With all the risks that come with interacting with others, many of the activities we are all used to doing have unfortunately become impossible, and now that the weather is starting to get cooler, it can be harder to find socially distant ways to hang out with people. Here are a few ideas for ways to stay connected while staying safe!
Read moreHow Clubs Are Reacting to a Remote Learning Semester
Club Executive Boards (e-boards) are always faced with the challenge of keeping their communities united and engaged throughout the semester, but how are they supposed to keep up now that their members are scattered across the globe?
Read moreBehind the Scenes of Skidmore's Berlin Wall
Walls are divisive—so why was one built on campus? The short answer is that it’s part of Dr. Petra Watzke’s class “The Berlin Wall,” which has been working with Gary Wilson in the theater department to create their own Berlin Wall.
Read moreBook Reviews: Summer Reads Edition
While the summer is great because of the sun and, well, not having school, the season also provides ample time for picking up all those books gathering dust on your desk. Here, you will find some of our writers’ favorite reads that we hope you will love too.
Read moreOne Sustainable Step: Burgess Begins Using Strawless Lids
With warm weather approaching, more people are making their annual switch from their hot beverages to iced coffees and teas. One noticeable change this year though, is that when people pick up their iced drink from the Burgess counter, there is no longer a straw.
Read moreThe Satisfying World of Bullet Journals
In recent years, bullet journaling has grown from a small online community to a part of the mainstream. As a personalized approach to planning one’s life, the trend has reached Skidmore’s campus in recent years. Katherine Eiger and Parisa Kabiri are two enthusiasts of the organization method.
Read morePhilosophy Club: From News Headlines to Kanye West
College may be a time for learning big ideas, but it is also a time to interrogate them. And what better place to do so than Skidmore’s Philosophy Club? Every week, the Philosophy Club meets to try to answer big questions, ranging from the philosophy of love to the philosophy of Kanye West. Skidmore News sat down with Amanda Marlowe, club president, along with board members August Rosenberg, Maximillian Lowe and Meghan Tucker.
Students do not have to be philosophy majors to join the club; in fact, many of their members are from all different sorts of majors. “What I like about Philosophy Club is it’s like a little of a departure from real philosophy,” said Lowe. “Philosophy majors come occasionally, they usually provide a different perspective, but I’d say maybe some people have taken one philosophy class, or people don’t know anything and just come,” added Tucker.
How exactly do they come up with their different discussion topics? “Sometimes [we] pull from the headlines,” explained Lowe. Other times, however, the topics are a bit more out-there, like when they covered Kanye West in a past meeting.
The meetings generally start with a topic and a few discussion questions from the board, who then let the conversation flow freely with some moderation. Rosenberg explained that the club uses “gentle reminders” to keep the conversation flowing and to ensure everyone has a voice in the discussion.
“We don’t want to make it feel like we’re in some kind of straight-backed, academia classroom-tense space,” explained Marlowe. “We just want to make sure that if someone maybe is talking for a little bit too long, we’ll say ‘does anyone have something to add?’”
The Philosophy Club’s goals for the semester include becoming an official club, working on their partnerships with other clubs and increase their presence on campus. Despite the club’s existence for quite a long time, currently it is not ‘official’ — or, as Lowe put it: “It was a philosophical thing genuinely for a while.” Now, however, the e-board hopes to change that.
The club has some exciting partnerships coming up this semester. “In just a couple weeks we’re partnering with Feelgood, which is another club on campus that is working to end world hunger and do it in a sustainable fashion,” said Marlowe. The Philosophy Club is going to join Feelgood at their grilled cheese stand in Case and ask people about their decisions about where to spend their money, which will then lead into the following week’s discussion, “Why do we want to be good; is it selfless or selfish?”
The Philosophy Club meets on Mondays at 5:30 in Ladd 207. They’re always welcoming to newcomers, and you don’t need any background in philosophy to show up. “There’s no prerequisite of knowledge of any philosophy of philosophers, so we try to make it an open environment for anyone who wants to come and share their thoughts,” said Marlowe.
The Hub: Skidmore's Makerspace
The Hub, as it is formally known, may just look like an ordinary building on the outside, but inside is a space where students create a wide range of projects from electronics and woodworking to textiles.
Read moreOPINION: Reflecting on Exit West as a First-Year
What does it mean to be a refugee? A first-year reflection on this year’s summer reading, Exit West, midway through the fall semester.
Read moreOPINION: The CDTA Bus Is A Great Way To Get Around Town: Here’s Why
Want to go Downtown but unsure whether you should wait for the bus or just Uber? Skidmore News took the CDTA bus around Saratoga and all the way to Wilton mall. Read our review on the bus trip and find out more about student-friendly transportation!
Read more