavior has become a lot more normalized at the Claremont Colleges recently and as an institution, students are calling on the administration to publicly denounce these acts in a timely manner so that it becomes clear that this type of behavior, along
Page 4 - Kevin Allred
Beyoncé comes to Claremont - in the classroom
with all types of oppression, will not be tolerated. One Jewish student exclaimed that frequently in classrooms she feels that she cannot bring up the oppression she feels on campus as the discussion will immediately devolve into a discussion about Israel, two things that should not be correlated but are inseparable on campus. This type of connection creates a new facet of the oppression that Jewish students feel, as anti-Israel is tied to being anti-Jewish and this debate sometimes directly results in hate crimes towards non-Israeli Jews. An example of this is the recent bombardment of swastikas
Page 8 - Classics on campus
Ellen Finkelpearl brings Greek and Roman plays to life at Scripps
1030 Columbia Avenue | Claremont, CA 91711 | Box 839 email: scrippsvoice@gmail.com | Volume XVIII | Issue Eight
on the AEPi (an international Jewish fraternity) chapter at UC Davis in light of the Israel debate happening on campus. One student brought up the fact that there is a lack of opportunity for students on campus to educate themselves about Jewish history, as it is not offered within the classes that fulfill Scripps’ Race & Ethnic studies requirement. Another student brought up that they have experienced false Jewish stereotype perpetuation within classes relating to this requirement, and professors who unknowingly make Jewish students in class feel marginalized due to the content of CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
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An interview with Scripps sophomore Sarah Berschinski
2 • News
Explore the outdoors and beyond with owl By Sydney Sibelius ‘18 Staff Writer
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ith both the beach and mountains an hour away and numerous other outdoors adventures nearby, the Scripps Outdoor Women Leaders provide students with opportunities to explore the outdoors. OWL is a Scripps club that offers students non-competitive and fun ways to get outside. “[OWL] is a club on campus at Scripps, specifically for Scripps students. We have our regular weekly events, and hold additional trips to other places,” OWL manager Sarah Chung ‘15 said. The club holds both recurring trips and special day trips to places near the Claremont Colleges. Every week, the club visits Hangar 18, an indoor climbing gym, and hikes the Claremont Loop. Trip leaders have also hosted trips to Joshua Tree National Park, numerous beaches, and the mountains for skiing and snowboarding. While the club offers opportunities to all of the Scripps community, students can also apply for a position to work on the OWL team. Trip leaders meet weekly to discuss their plans for upcoming trips and to collaborate on more ideas for exploring. They then spread their plans to the community and plan for a day of adventures. As the club is open to all of the Scripps community, trips are a chance for students to meet new people and enjoy the company of other nature lovers. “One of my favorite parts is definitely meeting new people. The kind of people that sign up from the community don’t necessarily know each other. It’s nice to get different people coming from different parts of our community that I would never run across,” Chung said. To get more information on upcoming trips, like the Scripps Outdoor Women Leaders Facebook page. The club also holds office hours in their office in Toll Sunday through Thursday nights from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
EGYPTIAN PROFESSOR MONA PRINCE SPEAKS AT CMC ATHENAEUM CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
where Prince worked, told her that she could no longer discuss sex, politics or religion in her classes. Fed up with the immense academic censorship, Prince applied for and received a one-year rescue scholarship. Prince expressed her gratitude to be teaching at Pitzer and CMC, institutions that value freedom of speech and allow her to talk about anything with her students. Currently, Abdel Fatta el-Sisi serves as president of Egypt. Prince claims that many Egyptians are content with Sisi, and more than anything are happy that the Muslim Brotherhood is out of power. “Egyptians are happy with stability and order. Freedom and democracy are luxuries people don’t care much about. The Egyptian people are not ready for democracy… Change is going to take a very long time, change takes generations,” Prince said. SAS HATE SPEECH AND SOCIAL MEDIA BEHEARD FORUM TACKLES ANTI-SEMITISM AND INTERSECTIONAL FORMS OF OPPRESSION ON CAMPUS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
the discussions or the views of the professors. One student recounted an assigned book that exploited the white, rich, Jewish stereotype-pointing out the privilege that some Jews, but not all Jews, experience. The forum then turned to a discussion of oppression of various forms as well as the invalidation of others’ oppression as a result of some form of their identity. We see this frequently happen with Jews who are white, as it did on Yik Yak, where people denounced the oppression people may feel for being Jewish because they are white. The privilege they possess in one aspect of their identity is said to outweigh the oppression they experience due to another aspect. This invalidation directly translates to a breaking of allyship between groups, a damage that results in a breaking of bonds between marginalized groups that could work together to create change and strengthen each other on campus. One student poignantly brought up that being Jewish is not just a religious thing but a cultural thing as well that transcends all borders of the population; there are jews from every race all over the world. So when a hate crime is committed against a race and people stand up for them, Jews are involved as well. However, when a hate crime is committed against Jews specifically and no one stands up, those racial minorities are affected as well. If one doesn’t fight against anti-semitism, the student continued, you’re agreeing that they do not deserve to exist; by letting that one part of the identity go, you’re letting the whole thing go. A big part of forming these bonds and helping one another with these experiences is framing the whole process around empathy. One should not try to directly relate to someone else’s experiences when they clearly cannot due to factors out of their control like their race and gender, but rather should have empathy for another person and their experiences and then move forward with that in mind. With this strategy as well as discussion groups on campus being frequented, substantial change can be made.
Study Abroad upcoming dates
March 30
Petitions Due for spring 2016 programs April 27 OWL members at Hangar 18 in early February. Photos courtsey of Scripps Outdoor Women Leaders (OWL).
Applications due for spring 2016 program
5 March, 2015 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVIII • Issue Eight
News • 3
The Scripps Voice Staff
new Keck Building will expand science programs at the 5C’s
Editors-in-Chief Elena Pinsker Lucy Altman-Newell Advisor Sam Haynes Design Editors Melanie Biles Taylor Haas Selene Hsu Copy Editors Rachel Miller-Haughton Ashley Minnis-Lemley Elizabeth Lee Business Manager Lily Comba
Parents and students join adminsitrators and staff at the annual Family Weekend luncheon. Photo by Tyra Abraham ‘18.
By Erin Matheson ‘18 Staff Writer
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Webmaster Jocelyn Gardner Multimedia Director Laurel Schwartz Columnists & Staff Writers Melanie Biles Natalie Camrud Sophie Fahey Taylor Galla Jocelyn Gardner Diva Gattani Evelyn Gonzalez Kay James Elizabeth Lee Joelle Leib Erin Matheson Sophia Rosenthal Jasmine Russell Sydney Sibelius Talia Speaker Isobel Whitcomb
he planning stages for a second Keck Science building are under way. Scripps College, Pitzer College and Claremont McKenna College share the William Myron Keck Science building that houses majors such as biology, chemistry and physics. The three colleges have engaged the services of two firms— Hammel, Green and Abrahamson, Inc. (HGA), an integrated architecture, engineering and master planning firm; and the The S/L/A/M Collaborative (SLAM), a multidisciplinary planning firm with an expertise in science facilities—who are working in collaboration to assist in the planning of the second, new Keck building. There is no certain time planned to break ground because the funds from each respective school have yet to be raised, but planning the initiative has already begun. In Keck Science, enrollments have increased by 50% during the last decade. This increase has put pressure on the Keck Science departments to expand. Depending on projections on further enrollment growth and future class sizes, the sizes and increased programs in the building’s design will fluctuate. Regardless, the new building will contain additional research lab space, which will allow the department to hire additional tenure-track faculty and fewer visiting faculty. The site of the new Keck building hasn’t been finalized, but it will be on one of the Keck Science campuses close to the
UPCOMING 5C EVENTS 1100 Candles: Suicide Awareness Thursday, 3/5 @ 4:30pm-8:00pm Bixby Plaza, Pomona (in front of Frary) [TW] Every year, over 1100 college students commit suicide in the United States. The 5C Mental Health Alliance (MHA) is hosting this event to raise awareness about the stigma attached to mental illness and suicide, and to provide visitors with a place to recognize or remember someone who has struggled or struggles with mental illness. We will be lighting 1100 candles at Bixby Plaza (in front of Frary) on Thursday evening, and invite everyone in the community to join us and light a candle.
Photographers Tyra Abraham Suzette Guzman Tianna Sheih Nicole Zwiener
The Hindu Society Celebrates Holi Saturday, 3/7 @ 2pm-3pm Walker Beach Pomona 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 www.thescrippsvoice.com The Scripps Voice is a student forum and is not responsible for the opinions expressed in it.
current Keck building. According to David E. Hansen, the Dean of the Joint Science Department of Claremont McKenna, Pitzer and Scripps Colleges, “The department currently is using every square inch of our current building and is also using temporary teaching lab space on the Pitzer campus and temporary office space on the CMC campus. The new building will provide high-quality laboratory and classroom space that will allow us to enhance our program in numerous ways and to fully accommodate the needs of all of our students.” Devon Fox (CMC, ‘18) said, “The new space will be a much needed and great learning environment.” This sentiment is reflected by professors, too. “The Keck building is already 20 years overdue and in fact it was a part of the proposal that it would be a part of this building,” said Physics Professor Scot Gould, “It was actually going to be built before this building. The current building cost only $13.5 to $14 million. We need more space.” The goals of this first “programming” phase with the outside contractors of the project are many, including advising on classroom and laboratory configurations to optimize science learning, estimating future enrollment trends in the sciences, and refining the approaches to integrating Keck’s programs into the larger educational missions of the colleges. According to Hansen, “The response has been very positive--our students see first-hand every day that we need more space!”
Open MicNight Saturday, 3/7 @ 9pm Motley Coffeehouse The QRC is hosting an open mic available to everyone, for spoken word, singing, and more! We invite LGBTQIA+ folks to share their work with members of their community. All performance types can share (i.e.; spoken word, musicians, storytelling, etc.) their art in a brave and affirming space. While we encourage
the pieces to be about experiences around queerness, all types of art are welcome. We all live our lives on the margins and encourage folks to share about their intersectional experiences. Sign up here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/ d/1sLI5-AEi4XxxBiPnS4UhZnW6xLJiBriaT-f3GGUUDz8/ edit?usp=sharing (info from fb event page) Conference: Varieties of Self (hosted by the Humanities Institute) Friday, 3/6 @ 11am-12:30pm The Self in Confucian Thought, Kwong-loi Shun Friday, 3/6 @ 2-2:30pm Cultural Experiences that Shape the Self, Naomi Quinn Friday, 3/6 @ 4-5:30 The Buddhist Doctrine of No-self Self-Transformative, Dan Arnold Reception to follow Saturday, 3/7 @ 9:30-11am The Essential Moral Self, Nina Strohminger Saturday, 3/7 @ 11:15am-12:45pm Death and the Self in the Incomprehensible Zhuangzi, Eric Schwitzgebel Saturday, 3/7 @ 2:15-3:45pm Fluidity and Rhythm of Self-Transformation, Robin Wang
5 March, 2015 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVIII • Issue Eight
4 • News
Kevin Allred discusses course in beyoncÉ By Evelyn Gonzalez ‘18 Feminism Columnist
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elf-proclaimed members of the Beygency can now rejoice knowing that Yoncé has officially seeped into college classrooms. On Thursday, Feb. 28, Kevin Allred, a professor at Rutgers University, arrived at Claremont Mckenna’s Athenaeum to discuss his widely popular women and gender studies course titled “Politicizing Beyoncé: Black Feminism, U.S. Politics, and Queen Bey.” According to Allred’s website, “Politicizing Beyoncé,” (which was implemented in 2010) is the groundbreaking interdisciplinary college course that attempts to think through contemporary U.S. society and its current racial, gender, class and sexual politics using the music and career of Beyoncé KnowlesCarter alongside historical and contemporary black feminist texts. While the course does spend a good deal of time delving into and analyzing Beyoncé’s music, Allred encourages his students to go beyond the surface level to understand the ways in which Beyoncé expresses her own politics. As Allred joked, “ We know nothing about Beyoncé as a person,” so the class focuses on analyzing her work as a singer, songwriter and actress.The class is framed by theoretical readings, predominantly from inspired Black feminist activists such as Bell Hooks and Audre Lorde, in addition to Beyoncé’s own works. Allred’s main focus for the lecture was a deep analysis on what can be considered Beyoncé’s more controversial songs and videos, “Partition” in conjunction with “Jealous.” After playing each music video in full, Allred unpacked the multitude of layers that Beyoncé included in these two works. He interpreted each piece, focusing on her words and images to produce a textual analysis through a black feminist lens. In doing so, he effectively demonstrated how Beyoncé exposed the stereotypes of black female sexuality though the songs’ “continuing story.” By pointing out the ways in which she subverts issues of power, like by including a white maid, Allred also coaxes out ideas of self objectification and agency found in these two music videos . Although Beyoncé has to be subtle about her politics because of how far-reaching her influence falls, Allred ended the lecture by revealing what he hopes to see from her in the future. “There’s no guessing where Beyoncé is going to go, but I do hope she becomes more and more politically [and racially] explicit.” Although Allred has received criticisms for his
Kevin Allred teaching his course with pop culture references to Beyoncé. Photo courtesy of Bill Denver for NY Daily News.
choice to make a pop culture icon his main focus, especially by those who he said believed “such a course is a waste of time and money,” in an interview with the Feminist Wire, Allred effectively shuts down critiques by expressing his concern over who gets to decide what is deserving of learning about. “It’s a sad state of affairs when the critical thinking skills necessary for young people to navigate the world around them and understand and empathize with the lived political realities of race, gender, sexuality and class in the U.S. are no longer seen as worthy components of a comprehensive education in our contemporary, corporatized university industrial complex society.” What Kevin Allred has shown through the
implementation of his course is that popular culture and media is a necessary form of pedagogy and one that should not be easily dismissed. This course, “Politicizing Beyoncé: Black Feminism, U.S. Politics, and Queen Bey,” allows students to engage with contemporary culture in a way that will bring about important conversations. By allowing students an outlet that is outside of often strict academia, Allred is effectively creating a site that is accessible, and that resonates with a much broader audience. Through Beyoncé, students in this course are being introduced to a wide range of important topics such as black feminism, gender, sexuality and the ways in which politics have shaped them.
Political analyst Zerlina Maxwell Brings Rape Culture Conversation to the Claremont colleges By Sophia Rosenthal ‘17 Staff Writer
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exual assault, it seems, has become as much a part of college culture as all-nighters and cheap beer. Why? Rape culture. We’ve all heard the term, but what exactly does it mean? In her talk “From Catcalling to Sexual Assault: How We Can All Work to End Gender-Based Violence” at CMC’s Athenaeum on Thursday Feb. 26, political analyst, speaker and writer Zerlina Maxwell outlined exactly what rape culture means and, more specifically, what we can do to counteract it. Maxwell, who has a law degree and was named one of The Root’s most influential black Americans under 45, is a contributing writer for EBONY. com, Mic.com and RHRealitycheck.org and has spoken around the country about rape culture and feminism. Maxwell began her presentation by defining rape culture as an intersection of violence and sexuality that essentially allows people to get away with gender-based violence. She characterized it as a spectrum of violence
that extends from sexist comments to more publicized crimes like the Steubenville rape case, in which two football players were found guilty of sexually assaulting a teenage girl and of photographing the assault. According to Maxwell, the rape culture epidemic can be broken into several elements: victim blaming, empathizing with rapists, the “false rape allegations” myth (it usually doesn’t mean there was no rape, it means some of the details of the rape might have been misrepresented), the “gray rape” myth (think Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines”), trivialization of rape, unhealthy masculinity/ entitlement to women’s bodies and slutshaming/ cyberbullying. Each of these elements can be seen everywhere from everyday conversations to mass media coverage. Maxwell’s presentation examined each element through photos, video clips and anecdotes. The point, however, was not simply to define rape culture, but to define it in order to eliminate it. The latter portion of the talk focused on strategies for calling out and preventing rape culture when it
manifests in our everyday lives. These strategies include bystander intervention, supporting survivors, being a vocal ally, believing survivors and asking for consent. Maxwell also emphasized teaching men not to rape, an assertion that was met with disbelief and outrage by conservative television host Sean Hannity and his viewers when she aired this statement on his show. Still, she presented her “5 Ways to Teach Men Not to Rape” to a much more receptive audience at the Athenaeum. According to Maxwell, teaching men not to rape involves teaching young men about legal consent, teaching bystander intervention, teaching them to see women’s humanity (rather than viewing them just as sexual objects for male pleasure), to express healthy masculinity and to believe survivors who come forward. Hopefully, she asserted, by spreading this knowledge and awareness, we can break the patterns that hurt us and the ones we love. “We have to be brave as individuals to...change the collective that’s around us,” Maxwell said.
5 March, 2015 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVIII • Issue Eight
Sports • 5
Athlete profile: Mara falahee
scripps college ‘16 cms women’s basketball Photo courtsey of CMS Women’s Basketball team
By Sydney Sibelius ‘18 Staff Writer
The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) women’s basketball team has completed their first undefeated regular conference season in over 25 years. During the 1987-88 season, the team went undefeated in their regular season and no other team has done it since. The Athenas beat California Lutheran in their final game with a score of 56-45 to clinch the win, sending them to Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC)’s postseason tournament. Scripps Junior Mara Falahee played a crucial role in the team’s success this season. How long have you been playing basketball? I originally grew up in Michigan until about 6th grade, and I was probably about five years old when I started playing. My dad used to take my sisters and me to the local YMCA and we played in the small community league. I absolutely loved it, and once I got to 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade I started playing a little bit of travel ball. Ever since then I have been really involved in it and it has been a big part of my life. When you were looking at colleges, did you know that you wanted to play basketball? I always knew that I couldn’t give up playing basketball. You know, you kind of have this vision when you’re young that you want to go DI and then reality sets in that there are other things that are more important and you might not be the best there is skill-wise. I went to a college preparatory high school, and one of my good friends was looking to play volleyball here, so that’s how I got to know the schools. I looked into it, and it was a great fit between academics and being able to play basketball. So I kind of knew after I came out here and did my recruiting trip that this was it, and
this was where I wanted to be. I didn’t really look at anything else after the trip. What is your favorite thing about the sport? Probably my favorite thing, specifically to the Athenas that has been unique to any team I have been on, is our team dynamic. There are 16 or 17 girls, and normally with a lot of girls comes a lot of drama and unnecessary stuff, and they are hands-down my best friends here. Everyone gets along with everyone, and everyone has your back, and it honestly is the team that makes playing basketball in college. You have so much going on; there are grades to think about, games, the team, clubs that you can get involved in. Just because it takes so much time, specifically basketball since it’s a winter sport and has such a long season, that having such a close knit team makes everything worth it. Definitely the team being unique to the Claremont Colleges is awesome. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Over the course of your three years on the team, has there been one moment that has stood out to you? My first year, we only had around nine people, so we didn’t do that well. So I was used to a losing schedule. My second year, we got a whole new group of freshmen and I was the only sophomore, and we had a lot of upperclassmen. We had a large dynamic just between first years and leaders, but we ended up doing really well. When we won the conference championship, that was an awesome moment because all of our hard work had paid off. All of our losses we had encountered the previous year had helped us pave our way there and I don’t think any teams were expecting us to come back that strong. What is also really cool, and that I enjoy on a daily basis, is that we have a team that does the scout stuff. Since there are 16 or 17 of us, there is a third team that will simulate the team that we are going to play the next day.
We will have five girls that will go over another team’s offense and we have to guard them. That team I just respect so much because they put in so much hard work, they honestly make me better because there is a girl that I have to figure out how to guard. The red team, in general, being able to push us so much in general really excites me. To see them with a bright future is really enjoyable. Is there anything you are looking forward to in the rest of the season? We have some games left in postseason where the top four teams in the conference will go and play in a tournament. And if you win the tournament, you go to the national tournament. Obviously the goal is to get past there, and since we are undefeated in conference, that is where we want to be. For a personal goal and for our team, right now we are being really big on consistency. We’ve been having some lapses where we have been playing really well one half and then not so well the second half, but we still end up with a win. Well, we won, but did we really play our best? So I am really excited to see how our last games play out, but I am most excited to put two full halves together, play a great game, and be consistent. And hopefully carry that into the tournament. Falahee was named CMS Student Athlete of the Week of January 12-18 for her outstanding performance on the basketball team. In two games against Whittier College and LaVerne University, Falahee had double digit rebounds for a combined 22 boards.
Have a friend on a CMS team? Contact The Scripps Voice and we can include a feature of your favorite athlete in our next issue! ScrippsVoice@gmail.com
5 March, 2015 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVIII • Issue Eight
SPOTL
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Unknown & Uncommon
By Jocelyn Gardner ‘17
Mental Health Columnist and Webmaster
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t Scripps, students have over 65 majors from which to chose. While there are certain quite popular majors everyone has heard of, such as Psychology and English, others attract a smaller group of people. Such majors have had a student or two in the past decade up to two majors per year, on average. The majors denoted here as “Tiny Majors” have had on average two or fewer students in the major each year between the graduating classes of 2008 and 2014. Not included in the list are majors which have had zero Scripps students in the past seven graduating classes.
Angie Aguilar ‘15 Latin American & Caribbean Studies Major The Latin American and Caribbean studies major is amazing. It is interdisciplinary and enables you to take a wide range of courses to fulfill your major requirements. There is a required focus in either literature, history or politics classes, but you are also able to take courses outside your focus including anthropology, music, sociology, media studies or the fields listed above. My focus is history and the professors in the department are amazing. Outside of my focus I’ve taken a mariachi class, Spanish literature courses, Theatre and a media studies course, just to name a few. I am lucky because my major allowed me to try a little bit of everything I wanted to do.
Classical S Physics
Linguistics and
Geology
Accounti
Asian America
Legal Studi
Middle Eastern a
Africana Stu
Mathe
Organization
Christina Tricou ‘17 Biophysics & German Major I ended up with my majors/minor (Biophysics/German Studies double major, Mathematics minor) mostly because I don’t want to decide what to do with my life yet. By doing these majors and minor, I set myself up to pursue lots of things later - one humanities major, a math minor to strengthen my physics background and because I think it’s fun, and a biophysics major that should let me look at any science career or graduate program later on, because of its interdisciplinary nature. I guess I chose German because I’ve heard the language all my life. I first was a camper at and then worked at a language and cultural immersion camp, where I really fell in love with the culture and language. I wanted to understand more about the sources of the modern German world and the complexities of German history. Biophysics I ended up with more because I wasn’t sure what I wanted; I’d always said I wanted to do German and something science-y, but I couldn’t choose until I realized that at the end of the first semester of my sophomore year I’d be 2/3 done with biophysics. I also like that it’s kind of AISS [Accelerated Integrated Science Sequence] 2.0 not the students, but the way everything is integrated and works together; the way the perceived walls between fields (particularly the three primary scientific fields) are broken down and you can just see the physics in chemistry, the physics in biology, and the chemistry in biology and how understanding one aids you in understanding another. I always find it easier to understand things by complicating or extrapolating from the most basic concepts that drive them. If you’re talking about any life/natural science, you’re going to be dealing with physics as the source of those most basic concepts.
Sarah Hiller ‘15 Philosophy, P
While each discipline can be studied individua to study similar topics from very different app constructively, approach problem solving from d range of perspectives in our world.
Sarah Chung ‘15 Economics and Music Performance There are 3 different concentrations you can do for the music major: 1. History, theory, or composition 2. Ethnomusicology 3. Performance
5 March, 2015 • The Scripps Vo
LIGHT
7
Studies
Asian Studies
German Studies
Science, Technology, and Society Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
d Cognitive Science
Biophysics
Tiny Majors
ing
European Studies
Russian
Computer Science
and North African Studies
udies
ematical Economics
nal Studies
Music Theatre
an Studies
ies
Chicano/Latino Studies
Linguistics
Religious Studies
Italian Studies
Dance
International and Intercultural Studies
Engineering (3-2)
Public Policy Analysis
Politics, and Economics Major
Megan Peterson ‘14: Legal Studies Major
ally, PPE gives students the unique opportunity proaches. My major has helped me think more different angles and better understand the wide
It was great for me because I had a really hard time picking just one thing. And I think that’s super important because by nature, Scripps students like to examine things from lots of angles, so having a major that incorporates perspectives and canons from lots of different programs is an awesome thing to have. The only downside is that it’s so small that there are only two professors in the department, and they’re also part of the politics and psychology departments. So there aren’t classes in the “Legal Studies department,” per se, so it can be tricky to figure out which classes count for the major since they’re listed in politics or gov or philosophy. I think it’s been hugely helpful for me as an alum. I’m about to start a full-time job in government right now, and I talked about how interdisciplinary my major was. I like how people kind of have to ask, “so what is a major in Legal Studies?” because I get to say, “it’s a mix of all these different disciplines, so in a way, I have training in all of them rather than just one.”
Maura Duffey ‘16 Philosophy Majoring in philosophy opened a new door of learning for me beyond learning data or information. It teaches me how to formulate thoughts and arguments, and problem solve.
oice • Volume XVIII • Issue Eight
8 • Features
A review of oscar rejects theme song) “Do not forsake me, Oh my darling.”
The Elephant Man (1980) - David Lynch Premise: A beautiful, black and white account of the life of Joseph Merrick, who posed that his deformations, disabilities and enormous head size were the result of his being full of so many dreams. Starring: Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, Anne Bancroft
the wood chipper. And those three people in Brainerd. And for what? For a little bit of money. There’s more to life than a little money, you know. Dont’cha know that? And here ya are, and it’s a beautiful day. Well. I just don’t understand it.” Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise *One of the first feature-length Disney Animated films to not be nominated for Best Picture. However, it was nominated for Best
monster and what makes a man?” Cast Away (2000) - Robert Zemeckis *Nominated for Best Actor, not for Best Picture Premise: Only Tom Hanks can make you choke up by clinging to a raft, crying out to a volleyball with a face painted on it. Starring: Tom Hanks Memorable Line: “I’m sorry, Wilson! Wilson, I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”
By Elizabeth Lee ‘16 Copy Editor & Film Columnist
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fter all the glitz and glamour that is Oscar season, there are those few films left standing with their golden statues and those who must humbly step to the side. This year’s ‘Oscar Rejects’ — which include American Sniper, Boyhood, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, Selma, The Theory of Everything and Whiplash — have made way for Birdman’s spotlight but are joining the ranks of Citizen Kane, It’s a Wonderful Life, The Third Man, To Kill a Mockingbird and many other beloved favorites. To celebrate The Academy Awards’ history of Oscar Rejects, here’s a list of nominations that did not win but that are definitely worth the watch: Sunset Boulevard (1950)-Billy Wilder Premise: Norma Desmond and all the other fading stars of the silent film era go a little mad as a young screenwriter both captivates her and threatens the continued glory of her past successes. Starring: William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Cecil B. DeMille Memorable Line: “I am big. It’s the pictures that got small.” High Noon (1952) - Fred Zinnemann Premise: “Wait, wait alone. I do not know what fate awaits me. I only know I must be brave. For I must face a man who hates me...or lie a coward in my grave.” Starring: Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly Memorable Line: (from the film’s
Tom Hanks in Castaway. Photo Courtesy of Cinema.com
Memorable Line: “I am not an animal! I am a human being!” Fargo(1996) - Ethan Coen, Joel Coen Premise: This is a true story! ...Just kidding. The Coen Brothers infuse a dark sense of humor into some of Midwestern America’s most disturbing and ridiculous crimes as a pregnant police chief begins tracking a feeble car salesman who hires two men to kidnap his wife. Starring: Frances McDormand, William Macy, Steve Buscemi, Harve Presnell, Peter Stormare Memorable Line: “So that was Mrs. Lundegaard on the floor in there. And I guess that was your accomplice in
Musical Score. Premise: By far one of the best and most underappreciated Disney movies and considered by many to be quite the unfounded snub! Complete with religious undertones, the brilliant bells of Alan Menken’s music, vague reference to French literature, an outcast protagonist who isn’t fulfilled by romantic happy ending, and a singing George Costanza! Starring: Tom Hulce, Tony Jay, Demi Moore, Paul Kandel, Kevin Kline, Jason Alexander Memorable Line: (sung) “So, here is a riddle to guess if you can, sing the bells of Notre Dame--What makes a
Wolf of Wall Street (2013) - Martin Scorsese Premise: It’s ‘Goodfellas,’ but with stockbrokers instead of gangsters. The most impressive and simultaneously depressing/hilarious display of immense debauchery. Although, come on, Scorsese, can we have a few female protagonists? Or really even just some women characters who aren’t cluelessly objectified? Starring: Leonardo Dicaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie Memorable Line: “Sell me this pen.” You can find all movies reviewed here on Netflix
greek and roman plays come to scripps By Sophie Fahey ‘17 Staff Writer Thursdays this semester, Classics Professor Ellen Finkelpearl is holding a series of informal readings of classical Greek and Roman plays. This program allows any and all interested students to experience and “perform” these plays. These readings are not connected to a class, and all students are invited to attend. This is the first semester Finkelpearl has put on these informal readings. There have been group readings of longer texts in the past—such as Homer’s “Odyssey”—but those texts take about twelve hours to read aloud. The plays being read this semester run at around an hour and a half each, generally ending around 5:30 p.m. or 6:00 p.m. These are very informal events, and no knowledge of classics is required; the plays have
all been translated into English. Students attending the events can either read for a character or simply choose to watch. Parts are divided at the beginning, and costumes and props are handed out. Students who aren’t participating in a scene can enjoy watching the play while eating snacks from Trader Joe’s. “These are great texts—some of them fun and some tragic, and I wanted to give people a chance to get to know them in a non-pressured, informal way. I have the feeling that many people these days assume that Classical writings (ancient Greek and Roman, that is) are stodgy and boring, but when they actually read them, they find they are surprising, alien and alive. Performance and a communal experience of the plays lets us connect at least minimally with this strange, distant past.” Finkelpearl said. Last week’s reading was Plautus’ “The Braggart
Soldier,” which, according to the program flyer, is “a well-known comedy in which a clever slave helps the young man get the girl and defeat the ridiculous, arrogant soldier.” The next reading will be Euripides’ “Helen” on March 26 at 4:15 p.m., in Humanities Room 204. “The play follows an alternative myth in which Helen (whose beauty caused the Trojan War) did not go to Troy, but was hidden away in Egypt, and verges on being feminist in the sense that she is much smarter than all the men around her” said Finkelpearl. April plays include Terence’s “The Brothers,” Seneca’s “Phaedra,” and Euripides’ “Orestes.” Upcoming performances: March 26: Euripides’ “Helen” April 2: Terence’s “The Brothers (Adelphoi)” April 16: Seneca’s “Phaedra” April 23: Euripides’ “Orestes”
5 March, 2015 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVIII • Issue Eight
Features • 9
Visiting Southern california’s salton sea
By Isobel Whitcomb ‘17 Environmental Columnist What is the largest lake in California? Ask a Californian this question, and they will probably guess Lake Tahoe. Huge, clear, blue, majestic and surrounded by towering mountains, Lake Tahoe is an iconic symbol of California. However, this guess is actually wrong. The largest inland body of water is not in the high Sierra, but down in the desert of Southern California, just two hours east
of Claremont. It is called the Salton Sea. The Salton Sea wasn’t always so unknown. In the early 20th century, the lake was formed as the result of a botched attempt to divert water from the Colorado River to desert farmland in the Imperial Valley. However, rather than viewing the accidentally flooded valley as an environmental disaster, real estate investors saw it as a blessing in disguise. Plans for lavish resorts and celebrity homes were drafted, and developments went up around the rim of the newly formed desert sea. For a short while, it was considered a vacation hotspot where people would go for sun, fishing and water sports. However, the lake’s increasing salinity combined with chemical runoff from farmland and factories has led to periodic changes in the lake’s composition, such as massive algae blooms or the cyclical extinction of the lake’s fish. Due to these changes, the lake’s economic boom was short-lived. Today, the Salton Sea draws few visitors. However, the Salton Sea offers an incredible opportunity for scientists and artists alike to explore what an ecosystem and community turns into post-human intervention. The area around the Salton Sea has a post-apocalyptic quality.
The sea rests on the San Andreas Fault, and mud volcanoes pepper the desert surrounding the lake. Derelict buildings crumble on the shores in communities with names like “Salton City” and “Bombay Beach,” suggestive of a more prosperous, hopeful era. Empty swimming pools fill with sand, and the beaches around the lake are covered with the bones of millions of dead fish. Though it may sound depressing, the Salton Sea has a poetic quality that entices artists and scientists to explore its shores. Despite its apparent desolation, the lake actually has a vibrant ecosystem. Sea birds flock around its shores, and its extreme environment fosters the development of unique and genetically resilient organisms, such as extremophiles, microorganisms that can withstand incredibly tough living conditions, including the inside of mud volcanoes. The Salton Sea is a living paradox. It is a place where beauty meets desolation, and where the ghosts of a forgotten time meet vibrant life. For artists and scientists interested in the overlap of extinction and new life, and for anyone who appreciates an adventure in an unknown place, the Salton Sea is a little known wonder of Southern California that must be visited.
examining race and prejudice in mental health
By Jocelyn Gardner ‘17 Mental Health Columnist, Webmaster
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here is no way to crop one’s experience to reflect only one aspect of identity. However, people often do try to reduce certain aspects of identity (such as mental illness or race) as contingent upon, or subordinate to, other factors that play roles in shaping a person’s mind. While we cannot determine the cause of mental “illness,” (I use the term in quotes because I dislike seeing mental illness described as pathological-- “illness”-related words are used for lack of more accurate terms) we do know that-- like everything else in the human body- genes are a map of possibilities; experience and stimuli help determine the expression, or the path our development takes throughout life. Race might not necessarily be the one and only determining factor leading up to some kind of negatively perceived mental condition, but it certainly cannot be discounted. The articles I found discussing the intersections of race and mental health drastically oversimplified both factors of identity, both as their own stand-alone topics, and in conjunction with one another. I was extremely disappointed to find that “race” is often equated to being “AfricanAmerican” as opposed to “White;” news flash: there are other races. All races drastically influence how we perceive ourselves; it is not so clearcut as these articles suggest, and such a fabricated dichotomy often used in discussing race is reductive, ineffective and problematic. Additionally, issues of race can affect
a mind in various harmful ways-- from warping one’s self-view all the way to the more overt, negative effects caused by prejudice and racism. Issues of race are also relevant in shaping the way that people view help-seeking and their own mental health. Cultural context is very significant and cannot be taken out of the equation. In this respect, we can go deeper than race, as differences in individual families and circumstances (think economic inequality) have a staggering psychological impact. We come yet again to a point I repeatedly make about how you can’t quite apply broad generalizations to the intricacies of a single, human psyche. Along those lines, race can encompass so much more than effects of “racism” on “minority groups.” What about the sense of displacement felt by some who feel tied to more than one contradicting identity (for instance, feeling that you belong to both and neither race, culture, country, etc. of which your identity is composed)? Other groups also deal with problems differently, and don’t want to change this. Some people would rather turn to religion, family or substances instead of mental health professionals. Unfortunately, psychology as a whole is seen as very “white,” and this makes it less comfortable and accessible to other groups. In a practice where comfort is a necessity rather than a luxury-- for it’s nearly impossible to share deep-seated personal details with someone, in this case a mental health professional, you don’t trust-- psychology’s being seen as very “white” has a monumental effect. While the mindset shouldn’t be infected with the social disease of racism, race in all its relevant connotations mustn’t be swept under the rug or reduced to a small, inaccurate shell of an idea. In the general mindset reflected in the aforementioned articles, mental “illness” is also drastically and harmfully oversimplified. I won’t get into this here in order to spare you from a novel-length rant, but it does exist in a very real way, even in
“trustworthy” writing and in the words of “experts.” I should also mention that it is accepted that race alone doesn’t affect rates of mental “illness” the way it can affect some more physical phenomena such as heart disease. There aren’t really significant differences in occurrences of mental health issues among races, according to research. Yet chronic stress attributed to racism shouldn’t be ignored, so it is interesting that the rates of mental “illness” are roughly the same, right? Actually, it isn’t interesting, because our perception of mental “illness” numbers are completely based on numbers of diagnoses, and, for the reasons outlined above, people of color are less likely to be correctly diagnosed if they seek help (and, as we’ve seen, they are less likely to seek help than their white counterparts). Note: you cannot equate diagnoses to the actual numbers. Even if a person of color does seek help and is correctly diagnosed, certain barriers may restrict this person’s access to treatment. As anyone who has taken Core I and been subjected to Foucault will recognize, there is institutionalized, systematic racism at work in our society. Some of the more negative outcomes we’ve found in the healthcare system involve the way diagnostics, insurance and the nature of professional development works. One outcome of our national education system is that we end up with a vast majority of our mental health professionals coming from similar backgrounds. This poses a difficulty, as it makes it hard for them to understand other backgrounds, and, as a result, people from these unfamiliar backgrounds are less likely to trust these healthcare professionals. Cultural competency is not taught, though it needs to be. Additionally, the diagnostic and other criteria that make up the “normal” we compare people against are also based on research with samples not
representative of the population. Thus, the misdiagnosis problem grows. The misunderstanding of cultural backgrounds also causes differences in diagnosis. (It can also come from racism, but for the sake of not perpetually bashing everyone, I’m going to mix things up and give them the benefit of the doubt.) Going back to institutional violence, research has shown that race alone led to a difference in diagnoses. For example, a June 28, 2005 article from Washington Post entitled “Racial Disparities Found in Pinpointing Mental Illness” explained how African-Americans receive diagnoses of serious mental health problems more often, citing the discrepancy in rates of schizophrenia diagnoses. The oppression we find at the intersection of marginalized groups and identities is quite dangerous. Consider the little-mentioned fact that some assessment of “danger,” which may be based on superficial, biased or false observations of mental health professionals and administrators, can lead to the complete obliteration of a person’s rights, as with involuntary institutionalization and medication, which can also lead to injury and even death. Having seen a glimpse of this, I can tell you it is a serious problem with the mental healthcare system. This in itself is a huge topic for another article, as it explosively projects violence, stigma and dangerous misconceptions. Identity is multifaceted, and is often harmed by reductionistic tendencies rampant in our society, even among mental health professionals. It is important to identify these tendencies and to recognize them in our own behavior, as the social justice issue of mental health is truly everyone’s responsibility. Our awareness can help us reshape the way we interact with others, and, in time, a new, collective awareness may bring about the end of stigma and racism, particularly in regard to mental “illness.”
5 March, 2015 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVIII • Issue Eight
10 • Features
reinventing Sex education in schools
By Evelyn Gonzalez ‘18 Feminism Columnist
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ex is such a pervasive aspect of our society. From billboards to television shows, sexualities and bodies are exploited and constantly on display. Sex is treated as the endall be-all. It is normalized and easy to talk about in snickered euphemisms-- that is, until it comes time to talk candidly about it. The earliest memory of sex education that comes to mind from my own childhood is a parental consent form. At the time, having to ask whether or not it was okay to learn about our own bodies seemed justified. We were going to be talking about sex, after all. When it was time for our sex education course, the girls and boys from my fifth grade class were ushered into separate rooms. We giggled nervously at each other, our faces bright red with embarrassment. Fortunately for us, it was over even faster than
it began. After being shown a few clips about menstruation, erections and STDs, we assumed all we needed to know about sex was over and done with. The whole ordeal had been awkward and uncomfortable and this would continue to be the theme for years to come. Put this “education” together with the limited amount of information we coaxed from our parents and the blatantly wrong advice we got from our friends, and we obviously had a very big problem on our hands. Continuing to require abstinence-only programs in schools does not even begin to equate to an adequate sex education. I will start off by saying that some aspects of this curriculum are necessary, but it is their implementation that is starting to have a detrimental effect. It is important that youths know that abstinence is an option for them if they so choose, but it should not be the only option they have. If schools want their students to learn about having safe sex, then they need to stop ignoring it altogether. Warning students about the dangers that come from unprotected sex, such as STDs, is a must, but unfortunately schools treat these important teaching moments like an episode of scare tactics. Showing them pictures of genital warts is only going to take them so far. These types of programs also neglect the next natural step that should come from a conversation on STDs: contraception. They fail to discuss or advocate for contraceptive methods and therefore leave their students susceptible to the dangers of ignorance and much more. Abstinence is an integral part, and sometimes the only part, of sex education because many people believed that it would help to prevent, or at least greatly reduce, unwanted teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. However, a study done by the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) in 2008 confirmed that “abstinence-only-until-marriage programs are not effective in changing young people’s sexual behavior or preventing negative outcomes such as teen pregnancy. More importantly, however, it confirms that programs that teach young people about both abstinence and contraception/ disease prevention are, in fact, effective.” It is very
clear then that the current abstinence programs we have in our school systems are unsuccessful, outdated and need some major adjustment. In order to improve abstinence-only programs, I suggest instilling a comprehensive sex and body education system that relies on inclusive and updated information about sex, anatomy and sexualities. In addition to talking openly about what sex entails, bring birth control and condoms into the conversation as basic components of safe sex. Giving students options is going to help them choose what is right for them and reduce their risks. Consent and pleasure should also be at the forefront of this conversation, and their importance should be emphasized. In order to have an all-inclusive sex education, we must also remove our heterosexual mindset. Educating students on their body parts is a great start, but it should expand to include other avenues of sex that are not always penetrative. Letting students know how to maneuver around this and keep safe is just as important. Teachers should also keep in mind those who identify as asexual, and should remind their students that sex does not need to be a part of their lives and that that’s perfectly natural as well. The great thing about sex education is that it doesn’t just have to be about sex. It could be a great opportunity to teach people about their bodies. In doing so it would remove the stigma surrounding our natural functions, making it easier to ask questions or for help whenever necessary. Folks would no longer feel ashamed of their own bodies and their own desires, allowing them to explore themselves freely. This is going to provide agency and give people options for keeping safe, whether or not they choose to engage in sex. Sex and bodies do not have to be a shameful or embarrassing discussion, but it is a conversation we must have. Ultimately, whether or not young adults are going to be having sex is not a choice that we can make for them. What a good comprehensive sex and body education should do is give them the tools and information to decide for themselves what the right choices are for them.
Gynecology: your first visit Anonymous Sex Health Columnist Note: While this article focuses on people born with female reproductive organs, it is certainly not the be-all and end-all of sexual/reproductive health for women. Womanhood is not determined by your physical body parts. There are many places to go for more information, resources, and support, some of which are listed at the end of this article.
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art of growing up can mean going to college and getting a job, but it can also mean going to the gynecologist for your first pelvic exam. It’s like getting your yearly check up, but for your reproductive system. My first visit happened when I wanted to get on birth control. I told the doctor I didn’t feel comfortable with a pelvic exam, but she very strongly encouraged it because I was sexually active, so I agreed. It’s a very vulnerable experience, and in the sterile environment of a doctor’s office, you can feel very
alone. Although it can be a strange experience, it’s just as important (and at times, even more so) as going for a yearly physical checkup. Typically, the doctor will start by asking about your medical history, then will do a basic physical, which includes checking your heart, lungs and blood pressure. Your doctor will also do an abdominal check to see if any spots are sore or tender, and then will do a breast exam to check for lumps or abnormalities. During the pelvic exam, the doctor will first look for discharge, swelling or redness. Then they may insert a gloved finger while pressing on your abdomen, which is called a bimanual exam. If you need to get a pap smear, the doctor will then use a speculum, which holds open the vagina so the doctor can inspect the vaginal walls and cervix. A pap smear tests for cervical cell changes and screens for cervical cancer. A pap smear is recommended after age 21 or three years after starting intercourse. As a student, it can be difficult to get to a doctors office off campus,
but luckily Student Health Services offers women’s health exams, which include a pelvic exam, pap smear, and breast exam. If your pap smear is abnormal, they’ll do a HPV (human papilloma virus) test as well. The cost of the exam is $75, and is covered with student insurance. Even though it can be uncomfortable and awkward at first, it is important to get an annual exam. These visits can provide a safe space to ask your doctor questions and get resources to which you might not normally have access, such as various birth control methods. It is also important to go so that your doctor can catch things early, like STIs, STDs, infections and certain kinds of cancer. Feeling comfortable with your doctor is also very important, so search around if you haven’t found one that you connect with. If you’re not comfortable with any kind of pelvic exam, speak up, and you and your doctor can just start with a consultation. Getting a pelvic exam is a choice, and it’s your body, so
your personal comfort level comes first. Even though I was apprehensive to go to the gynecologist at first, ultimately I was glad I went. I was able to ask my doctor things that I didn’t want to ask my parents, and since I was the first of my friends to become sexually active, I couldn’t rely on them for advice, either. My doctor helped me figure out what brand of pill I should get, since different hormone combinations affect your body in different ways. She also taught me how to properly check myself for breast lumps, which I now regularly do in the shower. I go get an exam every year now, and I leave with peace of mind knowing that I went.
resources Everybody: www.scarleteen.com Trans men: www.checkitoutguys.ca Trans women: convio.cancer.ca/site/ PageServer?pagename=SSL_ON_TW_ CervicalCancer_ScreeningTest
5 March, 2015 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVIII • Issue Eight
Features • 11
the first year experience
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brought to you by a real-life scripps first year •
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Xin nian kuai le!
For the first time, I feel wicked
By Melanie Biles ‘18 Design Editor
Some day, I plan to write a book that contains all of the things that people have told me that have turned out to be false. It would include, of course, run-of-themill childhood lies, like when my brother successfully convinced me for two full years of my life that I was adopted. There would be some mention of coaches who told me that I would “definitely get to play in the game today” and teachers who assured us that their tests “would not have any surprises” so there was “nothing to worry about.” There would be a special shout-out to my friend who said that her seventh birthday was not going to be a pool party,
Sarah Berschinski ‘17
with Diva Gattani ‘17, Staff Writer Hometown: Bainbridge Island, Washington Major: (Dual) Politics and International Relations / Hispanic Studies What activities are you involved with on campus? I am captain of the Mock Trial B team and 5C girls soccer club. I got involved in mock trial competition, because I was interested in law and public speaking. Everyone on the team is really close, and it is very much a team atmosphere. Mock trial is a lot of work though; it’s like taking another class, but everyone is really hardworking. The last tournament was the Claremont Regional Mock Trial Tournament, and although we didn’t move on to the second round, both A and B teams got honorable mentions. Forming a 5C girls club soccer team has taken a lot of effort, and we are still in the process of being recognized as a team. We need a lot of approval from administrative groups on the Claremont campuses.
so there was no need to bring a bathing suit. (Then why does everyone else have one, Elisa?! The most important section would be unintentional falsehoods. For example, when I was touring colleges, almost every tour guide told me that their school was “super close to downtown” and that getting to the nearest big city was incredibly easy and something that was done every weekend. When I arrived at Scripps, then, I was under the impression that weekend trips to LA were the norm and could be accomplished with absolute ease. Though it is true that finding a way into LA is not impossible with a little bit of motivation, I do not find myself rubbing elbows with Hollywood
However, we recently played against California State Fullerton. We lost 2-1 but it was our first time playing together as a team and everyone put in a lot of effort and had fun. Who is the most influential person in your life? My mom, because she is really inspiring. She’s worked my whole life for the FDA, and she’s very selfless and dedicated to community service and philanthropy. She has made me want to become involved in government work. Favorite TV show? I’d say New Girl. I think it’s hilarious, and a lot of things on the show apply to my life. Favorite motley drink? Blended Machachacha with soymilk and lavender. Why did you choose Scripps? I just walked on campus and had a gut feeling about it. There’s nothing more that I love now than going to an all women’s college. What do you want to do when you [graduate]? My dream job would be to work for the State Department, working for a non-profit, or, if I go to law school I would like to be a human rights attorney. Favorite class this semester? My Politics of the Food Economy class--because we have an internship component to it. I’m doing a meatless Monday program through Nancy Neiman Auerbach. Every Monday we pick up food that’s been donated from the farmers market and we prepare a vegetarian meal with women who have been released from life sentences in prison either through appeal or on good behavior. After dinner we have a discussion about food justice and sustainability. It’s really cool. Making meals with these women and eating together is in a way a form of protest against the food industry, and I find it very empowering.
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Midterms are my nightmare
royalty or hanging out at Santa Monica every Saturday. Instead, I have fallen victim to the Claremont bubble. Staying in Claremont is, in a word, easy. There is plenty to do on campus and, when that gets boring, the village has enough to satisfy one or two days’ boredom. At some point, I realized that I didn’t even really need that much – between homework, hanging out with whoever knocked on my door, and marathoning Parks and Rec from the first episode in preparation for the series finale (we already miss it in the saddest fashion), I don’t find myself wanting to go off campus that often anyway. The Claremont bubble is safe, convenient and comfortable, so why leave?
Happy birthday to me...
the bubble
Well, as I recently found out, the reasons abound. Last weekend, my roommate and I headed into L.A. to see Wicked and hang out with relatives. We ate homecooked food, slept in real beds, saw an amazing performance, made friends on the metro and, most importantly, got to hang out with my grandma’s cat. Of course there were challenges in transportation and logistics, but it was relatively easy to get off-campus and go adventuring. I know that I have gotten complacent in the bubble this semester. So, my challenge to you is this: if at all feasible, try to find an excuse to escape. It’ll probably be worth it in the end.
(business) casual A
By Natalie Camrud ‘17 Fashion Columnist
Look 1: Name: Minjoo Kim Year: Third Outfit: Minjoo makes business attire fresh and unique by pairing a gray suit with a cat eye and patterned blouse. Inspiration: “I just got back from a wealth management internship. I like being polished, but this isn’t what I normally wear.”
t Scripps College, day-to-day life for some students can switch from casually going to the pool to casually going to an internship. While the uniform for my on-campus job is just a purple t-shirt, some students have to dress more formally for their work opportunities. Depending on what you want to do with your life, you eventually might have to trade in those high-waisted shorts for a highwaisted pencil skirt. A pair of slacks and a blazer can transform you into an adult... Scary! For this issue’s fashion column, I chose to feature both ends of the fashion spectrum: casual and carefree, and sleek and sophisticated. Whether you’re going to the Motley or to a meeting, wear what makes you feel comfortable and confident. Look 2: Name: Hannah Sands Year: Second Outfit: Hannah embraces the day with a bright, floral sundress and Converse Inspiration: “It finally stopped raining, so I was able to wear a dress today.”
5 March, 2015 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVIII • Issue Eight
12 • Arts & Entertainment
quilting for a cause Photos by Tyra Abraham ‘18 Using the powerful medium of story quilts, “American Spring: A Cause for Justice” narrates the response to the Trayvon Martin shooting in Florida. The 23 quilts from the Fiber Artists of Hope Network reveal the reactions to Martin’s death and hopes for a better America. The exhibition will be open from February 23 to March 8 in the Bridges Auditorium Main Lobby at Pomona College. Admission is free to the public. Hours for Viewing: Mon-Sat (excluding Thurs): 10 a.m. to 4 p.m; Thurs: 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday: 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Writing taken from www.pomona. edu/trayvon-quilts
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
5 March, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVIII • Issue Eight