6 November, 2014
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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
I
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!
2 • News
5Cs Support “Carry that Weight” movement
The
SAS Bimonthly Check here every issue for a SAS Udpate By Minjoo Kim ‘16 SAS Student Union Chair
H
i, everyone! My name is Minjoo Kim, and I’m your SAS Student Union Chair. My job is to make the Student Union inviting and aesthetically pleasing and to keep it fully functioning throughout the school year. I recently sent out a schoolwide survey to gauge what students want to see happen in the Student Union and to collect some constructive feedback. Thank you to those who participated. I received over one hundred responses that have been valuable in helping me move forward with my goals for the year. I am working to follow through with your requests and ideas as soon as possible. For those of you who might not already know, the Student Union has many resources for student use. It is located on the second floor of Malott Commons, with access from the stairs near the entrance of Seal Court or from the stairs in the main courtyard by the entrance to Malott. The Student Union is a universally-accessible space, with elevators located on the right
By Taylor Galla ‘18 Staff Writer
Trigger Warning: rape, sexual assault
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n Wednesday Oct. 29, members of each of the 5Cs joined together in the “5C Carry That Weight Together” event uniting in solidarity with other Carry That Weight movements and Emma Sulkowicz, the Columbia senior who has pledged to carry her mattress everywhere she goes until the man she says raped her is expelled. Organized by CMC Advocates for Survivors of Sexual Assault, the event lasted about an hour and included a signing of a bed sheet pledging solidarity with survivors of sexual assault, and a march across the campuses of all five Claremont Colleges. Emma Sulkowicz reported being raped the first day of her sophomore year at Columbia University, and the case ended with no repercussions for her accused rapist. She has been trying to get the case reopened ever since. Along with United States Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Sulkowicz filed a federal complaint against Columbia for the school’s handling of sexual assault cases. Currently at Columbia, even if a student is determined guilty of sexual assault on campus,
the worst punishment possible for them to receive is suspension, allowing them to eventually return to classes. Sulkowicz has been quoted saying that the idea that she will have to stand next to her rapist at graduation makes her sick. In response to cases such as Sulkowicz’s, California governor Jerry Brown recently passed a law entitled “Yes Means Yes” which legally establishes the necessity of consent in any sexual encounter between two individuals. This legal movement is a profound step towards changing the way sexual assault is perceived and handled on campuses statewide. At the Claremont Colleges, sexual assault is a prevalent and much-discussed topic; the Carry That Weight event reflected this progressive attitude. The event was attended by all genders, grade levels and schools. As the group walked the five campuses carrying a half a dozen mattresses and a large bedsheet signed by members of the group, each person carried a joy in expressing support for this cause. With the solemnity of the topic, people took an attitude of genuine contentment with being there and joining with a group of people who shared this feeling. As they walked, reactions varied from glances to high fives and cheers once onlookers understood what was being done.
“I have been working closely with different departments at Scripps to ensure that the Student Union will reach its full potential.” Minjoo Kim ‘16 SAS Student Union Chair side of Malott’s main courtyard that are accessible 24/7. The Student Union also has lockers available for rent at the start of every semester, with priority given to off-campus students. If you are looking to reserve meeting rooms or the Student Union’s main area, you can go on the SAS website under the resources tab, select Student Union and fill out a reservation form. You can also shoot me an email at studentunionchair@gmail.com for any specific event or meeting requests. The Student Union also has art supplies, a vending machine, a TV, computers and a printer available for Scripps student use. I have been working closely with different departments at Scripps to ensure that the Student Union will reach its full potential as a student hub at Scripps. With your survey responses in mind, I am in the process of redesigning the space. SAS is also updating the computers and the printer, so be on the lookout for them in the near future. If you have questions or concerns you want to bring up about our campus, facilities and/or survey requests, please contact me. I look forward to working with you for the remaining school year. Good luck with the rest of your midterms! Students gather to express solidarity with the Columbia senior behind “Carry That Weight.” Photos by Suzette Guzman ‘18
6 November, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVIII • Issue Four
News • 3
The Scripps Voice Staff Editors-in-Chief Elena Pinsker Lucy Altman-Newell Advisor Sam Haynes Design Editors Taylor Haas Selene Hsu Copy Editors Rachel Miller-Haughton Ashley Minnis-Lemley Elizabeth Lee Business Manager Lily Comba Webmaster Megan Petersen Multimedia Director Laurel Schwartz Columnists & Staff Writers Chloë Bazlen Melanie Biles Natalie Camrud Sophie Fahey Taylor Galla Jocelyn Gardner Evelyn Gonzalez Kay James Elizabeth Lee Erin Matheson Jasmine Russell Talia Speaker Isobel Whitcomb
clark humanities museum hosts edward curtis photo exhibit By Kay James ‘16 Staff Writer
The most recent iteration of Core I has generated a new awareness of “modern and progressive issues;” one key component of this year’s Core syllabus is the “Edward S. Curtis and ‘The Vanishing Race’: Ethnography, Photography and Absence in The North American Indian” exhibit in the Clark Humanities Museum. The exhibit serves as an on-campus response the to the continuing “Vanishing Indian” myth in American culture that positions Native American people and cultures as exotic figures in a distant past that have no place in contemporary society — a widespread attitude that is used to justify modern-day forms of erasure and violence. One flyer for the exhibit explains that “Curtis’ project may be seen as both a response to the historical violence against Native Americans,” as Curtis himself viewed the project, “and as representational violence in its furtherance of the myth of the ‘vanishing race.’” In this way, the exhibit promotes a reflective interaction with the materials that expands upon the analytical frameworks gained through Core. Because of the trend towards more abstract and theoretical approaches in the classroom, Professor Ken Gonzales-Day, curator of the exhibit, explained why “Edward S. Curtis and ‘The Vanishing Race’” is a crucial component of this year’s Core I syllabus. “I and the Core I faculty selected the Curtis materials because they tie into Core I’s theme of violence,” Professor Gonzales-Day said. “And as a professor in the Art Department, I wanted to be sure new students were given the chance to see and explore actual historic works as a part of the curriculum.” Besides Curtis’ prints, the exhibit also features a variety of books and cameras that belong to both Professor Gonzales-Day and the Honnold-Mudd Library. Professor Gonzales-Day said that “they were included to direct students to a wider array of topics and issues than can be addressed in a single lecture or exhibition.” Thus, these additional materials provide both a technical and ethnographic context to Curtis’ work. Upon entrance to the exhibit, visitors are introduced to a short biography of Curtis, the primary photographer, himself. Born in 1868, Curtis had a prolific career profiling Native American culture, including forty thousand photographs, one thousand audio recordings and a twenty-volume publication titled “The North American Indian.”
Materials and interview transcripts published by Curtis and his associates emphasize his search for “authentic” representations of Native American culture prior to interaction with European settlers. In a 1911 lecture, Curtis stated that “the student [of settler-oriented ethnographic research] knows that it is useless to talk with [Native American] men less than sixty years old” due to the gradual disappearance of what he deemed “racial characteristics.” Accompanying texts within the exhibit describe how Curtis, when disappointed by the “inroads” European culture made into Native American societies, “brought clothing, jewelry and rugs” to construct a fabricated sense of authenticity. One caption titled “Objectification or Resistance” describes how blankets were also a common theme in Curtis’ work. “In some cases, it was employed to mask modern day clothing. In others, it was used by Native Americans to resist the camera’s gaze.” Descriptions such as these help to “reframe a number of the debates that have surrounded [The North American Indian] from its beginning over a century ago,” as described in the exhibit’s flyer. Thus, acts of resistance are still present within the collection, hidden within the prints themselves. Curtis’ desire for authentic representations in his North American Indian publication is not particular to his time, but is rather an ever-present theme in mainstream American culture. By hosting “The Vanishing Race” exhibit, Core I faculty members say they hope to highlight the representational violence that persist in our “histories of the present.” Professor Gonzales-Day concluded by stating that “all the prints are from Special Collections at Honnold/ Mudd, and part of the idea [for the exhibition] was to show first-year students the types of resources they can work with, explore and learn about in a way that few other places can.” If any student is interested is using the prints for future research, he or she can e-mail Special Collections at spcoll@cuc.claremont.edu. Although the exhibit is targeted towards first years enrolled in Core I, all students, faculty and staff are invited to view the exhibit. The Clark Humanities Museum, located on the second floor of the Humanities Building on Scripps’ campus, is open to visitors from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Photographers Tyra Abraham Suzette Guzman Tianna Sheih Nicole Zwiener
Comments and letters can be sent to Scripps College The Scripps Voice, 1030 Columbia Ave, Box 386, Claremont, CA, 91711. You can also email The Scripps Voice at scrippsvoice@gmail.com or visit our website at www.thescrippsvoice. com The Scripps Voice is a student forum and is not responsible for the opinions expressed in it.
Edward Curtis’ photographs from the North American Indian exhibit are on display in the Clark Humanities Museum as part of the Core I curriculum. Above: Vash Gon - Jicarilla. Right: Ogalala War-Party. Photos by Nicole Zwiener ‘16
6 November, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVIII • Issue Four
4 • News DEAN JOHNSON HOSTS FIRESIDE CHAT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
the law with mental health as there is, for example, with underage drinking, those who experience mental health problems should not be penalized or made to feel that they will get into trouble for reporting their issues. However, “the lines get blurred if you present what appears to be a serious mental health disorder, and that can be defined in any number of ways,” Dean Johnson said. When this happens, the administration is obliged to get help for that need, but will always try to do it in the least disruptive way possible. “Your safety and your well-being are my number one priority,” continued Dean Johnson, “and they should be your number one priority. … If you have a mental health disorder that’s somehow preventing you from [working toward your Scripps degree while being healthy], you owe it to yourself really to take the time to get the help you need, regardless of whether it’s disruptive or not. In terms of confidentiality, the administration only rarely shares information amongst themselves, and does so strictly on a need-to-know basis. However, students who want a “black box,” are encouraged to go to Monsour, the chaplain, or other professionals. By the beginning of next term, Dean Johnson hopes to identify a direction in which to go to solve some of these issues. She and the other deans are open to hearing ideas and experiences of students “to help refine the structure in ways that make sense for you.” The deans have open office hours as well as “Coffee with the Deans” at the Motley, and students can also schedule appointments with them. Some ideas that Dean Johnson outlined were hiring a psychologist on staff as Harvey Mudd College has recently done, as the administration outside of Monsour does not have specific mental health expertise.
EXPLORING “THE SOUND OF SILENCE” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
This psychologist would also be able to recommend specific therapists at or even outside of Monsour (for a list of therapists in the area, see http://www.cuc.claremont. edu/monsour/pdf/Community_Referral_ List.pdf). As students only get eight sessions at Monsour each semester, the possibility of having an on-staff psychologist would also help students to not feel so limited in their ability to be helped. Another concrete suggestion that Dean Johnson gave to help address the issue of limited mental health resources at Scripps was to have each student who comes into the college assigned a dean for all four years. The deans are available to help navigate through issues on an informal or formal basis; being assigned to a dean would provide consistency, as well as help decrease the overload that Sonia De La Torre-Iniguez, Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Academic Support Services, experiences. This would speed up the process for students who need academic accommodations. There are already two positions to fill, so the current deans themselves would theoretically not experience much more additional strain. Services may also be generalized, which would mean that the deans would be able to grant academic accommodations and should theoretically be able to take care of most things that students need. “If you don’t remember anything else that I’ve said, remember that you should not suffer in silence,” Dean Johnson said. “And if you’re feeling like you’re spiraling out of control or you need some assistance, we can connect you to that assistance. And really that’s my bottom line. We can connect you to that, and we never want to be judgmental. Honestly, there’s no judgment involved […] So just remember that.”
Sports Calendar nov. 5
Men’s Water Polo @ Whittier 7 p.m.
Women’s Soccer v. Redlands @ Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 7 p.m. SCIAC Postseason Tournament Semi-final
nov. 15
Cross Country vs. NCAA West Regional @ Salem, OR 10 a.m.
Men’s Swimming & Diving @ Redlands Diving Invite 10 a.m.
nov. 19
Men’s Basketball San Diego Christian @ Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 7:30 p.m. Rains Center - Pomona-Pitzer
nov. 6
Women’s Volleyball La Verne @ Thousand Oaks, CA 5 p.m.
These are the questions about which the Humanities Institute encourages students to think. Thus far in the semester there have been a film screening, a book reading and publications party, faculty seminars, public talks, a piano concert and exhibitions to explore the concept of silence. There are still many opportunities to be a part of the “Sound of Silence” program. On Oct. 30, an exhibition— “Silences”—opened in the Denison Library. This exhibition was curated and installed by the Humanities Institute Junior Fellows and can be viewed until December 16th. On November 6th Jeffrey Prager, professor of Sociologyw at UCLA, will be giving a talk entitled “Like Parent, Like Child: Transmissions of Trauma across Generations.” On Nov. 13 at a faculty seminar, Scripps French Professor Nathalie Rachlin will discuss “Rithy Panh’s ‘The missing Picture.’ ” Then, on Nov. 20, writer and translator Lydia Davis will be on campus to discuss her career as a translator and to read from her collection of short fiction.
nov. 8
Men’s Water Polo Chapman @ Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 10 a.m.
nov. 12
Men’s Water Polo Pomona-Pitzer @ Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 7 p.m.
Football v. Whittier @ Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 1 p.m. CMS Hall of Fame Weekend & Senior Day
nov. 15
Women’s Swimming & Diving @ Redlands Diving Invite 10 a.m.
nov. 15
Football @ Pomona-Pitzer 1 p.m.
Men’s Basketball Ohio Northern @ Milwaukee, Wis. 11 a.m. All-Engineers Classic
nov. 21
nov. 21
Men’s Swimming & Diving @ Trinity (TX) 5 p.m.
Men’s Water Polo @ Redlands Time TBD
Women’s Swimming & Diving at Trinity (TX) 5 p.m.
Women’s Basketball vs. Wittenberg @ Wheaton, Ill. 11 a.m.
6 November, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVIII • Issue Four
nov. 16
Men’s Basketball Time & Location TBD
Women’s Basketball Pacific Lutheran @ Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 4 p.m. Linde Activities Center - Harvey Mudd College
nov. 21
Men’s Basketball Trinity (Tex.) @ Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 7 p.m. Rains Center - Pomona-Pitzer
Sports • 5
Athlete profile: wren osler
chicago, Ill. CMS Women’s Soccer Coach: Keri Sanchez Position: Defense Photo courtsey of Wren Osler ’18 (pictured far left)
By Talia Speaker ‘18 Staff Writer
How long have you been playing soccer? Since I was five. I started playing club when I was about eight and continued on to play all four years in high school. I knew from a young age that I wanted to play in college, but I also really wanted to be in an academic environment where I could focus on school as well as soccer. Playing for the Claremont McKenna-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) team really allows me to do both, which is great. How do you balance soccer with academics? Soccer has kept me really busy during my first semester. I have practice for two hours every day except for Sundays, so balancing that with Core and all of my other classes has been challenging at times. But having a busy soccer schedule has forced me to have better time management skills and to create a better routine. What has it been like being the only first year from Scripps? Being the only Scripps first year is hard in some ways, because I’m not taking any of the same classes as my teammates, so my work schedule doesn’t always line up with theirs, and we can’t work together on homework at all. But in terms of the team as a whole, I’m not treated any differently for being a Scripps student. There are also two seniors and a sophomore from Scripps on the team who I’ve been able to look up to and get academic help from when I need it. How is the team dynamic off the field, and how does that affect the dynamic on the field? The soccer team is kind of like a sorority of sorts. There are girls of varying ages and we do a lot of team bonding activities. We really do enjoy spending time together outside of soccer, which bodes for a better team chemistry on the field. I think this is because spending time bonding off of the field makes us more comfortable with each other and helps us understand each other’s personalities, which helps us know how to communicate with each player on the field in a way that will be effective for them specifically.
What is your coach like? Keri Sanchez is in her eleventh season here, and her experience really shows. She sets goals for us at the beginning of each game, but then sort of lets us take it from there and play our own game on the field. What is your pre-game routine? We have a lot of fun in the locker room before each game. We listen to music and dance, just to come together as a group and get rid of any pre-game stress. We also have “PUBs,” or pumpup buddies. Each player is paired up with another player who is not in their year, and you write little notes and give them small gifts before each game to sort of get them in the zone. We have the same PUBs all season, so you end up building a great relationship with that person. You have had an impressive season so far. Where do you see the team going from here? This Saturday we will play our final SCIAC [Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference] league game against Pitzer/Pomona. We are currently first place in league, so this match we will be playing to keep that position and earn the championship title. If we win the title, we get to host the SCIAC tournament, which will include the top four teams from league play, and then the winner of that tournament will get a bid into the NCAA [National Collegiate Athletic Association] tournament. We feel very confident going into this final league match, hoping to secure a home field advantage [for the SCIAC tournament]
for our seniors. We’ve been focusing a lot on winning for the seniors, because their class has never won a SCIAC title, and getting to play again on the home field is really important for them.
Want to nominate a female cms athlete for the next issue? email us at scrippsvoice@gmail.com
6 November, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVIII • Issue Four
SP TL
6
women
inat stem scripps data from class of 2014
By Chloë Bazlen ‘18 and Natalie Camrud ‘17 Designed by Taylor Haas ‘18
2%
6%
Technology
Engineering
11% Math
81% Science
27%
STEM majors
73% Humanities majors
4%
STEM AT SCRIPPS
T
oday STEM careers make up a huge portion of jobs that one can aspire to hold. Focused on the advancement of society through the means of science, technology, engineering and math, the STEM field is both rigorous and necessary. Unfortunately, STEM is understood to be a male-dominated industry, although the difference is more drastic in some subcategories of STEM than in others. For example, in 2011 women made up just 17 per cent of chemical engineers. So, how does Scripps compare? As a women’s college, there is a particular interest in seeing our women in these industries. We did the numbers to give the most information possible on how many of our women graduate with a degree in a STEM field and what, more specifically, they are doing with those degrees.
Science
10%
Geology
Physics
10%
Environmental Science
47% Biology
14%
Cognitive & Neuro Science
15%
Chemistry
Technology 6 November, 2014 • The Scripps
LIGHT STEM Majors Share their experiences Emma Knoesen ‘17 Dual Economics & Math Major
What made you choose this major? I first chose to be a Math Major because I enjoyed the analytical framework of math and the beauty of manipulating formulas and definitions for a sometimes unexpected outcome. I decided to also major in Economics since I find it interesting how the analytical aspects of math can be applied in economics. What is your favorite part of this major? What is your least favorite part? My favorite part of my Math major is when my professors challenge me with proofs that are not particularly straightforward. While at first it can be frustrating to not clearly see the outline of the proof from the start, it’s always exciting when you’re working on it and the logic clicks. My least favorite part would be the lack of community amongst math majors. Unlike other STEM majors, we don’t take any classes through Keck. The major is not overly popular and many of those in the major are in different courses so often, you don’t know other Scripps majors in classes. What career do you see yourself having in the future? I haven’t completely decided, but I know that I want to apply my analytical skills in business. At the moment, I am thinking that I would like to work as a consultant applying data analytics to different business situations. Have you done any internships or research during the summers? This past summer I worked as a research associate in the Agriculture and Resource Economics Department at UC Davis. While the subjects I [was] working on were economic ones, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of math I was able to use. A lot of the data analysis that I did was statistics based, and I also worked on some theoretical papers with mathematical frameworks. What advice would you give to young women who are also considering choosing a STEM field? I would tell them to not be intimidated by the lack of female role models. While at times it will feel like a very male-dominated field — mostly because it is — there are a lot of really good female mathematicians both at the Claremont Consortium and elsewhere that go out of their way to support women in math.
Libby Mannucci ‘15 Biology Major
What made you choose this major? I think biology is a beautiful way of learning about the world What is your favorite part of this major? What is your least favorite part? Favorite part: learning how organ systems communicate and work together. Least favorite: all the memorization of terms What career do you see yourself having in the future? Veterinarian Have you done any internships or research during the summers? I volunteered at an equine hospital last summer. That was really fun. What advice would you give to young women who are considering choosing a STEM field? If a STEM field captures your imagination, just listen to that and you will find people who love it as much as you do.
7
Tatiana Bradley ‘15
Math Major, Computer Science & Economics Minors What made you choose this major? I chose Math pretty late in the game; I was originally going with Economics. I ended up majoring in Math because I wanted more rigor, and once I realized what upper-division math was (theory), I really liked it What is your favorite part of this major? What is your least favorite part? I like the fact that higher-level math is based much more on logic, reasoning and creativity than on rote computation or memorization — I had no idea this was the case coming into college. One thing that is too bad is that Scripps doesn’t have a very big Math department, so a lot of courses have to be taken off campus, and it is sometimes hard to get to know the other majors. What career do you see yourself having in the future? I want to be [a] programmer/software engineer. Have you done any internships or research during the summers? I did research last summer with Professor Towse (a Math professor at Scripps) about mathematical cryptography, which tied in math and computer science. What advice would you give to girls who are considering choosing a STEM field? Don’t be afraid to try out new classes, even if you think they will be hard. Also, even if one of your courses isn’t your favorite, it doesn’t mean that the whole major will be like that!
Elizabeth Kumar ‘16
Math Major, Computer Science Minor What made you choose this major? I came into college fairly sure I was going to enjoy upper division math and I was right; I love proving things and math lectures. I like the intricacies of algebra and stuff like that. What is your favorite part of this major? What is your least favorite part? The professors are the best! At Scripps and the rest of the 5Cs, there is a huge range of smart and fun professors in the mathematical sciences. Getting to know them has been a blast. However, I hate how inaccessible the best math classes are to people who come to Scripps without a strong calculus background. There are so many hoops you have to jump through. If you didn’t take BC Calc in high school you have to take at least three semesters of relatively-boring math before you’re qualified for your first proof-based class... As a result, it gets a little lonely being one of only a few math majors at this small school. What career do you see yourself having in the future? I’m not sure. I will probably get a graduate degree at some point. I am trying to take a wide range of math and programming classes that will prepare me for a career in something like software engineering, data science or finance. Have you done any internships or research during the summers? No, but I’m planning on taking on a research project next semester when I’m abroad in Hungary. What advice would you give to young women who are considering choosing a STEM field? Don’t be scared off by boring prereqs. You’ll get to the good stuff eventually. Ask an upperclassman who the good professors are in your department. Also, for math majors, unless you’re gunning for a PhD, don’t forget to take a couple of “useful” math classes (stats, probability, computer science) to make yourself employable after school, as well as some fun ones.
Engineering Math Voice • Volume XVIII • Issue Four
8 • Features
Thomas Koenigs
Meet Scripps’ New Professor By Jasmine Russell ‘17 Staff Writer How do you pronounce your name? Koenigs [kay-nigs]. It’s a totally idiosyncratic pronunciation. People who actually speak German recognize that it should be like ‘ker-nig,’ but I don’t speak German, and evidently, no one in my family has for a long time. Tell me a little bit about your journey to Scripps. I came out here for the job, which I could not have been more excited about. I’ve really liked the idea of teaching at a liberal arts college, and it’s been everything I hoped it would be. I’ve been incredibly impressed by the students and the kind of classroom dynamics here have been… it’s really a great place to teach. Were you teaching somewhere previously? I was finishing up my PhD at Yale. I just finished my PhD in May, so I’d been teaching there as a graduate student. This is my first professor gig. It’s very exciting. It’s a very different part of the country than New England, which is also where I’m from, but it’s been a pleasant adjustment. How are you liking the weather? The weather’s been great since that heat wave. That was a little bit of a shock moving here, and it surprised me how warm October was. I definitely wasn’t used to that, but I think I’ll really enjoy talking to all of my friends and family back on the East Coast come February. What classes are you teaching? I’m teaching the first half of the American Literature survey, which is American Literature to 1865, and a course on slave narratives and novels about slavery from the 17th century through the 21st century. Is that right down your alley? Do you specialize in other things as well? That’s one of the things I specialize in. I work generally on American and African American Literature from the long 19th century, so the end of the 18th century through the beginning of the 20th century. So this is very much in my wheelhouse. I write mostly about the history of the novel versus other forms, although I do write some on various types of other narratives. What is your official title? Assistant Professor of English. How has Scripps varied from your expectations, if you had expectations? I had expectations and my expectations were very high. I mean, I had heard great things about the student body and the school’s kind of national reputation is very impressive, but I think I’ve been even more impressed with the students than I expected, like the high level of intellectual curiosity, the willingness to engage and kind of go out on a limb in a seminar setting. The kind of lively discussions in class, I’ve been really impressed with. So I don’t really wanna say surprised, because I was expecting a very high level, but it’s just pleasantly met my expectations, and possibly even exceeded them. What are you most excited about being here, and also, do you plan on being here for awhile? I do. I hope to be here for as long as they’ll keep me here. I really like it here, like I said. I very much like the liberal arts setting. As someone who teaches literature, this kind of setting is very appealing because you just can’t get that much out, as a teacher, standing in front of a lecture hall of 200 talking about books you’ve read over and over again for your whole life. Versus, if I’m in a seminar talking to students, I will almost always learn something new about the books from them….No matter how many times I’ve read Moby Dick or Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, I always experience it anew through their eyes and through their encounter with the text and I really like that. I like to have my classes be guided by student interests, and what’s really jumped out to them because that’s what keeps things interesting and exciting for my in the classroom, versus me kind of laying out the blueprint of how I’ve read this text over and over again.
Photo courtesy of Scripps College
Do you have a favorite place on campus? I’m certainly very appreciative of this brand new office. I feel sheepish as a new person here having this beautiful new office so… The whole campus seems so unlike any campus I’ve been on before. I’m used to these kind of cold, New England campuses, so I admit I cannot get used to walking past palm trees yet. It still seems totally weird to me. I don’t know if I have a specific favorite place on campus yet. I confess I have not really explored too much, either in the local area, but also in Southern California generally. I’ve kind of hit the ground running. I got here in August and it’s been pretty much just trying to prepare for classes and get some research done. That’s been my main focus here as I adjust. Hopefully they’ll be more chance for exploring in the future. I heard that you were working on a book. Could you talk some about that? I’m working on a book called Founded in Fiction. It’s a history of fiction in the early United States. The book really is interested in the fact that in early America, really counterintuitive to our standard ideas, Americans were really suspicious of the very idea of fiction. They thought books that didn’t have a basis in fact or in specific events were a kind of lie. They would only mislead readers and give them false ideas about the world. It seems crazy to us in the fiction-saturated culture we live in, but they really were suspicious of the very idea of fiction. A lot of early novelists then published their books claiming they were founded on fact, and even having footnotes pointing to who the actual characters corresponded to. So I’m really interested in all the different early American writers who broke this taboo against fictionality and wrote fictional texts and the different reasons why they wrote fiction. And they weren’t always how we think of fiction as a kind of autonomous work of art, something that’s got this high literary prestige, but often these early American writers were trying to use fiction for educational purposes, trying to use it for political purposes, using it for social critiques. So I’m just interested in all these kind of strange uses for fiction from before the time fiction was accepted widely in America. I’m enjoying the process of bringing these weird books that aren’t very often read to light. Is there anything specific that you want the Scripps community to know about you? I don’t know about anything specific I want known about me. I like bird watching, so if anyone sees me around campus staring at a tree, you shouldn’t think that I’ve totally lost my mind. I’m probably looking for some sort of new Warbler or something that I saw. But yeah, other than that, not too much to know about me that I want to put out there, specifically. I can’t think of anything. Where would one normally find you? In my office. I’m here pretty much from early in the morning until, at the very least, the late afternoon. That’s usually where to find me.
6 November, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVIII • Issue Four
Features• 9
Representation: seeing more people like me
By Evelyn Gonzalez ‘18 Feminism Columnist
W
hen I was seven, the first Cheetah Girls movie was released and, like most other seven-year-olds, I was excited by the prospect of a singing girl group (boy bands were just not my thing back then). As an adolescent girl, I was drawn in by the promise of friendship and flashy dance numbers, but besides these obviously necessary aspects of a hit motion picture, there was something about the movie that really clicked for me. It was not until recently that I realized what exactly made this movie so memorable and important — not only for myself, but for so many of its viewers. It was the first time I remember seeing someone like me in mainstream media. Representation in all forms is essential in helping to create a society that accurately portrays the world we live in. As Marian Wright Edelman states, “You can’t be what you can’t see.” The media continually bombards us with certain repetitive images that somehow are supposed to represent our life and, however subtly, influence how we view the world. However, more often than not, the media does not
Disney Channel actresses of The Cheetah Girls (2003) . Photo courtsey of Disney
equally distribute screen time or word counts for all varieties of people. It is empowering to be recognized — not only that, but deemed significant enough to be shown that who we, regardless of race, matters. We do not have to go through life feeling like abnormalities, because proper representation allows us to move away from the white state that makes up the majority of the media. Seeing people who represent us in terms of race, gender, sexual orientation and even values becomes a powerful source of validation. It helps to affirm our own identities and makes it possible for us to regard other people like ourselves with a sense of unity. It provides us the opportunity to see that there are people
who are in situations just like ours, who can become our role models and who can show us that our dreams are not farfetched but can become a reality. Representation is important but, like with most other things in media, it should be taken with a pinch of salt. As consumers of media, we should be conscious about understanding whose narratives are being told and by whom. We must make certain that representation is being done in a positive and constructive way. It is vital that we avoid media that includes pseudo forms of representation. Orange is the New Black was such a success in part because we got to explore these racially diverse women’s inner lives in a way that
did not exploit them. Do not confuse shows whose only goal is to try to fill a certain quota with shows that genuinely want to explore true diversity. More often than not, what happens in these situations is that archetypes are created: the gay best friends are displayed like trophies, blacks are placed among a white cast to show “diversity,” and the foreign actors’ language barriers become a comedic source of entertainment. These portrayals perpetuate negative typecasts and force people to become mere stereotypes of themselves. The only way to know if representation is genuine is if it looks at you and says, “I know you exist. I know you are important, too.”
Climate change: our generation’s biggest injustice
By Isobel Whitcomb ‘17 Current Events Columnist
L
ast year when I was adjusting to life in Claremont as a first year, I was amazed and overwhelmed by my classmates’ passion for fighting our world’s most prevalent current injustices. While Core I did force me to think more deeply about the concepts of institutional racism, systematic oppression and patriarchy, my fellow Scrippsies were my greatest teachers. Core lectures were interesting, but I soaked up the content of student-led intellectual debates, protests and educational campaigns like a sponge. Yet despite the rich content of
these dialogues, Scripps activism largely overlooks a major social, economic and environmental crisis: climate change. In the discussion of activism, it is important to remember that we are college students. Along with fighting injustice, we have papers to write and midterms for which to study. However, as Scripps students discover and become activists for their passions, climate change is an issue that often gets left by the wayside. For example, while Scripps students have a modest presence in the 5C club Claremont Climate Justice, we are overwhelmed by impassioned Pitzer students. A divestment petition that went out this spring drew only 177 signatures, while Pitzer’s drew over 1000 and a survey at Pomona found that 78% of their students supported divestment. This is surprising to me, considering the readiness with which Scripps students fight other injustices. I believe that a major reason for the lack of dialogue about climate change on Scripps campus is that it is not yet seen as a social issue. Instead, it is seen as a purely environmental problem — a legitimate battle, but one for science students and those who love nature. First of all, dialogues on climate change need to address the issue as an allencompassing crisis — one that will draw upon and aggravate the issues which we Scrippsies so readily fight, such as as structural violence and systematic oppression.
How does climate change cause social injustice? Increases in temperature, rising sea levels, extreme weather patterns and diminishing resources are concerns for everyone right now. However, economic and racial privilege afford certain groups of people the ability to escape dangerous weather and rising sea levels and the ability to access scarce resources, such as water. For example, as Scripps students lounge on lawns that are watered multiple times a day, poor farming communities all over California are losing their access to drinking water. There is also anecdotal evidence that suggests direct ties between race and the extent to which individuals are affected by climate change. According to “The Root,” a publication dedicated to “black news, opinion, politics and culture,” racial minorities have higher tendencies to live in coastal areas impacted by hurricanes and rising sea levels. When natural disasters hit, these racial minorities have also seemed to be the last groups of people to receive aid. This particular form of racism was demonstrated after Hurricane Katrina, when being black seemingly meant that you were less likely to be rescued. While such a claim might seem controversial, it is backed by overwhelming first-hand evidence and expert testimony. In an interview on NPR Morning Edition, Professor Abel Bartley from Clemson University stated, “You would not expect
to see white Americans spend four days without food or water with the press covering it every day and every minute and there be no response from the federal government.” According to New Orleans City Councilman Oliver Thomas, media portrayals of black people in the aftermath of the hurricane created a climate of fear and reluctance to send aid. In coming years, as sea levels continue to rise and as storms become more frequent in coastal areas, the racial and economic privilege required to relocate will cause a widening racial and economic gap. The social imbalance of climate change is also highly dependent on class. Poor communities and nations have a significantly lower capacity to adapt economically, institutionally, and scientifically. As temperatures continue to rise, these nations and communities are predicted to become more dependent on developed nations for aid. Such a dependence could cause an increase in the power imbalance. It’s time to start seeing climate change as a crisis that transcends the usual classifications of global issues. Whether you are a scientist, an environmentalist or someone whose passion is to fight for the rights of marginalized groups, climate change needs to become your battle. It is becoming our generation’s biggest injustice.
6 November, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVIII • Issue Four
10 • Features
the first year experience
A hard-hitting – I promise – look at the first-year life
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Was it actually raining on Halloween?
By Melanie Biles ‘18 Staff Writer
H
alloween was a magical time on the Claremont campuses. I think it is pretty special no matter where you are, but there is something absolutely extraordinary about seeing people who are old enough to drive, vote, buy alcohol and join the army stuff themselves into Buzz Lightyear costumes and jam cat ears on their heads just so that they can get into the spirit of a holiday that revolves around carving faces into seasonal vegetables and taking candy from strangers. (Hey parents, hypocritical much?) Of course, a lot of the excitement around Halloween probably connects to some deep psychological issues we all have with letting go of our childhood, but I like to think that it is also because of the magical notion of
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It’s cooooooold!
the day itself. On Halloween, you can be anyone you want to be. Everybody is allowed to determine his or her own identity for once. Identity, I think, plays a strong part in the college experience. When looking for a place to call your home for the next four years, there are a lot of things to consider. You want to look at academics, obviously, and consider what student life is like. Ideally, you try to get some sense of what your life will look like here, what clubs you will have access to, and what special perks the school might offer. You want to know things like, “At this school, will I have the opportunity to make a music video with my friends to Taylor Swift’s latest hit?” (The answer is yes, and it can be found on the Scripps College Facebook page.) Most important, however, is deciding how well you will be able to fit in with the student body, which
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Pumpkin Spice... everything.
means you have to actually build some sort of idea of the student body. This, of course, is where stereotypes come in. Let me take a moment before going any further to paint you a picture of the stereotypical Scripps student according to the other schools. She has short hair, likely dyed some bright color, and also long, wavy, naturally-colored hair that she leaves down all of the time like mid 2000s-era Miley Cyrus (think Party in the USA). Her wardrobe is gender-neutral, but she only wears sundresses and sandals and she does not own anything but crop tops and shorts. She is a strong feminist who is determined to carve her own path in life, but she is also boy deprived and only thinks about how she can land a man in this estrogen sink hole and, at the same time, is lesbian. In addition to all of these stereotypes contradicting
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Time for Christmas music!
Stereotypes themselves, they also seem to directly contradict my experience of actual Scripps students. For example, I don’t think I have met a single heterosexual lesbian in all of my time here. For the most part, Scripps students form an open-minded, diverse group that is impossible to classify. Pretty much the only thing that unites every Scripps girl I have met is having absolutely nothing in common. At the end of the day, that is the fun of it, anyway.
“The Hours” still relevant following womens’ stories
By Elizabeth Lee ‘16 Copy Editor & Film Columnist Trigger Warning: suicide, depression
“A
woman’s whole life in a single day. Just one day. And in that day her whole life,” mutters Virginia Woolf to herself as she sets out to write her novel, “Mrs. Dalloway.” It is this novel that stands at the center of the film “The Hours,” connecting three women across time and space through a kind of streamof-consciousness experience. An experience that is altogether intimate but also isolating, vague yet so clear, heavy with darkness yet beautiful.
“The Hours” (2002), directed by Stephen Daldry, follows a day in the life of Laura Brown (Julianne Moore), a 1950s California housewife who carries around a well-used copy of Woolf’s book; Clarissa Vaughan (Meryl Streep) of New York City in 2002, who is nicknamed after the protagonist of the same book and the author herself; and Virginia Woolf (Nicole Kidman) in 1920s England. Each goes about her day in the most ordinary fashion — preparing a cake for a husband’s birthday, getting flowers for a party, visiting with guests and writing in a journal. Each faces immense suffering, depression and longing, but even such suffering, as part of the long hours that stretch out across time, starts to feel like it remains painfully ordinary. A part of life that is both painful and beautiful but all the same — life. All the while, Mrs. Dalloway quietly haunts them, is a part of them, and alienates them from those around them while connecting them to one another. It is less a film about what happens story-wise, for life itself does not play out as a narrative which follows a clear plot. It just is, and we make of it what we will by reflecting on our experiences and by interpreting their meanings internally. It is, broadly put, a film about contemplating the differences between things that are seemingly similar or related and the
Photos courtesy of imdb.com
ways in which contrasts can exist simultaneously — life and death, happiness versus meaning, being alone and being lonely, love versus privacy, entrapment and freedom, fiction versus reality. It is akin to the feeling of isolation amidst a crowded party or a silent walk through busy city streets. There is a sense of calm over an internal state of violent emotions and dark thoughts, masking it from the outside world without ever diminishing its intensity. Like the soundtrack — a quiet and melancholy piano playing through the waves of a grand orchestra. Each woman’s ordinary day ends with some form of death. Then life continues on through the endless hours. The film deals with these themes and events with such
matter-of-factness. Life is what it is. But “The Hours” still manages to move through it all with such care and thought, that it is far more satisfying than a mere acknowledgment that after life comes death. “For someone has to die in order that the rest of us should value life more.” And it is our choice between the two that defines our humanity. Besides an excellent cast, writing, music and direction, the film also boasts nine Academy Award nominations, including one win for best actress (Kidman). “The Hours” is available for instant stream on Netflix.
6 November, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVIII • Issue Four
You can find all movies reviewed here on Netflix
Features • 11
campus gh st stories
told by denison librarian and scripps alumnae By Chloë Bazlen ‘18 Staff Writer
T
he night was chilly and the lights were dim; It was Mischief Night at Scripps College. With wide eyes and eager ears, a large group of women huddled in the Toll Hall recreation room to hear of the haunts around campus. Judy Harvey Sahak, librarian of Denison Library, has become a wealth of knowledge for Scripps. That night, students learned that not only does she know everything about the library, she is also in tune with the hauntings on campus. As a Scripps alumnae herself, Sahak admits that ghost stories are more of a recent addition to the college’s history. Only in the last twenty or so years have students and employees opened up to tell of their spooky encounters. But, be it a recent development or not, Scripps seems to be a hotspot for ghosts among the 5Cs. Although Pomona lays claim to a few ghosts, Scripps far outnumbers the other campuses as a host for ghosts. Sahak says she believes believes that women are more in tune with the spiritual world, allowing themselves to be more approachable by ghosts. Furthermore, the ghosts seem to congregate in the places in which we students spend the most of our time: our very own residence halls. When considering where to live next year, be sure to factor in the ghosts. If you are supernaturally inclined, Toll may be the place for you, as it earns the title of having the most ghosts. The browsing room seems to be the center of spiritual activity, with two resident ghosts making frequent appearances. Have you ever noticed the blue chaise in the Toll browsing room? It was a gift to the college from the family of a girl who died before she got the chance to attend Scripps, her dream school. Although she did not attend Scripps in her natural life, she sure is making herself known on campus in her afterlife. The next time you are studying in the Toll browsing room, be sure to bring a sweater. The cold breezes from the aura of the ghosts passing through you are sure to be annoying. And if that does not disrupt you enough, the sounds of the fun-loving ghosts throwing parties in the hallways surely will. Speaking of browsing rooms, good luck to whomever enters the Dorsey browsing room, especially in the wee hours of the morning. Knocking noises and unsettling feelings are known to arise during these witching hours. One student in the audience even had a personal tale of hearing knocking all along the bookcase of the browsing room. But it is not merely Toll and Dorsey which the ghosts love; we cannot forget Clark. According to Sahak, two first years on the first floor of Clark in the freshman wing claimed to have seen a young woman in white with red hair peering into their window. The roommates looked at each other for one second, and when they looked back, she was gone. As if that were not scary enough, this woman has made several repeat appearances, including the last two years in a row. Clark is also known for having items such as magnets move to the opposite side of the room. And if someone knocks on your door, be careful; you just might be opening up the door to a seemingly empty hallway. Browning has its fair share of haunts, with chandeliers inexplicably swinging and the eyes of portraits following you. In Frankel, footsteps can be heard across the second story roof, and indentations have mysteriously appeared on beds. Even the President’s house is affected, with sightings of a ghost who looks eerily like Ernest Jacqua, the first president of Scripps. Despite all of these haunting, you should be fine to live a normal life here at Scripps College — that is, as long as you never, ever, ever even think about entering the Dorsey basement. If you do happen to make the mistake of going into the basement as a male, you will kindly be reminded to “GET OUT!” by Scripps’ meanest and arguably most infamous ghost. If these ghosts stories have given you the heebie jeebies and you cannot sleep at night, just remember that the ghost on the third floor of Toll will always wish you goodnight. But of course, the ghost on the second floor of Dorsey is equally willing to give you a comforting pat on the back — your choice. A big thanks to Judy Harvey Sahak for narrating the evening and for taking the time to collect these stories, and another to Bekah Manikowski, NSP Organizer, for planning this event. Keep a lookout for this event next Halloween, and be sure to say “hi” next time you run into one of our many resident ghosts.
Students listen as Sahak shares all the haunts of Scripps campus. Photos by Tyra Abraham ‘18
6 November, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVIII • Issue Four
12 • Arts & Entertainment Who is wearing what on campus this fall?
Hall ween Edition
By Natalie Camrud ‘17 Fashion Columnist
I
t’s decorative gourd season, my fellow students! The days are getting cold and the nights are getting colder. Fall means pies, crunchy leaves and pumpkinflavored beverages. Despite what Buzzfeed says, liking pumpkin spice lattes does not make you basic — it just makes you human. For most college students, however, Halloween is the highlight of the season. It is a holiday where you can express your creativity and be someone else; it is a great opportunity to challenge yourself fashionably. Halloween is not an excuse to be offensive, and most students did a good job of keeping it appropriate. I saw a lot of creative, witty costumes.
Photos by Natalie Camrud. ‘17
left: Diva Gattani, Sophomore. A fresh take on Dorothy — no longer from Kansas, but from NYC. Diva wore a gingham skirt and pigtails paired with a casual denim jacket and a white crop top to put a unique spin on this classic costume. right: Elle Chen, Sophomore. A witty yet fashionable take on the California Water Crisis. Elle wore a small California flag with an American Apparel crop top and letters she cut out herself.
Now that Halloween is over, it is time to throw on those loose, lumpy, vintage sweaters (Goodwill has great ones). This part of the semester is like a Wednesday —
claremont farmin’ Photos by Tianna Sheih ‘16
Mosey on down every week to Claremont’s very own farmer’s market in the Village! Gather to see live music, locally-grown and certified-organic produce, or splurge on some beautiful flowers or freshly-baked bread. There’s something for everyone, so take the time next Sunday morning (yes, you’ll have to get up early) to walk down the street and taste some fresh fruit you can’t get at the dining halls.
you’re halfway to break, but it still seems so far away. Cozy up in your Birkenstocks with socks and ride it out to Turkey Day.
Laura Kent ‘17 with Jasmine Russell ‘17, Staff Writer
Where are you from? Sunnyvale, California. What is your major? I am dual majoring in Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies (FGSS) and History. What are you involved in on campus? I’m a member of the Ninth Street Hooligans (a 5C a cappella group), the 5C Shakespeare Ensemble (currently putting on The Tempest), and I work at the Queer Resource Center, where I am one of the co heads of the Queer, Questioning and Allied Mentor Program (QQAMP). Where is your favorite place on campus? My favorite place is dependent on the people I’m with. When I’m singing with the Hooligans, my favorite place is the practice room in the basement of the Performing Arts Center. When I’m hanging out with my friends and not doing anything productive, my favorite places are the Coop and the Muddhole. When I’m trying to avoid being a productive unit of this capitalist society, my favorite place is my bed. Do you play any sports? How do you stay active? I don’t believe in the outdoors. I “actively” criticize structurally-enforced oppression — does that count? What’s your favorite class that you’ve taken so far? I think Women and the Writing of Science with Professor Wernimont last semester. It was an English class that examined the roles of women as objects of science as well as practitioners of science in the Early Modern Period. The readings were really awesome. Also, as a history person, it’s nice to learn about people who are not given adequate credit for their contributions in history. What advice do you have for current and future Scripps students? Understand intersectionality. Listen to other people. Save your flex.
know someone we should interview?
If you have a friend you think would make a good interviewee, let us know! Send us an email at scrippsvoice@gmail .com 6 November, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVIII • Issue Four