Volume XVIII - Issue Four

Page 1

6 November, 2014

thescrippsvoice.com

The Scripps Voice

since 1996

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Dean Johnson hosts Fireside Chat By Lucy Altman-Newell ‘17 Editor-in-Chief

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n Monday Oct. 27, Charlotte Johnson, Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students, hosted a Fireside Chat in the Toll Hall Rec Room to discuss student concerns regarding the treatment of mental health at Scripps College and across the Consortium as a whole. She opened the discussion by highlighting that although the issue of keeping up with the demand posed by mental health issues is universal across American colleges and universities, it is an issue that should not be ignored. “What I have done in my professional career is just to make sure that I and the rest of the team are trying to be responsive,” Dean Johnson said. One concern that was brought up at the Fireside Chat was that often students can, in effect, get in trouble Dean Johnson in the Toll common room during the fireside chat. Photo by Tyra Abraham ‘18 for struggling. For example, concerns were raised regarding the feeling but we might call it assertive — sort help at all. of having rights revoked or being of action to make sure that you’re The issue of lack of information forced into therapy. Christina Whalen ok.” surrounding mental health at the ’15 suggested that unnecessary Another issue that several students Claremont Colleges was also actions could be avoided by asking voiced throughout the Fireside brought up. One student said that the right questions — such as how Chat was that they found Monsour it would be helpful to have more severe an individual’s mental health Counseling and Psychological information regarding Monsour’s issues are and what interventions Services unhelpful and even procedures. Jocelyn Gardner ‘17 these students themselves think harmful. Tori Sepand ‘15 voiced that advocated for having general mental they need — rather than generalizing in her experience as a Residential health information widely available and approaching each individual’s Advisor, students who have gone as well. “A lot of people won’t know mental health issues in a formulaic to Monsour have reported to her an a lot about mental health to begin way. Whalen unwillingness with or even know where a problem added that to return to is until it escalates into a crisis,” said “If you don’t remember t h e r a p y that resource, Gardner. “Any information is helpful needs to be so she has in prevention and getting people anything else that I’ve by choice — a hard time to increase help-seeking which is encouraged k n o w i n g really important because...so many said, remember that rather than w h e r e people do not reach out and actually forced — in to direct that’s where a huge percentage of you should not suffer in order to avoid s t u d e n t s the population of the students who silence.” it becoming who come do not finish semesters or drop out, m o r e to her with that’s where they all come from. - Dean Johnson threatening mental health And in my experience, people have or damaging. issues. “My misconceptions and don’t know a Dean Johnson replied, “In the experience with Monsour, at least lot. And if there’s any way to get that great majority of cases, letting with multiple friends who have information out, especially if it’s on students self pace and working gone to Monsour, is that they get a peer-to-peer basis, that’s super with students to get help when they an appointment, wait two weeks, go helpful for people.” feel comfortable getting the help is once, have a really bad experience Another point for which students actually quite doable. But there is that and then never go again and never requested clarification was if there sort-of-narrow range of cases when want to go again,” Sepand stated. were repercussions for going we have evidence of possible … self Another student reported concerns to the administration regarding harm or in rare cases — especially in that if a student were to go to mental health issues they may be this community — harm to another, Monsour, his or her concerns would experiencing. Dean Johnson replied where we are required really to take be pushed into a bigger issue; this that because there is no violation in more — you would call it aggressive prevents people from seeking any CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Inside This Issue:

Page 2 - News

Read about the Carry That Weight walk.

Page 5 - Sports

Meet Wren Osler ‘18 of CMS Women’s Soccer.

1030 Columbia Avenue | Claremont, CA 91711 | Box 744 email: scrippsvoice@gmail.com | Volume XVIII | Issue Four

exploring “The

Sound of Silence” By Sophie Fahey ‘17 Staff Writer

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s silence the absence of sound? That is the main question the Humanities Institute is exploring in this Fall’s program, “The Sound of Silence”. The Humanities Institute was founded in 1986 to host a series of events each semester. Each semester, the Humanities Institute presents a program based around a specific theme or idea that is related to the humanities. These programs use a wide range of events — from lectures and seminars to exhibitions and readings — to explore the semester’s topic. Another aspect of the Humanities Institute is the Junior Fellows Program. Students who are nominated by professors, apply, and are accepted into the program enroll in a research seminar that follows the program’s theme and provides these students with the opportunity to meet with speakers when they come to campus. The students also work on a research project or paper during the course of the semester. According to the Humanities Institute’s program description, the Fall 2014 program explores the questions: “Is silence the absence of sound? Is it the space between words, a pause between heart beats? Is silence a refusal to speak — or to respond? Is silence collaborative, complicit? Is it pleasant, peaceful? Contemplative? Is meditation a form of silence? Does silence signify absence? Does it entail presence? Does silence make you nervous? Is silence menacing? [This year’s program delves into both] the theory and practice of silence: voluntary and coerced, solitary and communal, literal and metaphoric. What are the politics of silence? How has silence been mandated and inflicted across historical periods and in a range of cultures and geographic locations? How are silence and gender related? Can silence be palpable, visual, deafening, architectural, dynamic? Hush. Let’s think about it.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Page 11 - Features

Get to know the ghosts of Scripps College!


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