Volume XIX - Issue 4

5 November, 2015

thescrippsvoice.com

The Scripps Voice

since 1996

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Scripps in residence program kicks off

By Sydney Sibelius ‘18 Staff Writer

T

he first ever Scripps in Residence program, hosted by Career Planning & Resources, kicked off with a student leadership dinner on Wed., Oct. 28 followed by the Scripps in Residence Panel, “Navigating Your Own Path.”

The event brought five accomplished alumnae and parents to Scripps to share their success stories with, and to give advice to, current students. The guests were invited to share their individual journeys, as well as to mentor and inspire current Scripps students. The five alumnae and parents are renowned in their respective fields.

The Scripps in Residence program is a new, annual program at Scripps designed to provide students with first-hand information from alums on their experiences and success stories.

The program is open to all students interested in participating to learn and acquire leadership skills. Alumnae are selected from a variety of fields, and students are given the ability to interact with them in hopes of learning from their journeys to success.

The event consisted of the dinner and panel on Wednesday, and was followed by fireside chats and lunchtime tables on Thursday. Students were also given the opportunity to sign up for individual meetings with the guests during various hours on Thursday.

Stacia Deutsch ‘90 is a New York

Photo by Tyra Abraham ‘18

Times Bestselling children’s book author.

She is a ghostwriter for the Boxcar Children series and the Blast to the Past series. Deutsch presented her fireside chat on pursuing careers in writing and how to succeed after college as an author.

Valerie Haselton ‘92 is the Founder and Co-President of Sirens Media, a production company with a different lens. She is the executive producer of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, and Modern Dads. During her fireside chat, Haselton spoke on both how to pursue a career in TV and film, as well as how

to pursue a creative passion for a career.

Christine Hickman is a parent of a recent 2015 Scripps graduate, and is a retired law professor as well as a community volunteer. She performs legal research focusing on multi-racial identity, and fights for access to STEM education. Hickman conversed with students on success strategies for first-generation students as well as for those pursuing careers in law during her fireside chat.

Lucinda Smith ‘88 is the Senior Vice President of Global Business Services at AGCO Corporation. She is a global

Gonzales-Day discusses racism in art world

By Jay Marks HMC ‘19 LGBTQ+ Columnist

S

everal students crowded into a discussion room on Oct. 27 at 4:15 pm for a talk by Ken GonzalesDay, Professor of Art and Humanities at Scripps College. Gonzales-Day is a photographer who focuses on people of color and racism in art. After the initial chairs around the desk were filled, people brought in more, sitting in the back and on the sides of the discussion room. Some even stood.

Gonzalez-Day launched immediately into the talk by showing the audience a piece he had done, which involved photographing several statues of people of various race and color and compiling them into a larger, uniform photograph of the statues, skin color ranging from dark to light. He used this piece as an introduction to show variations in race in art. He went on to discuss issues with racism at museums of science. For example, art museums had no qualms with him coming in

Inside This Issue:

to photograph statues and art. However, science museums -- the Smithsonian being one of the more notable ones -- were very difficult to work with; it took Gonzales-Day three years to get permission to photograph casts of Native American faces, and even then, they were in storage and poorly handled, dusty and worn. This is a prime example of erasure of people of color in museums; while statues of white people were proudly on display and well-kempt, statues of people of color, no less important historically, were hidden in back rooms and left to fall into disrepair.

He continued by showing many comparisons of statues of people of color, including Mexicans, Native Americans, and African Americans, with European statues. He explained that racism in the arts was essentially formed at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, because they had very eurocentric and white beauty standards.

For instance, the statue of Venus was studied extensively -- she was considered the perfect woman, and so her proportions were measured meticulously. These beauty standards were then implemented at art schools all over the world when the École des Beaux-Arts sent these measurements to these schools.

Page 2 - Halloween

Read about Scripps’ annual Halloween Candlelight Dinner

business executive and a women’s network advocate. Smith spent her fireside chat discussing ways to leverage a liberal arts degree for success, and how to navigate the business field as a female.

The fifth attendant of the event was Tiombe Sewell Wallace ‘95, a psychotherapist and trainer. She is the owner of Tiombe MFT, Inc. and is the co-founder of Bridges to Healing, Inc. She focuses on feminist therapy, and is a diversity and oppression educator and activist. Sewell Wallace spoke in her fireside chat and at a lunchtime conversation on how to pursue a career in psychology, as well as how to build feminist, collective and inclusive leadership.

Sewell Wallace also gave a talk for the Humanities Institute while she was on campus on Thursday, Oct. 29.

The presentation was titled “Feminist Therapy: Addressing Power, Trauma and Interpersonal Violence,” and explored the aftermath of sexual and intimate partner violence through the lens of survivors’ experiences.

The Scripps in Residence program provided Scripps students with the opportunity to gain insight into the journeys and lives of successful Scripps alumnae. The events allowed students to learn how to be strong women leaders both in general, and in regards to the specific fields of the speakers.

After the museum and art portion of the talk, Gonzales-Day discussed lynchings of Black and Latino people in the U.S. Violent photography of hanged people, photographed anonymously, were shown preceding the explanation of The Erased Lynching Series. This art piece is a series of photographs in which Gonzales-Day used Photoshop to remove the murdered people and the ropes from the picture, giving viewers a scene of where these atrocities occurred. The photographs have a haunting effect if you know the context of the landscapes they contain. His work makes a very clear point, as he stated “the absence in itself is an act of violence.”

The absence of the victims in his photographs are a metaphor for the absence of records of these lynchings in history. That’s why Gonzales-Day took it upon himself to write a book about the history of lynchings in California from the 1850s on.

Gonzales-Day wrapped up his talk by reminding the audience of the fact that these sort of killings are still happening. He showed photographs of the riots in Ferguson, morosely saying as he clicked through the slideshow, “this scene will never end.”

More information about Gonzales-Day’s work can be found at his website, kengonzalesday.com

Page 3 - Denison Library Explore the treasures of Scripps’ Special Collections library

1030 Columbia Avenue | Claremont, CA 91711 | Box 839 email: scrippsvoice@gmail.com | Volume XIX | Issue Four

Page 11 - Food Collage Marvel at mouth-watering photos from the dining halls

2 • News Clark humanities museum presents edward S. curtis &

“ The Vanishing Race:

of “Conquest and Colonialism” that Core I is exploring, all first-year Scripps students are required to visit the exhibition.

Curator Ken GonzalezDay will also give a Core I lecture on the exhibit for first-year students.

The Core I objective of the exhibit is to discuss and address these false representations of Native American culture. The exhibition continues to be relevant and controversial on the topic of colonialism, making it an integral part of the Core I curriculum over the past three years.

Janna Akers ‘19 is an assistant at the Clark Humanities Museum and a Core I student. When she first saw the images, she recalls being fascinated by the depictions of Native American

Ethnography, Photography, & Absence in The

By Maureen Cowhey ‘19 & Layne Wells ‘19 Staff Writers

F

”

North American Indian.

or the third consecutive year, Scripps College is exhibiting Edward S. Curtis and “The Vanishing Race: Ethnography, Photography, and Absence in The North American Indian.” Curated

by Scripps College art professor Ken Gonzales-Day, the photography exhibition will run in the Scripps College Clark Humanities Museum until Nov. 6.

A welcoming reception was held on Thurs., Oct. 29 at the Clark Humanities Museum, located on the second floor of the Edwards Humanities Building on Scripps’ campus. The reception provided free food, wine and refreshments and was open to the public. Many professors, students and members of the community were in attendance.

According to a Clark Humanities Museum flyer, the exhibition displays only forty images out of the 300 sets of Curtis’ photographs of The North American Indian housed at the Honnold/ Mudd Library Special Collections. Curtis’ The North American Indian consists of 20 volumes of narrative text and photogravures of Native American people, culture, and traditions which he published between 1907 and 1930. The exhibit was specially selected to emphasize the absent or false aspects of Native American culture that Curtis depicts.

Edward Sheriff Curtis was a famous portrait photographer who focused on documenting and photographing Native Americans between 1895 and 1930.

Through the use of audio recordings, motion pictures, photography, and writing, Curtis perpetuated a myth of indigenous people as the “Vanishing Race.” Some Historians believe that rather than helping to preserve Native American culture, Curtis helped extinguish it through his false representations of a receding traditions.

The photogravures--prints produced by etching a copper plate through an intaglio process--on display include examples of portrait photography, pictorialism, and ethnographic photography. These images cover themes such as Native American performance and spirituality and religion. Curtis also created sections of images pertaining more to Native Americans as a vanishing race, titling these selections “Wig? Or Real?” and “Objectification or Resistance.” The images are supplemented by texts that contextualize the images, as well as discuss several debates that have emerged over the works.

The Scripps College Core Curriculum in Interdisciplinary Humanities supported and promoted the Curtis exhibit. As it pertains directly to the current theme

culture, but after discovering that many of them were staged and manipulated, she questioned whether Curtis was attempting to preserve a culture or create images for white people to admire.

Amanda Tamayo ‘19 had a similar reaction after viewing the exhibit. She stated, “Ostensibly the images appear to be a good representation of a race and a culture, but once you discover that they are staged by someone not of the Native American race, you see how easily our perceptions can be manipulated in favor of political oppression.”

The Clark Humanities Museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until November 5. For more information on “Edward S. Curtis and the Vanishing Race” or the Clark Humanities Museum, please visit http://www. scrippscollege.edu/events/clark. For more information on the exhibit and its relation to the Core curriculum, please contact Max Greenberg at core@ scrippscollege.edu.

h alloween candlelight dinner

Photo by Layne Wells ‘19

By Sydney Sibelius ‘18 Staff Writer

E

very year, Scripps hosts an annual student Halloween Candlelight Dinner.

This year, on the night of Thurs., Oct. 29, the Hampton Room was filled with Scripps students dressed in costumes ranging from a group of minions to the patriarchy in the form of Hugh Hefner. The event began with a costume contest, and ended with a three-course gourmet dinner.

The catering staff put on a delicious meal starting with an endive salad with butternut squash, pumpkin seeds and caramelized onions. The second course consisted of gluten-free pasta with falafel meatballs, chicken with red pepper sauce, roasted asparagus and peppers and mashed red potatoes with mushroom gravy.

The meal was finished with watermelon chunks and pound cake cupcakes topped with orange frosting and candy corn. Everything was served family style, with students picking up each serving from tables right outside of the kitchen.

The Hampton Room was transformed into the Hampton Halloween Haunt and was decorated from the floor to ceiling in spooky Halloween themes.

The table centerpieces were composed of skulls and creepy crawly bugs, with flickering candles illuminating the dark room. The walls were lined with gravestones, and the ceilings were covered with Halloween streamers.

More than 60 students students attended the event and celebrated the ghoulish evening. All of the costumes were creative and clever, and the judges, Interim President Amy Marcus-Newhall and two other members of the Scripps staff, had difficulty in choosing the winner and runner-up.

The costume contest was judged in five categories. Contestants could enter into the categories of scariest/ugliest, best duo/group, funniest, best handmade, best pop culture-inspired, and best make-up/hair.

This year’s winners consisted of students dressed in all types of costume.

The winner for the scariest costume was your worst nightmare: a hooded, masked figure. A swarm of boycotting bees won as the best group costume; they were all dressed in black and yellow and carried around signs of protest.

The group included Melissa Montez ‘16, Alexa Muniz ‘16, Prisma Herrera ‘18, Pamela Ng ‘16, Catherine Chiang ‘16, Mabel Kyinn ‘16, and Katarina Figueroa ‘19.

The funniest costume was won by Bekah Manikowski ‘16 and Julia Black ‘17, who were dressed respectively as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a Hi-C juice box, and created a lunch box together.

A gumball machine worn by Chloe Bazlen ‘18 won the best handmade category, and a student dressed as Agent Sharon Carter won the best pop culture-inspired costume. Best makeup was won by the character Harley Quinn.

Winners were awarded a gift bag of candy and a gift card to businesses in Claremont Village. Additionally, every student that attended received a small bag of candy at their place setting.

The Scripps staff pulled out all of the stops and created a spooky and Photos by Anita Ho ‘19 memorable evening. The room was filled with laughter and smiles as all of the Scripps College students enjoyed a night in costume at this year’s Halloween Candlelight Dinner. students were celebrating Halloweekend.

5 November, 2015 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XIX • Issue Four

News • 3

The Scripps Voice Staff Editors-in-Chief Lucy Altman-Newell Elena Pinsker Advisor Sam Haynes Design Editors Monica Acosta Abigail Gilcrest Jenny Lee Copy Editors Rachel Miller-Haughton Ashley Minnis-Lemley Business Manager Lily Comba

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS IN DENISON LIBRARY

By Maureen Cowhey ‘19 & Layne Wells ‘19 Staff Writers

D

enison Library is home to Scripps College’s Special Collections, which consists of as many as 85,000 pieces. These pieces include ancient papyrus scrolls, unique artist books, an array of mini books, dolls, photographs, letters, and more. The diverse collection is open to all Scripps students for research or simply personal interest.

Director of Denison Library and Scripps alumna Judy Harvey Sahak ‘64 encourages Scripps students to utilize the resources of the Special Collections. Sahak loves showing students her favorite pieces, such as an accordion fold book with pop-ups and pulp painting, as well as primary

sources that would further their academic research. She welcomes drop-ins as well as appointments by email.

Sahak explained that the collections primarily consist of gifts to the College. One of the earliest and most significant donations was from a Los Angeles book collector named John Perkins who donated his primary selection of rare books and documents to Scripps in the 1940s. Many of the other rare books and miscellany are gifts from friends of the College and trustees, explained Sahak. Scripps also uses donated funds to purchase books to further their academic reserve.

Among the most interesting pieces in this extensive series of rare and aged pieces is the collection’s oldest document: a 5,000 year old clay tablet. The

collection also holds a selection of artist books-- including one that incorporates miniature books into cosmetics in order to make a statement on women’s beauty and the harms of nonregulated and unlabeled makeup. Within Denison there exists an archive of Gertrude Stein memorabilia, including books, photos, recordings, magazine articles, newspaper clippings and more.

The library is also home to the Scripps College Archives, which holds transcripts, yearbooks, newspaper articles, and senior theses dating back to the founding of the college. All documents within the Archives and Special Collections are open to students.

For more information or to make an appointment contact Judy Sahak at judy.sahak@scrippscollege.edu.

Webmaster Jocelyn Gardner Columnists & Staff Writers Ali Bush Natalie Camrud Maureen Cowhey Madeleine Edwards Sophie Fahey Kandace Fung Sara Jane Gage Taylor Galla Jocelyn Gardner Diva Gattani Evelyn Gonzalez Joelle Leib Kaya Mark Jay Marks Erin Matheson Natasha Pinon Grace Richey Sasha Rivera Sydney Sibelius Talia Speaker Isobel Whitcomb Vloggers Abigail Metsch Lily Yang - Director Photographers Tyra Abraham Jessica Eu Suzette Guzman Anita Ho Annalise Ko Jessica Padover Layne Wells Comments and letters can be submitted by emailing scrippsvoice@gmail.com or by visiting our website at www.thescrippsvoice.com. Please review our guidelines online before submitting feedback.

The Scripps Voice is a student forum and is not responsible for the opinions expressed in it.

scripps recognizes U

ally month

pon hearing the word “ally,” a person’s first thoughts might be of solely the LGBTQ+ community, with which the word is commonly associated. However, Ally Month is meant to support all marginalized and oppressed groups. Support and allyship is intersectional and reaches beyond just one social cause. At Scripps College, SCORE hosted Ally Month in October, giving students opportunities to attend workshops, dialogues, and trainings to work on allyship, challenge personal privileges, and recognize their identities and systems of power.

“Ally Month has taken place each fall semester for the past four years,” Victoria Verlezza, Assistant Director at SCORE, said. “Every year the general idea is the same: all oppression is connected. In other words, intersections of identity exist and in order to better understand allyship, we must acknowledge those intersections. The idea behind Ally Month is not to teach people how to be allies but how to exhibit allyship behavior. Ally isn’t a noun; it should be a verb.”

Many different allyship events were held all throughout the month of October. The last one, “Counting on the Cuentos” with Leticia HernándezLinares ‘94, will be held on Nov. 5 at the Motley Café.

At this event, Hernandez-Linares, a Scripps alumna, will perform her poemsongs, describe her experience living as an artist in the Mission District of San Francisco and her interactions with the community though art and poetry, and discuss her reliance on stories and how she makes them count. Some other Ally Month opportunities included a screening of MTV’s “White People” on Oct. 9 at Vita Nova, “Busting it Open: Columbus Day” on Oct. 11 at the SCORE living room where students discussed the hidden truths about this day, and “Catch-a-Phrase” on Oct. 28 at the Routt Living room, during which students and their RAs played Catch Phrase to learn about using inclusive language.

Photos by Layne Wells ‘19

By Sasha Rivera ‘19 Staff Writer

“It is important that Scripps or any college really, focus on how we as humans collude with systems of domination because the academic side of the house is educating about how to dismantle those systems and dismantling starts with self-awareness,” said Verlezza when asked about the importance of having these types of events at the school. “It’s so important for Scripps students to do self-work and become self-aware in order to better break down and critique systemic oppression.”

One of the critiques of allyship is often that sometimes too much focus is placed upon the allies’ statements and actions over those of the marginalized group. In addition, there are instances in which allies can overstep their boundaries and no longer act as proper supporters for a movement. Some people struggle with how to be “good” allies and when that point is truly achieved. Verlezza gave her perspective on the topic of “good” allies and how one can actively support groups and causes.

“Ally isn’t a badge you can claim. Rather, ally is something you get from a person of a marginalized identity. But even then, ally isn’t a badge, it’s an action.

As a person with a few marginalized identities, I feel like there are a good group of folks exhibiting allyship behavior on campus. That being said, we all have work to do, there is no such thing, in my opinion, as a ‘good ally’ because it’s a continuous process. Learning and working on oneself should never end; therefore, no one should achieve the ‘good’ status. I myself am constantly assessing and reassessing my whiteness and am always making sure I am very aware of my identities in various spaces,” she said.

Overall, Ally Month offered students the chance to participate in multitudes of workshops and dialogues to exemplify allyship and help to create a more inclusive environment at Scripps College.

5 November, 2015 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XIX • Issue Four

4 • News

new biology professor talks

neuroscience

(And fly-fishing)

Olivia Wei, ‘17

with Kaya Mark ‘18, staff writer From: San Diego, CA Major: Cellular-Molecular Neuroscience What are some of your interests?

I like watching travel shows and cooking challenges, I love to bake, play tennis, I’ve been skiing since I was three years old, and I’ve been very involved in programs that help kids with disabilities since I was in high school.

What is the coolest class you’ve taken at Scripps?

Coolest class had to be my Core 3 with Susan Rankaitis. I rarely watch films so this class was a marvelous opportunity to expand my film horizon! The best part was the mini film viewing that the class had to present at the end of the semester. Even though only two audience members showed up, I thought that our discussion session at the end for Her was epic and super deep.

What extra curricular activities are you involved in on campus?

Right now I’m working at Scripps AV, and also I’m part of the Gilman lab!

What did you do in the Gilman lab?

Over the summer at Scripps, I worked in the Gilman lab with a super cool lab team (shout out to Stephanie, Rachel and Noah!). Rachel and Noah were working on separate projects. Stephanie and I were working on how varying temperatures in the air during low tide affects barnacle respiration during their recovery period during high tide. That was kind of a difficult project because we weren’t able to get all the aerial chambers to work 100%. It’s an ongoing process that will hopefully be worked on in the future!

And for those who do not know what a barnacle is, it’s those little rocks that stick to the sides of whales and are shaped like volcanos.

Favorite study spot?

The Motley when there are tables open.

Rory Spence, Scripps’ newest science faculty member.

Photo courtesy of Scripps College.

By Sophie Fahey ‘17 Staff Writer

Rory Spence is a new assistant professor of Biology in the Keck Science Department. He teaches in the neuroscience program, and his research focuses on neural repair.

Did you know about the Claremont Colleges before coming to work here?

Nope, never knew they even existed. Didn’t even know what a liberal arts college was until a couple of years ago.

What were you doing before coming to Claremont?

I worked as a chef, as a fly-fishing guide, got a Ph.D. in neuroscience, got married, got a couple dogs, [and I am an] amateur brewer and gardner.

Just trying to enjoy life — still am.

What do you specialize in? Can you tell us a little bit about your current research?

I have always been interested in an area of neuroscience called neural repair. My Ph.D. focus evaluated a new treatment for patients with Multiple Sclerosis. Right now we are working on how the brains of fish are able to repair themselves after a concussion-like injury. For some reason, humans are not able to repair our brains to the extent that fish can. I am curious why that is.

What’s been your weirdest experience while at Scripps?

During my first year at Scripps, it was super rainy and windy one day and there was this bird laying on the ground, probably stunned from running into something, in front of the Froutt entrance. I made a little exit hole in a shoebox, filled it with toilet paper, sprinkled some cereal inside, and stuck the bird in the box. When I came back from dinner, the bird was gone. So I would like to think that I helped save the bird, although it could’ve easily just walked five feet and died in a nearby bush...

What classes are you teaching this semester?

Neuroscience 1 (BIO 148l) and Biology 43l.

What is your favorite dorm?

I stayed in Clark over the summer and I had the biggest room with personal AC. So Clark.

Do you have any advice for students?

You’re at an awesome place — take advantage of all the great opportunities available to you. Few people get an education this great, don’t waste that.

What is your long-term goal in life?

I don’t really have a long-term goal. Probably to travel to every continent. Except Antarctica, because I don’t really have an urge to go there.

What is a typical day like for you in Claremont?

Answer emails. Usually meet with some students, teach a class, try and get a bit of research in, usually a meeting or two, maybe even a swim at “Club Scripps” [the Tiernan Field House] if it’s a good day.

5 November, 2015 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XIX • Issue Four

Sports • 5

ATHLETE PROFILE:

By Sydney Sibelius ‘18 Staff Writer

R

ock climbing is a sport that tends to fly under the radar at Scripps College.

While there is no climbing gym on campus, many students utilize the Hangar 18 climbing gym in Upland. Outdoor Women Leaders (OWL) supports many weekly trips for those interested in climbing, and there are also a variety of physical education classes involved with the sport. Scripps students lucky enough to live in Southern California also have the opportunity to travel to many great outdoor areas to climb. Ellen Pelos ‘16 is one of the Scripps students that utilizes all of the resources around Scripps to rock climb, and partakes in the sport multiple times a week.

The Scripps Voice: How did you get involved in rock climbing?

Ellen Pelos: I had rock climbed a couple times in high school and first year, and then I really got into it when I took the Outdoor Adventure Rock climbing course [which is offered as a physical education class at the 5Cs that you can register for]. It’s at a local climbing gym, Hangar 18, and you go once a week and also take outdoor trips.

Before, I had done some climbing

ELLEN PELOS ‘16

with OWL-- they do carpool trips to the gym and outdoor trips sometimes.

TSV: Now where do you go and what do kinds of things do you do?

EP: During the week, I will go to Hangar 18. They have one in Upland, so it’s very accessible. I go three to four times a week, when I can, and when I’m not super busy.

Right now, I’m really into bouldering.

You don’t use ropes, and it’s shorter climbs. It’s more of a fun puzzle that you have to think about, but it’s really rewarding when you get to the top and finish it. When I go outside, I go sport climbing [which is a form of climbing that relies on permanent anchors fixed on the rock walls], and I’ll practice that in the gym when I go. Sport climbing is longer routes and ropes, and it’s also fun. It’s more repetitive and an endurance challenge.

TSV: What’s your favorite part about rock climbing?

EP: I have to say it’s the people you meet while you’re climbing.

It’s an individual sport in a lot of ways in that you can feel yourself

progressing and you do your own workouts and you’re motivated internally as the courses get harder, but the community is what keeps me going and what keeps me inspired. There are always different levels of climbers around you at the gym and outside, but all levels are welcome. And I really like the communal aspect of the climbing community. It is very friendly and we all want each other to succeed.

TSV: Where can you climb outside?

EP: There are a few places I have explored so far. I’ve been bouldering in [Joshua Tree], and another place called Black Mountain that is in the southeast.

It’s only an hour and a half away, but it’s more like a “foresty” area.

I’ve also been to Apple Valley, an hour east of here, where there is more sport climbing. And I made it to Red Rock Canyon, outside of Vegas, which was awesome!

We did sport climbing there, and we ran into more people, which was good and bad. You want to be outside in nature by yourself,

but it’s also fun to meet the other people out there. I want to go to Zion for canyoneering before the semester ends. [Canyoneering involves rappelling down into a canyon to hike around and rock climb.]

TSV: What are your connections through rock climbing within the Scripps community?

EP: OWL is a great community, and there is a great camaraderie that comes from experiencing climbing together. Climbing is hard itself, it’s a really hard sport, but having the community with other Scripps students is really, really fun.

We know we share that bond and we’ve had adventures together. It’s cool to know we connect outside of campus, but know we both share the same passion and bring it back to campus. It’s a great bonding thing, and there are really exciting moments when we find we have the same passion. I carpool with people [to the gym], I’m always driving other Scripps students, and I have so many friends I’ve made through climbing.

Photo Courtesy of Ellen Pelos ‘16 Scripps senior Ellen Pelos utilizes many of Southern California’s resources to pursue her passion in rock climbling.

5 November, 2015 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XIX • Issue Four

SPOTL

6

WHERE

The CP&R office can be found in the northeastern corner of Seal Court, and is open 8:00am – 5:00pm Monday through Friday, with drop-ins welcome 10:00am – 4:00pm. Appointments can be made at (909) 621-8180.

To help students prepare for their futures, the Scrip access to workshops, one-on-one app

by Grace Ri

GRADUATE SCHOOL More that 20% of Scripps graduates attend graduate school. Not all students pursue Masters degrees in the same area as their major. CP&R explains that students of a variety of majors can be found in law, business, medical, and trade schools alike.

SCHOOL CHOICES Law

Medical

GMAT

LSAT

MCAT

special attention is paid to performance in math courses

critically considered as an indicator of overall academic performance ability

APPLICATION EXPECTATIONS

Business Testing GPA Extracurriclar Experience Other

along with MCAT scores, occasionally used to screen applicants before a holistic review of application

many programs demonstrated interest in prefer applicants with emphasis on leadership science such as lab work or background professional experience volunteering in a hospital personal essays, interviews, letters of recommendation

CP&R explains that a Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) is a versatile degree as the different subsets, such as healthcare, finance, and marketing, enable flexibility in the job market. For more information on specific career paths for MBAs, visit the CP&R library.

Source: Scripps CP&R, MBA Admissions Consulting

Other Graduate Fields

personal essays, interviews, letters of recommendation

personal essays, interviews, letters of recommendation

While a major in pre-law is not necessary, the Law School Admissions Council recommends students work with a pre-law advisor. Many schools now require Credential Assembly Service to compile your application for a fee. The CP&R office emphasizes that in order to withstand the feat of attending law school, students must be able to “read critically; think analytically; and write and speak well.” Graduates of law school do not solely work in private law firms. After completing the state Bar Exam, graduates may be found working in political offices, as mediators, and as heads of organizations.

Source: Scripps CP&R, US News & World Report

Most graduate schools, regardless of program, will require personal essays, a standardized testing in the specific field, and letters of recommendation. For more information on specific programs and schools, visit the CP&R library, make an appointment, or visit during drop-in hours 10:00am – 4:00pm Monday-Friday.

Most medical schools source their applications through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). Similar to the Common Application, AMCAS compiles the critical aspects of students’ application such as personal statements, grade reports and MCAT scores. After a primary review, medical schools then send a “secondary application” comprised of additional essay to promising candidates. The many tiers of medical school and post-graduate training allow for future doctors to experience the many fields of medicine. CP&R advises students interested in pursuing a pre-med trac to contact Jill Jones in Keck Science Center Source: Scripps CP&R, Princeton Review

5 November, 2015 • The Scripps

LIGHT

7

E NEXT?

pps Career Planning & Resources (CP&R) office offers free pointments, and networking opportunities.

ichey ‘19

FELLOWSHIP Similar to a gap year, a fellowship allows students to pursue their interests in their own time. While most fellowships such as Fulbright and Rhodes are highly competitive, the opportunities allows graduates to engage in immersive projects and research. Significant planning must be put towards the preparation of any proposal.

Additional information can be found on both the Scripps website and the CP&R library.

e

s n s,

ys f g e ck r.

s Voice • Volume XIX • Issue Four

GAP YEAR Whether deferring from graduate school or taking a break before entering the job market, gap years allow for development of personal skills in unique settings. According to CP&R, Scripps students have worked in community service programs (such as AmeriCorps), as nannies and aupairs, obtained certificates and accreditations, taught English, and much more during their gap years. Visit the CP&R library for more ideas on gap year programs.

CP&R recommends considering the following before planning a gap year: • Living arrangements • Financing -- will you be paying to participate in a program, or will you be working for an organization that compensates you?

• Enjoyment of the learning experience

WORKFORCE According to the office, over 50% of graduates enter a full-time job within three month of leaving campus.

The Career Services Guide, published by CP&R, details the job application process. The magazine, which can be found in the CP&R office, includes tips on professional dress, interview strategies, rules for building a resume, and even how to maneuver salary negotiation.

8 • Features

FEMINISM COLUMN:

A LOOK AT THE

By Evelyn Gonzalez ‘18 Feminism Columnist

A

s October draws to an end, it’s important that we step back and examine how social media campaigns and slogans geared towards breast cancer have crafted a movement that simultaneously raises awareness and often misrepresents the struggles of

“

The issue, however,

is that the pink ribbon campaign is as much

”

of a marketing ploy as anything else.

affected individuals.

Since its conception in 1991 by the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the pink ribbon has become a universal symbol for breast cancer and a representation of the movement itself. There are many benefits to having a recognizable “brand,” as it can easily incite conversation and participation, which is essential if the goal is education. Many aspects of the breast cancer campaigns have been successful, such as the Peoria Memorial in affiliation with the Race for a Cure, which has been a very lucrative and empowering fundraising event that has raised $7 million for Central Illinois agencies for breast health awareness, education, screening, and treatment. In this way, campaigns that require community involvement help to bring attention to the issue while generating much needed funds.

The issue, however, is that the

RIBBOn in p i n k pink ribbon campaign is as much of a marketing ploy as anything else.

According to thinkbeforeyoupink.org, “In 2010, Reebok marketed a line of pink ribbon emblazoned footwear and apparel at prices ranging from $50 to $100. Though it heavily promoted the fact that some of their pink ribbon product sales would be donated to the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, they set a limit of $750,000, regardless of how many items were sold, and there was no mechanism in place to alert consumers once the maximum donation had been met.” The website added, “It is [also] not clear what breast cancer organizations would benefit, how much money they would receive, and what programs or work would be funded by the donation.” In order for these campaigns to be beneficial, we have to be conscious about what kind of support that we’re giving, especially since most everything in this movement has become pinkified.

The campaigns that have emerged recently, such as the sloganed t-shirts and wristbands, are problematic in that their focus is often not on the individuals affected and the realities of breast cancer but often result in its sexualization and hyperfocus on the breasts themselves.

According to a USA Today article, “A poster for the ‘Save 2nd Base’ fundraiser at a Tao restaurant in Las Vegas depicted a curvy model in a string bikini, noting ‘everyone in pink bathing suits receives open bar.’ Other noteable slogans include, ‘Feel your Boobies,’ ‘Save the Ta-Tas,’ ‘I love Boobies,’ ‘Save Motorboating,’ ‘For Guys, Every Month is Breast Awareness Month’ and ‘Big or Small, Save Them All.’”

It is easy to see that what is highlighted are the breasts rather than the cancer, and that what is insinuated is that the breasts — rather than the people — are the most important aspect of the illness.This is especially evident if we take a look at the multitude of misogynistic comments made by people that lamented the loss of Angelina

“

The campaigns that

have emerged recently...

are problematic in that their focus is often not on the individuals affected and the realities of breast cancer but often result in its sexualization and

”

hyperfocus on the breasts themselves.

Jolie’s breasts, after she decided to have a preventative double mastectomy. The reality is that for many mastectomies are often vital for a person’s individual health and comments like these distract from

the damaging and detrimental realities of breast cancer. The conversation needs to shift if we’re going to have meaningful and impactful discussion around how breast cancer affects the lives of millions and the ways that we can provide support.

Organizing campaigns centered around specific illnesses is important in order to spread awareness and raise funds for research and treatment. However, not all campaigns are created equal and we need to be cautious about what kinds of images and slogans we spread.

As writer Peggy Orenstein said, On one hand, women with cancer are told— or have to learn— that we are not our breasts, that our sexuality, our femininity are not located in the mammary gland[...]

That’s a complicated, sometimes painful reckoning. Then these organizations come along and reinforce the notion that boobs are the most important things about us, particularly if they’re hot and apparently most particularly if they’re actually fake.

What these slogans do is redirect the attention and place the emphasis on the breasts and not those individuals affected with this illness. In order to create a movement that adequately addresses the needs and concerns of those affected by breast cancer, we need to stop thinking in terms of saving the breast and instead shift the conversation to the individual.

This will allow us to generate positive change and create campaigns that refuse to trivialize their experiences.

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS month

By Jay Marks HMC ‘19 Staff Writer

T

he month of October brought with it a change on campus, as leaves began to change, the weather cooled down, and Breast Cancer Awareness Month came onto the radar.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month first came about in 1985, with the aim of promoting mammography as the best prevention method against breast cancer.

The American Cancer Society partnered with the pharmaceutical division of a company that makes antibreast-cancer drugs, Imperial Chemical Industries.

The now-iconic pink ribbon originated in 1991, when the Susan G. Komen Foundation handed out pink ribbons to people in a New York City race for breast cancer survivors. This was derived from the red ribbon for AIDS awareness. In 1993, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation was founded by Alexandra Penny, editor-inchief of a women’s magazine, and Evelyn Lauder, breast cancer survivor and Senior Corporate Vice President of the Estée Lauder Companies, manufacturers of skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products. These two women coined the pink ribbon as its symbol.

There are events all over the world with the purpose of raising both awareness and money for breast cancer research. The Race for the Cure is an annual event that is held in over 50 countries. In addition, there is a multitude of events where people raise awareness by wearing pink.

Some countries even light up their monuments pink, a prime example of this being the Eiffel Tower.

One prominent event in October that several students from the 5Cs participated in was International No Bra Day, on Oct. 13. Women were encouraged to not wear

“

Despite the liberal nature of the five undergraduate

colleges, there were very few events on campus that involved education about Breast Cancer

”

Awareness Month and support for survivors.

a bra, while men were told to show their support by wearing purple. However, this event sparked controversy, as some stated that this event makes light of the plights of breast cancer survivors and is a poor way to bring attention to the issue.

At Scripps, the Motley hosted a Chest Casting on Oct. 23, at which students were encouraged to cast

@ the 5Cs

their chests to p ro m o t e n o t only breast c a n c e r awareness, but body positivity overall.

Claremont Colleges Against Cancer also hosted their annual Pinkathon Color Run. The event cost 15 dollars for students and 25 dollars for community members, making the run a way for participants to stay active, get sprayed with pink powder, and raise money for the American Cancer Society.

Other than these three events, Breast Cancer Awareness has not been very prominent at the Claremont Consortium this year. Despite the liberal nature of the five undergraduate colleges, there were very few events on campus that involved education about Breast Cancer Awareness Month and support for survivors.

WANT TO GET INVOLVED? If you would like to get involved by donating money, more information can be found at www. charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content. view&cpid=497#.VjaAQGSrSL0.

5 November, 2015 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XIX • Issue Four

Features • 9

hurricane patricia

shedding light on the media’s coverage

By Isobel Whitcomb ‘17 Environmental Columnist

O

n Friday, Oct. 23, the internet was abuzz with news of Hurricane Patricia, which meteorologists have called the most powerful hurricane in history. It seemed as though everyone was talking about unprecedented strength of the category 5 hurricane, which had begun off of the southwestern coast of Mexico. People watched in fearful anticipation of a cataclysm on the level of Hurricane Sandy or even Katrina as the storm tore towards coastal cities in the states of Jalisco and Colima with winds upwards of 200 mph. However, when the hurricane hit, its impact was much less than anticipated.

Wind speeds were still strong, peaking at around 165 mph, but not unprecedented. Winds died down within 24 hours, and it seemed that Mexico had escaped any major damage. Media coverage of the storm died down as quickly as the winds. Compared to the amount of coverage this short-lived yet strong hurricane received in the days leading up to it hitting land, the aftermath of Hurricane Patricia has slipped under the radar of most major news outlets. What has happened in the past two weeks following the storm, and why aren’t we hearing more about it?

The little news coverage Hurricane Patricia has received in the past two weeks portrays the storm as somewhat anticlimactic. The New York Times’ coverage of the storm’s aftermath was limited to an article titled “Hurricane Patricia Downgraded to Tropical Storm.”

Meanwhile, the Weather Underground called it “the Cataclysm that wasn’t.” However, these reports have focused on major coastal resort towns, such as Puerto Vallarta, which came out of Hurricane Patricia largely undamaged. Unfortunately, many rural towns farther inland in Southwestern Mexico were not so lucky. Last week, the Mexico News Daily called Arteaga, a rural municipality in Mexican state Michoacán, a “disaster zone.” While there have been no deaths reported, property damage is extensive in this region. In the same news report, Mayor Bernardo Zepeda of Arteaga was quoted “The picture here is very sad, and the federal government’s response isn’t as expected. It is clear that Michoacán isn’t receiving the same attention as Colima or Jalisco, but we’re doing our job as best as we can, and have requested that this part of the state be declared a disaster zone.”

A large reason for the lack of news coverage on the rural impact of Hurricane Patricia is lack of

A home destroyed by Hurricane Patricia in Chamela, Mexico.

Photo courtesy of Tampa Tribune.

communication due to infrastructure damage. Because Hurricane Patricia caused major damage to roads, telephone lines, and other means of communication, its impact on the majority of rural areas is unknown.

For example, communication is yet to be established with 300 towns in the state of Michoacán, about 80% of municipalities. However, it is known that a health center was completely ripped from its foundation and that in the town of Arteaga alone hundreds of families have lost their houses and all their belongings. Therefore, we should also be examining why it is that major news outlets have extended little coverage to what we do know about damage caused in these areas.

Some ways in which we can critically think about media coverage of this disaster is by asking ourselves the following questions: How are the areas covered by news outlets economically important to major industry,

check your labels:

By Natalie Camrud ‘17 & Diva Gattani ‘17 Fashion Columnists

C

hances are that when you’re out shopping, you don’t check labels on clothes to see what they are made out of, and if you do, chances are you are completely baffled.

What even IS nylon, rayon and polyester? Which is better, cotton or linen? Very few people know what their clothes are made out of, or the stories behind those materials.

Well, knowledge is power, so keep reading!

Let’s start with polyester and other petroleum-based fibers. If you’re anything like me, you despise plastic water bottles. I made my whole family convert to Brita filters and reusable glass bottles. Imagine my horror when I discovered that I was basically wearing plastic bottles!

Synthetic fibers such as polyester, acrylic, nylon, and others, are made from petroleum (think fracking, BP oil spill, sad oil-covered pelicans, etc). In 2007, polyester became the most commonly used fiber, found in 52% Alpaca wool is a sustainable alternative to cashmere. of our clothing. It’s so Photo courtesy of The Alpaca Group. popular mainly because it’s user friendly; it stretches, doesn’t wrinkle, dries quickly, and doesn’t shrink. It’s also cheaper to produce, so fast fashion companies prefer polyester to other materials like cotton. Unfortunately, while that polyester shirt is great because you can crumple it on your floor without it wrinkling, it is very harmful to the environment. When you wash a polyester garment, it sheds microplastic fibers, which then get washed into the water supply, and then out into the ocean. It takes between 20-200 years for a polyester shirt to decompose under the right conditions, and, when it does decompose, it releases harmful chemicals. However, polyester uses less water to produce than cotton, and it doesn’t require any agricultural land to produce as well. So, if you’re going to buy

particularly large American corporations and to political figures? How might damage to the the areas of Mexico covered directly or indirectly affect citizens of the United States of America? These are questions important to ask not only in light of this storm, but when following media coverage of any international disaster- natural or otherwise.

As winter approaches, Central America, and the Western United States brace themselves for the possibility more storms like Hurricane Patricia. This is because Hurricane Patricia is largely a result of rising ocean surface temperatures in the Eastern Pacific Ocean due to the cyclical weather event known as El Niño (see my article in a previous issue of The Scripps Voice located at TheScrippsVoice.com for more information).

Although it did not strike with the intensity expected, it opens what will most likely be a stormy, wet season for Central America and the Southwestern United States.

tips for ethical clothing choices

a polyester garment, make sure you love it and intend to wear it for years to come.

Next, we’ll look at plant-based fibers, like cotton and linen. Cotton is the second most common material used in clothes behind polyester because of its softness and durability. However, cotton is a very water intensive plant. Cotton alone is the biggest water consumer in the entire apparel supply chain. Additionally, 99.3% of cotton is grown using synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and genetically modified seeds. These kinds of production methods harm the health of the workers who grow and harvest the cotton as well as the environment. (Once again, I recommend watching “The True Cost” since it explores this issue in greater depth). Another plant-based fiber is linen, which comes from the flax plant. It is one of the world’s oldest textiles; the ancient Egyptians and Romans used to harvest flax for clothing, and it was once the most popular clothing material. Today, however, linen only accounts for 1% of textile consumption in the world. Linen requires less water, fertilizers, and pesticides than cotton does, and flax absorbs carbon at a high rate. Linen productions requires only 8% of the energy needed to produce polyester, and 18% of the energy needed to produce cotton. What’s not to love? When purchasing plant-based fibers, try to opt for organic or vintage cotton, or linen.

Last, but certainly not least, are animal-based fibers. Wool is a natural animal-based fiber that is produced from a population of over one billion sheep. The two biggest environmental issues associated with sheep are overgrazing and methane emissions.

Another animal-based fiber that is currently gaining fame in the fashion world is alpaca. Alpaca feels just as soft as cashmere and is significantly cheaper. Also, unlike cashmere, alpaca is sustainable. Cashmere is harvested from goats that are typically located in Mongolia. The issue with goats is that, unlike sheep and alpaca, goats pull the grass from the root when they eat. This prevents the grass from growing back, which leads to desertification, meaning that the soil can no longer host vegetation or wildlife and loses its ability to retain water. Choosing wool or alpaca over cashmere, or buying vintage cashmere, is a good way to still wear animal based clothing and support sustainable practices at the same time.

Next time you’re out shopping, make sure to check the label so that you can make an informed decision about the clothes you’re going to buy. Every time you purchase an item of clothing, you’re voting, whether it be for sustainable practices, organic cotton or recycled polyester, so make sure you know what you’re voting for and what your clothes are made of.

Source: https://zady.com/thenewstandard# http://qz.com/207489/why-your-next-sweater-should-be-alpaca-not-cashmere/

5 November, 2015 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XIX • Issue Four

10 • Features

l s l p o p i p r on sc

i t a n i p o ology n h c e t

By Taylor Galla ‘18 Opinion Poll Columnist

T

echnology has become so pervasive in our world that it seems that nearly everyone, no matter who you are or where you live, will come into contact with it during their lifetime. This is quite a startling claim, if one considers that a relatively short time ago many of the things that we as students now take for granted as part of our everyday lives were not even close to existing. For the purpose of this column, I am going to limit the type of technology I am discussing to phones, tablets, and laptop computers, as I am going to take a leap of faith and assume that this is the technology that most college students would think about when asked a question about their technology use.

Every morning, I wake up to an alarm on my phone, then immediately after I turn it off I check my phone for about 15 minutes or so. Then, after I am dressed, I pick up my phone again, text a few friends about breakfast and turn music on to listen to while I walk. Once I get to the dining hall, I check my phone again while I stand in line for food. Then, as I’m eating my phone is right there, ready to immediately tell me if anyone is trying to contact me. After breakfast, I listen to music on it again as I walk to class. In class, I take notes on my laptop, after class I check my phone again, and this regular and extremely prominent use continues throughout the day.

I’m sure that if many of you sat down and thought about it, you would realize that technology is not only present in our everyday lives, but that it dominates them in many ways. You need it for practical purposes like communication— and sometimes for safety— but with this comes a slippery slope of many other aspects of technology that are not as efficient or beneficial, that one can easily get drawn into.

A perfect example of this slippery slope is Facebook, as it is very useful in terms of knowing about events going on around the campuses, but it’s easy to get distracted.

Someone once told me that the secret to the efficient way to use Facebook is to just check your notifications— that way, you see invites to events, photos you were tagged in and other things that just apply to you. Along with this, if you just focus on your notifications, you will not get drawn into other things that are a complete waste of your time— like most things in one’s news feed. However, I have tried this and although it does work when you do it right, it is very difficult to not see other intriguing things that do not involve you, and once you click on one thing, it’s over. You’ve lost the battle. Now, it’s picture after picture and article after article while the clock ticks away slowly— minute after minute getting closer and closer to the due date of your actual responsibilities.

I’m sure many can relate to this, and that is why I decided to conduct this poll this week and see what the Scripps student body had to say about technology use.

I did not get as many responses as I had hoped, but I believe the data I pulled is still an accurate representation of what the larger masses would have shown. I asked the question “how do you feel about your relationship to technology?” and out of the 13 responses the breakdown was as follows: three people said “I think I could benefit from improving my use of it to its full potential,” one individual chose “I feel completely satisfied with my use of it,” four people said “mostly okay, although I do waste time on it occasionally,” three people said they “want to drastically cut back on my use,” one person chose the other option and commented “I love it and it wastes all my time,” and lastly one person expressed that they “wish it was not in my life.”

As I expected with this poll, the most popular answer was the most moderate one- “mostly okay, although I do waste time on it occasionally.” I expected this because with technology, I feel that most people would fall under the category of really appreciating the efficiency it brings to their life, and also admitting some falter in terms of how they use it. As with everything, there are extremes with technology, and most people fall somewhere in the middle of those extremes. Many people eat junk food occasionally, watch an episode or two of TV when they get the time, drink moderately on the weekends, smoke

a cigarette or two in their lifetime, etc. It goes back to a discussion of pleasures— everyone needs and wants them and has a relationship with them. This relationship can change and alter and is a reflection of the rest of one’s life in many ways. We all fall back on them in times of need and use them for comfort. With introspection and an awareness of healthy habits, this can be a harmless part of life. However, when the levels of use become unhealthy it is a test of not only the person’s ability to see this, but to act upon it and improve.

The second most popular choices were “I think I could benefit from improving my use of it to its full potential” and “I want to drastically cut back on my use of it.” Both of these responses display a reflection on the part of the user on the amount and/or ways that they use it. I believe many people could benefit from improving their use of it- through the use of more efficient and helpful apps, time management with the time-wasters, etc. For example, there are apps that can keep you focused, can track your steps and sleep, can help you meditate and practice self-care- and many others that have the potential to greatly improve one’s life. However, on the opposite side of the spectrum- I do not think that one can completely rid one’s life of technology, nor do I think they should. In some ways it does appear as this unstoppable force taking over our world and something of this nature tends to strike instinctive fear in people. However, it does not have to be something to be feared— it should

The views expressed in The Scripps Voice Opinion Columns do not necessarily represent those of The Scripps Voice as a whole.

be something one embraces just like any other human invention designed to make our lives better and easier.

Technology has endless potential— the internet is ever expanding with information that is available to anyone and everyone. One can educate oneself about anything, charity efforts can spread like wildfire and raise an incredible amount of money in an incredibly short amount of time. It can enlighten, challenge, spook, entertain and save lives. It is our own modern-day industrial revolution, and it will continue to grow and transform industries. Many of us will have jobs that have not even been created yet, and will be using tools that have not been invented yet— all because of technology.

Appreciate it, limit yourself, expand yourself, and update your security settings.

Next poll: How do you feel about the 5C hookup culture?

-Hate it, it’s unhealthy for everyone involved -Don’t like it, but I find my ways around it -I don’t feel strongly about it one way or another -I feel that it inevitably comes with partying in college and is not specific to the Claremont Colleges -I like it and have fun -I really enjoy it -Other Check out thescrippsvoice.com homepage to add your vote!

the

queer problem with corner project vulva

By Jay Marks HMC ‘19 LGBTQ+ Columnist

N

o one can deny that Scripps is full of politically correct and socially aware feminists. But some events lead me to question whether trans exclusionary radical feminism, or TERF, is taking over as some students ignore their transgender peers. One of these is Project Vulva.

Project Vulva was an event that occurred on Thurs., Oct. 29. The intention of the project was to “create an open dialogue educating people about the vulva in order to confront society’s stigmas and stereotypes, and make people more comfortable with the many varying images and types of cis and non-cis vulvas,” as worded on the event’s Facebook page. Little did the organizers of the event, paired with the Motley staff, know that the repercussions of this event would be so large.

Five days prior to the event, a transgender woman posted on the page of the event, speaking up about the wording of the advertising of the event. The qualm was with the phrase “generally, society is so comfortable with the image of a penis and vulvas are considered taboo…”

She stated that “society is not comfortable with the image of a penis on a woman… to say that penises are universally accepted as non-taboo is transmisogynistic.”

Others spoke up as well, stating that the event was violent towards trans women and transphobic, describing it as “gross” and “a mess.” No further specifications about why the event was transmisogynistic were provided.

The response towards the transgender individuals was disheartening at the very least. Instead of apologizing for the transphobic aspects of the event and choosing to cancel it, several cisgender students argued with the transgender students, even going so far as to re-explain the event as though the transgender students were wrong to feel unsafe.

In light of the dialogue, the Motley Facebook page

acknowledged the issue with the following statement: “The Motley wants to validate and support the critiques that have been voiced concerning Project Vulva. We are deeply sorry for the hurt experienced by the trans community both in the space of the Motley and on the Scripps campus in general. Being a privileged and exclusive space has long been imbedded in our herstory, and though we have tried and are trying to become an inclusive space where everyone can feel safe and accepted, we recognize that we have failed.”

This is the point at which I became extremely disappointed in the Motley staff and the organizers of this event. They were told multiple times by multiple people that this event was an act of violence against transgender women, and chose to have the event anyway. This in itself is an act of violence. One cannot “validate and support the critiques” of this event and still choose to host it, despite the wording of its advertisement that made the event transmisogynistic and transphobic.

Whether or not a cisgender individual thinks this event is transphobic doesn’t actually matter. If transgender people say that something makes them feel unsafe and unwelcome, it is inappropriate for anyone to tell them--implicitly or explicitly-- that their feelings are wrong and to essentially ignore what they’ve said.

While I agree with the concept that vulvas are considered taboo and I believe that this is an important issue to address, the way that this event was presented was not respectful to transgender individuals.

A solution to this issue would be to cancel this event, apologize to the individuals who felt unsafe, and create a similar but new event that better advertises the mission of the event with more respectful advertising. This way, the transgender students would not only have been acknowledged, but listened to, and a more appropriate event could have been created to celebrate vulvas.

5 November, 2015 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XIX • Issue Four

Opinions • 11

By Ali Bush ‘19 Staff Writer

“T

rue Story” is— ironically enough— a fictionalized narrative of the real interactions between New York Times journalist, Michael Finkel (Jonah Hill) and accused child murderer, Christian Longo (James Franco). Directed by British stage director Rupert Goold, the film relentlessly asks the questions, what is the truth, and does it even matter?

The film begins with what seems like the end of Finkel’s journalistic career, as he is found fabricating elements of an article that chronicles the lives of slave children in Africa. After he is fired from the New York Times, Finkel learns that that his identity has been appropriated by a man accused of killing his family, Christian Longo. Intrigued by why Longo chose to adapt his identity— a littleknown, now ill-reputed journalist— Finkel decides to pay him a visit. Eventually, the two strike up an intimate yet strained friendship, and Finkel agrees to write a book about Longo’s experiences and trial in order to save his own career as a writer. Despite their close bond, we sense a trace of tension and deception between these two lost souls, as both characters want something from the other. Finkel wants a best-selling book, sensationalizing the life of an accused-criminal that will save his career, and Longo wants a life-saving testimony.

It’s honestly a little unsettling to watch Hill and Franco acting together in a tense game of cat-andmouse. We almost expect them to drop the act or break any minute, but ultimately, Franco delivers a

spine-chilling performance as adopts the persona of an honest man who has been wrongly accused of an atrocious crime. As a man who seemed “totally normal” to his friends and family, his eerie facial expressions make us doubt his innocence and laud Franco’s dramatic acting abilities. On the other hand, Hill remains in a more reactive role, as most of his best performances are built off of Franco’s intensity.

It is appalling, however, that the film forces us to sympathize with Finkel as he searches for more jobs despite his major violation of journalistic ethics. It is Finkel’s girlfriend, played by Felicity Jones, that brings the most confrontation and emotion we see in the entire movie when she finally meets the accused murderer, and reproaches him for manipulating her boyfriend’s mind and career.

Despite her unimportant role in the film, her passion and forthrightness is something that is lacking in the rest of the film, and it’s disappointing that this scene is merely two minutes long.

After Longo makes a testimony that is hard to stomach, the judge of his case abruptly informs us as to whether he is guilty or not. Because Finkel and Longo have developed such a close relationship, Finkel can’t even figure out the verdict himself and questions the court’s decision, posing the question, as to whether we can

FILM

THE “TRUE” STORY OF A LIAR AND AN ACCUSED MURDERER

even trust the truth behind the court’s decsision.

The only sure thing we can ascertain about Longo’s verdict is captured in his devilish wink, which personally made me jump a little. Despite the outcome of the trial, Finkel pursues writing Longo’s story and profits from it, a story about a liar and possibly a murderer.

Being Goold’s first film, the staunch settings are clearly reminiscent of a theater’s stage, in which little is present in the setting other than the main characters. The dramatic contrast between Finkel’s rustic Montana house and Longo’s barren prison reception cell provides the film with a sense of tension and suspense that is often lacking in the script.

Ultimately, the film poses the question: does Longo’s story deserve to be told? Regardless of your answer to that, his story has already been told in both this film and Finkel’s book, True Story: Murder, Memoir, Mea Culpa, which the film was based on. While the film is suspenseful and aesthetically pleasing, it is simply Finkel’s self-serving, careersaving story. It is a story that may be true, but it is also one that sympathizes with an unethical, money-hungry journalist and an accused murderer who is undeserving of anyone’s attention, much less Hollywood’s.

“...the film forces us to sympathize with Finkel as he searches for more jobs despite his major violation of journalistic ethics...”

5C Dining halls: gotta eat ‘em all Each dining hall has its signature foods. Our own Malott has the warmest, gooiest cookies and the best steak and salmon.

The Collins in CMC has its amazing salad bar gazebo and (omg) free Andes mints chocolates. Don’t forget brunch at McConnell in Pitzer on hungover weekend mornings.

Go check out Pomona’s Frary to feel like you’re at Hogwarts, or fatten up in the Hoch at Mudd with its Exhibition goodness.

So, have you been to them all?

Photos by Suzette Guzman ‘18

5 November, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XIX • Issue Four

101 INTRODUCTION TO AFFORDABLE COMMUTING

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*except Weekend Day Pass. Please visit metrolinktrains.com/studentyouth for a complete list of details, restrictions and information.