January 14, 2025

IDEA Newsletter — December 2024

Our last day of this academic semester is Friday, December 20th – the day before the Winter Solstice. As we approach the break, we find ourselves at a powerful crossroads of the year—a time of both celebration and introspection. The Solstice marks not only the longest night of the year but also the moment when darkness begins to yield to light, symbolizing a season of renewal and transformation.

This transitional period invites us to pause and reflect. Winter, in its stillness, reminds us of the cycles of life—endings and new beginnings. It’s a time to honor what has passed, while opening ourselves to the possibilities that lie ahead. Whether it’s a moment of personal reflection or a gathering of loved ones, this break offers a unique opportunity to recharge, reset, and align ourselves with our individual and collective goals.

In this edition, we’ll reflect on the past semester, and look towards the new year as a time that can serve as a catalyst for recommitment and community. Let’s embrace the quiet of the season and celebrate the transformative power of the Solstice together.

Committee on Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (CIDE)

Under President Marcus-Newhall’s leadership, the Committee on Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (CIDE) is charged with proposing initiatives, policies, and practices that will enhance public dialogue on gender identity, ethnicity, religion, race, diversity, and other topics critical to the future of the College and facilitating campus conversations on race, equity, and inclusion. The College’s commitment to inclusion and equity has been executed by a variety of different working groups and committees over the last 20+ years. In that time, there have been many cultural shifts, both on campus and across the country. And now is an opportune time to reflect on how the work will continue to move forward as the College moves towards its centennial. Be sure to follow along with us on this process this Spring.

Spotlight

For this edition, we spotlight Nick Daily, a Black, queer, nonbinary consultant leading the reimagining of SCORE. Nick accepted their role through their firm LuvServedDaily Consulting, which provides training, workshops, coaching, and assessments for organizations. They also have deep ties to the Claremont community, having served as Assistant Dean of Students at OBSA from 2016–2020, and collaborated with the ADRE to develop Scripps’ DEIJ Departmental Action Plans.

Since March 2024, Nick has been working with Scripps to assess the culture of SCORE. They’ve spoken with many students, faculty and staff, and several alums to ensure diverse perspectives are included in the reimagining process. This semester, Nick shared a report with Dr. Sha Bradley outlining recommendations for SCORE’s future, with plans for a page with the recommendations on the Scripps College website in the Spring.

Nick encourages the Scripps community to support SCORE during this transition by visiting the space, attending programs, and sharing feedback. Ultimately, SCORE is just one example of our commitment to inclusion—it is our collective responsibility to maintain multiple spaces of belonging across campus. For questions or thoughts about SCORE, please connect with Nick at score@scrippscollege.edu.

Updates

2024-2025 Student Racial Justice and Equity Fellows

The Racial Justice and Equity Fellowship Program provides grants for research, internships, and community-engagement projects designed to advance scholarship and explore topics relevant to the following: racial justice; inequality; equity; criminal justice reform; intersectional, interracial, and intraracial violence; community-engaged projects; and related areas.
2024-2025 Faculty Fellows

Professor Nancy Neiman
Reform Movement: Greater Ed Opportunities for Incarcerated Individuals

Professor Westenley Alcenat
An Indigenous People’s History of Scripps & the Claremont Colleges

The 2024-2025 Racial Justice and Equity Student Fellowship application opens in the Spring. Student applications require a faculty advisor / mentor component.

Events

Fall Community Gatherings

The Equity and Justice Leadership Team partnered with Business Affairs, the Department of Natural Sciences, and the Tiernan Field House for our Fall 2024 Community Gatherings. Staff, faculty, and students gathered (over food!) to learn about these department’s DEIJ Action Plans. For more information on the Action Plans, click the link below. The Laspa Center will be hosting our first Spring ’25 Community Gathering on February 4 at 9am in Seal Court.

Spring 2025 ConverActions

In September, the Equity and Justice Leadership Team partnered with Scripps Presents to co-host Voting: Empowered Voices and Rights, a non-partisan webinar discussion on the history, process, and impact/significance of voting in the United States. In the Spring, we invite you to join us for two more ConverActions related to Bodily Autonomy and Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. With our ConverActions series, we hope to engage the Scripps community around pertinent and timely topics, and identify individual and collective actions we can take to address important ideas in our society.

Final Thoughts

“In the midst of hate, I found there was, within me, an invincible love. In the midst of tears, I found there was, within me, an invincible smile. In the midst of chaos, I found there was, within me, an invincible calm. I realized, through it all, that…In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.”

— Albert Camus