Juliette Des Roisers ’26 and Belén Yudess ’25
Copy Editor and Copy Editor Intern
Pigs may not have taken to the skies, but on just as momentous a note, Scripps finally has an inaugurated President! On Sept. 8, Amy Marcus-Newhall was named the 11th president after serving as interim twice in the last seven years.
Marcus-Newhall has been an integral and longstanding member of the community, serving as part of the faculty since 1992 as a social psychologist in the Psychology Department. She was also the first Associate Dean of Faculty, and also acted as the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty. Although she considered retirement, her passion for Scripps convinced her to stay on and accept the position of President following former President Suzanne Keen’s sudden resignation last spring.
As the new year began, invitations and email updates heavily publicized her inauguration, and were met with acceptance and anticipation from the student body. As a result, on the day of the inauguration, Scripps students flocked to the highly decorated lawn for a day filled with nostalgia, reflection, and hope.
The event began as faculty filed into their seats on Elm Tree Lawn, dressed in their doctoral regalia robes and welcomed by the lovely violin of Anna Ravid ’25. During the ceremony, attendees applauded speeches from familiar faces such as SAS President Lily Dunkin ’24, esteemed faculty, and members of the Board of Trustees. The ceremony was opened by the words of Chair Laura Vausbinder Hockett ’85 and closed by President Marcus-Newhall’s daughters, Rachel and Emily, before the audience heard from the President herself.
“I deeply appreciated the presentations from faculty, student, and staff representatives, as well as from two former students, my two daughters, and other members of our greater Scripps community,” shared Marcus-Newhall. “Each of them was meaningful, supportive, and moving, and demonstrated not only their commitment to me as the President but also to Scripps College.”
Following the ceremony, Scripps students, faculty, and alumni filled Bowling Green for an evening of festivities following the official ceremony and inauguration of Marcus-Newhall. The night consisted of a formal dinner, dessert, and dancing. The young and the old of the Scripps community were seen smiling and sharing lively conversations, with elderly couples striking goofy and heartwarming poses at the photo booths and children prancing around the dancefloor to the upbeat tunes of the live band.
“The band was stellar, and it was fabulous seeing the students and guests dancing and enjoying themselves,” reflected Marcus-Newhall. Much to Scripps students’ excitement, she was seen joyously dancing barefoot and taking photos with students throughout the evening.
A notable addition to the celebration was the desserts provided by the dining services team. Guests could choose from the mouth-watering apple crumble or the chocolate tart appropriately named “The Amy”.
“Although I didn’t get a chance to taste the scrumptious dinner or the ‘Amy’ dessert during the evening of festivities, I heard from attendees how delicious the food was,” said Marcus-Newhall. “Our dining services team is so thoughtful that they provided me a box of the ‘Amy’ desserts on the Monday following inauguration! I am a big chocolate fan, so I definitely enjoyed those.”
Marcus-Newhall, is excited for her terms as President of Scripps College.“As President, I am committed to the Scripps mission of educating our students to make a difference in the world,” she said. “My highest priority is to provide this exceptional education to students who are admitted to Scripps, regardless of their financial status, and for all students to feel a sense of belonging and support while attending Scripps.”
Ultimately, Marcus-Newhall has many aspirations for the remainder of her time at Scripps that will carry on beyond her term.
“Moving forward, I hope to share my passion for Scripps, my excitement about our future, and my dedication to working with our community to highlight what we do so well and to improve in areas where we could be even better,” Marcus Newhall said. “I will do so with a collaborative leadership approach, building, sustaining, and nurturing relationships.”
Image Source: David Torralva
