Saratoga Restaurant Week Review: Mouzon House

Posted by Erin Dillon

At 8:00 p.m. on a Tuesday night, my dining companions and I approach The Mouzon House. This brick Victorian home, situated in an asphalt field between the police station and the Hampton Inn, seems anachronistic, and indeed, upon entering the enchanting Mouzon House, we have waltzed into a distant era.

Inside, the atmosphere is elegant but not ostentatious. An abundance of candles illuminates the restaurant's rich colors, wooden flooring, and dramatic portraits that adorn every wall. Ornate d??cor combined with a feeling of southern ease to create a lavish-yet-charming ambiance fit for either a celebratory meal or a more casual night out with friends. Tonight, an excursion with three housemates during Saratoga's Restaurant Week, is a relaxed affair.

We feel like guests at a grand, southern dinner party. The tables, set with goblet-like glasses and flickering candles, are comfortably clustered within several adjacent, open rooms. Despite the cozy ambiance, the fireplace proves artificial and my companions and I all admit to feeling uncomfortably chilly. Perhaps we should have ordered some of Mouzon's old-timey cocktails to warm up; the hot toddy seems especially alluring on this March evening.

Music plays audibly, but certainly does not overpower any conversation. We easily hear our waiter explain tonight's menu offerings. The Mouzon House sources local, organic ingredients whenever possible, and a majority of its menu changes not only with the season but with the week.

Our knowledgeable waiter describes the soup, crostini, charcuterie, fish and market vegetables du jour. The veggies sound delicious: you can choose between pan-roasted brussels sprouts, saut??ed kale, roasted cauliflower or glazed carrots; you may also order a large platter of all four to share. Surprisingly, I do not order any of these tempting seasonal vegetables. As a vegan, I had not anticipated so many options; the menu has me at its vegetarian tapas board-hummus, olives, pickles, whipped lentil p??t?? and pita bread-and its seasonal soup, tonight some sort of vegetable concoction that I trust is tasty.

For a vegan, reading beyond the appetizer and salad headings often leads to disappointment --even jealousy--but as I continue perusing Mouzon's menu, I am pleasantly shocked to see that both the pasta and entr??e sections contain that beautiful "V" after several dish descriptions. Here, the "V" does not merely indicate vegetarian dishes but rather dishes that "can be vegan," according to the menu. I salivate at the prospect of the mushroom ragu, the Creole jambalaya and the grilled eggplant with chickpeas. I will not go home hungry tonight.

I order the market salad to start (hold the cheese). The salad is nothing groundbreaking-a predictable composition of greens, red beets, apple, pecans and balsamic vinaigrette-but is well made and flavorful nonetheless. For my entr??e, I select the beet risotto. Even in this simpler dish, executive chef Dave Pedinotti's skill shines. The risotto (which has been prepared vegan, remember) is perfectly creamy without a loss of the rice's textural integrity. Visually, the plate is lovely: red beets dye the risotto, which has been spooned atop thin medallions of golden beets. Vivid kale, lightly saut??ed and still pleasantly crunchy, covers the risotto. The noticeably fresh vegetables, in addition to parsley, garlic and olive oil, harmonize to create a delicious and uncomplicated plate. Also, aside from the too-generous drizzle of olive oil, the dish is relatively healthy.

I do not expect a vegan dessert option. Two of my companions order apple cake with cinnamon ice cream. The other orders bread pudding. I feel satisfied from my well-portioned salad and risotto, and would be fine taking a knee for the dessert course. Waiter to the rescue: he darts into the kitchen then reports back with an offer of a coconut-milk and coffee granita. Pinch me-dessert that does not contain the words "fruit" and "cup"? Dessert arrives, and although the granita is refreshing and tasty, I am slightly jealous of my friends' warm, rich desserts; the restaurant has only become colder as the night winds down.

Although we are the last customers at The Mouzon House, we are not hurried to finish up. The waiter brings our check once we request it. I pay more than I would at Sushi Thai or Esperanto's-appetizers here cost between $8 and $16, and entrees between $13 and $30-but a delectable dinner, remarkable setting, exceptional service, and time spent enjoying it all with friends is well worth the bill.  

(Note: during Saratoga Restaurant Week most restaurants offer a fixed plate deal for $20.14. Enjoy while you can.)

Reporting from D.C.: Developing global perspective while studying stateside

Posted by Paulina Phelps

Ten weeks have never felt so short: while experiencing new people, places, and ideologies, I've remained acutely aware of time. This could be the nature of being 20-a period when life is supposed to be simultaneously a party, a moment to get your foot in the door and an occasion to form convictions. These high-standards are stressful on their own let alone when trying to achieve them all at once in a limited time.

There are many things about studying abroad in Washington D.C. that are different from college. In D.C. our schedule changes every week and we are only told what's on next week's agenda the Thursday before. Not only do our weeks change, but our professor always makes sure to introduce us to a variety of speakers and news organizations as part of the journalism program. 

My ways of thinking of others and myself have also changed while away from Skidmore. Since arriving in D.C., I have come to realize the degree to which my thinking was influenced by the college bubble. For instance, while at school I become much less concerned with the world's issues and instead focused on my own reality. This is something I have noticed and spoken about with my friends; my level of awareness and understanding of the outside world is stronger here than ever before. 

Even without my journalism studies and work, while living in a city like D.C. everyone is aware of the people, places and issues of the world. I feel that my place in the world is more determined here than it is in college. 

Despite this enhanced awareness of the world around me, I go to more places alone. In my experience at Skidmore, even when I chose to have alone time, it most often led to loneliness (I've found these feelings subside as you get older). However, in the city, being alone is more of a mutual experience. This camaraderie is shown in a subtle smile or nod while riding the metro or sitting in a coffee shop. 

Keep checking the blog for more entrees as my time in DC comes to a close! 

The Evolution of the Honors Forum

Posted by The Editorial Board

Skidmore College's Periclean Honors Forum exists to promote the College's goals of "foster[ing] academic inquiry and creative thought and expression." Its stated goal is "to encourage students to take ownership of their academic and co-curricular education and to reflect meaningfully on their personal and professional goals."

In former years, the Honors Forum did not fulfill these goals, being far too inclusive and giving students little motivation to stick around for all four years. For many students, the Honors Forum was not something they needed to work for, but something they, to their pleasant surprise, were invited into and attempt to complete because it could look good on their resume.

However, the Honors Forum has made significant strides in the past few years working to throw off its reputation as an easy add-on to students' resumes that provided little challenge for those who actually bothered to stay in it until the end. Since then, the Honors Forum has become more competitive and desirous for students, a transformation that hopefully it will continue to undergo as the years continue.

The Honors Forum broke from Admissions in 2011, making the Class of 2015 the last class to be invited to Honors Forum based on high school merit. On average, Admissions invited approximately 75 to 80 students per class, which resulted in large numbers of dropouts from students, most commonly when faced with the Citizenship Project each Honors Forum member must undertake.

Now, students must apply to get into the Honors Forum based solely on their Skidmore merit, with the full knowledge of and willingness to complete the minor's requirements. According to Honors Forum Director Dr. Catherine Golden, of the 95 students who applied to the Honors Forum this year, 60 were accepted, 40 in the Class of 2017 and 20 from the Class of 2016.

Now that the Honors Forum members are students who actually want to be there, the disqualification rate is lower than ever, with only three students dropping out this past term and 14 put on probation. In previous terms, as Dr. Golden said, the number typically ranged from 24 to 30 students who were placed on a probationary period.

The Honors Forum has also been steadily increasing the number of honors courses available for students, with 33 courses to be available this fall semester in different departments ranging from Anthropology, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, English, Mathematics, Religion, History and Psychology. In addition, students can make any class an honors class with an Honors Forum add-on or independent study.

However, life after Skidmore is just as important, and current Honors Forum students could really benefit from events that involve Honors Forum alumni. Currently, the Honors Forum website (http://www.skidmore.edu/hf/index.php) hosts only five alumni profiles, which in its current form is limited and should be added to. The Forum should also host more events like the Living the Liberal Arts College Honors Forum Induction, which invited alumni to speak about their experiences in the Honors Forums.

While the Honors Forum has made significant improvements over the years, certainly it still has room to grow and can become even better. For example, the requirement for graduation with the lowest level honor of cum laude is a GPA of 3.65. The Honors Forum's requirement is 3.5, which is by no means a low GPA, but is inconsistent with what the College determines to be exceptional. Raising the GPA requirement is in line with those for graduating with honors will not only provide the esteem students want in their honors program but, by becomingeven more exclusive, may build a stronger Honors Forum community.

Other, similar schools offer certain benefits to its Honors members that Skidmore's Honors Forum may want to consider. For example, at Union College, a member of the New York Six with Skidmore College, the honors program is highly competitive (up to 25 students per year accepted) and offers academic and monetary rewards. An international class is built into the honors curriculum and students receive a $2000 scholarship for travel and several other, smaller scholarships during their tenure at Union.

With its offices scattered between Bolton Hall, the Dana Science Center and Ladd Hall, a major concern for the Honors Forum is its ability to create a sense of community--something that many students have felt is lacking. While the Honors Forum has had housing Wiecking Hall for the past four years, it could certainly benefit from a more centralized location detached from a dormitory many upperclassmen tend to abandon in favor of the fancier apartment buildings. The Forum's study location on the third floor of Ladd is removed from the central traffic on campus that flows through Case Center and the Library and as a result it is not frequented as a study location.

The Honors Forum has certainly made strides in improving its reputation and participation rates on campus. However, there is still room to grow. Continuing to increase the number of Honors classes, hosting more events, and raising the average GPA will all contribute to a greater sense of community within the Honors Forum. An increased sense of community will improve the Honors Forum experience for all who are lucky enough to participate.

Repeat Vandalism in Starbuck Staircase Raises Concern

Posted by Danny Graugnard

Eggshells and yolk were found splattered all over the walls, floors, and staircase by the entrance of Wilmarth Hall Monday night. The incident was taken note around midnight and reported by a Campus Safety officer. What seems like a simple act of criminal mischief has become a growing concern for Campus Safety, facilities, as well as students, for this incident was certainly not the first time it has been reported.
In fact, there have been several reports of food being thrown against the walls and floors in the enclosed staircase by Starbuck Center. On March 20, for example, Campus Safety reported eggs had been thrown at the walls. There had been six incidents prior to that one, which makes a total of eight reports of food thrown in the area, usually occurring during the weekends. "It's very disgusting," says Lawrence Britt, Associate Director of Campus Safety. "The eggs damaged the walls of the room, which needed to be repaired and repainted. The food always leaves bad odor, [and] facilities always tries to clean the mess as much as they can."
Campus Safety is not the only group concerned; students seem to be wary of the vandalism in the staircase as well. One student, who possibly resides in Wilmarth, wrote a note addressing the issue and hung it in the stairwell, remarking that the act was "disgusting," and a violation of the trust within the student community. It further berates the perpetrator to stop vandalizing the staircase. The fact that Wilmarth's main entrance connects to the enclosed staircase and has a significant amount of foot traffic during the day indicates that the incident occurs late at night when the staircase is not occupied.
When asked how to find a possible solution to prevent further vandalism in the future, Britt said that security in the area would be increased. Campus Safety officers on duty will patrol the staircase more often, considering there are no security cameras in the room and a lack of constant surveillance. In the meantime, there does not appear to be any signs that the perpetrator(s) will desist the vandalism anytime soon, but Campus Safety hopes that with better security in the area, the vandalism will stop. Students are advised to be careful when moving through the area during the late night hours and encouraged to report any suspicious behavior.

Second half surge gives Hamilton victory over women's lacrosse

Posted by Katie Peverada

In a Tuesday evening non-conference game, the Skidmore women's lacrosse team ran into the irrepressible Hamilton College Continentals, who used 10-second half goals to earn the 15-7 win. The loss dropped Skidmore College to 1-5 overall and moved Hamilton to 3-3.

Hamilton used a simple strategy of driving towards the net to quickly jump out to a 2-0 lead. Taylor Ryan got things started for the Continentals just 57 seconds into the game when she received a pass in the middle of the box and bounced the ball past Skidmore goalie Megan Kolopsky '17. Hamilton continued to pressure the Skidmore defense, making several drives and cuts directly at the net but was unable to find the back of the net.

Kolopsky came up big twice in 30 seconds, first making a big save on a close-range shot and then answering again by controlling the rebound off of a save. Finally, Margaret Gabriel was able to drive the net and get off a clean shot to make it 2-0 at the 24:26 mark.

Spencer Morgan '15 was able to make it 2-1 a couple of minutes later after the Thoroughbreds were able to control the ball, working it low around the net before feeding Morgan in the circle.
Hamilton regained the two-goal lead after Kathryn Maiorano netted the first of her five goals off of a close-range shot.

But Skidmore proved resilient, as just a minute later Morgan netted her second of the game with a shot from just off the right post.

The teams went on to trade goals, but neither was able to cleanly pull away amidst the back-and-forth play. Katie D'Antonio netted the first of three goals to once again give Hamilton a two-goal lead that would turn into a three-goal lead with five minutes to go in the first half. But Skidmore was able to score two goals before time expired, as Tyler Phillips '17 and Peggy Healy '15 pulled the team within one and seized the momentum heading into the second half.

Skidmore continued their scoring streak just 40 seconds into the second half when Continental goalie Kari Koga bobbled Phillips's shot and the ball trickled over the goal line to tie the score at 5-5. Unfortunately, that would be as close at the Thoroughbreds would get to holding the lead, as the Hamilton offense began to pour it on five minutes later.

Hamilton scored four straight times to make it 9-5 before Skidmore was able to find the back of the net again when Phillips scored her second of the half. The Continentals once again scored four unanswered goals to squash Skidmore's momentum, but Phillips netted her third goal of the half and fourth of the day at the 7:14 mark to make it 13-7.

Hamilton ended the game the way they started it: by netting two goals, putting the final score at 15-7.

Despite the loss, the Thoroughbreds were able to control the draws, 15-9, and had a solid 19 groundballs to Hamilton's 22. Hamilton, though, outshot Skidmore 30-13, with 23 Continental shots finding their way to the net.

Kolopsky played all 60 minutes in net, making eight saves, while across the field Koga registered six.

Tyler Phillips led Skidmore in scoring with five points (4G, 1A), Spencer Morgan added two goals and Peggy Healy had one.

Skidmore will hit the road on Friday, March 28 to take on Vassar College at 4 p.m.

Students, Faculty and Staff Gather to Discuss Skidmore's Next Strategic Plan

Posted by Hope Spector

Over 200 faculty, staff, and students gathered on the second floor of the Murray-Aikins Dining Hall on Friday afternoon to discuss Skidmore College's present and future Strategic Plans. The strategic plan is a tool that many institutions employ to assess current strengths and weaknesses and to plan for the future. Skidmore's current Strategic Plan was launched in 2005 and will end in 2015. Friday's event marked one in a series of events that kick off the planning process for the next Strategic Plan, which will stretch from 2015 through 2025. The event was titled "Plan 2025: Building the College's Next Strategic Step."

The room was filled with about 25 tables, each with a designated topic. Topics were delineated on large posters all around the room and they ranged from "Academic Excellence" to "Sustainability" to "Civic Engagement." There were place cards at each seat around the table designating it for a faculty member, staff or student to occupy. The room was filled to capacity and filled with lively conversation as members of the community greeted each other before the meeting began.

President Glotzbach opened the event with a series of remarks that stressed the importance of a strategic plan to the College's continued improvement. He spoke about how a strategic plan reflects institutional values and summarized what the most recent plan had accomplished (doubled the endowment, put $150 million towards improving campus facilities, saw an increasingly competitive applicant pool). He urged participants in this workshop to discuss what excellence means for the College and to discuss how we can better reach those goals.

The heart of the event was the roundtable discussion. Each group had the same list of four discussion questions:

Why is this topic important to you and to Skidmore?
How is Skidmore currently performing with this topic?
What changes should Skidmore consider regarding this topic? What evidence do you have to support this recommended change?
Given resource constraints, new initiatives often require cutbacks in other areas. What should Skidmore do less of to advance this topic?

There was a designated scribe and facilitator at each table where 45 minute independent discussions were held across the room. At this reporter's table, the discussion covered topics from the role of the tenure track process in encouraging or discouraging innovation and creativity in academic research to the uniqueness of the liberal arts experience and whether the College promotes that enough.

After 45 minutes had passed, participants were each given three small dot stickers and told to put a sticker on the posters for the topics that they believed were most important for the College to consider in developing the next Strategic Plan. There was no clear winner, a reflection of the diversity of opinions and experiences in the room.

The event continued with Part II: Celebrate 2025, a festive event in Case Center with food vendors and entertainment.

Upcoming Turkuaz Performance at Putnam Den

Posted by Dave Obenour

Brooklyn's power/funk 9-piece, Turkuaz, will be playing their new CD local release show on Thurs. March 27 at Putnam Den. Utilizing almost as many instruments as influences, a Turkuaz show is an explosive experience. Even with nine people on the stage, many of the band's members pull double duty by pounding on a keyboard, adding back-up vocals or just keeping the energy going with some onstage dancing. Their new album, Future 86 is a great collection of studio renditions.

Turkuaz's third studio album, Future 86 is best bought with a few sweaty and crumpled up dollar bills fished out of your pocket directly after stepping off the dance floor. These eleven songs are the closest studio renditions of what fans have come to know and love from the band's live shows - big and brassy horn arrangements, guitar licks in spades, funky synths, and playful lyrics, all held down by a rhythm section as solid as the Brooklyn Bridge's foundation.

It was these live performances that actually delayed the release of Future 86. Hiring a new booking agent, Turkuaz has been hitting the Eastern US with much more regularity over the last year. With every show the band's cohesiveness grew and a number of songs were scrapped or rerecorded in favor of the sound being developed out on the road.

Within that improved sound are echoes of some classic LPs by artists like Parliament/Funkadelic, Talking Heads, Zapp, Rick James and maybe even a few select cuts from Motown's or Stax's back-catalogue. These may not be the touching points of a lot of the current "what's old is new" cool bands, but that suits Turkuaz just fine.

"In a way, I really like that our style is so closely tied to those types of classic artists and styles," says vocalist and guitarist, Dave Brandwein. "We certainly don't feel that we ride any trends or worry too much about staying modern or relevant in any particular way. We just play what we love."

Future 86 is the culmination of a recent creative outpouring from Turkuaz and it is their third release since just last November. The band has also released A Live Affair, a live download-only album and Covers Vol. 1, featuring renditions of classic songs by Jackie Wilson, Sly & The Family Stone and many more.

With no end in sight, the band is looking forward to heading down South and out West in support of the new CD and has already started working on a few new songs for an upcoming EP.

63A Putnam Street Saratoga Springs, NY | 518-584-8066 | 8:30pm | Ages 18+ | $8 ADV / $12 DOS | $5 surcharge if under 21 

NHL Super Six: Bruins take over the top spot

Posted by Katie Peverada

Since last week, the Bruins have continued their hot streak, adding four more wins to bring their streak to 12 and their power ranking to number one. Pittsburgh, the team that never seems to struggle, is suddenly 5-4-1, including 2-3-1 in their last six, and has fallen out of this week's Super Six. The two teams that have locked up playoff spots, Boston and St. Louis, are gearing up for a fight to the finish for the Presidents' Trophy.

1. Boston Bruins: Though the Bruins still have no one in the top 20 offensively, Jarome Iginla did score five goals in Boston's four games last week, helping to extend their win-streak to 12 games. Iginla leads the Bruins with 28 goals on the season, and is still in the top three in +/- rankings (+32). It's this stellar two way play-as a team, Boston is first with a +78, 10 ahead of St. Louis-that has allowed the Bruins to rack up 103 points on the season and tie with St. Louis for top in the league. An upcoming showdown against Chicago on Thursday will give the Bruins a chance to flex their muscles against the West, the conference they are 16-4-4 against this year.

2. San Jose: The Sharks next win will give them a playoff spot, and they're bound to get it in one of their next three games, as they face Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg. The big story here, though, is that despite dropping winnable games against Washington (a shootout loss) and Florida, they beat Anaheim to overtake them for first in the Pacific Division and the second spot in the West. Antti Niemi leads the league in wins (35), and Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton are both above 56 percent in the circle and on the doorstep of 70-point seasons. There's no denying the Sharks are a strong team that is peaking at the right time-they are 7-1-2 in their last 10-but the question remains whether they will be able to uphold this level of play in the playoffs.

3. St. Louis: St. Louis has 103 points, is tied for the Presidents' Trophy, and has already booked a trip to the playoffs for the third straight year. The acquisition of Ryan Miller at the trade deadline bolstered their already strong goaltending and pushed them to a 7-2-1 record over the last 10. However, those two losses came in consecutive games, a 4-0 loss to Chicago and a 4-1 loss to Philadelphia. Normally, losing 4-0 to Chicago, a division rival and a probable playoff foe, would be concerning, but if there is one thing St. Louis has shown this season, it is the ability to close out. The Blues are 30-0-4 when leading after the second period. Additionally, because of the way coach Ken Hitchcock has spread around the minutes, the team is well rested as they battle Boston for the most points.

4. Anaheim: It took a while, but the Ducks' mediocre play of late has knocked them all the way down to...third place in the Western Conference. They shook off their recent play, though, with a 6-2 pounding of the Florida Panthers. Furthermore, their next four games are against teams in the bottom 10 of the league, including two teams with losing records. As long as they can get the wins where they should, and weather defenseman Cam Fowler's knee injury, they should still be able to get a favorable first-round matchup.

5. Los Angeles: The Kings are only in sixth place in the West, eight points behind Colorado, but their recent run, and Jonathan Quick's acrobatics, are enough to put them in this spot. With Saturday's win over Florida, the Kings have now reached the 40-win mark in four-straight seasons (excluding last year's lockout-shortened season). Quick has led the team to 10 wins in their last 13 games, and surpassed the franchise's all-time wins mark, the 171 wins of Rogie Vachon, with his 172nd in that win against Florida. The next record Quick is looking to eclipse? The career shutout record of 32, held by Vachon, is only two ahead of Quick's 30.

6. Chicago: The Hawks convincing 4-0 win over St. Louis last week was a bittersweet 700th win for Chicago and coach Joel Quenneville. Chicago showed that they are still Chicago, getting big victories against top teams. However, the win also had a loss, as leading scorer Patrick Kane was injured and subsequently put on the Injured Reserve List. But while not having Kane will hurt Chicago, the Hawks have a 700-win coach behind the bench who will be able to solve their recent troubles. The Hawks, one of the deepest teams in the league, have called up top-prospect Teuvo Teravainen to see what he can do. Teravainen plays a similar, play-making role like Kane. Hopefully, he can fill that role.

Campus Safety Report: March 7 to March 20

Incidents of Note:

• Friday, March 7-Sexual Misconduct: Reporting person advised Campus Safety at noon of a possible violation of the sexual misconduct policy on campus. Report issued.
• Tuesday, March 18-Criminal Mischief: Ice cream found at 1:30 a.m. thrown on the stairs in the Starbuck Center next to Wilmarth Hall. Report issued.
• Wednesday, March 19-Criminal Mischief: Ice cream reported at 1:20 a.m. thrown and smeared in the Starbuck East stairwell. Report issued.

Further Incidents:

Friday, March 7:

• Emergency Phone: A person reported stuck in an elevator at 12:03 a.m. in Case Center. Officer and Unit-10 dispatched and reported that the elevators were clear. Prank call or false activation.
• College Violation: Noise complaint received at 12:24 a.m. at the Sussman Apartments. Officer checked all apartments and detected no excessive noise.
• Fire Alarm: Stopper activation received at 3:30 a.m. on the second floor of Wiecking Hall. Officer reset the alarm. Unknown perpetrator of the activation.
• College Violation: Noise complaint received at 5:05 a.m. of a person banging on doors in Jonsson Tower. Dispatched officers reported that the subject was locked out. Access provided. Verbal warning given.
• Criminal Mischief: Report received at 7:46 a.m. of thrown ice cream in the Starbuck Center stairwell by Wilmarth Hall. Officer dispatched. Damage recorded.
• College Violation: A noise complaint reported at 11:47 p.m. at Cane Crossing. Officers reported that the residents complied with the request to lower the volume.

Saturday, March 8:

• College Violation: Reporting person requested Campus Safety at 10:13 a.m. to remove the confiscated resident items in McClellan Hall. Report issued.
• Campus Safety Assist: Officer responded at 12:05 p.m. to a room in Wait Hall to inspect with Staff. Staff was concerned for the room occupant's well-being. Contact with the occupant was made. The subject's welfare was satisfactory. Report issued.

Sunday, March 9:

• Criminal Mischief: Officer reported finding graffiti at 12:51 p.m. on a pillar in Case Center. Damage recorded. Report issued. No known perpetrators at this time.
• College Violation: Excessively loud base noise reported at 6:58 p.m. coming from an adjoining apartment on Moore Way. Officer dispatched and the resident complied with the request to lower the volume.

Monday, March 10:

• Safety Check AED: Officers made a check at 9:56 a.m. of all the AED's and Panic alarms on campus. All were functioning properly at the time.

Wednesday, March 12:

• Campus Safety Assist: Reporting person requested a vehicle jumpstart at 7:33 p.m. at the Sussman Apartments H. Dispatched officer. Jumpstart successful.

Thursday, March 13:

• Medical Assistance: Transport requested at 4:20 p.m. from the Sussman Apartments B to the Wilton Medical Urgent Care. Officer responded for transport.

Friday, March 14:

• Accident: Reporting person slipped on ice at 11:20 a.m. in the Arts Quad parking lot, falling and injuring herself that morning. Reporting person was requested to fill out an accident report regarding the accident and sought medical attention. Report issued.

Saturday, March 15:

• Campus Safety: A welfare check requested at 4:54 p.m. on a student in Jonsson Tower. Officer dispatched reported finding the subject satisfactory and delivering the message.
• Fire Alarm: Fire alarm activation received at 7:34 p.m. at the Sussman Village. Officers, maintenance and the Saratoga Springs Fire Department advised. Officers reported that the activation was due to a cooking error. Report issued.

Sunday, March 16:

• Found Property: Officer found a closed 18 pack of beer at 12:37 p.m. in the second floor south side stairwell of Wait Hall. Officer confiscated and secured it at Campus Safety.
• Campus Safety Assist: A medical transport requested at 4:45 p.m. for a friend in Jonsson Tower. Subject was transported to the Emergency Room by an officer. Report issued.
• Campus Safety Assist: Student requested a transport at 5:59 p.m. to the Emergency Room. Officer dispatched completed the transport. Report issued.
• Graffiti: Officer reported finding black marker at 6:45 p.m. in the south elevator of Jonsson Tower. Damage recorded and report issued. No known perpetrator at the time.
• Fire Alarm: Fire alarm activation received at 11:57 p.m. for the 7 Dayton Drive apartments. All officers, maintenance and the Saratoga Springs Fire Department dispatched. Alarm was due to a candle burning. The resident was warned and the candle was confiscated. Report issued.

Monday, March 17:

• Fire Alarm: Fire alarm received at 7:37 p.m. at the Sussman Apartments. Dispatched all officers, maintenance and the Saratoga Springs Fire Department. Officers reported that the activation was due to cooking. Report issued.
• College Violation: A noise complaint reported at 8:44 p.m. at the Sussman Apartments. Dispatched officer reported that the residents lowered the volume upon request.
• Campus Safety Assist: Reporting person expressed concern at 9:07 p.m. for a student in Wilmarth Hall and requested a welfare check. Dispatched officer located the subject and delivered the message.
• Suspicious Odor: A suspicious odor reported at 10:33 p.m. in Wait Hall. Dispatched officer reported detecting a faint odor but could not determine a specific source.
• College Violation: A noise complaint reported at 10:49 p.m. at Dayton Drive. Dispatched officers reported that the residents lowered the volume upon request.
• College Violation: A noise complaint reported at 10:57 p.m. in Jonsson Tower. Dispatched officers reported that the residents lowered the volume upon request.

Tuesday, March 18:

• College Violation: Excessive noise reported at midnight in Jonsson Tower. Officers dispatched reported that residents lowered the volume upon request.
• College Violation: A noise complaint received at 12:05 a.m. at Dayton Drive. Dispatched officers reported that residents complied with the request to lower the volume.
• College Violation: A noise complaint received at 11:40 a.m. in Jonsson Tower. Officer reported that the residents lowered the volume upon request.

Wednesday, March 19:

• Criminal Mischief: Criminal mischief reported at 7:16 a.m. to the vending machine located in the lobby of Wait Hall. Dispatched officers documented the damage and issued a report.

Thursday, March 20:

• College Violation: A noise complaint reported at 1:18 a.m. in Wait Hall. Dispatched officers conducted a canvas but detected no excessive noise at the time.
• Suspicious Odor: A suspicious odor reported at 10:52 p.m. on the 11th floor of Jonsson Tower. Dispatched officer reported detecting the odor but finding no drug evidence in plain view. Report issued.
• College Violation: A noise complaint received at 11:47 p.m. in Sussman Village. Dispatched officers reported speaking with three residents who were dancing in the living room. The residents agreed to lower the volume.

If All the Sky Were Paper: Skidmore College Department of Theater Announces Spring 2014 Mainstage Production

The Skidmore College Department of Theater is pleased to announce its Spring 2014 production, If All the Sky Were Paper directed by Lary Opitz. Performances are April 10-13 and April 17-19. All shows are in the Janet Kinghorn Bernhard Theater on the Skidmore College campus at 8 p.m. except Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.

If All the Sky Were Paper tells the story of war from the viewpoint of the men and women on the front lines, affected civilians, and loved ones on the home front. From the Revolutionary War to the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, people have captured the horror, pathos and intensity of warfare in their letters. Tens of thousands of these letters have been handed down from generation to generation. Best selling author Andrew Carroll established the Legacy Project through which he has collected thousands of war letters. Carroll created this piece of verbatim theater based upon many of these letters.

Tickets are $12 general admission and $8 for students and senior citizens. Call the Skidmore Theater Box Office at (518) 580-5439 or email boxoffice@skidmore.edu for reservations.

The Minimum Wage Debate

Posted by The Editorial Board

New York recently voted to raise the minimum wage to $8; the bill puts the state on track to eventually reach a $9 minimum wage by the beginning of 2016. Nonprofit organizations are not required to abide by the new legislation and Skidmore College chose not to update its wages for work-study students on campus. In response, Senate Secretary Amanda Seres '14 and Vice President of Diversity Affairs Britt Dorfman '14 started a change.org petition several weeks ago, seeking 2,000 student signatures to formally request that the Board of Trustees raise the student worker wage.

The Editorial Board hopes that this issue will captivate the student body because of its socioeconomic implications for students. It is a complex and multifaceted issue that deserves consideration and informed discussion. The Editorial Board has put together the beginnings of a comprehensive discussion, with an argument for both sides.

Skidmore's Student Handbook implies that work-study employees cannot work more than 10 hours per week (see page 17). Assuming most student employees abide by that directive, at the current minimum wage, $7.25, a biweekly paycheck comes to $145. With the wage increase, the paycheck would go up to $160, an extra $15 every two weeks that could cover essential groceries (milk, bread, eggs), a night downtown or tickets to the Big Show.

Having to live on what students are suggested to make every week is hard. This newspaper regularly hears stories of students who rely on their paycheck to pay their living costs (groceries, books, gas money) and struggle to make ends meet at the end of each pay period. The College's job is to provide an environment where students can learn and explore; students must be able to meet their basic needs before being expected to devote attention to their studies or extra-curricular activities. New York State raised the minimum wage after determining that $7.25 per hour was not a livable wage. It is the College's responsibility to help set its students up for success; this means increasing the wage scale at Skidmore. Denying student workers the raise to a livable wage especially targets low-income students and students without extra monetary support.

This decision is not in accord with the egalitarian views and actions of the school. In recent years, Skidmore has made strides towards creating a constructive environment for discussions around class. It aims to be a school accessible to everyone regardless of socioeconomic class. The Classless Society exhibit, the relatively strong financial aid program, the unique Opportunity Program, and the number of professors who receive institutional funding to research social class and mobility in the U.S. are all examples of the school's active decisions to support economic diversity on campus. To refuse students this wage improvement is a direct contradiction of the example the school has set in recent years.

The minimum wage was raised because the current wage is not a livable wage. Students deserve the opportunity to work to provide themselves with a comfortable lifestyle while in school. There is an innate contradiction in being an institution that promises excellent financial aid but refuses to pay a solid living wage to its students. To maintain integrity in its community relations, the College must increase its wage scale for work-study students.

If nothing else, it is objectionable that the College did not go out of its way to inform students about its plans with regard to the new legislature. Even if the school were not planning to adopt a new wage scale, a school-wide email providing students with the school's argument for retaining the current wage scale would have been informative and possibly tempered the student reaction. The lack of communication comes off as the administration trying to sweep the concern under the rug, a tactic that has never worked well for the school in the past.

There is, however, a strong argument for the school to retain its current wage scale. The College has no legal, financial or moral obligation to provide students with an opportunity to work for their living expenses. By this argument, Skidmore wages are not designed to be a living wage nor does the school have any obligation to provide them as such. The College primarily enrolls full-time students, so the expectation cannot be for a student to also hold down a full-time job to pay the bills.

The demand for increased wages is problematic from an economic point of view. The money for increased wages has to come from somewhere: either tuition and other price increases or other projects and handouts such as need-based tuition wavers. The money to pay for higher student wages may come from higher coffee prices at Burgess or sandwich prices at the Spa. Or it may mean a delay in the renovation and construction of facilities and housing. The former is undoubtedly unacceptable to students, the latter to the school.

Skidmore, to remain competitive, must completely undertake new projects to attract prospective students, and with an admittedly small endowment, they cannot simply conjure up the funds to pay higher wages. In the end, all costs will fall on the students. What is more, this is not the only cost students are currently demanding of the College. It was just last month that the College conceded to look into divestment from portfolios that include carbon-emitting corporations, an unsavory but profitable investment. The College simply cannot afford to continuously pick up costs at the demand of students and keep up with the projects required to stay in business.  

At Skidmore, 50% of students (about 1200 students) are work-study students and 25% of that 50% (roughly 300) are currently paid the College's minimum wage ($7.25). Raising the wage scale for students means offering more money to a small percentage of the student body. Retaining the current wage scale means keeping the variety of benefits that the student body gets now. It is a question of whether the increase in wages is worth the cost.

Ruthie West

Posted by Allison Smith

A northern wind bathed my bare body in dust. Grass bent over to rub my cheeks red. Bumpy is already trotting in slow circles, creating patterns in the grass. We are both awake before dew could cover the field. I watch the sun rise in the east. I get dressed, tucking my jeans into my boots. Before kicking apart the campfire, I crush the burnt wood in my fingers and rub the ash under my eyes. I ride Bumpy down the mountain, carrying nothing with us from our campsite, towards the west. Bumpy and I slowly enter the nearest town when the sun is facing us head on. I fix my large clothes, trying to flatten my chest. I tip my hat lower over my eyes. I tie Bumpy to a post then enter the nearest saloon. A girl grabs my arm when I walk in. I shove her off roughly. She stays submissively on the floor where she fell. I don't feel sorry for her. She should lift her head. She should stand up. She should find another man to bother. I leave her and sit at the bar. My head nods towards the drink I want. At a corner table, I watch three men playing cards. One man I recognize from seeing his face on a "wanted" poster in a different town. He is Clay Allison. Allison is known to be a ruthless killer and skilled gunman, but sitting at the table playing cards, his face seemed soft and tired. I should not have recognized him. There at the table he seems an honest man playing cards and drinking whisky. The honest man playing cards and drinking whisky casually throws a knife down onto the table. A card being picked up is now stuck to the table under the blade. I look down into my drink. The three men playing cards are now all standing and yelling with rocky voices. One man has been cheating. No he has not. Yes he has. Is he calling him a liar? Well, he ain't calling him an honest man. He doesn't play with no cheaters. He does not treat cheaters kindly. Allison pulls his knife out of the table. The second man draws his gun. The third man backs away slowly. Everyone in the saloon pretends not to pay attention, but puts one hand on their own concealed weapon under the table. I put a hand on my own gun. It was my mother's. She doesn't need it anymore. I tuck my chin into my chest. My nose dips into my drink. My hat covers my face. Someone pulls a trigger and then I am exposed. My hat flips of and a bell rings in my ear. I shake my short hair out and look around for my hat. I stand up, pull my shoulders back and hold my breath in my chest, attempting to fill as much space as possible. When I turn around, eyes look at me out of their corners. I tighten my stomach and deepen my throat. I scratch a threat out through my mouth. I point my gun towards the general direction of the three men and focus my eyes at a spot on the wall off of Allison's left shoulder. Allison ducks when I shoot. Allison quickly throws his knife at me but I knock over a table and the knife hits the wood. Allison pulls a gun out of his holster. Another man shoots at Allison. He fires back. Wood flies off the walls. Bottles of alcohol shatter. Everyone has his gun out and each one is smoking. I keep low and crawl across the floor to pick up my hat. I take a deep breath and stand up. I start to run towards the door but Allison grabs my shoulders. We face each other. He is almost twice my height. The muscles in his face are tight and his completion is red. I turn my head away as he examines my features. Allison's expression starts to relax and change. Allison begins to form a smile. Instinctively I shove his chest. He stumbles then runs towards me and shoves my chest, if only to gain confirmation of his realization. I fall backwards out of the saloon. He stands over me. He points his gun down at me. He mumbles under his facial hair something about not wanting to shoot a lady. Allison bends over and pushes the head of the gun into my sternum. He leans in to whisper in my ear. His beard scratches my neck. "But I'll do it if I have to." He croaks. Allison yells at me to get up and start walking. He guides me with his gun in my chest. We go behind the saloon. He puts one hand on my shoulder, squeezes tightly and pushes me down behind a few barrels. I close my eyes and listen to him struggle with holding a gun while taking off his belt. I take deep breaths and close my eyes. I sit on the bed and watch my mother dab more powder on her face. She walks over to me, leans over so I can see down her bustier and powders my face. I roll ripped fishnet stockings up my leg. My mother brushes out the knots in my long hair. I stumble down the stairs. My heel gets stuck in the cracked wood. My mother shoves a finger in my lower back and I stand up straight. Men laugh. My lips mouth "Howdy!" sweetly to my left and right. I smile and kiss the dirty cheek of a drunken cowboy. A red mark is left on his face. Men laugh. A new cowboy walks into the saloon. I wrap my arm around his waist and walk him over to a table. He sits down and orders a drink. I bring him his drink and he slaps my body as I walk away. Men laugh. My mother spits words into my ear and puts a meaty hand in my palm. She wants me to treat this man kindly. Men laugh. I lead him up the broken stairs. I am careful not to trip. Men laugh. I close a door. "Open your eyes." Allison commands me. I stare straight into his. I cannot hear the men laugh. I will not break eye contact with Allison as I do what my mother has told me. After a grunt, Allison shakes his body and pulls up his pants. He punches me in the face so that I fall back into the dirt. I watch Allison walk away. I stand up. I brush the dust off of my body. I tuck my jeans into my boots and button my shirt. Bumpy whinnies when he sees me walking towards him. I untie him. We ride out of the town and up into the mountains. My heart has had no time to slow down. Bumpy and I stop. I leave him eating grass and hike up the hill a little further. I lite a cigarette and watch the sun set in the west.

Round 1 SGA election results

Student Government Association President:Addison Bennett

Vice President for Academic Affairs: Charles Tetelman

Vice President for Financial Affairs: Sam Harris

Vice President of Student Life: Dorothy Parsons

Vice President for Club Affairs: Megan Schachter

President of Senior Class and Interclass Council Chair: Soraya Attia

Vice President of Senior Class: Noam Yossefy

President of Junior Class: Prince Kwanele Tsabedze

Vice President of Junior Class: Carmen Lin

President of Sophomore Class: Madison Plummer

Vice President of Sophomore Class: Kengthsagn Louis

Treasurer of Sophomore Class: Julia Elstein

Social Chair of Sophomore Class: Bernice Langyintuo

The Integrity Board shall be removed from Article VIII Section 7 and added to Article IX: Approved

SGA reports that 560 voters turned out for the elections.

Lively Lucy's: The Skidmore News sits down with Lively Lucy's to learn a bit more about their work.

Posted by Julia Leef

So, for people who may not know, just briefly, what is Lively Lucy's?

Noah Samors '15, President of Lively Lucy's: Lively Lucy's puts on events every Thursday in Falstaff's. The events range from our monthly open mic night to student band showcases. We have a Battle of the Bands coming up on the last Friday of March and the winner of that plays Earth Day. We've had fancy dress jazz dinner night; Swanky Swank Night is what we named it. We've had just a wide variety of events. We've had every kind of event we can come up with in this space and just utilize the space for what we can do.

Kyle Salzman '15, Lively Lucy's club member: Most of them involve music, like 90 percent. The full name of the club is Lively Lucy's Coffeehouse and we try and keep that in mind while planning events but [we host] mostly concerts every week. We bring in a lot of outside bands, usually between two and five a semester and have a lot of student bands play.

Samors: So we do programming, we also run our own sound as Falstaff's Operating Committee. We got a new soundboard so Lively Lucy's gets to utilize that.

Salzman: Everybody really gets to.

Samors: Everybody gets to utilize it, but for the time being it's mostly been Lively Lucy's. We run our own sound, we design posters, we have an online presence, we have a blog. We do everything when it comes to planning these events. Planning, running, general organization, photography also. We have a Facebook page as well, 'Lively Lucy's Official.' So that's more or less what we do.

Can students apply to you if they want to showcase their band or do any kind of event?

Samors: Yeah, we've had numerous students, clubs and just individual students, come up to me and say 'Hey, I wanna do this, or I want to do that.' Or, like, 'I'm in this band, when can we play?' And we do our best to find a slot for them. Usually the student band showcases or the Battle of the Bands are the best way for new bands to get out there, but we try to do a pretty good case of showcasing the student talent.

Salzman: Our Open Mic Night also is a great way for people to show their stuff. Anybody is allowed to perform pretty much anything. It's the first Thursday of every month and we usually get a really good show in. We've had ones that I remember that have gone until two or three in the morning-

Samors: Starting at eight.

Salzman: --of just students performing. So that's a great way, especially for musicians, to sort of show their stuff and get noticed.

Are there any upcoming events this semester, such as the Battle of the Bands?

Samors: Next week is Beets for Beats with Real Food Challenge, Outing Club, and [the Student] Garden. And it's a fundraiser for the Garden. We're having Bluegrass with Contra dancing and dinner starting at 6:30 p.m. and going until people are too tired to keep dancing. And then we have the Battle of the Bands which is on the last Friday of the month, and again, the winner of that gets to play Earth Day.

Those are the most immediate ones and then April 3 is our Open Mic Night, the last one of the semester as well. And we're in the works of planning a few other events including a Evolfo Doofehtshow which we're hoping is going to work out. It's going to be big if it happens, it's just logistics. So those are some highlights in the next couple weeks.

If students are looking to get more involved in the committee, how could they do so and what sort of things would they be involved in?

Samors: We have weekly meetings at eight o'clock on Wednesday [in] Bolton 280. That's a great way to start getting involved. We meet and we talk about what we need to do for the upcoming events. The best ways to get involved are poster design: just any graphic design work is great. If any students want to learn how to run a soundboard and learn how to run live sound and set up and take down, it's just [a] great space to do that in because it's not the best acoustically so it's a fun challenge to try and make the band[s] sound as good as possible in that space.

Also, students who are interested in programming and scheduling bands, if students have band ideas, coming to the meetings would be a great way to get that-I've gotten a lot of emails about it and sometimes they're a little hard to keep track of, so face to face is always really good.

How large is your club membership?

Salzman: There's probably a dozen people who are fairly regular members of the club who come to some or most of the meetings. We have a, well, Noah's the president--

Samors: And we have a vice president which is Cheyenne Kerekes, and then we have a treasurer, Johnny Murphy.

Salzman: And the rest of us don't really have positions, we just all sort of [equally] contribute  ideas during our meetings and help out with the running of events. So there's not really any sort of barrier to entry for new members of the club. It's sort of, just, you got a cool idea or if you just want to be a part of it, show up to a meeting. Anybody can contribute ideas and we just sort of reach a consensus on a per meeting basis.

Are there any questions that you guys get asked a lot that students seem to not know as much about or any misconceptions that they might have?

Samors: Well a lot of it is, whenever I say to anyone, and I like to do a lot of in-person advertising, and I say, 'Come up to Falstaff's at eight o'clock on Thursday night,' and they're like 'Oh, but I went up there when I was a freshman when I was really drunk.' Same thing, all the time, so that's our biggest hurdle as Lively Lucy's, getting people to realize that Lively Lucy's is different. Thursday nights are different from what they expect and that's usually one of the biggest questions is 'What do we do?'

Salzman: I think that Lively Lucy's events in general have a certain sort of atmosphere. They're pretty relaxed and most of the time-I mean, I'm biased-but they're good events, and the people who go enjoy themselves for the most part. And I think that's the biggest misconception for people who have never been to a Lively Lucy's event, who just don't understand how changeable the space is. When it's not steamy and packed to the brim, it's a completely different space. I think people are not aware enough that a vast amount of possibility exists in that.

Samors: Also, another thing that Lively Lucy's is involved in; we're on the Earth Day planning committee, so we pick an off-campus band and then, this is a recent thing we're still seeing if it works, but last year we hosted a Battle of the Bands and the winner opens for Earth Day. So we're doing that again this year and hopefully we're going to keep on doing that.

Are there any other changes that you're thinking about incorporating into Lively Lucy's?

Samors: The good thing about Lively Lucy's is that it's a flexible space. We had our most recent Open Mic Night in Spa because of the renovations that are going on in Falstaff's. So we can work around the space as the club. One thing that I'm hoping to instigate is, with more student involvement, maybe some more official positions. Like, WSPN and SEC both have graphic designers, for example. We don't. We put on shows every week, and it'd be a really cool challenge for a graphic designer, I think, to come up with a new poster design once a week or even if it's split between two or three graphic designers.

Student involvement, underclassmen involvement, we're mostly made up of juniors and seniors right now, and we have two underclassmen who are very committed, but it's only two of them. Eventually we're going to graduate, unfortunately, so getting underclassmen who really want to do this and, I'm not trying to bad mouth SEC or WSPN, but Lively Lucy's puts on events every single week, and SEC is made up of twenty-something people who all have good ideas, who all want to be heard, but it doesn't seem like that's necessarily the best place for them to be heard. So we would like people to come to us more because we know that they've had ideas of bands that we can afford to bring on campus but I just feel like people aren't aware of what we do and who we are.

Upcoming Lively Lucy's events include:

?  March 27: Lively Lucy's, Outing Club, Real Food Challenge and The Garden present Beets for Beats with dinner from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and dancing until 11 p.m.

?  March 28: Lively Lucy's Battle of the Bands. Doors open at 8 p.m.

?  April 3: Lively Lucy's Open Mic Night. Doors open at 8 p.m.

More information can be found on Lively Lucy's Facebook.

Activist for Agricultural Workers to Present Film at Skidmore

Jason Glaser, founder and president of La Isa Foundation, an organization that works to improve conditions for agricultural workers in Central America, will present his documentary film "Bananaland: Blood, Bullets and Poison", at Skidmore College on Tuesday March 25, at 7 p.m. in Gannett Auditorium.

The film covers over 120 years of history of American fruit companies in Central and South America, from the infamous Santa Marta Massacre in 1928, in which the Colombian army opened fire on striking workers of the United Fruit Company, to the intimidation and killings of labor organizers and workers in our own times.

"Bananaland highlights the disconnect between the image we have of bananas as a delicious and nutritious start to our day, a healthy snack and a fixture in our fruit bowls, and the social upheaval, violence and pesticide poisoning that affect millions of residents in the banana-producing regions," said Professor Pushkala Prasad.

The recently completed film has been screened internationally at a number of colleges and universities, including Georgetown University, Goldsmiths College at the University of London, the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard and the University of Salzburg in Austria.

"Clearly there are concerns about industrially produced food consumed in the United States, but that issue is secondary compared to the barbaric treatment many communities face while producing food and biofuel for export to the U.S., the European Union and beyond," said Glaser in an interview with In These Times magazine.

At the event, Glaser will discuss the challenges of making such a politically charged movie as well as the La Isla Foundation's work to assist communities in Nicaragua that have been devastated by chronic kidney disease related to the use of pesticides at banana plantations and sugar cane fields.

"The fact that up to 32 percent of men in certain communities have terminal renal disease and no access to adequate treatment is completely hidden from the local press and obscured by the national government," said Glaser.

La Isla's work to combat kidney disease in Meso-America is being supported by a recent grant to the foundation's partner organization, Solidaridad, which has been awarded $4 million by the Dutch National Postcode Lottery.

Glaser's talk is co-sponsored by the following programs at Skidmore College: International Affairs Program, Latin American Studies, Environmental Studies, Skidmarket, the Zankel Chair in Management and the Management and Business Department.   

Housing Hell

Posted by The Editorial Board

Complaints among Skidmore students directed at the College's Department of Residential Life are both incredibly frequent, and diverse in the aspects of residential life they address. Res Life is perhaps the most actively criticized sector of Skidmore's infrastructure for reasons spanning from poorly run housing selection to power-hungry RA's and unreasonable fines. Simply put, Res Life is marked by mediocrity. It offers us little that seems worthy of praise, which runs contrary to the glorified notion of "community" that the campus loves to publicly uphold. Our residential life here is what provides that sense of community - it is essentially the cultivator of our non-academic livelihood on this campus. Why, then, does it seem that the department is so far from satisfactory?

It seems that Res Life has neglected to improve with the rest of the College. Its methods seem outdated: from the room mate surveys to the RA on call logs to the slew of un-attended floor programs. As these things become useless on this campus, they shouldbe altered to fit the ever-evolving student body, however, no such thing seems to be occurring. Res life has an incredibly large central staff but it is fairly difficult to determine what exactly the majority of these hired professionals do. It is absolutely unclear what exactly is written into Don Hastings job description, or how exactly Anne-Marie Pryzwara goes about responding to student requests and complaints.

The most archaic, and perhaps most frustrating aspect of Res Life, however, is the process of housing selection. As we have all just received our lottery numbers for this semesters' housing selection, the uniquely aggravating structure to this method of distribution has become enormously prevalent in student conversation. Not only does Res Life give students an incredibly minimal amount of time to make their housing decisions, but they also make the process of finalizing those decisions unnecessarily difficult. Students are asked to decide not only where they would like to live but also with whom, in a matter of days. For students living in apartments or rows of rooms, this means accounting for several other students as well as themselves - not an easy task to accomplish while handling midterms and meetings and all of the other activities that occupy the daytime hours for Skidmore students. For transfer students, students returning from abroad, or even just the more shy members of the community, this can be an incredibly daunting task. As far as making this easier for the community, there is a bulletin board within the Res Life office in Howe Rounds that no one seems to even know is there. Students are meant to post and respond to posts when looking for roommates, but the lack of publicity as well as the inconvenience of this method negates its potential utility.

This is a perfect example of Skidmore's unwillingness to update the housing processes to an online forum rather than keeping endless antiquated records in pen and paper. Liberal arts schools of our general size within the area have all moved their housing selection processes online. Wesleyan provides each student with an e-portfolio, in which they organize their bidding slots, their holds, their potential room mates and any other relevant information, and it is via these online portfolio's that they submit their preferred housing. Colgate uses "Residence by Simplicity," where students submit their own work orders, late and early housing requests and their room selection all within the same convenient online database. Hamilton and Union both have similar online lottery processes, in which students register via a portfolio of their residential information, which is collected in a larger college database. Skidmore requires that we line up and register for our housing in person, which is admittedly annoying, but not the end of the world. We are required to draw our residential life information from several different sources and organize it ourselves rather than the collected e-portfolio that is utilized by most other schools. This simply leaves more room for error and thus more work for the Res Life staff on the other end of things (work that they seem to do very begrudgingly and slowly).

Further, there is no way to know ahead of time what housing has been occupied prior to arriving for your allotted time. This means you can arrive only to be told that your carefully constructed housing plans are no longer a possibility, leaving you to immediately reconfigure plans for yourself and possibly several other people. It seems that it would be so simple to put some apartment/floor plan of the college online and to X off housing as it is taken - even Google Drive could do the trick. This solution is so simple that it's difficult to understand why the changes have not been made already. This, however, is typical of Res Life style. They ignore the simple and modern solutions  - they remain comfortable in their mediocrity.

It is crucial to the quality of life at a small liberal arts school, that the Department of Residential life is attentive, accessible, and well run. In its current incarnation, however, few students would agree that Res Life at Skidmore embodies these characteristics. 

Candidates address student questions at Speech Night

Posted by Julia Leef

SGA President Sam Harris will run for the contested VP for Financial Affairs while two candidates will vie for his former position

Twelve of the sixteen student candidates competing for positions on the Student Government Association Executive Committee and the Inter-Class Council gathered at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 19 in Emerson Auditorium along with approximately twenty-five members of the Skidmore community. As is customary with Speech Night, students used this opportunity to speak directly to the candidates in order to better inform their decision for the elections, which will run for the entirety of Thursday, March 20.

Each candidate was given three minutes for a short speech, following by a question-and-answer session with the students in attendance. The event was organized and moderated by election coordinators Elizabeth Reisen '16 and Miles Calzini '16.

Of the thirteen positions students will vote on for this round of elections, only three are contested: the SGA President, the Vice President for Financial Affairs and the Sophomore Class President.

Addison Bennett '16 and Madeleine Kanazawa '15, who are running for the position of SGA President, have both had previous experience in working within SGA. Bennett

is the current Vice President for Club Affairs while Kanazawa is serving as the Vice President for Communications and Outreach and has also served on the Senate for two years.

Bennett answered many questions by citing previous endeavors and policies that he had been involved in, including his expansion of the Club Affairs Committee seats to allow for more direct representation by club members, his work with the committee on divestment, his influence on the College's review of the smoking policy and his involvement in the petition to raise the minimum wage of student workers.

"I do not accept complacency for the shutting out of student voice," Bennett said. "With proper communication and the opportunity to get involved, we can make a real change."

Kanazawa emphasized the value of viewing the student body as a community, stating that the two most important jobs of the SGA President are to advocate for the student body and to maintain a cohesive culture within that body, creating inclusive events that celebrate the racial, sexual, socioeconomic, geographical and cultural differences on campus.

"I want to encourage the student body to continue to get involved and to expand outside of the normal environment they are used to," Kanazawa said. She further stated that SGA representatives do not just stand for the clubs and the committees, but for everyone, and it is their job to look at the broader picture and figure out how to serve the student body instead of just themselves.

"This job is not a selfish thing. It is for the student body and at the end of the day I am the student voice in meetings and in various aspects of my work. Understanding that it's not me that's speaking, it's the students, will drive me on to push things the way that I think they should be pushed." Kanazawa said.

When asked about resolving issues of communication between SGA and the student body, Bennett stated that it is important to let students know specifically how they can be involved, instead of just sending out general email updates that most students delete without reading. To him, he said, SGA represents an empowerment that encompasses all students, regardless of their involvement in the student government. He stated that its purpose is to support clubs and student organizations while bringing student voice to the administration and the Board of Trustees.

"I believe that student input is crucial to ensuring success," Bennett said. "When people have an idea they should be willing to bring it forward and we should be willing to make it happen. Without students, there is no Skidmore."

Both candidates emphasized the importance of compromise, whether it ocuurs between the opinions of the students and the administration or in a conflict between a club's desires and SGA's policies. Bennett stated that he is willing to modify his original vision in order to find what works, while Kanazawa said that she learns from her failures but will fight for something if she truly believes in it, as when she brought back a policy change regarding Willingness-to-Serve that had been rejected by the Senate the previous year.

Another student challenged the candidates' desire for compromise by asking what the candidates would do if faced with direct opposition from President Glotzbach. Both candidates stated that they would continue to stand up for the student body, with Kanazawa stating she would refuse to back down if she felt that something was wrong, using facts to support her arguments.

"This is our lives for however many years we have left," Kanazawa said. "If we're here, we should be having this voice that if something is going wrong and is not for our benefit they [the administration] need to be told that."

Bennett said that he would use facts, figures, data and personal stories to create a strong argument in the context of a professional discussion that he felt he had experience with in his interaction with the administration.

The other contested position on the SGA Executive Committee is the Vice President for Financial Affairs, vied for by current SGA President Sam Harris '15 and Senator Anya Hein '15. Hein stated that she joined the Senate because she did not like SGA's relationship with student clubs, and wanted to understand it more and try to change it.

Harris said he missed interacting with clubs and wanted to focus on several economic-based projects that he was not able to as SGA President, such as addressing the inefficient and unsustainable allocation of club budgets by having Budget & Finance committee re-evaluate them every semester instead of annually as a way to detect money that goes unspent.

When asked what they would do if faced with a conflict between SGA policy and a club's best interests, the candidates had slightly different approaches to the problem.

"The larger, more important point is that our current policies are written quite well and when dealing with an issue of policy it's better to rewrite an issue or a policy that doesn't apply than to break it," Harris said.

"At the end of the day, what matters is that the clubs get to do what they want to do because their money helps supplement it," Hein said. "We're here to help the clubs. We exist to help them get what they need to further their education and potential careers. Just following the rules without any sort of compromise closes doors and restricts what they can do."

Several students questioned Harris about his transition from president to a vice president, asking him how he would feel going into Senate meetings with less power than he had as president and why he should be elected over the fresher candidate of Hein. Harris responded that he plans to bring his former experience on the Budget & Finance committee from his sophomore year as well as his work with the Institutional Policy and Planning committee and with the 2025 Strategic Action Plan to the position if elected.

On the Inter-Class Council, Thabang Maphothoane '17 and Madison Plummer '17 are both campaigning for Sophomore Class President. Plummer has had previous experience as the vice president of her class, during which she sat on the Communications and Outreach committee.

"I think I'm ready to take on that role of leading that whole council. I do have the potential to be president and I would love to have that responsibility over just being vice president," Plummer said.

Maphothoane has served as a Senator-at-Large but emphasized that his lack of experience on the council should not deter voters.

"How will either of us get experience unless we are voted into that council," Maphothoane said.

Charles Tetelman '16, who is running for Vice President for Academic Affairs, spoke about his involvement with the re-evaluation of the College's general education requirements, stating that his role is to keep students informed and to help create and structure a general education curriculum to present to the faculty that incorporates the students' voices. He also said he would like to see more out of classroom discussion between students and professors.

"Education is not only me and my views. The important thing is your [students'] views," Tetelman said. "We're here to learn. I think it's very important to get education out there and to encourage it because a lot of times education is lost in student life and it needs to be out there."

Dorothy Parsons '17 is running for Vice President for Student Life. Parsons has sat on the Campus Sustainability Subcommittee and would like use her inclination towards policies to open a larger discussion of where power should lie in the SGA. In response to a question about attracting more students to the town hall meetings, Parsons stated that she would ask groups such as Res Life to attend the meetings to answer student concerns.

"I would like to address collaboration between groups such as Res Life, Athletics and Dining services and include them in our town hall meetings," Parsons said, adding that she would like to add another event similar to Wafflefest during the second semester to draw people into the dining hall, involve Athletics in the club fair and address the lack of diversity within many clubs.

Megan Schachter '17, the candidate for Vice President for Club Affairs, joined the Senate last September and has sat on the Club Affairs Committee. She said she would like to establish a better relationship between the clubs and the SGA, and one of her first actions would be to elongate the trial period for new clubs and to prove them with a small budget allotted from some of the SGA's unused funds, allowing them to show how they may evolve and organize events before becoming an official club.

"These opportunities have made me realize that I want to take on more responsibilities in the SGA," Schachter said. "Clubs are an integral aspect of the Skidmore community and I would love the opportunity to help them thrive."

Soraya Attia '15, who is currently studying abroad in Florence, stated her campaign for Senior Class President through proxy Hannah DeGraaf '15. Attia has previously served as president for her class and said that she looks forward to coordinating events such as Oktoberfest, the 100 Days Dance and Senior Week.

Carmen Lin '16 is running for Junior Class Vice President. She stated that she would like to sit on the committee for Diversity Affairs and wants to use the Senate as an opportunity to become more involved on campus.

"The Inter-Class Council is about unifying a class and building a community as a whole," Lin said.

Kengthsagn Louis '17, who is the candidate for Sophomore Class Vice President, said she would like to get as close as possible to the rest of the student body and have the council get to know students personally so that they would feel at home.

"I have big dreams," Louis said. "I want to go out and change the world. And why not start here, with my community?"

Julia Elstein '17 is running for Sophomore Class Treasurer, and would like to help students understand where their money is allocated.

Noam Yossefy '15, who is running for Senior Class Vice President but currently abroad, Prince Tsabedze '16, running for Junior Class President and Bernice Langyintuo '17, running for Sophomore Social Chair, did not attend Speech Night.

Candidates' for the Inter-Class Council videos explaining their platforms are available for viewing on the Skids Scribner Facebook page. Students may vote either online or at voting booths in Case Center and in the Atrium of the Murray-Aikins Dining Hall.The results of the elections will be announced midday on Friday, March 21.

Hamilton pummels men's lacrosse

Posted by Dustin Foote '17

The Hamilton College Continentals and the Skidmore College Thoroughbreds both came into Tuesday's men's lacrosse game with 1-4 records. While both teams had a shaky start to their seasons, the Continentals proved they were the more dominant team, with a 16-3 defeat over the Thoroughbreds.
The Continentals controlled the first half of the game, scoring eight unanswered goals. In the first quarter, Hamilton's Sam Sweet created havoc in the Skidmore defense by scoring 2 consecutive goals. His first goal came off a backdoor cut when Sweet caught the ball from teammate John Zimmerman and shot from in front of the net. For his second goal, Sweet found himself behind the net, with a one-on-one matchup. Sweet dodged to the left, and made his way around the Skidmore defender to rip a shot from just outside the crease.
The goals kept coming for the Continentals. Bryan Hopper fired a right handed rip from 15 yards out that shattered the lackluster Skidmore defense. Hopper would score again along with teammates Kurt Mingis, and Conner Morgan, making the score 8-0 in the middle of the second quarter.
The Thoroughbreds did, however, show signs of a comeback as the second quarter wound down. The offense controlled the ball very well as the game progressed, and there were many scoring chances for the team. Freshman, Jack Metzler rattled a shot off of the crossbar, and sophomore Kevin Mulvey had numerous scoring opportunities. However, the ball did not find the back of the net until senior attackmen Quinn Hawkins scored with two minutes left in the half. The momentum quickly shifted back to the Continentals when Matt Hrvatin scored with three seconds left in the half.
During the second half, the Thoroughbreds found themselves in a hole that kept getting deeper. The offense couldn't posses the ball, and the Skidmore defense was struggling against a Hamilton team that had the momentum and kept putting points up on the scoreboard. The Continentals scored six unanswered goals, making the deficit 15-1 in the middle of the fourth quarter.
Even down by a large margin, the Thoroughbreds did not put their heads down. Senior attackman Seth Berger let loose a left handed snipe, placing the ball perfectly into the top corner of the net. On the next possession, Jack Metzler '17 worked his way through the Continental defenders and fired an acrobatic, off-balance shot, resulting in a goal. Even with the score 15-3, the Thoroughbred bench was ecstatic. The team showed their resiliency and began to play one possession at a time. Unfortunately, the Thoroughbred's late, fourth-quarter run ran out of time. The final score at Wachenheim Field read 16-3, in favor of the Continentals.
With the loss, Skidmore drops to 1-5 on the season. On Saturday, the team will travel to Canton, New York, where they will face their first Liberty league opponent of the season, St. Lawrence University. The Saints are currently ranked 20th in the country and boast a record of 3-1.

Buffett's Billion Dollar Bracket Challenge

Posted by Katie Peverada

Warren Buffett and Quicken Loans have teamed up to offer the Quicken Loans Billion Dollar Bracket Challenge. The prize for a perfect bracket? A cool billion.

This bracket is already busted, but I stand firm in the:

Final Four: Wisconsin, Florida, Michigan St. and Wichita St.

Final: Florida v. Wichita St.

Champion: Florida

Changing the Conversation: Baseball, Pizza and Sex

Posted by Brittany Dingler

We all have different sex education experiences from our high school days, ranging from no experience at all, to an abstinence-based approach, to a pure anatomy and physiology take, to more progressive student-led discussions about protection, prevention and resources.

Rarely, however, does sexual education seem to touch on how to communicate: a vital component of any intimate activity, that ensures both effective consent and a meaningful connection. Additionally, to avoid uncomfortable discussions, inept metaphors are often employed to define different common sexual activities, most often the hetero-normative baseball metaphor that inhibits inclusivity and equality among those in the conversation.

Al Vernacchio, a teacher of Human Sexuality at Friends' Central School in Philadelphia, offers a new linguistic model of talking about sex that combats these evasive and isolating maneuvers: pizza.*

Vernacchio presents the symbolic pizza as a healthy and necessary alternative to the classic baseball metaphor, which allows for only one way to proceed: the offensive and hetero-normative power struggle between "pitcher" and "catcher," and the competitive push to eventually make it "all the way" around the bases.

By refreshing contrast, the pizza metaphor allows you to order for yourself while encouraging dialogue with your pizza "partner." To wit, both might not like the same toppings, might only want to try a bite or, as Vernacchio half-jokes, may not be hungry at all. Even for those who have been in a relationship for a while, the self-proclaimed "sex scholar" suggests that this system allows for open dialogue about changing things up while ensuring consensual and sensual needs are both still being met.

Vernacchio's insight into the need for a change in conversation may be more relevant to Skidmore students than it appears at first blush. While one current sophomore thinks "Skidmore's [Center for Sex and Gender Relations] does a great job with breaking down the social taboo that it is not okay to talk about sexual health," there is still work to do at the individual student level.

Some Skidmore students, for example, recall the discomfort of their initial sex education experience as nearly intolerable. One first-year female says she "remember[s] very little about [sex education], but it might have been because [she] tried to repress those awkward moments." She also admits that her sex education teacher tended to avoid open conversations as "most people were at very different comfort levels with these topics."

Encouraging people to be more comfortable having honest and open conversations about sex is a struggle, and one that is unlikely to diminish when it comes time to discuss who has protection in the "heat of the moment." This may explain the huge incidence of STIs, such as chlamydia, disproportionately present across college campuses and particularly rampant at Skidmore.

This incidence could be dramatically diminished if prospective partners could find a more comfortable way to have "that talk." It therefore seems that it would behoove us all to take Vernacchio's lead and embrace more cozy colloquialisms for sex metaphors, signal words if you will, with which you and your partner are comfortable using when necessary, or simply when ordering pizza.

*Come play with your Peer Health Educators as we build a "pleasure pizza" in the Dining Hall for the "Sexy Safety" atrium event this Thursday, from 5:30-7:30 PM.