The Blotter: Campus Safety reports last week deal with power outages and icy conditions

Posted by Julia Leef

Saturday Jan. 14

Incident – Power Outage

Campus wide power outage reported at 7:15 a.m. Person reports testing power in various individual areas across campus. Report issued.

Incident – Suspicious Activity

Suspicious activity reported at 4:21 p.m. in Northwoods Apartments. Officer dispatched reports suspicious noise attributed to construction in area. Report issued.

Tuesday Jan. 17

Incident – Accident

Person reports falling on ice at 3:35 a.m. near Wait Hall by parking lot. Officer's chief complaint is back and wrist abrasions and pain. Report and accident report completed. No further medical assistance sought.

Incident – Power Outage

Campus Safety notified of planned campus wide power outage at 7:17 a.m. Appropriate procedures initiated.

Incident – Campus Safety Assist

Reporting person requests a transport at 10:15 a.m. off-campus for further medical attention for an injured employee. Report issued Accident report completed.

Wednesday Jan. 18

Incident – Suspicious Activity

Suspicious activity reported at 1:46 a.m. at McClellan Hall. Person reports door rattling and that she was concerned. Officer dispatched reports exceptionally strong winds outside causing all doors in hallway to rattle. No suspicious activity determined.

Incident – Security Alarm

Security alarm received at 5:26 p.m. in Reeves Apartments (Scribner Village). Officer dispatched reports early arrival student located in vacant in apartment. No prior notification made.

Incident – Power Outage

Planned power outage at 9:44 p.m. at Sports Center due to repairs on the emergency lighting. Appropriate procedures initiated. Report issued.

Thursday Jan. 19

Incident – Criminal Mischief

Person reports broken glass door at 12:45 a.m. in the center stairwell of art building. Officer dispatched recorded damage. No known perpetrators or witnesses at this time. Report issued.

Incident – Campus Safety Assist

Person reports at 3:15 p.m. two Styrofoam panels were pushed in on the south end of the Surrey patio room. Officer determined no damage and panels were moved by strong exterior winds. Report issued.

Friday Jan. 20

Incident – Accident

Person reports at 12:02 p.m. that at 8:20 p.m. on Jan. 19 she slipped and broke her ankle in North Woods parking lot. She sought medical attention and reports incident on this date. Accident completed and report issued.

Restaurant Review: One Caroline Street

Posted by Tegan O'Neill

Music drifts from beneath the piano player's fingers at the center of the long and narrow bistro of One Caroline Street. One step in and it is as if I am transported to another time period. I feel as though I have set foot into a classic motion picture. The dining room, which is nestled below street level, has plenty of panache with its black and white checkered floors and gold and red ornamentations. Glowing light emanates from star shaped lanterns dangling in the windowsills and bounces off the brick walls.

I spy bottles of wine with every glance around the room. The space is brimming with patrons and is abuzz with lively conversation. I don't know from where they all came. They seemingly rolled in to pack the place while I was absorbed with the menu. As a college student, I am clearly out of place - the crowd is greying and mustached and at least a generation older than I. 

Before serving the bread, our server drizzled olive oil onto our b&b plates as if she were performing a choreographed dance. It was a beautiful presentation that was capped off by a splash of freshly ground pepper. Sadly, the bread was nothing special. Not bad, but nevertheless, as I have outlined in previous posts, bread should always, I repeat, always be good. The bread may not have been very good, but at least it was warm. Also, the olive oil was superb. I regret that I did not ask where it was from, because I cannot conjure up another taste memory of an olive oil so perfect. 

While I am on the subject of wanting to know the source of my food, I found it disappointing that One Caroline Street does not readily provide information about from where the food it prepares originates. The establishment follows a farm-to-table modus operandi and yet does not give due credit to the farms. As a curious eater and diner, I would have relished in reading the names of farms printed on the menu or scribed on a sign somewhere in the dining room. We live in a society that is far removed from the source of our food. I respect One Caroline Street for making efforts to minimize that gap, but as a patron of the restaurant, I still feel a long way away from the source of my food.

There aren't many foods that I adore more than butternut squash soup. When done right, it provides a flavor combination that is enough to send me into a state of euphoria. Sadly, the curried butternut squash and apple bisque at One Caroline Street didn't bring me to that special place. Garnished with a dribble of spiced coconut milk and a sprinkling of pepitas, the soup had a delayed kick to it but, otherwise, it had practically zero flavor. I know that it is common to use apple in a butternut soup, but the ratio of apple to squash in this soup seemed off. Too much apple took away from the ordinarily robust flavor of squash, thus leaving the soup on the weak and watery side. The overall effect was too dainty. It lacked a body and substance. Butternut squash soup is meant to warm chilled bones during cold months. This soup provided a little heat in terms of spice but not in terms of coziness. A spiciness reminiscent of hot pepper lingered in my throat, tickling it. What I really should say is that it lingered in my throat, itching it - not the most pleasurable experience. I did like the addition of pepitas on top. The seeds added a fantastic little crunch to the bowl. I wish that I could have gotten a better taste of the spiced coconut milk. Unfortunately, it ended up tasting like regular old cream.

Maybe I was in a bad mood after the lackluster butternut squash bisque, but it was my impression that the southwestern Louisiana style gumbo with jalapenos, andouille, chicken and crawfish was straight up yuck. First of all, it looked unappetizing. True, one should never judge a book by its cover, but in the world of dining out, presentation matters. When a dish of mushy brown stuff poured over rice arrives at the table, it is hard to get beyond appearances. Okay, so it didn't look too hot and, honestly, it didn't taste too good either. For a gumbo, there was hardly any flavor at all. I can't even come up with many adjectives to describe the experience of eating it.  Chunky. Mushy. Flat. Never mind, I don't even think it is worth it to try.

Alas, with the arrival of the panzanella salad, dinner did a complete turn around. You ask "what is the panzanella salad at One Caroline Street Bistro?" Well, it is a lovely mélange of roasted peppers, tomatoes, red onions, herbed croutons, fresh basil and shaved grana padano, dressed in a mustard balsamic vinaigrette. In more abstract terms, it is a saving grace, it is a breath of fresh air and it is an excellent criss-crossing of textures. Crunchy onions slide against the sides of peppers. The croutons also deliver successfully in the flavor department. The freshness of basil is not hidden, thankfully. I can't help but love the cheese sculptured on the top. Also, to tack on to this string of compliments, the mustard balsamic vinaigrette wavered in the golden zone of not too oily and not too acidic. The makers of this salad obviously put thought into creating this combination, as it is superbly gratifying to eat. 

For the first time in my life, I ordered the prime rib of beef. Surely, a milestone for a want-to-be gastronome. Never have I ever looked down at my plate and seen such a big hunk of meat in front of me. Crisscrossed like the palm of a hand, the meat sat in a pool of mushroom jus and flopped over the smashed Yukon golds. Ahh - even though it was quite (and by that I mean, very) intimidating to look at, the beef simply melted in the mouth. It was tender like butter. Overall, I was thrilled with my inaugural prime rib experience. It was a meal fit for a king. The meat paired excellently with the rich potatoes that tasted like pure butter and cream. The broccoli tasted almost like it belonged in a stir-fry, since it still had some crunch remaining to it, which I loved because it rounded out the texture palate of the dish as a whole. 

I'm much less excited to report on the Mahi Mahi Veracrus. Sitting on a bed of red beans and rice, the grilled fish was topped with tomatoes, peppers, onions, olives, lemon, cinnamon and cilantro. That sounds lovely, right? Regrettably, the dish was utterly unmemorable. I had already forgotten what it tasted like before I had put down my fork. The fish was alright, but I can't say that I particularly liked it. I can't say it particularly tasted like anything.

The sticky chicken, though, was awesome! Seriously, it was unlike anything I have ever experienced. According to the menu, it is a southern favorite and, although I am not from the south, it's one of my favorites, too. I was expecting a Cajun zing to the dish (it being a Southern favorite and all) but it greeted my taste buds with a flavor more akin to an Asian concoction. The only taste I can equate it to is teriyaki. The sauce was a sweet and spicy dark ale reduction that was sweet, just like molasses. This sauce made the dish much sweeter than the run-of-the-mill entrée. The chicken was tender, the onions gloriously sweet and the dirty rice over which it was served had a wonderful smokiness to it that hinted at more traditional Cajun cooking. It surprised me very much and, although it was oddly sweet, I have to say that I loved it. 

Bread pudding strikes me as a modest dessert. It demands little attention and, as a result, generally garners little fanfare. After tasting the bread pudding at One Caroline St., I was reminded that bread pudding is a dessert definitely worth remembering. Sometimes a bite of crunchy bread would peak out from behind the otherwise wobbly consistency of the pudding, which made for a delightful surprise. To the tongue, it was sweet, as was the vanilla ice cream scooped on top. Never was there an ice cream so pure, so creamy and so delicious. Just imagine for a minute cool, sweet ice cream melting into warm, decadent and comforting bread pudding. The world from the view on Caroline Street is good - really good.

One would think that there's a shortage of flour in Saratoga Springs based on the multitude of flour-less chocolate cakes featured on the city's menus. It's pretty difficult to go wrong with flour-less chocolate and it would be unfair to say that One Caroline's was a poor attempt. It certainly was fine, but since competition in this city is so stiff, it didn't quite make the cut. My complaint: too chocolatey. After a few bites, I couldn't stand for even a lick more of chocolate. All of my chocolate receptors were overly satiated, which may sound like a good thing, but it really is not.

Now, for my favorite dessert: the bavarian cream with a toasted almond tuile. This one made me want to bow down to the pastry chef. I think angelic would be the best word to describe the softness, the sweetness and the loveliness of the bavarian cream. To describe the toasted almond tuile, all I can come up with is butter. Butter was clearly the magical secret ingredient. Well, maybe not secret, but certainly magical. The cookie and cream combination was blissful. The evening could not have ended on a better note. 

Read more of Tegan O'Neill's outings at her blog

Media Services settles into new location in Scribner Library: New lab space offers more equipment and technology to students

Posted by Julia Leef

At the start of the semester, Media Services opened its new location on the recently renovated ground floor of the Scribner Library, which will provide more space and equipment for student use.

 Although some equipment remains on the second floor of Palamountain Hall, which was Media Services' location for the past 20 years, most of the video cameras, audio recording devices and other classroom materials are now in Scribner Library.

 "It's been a very fast move because of the people moving out of Starbuck," said Taylor Conard, director of Media Services, in reference to the relocations of employees in the Starbuck Center next week. "We've had to abandon our front office faster than we expected to." The Bursar, Card Services and Financial Aid offices will occupy this space starting Feb. 6.

 Despite the rush, Conard said he is happy to see Media Services in its new location, which is more spacious than the old one, providing space for 22 new computers, two soundproofed editing rooms and new furniture for students. In addition, Media Services has extended its hours to match those of the Scribner Library, although the staff will not be available after 10:30 p.m., the same closing time as in Palamountain Hall.

 "We were always cramped in our existing location without the capability of expansion at all," Conard said. "This way we've actually been able to design from the ground up and make an area that will hopefully service us many years in the future."

 In addition to the greater space, Conard cited the importance of having some of the College's major student resources, such as reference materials and the Writing Center, in one area.

 "The real advantage to the move is that there's always been a natural synergy with the library, Media Services and the help desk," Conard said. "We're bringing more centralized service together for the entire student body here."

 The Scribner Library also gives Media Services a more central location to the majority of buildings on campus that would require technical support, yielding faster response times from staff. The only exception involves the auditoriums in Palamountain Hall, which used to be in close proximity to Media Services. To overcome this disadvantage, Conard cites plans to keep a satellite location in Palamountain Hall with staff members, especially during presentations, in order to provide rapid aid, if needed.

 The relocation of Media Services is the first step in a series of changes that will occur in the Scribner Library, including the Information Technology department's own move into the area.

 "This [Media Services] is part of a much broader project that is a partnership between the library and IT and is a combination of space and resources," said Justin Sipher, chief technology officer. "The overall project is bringing about 270 additional student seats into the library, and trying to make those spaces optimal for student use."

 According to Sipher, the changes will involve increasing the number of computers on the first floor and adding more technological aspects to the group study rooms in Scribner Library, such as connectors that will allow laptop images to be projected onto a larger screen. Most of the renovations will occur over the summer.

 "I feel good about the process," Sipher said. "At the end, we hope that we've adapted the facilities to align with the needs of the students today and with the needs of students in the future. We need to make sure that [the changes] meet not only your needs, but also the needs of students a decade from now."

Student curated exhibit aims to reveal obscurity

Posted by Sarah Barry

From sculpture to photography, Zankel has expanded its walls to showcase both fine and performing art. Phoebe Pundyk ‘12 and Alec Unkovic ‘12 curated the exhibit "Revealing Obscurity," which consists of exclusively student art in Zankel's lobby.

Pundyk and Unkovic returned from a semester abroad with plans to create an exhibit on campus. Both students studied in Rome and curated a professional art show as a semester long class. "We had to do every step of the process," Pundyk said. "They threw us right in and we had to do everything on our own."

Immediately upon their return, the pair began planning and organizing for the exhibit. Pundyk and Unkovic applied for an independent study to pursue curating.

The show creates a new and visible space for student art on campus. "Student art isn't always seen – even in the art building it's mostly art students who see it. We wanted to open it up to the whole community," Pundyk said.

Although most open art calls center on a theme, Pundyk and Unkovic chose to collect submissions and then see if there was an underlying thread within the pieces.

"We decided to title it "Revealing Obscurity." It's about the artists working through their art to understand the unknown," Unkovic said.

Unkovic and Pundyk also completed a catalogue, which consists of interviews conducted by 10 different student writers. A student writer interviewed each artist, and the final result was compiled in the catalogue. The catalogue provides insight into the artists' motivations, as many of the pieces meanings are not explicit.

The inspiration for the student interviews originated from Pundyk and Unkovic's efforts for their art show in Rome. Pundyk and Unkovic completed each of the interviews themselves in Rome, but felt that, for this exhibit, it would be valuable to present other views.

"We presented writers with our theme and then opened it up to them to see their thoughts and perspective; it allowed us to open it up to more than our vision alone," Pundyk said.

Pundyk and Unkovic received approximately 20 submissions and showcased 10 artists. "There were so many good options, but part of the process is that sometimes you can't show everything you want to," Unkovic said.

Pundyk and Unkovic's project is the first student-initiated project of its kind on campus, so they were met with many questions and roadblocks. "Since it is a space that is very public, we had to prove that this wasn't a half baked idea," Unkovic said.

The show posed a series of unique challenges in terms of available space and the technicalities involved in displaying the art.

The Schick Art Gallery and Tang Teaching Museum are booked at least one year in advance, so Pundyk and Unkovic had to explore a new space for student art. Once Zankel was approved, Unkovic and Pundyk had to find a way to creatively hang the art in the lobby.

The show was made possible by student opportunity funds. Pundyk and Unkovic applied for funding immediately when they returned from Rome "Skidmore provided the net where we could do the intellectual exploration [as opposed to] focusing more attention on the money," Unkovic said.

As seniors hoping to pursue careers in the field of art, Unkovic and Pundyk appreciated the opportunity to pursue an area not available in Skidmore's set course list.

"I think it's good that it's not such a rigid curriculum. There are no classes on curating at Skidmore, but we were able to do something here that we really enjoyed abroad. It was a bridge between academics and the careers we'll be pursuing after college," Unkovic said.

The exhibit ends this weekend, Dec. 10, so the time to delve into student obscurity is running out. Pundyk and Unkovic expressed their appreciation to all those who were involved in and supported the exhibit. 

Polls open for contested VP of Diversity Affairs position following Speech Night: Candidates share their views on diversity and the College community

Posted by Layla Lakos

Every seat in the Spa was filled for the SGA Speech Night for the special election for vice president of Diversity Affairs on Dec. 7.

Prior to the candidates' speeches, Raiza Nazareth '12, vice president for communications and outreach, spoke about a proposal to add a Sustainability Committee and a sustainability senator to the SGA.

"This is going to help integrate all the different Sustainability groups on campus into this one community. This includes the s-reps, EAC [Environmental Action Club] and Student Initiatives," Nazareth said. The proposal will be included in the Special Election voting.

After divulging this information, Nazareth introduced candidates Rohini Alamgir '12 and Benjamin Bechand '14, who each gave three-minute speeches before the question-and-answer forum with the audience.

"I learned that every good speech has a story. So I guess tonight, I'll tell you my story. My story starts with diversity," said Alamgir, who was the first to speak. Alamgir is an international student from Bangladesh who defines herself as a Muslim woman of straight sexual orientation and a student of color.

Alamgir argued that the ongoing fight for diversity has gotten nowhere today, citing the importance of faculty involvement in these issues.

"We tend to go for tolerance rather than acceptance or understanding, and that's not OK," Alamgir said. "If our faculty doesn't support diversity, then we can't fight for it."

Bechand said he feels very strongly that the College's Urban Experience trips do not fulfill their mission statements. He said there should be more guidelines to collaborate these trips with diversity events.

Bechand also spoke about the on-campus dialogues that are facilitated by different groups, such as the Pride Alliance, of which he is a member.

"Despite humanity dialogues that we've had, students don't feel comfortable [on] their campus," Bechand said. "My mission is to make every student feel welcome at our school."

Following the candidates' speeches, the forum opened up to the audience, who asked questions concerning diversity and the potential actions candidates planned to take.

During the questions, Bechand reflected on the open door policy he had instigated as president of Kimball Hall, which he felt would be crucial in connecting to new students. He said he also wanted to increase diversity clubs in relation to diversity, religion and culture.

"We don't have to be a part of a cultural group to appreciate it," Bechand said. "You don't have to be affiliated with it to look out for its best interests."

For her part, Alamgir elaborated on building a better community by identifying and naming issues, especially concerning diversity, through any means possible, such as discussions with professors, which corroborated her earlier comments on the faculty involvement.

"Diversity cannot be defined by just race, sexual identity or religion. There's diversity in everything. Diversity has no color boundary," Alamgir said.

After the open forum closed, Jovany Andujar '13,who currently holds the contested position, commented on the topics raised, illustrating the importance of the role both the Committee of Diversity Affairs and the College campus play as resources to the student body.

"Time commitment is necessary to remain contentious to issues around campus," Andujar said. "As a Christian, I inevitably see everything through a lens, but the ability to recognize bias and overlook issues is imperative to the role of vice president of Diversity Affairs."

All students may participate in the online vote, which will open at noon on Dec. 8, and will remain open until midnight. Students may also vote at SGA booths in Case Center and in the Atrium.

Editor's Note: Following Thursday's elections, Rohini Alamgir was elected Vice President for Diversity Affairs and the constitutional amendment passed.

SGA to host special election for vacant position: Candidates will speak at speech night before the Skidmore Shop Fashion Show

Posted by Layla Lakos

Prior to the Skidmore Shop Fashion Show, the Student Government Association will hold a speech night at 7:30 p.m., for the Special Election for the position of vice president of Diversity Affairs.

The two qualifying candidates running this semester are Benjamin Bechand '14 and Rohini Alamgir '12. Bechand is a member of the Pride Alliance and is the president of Kimball Hall. Alamgir is the senior advisor of Hayat and co-president of the International Student Union.

The position is currently held by Jovany Andujar '13, a sociology major who will take a semester off in Paris next semester, requiring SGA to hold elections for this position one semester early.

"This will give new candidates more time to decide what they're going to change and how they would go about doing so," said Raiza Nazareth '12, vice president for communications and outreach on the SGA.

The vice president of Diversity Affairs heads the Committee of Diversity Affairs, which informs the Campus on the nature of diversity at Skidmore, offering opportunities to different members of the community through the Office of Student Diversity Programs, such as Hayat and the Pride Alliance club. Candidates must have at least a semester's experience in SGA.

Bechand, a biochemisty and music major, describes the position as a resource for the diversity groups on campus, which include clubs with a focus on racial identity, sexual orientation and political positions. Bechand said he intends to re-evaluate the ISU trips to cities, such as Boston and New York City.

"These trips provide opportunities for those who would otherwise be unable to experience an urban setting," Bechand said. He said his aim is to give priority to the students who chose to go on the trip itself, rather than allowing students to use hired buses simply as a form of transport for individuals not going to a cultural event.

"I would like to have trips prioritized as cultural events," said Bechand, citing the Japanese Language club NihonGo!, which attended the Berkshire Cherry Blossom festival last semester.

Alamgir chose not to disclose the specifics of her campaign, but said her decision to run was a spontaneous one. She described the position and committee as a way to help create a unified community and optimal climate on campus.

"Because we are attempting to co-exist among a plethora of different socio-economic backgrounds, gender and sexual identities, race and color, etcetera, it is necessary to find an individual to facilitate conversation, understanding and acceptance between all of us," Alamgir said.

Candidates will have the opportunity to speak to the student body at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 7 in the Spa, prior to the Skidmore Shop Fashion Show at 8 p.m. Nazareth said she hopes this will prompt a wide variety of attendees with diverse perspectives.

The election is open to the community all day on Dec. 8, and will also include a vote on the addition of a Sustainability Committee, as well as an accompanying executive position to the SGA.

"This change will help integrate sustainability groups around campus and help voice opinions," Nazareth said.

Students can vote online through the SGA voting website, which will be made available on Dec. 8. 

Fifth Skidmore Shop Fashion Show this Wednesday: Students can enjoy free food, music and prizes as student and staff models walk down the runway

Posted by Julia Leef

Models will walk down the runway as students walk away from the Skidmore Shop's fifth Annual Fashion Show with prizes, free food and more starting at 8 p.m. on Dec. 7 in the Spa.

The Fashion Show is the second in a string of events in the Spa, beginning with the SGA speech night at 7:30 p.m., during which candidates for vice president of Diversity Affairs will speak to the public.

"I think having the SGA speech night will bring a crowd in early and to stay," said Bob Carlton, technology sales and social program administrator at the Skidmore Shop, who emcees the show in addition to working with sponsors and coordinating the event.

"It shows that other departments and groups are starting to get involved. Case Center has a lot to offer. The fact that people are here and using it on a Wednesday night is something that we'd like to see," Carlton said.

Organizers originally had difficulty securing enough student models to participate in the Fashion Show, but now in its fifth year they said they have seen an increase in the number of willing participants, including members of the staff and their children.

While the ratio of staff to student models is three to one, there is an equal percentage of male and female participants in contrast to the first year, in which there were problems getting male students interested in modeling.

"It has grown into something people are looking for to do and to participate in," said Dawn Greenlaw, assistant director of operations at the Skidmore Shop, who coordinates the models and their outfits.

In addition to these changes over the years, the Skidmore Shop first held its show during the spring semester, instead of in conjunction with holiday events, as it does now with holiday discount shopping opportunities. Starting at 11:30 a.m., students may spin the "wheel of discounts" to win up to 50 percent off all of their purchases until 11 p.m.

"We had these two really great events that together have a much bigger impact," Carlton said. "It [the holiday sales] generates some excitement for our customers and adds some nuance to coming in for a sale."

Organizers also said the show has grown in both popularity and manageability.

"With repetition, you begin to remember what worked and what didn't work," said John Neil, associate director of business services and director of the Skidmore Shop. "Now we have people coming to us, being a part of it and just having fun. That aspect of it has been contagious."

Attendees may now enjoy free food courtesy of Dining Services, which will provide a buffet from 8 to 11 p.m., including vegan and vegetarian options. For entertainment, the student band Slim Charles will play at 10 p.m., following the Fashion Show.

Students also can win prizes totaling $1,000, including products from Apple, Moshi, Plum Dandy, Legends Cafe, Sandwych and Esperantos. Until 8 p.m. tomorrow, students may fill out a raffle at the Skidmore Shop or post on its Facebook page. Organizers will draw the winners at the event. Winners must be present to receive their prizes.

"Even if you don't win, you still win," Carlton said. "We really make it worth your while to show up. Even if you don't win a prize, it's still a lot of fun - the food and the social aspect of it. It's a good way to relieve some stress as students are walking into finals. We hope to see everyone there."

Faculty discusses changes to policies for next semester: Alterations to the College's Intellectual Property policy and the Honors Forum announced

Posted by Alex Brehm

Faculty members convened for the fourth and final faculty meeting of the semester on Friday, Dec. 2 to discuss the conferral of degrees for 33 early graduates and several policy changes, including the College's Intellectual Property policy and the Honors Forum.

The faculty voted to grant Bachelor of Arts degrees to 29 students and Bachelor of Science degrees to 4 students, pending their completion of degree requirements by Jan. 31, 2012. Many of these students were also granted Latin and departmental honors pending their satisfaction of graduation requirements.

Following the vote, an open discussion was held on a proposed intellectual property policy for the College supporting creative thought, calling to mind the college's motto.

Several faculty members said they felt that the proposed policy did not do enough to protect students' ideas, and asked that the policy clearly state that students' inventions will never become intellectual property of the College. Faculty and administrators acknowledged that the concerned parties were making a good faith effort to address such concerns.

Catherine Golden, professor of English and director of the Honors Forum, announced several changes to the name and policies of the Honors Forum, including the merging of the Honors Forum and the Periclean Society, due to non-regular membership of the Periclean Society.

Additionally, contrary to previous practice, students will be invited to the Periclean Honors Forum based solely on scholastic performance while attending the College, rather than including their performances in high school, as has been done in the past, although students have always been able to apply for the Honors Forum while in college.

Faculty also discussed new changes regarding the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies membership. Under the proposed revision, the faculty handbook will be revised to include four professors, one each representing the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and arts. There will be a discussion and a vote on the proposal at the next meeting, scheduled for Feb. 3, 2012. 

Skidmore Cares promotes another year of community involvement

Posted by Julia Leef and Sarah Barry

Skidmore Cares hosted an information session on Wednesday, Dec. 1 to spread awareness about its mission and beneficiaries. The organization, started by President Phillip Glotzbach and Marie Glotzbach in 2006, aims to support local organizations, specifically during the holiday season.

Marie Glotzbach addressed the group with representatives from most of the 10 organizations that receive aid from Skidmore Cares.

Donations are collected by a group of "cheerleaders," Skidmore employees who work to promote and organize the event.

The program is founded on the idea of being a good neighbor to the community. "We want the community to make a difference," Glotzbach said.

Skidmore Cares' beneficiaries include Corinth Central School District where Skidmore Cares funds a summer enrichment program, The Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Services in Saratoga County and the Salvation Army. "It's good to know we have people supporting us," said Capt. Amber Boone from the Salvation Army.

Skidmore Cares started with only faculty and staff participation, but student involvement has grown. Several student organizations are involved in efforts to support the program. Student Athletes Advisory Committee meets each month to organize service and community initiatives.

This year the Polar Plunge event at Lake George raised over $2,000 for canned goods during the holiday season. Benef-Action is also involved, as well as the Student Government Association. Proceeds from Beatlemore Skidmania also go to the event - this year the event raised approximately $4,500.

Organizers started collecting goods last Thursday; the donations are later distributed with the help of student athletes.

President Glotzbach and Marie Glotzbach will hold a Holiday Open House for Skidmore Faculty and Staff as well as volunteers and agency representatives on Dec. 11 to celebrate the holiday season. The Skidmore Cares Sleigh will be parked outside Scribner House accepting donations from Dec. 9 to 11.

Restaurant Review: The Bread Basket

Posted by Tegan O'Neill

As I walked along the winding path to The Bread Basket's door, the smell of cinnamon tickled my nose, summoning me to step into a land of sugar and butter. The Bread Basket caters to the sweet tooth everybody has and nobody can resist indulging. Scrumptious baked goods aplenty sit like ducks in a row ready to be plucked out for a breakfast akin to dessert. I stood in front of the glass display looking googly-eyed at the goods, my eyes bouncing from one fluffy, sugary bread to the next.

Is it a bagel? Is it a flying saucer? No, it's a homemade English muffin that's 100 percent satisfying and delicious. All other English muffins pale in comparison to the one I ate at The Bread Basket - which, for added brownie points, was served warmed and buttered in its own little bread basket. For an English muffin, this one had serious oomph. Hearty as a Midwestern plane, it was thick and chewy and sunk easily beneath the teeth. I would love to try it with some jam and an egg sometime soon, but even with just butter it was impressive. A twinkle of crispy cornmeal added the slightest amount of crunch - perfection.

Speaking of perfection, imagine the flavor sensation of buttery goodness colliding with sweet serendipity and there you have The Bread Basket's utterly divine sticky bun. Its fluffy dough is crafted into a beautiful beehive up-do and glazed in a wickedly good syrupy coating. With the tiniest tug, the pudgy bun easily unwinds into a ribbon of sweet, butter soaked bread. The gooey walnuts scaling its glossy sides guild the lily but who's to complain? The combined effect is swoon-inducing. Ever since polishing off the last bite, my mind has not wandered far from the prospect of going back for more.

I would have been delighted by the pumpkin spice cupcake if the frosting had been left out of the equation. Wonderfully moist, deliciously spiced cupcake plus superficially sweet, inappropriately light frosting equals an incompatible combination. The frosting was too gaudy for the cupcake; it was like a tacky Sunday hat accessorizing a classy outfit. It would have been better bare.

Scones are hard - for some reason bakeries always seem to get tripped up on them. I don't really understand. Nevertheless, I am always (probably naively) willing to give scones a chance. At The Bread Basket, I simply couldn't resist. The mixed-berry scone, splashed with splotches of bright blue and magenta, looked as tempting as the dance floor in a disco club. It tasted, though, like a mushy rock. Its flavor was so pathetic that even dunking it into coffee did nothing in the name of improvement. The berry taste was there but it was fake to the tongue, like Kellog's Special K Red Berries Cereal. Synthetic smack aside, the consistency also wasn't quite right. Nevertheless, I won't hold my disappointment with the scone against The Bread Basket. Next time I go, I'll just opt for something else.

Although I really do not want to harp too much about the shortcomings of The Bread Basket, I do think it is important to mention that it isn't the type of place where you feel like lingering over a cup of coffee, wishing there were more crumbs left on your plate. Instead, it is the type of place where you zip in and then right back out, paper bag and coffee in hand. The bakery is not very cozy; the space is a bit too wide and open, the chairs a tad too hard and the customers a little too much in a hurry.

Granted, the atmosphere could benefit from a little TLC, but with that said, The Bread Basket clearly cares about the quality of the goodies that they have up for grabs. What comes out of the oven tastes as goods as it smells, which is to say, very good - indeed, quite heavenly. All in all, I was thoroughly pleased by what I found upon visiting and as the saying goes, sometimes you have to take the bitter with the sweet.

Read more of Tegan O'Neill's outings at her blog

Office of Communications plans a restructured Skidmore website: Administrators take first-year student opinions into account in redesigning the College's webpages

Posted by Adrian Appleman

Based on the comments from first-year student focus groups held throughout November, the Office of Communications, in conjunction with the Admissions Office, will execute a complete revamp of the College's online and print publications.

The series of focus groups, conducted annually for the past three years, focuses mainly on first-year students and their experiences with the college admissions process. Administrators for the groups included Daniella Nordin, online community manager, Daniel Forbush, executive director of Communications, Emmeline Taylor '14, a student blogger for the Office of Communications' new proprietary social networking site, Skidmore Student-to-Student, and Peter MacDonald, director of Recruitment Marketing.

One component of this year's focus groups was the implementation of a Facebook community for incoming students. On Oct. 24, the Office of Communications sent out a survey to all first-year students asking for feedback on the admissions process, as well as the College's Facebook pages and applications.

"The results of the survey reinforced that a majority of the students use Facebook as their primary way to connect with people," Nordin said.

Of the 103 first-year students who responded to the survey, 92.2 percent "liked" the Class of 2015 Facebook page, and 87.4 percent subsequently joined the private "Skidmore College" Facebook application.

"Incoming students seemed to love that they could make connections before stepping foot on campus," Nordin said. "One student even said he met his girlfriend through the site."

Further analyses of the feedback from focus groups from this and last semester showed that what students valued most during the admissions process was the personal connections with people who were already part of the college community.

"It's always about the people," said Romeo Makore '15, an international first-year student from Zimbabwe who participated in the Nov. 7 focus group and applied to Skidmore early decision having never visited campus. "Everyone at Skidmore is amazing, and everyone is accepting."

While students approved of the College's outreach on Facebook, overall they disapproved of its main website. "You shouldn't have to dig to find out about the school you want to attend," said Makore said on the difficulties navigating the site. "It should be right in front of you."

"We've known the website needs an update for a while now," Nordin conceded. "That's why we are going through a 'refreshing' period."

Efforts to redesign the website are already under way. Upcoming changes include translating the website into Spanish and Mandarin, soon to be followed by other languages to help promote international student interest.

Another possible change includes converting the "Skidmore Mind Owner's Manual," an informational manual on the average Skidmore student's mind, into an interactive web application for prospective students.

Further changes to the main website will debut between June and August of 2012, including the current "Creative Thought at Work" campaign evolving into an all-encompassing "Creative Thought Works" branch of the website, expanding it to more than just the alumni profiles offered now.

"What particularly stood out to the students were the alumni stories," said Nordin said. "We are also looking to build web components for these publications."

Edwards and Company, a communications consulting firm that helped develop the College's "Creative Thought Matters" campaign in 2002, worked with the Admissions and Communications departments to redesign the website and refresh the admissions publications.

"We wanted a better understanding of 'Creative Thought Matters'," said Forbush said, "and how it is interpreted by different audiences – what it means to the greater Skidmore community."

Through the focus groups, along with the "Recruitment Communication Strategy Group," a new coalition of several departments that including the Office of Communications, Admissions, the First-Year Experience, the Web Team, etc., Communications has re-prioritized what to focus on when it comes to refurbishing the website.

"We want more emphasis on story-telling and a focus on the outcomes of a Skidmore education," Forbush said.

With its success in generating productive feedback, the Communications department plans on continuing this series of focus groups for years to come. "Two years ago," Forbush said, "focus groups helped us understand the importance of Facebook in the admissions process. We'll always do this; we always want feedback on how we're doing." 

Linda Hall chosen by students to give 12th annual Jon Ramsey Lecture: The professor of English encourages students to break out from the confinement of reading lists

Posted by Julia Leef

Professor Linda Hall's office is well-stocked with books, journal articles and newspaper clippings – sources that enabled her to discover other materials and to expand her reading repertoire, a theme that she will discuss in this year's Jon Ramsey Lecture on Dec. 1.

This annual lecture, renamed after former Dean of Students Jon Ramsey in 2004, began in 1999 as an opportunity for academic excellence and community building. Every year student members of the Honors Forum choose a faculty speaker to deliver a lecture on a subject of his or her choice.

"Students have the opportunity to choose a faculty member who has been influential to them," said Catherine Golden, director of the Honors Forum. "Many other lectures are based on the curriculum of the department, but what this lecture does is it says to Honors Forum students, who go that extra mile, 'you have an opportunity to choose'."

Hall, who won by a large margin of votes, according to Golden, is an associate professor in the English Department. She has already administered and spoken at a number of gatherings, including this year's First-Year Experience presentation with summer reading author Lorrie Moore and the graduation ceremony of 2007.

"I'm personally thrilled by the choice because Linda is my colleague, and I've heard her speak before," Golden said. "She's passionate, she's funny, she's demanding but also inspiring. These are the things that really stand out in students' comments."

Hall's topic of choice, "Who's Afraid of Self-Reliance?" is something that she said she tries to teach in all of her classes. She believes it is important that students read books that interest them, not just the ones assigned to them by a professor.

"I want people to just not be limited to their professors' preferences," Hall said. "I want to foster in people habits that will last them at least until middle-age. People have to learn to choose their reading on their own and not be dependent on others to choose for them."

One of the issues about which Hall will speak is that of summer reading material, which often consists of the same books across different schools.

"Why, if we believe in diversity in the classroom, don't we believe in diversity when it comes to books?" Hall asked.

One of the ways in which Hall said students could find new reading material is by pursuing a particular subject or work that they found referenced in another book. Instead of referring to a list of suggested reading material, students should feel free to browse on their own and look for topics that they truly find interesting or topics about which they want to learn more, Hall said. She also said that the process by which people learn is more important than what they learn.

"Don't ever ask us what we know. Ask us how we learned what we know," said Hall, summarizing another topic she will discuss in her lecture. "People, if they're just set free to choose for themselves, will surprise themselves. You very rarely know what you want until it comes to you."

"I encourage students to come," Golden said. "I think it will be a wonderfully witty and insightful talk."

The lecture is open to the public and will take place at 5:15 p.m. in Gannett Auditorium. 

Alumni now invited to Skidmore's traditional Tree Lighting Ceremony: Organizers hope the event will bring the community together for the holiday season

Posted by Andrew Shi

Students may have already noticed the large tree set up in front of the Murray-Aikins Dining Hall in preparation for the College's 23rd annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on Dec. 1, which alumni have been invited to attend for the first time.

The Tree Lighting Ceremony tradition began in 1988 with the College's fifth president, Dr. David H. Porter, who came in from Carleton College in 1987. This year, Annie Delauney, senior assistant director of Alumni Affairs & College Events, and Robin Adams, interim director of Campus Life, met with Rohini Alamgir ‘12, chairwoman of the Student Government Association's Traditions Committee, to organize the event.

"The idea to invite alumni to the Tree Lighting Ceremony stemmed from an initiative of the Alumni Association, the Alumni Board of Directors and the Office of Alumni Affairs to create more opportunities for alumni and students to interact," Delauney said.

"Over the years, Tree Lighting has evolved into a student-run, non-denominational event geared toward unifying the campus community and exemplifying the holiday mood as the school term draws to an end," Alamgir said.

"It's also a wonderful way to keep our alumni connected to the College – we often hear from our alumni that they wish there were more opportunities to speak with current students," Delauney said. "Our hope is that both students and alumni will enjoy this format and that we will be able to partner with the Traditions Committee on this event in the future."

The ceremony will include refreshments, performances by various student a cappella groups and poetry read by President Philip Glotzbach and Director of Religious and Spiritual Life Richard Chrisman.

Several on-campus organizations also will attend the ceremony, including representatives from the Skidmore Shop, the Senior Gift Committee, and Skidmore Cares, which will be accepting donations (non-perishable food, school supplies, clothing etc.) for the Saratoga community during the holiday season.

The Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Case Green. Organizers encourage attendees to contribute a personal ornament to the tree. After the holiday season, the tree will be planted in a permanent location on-campus in support of the campus wide sustainability initiative. 

EAC continues campaign for campus-wide sustainability: Members increase involvement in SGA and on-campus initiatives

Posted by Ani Lordkipanidze

Five members of the EAC, including President Margot Reisner '14 and Vice President Eliza Sherpa '14, will meet with President Philip Glotzbach next week as part of their efforts to increase awareness of sustainability and other environmental issues on campus.

"The whole point is that these issues won't depend only upon students - it's going to be an institutional thing," Reisner said. "We should show that we will have a consistent group of students working around these issues."

The EAC has remained active in a number of environmental issues, providing ways for students to become involved. Sherpa suggested three ways in which students can contribute their voices to ongoing concerns: students may submit a comment on The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), sign a coalition letter or attend a DEC hearing to show physical support.

In addition to participating in national events, the EAC plans to focus on change relating to the club and its actions, including adding an additional committee to the SGA.

In the SGA Senate meeting on Nov. 29, Talia Arnow '13, leader of the Waste Group subcommittee and a Senate member, presented the achievements of the Sustainability Committee, which underwent a trial period this semester. The committee was approved by a majority vote, and includes a Sustainability senator and seven Willingness-to-serve positions.

The EAC is also considering changing its name to focus on social and economical issues, which it covers in addition to environmental ones, an idea that has been discussed over the past few weeks.

Members said they think the new name should include words such as action, advocates, change, justice, activism, youth, environment and future. One of the most popular options was "Students Advocating for Sustainable Action".

"It's important to think about why are you changing the name", said Riley Neugebauer, sustainability coordinator, offering her advice at the Nov. 21 meeting, adding that the club's name should reflect its actions and should be considered very seriously.

In addition to these changes, the EAC is working on several projects to promote awareness on campus this semester, including creating a community recipe book to sell to students and water drop-shaped stickers in support of the "Take Back the Tap Campaign," an initiative to eliminate bottled water on campus.

Also part of the tap-campaign, the Waste Group subcommittee constructed a seven-foot water bottle filled with recycled water bottles. After the break the EAC will use this giant project to attract students to its table in the Murray-Aikins Dining Hall.

Students also will have the opportunity to participate in several events this weekend, including a Department of Environmental Conservation commentary session, during which students may compose feedback to send to the DEC on its stance on hydrofracking, from 1 to 3 p.m. Dec. 3 in the Spa. Students may also help put the Student Garden to bed in preparation for winter at 1 p.m. Dec. 4. 

Skidmore student wins $100 to throw a party : New organization Party Fund awards weekly grants to college students

Posted by Andrew Shi

Victoria Manganiello '12 won $100 for an on-campus party on Nov. 16 from the newly formed organization, the Party Fund, with the sole condition that she recognize the business that sponsored her.

The Party Fund — founded a few months ago by Pulse Advisory, a venture accelerator in New York City — allots funds every Wednesday to students who promote the sponsoring businesses. In accordance with this project, Manganiello posted a link about her sponsor, NerdWallet, on the College's open forum, along with a short blurb praising its service, which assists people in finding credit cards best customized to their spending needs.

"All kinds of businesses, anything from startups, services to consumer products, can sponsor Party Fund. Any brand that wants to target the college audience is ideal," said Tracy Lum, a business analyst at Pulse Advisory, which oversees the Party Fund project.

Lum said Tanjeloff loosely based the Party Fund on a party grant system that Harvard University implemented a few years ago, which allowed students to send requests to the financial committee of the Undergraduate Council to receive funds. The program has since been discontinued by Harvard's administration due to students spending funds on alcohol, according to the Harvard Crimson.

"The Party Fund is just a few weeks old and is still in beta launch," said Lum, expressing hope for its success, and adding that the process itself is simple and free for students.

"I used the money to buy supplies for a gallery space that my housemates and I created in an unused room in my apartment," Manganiello said. "The next thing I had to do was throw the party, within 10 days, and at the party take a picture with 10 friends and a sign that says ‘We love NerdWallet,' and tag [the business] in it on Facebook."

"Sponsors are always looking for innovative and engaging ways to reach college students, so we are positioning ourselves as a great platform to do so," Lum said.

The Party Fund announces new winners every Wednesday on its website. Students can also visit the organization's Facebook page to learn more. 

Though the Earth may shake them : Students and study abroad programs reflect on the earthquake in Christchurch

Posted by Sarah Barry

The 10 Skidmore students studying in Christchurch, New Zealand this past spring were confronted with a new challenge during their travels abroad. On Tuesday, Feb. 22, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 hit the Canterbury region.

While the earthquake disrupted the carefully planned semesters of several Skidmore students, students adapted and the University of Canterbury and study abroad programs were prepared to deal with the effects of the quake.

"Even prior to the first major earthquake to strike Christchurch on Sept 4 2010, the University of Canterbury had a very extensive emergency preparedness programme, which included trained staff, facilities and resources specifically directed toward dealing with a major critical incident on campus," said Dr. Nello Angerilli, pro-vice chancellor of International and Student Services at the University of Canterbury. The university increased its preparedness program after the earthquake in September 2010.

Preventing any harm to students is the first goal of University of Canterbury's Emergency Management Plan. The University of Canterbury then made contacting students one of the immediate priorities after the earthquake.

The University emailed each student, sent a webform and provided the number to a direct line where students could contact the University. "We asked each student if [he or she was] safe, uninjured and in acceptable accommodation, and if so we urged [him or her] to tell [his or her] classmates to contact us directly, then register with their nearest consulate and also to contact a family member overseas to let them know that they were ok," Angerilli said.

"Within days, we had an amazing response and had created a very complete list of students and their whereabouts, which we were then able to use to respond to the enquiries of emergency services, consulates and family members," Angerilli said.

Ellie Nichols '13 was one student studying in Christchurch at the time of the earthquake. "We were warned about earthquakes, and they say it's a possibility. I was aware that it happens, but it's not front and center at all on your mind," Nichols said.

Ellie was just arriving at class when the earthquake hit. "A girl next to me dove under a table, so I did the same. In reality it only lasted about 20 seconds. When it was over everyone looked at each other like ‘what just happened?' The faculty members started to evacuate us to the parking lot. I kept asking if the worst was over," Nichols said.

Ellie studied through the IES (International Education of Students). The earthquake undoubtedly changed her plans for her semester abroad. "IES announced that it would no longer have a program for the spring 2011. IES then put together some options for students. I've done a lot of traveling, and I did a lot of research, so I knew that I wanted to go to Christchurch specifically. I felt it more of a cultural identity than some of the other cities," Nichols said.

IES also has pre-existing plans in preparation for natural disasters and other potential issues that occur throughout the semester. "Last academic year alone we managed 188 significant levels of crises worldwide (the Arab spring uprisings, political demonstrations, university and transportation and labor strikes, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic ash, etc.) not including the daily health matters that impact students, be they attending school in the U.S. or abroad," said Mary Dwyer, doctoral president and chief executive officer of IES Abroad.

"In the case of the Christchurch earthquake, our students were provided the means to evacuate at IES Abroad's expense," Dwyer said. The University of Canterbury advised its study abroad partners to consider other options for students to ensure a full semester's study abroad experience before it was too late to transfer to other Universities. IES then set out to move students to the program at the University of Auckland.

"Our director of our Auckland program collaborated closely with the director of our Christchurch program to get all of our Christchurch students moved to the University of Auckland. The University of Auckland on a day's notice agreed to accept all of the IES Abroad students and make arrangements for their classes and housing," Dwyer said.

Jon Reeves '12, who was also in Christchurch, studied with Frontiers Abroad. "Our program got in touch with all our families and told us we were going to a field camp," Reeves said. Reeves stayed in New Zealand, but moved with the program to Wellington, New Zealand. "We stayed at the field camp for close to a week and, at that point, the program did an amazing job organizing all of our classes."

Reeves experienced both challenges and benefits with the move. "There were a lot more Americans in Christchurch. We moved from the equivalent of Scribner Village to living in the dorms with first semester 17- and 18-year-old students. The building had strict rules and wasn't the best environment for socializing. We were kind of the weird American kids, but it forced us to really put ourselves out there," Reeves said.

Aurora Pinkey-Drobnis '12 also moved to Wellington after the earthquake. "I thought it was a great opportunity to experience a natural disaster as a geology student and to see the ways [with[ which it was dealt. I did a project on the earthquake and the media's response to the disaster. I loved Wellington - I liked the move," Pinkey-Drobnis said.

Nichols ended up leaving New Zealand and returning home to Denver, CO where she did some free-lance fashion work and secured an internship with a fashion photo production company called Brachfeld-Paris, founded by a Skidmore alumnus. The other nine students who started the semester in Christchurch continued at other universities in New Zealand. "I want to note that Skidmore Study Abroad was so supportive and reasonable and I'm very appreciative," NIchols said.

Restaurant Review: Four Seasons

Posted by Tegan O'Neill

Four Seasons makes Ronald MacDonald's Happy Meal look sad -- very sad. Amid the vegetarian menu of tofu and kale, you'd be hard-pressed to find any food substance resembling a french fry, but I promise that what you will find at Four Seasons will make you happier than any potato drowned in oil ever possibly could.

Take, for instance, the mashed sweet potatoes. A menagerie of spices mingling in the smooth orange puree captures the flavor of autumn passing into winter. As I ate, I tried to draw out each bite for as long as possible, coaxing the sweet and the spice out of each morsel.

The noodles with peanut sauce were dizzyingly good. I recommend lathering the noodles liberally in the rich, creamy sauce until they slip and slide around the plate.

The hummus was smooth like a silk kimono. I am sure that it would jive well with just about anything else, but I was fine enjoying it au naturale.

The tofu encrusted with sesame seeds proved itself to be a textural wonder. The contrast of spongy tofu soaked in a sweet (possibly) soy sauce with crunchy little sesame seeds was a genius idea on the part of the kitchen.

Another tofu dish, this one a vegetable/tofu medley, was equally brilliant. The natural flavors of the ingredients were left untouched and, respected on their own, which is too often not done.

Also left untainted was the aforementioned seaweed salad. It tasted as though it had washed up on my palate seconds before - Nothing but the flavor of the sea could be detected.

The vegan cornbread is good enough to merit making a deal with the devil. The recipe gets all of the pieces of the puzzle to fit together just right. It is grainy, moist, sweet, and hearty. It makes me think of red mesas and black cast iron skillets. Amid a desert of bad cornbread attempts, the cornbread at Four Seasons is an oasis to parched travelers like myself.

The icy, aromatic rice pudding pops and prickles in the mouth and is the perfect to ending to athe meal.

If the buffet-style format makes choosing one dessert too hard, try the stewed fruit. The warm and cozy medley feels undeniably familiar. Yet, it is not something ordinarily available, so take advantage of the occasion.

I was less fond of the sweet potato pie with granola crust as it reminded me of a large Fig Newton.

Sweet potato pie in my system and all, dinner at Four Seasons made me feel like a happy buddha. My belly was satisfied, my heart contented, and my mind enlightened. Isn't this the ideal effect that food should have? And the entire meal was approximately $8. For an all-around excellent meal, it's an unbeatable deal. The pricing system is simple: you pay by however much your plate weighs.

It's up to you what your plate will look like. You go down the buffet line and craft your own mosaic of foods, picking and choosing thewhich gems you are most excited to try. It makes you think hard about what you want to put into your body (and how much of it). There are many different possible combinations. In one meal, food from all around the globe has the opportunity to meet and greet. On my plate, seaweed sat next to sweet potatoes next to hummus next to cornbread next to tofu next to rice pudding. My kaleidoscope plate reminded me of home in one bite and took me a million miles away in the next.

A sign with the message "Eat Good Food" dangles from the ceiling over the open kitchen. I could not agree more. As I sat basking in the cafée light, swirling beet juice around my plate, I felt that I had fulfilled that decree. The color of the food alone at Four Seasons is enough to signify that it is good food. My plate became a canvas for the magenta beets to bleed their luxuriously earthy blood into the deep black paint of seaweed salad -- mesmerizing to the eye as well as to the tongue.

I urge you to weave through the aisles of herbal tea and granola and find the treasure chest of food that awaits.

Read more of Tegan O'Neills outings at her blog

Dining Services takes steps to reduce food waste

Posted by Bradley Morris

This semester, Skidmore's Dining Services has made great efforts to reduce the amount of food wasted by students. As those who frequent the Dining Hall this semester may have noticed, the staff has been putting meals with preset portions on six-inch plates, rather than the full-size 9-inch plates used during previous academic years.

Director of Dining Services, Bill Canney explained the main reason why Dining Services reduced portion sizes and switched to smaller plates.

"It's to reduce waste. It's that simple," Canney said.

This method is not unique to Skidmore's Dining Hall, however.

"The national trend is to do exactly that. A lot of colleges and universities are doing this to reduce waste. Even restaurants are going with smaller portions," Canney said.

This was a popular decision in the Dining Hall, and it was approved by all of the staff when addressed this summer.

Several stations in the dining hall use the smaller plates, but the change is not universal for all stations. "A lot of people don't understand what they should take in terms of portions, but I think changes in portion sizes need to be done everywhere in the dining hall," said Eric Ness who works in Dining Services.

Ness pointed to some aesthetic drawbacks with the smaller plates. "I don't think the small plates present well. The smaller size is a dessert plate. It doesn't look appealing. You eat with your eyes first," Ness said.

Ben Niese, also of Dining Services, felt the answer might be in a median plate size. "The small plate is 6 inches; the big plate is 9. I think if they could get a plate that was 7.5 inches that would be perfect," Niese said.

"I would draw your attention to the food waste survey that was done last year. There were easily five hundred plus pounds of food waste over breakfast, lunch and dinner. That's people electing to take food they are not going to eat, whether consciously or unconsciously," Niese said.

"I think it's good, but I don't think we've ironed all the kinks out," Niese said.

Canney brought up secondary reasons for the change in plate sizes aside from reducing food waste. The change to smaller plates was also due to the rising costs of food and the increased awareness and attempts at eating healthier portions of food.

In past years, The Environmental Action Club, with support from Dining Services, has conducted a weeklong study to see how much food the College wastes. According to Canney, during the three studies during the last three years, food waste has not reduced at all.

Dining Services hopes that, when the study is completed this year, the changes will reduce the Dining Hall's food waste. At this point, according to Canney, "It is too early to say."

"I think that it can be effective in cutting down food waste just because if you use big plates, then students will frequently fill of the entire plate and not eat all the food," Chris Tripoli ‘13 said.

Not every student thought the idea was implemented the right way. "I like the idea, [but] they put so much food on the plates that it feels like it will fall off the plate," Emily Paull '13 said.

Thus far, Dining Services has been able to maintain the new policy and has kept the portion sizes reduced.

Skidmore's Fight Club and mediation course offer new methods to resolve conflict

Posted by Matthew Camuso

Skidmore's Fight Club may not include Brad Pitt and Edward Norton among its members, but it offers something more useful to the College's campus than a great movie. Fight Club, or the College's "Conflict Resolution group" promotes an environment where any individual or party can dispute issues and work to resolve conflicts.

Although recently establishment in fall 2010, Fight Club practices the classic method of mediation to solve issues.

Although few of us may go searching for conflict with others, such incidents do occur. Fight Club is prepared to mediate both conflicts between groups and personal conflict.

The club is open to anyone, but to become a certified mediator, mediation training is required. Skidmore offers a one-credit course on campus taught by Dean of Student Affairs David Karp and New York State Certified Mediation Trainer Duke Fisher.

The mediation course (ID 141) is offered in the fall and spring semesters and is 30 hours long. Participants practice "a set of facilitation skills that differ from the typical strategies people use when helping others resolve their disputes. For example, through specific methods of listening and strategic reflection, mediators uncover underlying issues without giving advice," Karp said.

The mediation course is certified by the state of New York. "[It] enables participants to become mediators with community mediation centers like Mediation Matters. Every county in New York has a non-profit community mediation center that works closely with the courts, and students have volunteered in their hometowns. Many states have reciprocity with New York, so our students have become mediators in their home states," Karp said.

Fight Club offers two types of mediation, the first of which is One Party Mediation or "Conflict Coaching," which refers to one-on-one meetings with a mediator.

The second type is Two+ Party Mediation. Fight Club's pamphlet states that Two+ Party Mediation is when "two or more conflicting parties as well as two trained, impartial and confidential mediators," meet in order to resolve a conflict.

Fight Club recognizes that it can be difficult to remain open-minded and solution-oriented in situations of conflict. The mediators are instrumental in guiding the process by staying impartial and helping the parties to understand each other's perspectives. "Once the need is clearly identified, the mediator helps the parties brainstorm a variety of potential solutions to the problem in a way that meets both parties' needs," Karp said.

Fight Club is confidential and anything said in Fight Club is not meant to leave the club. Fight Club aims to resolve conflicts and not to start new ones, so all mediators are prohibited from addressing any mediation session outside of the session.

Pamphlets about Fight Club can be found in the Office of Residential Life and any questions about Fight Club can be sent to mediate@skidmore.edu. Fight Club meets at 8:30 p.m on Wednesdays in the Inter Cultural Center.

EAC plans conference trip and community projects: Members advocate for environmental concerns in a variety of fields

Posted by Ani Lordkipanidze

Following their trip to the Washington, D.C., protests on the first weekend in November, members of the Environmental Action Club remain active with plans for future trips and community projects.

One of these trips includes a brief excursion to the Northeast Organic Farming Association conference, which will take place Jan. 20 to 22 in downtown Saratoga Springs. NOFA is a community of gardeners, landscapers and consumers trying to educate the public about environmental issues. The EAC attended the conference last year.

"It was a great opportunity for people interested in food issues to get to know farmers, participate in workshops on sustainable agriculture, eat delicious food and support local businesses," said Margot Reisner '14, president of the EAC.

Reisner said farming is a dwindling profession, and that students will be able to learn more about farmers' lives and what it takes to follow this career path through this conference.

"You meet lots of cool people, hear incredible speakers and leave with all kinds of fun stuff like stickers and books. I even got a rosemary plant last year," Reisner said.

Only 15 students will be able to attend this conference, and those interested should email Eliza Sherpa '14, vice president of the EAC at esherpa@skidmore.edu.

In addition to the conference, the EAC will undertake two community projects headed by its subcommittees to raise awareness on environmental issues.

The waste group subcommittee will construct an enormous water bottle made of chicken wire filled many smaller water bottles as part of the "Take Back the Tap" campaign. The ultimate objective is to eliminate the use of plastic water bottles on campus in favor of free tap water.

"Hopefully the art project will help raise awareness about our use of plastic and especially around the unnecessary use of plastic water bottles when you can always get water for free," Reisner said.

Collection boxes for used plastic water bottles will be placed in the atrium of the Murray-Aikins Dining Hall. The EAC also will be collecting at 3 p.m. Friday in Case Center. The construction of the giant water bottle will happen at 2 p.m. Saturday on the Weiking Green. Students who wish to learn more should contact Ceanna Vangelder '14 at cvangeld@skidmore.edu.

For the second project, the food group subcommittee is collaborating with children in the community to make a recipe book to raise awareness about local and organic food and how they are used. Profits from the books will fund the Student Garden. Students who wish to contribute should contact Juliana O'Brien '15 at jobrien@skidmore.edu or Gabby Stern '13 at gstern@skidmore.edu.

The EAC meets at 9 p.m. every Monday in Ladd 207.