The Scripps IDEA initiative has launched the new ConverActions on the national climate on race, community, and change. These events incorporate community conversations leveraging the Scripps Presents public programs, as well as opportunities to be civically engaged at school and beyond.Here’s what students, faculty, and staff have to say about the fantastic speakers we have heard from:

Melissa Harris-Perry, Sept. 8 – Focuses on social justice through intersections of race and gender

The Melissa Harris-Perry discussion created a space that allowed for questions, exploration, and possible solutions to the never-ending journey of how to create a community where everyone has a sense of belonging. ~Yuka Ogino, SCORE

Jeff Chang, Sept. 22 – Author of We Gon’ Be Alright: Notes on Race and Resegregation

The ConverAction about Jeff Chang’s presentation “We Gon’ Be Alright” was interactive and well-attended by students and faculty. We covered a number of issues, including political activism through hip-hop and other art genres, cultural appropriation, Asianness and the proposition that things are getting better. Multiple perspectives were expressed, and the centrality of understanding and respecting difference was articulated in terms of approaching subcultures in the USA. ~Hao Huang, Prof. of Music

Maria Hinojosa, Oct. 4 – Award-winning news anchor and reporter for “Latino USA”

Maria’s words reminded me that one can speak up in any context; that it doesn’t have to be in the front lines of a mass of protestors. It could also be a newspaper commentary or a radio show, something that voices your concerns and refuses to be dismissed. I felt that this was very empowering, because it gives everyone the voice to say what they believe in, to fight for what they think is right regardless of the type of person they are. ~Gaby Ochoa, ‘19

Elizabeth Hubert Malott Public Affairs Program: The Future of American Politics
On Thursday, November 17, Norm Ornstein spoke about the outcome of the recent election. Ornstein is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research and a frequent contributing writer to The Atlantic and the National Journal. He is the co-author of It’s Even Worse than it Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided with the New Politics of Extremism. He served as co-director of the AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project and serves as a senior counselor to the Continuity of Government Commission. A ConverAction was held prior to his talk with students, staff, and faculty.

Back in August and September, faculty and staff at Scripps attended two sessions of What’s the “T”?: Supporting Trans and Non-Binary Students. Al Forbes led the training as participants learned about current language around gender and gender identities, information about trans protections under Title IX, and some ways to best support trans and non-binary people. The group discussed current issues within higher education and actionable ways to be more inclusive of trans and non-binary students at Scripps College.IDEA sponsored panel: Religion, Politics, and the Presidential Election on Oct. 26, a 7C discussion about the presidential candidates’ interactions with religious communities and how their approaches may have shaped the outcome of the election. The panel had a fantastic turnout and a dynamic conversation two weeks before the election.

The Election Panel was a great success both in attendance as well as the conversation it fostered between the panelists as well as the audience. The panel allowed community members to hear perspectives from different religious leaders both on and off campus. The panelists brought up very insightful and powerful points and I think our community could benefit from more events that promote such dialogue! ~Asha Gupta, ‘18