Below are all 82 responses, in chronological order of submission, to the form distributed by The Scripps Voice requesting for open opinions of the Scripps College community. We encourage readers to engage with the comments in their completeness with respect, honesty, and a desire for communal understanding.
“I think it is disgusting and disturbing that admin would do this. As a freshman, it doesn’t lead me to think highly of them and their actions” – Scripps student
“I am angry, the closure violates the philosophy of the coffeehouse. I am embarrassed to attend a school that makes decisions like this without considering the student body, especially the employees they have put out of work.” – Scripps student
“The closing of the Motley is a direct attack on the free speech and though of students here at Scripps.” – Scripps student
“I am so angry that the Motley is closed. It is unacceptable. The students do not want this. Our free speech is not being protected.” – Scripps student
“I am appalled at Scripps College’s silencing of student voices and its continued refusal to admit that the ongoing crisis the Colleges are helping to fund is a genocide against the Palestinian people.” – Scripps student
“I’m honestly embarrassed. I chose Scripps because as a historic woman’s college I expected better from our administration, I expected to be informed and cared and out and valued as a student. I assumed our mission was to uplift our students and teach them how to be active roles in society, and instead Scripps is being another vessel where women are told all the things they cannot do. I am so disappointed and embarrassed of our school right now, especially when the world needs our help more then ever.” – Scripps student
“The Motley is a space dedicated to amplifying the voices of Scripps students and the broader 5C community. By forcefully closing the Motley, the Administration has shown that it does not value its students. The administration has betrayed the trust of its students, and it is impossible to determine if they will ever earn it back.” – Scripps student
“The hypocrisy shown by administration is disgusting. You cannot create an institution committed to bettering the world while simultaneously silencing the voices of your students as they attempt to better the world.” – Scripps student
“I feel like it’s a complicated issue that should be discussed and resolved – I know that there are multiple perspectives on the actual issue with the Palestine flag – but this does not merit the closure of jobs that students rely on for attending Scripps that were detailed in their financial aid – especially with no notice.” – Scripps student
“Honestly, I don’t know how a school who prides themselves on being there for their students could do something that not only directly hurts students who work at the motely, but also those who use the space to be with friends, to study, to relax. We don’t have many places at Scripps that students can meet up, so closing the Motely for miscommunication and some type of power trip is not only harmful to us, but also makes us distrustful of admin.” – Scripps student
“If admin wants to quash student dissent and protest, closing the Motley is quite frankly the dumbest possible way to go about doing that. How is this helping anyone? I have friends who work at the Motley as part of work-study programs, and are now scrambling to figure out how to continue paying their tuition. It’s not easy getting on campus jobs in the middle of the semester. And, despite their careful avoidance of explicitly stating it, it’s obvious that the Palestinian flags are what admin is upset about. I’m Jewish. I have many Jewish friends on campus. None of us feel threatened by the flags in the Motley. Why is the school focusing on this instead of actual antisemitism? It feels like the institution that is Scripps College cares far more about looking respectable than it does about the wellbeing of its students.” – Scripps student ’27
“Low-income students rely on their work-study for financial stability. I am a work-study student who works elsewhere, but if that was me, I would be extremely worried because I rely on my work-study to afford groceries, medication, and class materials that I otherwise wouldn’t be able to get. The administration’s decision to close the Motley not only hurts the student worker’s freedom of speech but also their financial (and thus mental) well-being. For a school that claims to be inclusive, this action is anti-feminist and classist. It is simply unfair.” – Scripps student ’27
“Can admin name more than like, MAYBE five students who wanted the Motley closed? Can they name one? I won’t pretend Scripps students share a monolith of opinion on the genocide, but when has the Motley ever been a battleground? Who is complaining about this, and how important are they that admin feels okay running right over the vast majority of student opinion? It was already over the line last semester when they were forced to apologize for having an event space and letting various other groups use the space. It was over the line at the beginning of the semester when admin tried to prevent them from opening. And it’s over the line now.
The Motley is a student space. Is Scripps somewhere we can feel free to voice our thoughts and perspectives and opinions? I understand the stated reason is harassment/free speech. Is the Motley harassing someone by having flags up? Do they feel unsafe because of a striped banner? Maybe that’s something they should unpack for themselves. Who feels protected by having OUR space FOR students taken away? Who is being protected?” – Scripps student
“My god, how dare college students voice political opinions. “College students protest” is quite possibly the most fork found in kitchen statement ever. But who knows, maybe “admin shuts down the free speech of students ostensibly in order to protect the free speech of students” is more so.” – Scripps student
“I’m so disappointed in the Scripps administration. Silencing student voices and shutting down a place of work in which students make money to provide for themselves is just immature and evil. It really makes it feel like they’ve got no care or consideration for the students at their school. Free Palestine! Reopen the Motley and rehire the student workers!” – Scripps student
“Currently, it feels like the Scripps College administration is silencing the voices of it’s students. Starting from last year, it seems like there is a lot of mismanagement and disorganized planning when it comes to the usage of student led spaces. More specifically, there is a lot of struggle between affinity groups at Scripps gaining access back to SCORE. The administration has time and time again pushed off the concerns of student leaders, especially when it comes to the rehiring process of certain positions at SCORE. We have asked to play a part in selecting candidates for SCORE’s upper management, yet the administration has brushed off our demands. Many affinity groups barely received access to using the SCORE living room, but we have yet to be given keys to CLORG specific offices. It seems like Scripps is actively erasing safe spaces for students to build community. Combined with the recent events of the Motley, it feels like as a Scripps student there is very little space to feel safe as a first generation person of color. I wish Scripps became more supportive in the development and growth of student led organizations. We need more honest and active dialogue between students and the administration at Scripps. There seems to be a lot of disconnect.” – Scripps student
“ ‘Know from whence you came. If you know whence you came, there are absolutely no limitations to where you can go.’
― James Baldwin
Scripps College administration does not understand the true origins of the Motley Coffeehouse. It has always been a political space, serving Scirpps’ most marginalized students and their communities. If Amy Marcus-Newhall or Scripps’ senior leadership really knew the origins of the Scripps community and where their students find joy or safety, they would not close the Motley. As a senior, I feel like we are reverting to freshman year when the Motley was closed. All of us remember how grim it was to be a student here, lacking a space to go, spend time with friends, and also share ideas about the world around us. I urge all of us to come together to fight this closure, rehire our community members who need their jobs, and reclaim our community space.” – Scripps student
“It is hypocritical that in the statement that President Amy Marcus-Newhall made, she cites that ‘It is our aim to preserve the feminist and intersectional ethos that has shaped the Motley’s culture and ensure that it also embodies the spirit of access and inclusion we strive to create on Scripps’ campus.’ How is advocating for the liberation of Palestine not feminist? How is limiting mostly work-study femm students of their free speech feminist? How is restricting income of mostly work-study students feminists? How is restricting students feminist? I understand the concern of anti-seministism, but advocating for the liberation of Palestine is not the same as advocating for the genocide of Jewish students. This school teaches us about past genocides and structural inequities, but when one occurs in our present time, the elites and this school sides with the oppressor. If you truly wish to advocate for the “spirit of access” and “inclusion”, why limit student expression?” – Scripps student
“This is very saddening to me. I’m not on campus this semester but Spring will be my last semester, so hearing about The Motley closing is very disheartening and discouraging for me.” – Scripps student
“Would it really be so hard to actually speak honestly with students? This feels like punishment, or retribution for ‘making Scripps look bad’ (to who? Donors? Faculty? Investors? Whose voice matters more than our own?). And then to dress it up like it’s, what, intersectional feminist praxis to clamp down on free speech, remove one of the few ‘third spaces’ we’ve got, and put students on financial aid out of work? Come ON. Don’t piss on my leg and tell me its raining, have some self-respect and look us in the eyes if you’re gonna fuck us over.” – Scripps student
“Amy’s email mentioned maintaining the inclusive space of the Motley, but for WHO? If Scripps actually cared about Jewish students the way they try make it seem, they would have made an effort to speak to us and see what many of us might have wanted from the Motley (hint: freedom of expression!). Adminis is suppressing student voices in the name of creating an ‘inclusive’ space when it is clear they are only protecting their own agenda. Closing the Motley only limits student organizing and free speech and does not support Jewish students in the slightest, so they can’t pretend that they are closing the Motley to ‘protect’ Jews on campus. Scripps admin pretends to care about their students (while unjustly firing 50+ student workers without warning) yet makes no effort to actually support us and see what we want. I am a Jewish student who finds the closing of the Motley incredibly offensive and unfair to what we as students want and work toward.” – Scripps student ’26
“The closing of the Motley is not just a clear statement of Zionist sentiments, a repression of student voices, and a disgusting misuse of ‘feminist and intersectional’ values, it is a violation of trust and a clear mistreatment of Scripps student workers. Even if we look past the fact that Scripps admin is supporting a genocide and standing against the fight for Palestinian liberation by closing the Motley, they still fired 51 student workers with no notice and left them without what is, for many of them, an essential source of income.The ability to organize in a safe, inclusive student space is essential to productive political discourse on a college campus, and the Motley has existed as a space for that since it opened. The “”feminist and intersectional ethos that has shaped the Motley’s culture”” must be protected, and the wishes of the majority of Scripps students for Scripps admin to immediately reopen the Motley and apologize for all harm done should be honored.” – Scripps student ’26
“The Scripps administration will regret choosing to close the Motley. We, the students and the wider community of staff, faculty, and others, will make their lives living hell. All they have to do is pay attention to their neighboring campuses. We will scale your fences, send mail to the addresses of your board of trustees and their neighbors, end your events, scare prospective students away from attending, and occupy your spaces. We will do what we must until Palestine and all oppressed peoples are liberated. Your hired goons have no authority, and we will not pretend as though they do. You’re opening minds to a liberal arts education which instills feelings of justice and a deep desire to better the world. Do not act surprised when your repression and cowardice is labeled as such.” – 7C student
“I’m very disappointed in this decision, for so many reasons. There’s already not any enough community spaces on Scripps Campus, especially with Denison closed on weekends. Motley was a space for students, by students, and a part of that NEEDS to be students curating their own space. Scripps admin shutting down that is so ridiculous—but to fire all of their student workers with no warning at 6am on a Saturday?
The Motley represents what student-run places can look like, and it is the space for activism on campus. By taking that away, administration is saying there is nowhere students can use.” – Scripps student ’25
“I’m mostly wondering who is this all for? The vast majority of the student body I’ve interacted with is either in support of the flag being up or completely indifferent. If the flag was making some feel unsafe, I think there should be dialogue between students. But the censorship and termination of 50+ student workers? It feels very much like admin is trying to protect their bottom line rather than listen to student perspectives.” – Scripps student
“I don’t understand why Scripps admin decided closing the Motley preserves the “feminist and intersectional ethos” of the college when it actively harms the 50 student workers and shows a blatant disregard for the lives that are lost every day in the genocide.” – Scripps student
“As a recent graduate, it feels shameful to have attended a college that does not maintain its intersectional ideals that Scripps claims to uphold. But truly, I am not surprised by administration’s decision to close the Motley and fire 50+ student workers for not compromising their commitment to Palestine because there has been a repeated issue with censoring voices and attempts to create “docile” individuals across various departments at Scripps, such as the Office of Student Engagement. I am so proud of the student organizing that is taking place at Scripps and I will do whatever I can to support them as an alum.” – Scripps alum
“It’s really disappointing when you find such an outspoken and refreshingly forward-thinking community at the 5c’s, only to be confronted with administrators who seem to prioritize financial interests over the values this community so strongly represent. With the PDFA recently highlighting the alt-right Trustees/Investors of Pomona, the fear-mongering admin of Harvey Mudd, the President at Pitzer who vetoed a majority decision to boycott Israel, and now the Scripps President who could not have undermined the history of the Motley any more; All their blatant unprincipled morality regarding genocide or student expression is very telling of who our colleges choose to administrate our community. Ensuring the next paycheck from our wealthy donors is more important to the Consortion than exercising any of the values they pride themselves on.” – Scripps student ’26
“I feel that closing the Motley is silencing student voices, taking away financial opportunities from students who need it, and devaluing a core aspect of Scripps culture.” – Scripps student
“After all the symbolic and literal dehumanization Palestinians have been through at the hands of Israel, the media, and our own government who wouldn’t even recognize a Palestinian speaker at the DNC, the idea that a so-called progressive college won’t allow a simple Palestinian flag, symbolizing nothing but the dignity and existence of Palestine as a nation, to be hung in a community space is cowardly and frankly racist!! This being the main reason for the closure of a place that many students rely on for employment, organizing, food, and as a work space is despicable.” – Scripps student
“As a Jewish student, I am deeply offended that admin would use the guise of the Motley not being inclusive to justify closing it. Why is the comfort of zionist Jews more important than that of Palestinians? Not in my name.” – Scripps student
“The closing of the Motley is the closing of communication and awareness. A free flow of speech is a staple of college campuses and administration absolutely ought to open the Motley for the sake of our community and student workers.” – 7C student
“Scripps’ administration is more loyal to a destruction-driven government focused on continuing a decades-long genocide than they are to their own students. Amy Marcus Newhall is jeopardizing the safety, comfort, and feelings of welcoming and inclusion of the entire student body of Scripps, and is actively telling student workers that they don’t matter. She is choosing to silence a space that is known for speaking out—a space that accommodates minority-led clubs and affinity groups. She is reminding the student body at Scripps that our school is no more than a corporation that lusts after money, rather than an institution that prioritizes the wellbeing of its students. It is imperative to remember that the fight for Palestinian safety and freedom is a fight against the Israeli military and government, not against Israeli or Jewish people. These two views cannot be conflated.” – Scripps student ’28
“As a Jewish student on Scripps college, the Motley was not a place I felt safe or comfortable in by the time I graduated a few years ago. The actions and support are one-sided and do not provide space for any students who would feel differently. This conversation would be very different had the Motley staff hung a poster of one of the hostages. But I disagree with the Scripps administration calling the Motley an apolitical space – it never has been and not should we expect it to be. Even after saying that, I still think the recent actions and support of a movement in the way they have destroys any chance of nuance, discussion or conversation and because of that, I support the shutdown.
I have little reason to believe that the voice will publish this opinion of mine, as it deeply contrary to the accepted line. But I dare the editors to prove me wrong.” – Scripps alum
“I was incredibly disappointed to hear Scripps closed the Motley. I understand that it is a business technically under the management of Scripps College, however as a student-run business, I trust and support the students that have kept the Motley thriving these past few years. I believe they deserve a strong and significant say in how the cafe is run, just as much as the administration. The Motley being a student-run cafe has given it a vibrant culture representative of our generation that other third spaces on the 5C campus lack. For example, the themed shifts, the music being played, and fun events like movie nights. The administration would never know to have a Bottoms movie night or an event with a sex therapist teaching us how to give head. Even when they have events or art I disagree with, I still feel represented, because I respect the opinions of my fellow students. This is the respect I have to the voice of my generation. The humanity and student voice is an essential component of the Motley. Additionally, I cannot respect when universities or businesses censor voices in an attempt to be “apolitical”. Everything is political! This decision to shut down the Motley is extremely political! Part of what makes the Motley so special is that it is full of student art and writing – many of which is political. Therefore to force the removal of the Palestinian flag, was pointed. This specific opinion is being targeted. I understand that it is a very emotionally charged topic with a variety of opinions. However, there is so much evidence that Palestine is an occupied territory and has suffered an unimaginable amount of death, violence, and oppression. I seriously doubt that supporting other countries at war that have experienced these levels of horror would be a problem in spaces such as the Motley. To close the Motley for this reason, under the guise of “feminist and intersectional ethos”, is disrespectful to the history of feminism and intersectionality. Taking no stance, attempting to be apolitical, and not listening to the voice of your students, is not intersectional at all. In much feminist and intersectional philosophy, it is believed that to be silent is to take the side of the oppressor. It was Scripps College that taught me that, and it is extremely upsetting to see this not being upheld in administration. The college and administration should represent the students. I do understand that those with differing opinions may be silent during this time, so maybe a poll or student government vote/discussion I think would a better way to gauge student opinions.” – Scripps student
“I’m surprised there isn’t more open outrage among the student body yet. Admin claims that they want to have an open and honest dialogue but obviously that isn’t true considering how vague they were about *why* the Motley was closed in their email. Besides, the fact they fired so many student workers (those on work study no less, which in my understanding means they are making money TOWARDS their tuition to Scripps) without notice should piss off anybody no matter their stance on the conflict. If we want to have dialogue we need total transparency from admin about what they want and why. I think the Motley should release the receipts of their discussions with admin because there seems to be a lot of confusion going around already about what demands they did or did not meet from admin that led to the closing. A school that prides itself on being a space for people to speak up who would otherwise struggle to find their voice should not turn around and shut down those voices at LEAST without lifting the veil of obscure motivations and wishy-washyness of why they are doing so. What is admin so afraid of? Genuinely what are their stakes here. (Apologies for bad grammar this ended up being a longer train of thought than I intended)” – Scripps student
“I submitted another form already but I do have a suggestion.
To make the backlash significant enough to admin we need a lot of people right? If you focus the initial article on the student workers who have lost their jobs without warning, and provide their testimonies, you’re most likely to appeal to members of the student body who may consider themselves “”apolitical”” or maybe even actively against Palestine support. Spinning this into a more generic free speech and student worker issue initially will reach the most people. Ultimately once you have those covered THEN it will be much easier to use the platform you’ve built to support Palestine afterwards.
We need unity against admin if we want to make substantial change. Having the focus zoom out to free speech and treatment of student workers at large is going to sway the most people. Please consider appealing to the masses to support the long term, I know it feels like watering down the message of supporting Palestine but if we can get as many people angry about this as possible then admins’ balls will absolutely shrivel in fear (so to speak).” – Scripps student
“The closing of the Motley is incredibly disappointing. The Motley is the heart of campus in so many ways, and I remember when it reopened after the pandemic how excited and joyful we all were to have that space back. Its role in student activism is something I’ve always been impressed by even as a prospie, and closing it completely shuts down students’ first amendment rights. It’s obvious that administration is uncomfortable with pro-Palestinian anti-genocide activism, and by shutting down the Motley, admin is shutting down any other type of activism too. I don’t understand why the admin would do this–they know students are unhappy with their efforts to censor them, and this is just going to make it worse. It seems like admin only wants to placate unhappy alums and parents and they don’t care about listening to current students. As an alum myself, this action by admin makes me lose pride in my school and faith that the administration is actually making the best choices for Scripps. Sure, we won “Best Student Experience” from the WSJ, but that means nothing when students are being censored and cannot access one of the best spaces on campus. And just a couple days before the shutdown, the Scripps Instagram was bragging about the Motley for International Coffee Day! So hypocritical.” – Scripps alum ’22
“To ask that any space on campus be neutral in the face of genocide is to the detriment of generations of organizers across the 5Cs, and is a blasphemous display of where your priorities lie.” – 7C student
“The Motley, like all campus spaces, needs to remain inclusive of all religions and ethnicities. A giant Palestinian flag may be intimidating and not welcoming to Jewish students. Organizing a pro-Palestinian protest for October 7 is absolutely thoughtless and frankly anti-woman and anti-Semitic. It’s an attempt to erase and negate all the rapes, murders, and kidnappings that happened in Israel on October 7 at the hands of Hamas. The protest should be moved to October 8.” – Scripps family member
“I’m very disappointed in admin for their blatant disregard for student freedom of expression. It’s sickening and feels like they don’t care at all about us as students, especially since a lot of the Motley’s baristas were work-study.” – Scripps student
“I am really frustrated with administration. It feels as though they do not have anyone but their own best interests in mind- which isn’t surprising, but is disappointing. As an alum, it is actions like these, and similar actions that occurred while I was a student, that make me extremely hesitant to give any financial support to this institution.” – Scripps alum ’24
“The administration is showing terrible leadership. The Motley was acting as a space for students to use their voices, as it always has, but it is very clear that the administration is trying to shut down support for Palestine by cherry picking what we’re allowed to speak about. If the students have violated policies, the administration should be citing specifically what those policies are and giving the students clear guidance. They should be specific in what they believe is wrong, while also hearing what the students are saying and acknowledging the beliefs that the students are expressing. Their role is to support students, not silence their voices by removing a central piece of campus life and the jobs that come with it because they feel threatened.” – Scripps student
“Really disappointing and actually a slap in the face to Scripps students from admin.” – Scripps student
“The administration’s unjust decision to shut down The Motley is not only alarming but deeply disheartening and disturbing. The sheer disregard for the livelihoods of their own students is both inexcusable and appalling.” – Scripps student
“I am extremely disappointed that the admin would rather cave to external pressures than prioritize keeping the Scripps community safe. Telling over fifty students that they need to find new jobs, without any prior notice, puts them and their education in harms way. Having a space on campus for free speech and expression is essential to the community’s well-being.” – Scripps student
“I am absolutely pissed about The Motley closing. The fact that they would fire 50+ student workers, most of whom are on work study and literally need the job, overnight because of differing beliefs is appalling. To then situate security guards around The Motley for days after they forcibly closed it is offensive. First of all, 50+ students just lost their jobs, they are more concerned with their livelihoods than rioting right now. Secondly, even if we were to riot, why the hell would we destroy the one sanctuary people have on campus? It’s utterly stupid, and offensive for them to assume that the students, especially those on work study, would become violent.” – Scripps student
“It truly is frustrating that Scripps closed down the Motley. Not only are they only politicizing the Palestinian flag, but they also fired 50+ students who rely on the money from working. Scripps should absolutely compensate those students after firing them under no notice. Additionally, the administration are the only people that care about the Palestinian flag up in the Motley, however, from what I heard, they didn’t attend the meetings set up by the Motley managers and sent other people in their place. It is immature to do such a thing, settle things like the adults you are don’t be so childish.” – Scripps student
“In the wake of the administration’s ban on flags, an action I see as deliberately targeting pro-Palestinian messaging (why ban them now and not sooner?), the closure of the Motley is hard to not take the same way. As a student who is pro-Palestine (given the disproportionate death toll disfavoring Palestinians, how can you not be?) I think it’s very cruel of the college to shut down that voice. That being said, who is the Motley’s closure hurting? Student workers and our community, primarily. I would assume that the Motley is a secondary asset to the college – the admin doesn’t care if it’s closed. I would like to see activism target things that the college cares more about and that the students have less of a stake in. I’m not sure what conversations happened behind closed doors between Motley staff and the administration – if someone could let us know, that would be very welcome – but given what I know, it sounds like lower level Motley staff were not included in the decision making process. I don’t think it’s fair for a place meant to serve the students to not allow open dialogue (this is my thinking on the administration’s purported reason for shutting the Motley down). I think not allowing an open dialogue in a public place such as the Motley alienates pro-Palestinian students who aren’t as hard-line about their demands or who have a variety of concerns, such as income security. As much as I want a world where Palestine was never colonized, we don’t live in that world. Without a dialogue that allows every side to voice their opinions we won’t be able to come up with a solution that doesn’t lead to more bloodshed. Personally, I don’t want to see pro-Israel rhetoric, but if we forbid it we lose the ability to debate and convince others that the cause is worthy, and we risk becoming illogical in our demands. We need a long-lasting solution for everyone, and that has to include Israelis!” – Scripps student
“How can Scripps say it is attempting to create an inclusive environment when it just fired 50+ student workers with no warning? What is inclusive about that? The Motley is an integral part of Scripps and the student body will not stand by while admin silences and harms us.” – Scripps student
“To the people who are frustrated that life as normal is being disrupted: I think that’s less important than people dying and our contribution to that. Instead of being frustrated, why not join the movement? Instead of “missing class” you’ll be part of a community working for something greater.” – Scripps student
“I’m incredibly disappointed in Scripps’ decision to strip 50+ of it’s own students and community members of employment. The fact that this firing was a tool of political silencing is despicable, and something future generations of students will hear about in disgust. The Motley has always been a save haven of free expression for students and continues to be; the utilization of the Palestine Exception by administration, deplorably, has aggressively suppressed this academic freedom ofexpression.” – Scripps student
“I’m confused- was the motley shut down because motley baristas refused to allow “a diversity of opinions” in the cafe (as the admin say) or that the admin were asking the motley to take down the Palestinian flag? Those are two very different stories.” – Scripps student
“firing 51 students is reprehensible” – Scripps student
“It’s horseshit that the administration is pulling jobs out from 51 students’ feet when many of the Motley workers need the role for work-study purposes. The decision to do so appears to be born from an anti-freedom of speech nature, making it all the more egregious. If that is not the true basis of the decision to close the Motley, the administration must provide the students with more clarity.” – 7C student
“Closing a beloved community space to ban the flag of a colonized nation is an extremely racist, bigoted, hateful, hypocritical, oppressive, and discriminatory decision from Scripps administration, who have proven to be nothing but disgusting genocide-supporting white supremacists. Nobody will ever forget their shameful contribution to the wrong side of history, and the measures they are taking to erase Palestine. It is embarrassing and terrifying to associate with this place.” – Scripps student
“As an alum who also works in higher ed, I’ve watched how campus climate has shifted during the last year both at my current institution and in reporting from Scripps and other schools around the country. There’s a lot of justified fear around speaking out in support of Palestine and I commend the students and Motley staff who have continued to do so even in the face of an administration that seems determined to shut them out. History will not look kindly on those who chose to ignore or deny the ongoing genocide in Palestine, and based on its current actions, that includes the leadership of Scripps College. As an alum, I cannot in good conscience continue to donate to an institution that tries to limit free speech of students through a Palestine exception, and by extension of that, deny an ongoing genocide. I would encourage my fellows alums to consider withholding their donations as well, until these practices cease.” – Scripps alum
“It’s enraging to know that supporting the end of Genocide is too much for Scripps. They have allowed the Motley to be completely student run since it’s inception- basically no intervention. This included during times of protesting Vietnam. While students strongly supported Abortion rights (and yes back then conservative students clutched pearls but were told by Admin that the Motley was a space for free speech.) The Motley has seen anti-Bush protests, posters, art work. It has hosted many political positions that have made many people “”upset”” and the Administration has *never* stepped in or claimed they had rights over the freedom of speech present within the business. Yet, here, as students stand on the right side of history – with a simple yet strong statement. Suddenly, this is too far? It is disgraceful that the Admin stands with genocide, how embarrassing for them.
It’s also quite fascinating that now students are Scripps staff- I wonder where my (and all previous employees) benefits are? As a Scripps employee I was never offered retirement, health care or even over time. If students are in fact employees- Scripps better be ready to support them with all the same benefits that other employees receive. None of this – limited amounts students can earn (ie work study) nor should they be exempt from providing Health care, retirement and even vesting opportunities.
Lastly- Marcus-Newhall what a disappointment you have become.” – Scripps alum ’03
“When the Pomona Advocates for Survivors of Sexual Assault organized the Take Back the Night protest, the Motley was there. When I was coming into my own as a lesbian woman and scared of my own shadow, the Motley was there. It was the first place I put my arm around a woman, it made me feel safe to be queer when I didn’t feel that way basically anywhere else. When I needed a shelter, a refuge, a place to feel and be at home at a time of my life when I was so sad, scared, and alone, the Motley was there. It may seem insignificant to some but the Matcha cha cha picked me up from the depths of my college related anxiety and depression and carried me through my entire college experience. I knew that even if I felt the most severe imposter syndrome in the world that the warmth and love of that space would be there. I suffered the first two weeks of the semester when it was closed. I NEEDED that space for reasons that were far deeper than just whatever activism was going on at the time. Please, students are going to do activism always. Shutting the Motley, a place which is so vital for so many of us, is not preventing student activism. Instead, it’s all but ensuring that any student activism which occurs will be MORE public than it would’ve been in the first place. Just let us have our coffee shop please.” – Pomona College alum
“This speaks to how administration presents the image of social justice and inclusion, but is truly incentivized by financial gains. The Claremont colleges as a whole have been taking actions that are not indicative of their very mission statements. The hypocrisy and lack of care is frankly disgusting and negligent. Students have maintained peaceful protests and have been exercising well within their rights. For Scripps to take such aggressive action is shameful. 51 students are not left scrambling for support because their college, which promised support and care, deserted them. As a barista at the motley, it was not only a job but a mental health support system. By closing us with no warning, Scripps has not only stabbed us in the back financially but also mentally and emotionally. It is so evident that Scripps college does not care at all for their students. I’m disappointed but not surprised.” – Scripps student
“As a Scripps alum and former motley manager, I am saddened by the decision to close The Motley. I strongly feel this was the wrong choice by the administration.” – Scripps alum
“I have felt increasingly unsafe with the increased police presence and surveillance tactics utilized by Scripps and now prevalent in my daily routine walks to class and meals. The immediate implementation of these policing bodies after the Motley closure/firing of 50 student-workers confirms my belief that the school does not trust their own students and ultimately see us as potential threats to be neutralized. I am disappointed that, in the name of intersectional feminism, Scripps College locked up a beloved community space that housed many FGLI BIPOC at-risk students, such as myself. It is clear that this decision was made without considering any student input; rather, it was an action complicit in furthering the settler colonial, genocidal occupation of Palestine, funded by the dollars of the Scripps College endowment. Instead of heeding community calls for divestment, our President sided with the profit-motivated Board of Trustees. As a senior on this campus, I am appalled at the actions of President Marcus-Newhall and all other assisting administrators and I am ashamed to receive a diploma from this school in the spring.” – Scripps student ’25
“I felt ashamed to be a Scripps student when I saw that email from the president. It disappointed me that the administration decided that rash action was needed, I don’t think that the decision was made with regard to anyone except donors who might take away their money. It’s repulsive that Scripps cares more about money than community, justice, and the lives of over 40,000 murdered Palestinians.” – Scripps student
“There is a serious lack of physical spaces on campus that students can take advantage of. For a college that advertises a “tight-knit community,” Scripps has ironically taken away a powerful space for serving its very purpose of bringing students together. That Scripps administration feels the need to shut down student voices is a dangerous reflection of the narrow sense in which they truly want “critical thinking” from their students.” – Scripps student
“Before October 7th, I was so sad to be graduating Scripps. Now as an alum, I am grateful every day to not have to be on campus anymore. It often felt like I was surrounded by people with no stake in the conflict, who made themselves the loudest voices in the room. While some of my peers were posting an infographic and moving on with their day, I was combing through lists of the dead, praying I didn’t recognize any of the names. After October 7th, Claremont Colleges students I had been friends with suddenly didn’t make eye contact with me anymore. I hadn’t said anything to them about the conflict, nor had I posted on my social media — they just knew I was Jewish. None of my non-Jewish friends checked in to make sure I was okay. Infographics and alienating others is not going to solve the conflict in the Middle East — nor is a flag hanging in a coffee shop. What does have the power to create change is finding common ground with others. This is something I think The Claremont Colleges would benefit from.
I think President Marcus Newhall made the right choice by closing the Motley. During my last year at Scripps, the Motley became a space where I felt like I had to put my guard up and could not fully be myself as a Jewish student. The Motley is supposed to be a space that uplifts the Scripps student body, no matter who they are. There is so much power in a space that brings people together. My hope is that the Motley’s closure allows it to re-open as a space where the Scripps student body can learn new perspectives and find common ground with those who are different from them.” – Scripps alum ’24
“It is appalling that the administration has chosen to punish students for creating and maintaining a student-run space. The Motley has been a vessel for student collaboration and understanding for so many years now, and to take away it’s purpose is deeply frustrating and saddening.” – Scripps alum
“The Motley is the social heart of Scripps campus. Taking away a source of community to suppress free speech is reprehensible. The Motley has long been established as a hub of activism and political expression, and Scripps administration can’t just pick and choose what politics it doesn’t want displayed. The college has also not fostered any form of open dialogue or transparency regarding this situation, which it has an obligation to do when the issue is so relevant to Scripps identity and community.
Students deserve the right to free political expression without the fear of facing consequences such as losing their jobs. Depriving 50 students of a source of financial stability gives an alarming indication of where the college’s values and priorities lie. Certainly not on the wellbeing of its students, which the college’s first priority should be.” – Scripps student
“Back in 2002, organizing against an unjust war was a central part of my Scripps education. The Claremont community taught us to think critically and to lead, and we did our best to apply those skills to stop the killing of civilians using US tax dollars and the erosion of our civil liberties. I’m proud to see Scripps students standing up again, and I’m appalled at the ways that the administration is pushing back this time, threatening their education and their financial well-being. I won’t be donating to Scripps until the Motley is open and students can speak up freely for what’s right.” – Scripps alum ’02
“The administration has once again deprioritized the student experience and even student livelihood in favor of upholding a ‘neutral’ stance towards Israel. Students around the country know that there is no such thing as a neutral response to genocide. Scripps is adding itself to the list of institutions who have made themselves look foolish by claiming to strive for social justice and then punishing social justice activists. If Scripps truly cared about the first amendment or student expression, they would reopen the motley immediately.” – Scripps alum ’21
“I can not believe the institution I went to would suppress free speech. Supporting Palestine does not mean one is anti-semetic. It means one supports the rights of the Palestinian people for self-determination. Do we only support the free speech we want to hear? Or was this a move to appease those who are big donors.” – Scripps alum
“While I have no trouble with the Palestinian flag, this situation is an example of the larger problem at play. The student organizing has been completely suffocating. There has been no space left for a middle ground, no space for conversation, and no space to acknowledge the pain on both sides of the conflict or the nuance of this situation. Claremont has an immense pressure to conform to extreme leftist ideals and the Motley’s actions stifle any opinions that do not fully align with those ideals. Organizers use terror tactics only aimed to aggravate, making their activism completely performative. These protests have been detrimental for the community, straining relationships between students, administration and faculty. Our campus climate is only becoming more polarized. Individuals that truly cared for their community would aim to come to a middle ground where all voices are represented. Students should be engaged in global affairs but the weight of this incredibly nuanced conflict that we as an institution have little control over should not be engulfing our daily lives to the point it has reached.” – Scripps student
“Scripps admin tells us their goal in regulating free speech is to “”foster an inclusive environment”” and “”a welcoming space.”” But the consequences that they delivered for this free speech included depriving 50+ students of a source of income, all work study. I can’t find in this action any sense of inclusion or welcoming. It feels more like an act of retribution.
How are we expected to trust admin’s word when their actions don’t follow through?” – Scripps student
“The Palestinian flag should not be controversial. The existence of Palestinian people should not be political. And yet, here we are.
The Motley is the heart of the Scripps community. When I recall my time at Scripps as an alum, I think of the Motley: the hum of energy as peers discuss their coursework, the rhythmic clacking of laptop keys as students render their visions onto the page, the smell of espresso wafting through the space, and most of all, the student workers who work tirelessly to transform out-the door-lines into matcha cha chas and London fogs. Student spaces make students feel connected, supported, and empowered–attributes Scripps would typically extol as fundamental to the historically women’s college experience. Now, in a stunning reversal, these are attributes the administration seems to fear as a pathway to activism. Students rely on their on-campus jobs, and they shouldn’t have to choose between their freedom of expression and a paycheck. Scripps is defined not by its president, administration or Board of Trustees but through the heartbeat and collective will of its student body. Scripps is a space that taught me that my voice holds value, and that justice and compassion are stronger than fear and ignorance. I’m grateful to the Motley student workers for reminding the administration of this. To current students, and especially current Motley workers: your voice is powerful. Your ideas are important. Your actions are meaningful. If they weren’t, the administration wouldn’t have such a vested interest in your silence and compliance. Alumni are watching what’s unfolding at Scripps, and if you need us, we are here to support you.” – Scripps alum
“The closing of the Motley is a blatant act of anti-Palestinian racism and the censoring of free speech, and to fire over 50 of our own students is a violation of everything Scripps supposedly stands for (and everything we as students want our institution to stand for). I am so proud of our incredibly brave Motley workers and so grateful to be a part of a community that stands up for justice, even in the face of oppression from our own administration.” – Scripps student
“I am angry and extremely disappointed at Scripps President and Admin’s decision to abruptly close the Motley last Saturday. This reads as a very deliberate anti-Palestinian move, and a way to silence student dialogue, not promote it. The fact that this decision has also left 50 student workers out of a job, many of them work-study, further shows that this was not a decision made with care for Scripps’ students. Amy Marcus-Newhall claims that she wants to uphold the “feminist and intersectional ethos” that the Motley has historically promoted, but this decision is anything but that. True intersectional feminism recognizes that the struggle for Palestinian Liberation is a struggle we should all be concerned about, because none of us are free until all of us are free. True intersectional feminism knows to listen to the needs of people struggling against oppression, and respond to their calls- something that student organizing has done, despite admin’s attempts to silence organizers. True intersectional feminism recognizes that we are still within the realm of a global pandemic, and would support student organizing such as Nobody Fails at Scripps, who have worked tirelessly to provide masks and tests through the Motley, as well as other vital resources such as the community pantry. These are resources that Scripps loves to take credit for, but won’t bat an eye about cutting off access through the Motley closure.” – Scripps student ’25
“If admin has a problem with the flag being up in the Motley, they could solve their problem by going in and taking it down themselves. Why haven’t they done this? It is wrong to force the students to take down the flag if they don’t want to because that would be like asking them to change their political beliefs.” – Scripps student
“I don’t support to close Motley. I think it’s an essential place to students and faculties on campus.” – Scripps faculty
“I believe the closing of the Motley was unjust. I believe students have a right to voice their opinions and should be allowed to organize and speak their truth. I also am disappointed in the administrations response to what seems to be a flag display in the Motley. The Palestinian flag is recognized world wide and represents a group of people and should not be considered threatening to others. Deciding to stand up for others who cannot stand up for themselves is honorable and no one should be punished for doing so. For a school that is supposed to cultivate young minds and help them express themselves and their beliefs, Scripps college has come up lacking.” – Scripps staff
“The closure of the Motley by Scripps administration is disheartening, and will leave a mark on this administrations legacy. There are other signs in the Motley that one might deem controversial, “BLM” and “Abolish ICE” to name a few. Even then, the students did not face as much backlash that resulted in termination. A Palestinian flag hung up with the Mexican flag and other countries should not result in these extreme consequences. Terminating 51 students without warning is a form of violence, leaving students without income is VIOLENCE. It is a shame to see the steps the administration is taking to silence students. This sends the message that Scripps supports intersectional feminist frameworks, unless you are Palestinian, or you believe that Palestine should be free. Do better Scripps.” – Scripps staff
“As a Jewish student, and as a person, I have been feeling consistently stressed about the tension on campus relating to the Israel-Palestine conflict. I think there is often a lot of harm done any time people speak louder than the amount they educate themselves, which seems to frequently (though certainly not always) be the case here. I think Scripps admin (alongside the administrations of many other American universities) has consistently failed to open up space for thoughtful conversation and education, silencing disagreement rather than fostering it, or fostering openness through it. The Motley closure is only the most recent example of that. It is a disservice to everyone in our campus community that the President’s statement disguised her message behind platitudes. It would serve us better to know specifically why the Motley was closed when it was closed and in the way it was closed—I have now heard a variety of accounts—and to discuss more openly and respectfully the ways our community has fractured and what we can do both to heal and to be responsible citizens of a country that wields enormous economic power on the global stage.” – Scripps staff
