Skidmore hosts spring break camp for local youths to support Soccer Without Borders

Posted by Kelsey Yam

The Skidmore men's and women's soccer teams are hosting a fun spring break soccer camp open to all boys and girls, ages 6 to 14, from Saratoga Springs and the neighboring towns. The camp will be on Wachenheim Turf Field, from Monday, April 1 to Friday, April 5. This will be Skidmore's sixth year of running the camp.

Besides for campers, the camp is also looking for cash donations as well as donations of soccer equipment (i.e. soccer balls, cleats, uniforms, etc.). All proceeds from the camp will go to Soccer Without Borders. Soccer Without Borders is a not-for-profit organization that uses soccer as a vehicle for positive change in the lives of youths from underprivileged communities worldwide. Donations are extremely important for the Soccer Without Borders program in Kampala, Uganda, a site where Skidmore has previously sent donations to.

The camp will focus on teaching the skills needed to play at the next level, while also fostering a passion and love for the game.

For more information, to apply, or to donate, contact Kelsey Yam at Kyam@skidmore.edu.

You can also go to http://www.soccerwithoutborders.org for more information on the camp and the organization.

Fullbridge: an opportunity to prepare for the real world

Posted by Sam Lawfer

Given the length of our winter break, I sought to turn my ample free time into an opportunity. That's where The Fullbridge Program came in, and all it took to get started was a 300-word essay.  The Fullbridge Program is a group of professionals who provide the necessary skills to transition from school to employment by providing students with an accurate simulation of the professional environment. In this program, the mistakes you make are not treated like they would be with a real job, but rather are treated as opportunities for you to learn and grow from. Fullbridge coaches encourage risks and see them as real learning experiences. Make the mistakes at Fullbridge and learn from them so that when you start your real job or your next internship, you won't make such a mistake again.

You may be wondering what kind of information The Fullbridge Program provides. The Fullbridge Program attempts to make each participant literate in the language of business.  Participants choose between two separate tracks: Business immersion and Entrepreneurship, but both tracks begin the program by learning the Common Core until these paths diverge at the midpoint, leading to unique final projects focusing on their respective styles of business.

A typical day is broken down into two four-hour segments that have a distinct business theme (e.g. strategy, innovation, brand, etc.). Within each segment, there are individual deliverables required of participants, as well as group deliverables expected from your team of five or six students who you work with intimately to achieve the common program goals. Much like in a real professional environment, these teams are made up of diverse participants with different backgrounds, majors, schools, interests and levels of expertise. The segments progressively build on each other, providing students with the opportunity to really handle the material and make it their own.

If you think that this program is not for you because you are not a business major or you think you do not understand business, do not despair. As a business major, I worked side by side with students pursuing degrees in English, economics, neuroscience, art history, gender studies and mathematics. They were able to pick up and become literate in the language of business because the supportive network at Fullbridge is unparalleled.

For business majors, this is a phenomenal opportunity to check and deepen your understanding of the global business world, as well as to get out of your comfort zone and work with liberal arts majors, pre-med students and others not typically in your classes - much like in the real world. The fact is that there is a necessity for business sense in our lives, and this program is capable of facilitating and complementing anyone's course of study.

While the focus is on professional skills, Fullbridge dedicates a portion of the program to the individual and personal career visions of its participants. For students who already know what career path they want to take, the program will provide a unique perspective on why that particular path might be a good fit for you, as well as providing new avenues to explore.  For the overwhelming majority of students who do not know what they want to do after college, participation in The Fullbridge Program is seriously worth considering.  I went into the program thinking I knew what I wanted to do and came out with an entirely different list of careers that were far better tailored to my interests and skills.

For more information go to: http://fullbridge.com/program/.

To apply for Summer 2013 go to:  https://portal.fullbridge.com/application.

Application Deadlines for Summer 2013:

Monday, May 6th

Pianist Gabriela Montero to bring improvisational gifts to Zankel March 21

Gabriela Montero will perform 8 p.m. Thursday, March 21, at the Arthur Zankel Music Center.

Montero's visionary and nuanced interpretations have won her a rapidly expanding and devoted following. Audiences worldwide applaud her unique personal style and improvisational gifts. According to a recent New YorkTimes review, "Montero's playing had everything: crackling rhythmic brio, subtle shadings, steely power...soulful lyricism...unsentimental expressivity."

Her concert repertoire extends to 33 works for piano and orchestra, including Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini," which she performed with the New York Philharmonic.

In addition to brilliant classical interpretations, Montero has a signature personal style.  She has said, "I connect to my audience in a completely unique way - and they connect with me.  Because improvisation is such a huge part of who I am, it is the most natural and spontaneous way I can express myself."

It has long been her desire to take her improvisations to the next logical step of composition. She has enthusiastically embarked on this new phase of her career by composing a work titled ExPatria for piano and orchestra. The composition received its premiere performances in London and on tour in Germany with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields orchestra. Montero will revisit ExPatria this season with orchestras in the United States and Europe.                           

Admission to the Thursday, March 21, Gabriela Montero concert is free for students and children, $8 adults, and $5 seniors and Skidmore community. For advance reservations visit www.skidmore.edu/zankel or call the Zankel box office (518) 580-5321 for more information.

One of the world's best drummers to play March 22 with the Fellowship Band at Zankel

Drummer and composer Brian Blade's Fellowship Band will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, March 22, at Skidmore's Zankel Music Center. Blade has played alongside musical luminaries from Joni Mitchell and Emmylou Harris to Chick Corea and Daniel Lanois. Considered by many critics to be the most important contemporary jazz band in the modern world, his group, the Fellowship Band, consists of Jon Cowherd (piano), Christopher Thomas (bass), Melvin Butler (tenor sax), Myron Walden (alto sax), and Blade (drums).

Blade formed Brian Blade Fellowship in 1998 with pianist Jon Cowherd. Also joining the group were saxophonists Myron Walden and Melvin Butler, guitarist Jeff Parker, pedal steel guitarist Dave Easley, and bassist Chris Thomas. This group released a self-titled debut album before replacing Parker with guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel for 1999's Perceptual. Easley departed before 2008's Season of Changes, which was released under the name Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band.

The Fellowship revolves around the writing of Blade and Cowherd, whose concepts tend toward the pastoral, elegant, and cathartic. Colors float in and out of focus; Blade and Cowherd score sounds like pedal steel guitar, harmonium and bass clarinet. The Fellowship Band will be playing tracks from their newest album, Landmarks, during the current March tour, which is taking the band from New Orleans to Chicago to Saratoga Springs.

Admission the Friday, March 22, Fellowship Band performance is free for students and children, $8 adults, and $5 seniors and Skidmore community. For advance reservations visit www.skidmore.edu/zankel or call the Zankel box office (518) 580-5321 for more information.

Tang Museum's We the People continues its civic-engagement series

We the People, a show at Skidmore College's Tang Museum devoted to the importance of constitutions, particularly the U.S. Constitution, will continue its series of public events with topics ranging from the "slow democracy" movement to the debate over "corporate personhood."

We the People, which runs through April 7, is a dynamic laboratory for exploring constitutions as lived processes, examining the way these documents create order, configure communities, and form collective identities.

The latest round of events will begin with a talk by Susan Clark, co-author of Slow Democracy:Rediscovering Community, Bringing Decision Making Back Home, on Monday, March 18, at 7 p.m. Clark will discuss the book and lead small-group discussions. Copies of Slow Democracy will be available for sale and book signing.

The series will continue with a lecture by Jeffrey Clements titled "Corporations Are Not People: Responding to the Supreme Court in Citizens United" on Thursday, March 28, at 7 p.m. Clements, former assistant attorney general of Massachusetts, heads Free Speech for People, an organization dedicated to challenging the creation of Constitutional rights for corporations. The organization advocates overturning the 2010 Supreme Court ruling on Citizens vs. Federal Election Commission through a 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The We the People series will conclude on Thursday, April 4, at 7 p.m. with a "Crowd-Sourced Constitutional Convention" organized by faculty and students from Skidmore College's Department of Government. The group will lead a conversation about the current state of the U.S. Constitution, including the document's strengths and weaknesses, and opinions on how it could be changed for the better.

For more information and a full listing of Tang events go to www.skidmore.edu/tang.

Alumnus Melissa Schlobohm to debut "Adorned" at Pink Raven: Schlobohm's imaginative exhibit poses young girls in elaborate costume.

Posted by Rebecca Orbach Between March 2 and March 30,Skidmore alumnus Melissa Schlobohm is hosting her first solo show, "Adorned," since graduating last year at at Pink Raven, 55 Beekman St.

The show features two large printed installations, both of which are made entirely from woodblock and linoleum cuts through a technique called relief printmaking.

The main installation is called "Adorned," and is comprised of a series of girls "adorned" in animal headdresses with handmade wallpaper behind them.

Her inspiration for "Adorned" spawned from a smaller print she made that was based on a picture of her aunt as a child. She added the owl mask later.

"I thought it would be beautiful to see full, life-sized children wearing invented, larger than life masks. I used old family photos as reference for the girls' dresses," she said.

The second installation, "Infestation," is comprised of a few thousand hand colored beetles in a large swarm.

"I hoped the two installations would complement one another because they share similar themes of repetition and are playful yet creepy," she said.

Schlobohm says she is very attracted to repetitive processes and enjoyed printing and cutting out all of the wallpaper and beetles for her works.

"The installation was very labor intensive and took about two months to finish, but the outcome becomes that much more satisfying when so many small pieces come together to make a stunning whole," Schlobohm said.

Stop by Pink Raven at any point this March to catch Schlobohm's innovative and unique work during its' limited exhibition.

Men's spring sports preview

Posted by Katie Peverada

The men's baseball team is coming off of last season having won the Liberty League Championship. Skidmore, predicted to finish third in the league, returns all but two players from last year's squad that reached the NCAA Regionals. Pitcher Max Martins '13, a first-team selection last spring, will lead the Thoroughbred pitching staff with help from Isaac Forman '14, who led the team in innings pitched last year. Andrew Bannon '15 looks to maintain his role as the closer. Second baseman Erik Watkins '14, who led the team last year in batting average (.385), a school-record in hits (65), doubles (17), and RBIs (39) will try to resume to lead the Thoroughbred offense. Geoff Green '13, Leejay Pollacchi '13 and Matty Tatkow '13 all return having hit above .317 last year. The defense will look to improve upon last year's performance, as they finished sixth in the league with a .950 fielding percentage and led the league with 85 errors. Skidmore opens up the season in Fort Myers with eight games before coming home to play RIT on March 23.

The men's lacrosse team opens the season hoping to return to the Liberty League playoffs, as last year they were shut out with a 5-10 record (1-5 in league play). Mike Perlow '13 and Sam Christiansen '15, who were both named 2013 Face-Off YearbookDivision III Preseason honorable mention All-Americans, look to lead the offense and defense, respectively. Perlow was second in the league in scoring last year with 36 goals. Skidmore also returns its second and third leading scorers in Richie Davis '14 and Jon Hoeg '13, and will expect help from JP Sullivan 13' and Bryan Connolly '13. The Thoroughbreds will look for Matt Diaco '14 to have a strong year in net. Skidmore sits at 1-1 with already two games under its belt. The team will play Endicott College away on March 6 before returning home to take on Trinity College on the ninth.

The tennis team stands at 3-0 and will soon travel to California to take on California Lutheran University and to compete in the Stag-Hen Invitational. Currently ranked 22nd in the nation, Skidmore is receiving strong doubles play from Oliver Loutsenko '14 and Danny Knight '14 as well as strong singles play from Gabe Steerman '14 and Jimmy Sherpa '14.

The crew team will go down to Oak Ridge, TN to get in a week of training and racing before coming back up to race in the Sacred Heart Invitational on April 6. This year, Skidmore will host the Liberty League Championships on April 28.

The golf team heads down to Georgia for the Jekyll Island Collegiate Championship and to North Carolina for the Camp Legeune Intercollegiate Championship. They are led by Anthony DiLisio with a 73.3 scoring average and are currently ranked 14th in the first Golf World/Nike Golf Division III College Coaches' Poll of the spring season.

Women's spring sports preview

Posted by Katie Peverada

Women's lacrosse is already underway, having suffered a 19-20 overtime loss last week to Mount Holyoke. Utica College comes into town on March 6, and then the Thoroughbreds head down to Orlando to play two games and train.  This season the offense will turn to Lexi Melville '13, who had 34 points last year. Spencer Morgan '15 and Robin Fetterolf '14 will hold down the midfield and contribute to the scoring. The defense will turn to a new face in goal with Shelby Witheford '15, currently the only goalie on the roster. The team is very young, with 10 sophomores, four freshmen, one junior, and one senior, but will hopefully make a return to the Liberty League playoffs, something they missed out on last year.

Women's tennis, ranked 16th nationally, just returned from the ITA National Indoor Championships, where it placed seventh. After a home match against Williams College on March 9, the Thoroughbreds take off for California for two matches before returning home to host St. Lawrence University on March 23. Lee Ford '14 was just tabbed as a Liberty League Performer of the Week. Ford has combined with Nataly Mendoza '13 for two doubles wins so far in the spring season.

Riding continues to dominate, with two straight spring victories and seven straight victories overall. The Thoroughbreds look to have a strong competition at Morrisville on Saturday before hosting the Zone II Region 3 Finals on March 30.

Softball will head to Florida over the break to play 10 games in five days. The team split with Lyndon State last week and will host Castleton State on March 23. Skidmore, who has not made an appearance in the Liberty League tournament since 2010, will look to its defense to remain consistent. The offense will be powered by Julia Schwartz '13, who was Liberty League First-Team last year, and senior catcher Carol Brown. The team is young and will depend onthe upperclassmen for leadership.

March 1st faculty meeting: One less major, increase in tuition and financial aid, hazing and teacher evaluations

Posted by Emily Singer

Skidmore has had an active semester so far. Dean of Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs Beau Breslin announced that 11 professors were promoted tenure over the last week, and Professor Gregory Fisher of American Studies won the award for lecturer for 2012-2013. Vice President for Business Affairs and Treasurer Michael West, who is in charge of financial decisions for the college, discussed the school's budget and what it will look like in 2014. The updated budget includes an increase in financial aid for students, especially the incoming 2017 class, and a minimal increase in tuition.

The soccer hazing incident was discussed, but President Glotzbach revealed that Dean Calhoun and the athletic director have taken proper precautions to prevent future incidents and the soccer team has been suspended from spring soccer this season. The hazing involved pressuring first year soccer teammates to drink large quantities of alcohol. Luckily no one was hurt during this event, but similar events at other colleges like Cornell have resulted in death, which is why the campus is taking extra precaution to this behavior.

The business-economic interdepartmental major was officially eliminated during this meeting on the grounds that students can accomplish more by either double majoring in these subjects or majoring and minoring in them. A motion was passed to make adjustments to the curriculum handbook, and the topic of whether or not to change the evaluation cards students fill in at the end of the year came back to the floor.

The order of the questions were changed, as well as what types of questions and answers the students were given.  A new component of the evaluation sheet was also up for discussion: whether or not it was appropriate to ask what gender expression the person answering the cards were. This put into question whether or not this was a necessary question to answer, and if they are asking about gender, should the card also examine what the ethnicity of the student is. The reason for these questions is to assess whether or not professors are able to communicate and effectively teach students of the female gender and minorities.

Professors believe there is a gap between how well female students learn from a certain professor and how well male students learn from the same professor, with results favoring male students. Students of color are also shown to perform differently from white students. An updated evaluation card with questions asking for gender and race may lead to closing this gap by identifying professors with the lowest marks and providing opportunities to help them communicate better with their students. But by the end of the discussion the gender question was removed and other questions asking for identification were not added. The rest of the evaluation card passed successfully and will hopefully be used at the end of this spring. 

Improving Case Center

Posted by The Editorial Board

Case Center, though often praised for its convenience, is rarely mentioned as a desired destination for many students. For example, in a 2007 sociology study done by a Skidmore student none of the students she interviewed cited the facilities available at Case Center as a primary draw. Despite its lack of appeal in some regards it serves many useful purposes, like supplying students with a place to hang-out in between classes and giving students a place to study into the late hours of the night when the library closes. In this sense, Case serves as a "gateway" center for students traveling to class and to their dorms. But with a few quick fixes Case could be considered not merely a stop along the way but a destination that students seek out, much like D-hall.

Firstly, the most obvious aspect of Case that could be utilized is what once was called "The Student Entertainment Lounge", which housed computers, comfortable seating, and games, but now is an empty room serving no purpose.  The lounge was transformed into offices during the Starbuck renovations but has been left vacant since Starbuck was reopened. According to students, when the "entertainment lounge" was still in service it was a somewhat successful space. This room was predominantly used by clubs who held meetings in the lounge.

 Another idea floating around is to turn the space into a coffee shop where students could work in a relaxing environment. The difference between Burgess and this coffee shop is that unlike Burgess, where people are constantly running in and out grabbing coffee or snacks before their next class, the coffee shop would serve as a relaxed study space with an added bonus of specialty coffee drinks--think a much smaller scale Uncommon Grounds. This would mean likely mean moving Burgess to the ex-game room, which is a better choice than creating a third cafe.

The Spa should also be exploited more. As a large space it can host many events such as Lively Lucy's which is currently held at Falstaffs. The Spa's projector screen should also be utilized during the day, tuning into the day's news with captions so students can still study but others will have something to watch while grabbing a quick snack or relaxing for a few moments. At night it can air films or sports games, much like D-hall. Although there is a television screen on the second floor of Case, it solely provides a montage of events pertaining to Skidmore  and some  news coverage, but mostly goes unnoticed.

Another aspect of Case that could be improved is the presence of the printer. Although there is a printer in the room next door from the SGA desk many people don't know about it because of its concealed location, and are forced to walk to the library to print something. Having printers in a more conspicuous location, like by the computers near Burgess, would not only make Case more convenient but give students good reason to do their work there.

Lastly, many people have complained about the lighting of Case. Especially at night when there is no natural lighting coming in from the windows, Case can feel a lot like a cave. Changing the severe lighting to something more subdued and relaxing would solve this problem. 

These are small suggestions that take into account the  major renovations Case will be undergoing within the next five or so years. Despite the minimal degree of these changes (although creating a coffee shop in the ex-game room is a more ambitious enterprise), together they may make the difference that can truly turn Case into the "center" of Skidmore.

A new potential food source on campus: Skidmore College investigates the Community Supported Agriculture Program

Posted by Mohannad Aljawamis

Riley Neugebauer, Sustainability Coordinator at Skidmore College, has recently introduced the Community Supported Agriculture Program (CSA), an idea based around introducing healthy, local food products to Skidmore. The program would be implemented this upcoming fall with the help of students in the Marketing department and other departments, who are interested in fresh, sustainable produce.

The CSA Program involves three local farmers who would provide food packages to be picked up by the program participants on a weekly basis. The packages would include fresh produce such as vegetables, fruits, eggs and cheese.

The program supports a sustainable food production system by limiting farmers' travel within a local sphere, effectively cutting farmers' gas costs and emissions.

The health benefits and ecological benefits of purchasing locally-produced products are significant. Presently, consumers are becoming increasingly aware of where their food is coming from and how healthy it is. Previously, the concept of convenience diverted the focus on food from nutritional value to ease of access and preparation, as well as price and taste. Thus, a place like Wal-Mart can easily sell food to millions of people with a limited budget, such as those affected by the recent economic recession and college students without much consideration of where their products were coming from or how they were grown and treated.

However, studies have shown that the market demand for local organic products is growing rapidly. There is a good chance that the CSA program will have a big success at the College, where the availability of healthy food items is currently somewhat limited.

Typically, college students are busy with their workload and extracurricular activities and often do not have time to invest in searching for and preparing healthy meals. They can easily turn to fast food and instant meals without second thought. But such food items contain many preservatives, as well as considerable quantities of salt and saturated fat. Saturated fat can clog arteries and increase risk of heart disease. Additionally, many products may include high amounts of sugar even if they are labeled as "light" or "low" in calories.

A well-balanced meal contains about two and a half cups of vegetables and two cups of fruits. Vegetables and fruits contain low calories and fat but provide plenty of vitamins and minerals that the human body needs, as well as antioxidants that protect the body and boost immunity and fiber that regulates the digestive system.

Additionally, vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and peanut butter provide the body with unsaturated fat, which is the healthy form of fat that cleans clogged arteries and lowers cholesterol when consumed in appropriate quantities.

The CSA program will target upperclassmen who live in apartments or houses and may not always have easy access to vegetables and fruits. There will always be unhealthy elements to the student diet, especially when it is so easy to occasionally rely on unhealthy fast food for convenience. However, the availability of a bag of fresh produce can help balance this diet and keep students healthy. 

A tale of two cities: Valencia and Toledo

Posted by Julia Leef

Saludos!

One aspect of high school that I actually miss is the joy that comes with a field trip, often not because of the destination, but simply because you're missing class to do so. Field trips, if they occur in college, almost always require a paper or reflection assignment that takes the fun out of the adventure.

And that's why I'm glad to have these opportunities in my abroad program in Spain. Not only do we get to go on homework-free field trips, but we also get to see some pretty cool places.

I just got back from a weekend trip to Valencia, which was the second trip the program scheduled after our time in Toledo in the beginning of February. We've got one more vacation planned for Segovia in April, which I'm looking forward to, as it seems like a very beautiful city and weather will definitely be warm enough for outdoor excursions.

I think out of the two cities I've seen so far, Toledo is my favorite. It's one of those old-fashioned European cities built on a hilly peninsula with cobble-stoned, narrow streets and two or three massive gothic churches. The hotel where we stayed, Hotel Alfonso VI, was located on a hill, with one side of the building overlooking the city so that those with balconies (such as myself) enjoyed a really nice view. The balconies were just large enough for a small table and two chairs. The hotel, medieval in architectural style, featured suits of armor in the stairwells (with price tags attached, just in case you were interested in buying one) and wooden thrones in one of the rooms adjoining the dining area.

When walking around Toledo, there are two things that immediately catch your attention. You have to keep an eye out for cars because the streets are so narrow that when one goes past you have to press up against the wall to avoid getting hit. The other notable thing is the incredible amount and variety of weapons for sale in the city.

Every third shop boasts an array of swords, daggers and battle-axes, which would have been so tempting to buy if they weren't a nightmare to get through customs. Toledo has long been known for its weapons, especially for its swords, which were used by the armies of Hannibal and Ancient Rome.

In fact, there's a sword smith's firm in Toledo called "Marto" that reproduces weapons seen in films and television shows. Several of the shops I passed displayed replicas of the various weapons used in The Lord of the Rings films, everything from Gandalf's staff (both as the Grey and the White) to Gimli's axe.

Valencia is a much more modern city, with only a handful of churches to break up the present-day buildings. Still, that certainly doesn't mean it's lost its sense of tradition.

The weekend that we visited, the people of the city were celebrating the Las Fallas Festival, the main part of which, as I understand, takes place in mid-March. This holiday involves a carnival of bonfires, fireworks, and parades with giant papier-m??ch?? figures and adults and children dressed in traditional attire.

While I didn't get to see the parade, I certainly heard the fireworks. At every street there were groups of people, mostly children, throwing firecrackers onto the ground so that the gunshot noises reverberated throughout the city. It's a bit startling at first, but there are so many of them that you quickly get used to it. And then there's the period of several minutes during the afternoon in which explosions go off continuously in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento as part of the la Masclet?? event. I was in the next plaza over during that event, and I had no problems hearing the noise. During this time, the plazas are about as crowded as Times Square during New Years, or the Dining Hall during Wafflefest.

Both cities were a lot of fun to visit, and best of all, they gave me a break from work so that I could just relax and enjoy myself. Definitely a great way to spend the weekend, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to go.

Un abrazo,
Julia

Julia Leef is a junior at Skidmore currently studying abroad in Spain. She worked for the Skidmore News as Editor in Chief in the fall and is a contributing columnist this semester.  

Man who threatened to kill Skidmore student and caused campus lockdown arrested

Posted by Rebecca Orbach, Managing Editor

The Atlantic City Police have apprehended Lance C. Leonard, 49, the man who threatened a female student at the College and caused a campus lockdown from about 7 p.m. Tuesday to 5 a.m. Wednesday.

Leonard was arrested at 6:40 a.m. on Wednesday in Atlantic City, N.J., on a warrant for first-degree coercion, a felony that suggests he was using threat of bodily harm to control the student's actions.

District Attorney James A. Murphy III said Leonard was in a relationship with the student, who is in her early 20s, and began threatening her when she tried to end their relationship.  

At 2:40 p.m. on March 5 the father of the victim called SSPD to report that he had received phone calls to his home in Sherborn, Mass. from Leonard threatening to shoot his daughter at the College, then himself.

SSPD immediately contacted Campus Safety, who began searching for the intended victim, who was off campus at the time. They also contacted the Sherborn Police, who, because of Leonard's previous criminal history, were able to ping his phone to find his location.

Sherborn Police tracked his location to New Rochelle and said they believed he was on his way to Saratoga Springs.

Leonard had visited the victim at the College before and had taken the bus in his previous visits.

"This movement was consistent with what investigators had learned about Leonard's prior travel to Saratoga Springs, and based on what we believed, he was next headed to Albany and then Saratoga via bus," Lieutenant John Catone of SSPD said.

Sherborn Police also shared that Leonard suffered from a mental health disease, but Catone was not able to comment further on the man's mental health.

When the victim returned to campus she found SSPD and Campus Safety who informed her of Leonard's communication to her father. She called her father and decided, as it had not yet been confirmed that Leonard was on his way, that she wanted to attend class.

"We were on board, Skidmore Campus Safety was on board, and at no time did I believe she was in harm's way, because we had officers around the campus and Skidmore Campus Safety was around campus and aware of her location," Catone said.

The victim was scheduled to be in class until 7 p.m., but saw a message from Leonard at 6:40 p.m. confirming he was on his way to campus to kill her and then himself.

"Prior arrangements had been made with her for SSPD and Campus Safety to meet her when class ended," Catone said.

The student was removed from campus to a remote location, where she was safeguarded by members of SSPD and interviewed by SSPD investigators and Sherborn Police.

The campus was on lockdown by 7 p.m.

Case Center and the Lucy Scribner Library were evacuated and the Arthur Zankel Music Center was closed shortly after 8 p.m. The performance of "Orlando," which was scheduled for 8 p.m., was canceled just as it was about to begin.

At about 7p.m., after having gotten word that Leonard was in New Rochelle, SSPD received word from Sherborn Police that Leonard had turned off his phone, ceasing their ability to track his location.

"Given what we believed was a very serious public safety concern, SSPD officers were placed at the entrances of Skidmore College, and all vehicles were stopped and checked," Catone said.

Additionally, SSPD officers were placed at bus stations and checked every bus for a possible match until 1 a.m., at which point Leonard's phone was turned back on and the ping indicated that he was in Atlantic City, NJ.

SSPD contacted Atlantic City Police Department and made them aware of the situation. "They were given a copy of our arrest warrant and a photo of Leonard," Catone said.

By around 6:30 a.m. outside the Taj Mahal hotel in Atlantic City, N.J., police had a visual of Leonard, and by 6:40 a.m. he was in custody.

Catone said Leonard did not have any weapons SSPD was aware of.

At 6 a.m. the college had resumed normal activity, and by 7:50 a.m., a Campus Safety Report informed the community "the man suspected of making threats yesterday to harm a Skidmore College student has been apprehended."

"On behalf of the command staff and the Saratoga Springs Police Department  I would like to thank Skidmore Campus Safety, Sherborn Police Department, Atlantic City Police Department, the District Attorney's office, and the men and women of Saratoga Springs Police Department for outstanding work, professionalism, and collaboration of efforts to bring a serious public safety threat to a peaceful conclusion," Catone said.

Rochelle Calhoun, Dean of Student Affairs, sent an email to parents at about 9 a.m. letting them know the suspect was in custody.

"We are most appreciative of the efforts of the Saratoga Springs Police and the various other agencies who were part of this effort," Calhoun said in her email.

Man who threatened Skidmore student arrested

Posted by Rebecca Orbach

Early this morning, the man who threatened a Skidmore student and caused a campus lockdown was arrested. 

The Saratoga Springs Police have identified the man as Lance C. Leonard, 49, with a last known address of Cuttyhunk, Massachusetts.  

The college went into lockdown after Leonard made a "credible" threat against a Skidmore student. According to The Saratogian, the threat was made over the phone and made no mention of a weapon.

At 1:45 a.m. SSPD determined that the suspect was not in the Saratoga Springs area. At 6 a.m., with Police and Campus Safety monitoring the campus, the College resumed normal activity, despite still not having found the suspect.  

At 7:50 this morning, a Campus Safety Report informed the community "the man suspected of making threats yesterday to harm a Skidmore College student has been apprehended."

Rochelle Calhoun, Dean of Student Affairs, sent an email to parents at about 9 a.m. letting them know "that the suspect has been apprehended and we have returned the campus to normal activity."

SSPD are no longer monitoring the College.

"We are most appreciative of the efforts of the Saratoga Springs Police and the various other agencies who were part of this effort," Calhoun said in her 9 a.m. email.

District Attorney, James A. Murphy III was not available for comment and Lieutenant John Catone of SSPD refused to comment, saying information will be available at a 1 p.m. press conference in the City Council room in City Hall.

Campus put on lockdown as police hunt for possibly-armed man

Posted by Andrew Shi

Skidmore College was put on lockdown when a possibly-armed man threatened a Skidmore student.

Saratoga Springs Police have identified the man as a 49-year-old white male, balding, 6'1'' tall. Campus Safety and SSPD are currently patrolling the campus and have set up roadblocks at the campus' entrances to screen cars.

It has been advised that students stay indoors. If you see anyone matching this description, please call Campus Safety at (518)-580-5567 or Saratoga Springs Police at (518)-580-5567.

This story will be updated as information is made available.

Dr. Jason P. Briner spreads the word about the effects of global climate change on ice sheets

Posted by Tara Lerman At 5:00 p.m. on Friday Feb. 22 the Geosciences department presented its annual Lester W. Strock lecture in Davis Auditorium, which featured a talk by geologist and State University of Buffalo professor Jason P. Briner on the effects of climate change on the polar ice sheets. Students and community members filled nearly all of the seats in the auditorium.

Dr. Briner began his presentation of "The Response of Ice Sheets to Abrupt Climate Change" by showing the audience a photograph of the Greenland ice sheet that he took last summer. He explained that global temperatures have experienced a warming trend in the last 100 years and supported his findings with a surface temperature anomaly map.

Briner focused on two ice sheets, one located in the Antarctic and the other around Greenland. Each season, a larger percentage of the ice sheets melt than in previous years. Last July, nearly 97% of the Greenland ice sheet melted.

After presenting a background of the effects of climate change on the Greenland ice sheets, Dr. Briner introduced some of the work he is currently doing in Greenland. He conducts fieldwork with a small group of SUNY Buffalo students for a period of a few weeks. He and his students determine the timing of glacier movements by dating rocks using a cosmogenic isotope.

"If we know the rate of 10-Beryllium production, and we take a rock sample, we can determine the rate at which it is produced and the age of the rock's surface can be calculated," explained Briner.

So what's next for this geologist? Although his work in Greenland is not yet completed, Dr. Jason Briner will soon head to northern Alaska to test the effect of climate change on the ocean.

The value of being alone: A response to Bryan Walsh's Time magazine article "The Upside of being an introvert"

Posted by Kristina Kassis

I love people. I always have. I thrive on the energy of others. While for some, entering a room full of strangers evokes panic, I feel a rush of adrenaline, a thrill. Consequentially, I hate being alone. Over the years, this dislike of solitude has gone from crippling fear to minor anxiety, but it is something I must live with everyday, and something I admit is not entirely healthy. I love that others make me happy, but sometimes I wish I COULD be on my own without feeling overwhelmed by loneliness and needing someone else's company.

Bryan Walsh recently wrote an article in Time called "The Upside of Being an Introvert" (and Why Extroverts are Overrated)" Despite my affinity for people, I have to agree with Walsh's assertion.

Over the years, I have found that being an extrovert has done me more harm than good. I trust people far too easily, and I tend to skip from superficial friend to superficial friend rather than having long-term or meaningful relationships with one person.  And worst of all I can't be alone.  I really wish this wasn't the case.

 In a world that is constantly frenzied, I believe that being alone, even for a few minutes a day, is essential. I am convinced that part of the reason I am constantly anxious is because I am relentlessly inundated by people and noise and unable to separate myself from these people. As a result, I have made a concerted effort to spend at least an hour a day alone. While it was difficult at first, it has become somewhat cathartic. I have felt more relaxed, focused, and motivated to tackle the challenges of everyday life. Extroverts, I encourage you to take time out of your busy schedules and simply be alone. Listen to music, read, or draw, whatever helps you relax. Cherish this time. It will make you value your time with others even more. 

Feminist and social activist Gloria Steinem visits Skidmore College

Posted by Kate Butler

Hordes of eager students, faculty and community members packed into the Arthur Zankel Music Center on Thursday Feb. 21 to listen to Gloria Steinem, legendary social justice activist, feminist, editor and writer speak about the modern feminist movement.

American Studies professor Rebecca "Beck" Krefting described the importance of Ms. Steinem's impact in her life in a hilarious, yet deeply personal introduction. Krefting focused on Steinem's crucial role in reevaluating the American ideal of beauty through the founding of Ms. Magazine, and the lesson she learned in "how to be proud to be myself; how not to be ashamed."

When Steinem took the stage, she immediately established a rapport with the audience, emphasizing the importance of personal connection and empathy, and admitting her own fear of public speaking. This fear was hard to detect throughout the engrossing and thought-provoking lecture, which alternated between moments of serious discussion and unexpected bursts of humor that kept the audience entranced and amused.

Although her lecture covered a range of topics, Steinem generally focused on the future of social change, with a strong emphasis on women's rights. According to Steinem, the greatest obstacle society must overcome is its tendency to halt social movements before their completion. She maintains that society must understand lessons from the past in order to continue to make change in the future.

Social change becomes achievable through perseverance and efforts to reform policy. Steinem seemed hopeful for the future, insisting that this "country is escaping the old hierarchical ways of thinking" about such issues as sex and race. Steinem has explored the origins of social hierarchies by studying historical cultures and the ways in which hierarchies develop over time. Constructions of gender and race that dominate modern social systems did not always exist as they do today, she says.

Throughout her lecture, Steinem maintained her broad theme of social justice movements and the vital human links that connect them all and make them relevant to us all. "We are linked, not ranked," she summarized, after a discussion of women's historical descent into inequality, and the ramifications that degradation of women holds for all people. She insisted we must remember that our bodies "are instruments, not ornaments" and we should treat them, and those of others, accordingly.

Steinem closed her talk by looking to the future of the feminist movement and social justice movements in general. With her final words, she predicted, "Not only will we see ourselves as linked, but we will see our movements as linked."

Thoroughbred basketball falls in tournament play

Posted by Katie Peverada

The men's basketball team entered the Liberty League title with hopes of winning their third straight league title, but the Hobart Statesmen had other plans. The Statesmen rode a 58.7 percent shooting percentage in route to a 77-72 victory over the Thoroughbreds. Freshman Tanner Brooks led Skidmore with 22 points, and Aldin Medunjanin '16 added 21 of his own to go with eight assists. As a team, Skidmore went 24-of-50 shooting, and spotted Hobart an early eight-point lead. Skidmore took the lead back with a 13-4 run, but Hobart countered with an 11-2 run. Brooks was able to pull the score to 40-34 when he scored five of the final seven points before the end of the first half. Skidmore was able to tie the game and keep the score close throughout the second half, never trailing by more than five points. Sakhile Sithole '13 used a two-point play plus a foul shot to give the Thoroughbreds a one-point lead, but it would be their last of the game. Hobart's Stefan Thompson and Joe Gibbons combined to make the final six free throws to give the Statesmen the 71-67 win. Considering the Thoroughbreds began the season with eight new faces and had to replace last year's top five scorers, their final record of 15-11 is promising for next year.

The women's basketball team faced off against the St. Lawrence Saints for the right to play for the Liberty League title, but a 12-1 Saints' run in the last few minutes of the game secured their 58-44 victory. Dani DeGregory '16 led the Thoroughbred charge with 17 points, 15 coming in the second half, while Angela Botiba '15 added seven. Amber Holgate '16 and Molly McLaughlin '15 each had six. The Saints opened the game with seven straight points and never trailed during the game. The Thoroughbreds struggled from the floor, shooting 29.8 percent from the field and not scoring in the last 6:58 of the first half. Skidmore never gave up, though, as several times they pulled within reach. Three times in the final 10:11 they pulled within four points, but each time the Saints countered back with the next score. Jordyn Wartts '14 used a layup at the 10:11 mark to make it 35-31 in favor of St. Lawrence, but Cassie St. Hilaire came back with a three-pointer. With 7:48 remaining Skidmore made it 38-34. A layup by Molly Gile '13 with 6:43 remaining made it 40-36, but that was the closest the Thoroughbreds were able to get. Skidmore finishes the season with a record of 12-14 overall and 10-6 in league play.

Adventures in Madrid

Posted by Julia Leef

Saludos!

One of Skidmore College's biggest attractions for me was the college campus and surroundings-a small town that wasn't too urban and reminded me a lot of where I grew up. I based my decision to live in Madrid instead of rural Alcala primarily on the courses available to me at the University of Madrid rather than the environment. I didn't think there would be much opportunity to get out of the city without planning a weekend excursion.

As it turns out, there are a lot of places to visit in Madrid only a metro ride away that give one the opportunity to get the city air and the cigarette smoke out of her lungs. Some of my favorite places thus far have been the Parque del Retiro and La Casa del Campo, both less than 20 minutes from my apartment.

El Parque del Retiro, or the Buen Retiro Park, is one of the largest parks in Madrid, boasting 350 acres of monuments, galleries and a lake. The park was originally built as a retreat for the royal family in 1505, and subsequent rulers ordered additions to be made to the park, including gardens, a ballroom, and a military museum, the Museo del Ej??rcito.

After the overthrow of Queen Isabella in 1868, the park opened up to the public, and today it is a popular location for joggers, bikers, picnickers and musicians alike. As it did for the royal family, the park serves as a great center of entertainment for the people, hosting free concerts, puppet shows and street performances during the warmer seasons of the year. People can also rent rowboats on the artificial Estanque lake, or take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage.

Although I have only been to the Retiro once so far, I certainly plan to go again. In addition to the places I've already mentioned, there is also a crystal palace that features different art galleries and exhibits throughout the year. Another section of the park is home to dozens of peacocks, which wander about freely, much to the tourists' and small children's delight. It will be a wonderful place to visit in the springtime.

The other not so small rural getaway comes in the form of the Casa de Campo, which is five times the size of New York City's Central Park and used to be a royal hunting estate, although, like the Retiro, it is now open to the public.

This park has numerous hiking trails, mountain biking courses, the Madrid Zoo, an eye-in-the-sky ride (here called a telef??rico), and even a small amusement park. The park also holds historical significance as the site of the front lines of the Siege of Madrid during the Spanish Civil War of 1936 to 1939.

Many people may be surprised to hear that there is such a prime hiking spot on the outskirts of the city, but there are some very lovely panoramic views of Madrid from this nearby retreat. It's a great place for the motivated athlete or enthused nature-lover to spend the day, and I'm sure I could visit it every week until I leave and still find someplace new each time.

Un abrazo,
Julia