Through my experiences as a history major at Skidmore, it has become clear to me that the college places an importance on exploring history “from the bottom up.” Within the Skidmore History and American Studies Departments, the voices so often ignored and overlooked throughout history are thrust into the limelight.
Read moreOctober 14th is designated as Columbus Day, a federal holiday celebrating the life, accomplishments, and legacy of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus. Despite the growing national movement towards greater recognition of Indigenous heritage, however, Skidmore College, unfortunately, has remained silent.
Read moreAs students at Skidmore College, we often find ourselves immersed in the academic bubble. Between classes, clubs, and campus events, it can be easy to lose sight of the community that surrounds us. But when I was assigned to volunteer at the Saratoga County Animal Shelter, I knew this would be doing more than checking off a box for my grade.
Read moreEarlier today, The Skidmore News reported that Wesley Yang, an outspoken transphobe, was scheduled to speak at “Are We All Fundamentalists?” a conference being held to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Salmagundi magazine. Following a number of appeals to involved parties, including the Salmagundi editorial board and President Conner, we have received confirmation as of 5:00 pm that Mr. Yang has withdrawn from the conference.
Read more“Are We All Fundamentalists?” is a conference being held at the Tang from September 27 to 29 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Salmagundi magazine. Those in attendance includes Wesley Yang. Mr. Yang is a writer, columnist, and editor currently working for Tablet Magazine and Esquire. He is also an extreme, vicious, obsessive, and myopic anti-transgender extremist.
Read moreDear Skidmore community,
My name is Josh Maxwell, and I have the honor of serving as the president of Skidmore’s Student Government Association (SGA) this year. I am entering my junior year at Skidmore, as well as my third year serving in the SGA.
Read moreHorse racing writ large is an abusive practice. Jockeys whip horses repeatedly in an environment where a single fall could mean the death of the horse. Onlookers watch, bet, and cheer as money changes hands. Families attend a spectacle of what seems to be an innocent sport that unites people and animals. In truth, horse racing is steeped in abuse, medical neglect, and debt. Can it really be a sport if it rests upon a structure of exploitation?
Read moreTREAT was founded with the aim of creating corridors between remnants of rainforest. The Wet Tropics, in which TREAT operates, is a diverse ecosystem that is home to many endemic species that only occur within the bioregion. When these forests are fragmented by agriculture and development, organisms are unable to move safely between patches. Some animals cannot leave their habitat at all, while others can but are threatened by cars, people, dogs, and cats when traveling between forests. When these organisms are restricted to smaller and smaller tracts of forest, they become more susceptible to disturbances that occur within the area, and the habitat they can escape into decreases as well.
Read moreWhen a major event occurs, whether it be an international conflict or an urgent national crisis, it is reported immediately across the United States. If you are a college student who has access to a smartphone or a computer, you know almost immediately. You may receive a notification on your phone, or the person next to you did and repeated the headline. , whatever way you receive the news, it’s clear that college students can access the news faster and more efficiently than ever.
Read moreRidley Scott’s Napoleon (2023) shows occasional glimpses of potential but falls under its own weight, failing to tell a compelling story about one of the most compelling men in world history, ultimately winding up nothing more than a cinematic farce.
Read moreSkidmore, the professors I’ve had here (especially Professor Krefting and Professor Owens), and Black women, this is my love letter to you. Ultimately, through these actions, I hope I can be remembered—that I, Raven Jade Villa, was here.
Read moreThe United States has long had a paradoxical interest in freedom. While touting herself as the land of the free and home of the brave, she maintains massive mills of oppression, at home and abroad.
Read moreLet’s face it: we’ve all had issues with the Skidmore Wi-Fi, which seems to be down every other week and only works well in certain buildings on campus. Consequently, there seems to be a constant uproar brewing amongst students regarding the issue of Wi-Fi in the dorms and other residence buildings.
Read moreEvery May, people come together across the world to commemorate the heroic efforts of workers during what is now known as May Day, or International Workers’ Day. The celebration’s origins date back to 1886, when more than 300,000 workers across the United States from hundreds of different trades walked off their jobs in what became the first May Day celebration in history. For decades people had been putting up with inhumane working conditions and cruel 12–16-hour workdays. Regional demonstrations had been underway at this point. However, May 1st would mark a turning point in history, being the day of the first nationwide general strike demanding an eight-hour workday.
Read moreOn Monday, February 13, Czech Republic’s Jakub Jankto came out via an earnest video posted to his social media accounts. The third active male soccer player, and some claim the highest-profile one, to come out, ever. Jankto is currently playing for the Czech Republic’s AC Sparta Prague club, on loan from Spanish club Getafe, where he will return next season. He has been a part of the Czech national team since 2017 and has made 45 appearances for them at the international level.
Read moreMy family, like many others, sends out an annual at the end of December — or, more realistically, the beginning of January. The page-long note accompanies a smiley holiday card and summarizes the twelve months prior in sweeping, unspecific terms to a selection of friends and family. This year, we asked artificial intelligence to write the letter for us, using a platform called ChatGPT. The decision was born, in small part, out of procrastination, and in large part, out of curiosity. What we anticipated when we input the prompt was amusement. What we did not expect was accuracy.
Read moreMuch debate exists as to what form of assessment is “better” or “more productive.” At first, the question really becomes what would you rather do: take exams or write essays. However, one could argue that it is important to consider which method is least stressful for students and the most fair assessment of the knowledge students have retained in their classes. Additionally, is it fair for students that assessments are often seen as the sole evaluators of our understanding of class material?
Read moreThis June, after over a year of research and development, Skidmore released their Campus Master Plan, an assessment of current facilities and a guide to the next decade of campus development. It’s ambitious and accessible, full of great ideas and long overdue admissions of substandard facilities. However, one thing that was conspicuously absent was any meaningful mention of Skidmore’s art department. All that it said on this topic was that, in 10+ years, there would be some sort of “condition focused renovation.” In speaking with other students, though, it’s been hard to ignore the general sentiment that changes in the art department are long overdue.
Read moreA few months ago, Akhil Reed Omar, a professor at Yale University, came to Skidmore. He was giving a talk about the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the future of the Supreme Court - both topics I am interested in. But that is not why I attended this lecture. I attended this lecture because I wanted to ask him a specific question.
Read moreThere is a temptation in the U.S. to compare international events to current events domestically, and the recent Iranian protests are no exception. Protests against the oppressive laws that women have endured for over forty years in Iran have happened only months after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, throwing many U.S. states back into 20th-century policies. The comparisons are easy to make, but before we compare, it is important to better understand the context behind Iran and why these protests are unprecedented.
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