The Scripps Voice

By Priya Srivats ‘13
Food Columnist

Let me tell you about a restaurant I’ve been waiting to eat at for ages—Bäco Mercat. Bäco’s reputation precedes it, as not many restaurants are based around an entirely new type of dish, but crazy successful as well.

Bäco joins the long list of Los Angeles restaurants that focus on small plates and family style eating, so we ordered everything as a group; the food comes out as it’s ready, and we found the wait between items perfectly timed—short and sweet.

Photo by Priya Srivats ’13

The beet salad and fresh burrata came out first. The beet salad was light, refreshing and perfectly balanced, easily making it one of the highlights of the meal for me. But with every restaurant in LA now carrying a burrata salad, it’s tough competition out there, and sadly I found myself wishing for more traditional flavor combinations on the plate, instead of the smoked paprika and pickled vegetables.

Next was the tomato coca. While this was delicious, we wished that we had opted for the other vegetarian option (mushroom) so we would have had a more traditional textural experience, as opposed to the double crispy base.

The spaghetti squash and farro with wild mushrooms were next, and easily my two favorite dishes of the night. I’ve been wanting to try spaghetti squash for an unreasonably long time, and I was not disappointed by Bäco’s slightly sweet rendition. The farro reminded me of one of my favorite dishes in LA—the Israeli couscous with mushrooms and shallots from Joan’s on Third (my go-to when I worked on Melrose). It had deep, earthy tones that can only come from a combination of grains soaked in delicious homemade stock and really, really good mushrooms, and was definitely the fastest dish to disappear off the table.

The crispy surf clams were the only real disappointment of the night. It’s never great to consume a very large amount of deep fried batter and not much filling, but especially when you’ve paid $16 for the dish. Skip.

Finally, after a plethora of delightful flavour combinations and enough food to fill us up, came the bäcos. The flatbread was light and soft, with a perfectly buttery crisped exterior, and filled to the brim with meat, sauce and greens. Surprisingly, I preferred the more delicate flavors that the small plates had to offer however, the bäco is absolutely delicious and definitely not to be missed.

After nearly two hours of eating and drinking, we somehow found room for dessert, also delicious (unsurprising, since at this point I’ve come to expect nothing less than mind-blowing from Bäco). Bäco is yet another DTLA gem, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for bold flavors, unique combinations and overall just damn good food, plain and simple.

By Stephanie Huang ’16
Fashion Columnist

With wave after wave of blogging websites emerging, fashion blogs these days are not uncommon. However, what is uncommon is The Coveteur, created by best friends Erin Kleinberg and Stephanie Mark, a blog dedicated to revealing what makes the people of fashion (including bloggers) who they are—their closets. The Coveteur showcases covetable clothes, accessories, artwork, and quirky collectibles that make fashion stars who they are. Though it seems promising, Coveteur has recently fallen into relying upon commercial practices that perhaps jeopardize the original intentions and integrity of the website.

Photos by Stephanie Huang ’16

Two best friends, Kleinberg and Mark, feel that someone’s closet is a window into what the person is like. The site’s motto is a quote from designer Dries Van Noten: “It’s more interesting to have just a picture of a small detail—then you can dream all the rest around it. Because when you see the whole thing, what is there to imagine?”

“We love street-style blogs, but we wanted to take it a step further,” explains Kleinberg. “This is kind of like deconstructing it; let’s see all the items these people have that help make up all those outfits.” Visitors can take a peek at the closets, homes, drawers, hangers, and shelves of fashion insiders—editors, stylists, curators, and designers, from stylist Rachel Zoe to actress Khloe Kardashian.

The site got 20,000 hits on its first day live in January 2011. So far, Kleinberg and Mark have documented over 350 wardrobes, working from Kleinberg’s living room with photographer Jake Rosenberg. Yet the job is not all glamour—each shoot takes about three hours and involves a lot of traveling.

Despite the site’s success and innovation it’s the one recent add-on that has disappointed me is the notion that you can “shop” each of these covetable closets. What had started out as something completely about originality has become yet another opportunity for cloning and consumerism. While I understand that such a site would need profit to keep running, it seems contradictory that the closets that are so-called “distinct” to each person can now be replicated by browsers. It just seems like a glorified shopping experience now.

Is it too much to ask for one business to remain untainted by profit-motives and financial-gain? If “Ms. Magazine” can do it, I’m sure fashion publications and websites can, too.

By Caroline Nelson ’16
Film Columnist

Summer is almost here and so are summer jobs; boring, necessary, fun, or all of those at once. “Adventureland” is the sweet, clever, alternately humorous and melancholy story of one such summer and one such job.

Photo courtesy of Sidney Kimmel Entertainment

The film stars Jesse Eisenberg as James, a recent college grad whose grand plans for a hostel-hopping European trip with his best friend are dashed when his ineffectual, alcoholic father’s salary is cut. As a result he is forced to get a low paying job at the titular local amusement park, “Adventureland.” Eisenberg is a subtle and engaging actor, who underscores a natural coldness or aloofness with an endearing vulnerability and sensitivity. This many-sidedness is one of the reasons he is so successful at conveying the main character who looks a little different based on which angle you look at him. In a welcome departure from the usual male comedy protagonist, James is in no real hurry to loose his virginity but seeks love and an apartment in New York above all else.

But the film is called “Adventureland” for a reason. The film is not just about the exploits of the main character but all the people who inhabit the trashy, silly, brightly colored world of the amusement park—many of which could be the center of their own story. They include Martin Starr’s nebbish Russian lit major who speaks with a mixture of erudition and obscenity, Ryan Reynolds’ earnestly sleazy repairman, Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig’s quirky and enthusiastic park owners and—most of all—Kristen Stewart as the protagonist’s brooding love interest. Stewart is in many ways a limited performer but she possesses a natural intensity and self-possession, which makes her a perfect fit for the strong and passionate, yet lost and lonely, Em.

Though the story of a young man (and specifically a young writer, since writers are writers after all) coming of age, losing some innocence, figuring things out and finding love is a familiar one. But sometimes stories that are told often get that way and when they are as funny, generous, and well observed as “Adventureland,” you don’t mind so much that you may have heard it before.

By Caroline Nelson ‘16
Film Columnist

“Together,” the final episode of this season’s “Girls,” does what any good finale is supposed to do. It ties up some loose ends, offers some dramatic conclusions, and leaves those who like the show with questions about the season.

The great shows of the past decade have earned the distinction “novelistic.” This is not just because of an improvement in quality but because of a larger coherence that characterizes contemporary cable shows. Many shows work under the principle that people should be able to catch an episode on television and basically understand what was going on whether they are tuning into episode one or episode forty. In these shows, whatever themes the writers might want to deal with are often addressed in one episode and then mostly left there. In a bad show this will be so heavy-handed that it recalls episodes of children’s shows brought to you by some word or another. But shows like “Girls” have themes that run through the entire series. This is what makes contemporary shows feel like the serial fiction of days gone by. Each episode has to function as a single unit, as does each season, as does the series as a whole.

Throughout season two many of the characters have been in free-fall. Shoshanna tried to negotiate her first adult relationship, Marnie is floundering, Hannah’s OCD is back with a vengeance (well, in her world; for the viewer it sort of came out of the blue), Jessa took off after her marriage fell apart, and Adam went off the wagon and into a very dark place. By the end of the last episode the characters have all found some sort of answer to their situations. Shoshanna has broken up with Ray, citing her need to find out who she is and her need to escape his constant negativity. Marnie and Charlie reunite, presumably because they really love each other but possibly because Charlie has just gotten rich and enjoys the newly humbled version of his ex. Hannah is hit with a combination of mental illness, a perforated eardrum, and a sound telling-off by her father and the recovering drug addict downstairs who have both had enough of her taking advantage of them. She and Adam are also reunited by virtue of both having hit rock bottom. The cleverness of these resolutions lies in the way everything was wrapped up, so that it is completely possible that everything will change as soon as season three begins.

By Stephanie Huang ‘16
Fashion Columnist

Coming to California for school, I had formed all the assumptions, interpretations, and idealized versions of what life here would be like. I thought that I would be frequenting festivals and flea markets, and driving down endless, limitless deserts. This may be possible, but I don’t happen to own a car, rendering my fantasies impossible. I planned on tackling the Rose Bowl Flea Market, Santee Alley, and most importantly, Coachella in my first year—in fact, I thought I would have become a regular at the Rose Bowl by now. Yet here I am, having almost finished a whole year of college, and I have not been able to cross a single destination off my bucket list.

Photo by Stephanie Huang ’16

Due to upcoming finals and Coachella’s hefty price tag, I’ve found myself near tears over the ceaseless stream of Instagram festival photos, blog posts, and the lineup. However, I have found that because of Coachella’s popularity, the same trends tend to repeat themselves, with only a select few bringing something new to the table. Though the Huffington Post headlines read “Coachella Style 2013 is All About High-Waisted Shorts, Crop Tops, Neon and Tattoos,” there is really nothing new about these trends. In fact, we’d probably see the same trends in the headlines back in 2012.

To find the innovative and exciting looks among the throng of monotonous denim, fringe, and flower-crowns is a difficult feat, but worth it. To name a few, bloggers from Song of Style, Trop Rouge, and Snakesnest struck a balance between structure and fluidity, scanty and sweaty, all the while incorporating simplicity and prints. Introducing new materials like silk, these girls brought a refined air to their outfits. While their ensembles are completely new, they somehow still manage to encompass the essence of festivals. Hopefully, by next year, these refreshing looks will finally catch on, and the cycle will continue to repeat.

Despite my inability to attend Coachella, seeing No-chella was gratifying. Unlike Coachella, No-chella goers seemed to be much more about personal-style rather than conforming to the homogenizing notion of what festival-wear is supposed to be about, with guys in snapbacks and plaid, and girls in overalls and tropical floral prints. Perhaps it is only without the pressure of what a festival is supposed to be like can we truly see the individuality of fashion at work. Just as the “No” in “No-chella” can be seen as stimulating style-wise, the trailblazing bloggers succeed in their festival looks because they have chosen to deviate from standard festival apparel.

Photo by Stephanie Huang ’16

Caroline Miller ’15
Staff Writer

It’s definitely safe to say that my spring break pales in comparison to the wildly out-of-hand and darkly comic “spraaaaaaang break” depicted in the film “Spring Breakers” from director Harmony Korine.

The story depicts four bored college girls named Candy, Faith, Brit, and Cotty (played by Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson, and Rachel Korine, respectively), whose greatest aspiration apparently is to escape the mundanity of their lives and go on a spring break adventure on the beaches of St. Petersburg, Florida. Since they have no money, they come up with the next most ‘logical’ plan during a late night coked-out planning session: rob a diner wielding squirt guns and hammers and drive a stolen car. What’s crazier is that they then proceed to do exactly what they planned. They get the money, torch the car, go on spring break, and are living the dream as they walk happily into the sunset!…

Photo courtesy of Annapurna Pictures

…until they get arrested for underage drinking and narcotics. This is when the film truly begins and the girls are bailed out of jail (still wearing bikinis) by James Franco’s rapper/drug dealer character, Alien. He introduces them to his world of sin, and although there are some casualties along the way, the film marches on towards its dreamlike and over-the-top climax.

Korine strategically cast former Disney channel stars to play Faith and Candy, who are the girls that stand out the most. None of the four women act that well, but again: is that the point? They only serve, in the end, to make James Franco’s superb performance that much better.

The film is violent, sexual, wildly offensive, and devoid of emotion. It makes no apologies—and I have to say I respect Korine for that. He’s got something to say (regardless of whether its message is actually crystal clear), and he does it by showing rather than telling. In fact, the only time there is much being said is when the scenes contain voice-overs, which repeat throughout the film and serve as its narrative device. They are pretty annoying, but you don’t really end up paying attention to what’s being said because there’s so much to look at. The only line you retain is “Spring break forever, bitches.”

So is it a good film? It’s tough to say. It is certainly a lot of things, and perhaps “good” is one of them. Every frame of every scene is so loaded with stimuli that it feels like a long and outrageous music video. Maybe that’s the real point: that it’s all a music video for Alien. Regardless, the film is full of blatant product placement, overemphasizing the state of excess. There is so much to dissect and mentally unpack that I eventually stopped trying and just let the entire spectacle of the film wash over me.

The real reason for my submission, however, is that the film didn’t give me a good enough reason to want to try interpreting it. That is exactly what I believe director Korine wants.

What does all this mean, or amount to? Well, the movie is certainly entertaining. I laughed through much of it instead of letting it offend me (although I know that people have been walking out of theaters nationwide) exactly because it is so ridiculous. I left the film speechless because I simply didn’t know what to think of it. That may be the real point. I don’t think even Korine knows his true intention with this film—if he did then maybe the film would be more affective and its “message” more effective.

By Elizabeth Lee ‘16

Staff Writer

It is yet again that time of year where the Claremont Colleges’ dancers come together to share their passions and talents with the rest of the community. This spring, the Scripps Dance show is one of three major annual campus dance performances, including Pomona’s spring show and the 5C student-run “Fast Forward.” This particular performance is unique; it is run by our own dance department, combining the works of students, faculty, and guest choreographers with a variety of different backgrounds, including modern, contemporary, and ballet. It also takes place at Garrison Theater, providing choreographers and dancers with the opportunity to utilize the small yet lovely and professional performance space that is very much a part of the Scripps feel.

Photo by Caroline Novit ’14

While the performance is run by the Scripps department, it is open to participants from all five of the Claremont Colleges, including student choreographers like Emily Kleeman (PZ ’14), a dual Psychology and Dance major. Her piece, “Oscillations” (a working title), highlights her ballet training background as well as her development, with the help of opportunities such as this show, as a choreographer.

When asked about the process of creating a new piece, Kleeman replied, “Before I start anything, I usually have these dancers in my head who do stuff, then I try to copy that and give it to my dancers. From there, I usually do some fine-tuning to make sure everything is physically possible—it turns out that when you’re going off of dancers in your head, the laws of physics don’t apply, so I have to adjust for that. I’m usually very inspired by music, and this piece was especially good for that.”

Unlike many of the dances that have been featured on our campuses, Kleeman’s piece features a live pianist, not on the side, but in the middle of the stage. Inspired by the many talents of her friends and peers, Kleeman decided to include Brett Berger (HMC ’15), a talented pianist and Physics major, in the creative process. She asked him to compose an original piece as she choreographed her vision simultaneously. This is unusual; music is normally the fundamental source of inspiration, the first thing established, and the major driving force behind the feel and quality of movement.

“A lot of the piece is really centered on the music, and the piano [Berger] plays it on. The dancers use it as almost a sun or a nucleus that they continue to be drawn in to,” said Kleeman. “Something great about this experience, though, is that Brett and I worked off of each other; he would send me some music, I would choreograph to it, he would come and watch, and compose more music based on what he’d seen.”

Opportunities like the upcoming Scripps Dance show allow students the opportunities to not only showcase their own talents, but to also be inspired by the works of others and build a collaborative community of artists. What students learn and how they grow, however, whether it is together or individually, seems to extend beyond the work of art itself.

“Mostly I’ve learned…how to challenge myself,” said Kleeman. “I’ve also been able to look at all the work I’ve put out there, see themes, and find ways to break away from those themes.” Emily Kleeman’s piece along with the many other products of Scripps dance talent can be seen at Garrison Theater Friday, April 12 at 8:00 p.m. as well as Saturday, April 13 at 2:00 p.m.

By Lauren Prince ’14
Editor-in-Chief

Claremont Colleges Relay For Life is finally here! After months of planning by the Claremont Colleges Against Cancer club, the 24-hour event that raises money for the American Cancer Society (ACS) will be held this from this Saturday at 11 a.m. to the next day at 11a.m. at the CMC Track.

“Planning Relay For Life has been an incredibly rewarding experience, not just because it’s a wonderful cause, but because of the absolutely outstanding people I’ve worked with for the past year,” said Selene Hsu ’15, Logistics Chair.

The Claremont Colleges Against Cancer club has been planning and running Relay For Life for four years. 150 students participated last year, and they raised about $34,000 for the American Cancer Society. This year, 230 participants have signed up and have already raised $20,000. The club decided to paint the entirety of Walker Wall because “painting the whole wall, like Relay For Life being a 24-hour event, is a reminder of the perpetual fight [for] people who have or have had to battle cancer. By mirroring the omnipresence of cancer and the effect is had on everyone in society, painting the entirety of the wall reminds people of the struggle and implores them to join forces with us in the fight against cancer by participating in Relay For Life,” said Vice President Justin Gutzwa (PO ’14).

Have you seen those purple sweatshirts around campus? Relay For Life decided to order sweatshirts for their entire committee, so they would be walking billboards to recruit new participants and be liaisons between ACS and the 5C student body. The sweatshirts have a dinosaur that says, “Help us fight cancer?” The group has adopted a hashtag to help them campaign as well: #Iam5cRelay.

Their theme this year is Prehistoric Jungle Safari, so there will be a Dinosaur Bounce House, a dinosaur egg hunt, and other fun dinosaur related activities.

There will be free professional 10-minute massages, Hamster Balls, arts and crafts, pony inflatables, and other fun things throughout the entire day. The rest of the fun activities are below.

“There’s no advertising like someone actually doing the event, so the better we can get people to come out and see the greatness for themselves, the better Relay will be in 2014,” said Gutzwa.

Event Schedule:

11 a.m. Opening Ceremonies

(2 5C student cancer survivors are speaking)

1:30 p.m. Water Balloon fight

2 p.m. Without a Box

3 p.m. K-Pop performance and workshop

5 p.m Miss Relay Pageant

6 p.m. Dodgeball Tournament ($1 entrance fee)

6 p.m. Hip Hop Workshop

7 p.m. Kosher Chords

7:45 Men’s Blue and White

9 p.m. Luminaria Ceremony

10:30 p.m. Ultimate Frisbee

11 p.mm. Inland Emperors

12 a.m. Super Smash Bros Tournament ($1 entrance fee)

1 a.m. Zumba

1:30 a.m. Energy Drink Pong Tournament ($1 entrance fee)

2 a.m. Jurassic Park Screening

4 a.m. Just Dance 3

6 a.m. Sunrise Yoga

10:30 a.m. Closing Ceremonies

By Stephanie Huang ‘16
Fashion Columnist

I have not written a single article for this column about the amalgamation of trends that have been circulating the fashion world. I feel like these trends are often an acquired taste, and while I personally may appreciate them, I know a lot of you may not. However, I finally realized that many of you might still want to be informed of the bizarre things that intrigue us here in our little bubble.

Photo by Stephanie Huang ’16

Trend #1: Overalls/Short-alls, or dungarees, if you’re British. These ‘90s inspired one-pieces have been revamped to vary in length, textile, and shape—from Phillip Lim’s leather overalls with a tapered leg to Topshop’s pinafore-inspired overall-dresses to renewed vintage denim short-alls. There’s something effortlessly enticing about the slouchy, utilitarian vibe that these pieces induce when layered over cropped sleeveless turtlenecks and topped with a beanie.

Trend #2: Holographs. With Burberry, Jonathan Saunders, Stella McCartney, and Proenza Schouler jumping on board, it’s hard to ignore this iridescent beauty of a trend. I know you’re probably feeling another wave of nostalgia, reminiscing about your old sparkly Pokémon cards, or those metallic stickers with optically confusing patterns. Before the turn of the millennium, around when I was born, I’m pretty sure this is how everyone thought the people of the future would dress. To overlook this new spin on reflective metallics that catch the light would be to say no to one of spring’s perfect complements. These silvery, rainbow-tinted textiles have a buoyancy and lightness to them that go hand-in-hand with spring whites.

Trend #3: Obnoxious Text. There’s something appealing about letting what you’re wearing literally speak for itself, especially if it’s a tad obnoxious, or a little witty. Some of my favorites this season are Jac Vanek’s beanie, embroidered with “BRAT” right across the front, Dope Couture’s DOPE snapbacks, and Brian Lichtenberg’s t-shirts with word-play on designer logos, replacing the Hermès’ logo with Homiès, South Central (a reference to the decayed urban area in L.A. where many homies presumably live), and Céline with Féline, Meow. Because everything looks better with an accént, right?

So, while I’m sure most of you are thoroughly convinced by now that the fashion industry is becoming increasingly ridiculous, I am unashamed to say that I absolutely love it.

By Caroline Nelson ‘16
Film Columnist

The most recent episodes of “Girls” are some of the most interesting; they force the characters to confront many of their own aspirations and delusions in brand new ways. On a side note I will be assuming some familiarity with this show and its characters since it is approaching the end of its second season. Also spoilers will abound, but since “Girls” is unlikely to feature any surprising deaths or sudden reveals of previously secret identities I do not feel that this is a serious offense. These last couple of episodes have been some of the strongest all season in the way that the characters develop in contrast and in conflict to each other and because they leave the viewer eager to see how everyone will proceed in the next few episodes.

Photo courtesy HBO

The title “Boys” refers to Adam and Ray, the show’s two most prominent male characters who have a misadventure to Staten Island to return a dog that Adam (in a typical fit of insanity) had stolen. Though I am not thrilled by the prospect of Adam’s return—I find him him more irritating than amusing—he was entertaining enough in this episode. At first he and Ray seem to be getting along, but this is mainly because they are pretending not to be bothered by the things that are really worrying them. Adam claims that he doesn’t care about Hannah and Ray blows off his younger girlfriend Shoshana’s worries that he hasn’t done anything with this life. Of course there is only so much time they can keep this up and the situation explodes when Adam basically admits that he is still in love with Hannah (who seems to have moved on). Ray is left looking out at the city with a stolen dog admitting that he is a loser.

A similar dynamic is played out with two of the eponymous girls. Hannah has just gotten a book deal and Marnie has just reached what she thought was a milestone in what she thought was her relationship. But Hannah runs up against something that the whole series has been hinting at: that she can’t actually write. Whether she ever realizes this fully will remain to be seen. Ultimately she and Marnie are unable to admit to these setbacks and instead have a long poignant moment on the telephone where they pretend everything is okay despite the fact that they want to tell each other that it isn’t. Caught between these two competing desires both women simply stay on the line and say nothing.

Photo courtesy HBO

In “Video Games,” Jessa’s attempt to understand her relationship with her father bring Hannah to a rare moment of clarity regarding her own parents. The two go to the country for the weekend in one of Jessa’s many attempts to make some sense of her life. Getting an idea of Jessa’s upbringing and home life, Hannah calls up her parents and tries to tell them how she appreciates their support and dependability. Of course her typical inability to articulate (Once again, how does this girl think she can be a writer when she can’t tell her parents something as simple as thank you?) means that her mother gets the wrong impression, so the whole moment goes hilariously wrong. The scene with Jessa and her father on the other hand lacks the emotional weight it needs to carry. This is partially because the message is so frustratingly simple, “he messed Jessa up”, and partially because I don’t feel like Jemina Kirk is up to it. In fact she might be the weakest of the four actresses. But the episode is mainly about bringing Hannah to one of her rare moments of clarity that suggest she might (eventually) grow up.