October 3, 2013
voice.scrippscollege.edu
The Scripps Voice
Scripps reacts to selfdesigned major changes By Megan Petersen ‘15 Editor-in-Chief
T
hree weeks ago, a majority of Scripps College’s faculty voted in favor of measures that change the process for students wanting to self-design a major or minor, despite protest from a number of students and professors. The changes, proposed last spring by the Faculty Executive Committee (FEC), made the petitioning process for creating selfdesigned programs much more difficult. For example, petitioning students must now obtain signatures from each professor whose class will count for the major and from two professors willing to be thesis readers. Students with self-designed majors also no longer have the option to write honors theses. Professor Rita Roberts, chair of the FEC last year, said that the changes were proposed to respond “to long-standing faculty concerns about the coherence and rigor of the self-design major” and “to make it more consistent with the requirements of other college majors.” Though these measures garnered broad FEC and faculty support, some students and professors are frustrated by the changes. “In theory [the changes] are good ideas,” said Meg Roy ’14, a creative writing major focusing in fiction. “In practice, it’s absolutely absurd.” Creative writing minor Anjali Gupta ’15 concurs: “The proposed changes seem, on the surface, as though they were intended to clarify the process for self-designing a major. However, in practice, these changes would make it almost impossible for students to self-design,” she said. “The changes create unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles for anyone looking to self-design a major.” Gupta, along with a number of other students seeking to self-design majors and minors, created an online petition last spring protesting the changes. Over 400 students, alumnae, and parents signed. Echoing the concerns outlined in the petition, Gupta pointed out that the provision requiring students to include thesis readers in their proposal “does not take into the account that the focus of the major could change,” since students usually petition as sophomores but don’t write their thesis until senior year. Gupta also called the provision that would require students to get individual professors’
signatures in order to include their class in breadth of study and focus requirements. Roy also said that for her senior thesis, their petition “impractical.” “It’s often difficult to know what will be which she describes as a magical realism offered next semester, let alone in the next novel for young women, she’s often few years,” she said. “Moreover, students writing at least five to seven pages a who self-design work closely with their week—much more, she says, than many advisor to ensure the requirements are met, of her classmates. “To say the least, I would not be and it should not be up to the professors to decide if their class counts towards the where I am today without my major,” said Annie Dreshfield ’13, who selfmajor or not.” Students also feel they were excluded designed a major in Creative Writing for from a process that will govern their futures Contemporary Media, hoping to launch a at Scripps. “It is a shame the committee career writing for the technology industry. has decided to disregard student wishes “Throughout my time at Scripps, my regarding self-designed majors, especially major turned heads, made employers after the flow of support from the student take a second look at my resume, got body, parents, and alumnae for last spring’s me internships, and eventually led me petition,” said Elisabeth Pfeiffer ’15, a to my full-time job where I am today,” creative writing major. “I think that students continued Dreshfield. “I was hand-picked should have been more included in the by my CEO for the Communications team at a start-up because of my writing meetings that led to these decisions.” Scripps Associated Students (SAS) background, in a role that is the perfect President Marta Bean ’14 signed last year’s blend of Public Relations, Marketing, and petition, but now, knowing more about the Communications. ...I don’t think I would changes, feels that they are for the best. “All have been considered for this position at Scripps students should be able to tailor their all if I had majored in English or Fiction education to what they are truly passionate Writing,” she said. Writing Professor Kimberly Drake in,” she said, “and these new measures also help this work logistically.” She added oversees all of those writing petitions, and she feels that, for that the new changes writing students, “ensure that even “In theory [the changes] the changes make t h o s e w h o d o n ’t chose a conventional are good ideas. In practice, self-designing a major incredibly major and decide to it’s absolutely absurd.” onerous. She design their own are pointed out, in not missing out on the - Meg Roy ‘14 particular, that rigorous academics students often that makes Scripps students ready to handle all types of have to submit writing samples to take certain writing courses, so the provision challenges upon graduation.” However, many writing majors and requiring students to obtain signatures minors, a group that composes the majority from faculty beforehand may prove of petitions to the Committee of Academic difficult. Additionally, according to Drake, Review (CAR) each year, feel strongly that “factors other than whether the course fits this is not the case. Roy, a senior whose self-designed major the major (such as the individual faculty was approved two years ago, said that, member’s personal views of the proposed because so many writing students petition major, of the student’s college, or of the each year, there was a strong precedent bureaucracy involved in the proposal) will already set for her when she decided to influence her/his decision about signing apply. “I took [a senior’s] petition and used the form, and the student will now be it as a template: similar class lists, similar caught up in those political tensions. “This does not seem to me to be application,” she said. “It was very easy [and] an appropriate use of anyone’s time or approved almost immediately.” The ease with which it was approved, energy, nor does it seem to be in the spirit though, could be deceiving. Just like any of Scripps College,” said Drake. Among those interviewed, however, other ‘official’ major, Roy’s creative writing major has a number of classes to fulfill there seemed to be varying definitions
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Inside This Issue:
Features: page 6
Fashion columnist Stephanie Huang responds to Buzzfeed.
Student Life: page 11
5C Library commemorates the history of banned books.
1030 Columbia Avenue | Claremont, CA 91711 | Box 386 email: scrippsvoice@gmail.com | Volume XVII | Issue Three
SAS class reps
Announce, recap Class events By Anna Cechony ‘17 Jennie Xu ‘16 Mikayla Raymond ‘15 Emma Brillhart ‘14 Orianna La Villa ‘14 SAS Class Representatives First Years: On Oct. 8, right before our first CORE paper is due on the Oct. 11, we will be having a No Core Allowed study break! Come to the Student Union from 8-10 for snacks, time with your friends, and fun games! If you have any suggestions for events please feel free to email ACechony5033@ scrippscollege.edu. I am looking forward to a great year with all of you ladies! Sophomores: On Oct. 1, the entire sophomore class was invited to the first ever “Sophomore Dessert Mix and Mingle” at the Revelle House. Guests were seated by tables to encourage new friendships and to provide an atmosphere where it was acceptable to make introductions to fellow classmates that they may not have met. This was the joint effort of Jennie Xu, Sophomore Class Representative, and Marta Bean, SAS President, as part of a collaboration between the executive board and programming board of SAS. Thank you to President Lori BettisonVarga, Claire Bridge, and all of the Malott Catering staff that helped make this event a success! Juniors: Our Class of 2015 grad speaker search is underway! The first meeting of the grad speaker committee will be held Sunday, Oct. 6 at noon in the student union. This will not be a large time commitment, and your help would be very much appreciated! If you have any ideas or suggestions, feel free to email Mikayla Raymond at mraymond0230@scrippscollege. edu. We have a very exciting panel discussion on the horizon. For all of you who are interested in all of the amazing fellowships and grants that Scripps has to offer, but are looking for more of student perspective, the Class of 2015 will be hosting a Fellowship Panel Friday, November 1st at 12. Be on the
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Op-Ed: page 5
Elizabeth Lee reviews “Lars and the Real Girl.”