Last night was the SGA speech night, with students showing their support for each candidate. With a few seats open for upperclassmen, the main positions open are for our first-year president and senators.
Read moreSGA to Begin Providing Financial Compensation for Members
This year, for the very first time, Skidmore’s Student Government Association will begin providing financial compensation to some of its members. Nine students that occupy the highest ranking and most time consuming positions in SGA will each receive a total of $1,500 in compensation for this academic year.
Read moreContext Behind the Senate Vote on the Committee of Institutional Accessibility
Case Green in the summer. Image courtesy of Flickr.
Last week, the Skidmore SGA Senate voted on a proposal to create a Committee on Institutional Accessibility. The resolution needed a ⅚ majority to pass and failed in a 12-6-1 (yes-no-abstain) vote. The decision to vote against this legislative change should not be interpreted as a lack of commitment to accessibility. We all agree that the lack of accessibility is a serious issue that the college must address. We agree on the facts: Skidmore College has a great deal of work to do to become ADA-compliant, which is the minimum standard for accessibility.
Read moreSGA Votes Against Forming New Committee on Institutional Accessibility
Construction material at the bottom of the Barrett Center ramp, which was reported by students to be there for two weeks. Image courtesy of Evvy Shoemaker ‘28.
On Tuesday, February 3rd, proposed resolutions were presented for the Student Government Association (SGA) to dissolve the Subcommittee on ADA and form a new Committee on Institutional Accessibility (CIA). Currently, accessibility initiatives within SGA are handled by the Subcommittee on ADA, overseen by the Committee on Institutional Diversity (CID). If this resolution was passed, it would have allowed the CIA to function independently, have a seat on the SGA Executive Committee, and give the Vice President for Institutional Accessibility greater access to Senate and the administration.
Read moreGetting to Know the Fall SGA Candidates
It’s election season. Not a national election, or even a local Saratoga election: it’s time for SGA elections, so let’s learn more about the candidates so you can make an educated choice when you cast your vote tonight.
Read moreA Conversation with SGA President-Elect Samantha Majiedt
SGA President-Elect Samantha Majiedt’s (‘27) campaign poster. Image courtesy of Samantha Majiedt ‘27/
After an exciting election season, The Skidmore News was excited to sit down with the college’s next SGA President, Samantha Majiedt, to ask how she felt about her victory and her plans for the upcoming semester.
Read moreSGA Fall Semester in Review
An SGA meeting this past fall. Image courtesy of Josh Maxwell ‘26.
The Student Government Association (SGA) had a very busy fall semester. From passing important legislation to representing students in College-wide discussions to hosting fun and informative events, the more than 75 members of the SGA worked hard to serve the student body.
Read moreAn Introduction from SGA President Josh Maxwell
Dear 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 moreSGA Update: Introducing Free Laptop Lending Kiosks to Skidmore College
On February 28, 2023, the SGA Senate passed Resolution 33-14: Laptop Loan Program Act, approving the purchase of an automated laptop lending kiosk and twenty four computers to be installed in the Scribner Library. This service, as of September 14, 2023, is officially available for use to students, staff, and faculty. Each of the 24 laptops available comes with the following programs: Microsoft Office, Chrome, Firefox, Zoom, Adobe Reader, Mathematica, JMP, Matlab, and STATA. Borrowing a laptop is simple. You can initiate a loan from the kiosk touchscreen and swipe your Skidmore card, which will check the laptop out on your library account. The loan period is fourteen days, and if you need more time, you can return the laptop you have and check out a new one.
Read moreSkidmore College and SGA Partner to Eliminate Per-Cycle Laundry Fees
We write to share some exciting news about a College-SGA partnership to address the ongoing challenges around laundry services. Following approval of a joint-financial plan between SGA and the College by the Skidmore College administration, and a subsequent vote of approval by the SGA Senate, the College is eliminating per-cycle laundry fees, effective Fall 2023. This initiative is reflective of a 2022-23 academic year marked by increased communication and collaboration between SGA and the Skidmore College administration to better meet your needs and improve the residential experience.
Read moreSGA Update: Laundry Concerns Survey and Recommendations to the College
Since I became the Student Government Association (SGA) President earlier this year, I have consistently met with students who are frustrated with the laundry services provided on our campus. The cost of the cycles, the frequently broken machines, and the lengthy repair times are some of the most prominent recurring issues experienced by the Skidmore students I have spoken with. On November 21, 2022, SGA released a survey to the student body to collect data on these concerns, asking students to identify the top laundry problems they have experienced at Skidmore. The survey received 387 responses.
Read moreIntroducing Current SGA President: Geraldine Santoso ‘22
On a chilly fall evening in November, I interviewed Skidmore's Student Government Association (SGA) new President, Geraldine Santoso ‘22, succeeding Issy Mejia ‘23, about her involvement on campus and her hopes and goals in her new position. She stands as the first BIPOC woman to be elected into the role of President. Santoso, a dedicated double major in Anthropology and International Affairs and minor in Asian Studies, holds many positions on campus, such as being a member of clubs and working in different academic departments.
Read moreWe Need to Pay More Attention to SGA and Here's Why
Community participation in SGA is one of the few assured ways that institutional change can be made with definitive cooperation with the student body. Being involved and supportive of SGA means, first and foremost, voting in elections, but it also requires voicing students’ opinions to SGA, so they know how to work with the administration to best benefit the entire student body.
Read moreIt's Not Cancel Culture, It's Liberty
YAL is not any of the things it claims to be. It is riddled with hypocrisy and paradoxes, only wanting to further its own agenda by using dubious language and antagonizing those who are brave enough to call YAL what it really is: a platform for right-wing extremists and a license for hate speech. The rejection of YAL’s petition was not a violation of individual liberty, but rather an example of how individual liberty can be virtuously harnessed for the good of the greater community.
Read moreWhy We Don't Need Any More "Political" Clubs on Campus
I think the goal should be to create different areas for expression outside of the political spectrum. Many students are overwhelmed with the number of political events occurring daily, and as we become adults, we must stay on top of current events. This can be very exhausting. Clubs should be outlets for students to express their interests and find new passions and that we should shift our focus from trying to create political safe-spaces to just creating safe spaces.
Read moreIntroducing SGA President Rachael Borthwick
On a Tuesday afternoon in early August, I had the pleasure of speaking with new SGA president Rachael Borthwick ‘21.
Read moreSGA Actively Leading Effort to Turn Falstaff's into On-Campus Bar
The Skidmore community knows Falstaff’s to be a space that hold’s a multitude of club and concert events, but there’s been a spark in conversation about considering turning the venue into a bar.
Read moreJoTo Elevator Vandalized with Mention of Campus Safety
On Feb. 11, a message popped up on the walls of the Jonsson Tower (JoTo) elevator, reading “Campo is corrupt and racist.” Over the course of the next few days, the phrase was erased and rewritten, eventually appearing in both JoTo elevators.
Read moreA Glimpse of Hope to a Better Work Study Program: But What’s Next?
Effective June 2020, Skidmore College will finally begin the process of paying its student workers the New York State minimum wage, currently at 11.80. Interested in the movement’s future plans and hopes? The Skidmore News has some answers of you!
Read moreSGA Passes Resolution of Support for an Increase in Student Minimum Wage
On Tuesday, October 1, tables in the Spa were completely filled with student workers from a variety of interests, majors, and backgrounds to discuss the issue of student minimum wage.
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