28 August 2026
scrippsvoice.com
Uncompromising commitment to inclusivity and justice. since 1991
Get Involved! CLORGs at Scripps By Charlotte Korer ’27 Editor-In-Chief
o new and returning students, T welcome (back) to Scripps! This is going to be a good year; we at the Scripps Voice can feel it. To get you (re)acclimated with the community, we have put together a list of CLORGs (clubs and organizations) that you can get involved with around campus. View this article as a fun preview to all that Scripps has to offer. Early in the fall, there will be a CLORG fair where you can interact with all of the clubs and organizations Scripps has to offer. This is just a piece of the pie, as you can also join 5C clubs to meet people and interact within the greater consortium. But for now, start your Scripps journey with some Scrippsfounded student organizations. The Scripps Voice Oh hey, it’s us! Whether you ran your high school newspaper or reading this article is your very first time touching a newspaper, the Scripps Voice might be the place for you! If you have a passion for writing, editing, designing, or just sharing your opinion, stop by one of our meetings. While this is a relatively playful introductory issue, we are committed to delivering news to the students of Claremont. Our mission statement reads as follows: “The Scripps Voice hopes to continue the tradition of outspoken feminist journalism that our school’s namesake was notorious for, while adjusting our feminist lens for a newer, more intersectional era. More than a paper promoting neutrality and objectivity, we want to be a platform for radical voices, creative perspectives, marginalized identities, and uncompromising activism. Student journalism is crucial in today’s social and political climate, and we want to be leading the movement towards truth and justice.” Check out what we’ve written in the past at scrippsvoice.com. Our paper is by Scripps students for Scripps students, and you can write as often or as little as you want! For interest in the editorial or design team, email scrippsvoice@gmail.com. Mock Trial Scripps College Mock Trial enables students to participate in trial simulations and competitions with other teams from across the country. Members develop critical thinking and public speaking skills, as well as knowledge of legal procedures. All experience levels are welcome, and we highly encourage students with an interest in law, politics, or public speaking to join! You can find us on Instagram @scrippscollegemock or email us at scrippscollegemocktrial@ gmail.com. Student Investment Fund Founded in 1972 with a $50,000 donation from former Scripps trustee Mary Wig ’35, the Scripps Student In-
IN THIS ISSUE
A Crier's Guide to Scripps
vestment Fund (SIF) was established to provide Scripps students with the opportunity to develop financial literacy and gain firsthand experience in financial markets. Today, SIF has grown that initial investment into a portfolio of more than $700,000, managed through a long-term, research-driven investment approach. SIF brings together students from a wide range of academic disciplines to learn the fundamentals of investing, analyze companies and markets, and make informed decisions about the Fund’s portfolio. Through stock pitches, guest speakers, peer-to-peer mentorship, and collaboration, members develop practical knowledge of investing and responsible financial management. The Fund's mission extends beyond portfolio growth. Each year, SIF distributes 2–6% of its portfolio value to organizations and initiatives across the Scripps and broader Claremont community, supporting programs that enhance student life and campus engagement. SIF also represents Scripps in the annual Cascade Pitch Competition, where investment funds from the Claremont Colleges compete by presenting a stock pitch. Through its combination of financial education, active portfolio management, and community empowerment, SIF provides a unique example of experiential learning at Scripps College. At the start of each semester, the fund recruits motivated Scripps freshmen and sophomores. Prospective members can find more information on our website, Instagram, or contact us directly via email. Fan Studies Club Dear Scrippsies, you have already left kudos here! If you’ve ever checked the Archive of Our Own annual fandom rankings, then this is the place to let your favorite niches shine! This is the Scripps Fan Studies Club, where we want to help you get more involved with whatever fandoms you like and learn more about the history of fan culture together. Some events we have planned for this year are making our own merch together, presentation nights to get your takes discussed (seriously or not), going to conventions, organizing a fanfic cafe at the Motley with themed drinks, and celebrating Halloween in cosplay! If you want to check out events in the LA area or just have a place to rant to about that series you know too much about, feel free to follow our Instagram (@scrippsfanstudiesclub) and reach out! Come and meet people who care as much as you do :) Writer’s Bloc Writer’s Bloc welcomes authors, poets, and all kinds of creative writers who want a supportive community surrounding their projects. We have weekly meetings which involve tracking our progress, the optional sharing and workshopping of work, making
friends in a chill community, and motivating each other to conquer writer’s block. Whether you have a long-term project or want to write for fun, Writer’s Bloc offers a relaxed environment where you’re free to let your creativity shine (with snacks). Follow our Instagram @writersblocscripps and add us on Engage! Family Family is Scripps’ Queer Affinity group. We intend to provide a fun space for queer and allied students to form a community that fosters self-love, acceptance, and support. We commit to supporting our members in every way they need. We also work to challenge our own thinking and work together towards queer liberation in our community and surrounding communities. Follow our Instagram @familyatscripps and add us on Engage! Blend Blend is a club for any students who identify as mixed, multi-cultural, and/ or transracial adoptees. We provide a safe space for those from diverse backgrounds to find community and a place to relate to others' experiences with fun and creative events. We strive to make the college campus a more inclusive space for people who resonate with multiple identities. Follow our Instagram @blendscripps and add us on Engage! Sustainabiliteam Scripps Sustainabiliteam focuses on ways to improve sustainability on campus. This includes advocating for policy changes, planning events, and implementing programs that reduce waste and water/energy usage. Our notable events and projects from last year include a dish drive to return dishes to Malott, collaborating with the Sustainability Office to implement a reusable greenware program for other Scripps CLORGs events, a make-your-own oat milk event, sustainable Halloween trivia, and more! No need to have a background in sustainability, just a desire to make real and lasting change at Scripps. For more information, visit our Instagram @sc.sustainabiliteam or reach out to us at sc.sustainabiliteam@gmail. com. Outdoor Wilderness Leaders Outdoor Wilderness Leaders (OWL) offers Scripps College students opportunities to explore the wilderness and meet women with similar interests. We lead trips across natural areas in LA and beyond, such as Mt. Baldy, Chino Hills, Joshua Tree, and Malibu. OWL’s mission is to provide a supportive environment where all Scripps students can have fun and challenge themselves in a community of people who love the outdoors. We also provide free access to outdoor gear such as tents, sleeping bags, first aid kits, and climbing shoes in Toll 111. Our office hours are Monday through Thursday from 4-6 pm and 7-9 pm. Stop by if you want to rent out
gear or have any questions! Student Garden Club Do you need to touch grass after move-in? Come visit us in the garden! We are a student-run CLORG on campus focused on growing produce and community through gardening, crafting, and cooking events. Whether you like getting your hands dirty or not, the garden has a place for you. Stop by behind Browning Hall to sample a scrumptious strawberry or a snazzy snap pea on Fridays at 10:30 am. Stay tuned for upcoming announcements about garden dinners and drop-in garden hours! If you want to learn more or join our email list, follow us on Instagram @scrippsstudentgarden Love, Your Favorite Gardening Gals Psi Chi Thinking about being a psychology major/minor? Join the Scripps College Psychology Club! We are a chapter of the Psi Chi international honors society (Psi Chi, www.psichi. org), an organization that fosters and recognizes excellence and education in psychology. The mission of Scripps Psi Chi is to cultivate a network of students interested in psychology, with both current students and alumni working in the field. We host events throughout the year that help students choose relevant courses, connect with professors, and gain insight into labs and research opportunities both on and off campus. Additionally, members of SPC have the unique opportunity to be awarded honors through Psi Chi at graduation. To become a member of SPC, you can email us (@sc.psi.chi@gmail. com), follow us on Instagram (@ scrippscollegepsichi), and stay tuned for our first meeting of the year! If you are looking to get involved more closely—even if this is your first year as a member of SPC—keep an eye on your inbox and on Instagram for updates about applications for our Psi Chi Leadership Board. Claremont Cinematic Universe The Claremont Cinematic Universe (CCU) is dedicated to providing femmes and gender non-conforming students with a safe space to discuss all things comics, graphic novels, Marvel and DC, and the superhero genre at large. We recognize that these interests have historically been male-dominated, so we want to analyze and appreciate comics and superhero media through a feminist lens. We host bimonthly meetings consisting of activities like film screenings, community discussions, making your own web fluid, crafting superhero capes, comic book reading parties, superhero TV show watch parties, create your own spidersonas, field trips to conventions (ex. Dream Con, Comic Con), comic book shops (ex. A Shop Called Quest & Cats and Comics Rescue), comic book art exhibits at museums, and more!
100 Things to Do for the 100th Year of Scripps
A Hodge-Podge of Advice from a Senior
Phoebe Bridgers Returns
continued on page 2
1030 Columbia Avenue | Claremont, CA 91711 | @scrippsvoice | scrippsvoice@gmail.com | Volume XXXV | Issue Zero
2 • Feature
SAS Presidential NSPO Speech: Welcome, Class of 2030!
and loved ones who came here today to help students move in; none of this would be possible without you all. My name is Mady Chung Lee, and I’m so happy to be here today on behalf of the student body, welcoming you on your first day of being a Scrippsie. It’s so surreal to be standing on this stage today because I can still remember when I sat at that table right there, just 3 or so years ago, back to my first year. I was still reeling from taking my 70-pound check in suitcases up three flights of stairs – shoutout to those in triples in Frankel/Routt on the third floor – it does get easier. If my memory serves me right, I’m sure some of you guys are absolutely exhausted, nervous, and scared for what’s to come; I know I was. I hope these feelings are equally rivaled with your excitement, anticipation, and readiness for the life that awaits you here at Scripps. My path to Scripps was not conventional; I committed to two different colleges before I committed to Scripps. I was initially waitlisted by Scripps, and wrote numerous emails and a terrible poem to my admissions officer to show why I should be let off the waitlist. By some miracle, I got off the waitlist, but I needed to convince my parents that Scripps was the place for me. I wrote a 10-page paper, outlining my research and plans: I would get
a job at the student-run coffee shop, the Motley, that would give me real-life skills; I would take classes where I was challenged by the interdisciplinary and community-focused methods, and most importantly, I would be surrounded by a tightknit community where I could actually rely on my peers. I can happily say that all of these things came true. Needless to say, I won over my parents and the admissions officers, and I stand here today as proof of one thing: “Incipit vita nova.” “Incipit vita nova” is Latin for “Here begins a new life.” While you will hear this saying more times than you can count during your time at Scripps, I hope that it becomes a spell of sorts for you guys in the same way that it did for me. Scripps has exposed me to the most driven, passionate, and intellectual people that I’ve ever met. Here, you are surrounded by future worldclass artists, academics, activists, doctors, advocates, and changemakers. When I first entered college, I was given two pieces of advice: Surround yourself with people that you want to become like, and say yes to everything. I echo these pieces of advice to you all today. When you surround yourself with people that you aspire to become like, you open yourself to endless possibilities of self-growth and introspection. When you say yes to things you wouldn’t normally say yes to, you build lore, memories, and experiences you never could have imagined, saying yes has allowed me to live many lives here – whether it
was my brief stint in a comedy acapella group, going to Washington D.C. and meeting AOC, or even something as simple as getting the most aggressive tan lines after 5 hours at the pool, you have the world at your fingertips here at Scripps. There truly is no other place like Scripps – you leave your dorm, and see friends picking oranges to make fresh orange juice, talented musicians singing on the lawn, and on any given day, there’s an amazing teach-in or speaker event about the densest and hardest-to-talk-about topics laid out for you to learn easily. One of the greatest privileges that I’ve had thanks to saying yes and surrounding myself with people I hope to be like is joining student government. Here at Scripps, we have the Scripps Associated Students, A.K.A. SAS, a governing board of 20 strong. Throughout your time here at Scripps, I encourage you guys to use us as a resource and entrust us with your ideas to make this campus better – our work spans from advocating to make transit options into LA affordable, hosting nightlife events and parties, working alongside other student governments to ensure that the 5Cs run on fully green energy, to providing support to our vulnerable students in light of new federal policies and laws. While you are at Scripps, I implore you to challenge your predisposed beliefs and understandings about the world we navigate, and especially do this alongside your peers. We live in unprecedented times of
difficulty and uncertainty. But Scripps connections will last a lifetime, and will find you in the most random of places as you navigate this uncertainty. Most recently, I spent my summer interning in New York, and I was lost walking down the street when I ran into three Scripps alumni, some familiar, and some not so familiar, but it blossomed into a 10-minutelong conversation with plans for a meal all together. Scripps teaches you how to seek familiarity in the unfamiliarity, and vice versa. Foster the connections with the people you meet here, and challenge yourself. Take the new life that begins here and grab it by the reins. Your next four years here will feel both like a lifetime and a blink of the eye at the same time, but utilize what you learn to make this world better, and lead, Scripps strong. I promise, the steps you take to lead here will transfer in insurmountable ways when you enter the real world. So utilize Scripps as a launching pad. Host events with friends, start a new club, take a class in a discipline you’ve never heard of before, and become comfortable in navigating the uncomfortable. This is a special year in Scripps history: 100 years of Scripps, the centennial. As you guys become a part of this history, remember, “Incipit vita nova.” Your new life begins here, and it begins now. I cannot wait to see the lives that you guys build alongside one another. Thank you.
continued from page 1 We regularly host giveaways for superhero plushies, LEGO sets, and other fun prizes. It doesn’t matter if you’re a cinephile, bookworm, artsy, or just here for the vibes; we promise that CCU has something for you! We have collaborated with the Motley as well as other CLORGS such as Babes and Blankets. Be sure to follow our Instagram @scrippsccu for more updates and contact us at @scrippsccu@gmail.com. We hope to see you soon! Cheese Club Scripps Cheese Club aims to bring together the Scripps community with our shared love of cheese. We want to facilitate a welcoming space where Scrippsies can enjoy cheese together and get to know others who also have an interest and love for cheese. We host monthly meetings, typically in Toll, where we pro-
vide a full charcuterie board. We are looking forward to collaborating with all the different CLORGS, as well as hopefully starting field trips! Be sure to follow our Instagram @scripps_cheese and Engage for more updates, and contact us at scripps.cheese@gmail. com. We hope to see you at our first meeting! Claremont Foxes Rugby Football Club The Claremont Foxes are a 5C-wide D1 women’s rugby club team. *The club is 5C, but we are including it since its participants are overwhelmingly Scrippsies and have majority Scripps leadership. We provide an inclusive, warm, active community and a competitive space for students. Members develop new physical capabilities, collaboration skills, and leadership abilities. All experience levels are welcome! You can find us on Instagram @
claremontfoxesrugby or email us at claremontfoxesrugby@ gmail.com. While they did not respond to our email to be featured in this article, TSV still has much love for our other fellow Scripps CLORGs. So, in addition to those highlighted above, here are some other amazing groups you can join so Scripps starts and continues to feel like home. So branch out, try new things! The world of Scripps College awaits! Additional Scripps CLORGs this year: American Sign Language Club, Asian American Sponsor Program, Asian American Student Union, Babes and Blankets, Book Club, Café con Leche, Casual Swim Club, Economics Society, Ink & Empathy, La Semeuse, Ocean Initiative Club, Plant Futures Initiative, Pre-Law Society, Questbridge Charter, Scripps Athenas Club, Scripps International Commu-
nity, Watu Weusi, and First-Gen Club. Complete list of 5C CLORGs can be found at engage.claremont.edu/engage/organizations.
By Mady Chung Lee ’27 Staff Writer
elcome, Scripps College W class of 2030! And welcome to the friends, family,
Club Feature Continued
TSV Editorial Staff 2026-2027 Charlotte Korer ’27 Editor-in-Chief Clara Ann Bagnoli ’28 Editor-in-Chief Louisa Chiriboga ’29 Copy Editor Phoebe Schwab ’29 Copy Editor Yeneisy Morocho ’29 Copy Editor Hannah Fawley ’27 Head Design Editor Anna Grez ’27 Design Editor Ava Li ’29 Design Editor
28 August 2026 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XXXV • Issue Zero
Opinion • 3
A Crier’s Guide to Scripps By Phoebe Schwab ’29 Copy Editor
the first to come out Ia’llandlot.besay it: freshman year is Aside from the obvious
weight of leaving your family, your hometown, and everything you’ve known, you also begin to deal with the challenges that arise when everyone around you is transitioning as well. Whether it is the friendship drama that blows up in the first two weeks or your first bad grade on an assignment, my clear guess is that you will cry at least once while at Scripps. The question is, where? Now, you’re talking to the queen of crying. If it weren’t for my Zoloft, campus would be a swamp of my tears. Lucky for you, I feel incredibly little shame from this quirk of mine. As I settle into my sophomore year, I bestow upon you my wonderful list of the best crying corners at Scripps. Best all-around The courtyard to the left of Denison Library’s doors, inside the little green gates, is perhaps my favorite place to cry. There is a singular bench, preventing other crying people from sitting with you. The gate also closes so you can ward off unwanted visitors. Any time of day, it is usually vacant and ready for your tears. In my first year, I found myself sobbing to Adrianne Lenker and making shadow puppets on the wall. In addition, I would like to add any shower as a good place to cry. The running water will drown out the sounds of your crying, and no one will be able to see the tears on your face when you get out. Complete and pure anonymity. It’s also a two-birds-one-stone situation; now you’re clean and emotionally adjusted! Bonus points if you muster up the courage to play some sad music in there. Just please, empty the drain when you’re done. If you’re feeling risky Sometimes crying is a game of Russian Roulette, and maybe you’re just so sad that you don’t care who sees you. If you’ve reached this point, which we all have at one time or another, I highly suggest the Tiernan Field House Wellness Room. At noon on a weekday, it’s usually empty, and it comes with mad perks! Either take in the views of the pool from the window, play with the Playdough stashed in the shelves, stare at the mini waterfall, or relax in the massage chair. Many diary entries of mine have been written in Tiernan, and, dare I say, a fair amount of them turned out slightly optimistic! Is the Tiernan Wellness Room magic? The dorm courtyards are also a well-loved option for this game of roulette. While I would advise against the GJW courtyard, as it’s usually packed with students in the kitchen, blocking the entry to your crying destination, the other courtyards are usually empty, depending on the time of your breakdown. The same goes for living rooms, but beware of the acoustics. For crying on the phone with your parents The curb behind Kimberly Hall, across from the pool, is my personal favorite for upset phone calls, but I’m slightly biased as a Kimberly resident alumna. Beware that the win-
Phoebe Schwab ’29 • The Scripps Voice
dows of Kimberly are quite thin, so you need to keep it down for residents. Additionally, there have been a few times where people have come up to me asking if I’m okay. I never said that it was a private location, just good for phone calls. The second best option, or first, depending on your preference, is your dorm if your roommates are gone. Again, the issue of thin walls gets in your way, but if you keep it to an acceptable decibel, it shouldn’t be a problem. My favorite effect of this crying spot is that it adds to the homey feeling you’re trying to achieve in your dorm. Is a house even a home if it hasn’t been cried in? Are you willing to be quiet and follow rules? Sometimes the best crying spaces are, coincidentally, the greatest study spaces. I tended to gravitate toward these options because nobody pays attention to you there unless, of course, you make noise. My favorite quiet crying spot is Denison Library. Although I never entered Denison intending to cry last year, an overloaded schedule or a frustrating course registration would usually result in me leaving the library gates with swollen eyes. I find that if you put your head down, in the arms of your sweater, and leave your computer or book open, people think you’re just having
an intense study break. But, as a lover of the library for actually getting work done as well, I beg that you keep the sniffling to a minimum. As a lover of old books and archival materials, keep your hands and tears to yourself. Do not get anything on those precious books. Before I reveal the second location in this category, I must set the record straight that I take zero responsibility for your decisions. You cry where you cry; just don’t do anything stupid. I will say it once, and never again: any empty unlocked room without a no-trespassing sign. I’m talking empty classrooms that aren’t locked at night, practice rooms below Garrison, the meeting rooms in the Student Union; the world is your oyster, or, more so, the campus is your catalogue of places to be sad! Be smart, be quiet, and most of all, be ready to give whoever shows up telling you to leave the most convincing sob story of your life. They’ll probably feel bad for you. This does NOT pertain to unlocked dorm rooms. Don’t be a freak. If you want the full Scripps experience I would put money on the fact that every single Scrippsie has cried in Margaret Fowler Garden at least once in their time here. There is nothing more quintessentially Scripps than sitting on the concrete benches and sob-
bing your brains out as you take in the beautiful surroundings. I will admit, there have been a few cries so dire that I ended up in the chapel, seriously considering religion. One of my clearest freshman memories was kneeling on the chapel bench after my first advisor meeting, praying that I would be happy. I am not a religious person. As I said, freshman year is hard. The two courtyards near Balch Hall, Eucalyptus Court and Sycamore Court, work great at night, once the professors and administration have all gone home (probably to cry as well). Now when your parents visit, you can finally retire the trite fun fact that “A part of Bird Box was filmed in this courtyard!”, and change it to, “I reconsidered my entire life’s purpose in this courtyard!” They’ll be so pleased. “But Phoebe, won’t you need them?! Why aren’t you gatekeeping?” First of all, wow. I’ve listed eight options. I don’t cry all the time. Second of all, I do not intend to cry as much this year. Will update. And, if worst comes to worst, and I need to return to one of the crying corners that I’ve listed for you today, and it seems to be occupied by a homesick/ angry/confused/upset/PMSing freshman, I vow to flash a smile, give them a nod, and turn my crying ass around. They probably need it more than I do.
28 August 2026 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XXXV • Issue Zero
COLU
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100 Things to Do for th By Clara Ann Bagnoli ’28 Editor-in-Chief
S
o you’ve found yourself at paradise on Earth? Congratulations and welcome; we’ve been waiting for you all summer, and we’re so glad you‘re finally here! Now that NSPO week is over, some of the reality may be setting in: this is a new chapter of your life. Goodbye to the days of living with family and hello to two strangers from states you’ve never been to. Goodbye bubble baths and hello shower shoes. Goodbye old friends and hello new friends. We know that being a first year is hard; we have all been there. Whether you‘re an international student or grew up in Claremont, there is still a big transition. When I was a first year, the Scripps Voice (Juliette Des Rosiers ’26, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus) compiled a list of 50 bucket-list items to guide the first-year canon experiences. Seeing this pasted in people‘s dorms was a fun way to suss out what people were doing, who they were, and made me feel a lot more normal about crying that first night in my dorm. So, without further ado, I present the extended freshmen bucket list: 100 items for Scripps’ centennial year. ☐ Cry first night in the dorm ☐ Make first week friends in your NSPO group ☐ Skip NSPO programming to tan at the pool ☐ Sign The Book in Denison at Matriculation ☐ Sing “California Gurls” or “Life is a Highway” at the Matriculation dance ☐ Gain 100+ Instagram followers in a week ☐ Go to Wednesday Tea ☐ Go to SAS Sunday snack ☐ Join a Scripps CLORG ☐ Choose to join the Frisbee team or Rugby team (the only binary that exists at Scripps) ☐ Have a crush on someone the first month, and they become your best friend ☐ Have a dramatic falling out with your roommates ☐ Buy a ton of new clothes and reinvent your style ☐ Bleach your hair / or eyebrows ☐ Get a piercing that makes your mom scared that California has changed you (I.E., eyebrow piercing, lip ring, tongue, belly button, septum) ☐ Have an intense two-week love bombing relationship but then never see them again ☐ Watch the sunset from the Schow roof ☐ Meet someone from the Bay Area ☐ Meet so many people from New York you wonder if some of them are lying and are actually from Westchester ☐ Meet someone from your state you have mutuals with ☐ Realize that your Core A experience is vastly different from your friend’s, either for good or for worse ☐ Avoid the creepy senior men who only go for first-years ☐ Wait in the Sunday Malott avocado toast line for more than ten minutes ☐ Transition from using a backpack to a tote bag ☐ Fall victim to the Claremont Crawl (trademarked for when your friendgroup pregames and hops around the 5Cs in hopes of a fun party) ☐ Hook up with someone in the Browning Tower ☐ Paint a bird in the Browning Tower ☐ Take a weird random class that will help you in no way (let’s be honest here) ☐ Get jump scared by a man in Tiernan (and then work on deconstructing internalized cisheteronormative gender essentialism) ☐ Get jump scared by a male professor in Tiernan (and then work on lifting heavier than them) ☐ Go to a party that has less than five people ☐ Get the freak flu (trademarked) ☐ Go to SHS (Student Health Services) ☐ Decide you never want to go to SHS again ☐ Start a fight in the dorm GroupMe ☐ Find Professor Adam Novy’s Instagram devoted to his cats ☐ Go to the Writing Center! ☐ Have a crush on your Writing Center tutor ☐ Make up a nickname for your favorite campus celebrity ☐ Have said campus celebrity catch on to the nickname ☐ Eat pasta at McConnell for dinner on Saturday ☐ Have a drunk interaction with your NSPO leader ☐ Go to Frank Sunday brunch for sushi ☐ Go back for seconds when Malott has acai on Saturdays ☐ Clean (someone’s? Your?) hair out of the shower drain ☐ Read all the books for Core A cover to cover (or don’t) ☐ Spend a whole day at the pool when you “should” be studying (it’s good to take a break sometimes!) ☐ Cry from homesickness/a bad grade/a bad day (It happens! It will be okay!) ☐ Go to the Sixth Street “rivalry” football game ☐ Poop in a single-stall, gender-neutral dorm bathroom (Nuke the gender nu)
28 August 2026 • The Scripps Vo
UMN
he 100th Year of Scripps ☐ ‘Bush Push’ your friend (trademarked) ☐ Go to an improv show ☐ Pick a preferred improv group ☐ Take someone’s laundry out of the machine less than five minutes after the timer goes off ☐ Catch someone taking YOUR laundry out of the machine less than five minutes after the timer goes off ☐ Go to a teach-in/study-in to engage with newly formed values ☐ Decide on a roommate for next year and then get dropped by said roommate (dodged a bullet here) ☐ Buy a Jellycat at the Grove ☐ Have a nervous breakdown selecting your room for next year ☐ Get assigned a terrible class registration time and watch the classes you want fill up ☐ Walk to the farmers market and buy nothing ☐ Make a survey on your dorm door whiteboard ☐ Submit a PERM ☐ Lie in your PERM ☐ Have your PERM accepted (congrats!) ☐ Have your PERM ignored ☐ Have your PERM not simply ignored but rejected (how dare they!) ☐ Take a class that reorganizes how you think about the world ☐ Change what you want your major to be ☐ Almost step on a Scripps squirrel as it runs across the path in front of you ☐ Have beef with a squirrel that shakes leaves on your table in Seal Court ☐ Fall in love with a senior and try to convince her age is just a number (if she’s normal, she’ll reject you) ☐ Pick fresh fruit from the trees around campus ☐ Find the more hidden kumquat trees once all the ripe ones are gone ☐ Find a cigarette in Star Court ☐ Find a condom on Green Beach ☐ Run into an ex-something in a dining hall ☐ Wait thirty minutes in line for a Motley drink ☐ Be late to class waiting for a Motley drink ☐ Win a Rose Toy at Sex Week trivia ☐ Get Fizzed about ☐ Go Fizz viral ☐ Make a friend from each 5C! ☐ Make an enemy from each 5C! ☐ Get merch from the Scripps store ☐ Have a shower party with friends: entails blasting music, sharing products, and every stall filled ☐ Spend way too much money on a niche Halloween costume you have to explain ☐ Go down the Browning slide ☐ Have a barbecue in the Toll garden ☐ Get an on-campus job and have it consume your time and personality ☐ Feel more comfortable in who you are ☐ Go to a Quegger ☐ Go to Mudd Cage fights ☐ Go down the waterslide at Pirate Party ☐ Go to Harvey Mudd trampoline ☐ Realize some of these people will be in your wedding ☐ Get your first B on an assignment and question everything ☐ Wait to pack until the morning of your flight ☐ Write an article for the Scripps Voice ☐ Finish your first year of college!
oice • Volume XXXV • Issue Zero
5
6 • Opinion
A Hodge-Podge of Advice From a Senior
By Anna Grez ’27 Design Editor
A
fter three long years, I am ripe with insider information pertinent to making the most of Claremont, and I believe that it is my duty to share. Here is a collection of information that I, with the help of my lovely friends, deem useful for new and returning students at the Claremont Colleges. Although I just said the goal of this article is to make the most of Claremont, I will ironically begin by telling you about all of the ways you can leave. If you don’t have a car on campus, do not fret! Public transport here is amazing. Really. Do not fear the metro or the buses (beyond reasonable wariness). There are five Foothill Transit bus lines running through Claremont. As a 5C student, you ride free! Check out Connections at the Claremont Colleges Library, commonly referred to as Honnold/Mudd (that’s the big one!), to get access to Class Pass. Buses run more frequently than the trains do, but require more line changes, so make sure to use Google or Apple Maps to figure out your route beforehand. The Metrolink San Bernardino train line, located in the beautiful Claremont Village (only a 20-minute walk from Scripps), runs from the Claremont station east to the University of Redlands and west to L.A. Union Station, where you can transfer to another line within L.A. The train schedule differs on weekdays and weekends, but, generally, with a bit of planning ahead, it can get you anywhere within the L.A. area. That being said, trains stop running fairly early in the night, around 9 p.m., heading east back to Claremont. If you are headed into L.A. for a concert, it’s common to Uber back to campus. Coordinate with other 5C students to split the cost! On that note, if you are flying into Ontario International Airport, ask one of the other young, slightly worried-looking people at baggage claim if they want to split an Uber to the Claremont Colleges. Once people around you hear that you’re looking to share a ride, they will be tripping over themselves to get in on it. Everyone else wants to save those $15 too! Speaking of cheap ways to get around, via Pomona Valley Transportation Authority, you can register online to access $2.50 Ubers to transport you within the boundaries of Claremont. Save money where you can! On cooler days, walk to Trader Joe’s rather than Ubering. Take advantage of living in a walkable community while you’re here. Now, let’s talk about packing lists. There are a few items I found myself without during my freshman year, and while none of these will make or break your time at Scripps, I have certainly gotten good use out of them. My first recommendation: a pool towel. Mine has two epic tigers on it. Also, have at least one swimsuit on hand. I didn’t start going to the pool regularly until my sophomore year
Charlotte Korer ’27 • The Scripps Voice – start taking advantage of Scripps’ beautiful heated, salt-water pool as soon as you can. You can check out goggles from Tiernan’s front desk if you find yourself needing some! It is great to have a blanket dedicated to lounging around outside. Jaqua Lawn is a classic spot for sunbathing, playing guitar with friends, and completing Core A reading. Pro tip: on Wednesdays, if you wear green, you can spin the wheel at the ResLife booth outside of Malott and potentially win a pretty plaid Scripps-branded blanket. While you draft a text home asking for a beach towel and old blanket, you might as well ask for a few sweaters and a pair of warm pants. If you only packed summer clothes for your semester here, you are not alone, but be warned: despite the sweltering heat of August, Claremont will get chilly as the year progresses. At some point, it will start pouring rain, and you’ll find yourself wondering if the flooded roads will ever be dry again. Throw an umbrella or rain coat on your list while you’re at it. Academically, the most important advice I can give is to use everyone’s resources. You may be attending Scripps College, but you are not limited to only what Scripps offers you. While taking classes offcampus, you will have access to that school’s relevant resources. Take advantage of the Pomona Writing Center, use CMC’s Murty Sunak Quantitative and Computing Lab (QCL) when you are forced to take physics, and attend free tutoring at Pitzer’s Fletcher Jones Language and Culture Resource Center while completing your foreign language requirement. Also, use all of the creative spaces sprawled across the five colleges! Take your homework to Pomona’s design center, the Hive, and work on calculus while snuggled into a cozy nook. Head to Harvey Mudd’s Makerspace and learn how to sew and use power tools! You can even apply to work at these places. Use Handshake to look for job openings at the 5Cs – you will be surprised at how many opportunities there are to earn your work-study aid or make some extra money. The Claremont Consortium has so much to offer! Attend events at the other schools! CMC’s Atheneum
(A.K.A. the “Ath”) hosts speakers four days a week. You can sign up to attend a speaker’s program online, and boom, you’ve got dinner and a show (of sorts) for free. Keep an eye out for Ath talks that you find interesting and relevant, or attend a random speaker’s talk for fun. Be sure to attend Scripps Presents talks as well (and then write articles about them for TSV!). The tried-and-true method to getting comfortable at the 5Cs is easier than you might imagine: Wander around the campuses! At any point, something fantastic could be right around the corner, waiting to be discovered. I have come across free goat yoga at Walker Beach at CMC simply by going on a stroll one morning. The only way to be in the right place at the right time is to go somewhere. While exploring, check out the cafes and dining spots of the other campuses (but be sure to check each spot’s hours before!). The “Flex” money attached to your meal plan is waiting to be spent on snacks at CMC’s Hub, late-night boba from Milk & Honey’s pop-up at Pomona’s Café 47, or a pancake breakfast at the Grove House at Pitzer. After a night out, grab popcorn chicken from Mudd’s Jay’s Place, grab a study-motivating drink at the Coop at Pomona, or use your meal swipe (yes, you can forgo the Flex/ Claremont Cash and use one of your swipes – this also applies to the Hub!) at the Shakedown Café near the Pitzer pool. All of that exploring will be tiring, so be sure to refuel with a drink at Scripps’ coffeeshop, the Motley – a big thank you to the Motley for not charging extra for alternative milk! If you fear you are running low on Flex, you can check your balance and add Claremont Cash to your account by heading to the “Card Services” tab on The Claremont College Services website – just a note, Flex’s official name is “Board Plus”. Eat at all of the dining halls the 5Cs have to offer. Scripps’s Malott is convenient, pretty, and typically has at least one good meal on the menu at any given time. However, it gets pretty crowded for lunch (especially as the clock nears 12:15 – after classes get out, expect lengthy waits in line and an overwhelming,
crowded atmosphere). Luckily, there are five other dining halls to check out. Use the 5C Menu app to preview what is being offered at each. On Saturday, I always brunch at Pitzer’s McConnell. The omelet bar, juice options, and delicious slop bowl options keep me and my friends coming back every week. Malott’s Sunday avocado toast is delicious – pile your bagel with mashed avocado, onions, lox, and arugula. Grab a side of chia pudding and fresh berries. Honorable mention to Pomona’s Frary and Frank for their brunch options. I will ride-or-die for Malott breakfast. Are the options particularly great? No. Is it worth it to have some mediocre food while relaxing in sunny Seal Court, watching the turtles perch on their ledges and the squirrels sneaking food off of the plate of a man who abandoned his things for two minutes while running inside for a coffee refill? Absolutely. Pitzer has arguably better options, though, and offers patio dining as well. Some favorite meals offered at the dining halls are, in no particular order: McConnell’s poke bowls, “Farm to Frank” at Pomona’s Frank, Mongolian stir-fry at CMC’s Collins, Malott’s surf and turf/baked potato night, Bao buns at Harvey Mudd’s Hoch-Shanahan (“Hoch”), the burrito bar and post-dinner yogurt bowls at Frary, and the fresh chocolate chip cookies served occasionally at Malott’s pizza bar (I acknowledge this is not a meal but they deserved a mention). If you are new to Scripps and feeling overwhelmed, lost, or scared, talk to your classmates about it. The beginning of freshman year is scary, but there are hundreds of people going through the same things you are right now. People will never again be as excited to make a friend as they are right now: invite your classmates, roommates, and clubmates on your adventures! If you’re feeling in need of some quiet and relaxation as you’re settling in, check out the wellness room at Tiernan Field House. Relax in the massage chairs, and play around with the zen garden and playdough. It will all be ok. And that concludes this nonexhaustive list of advice. Enjoy the next four years!
28 August 2026 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XXXV • Issue Zero
Column • 7
“We Share a Name!”: Phoebe Bridgers Returns
By Phoebe Schwab ’29 Copy Editor
I
share a first name with Phoebe Bridgers—I’m getting that fact out of the way as soon as possible. As an angsty 15-year-old, a friend suggested I listen to “Moon Song” off of Bridgers’ 2020 release Punisher. One could say it blew my mind, leading me to read an article dissecting the lyrics of the song. The author explained that the Greek word “phoebus” is often associated with the moon, and in some long and winding way, they explained that when she sings, “And if I could give you the moon, I would give you the moon,” she claims that if she could give herself to her lover, she would. It was through that article that I fell in love with Phoebe Bridgers, my gateway drug into lyricism. From then on, things spiraled. I realized my glow-in-the-dark spaceship bedsheets from childhood were the same sheets owned by Bridgers herself (and, might I add, stolen by Gracie Abrams for her tour stage. I could delve deeper, but I urge you to watch a TikTok about it instead). So, like many a Scrippsie, I eagerly awaited the drop of her third studio album, Lost Weekend. Releasing on Aug. 14th, 2026, Lost Weekend birthed 16 songs, macraméing an intricate web of love, grief, aging, and self-reckoning. The album feels like the last night you have at home before leaving for college, sitting on the porch steps with a friend, fearing the precipice you stand on. There are so many similes I can conjure up for you, but rather than listing them, I will just stress that the emotional effect of this album is practically tangible. Bridgers does nothing better than setting a scene, perhaps one that makes you want to rip your guts out, one by one. Standing out upon first listen, “Governor’s Waltz” paints an image so vivid and palpable that you can’t help but wrap yourself into each
lyric. To be completely honest, I was sold from the first mention of Shelley Duvall, but the chorus is what keeps you returning to the song: “So, let’s see how long we can go without touching/Why don’t you sing me to sleep?/I know you’d never actually think about jumping/But do it for me.” It also holds the lyric regarding her alleged feud with Gracie Abrams, but once again, I urge you to go find a TikTok about it. Lost Weekend, although full of equally devastating lyrics, actually stands out from Bridgers’ first two studio albums with its collection of surprisingly upbeat songs. “Bobby” and “Haunted” are absolutely genius songs that feature a tempo relatively stranger to her previous discography. “Bobby” is the first explicit love song on the album, about Bridgers’ current boyfriend and fellow musician, Bo Burnham. While we could all make arguments that the album is riddled with love songs, there is no denying the point-blank: “Bobby, this could be the end of wanting”. I mean, come on. “Haunted,” one of my personal favorites, details Bridgers’ life while on tour with her band, boygenius, and dealing with immense grief, feeling untethered from her past self. And, while the lyrics are quite heart-wrenching, they’re also painfully optimistic. She doesn’t plan on shedding the pain that’s been burdening her; she plans to step forward with it. Throughout the bridge, with vocal backing from her bandmates and friends Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker, “I’m gonna put myself together/You can go, or you can stay/I’m gonna put myself together either way.” But I think even more powerful than those direct and unmasked lyrics are the ones that follow it: “You won’t have to open a heart that’s broken/Water’s gonna flow in either way/My heart is rolling either way.” As Bridgers navigates the death of her father, a tumultuous relationship that has been the subject of many songs on previous albums, she be-
Photo courtesy of Bandcamp gins to understand the permeable state that her heart now seems to be set in. It is open for everyone to see, both in these lyrics and in her life, and while it’s strange and confusing and, honestly, quite terrifying, it’s also given her the things she has come to cherish most. Love is a double-edged sword, but it depends on the direction in which you swing it. Ironically, the song that has captivated me most in Lost Weekend is the shortest track on the album, running for only a minute and 42 seconds. “Never Going Back!” is an indescribable genius, take it or leave it. I don’t expect everyone to feel similarly, but hey, this is my article. You know the ambiguous image of the duck or the hare, depending on how you look at it? “Never Going Back!” is just that. The only lyrics in the song loop over an aggressive acoustic guitar: “Never going back again/The way it used to be is not the way that it is.” Upon first listen, I took this as a devastating song. Nothing in my life will ever sit static. There is nothing strong enough to take me back to the times in my life I would love to return to; even the memory of it doesn’t satiate
my hunger; its colors are not vivid enough. Due to my pessimistic and existentialist nature, I never considered the fact that these lyrics could be inherently happy. But, truly, they are! I’m never going back again! The way it used to be is not the way that it is! Almost like “War is Over” by John Lennon. Bad times are past, and no force dark enough could return me to what once was! Yes, I cry at the fact that nothing in my life will ever sit static, but I also rejoice at the same idea! It returns to the double-edged sword of “Haunted;” age, much like love, can be whatever you want it to be. I will add that “Never Going Back!” does end with a voicemail from Bridgers’ deceased father, starting with, “Hey Phoebe, it’s your dad”, as a banjo strums over it. Now, there are many reasons as to why this strikes me down time and time again, but I will leave it at the fact that I am a resident whore for the banjo and an owner of the name Phoebe. Phoebe Bridgers, you have, once again, outdone yourself. I thank you for spilling your soul into a perfectly curated album. Cheers to sharing a name.
for the executive board of TSV, I remember mentioning, as both a journalist and non-minority, the importance of listening, so I invite anyone and everyone to hold myself to these aforementioned standards and voice any concerns you have with our leadership; I promise to listen. This year presents uncertainty with staff and faculty turnover, the Centennial plan, changes to the Motley and Scripps Store leadership, and–to bring this back to yours truly–hundreds of miles of distance between myself and campus. During times of uncertainty, lean into what you know to be true. We may be a small paper, but I would argue this is a perk since you will not be overshadowed by a gigantic masthead of staff writers or talked down to by a male copy editor or restricted by Pomona administration or rushed during a weekly production schedule. Did we mention we’re hiring…? If you have ever been called too loud, too aggressive, too opinionated, too bossy, too woke, too politically involved, too difficult, or too much,
then you’re probably a lot like me. But these insults become assets during production nights in the Student Union and story planning meetings in the SCORE Living Room, while writing an Op-Ed or satire article on my Mac and conducting an interview in Seal Court. Contrary to popular belief, the news is, in fact, very subjective. Objectivity and truth are not synonyms. We can be factual and empathetic; we can be informed and reasonable; we can be journalists, but most of all, we can be students. Students who have friends they are reporting about, who have classes they need to balance, who have lived experience influencing their perspective, who have blind spots and can sometimes make mistakes. Being a student journalist is an honor and a privilege, and with this opportunity, I hope to uphold the values in TSV’s mission. In joining The Scripps Voice, I found my voice, and I hope you can find yours too.
A Letter From One of Your 2026-2027 Editors-in-Chief By Clara Ann Bagnoli ’28 Editor-in-Chief
D
ear Scripps College Community, I would like to start this issue with a preface to highlight our goals for the upcoming year. A bit of an introduction: my name is Clara Ann Bagnoli, and I am a junior majoring in Writing & Rhetoric and Spanish. This is my third year on the Scripps Voice, and I constantly kick myself for not joining earlier. Over the summer, I began my career in professional journalism as a reporting and production intern at The Northeastern Newspaper in Minnesota’s Twin Cities, where I hail from. I will be studying abroad in Seville, Spain for the fall. I am deeply saddened by the reality of missing a semester of articles, parties, Motley drama, and most importantly, meeting all the members of the class of 2030 and transfers, but I will make my appearances in a column every so often. This letter serves as a bit of a sneak peek for what that column may entail. Picking up from where our darling
EICs from the 2025-2026 academic year left off in their goodbye letter: “As the last surviving, regularly printed 1C newspaper, we remain committed to representing and uplifting student voices, and reaffirm the importance of Scripps students speaking for themselves, especially at an HWC.” To reiterate their point, our autonomy as a Scripps-only paper is our advantage. I do not claim, nor wish to speak for all Scripps students, but I do hope that for the coming semesters I can do my best to articulate and amplify the voices of any and all Scripps students that wish to be heard. TSV’s website states that part of our mission is our commitment to intersectional feminist discourse. And while the terms ‘intersectional’ and ‘feminist’ may be oversaturated in media, Scripps College advertising, and your future course curriculum, that does not mean that the sentiment of equality and unconditional inclusion has eroded. It is our duty to hold ourselves to a higher standard in order to combat the internal biases that our experiences have formed. When I applied
XO, Clara Ann
28 August 2026 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XXXV • Issue Zero
8 • Column
Back to School, Back to Pseudoscience Phoebe Schwab ’29 Copy Editor Yo u ’ v e s p e n t t h e e n t i r e summer worrying about your transition into college, but it all seemed to be a waste of tears! Look at you, starting anew and taking this major change like a boss! (March 21 – April 19) Or, dare I say, like an Athena! Does she do change well?
Sometimes
all
You seem to be breezing through orientation
and who can blame you?
week!
remember that other
that is comfortable. I
people are adapting
know these weeks
at their own pace,
but trust in me when I say it will work out (April 20 - May 20)
as needed. Soon these
halls will be your second home!
Sweet Leo, you seem to be
change and uncertainty
bouncing off the walls
m a n i f e s t s i n a n g e r,
with excitement and
but
beware
how
you
express
it.
creativity as you settle
(if I have any fans…?),
screaming in Seal Court is not socially acceptable. Take a deep breath, Cancer. It’ll all work out.
very slow. Show those around you immense grace; try to lighten their load.
two, or three! Get as
involved as possible and share your excellence with your peers!
terrifying! And, speaking
a good read on you this
from experience, don’t bottle
issue. Still, I could never,
it all up and swallow your
in good conscience,
sadness; it will only resurface
leave you with an “Ask
at the most inconvenient
again later”. I’m getting
time. Head to my other
the sense that you’re just (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21)
as confused as I am. That’s
) 21 c. De
Magic 8 ball, I can’t get
(Aug. 23 - Sept. 22)
– 22 ov. (N
Hmm. As your resident
This change is absolutely
article and let yourself be sad.
that pace is very, (M ay 21 -J un e2 0)
a favor and join a club, or
Hey now! It’s okay to cry!
(Sept. 23 - Oct. 22)
and sometimes
into college. Do yourself (July 23 – Aug. 22)
this is great for you, try to
All that is familiar is all
this
previous horoscopes
While
have been hard on you,
As mentioned in (June 21 - July 22)
You miss your family,
The pressure of being the perfect child is finally lifted, but this doesn’t mean you should rebel too hard! Have as much fun as you can without getting transported to the emergency room. You’ve always been intelligent; don’t star t making d u m b d e c i s i o n s n o w.
Somebody’s already over these first few weeks. I’m ready for fall as much as the next Halloweenloving Scrippsie, but that doesn’t mean I’d advise you to ignore the present! Fall will come soon; make sure to take a dip in the pool while you still can.
alright; take your time and figure out who you are at Scripps.
The Scripps architecture is beautiful, but I
Whoa there, big spender! Flex
Repeat after me: your dorm
fear deeply for your
is awesome, I get it. Still,
does not have to be perfectly
p h o n e ’s s t o r a g e .
t h a t d o e s n’ t m e a n y o u
cohesive. Remember that
Maybe save some
should be spending your
you’re sharing a space
space for photos
life savings in Board Plus
with two other students,
of your new friends
on quesadillas from the
and odds are, you don’t
and Freshman year
Hub. Wait until the Motley
all have the same style!
opens; your mind will
Allow your dorm to be a
be absolutely blown. I pray for your wallet.
beautiful hodgepodge of
(Dec. 22 – Jan.19)
hijinks, rather than yet another photo of
the fountain in Margaret Fowler Garden.
(Jan. 20 – Feb. 18)
(Feb. 19 – March 20)
28 August 2026 • The Scripps Voice • Volume XXXV • Issue Zero
your differing personhoods.