March 6, 2014

March 6, 2014

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An Introductory Guide to Professor Tenure and Hiring Practices

By Nancy Herrera ‘15 Staff Writer s promised, here is a breakdown of two often confusing topics: professor tenure and hiring practices. Here are the facts directly from the source: Dean of Faculty, Amy Marcus Newhall. In addition, further explanation comes from the Scripps Faculty Handbook.

What happens when a faculty member retires, resigns or is displaced?

If the position was tenure-track, then the replacement position is usually tenure-track as well. The department the position was in submits a request for replacement, which outlines why there is a need for the position.

The replacement is not automatic, but close to it, with an assumption that the position will be filled.

What is the difference between Tenured, Contractbased, and Contingent Faculty?

Tenured faculty are those whom after demonstrating excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service for six years, are awarded with a high-

A

By Tamar Kaplan ‘16 Staff Writer

er level of job security.

With tenure, the College has decided to commit to having a job for the faculty for the rest of his or her career.

Contract-based faculty are hired for determined amount of time. When the contract ends, their job might end. Contractbased faculty are still eligible to receive resources from Scripps, such as research money and travel awards in order for them to continue developing their career. In addition, they are able to apply for tenure-track positions as they open. Many faculty, such as Amy Marcus Newhall herself, started their Scripps career on a contract-basis, and were then able to secure a tenure-track position.

Contingent faculty teach classes at Scripps on a part-time basis. They may not yet have the scholarship needed to apply for a tenure-track position, and so use this position as a way to gain experience. For example, there have been language professors who start off as contingent faculty at Scripps and then move

fter strong public outcry, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer vetoed Senate Bill 1062 on Wednesday, Feb. 26. The Governor made her decision several days after the bill passed in the Arizona legislature by a narrow majority of 33 to 27.

SB 1062, introduced in early January by Republican senator Steve Yarbrough, was a measure to amend the pre-existing Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The alterations would have changed the definition of

Inside This Issue:

By Casey Maas ‘14 SAS Co-Treasurer

S

Photo by Aidan Harley ‘16

on to tenure-track positions at other colleges.

Alternatively, some contingent faculty may not want the pressure of constant publishing and so voluntarily choose to not do the tenure track.

What about Writing 50 professors? Where do they stand?

Professors who teach Writing 50 are hired on a course-by-course basis, not a multi-year contract.

They are given a stipend to teach the course. They are not eligible to apply for research funds because they are here for

such a short time. The only full-time faculty in the Writing Department are Kimberly Drake and Glenn Shimshaw (Shimshaw is full-time, but not on the tenure-track). It is difficult to hire the Writing 50 instructors full-time because most students who take the course, only take it during the fall, and prefer to do so. Hiring these professors fulltime would mean giving the professors courses to teach during the Spring.

How do we decide what new faculty positions to

all eyes on arizona

A

sas plans for spring

a “person” to include corporations and other institutions, permitting them to exercise similar rights as individual people.

The most inciting revision to the bill, however, was its rightto-refuse service legislation. SB 1062 stated that “‘Exercise of religion’ means the practice or observance of religion, including the ability to act or refusal to act in a manner substantially motivated by a religious belief…” Citizens worried that business owners

continued on page 4

would use the new legislation as an excuse to deny service to people who were in violation of their religion. At greatest risk were those in the LGBTQ community.

As the bill gained national attention, it worsened Arizona’s already poor reputation for being discriminatory.

Dubbed the “Hate State,” Arizona has come under public scrutiny before for SB 1070, with Governor Brewer coincidentally at the forefront of that as well. continued on page 9

Page 10 - Arts & Culture

Page 4 - Op-Ed

Kara Odum ‘15 shows her support for buffer zones at abortion clinics.

page 5

Read about History’s newest season of “Vikings.”

1030 Columbia Avenue | Claremont, CA 91711 | Box 386 email: scrippsvoice@gmail.com | Volume XVII | Issue Nine

pring is just around the corner and SAS has some awesome things coming up for everyone.

Check out the new flatscreen TV in the Student Union. The TV features Scripps updates, event info, as well as student or CLORG submissions.

Contact SAS President Marta Bean (mbean2809@scrippscollege.edu) to find more about how you can contribute. Also coming your way is increased access to the New York Times. Scripps students will be able to get free access to online NY Times articles — keep an eye out for the and more information in the near future.

Want to get involved in SAS? Come to the March 9 Senate meeting at 6pm in the Student Union to hear about what SAS positions there are and what they do directly from the students in those positions this year.

Email current SAS members (find them at sas.scrippscollege.edu) to get the inside scoop. Statements of intent to run for SAS are due March 28. Other important upcoming dates include Scripps CLORG budget hearings for the 2014-15 year. These will be held the weekend of April 26-27 in the Student Union. Old and new leadership of each CLORG will present their accomplishments from the 2013-14 year and sketch out their plans for the 2014-15 year.

For those CLORGs and individuals still brainstorming events for the current year, FAC (Funding Advisory Committee) proposals will be considered though Monday, May 5.

FAC funding is available for thesis expenses, conference expenses, and to supplement budgets for special events. If you have other questions regarding funding, budgets, or use of student fees, feel free to contact me (Office Hours: Tues 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., cmaas3882@scrippscollege.edu) or Maddie Ripley (Office Hours: Mon 7-9 pm, mripley7296@scrippscollege. edu).

Page 12 - Arts & Culture

Stephanie Huang ‘16 writes about The Row’s new collection.

2 • News

a call to the scripps college community “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.”

-Desmond Tutu

I

Aidan Harley ‘16

f you have read the open letter penned by Scripps students to President Lori Bettison-Varga and The Scripps Board of Trustees, either by email or in this issue, you will see both of our names signed at the bottom. This is because we stand in solidarity with marginalized communities on this campus who are fighting for their voices to be heard ­— we refuse to be a part of the various mechanisms on the Scripps College campus that silence them. If these communities speak out, we must sit down and listen.

Neutrality and objectivity are neoliberal fantasies. By insisting that people and entities on this campus and beyond remain “neutral,” one insists that they do nothing to challenge systems of domination and subordination, and therefore participate in the subordination of marginalized groups. We refuse to commit violence against these communities.

We call on the students at Scripps

to utilize their Core education to its fullest extent; understand and recognize the ways in which groups have been and continue to be exploited, subordinated, and have violence committed against them. Understand that it is important to conceptualize what domination and subordination looks like, and recognize that the mainstream liberal community at Scripps is not “beyond” or “above” being oppressive. We do not learn about historic forms of oppression because they no longer exist – we learn about them to understand how they are rearticulated into a contemporary context. We call on Scripps students to step back and recognize the ways in which they are complicit in the perpetuation of domination, because these communities tell us we are. Get out of your comfort zone. Educate yourself. Passivity and neutrality are not options.

Megan Petersen ‘15 Photo courtesy of Stephanie Huang ‘16

-Aidan Harley and Megan Petersen, Editors-in-Chief

10 things we couldn’t get people to write for This Issue Inspired by founding editor Jane of xoJane.com, the editorial staff of The Scripps Voice will start publishing a list of things we couldn’t get people to write about for this issue. Our limited staff can only produce so much content—so if you want to see something in the paper, write it! Consider this a call to the Scripps community to help us keep this list short and the paper full. Send us your ideas. Join our staff. Write a guest article or column. Contact us at editors@thescrippsvoice.com.

1. Views on the Board of Trustees and transparency of what they do 2. Classist microaggressions on campus 3. Thoughts on the commencement speaker 4. Intersectional feminist analysis of literally anything 5. Protests in Venezuela and Ukraine

6. Gawker’s internship scandal 7. Thoughts on The Scripps Voice’s role at Scripps College and role as a women’s college’s voice to the rest of the world 8. Thoughts on how our new website is the shit 9. Why Peggy Noonan is the shit 10. Christine Korsgaard

March 6, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Nine

Opinions & Editorials • 3

a letter from lori bettison-varga

The Scripps Voice

To t h e S c r i p p s C o l l e g e Community: I took the opportunity to listen and speak at the February 27th BeHeard Forum held at SCORE. Some students do not agree with the decision I made regarding the LASPA Center director search.

As the College president I must and do live with that, and I believe questioning about this search decision provides a learning moment for students about the College’s decision-making process.

At the same time, I believe that members of the community who speak out against college decisions are impassioned, care deeply about Scripps and are working to make Scripps a better community.

I bring diversity of thought, background and experience to my

Editors-in-Chief Aidan Harley Megan Petersen Advisor Sam Haynes Design Editors Elizabeth Lee Jessica Lin Elena Pinsker Copy Editors Ashley Minnis-Lemley Alexandra Vallas Photo Editor Emily Morris Business Manager Rosario Bennett

decision-making process. My senior team and I are committed to making this community a more diverse and inclusive environment. We welcome input and feedback, especially when it is offered in a respectful spirit of collaboration and investment in the good of the College, and when it is based on accurately informed positions.

My commitment is, and always has been, to listen to and understand student, faculty, staff, and alumnae perspectives. There may be times when your input influences a presidential decision in the direction you desire. There may be times when your ideas alter or reverse a college decision. And there certainly will be times when even the most heartfelt and accurately informed opinions will not change a decision that falls in my purview to make.

I believe that the SAS BeHeard Forum reflects a hallmark of what the Scripps College community is—a community. This College unites us as individuals and groups. We all have chosen the same place to invest ourselves and to pursue academic, professional, and personal goals and dreams, and that truly does link and unite us. The kinds of issues raised at the BeHeard Forum exemplify that our community works, because whether or not we agree on all issues, we come together to learn, share, understand, and listen.

I look forward to continuing positive and productive conversations in which all of us can join together to advance our collective fulfillment of the College’s mission.

Sincerely, Lori Bettison-Varga

an open letter to lori bettisonvarga and the board of trustees

Webmaster Emily Morris Multimedia Director Laurel Schwartz Columnists and Staff Writers Ashley Achee Lucy Altman-Newell Tamar Kaplar Natalie Camrud Nancy Herrera Stephanie Huang Kayon James Elizabeth Lee Meagan McIntyre Caroline Nelson Kara Odum Bailee Pelham Julia Thomas Christina Whalen Nicole Zwiener Staff Photographers Julia Black 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 voice. scrippscollege.edu.

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

Dear President Lori BettisonVarga and the Scripps Board of Trustees, As members of the Scripps College community, we hold a deep love for our college, the ideals it stands for, and its future potential. Among those ideals is diversity. When we came to Scripps, we were told that, here, we didn’t have to choose between our myriad interests in the arts, sciences, social activism, business, law, technology, or public service. We felt encouraged, then, when the mission statement of the LASPA Center for Leadership reflected values Scripps purports to uphold by emphasizing a wide range of opportunities in a multitude of sectors. The rejection of Margaret Okazawa-Rey symbolized a rejection of a vision of diversity and inclusivity for both the LASPA Center and Scripps College as an institution.

We believe that LASPA can serve the breadth of interests, talents, and voices of Scripps students. Students are interested in business, STEM, community engagement, yet no resources in these fields are available on our campus. The LASPA Center must provide the resources, opportunities, and real-world connections for students to develop 21st century leadership across these fields in order to give back to our communities and the

College. As a diverse group of CLORG members and student leaders, we know it is essential that the values of LASPA are centered around the needs of underrepresented groups.

An institution that enables the most marginalized members of its community to thrive will inevitably benefit all of its constituents.

Establishing a unique identity for Scripps is essential to the growth of our college, and the LASPA center provides a crucial opportunity to do just that. Though we look to the models set forth by the other Claremont Colleges—Claremont McKenna’s Kravis Leadership Center that fuels the spirit of entrepreneurship at CMC or Pomona’s Draper Center that develops community partnerships— we are not the other Claremont Colleges. Scripps has the essential values to encompass all interests, a n d t h e L A S PA C e n t e r n e e d not marginalize some in order to advance others. Instead, we envision an interdisciplinary center that upholds Scripps’ value of diversity and inclusivity by reflecting students’ many interests. Building interdisciplinary leadership in the 21st century requires embracing social responsibility, consciousness, and ethics—qualities that mark Scripps students as exemplary leaders.

These values are imperative and must be explicitly integrated into the mission of the LASPA Center.

In order to create not only a more

March 6, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Nine

inclusive LASPA Center but also a future for Scripps with more justice, knowledge, and truth, we believe the following demands are nonnegotiable: 1) The values of diversity and inclusivity should be at the Center’s core. This means that the needs and voices of under-represented and marginalized groups will inform all aspects of the center’s work, which will then serve as an organizational model both nationally and internationally.

The LASPA Founding Director must have a vision that compasses our institution’s commitment to diversity.

This vision must be achieved in collaboration with students, faculty and staff.

2) The mission of the Center must include a definitive statement that bans the training of leaders who perpetuate systems of exploitation in all sectors (the corporate world, government, civil society).

A student vetoing system should be implemented to ensure a system of checks and balances in the event that the Director or any LASPA staff member pursues a collaboration with an organization that violates this stance against exploitation.

3) The LASPA Center must work to enhance, rather than detract energy and resources away from, the preexisting work of CP&R, SCORE, or Off-Campus Study.

4) The LASPA Center must work continued on page 8

4 • Student Life

Why Abortion Clinic

Buffer Zones are Important TW : Discussion of anti-abortion rhetoric

By Kara Odum ‘17 Economics Columnist

I

n McCullen v. Martha Coakley, the Supreme Court takes on the issue of Massachusetts’ buffer zone laws around abortion clinics, and whether such buffer zones restrict protesters’ First Amendment rights. While a ruling hasn’t been handed down yet, the decision promises to affect the landscape of women’s rights.

Eleanor McCullen, the petitioner, is an anti-choice protestor who feels that her First Amendment rights have been violated since her message cannot be effectively delivered due to the enforced 35-foot buffer zone around clinics. Officially, she is suing Martha Coakley, attorney general for Massachusetts.

The precedent for such buffer zones came from a previous Supreme Court ruling a decade ago in a Colorado case which upheld the legality of eight-foot “floating” buffer zones around patients and staff entering clinics.

The petitioner’s lawyer, Mark Rienzi, and Justice Scalia insist the protestors are there to counsel and hold “consensual conversations” with patients.

However, those “consensual” conversations are usually anything but that. Protestors in New York have displayed posters of supposedly aborted fetuses, shouting “baby killer,” and surrounding patients so that they couldn’t enter the clinic. Even the Massachusetts police testified that prior to the buffer zone law, they couldn’t tell who was who in the chaos after a gunman shot two Planned Parenthood staff members in 1994. Since 1995, there have been over 4,700 incidents of clinic violence and 140 clinic blockades, none of which can be categorized as “consensual conversation.”

The concept of buffer zones is not limited to clinics but has been extended to other controversial places. Deputy Solicitor General Ian H. Gershengorn noted that “there are buffer zones around

political conventions, around circuses, around funerals” and that smaller buffer zones have been in place before with little effect. Polling places have a 150foot buffer zone that protestors and those handing out literature have to respect. Ironically, Marty Walz points out that the US Supreme Court has its own buffer zone, which bans all demonstrations and picketing on its plaza, forcing protestors to the adjacent public sidewalk.

This debate is taking place within the larger context of the fight for reproductive justice, which is defined by Protect Choice as “the complete physical, mental, spiritual, political, social, and economic well-being of women and girls, based on the full achievement and protection of women’s human rights.”

Recently many anti-choice efforts have been gaining ground with support from conservative policy makers such as Virginia Senator Steve Martin, who responded to a note from pro-

An Introductory Guide to Professor Tenure and Hiring Practices continued from pagE 1

open up?

Whenever there is the election of a new Faculty Executive Committee (FEC), there is a call out to all departments to submit materials where they list their priorities.

Based on that, the committee decides what new positions to open up. In addition, they look at the current faculty-student ratio and hire in a way to keep it 10:1. For this cycle, there has been a call out for five new tenure-track positions in Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies (previously filled by Chris Guzaitis), Politics (unfilled), English (filled by Jacqueline Wernimont), Media Studies (unfilled) and His-

panic Studies (unfilled). The FEC is dedicated to a fair and open process when it comes to the hiring of faculty. Board members are voted on, although there is no guarantee of even representation of members across disciplines.

In addition, for truly intercollegiate departments, the 7C Academic Dean’s committee plans the hiring of new faculty. They have made an ongoing commitment to hire two new tenure-track faculty in all three ethnic studies departments.

The Keck Science Department works on a different, more complex level. There is currently a severe shortage of tenure-track science

professors, but it is not possible to hire them due to a lack of space.

Tenure-track faculty are expected to engage in research, but right now the Department is maxed out on lab and work space. Because science professors have their own lab, they are also more expensive to hire.

Thus, there is planning underway for a new science building.

Hiring of professors at Scripps, the Intercollegiate Departments and the Keck Science Department is connected because they are all paid out of the same general budget. For the Intercollegiate Departments and Keck, Scripps pays a portion of the faculty’s salary.

March 6, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Nine

choice supporters with the following: “I don’t expect to be in the room or will I do anything to prevent you from obtaining a contraceptive.

However, once a child does exist in your womb, I’m not going to assume a right to kill it just because the child’s host (some refer to them as mothers) doesn’t want it.”

As women continue to be dehumanized and denied access to reproductive healthcare, the result is more rigid restrictions on bodily autonomy and sustained attacks on women’s selfdetermination. Hopefully, the Supreme Court will uphold the provisions necessary to ensure adequate health care access to everyone.

N.B.: According to protectchoice. org, the term “anti-choice” is defined as “a political position that opposes a woman’s right to choose to continue or terminate a pregnancy and to obtain safe and legal abortion services.”

News How are students involved in faculty hiring and tenure procedures?

When evaluating a faculty member for the prospect of tenure, students are asked to write letters in or against their favor. In addition, course evaluations are a critical component analyzed by the Appointment, Promotions and Tenure Committee (APT) when deciding whether or not to grant a professor tenure. In addition, winning the Student’s Choice Professor of the Year Award is something that can be put on a professor’s resume, and is seen as a huge positive.

Student Life • 5

the scripps voice crossword puzzle Clues: Across 1. Came ashore; 6. City at the center of the Syrian civil war; 11. Hosted the Oscars; 13. “Don’t be a smart _____!”; 14. A name of the Egyptian sun god; 15. Wine or cheese; 16. Avtomat Kalashnikova; 17. “_____ whiz!”; 18. Prefix for a shared position; 20. Followed by answer for 17 across; 21. Not a cassette, but becoming obsolete; 22. Real name Andre Romelle Young; 23. Said twice as a farewell; 24. Scottish “one” (also a good Scrabble word) 25. Made from an old t-shirt?; 27. Before; 29. Resuscitation; also, an office in Seal Court; 30. Mine is pretty nice; 31. Expel from your life; 32. The annoying neighborhood kid on Hannah Montana; 33. Media signal that the speaker/writer has made a syntactical or grammatical error; 34. Comes in Vanilla and -T varieties; 36. Model-T; 39. Wednesday afternoons; 40. Abbreviation for a Hawaiian instrument often appropriated by hipsters; 41. San Mateo County airport famous for its landings over water; 43. Your standard mode of communication before you got a cell phone; 44. German “from”; 45. Makes jeans; 46. Referenced in Pink Floyd’s “Bike”; 48. Lana; 50. To do it is human; 52. Lowest tone on your warmup scale; 53. Cool J; 54. Pop ____ (Hint: Jennifer Lawrence said she was eating these on the red carpet at the Oscars); 55. Zipcode abbreviation of the Lone Star state; 56. Tiding you over till the next full album; 58. Used in memes?; 59. Abbr. for down and out; 60. Third through eighth digits are 415926; 61. Fiona by the end of the movie; 63. OK___; 65. Waiting for full-time ; 67. The Tea Party slogan: “Don’t ______ on me”; 70. Slanted; 71. Former NYC mayor and Representative Down 1. Dwell; 2. Zipcode abbreviation of Dave Heineman’s district; 3. Digital Reality Trust’s stock abbr.; 4.

Chose to; 5. Spanish “from”; 6. Capone, Roker, or Gore; 7. When they’re women, they’re called “pushy”; 8. Johann Maier ______ : German scholar and theologian; 9. Represents statistically whether your makebelieve gun hit its make-believe target; 10. What she does when zie pulls up at In-n-Out 12. Repeated a kajillion times in “Batman’s” theme song, “Land of a Thousand Suns,” and “Hey Jude” (as pointed out by xkcd); 13. There’s a cool one on page 11 from Wanawake Weusi; 19. Canoeing necessity; 21. Has a brim; 26. To lubricate; 28. You did these all the time at your shitty internship; 29. As with paint; 30. Synonym for 44 down; 34. ___-girl; 35. Alternative to A.D.; 37. See 16 across; 38. See 14 across; 42.

Diners, Malt Shops, Rock ‘n’ Roll; 44. Synonym for 30 down; 45. Wonder Woman has one; 47. Boston or Chicago; 49. Often paired with ESL; 51. Savor; 56. For example; 57. Another name for Communications and Marketing (abbr.); 60. Felix or Fido; 61. Mac is on its tenth; 62. Latin “and”; 64. Can be poison; 65.

Comes before ;DR; 66. LA and NY; 68. See 38 down; 69. Present tense of accomplished

Made by Megan Petersen ‘15

cms women’s sports schedule march 11 Women’s Water Polo @Home v. George Washington 12:40 p.m., v. UC San Diego 6:00 p.m.

Tennis v. Case Western Reserve @ Home, 4:00 p.m.

Water Polo v. Azusa Pacivic @ Cal State Northridge, 4:30 p.m.

march 15 Golf: Collegiate Invitational @ Jekyll Island, GA, all day Tennis v. Bowdoin @ Home, 2:00 p.m.

Water Polo: TBA @ Cal Baptist Softball @ Pomona-Pitzer, 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m.

march 19 Swimming & Diving: NCAA Championships @ Indianapolis 10:00 a.m., 6:00 p.m.

Softball v. Marian, Wisc. 9:00 a.m.; v.

Central Iowa, 11:00 a.m. @ Tuscon, Ariz.

Lacrosse @ George Fox, 4:00 p.m.

Water Polo v. Chapman @ Home, 5:00 p.m.

march 23 Tennis v. University of Chicago @ Home, 10:00 a.m.

march 12 Track & Field v. Cal Lutheran/La Verne/ Occidental @ Home 11:00 a.m.

Softball v. La Verne @ Home 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m.

Water Polo @ Home v. Cal Baptist 6:20 p.m., v. Virginia Military Institute 11:40 p.m.

march 16 Golf: Collegiate Invitational @ Jekyll Island, GA, all day

march 20 Swimming & Diving: NCAA Championships @ Indianapolis, 10:00 a.m., 6:00 p.m.

Lacrosse @ Linfield, 6:00 p.m.

march 24 Lacrosse v. Pacific, Ore., 7:00 p.m.

march 13 Lacrosse v. Stevens @ Home (Parents Field), 1:00 p.m.

Tennis v. Georgetown @ Home, 4:00 p.m.

Water Polo v. George Washington @ Home, 6:00 p.m.

march 17 Softball v. Augsburg @ Tuscon, AZ, 3:30 p.m.

Lacrosse @ University of Puget Sound, 6:00 p.m.

Softball v. Central Iowa @ Tucson, AZ, 6:00 p.m.

march 21

march 14

Golf: Collegiate Invitational @ Jekyll Island, GA, all day Track & Field @ Occidental Distance Carnival, 6:00 p.m.

Tennis @ Whittier, 2:00 p.m.

Water Polo: v. TBA @ Cal Baptist; v.

Chapman @ Riverside, 1:00 p.m.

Softball: v. Cal Lutheran @ Home, 2:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m.

march 18 Softball v. Wisc.-La Crosse @ Tuscon, AZ, 11:00 a.m., 3:30 p.m.

march 22

Swimming & Diving: NCAA Championships @ Indianapolis, 10:00 a.m., 6:00 p.m.

Golf, Harvard, 10:00 a.m.

Tennis v. Amherst @ Home, 3:00 p.m.

Swimming & Diving: NCAA Championships @ Indianapolis, 10:00 a.m., 6:00 p.m.

Track & Field v. Irwin College Meet @ Point Loma, all day Tennis v. Tufts @ Home, 2:00 p.m.

Softball v. Occidental @ Home, 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m.

march 25

march 26

Tennis v. Middlebury @ Home, 4:00 p.m.

Water Polo v. Brown @ Home, 4:30 p.m.

March 6, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Nine

Lacrosse v. DePauw @ Home, 7:00 p.m.

m

Special Report • 7

6 • Special Report

president Lori bettison-varga, the “be heard” forum, and the need for transparency Lucy Altman-Newell ’17 Staff Writer

T

he February 27 BeHeard Forum with President Lori BettisonVarga was chaotic, to say the least.

The Forum began with a palpable feeling on the part of the students crowded into SCORE of wanting to make progress and come to some sort of understanding and agreement about student power on campus. This hope soon turned into confusion and anger, with many a face-palm, upset murmurings, and, by the end, downright shouting on both sides. LBV snapped on more than one occasion. So did the students. By the end, I personally left so rattled that I no longer even knew what I was feeling, let alone thinking.

Still, I do believe that this particular BeHeard Forum needed to happen. Though most students left upset — as I’m sure LBV did, as well, judging from her outbursts of obvious frustration during the Forum — at least we know where we stand, roughly. No, of course where we stand is not ideal. To many, it’s not even acceptable. But at least from here, we can figure a way out.

Hopefully.

In this article, I’ll hit a few of the key points brought up in the forum, and will illustrate some instances of the circular talking that happened repeatedly throughout the hour-long meeting. The steps forward I suggest at the end are a call to President Bettison-Varga and others in power to let us work with them. I think it’s safe to say that the Scripps student body doesn’t want to impede the progress of the LASPA Center or to hurt Scripps in any way; we simply want to be a significant part of the decision-making. After all, the decisions being made will affect us.

Surely there must be a way for LBV and the Board of Trustees to not just hear our voices, but actually use them so that we can all attain our common goal of an even better Scripps College.

The first bit of circular talk arose when addressing the hiring process for the director of the LASPA Center.

While President Bettison-Varga needs to hire someone that meets the qualifications for such a center,

the scope of the center is, as LBV put it, too broad and vague to hire someone yet. There are simply no definitions that the people in charge of the development of the LASPA Center agree on, despite a 2011 “white paper” document that defined the goal of the center in broad terms such as “social justice.” Interestingly enough, President Bettison-Varga stated that many surveys and student opinion polls were carried out during 201011 to create these definitions. Yet apparently those student voices did not create real change, as confusion and ambiguity still abounds. So, now, who is to define the goals of the LASPA center after being hired based on a vague conception of LASPA that is too vague to hire someone for?

Why, the director, of course! The director, says President BettisonVarga, will work with a steering committee with representatives from different sections of the Scripps community to define the center as it’s being created.

Now, there are a few dangers here that come immediately to mind. First, if there is no clear goal of the center, there is a very real danger that the center will be weak, unstable, and inefficient.

How can a center without a purpose accomplish anything of significance?

How can a center grow in different valid directions around an idea too vague to even talk about?

The other problem is that, even if the director and steering committee do come up with clear goals for the Center, there is no guarantee that these goals will be what students either want or need.

If student representation on the search committee for the LASPA director had no real influence in the decision-making process, this doesn’t exactly make me feel all warm and cozy that students — or faculty, for that matter — on the steering committee will have any power at all. We need to figure out some way to ensure that the LASPA Center gives us what we need. If it doesn’t serve the students that it was meant to serve, this entire process will have been for nothing.

We students must have the power to influence decisions that affect us

here at Scripps College.

The obvious way to get this power, of course, would be through a democracy. But President Bettison-Varga has made it very clear that this is not a democracy.

She said that she hears our voices, and that our voices inform the outcome of her decisions, but that “We disagree. I made a decision you don’t agree with. And I’m okay with that. […] I want your voices as we move forward.”

Now, to me at least, this also is confusing. If LBV is okay with disregarding our voices, and seemed

Where can we go from here? I, personally, demand transparency — and I am not alone in this demand, as the Be Heard Forum made very clear. And while I understand very clearly the meaning of President BettisonVarga’s statement, I do insist upon other types of transparency.

very frustrated — even angry, at times — with what students were saying at the forum, why would she want our voices moving forward?

One potential and depressing reason is that she wants us to feel like we have voices so that we shut up. Despite all her assurances that “I hear your voices,” LBV left me, for one, with the sinking sensation that she doesn’t really care about what we have to say, nor the extent of the illusion we have in terms of our actual affect in decision-making at Scripps — for, as she said repeatedly, “This is not a democracy.” Yes, Scripps students are promised two elected representatives on the steering committee for the LASPA Center “so that you feel like there are people on the committee who represent your interests,” but this statement was followed by the

March 6, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Nine

worrisome fragments of speech that if we want student and faculty representation, “Sure! It doesn’t really… Whatever works!” Although LBV clearly stated that we don’t have a democracy here, this last statement also makes it clear that she will continue to foster, in some sense, a false conception of our power and influence. She doesn’t mind what representation we have, because she has the power to make decisions we don’t agree with, and, as quoted earlier, she’s “okay with that.”

When it comes down to it, all we can really do in our current position is talk. That might satisfy some. But I demand that our words have real power. They should not be made empty by bureaucracy.

Where can we go from here? I, personally, demand transparency— and I am not alone in this demand, as the BeHeard Forum made very clear. And while I understand very clearly the meaning of President Bettison-Varga’s statement, “I don’t define transparency as being able to share confidential information with you [the student body],” I do insist upon other types of transparency.

The student body needs to have a very clear definition of what LASPA is. We need an updated, explicit description of the criteria for who the LASPA director whenever this information changes. We deserve to know exactly how LBV will come to a decision about hiring the new director. (No, I am not referring to confidential information about the candidates. But surely we should be able to know who our President will consult, how much sway these various advisors will have, etc.)

Finally, I demand transparency in terms of where we students actually stand in Scripps College politics. No word games. No fudging the truth to pacify us.

Where do we have the most say or influence? Really, I would find it very hard to believe that President Bettison-Varga, the Board of Trustees, or the students want anything less than a better Scripps College. Let’s work together to define “better.” And then let’s get there.

a letter to students who feel marginalized by marginalized groups

By Jane Searce ’15 Guest Contributor

Dear Students Who Feel Marginalized

By Marginalized Groups, I actually kinda know where you’re coming from, so I hope you’ll hear me out. I’m a white student, financially secure, pass as cisgender (I’m not, but that’s a whole other topic), and am able-bodied. So, I have a fair amount of visual privilege. As such, my voice has always been heard loud and clear. I’ve rarely been denied the opportunity to share… until the past year or two. First years, I can particularly relate to you and how some of you are feeling at this college, though this isn’t something first years alone face. Coming into Scripps, and think you’re the least racist/classist/ableist/transphobic/ etc. person you know. And suddenly everyone’s getting upset all the time, over things you can’t personally see as important, and it just stresses you out. But when you try to tell them how much it stresses you out, it’s like they don’t even care! Sound familiar? If so, let me break down for you my own process of coming to terms with these situations, and why I get angry when I hear students like me say they feel “marginalized” by the marginalized groups on campus: 1) I’m not (insert –ism here), so why are people getting mad at me just because I’m a part of (insert community of privilege here)?

Actually, I think debunking this common thought is one of the most helpful clarifications.

“I’m not (insert –ism here)” – This really sucks but, sadly, that can almost never be true. Because we now have many (though not enough) laws in place to prevent and curtail violent or deliberate acts of oppression and discrimination, and the current generation was born after some of the most outwardly-violent times of our country’s history, we as younger people tend to believe that we live in a world that has improved vastly beyond it all. We apply a concept of oppression from a very different time to our world today, where we believe that if we haven’t deliberately and violently attacked a person of a marginalized community, we thus never participate in harmful behavior or thoughts. This is incorrect, and it’s crucial that everyone throws out that misguided concept of oppression, and to not flinch when you’re called out on problematic behavior.

Oppression can occur even if you don’t want it to, even if you don’t mean it to, and even if it happens subconsciously. Our privileges are so deeply ingrained into our society that it’s impossible to escape them

completely. And again, I get it; no one wants to feel like an asshole. So don’t!

You’re going to mess up, you’re going to hurt someone’s feelings, and they may even get angry with you. This I can speak to from many personal experiences, and I understand the initial frustration and denial. And when (not if) you mess up, I can guarantee that you will feel a lot better by believing someone when they say you’ve upset or offended them, taking their feelings seriously, and apologizing with assurance that you will avoid a repeat in the future.

You’ll feel the sting of your wounded ego for a bit, but that’s natural when you’re not used to confronting parts of your ways of thinking that have deceptively seemed harmless. “…so why are people getting mad at me just because I’m a part of (insert community of privilege here)?” – The answer to this should put a lot of privileged people at ease, actually.

Congrats, they AREN’T mad at you for simply being a part of a privileged community! It’s never about you, the privileged individual. What people are angry at is the culture of certain privileged communities. If I were to say, “Man, I really hate cisgender people,” you the individual cisgender person are not my target. What I am angry with is the majority culture of cisgender people as a group and the sheer amount of power they hold in Western countries. Yes, you “can’t help being born privileged,” but you can help us counteract the deepseeded and systematic oppression that your privileged community(s) perpetuate.

Usually, people will then ask that the person say “some of (group), not ALL of (group)”. This we absolutely cannot do. If we replace this dialogue with “some of (group)”, it leaves a giant hole through which people who believe they are not part of the problem but, in perhaps subconscious or unintentional ways, actually are, can shuck all blame onto others without examining their own attitudes and behaviors. By refusing to say “some,” the hope is that people will actually contemplate how they are possibly part of the toxicity and lack of progress being faced. And, honestly, if you’re feeling personally offended by this kind of stuff, you probably do have some things you need to work on.

2) I can’t even see why these supposed problems matter so much, and if I voice my discomfort, people just get mad at me. What gives?

“I can’t even see why these supposed problems matter so

much” – I’m trying to be as nice as possible when I say this: that doesn’t matter. What I mean by this is not that you should never speak about anything ever, but that your opinions about marginalized communities’ issues don’t hold as much weight as you probably wish they did. It is, frankly, not your call to make.

You can certainly share your views, but to expect them to be especially important, you have to admit, is a bit rude and illogical. You have the power here, and your opinion is more likely to be accepted over that of a marginalized community even on issues pertaining to marginalized communities. Again, I’ve had to learn this myself; for example, as a white student, when I wish to sit in on discussions surrounding the problems of people of color. If I’m welcomed to contribute to the discussion, that’s wonderful, but I have had to realize that sometimes I need to sit back and stop trying to take the reins from people of color, no matter how good I feel my intentions are. It’s another big blow to the ego, but we’ve gotta suck it up and deal with not being the most important people in the room for once. “…if I voice my discomfort, people just get mad at me” – This ties back into what I was previously saying.

When a person who is part of a community which holds institutional power over another says to that other group, “This is making me uncomfortable”, and then get upset when the conversation is not tailored to their discomfort, it can be pretty exasperating. Why? Because it isn’t about you. This is not about your comfort level in a space full of people who feel uncomfortable almost every day. And yes, that differentiation matters, because it’s often the supposed discomfort of the privileged which shuts down valid and meaningful dialogue. You cannot compare your discomfort with having to hear the concerns of marginalized students to the culture that was created to make marginalized students uncomfortable every day. Making that comparison is inconsiderate and shows a lack of understanding of power dynamics.

3) I feel marginalized now.

Nope.

3.5) Hey, that’s not fair! You can’t just say “no!!”

I have more patience than many people for talking through these things, but this is the one thing I can’t deal with explaining sometimes. If you don’t understand what “marginalized group” means beyond a quick search continued on page 8

March 6, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Nine

8 • Student Life

a letter to students who feel marginalized by marginalized communities continued from page 7 on dictionary.com, that’s likely where a lot of your misunderstandings stem from, and something you probably have to get a base understanding of before meaningful conversations can be had. It’s like trying to explain to Piers Morgan that “cisphobia” isn’t a real thing; it feels like climbing a mountain wearing flip-flops. But while you’re on Google, run a search on why things like “cisphobia,” “reverse racism,” and “allyphobia” are quite imaginary.

4) Okay, but why do minority groups have to be so angry all the time?

I would answer your question with another one: why shouldn’t they be? Think about why you think this.

Is it because you believe it’s only harming their causes? You need only to look back in time and you’ll find that anger got a lot done, actually. Also, can you see the problem with a privileged group insisting a marginalized group tailors their discourse to their small comfort level? That essentially says “you have to work for my support, because I don’t believe that your concerns are worth being angry about, and if you do not sugarcoat

everything for me, I won’t give you my support.” See what I mean? So, I think we can move on from that point.

Is it because it makes you uncomfortable? Refer back to #3.

Is it because it’s making you have to second guess what you say and you see problems everywhere you turn now? I’d say it’s a small sacrifice to make to not just spew whatever thoughts come to mind and to recognize that the world isn’t as pearly as you’d thought.

In fact, you can help make that discomfort go away by working with us to confront and dismantle these problems. Contrary to how it seems, realizing (as a person with privilege) that there’s a lot of oppressive and problematic aspects to our culture, and deciding to tackle those head on, is a better feeling at the end of the day. Even if you’re frustrated by all of the shitty things you suddenly are aware of, it’s better to stand with marginalized groups in their efforts and have that community rather than spend your days wallowing in white guilt and the like. And if you truly can’t mentally handle confronting these issues with us, we would appreciate that you simply remove yourself

from the discussions. Showing up to talk about how uncomfortable angry minorities make you is not productive, for either side.

5) Maybe I kind of understand your points … So what should I do now?

Learn!! The Internet in particular is a wonderful resource. Start typing in terms/concepts/problems you don’t understand and you’ll wonder why you never tried to do that in the first place.

Marginalized communities don’t have the time or the emotional and mental strength to educate everyone on these multi-faceted topics, many of which hold personal and painful significance. Imagine going through a long-term trauma of some kind, and then having people constantly ask you to explain aspects of it to them while at the same time resisting the information you agree to give them and not making any effort to find information themselves.

That’s why we don’t want to spend large chunks of our energy doing the work for you. And anyway, there are a lot of eloquent people out there who explain things simply, sometimes even in comic form!

On top of this, what is most important is to believe that the

concerns of marginalized groups are legitimate and to support them – you lose nothing from doing so.

The goal of Scripps students, I would hope, is to not be like those old white dudes who assert the importance of their opinions on birth control and can’t handle a female Representative saying the word “vagina” because it makes them uncomfortable.

This isn’t easy stuff, and it’s time to be adults and stop demanding the conversation be tailored to your small comfort zone. Yes, you don’t fight fire with fire. But you also don’t fight fire by gently asking, “Please stop burning down my house.”

(Note: my Facebook messages are open to anyone who wants to discuss this further, even, and perhaps especially, those who I’ve never talked to before. I’ve been in the exact same mindset as many of you reading this, I understand the reasons behind it, and I think we can continue productive discussions on this topic. Promise I’m not scary…)

(I would like to note that all of the above text is my own personal statement reflecting my opinions only, and is not oficially endorsed by any CLORG or group on Scripps campus.)

a letter to lori bettison-varga and the board of trustees continued from page 3 to create leaders in all fields who are socially conscious, responsible, and accountable to the diverse experience of the Scripps community.

This includes better support within the center for students in all fields, including art, science, NGOs, government, entrepreneurship, social activism, technology, law, and public service. We stress the importance of not segregating these fields, but instead incorporating interdisciplinary methods of bridging their differences.

5) The numbers of faculty, staff, students, alumni, Board of Trustee members, and other constituents who voted for each of the final Director candidates must be published in Scripps Voice or in the Student Union.

6) The foci expressed in the Center’s acronym must be defined.

The College should collaborate with faculty to define “analysis” and

“scholarship” and with SCORE to define “public service” and “action” in order to build on work already in process, thus allowing the LASPA Center to smoothly transition into the campus climate. These outcomes should be published in Scripps Voice or in the Student Union.

7) Hire a Program Coordinator at SCORE that has all of their FTEs at SCORE and is limited to sitting on no more than two committees. We demand that funds for this new position be allotted from the We Want More campaign.

8) Raise the wage for maintenance and housekeeping workers and all workers not currently earning a living wage. We demand that the colleges do not hire temporary workers, and do not engage in the practice of scheduling a 28-hour work week when there is a minimum number of 30 hours to receive benefits, as

Pitzer has done.

9) Increase resources for Black, Latina, Native American, Trans* and Disabled Scripps students by increasing the number of Scripps staff who have knowledge of working in these marginalized communities and increasing financial resources.

1 0 ) S t r e n g t h e n S c r i p p s ’s commitment to women by strengthening the Feminist, Gender, Sexuality Studies Department.

Increase the budget of the department and open 2 new positions up in addition to the one that Professor Chris Guzaitis quit.

The signed organizations below endorse the demands proposed in this letter. A detailed response to each of the demands including how the President will achieve each demand is required in print by March 10th, 2014.

Sincerely:

March 6, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Nine

Asian American Student Union Asian American Sponsor Program Café Con Leche Classy Disability, Illness, and Difference Alliance Family Indigenous Students Alliance The Editors-in-Chief of The Scripps Voice Wanawake Weusi

5c SubstanceFree Events: DAnce Jessica Lin ’16 Design Editor

P

arties make up a major part of the “typical” college life, and the 5Cs are no exception. But for every party, there is also an awesome substance free (sub-free) event on the very same night. More low-key events, however, tend not to be as well advertised. As a result, people can miss out on some of the most interesting and entertaining parties on campus.

One common reason people skip out on these large party “alternatives” may have to do with a question about what the events actually entail. So, this semester, I’ll be writing about my personal experience with sub-free gatherings.

This week will focus on dance: salsa, swing, and annual events such as Masquerade and Black and White Ball. Though I can’t offer insight into underground blues at this time, I’ve heard positive reviews on it thus far and hope to cover the scene sometime in the future.

At every dance, student instructors teach one-hour beginner and intermediate lessons. No worries if you don’t have a dance partner!

You can show up on your own, as partners rotate throughout the lesson. This gives people a chance to meet new faces as well as get a feel for different dancing styles.

In the case that someone tries too

complicated a twist or turn, it’s fine to remind your partner you’re a beginner and would like to stick to the basics.

Many people, including myself, tend to ask: Should I lead or follow?

Is the lead’s part more difficult? I’ve asked more experienced dancers this question, and usually get the same answer: The lead’s role is not necessarily more difficult; it just depends on the move. In some cases, the follow will employ a more complicated technique. Other times, the opposite is true. Regardless of whether you choose to dance the part of a lead or follow, I encourage you to approach someone with a friendly smile and ask for a dance.

1) Swing Dance Attire: casual Crowd: 20+ people Vibe: laid-back, more mellow Swing dancing is my personal favorite, especially when it comes to West Coast Swing. The other two types of swing offered at the 5Cs include the Lindy Hop and East Coast Swing. After the lesson, the floor opens up for free dancing, and all styles of swing music are played.

Thoughts to consider: Sometimes people don’t show up and it can be awkward to dance with everyone over and over again. But it’s generally not a big deal for most people. Also, the location changes frequently, but this is inevitable, given that other groups want to book the same spots. Showing up to dance can seem intimidating at first,

Arts and Culture • 9 but if you go with a good attitude and some humility, it will be fun.

Check out this group on Facebook: Claremont Colleges Swing.

2) Salsa Dance Attire: fancier than swing, but still casual Crowd: varies, 40+ people Vibe: energetic, louder Salsa seems to be especially popular, from what I’ve seen. Of course, the number of people who show up depends on the specific weekend. For example, Halloween night can be pretty empty, since many students choose to go to Harwood instead. In general, however, the crowd tends to be larger than the one at swing. This can be great for those who want to meet more people at a time, and contrarily, less appropriate for those who prefer a smaller and more intimate setting. Just like swing, salsa provides two free lessons. The dance itself tends to be faster-paced, although the steps themselves do not particularly pose a more complicated challenge. Some dances may be rated at a higher difficulty level, but the individual may have to find out whether or not this is true for their own person.

Note: Salsa comes off as somewhat intimidating at times, and the environment is not exactly what I would call approachable. While still varying, the location changes less frequently than swing does. The event usually takes place at Platt, which is across from Mudd’s dining hall and in the same row of buildings as Jay’s Place/the Mudd Hole. Most dances take place on Friday nights, from 8 P.M.- midnight. Check out the Facebook group: Salsa Addicts at the Claremont Colleges.

3) Special Events Attire: usually semi-formal

all eyes on arizona continued from page 1 Governor Brewer signed the antiillegal immigration measure Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act, otherwise known as SB 1070, in 2010. The legislation was criticized for permitting racial profiling because law enforcement officials were permitted to demand registration documents even if an individual was not partaking in explicit illegal activity if the officers had “reasonable suspicion” that the individual was an illegal immigrant.

Becoming a national controversy, the case reached the Supreme Court in 2012 in Arizona v. United States.

The judge ultimately ruled to uphold the checking of immigration statuses during law enforcement stops, though other measures were altered.

The recent drama surrounding SB 1060 has not helped our case. The bill, even with its veto, has further sullied Arizona’s reputation by adding “bigoted” to the ever-growing list of negative Arizona labels. Scripps

student Isabel Carter-Kahn ’17 from Scottsdale, Ariz., commented that “Every article and news clip I’ve seen has that air of ‘There goes Arizona again!’ which is a bit... embarrassing isn’t the right word, maybe disheartening.”

The negative publicity does more than simply bruise the state’s ego though; it threatens Arizona’s recovering economy. Many companies are hesitant to bring their business to Arizona because of the state’s controversial politics. Apple Inc. strongly opposed to the bill and the National Football League threatened to move next year’s Super Bowl out of Glendale if the bill passed.

These are not the first instances of protest against the state. In the past, large music artists such as Cypress Hill and Pitbull have cancelled their concerts in protest of Arizona legislation. Arizona’s economy then suffers severe consequences as the state loses opportunities to

generate revenue and create new jobs. Negative citizen perceptions nationwide are also a detriment to the Arizona economy because tourism rates drop. This is a severe dilemma for the state, which relies heavily on tourism revenue during the winter months and during baseball Spring Training.

Thankfully, amidst all of this chaos, Arizona proves to have a strong redeeming quality: its residents.

Citizens came together statewide in objection to the bill.

Peter Northfelt, a sophomore honors English Literature major at Arizona State University, noted that there was at least one protest on campus and many more happening downtown at the state capitol.

He also commented that even business owners, whom the bill was supposedly protecting, put up signs that read “right to refuse service to AZ legislators.” Claire Bacon (PZ ’15) from Flagstaff, Ariz., also remarked

March 6, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Nine

Crowd: 200 Vibe: elegant, high volume At first glance, special events appear similar to American high school dances such as homecoming or prom. But they’re actually ten times better: you don’t have to worry about paying for a pricey ticket or renting a limo for the night. Nevertheless, it’s a great excuse (as if you needed one) to dress up for the night, whether you choose something from your closet or borrow from a friend.

For those who prefer more casual attire, the Disney-themed party this March may be perfect for your taste! While further details have yet to be released, I, for one, will be dressing up in costume and looking forward to a Disney soundtrack.

This event is set to take place at Edmunds Ballroom, across from the SCC mailroom, on the Pomona College campus. It only shows up once a year, so be sure not to miss out! Although dressing up is not required, most people choose to do so since the theme adds to the overall fun. But whatever you wear, people will be courteous and welcoming. On another note, big annual parties incorporate all types of dance, including those not usually offered during the weekly practices. By my record, these have been the waltz, bachata, and tango so far. I absolutely loved learning how to tango, but I will admit it may be harder for a beginner like myself to keep up when one hasn’t had a chance to practice throughout the semester. If you’re shy or apprehensive, drop by after the lesson when other dances show up in the DJ’s playlist. You can stay up to date on the latest party by joining the Facebook event Disney Dance Party.

News that she has friends who protested in Flagstaff and Tucson, Ariz.

As a college student from Arizona who was in another state while all of this was happening, I felt cheated.

College seems to be the pinnacle period of a person’s social justice career, yet I was stuck in Claremont while my fellow Phoenicians were on the streets fighting against discrimination.

Other Arizonans at the 5Cs appeared to be equally restricted; however, social media provided an outlet for us to make an impact even while we were hundreds of miles away.

While SB 1062 proves that some biased fanatics still remain in the Arizona legislature, the overwhelming citizen response demonstrates that as a whole, Arizona is shifting as a state from consistently fighting against national advancement to one that is beginning to slowly join in the progressive movement.

10 • Arts and Culture

vikings on history: the norseman cometh

Photo courtsey of History

Caroline Nelson ’16 TV Columnist

W

hen I started watching “Vikings,” which just came back for its second season, I expected it to be a guilty pleasure. After all, it’s called “Vikings” and airs on a channel that’s become a running joke. On the surface it contains a lot of things I could use some more of in my life: shirtless guys, shield maidens, stealing stuff and making it look cool, shirtless guys hitting each other, visions of Ragnarok, general badassery, shirtless guys with swords, an adorable monk, threesomes, shirtless guys getting involved in well-choreographed battles, hallucinogens… you get the picture.

All that is why I started watching, but as I progressed I found something that I hadn’t been expecting, namely that “Vikings” is actually good. Sure,

there’s a boring villain who hangs around for a while and some really unsatisfying dialogue here and there, but its strengths outweigh its flaws.

The main reason for this being that it is preoccupied with something I thought History (formerly known as the History Channel) had absolutely no interest in, by which I mean history.

Its brilliance, however, lies in depicting a murky period of history, which allows writers more space to be creative than a better-documented era. Most of what we know about the Vikings comes from archeological evidence and the accounts of people who hated them, more neutral Middle Eastern observers, and their semi-historical, semi-mythical sagas like the one upon which “Vikings” is based. To these accounts the show adheres rather faithfully, though some of the gap filling seems a little

implausible (no, I can’t prove to you that Vikings didn’t usually go in for threeways, but on the other hand there’s no proof that they did). But overall the show leaves me with the exhilarating sense that this might actually have been what life was like for great, great, great, great, great, great, great-grandpa Olaf.

Historical drama is a dodgy thing.

Too often the characters seem far too much like you and me, except of course for the villains and, these days, anti-heroes, who are allowed to indulge in the vices of the time, giving the audience some vicarious enjoyment of things they aren’t supposed to say or do while shielding the writers from any accusation that they share in them. Sometimes I wonder why writers choose other periods since they seem to have set out with the sole purpose of condemning them.

Photo courtsey of History

March 6, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Nine

Other times the work seems to flit between idealization and escapism and reminding the audience that certain historical realities are wrong enough that that you feel yourself getting whiplash.

Though “Vikings” is admittedly told from the perspective of the titular Norsemen, it doesn’t stray away from the most confusing and disturbing facets of that society, leaving viewers to gaze upon a truly alien world.

“Vikings” has another rare quality I don’t find very often in television that isn’t prestige drama (and not even then). I haven’t bothered to look up the saga that details the life of the main character Ragnar Lothbrok and his compatriots. Why? Because I really have no idea what’s going to happen next.

Photo courtsey of History

Arts & Culture • 11

oscars a disappointment for

female representation

Natalie Eisen ’17 Staff Writer

T

he theme of the 86th Academy Awards was, purportedly, “Heroes in Hollywood.” This dream was realized through a montage of inspirational characters of the silver screen shown partway through the show, a dazzling montage with a dazzling array of white male faces of every size and shape.

There was also Katniss, and The Bride. Female representation is alive and kicking in Hollywood, everyone! …Unfortunately, this would grow to be a bit of a theme.

The Academy Awards is far too much of a boy’s club, but in order to discuss this more fully we’ll need to take it from the top.

For one definition of “beginning,” it’s important to note that the continued male domination of the awards starts with the Academy itself. According to a study completed by the LA Times, the membership of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is 93 percent white and 76 percent male, a fact that does not bode well for what sort of films and filmmakers the voters are likely to relate to and vote for. The Academy has been making strides to combat this, in theory, accepting large numbers of voters in the past few years in an attempt to further diversify its ranks. However, with so much of the Academy’s ranks so predominately white, male, and rapidly aging, it will take a lot more than hastily accepting more members to fix what seems like a broken system.

This bias is reflected in the show itself: continuing a regrettable tradition, the nominees for Best Director were entirely male. There has been one female winner of the award in the entire history of the awards, a mere five years ago in 2009. Kathryn Bigelow, the winner, makes up 25 percent of all female nominees for the award. That’s right. There have been four.

This trend continues in the other awards, with nine of 13 awards for the work of individuals (thus, categories like Best Animated Film, Best Documentary Short, Original Song, etc. excluded) going to entirely male crews. The female award winners? Cate Blanchett for Actress in a Leading Role; Lupita Nyong’o for Actress in a Supporting Role; Catherine Martin for Costume Design; Adruitha Lee and Robin Mathews for Makeup and Hairstyling; and Catherine Martin (again!) and Beverley Dunn for Production Design.

Hardly the rousing sign of a

Photo courtesy of PolicyMic.com

female presence in the industry one would hope for.

Even the film “Gravity,” which is at its core about a powerful female performance, had its admirable seven awards accepted by an entirely male bunch. Not a single woman to be seen in a movie about a woman’s struggle – a tidy representation of the awards themselves.

To look at another branch of the tree: starting from the chronological beginning of this year’s broadcast, one has only to look at the red carpet coverage to see a huge difference between the treatment of female members of Hollywood and their male counterparts. It’s become another honored tradition to gleefully rip actresses apart on the red carpet for their choice of wardrobe, reducing these talented women to nothing more than slabs of meat ­— hands for the “manicam,” pans up and down the body that end rather than begin with the face, dissected to lips and hair and clutches and shoes. It’s difficult to take these actresses (and other members of the industry) seriously when audiences are trained to look at their appearance first and measure them on that. It’s building a poor foundation for a show designed to be a celebration of talent.

It’s true that this did improve slightly during the show, with Ellen DeGeneres bringing an enjoyable female presence to the stage (but really, anything would be an improvement over last year’s cringe worthy rendition of “We Saw Your Boobs”), but there are only so many jokes that can be made about Jennifer Lawrence’s clumsiness or the hyped-up competition between female actresses before the whole thing grows stale. It’s a baby step, but not a large one.

Lupita Nyong’o represented, hopefully, a shift for the awards when she took home the award for Best Supporting Actress with an emotional speech. With tears in her

eyes, she said, “When I look down at this golden statue, may it remind me and every little child that no matter where you’re from, your dreams are valid.” Although there is, as always, a long way to go — many deserving films made about, for, and by people of color were not present at this year’s ceremony — the triumph of Nyong’o (one of seven black actresses to take home the award) and her director Steve McQueen (the first African American director to win the award for Best Picture) do represent another step forwards for a ceremony plagued by stagnation.

This by no means cancels out the

previously mentioned imbalance of age, race, and gender within the Academy, a problem that still desperately seeks a solution. It’s not as if the problem lies within the filmmakers, even — films like Fruitvale Station were hailed by critics and audiences alike, yet remain mysteriously absent from ballots.

Everyone knows the Academy’s weakness for period pieces. Maybe the solution is just to make films about slavery until the minds of the Academy make the leap from the 1800s to the present.

In fact, the Academy seems far too stuck on the past, in a time where women were silent and people of color weren’t even onscreen. This realization is spreading throughout the world and throughout the industry itself. While accepting her award for Actress in a Leading Role, Cate Blanchett addressed a message to her fellow industry members: “Those of us in the industry who are still foolishly clinging to the idea that female films with women at the center are niche experiences: they are not — audiences want to see them, and in fact they earn money.

The world is round, people!”

Audiences have realized it. It’s time the Academy did too.

Wanawake Weusi of Scripps College presents

The Black Arts Festival **CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS** Wanawake Weusi wants to challenge and invite the Claremont Colleges’ community to join us in examining, critiquing, and redefining blackness in the media by submitting works of art to present at our Black Arts Festival.

We encourage people from all races and backgrounds to submit and to become a part of this dialogue!

Submissions due date: March 23, 2014 at 11:59pm There will be four categories for submissions: Studio Art, Performative Art, Video, and Music. Please limit submissions to one piece per category.

Each submission will be showcased at our event on April 4th, 2014 and is eligible to be entered into a People’s Choice competition where four amazing artists will walk away with a $50 Amazon gift card!

To enter your submissions into the festival please go to https://www.facebook.com/events/1445545972348381/ to find the Google form or scan this QR Code

FMI: mangeles6899@scrippscollege.edu

March 6, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Nine

12 • Student Life

Minimalist Silhouettes at The Row Fall/Winter 2014 Collection

By Stephanie Huang ‘16 Fashion Columnist

I

’m going to let The Row’s Fall/Winter 2014 collection from New York Fashion Week speak for itself. It is most likely one of my top three favorites from this past NYFW. The monochromatic palette, long line silhouettes, and high-necks are refreshing and undeniably graceful. And can you get a load of those oxfords?

Photos courtesy of Elle U.K

March 6, 2014 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XVII • Issue Nine