The Scripps Voice

By Alexandra Vallas ‘15
Copy Editor

Scripps has been abuzz lately with talk of Hannah Shoenhard (‘14), who will be making her appearance on the May 6 episode of “Jeopardy!” as part of the College Championship. Though we couldn’t ask her how she did, The Scripps Voice sat down with her to ask her about her preparation strategies, Alex Trebek, and her experience on the show.

What was the audition process like?

Photo courtesy of Hannah Shoenhard ‘14

The first part was easy—I just took the online test. Much later, I got an email saying they wanted me to try out in person at a hotel in Culver City. At the hotel I got to meet people from all over the country and the Los Angeles region. We took another written test and also [got] to try a little more realistic gameplay.

Oddly, the part I was most nervous for was the part where we had to tell a story about ourselves. I talked about rescuing a baby calf with my grandparents, which I think was a little different subject matter from what most people were doing.

Even after the audition, though, I didn’t feel like I’d succeeded particularly until I got a phone call in the middle of class saying they wanted me on the show.

What did you do to prepare? How did you decide what to wear?

There’s a website that archives all the old “Jeopardy!” games, but I didn’t actually spend as much time there as I thought I would. In general I tried to pay more attention to random facts that were coming up in my day-to-day life.

Actually, the people with the show pretty much set the parameters for what we could wear: no tennis shoes, no jeans, and our college hoodie. I borrowed my little sister’s purple Scripps hoodie for luck.

What was it like to meet Alex Trebek? How did all the contestants on the show get along?

Alex Trebek was really nice, although I didn’t get to talk with him much outside the context of the filming itself.

After our game, we did get to speak briefly with him (the part where the credits roll over the contestants), and we talked about “The Princess Bride,” which the other contestants were watching in the green room.

What was the hardest part of being on the show?

Hmm…I was very nervous before the game, but once the questions started coming, I was mostly just focused. They were coming so quickly there wasn’t time for me to think about anything else, honestly! I also got lucky in that mine was the very first game we filmed, so I didn’t have to sit in the green room getting nervous for very long.

What was your favorite part of the experience?

Meeting the other contestants, definitely! They were all so cool and had all these wonderful projects going, and they came from all over the country. We bonded very quickly, I think due to the uniqueness of our experience. Everyone was supportive of everyone else. When I was watching the other games being played, I had no idea who to root for.

Is there anything you’d like to add?

Since I’m on the staff of [in]visible, I feel like I’m contractually obligated to say this: you know how on TV, everybody looks fantastic, even the supposedly average Joes on game shows? They look fantastic because they’ve been completely covered in makeup by professional makeup artists. It doesn’t even look like it (my own mother was in the audience, and she could barely tell I was wearing any), because the makeup artists are just that good, but trust me. SO. MUCH. MAKEUP. When I took it off in the hotel room that evening, it took both sides of an entire washcloth to get what I thought was all of it off. And then I took a phone call, and when I hung up my phone was covered in orange.

Any pointers for potential future contestants from Scripps?

Even if you don’t make it on the first audition, keep trying! A couple of my fellow contestants had tried out four times. Sometimes it takes persistence just to get on the show, but really, getting on the show is the hard part. Once you get there, a lot of it is luck: the categories, where the Daily Doubles are, what your fellow contestants know, and, of course, the buzzer. So just relax and try to have fun with it. And watch me play on Monday, May 6!

By Amber Falkner CMC ‘16
Contributing Writer

Money—think about it. Moneythink at the Claremont Colleges is encouraging high school students to do just that. Taking on the roles of mentors and teachers, 5C students have reached out to local high schools to educate students on personal finances, entrepreneurship, and college in general.

Moneythink “is an organization that benefits all parties involved,” said Madeline Sheldon ’13, President of the 5C’s Moneythink chapter. “High school students receive information that is highly important and pertinent to their lives, college mentors gain teaching experience as well as membership in an extensive national organization, and overworked teachers appreciate college volunteers who take over the class once per week.” Moneythink at the Claremont Colleges currently has connections with four schools in Upland, Koreatown, Claremont, and Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

According to the organization’s website, only 15 states require high school students take a course with personal finance content, while 13 states require a personal finance course for graduation. Additionally, the number of 18 to 24-year-olds who declare bankruptcy has increased 96 percent in 10 years, while more people filed for bankruptcy than graduated from college in 2002.

“Once students enter the ‘real world,’ they are expected to know and understand our daunting financial system, but more often than not have not received any education on the subject,” said Sheldon. “Moneythink strives to change this “unfair and unacceptable” system.

Chapter Vice President Sophie Brooks Ames (’13), said the impact Moneythink mentorship has on the high school students is long-lasting. “I think the chance to learn from college students allows a more real, peer-to-peer experience and may also inspire some students to achieve a college education, who previously would not have considered it,” she said.

Being a Moneythink mentor can be as beneficial for the mentor as it is for the mentees.

“Those who are interested in teaching get an opportunity to gain in-class teaching experience with a fully prepared curriculum and lesson plans. College students also gain access to a national network of extremely impressive entrepreneurs, professionals and other college students,” said Sheldon.

Brooks Ames said Moneythink is helpful not just to students hoping to some day be teachers but any and all students wanting to gain financial literacy. “Although I knew certain finance basics, Moneythink definitely increased my financial independence as I learned the ins and outs of different bank accounts, the stock market and financial planning,” she said.

“I think in recruiting, a lot of people get deterred by the name and emphasis of our curriculum… but the lessons are created to be taught by finance ‘newbs,’ like me; all the information is very clear and much of it is more theoretical and discussion-based anyway. Students are not crunching numbers in the classroom,” she added.

In spite of those setbacks, Moneythink has been successful in its endeavors and has recently added several new members to its team.

In its first year at the 5Cs in the fall of 2010, Sheldon estimated Moneythink only had between three and seven members, and has since grown to 16 members. “We are always looking to expand our Moneythink family,” said Sheldon.

For more information, contact claremont@moneythink.org.

Photos by Tianna Sheih ’16

By Elizabeth Lee ‘16
Staff Writer

The recently established Claremont Colleges Ballet Company (CCBC) is preparing for its second performance of the year. During the course of this second semester the dancers, along with Co-Founders/Presidents Emily Kleeman (PZ ’14) and Vivian Delchamps (SC ’14) and Vice-President Nicole Wein (HMC ‘15), have been preparing excerpts from traditional classics such as Tchaikovksy and Petipa’s “Sleeping Beauty” as well as from the more abstract world of contemporary ballet like the Joffrey’s “Ray One.”

Photo courtesy of CCBC

As a new outlet within the vast Claremont Colleges dance community, the club is looking to not only attract new members but also to develop greater presence and recognition across campus by drawing in a larger audience and regular following. Thus in addition to showcasing the classical and neoclassical ballet talents of its own members, the CCBC is also collaborating with the Tap Club in a friendly performance “battle” during its upcoming show.

While many dancers have at some point felt forced to choose academics over dance, the need or desire to dance is not something that is easily shed. Many students are often determined to stick with it despite their other obligations. Although many unique dance classes and performance opportunities exist at the Claremont Colleges, the CCBC is the only performing ballet group on campus, and it is completely student-run, a status which comes with its own unique drawbacks and advantages.

As a small, new group, the CCBC is still struggling to gain enough funding to put on performances of high quality production value—a dancer’s pointe shoes alone can cost up to $100 and last for as little as one to two weeks. Additionally, the club’s lack of association with any particular college’s dance department makes it difficult to gain widespread recognition and performance opportunities. Within the club, the dancers face a variety of other internal struggles.

The process of early development for this company has provided a plethora of learning experiences. Students from a variety of different training backgrounds, and therefore different methods of approach, meet at least once a week in Scripps’s Richardson Dance Studio to work through a warm-up class to keep dancers in shape before launching into repertoire classes or rehearsals for upcoming showcases.

This system requires its participants to organize themselves with great discipline and commitment. It offers these dancers the opportunity to develop great leadership, cooperation, and communication skills as they work with one another to develop the structures, schedules, and creative goals within their company.

While these dancers may come from a variety of dance backgrounds and methods, what they all share is a love of dance that allows them to come together to share and consider each other’s insights and ideas. This pure love of dance, untainted by contracts, monetary commitment, competition, or judgment gives these dancers a sense of newfound freedom with the art form in which many of them have so strictly trained for years.

“The atmosphere is much more relaxed than the regular rigorous discipline of ballet,” said dancer Rebekah Lim (PO ’15). “We’ll do frappés to the ‘Cantina Band’ song from Star Wars or sing Les Misérables at the barre.”

There is a sense of contagious joy and pride within the dance studio each Saturday afternoon, when the club convenes. There are few rules and all arms are poised in an unfaltering “à la seconde”, or open wide stance. Such freedom opens this budding company’s future up for either great chaos but more likely even greater success.

The Claremont Colleges Ballet Company’s first spring showcase will take place Sunday, April 28 at 1:30 p.m. in the Pendleton Dance Studio.

By Rachael Hamilton ‘16
Staff Writer

If you are a fan of bright colors, dancing, singing, and free Indian food, there is only one place to be on April 6: Sanskriti, the 5C South Asian Cultural Show put together through the collaborative efforts of EKTA, the Bollywood dance club, and the Hindu society.

So what exactly is Sanskriti? According to co-chairmen Prachie Banthia (PO ’14) and Avantika Saraogi (’13), Sanskriti is “a fun celebration of the different kinds of things that are part of South Asian culture.” Sanskriti is an interactive performance that not only highlights the cultural variations of the performance pieces themselves, which stem from all across India, but also the cultural diversity that it celebrates among its performers and audience. The event features performances ranging from Bollywood to classical Indian dance, classical Indian singing to instrumental pieces, and even a couple of fusion pieces featuring hip-hop and beat-boxing.

Photo by Tianna Sheih ’16

“Sanskriti is a great platform for South Asians to celebrate their own culture, but also for other people who don’t have that cultural background to experience it and to be a part of it as well,” said Banthia and Saraogi on the diversity and collaboration of the performers.

The 50-plus Sanskriti performers, who have been preparing and practicing for Sanskriti all year, not only represent a variety of cultural backgrounds, but also represent each of the 5Cs and CGU. Sanskriti’s objective is to entertain as well as educate the Claremont community about the unique aspects of South Asian culture while embracing the coming together of all cultures. This is evident through some pieces, in which the majority of the performers and some of the choreographers are not of South Asian descent.

“We made this organization so people who did not have the cultural background could be a part of it. That’s the whole point: for us to make a diplomatic effort to get people that don’t know much about this culture to be a part of it.”

Not only do the performances themselves act as a means of highlighting the diversity within South Asian culture, but also the variety of the costumes adds to the diversity of the show. In total, there are about eight different styles of costume, each one bright, colorful, and uniquely suited to the style of dance. With each of the performers in anywhere from two to four acts, some performers will go through four costume changes; what makes these costumes all the more special is that the majority of them were bought and made in India, adding to the cultural authenticity of the show.

With all the excitement brewing over Sanskriti, it is hard to believe that only three years ago, Sanskriti did not exist. Though Sanskriti had existed previously, it disappeared and was brought back to life last year by Banthia and Jessica Kaushal PO (‘14). As freshmen, they created the Bollywood dance club and EKTA, and in their desire to do something more, got support from all the 5Cs and put on Sanskriti at Garrison last year.

At the revival of Sanskriti, Banthia and Kaushal did not expect a huge turn out, so imagine their surprise when people had to leave when all 700 seats at Garrison quickly filled up. In light of Sanskriti’s popularity, the showcase this year will be held at Big Bridges at Pomona, and is free and open to all the 5Cs and the surrounding Claremont community.

Although last year’s Sanskriti was a huge success, both Banthia and Saraogi anticipate this year’s performance to be an even bigger success. With a wider variety of pieces, more dedicated performers, and better content, they are expecting the audience to improve with it.

Although Banthia and Saraogi are nervous about moving to a bigger venue for Sanskriti’s second performance, they are anticipating a good turn out.

“Even if our audience is lower than we expect, when you have a great audience, an audience that is really supportive and stuff, it’s all that really makes a difference. Maybe it’s not as true with the classical pieces—especially coming from a Bollywood perspective, it’s very true because it’s all about performing and interacting with your audience and doing fun stuff like that. And it will be better for us, not in terms of we’ll be prouder of the show with more people watching, but I feel like the performers will be more excited, they’ll work more off the energy if there are more people there so we are really excited for an audience that has a lot of energy,” said Banthia and Saraogi.

So what should the audience take away from Sanskriti? For Banthia and Saraogi, “more than anything we want people leaving smiling and to say that they would come again.”

Sanskriti opens at 6:30 p.m. with free Indian food, and the performance will begin at 7 p.m. at Big Bridges.

PRO

By Rosemary McClure ‘13
Editor-In-Chief

While the installation of any vending machine on a college campus is obviously a decision of earth-shattering importance, much of the controversy surrounding hypothetical (at this point) Plan B vending machines at Pomona amounts to antifeminist policing of female sexuality cloaked in paternalistic concern-trolling.

The most common argument against vending machines that dispense emergency contraception is that women will start using Plan B … like … a lot! (It’s always a vague amount like “too much.”) It is true that doctors recommend against the repeated use of Plan B. The whole point is that it’s a backup method. However, research shows that repeat use of emergency contraception in the same calendar year is rare, occurring at a rate of around 7% of users studied.

Furthermore, if it was really Plan B’s effectiveness that was so worrying to the opposition, they would be emphasizing the importance of making it available around the clock: the sooner you take it after a broken condom or unprotected sex, the more effective it is. Because the nearest 24-hour pharmacy is nearly three miles from campus and the student health center is not open on nights or weekends, I think the vending machines fill a void in the medicine’s availability.

Another common argument I hear opposing Plan B vending machines expresses concern that women might begin to rely on Plan B as their primary method of birth control. I do not think this is a valid concern. First of all, if you’re worried people might rely too heavily on Plan B simply because it’s widely available, maybe you should focus on making other forms of contraception (and comprehensive sex ed) more accessible. Secondly, putting Plan B in a vending machine does not constitute a school-sanctioned contraception free-for-all. At $20 a pop, the cost alone would likely prevent “Plan B being used as ‘Plan A’”—a phrase anti-choicers manage to use in every sound bite pertaining to emergency contraception (it’s actually impressive). I’m just saying: I pass machines that dispense Diet Coke at least twice a day in the dining halls, and I don’t drink it. Ever. Because it’s bad for my health.

In January, Fox News ran a sensationalist article opposing the installation of Plan B vending machines at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania. The article, called “Plan B vending machines: Irresponsible and just crazy,” was written by a doctor touting the supposedly grave side effects of emergency contraception.

Side effects include, according to Dr. Manny Alvarez: “mid-cycle spotting, irregular bleeding, hives, swelling of the face and lips – and for some” [pause for drama], “even nausea and diarrhea.” Hmm, those sound suspiciously like the side effects I experience after consuming dining hall breakfast sausage. And compared to the side effects of pregnancy—oh, sorry, did you forget what they were? Allow me to refresh your memory: vomiting and nausea, gas and bloating, bleeding gums, constipation, hemorrhoids, itchy skin, nosebleeds, yeast infections, mood swings, back pain, dizziness and fainting, gestational diabetes, hair loss, incontinence, anemia, and increased lifetime risk of Alzheimer’s and osteoporosis. Also: a fucking baby. I’LL TAKE THE HIVES AND DIARRHEA, THANKS!

A troubling implication of all these arguments is that women are just too stupid to use Plan B as it is directed. This is a condescending and antifeminist belief. The subtext of the anti-vending machine arguments is the same tired logic used to argue against the very existence of emergency contraception, not to mention oral contraceptives and abortion.

If you are a woman who has found herself expressing concern that “other women might” use Plan B irresponsibly, I must ask: if (or when) these vending machines become available, are YOU going to use them as your first line of defense against pregnancy? No, and neither are the “other women.”

CON

By Juliana Beall ‘16
Staff Writer

Recently there has been talk about installing a Plan B vending machine on Pomona’s campus. Keeping in mind that Pomona students already have relatively easy access to the medication, in my opinion adding these ‘Plan B’ vending machines on campus will only add an unnecessary causality to taking a serious and potent drug. The casualty may shift the role of ‘Plan B’ to a ‘Plan A’ in the minds of students. This will inevitably promote misuse of the drug, unprotected sex, and the spreading STDs.

Both the makers of Plan B and physicians warn users of the strength and possible side effects of the pill. The Plan B information guide online clearly states that Plan B should not be used as a regular birth control method and many researchers have speculated that repeated use of Plan B decreases the effectiveness of the pill. The list of side effects is extensive. The pill contains more hormones that any one prescription-based birth control pill does and is not allowed to be sold to people under 17. The creators of Plan B and physicians are clear that Plan B should not be used as a Plan A.

The first Plan B vending machine was installed on the Shippensburg University campus, nestled in the small, 6,000-person town in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania in 2010. Much of the basis for Plan B being sold in vending machines was the lack of pharmaceutical accessibility for students.

However, Plan B is already available on Pomona’s campus at the student health center. An appointment and face-to-face consultation is needed in order to make the purchase, which bothers many students. Students in favor of a Plan B vending machine distributor complain that this consultation can be inconvenient to schedule or even humiliating. But if the student is practicing safe sex on a regular basis this appointment system should pose minimum burden on the student’s schedule. And if there is something obstructive in the student’s schedule that somehow takes precedent over preventing a possible pregnancy, there are pharmacies within 10 minutes walking distance of campus that require no appointment.

As for the embarrassment issue, the use of Plan B has always been encouraged as an emergency situation medication. Taking the pill is, in my mind, a noteworthy enough scenario that perhaps merits face-to-face confrontation. There are several embarrassing medical situations that require the presence of a physician or a pharmacist, and the humiliating aspect does not mean we should simply remove this middleman. For example, buying birth control requires a prescription, which may present a frustratingly difficult and embarrassing situation for many young women.

I would not say that we would be moving forward with women’s rights by providing birth control at the over-the-counter level of availability. We are simply taking the same necessary health precautions that we would with any other drug of that potency.

Do not get me wrong; I firmly believe that Plan B should be readily available to women of all ages, backgrounds, and locations. I simply believe that its availability today, more specifically in the context of the city of Claremont and the campuses, is appropriate. Plan B has prevented numerous unwanted pregnancies and given women greater empowerment over their bodies.

However, I think that with the abundance of 24 hour pharmacies in Claremont, once we have reached the over-the-counter level of access, moving a step forward in availability and convenience is not necessarily also moving a step forward in women’s rights and women’s health.

On a college campus where there is already relatively easy access to Plan B, selling the pill in vending machines will only add an oversimplified, casual aspect to taking the drug that will no doubt decrease the perceived necessity of condoms. If wearing condoms become less of a priority there will almost certainly be an increase in unsafe sex and the spread of STD’s.

Overall, the big difference between Plan B being sold in vending machines and Plan B being sold over the counter is convenience. And I am not sure if convenience is something that should be promoted when its presence is perhaps encouraging people to overlook the dangers of unprotected sex.

By Rachael Hamilton ‘16
Staff Writer

Over 12 years ago, Sister Suzanne Steffan made it her mission to better the lives of incarcerated women. She got a group of people together, visited a prison, and spoke to the women, asking them what they felt would improve their situation and living conditions. While Sister Steffan anticipated the women to request things such as gardens, classes, or a library, the majority of the women answered that they wanted to see their children. Get on the Bus was born.

Photo courtesy Get on the Bus

Get on the Bus is a nonprofit organization based in California which provides children of incarcerated parents with transportation to spend Mother’s and Father’s Day with their parents. A program of The Center for Restorative Justice Works, Get on the Bus works to unite “children, families and communities separated by crime and the criminal justice system,” with the hopes of fostering relationships between the kids and their parents.

What started with one bus and 17 children has expanded to 60 buses, 10 to 12 participating prisons, and 1,200 kids and caregivers transported on event days. Get on the Bus serves a wide range of age groups, from infants to even a 33-year-old woman who hadn’t seen her mother for eight years.

Although Get on the Bus has become widely popular across California, not just any institution or parent can be involved. First, the incarcerated parents must maintain good behavior for a full year before they can join the program and see their children. Additionally, the decision for parents and children to reunite is a mutual decision between the kids and parents. The kids decide first whether or not they want to see their parents, and if they do, then the parents have to agree to the conditions of the program, such as maintaining good behavior for a year.

Many prison wardens were concerned about Get on the Bus when it first started, mostly because of cost, time, and outside interaction in the prisons. However, there is now a waiting list of prisons that want to join Get on the Bus due to overwhelmingly positive responses, including an overall change in atmosphere around the prison, and the inmates having something to look forward to and live for after their sentence is complete.

So how does Scripps do it’s part? “Kids deserve relationships with their parents,” said Julia Harreschou ’13 and Hilary Sager ’14, co-leaders of Scripps’ chapter of Get on the Bus. “Although the parents are the ones in prison, the kids are the victims here: they’re the ones missing out on relationships with their parents, and our goal is to help them foster and maintain relationships with their parents.”

The Scripps chapter raises money for Get on the Bus through selling 4/20 donuts in the dorms, participating at Reggae Fest, holding Some Crust fundraisers, and by hosting screenings and hosting speakers at Motley about criminal justice. They also receive donations from local businesses to aid in the effort to help these kids.

These donations go towards buying teddy bears, stationary, cards, and envelopes to foster communication between the kids and their parents, as well as meals and counseling the day of the event. Last year alone, Get on the Bus raised over $2,000 with support from the local and 5C community.

This semester, the members of Scripps’ chapter of Get on the Bus will spend the day the California Institution for Women (CIW), to visit the women and children in person and learn about the lives of these families. Although the group already visits the institution once a month, this is taking a step further towards a more personal foster program, in which the members will get to meet the people they’re helping in person. When describing the upcoming event, Harreschou and Sager said that the “day is about the kids and to make them feel special. These kids don’t have the money or opportunity to see their parents, and their caregivers don’t have time to take them, especially since over 50 percent of men and women are held 100 miles away from their children.”

Although Get on the Bus is a 5C club, the majority of its members are Scripps students, and they are always looking for new members. If you want to join, they meet every Wednesday at 9 p.m. in the Gender and Women’s Studies lounge in Vita Nova. They also have a table every year at the Club Fair during the fall semester.

You can contact Julia Harreschou and Hilary Sager via email, or check out the Get on the Bus website, www.giveforward.com/cjngetonthebus, for more information.

On Feb. 7, the Elizabeth Hubert Malott Public Affairs Program sponsored a small panel for a number of students who had the privilege to speak with Charles Krauthammer. After a lengthy discussion, which covered topics including possible future Republican Presidential nominees, drone attacks on American citizens, and Obamacare, the subject of women in politics inevitably surfaced.

We have all heard whispers that in the 2012 election, single ladies were the most devastating for the GOP. A quarter of voters who turned out on Election Day were unmarried women, and more than two-thirds of their votes were cast for President Obama. The GOP is clearly losing ground with this demographic.

With this in mind, I asked Krauthammer a simple question: “Who are the women most likely to rise as Presidential candidates in the Republican Party?” Krauthammar quickly responded in an earnest manner with the following list. I cannot say that this is Krauthammar’s endorsement list for the 2016 election, but he does give a short list of successful, up-and-coming GOP women.

Nikki Haley: This South Carolina Governor (2010-present) has seen a recent spike in approval ratings. The daughter of Indian immigrants, she is South Carolina’s first woman governor, the youngest governor in the U.S., and only the third person of color to be elected as governor of a southern state. Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin, and the Tea Party movement endorsed her for governor in 2010. Her voting record is short, but she has made her stance known on many key issues.

She is pro-life, although she has voted in favor of some more moderate reproductive rights bills, including a bill that would exempt patients seeking abortions from the mandatory 24-hour waiting period in cases of rape.

Haley believes immigration laws should be strictly enforced. She believes businesses should be monitored to ensure they are using E-verify, a software program designed to verify a potential employee’s citizenship status.

Haley is opposed to what she sees as excessive and wasteful bureaucracy in the education system. She supports charter schools.

She opposes stimulus packages, gun control, unionization, and Obamacare.

She opposes same-sex marriage. She referred to minorities and women as “just special interest groups” in 2010.

Kay Bailey Hutchison:

This former Texas senator was distinguished by her high approval ratings in the 1994, 2000, and 2006 elections. She often won elections by margins greater than 60%.

Hutchison is Texas’ first female in the Senate. Because she has been in office since 1993, we have a better record of her stance on key issues than Haley or Martinez.

Hutchison opposes the DREAM Act.

She opposes gun control.

She does not believe Roe v. Wade should be overturned but has repeatedly voted in favor of legislation that would restrict access to abortion. She has also voted against funding for teen pregnancy prevention through education and contraceptives.

Hutchison supports public school reform but does not think more funding is necessary. She supports charter schools.

Hutchison has never voted in favor of sustainability programs such as tax credits for renewable energy.

Hutchison voted in favor of a balanced-budget constitutional amendment in 1997.

Hutchison has voted against same-sex marriage numerous times. She opposes affirmative action and opposes sexual orientation being added to the definition of hate crimes.

Susana Martinez:

Martinez, a Texan attorney, is currently the governor of New Mexico. A Democrat until 1995, she impressed audiences at the 2012 Presidential Convention with her story of converting to the Republican Party.

Martinez is both the first female governor of New Mexico and the country’s first female Hispanic governor. She also has a limited voting record.

She opposes same-sex marriage, abortion, gun control, and medical marijuana.

She has a moderate stance on environmental issues, supporting the use of fines to penalize those who break environmental rules.

Martinez wishes to secure the border and deny driver’s licenses and school tuition to undocumented immigrants.

By Priya Srivats ‘13
Food Columnist

Photo by Priya Srivats ’13

Every year, the Associated Students of Pomona College (ASPC) hosts an organic dinner at one of the dining halls. The dinner features totally local and organic foods, as well as performances from many school bands. The decorations are all recycled, with beautiful flowers everywhere plucked from campus. It is a lovely celebration of healthy, organic living, completely put on by students. I’ve included the entire menu for you to jealously examine everything comes in small plate form, meaning you can taste just about everything.

The organic dinner provides a welcome break from dining hall fare (which as it is, is far above average here at the Claremont Colleges), with unique flavors and tastes from around the world. Everything I ate was delicious, however my favorites had to be the chilled strawberry bisqué layered onto the Greek yogurt panna cotta, the Indian plate containing naan, dahl and a “samosa” (I would call this more of a mix between a pakora and a falafel, but whatever, it was still delicious) and the mango lassi. My friends who had the scallops said that was the best dish of the night, while my friends who had the mezze plate said that was the best plate- this just goes to show how truly delicious and well thought out each item was. Props to ASPC for putting on a wonderful event, and I hope everyone at the Claremont Colleges takes advantage of it in the coming years!

Photo by Priya Srivats ’13

Menu:

Cold Appetizers/Salad:

Mezze: crispy quinoa tabouleh, grilled artichoke hearts, hummus, pine nuts, kalamata olives, grilled halloumi cheese

Chilled strawberry bisque: frozen vanilla-coconut greek yogurt panna cotta

Local apple salad: field greens, local apples, oven roasted yellow tomatoes, point reyes bleu cheese, pecans, crispy apple chips, balsamic vinaigrette

Soups:

French onion soup with 3 cheese croutons: organic butter, parmesan, provolone, gruyere

Green chili crab and corn bisque: jalapeno, cheddar, corn fritter

Vegetarian/Vegan Entrees:

Butternut squash-pumpkin ravioli (vegan): roasted sweet peppers, hazelnuts, sage-lime-brown “butter”, chive

Matar paneer & dal makhani (vegan): naan, samosa/chutney/raita, mango lass

Potato pierogi (vegan/vegetarian): caramelized onion, cabbage, kale, leeks, tempeh bacon, apples

Meat Entree:

Seared sea scallops: cauliflower puree, golden raisins, capers, toasted almonds, balsamic syrup, curry oil

Muscovy duck leg confit: huckleberry sauce, braised red cabbage & apples, haricots verts, sweet peppers, roasted tomatoes

Desserts:

Old-fashioned strawberry shortcake (vegan)

Caramel Dutch apple pie with vanilla ice cream

By Lauren Prince ’14
Editor-in-Chief

Photo by Jacqueline Freedman ’14

Tenure. What is it? What makes it a coveted status? And what does it mean both for the faculty and students?

Dean of Faculty Amy Marcus-Newhall breaks down all these questions and more. Tenure is a permanent teaching position without contract renewals to ensure academic freedom without due cause for termination. Once a professor has tenure, they have relative job security and stability.

So first, the basics. There are three levels of professor: assistant, associate, and full.

The process of tenure is a long, seven-year process. It begins at hiring, when a new professor joins the faculty for a tenure-track position.

A professor begins as an assistant and during her/his third year are reviewed for contract renewal. If the third year review is positive, then the professor will be reviewed for tenure and promotion to associate professor during her/his sixth year. If the tenure review is positive, the faculty member will be tenured. If it is not positive, then the faculty member will have one terminal year of service. The faculty are reviewed by the Appointments, Promotion, and Tenure (APT) committee which is made up of five elected faculty and the Dean of Faculty as a non-voting member. The APT is a recommending body to the President and the Board of Trustees. After eight years post- tenure, the faculty member is reviewed by the APT for promotion to full professor.

Every four years after being tenured, professors meet with the Dean of Faculty to discuss their accomplishments in teaching, scholarship and service.

At each review, a professor is evaluated based on three categories: teaching, scholarship, and service. During these reviews, APT takes into account course evaluations, student letters, faculty scholarship such as published books and articles, external letters from experts in the field, and service (i.e. serving as Department Chair, on committees, etc.).

For these reviews, student input is important. When a professor is reviewed by APT for tenure and promotion to full professor, she/he sends a list of student names to the APT. These students are asked to write letters or complete a form accounting the quality of the faculty. There are also students that are randomly asked to write letters regarding the faculty. These two different groups of student letters are then read and reviewed.

“I can’t stress this enough, student input is crucial in the faculty review process,” said Marcus-Newhall. Currently, the APT often only receives 5 letters out of 30+ requests that they send to students. This does not give a representative perspective of a professor’s teaching abilities.

Whether or not a professor receives tenure or a promotion, they are given a letter that documents how they are doing and how they can improve.

The benefits of tenure provide academic freedom to the professors so that they can push students to discuss difficult, controversial issues without negative ramifications.

Despite the stereotype that some professors stop caring about teaching and their students after being tenured, Marcus-Newhall ardently asserts that Scripps does not have those professors. She also said that the benefits of tenure far outweigh the costs associated with a small number of professors who may choose to not work as hard after knowing their position is secure.

Tenured professors are exceptional in all aspects of their career, and are beneficial to the students because they can be more demanding and teach controversial topics in new ways. Scripps and other institutions of higher education thrive because of tenured professors.