voice.scrippscollege.edu
April 18, 2013
The Scripps Voice Inside... Mary Robinson, the first female president of Ireland,
discusses the importance of climate justice Op-ED Skype sex: elation, masturbation, frustration
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Op-Ed Justine Desmond asking the hard questions about Kiva microloans
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By Nikki Broderick ‘14 Staff Writer
O
n Tuesday, April 9, the former and first female president of Ireland, Mary Robinson, visited Scripps
photo | Caroline Novit ’14
College as a guest of the California European Union Center. Robinson spoke in Balch Auditorium about the
beginning of her career and her passion for climate justice. Du r i n g t h e f i r s t h a l f of her talk, Robinson told stories about her law work and participation in Ireland’s entrance into the European Union. After her undergraduate career at Trinity College Dublin, Robinson studied at Harvard Law School. At Harvard, Robinson learned about European Community law, or as it was to be later known as, European Union law. Although Ireland had not yet joined the European Union, Robinson took an interest and even became the first professor to teach community law in Ireland after she won a professorship upon her return. In her talk, Robinson described her support for Ireland’s entr y into the European Union and “felt
in particular that it would be good for women.” As an attorney, she often represented women in cases brought to the Court of Justice of the European Union, and provided anecdotes of cases that struck her as especially helpful for women’s equality in Ireland. After her election to the senate, Robinson remained influential, particularly in controversial areas such as legal availability of contraception and family planning services. Robinson won the Labour Party’s nomination, and served as president from 19901997. During her tenure as president, Robinson was the first head of state to visit Rwanda and Somalia after their intense conflicts. Two months before the official end of her presidency, Robinson continued on page 10
“Krunk Fu Battle Battle” defies gravity and stereotype Features
Get Ready for Gaypril! pages 6-7
Entertainment Is the “Spring Breakers” movie a masterpiece or just a hot mess?
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By Rosemary McClure ’13 Editor-in-Chief
T
he words “hip-hop musical” hit me like a ton of bricks—or perhaps I should say, like a slug to the chest. The concept makes so much sense, one wonders why such productions are not mainstream. “Krunk Fu Battle Battle (KFBB),” the hip-hop musical written by Qui Nguyen which opened on Apr. 11 at Pomona College, did not disappoint. KFBB tells the story of Norman Lee (Cheuk Piu Lo, PZ ’14), a high school student who just emigrated to Brooklyn from Hong Kong, who foolishly challenges Sunset High’s reigning b-boy Three-Point (Ben Hong) to a dance battle for a date with slam poet Sweet Cindy Chang (Kayla Dalsfoist, SCR ’13). With the help of his new friend Wingnut (Bredan Gillett, PO ’14) and b-boy coach Lloyd, A.K.A. Sir Master Cert (Ken Saw), Norman accesses his inner b-boy, taking down Three Point’s crew and
learning life lessons: “It’s not about getting it right. It’s about making it work when you get it wrong.” KFBB is at its core a feel-good boy-meetsgirl underdog story, which is nothing new. Like all musicals, it is over-the-top—every time a character says “Krunk Fu Battle Battle,” the audience hears thunder and the lights flash ominously. But the hip-hop element is fresh and innovative, preventing heavy-handedness as the narrative explores immigration, language, and burgeoning masculinity and femininity. KFBB is like a younger, hipper “West Side Story.” With breakdancing. Like if “You Got Served” had a soul. Director Joyce Lu, Assistant Professor of Theatre at Pomona College, picked her cast well. Lo was perfect as Norman, conveying the character’s heart of gold without overdoing the naiveté. Saw, as the unexpectedly legit aging b-boy coach Sir Master continued on page 2
Kayla Dalsfoist ‘13 as Sweet Cindy Chang photo | Rosemary McClure ’13
1030 Columbia Avenue | Claremont, CA 91711 | Box 892 email: scrippsvoice@gmail.com | Volume XVI • Issue Eleven