This semester, Skidmore has signified its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), by launching a new hub on campus to house these conversations and related offices. Located at the heart of campus, on the second floor of Case Center, The Center opened its doors to the Skidmore public on Friday, September 24th.
Read moreWildfires and Toxic Fumes Are Swallowing the United States
Wildfires have been ravaging the California ecosystem for years now. Unfortunately, wildfires do not just affect those who can see their flames on the west coast. At different times within this past year, the eastern half of the United States watched in awe as skies filled with smoke, blanketing the country in gray and red hues.
Read moreOne of Saratoga's Last Historically Black Organizations in Danger of Vanishing
The Frederick Allen Lodge is located within Saratoga Springs, NY in the Beekman Street Arts District: 69 Beekman St. It has historically been a fraternal organization that did charity for the Black community. Nowadays, it still holds those values and exists as a prominent social club and gathering space for the Black population in Saratoga Springs.
Read moreMeet the Saratoga Commissioner of Finance Candidate: Minita Sanghvi
On June 1st of this year, Skidmore College Business Professor Minita Sanghvi announced her decision to run for Commissioner of Finance for the Saratoga Springs City Council. As the first openly gay candidate, Sanghvi announced her candidacy during Pride Month.
Read moreMeet the Saratoga Mayoral Candidate: Heidi Owen West
Heidi Owen West, a local business woman in Saratoga Springs, announced her candidacy for mayor in March of 2020. She is running under the endorsement of the Saratoga County Republican Committee, but is personally an Independent. In her interview with The Skidmore News, West emphasized her role and skills as a local business woman, which she believes will make her an effective city leader.
Read moreMeet the Saratoga Mayoral Candidate: Robin Dalton
In her interview with The Skidmore News, Commissioner Dalton detailed her plan for implementing effective communication between the community and city hall, supporting the city’s police and fire services, and advocating for nonpartisan elections in Saratoga Springs.
Read moreMeet the Saratoga Mayoral Candidate: Ron Kim
Capital Region native Ron Kim is the only Democratic candidate in next week’s mayoral election. After spending eight years on the Saratoga Springs Zoning Board of Appeals and two terms as Commissioner of Public Safety, Kim is now dedicated to improving Saratoga’s infrastructure, reinvigorating democracy and restoring trust in the government. This week, The Skidmore News sat down with Ron Kim to discuss his platform, goals for Saratoga Springs, and how he envisions Skidmore students as actors in this work.
Read moreBackstage Missing Cases in Wyoming: The Exclusion of Indigenous Peoples
Twenty two-year-old Gabby Petito’s death was nothing short of tragic. A week after being filed as a missing person, Petito’s body was found in Bridger-Teton National Forest, Wyoming. With the official cause of death being ruled as strangulation, her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie is being pursued as a suspect. But is the same amount of attention being given to find answers and justice for missing Indigenous peoples?
Read moreSaratoga Politricks: A Conversation with Jason Golub
Followers of Saratoga politics understand the complex and often stunted nature of implementing policy change within the city. It’s been seen through the lack of leadership surrounding initiatives to support the city’s unhoused populations, minority communities, and a diverse economy – outside of mainly tourism – which often barricades valuable change in Saratoga. On top of these issues, the events of the city council meetings this spring, in terms of their passage of a controversial resolution in response to the Police Reform Task Force have only further exemplified the divisiveness between Saratoga Springs leadership and their residents.
Read moreSaratoga Lakeview Park Residents Faced with Eviction
It’s easy to pass off Saratoga Springs as a fun evening destination to spend time with friends, especially considering that Skidmore College is an insular community in itself. However, a larger Saratoga community rests outside the college, made up of long-time residents, small business owners, and families. Currently, these residents are struggling with affordable housing or lack thereof. One group in particular – residents of the Saratoga Lakeview Mobile Home Park – are in jeopardy of eviction.
Read moreA Q&A With Freirich Entrepreneurship Competition Winner
The Kenneth A. Freirich Entrepreneurship Competition was founded by Ken Freirich, ‘90, in 2010 to encourage interest in business and entrepreneurship at Skidmore. Dylan Telano, ‘23, received the first-place prize of $20,000 for his online writing platform, VoyceMe. I interviewed him over Zoom for a Q&A session about himself and his project. Following are edited excerpts from that conversation.
Read moreSaratoga Springs Constitutional Crisis: What the Final City Council Meeting on Police Reform Revealed
Saratoga Springs finds itself in political turmoil as the city council held another open dialogue on police reform on March 31 on zoom. This meeting was the last open dialogue held before the city council voted to adopt the 50-point plan on police reform created by the Saratoga Springs Police Reform Task Force (SSPRTF). The SSPRTF created the 50-point plan to address Saratoga’s reform of the Saratoga Springs Police Department (SSPD). The proposal has been met with reluctance by the Saratoga city council and open hostility from the SSPD. However, the third draft proposed by the city council was passed with only one member in opposition.
Read moreThe Question of Statehood: Can Washington D.C. Become a State?
Updates on the Saratoga Police Reform Task Force Dialogue Ahead of City Council Vote
Earlier this month, the city council published its first resolution to adopt Saratoga Springs Police Reform Task Force’s recommendations for police reform into city policy. Shortly after, they published another. Residents and activists were dissatisfied with the language used in the resolution, which prompted the council to reissue their response last week.
Read moreCreating Our Future Campaign: Thoughts From the Skidmore Community
With such a successful campaign, Skidmore students should understand how the funding will be used to advance college programs and improve campus facilities. In this article, I will detail each of the six Creating Our Future campaign priorities: building the Center for Integrated Science, scholarships and financial aid, the Tang, the Career Development Center, athletics, and the Skidmore Fund. I also reached out to students, faculty, and staff to gather their thoughts and opinions on the college’s funding distribution.
Read moreGovernor Cuomo Faces Scandals on the Eve of the 2022 Election
Over the past few months, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s COVID-19 press briefing heroics have been fading into the past, and he is currently amidst multiple scandals.
Read moreSpring Covid Precautions Yield Increased Plastic Waste
Skidmore’s 2020 Fall semester proved just how different college during a pandemic would look and feel. One seemingly small but significant change is the use of plastic to-go containers in the dining hall. When students returned to campus at the end of January, this waste-producing routine was only exacerbated by the safe shelter mode that defined our first week on campus.
Read moreTexas Winter Storms Incite a State Crisis
During the winter season in Saratoga Springs, it is normal to experience one or two Nor’easters. Students don heavy coats and boots, classes continue, and life carries on. As the national news reports, however, other parts of the country have been affected severely by strong winter storms this year. Over the past two weeks, Texas – a state not known for having much snow – has been hit by two heavy winter storms.
Read moreSaratoga Police Reform Task Force Meeting: An Update to the Skidmore Community
Earlier this month, members of the Skidmore community gathered virtually to hear from Professors Winston Grady-Willis and Terry Diggory along with Jason Golub, one of the Co-Chairs of the task force. The task force, composed of 13 members – 8 of whom identify as people of color – is charged with reviewing the policies of the Saratoga Springs Police Department (SSPD).
Read moreClimate Change, Fire, and Skidmore: An Account from the North Woods Steward
On the afternoon of Wednesday, September 23rd, a fire broke out in the Skidmore North Woods. Fall had just begun, and it was a dry, hot day. Just off the orange trail, a visitor of the woods noticed the distinct smell of smoke and called campus safety. Other visitors smelled it while they were trail running, hiking, and walking their dogs. The fire department was called, and they promptly arrived, found the small fire, and put it out.
Read more