Two men arrested outside of Case Center: Suspects are charged with shoplifting and criminal possession of controlled substances

Posted by Julia Leef

At approximately 5 p.m. on Feb. 13, the Saratoga Springs Police Department arrested two males outside of Case Center for shoplifting a book from the Skidmore Shop.

"I was walking home from class past the front of Case and saw three cop cars out front," said a female student, who requested to remain anonymous. "It looked like someone was possibly being handcuffed or at least held by the police, while Bob Carlton from the Skid Shop stood by."

Carlton, who serves as the social programming administrator and technical salesperson, declined to comment regarding the incident.

"Employees called Campus Safety and we stopped two subjects and requested SSPD, who responded and, following investigation, the subjects were arrested," said Dennis Conway, director of Campus Safety.

Conway said the two subjects, who are not students of the College, have been charged with larceny and criminal possession of controlled substances, among other pending charges.

Scholars, Statesmen and Soldiers: The Skidmore News sits down with Eliot A. Cohen, former counselor to Secretary of State

Posted by Brendan James

At first glance only one aspect of Eliot A. Cohen's career is detectable: lecturing to an audience in Davis Auditorium on Feb. 9, on the history of America's national guard, his bow tie and sport coat were pure academia.  

Cohen, distinguished professor at Johns Hopkins University and Director of the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), addressed the crowd with both the confidence and the humor that usually marks a seasoned lecturer and scholar.

But the next morning, after the lecture, Cohen sat down with the Skidmore News and spoke of a very different career path. Beyond his professorial chic lies a man who has occupied the upper echelons of the U.S. Department of State during times of war and disarray. Cohen has distinguished himself from his colleagues, having lived both the quiet and reflective life of a scholar and the hardnosed and fast-paced world of a government advisor.

When asked how he found himself in such an influential position, even for a popular academic, he replied, "Like most careers, you simply stumble into it."

Cohen grew up in Boston; history was his first love, but once in college he transitioned into political science and pursued it further in graduate school. After joining the Army Reserve he established career studying military and foreign policy, teaching at the Naval War College and conducting studies for the Air Force.

Having served at SAIS in Washington since 1990, it was not long before Cohen became a prominent voice on the War on Terror. His opinion pieces for the Wall Street Journal advocating the Iraq War were some of the first arguments advanced in favor of the policy from academia – his pieces continued into 2005, when Cohen began to criticize the execution of the war while remaining supportive of the overriding policy.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice gave Cohen a call in early 2007 – "right out of the blue," he says – asking him to join the Bush administration in the State Department. His position in the department's framework was no small thing, "essentially the equivalent of an Undersecretary of State."

Bridging the chasm from academics to government was something Cohen had to learn to do on his own. The first distinction he makes between the two tracks is their respective purposes. "Scholarship is, roughly, the pursuit the truth. Government is not about pursuit of truth. It's about getting things done," he says.

As Counselor to Rice from 2007 to 2009, Cohen was charged with advising the U.S. government on matters of foreign policy – how to get things done in the War on Terror. Whether advising Rice on Syria, Iraq or Afghanistan, Cohen has lived through moments of his career that surpass the demands confronting most American academics.

"There is the real prospect that your advice will be followed, in matters of national and global security," he says.

To name only one case of this newfound and grave responsibility: In the summer of 2007, a silent but severe crisis simmered in the Middle East as the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad developed a secret nuclear facility, likely under North Korean supervision. Cohen was one of the few people in the world who knew about this potential threat to U.S. interests in the region.

"In that [Syrian] case, as in so many others, I had to keep everything to myself," Cohen says. "I spent that entire summer worried that war was about to break out across the region. But I couldn't tell my wife or family — I couldn't tell anyone." The immense pressure combined with unbreakable silence took its toll as the months rolled on.

The internal culture of the State Department also posed its own challenges for someone who had spent most of his life in the scholarly world. "Most people in government have low opinion of academics – they hear them speaking jargon, see them as loners, people who don't play well with others. And government is very much a cooperative effort."

On the other hand, the skills that scholars bring into the realm of government can be quite valuable. "Besides your expertise, you know how to write, so you have a leg up there," Cohen said.

According to Cohen, the most important thing that an academic can do for government is to confront a policy with two questions: "Why do we think that is true?" and "Why do we think that will work?" Strange as it sounds, he says, in the day to day operations of government – "getting things done" – these types of questions are sometimes dangerously neglected. The momentum of these weighty affairs occasionally requires the detached and analytic eye of a scholar.

At the same time, Cohen notes that his fellow professors are missing something in their perspective on politics, which his experience has made clear to him."Academics don't realize how fraught decision making is within government. One decision is really a manifold of decisions, many of which you struggle to account for. It's maddening."

So would Cohen ever return to government? His answer is similar to Dustin Hoffman's character Stanley Motss, another Washington outsider, in "Wag the Dog": "If I was asked." 

But in his heart, Cohen says, he is not made for politics. "It's important to know who you are," he says. "Fundamentally what I am is an academic."

He now resides comfortably back at SAIS, delving deeper into 19^th century American history, something he has been eager to study for a long time. All the same, Cohen currently serves as one of Mitt Romney's foreign policy advisors as the former Governor pursues the presidency. The likelihood of Cohen's return to the "inside" increases with every advance of Romney's campaign.

The academic insider, then, plays a curious role. His or her sole duty is to give advice, something that first appears removed and distant, but that may ultimately decide the fate of a nation or the outcome of a global struggle.

For his own guidance – for advice on giving his advice – Cohen cites an unexpected source. "My guide in all this is Gildor the Elf," he says. In the first book of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series, Frodo the hobbit approaches the wise Gildor despite what he has heard about the caginess of elves when giving counsel. 

Cohen holds the words of the character to be deadly true, and always worth considering: "Advice is a dangerous gift, even from the wise to the wise, and all courses may run ill."

Restaurant Review: Maestro's "Super Sunday"

Posted by Tegan O'Neill

I had heard great things about Maestro's but had not been there before because of the lofty prices. When the entrees start to creep into the $30 realm, I have to be certain that the restaurant under consideration is one I really want to try.

When my partner Sarah and I found out about their "Super Sunday " special, I finally felt that it was time to give it a try. In honor of the Super Bowl, Maestro's was offering small entree portions for $5. That's right, $5. It was an opportunity too good to pass up.

In retrospect, reviewing Maestro's during this particular promotion was probably not the most well-informed decision. Admittedly, when I scampered into the restaurant to make the reservation, I did not put two and two together; I did not realize that "Super Sunday" meant Super Bowl Sunday. As I ranted about the meal, a friend pointed out to me afterwards that Maestro's was catering to a large crowd that day but more specifically, a large crowd that had its mind on the big game later that day — not on the food. Also, I think it is important to note in this review that the "Super Sunday" menu was not the same as the normal Maestro's menu.

The first dish to disappoint was the beef brisket. Brisket has the potential to be lip-smacking, mouth-watering good. For me, the word brisket conjures up a taste sensation of juicy, slightly tangy and slightly sweet meat. This taste sensation was worlds apart, leagues below. The meat was cooked perfectly fine but it lacked flavor. The boiled potatoes and the carrots plopped next to the brisket seamed like a lazy afterthought. Any flavor inherent in those two products of the earth had all the life sucked out of them. The night was still young, though; I still had hope. 

The braised chicken and dumplings, however, turned out to be truly hopeless. I think any fast food joint on the highway could have done a better job. The salty chicken and its slippery skin sat in a swamp of what must have been gravy.

What made each entree all the more disappointing was that my expectations for each were grossly inflated by the beautiful descriptions printed on the menu. Take, for example the butternut squash lasagna: "layers of ricotta, roasted butternut squash puree, fresh mozzarella, béchamel sauce, fire roasted tomato sauce." Sounds lovely and it probably would have been if only I could taste any of the stated ingredients. All I could taste was cheese, but not ricotta or mozzarella - just the generic taste of cheese. The lasagna could have benefited from a more generous serving of tomato sauce, seeing as the acidity of the tomato was the only thing that gave the dish the slightest dimension.

The description of the gnocchi was cruelly misleading too: "parsley cheese gnocchi, sage brown butter, butternut squash, walnuts, chevre and Grana Padano." I got a fleeting glimpse of sage but other than that, nothing about the gnocchi left me pining for more. Even the itsy bitsy pieces of butternut squash were devoid of flavor. Butternut squash is one of my favorite ingredients, but even so, it does not shine brightly when left untouched. It needs a helping hand to bring out its favorable qualities.

Compared to the lamb stew, though, the gnocchi suddenly did not seem too bad. Where as the main fault of the other dishes was that they lacked flavor, the lamb stew, which was served in a puff pastry, had a distinctively disagreeable taste and texture. I tasted lamb but hardly anything else. The puff pastry had lost any flakiness or butteriness that it once may have had and instead just served to sop up the thick brown gravy.

Last, and tying for least: the fish and chips. The fish was fried out of its mind. The breading was so tough that stabbing it with a fork was hardly sufficient to get a handle on it. Beneath the gravel of breading was the thinnest layer of fish. I could hardly see it never mind taste it. The tartar sauce had some zing to it. Finally, something that actually reminded me that I did indeed have taste buds — I was getting worried! Even the coleslaw was curiously stripped of flavorful dimension. Coleslaw can be so good when it is rich with mayo and has a little bit of punch to it; this had none. The chips were 99 percent fried matter and 1 percent potato.

I want to loop back to something I did like about the meal: the bread. It was like your run-of-the-mill bread but better. According to our waitress it was technically a cornbread but, to me, it seemed more like a hybrid made by adding cornmeal to regular white bread. The gritty crystals of cornmeal gave the light and fluffy bread a delightful texture contrast. The bread was even better with butter and the butter was even better with the Hawaiian sea salt, which sparkled on top of the slab. 

Maestro's started off the meal on a positive note and ended with one too.  Before we could get the check and hit the road, we were offered a large metal bowl of chocolate from which we were instructed to each take a piece using the provided tongs. I pity the poor soul who only samples a small piece of this confection. The dark chocolate was topped with a medley of almonds, walnuts, orange, and cranberries. All the flavors melted into one tangy and sweet, rich and bitter swirl that did a decent job of masking the reality of the meal. 

Campus Safety Incident Reports: Jan. 29 to Feb. 4

Posted by Julia Leef

Sunday, Jan. 29

Incident—College Violation

Loud disturbance reported at 12:05 a.m. in North Woods Apartments grounds. Officers dispatched report residents complied with request to lower volume.

Incident—Intoxicated Subject

Female reported at 12:43 a.m. as passed out on the floor in Wiecking Hall. Officers dispatched reported intoxicated female. EMS dispatched for medical assistance. Subject transported to ER. Report issued.

Incident—College Violation

Noise complaint reported at 1:15 a.m. in Jonsson Tower. Officer dispatched reports subjects complied with request to lower volume.

Incident—Medical

Transport to the Saratoga Hospital ER requested at 1:15 a.m. from McClellan Hall. Officer reports transport completed. Report issued.

Incident—Medical

Unconscious female in need of medical assistance reported at 1:25 a.m. on Dayton Drive. Officers and EMS dispatched. Subject transported to ER for medical assistance. Report issued.

Incident—Graffiti

Graffiti reported at 11:52 p.m. on the roof of the Tang Teaching Museum, as well as a fire extinguisher that had been expelled. Officer reports unknown perpetrator(s). Damage recorded. Report issued.

Incident—Accident

Reports of male student tripping and hitting his head given at 8:03 p.m. in Jonsson Tower. EMS dispatched and subject transported to ER for medical assistance. Report issued.

Monday, Jan. 30

Incident—Fire Alarm

Fire alarm activation in Case Center received at 3:07 a.m. Officer dispatched to confirm reports housekeeping accidentally set off alarm. System restored. Report issued.

Incident—Criminal Mischief

Broken ping pong table reported at 7:31 a.m. in the basement of McClellan Hall. Officer issues criminal mischief report. Damage recorded.

Incident—Campus Safety Assist

911 emergency call received at 9:24 a.m. from Palamountain Hall. Officer dispatched reports calling error made.

Incident—Campus Safety Assist

Medical transport requested for student at 10:20 a.m. from off-campus location. Dispatched officer completed transport. Report issued.

Incident—Campus Safety Assist

Injured student requested transportion at 10:55 a.m. from JKB Theater to dorm due to icy conditions. Officer completed transport.

Incident—Campus Safety Assist

Person reports head injury at 12:10 p.m. due to fall in Zankel Music Building. Officer provided transport for medical assistance. Report issued.

Incident—Suspicious Odor

Suspicious odor reported at 9:39 p.m. on third floor of Penfield Hall. Dispatched officers unable to detect odor. Odor dissipated at this time.

Tuesday, Jan. 31

Incident—Suspicious Odor

Suspicious odor reported at 12:03 a.m. by side door in the basement of Kimball Hall. Officer dispatched reports odor dissipated.

Incident—Campus Safety Assist

Welfare check of a student requested at 2:40 a.m. in Kimball Hall. Officers dispatched report subject located and condition is satisfactory. Reporting person updated. Dorm checks made periodically.

Incident—Campus Safety Assist

Students report concern for welfare of student at 11:50 p.m. in Jonsson Tower. Reporting person requests assistance. Additional students expressed concern after initial report. Investigation initiated. Report issued.

Incident—Fire

Small mechanical fire reported at 9:05 a.m. in Zankel Music Building mechanical room. Officers dispatched report small fire extinguished upon arrival. Report issued.

Incident—Campus Safety Assist

Medical escort requested at 12:16 p.m. for student from Health Services to Wilton Medical. Transport completed and report issued.

Incident—Campus Safety Assist

Reporting person reports at 12:28 p.m. a male on the Empire State College campus acting suspiciously. Description forwarded for officers and others to be on the lookout. Officers advised. Report issued.

Incident—Drug Law Violation

Suspicious odor reported at 9:44 p.m. on the second floor of Howe. Officer dispatched located drug law violation. Report issued.

Incident—College Violation

Student reports a noise violation at 9:45 p.m. on Moore Way. Officer dispatched reports no noise detected.

Wednesday, Feb. 1

Incident—Suspicious Activity

Suspicious vehicle parked in Falstaff's lot reported at 1:15 a.m. Subjects vacated at officer's request. Vehicle observed at later time and officers identified subject as student. Driver left campus.

Incident—Accidental Fire Alarm

Fire alarm activation received at 12:52 a.m. for the Scribner Library. Dispatched all officers and maintenance. Activation due to construction in area.

Thursday, Feb. 2

Incident—College Violation

Noise complaint reported at 1:10 a.m. in Jonsson Tower. Officer dispatched reports subjects lowered volume upon request.

Incident—College Violation

Noise complaint reported at 9:43 p.m. in Jonsson Tower. Officers dispatched report subject left vicinity upon officers' arrival.

Incident—Emergency Phone

Emergency phone activation at 10:58 p.m. in Cane Crossing. Officers dispatched report no emergency. All parties left scene. False activation.

Friday, Feb. 3

Incident—Campus Safety Assist

Suspicious person, possibly intoxicated, reported at 12:30 a.m. stumbling outside of Wiecking. Officers dispatched report search of the area came up with negative results. Conditions normal.

Incident—College Violation

Loud music reported at 2 a.m. in Kimball Hall. Officer dispatched made contact with the occupants of the room. Occupants complied with the request to lower the volume.

Incident—Campus Safety Assist

Reporting person requests a welfare check on her friend at 3:44 a.m. in Kimball Hall, stating that her friend was very upset. Officers dispatched report that student seemed fine and declined any services of the College at that time. Officers cleared.

Incident—Campus Safety Assist

Reporting person requests medical transport at 3:35 a.m. at 2 Moore Way for injured friend who slipped and fell on ice. Officer responding reports subject to be transported to ER for further medical assistance. Report issued.

Incident—Criminal Mischief

Officer reports at 7:10 p.m. brown wall-mounted phone torn off and broken in Wiecking Hall. Phone brought back to Campus Safety where it was bagged, tagged and placed as evidence. Unknown perpetrators at this time. Report issued.

Incident—Campus Safety Assist

Female subject reported to have fallen down stairs at 9:02 p.m. in Wilmarth Hall. Officers dispatched report subject sustained minor injury and will be transported to ER for medical evaluation. Report issued.

Incident—Campus Safety Assist

Welfare check of student requested at 8:25 p.m. in Kimball Hall. Student not in room at this time, email sent. Subject responded and is in satisfactory condition.

Saturday, Feb. 4

Incident—College Violation

Loud noise reported at 12:32 a.m. on second floor of Rounds Hall. Officers dispatched report subjects lowered volume upon request.

Incident—Accident

A hit and run automobile accident reported at 1:54 a.m. on Perimeter Road. Officers observed Property Damage Auto Accident policy and were able to locate vehicle. Saratoga Springs Police Department and Campus Safety reports issued.

Incident—Disorderly Conduct

Reporting person reports at 2:04 a.m. in Birch Apartments female and male subjects being verbally abusive, hindering the later emergency response by officers. Report issued.

Incident—Campus Safety Assist

Reporting person requests an escort at 2:37 a.m. to her residence at 11 Cane Crossing. Officers dispatched provided personal escort.

Incident—Intoxicated Subject

Reporting person requests an evaluation at 2:42 a.m. of her intoxicated roommate in Jonsson Tower. Officer dispatched reports subject alert and coherent. No further medical attention warranted.

Incident—Intoxicated Subject

Reporting person requests assistance with intoxicated male at 2:16 a.m. at McClellan Hall. Officer dispatched and subject evaluated. No further medical assistance warranted.

Incident—Parking

Vehicle booted at 5 a.m. on Cane Crossing for excessive tickets. Report issued.

Incident—Campus Safety Assist

Reporting person requests counselor at 12:12 p.m. to contact her in regards to her daughter's welfare. Contacts initiated.

Incident—College Violation

Students observed skating on Haupt Pond at 5:03 p.m. Officer dispatched located subjects. Upon officer's arrival, students exited the other side of the pond and left the area. Danger sign posted already.

Incident—College Violation

Unauthorized party reported at 11:22 p.m. in Oak C Apartment. Officers dispatched. All subjects vacated area.

Ensemble ACJW concludes ninth residency with concert in Zankel

Posted by Skidmore News

Faculty convenes for first meeting of the semester: Main topics of discussion include the College budget and changes to the faculty handbook

Posted by Julia Leef

The faculty convened on Feb. 3 to discuss upcoming events for this semester, including raising the student enrollment number, the Starbuck Center relocations and appointing Sarah Goodwin, professor of English, as the new faculty assessment coordinator.

Mary Lou Bates, dean of admissions and financial aid, began the meeting with statistical information on prospective students for the upcoming academic year. She approximates the size of the incoming class at 580-630 students, including 85 Early Decision Two applications. She also reported increases in the percentages of minority students and students seeking financial aid. The College will send out regular decision answers on March 23.

In addition, the Net Fiscal Enrollment number will remain the same in order to maintain over-enrollment revenues. This coordinates with the College's consideration to increase the number of students in the student body by 50.

President Philip Glotzbach spoke about the College's budget, saying that its fee would increase by 3.9 percent this year. Much of the budget will be spent on the 5.5 million-dollar IT project that involves moving the IT department into Scribner Library; $1.5 million will also be allotted to the science department for research purposes, and additional amounts will go into the Scribner Village Reconstruction project. There will be an open forum for the faculty to discuss the budget further. This date has not yet been determined.

President Glotzbach also informed faculty that the Starbuck relocations proceeded on schedule with Card Services, the Bursar and Student Financial Aid offices moving out this week into the second floor of Palamountain. This is part of a larger relocation of all the offices in Starbuck Center due to undisclosed health concerns expressed by employees.

"It was the right thing to move people from there because the testing found some mold in the building," President Glotzbach said. "We will do any regimentation by the people who advise us, and it will probably be done in six months. We will also do some medical studies on the folks who work in Starbuck to see if there are any statistically significant issues."

Susan Kress, vice president of academic affairs, introduced Goodwin as the new faculty assessment coordinator, and Sarita Lagalwar as the new Williamson chairwoman in Neuroscience, as authorized and recruited by Academic Advising. She specializes in cellular mechanisms of neuro-generation. Investigations for a third chairperson are in progress.

Kress also discussed changes to Article X of the faculty handbook, which addresses the discipline of tenured faculty. The article, according to Kress, only deals with the dismissal of faculty who have been on staff for 10 years, and must be altered to apply to the discipline of any faculty member who violates the College codes. She concluded that College officials would look more into the matter. 

New Sustainability Committee to advocate environmental awareness on campus: Elections currently taking place to fill positions on the committee

Posted by Julia Leef

Among the open positions in this semester's Student Government Association elections are the sustainability senator and seven specialized Willingness-to-Serve spots for the new Sustainability Committee, which the SGA added to its ranks at the end of last semester.

In addition to these positions, the committee also will include two s-reps appointed by the sustainability senator, the sustainability coordinator and a representative from the Environmental Action Club. These students will serve as communicators between their two groups, allowing for better collaboration with the various on-campus environmental groups. There will also be a senator step-up position, whose job is to serve as a link between the committee and the SGA.

"Over the past couple of years we've seen a lot of sustainability initiatives, but the problem is that there's not much integration or collaboration," said Raiza Nazareth, vice president of SGA. "So this committee aims to achieve that."

According to Riley Neugebauer, the College's sustainability coordinator, the committee formed as the result of an idea several students had in spring 2011, including Talia Arnow, '13, who interns with Neugebauer at the Facilities Services in North Hall.

Neugebauer said Arnow felt there wasn't a strong enough connection between the environmental groups and the SGA, and, along with Neugebauer, worked with an ad hoc committee to determine the logistics of a new committee that would address these concerns.

"I see it as a great opportunity for students to define their own sort of process and structure for moving sustainability forward at the College because students do have a lot of power on this campus," Neugebauer said.

Nazareth said she has received several Willingness-to-Serve applications for the specialized positions on the committee, each dealing with a specific area of environmental interest: waste, academics, green building, transportation, energy & climate, food & dining services and land use management. These positions will be voted on at each Tuesday SGA Senate meeting.

"I've been getting applications for Sustainability Committee since winter break," Nazareth said. "I'm really excited to see how that goes, how the sustainability senator fits in with the Senate. It's a trial period. I think Willingness-to-Serve will go really well; I think it will be a really good semester."

Members of the Sustainability Committee will work to gather and disperse information throughout the campus to various environmental groups, including the all-faculty member Campus Environment Committee, of which Neugebauer is a member.

The CEC is a subcommittee under the Institutional Policy and Planning Committee that acts as a sounding board for topics of environment, taking ideas and propositions to the IPPC. Among these potential changes would be changing the name to the Campus Sustainability Committee and installing Neugebauer as the co-chairwoman, allowing her to sit on the IPPC. These suggestions will be brought before the IPPC sometime this semester.

Neugebauer will work closely with the sustainability senator to form ideas and aid in communications with the IPPC, something that the SGA is also able to do. With the establishment of the Sustainability committee, students now have a direct avenue to the IPPC, whereas before they were required to communicate via the CEC.

"I'm glad to see that it's happened and that it's happening so soon after the initial idea," said Neugebauer, referring to the quick turnover from the initial idea phase that began only last year.

Students involved with other on-campus environmental groups seem to welcome the new committee as a catalyst for communication between all groups.

"The committee provides an opportunity for the Environmental Studies department, the CEC, Sustainable Skidmore, the SGA and the EAC to divide and conquer to help institutionalize the idea of sustainability as a serious issue that needs to be addressed," said Margot Reisner '14, president of the EAC. "As an s-rep, an Environmental Studies major and president of the EAC, I am incredibly excited and hopeful about the potential of this committee."

Potential candidates for committee positions will soon have a chance to bring their ideas before the SGA.

"We've already received several applications and we're going to be bringing them into Senate very soon—probably next week," Nazareth said. "We'll see how it goes, but at the end of the semester we're going to evaluate and see what we can do better for next semester."

Students who wish to apply for Willingness-to-Serve positions should visit the SGA website to fill out an application. Applications will be available for the rest of the semester, or until all positions are filled.

Skidmore Hosts 23rd National College Comedy Festival: This weekend brings on Skidmore?s Comfest, still making headlines and history

Posted by Brendan James

This weekend Skidmore will host the 23^rd annual National College Comedy Festival (NCCF) on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m.  Both professional and collegiate comedy groups will grace the stage at Janet Kinghorn Bernhard Theater.

The festival, alternatively known as Comfest, has been a staple of Skidmore ever since alumnus David Miner, producer of 30 Rock and Parks & Recreation fame, founded the event in 1988. Originally a grassroots effort to gather any and every student troupe interested in live comedy, Comfest now sees a flood of applications every year.

The problem used to be finding enough comedians and comediennes to put on a show; now the producers — seniors Scott Galante, Ruth Morrison and Lex Curry — face the opposite task. The admission process is long and thoughtful account for the number and enthusiasm of every group.

"As for deciding who gets in: we watched previous performances of the college groups to see which ones we liked, then re-invited them back with four open slots," explained Galante.

Decisions are then made to balance out different types of comedy, from sketches to long form material. "Looking at our balance of sketch and improv, as well as which schools were already coming and who we think is good enough to be given a chance, we carefully picked the last four," says Galante. "We think this process gives us the best in quality and mix."

Lex Curry emphasizes the creative and educational aspect of the groups chosen, including the professionals. "I would say we try to find groups that are not only hilarious but also clearly supportive and enthusiastic about up-and-coming comedians," she explains. "People who can take a look at college students and remember what they were like before they were able to perform professionally."

"They need to be able to see and nurture potential. Bleak! Comedy, for example, used to perform at Skidmore as a college group and they are great mentors as a professional group," she added.

Though Comfest has surged in popularity and is now an essential element of not only college but Skidmore culture, certain aspects of the festival remain rather folksy and immune to change.

"It's funny to see the festival grow, because it is at the same time very mainstream (being one of the biggest college comedy festivals in the nation) as well as very underground and jimmy-rigged (selling tickets at Case center, for example)," said Galante.

What then, keeps the event close to Skidmore given the decades that have passed since Miner's original project? Lex Curry spoke of the special dynamic that Skidmore audiences and groups possess which makes for a particularly successful comedic formula.

"Although many of our veteran groups from other colleges have cult followings or a supportive sector of their college community behind them, I would say Skidmore students are, by far, the most demanding audience for comedians. They don't let comedy groups get away with a bad set," she noted.

A special treat this year was a feature on the New York Times website. All three seniors were thrilled to appear in the Times, though there were moments during the photo shoot where they yearned for the actual funny business to begin. "My face hurt from all the stage laughing we had to do."

Galante noted certain misleading typos in the article, but admitted that "overall, I think it was a very positive article that portrayed the school in a great light and gave the festival the attention it deserves."

"In short," he added, "it feels good."

The financial aspect of the festival is unchanged from its original form in several key ways: the entire festival remains non-profit. Galante explains: "Everything we get, whether it be from registration, fundraising, co-sponsorships or donations goes right back into a gigantic pool that goes towards anywhere from printing posters, to paying travel and performance fees for pro groups, to feeding the college groups, to ordering t-shirts. Any profit made goes right back into the budget the following year. "

As for organizing the event, Galante stresses the amount of stress he and his two peers experienced. "We are (quite literally) three people making calls and sending e-mails out of our dorm rooms, with two assistant producers available to get supplies and do some grunt work. That's what was really so scary about this whole process: if we don't do it, it just doesn't get done."

For a complete schedule of this year's National College Comedy Festival, click here.

First round of business-plan competition set for Friday: Students to compete for a $10,000 prize for best business plan

Posted by Julia Leef

Thirteen students will compete either independently or in teams of two, 10 businesses altogether, in the first round of the 2012 Kenneth A. Freirich Business Plan Competition, set for this Friday, Feb. 10 at the Surrey Williamson Inn. The competition will begin at 2:45 p.m. and run until 6 p.m.

Freirich, a member of the Class of 1990 who is now president of Health Monitor Network, started his first business as an undergraduate. Returning as the College's first entrepreneur-in-residence in late 2010, he challenged students to present new-business ideas. Their presentations and ideas inspired him to launch a full-fledged business-plan contest to support student innovation.

"When you challenge yourself beyond your confidence level, that's when you really grow and learn," said Freirich in a statement to last year's finalists.

Freirich decided to create a the competition that would award a $10,000 cash prize to the student or team of students who writes the best plan for a new business, in addition to second- and third-place awards, which will be determined at the finals, set for Friday, April 13.

"The prizes are intended to act as a catalyst to help students start a new business or to assist the development of their existing business," said Roy Rotheim, professor of economics and director of the competition. "We want this to be a profound educational experience for our students, helping them to go beyond the intuitive and arrive at something concrete – and to gain a first-hand understanding of that process."

Each of the businesses will have 15 minutes to present their plan and respond to questions from a panel of seven alumni entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, accountants, lawyers and executives. The six top teams will move on to the finals.

In addition to Freirich, judges in the first round of the competition will include:  

• Daniel Antonelli '89: managing director, New York Institutional Equity Sales, J.P. Morgan, New York City

• Darren Herman '04: chief digital media officer at Kirshenbaum, Bond, and Senecal + Co and Director of their Media Kitchen, New York City

• Elizabeth King Farrell '81: owner and executive chef of Kings' Carriage House Restaurant, New York City

• Nick MacShane '91: senior managing director, Progress Partners, Inc., Cambridge, MA

• lan Osetek '91: president, Resolution Media at Omnicom Media Group, Boston , MA

• Nancy Wekselbaum '73: president, The Gracious Gourmet, Bridgewater, CT

Each of the finalists will be paired with a first-round judge, who will then serve as mentor for the team as it revises and ramps up its plan for the "finals."

Students in this year's competition were required to participate in a weekly business plan writing workshop after submitting their intent to compete forms last semester, conducted by senior Management and Business majors from the Skidmore-Saratoga Entrepreneurial Partnership, which Rotheim directs.

"That extra coaching has produced plans of highly impressive quality," Rotheim said.

Student business propositions include plans centered on a soft biscotti, a custom cooler and a new smartphone application, Grumbul, that will resolve customer service issues.

"My goal is to foster entrepreneurship and create real operating businesses," Freirich said. "I don't want this to be just an academic exercise. I know this can be a life-changing experience for students."  

SGA hosts Speech Night in Spa: Candidates talk about their campaign and answer questions from students

Posted by Julia Leef

Approximately 50 students gathered in the Spa Wednesday evening to listen to speeches from the four candidates running in this week's Student Government Association elections.

Donald Duff '13 and Stacy Sullivan '13 both ran for senator-at-large positions on the new sustainability committee, which the SGA added to its ranks at the end of last semester. Jess Dunning '15 ran for the position of sustainability senator. LaMarte Williams '14 ran for vice president of Wiecking. All candidates ran unopposed.

"This election in general is usually shorter than others because it's a turnover election," said the SGA Vice President Raiza Nazareth '12, referring to the small number of candidates and the brief duration of Speech Night, which only lasted for approximately 15 minutes.

Nazareth said students would most likely run for the remaining open positions through Willingness-to-Serve elections, which take place at every Tuesday SGA Senate meeting.

Candidates gave three-minute speeches on their experiences in government, as well as their reasons for running in the elections. A question-and-answer session followed each candidate's speech, during which the students in attendance could ask any questions pertaining to the candidates' platforms and plans for the upcoming semester.

All candidates cited previous experience in positions of leadership, including Duff and Sullivan, who both served terms on the SGA Senate last year. Duff said he was looking forward to rejoining the Senate after leaving last semester to focus on academic work, while Sullivan said she would work to increase communication between the SGA and the student body and work on a campaign to make the campus more handicap-accessible.

Both candidates, when questioned about their sub-committee preferences, expressed their attachment to Club Affairs, one of the 11 Senate sub-committees. Each senator-at-large, in addition to his or her duties on the Senate, is also required to sit on at least two sub-committees, although according to Nazareth, many choose to sit on more.

After Duff and Sullivan concluded their speeches, Dunning began hers by saying that through her experience working in the Murray-Aikins Dining Hall, she witnessed a lot of food waste, which, in part, inspired her to run for sustainability senator.

"I'm very dedicated to making this school more sustainable," Dunning said. "I think that that [excessive Dining Hall waste] can be changed, especially if we do a lot to educate and promote our activities to students."

Dunning also said she would research alternative energy sources that can be utilized on campus.

"I think through working with the new sustainability committee, we would be able to go more in depth with other energy sources," Dunning said. "Once we finally have the committee formed, get established with the administration, the SGA committee and the student body, we will be able to get a good start this semester and make some progress."

When asked what she would do with a $500 budget for the semester, Dunning replied that although she wasn't sure how to spend all of the money, she would allot a portion of it to advertising the initiatives of other on-campus environmental groups, such as the Environmental Action Club, and to educating the student body about taking actions to be more environmentally friendly.

Dunning said her strengths lay in Climate & Energy, one of the seven specialized Willingness-to-Serve positions on the sustainability committee, and that she would work to educate herself about the ones in which she felt the weakest, such as Waste. She said she plans to collaborate with all on-campus environmental groups, and when asked how she would be able to accomplish goals that other groups like the EAC could not, Dunning said her position in the SGA would be a big help.

"Being part of the SGA, the committee would probably have a foot up on the EAC because we work with the administration. We would also have a more substantial footing in getting things out to the community, not just for students, but for the Saratoga community as well," Dunning said.

The final candidate, Williams, is a transfer student who ran unopposed for president of Wiecking last semester, but dropped out of the running to get better accustomed to the College before taking on the added responsibilities of the position. He said he wants to help bring people together through dorm programs and other events.

"I feel like I owe it to you guys. You've all been so nice to me since I've been here," said Williams, addressing the students in attendance.

When asked what kind of event he would sponsor using a limited budget, Williams said he was thinking of hosting a March Madness event in the dorm basement, where students could watch the games, eat pizza and mingle.

Voting will begin on Thursday at midnight and will conclude at the end of the day. The SGA will announce the results Friday. 

Editor's Note: All candidates were elected to their respective positions on Friday, Feb. 10.

SGA Elections to take place this week: Candidates running for senator and IHB positions will speak at Speech Night

Posted by Julia Leef

The Student Government Association will close out the end of the week with its per-semester elections on Thursday, Feb. 9.

According to an email sent out on Feb. 1 by Jono Zeidan '12, president of the SGA, there are 19 open positions on the Senate, the Inter Hall Board and the Inter Class Council.

"A lot of people go abroad or decide to do other things, so there's a turnover from first semester to second semester," said Raiza Nazareth '12, vice president of the SGA.

Open positions include the new sustainability senator for the new Sustainability committee added to the SGA at the end of last semester and seven senator-at-large positions.

Four students will run in this week's elections, all uncontested. Donald Duff '13 and Stacy Sullivan '13 will both run for senator-at-large positions. LaMarte Williams '14 will run for vice president of Wiecking and Jess Dunning '15 will run for sustainability senator.

Students who wish to apply for the remaining open positions may find the application on the SGA website.

"Any positions that still aren't filled after the elections will then be filled through Willingness-to-Serve, which is voted on at every Tuesday Senate meeting," Nazareth said.

Candidates will speak about their experience and answer student questions during Speech Night at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 8 in the Spa. Voting will take place all day on Thursday, and the results will be announced on Friday.

Chowderfest delights crowds in downtown Saratoga

Posted by Marcella Jewell

Chowderfest, one of Saratoga Springs' most anticipated food festivals, arrived to the streets of Broadway on Saturday, Feb. 4. Thousands took a break from their studies and daily lives to enjoy the brisk yet gloriously sunny day.

Dogs, children and adults alike slurped down cup after cup of chowder, trying not to burn their tongues on the creamy goodness. Any festival on the beautifully lined streets of Broadway brings many local residents and Skidmore students together. The lines were long and the sidewalks crowded, much like any other downtown Saratoga event.

For $1 per 3 ounce. serving, one could try samplings of chowder from Saratoga's finest, restaurants. The best chowder, however, didn't necessarily come from the top gourmet restaurants in town.

Lillian's delicious Louisiana Style Chowder. consisted of spicy chicken and corn. It was full of cayenne pepper and large chunks of chicken. The chefs of Saratoga Coffee Traders offered a smooth creamy vegetarian selection also with pieces of corn. In all, 71 restaurants participated, including Forno's Bistro, Wheatfield's and Hattie's. Even late-night favorite Esperanto offered up a chowder variation for sampling.

Some participants put their own spin on the competition and offered dessert selections. Ben & Jerry's brought a "Phish Chowder" with M&M's croutons to the table. The company's famous Phish Food ice cream never ceases to satisfy the sweet tooth, and offered a soothing sweet alternative.

Humans weren't the only species enjoying the day. Dogs strolled the streets, creating a distraction from the swarms of people lining Broadway. Restaurants catered to the abundance of dogs with their own canine-friendly chowder. Dawgdom and Sloppy Kisses were among the four restaurants serving chowder to the four-legged citizens of Saratoga.

Competition is stiff among the diverse participating Saratoga restaurants. However, more than one winner prevailed. Seven Horse Pub was awarded dual-crowns as champion of both the People's Choice and Best Off-Broadway categories. Cantina won the Best On-Broadway award and The Parting Glass won the Most Chowder Served award.

"I love Saratoga's unique festivals, the chowder was great, and the beautiful weather added to the perfect day," Samantha Berman '16 said. With the company of good friends, Saratoga's festivals always go beyond expectations.

Chowderfest is an annual mid-winter tradition in Saratoga Springs. More information can be found at http://discoversaratoga.org/chowderfest.  

Construction to Scribner Village proceeds on schedule: New units to be built following the demolition of the middle portion of Scribner Village

Posted by Julia Leef

The completion of Phase 1A of the Scribner Village Replacement Project marks the steady progress of a construction renovation that has been in the works for the past three years.

The new Residence Hall group held its first meeting on Feb. 27, 2009, to discuss plans for installing new apartment units in Scribner Village and tearing down older ones.

Workers recently completed the approximately 14-month-long construction of three additional units in the Northwoods Apartments complex –10, 12 and 14 Whitman Way – on time and on budget. Each unit houses 38 students in three- and four- bedroom apartments. Students have been living there since mid-January.

Don Hastings, director of Residential Life, reports that construction has proceeded on schedule. "It could not have been smoother," Hastings said. "We, of course, had some minor blips and concerns, for example, some door bells that went rogue, but nothing outside a normal new construction punch-list. The new residents have been great."

Phase 1B, which involves the construction of the two unnamed new Steep Slope apartments, is also on schedule. Each unit will house 57 students in five-person apartments, which will be available during room selection in April, and will open in the fall semester.

Construction for Phase 2, the Scribner Village replacement project, will begin this summer after commencement. The middle portion of Scribner Village is scheduled for demolition shortly after graduation, upon which the construction crew will build seven new units. Each unit will house approximately 34 students in 4-bedroom apartments.

Students will live in the 22 lower rung Scribner Village apartments for the 2012-2013 academic year. The new Scribner units will become available during April's room selection for Fall 2013. The remaining 22 Scribner Village apartments will then be torn down.

The construction project will yield a total of 466 new beds upon the complete replacement of Scribner Village, which currently houses only 282 beds.

Faculty and SGA to discuss revisions to AOD policy with students: Changes will address the 'in the presence of' clause, the point system and the clarity of language

Posted by Adrian Appleman & Matthew Camuso

A faculty committee and the Student Government Association will hold an open review for students and faculty to discuss revisions to the Alcohol and Other Drugs policy, granting those with concerns or ideas the opportunity to suggest changes to the current system.

At the end of last semester, the faculty committee, comprised of members from Health Promotions, Residential Life and the Student Assessment and Intervention Group, which formed to address the AOD policy revisions, scheduled a review for January.

However, after speaking with SGA, the committee decided to meet with students first before implementing any new revisions. The Student Assessment and Intervention Group is made up of members from Campus Safety, Student Academic Services, Academic Advising and Health Services.

The AOD Policy, as stated in the student handbook, is devised "to provide a safe environment that promotes academic success as well as physical and psychological health on both the individual and community levels." Its recent revisions were met with criticism from the student body.

Rochelle Calhoun, dean of student affairs, said prevalent common concerns of students regarding the present AOD policy are the possibility of deducting accumulated points, the vagueness of some of the language in the policy, such as that included in the Medical Amnesty Policy with its lack of specific rules and violations and the "in the presence of alcohol" clause, which holds students responsible for being in the presence of underaged drinkers, even if they themselves are not drinking.

"In the presence of was not meant to drive sobriety out of it. It's about trying to make a safer community. It was an unintended consequence," said Jono Zeidan '12, president of the SGA. "We want to hear the input, go back to the drawing board and make the changes that reflect the needs and concerns of the student body."

In order to help discuss these changes, Campus Safety has provided the statistics of alcohol and drug related incidents to observe and monitor AOD violations from the past academic year.

"Students expressed some concerns about certain things, like thinking drinking would go underground, that drinking would just be pushed off-campus or that students would call less for help," Calhoun said. "So we looked at the data we had, particularly from last semester to see if it supported those concerns. And it doesn't. That doesn't mean that it's not happening, but what we are able to know doesn't support what in fact is happening and I think it's important for students to know that."

However, Calhoun did emphasize that this data is only from a single academic year, and that trends may change in subsequent years. However, thus far it seems that many issues have decreased following the initiation of the new AOD policy.

"The number of issues downtown went down dramatically from last fall to this fall. So we're not seeing the concern that these issues are being pushed off-campus and that students are more likely to get in trouble," Calhoun said.

However, one change that hasn't occurred, according to Calhoun, is the number of transport requests from areas off-campus.

"What that tells me is that students are still reaching out for help for themselves and for others they perceive to be in trouble. So I actually don't mind that that number isn't dramatically different, because if it had been, I would have been concerned that students had stopped calling for help."

Calhoun said while she hopes the changes will be implemented this semester, at the moment it is uncertain whether that will actually be the case, or if the revisions will not go into place until the next academic year.

"It's probably going to be a little bit more dependent on the conversations we are having with students to know if it makes sense for us to try and implement the changes this semester or if it just makes more sense to begin the new year," Calhoun said.

Administrators from Residential Life and Student Affairs divisions will go on a retreat next week to discuss revisions. All students who wish to express their concerns and ideas and should attend the upcoming open forum, which Calhoun said she hopes will take place in approximately two weeks during an SGA Senate meeting. 

A new meeting place for literary minds

Posted by Sarah Barry

While most of us might recognize the spring club fair as the annual, belated influx of London freshmen, this year it played host to something new. This year's fair welcomed a fresh group of scholars into the fold. The recently christened Skidmore Literary Society offers students a new space to appreciate literature outside of the classroom and is open to all with an interest in the written word.

John Maher '12 stumbled on the idea while studying abroad in Scotland. He encountered a literary society at the University of Edinburgh and carried the idea back to Skidmore. "I was given a great deal of help from a few fellow bibliophilic seniors and a thumbs-up from a faculty member, and here we are," Maher '12 said.

The society is not a literary magazine and does not intend to rival the existing sources of publication on campus, but it does welcome writers to attend meetings and share their work. "We are also not a book club, as we all have enough reading to do without assigning extra things," Maher said.

Instead, all that is required is a few moments out of the day to discuss different strains of poetry and prose.

"We will have bi-weekly meetings based on a single literary theme and let the discussions go where they may," Maher said. Society events may include conversations with professors and book swaps. Maher also hopes to eventually bring speakers to campus.

The society will produce a newsletter and maintain a public blog (skidlit.wordpress.com) to keep members informed. The site lists both broad and Skidmore specific literary news and links viewers to other notable sites of literary interest.

Thus far, more than 60 people have signed up for the club. The first meeting will take place on Feb. 6 at 8:15 p.m. in Bolton 103. Maher is looking for input from new members and encourages those interested to attend the first meeting to share ideas.

Maher stressed that the society is open to anyone interested. "We very much love the English Department, but are not directly affiliated with [it]; that is, any who love literature should join, not just English majors," Maher said.  

Skidmore College to Participate in Campus Conservation Nationals 2012 contest: Students will compete to reduce energy consumption

Posted by Julia Leef

The College will participate in this year's Campus Conservation Nationals, a nationwide electricity and water use reduction competition.

The competition was created by The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council through its Students Program and in partnership with Lucid, Alliance to Save Energy and the National Wildlife Federation.

Between Feb. 13 and March 5, students from more than 100 universities and colleges across the country will compete to achieve the greatest reductions in their residence halls.

Skidmore Unplugged aims to inspire behavior change toward an energy conscious lifestyle. The eight on-campus dormitories will compete with each other for the largest percent reduction in energy consumption. In the 2011 competition, the residents of the winning Wiecking dorm reduced their total energy consumption by 4 percent, a nearly a third of the total 3200 kilowatts per hours that the campus saved, enough to power six residential homes for one month.

"Sustainable Skidmore is extremely excited to expand our efforts to reduce energy consumption on campus and promote behavior changes that can be carried with students far beyond the Skidmore College community," said Tessa Leverone '12, sustainability representative program manager. "Skidmore Unplugged and the Campus Conservation Nationals demonstrate how small actions by many people are both manageable and can make a big a difference."

This year, in addition to the dorm wide competition, the College will compete against Hobart and William Smith Colleges, St. Lawrence University, Colgate College and Hamilton College in the New York Negawatt Challenge. The electricity savings from all the participants will contribute to the national challenge goal of one gigawatt-hour, or enough electricity to power 40,000 televisions for five hours every day for one year.

Using Lucid's Building Dashboard, participating schools will be able to instantly compare performances, share strategies and track standings among the leading schools and buildings. Sponsors for the event include the United Technologies Corp, Sloan, Sterling Planet and Constellation Energy.

S-reps will provide information on both the campus and national competitions in the Atrium of the Murray-Aikins Dining Hall. They will collaborate with peer health educators to host several events promoting electricity savings, such as the "Do It In the Dark" theme for the kickoff for the event, chosen because of its proximity to Valentine's Day.

"Campus Conservation Nationals encourages students to recognize the significant impact that sustainable behaviors can have on a campus and in a community," said Pat Lane, USGBC Students program leader at the Center for Green Schools. "This will be the largest national competition of its kind and will have a far reaching impact showing students that a collective effort, along with a desire to better the built environment, can lead to positive and lasting change."

"We think that feedback on electricity and water consumption, combined with competitive spirit and incentives, can significantly reduce resource usage in campus buildings," said Andrew deCoriolis, director of public programs at Lucid. "We hope that this program serves as a model for other universities to become more aware of how they are using their buildings."

To learn more about the competition, join the network or follow leading schools, visit www.CompeteToReduce.org.

Skidmore to host New Energy Economy

Posted by Sarah Barry

On Feb. 17 the College will host the New Energy Economy Forum (NEEF), a student organized conference focused on new and existing sources of clean energy in Gannett auditorium. The forum will provide information on clean energy innovation and an opportunity for students to network and meet the representatives speaking at the forum.

"It will provide context for the need for a transition away from fossil fuels and towards a clean energy future, highlight the need for communities to work together to identify solutions, and give students a chance to interact with those who are working in this exciting field" said Riley Neugebauer, the College's Sustainability Coordinator.

The event will feature more than 25 regional representatives from a variety of positions within the renewable energy and energy efficiency fields. The forum's keynote speaker, Rolling Stone journalist Jeff Goodell, will speak at 7 p.m., Feb. 16. The forum will take place the following day.

The New Energy Economy is sponsored by Sustainable Skidmore, the environmental studies department and Focus the Nation.

"The forum is designed to help out community members and students equally. It's focused on solutions that exist already and ways to finance those solutions and make them a reality" said Gordon McPherson '12, who helped organize the event.

The event is free and open to the public and will take place from noon to 6 p.m. on Feb. 17 in Gannett Auditorium. To register for the event and find out more visit http://www.wix.com/focusskidmore/skidmoreneef.

Students and faculty discuss changes to Moorebid Ball: Ad hoc committees to determine the fate of Moorebid this semester

Posted by Julia Leef

Student and faculty ad hoc committees continue to explore various options to deal with Moorebid Ball, with ideas that range from renting downtown bars to canceling the event itself.

Moorebid Ball, the annual Halloween all-campus dance, was shut down early again this October, this year because of overcrowding and potentially dangerous conditions in the Williamson Sports and Recreation Center where the event was being held for the first time. Members of the administration and the student body have since been working to devise a solution that will make Moorebid safe and enjoyable for students.

"I think our full intention is to have a direction for Moorebid by the end of this semester so that we can help people understand what we are thinking," Dean of Student Affairs Rochelle Calhoun said. "I'm assuming that we'll be in a broader community discussion at some point soon."

Student Government Association Vice-President for Residential Affairs Aaron Shifreen '13 served as the spokesperson for the student ad hoc committee, which is comprised of SGA and Inter-Hall board members, as well as non-member students who expressed an interest in the process.

Shifreen and the other members of the student committee met with members of the faculty committee, including Calhoun and Robin Adams, interim director of Leadership Activities, once last semester. "It's very hard to get all those people in the same place at once," said Shifreen, explaining why the meetings haven't been more frequent.

The student committee spent the time in between semesters discussing different ideas and possible changes to Moorebid. These proposals have yet to be reviewed by the faculty committee.

"We decided that probably the biggest problem is the maximum capacity of the event. The event is too popular to be open to everyone on a campus like this," said Shifreen, adding that an off-campus venue is one of the considerations the student committee discussed – an option that would involve providing transportation for students.

Other options include adding more events to the Halloween weekend, and increasing the number of and emphasis on larger-scale events, such as Junior Ring, throughout the fall semester and even encouraging the bars in downtown Saratoga Springs to host Moorebid.

There is one final option that the ad hoc committees must consider, which is canceling Moorebid altogether.

"That's probably an option," Adams said. "I don't know if it's the right one, but it's certainly an option. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result, and we can't do that."

"The administration has told us that they won't expressly say no to what we decide unless there's an extreme risk to the safety of the student body," Shifreen said. "The event must change, however, as there is no venue that can hold that number of people."

The committees must also consider methods to control the large number of students that usually attend the ball. One of the more popular proposed solutions is to charge students for tickets in order to control the number of people who attend.

"I think a few of these things are possible," said Adams in reference to the student ad hoc committee's suggestions. "The key thing would be to have a limited number of tickets, knowing we don't have the space to do what people want."

Another issue in the process of revisions is the College's Alcohol and Other Drugs policy, which was met with criticism from the student body last semester. When asked about the effect that the revised AOD policy might have on Moorebid, both Shifreen and Adams said they were unsure how much it would affect student drinking.

Although nothing has been scheduled, Shifreen says he hopes that there will be a meeting between the two committees within the next few weeks, after which a final decision about Moorebid will be reached. "Something will be decided this semester," Shifreen said.

Shifreen encourages students to contact him at ashifree@skidmore.edu if they have any ideas or suggestions regarding Moorebid.

Career Development Center hosts Wall Street 401: Discussions with alumni the first of many programs to help students prepare for their futures

Posted by Kojo Amarteyfio

In conjunction with the SkidMarket Club, the Career Development Center held a three-tiered event dubbed "Wall Street 401" on Friday, Jan. 25, which featured a panel of senior Wall St. alumni, two smaller breakout sessions and on-campus interviews for internships and full-time positions with JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney and Morgan Stanley.

The panel discussion occurred on the second floor of the Murray-Aikins Dining Hall and featured Mr. JR McDermott '89, a managing director at Morgan Stanley, Mr. Dan Antonelli '89, a managing director at JP Morgan and Nate Berkoff '01, a senior vice president at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. Zack Vogel, professor of Management and Business, moderated the discussion.

Deborah Loffredo, director of the Career Development Center, acknowledged that the College's size poses a challenge to students as they search for jobs, as the College only receives a small portion of the company-initiated on-campus recruiting that larger schools enjoy.

To overcome this obstacle, the Career Development Center organizes multiple events that encourage student and alumni interaction. "The alumni love coming back to help," Loffredo said. "And we hope to bring this event back in the future."

The panelists gave advice to approximately 30 students, which ranged from highlighting the significance of a strong work ethic and early involvement with the Career Development Center to stressing the importance of networking and being a well rounded student.

The breakout sessions focused on applying creative thought principles to investing and on preparing for careers on Wall Street. Vogel led an open discussion on the subject of investing, while Berkoff gave a presentation for the latter session.

Friday's event was an extension of "Wall Street 101," which took place on Sept. 18. Although both had the same focus, "Wall Street 401" featured more senior alumni, while "Wall Street 101" was a stand-alone panel discussion and did not feature breakout sessions or coincide with on-campus interviews.

"Wall Street 401" follows the Jan. 18 networking event, "Transitions and Transformations," which was held in New York City and was organized by the Career Development Center. The event brought together seniors and alumni in the New York area in a bid to help seniors build networks that would be useful in future job hunts. Organizers also provided presentations on how to effectively market liberal arts degrees.

Loffredo said that this year the Career Development Center will focus on student involvement with career programs earlier in their college careers. This semester will see the launch of a peer career coaches program that seeks to assign upperclassmen career coaches to freshmen and sophomores.

Other events include a seminar on technology use for career development and personal branding on Jan. 30, and another seminar in February on job search strategy for international students. 

Results from initial Starbuck testing released: Tests indicate normal gas levels; cause of health concerns still unknown

Posted by Julia Leef

This afternoon, Dean of Student Affairs Rochelle Calhoun released a statement to the student body reporting that the initial testing in Starbuck had been completed and that the results indicated no abnormal gas levels in the building.

Although the nature of the health concerns which have led to the evacuation of 50 employees from the Starbuck building have yet to be disclosed to the student body, the statement revealed that tests for radon, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds were identified as being within or below the recommended ranges. No detectable levels of formaldehyde were identified.

Executive Director of Communications Dan Forbush denied to comment on the rumors of breast cancer and miscarriage that have been circulating around campus, saying only that all employee medical information is confidential. "I cannot discuss the health information of the employees," he said.

"As always, the health and safety of our employees are of paramount concern," Forbush said in a separate statement. "We will continue to work closely with the employees of Starbuck Center and with our independent consultants."

On Jan. 18, President Glotzbach sent out a message to retirees who had worked in Starbuck. When asked about the contents of the message in an earlier interview, Calhoun did not answer directly, but said, "One of the things is that he just wanted to be inclusive to make sure that people who worked there in the past were aware that they could be in touch with Human Resources if they had questions or concerns. You just want to be precautionary as possible in terms of casting a wide net. It's basically precaution and information gathering."

The industrial hygienist consultant from ATC Associates Inc., whom the College employed to investigate these health concerns, found mold in one room and recommended that the College take steps to alleviate the problem. College officials said they will take action once all employees have fully evacuated the building, which is scheduled to occur by mid-February.

"We are planning for both remediation and eventual re-testing to be sure Starbuck remains a safe environment," Forbush said. He added in a later interview that the evacuations are moving as fast as the administration can handle the process, and said that the recent test results indicated that an immediate evacuation was not necessary, nor was it recommended by the consultant.

College officials said further investigations will involve medical reviews of the health concerns reported by employees in Starbuck by another individual consultant, though the exact date of these investigations or when the findings will be released to the public, was not mentioned in Calhoun's statement.

Further tests will also be run later in the semester, as results may vary according to the changes in the weather, Forbush said.

"Not only will it [Starbuck] be tested again in the spring with the change of weather, but after the issue with the mold has been addressed, the building will be re-tested," Forbush said.

Calhoun said even if the issues in Starbuck are resolved, the building itself will remain offline for some time. "Even if there isn't a health-related issue, since you've moved everyone out of the building you may as well go in and do other stuff you want to do with the building," Calhoun said. "It's pretty rare that you have an empty building to do any kind of maintenance on. So that in and of itself might prolong people being out of the building."

"We will certainly inform students and employees about any aspect of the building that we feel is important for them to be aware of," Forbush said, although he added, "I don't see a time in which we would publicly discuss the health information of our employees."