On Wednesay October 28th, Skidmore partnered with PEN America and the Freedom of the Press Foundation to deliver a digital safety self defense workshop as an installment of the second annual Skidmore Speaks event. With this in mind, I created the following guide to protecting yourself online, in the hopes of relaying the knowledgeable advice of Vilk and Holmes.
“Conversation” with President Conner: A Recap
Watchful eyes from all over searched their emails or their feeds for a chance to watch Monday’s inaugural “Conversation with Conner”, where President Conner aimed to devote time to speak with the community. Many of the Skidmore student body, previously indifferent, may have found recent interest in President Conner’s address due to the troubling events of Halloweekend. A normal conversation was now seemingly colored by the effects of the outside world.
Read moreThe Futility of Words
Grief is a curious thing.
You disappear inside an ocean of get well soons
And what can I do for you?
But what do you say when you can’t see the body
When elbow bumps replace hugs
And hand sanitizer is more common than flowers.
What do you say
when you say good-bye through video chat?
Those pixels can’t capture the stench of dried sweat
And the rhythmic hum of the ventilator,
A drumbeat in a sterile room.
You are left to ponder your existence on a screen.
What do you say
To unimaginable loss
Shrouded in the indignities of politics.
With 32,972 dead
What do you say?
I love you could suffice
But the cotton of the mask traps the words
And leaves you unmoored,
Drifting,
Alone.
In 2020, Skidmore’s Storytellers Shift
Stories without words. History without pages. A roomless exhibit.
Read moreSocially Distant Activities
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 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 moreA Guide to the 2020 Election
Casting Your Vote: In-Person and By Mail
Oh no! I’m not registered yet!
There is same-day registration in 21 states and D.C.: refer to the National Conference of State Legislature’s page on Same Day Voter Registration.
How to Vote In-Person in Saratoga Springs
If you are registered to vote at with your Skidmore address (a.k.a. in Saratoga Springs), you can vote:
Early in Gavin Park (10 Lewis Rd, Saratoga Springs) on Thursday, Oct 29th and Friday, Oct. 20th from 9 AM to 5 pm; Saturday, Oct. 31st and Sunday, Nov, 1st from 9 AM to 2 PM
On Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 3rd) in Case Center from 6 AM to 9 PM
On Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 3rd) at Saratoga Springs City Center (522 Broadway, Saratoga Springs) from 6 AM to 9 PM
State-by-State Deadlines for Absentee Ballots
Refer to U.S. Vote Foundation, vote.org, or your state’s Division of Elections.
Your Vote: What Does it Mean?
Presidential Election
For a brief overview of the Electoral College, I recommend the TED-Ed video, “Does your vote count? The Electoral College explained” (2012), which can be found on YouTube.
How many electors does each state have in 2020? (Image from Wikipedia)
This is also the number of congressional representatives in each state.
What are Faithless Electors and why might that be important?
There is no federal law or constitutional provision which binds the electors to the winner of the popular vote in their state. However, the precedent is that the party who elects the electors gets their votes.
There were seven faithless electors in 2016 (WA, HI, TX), the most since 1972.
July 2020: Supreme Court ruled that states could make a law which binds electors to the winning party. 31 states and D.C. have enacted such a law for the upcoming election.
For a fun novel about where the Electoral College could all go wrong (in an almost too-timely situation), check out The People’s Choice by Jeff Greenfield (1995).
Congress
Members of the House of Representatives and the Senate are elected by popular vote. Congressional districts are redrawn every ten years during the redistricting process. For more information on redistricting, see Ballotpedia's page on redistricting.
Voter Suppression
Voter suppression takes form in many ways, such as the wait time at polling places, the number of polling places in an area, and voter ID laws, and is seen across the country. It is crucial to pay attention to your state’s election rules and how they can suppress the voting rights of millions of people of color, persons with disabilities, immigrants, the elderly, and students. For a deeper look into voter suppression from a historical and legal perspective, watch the New York Times video, “Why Voting in This U.S. Election Will Not Be Equal” (2020). Also check out my 2019 Skidmore News article titled “How Student Voter Oppression is Upending Democracy” which is still incredibly relevant in this election. For a Skidmore News article about broader themes in this election, see the October 2020 article by Eleanor Ketterer-Sykes, “2020 Presidential Election: A Conversation with Professor Christopher Mann.”
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 morePreview: One Night & One Hour, a discussion about comedy with Jaboukie Young-White
This Friday, October 23rd at 7 pm, Jaboukie Young-White will be talking to the Skidmore community over zoom in an event co-hosted by the Arts Administration program and the Zankel Music Center. The event will be moderated by Playbill’s social media manager, and “Call and Response” podcast host Felicia Fitzpatrick.
Read moreA Plastic Free Campus? Not Just Yet
In this unprecedented time of COVID, there have been many changes to all of our lives. From different ways of learning, to daily tests, to increased use of plastic. To ensure the safety of everyone, these changes are necessary, but could some cause more harm than good?
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 more2020 Presidential Election: A Conversation with Professor Christopher Mann
The virus, combined with an array of variables, including a polarizing political divide, have made the 2020 Presidential Election incredibly extraordinary. Or, as Professor Mann puts it, “incredibly volatile,” marking it as one of the most unprecedented in recent history.
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.
Understanding Skidmore’s Intergroup Relations Department
Over the past few weeks, I had the pleasure of speaking with faculty and students in the Intergroup Relations (IGR) department to learn more about the critical conversations they are engaging in both online and in the classroom. With a strong emphasis placed on dialogue-based learning, the department creates a space where students discuss topics around race, social justice, gender, sexuality, class, religion, and nationality.
Read more205 Days Later
March 7th 2020; A truly crazy night. Half my Contemporary Theory class pulled an all-nighter in Case Center, all scrambling to finish a paper that was due at noon the following day.
Read moreRuth Bader Ginsburg: Balancing Democracy
As a woman with ambition during a period where a woman’s silence was expected and intelligence undervalued, Ruth Bader Ginsburg did not just persevere through her struggles, she reformed existing rules to help future generations. Being the second female and first Jewish Supreme Court Justice, Ginsburg’s personal experiences with discrimination only served to motivate her.
Read moreBack to Athletics: Gail Cummings-Danson on the Return to Practice and Sport
Skidmore College put out an athletics update stating that while Fall sports competitions were cancelled, teams may still practice under the rules and regulations put out by New York State and the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA). But what was the conversation and process like to reach this decision? And what would this mean for varsity athletics, as well as usage of the facilities? To provide clarity to the situation, Gail Cummings-Danson, Director of Athletics, answers some of these questions.
Read moreWest Coast Wildfires Cause Hazy Skies in Upstate New York
The smoke from the West Coast wildfires has traveled thousands of miles to New York – and if you looked up at the sky from campus last week, you may have seen a sunset-like haze that didn’t go down that night.
Read moreVote on Retaining Student Evaluations Divides Faculty at Oct. 2 Faculty Meeting
Over 200 faculty members voted on whether to retain or remove student evaluations for the Fall 2020 semester, during the college’s monthly faculty meeting held on October 2nd. This meeting, and particularly, the results from this vote sought to put to rest circling unease surrounding the administering of Student Ratings and Feedback surveys and their inclusion in hiring decisions.
Read moreThe Sun Runs
Poet Dianna Mason returns with her haikus.
Read more