Ariel

Scripps students are compassionate women with very diverse interests. Our top 5 most popular majors range from the humanities, to science, to studio art. The consortium allows Scrippsies to have the best of both worlds; students get a small, tight-knit community at Scripps, but with the academic and social resources of a medium-sized university.

I have had a lot of academic flexibility at Scripps. I was able to design my own writing major using classes from Scripps, Pitzer and Claremont McKenna. To do so, I worked very closely with my academic adviser (who is fantastic, and has the cutest yellow lab!). I'm especially excited to be taking Advance Fiction Writing in the Fall with Professor Jamaica Kincaid, who has been featured in all my short story anthologies. I love the Scripps encourages students to explore outside their major as well. I've discovered that I'm also in love with Anthropology, Psychology, and Religious Studies. I would love to minor in all three.

Living in the dorms here, I feel surrounded by friends, or at least potential friends. I love that I can go to the dining hall and run into people to eat with. While Scripps offers a ton of resources (and great mentor programs) for minority students through Scripps Communities of Resources and Empowerment, I'd like to see a greater discourse about ethnic and racial diversity on campus. What discourse there is tends to feel tense or hostile. I think that, intelligent, empowered and compassionate as Scripps students are, we can do better.

Most of the activities and social life on campus are mixed with the other Claremont schools. A typical weekend might include: A drum circle at Pitzer A concert at the Motley Coffeehouse at Scripps A recently released film showing at Pomona's movie theater Parties on either the CMC, Harvey Mudd or Pomona campuses A movie on the lawn at Scripps A trip arranged by Scripps Outdoor Adventure Program to visit the San Diego Wild Animal Park

1. Raging Feminazis and/or Lesbians

2. Party girl/Promiscuous

3. Prudes

Diversity, diversity, diversity. It's a big buzz word, and it encompasses a lot. Like many small liberal arts colleges, Scripps is largely white, so there's a constant discussion of how to increase diversity-- and how to best benefit from the diversity that we *do* have. Some great speakers have come to talk on this topic: most recently, Rinku Sen of colorlines.com

Only for a few people, and only then to a certain degree. Like all colleges, we are more complex than our stereotypes would allow for.

Things I love about Scripps: Encouragement to study abroad, The fantastic staff, faculty and student community, Tea in Seal Court every Wednesday, The bunnies all over campus, Spa Nights in the dorms, Pilates classes at the Field House, Our proximity to LA, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Laguna Beach, and the Food (in general, it's fantastic [Harvey Mudd offered Lobster Tail at Easter brunch one year, seriously!]).

My classes have ranged in size from ~45 students to as small as 4 students. Generally, my classes are discussion based, so it's important to have done the reading and to be prepared to discuss the subject at hand. Scripps classes, sometimes even more so than classes at other of the Claremont consortium schools, can be very writing intensive, with a high level of expectation from professors.

That said, I LOVE my classes. My professors know my name, and stop to chat when I run into them outside the class. They are passionate about what they teach, and it shows in the work they do. It infuses the classroom with energy and brings life and excitement to the classroom, even when we're studying texts from the third century!