Task Force Recommends Against Full Divestment

By Noa Maltzman ’18, News Editor

On Monday April 20, the Task Force on Divestment released their final report (phase two) that outlines their recommendation on the issue of fossil fuel divestment. The task force is made up of three faculty members, three staff, three students and one trustee. The original goal of the task force was to “upon completion of its work, to issue a report to the Board of Trustees and the Skidmore College community, understanding that any recommendations would not be binding upon the Trustees or the Administration.”

Jim Kennely, the chair of the task force, wrote in an email to the Skidmore community on April 20, “we believe our recommendations to be both financially prudent and consistent with our institutional values; we have every reason to believe that they will be carefully considered by the Board at its May meetings.”

The recommendation from the task force that is written in the phase two report is “we advise against divestment.” Phase two goes on to say that they recommend Skidmore not divest “not because we disagree with the goals of the divestment movement—but because of what we understand to be the uncertainty and financial risks associated with full divestment.”

Though the task force recommended against divestment early in the report, they also wrote about how they think this is not all Skidmore should do. “We also believe that a simple rejection of divestment is insufficient and not in accordance with Skidmore’s espoused values with regard to sustainability, civic engagement, and our educational mission,” as written in the phase two report.

With this in mind the report has a list of six recommendations that the task force recommends for Skidmore. The six recommendations are as follows:

“1. Skidmore College should make an explicit commitment that it will not purchase or hold any equity or debt issued by companies on the Carbon Underground 200 List in its direct holdings.

 2. Reallocate approximately 4% of the endowment to fossil-free or sustainable and clean tech investment funds on a test basis, increasing this allocation over time if performance merits it; additionally, provide potential donors with the opportunity to direct their contributions to such fossil-free and sustainable investment choices.

 3. Collaborate with other comparable institutions of higher education to influence and/or accelerate the creation of high performance, professionally managed, fossil-free and/or sustainable portfolios that will generate acceptable “alphas” and more generally expand the universe of fossil-free and/or sustainable investment options that are available to Skidmore and other institutions.

4. Explicitly encourage our 40-50 investment managers to reduce or eliminate their holdings of fossil fuel investments to the greatest extent possible, consistent with financial realities and prudence, and clearly articulate to our investment managers our interest in moving towards a fossil-free portfolio.

5. Acknowledge the linkage between Skidmore’s investment portfolio and its institutional values, and amend Skidmore’s existing Investment Policy so that it incorporates these values.

6. If these recommendations are endorsed, they should be incorporated into the annual Strategic Action Agenda and a review of our progress in achieving them should be conducted on an annual basis by an appropriate group determined by the President.”

Saratoga Springs Recently Ranked 7th Best College Town for Food

By Noa Maltzman ’18, News Editor

Saratoga Springs was recently ranked 7^th on the list of the 20 Best College Towns for Food in America, an article written by Nikkitha Bakshani ’12. The article was published in The Daily Meal on April 15, 2015. It was an update to an article written in 2011 10 College Towns with the Best Food. Saratoga Springs did not make the original list of the top 10. “The easy and most truthful reason is probably that it is because I didn't write that list,” said Bakshani, when asked why Saratoga Springs didn’t make the original list of the top 10.

The new 20 towns contain many from the top 10 “because research shows us that the towns we chose back then have culinary scenes that have stayed strong. Many have become even stronger with the addition of more ethical coffee shops and farm-to-table restaurants,” wrote Bakshani in the 20 Best College Towns for Food in America article. Bakshani also wrote that the other new towns on the list were chosen “by examining the Spoon University website to find out what the student favorites were among the many colleges and universities that the website covers. After cross-referencing them with reviews from food critics and customers, we settled on our final 20.”

In the slideshow of the top 20 towns Saratoga Springs’ description is the following.

Picturesque Saratoga Springs, with its Revolutionary War aesthetic, had a thriving culinary scene even before Skidmore College became one of the most well-known liberal arts schools in the country, with charmingly old school Mrs. London’s (and now, her hip brother next door, Max London’s). Fair trade coffee shops, like Uncommon Grounds and Saratoga Coffee Traders, are where you’ll see most students when they’re not studying in the library. Caroline Street is bustling with bars that are packed with college students and locals alike. If you are looking to get away from the summer crowds that come in with horse racing season, drive or take a Saratoga Taxi further out to pizza place Harvest and Hearth or English pub The Local. And, of course, no trip to Saratoga is complete without two things: a black raspberry softie from Dairy Haus and a doughboy (chicken, cheese, and scallions baked in just-browned pizza dough) from Esperanto, which is rumored to have been invented by a Skidmore professor.

When Bakshani was asked what she felt made Saratoga Springs deserving of being on the list and number seven she talked about her own experiences being a Skidmore student and said, “I know some of the best memories I had were eating food off-campus with my friends and classmates. If it were entirely up to me, I'd make it number one, but unfortunately, I couldn't let my own biases get ahead of me.” Some of the reasons why she also thought it deserved number seven opposed to a higher number was because “while the food in Saratoga is excellent, a lot of it is very pricey and not entirely friendly to a student budget, which is as essential to college town food as the food itself. Also, since many very good restaurants in Saratoga are not walking distance from campus, I had to factor that in as well,” Bakshani said.

When Bakshani was asked if she felt there was anything else important for readers to know she said, “I think the most important thing to know is that while the food on Broadway is great, there is plenty of great food outside of it, like The Iron Roost in Ballston Spa, Van's in Albany, and Harvest and Hearth.”

Admissions Works on Yielding Accepted Students

By Noa Maltzman ’18, News Editor

As May 1 comes around high school seniors all over the world are deciding where they will spend the next four years of their life. On March 24, Skidmore College’s admissions office mailed out the regular decision acceptance letters. In total (after both Early Decision I, Early Decision II and Regular Decision) Skidmore ended up accepting approximately 3,000 students, and  36 percent of the class 2019 applicants. This is a slightly smaller percentage than last year’s acceptance rate of 37 percent or just over 3,200 accepted students.

The reason Skidmore is accepting 200 fewer students is not because of the fact that application numbers were down this year by 1.7 percent. Last year was the biggest year in history for the total number of applications with a total of about 8,700. This year fewer than 8,500 applied, but this is still the second largest number of applications Skidmore has ever received.

The reason that fewer students were accepted this year is because, “we were looking for a slightly smaller class. Our target is 660-670 enrolled students and that includes 38-40 that will potentially be going to London for the London Program,” said Dean Mendes, Associate Director of Admissions. The current freshman class, class of 2018, has 728 students.

Last year’s class was larger then anticipated because of the number of students who ended up deciding to accept Skidmore’s offer of admission. “Because the yield was higher last year, and we had 728, we overspent on our financial aid” said Mendes. Due to this Skidmore has fewer financial aid dollars to spend this year, and therefore is looking to enroll a smaller freshman class in the fall. “Its hard to project yield,” said Mendes but last year the yield was 22.49 percent and based on the yield for last year and the previous couple of years the admissions office is hoping this year to yield about 25 percent. President Glotzbach in a meeting with The Skidmore News also emphasized, “we are trying to increase the yield.”

During the application process Skidmore saw a couple of national trends apparent in the application pool. First, there is a higher demand for financial aid. Second, the number of international applications increased. International students made up 22 percent of the applications this year and 14 percent of the admitted students are international students. Skidmore’s international applications are going up a little higher than the national trend as the admissions office is doing a lot of work to recruit more international students. The third trend that the admissions office noticed is that California has been one of the states they get the most applications from. “It’s the third largest state for us for applications even though it’s one of the farthest away,” said Mendes.

Now that acceptance letters have been sent out, Skidmore is working on yielding the accepted students. To help with yielding the accepted students, Skidmore hosted three accepted candidates days, and they hosted a Discovery Tour.

The Discovery Tour brought 136 students from underrepresented backgrounds to campus from April 8 to April 10. This included students from 24 different states, including Puerto Rico and some international students, including one from China, Serbia and South Africa. The student from China and Serbia were in school in the U.S. and the student from South Africa was out of school and in California, making it practical for Skidmore to bring them to campus.

The primary set of students who are invited to attend the Discovery Tour are those who are from underrepresented minority populations and those whose financial aid application suggests that they would most likely not be able to visit without financial support. Thus, “we fund them to visit,” said Mendes. Some international students from Canada, Mexico and Central America are also invited “because they are closer and it is affordable to fly those folks here,” Mendes also said.

Offering the Discovery tour fits in line with part of Skidmore’s “goal to have a diverse and inclusive campus, and to also provide opportunities for people to visit campus who might not be able to visit campus” said Mendes. During the program students spend two and half days and two nights on campus. For the two nights on campus they stay in the dorm of current student to help give them the full college experience. Many of the current students who hosted students were past Discovery Tour participants. “I had a pretty good experience and I wanted to help make another students experience just as great if not better,” said past Discovery Tour participant Maria Glander ’18, when asked why she decided to host a Discovery Tour student.

As part of the program they get to meet with faculty outside of classes, attended classes, have dinner with the president and other faculty as well as get to meet other current students and accepted students. These activities help the students to get a feel for Skidmore. Genesis Moran Guerrero ’18 was a part of the Discovery Tour program last year, and when she originally came for the program she was set on a different school, but the program made her realize, as she described it, that Skidmore felt “felt friendlier,” and ultimately this helped her to decide to attend Skidmore. For Glander on the other hand, what helped her ultimately decide on Skidmore was hearing “first hand a current student's experience at Skidmore and see[ing] it truly from their view.”

Skidmore is not unique in offering a program like the Discovery Tour, “I would say that just about all of our peer institutions and non peer institutions will run these types of programs,” said Mendes. The program offered at Skidmore does though have some unique aspects. “Ours is by far the largest of the liberal arts in the north east and that is basically because the administration supports us in inviting all these students and paying the fair to get them here,” said Mendes.

“Between the three accepted candidates days and discovery [tour], so the programs that we have had, almost 700 students will have visited this [April] month,” said Mendes. A couple hundred more accepted students also will visit Skidmore on their own and not as part of a program.

Accepted students who visit campus have a higher chance of yielding. In previous years, Skidmore has yielded about 60-72 percent of the Discovery Tour participants, and the admissions office is hoping to get in this ballpark once again. Last year 54 percent of students who came for an accepted candidates day ended up enrolling and 60 percent of students who came for Discovery Tour enrolled. Now the admissions office is in a waiting period as they wait for the May 1 deadline and they can see the exact number of students yielded.

Campus Safety Reports April 10 - April 16

Friday April. 10 College Violation Noise Howe Hall 2:10AM: RP reports people being loud in common area. Officers dispatched, gone upon arrival.

Harassment Wiecking Hall 4:00PM: RP stated student made threatening remarks via text messages. Report generated.

Fire Alarm Other Cane Crossing 11:01PM: Fire alarm activation received. Units dispatched, due to cooking.

College Violation Noise McClellan Hall 10:30PM: RP reports a noise complaint. Units dispatched, students complied.

Saturday April. 11

College Violation Noise Sussman Apartments 12:18AM: RP reports noise complaint. Officers dispatched, report gathering and dispersed.

Fire Alarm Other Sussman Apartments 4:23AM: Fire alarm activation received. Units dispatched, due to cooking.

Driving While Intoxicated North Broadway 5:40AM: RP reports car on sidewalk on North Broadway. Officer dispatched, SSPD notified. Report generated.

Parking Issue South Park 2:37PM: Officers observe vehicle driving on the sidewalk. Officers stopped the vehicle and advised subjects to leave campus due to no affiliation with the college. Complied, report generated.

Criminal Mischief Kimball Hall 11:10PM: RP reports observing an exit sign broken. Report generated.

Criminal Mischief Wait Hall 11:10PM: RP reports observing an exit sign broken. Report generated.

Sunday April. 12

College Violation Moore Way 12:16 AM --Noise complaint received. Disp. Officers who report finding a gathering which was dispersed.

College Violation of Alcohol Policy 12:24 AM: RP confiscated a bottle of alcohol from a student. Officers dispatched. RP further states subject received food but did not pay for it. Subject later identified.

Suspicious Activity Kimball Hall 4:10am: RP states unknown person is throwing items at the window. Disp. Officer who reports locating a non-student attempting to get the attention of a friend. Advised to cease and complied without further incident. Friend could not be located at this time.

Suspicious Odor Jonsson Tower 01:30 pm - RP reports a suspicious odor. Disp. Officer who was unable detect any odor upon his arrival. Report made.

Monday April. 13

Fire Drills Campus Wide 08:26 pm: Fire alarm activations received from various residential halls in compliance with New York State Fire Alarm Requirements.

Tuesday April. 14

Property Damage North Hall Lot 08:05 am - RP reports a vehicle was damaged. Officer dispatched. Report made.

Drug Law Violation McClellan Hall 11:40 am - Officer witnessed student smoking an illegal substance. Report made.

Suspicious Odor Wiecking Hall 1:16pm: RP states there is a suspicious odor at the front entrance. Disp. Officer who reports unable to locate the odor at this time.

Suspicious Odor Wiecking Hall 3:30 pm: A suspicious odor was reported. Disp. Officer who reports Facilities Services personnel on site to rectify and will call if further assistance is needed.

Suspicious Odor Case Center 06:23 PM: RP reports a gas odor. Disp. Officers and Maintenance who report the odor is coming in from the bus in the lot through the intake. Maintenance to re-check area periodically.

Wednesday April. 15

Drug Law Violation Wilmarth Hall 1:50 AM Officers report drug law violation. Report made.

College Violation Noise Pennfield Hall 11:26 PM: RP called for a noise complaint. Disp. Officer who reports speaking with students who stated that they would quiet down.

Thursday Aprl. 16

Suspicious Odor Jonsson Tower 8:15 PM: RP called to report an odor. Disp. Officers who report source could not be located.

Welfare Checks Jonsson Tower 08:46 PM: RP requests a message be delivered to his daughter to call him. Disp. Officer who reports the student states that she just spoke with her father.

Fire Alarm Accidental Sussman Apartments 09:14 PM: Fire alarm activation received. Disp. all Officers, Maintenance and advised SSFD. Steam from shower set off the alarm.

Suspicious Odor Wait Hall 11:17 PM: RP reports suspicious odor. Disp. Officer who reports detecting an odor; however, subjects GOA.

Fire Non Residental 11:36 PM: RP called to report a fire under the walkway in Sussman Village. Disp. Officers, Maintenance and advised SSFD. Officer reports leaves were on fire but were quickly extinguished.

A Push for Sustainability Curriculum for Next Year's Freshmen

By Sean van der Heijden, '16, Copy Editor

Last week, sustainability education and activist group Turning Green visited campus and, among other events, held a meeting in which students were able ideas for helping Skidmore become even more sustainable. One of the most intriguing ideas came from Maya Cohn ’17—a sustainability representative and peer mentor who wants to educate incoming freshmen on how to live more sustainably.

The idea is very recent and still in the works, but Maya hopes to get some sort of program running for next year that would “focus on having more education so that people know how to live a more environmentally-friendly life while they’re here at Skidmore.”

One option is to go through the FYE. “Currently, our orientation doesn’t really have any aspects of sustainability in it,” she said, adding how “there are so many student’s on Skidmore’s campus who either don’t know about all our cool sustainability initiatives, or… don’t know how to utilize [them].” She wants to add education on how to compost, what is recyclable and what isn’t, and possibly provide students with reusable water bottles.

Professor Janet Casey, head of the FYE, said, “Peer Mentors are already trained in sustainability issues,” but that implementing that education into the seminars would be difficult. “We are constantly being asked to ‘add’ new requirements to both the Seminars themselves and the PM training,” she continued. “Keep in mind, however, that no single program—not even the FYE—can accommodate everything and be all things to all individuals.”

Casey acknowledged the importance of an education in sustainability—it is part of the core curriculum that she teaches—but said, “Nothing can be imposed on all Scribner seminars without the vote of the faculty,” which Maya thinks would be “extremely difficult.” Maya went on to say that the FYE already has a jam-packed orientation for its peer mentors, and she would love more opportunities to pass this knowledge onto freshmen.

Another option is Skidmore’s First Six Weeks Program, led by Dean of Student Affairs Rochelle Calhoun. Maya claims this program has “more leeway in terms of… the amount of time they have and how much flexibility there is.” Through this program, Maya hopes to educate freshmen on the work S-Reps do here at Skidmore, as well as “going on trips to the solar field or our new micro-hydro energy sources.” Additionally, she wants to add workshops such as how to make homemade cleaners without using toxic chemicals and how to eat sustainably in the dining hall. Dean Calhoun did not respond immediately for comments.

When asked about how to be more sustainable while at college, Maya said that one of the easiest things is to get a reusable water bottle, something that saves a lot of plastic and is cost-effective in the long run. Also, using Skidmore’s Bikemore program or taking public transport, buying produce at the farmer’s market in town, or even investing in a CSA program through farms such as 9 Miles East are great ways to be environmentally friendly and support local businesses at the same time.

If you are interested in helping Maya with this initiative, you can email me at svanderh@skidmore.edu or the sustainability office at sustainability@skidmore.edu.

What’s the Best Predictor of Skidmore Population’s Probability of Having the Seasonal Flu?

By Mohammed Almashhadani, '15

Despite efforts on behalf of the Skidmore Health Services, which provides flu shots as well as information on prevention, Skidmore community members inevitably get the flu each year, usually between January and February. This observation could be associated with the high number of people who do not perhaps take the flu shot, do not exercise often, do not wash their hands regularly every day, or engage in other unhealthy habits. Those left unaffected by the virus are left wondering to which factors they can attribute their success.

A study has been conducted on campus this semester to track flu cases. The survey, created with Survey Monkey, was shared on Facebook, emailed, and posted on Skidmore all-class announcements. It asked the members their gender, age, hours of weekly exercise, hours of weekly socialization, number of times they washed their hands daily, whether they got the flu shot in 2014, and whether they had a chronic disease. All of these factors became the explanatory variables. The response variable was whether they got the seasonal flu in 2015 or not. Ninety Skidmore community members responded to the survey.

Prior to using statistical methods to determine the best predictor of the response variable, certain groups of respondents were assumed to be at a higher risk for the flu: those who had not gotten the flu shot in 2014, did not wash their hands regularly, and those who spent many hours socializing with others.

According to the statistics program Rstudio, those who have chronic diseases are more likely to report having the seasonal flu in 2015. These results suggest that although the presence of a chronic disease does not guarantee the contraction of the flu, it increases the likelihood of getting the virus. The results are considered statistically significant.

This study does not provide enough evidence that hand washing and lack of vaccination increase the likelihood of actually getting the flu. A greater response pool could potentially have altered the findings.

Because the survey was open to all Skidmore community members, sample bias was avoided. However, because the survey was distributed heavily on Facebook, the demographic of respondents may not be completely random.

The results of this data study conclude that those with the highest probability of getting the flu in 2015 were those suffering from chronic disease. Other factors cannot be linked to the flu given the data collected; a greater number of responses would be necessary to support them. If more people took the survey or answers to the questions were different, other factors could have been statistically significant.

Blood Wedding Review

By Cara Dempsey '16, Pulp Editor and Staff Writer

There's something to be said for harmony, that perfect noise produced when different notes and instruments come together in a way that is unquestionably intentional and lovely. When the ensemble cast of Blood Wedding opened their mouths to sing for the first time during last Friday night's show, it all became clear. The vocal arrangement was haunting, and in combination with the impeccable choreography as well as the poetic dialogue of playwright Frederico Garcia Lorca, the result was beautifully unified. Scattered throughout this production of Lorca's original 1932 play, these musical additions to the original story resonate powerfully. Other additions and directorial choices did so much less.

The show, directed by Carolyn Anderson and Will Bond, follows various members of two wealthy families as they prepare for the doomed wedding between an unnamed bride and groom (Patrick Stanny '15 and Alex Chernin '15). Despite the ostensible tenderness and innocence of their love, darker forces threaten the day of their union. Leonardo (Henry Hetz '15), the bride's former sweetheart and a man already married to a loving wife (Miranda Park '17), arrives on the day of the wedding to declare his undying love and passion for the bride. As the moment of "I do" draws nearer, repressed desires are revealed, years of deception start to unravel, and the traditions that have so long held a culture together begin to crumble. Set against the backdrop of the Spanish civil war, the play is a beautiful marriage between Lorca's storytelling and his poetic voice.

Skidmore's production of Blood Wedding is the product of a Lorca-centered class taught last fall by the show's directors. For the cast and crew, producing this play has been a collaborative effort involving countless hours of research into the life of the man who wrote it. Despite the fitting tragedy that Lorca's life ended in, their attempt to incorporate it into the plot was one of the few unharmonious additions to the script. Scenes were periodically interrupted with brief radio clips discussing the Spanish Civil War and Lorca's grizzly end. Though an interesting idea, the actual words spoken during the clips were difficult to hear and the significance of an additional scene that represented Lorca's actual death was lost on much of the audience. These were a few of the productions less harmonious additions.

In spite of that, much of the ensemble cast gave terrific performances. In particular, the female leads were a pleasure to watch. As the neurotic, grief-stricken mother of the bride, Hallie Christine was successfully frightening, the misery and disgust over the loss of her son audible in every word. Her strong presence carried the show's awkwardly staged opening scene impressively and her rare moments of humor, playing opposite the bride's father (Woodrow Proctor '16) were perfectly absurd and lightened the heavy show. Park played Leonardo Felix's long-suffering wife with an impressive, quiet intensity. One of the finest moments of acting was when Park stood alone on the stage after a fight with her husband, her face that of a woman faltering on the edge of tears as she holds both hands to the unborn child in her womb. Her small but powerful displays of emotion were a well-executed contrast to Chernin's wildly passionate, deeply disturbed bride. During her fits of outrage toward Leonardo as well as her strained moments of sweet, politeness to her betrothed, Chernin projected an air of danger. Watching her character gave off an effect similar to watching someone wave a loaded gun, wondering when and at whom it will finally go off. The final scene between Chernin and Christine was as fiery as it was gorgeously quiet and sad.

Will Clark '16 also had an incredible performance. Never before has a person performed so well underneath so unfortunate of a costume choice. The sparkly top and flared pants, not to mention body glitter, that he donned for his role as the moon looked more like very excited disco dancer than the moon.

Still, the vocal arrangements stole the show despite these fine performances. Orchestrated by Madeline Emerick '15, the music was beautiful, unsettling, and perfectly integrated into key moments of emotional potency. The ensemble sung so softly and so beautifully blended that notes and words seemed to linger in the air, resonating even in the moments after they'd stopped singing in a way that perfectly complimented the poetry of Lorca's words. Ah, harmony.

Reel Talk: Woody Allen—a case of art imitates life

By Sean van der Heijden '16, Copy Editor and Staff Writer 

With Woody Allen’s latest film, “Irrational Man”, just announced to premier at the Cannes Film Festival in late May, there are once again lengthy conversations resurfacing regarding Allen’s personal life. In case you aren’t aware, Allen was accused in the ’90s of molesting his then seven year-old adopted daughter, a claim that has never been conclusively proven and for which Allen was not charged . He also ran away with his then-girlfriend’s adopted daughter, whom he’s been married to since 1997.

Now there are more claims being made by Mariel Hemingway in her autobiography “Out Came the Sun” which was released on April 7. Here, she claims Allen flew to her house once she turned 18 and tried to seduce her into flying to Paris with him. “I didn’t know what the [sleeping] arrangement was going to be, [and] I wasn’t sure if I was even going to have my own room,” she says. Some have labeled this as a publicity stunt; some say that Allen acted responsibly by waiting until she was 18 and asking for consent, and others just say he’s a creep. I think the answer lies in his films.

This incident came two years after Allen and Hemingway filmed “Manhattan” in 1979, in which Allen’s character is dating Hemingway’s Tracy—a teenager who’s still in high school—until he starts an affair with his best friend’s mistress. If that’s not sexually convoluted then I don’t know what is. What’s interesting, though, is that throughout the film, Allen consistently acknowledges how inappropriate his relationship is with Tracy, even going so far to say that he’d be arrested if her parent’s found out.

There are also works such as “Hannah and Her Sisters” (1987), where Allen starts a relationship with his ex-wife’s sister; “Crimes and Misdemeanors” (1989), about two men having extramarital affairs; “Match Point” (2002), about a woman who falls for her fiancé’s brother, “Vicky Christina Barcelona”, concerning a sexual relationship between a man and two women; and “Midnight in Paris” (2013), where a man has an extramarital affair, is dumped by his mistress, and then leaves his wife for a different women.

All of this is to say that Allen is interested in sex—like, a lot—and how it influences and changes us as human beings. A lot of the actions and escapades in his films are either immoral or societally questionable, but what’s interesting is that all of them—bar “Manhattan”—are legal.

But I’m not saying you can answer any questions about Allen’s private life by studying his films. In fact, I don’t think anyone can answer those questions at this point; what I do know, though, is that art is a reflection of your inner self, and Allen’s art cannot be ignored in relation to the rest of his life.

I do think it’s ridiculous, though, that some people boycott his films because they believe him to be a creepy pedophile. Yes, he pushes the boundaries what’s considered acceptable sexual behavior—that’s for sure. But the rest has never been proven, and so far as I’m concerned, it never will be. And his films are really great, if you haven’t seen them.

Polarity and Fear: Why Hillary is not my Primary Pick

By Madeleine Freundlich, '17 Staff Writer

The people tweeting #WhyI’mnotvotingforHillary have many complaints about the presidential candidate, many of them accompanied by unflattering photographs, political cartoons and caricatures. Some complaints aired include: “Because she believes in dependency on government & not individual freedom!”; “Because I don't think helping your husband smear women he slept with for political gain is empowering of women,” and “Hillary has a long history of unethical behavior.”.

My skepticism about Hillary is not because of her values, character, or even her ability to get things done. I’m concerned that she doesn’t prioritize protection of the environment highly enough, and much more importantly, I’m worried that if she wins the Democratic primary, her Republican opponent will be able to beat her in November.

As a very open liberal and a registered Democrat, I find myself choosing the left over the right in nearly every election. But the fact of the matter is that Hillary has too many enemies to ensure that she is electable. There are far too many people who absolutely detest Hillary Clinton, stating there is “no chance” they would vote for her if elected. There are also people who oppose the presence of Bill Clinton in the White House, or have “Clinton Fatigue Syndrome”. And obviously, Republicans certainly don’t like Hillary. For these reasons, I think that a GOP candidate would not have a hard time beating Hillary, and I am worried about the direction this nation would move in with a Republican-controlled executive accompanying Congress.

While it seems unlikely right now, I sincerely hope that another viable candidate emerges from the Democrats. Barack Obama was nowhere near a household name before his presidential run, but ultimately, that did not set back his campaign. I believe that with the speed of modern media, a brand new face would be able to publicize his or her campaign very effectively, and I think that newcomer would genuinely have a better shot of winning.

However, if Hillary does win the nomination, I will vote for her in the general elections. In her campaign video, she acknowledges that middle and lower-class families are struggling economically. Furthermore, she does have an impressive amount of government experience. And if current Supreme Court Justices retire or die while in office, I am confident that Hillary would appoint individuals whose values align with mine. I am just fearful that she will not get the chance to do so, and that if a Republican candidate is up against her, they will easily win the election.

Skidmore got 99 problems...99-75

By Cara Dempsey, Pulp Co-Editor

One hard hitting journalist spent 7 days roaming the mean streets of Northwoods, the halls of Palamountain, and the Spa, looking for answers to the question that the rest of the world so desperately wants to know about privileged twenty-somethings: "What the fuck is your problem anyway?"What we overheard wasn't pretty. In fact, it was so shocking, that we had to paraphrase it to even get it in print. What you've got here are problems 99 through 75, but read 'em quick because this stuff is headed straight to the evidence locker.

Skidmore students got 99 problems...

99. And bitches are number 99. Bitches take the last three grilled cheeses in dhall when there's a line of 20 hungry hipsters behind them. They slack during your MB107 meeting. Bitches be bitches.

98. People who call the  RA when my music is too loud but won't just knock on my door and ask me to quiet down!

97. Those kids who keep blasting music in the Spa on Saturday nights. This isn't high school musical, so go find a party and stop raving all over my chicken fingers.

96. The dancing kids from the Spa on Saturday night who keep breaking the speakers.

95. Having to write blog posts on Blackboard for my Art History class.

94. Hipsters who think that their music is better than yours. Put down the beer and step away from my Pandora playlist.

93. My girlfriend won't go down on me if I smoke weed.

92. No one wants to be my boyfriend.

91. Where all the other lesbians hiding?

90. The lube from the Center for Sex and Gender does not do it for me.

89. I have to write a paper.

88. I had to write a paper last week. This week, all of my friends are writing papers, and I have gone close to 14 days without human contact.

87. I always do the reading. Last night I didn't, and the professor called me out. The sweaty beanie-wearer next to me didn't show up to class for a week. Professor said nothing.

86. I'm taking MB107 and I can only imagine this is what the 9th circle of Hell is sort of like.

85. I hate girls in white pants. It's not even summer.

84. My roommate doesn't wear headphones when he watches documentaries.

83. I hate when dDhall puts tomatoes in the grilled cheeses—- so soggy!

82. I hate when skinny hipsters wear sacks that look sexier than my jeans.

81. I called my professor Dad the other day.

80. Only seven people have RSVP'd for my campus event.

79. I'm on call for the whole of  Fun Day.

78. There are dead ladybugs everywhere!

76. My roommate does her dishes at three in the morning.

75. The Skidmore WiFi isn't just slow—it slaughtered my whole family in front of me right before my eyes, chopped off my brother's hand, bent the fingers down so that hand was giving me the middle finger, and then shoved the hand in my face, smearing the blood of my brother across my eyes; now I only see red and have sworn to spend the rest of my life seeking vengeance (*note—the speaker did not actually say any of this. The speaker was just so worked up about the WiFi that this journalist could only assume that this was the back story.)

Editorial: Why Skidmore's Website and Wi-Fi Suffer

By the Editorial Board

Students commonly complain about Skidmore’s technology, especially the design and navigational usability of Skidmore’s website, and the frequent connectivity problems with Skidmore’s wireless Internet. The editorial staff found that Skidmore’s poor allocation of resources towards improving the school’s technology is responsible for these poor services.

Skidmore’s website has been pretty disjointed over the past couple of years because the site has been in a transitional period. The Communications department has been working on moving Skidmore’s web pages from their old content management system (CMS) to their current design and system. The webpages you may have encountered that contain dated information and that look aesthetically different from most other pages were likely the CMS pages that had not yet been transferred.

The process of transferring the CMS pages began in July 2012, and will only just be wrapping up around the end of this month. It has been such a long process because it is very tedious work, moving each page piece-by-piece and image-by-image, and the Communications department has only one person singlehandedly moving all of the webpages. The number of old pages in CMS format was 46,889, and the number of current, newer web pages is significantly larger, so transferring the pages is no small endeavor. The tedium of the job is compounded by Communications’ need to work individually with each department to determine what content needs to be kept, what should be done away with, and how new pages should be organized.

This is a massive responsibility to put in the hands of just one person. That was the only option though, since Skidmore’s Communications team is just four individuals, each of who is always incredibly busy. Somehow, Skidmore cannot afford to hire an additional person to help work on updating the website, thus prolonging the process for years. This is a disservice to the students, and a case of mistaken priorities on behalf of the administration. No professional organization should need three years to implement a new website. Having an outdated, ineffective, and unstandardized website does not serve current students’ needs, and it discourages prospective students. A college’s website is one of the first places prospective candidates visit--it is their primary source for information about the school. Therefore, a seamless website is integral to Skidmore’s success and is beneficial to the entire institution.

Students also commonly belabor Skidmore’s egregious Wi-Fi, and wonder why it is so ineffective. The wireless is often very slow (or down altogether) because ResHallWifi is currently based on an old standard of wireless connection called IEEE 802.11g. This connection is what the wiring in the residential buildings was designed to handle, so in order to update to IEEE 802.11ac, the newest standard of wireless connection, the buildings must all be completely rewired. This is a very timely and costly project. Information Technology rewired Weicking Hall last summer, will be rewiring Howe-Rounds this summer, and will be working on other buildings over the next few years. This could be done quickly if enough capital was made available to do so. In a recent meeting with the Skidmore News, President Glotzbach emphasized that the school has money available every year for infrastructure improvements; improving the campus wireless should be a priority.

At the pace Skidmore is going, it will be several years until all res-halls have standardized, updated wireless access. And by the time all the dorms are updated, the new wiring will likely already be outdated, since technology shifts so quickly. Because access to the Internet is crucial to any student’s academic success at Skidmore, it would be in the best interest of the students for Skidmore to direct a little more time and money towards a speedier rewiring process, so that it does not drag on the way the website update did.

It’s easy for students to mindlessly complain about website issues and slow wireless connection, and demand that Skidmore just ‘fix the problem’. The Editorial Board approached this topic assuming that Skidmore staff members were merely being lazy about dealing with these seemingly simple technological issues. But, it’s important that we all understand and recognize how much time and effort goes into these large projects. When frustrated, we should not always blame Information Technology or Communications, since they are doing the best they can with the resources they have been allotted. Skidmore’s administration should expend more resources on projects like rewiring the residential buildings, or expanding the Communications department’s pretty small team. This would certainly minimize the time it takes for Skidmore to update these projects, so that the school is not always one step behind the current technology.

A Final Polo Club Decision

By Noa Maltzman ’18, News Editor

On Tuesday, April 7, the Student Government Association (SGA) made a final decision on if the Polo Club would lose their funding or not. “After almost six full months of review, Senate was able to make a final decision in consultation with team members, alums, and everyone else involved,” said SGA President Addison Bennett ’16. The members of the SGA senate voted unanimously in support of a final Polo Club decision. The main points of the decision are generally the same as the SGA proposal Polo Club proposal from before spring break, but a few changes have been made.

At the SGA senate meeting on April 7, Sam Harris ’15, SGA Vice President for Financial Affairs, said in summary of the proposal, “we will continue to support the team with $30,000 per year during the club’s transition to a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. If the club goes over this budget Mr. Orthwein will cover all costs incurred. SGA will also establish a contingency fund, but if these funds are dipped into and not paid back by the end of the year the club will be dechartered.” Megan Schachter ’17 SGA Vice President for Club Affairs then followed by saying, “four years from now, the club’s endowment must increase to so that each fiscal year they will receive about $15,000 per year from the endowment.”

The final decision includes the following:

1. For the next four years Skidmore Polo will continue as an SGA-affiliated club. They will receive an annual budget of $30,000. This budget cannot be increased for any reason, and the club is not eligible to receive supplemental funding from SGA.
2. By June 1, 2019 the Polo club must be an independent 501 (c)(3). SGA will then amend their charter to transition the Club to an unbudgeted status.
3. Will Orthwein, a member of the Alumni Board, will act as a guarantor agreeing to cover any expense above $30,000 that the team is unable to cover, through fundraising, during the teams transition to an 501 (c) (3)
4. SGA will establish a fund of $10,000 to cover any unexpected costs throughout the next four-year, that the club cannot pay through fundraising and or Mr. Will Orthwein cannot pay. If the fund is used and the debt is not repaid in full by the end of the fiscal year the Polo Club will be automatically dechartered.
5. By June 1, 2019 SGA Senate recommends Polo raise its endowment to $140,000. This way the supplemental endowment spending would be about $10,000 per year. Senate also recommends that Polo Club report to Senate each semester until June 1, 2019 with updates on how the transitioning process is going.
6. Any other applicable requirements set by the office of advancement, office of student affairs and office of finance and administration must be followed in order for the club to compete on Skidmore’s behalf.
7. SGA senate will require and authorize the SGA president, Vice President for Financial Affairs and Vice President for Club Affairs to enter into a legally binding contract on behalf of SGA. The contract goes over the agreed upon terms with the Polo Club and its leaders, guarantors and the relevant Skidmore offices.
8. If the club fails to successfully create the independent 501 (c) (3), by the agreed upon date, a vote by a 5/6^th majority of the SGA senate to revoke the clubs charter for any reasons in line with the student body constitution or polices or the failure of any Polo Club guarantors or the clubs fundraising to pay an outstanding cost by the end of the fiscal year will all trigger automatic dechartering of the club.

“I'm proud we were able to come to this compromise agreement, and while it's not everything both sides wanted, I believe it's a sustainable solution that gives both sides what they want in the end,” Bennett said.

The Polo club president, Bill Miller ’15, said in response to the decision, “it was a long process but we're ecstatic to have come to a working solution with the Student Government. We feel that this proposal will ensure a strong, sustainable future for our club as we grow both our competitive and instructional programs. It is an honor to leave the club in a positive light after I graduate, and I am looking forward to watching its success in the coming years.”

As the votes came in from SGA during their April 7 session, Skidmore Polo posted to their Facebook page: “the votes are in! Skid Polo lives on.”

Highlights from MLB Opening Day 2015

By Mia Merrill, Sports Editor

This year, Major League Baseball celebrated its Opening Day(s) on April 5 and 6.

The New York Yankees opened their season without shortstop Derek Jeter for the first time in twenty seasons. The Yankee’s loss of 1-6 against the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday, April 6 may or may not be correlated to the loss of Jeter. The Yankees then won another game 4-3 against the Blue Jays on Wednesday, April 8, but the Blue Jays came back to win the series on April 9, winning the final game 6-3.

After trading many prominent members of their 2014 season team, the Boston Red Sox opened the 2015 season in Philadelphia against the Phillies on Monday, April 6. Finishing last place in the American League Eastern Division last season, the Red Sox completed mid-season trades of starting pitcher Jon Lester, left fielder Jonny Gomes, and starting pitcher John Lackey, among others. With a rebuilt team, the Red Sox defeated the Phillies 8-0 on Monday, shocking many baseball fans. While the Sox lost to the Phillies 2-4 on April 8, they turned around and won 6-2 the next day.

The Baltimore Orioles, a team notorious for their mistakes, won 6-2 against the Tampa Bay Rays on April 6, after a disappointing finish in last season’s playoffs. Baltimore went on to win 6-5 on April 7 and lose 0-2 on April 8, but the jury is still out is on this unpredictable team.

Major League Baseball continues its season through October 2015.

Campus Safety Reports April 3 - April 9

Friday April. 3 Suspicious Activity Palamountain 10:30AM: RP reports backpack laying on floor. Officer dispatched. Item was found property and returned to owner.

Accident Sports Center Lot 11:32AM: RP reports vehicle damaged in parking lot Officer dispatched, report generated.

Harassment Rounds Hall 4:40PM: RP reports that student was aggressive during interview regarding college violations. Report generated.

Accident Clinton St. 4:57PM: RP reports male hit by a vehicle while riding his bicycle. Units dispatched, report generated.

Welfare Checks Jonsson Tower 5:04PM: RP requests a welfare check on student. Student located and all is well.

Suspicious Activity Wiecking Hall 9:38PM: Officer reports students outside the building acting strange. Officer reports two females with a bat in a box. Bat transported to North Country Wildlife for assessment.

Saturday April. 4

Moving Violations Perimeter Road 12:53AM: Officer reports observing a taxi traveling at excessive speed and run a stop sign. Report generated.

Vehicle Towing Case Center 2:36AM: Officers report vehicle with excess tickets parked illegal. Towing company notified, report generated.

Criminal Mischief Kimball Hall 11:00AM: RP reports words written on wall. Officer dispatched, photographs taken and report generated.

Criminal Mischief Wiecking Hall 1:00PM: RP reports exit sign torn down in building. Officer dispatched, report generated.

Moving Violations Sussman Apartments 1:54PM: Officer observed a vehicle driving the wrong way. Vehicle ticketed, report generated.

Campus Safety Assist Kimball Hall 10:58PM: RP reports finding a student in a vacant

room. When asked to leave student complied. Res Life to document.

Sunday April. 5

Moving Violation Perimeter Road/ Clinton Street Entrance 1:13am: RP reports observing a taxi cab go through the stop sign. Drover stopped and advised his actions were unacceptable.

Suspicious Activity Tang Teaching Museum 7:19 PM: RP reports seeing people on the roof. Disp. Officer reports the subjects ran away as the officer approached.

Fire Alarm Cane Crossing 7:32 PM: Fire alarm activation. Disp. All Officers, Maintenance and advised SSFD. Alarm caused by cooking.

Monday April. 6

Criminal Mischief Tang Teaching Museum 8:10am: RP reports there are chips in the glass. Disp. Officer who reports there are small chips in the glass but the glass is not broken. Report and photos taken.

Criminal Mischief Starbuck Center 8:52am: RP reports the window on the second floor of Starbuck Center has been broken. Disp. Officer who reports finding that the outer pane on the window has been broken. Officer took photos of the damage and report has been made.

Drug Law Violation Cane Crossing 10:59AM: RP reports found marijuana in pill bottle. Officer dispatched, report generated.

Contraband Confiscation North Woods 12:04PM: RP found items in rooms. Items confiscated. Report generated.

Drug Law Violation Cane Crossing 1:32PM: RP advises marijuana was found. Item confiscated. Report generated.

Suspicious Activity Tang Teaching Museum 6:40 PM: Officer requested a subject get off the roof. Subject complied.

Fire Alarm 8:28am: Fire alarm activated. Disp. Officers and Maintenance and advised SSFD. Alarm caused by cooking.

Suspicious Odor Jonsson Tower 10:07 PM: RP reports a suspicious odor. Disp. Officers report that a slight odor was detected but source could not be located.

Tuesday April. 7

Suspicious Activity Case Center 12:53 AM: RP reports homeless people sleeping outside of Case. Dispatched Officers who reports students on Case green raising awareness for homeless. Students told to disperse.

Suspicious Activity Tang Teaching Museum 12:53 AM: RP reports homeless people sleeping outside of Case. Dispatched Officers who reports students on Case green raising awareness for homeless. Students told to disperse.

Wednesday April. 8

No reportable Clery Act incidences recorded on this date.

Thursday Aprl. 9

Fire Alarm Other Sussman Apartments 10:01PM: Fire alarm activation received. Units dispatched, due to cooking. Report generated.

Fire Alarm McClellan Hall 10:09PM: Fire alarm activation received. Units dispatched, due to cooking. Report generated.

College Violation Noise Whitman Way 10:09PM: RP reports noise complaint. Officers dispatched, could not locate violation.

Worlds Collide at Raíces Art Festival

By Chelsea Nuesi, Contributing Writer

On April 3, Raíces brought Latin America to Skidmore with their Arts Festival, including work from Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, and Puerto Rico. The primary goal for the event was to recognize Hispanic ethnicities as well as the many cultures and traditions associated with them. Some students recognized the foods, places, and songs as parts of their identity. The Arts Festival was also an opportunity for students to be immersed in Hispanic culture if they had never visited Latin America or engaged in its traditions.

When I heard Hispanic music entering the halls of Case Center, I knew that I was still at Skidmore, but at the same time I felt that I was somewhere else. Raíces played many dance numbers that included Bachata and Merengue from the Dominican Republic, Bossa Nova from Brazil, Cumbia from Columbia, and Salsa from Puerto Rico. There were cooking tutorials for beans, plátanos (plantains), rice, tortillas, tacos, yucca, and different types of meat, including carnitas (shredded pork), chorizo (pork sausage), salami, and pollo (chicken). I was excited to see traditional cuisines that were not cooked in d-hall. One of my favorite dishes from my home in Puerto Rico is pasteles. Pasteles are made with ingredients that I saw in Raíces’ cooking tutorials, including green plantains, olives, and pollo. I was disappointed when I realized how much I missed these comforting tastes.

Raíces also provided a stage for talented artists to share their talents and stories. Many students of different artistic and ethnic backgrounds were welcomed to express themselves through their passion for dance and singing. Zimkita Mpumpula ’18 and Kiana Doumbia ’17, whose fast and precise dance moves were very impressive, took risks as they jumped, shook, and twirled, unconscious of the small space that should have limited their performance (you can check out their talent showcase earlier this year at the Ujima Fashion Show on Skid TV). The Secretary of Raíces, Arelis Cruz ’17, sang Si Existe (If There Is), originally performed by Venezuelan singer Evaluna Montaner. This song recognizes Spanish as a romantic language, especially with the lyrics that speak of chance and hope after trouble occurs. By the audience’s cheerful response, I could tell that they also identified Cruz’s command of the song’s message and her passionate sways and powerful voice.

Students spoke about their stories from home and their experiences at Skidmore through poetry, which was an excellent leeway to Raíces’ mission to promote diversity and unity. Rashawnda Williams ‘17 shared her personal spoken word piece Black Butterfly and Lebogang Mokoena ’17 shared her original poems Sounds of Home and Spoken. Lebogang interacted with the audience when she asked them to chant with her: speak, truth, voices. She reflects on her performance: “We communicate in language and word; everyone can relate to them. I only share work that has been inspired by real experiences in trying to understand my identity and belonging. I share them hoping people can relate and be caught, even for just a minute, in a moment of connectedness.” Raíces and its performers had a lot of support from the crowd, whose final reaction was exuberant.

Overall, with their thoughtful display of HIspanic food and music, Raíces offered a diverse experience that students enjoyed as they learned more details about the Hispanic ethnicity. The Raíces Arts Festival was a great event, creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for students who miss the cultural traditions of home while they are away at school. It was also a fun opportunity to introduce students who are unfamiliar with Latino culture to the vibrant experience that it is. Skidmore has aimed to offer more diverse experiences by recognizing different ethnic and racial communities with events and lectures, like the Woman of Color Conference and the screening of They Call Me Muslim. The multicultural clubs on campus—ACA, Hayat, Ujima, and Raíces—have been contributing to this increase of cultural awareness with past and upcoming events. With the accepted candidates visiting over the month of April, these clubs and events are great ways to show prospective students Skidmore’s value of art, culture, and diversity.

Liberty & Justice for All?: The Politic$ of Prison

 

By Don Reed, '17

On Feb. 23, 2015, Skidmore College hosted a panel titled “Liberty & Justice for All?: The Politic$ of Prison” in Emerson Auditorium. The event was presented by Democracy Matters and Co-Sponsored by SUPE, Raices, and Ujima. The student turnout was impressive given that it was hosted on a Monday and just a week away from the beginning of midterms for many classes. The panel consisted of two Skidmore staffers Carolyn Chernoff, Professor of Sociology, and David Karp, Associate Dean of Student Affairs. The event also featured Joan Mandle, a Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at Colgate University and Executive Director of Democracy Matters. Each of the presenters was given about ten to fifteen minutes to speak before the floor was opened to students’ questions and comments.

Professor Chernoff, who among other roles teaches a sociology class that is focused on identifying racial biases in the American justice system, opened the lecture portion of the event. Chernoff gave a brief recount of John Legend’s comparison of the current state of the criminal justice system and slavery during his acceptance speech for best original song “Glory” from the film Selma. Chernoff posed a rhetorical question to the audience “don’t raise your hand…who likes to get high? Who likes to j-walk? Who likes to get drunk and start fights?” The reminder of one Skidmore’s more publicized stereotypes illustrated the point that drug use among the other crimes mentioned on average is not characteristic of a single group or race. Still people of color are arrested and prosecuted exponentially more than their white counterparts for what are often seemingly minor crimes. Visibility of crimes plays a large role in who gets arrested. People with more privilege are given more privacy and less fortunate people are more exposed for a number of reasons. Prison is not the only problem identified, many people are in correctional control, parole, probation, etc. which also is problematic. Chernoff also mentioned that many members of the LGBQ+ community are disproportionally present in prison.

Much of Chernoff’s argument was driven by insight from Michelle Alexander’s book The New Jim Crow. Alexander was a guest speaker at Skidmore last year and her work is greatly influential in today’s civil rights community. The book focuses on the “racial caste system” that continues to exist in this country despite colorblind laws. Alexander focuses her analysis on the disenfranchisement of black men in the Untied States. This is done through politically structured forces that use police and prisons to keep many black men on a lower class level while elevating other, mostly white, people. The “War on Drugs,” which was started in the 1970s, is one of the main policies that targets black men unfairly. Although not always overtly racist, police rely on training and techniques that, because of vague criminal profiles, often give way to bias and stereotypes. Alexander illustrates her concept as a “bird cage” with many different bars that through psychological, historical, and political forces perpetuate an archaic system of control. Most of the general public is not privy to this unfortunate series of forces because racially colorblind language often prevents political figures and social commentators from bringing it to the public’s attention.

Dean Karp made a few different points that focused mostly on reform in discipline itself. Karp discussed how mass incarceration is not an effective way to solve issues relating to crime. He noted, “77 percent of inmates are rearrested within five years of their release from prison." This suggests that prison as a form of rehabilitation or crime prevention is fundamentally ineffective. Despite these findings state and federal governments spend inordinate amounts of money to keep them in what has now become the prison business. Many believe that prisons provide retribution and are appropriate for unacceptable, heinous acts. It can be comforting for some knowing that criminals are kept away from the general public and behind bars. It provides a sense of safety.

The philosophical appeal of prison often distracts from the fact that it does not accomplish actual rehabilitation because it does not respond to the issues that lead to the marginalization of people. Karp warns that suspensions and expulsions, especially in public secondary schools, have very dangerous effects. Karp stated that, “68 percent of prisoners do not have a high school diploma." This “school to prison pipeline” is a system of exclusion from education that often puts disadvantaged people at risk for incarceration. Parents more than schools should be responsible for child discipline in order to keep children on the right track for a productive life.

Karp places the system’s solution to most crimes on two extremes of the corrective spectrum. On one end there is mass incarceration that often over punishes people for their offenses, while the alternative occurs when people get punishments like probation for serious crimes and are thus under punished. Karp’s solution is a punishment alternative called “restorative justice." This justice reform concept has been used in different places around the world and functions in many different ways. Karp introduced restorative justice with an interesting analogy. "It’s a bummer when your laptop is stolen by a heroin addict," he begins. The first response of a victim in this situation is anger and a need to ensure that there is retribution of some kind. The other feeling is sympathy because the perpetrator is the victim of an addition and needs treatment. In restorative justice the idea is to find a middle ground between these responses. How to restore what was lost to the victim and rehabilitate the perpetrator to keep him or her from repeating an action. Restorative justice is one of many possible responses. This technique has been implemented in a wide range of crimes, ages of perpetrators, and is significantly less costly then our current system. Karp also oversees the use of restorative justice as a response to student misconduct at Skidmore.

Professor Mandle’s points were significantly broader that the previous two speakers but equally valid. Mandle’s appeal was for more voter involvement. Mandle suggested that college age people should be more involved with understanding the plans and opinions of the people they elect to be our representatives and leaders. Mandle’s opinions are that the government’s military spending is too high and there are too many people with guns. As a result, the police are becoming more militarized (through overflow of military capital) and are targeting more distinct groups. Elected officials that citizens of the United States choose directed these policies. Mandle points out, “seventy billion of our tax dollars each year are going toward mass incarceration." This diversion of tax money should not be an acceptable use of the government budget. There is a great deal of disagreement on this matter. Many of these elections are decided by the amount of money a candidate has in campaign funds. That means through donations many powerful lobby groups can put their monetary interests ahead of the wishes of the public. Mandle notes that these capital providers are only “one quarter of one percent of the entire population." Her solution is a social movement that not only focuses on civil rights but on how we elect our leaders. Mandle’s hope is that with policies aimed at creating election equality the American Government will hear voices that have been oppressed in the past.

The issue of mass incarceration and police brutality is one of the most serious internal social problems facing the United States today. The inequality of the situation has been brought more into public focus recently with controversial shootings and abuses by police, and inequality of felony convictions across racial lines. There are a number of public protest organizations dedicated to eradicating bias from the American criminal justice system like #BlackLivesMatter on the national front. The victims of racial injustice are receiving more support and sympathy throughout the country but the best thing we can do here at Skidmore is to bring inequalities that are often not discussed into the open in-order to prevent this generation from perpetuating the mistakes of the last. The heartbreaking images of Ferguson and New York are a reminder of our country's judicial system—and its much needed reform.

How Feminist Are You Really?

By Cara Dempsey, Pulp Co-Editor

1) Which statement do you believe in most ardently?

1. a) Women deserve equal pay!
2. b) If I were a boy, I think I could understand.
3. c) Glee went way downhill in the middle of its second season, and Puck got less cute.
4. d) It's my body, and I'll cry if I want to.

2) Major/ minor?

1. a) Gender studies/Gender studies. Double--stuffed.
2. b) Music/Dance with a concentration in booty.
3. c) Men's studies/women's studies.
4. d) Physics/computer science.

3) How do you feel about phalluses?

1. a) They're oppressive.
2. b) I think Destiny's Child sang about them.
3. c) I'm a fan of their work.
4. d) They frighten me.

4) Favorite song on season 1 of Glee?

1. a) The one with the midnight train going aaaaaanywhere… shit, what is that called?
2. b) Which season did they do the Beyoncé episode?
3. c) "Don't Stop Believing"
4. d) That Journey song.

5) When do you, as a woman, feel most empowered?

1. a) In any class in the gender studies department.
2. b) Whenever Beyoncé is on stage shakin' that thang in front of big letters that say FEMINISM. Actually, when she's doing anything.
3. c) When I hear the final note of Idina Menzel singing "Let It Go."
4. d) Real talk: I've been a dude this whole time, and the phrasing of your questions is sexist and alienates me.

If you answered mostly A...

You’re such a feminist, Virginia Woolf's ghost possessed the doctor who delivered you on the day you were born just to thank your mother for birthing you.

If you answered mostly B...

You are a Beyonce feminist. Congratulations. Check out Miley Cyrus too. You'll love her work.

If you answered mostly C...

Frozen was only aight. Let it go already.

If you answered mostly D...

I'm sorry that you felt that way, young man. In the future, all personality quizzes published by the Skidmore news will use the non-gendered pronoun, zhe. Is that how it's spelled?

Skidmore Classifieds

By: Nicole Smith, 16', Pulp Editor

WANTED: Spider Killer Duties Include: obliterating any and all insects that traipse through the house like they own the place. Skills required: sharp hearing and fast at running in order to arrive and murder spiders the instant my screams are heard. The bounty of each spider will be $100. If interested in the position please email, i-hate-Spiders-alot-for-realz@hotmail.com to set up an interview.

FOR SALE: Bottomless chocolate Box Bottomless chocolate box made from mahogany wood, in good condition. Produces all kinds of chocolate including but not limited to: dark chocolate, white chocolate, raspberry filled, caramel filled, and chocolate covered strawberries and cherries.Three years still remain on the warranty. The price is approximately $10,000 but open to negotiations. If interested please call 666-666-6666.

FOR SALE: Unwanted House Guest This person will eat your food, sleep on your couch, and stink up your bathroom. Half of the day they spend binge-watching Netflix with your account password and the rest of the day sleeping. Caution! Do not attempt asking the guest to do any physical activity, they will get irritable and may explode into a crazy, wild fit. The guest does not play well with other houseguests, however, he is potty-trained. The price is set at $.01. If interested please call 123-456-7890.

NEEDED: Bike Peddler Duties include: being available all the time to peddle my bike to wherever I want to go. Skills required: must be in peak physical condition and a good listener in order to hear about all of my problems with my roommates and my series of boyfriends. Hourly pay is $8 an hour, with a special $500 bonus at the end of the week if my problems are solved. Please email me at, I-really-am-not-a-drama-queen@aol.com if interested in the position.

NEEDED: Gold Fish Sitter Duties include: devoting a minimum of 7 hours a day to Goldie, ensuring her happiness by making sure she is entertained at all time, keeping Goldie healthy by giving her a well-balanced diet and making sure she gets one hour of cardio a day. Her favorite foods are gold fish and filet mignon. Experience required: at least two years experience baby-sitting gold fish. Hourly pay rate is $278.34 an hour; any mistakes made will come directly from paycheck. If interested, please contact me on the bench on the corner of Broadway and Main St. between the hours of 1:34 and 1:36 on Mondays.

WANTED: Personal Assistant to Cat lady Duties include: Feeding, bathing, and putting the cat lady to bed, cleaning the house, grocery shopping, and feeding, bathing and grooming her 162 cats. All cat’s names and faces must me memorized by the end of the first day. Each cat is special and unique and has different dietary needs and interests, which must be attended to at all times. No experience required. Hourly pay is $1, but can be as high as $500 dollars. If interested please come to 24 Hermit Way, I am always there… I never leave.

NEEDED: COFFEE Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, COFFEE, Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, COFFEE, Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, COFFEE, Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, Coffee. PLEASE! Give me any kind of coffee, all coffee. I will pay anything! Find me in the library, at all hours of the night if interested.

Editorial: Regarding Religion on Campus

By the Editorial Board

Discussions of religion on Skidmore’s campus have not been of interest to students. However, it would be in the best interest of all Skidmore students for us to engage in respectful discussions about religion more often. Skidmore’s community has a paradoxical approach to acceptance and liberality on campus. We want a diversity of students on campus, but without subsequent diversity of thought and opinions. Considering Skidmore’s vocality on acceptance and tolerance, we are surprisingly homogenous in our expectations of other people’s viewpoints and behaviors. We will gladly engage in a respectful debate regarding race issues, but our reaction to religion is either one of silence and avoidance, or of inflammatory and offensive remarks.

The assumption on campus regarding religion is that most individuals are not actively religious. Therefore, unless a student is noticeably and actively involved in religious life, the underlying belief is that they are part of a presumed majority of agnostic or atheist students. This becomes a circular way of thinking--because students assume that other students are not religious, they do not recognize Skidmore’s prominent religious life, and assume that religious gatherings at Skidmore are either nonexistent or unattended.

However, this is untrue. Skidmore has weekly Muslim prayer at Wilson Chapel on Fridays, holds weekly Shabbat services, has an active Chaplain on campus, and Skidmore’s clubs include Christian Fellowship Club--which hosts various weekly meetings, Hillel, Lift Every Voice Gospel Choir, and Newman Club--an organization for Catholic students at Skidmore. Skidmore does have a lively religious life on campus, it is just overlooked.

Skidmore also tends to exploit events that are rooted in religious heritage. For example, last year’s Holi event celebrating the Festival of Colors had somewhat disastrous results. Students showed up to the event with no concern for the Hindu values imbedded in Holi, its history, or its cultural resonance. When some students went up on stage (after administrative intervention) to share their knowledge about Holi, students on the green ran for the colors, turned on loud music, and drowned out the students on stage with their yelling. Rather than listening respectfully and gaining some understanding of what actions they were about to partake in, they demonstrated a flagrant disrespect to the Hindu culture and history, and a disregard for the religious significance of the event.

In order to combat the ignorance surrounding religion on campus, Skidmore should have more venues for learning and discussing religion. Think of how many courses at this school examine race, class and gender, and the way those identities can be tied into various disciplines. Conversely, few courses outside of the Religious Studies department examine or even acknowledge religion. As a community, we are all well-versed in how to engage in a critical discussion about race, class or gender, likely because of the attention spent on these subjects in Skidmore’s academic discourse. If we were as well-versed in religion, perhaps we could shed the biases and stigmas attached to religious students here, foster a more elevated level of respect for religious practices, and could avoid hate-fueled arguments like the intolerant threads regarding Christianity that occurred on Yik Yak over Easter weekend.

Religion is pertinent across all disciplines. It is relevant to our past, present and future, and it has a place on Skidmore’s campus--whether that goes unnoticed or not. To be educated in the complexities of religions, or to even have a broad understanding of religion is to be far more literate on the history of humanity, on vast amounts of world literature, and to be more well-attuned to current events. Furthermore, it would help us be more attuned to and appreciative of the cultural diversity on this campus. The celebration of Holi last year was an example of a missed opportunity to better educate students about Hinduism. If we had more events to discuss various religions, and if students actually respected the religious events that we do host, we could better appreciate the diversity of thought on this campus, not just strive for an ideal of diversity. And an overall better education on religion would help shape Skidmore students into more well-rounded, less ignorant, and far less polarized citizens.

Megan Turnbull: Guest Lecturer on Nigeria and Boko Haram

By Janine Kritschgau, '18, Features Editor

Megan Turnbull, a PhD candidate at Brown University, spoke to students about Nigeria and Boko Haram on Wednesday, April 1 in Emerson Auditorium. Her fieldwork has taken her to the southern and middle belt regions of Nigeria, where she has studied orderly militant activity on various occasions.

Turnbull explained the origins and evolution of Boko Haram, which was named a “terrorist group” by the United States in 2010. What was perhaps most surprising was her emphasis on more temperate beginnings, in which politicians actually supported the group financially between 2003 and 2008. She focused on the events that turned this quasi-private military contractor group into a full-fledged, uncontrollable, outwardly violent entity—namely the arrest and execution of Boko Haram leader Mohammed Yusuf by the Nigerian army. The capital punishment was enforced without any prosecution. Although Turnbull believes the group’s mounting disapproval of the government would have led to more violent outbursts eventually, Yusuf's death expedited this result.

The international community recently became flooded with the news that Boko Haram had pledged allegiance to ISIS, another terrorist group. Turnbull emphasized that this relationship is not cause for fear, because the geographic distance between Nigeria and the Middle East will make collaboration difficult. Additionally, the lecture pointed out that a great deal of Boko Haram’s anger is directed at the Nigerian government.

The frustration with the federal government stems from its inability to provide services, as well as a corrupt and ineffective army. The militia, which frequently violates human rights, is fearful in the face of Boko Haram. In some cases, Chadian armies have reclaimed territory from Boko Haram, but the Nigerian army has not actually gone to those places to take them back. Turnbull explained how the fear of the terrorist group has in some cases completely stopped the Nigerian army from confronting them, even responding with violence towards Nigerian army leaders rather than the enemy.

Essentially, what Boko Haram wants is Sharia law in the northern region of Nigeria, formal prosecution of police members responsible for the execution of Yusuf, and more action in terms of services for the public on behalf of the government. This is a similar motivator for ISIS, which arguably provides more services than the Syrian government does in some places, such as the ISIS capital of Al Raqqah. Perhaps if there is one thing to learn from these groups, it is that in this day and age of arms technology and trafficking, if people feel their government is not providing for them, they will likely—and sometimes violently—take matters into their own hands. “Local contexts and dynamics give rise to these groups,” Turnbull stated.