Uncompromising commitment to inclusivity and justice.
“Neutrality and Coffee”: The Motley team comments on administration’s policies regarding hanging the Palestinian flag
By Frances Walton ’26 and Belén Yudess ’25 Editor-in-Chief and Copy Editor
Note: All Motley baristas and managers who interviewed with The Scripps Voice (TSV) have requested anonymity due to concerns for their employment.
On Sept. 9, Interim Special Assistant to the Vice President for Student Affairs Deborah Hebert ordered the removal of the Palestinian flag hanging in the coffeehouse’s window in an email to The Motley manager team. In a follow-up email, Hebert said that The Motley “violated campus policy and conduct standards” by allowing the flag to remain in the space.
After the staff refused to comply with these demands, Hebert sent an email ultimatum on Wednesday, Sept. 11: “Removal of the flag is a condition to being able to open the Motley. As such, if you want to open the Motley for business on Friday, it needs to be removed by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday.”
Contrasting earlier emails sent by Hebert, the Sept. 11 correspondence was “sent to our Motley Gmail, but also to both of our student emails [with Dr. Sha] CC’d, and an attachment of the screenshot [of a photo of Motley training with the Palestinian flag in the background] from our Instagram story,” a manager said. “I felt isolated in my position by that message and by that sort of framing.”
Following Hebert’s ultimatum, The Motley, in a joint post with other oncampus organizations, set up a show of solidarity in the coffeehouse on Thursday, Sept. 12, at 4:15 p.m., right before the ultimatum deadline. Approximately 160+ members of the 5C community attended in support of The Motley.
“The flag that is currently hanging is not part of some broader display recognizing the international students at Scripps,” Hebert said in the Sept. 11 email. In response, students adorned The Motley with flags representing their heritage before the gathering.
Motley staff opened the gathering
[and would] not make it there [that] evening.”
The managers were confused. “I guess that begs the question: Do we get an extension on our deadline? Are we opening tomorrow?” a manager said at the event.
After a meeting with Hebert on Friday, The Motley opened Friday night with the “Motagascar” opening party and continued with their regular business hours starting Monday, Sept. 16.
However, on Sept. 18, Hebert and Executive Director of Facilities Management & Auxiliary Operations Josh Reeder emailed the managers’ student emails. Seven minutes later, that same email, with an introduction from Dean of Students Dr. Sha Bradley, was sent to the Scripps Student List. The subject line read, “Commitment to Freedom of Expression and Inclusion-Motley Coffeehouse.”
In the email, Hebert and Reeder requested that the managers “promptly remove any unauthorized signage, decorations, flags, posters, or other materials from The Motley.” Earlier in the email, Hebert and Reeder cited the Principles of Community and the college’s posting policy and said, “Adherence to all applicable policies related to the business environment is a condition of employment.”
“I was glad such a blatant display of hypocrisy and self-contradictory messaging [was made] accessible to the inbox of every other student on this campus,” a manager said. “I think it was a move that was supposed to make us feel visible and vulnerable,
but I was glad that [they sent] such a ridiculous email where so much nothing was said.”
The managers saw contradictions between The Motley’s actions and the posting policy Hebert and Reeder cited. “From what I understand where it does talk about [postings], it talks about flyers, like, event flyers,” a manager said. “It doesn’t talk about decor. It doesn’t talk about wall art. It doesn’t talk about permanent installations.”
Part of The Principles of Community, mentioned in the email from Hebert and Reeder, states that “recognizing that such expressions [of free speech] may offend, provoke, and disturb, Scripps affirms its dedication to encourage rather than limit expression.”
The email stated that The Motley employees “displaying decorations or signage that advocate for specific positions or statements may inadvertently limit the expression of diverse opinions and beliefs within a shared space.”
A manager believed that Hebert and Reeder’s request “put [the managers] in a position where they have to make up for the pitfalls of admin, and it’s super stressful,” she said. “It’s super, super inappropriate, and it adds so much [pressure]; we’re not full time workers.”
When TSV asked Hebert for a statement regarding her correspondence with The Motley, the Office of Marketing and Communications referred TSV to the email sent to the Scripps Student list. They declined to comment further.
On Sept. 20, the managers sat down with Hebert and Reeder for a meeting, scheduled before the Sept. 18 email, regarding the flag’s presence in the space.
Hebert first asked the managers to recount what had happened in The Motley, “despite her being the one who’d been imposing all of these policies and restrictions on us,” a manager said.
Then, the managers pressed Hebert and Reeder to identify the specific policies that they were breaking. “We received no citations of any clauses that could be applicable to the situation whatsoever,” a manager said. “We got no clarity from the meeting, only a deadline, which is that the flag needed to come down by close of business on Monday [Sept. 23] evening.”
Reeder said little in the meeting while Hebert answered questions posed by the managerial staff. From the managers’ perspective, Hebert seemed unprepared to answer many of the specific questions they asked.
“Whoever told her to enter that meeting and say whatever she had to say, they gave her no policy to back it up with,” a manager said.
Already struggling to understand the rationale behind the mandate to take down the Palestinian flag, the managers sought clarity on how Scripps would handle future decor.
“We were like, ‘who’s deciding this?’ And she goes, ‘Well, unfortunately, that’s going to have to be me,’” a manager said. “And we were like, ‘is
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Why We Can’t Accept the Pomona Door Policy as the New Normal
‘Body Mapping’: Mikayla Stout’s Superb Soiree into the Solo Scene
Frances Walton ’26 • The Scripps Voice
“When is someone gonna tell me that?”
Changes to the Guide to Student Life and Code of Conduct
By Frances Walton ’26 and Nawal Hassan ’27 Editor-in-Chief and Design Editor
Scripps College’s Dean of Students (DOS) Office added an uncommunicated and widely unknown new code severely limiting students’ ability to decorate their exterior-facing windows or balconies to the 2024-2025 Code of Conduct that left students questioning Scripps’ reasoning and drawing connections to the dwindling forms of college-sanctioned student expression on campus.
After releasing the first 2024-2025 Guide to Student Life and Code of Conduct (GTSL/COC), DOS updated the individual GTSL and COC documents again Aug. 20. The sentence, “Substantive changes to the GTSL+COC will be announced via email to the student community as promptly as possible following implementation,” was removed. Code “4.40: Housing Decor and Posting Policy,” was added.
The office’s removal of the sentence was “an error that will be corrected,” said Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Sha Bradley in an email to The Scripps Voice sent through the Office of Marketing and Communications.
The sentence, which formerly appeared in the middle of the introductory paragraph, was removed Aug. 20. Since at least 2022, the sentence has existed in every edition of the GTSL and COC.
“In two separate documents, both with a sentence removed from the middle of a paragraph … To me, it feels like a pointed decision to have done that,” a senior Scripps student, who wished to be identified by their initials A.Y. due to concerns of retribution from the DOS, said.
When pressed by TSV on the lack of communication with Scripps students, Bradley said, “The Dean of Stu-
Continued from page 1
there going to be a policy that you’re going to follow that’s going to be written down?’ They could not provide us with any sort of policy.”
Requiring Hebert’s approval for everything that goes up in The Motley introduces a range of issues related to themed shifts or the staff’s ability to set up spontaneous decor.
A manager said Hebert “[sees] decor as something permanent, as something that doesn’t change that much.“ Considering The Motley’s quick turnover of decor, the manager said, “Clearly, [she] knows nothing about Motley.”
The managers also questioned if Pride flags, which could inadvertently limit the expression of conservative beliefs, would be held to the same standards as the Palestinian flag. Hebert told them that sexuality was protected.
One manager told Hebert in the meeting that “nationality is protected, and she just froze after that was brought up.”
To the managers, Hebert seemed to lack knowledge of the policies cited in her email and the greater context surrounding the Palestinian flag. Hebert could not identify the flag’s name and called it the “Afghan flag” multiple times in the meeting. “She kept calling it a conflict, an issue, complicated,” a manager said.
The 9 a.m. meeting concluded when Reeder had to leave, and the managers did not feel that they had come to an agreement. “She started the meeting off by saying, ‘My goal is to hear you guys, and we just want to be heard as well,’” a manager said. “But that to me was inherently frustrating because I don’t think they have ever heard us.”
After the meeting, the students
dents Office will send another communication highlighting substantive changes.”
As of Wednesday evening, the Scripps student list has not been explicitly notified of changes. None of the six students interviewed by TSV, three of whom had violated Code 4.40, were aware of these changes nor contacted by the administration about possible disciplinary actions.
One substantive change to the Code of Conduct is Code 4.40. Couched between stipulations on adhesives used to put up posters were the lines:
“No wires, blankets, clothes, banners, flags, signs, posters, or other items may hang from, on, out of, or block the windows of the residential spaces, including entrance and exit doors.”
“Students may not hang anything out of their windows or place objects on exterior windowsills or balconies.”
“Public facing exterior doors may not have any postings, signs, or other items on the door.”
“Items posted in all other locations within or outside of residence halls, including but not limited to windows, hallways, stairwells, and doors, will be removed and recycled. Signs which violate any of these regulations will be removed.”
Code 4.40 also stipulated that window postings do not violate the code if they take up no more than 25 percent of the window and face inward.
“Students do not participate in the GTSL and CoC update processes,” Bradley wrote. “However, I’m eager to gather student input to make both documents even more inclusive and student-friendly.”
However, Scripps students, formerly unaware of any changes and therefore unable to give input on the GTSL/ COC, expressed confusion regarding whether these changes are student or
community-friendly.
“When I think about Scripps community, [I think of] being able to voice your opinion … so I’m a little bit surprised [about the new code],” Bryn Weigel-Murphy ’28 said. “It’s kind of the opposite of what I thought Scripps community was.”
To many students, their residential halls, including balconies and windows, are a site of connection, expression, and vibrancy. “I think everybody who’s seen our flag on our balcony, at least to me, says, ‘Oh, my God, that’s so cool,’” Sitara Putrevu ’28 said.
Silent changes to the Scripps GTSL/ COC and the current political atmo sphere surrounding Palestine on cam pus have made some students skepti cal of the reasoning behind changing the codes.
“I understand that these rules ex ist sometimes because it is Scripps property,” Emmy Anderson ’26 said. “However, given recent events with the Palestinian genocide in Gaza, it does feel incredibly targeted, and I am not pleased.”
Students also flagged the code’s focus on the exteriors of Scripps resi dential halls to suggest Scripps Col lege’s attitude toward student expres sion. “I’m sure the Board of Trustees doesn’t want people on tours staring at a [silly] flag when they’re touring campus,” a Scripps student said, un der the condition of anonymity due to currently infringing on code 4.40. “And probably, definitely not a Palestinian flag.”
While other 5Cs’ GTSL/COC equiva lents include regulations regarding balcony and residence decor, Scripps’ specific rules on “exterior facing doors” and decor that covers “more than 25 percent” of a window stand out in comparison. For instance, Pitzer’s COC requires students to get approval before hanging items on balconies. Pomona limits posting cat
“Neutrality and Coffee”
were left confused regarding what would happen following the Sept. 23 deadline for the removal of the flag. Hebert told them that the employees would not individually face disciplinary measures, but The Motley as an entity would be out of compliance with campus policies.
Hebert’s Sept. 9 emails said that the conversation around flag posting was not new. “Last year Legal did get involved as both the [Scripps] Store and Motley had flags displayed and both groups were explicitly told they could not display flags.”
This situation is reminiscent of events that occurred last semester following a Jan. 17 meeting with former Special Assistant to the Vice President for Student Affairs Adriana di Bartolo-Beckman. Bartolo-Beckman requested a manager to ensure that The Motley would comply with Scripps’ posting policy and that it was one of the requirements to open The Motley in the spring semester.
“It does feel very similar to last year, and it’s not an isolated incident here,” Anna Babboni ’24, a former Motley barista, said. “It’s been happening as long as pro-Palestinian organizing has existed on these campuses.”
Multiple managers felt that Scripps was enforcing their policies arbitrarily to quiet student advocacy for Palestine.
“We want all the decor in the space to stay up, and we don’t want to be subject to these arbitrary policies … that have never been in effect for the past 50 years,” a barista said. “[Policies] are clearly only being applied because of how terrified the college is that their students are expressing solidarity with Palestine.”
Upon reflection, baristas connected the limitation of expression at
“I think it’s just weird because I don’t know why Scripps tries so hard to curb forms of expression that flow more freely on other campuses,” the anonymous student said.
Fellow students expressed similar sentiments about the college’s repressive atmosphere, which the administration created. When asked about possible explanations for the abrupt
The Motley to other rules at Scripps, including existing requirements for poster and event approval.
“Events [and posters] happen in The Motley because students know that OSE would not approve them using other Scripps spaces,” a barista said. “So for this issue to be positioned as ‘something in The Motley is restricting the freedoms of others and making them feel unsafe’ when it’s the other way around, in that the dominant ideology of the administration forces students to use The Motley as their only channel for expression.”
Many Motley employees felt that taking down the flag and more general decor infringed on the community of expression that The Motley has historically represented. “We’ve had this mission statement that states that we are a political space [and] we’ve been a political space for 50 years now,” a manager said. “Only now are they being ‘No. No. No. The Motley is for neutrality and coffee.’”
The enforcement of these policies worried Motley employees, who expressed concern for the sanctity of The Motley as a student-run community space. “Scripps uses The Motley as a platform for them to market their student experience,” a barista said. “We just won number one for student experience. Where is student experience happening at Scripps? It’s happening at The Motley.”
That same barista concluded that the effects of this decision could have long-lasting consequences on the Scripps community.
“So they’re trying to sanitize and purify what The Motley is and boil it down to merely just a coffee shop,” the barista said. “They’re going to lose the entire spirit of the school.”
A barista described how The Motley has served as a haven, especially for students of marginalized identities, when other spaces may be absent or unavailable.
“SCORE is in shambles and the affinity spaces are in shambles,” a barista said. “This is the one community space that people are dedicated to, regardless if you’re a customer, someone who works in The Motley, or you’re a manager … And not only that, the administration is going to hold [work study] over students who desperately need the [income] and are coming from different backgrounds. That’s just so messed up.”
As Motley managers prepare for the administration’s potential response regarding the Palestinian flag, they remain invested in protecting The Motley’s legacy of political freedom.
“The Motley is a space of activism and free speech,” a manager said. “This is one of two designated student spaces: this and the student union. Not allowing [The Motley] to reflect student opinions and values is dangerous. We can’t say that Scripps is not a political campus because it’s inherently political in our existence as a [historically] women’s college.”
Another manager agreed with this sentiment, citing their stance on the flag’s impact in the space as integral to The Motley’s future.
“In fifty years from now when everyone’s talking about this conflict, Scripps admin will be like, ‘our coffee shop was part of a movement,’” a manager said. “We need to remember and cement in history who was telling us to take that flag down. It’s important that it’s recorded that The Motley was on the right side of history here.”
Anna Grez ’27 • The Scripps Voice
Why We Can’t Accept the Pomona Door Policy as the New Normal
By Amy Jayasuriya ‘26
Copy Editor time.
As students returned to Claremont, they were met with numerous changes to Pomona College’s security policy. These included restricted access to all of Pomona’s academic buildings without the use of a Pomona College ID, the hiring of five new Campus Safety officers, and a ban on encampments. The heightened security follows a year of ongoing student protests pressuring Pomona to divest from the Zionist entity’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, all of which the college has steadfastly ignored.
While Pomona claimed that the new policies were put into effect to “ensure equal access to [Pomona’s] educational programs and activities, and to enhance the safety and security of our community,” it’s clear that the results of the policies don’t line up with these intentions.
As a Scripps student, I was not made aware of Pomona’s policy surrounding academic buildings until the first day of classes, when I was forced to awkwardly knock on the doors of Mason Hall before a student finally let me in. This has been a recurring problem for nonPomona students since the policy’s implementation, resulting in many classes starting up to 10 to 15 minutes later than their usual start
While this policy directly inconveniences non-Pomona students, it also poses a larger threat to Pomona’s emphasis on cross-campus connection. Pomona advertises itself as being a part of a consortium and emphasizes the college’s joint academic programs and cross-registration as a selling point to prospective students.
However, Pomona’s decision to implement a policy that creates a literal barrier to entry for nonPomona students in Pomona academic buildings directly violates the values of openness and community that the college prides itself on.
Vanessa Tyson, a politics professor at Scripps, emphasized this disconnect. “[This policy] contradicts the necessary operations of a consortium and seemingly violates the unwritten ethos of the Claremont Colleges,” she said. “I’ve been deeply disappointed by many of the decisions and policies implemented here in Claremont in response to student activism last spring.”
While contradictory to the college’s supposed values, the policy also harms students and faculty members that are a part of intercollegiate majors who already struggle with how closed off the five campuses are becoming.
An intercollegiate professor at the
5Cs, who has requested to remain anonymous due to safety concerns, described the policy as a way to silo students, staff, and faculty into their respective buildings and departments, thus creating divisions between colleges.
Despite the resoundingly negative response from students and faculty, Pomona has remained steadfast in their decision to implement these new security policies.
“It’s obvious that these policies are a response to protests,” the anonymous professor said. “Swiping in allows a clear record of who is and isn’t entering a building and what can be surmised is that if a political event were to happen this data could be used to locate people across our campus at a particular time and place.”
Pomona’s described student protesters last semester as “masked unidentifiable individuals,” in the wake of the arrest and disciplinary sanctions of the 19 student protesters arrested on April 5, last school year.
Placing a strict emphasis on identification and verification of who is leaving and entering Pomona’s buildings suggests a threat of outside agitators. This policy is actively shutting out students and staff from their classrooms and other academic resources, all while using a form of heightened surveillance to repress
student protests. This harmful rhetoric surrounding students’ free speech is not just contained to Pomona’s campus. At Scripps, The Motley Coffeehouse has been fighting an ongoing battle to keep a Palestinian flag up despite continual threats from the Scripps administration to take it down. Despite these threats of repression, however, students have continued to support the Motley with 160+ students rallying around the baristas at a protest on Sept. 13.
The heightened policies surrounding free speech and security is something that administrators are implementing regardless of its detrimental impacts or the discontent it’s creating for students and faculty. So the question remains: how should we react?
If we accept this new status quo as normal, we allow Pomona and Scripps’ administrations to justify continued attacks on students’ free speech and right to protest, laying the groundwork for even more repressive policies in the future. However, by highlighting the negative consequences of these policies, we can also expose how the administration seeks to silence student voices and opinions. As students resoundingly chanted in The Motley, “When our freedom is under attack, what do we do? Stand up and fight back.”
Head of ARS Danny Hernandez Resigns Less Than Two Weeks Into the Academic Year
By Ava Fleisher ’28 Staff Writer
Assistant Dean and Director of Academic Resources and Services (ARS) Dr. Danny Hernandez departed from Scripps College this fall, a decision that hit the community’s inboxes on Thursday, Sept. 5.
The email from the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Dr. DeMethra LaSha “Sha” Bradley informed students of his resignation without further explanation. The email asked the community to thank Hernandez for his work over half a decade at the college and wish him the best for the future.
“I’ve used Danny for ARS and he’s super sweet,” Charlotte Sheridan ’28 said. When asked if she was given any notice of his resignation in addition to the email sent to the community at large she said, “No, not at all.”
It was less than a month before his leaving when he addressed the Scripps class of 2028 to explain the ways ARS could help them. Several of these students had met with him or were scheduled to meet with him soon.
Olivia Peck ’28 who had met with Hernandez to discuss accommodations, had a positive experience with him and was surprised to find out he would be leaving. “It confused me because he was talking as if he’d be there this year,” she said.
Liyenna Khaderi ’28 individually met with Hernandez as well. “He
was a super nice guy and eager to accommodate me,” she said. “There was no notice; he seemed totally fine.”
Scripps is not the only Claremont College Hernandez has history with, however. In 2017, he resigned from his position of Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Case Management at Pitzer to work at the University of Southern California as the Senior Director of Student Life and Assistant Professor in the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work.
In a Q&A with The Student Life following this decision, Hernandez commended Pitzer and the 5Cs, stating they “will always play a significant role in my life,” and that he would always appreciate his colleagues.
Hernandez nor ARS has given any indication of where his next place of employment may be.
When asked about Hernandez’s resignation, ARS declined to comment on personal matters. According to Bradley, ARS will continue to offer its services to students in full and Hernandez’s previous responsibilities have now been given to other staff in ARS and the Dean of Students Office for the time being.
“We are committed to ensuring responsive continuity of care for our students and supporting our community partners during this transition period,” Bradley said via email. “Students are encouraged to send any questions or concerns to the ARS office at ARS@ scrippscollege.edu.”
A specific replacement to fill Hernandez’s position has not been identified at this time, but Bradley said that ARS will look for “candidates who are studentcentered, knowledgeable about disability-related laws and their application in a higher education setting, work effectively with diverse internal and external stakeholders, and possess skillsets that support leading the ARS office.”
Searching for new staff is no rarity at Scripps. In recent years, the College has seen significant turnover in presidents, with four different people holding the same position in the past decade.
As for other leadership roles serving students like the Director and Assistant Director of Scripps Communities of Resources and Empowerment (SCORE), the College has not yet found replacements since the former staff’s resignations last March. Former Director and Assistant Dean of Students Dr. Marissiko Wheaton-Greer, who had worked at Scripps since the beginning of the 2020-2021 academic year, and former Assistant Director Elba Mandujano, who had worked at Scripps since Jan. 2022, resigned within just 10 days of each another. As covered in an article published by The Scripps Voice last spring, these resignations left SCORE particularly “disoriented” and were due to “incompatible visions.”
Only time will tell who will fill Hernandez’s, among others’, former position, how long this search might take, and what this additional departure will mean for students.
TSV Editorial Staff 2024-2025
Ellen Wang ’25 Editor-in-Chief
Juliette Des Rosiers ’26 Editor-in-Chief
Frances Walton ’26 Editor-in-Chief
Belén Yudess ’25
Copy Editor
Ishita Jayadev ’26
Copy Editor
Amy Jayasuriya ’26
Copy Editor
Charlotte Korer ’27
Copy Editor Intern
Elita Kutateli ’26
Head Design Editor
Hannah Fawley ’27 Design Editor
Nawal Hassan ’27
Design Editor
Anna Grez ’27
Design Editor
Carah Allen ’26 Webmaster
Anna Odell ’27
Social Media Manager
Bumpin’ That at Brat Rave
By Chloe Fong ’26 Staff Writer
On Saturday Sept. 7, Scripps Associated Students (SAS) hosted Brat Rave. Centering the iconic “Brat Summer” trend, the party attracted guests across the 5C’s with foam pits and a dynamic dance floor. Notably, Brat Rave had a significantly greater turnout compared to past parties hosted by Scripps.
SAS Co-Event Chairs Alex Hamilton ’25 and Sarah Paper ’25 took the lead in planning the event. They planned other successful parties such as Road to the Apocalypse, Tomorrowland, Enchanted Forest, and Block Party that returning students may remember. With Hamilton and Paper’s collected experience over the years, they were ready and excited to plan Brat Rave.
“We had a great experience with our Block Party last spring and decided to reutilize the space, with an exciting production twist: foam,” Hamilton and Paper said to The Scripps Voice in an email. “We worked with our production vendor to provide two foam pits that helped guests get even more into the brat spirit and cool off during the 90 degree night.”
Music was also a major priority for the Rave. DJs Chelsea Luo and Jonny Wise CMC ‘25, with help from Paper,
brought upbeat and energetic music to the event, including music from Charli XCX’s brat album.
“We loved the DJ’s, they were really good,” Audrey Granger ’28 said. “We were all dancing and having fun. It was probably my favorite event that I’ve been to so far.”
Brat Rave was the first Scripps party for many first-year and transfer students, and many returning students have yet to experience anything quite like it.
“As far as other Scripps parties, they’ve often felt really underattended, or they’ve gotten shut down early,” Rosie Movich-Fields ’26 said via text message. “I think Brat Rave was much better on both of those ends, and I hope that Scripps administration will see that it is entirely possible to have fun parties here without compromising anyone’s safety or the grounds of Scripps. Overall, I had a great experience, other than the long line to get in and what in my opinion was an overkill of campus security.”
Hana Skigen ’26 also had fun at the event, yet expressed she wanted to hear more music by queer artists to fit the brat theme.
“I really enjoyed the evening!” Skigen said via text message.
“Although getting in was a bit tricky, once we were inside, the vibes were fantastic. It genuinely felt like a real college party, and it was nice to have such fun at a 5C event for a change.”
SAS worked closely with the Scripps Office of Student Engagement, Public Events, Risk Management, and Grounds & Facilities starting in June to make sure the event meets Scripps’ standards and safety protocols. Several meetings were held about water and power access and the foam pits to ensure everyone’s safety at the party.
“I felt quite safe in the foam pits; they were well designed,” Skigen said. “My only concern came from some of the people there. SAS did a good job keeping the foam pit separate from the mosh pit, which helped create a safer atmosphere.”
There are downsides to such a popular party. SAS decided to use Qualtrics for students to register and sign waivers. The registration maximum was met within 25 minutes of the form being released on Wednesday, Sept. 4 at 5 p.m.
“In my opinion, there was not a good warning about the intensity of the registration process,” Simone Pradhan ’28 said. “I logged on at 5:20 p.m. because I was in the shower and
registration had already closed. It would have been nice if they told us what the registration limit was so we could be prepared for how intense it would be.”
Although many 5C students were not able to register online in time, students could present their 5C ID card at the event after waiting in line. With security and a strict event capacity, the infamous storming of the gates at the Scripps Halloween party in 2022 was not repeated at Brat Rave.
“We hadn’t anticipated such a high turnout given that SAS 5C events typically don’t have more than about 300 guests at one time,” Hamilton and Paper wrote. “However, during the event, we had to temporarily close the entrance around 11:30 p.m. when we first hit the event capacity. Even though this decision made things a little more challenging for those working the entrance at the time, it was exciting that we had a full house, lots of people playing in the foam, and a packed dance floor.”
Hamilton and Paper expressed their appreciation for the supportive SAS events programming committee that helped them successfully run the Brat Rave. To be on the committee and help plan SAS events, reach out to saseventchairs@gmail.com to apply.
Cherish Voyticky ’25 • The Scripps Voice
Where’s the S in CMS: Ashley Murishage on Representing Scripps in CMS Volleyball
By Belén Yudess ’25 and Leah Gorence ’28
Copy Editor and Staff Writer
#
seniorszn has arrived for the sole Scrippsie on the ClaremontMudd-Scripps (CMS) Volleyball team: Ashley Murishage ’25. Murishage, a science management major, has played as a libero and defensive specialist for the Athenas since her first year, gracing the court with her passion and vibrant smile. As Murishage prepares to dive into her final season, she reflected on what it has meant to represent the “S” in CMS.
Murishage explained that although she and her Mudd teammates have always noticed the lack of players from Scripps and Mudd, her CMC teammates did not recognize it.
“[We had a team meeting with our coaches] and I said, I know that most things are at CMC and our gym is at CMC, and I know I'm the only one [at Scripps], but can we try to
expand our team bonding to include the other schools?” she said. “And all of our teammates were like, I had never thought about that before. To me, it was so obvious, but they just genuinely didn't think about it.”
After bringing this to the team’s attention, Murishage noted that the team’s captains, Lauren Parker HMC ’25, Dede Carranza CMC ’25, Kelsey Polhemous CMC ’25, Dani Beder CMC ’25, and Georgia McGovern CMC ’25, automatically took action to bridge the gap between the three campuses.
“[After bringing awareness to the situation] they were like we're going to have Scripps pool days, rotate the dining halls so that it's more convenient for you [Murishage] and the Mudders; and that was a big change,” she said.
Murishage also highlighted that the captain’s quick rectification of her concerns is just one example of the newfound dynamic present on this year’s team. “It honestly feels like a very different team this year,” she said.
This year’s team lost a few longtime players, including former captains Jenna Holmes CMC ’24 and Izzy Sakoda CMC ’24, as well as all three assistant coaches. Although there has been a period of adjustment, Murishage is excited to see how the team's chemistry continues to blossom.
“We have a new assistant coach [Megan Kronschnabel] who is such a breath of fresh air for the program and she focuses a lot on team culture; I think she's a good balance for Kurt [Vlasich], our head coach,” said Murishage. “It's honestly a new page for our team.”
Although Murishage is grateful for the volleyball team’s support as she navigated being a CMS athlete at Scripps during the past four years, she recognizes that one of the main difficulties of being the lone Scrippsie on her team is feeling pulled in different directions. “I think it’s hard because you want to be part of your team and find ways to be closer to them, but at the same time, that pulls you away from
finding a community at Scripps.” she said.
Murishage believes coaches could mend this divide if they “learned more [about Scripps] and then communicated more information to incoming recruits, [then] the disparity between Scripps athletes and CMC athletes [possibly] wouldn't be as big.”
As she wraps up her CMS career, Murishage has worked to ensure that incoming Scripps Athenas receive the support that she would have loved to see her first year through the creation of the Scripps CMS Athletes Club.
“The CMS Athletes club is trying to bridge that gap so [student-athletes] don't have to choose between trying to form the Scripps community at the same time they're trying to be a part of the CMS community,” she said. “There is actually a group of us who are both and to be able to meet everyone and get to know all of the other Scripps athletes who can really share in that experience is super beneficial.”
Xiye Bastida on Intergenerational Communication, Hope, and the Violence of the Climate Crisis
By Zoe Tomlin ’27 Staff Writer
On Sep. 19, Scripps Presents hosted Xiye Bastida, a 22-yearold Mexican climate activist, in Balch Auditorium. In conversation with the Scripps Sustainability Coordinator, Naomi Friedman, and Scripps Art Professor, Nancy Macko, Bastida discussed her emergence into the world of climate activism and her accomplishments, which include Initiative in 2020 and speaking at President Biden’s Climate Summit in 2021. Bastida is currently studying Environmental Studies and Policy at the University of Pennsylvania.
When asked about the roots of her climate activism, Bastida told the story of her parents. Bastida was born in 2002 to a family of environmentalists in Toluca, Mexico, who raised Bastida to respect the Earth and embrace the Indigenous concept of reciprocity.
Bastida admitted that, in her early years, she found their ideas odd, but when her hometown flooded at 13, she realized the urgency and importance of their belief system.
Bastida moved to New York City in 2015 when her parents accepted jobs at the Center for Earth Ethics. She learned English and joined an environmental club at school. There, she pushed for her classmates to engage with the political side of climate activism. She participated in School Strike for Climate, where she stood outside of the UN building every Friday for over a year, and coorganized the Sept. 2019 climate strikes in New York City, which saw 300,000 people take to the streets.
Bastida stressed that climate strikes often serve as a way to get the attention of elected officials, something Bastida consistently
emphasizes in her work. “If we don’t make intergenerational leadership a must,” she explained, “[the leaders] will keep avoiding it because it is uncomfortable to listen to people who think differently.”
As an example, she recounted a sobering moment when, after being invited to give the closing speech at the UN World Leaders Summit, she arrived to find the audience empty. The global leaders that she planned to address had left.
The lack of connection contrasts significantly with the intergenerational engagement and respect she experienced in her hometown. Growing up, circles of both youth and elders were common in her community, and she noted that “elders are so wise because they listen to the youth.”
In spite of the disappointing turnout at the UN, Bastida delivered her speech at the Summit; “They call us naive… naiveté is thinking that we can keep living in this world and that it will be okay. It is not naive to think that we deserve a better world.” As easy as it would have been to leave,
Bastida recognized the power of her voice.
Bastida then spoke on the concepts of peace and violence, reframing them for the audience, saying, “Peace is not just the nonproliferation of war… peace is that we don’t have to be scared of climate instability… it is the nonproliferation of things that are dangerous to us.” The impacts of the climate crisis – food scarcity, massive floods, and displacement –are inherently violent and antithetical to peace. Bastida noted that, by 2050, it is anticipated that the climate crisis will force 1.5 billion people to migrate, many of whom are already vulnerable.
While 2050 may seem far off, Bastida reframed one common perception of the climate crisis: that it is “the apocalypse coming.”
“There are so many communities whose worlds have already ended,” she said “So many communities that, when the flood happened, their worlds ended. When colonization happened, their worlds ended.”
Those endings, however, are not
reasons to be hopeless, just as fear is not a reason to be hopeless. Bastida continued, “So many communities have actually lived through periods of rebuilding and resistance and resilience.”
The fight for peace, climate or otherwise, is not new. Furthermore, it must continue, and it must do so with hope. To Bastida, hope is “something that you owe to the person next to you… Hope is a responsibility.”
The conversation came to a close with a few more tidbits of Bastida’s wisdom. She encouraged the audience to stop focusing solely on traditional measures of tracking climate change, like carbon emissions, and instead place attention on Planetary Boundaries. The Planetary Boundaries are a set of nine processes that regulate the Earth as an entire system; of those nine, six have already been crossed. She spoke of the importance of investing money in climate solutions and adaptations that protect and prioritize vulnerable communities.
Finally, she expressed the importance of acting locally and engaging with nature. Bastida explained how Western forms of thought separate humans from the natural world in ways that permit the exploitation of the Earth. Western thinking, she explained, has falsely separated humans from the natural world, enabling the exploitation of the Earth. “Nature and water are not resources…” she said. “They are sacred elements. Mindset shifts [like these] are the only ways that [we] can realize ourselves [as] stewards and protectors [of the land].”
Juliette Des Rosiers ’26 • The Scripps Voice
Cliquey, White, and Always Right:
By Ishita Jayadev ’26
Copy Editor
As someone who’s known many people who have transferred from Scripps, whether it be friend, acquaintance, or just another class of 2026 person who changed their bio over the summer, I thought it would be interesting to interview some of the people in my class and ask why Scripps wasn’t the right school for them.
Over the course of a week, I interviewed four former class of 2026 Scripps students. Emilia Dang, Ishika Varma, Ellis O’Brien, and Ailin Zhang all answered questions and talked through their own experiences at this institution, thinking about how both the personal and the structural played a part in their decision to leave Scripps.
Tuition Prices
While all four people had very different experiences — Zhang and Dang both left after their first semester at Scripps while Varma left after her first year and O’Brien after three semesters — all of them cited concerns with Scripps tuition prices as one of the biggest underlying factors in their transfer.
Dang and Zhang were both on the pre-health track at Scripps and realized early on that with their less than positive first semester experience, and years of medical school debt down the line, private school tuition was a steep price to pay. Both transferred to their state schools, Dang to University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and Zhang to University of Washington.
Varma similarly transferred to her state school, Rutgers University. While she mentioned the merit scholarships Scripps had to offer, she also expressed annoyance about their financial support saying, “There’s just so much more that [Scripps] could be doing to support low income students; but they can’t because they don’t have the money to do that.”
Dang spoke similarly about how she felt her access to scholarships increased greatly at UNLV saying, “When I transferred to UNLV, [the cost was] substantially lower ‘cause it’s in state,” Dang said. “And I also think that I applied to a lot of different scholarships that I felt like weren’t as easily
accessible at Scripps.”
O’Brien, who is currently taking classes at Durham Technical Community College, also talked about their constant anxiety over finances.
“I think a really big thing for me was definitely the cost of the school,” they said. “A lot of the time, my mom was telling me, if this isn’t something that’s perfect, like you’re in love with it, you’re not enjoying your time here all the time, then it’s not worth it to spend all that money.”
They elaborated on their experience with financial aid as well as Scripps’ yearly tuition increases, saying, “Especially [my] second year, the costs got more expensive, and my parents separated that year. [The financial aid office] really didn’t give me much support, even though I had way less income that I could pull from and a lot less support from both my parents income wise. So it was very difficult for me to think, like, is this worth it?”
Academic Culture
Scripps classes and academic culture were also a common topic of contention, with all four students expressing varying degrees of frustration with the classes they took as well as ones they were never able to.
Varma, who came in as an economics major but quickly realized she was interested in psychology, discussed her inability to take any psychology classes at Scripps due to the popularity of the major.
“I feel like the big problem is that because Scripps prides itself on having such small class sizes, they have to limit their classes obviously, but the demand is so big,” she explained.
“At Rutgers, every professor has multiple sections of every class.” she said. “Like if it’s not gonna be a 300 person lecture, then it’s gonna be like five sections of like 50 people. I don’t know, like it just would shock me that at Scripps, there’s no repeating classes. It’s like this is the only chance to take this class. And another thing that was difficult about Scripps and the 5Cs is that classes aren’t offered every semester.”
O’Brien had similar thoughts as someone who came in wanting to be a psychology and media studies double major, both of which are infamously popular majors at Scripps and the 5Cs.
“I feel like they should have ac -
counted for that and made it easier to get into those courses, just by having more of them,” they said. “I think, honestly, I really wanted to come for the consortium, and it ended up being kind of not as good as I thought, because it’s just so many people competing for a very minimal amount of classes.”.
Due to this competition, O’Brien elaborated on how registration was always a difficult and stressful time for them.
“I didn’t actually get into that many classes that I actually want to take; and then when I did, a lot of them didn’t really end up being everything that I wanted” they said.
This false perception was at least partly due to their consistent negative experiences with professors.
“I had a lot of just interesting experiences with a lot of the professors, like most of the ones that I had, [ended up] being a little bit creepy,” O’Brien said. “And it almost became like a thing at Scripps, where I just heard people talking about how it was super common for professors to talk about their lives, in too much detail. And that happened to me multiple times. And I was like, this is kind of weird.”
On the other hand, they talked about unsupportive experiences with professors, “I would have teachers that I needed help from or they could see me not doing as well in their class, and they would either say openly mean things to me, or almost convinced me that I should just give up on their class completely.”
O’Brien added, “I mean, some of them did. They had some good advice, like [accessing] accommodations and stuff like that, which did really help me. But the way that they told me that I should do that was kind of a little mean spirited.”
Varma also expressed how incoming first-years could be frustrated by not finding any of the classes on the course catalog on the Scripps website actually available to take.
Looking on the website she would think, “Oh my God, this sounds so cool. And it’s like, oh, that actually hasn’t been offered since like Spring 2015. Like what’s the point? That’s like, I think so disheartening too for prospective students and people that are maybe choosing which college to go to, just based on that major, I think
that’s really unfortunate as well.”
Small, niche classes also seemed to be an area of frustration when trying to transfer credits. Zhang mentioned that a combination of summer classes and her AP credits were able to help her make up some of the credit gaps that transferring caused. O’Brien expressed that a lot of their Scripps classes not transferring properly was part of the reason they were at a community college right now instead of at another four year university.
Core 1
Both Zhang and Dang, as second semester transfers, had specific qualms to share about Core 1.
Zhang said that as an incoming first year, she thought Core 1 would be more of an open-ended class, allowing students to discuss their daily lives, politics, and other real world issues. “I thought it’d be more in the students’ control compared to, like, professors controlling everything. I thought it would be easier to discuss issues within the class,” she said.
As she was taking it, she found that the enjoyment of the class was largely dependent on the professor you had, as each professor clearly had their own specialization. Zhang continued, “I didn’t feel it was easy to express myself in that class, and I felt like the theme [Crossroads] we had was not that interesting.”
Dang talked about similar misconceptions as she felt that Core 1 ended up being more of a writing class rather than an avenue to explore different subjects saying, “It wasn’t as interdisciplinary as it could have been.”
She continued, “I’m a big advocate for exploring things and I think Core 1 was trying to do that. It didn’t accomplish it or it didn’t execute it the way it wanted to.”
Dang also recalled discussions in her class being very surface level.
“There’s a difference between actually having engaging conversation [instead of] oh, I’m saying something and everyone’s just kind of like, yeah. You know what I mean? Like, I think it wasn’t as productive as I wanted it to be.”
She thought this could at least partly be attributed to the class environment.
Dang said, “I felt like Scripps had this culture of, not necessarily cancel culture, but like no one could push against certain narratives or a certain way of thinking. And I think when you’re at this stagnant route where everyone just agrees with everyone, you don’t really gain anything from it. And as a gender and sexuality studies major, learning about something is always about critically thinking.”
Dang expanded on this, saying she felt tokenized as an Asian American woman in her Core 1 class especially when she shared about her lived experience in a majority-white classroom. She said, “I think that at Scripps we had a very liberal way of thinking.
Right: Four Transfers Explain Leaving
But it was very surrounded by a white feminist type of ideology. And it was hard to kind of push back on that. I think it’s even better when we have the freedom to push against narratives and add on to things. And I think that’s what Scripps had lacked as a culture, just as a student body.”
Dang also felt that Core 1 wasn’t as relevant to her as a first-year.
She said, “At UNLV I was required to take a first year seminar, which I guess is kind of similar to Core, but not really, because first year seminar is very life based. Like, it’s [about] career readiness and things like that. Whereas CORE was more like dissecting big picture issues, which I don’t think is necessarily bad, I just didn’t find it as helpful in the moment, like present time.”
Scripps Culture
In the vein of tokenization, Varma, Dang, and Zhang all had critiques of Scripps culture to share as people of color who attended a predominantly white institution.
Varma and Dang both came from underrepresented backgrounds and felt that navigating a PWI was extremely difficult.
“When I was at Scripps, I had a really hard time fitting into certain groups… I think maybe that caught me off guard because I’ve always been used to my more diverse group and I think that’s a privilege in and of itself for sure,” Dang said.
Even though Zhang went to predominantly white high school, she had similar difficulties adjusting to Scripps.
“I thought, it’d be easier to fit in, because I’d always heard that college is the time you meet your lifelong friends and stuff like that,” Zhang said. “But I just didn’t feel that way. I felt really lonely and isolated.”
She continued, “Because [of my high school], I was used to it, but I didn’t want to [get used to it] in college, like I want to go somewhere and see more diversity and people that have similar backgrounds or share the same culture and stuff. And I guess I didn’t find that as Scripps.”
Varma also spoke more broadly about how she felt about Scripps culture, beyond it being a PWI.
“I think the mindset of people at Scripps [is different]. Like most people are pretty wealthy and maybe not like using their degree as a way to gain class mobility or like social mobility. Whereas at Rutgers, you see a lot more people from diverse backgrounds that are like first generation or low income and really want to leverage their education,” she said. “[People] wanting to find real world experiences on top of just studying in the classroom and internships or like finding ways to get the most out of their college experience.”
Varma also spoke about how cliquey Scripps could feel.
“Once you find your friend group,
you stick to them and people are really hesitant to branch out and meet other people and form different relationships with them just ‘cause you get really comfortable. And I think at a small school it’s a lot more amplified,” she said.
Dang felt like it was hard to find opportunities to hang out with people outside class. “I felt like there was nothing really to do outside of academics. And maybe that’s why I had a hard time connecting with people.”
She also mentioned that she developed an eating disorder during her time at Scripps which also made it difficult to hang out with people. “I think going out and eating was really hard for me and I wasn’t able to do it with people.”
On the other hand, she said that being in Vegas and having more tangible things to do with friends really helped her after she transferred.
O’Brien emphasized that most of their issues were to do with their academic experience rather than the students or culture at Scripps.
They said, “It was almost like a revelation I had one day where I was just feeling very, very depressed, and I didn’t really know why, and I kept thinking wow, it’s a lot of things to do with Scripps and just having these weird classes that I didn’t really enjoy, and having teachers that were just like, I don’t know. I came in really wanting to learn, and they kind of made me not motivated to learn.”
While they suggested that their experience may have been better had they gotten accommodations earlier, they also said, “I knew that they could give you accommodations, but I didn’t know for what specifically you could get accommodations. Or what kind of paperwork you needed, stuff like that. So I feel like I really didn’t know how to even apply for them until, like, I went out of my way and did my own research.”
Mental Health Support
O’Brien and Dang also talked about their experiences trying to get mental health support at Scripps.
Dang said that her anxiety and depression were at an all time high during her semester here and that while resources for mental health existed, they were hard to access.
She said, “I was trying to make an appointment and it was like, oh, we have availability like a month from now. Or two months from now. And I need consistency, right? And so that sporadic schedule was pretty difficult for me.”
O’Brien had a similarly hard time setting up an appointment. “It was hard to get an appointment and get everything started, because you needed to have, like, multiple meetings,” they said.
O’Brien’s circumstances were also slightly different as Monsour Counseling and Psychological Services referred them to off-campus therapy.
“They [Monsour] were really helpful with trying to get me an outside therapist,” O’Brien said. “But I also was a little bit saddened that they couldn’t do the therapy sessions there, I guess. But I also understand because I needed more than what they could offer.”
Due to their insurance at the time not taking many therapists, and their lack of access to transportation as they didn’t have a car their first year, it was a long time before O’Brien was able to find a therapist they could see.
O’Brien expanded on how they felt through this tumultuous process. “I felt like they were like, we can’t help you here, because you’re too mentally ill,” O’Brien said. “And at the time, I was already feeling like I was drowning at Scripps, and like I just didn’t know what I was doing. And so it was kind of like a punch in the gut.”
Both students expressed how they wished mental health support was more widely accessible and known about for incoming first years.
Despite these issues, the students still have fond memories of their time at Scripps.
Varma spoke specifically about how being at Scripps changed the
way she thought about her own queer identity. “I think about this a lot. Like if I didn’t go to Scripps, I would have no idea about the like queer aspect of my existence,” she said. “I don’t even know who I would be as a person if I didn’t go to Scripps. So like, even though I left, there were so many transformative things that I learned.”
O’Brien shared the excitement they had about Scripps before actually attending. “I was, like, literally, the target demographic [as a white queer person],” they said. “I was so stoked, it was my top pick school and so I think it’s so funny that I transferred because I was such a big Scripps fan.”
Dang said something similar. “Going into Scripps, I had a lot of enthusiasm,” Dang said. “Like being a part of an all women’s college, being a feminist gender studies major, of course that seems on paper like the most perfect experience ever. And everyone was super excited for me here in Vegas and I was really excited.” She continued, “No one wants to transfer out going into college. Right? Because it’s like if you choose the school, you wanna be at the school.”
Dang emphasized how taking a leave of absence, an option her professors presented to her at first, should be more widely known.
“I think if you’re having a rough semester or a rough year or you need to take a leave of absence for whatever reason, then students should be aware of that, so that they can take a break and come back better than ever,” she said. “That should be common knowledge, not necessarily having to leave and start over somewhere new, but just kind of taking a little break.”
Varma also said tha`t she wished people were more open about the transfer process as it was never something that was on her radar as a legitimate option.
“I had never met anybody who’d transferred, ever,” she said. “So like, I didn’t even process that as a choice. People don’t talk about how transferring is, like, a very normal thing that people do.”
At the end of it all, Dang’s biggest takeaway was that she wanted students to find the support they needed for whatever situation they were in.
“I just hope that students who kind of experience the same things I did, are able to find those resources and find areas they’re more comfortable being in.”
Zoë Cooper ’26 • The Scripps Voice
Hollywood’s Golden Age Shines at Denison
By Ainsley Harris ’26 Staff Writer
Denison Library’s newest exhibit
“Scripts at Scripps” by Lydia Ringwald ’70 opened this summer, featuring scripts, costume designs, caricatures, and other memorabilia from Hollywood’s Golden Age, centering women in film and the contributions of 1940s actor John Lund. Ringwald sourced this exhibit from her personal collection and was motivated by her fascination with noir films and the Golden Age of Hollywood.
“I was born in LA, if you’re born in LA, a lot of it is Hollywood,” Ringwald said. “Beverly Hills and West Hollywood is part of the culture of LA, it was always there in my life, you know. So I was always connected to Hollywood and I was always fascinated with the movies.”
Back when Ringwald was attending Scripps College, this era of Hollywood served as inspiration for her writing. She wrote several scripts as an undergraduate and continued writing into the 1980s. Though she never found a career as a screenwriter – instead pursuing careers including professor, realtor, renovator, and art collector – she wanted to use this exhibit to continue to inspire future generations.
“These are historical documents,” Ringwald said. “There is inspiration for people that want to write, you know, that they can access these films and figure out how it could be restructured. I just put it there as inspiration, that’s why I’m speaking about it.”
Ringwald began collecting Golden Age Hollywood memorabilia in the late 1980s, sparked by her unlikely
relationship with popular Golden Age actor Lund. In the ’80s Ringwald lived on Coldwater Canyon Drive in Beverly Hills, and was completely unaware that her neighbor was the leading man in her favorite movie A Foreign Affair.
“There was a big rainstorm; some of his eucalyptus trees’ branches fell onto my property, so I used that as an excuse to go and knock on his door — a beautiful older man came out,” Ringwald told me. “I didn’t know who he was. You see, I’m kind of somewhat psychic so I just kept going over. He was so good-looking I knew he had to be an actor.”
Ringwald’s psychic intuitions proved correct. Beyond just the leading man in A Foreign Affair, Lund also starred in To Each His Own, No Man of Her Own, The Mating Season, and more. He acted alongside some of the most famous women of that era: Marlene Dietrich, Barbara Stanwyck, Olivia de Havilland, Lana Turner, and Gene Tierney. His naturally blonde hair, dyed black in his various roles, had stopped Ringwald from recognizing him.
From their first meeting, a close relationship bloomed.
“We had some good times together, you know, go out to dinner together” Ringwald said.“When I was in a conversation with him, I felt like a movie star. I mean, he was a lot older than I was, you know, I have to say, what can I do if – we were good friends. Let’s put it that way.”
Ringwald only knew Lund for a few years before he passed, but in that time he shared with her insights into the industry and stars he had worked with.
“He said [Dietrich] did the lighting,” Ringwald said. “She would come early in the morning with the lighting
technicians and set up all the lights. You think she’s just a glamor. But she was a hard worker. She was meticulous too – her costume and dress down to the last detail. Obsessed with it. And he would say that she’d always hold a mirror up before they did a scene to look at herself so she’d be prepared.”
Lund also provided Ringwald with her collection of scripts now on display. He gifted his collection of scripts to Ringwald just before he passed. The scripts in the exhibit showcase movies he starred in –featuring his notes in the margins – as well as early versions of scripts he was sent when studios were considering him for a role.
“His handwritten notes show you how he was thinking through his character and how to present his character – what little nuances he could make, those little hand gestures or facial expressions that would tell the story,” Ringwald said.
Besides Lund, Ringwald’s exhibit at Denison also features a few prominent producers, writers, and directors from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Billy Wilder and Charles Bracket are both featured in the exhibit and worked closely with Lund. One of the display cabinets is devoted to Catherine Turney, a screenwriter for Warner Brothers in the 1940s.
“Catherine Turney deserves a lot more credit,” Ringwald said. “She was the first woman on contract. You see those big studios in the ’40s, ’30s, they would put writers on contract, you know, to churn out all the scripts, and she was the first woman to be on contract.”
Part of Ringwald’s goal for this exhibit was to bring attention to Turney. Turney wrote explosively
successful scripts with strong female main characters for leading actresses like Betty Davis, Joan Crawford, and Barbara Stanwyck.
“The woman character was your main character,” Ringwald said. “There were strong women characters, and the men were actually a little bit more supporting characters. In those days, it was very empowering for women to see those characters on the screen.”
Featured in Turney’s case is an original script of No Man of Her Own – in this edition called I Married a Dead Man – in which Lund and Barbara Stanwyck starred together. The script came from Lund’s personal collection and it (along with other Turney scripts he passed onto Ringwald) sparked Ringwald’s admiration for Turney.
Beyond the scripts Lund passed onto Ringwald, the exhibit contains a visual element featuring several movie and set stills related to scripts. The most visually striking element of Ringwald’s exhibit is the costume design and caricatures. The exhibit features a stunning original costume design in gouache for Natalie Wood by Edith Head, an eight-time Academy Award winner. Alongside the costume design are caricatures by Al Hirschfeld, who was famous for his caricatures of Golden Age stars – Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Elizabeth Taylor, and Richard Burton. This exhibit includes his caricatures of Dietrich and Josephine Baker.
Ringwald’s exhibit “Scripts at Scripps” is on display at Denison, which is open weekdays, until midOctober. She invites the Scripps community to interact with the stories of the influential women in film highlighted in the collection.
Frances Walton ‘26 • The Scripps Voice
“Body Mapping”: Mikayla Stout’s Superb Soiree into the Solo Scene
By Belén Yudess ’25 Copy Editor
On Sep. 5, Mikayla Stout ’25 opened her first solo gallery entitled “ Body Mapping” . This exhibit features a variety of Stout’s multimedia projects that highlight the innovative ways she conceptualizes how people learn to exist within their bodies. The show consists of fiber art, sculptures, prints, and drawings that each play with different elements of color, texture, and structure. “Body Mapping” is a testament to Stout’s limitless creativity framed by her passion for the process of imagining and creating her art.
Stout originated this exhibit as she reflected on her artistic portfolio and her experiences visiting galleries while abroad in Scotland this past spring.
“I make a lot of different kinds of art, but for [this] exhibit, I tried to have things that were thematically or visually connected,” Stout said. “[I make a lot of] references to the body and identity, especially [through] faces, but all in an abstract way. I just wanted to do [this exhibit] for fun because while I was abroad, I got to go to a lot of exhibitions and learned that they’re not that hard and it’s nice to have people see your art and give you feedback.”
Stout was additionally inspired by the recurring theme of the relationship one creates with their body as an avenue of creating emotional and physical connections.
“I think I’m really drawn to portraitures,” she said. “A lot of my art tends to incorporate emotion and relationships, whether that’s between
you and yourself, another person, different communities, [or other] sources of identity. I think being able to connect that back to a physical portrayal of the self is interesting.”
Stout’s exploration of the aforementioned relationships grounded Lila Gamble ’25 as she collaborated with Stout in masterfully curating the exhibit and deciding on its name.
“I decided to call it ‘Body Mapping’ because it’s a tactic that’s used in art therapy and when Mikayla was first telling me about constructing herself through these abstract portraits and etchings, I was really drawn in as to how she constructs these different versions of not just herself, but all these different selves in general,” Gamble said. “I thought a lot about body mapping, which is something that people do to conceptualize different parts of their body through art. I thought that that was really relevant to the way that she approaches art as something that’s therapeutic.”
Although each of her pieces seamlessly capture complicated dynamics through engaging models, Stout’s sculpture, “flesh,” stands out. “flesh” is a hanging sculpture constructed entirely from fabric garments and other synthetic fibers. In her statement, Gamble describes how “flesh” “interrogates corporeal violence on a symbolic and tangible level, using textiles such as pantyhose and yarn to illustrate a grotesque reality, one where womanhood becomes a commodity, where violence is inflicted upon the body and the mind.”
The message of “flesh” is one of
immense thoughtfulness; a result of Stout’s methodical and deeply personal artistic process. “I’ve been thinking about the performance of making a piece,” Stout said. “The materials I’m using, where they’re from or if they’re secondhand, what history do they already have? If they’re firsthand, how are they produced? And then how does my interaction with it change that or add on to its history.”
Stout further explained how her recent dive into textiles has allowed her to engage critically with different historical and material experiences associated with sewing. “I think there are so many different kinds of expansive materials that can go into a sculpture with connections to sustainability or gender,” she said. “I’ve been really getting into sewing and its history as a feminine kind of labor. I also love being able to have something that feels so flexible; you can rip out seams, tear stuff apart, cut it, layer it, and it can be 2D, 3D, stuffed, dyed, burned. I just really love being able to hold it and feel it in my hands.”
Aside from “flesh,” Stout also drew attention to the other hanging piece in the gallery, “Claustrophobic.” “I think it’s the most technically successful piece,” she said. “I always struggle with having too many ideas and too many concepts floating around, and I think “Claustrophobic” showcased one thing very clearly and really succeeded in that regard.”
“Claustrophobic” consists of several red molds of Stout’s face stitched to a metal frame in order to create a 3D sculpture. This piece strongly embodies what Gamble
identifies as the unifying theme of the exhibit. “How do women feel in our own bodies? I think that’s something that Mikayla’s art does really well, it plays with perception and the somatic experience in general really beautifully,” she said. “Stout takes apart these parts that nobody else really wants to see and then puts it all out for a show. [She really explores] how we come home to our own bodies.”
Looking at “Body Mapping” as a whole, Stout pointed out her predominant use of red and blue to convey the intense visceral experience of having a body. “I think they’re just two very emotional colors and they really feel like opposites to me,” she said. “I use them both a lot in my work, especially red, and it’s a connection to abjection and blood and guts, and it’s a very bodily color.”
As Stout envisions the direction her art is going, including her senior thesis, she continues to be inspired by her time at the Glasgow School of Art. “I think [being there] was a really empowering experience,” she said. “It was very student driven and everyone was respected for their ideas and viewed as artists. The school also didn’t provide any materials, so if you wanted to make something, you had to go find it and come up with it and I think it really helped me be more independent and confident.”
As her time in the Scripps art department comes to a close, Stout encourages students to give the program a try. “I think everyone should try and take an art class at some point,” she said. “I think one thing that can feel like such a big barrier to art is thinking you aren’t
Lila Gamble ’25 • The Scripps Voice
You Won’t Find Your One at the 5Cs, But Maybe You’ll Find Your Seven
By Carah Allen '26 Webmaster
We’re one month into the semester, your roommate is going strong with her situationship from last semester, your friend is in a long-term long-distance relationship, and your favorite classmate is going on their third date with their boo who’s not their boo. Yet, you’re still single sitting in your room on a Friday night with a sandwich from Jay’s Place, background noise from a YouTube video, while you’re scrolling through Instagram stories wondering if you’ll ever find the one. College is where you’re supposed
to find the love of your life, your soulmate, the apple of your eye. Alas, you’re a junior, still single, have no people on your lineup, and you’re getting a bit restless. What if you’re doomed? What if you’ll never find love? What if you’ll be some washedup, senile, cranky old person with no one by your side, no children, and no light in your eyes just because you couldn’t find your special person during your reign at the 5Cs?
While I want to tell you you’re being a bit dramatic, some parts are true – you won’t find your one at the 5Cs. Unlike what most people think, the 5Cs aren’t BYU: finding the one you’re going to marry within 4 years of college is very unlikely, and honestly, you’re settling if you think so.
But even if it’s highly unlikely you’ll find your “one,” two, three, maybe even your four, definitely not five,
doubts about the sixth at the 5Cs, there is still hope you can find your seventh best shot at true love here! Your seven isn’t your one true love. They’re not going to be the one that meets the parents (unless you move scary fast), the one that you walk down the aisle with, or the one you have a cat named Matthias with. Your seven is the person you get to briefly enjoy your time with in undergrad as long as you possibly can until you realize that it’s just not going to work long-term!
However, I do have to warn that finding your seven here is as difficult as finding your one elsewhere. That one person in your physics class you denoted as your semester eye candy is actually a freak (derogatory). That one Motley barista you have a crush on has a long-term partner (is homewrecking so bad if I’m just checking the sturdiness of the foundation..).
All these tragic run-ins make you wonder, “damn, is there anyone available?”
It’s true – the dating pool at the 5Cs is small, and even with the small dating pool, boy it’s slim pickin’s over here. But lucky for you beautiful, lonely readers, through the course of my time at Scripps I’ve compiled a list of rules and items to keep in mind while on the prowl for your lucky seven!
1. That CMC man will NOT save you and you CANNOT fix him.
A beautiful, gorgeous, and talented Scrippsie student dating a mid, kind of scary, CMC man is a tale as old as time (unfortunately). He’s dry, never texts you first, never compliments you, and makes a lot of questionable jokes, but yes, of course, he’s your soulmate and the one for you.
My beloved Scrippsies, never settle for any man, especially a CMC one. Of course, there could be good ones out there and I’m not trying to generalize, but I don’t think a man who would rather watch a sports game than be with his hot, gorgeous Scrippsie partner is ever the right person for you.
2. A super senior dating a sophomore is just as weird as a senior dating a freshman.
Respectfully, that’s a grown-ass person. You’re in different stages of life – you’re younger with much life to still live, and they were in Miss Ishtar’s irrigation class in Mesopotamia
High with Mr. Flintstone as their lab partner. You’re not even in your upper division classes yet and they just aged out of their parents' insurance policy. I can promise you they’re not your one, your seven, or even your eighty-six.
3. Homoerotic friendships WILL kill you.
Oh so you and your friend just casually cuddle, hold hands, and make out sometimes, but you’re just friends? My dear reader, I have two words for you: Stand up!
Homoerotic friendships are the canon event of the queer Scrippsie experience. If it hasn’t happened to you yet, trust me, it will happen soon. When the inevitable comes, don’t accept it!
When you and your friends are all queer, it’s easy to blur the lines between just friends and something more. However, in these situationships it’s important to set boundaries and discuss early on where things are headed.
That friend could very well be your seven, but you’ll never know if you don’t set the boundaries and communicate properly! Don’t let them touch all up on your leg in Seal Court while laughing at all your jokes and staring you deeply into your eyes without having some clarifying conversations.
4. Put the dating apps DOWN!
You downloaded Tinder, Hinge, and Bumble just because you were bored and it’s totally not serious, but the apps have been on your phone for five months now and you’re on your third sneaky link of the semester. My good reader, it’s time we be honest with ourselves!
Unlike what they advertise, finding love on a dating app is difficult and borderline impossible, especially on these campuses. Most you’ll find are weirdly horny, sex-obsessed men (that are not good in bed may I add!) and flirtatious conversations with non-men that lead to nowhere.
Talk to people in your classes! Join clubs! Ask that cute person that you intermittently talk to for their number and then for a meal! The dating apps don’t do much for you, but remind you of all the hot people on campus that don’t want you.
5. Liking their Instagram story is NOT flirting.
I am guilty of doing this to campus crush #2 (yes, I have a list/ranking, don’t judge me!) just yesterday, but the fact that I am still single and I haven’t spoken a word to this girl in person since last fall semester, is proof that this technique doesn’t do much for you.
If you want to be bold, reply to their stories and make conversation. Comment on their posts and compliment them. Likes on a story are vague, and they’re more likely to believe you’re a serial story liker than their admirer.
Dating is hard, and dating at the 5Cs is even harder with the very, very limited dating pool. With that said, don’t let that discourage you! Dating is important for growth and figuring out your needs and wants in a relationship, as well as finding the places you should grow. Undergrad is only a short snapshot of your lifetime, and there are plenty of chances to find your true one. Love will find you on a random day, don’t put a timer on it!
On a more serious note, messing around in college can lead to some very tough experiences. If you ever need anyone to talk to, there are people on campus for you! Here’s a short list of resources available to you:
• The EmPower Center: (909) 607-2689, located at 1030 Dartmouth Avenue Scripps Advocates: (909) 2142138 (warmline available 8 p.m. - 8 a.m.)
• Monsour Counseling: (909) 621-8202
And more at 7csupportandprevention.com
Happy (and safe!) dating, and I hope you all find your seven. And if you’re one of the few that did manage to find your one at the 5Cs, please don’t talk to me, I’m sensitive and I will cry to my Gojo poster at night wondering where everything went wrong and how I fumbled campus crush #1 by not asking for their number last time I ran into them.
Zoë Cooper '26 • The Scripps Voice
A Tired Person’s Cylindrical Dumplings (Vegan, Gluten Free)
By Lydia Jung ’25 Staff Writer
One sweltering July day, I couldn’t find any vegan leftovers in my fridge to eat for lunch and felt too sweaty and tired to turn on a stove or oven. After ruminating in frustration for a moment, I remembered that a container of water heated in the microwave for two and a half minutes is hot enough for my tea, so I thought I could nicely steam vegetables the same way. After trying this out, I can report that everything came out at the expected texture except the cabbage, which retained its crunchiness, but I enjoyed the texture nonetheless. Thus, this stoveless, ovenless, dumpling-like creation was born.
I used banh trang (Vietnamese rice paper wrappers) to wrap the mixture, as there was too little leftover rice or noodles to serve it with and I didn’t feel like cooking any due to the weather. I’ve also put a mixture like this into baozi (Chinese steamed buns) with the addition of salt, maple syrup, and chili crisp for a stronger flavor, but that’s a story for another day. I’m not sure how much the exact measurements of ingredients provided will produce, so feel free to adjust quantities at your discretion. The weather may not be too hot to turn on a stove or oven anymore, but a low-effort well-seasoned meal has many uses. I hope you enjoy!
Note: This is not based on Vietnamese spring roll recipes except for the wrapper and wrapping technique I used. I would recommend @thevietvegan on Instagram for vegan Vietnamese recipes.
Ingredients
- 1-2 green onions, sliced
- 2-4 Shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 1/5-1/4 medium size cabbage, chopped (you can substitute kale or celery, but I would not recommend spinach)
- 1-2 medium/large carrots or 5-6 baby carrots, sliced
- If you desir, tofu, bean sprouts, or other produce you can fit in your microwave-safe container (cannot confirm that any produce besides carrots, mushrooms, and celery soften nicely in the microwave)
- Soy sauce (or Tamari if gluten
free), sesame oil, and other desired seasonings (about 1-2 teaspoons of each for starters and more to taste, if you must measure)
- About one package of Vietnamese Spring Roll Rice Wrappers (Banh Trang)
Supplies: - Microwave-safe container
- Cutting board
- Knife - Strainer basket (to rinse vegetables)
- Pan (for submerging rice paper wrappers)
- Colander (to strain excess liquid)
Instructions:
1. Chop mushrooms horizontally as pictured in figure A, C, or F so they turn into cross sections (figure B).
2. Rinse the other vegetables in a strainer basket or by brushing under running water, dry them, and chop all
but the carrots and bean sprouts into horizontal cross-sections similarly to the mushrooms. You should angle your knife at a more diagonal line while cutting the carrots so that the slices form parallelogram shapes on the sides (see illustration figure D). From there you can place them in a food processor or chop them into smaller pieces now that they are flat. Leave the bean sprouts on the side.
3. After washing and chopping everything, place all produce except the bean sprouts in a microwavesafe container, add a small amount of water to the bottom (around 2 tablespoons), and heat the vegetables in the microwave for about 2 1/2 minutes on high. Carrots and mushrooms should have a steamed texture (I would recommend putting them on top of the cabbage).
4. Remove the produce mixture from the microwave-safe container and strain the excess liquid using a
strainer basket.
5. Move the produce mixture to a plate or bowl. Add soy sauce/tamari, sesame oil, and any other desired seasonings. If using bean sprouts for your protein, add them in here and mix everything thoroughly.
6. Submerge each sheet of rice paper wrapper successively in cold water in a pan for 10-15 seconds and then leave it out on the cutting board to absorb the water (the wrapper will feel wet to the touch but retain a paper-like texture for another few seconds).
7. Place a few tablespoons of produce mixture on a rehydrated rice paper wrapper and wrap the mixture like a burrito once the wrapper feels bendable. The exact quantity of filling necessary for a full dumpling may vary based on wrapper size, but I would suggest around 1 to 2 tablespoons for a small wrapper and three or four for a large wrapper.
Crossword: Back on Campus
By Michael Conachy Chang ‘27 Staff Writer
Across
2. Quasi-quadrilateral at the heart of the Residence Halls, named for the first president of Scripps College.
4. The lime-green 5C block party hosted by SAS to kick off the year.
6. Bushy-tailed unofficial mascot (or, at least, most prevalent resident) of SC campus.
7. “On Wednesdays we wear…” Down
1. Record highs in Week 2 gave us all a good excuse to stay inside and skip our Pomona class.
2. Carapaced critter dive-bombing many a Seal Court diner.
3. Fragrant fruit blooming along the walkway from Toll to the Bowling Green.
5. “...Vita Nova.”
Lydia Jung ‘25 • The Scripps Voice
Michael Conachy Chang ‘27 • The Scripps Voice
Fall Into Your Star Sign
By Belén Yudess ’25 and Zoe Tomlin ’27 Copy Editor and Staff Writer
Aries
(March 21 – April 19)
Aries, is it possible that you have fallen into a rut without realizing?
The long days of class and seemingly endless club meetings can take a toll on the psyche; even the most fiery of signs can find themselves needing a reset. Take a moment to recenter, and then focus your mind’s eye on what you truly want. It doesn’t just have to be an A on your chem test or your roommate to stop waking you up every twenty minutes. Dream big, dear Aries, for the world is your oyster. Find your pearls!
Cancer
(June 21 – July 22)
Sweet Cancer, we are coming to you with an intervention … One that will help both you and your wallet. As unfortunate as it may be, your bank account is not a black hole. You might be able to turn a blind eye to an overpriced ube latte with oat milk and two pumps of agave every other day, but that overdraft fee is a clear distress signal. Though the “Add to Cart” button is enticing in the moment, a new fall sweater is not worth the financial crisis that ensues.
(September 23 – October 22) Knock, knock. Who’s there you may ask; it’s the day we have all been anxiously awaiting since Lindsay Lohan #trademarked it in 2004: October 3rd! But now, it’s gay. Heartstopper season three will be coming out (haha) that morning, and this is your sign sweet Libra to order a hot chococolate from The Motley and watch the entire season in one go!
Capricorn (December 22 – January 19)
Capricorns, have you been feeling overwhelmed by every major or minor decision you’ve had to make in the last few days? If so, here’s an indisputable decision made just for you! From here on out you will now be referred to as Capribaras instead of Capricorns. Unicorns may be magical, but nothing beats the infinite power of the mighty capybara, which will now be bestowed upon you!
Taurus
(April 20 – May 20)
Right now, the cosmos is sending you a signal: embrace your natural state of vegetation. Stay inside, draw the blinds, and avoid braving Malott lunch line … it is simply not worth the emotional (and physical) toll. Some days, Taurus, it is good to push yourself. Today is not one of those days. After a month of being charred by the California sun like the Oasis vegetables, it’s time to cool off. Let yourself rest and recharge: drink some water, put on your favorite pjs, and curl up in bed.
Leo
(July 23 – August 22)
At this moment, Leo, you might be feeling lost. You might be wondering, where do I belong? And we get it, you are used to being sure of yourself, so this is jarring. That being said, now is the time to stand firmly in your footing. Don’t question every detail of your outfit or obsess over who liked your Hinge profile. Instead, allow yourself to exist freely. You don’t need to have all the answers.
Gemini (May 21- June 20)
Dearest Gemini, you are blessed with the gift of gab, and we are blessed to be in the presence of your charming conversations. But maybe, just consider that a little quiet can be a blessing, too. When you are studying on the fourth floor of Honnold-Mudd, perhaps lower your voice by a decibel … or five. For, as much as we all love to hear your sweet voice, there is a time and a place for everything. Just as the shower drain is not a receptacle for clumps of hair, silent study spaces are not meant to be filled with endless chatter. So hush, precious Gemini, and allow the calm to carry you to success.
Virgo
(August 23 – September 22)
Virgo, you’ve been on the [Hot to] go all semester long and now it’s time for you to step back from work and spend time with your friends! And there’s only one way to do that: try buying Sabrina Carpenter tickets while your phone is on 3 percent. Nothing will bond you all faster than pleading to the Ticketmaster overlords as you all race to find your one charging cable underneath piles of laundry.
Scorpio
(October 23 – November 21)
Dearest Scorpio, the promise of productivity is close at hand! Working on your thesis? Trying to get ahead on that upcoming midterm exam or paper? Well, it’s time to place all that on the back burner and focus on completing the most important task of your college career: creating a documentary detailing the highs and lows of being a CMS intramural water polo player.
Aquarius
(January 20 – February 18)
Have you been frequenting La La Land lately, lovely Aquarius? Has the witty romance between Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone caused your expectations of romance to skyrocket? If so, try meeting your special someone by breaking out into an elaborate tap number in the middle of Seal Court! Whoever joins in perfect unison is your match!
Getting There
By Rebecca Allen ’25 Staff Writer
Today I read a magazine article. Then I read a newspaper article. Then another. Then 5 more.
Then I watched a video called Getting there by Mathew Donaldson Where Ed Ruscha just drives around LA.
I don’t know what he means About the Wild West.
Maybe I never will.
Maybe I will watch the same video clips Over and over and I will still not get it. Maybe I never did.
In 2005,
I donated my hair
To help with the oil spill and I used to imagine all that hair Swirling around in the milky green water
Of the Gulf of Mexico.
Like I knew what that meant.
It’s warm and cloudy and maybe I don’t Really do anything today except Get the newspaper And read it on the lawn. Maybe I make tea and feed the cat. Maybe I apply for a job.
Later, I will want a cigarette But I will not do anything about it.
Sagittarius
(November 22 – December 21)
Beloved Sagittarius, this is your moment to tackle the greatest mystery of our generation: should more than one moose be referred to as meece or mooseseses? Meece sounds a lot like mice and mooseseses is reminiscent of matchacha which may elicit confusion. That’s why we need your brilliant mind, Sagittarius, to settle this debate once and for all; make it make sense.
Pisces (February 19 – March 20)
Today, dear Pisces, the moon and stars have a message for you: be kinder to yourself. Life’s hard enough without you being your own worst critic. For someone so mystical, you’ve been way too grounded lately. Don’t worry about being selfish – get your head back in the clouds where it belongs. When you embrace your creative and dreamy side, you fill up your cup. And with a fuller cup, you’ll have plenty to pass around.
