Ishita Jayadev ‘26
Copy Editor
While the transition to Scripps is always difficult, hopefully, joining some of these groups or even just being aware of their existence can ease your tumultuous first year, help you get more involved on campus, and reassure you that there is a place for everyone at Scripps.
Being a first-year at Scripps is strange, novel, and exciting in every way. You find yourself wandering through campus before everyone else moves in, feeling like you’re at a weird summer resort, only to realize that this is now your everyday life. Soon enough, you’ll be walking through Bowling Green and standing in the winding Malott lines at noon as you take a look at the other Scrippsies around you. Scattered around campus, Scrippsies are dressed in impeccable outfits even in the heat, tote bags slung on their shoulders…but wait. Why is everyone here white?
As a South Asian American, I knew going to a tiny, primarily white institution (PWI) after a large public high school would be difficult. However, I didn’t anticipate how isolating being at Scripps as a person of color could be until a couple of months in after the initial fervor of trying to meet every freshman on campus died down. Since then, I’ve watched many friends transfer (the infamous Scripps POC experience) and debated whether to stay at Scripps myself.
However, one of the reasons I’ve always felt welcome here is the affinity groups that Scripps and the broader 5Cs have to offer.
From my own experience, the Asian American Sponsor Program (AASP) and the Asian American Student Union (AASU) have been really great ways to meet other APIDA-identifying students at Scripps, eat yummy Asian snacks, and attend events that are both educational and fun. I still remember going to the AASP retreat in Big Bear as a first year and staying up until midnight learning how to make friendship bracelets, as if I was in summer camp for the weekend.
While the sponsor program is only for first years, there are still many events hosted by both CLORGs for students of all years to join.
Other 5C CLORGs I’ve been a part of are the South Asian Mentorship Program (SAMP), which provides mentorship groups and community for first-year South Asians, and the South Asian Student Association (SASA).
As for other Scripps affinity groups, Wata Weusi is a collective supporting all Black-identifying students; Blend is for any students who identify as mixed race/ethnicity, transracial adoptees, and/or third culture; and Café Con Leche (CCL) is a space for students of Latinx descent.
While these CLORGs operate separately, all of them (including AASP and AASU) got together at the end of the last school year to co-host POC Dinner, an evening of community bonding, fun games, and delicious multicultural food.
Other Scripps affinity CLORGs include Family, which was revived recently in 2022, and aims to celebrate queer identity and community. I was able to go to one of the early meetings of Family last semester and have gone to a few of the events they’ve hosted, including Sapphic Soirée, a music-filled evening featuring crafts tables, a photo booth, snacks, and, of course, a dance floor.
Scripps Kehillah is another affinity CLORG that functions as a Jewish Student Union and a space for Jews and non-Jews to come together in open dialogue and discussion. They’ve hosted events in the past semester, such as movie nights, slime-making, and Jewish Jeopardy.
Many of these groups function dually, fostering community and encouraging political advocacy and organizing, both equally important aspects of being on a college campus where your voice can be uniquely amplified and heard.
Scripps International Community (SIC) is another identity-based CLORG for any foreign passport/visa-holding students, cross-cultural/third culture kids, and anyone who has lived abroad.
Additionally, the Scripps Questbridge Chapter is for all first-generation and/or low-income students to help them navigate and graduate college.
While the transition to Scripps is always difficult, hopefully, joining some of these groups or even just being aware of their existence can ease your tumultuous first year, help you get more involved on campus, and reassure you that there is a place for everyone at Scripps.
