We are always going to be around people with more resources, who will be held to lower standards with less accountability. Student-athletes have to recognize their unofficial positions of power on campus and the level of influence these positions have. As we move forward, it is important that we as a community work towards holding our own peers accountable instead of relying on an absent administration to do the work for us. Only then will we be able to move past social hierarchies and reconcile relations between student-athletes and non-student-athletes.
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 moreHow the Liberty League Unanimously Chose to Promote the Spread of COVID-19
Does Skidmore only care about how outsiders perceive us or about what goes on? Do donations related to current or former athletes matter more than student safety? What drove Skidmore, as well as the other schools, to unanimously accept these objectively unsafe protocols? Although we will likely never find the real answer, these are questions that are important to ask. If you are also concerned about campus athletics, or if you believe that they should continue, feel free to contribute to this conversation.
Read moreWhy We Must Settle For The Two-Party System
Proportional representation would undoubtedly make other parties more competitive and gain more representation in Congress. But, altering our electoral method would be nearly impossible to implement into our current system of government. Additionally, it would generate extremist parties that would gain representation in government, as seen in eastern Europe. A two-party system may be inconvenient for distinguishing politicians in the same party, but it keeps extremists in check. There may be intra-party disagreement on issues, but that just means that voters need to understand that every politician is more nuanced than their party label.
Read moreInvestigating Identity: Kwame Anthony Appiah Speaks At Skidmore
Appiah’s lecture enlightened me to the intensity of identity and the duty each person has to themself and others to explore their social stance. What does my presentation communicate to others? More importantly, what do I want it to communicate? How do I incorporate intersecting identities? By approaching social groups as tribes, I have gained a renewed sensation of belonging and community. Identity is a shapeshifting force that will likely be in flux for a while, if not permanently. Still, Appiah’s guidance granted me unexpected insight into the empowerment that is intertwined with identity.
Read moreBreak Day: A Reminder to Prioritize Self-Care
I realized that break days shouldn’t just be a school-scheduled once-a-semester occurrence. A break day can be your own creation. Think of something you’ve been putting off because you “haven’t had time” or something you love to do that school has eclipsed in importance. Take out the box of paints in the back of your closet, the journal on your nightstand with the wrapping still on it, the book you are “going to find time to read” but never did. Turn off your phone, shut down your computer, and do it! Take a day off, an hour off, or even just twenty minutes off, and do yourself a favor.
Read moreNext Year in Person: Reflections on This Year’s Passover
This Passover, I feel more in-tune with my Jewish identity than ever: I’ve never thought about my philosophical Jewish beliefs as much as I have lately, in this season of Pesach and the retelling of the Exodus. It’s special to celebrate joy and freedom, whether it’s yours or that of your ancestors. It makes us have hope and believe that we, too, will experience that in our lifetimes. We just have to work for it, and we do that by being a good person, and filling the world with love, respect, and kindness.
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 moreA Twelve Month-Long Decade
This year brought a decade’s worth of lessons; for that, I am wiser. I was forced to detach from the conscience I created from pieces of other people; for that, I am self-aware. I learned it was possible for my whole world to change in one day; for that, I am grateful for today.
Read moreOn How the NFL Embodies American Hypocrisy
There seems to be a good-as-unanimous consensus that football—and by extension, the National Football League (NFL)—serves as a fundamental, thoroughly red-white-and-blue emblem of American culture, along with grill-branded burgers, guns, and violently orange-colored cheddar cheese. A zoom into the sports world reveals that the NFL has dominated attendance, television ratings, merchandise, and revenue for years now compared to other American sports, and thus is comfortably situated on its very own throne.
Read moreWhy Mental Health Matters Now More Than Ever
When you get sick or scrape your knee, the immediate reaction is to take medicine or grab a bandage. But what about when you are having a mental health day; when your anxiety or depression is making you feel worse than a cold or a scraped knee could? The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our lives more than any other time in history. Quarantine became the new norm and, for months on end, our mental health has paid the price.
Read moreThe War on Normal People: Revealing the Privilege of Education
The Skidmore student body prides itself on stepping outside of our bubbles to understand what it is like in the shoes of others. Another privilege that must be acknowledged, educational privilege, is one that we all share as students. The War On Normal People is a book that I believe every current college student or alum must read in order to better understand the experience and future of being “normal.”
Read moreOp-Ed: On the Accusation of Critiques of Israel Being Anti-Semitic
There is an entire history’s worth of politics and beliefs to consider when assessing the Israel-Palestine conflict because colonialism in Palestine did not begin with Zionism. When making educated, accurate critiques of the Israeli government’s policies, whether past or present, it’s not attacking Judaism or the faith of its people. It is our duty as part of this world system to understand all of its intricacies, and we cannot do that if we intentionally exclude the Israel-Palestine situation.
Read moreMaking the Internet a Diverse and More Equitable Place: How to Become an Effective Online Ally
Online abuse is real, harmful, and it is growing each day as technology becomes more advanced and as our society becomes more divided. It is important, now more than ever, that we are equipped to stand up for others and commit towards ending online abuse.
Just Accept it, The Cold is Coming: Tips for Conquering the Winter Blues at Skidmore
Unfortunately, winter is upon us and as much as I joke that I would do anything and everything in my power to stop it, I think it’s time to accept reality. Based of my personal experience, here are some ways I recommend keeping yourself sane during the winter months in Saratoga.
Read moreFracking and Flies — Oh Wait, There’s an Election Going On?: Reflections on the Vice Presidential Debate
Following the first Presidential debate, which can only be described as catastrophic, it was hard to anticipate what the mood for Wednesday’s Vice Presidential debate between Vice President Mike Pence (R) and Senator Kamala Harris (D) would be.
Read moreLet’s Call the ‘Fox-Eye’ Trend What It Is: Racism
Circling around media platforms such as YouTube and TikTok have been videos of non-Asian people participating in the Fox Eye Trend. The fox eye trend consists of using eye makeup to make their eyes appear slanted upward, and many use their hands to pull their eyes slanted upward.
Why the WNBA Commands Our Full Attention Right Now
The WNBA is often overlooked in its efforts, both in terms of basketball, and their work towards a more equitable world. In the face of inevitable social revolution in the United States, I believe the players and coaches of the WNBA and the league at large deserve our full attention and support in their social justice initiatives.
Read more(OPINION) The Petersons & 'Blue Lives Matter': Students Reveal A Pattern of Racism among Skidmore Faculty and Staff
Recently, a ‘‘Back the Blue'‘ counter protest occurred in Saratoga Springs, and live footage from the action showed two Skidmore professors, David Peterson and Andrea Peterson--who work in the Art Department--standing with the Blue Lives protesters. I reached out to David Peterson in the hopes of receiving clarity from him on this decision.
Read more