Reflections with Vero Salib (they/them) and Annika Wible (she/her)
The Tomo Cook Scholarship Fund was created in memory of Tomo Cook, class of 2007. Tomo was a senior philosophy major at the College of Charleston when he passed away. He was an avid enthusiast of all things that engaged and challenged the human spirit. This scholarship is awarded annually to philosophy majors who embody the same enthusiasm and curiosity as Tomo.
Photo credit Priscilla Thomas.
The Department of Philosophy awarded Vero Salib ‘24 and Annika Wible ‘24 the Tomo Cook Scholarship for the 23-24 school year.
Talking about what it means to be a Tomo Cook Scholar, Salib says, “To me, it’s being a dedicated student of philosophy who works hard to expand their learning to benefit themselves and the world around them.” As the department’s HSS Ambassador for the 23-24 school year, Salib’s excitement about discussing philosophy with peers exemplifies this viewpoint.
When asked what areas of philosophical inquiry their favorite is, Salib said, “Political philosophy and aesthetics are the two areas that I find the most engaging. I am incredibly interested in the relationship between art, emotion, and politics.” They explored this unique intersection of topics in their bachelor’s essay, “Arts Necessity in Political Deliberation.” Salib did a deep dive into such questions as: Does art have a place in political deliberation? Or should we strive to keep deliberation in democracies strictly discursive? In their bachelor’s essay presentation, Salib argued that art and aesthetic expression can play an essential role in facilitating the inclusion of marginalized voices in the political sphere.
Salib also acknowledges the influence of philosophy outside academia. “Philosophy courses have had a tremendous impact on me. They have taught me how to effectively articulate my opinions and theories and argue for their legitimacy. Every CofC student should take a philosophy course before graduating because it facilitates a fuller understanding of oneself and the world around us.” Cultivating critical thinking and debate skills will serve them well in their future endeavors. Salib plans to take a gap year to prep for the LSAT before heading off to law school so they can one day serve as a criminal defense attorney.
Wible’s dedication to expanding peers’ knowledge and experiences with philosophy began with her helping to relaunch the Philosophy Club at the college. Get-togethers are more than eating pizza; they create a casual space for philosophical engagement. From the ethics of Santa Claus to Barbie’s thematic twist on feminist theory, these low-key game and movie nights have served as the catalysts for intriguing discussions.
Regarding her studies, Wible’s favorite areas are aesthetics and political philosophy. Of these, she says, “I have a particular passion for the philosophy of aesthetics due to my involvement in art, but I am particularly interested in the way the fields of aesthetics and political philosophy can come together.” In her bachelor’s essay, “Empathy and Emotions in Legal Interpretation, ” Wible explores this inconspicuous convergence, “There is a common ideal in jurisprudence to separate legal interpretation from emotion, attempting to achieve a neutral and unbiased understanding of the law. But can a perfectly unbiased interpretation exist? Even if it could, might it blunt the nuances of particular cases before the law and result in unjust outcomes?” She examines Martha Nussbaum’s account of the literary imagination to address these questions. Wible argues, “It could be usefully expanded by considering the concept of ‘immoralism’ developed in recent writings on Ethics and Aesthetics.”
Wible attributes successfully parsing these philosophical complexities to developing and refining analytical skills nurtured in the philosophy program: “When I explain philosophy to people, I always go to that critical thinking aspect. You are learning how other people think and explain things, yes, but more importantly, you are learning whether you agree with it and how to explain and lay out your thoughts. Any involvement with philosophy, I think, allows students to become more well-rounded and better arguers.”
Being a better arguer will be useful for Wible as she begins her studies at The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University this fall. As a future lawyer, she plans to pursue her passion for civil rights and environmental protection.
No matter where the study of philosophy takes a student, at the heart of the pursuit is applying a discerning eye while maintaining a curiosity for life, just like Tomo Cook did.