The Scripps Voice

By Summer Dowd-Lukesh ’14
Staff Writer

We all know the reasons that Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy needs to be repealed. It is, at its core, a discriminatory, disrespectful and dangerous law. It fails to reinforce basic American values, such as equality and justice, and it sends our veterans the message that their service matters less than their sexuality. The House of Representatives agreed when they approved the Murphy amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for the fiscal year 2010-2011, effectively repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. The act then went to the Senate for approval, where all Senate Republicans and two Democrats, Mark Pryor and Blance Lincoln, both of Arkansas, failed to vote to end the filibuster led by Sen. John McCain and the repeal fizzled out.

Gallup and CNN polls in 2003, 2007 and 2010 all found that between 78 and 79 percent of Americas believe that fays should be allowed to serve in the military and simultaneously be open about their sexual orientation. In March, the U.S. Department of Defense completed a study that concluded that repealing the act would not harm military effectiveness. The fact that our government can ignore the polls, the studies, and the blatant discrimination against honorable veterans paints a harrowing picture. Democratically, none of this makes sense. In a country where “all men are created equal” and where representation is the name of the game, laws like Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell shouldn’t pass in the first place, let alone be left standing after military and democratic scrutiny.

In the United States Senate, it is permissible for a Senator to speak for as long as he or she wants on a given topic until three-fifths of the Senate, generally 60 Senators, invoke cloture and end the debate. This filibuster is an explicit form of obstructionism and is used to interfere with democracy in the legislative branch by blocking a vote on the bill at hand. Only 41 Senators on board are needed to uphold a filibuster, potentially representing only a cumulative 12.6% of the entire population of the U.S. In a democracy :of the people, by the people, for the people,” 12 percent of the population should not be allowed to decide the fate of such controversial legislation. And in a democracy where we respect the rule of the majority and the rights of the minority, even fifty percent of the population should not be able to revoke the right of gay Americans to serve their country proudly.

We have a broken system in a broken democracy. The recent failure to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell showcases an even more robust need for the involvement of every citizen in policy reformation. Vote often, vote well and don’t let things like a filibuster get the in the way of equality.

By Amy Borsuk ’14
Staff Writer

Despite the hot weather that Sunday afternoon, Queer Resource Center and fellow Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Allies enthusiastically broke out the paint and paintbrushes to paint Pomona’s famous Walker Wall to mark the beginning of National Coming Out Week.  With the first strokes of white paint against the hot-pink background, these students marked the beginning of a week about celebrating sexual and gender identities that are not hetero-normative, and being proud of this identity.  The Queer Resource Center’s website defines the process of coming out as “the process by which one accepts their sexual or gender identity. It also refers to the process by which one shares their sexual orientation or gender identity with others. Coming out is circular, not linear and it is a continual, life-long process.”

October 11^th marked the official National Coming Out Day, a day which encourages LGBTQ students to start talking to family and friends about their sexual and gender identities in order to spread awareness, acceptance and understanding through talks, celebration, discussion and questions about the LGBTQ community. Walker Wall reads: “National Coming Out Day, October 11, 2010, I’m coming out as…” leaving its artists and passersby to fill in their own ending to the sentence. Those who painted the wall set examples of possible endings to that sentence by putting their handprint on the wall and writing their sexual or gender identity next to it.

“I loved painting Walker Wall!” said Emma Friedenberg (’13). “I think it’s a great way to get people together.” This togetherness is very apparent with the array of handprints on the wall.  Identities such as “queer,” “genderqueer,” “pansexual” and even “the most queer” were scattered across the wall, showing the diversity of personal identities even within the LGBTQ community. One student even stopped by to add an equally important, out-and-proud identity: no longer homophobic.

A “Coming Out Panel” was hosted at Harvey Mudd’s Platt Room, creating a space for students to talk with panelists about this process of “coming out” and answer questions.  The Queer Resource Center offers discussion sessions every week in order to talk about various issues and causes within the LGBTQ community. The QRC, which hosts weekly Tuesday Talks on issues and current events in the LGBTQ community, focused on the issues surrounding the coming out process.

Although these events are part of a celebration, they are models for discussions and questions that can be held and raised at any time. The week was another way to get people to start talking about sexual orientation and gender identity in a constructive, positive space with people who want to hear everyone’s voice and everyone’s story.

By Szeyin Lee ’14
Business Manager

Rebecca Lee was appointed this past summer by President Lori Bettison-Varga as Interim Dean of Students of Scripps College. My first impression of Bekki Lee was the powerful, inspiring speech she gave at the “Women of Color” Dinner, and I was grateful for the opportunity to find out more about our new Dean through the interview.

At the beginning of the interview, Lee shared the story of her mother’s , who influenced her to take on a position with an institution that focuses on women’s education. Dean Lee’s mother was told not to go to school because she was a woman. However, she decided to combat the social standard and work to gain the financial resource to pursue her degree in social work. She even told Dean Lee’s father that he could wait for her to finish her graduate degree if he truly wanted to marry her. The determination, courage, activism, and wisdom of her mother serve as inspiration to Dean Lee in becoming an advocate of women’s rights.

During the past three months of working at Scripps College, Lee was most impressed by the quality of Scripps students, who are “highly committed to learning.” All Scripps students take on the challenge of the Core Curriculum, an interdisciplinary approach to education that helps Scripps students to rapidly develop critical thinking skills. Dean Lee said she wishes she had been exposed to that type of intensive learning in her education. Lee also noticed that Scripps students are notably respectful of each other’s voices and appreciative of what Scripps has to offer.

When asked of what she thinks of Scripps College, Rebecca Lee described Scripps as  “an absolute gem” of a school, one which is at the stage of “becoming a community at leadership role as a center of research and education that emphasizes the principles of community and diversity and development of an inclusive learning community.” Rebecca Lee’s goals as Interim Dean of Students are still being shaped. “We need to find out how are we doing and position ourselves to fit students’ needs. Especially with all the changes going on (a plan to build a new residence hall, establishment of Student Union), we want to know what are you [the students] are looking for in student affairs.” She strives to balance the planning for future and the work on daily basis in the present. To accomplish her goals, Dean Lee plans on having more office hours, attending smaller gatherings, responding to different groups, and meeting with student leaders as well as first years. Dean Lee is open to listening closely to students’ thoughts and concerns.

As one of the few Asian American senior staff members of Scripps College, Dean Lee says that her Asian American identity provides her the opportunity to develop consciousness of different identities and to think about diversity more broadly. The experiences she had growing up in this country showed her the societal expectations and norms towards minorities, and helped her better communicate cross-culturally in serving other students from different backgrounds.

Dean Lee’s hobbies are taiko, cello, and tennis. Dean Lee is looking forward to meeting speaking with every Scripps student about concerns and ideas. Feel free to drop by during her office hours and say hello!

Berenice Villela ’12
Staff Writer

The Scripps College Academy (SCA) has been holding onto amazing news for quite some time now, but finally was able to let the cat out of the bag on October 20th, when SCA founding faculty member and Dean of Faculty Amy Marcus-Newhall and high-school junior and SCA Scholar Raemi Thomas attended a White House ceremony, hosted by none other than First Lady Michelle Obama. They were there on behalf of Scripps College, to received the 2010 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, the nation’s highest honor for a community-based arts and humanities youth program.

The Scripps College Academy, established in 2002, provides high-achieving young women from the greater Los Angeles area and the Inland Empire with the resources and experiences to prepare for success in college. Ninety-percent of participants will be the first in their families to attend college. All programs are offered at no cost to the students or their families.

A year-round college-readiness program, SCA initiatives include SCA Scholars, a multi-year experience beginning with an academically intensive summer residential program for students in the 9th and 10th grade, followed by academic workshops, science research opportunities, SAT/ACT prep classes, college application assistance, and personalized support throughout high school.

Demand for SCA services continues to rise. Since 2008, the applicant pool has grown by 400%, to more than 400 applicants for just 45 spaces in 2010.

In addition to the SCA Scholars program, the Scripps College Academy hosts numerous programs for students in the local community, including weekly tutoring on the Scripps College campus and middle school “College Clubs” at four local schools each year.

SCA Scholars benefit from the support and guidance of Scripps College students, staff, and faculty. Scripps professors play an important role in the program, and 39% of current faculty have taught in the program. In total, the SCA Scholars programs benefit approximately 100 students each year, with .. (choose your examples… a monthly book clubs, , Financial Aid/College Prep Workshop series, or through The Math and Science Scholars Program, where college professors and undergraduate lab assistants help a small group of SCA students to design, implement, evaluate and present and original scientific research project. Additional community outreach programs serve more than 200 students each year.

Kelly Hewitt, Scripps Class of 2008 and Director of Scripps College Academy, shared with me her excitement about receiving the award and finally being able to share the great news with the Scripps community: “SCA has been extremely successful in helping students who already have the motivation to excel in higher education by giving them the resources and the support which they may lack in their home schools and communities.”

Scripps College Academy fills in the gap, hosting college preparatory and academically enriching workshops and programs that nine out of ten SCA participants feel makes them “better prepared” and “more confident” about applying to college.

Scripps College is one of three colleges and universities to receive the 2010 award which is, Hewitt argues, “A confirmation of the fact that colleges and universities are not just preparing traditional college-age students to be leaders, but have an important impact on our larger communities. It’s such a great thing that Scripps, through the Scripps College Academy, is investing in our larger community as well as in our current students.” One of 15 programs across the country to receive this award, SCA was chosen from a pool of more than 400 nominations and 50 finalists.

The outcomes and successes of the Scripps College Academy explain why they would win this prestigious award. One-hundred percent of the SCA 2010 graduates were admitted to 4 year colleges (90% response rate), with 90% of SCA participants being the first in their families to attend college. The impact SCA has been able to have in our surrounding community is nothing short of exemplary of the mission of Scripps.

Kelly concludes, “we’ve been holding on to this news for a little bit of time and it’s been so exciting to prepare and it’s wonderful to see it finally shared with the community… it really is a shared award with all our partners throughout the LA area and all of the Scripps College staff, faculty and students who have worked so hard to make this program a success.” For more information, please visit scrippscollege.edu/academy.

By Nikki Broderick ’14
Staff Writer

On Nov. 2, 2010, the state of California will vote for the legalization of marijuana for personal use for adults over 21. Marijuana use will not be allowed in public spaces and users who provide the drug to minors will have strict consequences, including three to five years in jail for those who provide marijuana to those younger than 14 years old.

Medical marijuana has been legal in California since 1996 by Proposition 215, and is one of 13 states that have passed such a proposition. However, this ballot would make personal marijuana use legal for those not suffering from chronic pain or suffering. Although marijuana possession and use would still be illegal under federal law, it would be legal under the state constitution of California.

I say let it pass.

As a state, we’re broke. California’s debt totals nearly 88 billion dollars, and it isn’t going away any time soon. If marijuana were legalized, local governments could regulate and tax the sale of it to generate revenue. This legalization would also save billions of dollars by reducing the number of nonviolent prisoners in California’s state prisons. Last year, 61,000 marijuana users in California were arrested while 60,000 violent crimes were left unsolved. By redirecting resources away from recreational marijuana use that poses no violent threat, police officers would be able to focus on hard crime.

It does seem odd that to finance some of the most important gaps in our budget—education, for example—we have to legalize a drug. Then again, cigarettes and alcohol are legal to adults, both of which have more damaging effects to health than marijuana does. Marijuana also does not cause its users to become violent. Put a hundred people who are high in a room and what would happen? Nothing. They would probably sit around in a relaxed stupor. Put a hundred drunken people in a room? I think that’s the definition of a bar fight.

Let me be clear: I don’t smoke pot and have no desire to. But why should the government be allowed to stop someone from smoking pot when they are allowed to drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes legally? People are going to smoke pot, whether or not it is legal. It makes the most sense to regulate, tax and control this substance instead of watching a failed prohibition system flourish while our state spirals deeper and deeper into debt.

For more information on Proposition 19 or anything else on the ballot, visit California’s Voter Information site here.

By Carolyn Angius ’13
Staff Writer

With dorms renowned for looking like palaces and perfectly manicured lawns and gardens, there is no denying that the employees of the Scripps grounds, facilities and maintenance departments are extremely important, active members of our community. In fact, I can guarantee I see more of maintenance department employees than I do of my professors, or even some of my closest friends, on any given day. The irony, however, is that this visibility does not correlate with any sort of relationship or closeness

I exchange the typical “Hi, how are you?” and “Have a great day!” daily with my dorm’s housecleaner and I often sheepishly apologize and thank as I tip-toe around a ground worker’s piles of raked debris along the walkway to Routt. While I appreciate all the hard work the maintenance and grounds departments expend to make our campus beautiful, and I by no means take for granted their dedication. I find myself feeling uncomfortable with my relationship with the people who work so hard to create an environment from which we all benefit.

Last Friday morning, my six suite-mates were all milling around our suite when our dorm’s housecleaner entered and began vacuuming our living room and cleaning our bathroom. She even took out our trash. A few of us who saw her picking up jumped in to help her pick up detritus from the floor and clear a path for the vacuum. All of us engaged in small talk, discussing fall break and our weekends for a few moments. Once she had left, however, leaving behind polished sinks and a clean carpet, my suite-mates and I discussed our discomfort with the cleaner’s responsibilities. None of us felt comfortable with allowing anyone outside of the suite to come in and clean up after us–we felt embarrassed, ashamed and apologetic. As 19 and 20 year olds, we felt shameful allowing—and indirectly employing—another human to clean up after our own messes.

I greatly appreciate all the work of our maintenance and grounds workers and I would love to speak with a worker about their perspective on our campus’ students. I wonder if our grounds and maintenance workers feel like valued members of the community, and if not, I want to discover and implement ways in which we can build relationships with the people that give so much to us. Lastly, in light of my experience in the suite, I would be extremely interested in finding out if there is a way to alleviate facilities workers from cleaning the suites and private bathrooms without compromising their pay or job security on campus.

By Antoinette Myers ’12
Guest Writer

Boa tarde e saudações do Brasil!

Hey y’all! My name is Antoinette and I’m currently studying abroad in one of the most diverse cities in the world, Salvador da Bahia, in the beautiful country of Brazil! I’ve been living here since June and what an adventure it has been! I live in the neighborhood of Barra, (pronounced ba-ha), about two blocks away from the beach, and it is absolutely gorgeous. From my window, I can see the Atlantic Ocean and the island of Itaparica. In the afternoons, the sounds of MPB and Pagode music float on the hot sea breeze towards my room. In the kitchen, there is always bread, beans and rice on the stove, and usually I wake up so late in the afternoon, that my family friends are in the kitchen crowded around the T.V. watching novelas and American movies and TV shows dubbed in Portuguese, like Life Size and Everybody Hates Chris. Since I’ve been here, I’ve been to Praia do Forte, a beautiful beach up the coast; the Pelourinho, an amazing colorful part of town filled with Baianas selling acarajé (deep fried bean fritters) and men doing Capoeira; and my favorite place in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro is beautiful and it’s filled with gorgeous beaches, lush natural beauty, and amazing restaurants. I stayed in Ipanema, ate an American breakfast at Chaika, and danced to Adriana Calcanhotto’s “Maresia” at Copacabana. If you ask me what my favorite thing to do here in Brazil is, I’d tell you that I absolutely love going to the beach and reading in the sun, and I really enjoy painting in my room while the sunshine streams in through my window. In my city, the people are easygoing and time isn’t really of the essence. During my first week of classes, none of my professors or fellow students showed up for class. And even in October, it’s not unusual for professors to not assign any work nor show up to give a planned lecture. While it took awhile to get used to, it’s honestly helped me to be a more relaxed student who enjoys the free time that I have a lot more. I’ve also read a lot of books, blogged for hours on end, watched a lot of movies, and a lot of reruns of American TV shows like “The Golden Girls,” “The L Word,” and “Law and Order: SVU.”

Since I’ve been here, I’ve learned a lot of Portuguese, but it bums me out that it will be hard to keep up once I return to Claremont, due to the lack of a Portuguese program at the Colleges. Hopefully, I’ll be able to help out with a Portuguese table during lunch and of course, I’ll be at the pool in my Brazilian bikini waiting to practice the language with anyone who wants to join me for a chat about life and the world! Some of the best experiences that I’ve had this semester include going to the Cristo Redentor, the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, learning the dance of Orixás in Pelourinho, dancing Samba at the very popular school of Samba, Mangueira. If you decide to come to Brazil for study abroad, I recommend that you remember to bring things that you’ll miss from America, like your favorite hair products, must-have clothing items, and favorite books and movies. For me, and you might laugh, I constantly craved Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and maple syrup, two things which absolutely do not exist here in Brazil. If you can, try to learn some Portuguese before you come! Even though we have a required Portuguese class throughout the semester, it’s best to come with some grasp of the language because just speaking Spanish doesn’t cut it. I highly recommend the Living Language series. Also be sure to let go of your pre-conceived notions and misconceptions th

at you have about Brazil, read more than just the Wikipedia article about the country, and be aware of the privileges that you have when you travel abroad as an American.

Brazil is an amazing country If you have any questions about my experiences here, feel free to email me at amyers8398@scrippscollege.edu and I’ll answer any questions, or you could just bug me when I’m back on campus next semester. Until then, tchau tchau and beijinhos!

By India Mullady ’11
SAS President

Hosted by CMC’s SPEAR (Students Promoting Environmental Awareness and Responsibility), Trash on the Lawn day was held in front of Collins Dining hall. SPEAR officers said that the event was motivated by a discovery last year that 70% of trash at CMC is recyclable. SPEAR emptied trashcans from around campus and inside dorms out onto the lawn and proceeded to separate the “trash” into piles of Compost, Recycle, Corrugated Cardboard and Trash. SPEAR showed students things that could have been recycled if they had not been contaminated and many empty trash bags that SPEAR emptied into compost and recycle. Encouraging students to be more aware of what they actually put into “trash” bins, SPEAR stayed on the lawn in front of Collins for 5 hours. They raffled off an eco-friendly water bottle and gave out stickers saying, “I’m not down with trash.” Not only was this a highly informative event, but it was also inspiring to other colleges who should definitely get started in promoting more recycling and composting.