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 moreThe Importance of "Betting on Yourself": USMNT Rising Star John Tolkin
New York Red Bulls and U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team (USMNT) defender John Tolkin is only 20 years old, but has matured into a world-class professional soccer player. I was lucky to have the chance to discuss many topics with him, including the importance of “betting on yourself,” being process oriented, and recognizing mental health. As impressive as his performances on the field are, the elite mentality of the rising star is equally inspiring.
Read moreA Robot Did My Homework: Implications of Artificial Intelligence
My family, like many others, sends out an annual at the end of December — or, more realistically, the beginning of January. The page-long note accompanies a smiley holiday card and summarizes the twelve months prior in sweeping, unspecific terms to a selection of friends and family. This year, we asked artificial intelligence to write the letter for us, using a platform called ChatGPT. The decision was born, in small part, out of procrastination, and in large part, out of curiosity. What we anticipated when we input the prompt was amusement. What we did not expect was accuracy.
Read moreThe Banshees of Inisherin: Martin McDonagh’s Mournful Ode to Irish Folklore
Well-established as one of the most exceptional writer-directors in modern cinema, Martin McDonagh tackles daunting existential questions with unmatched grace. McDonagh’s films pair slick comedic wit with a kind of philosophical weight, and one quality never obscures the other; they seem to feed off of one another, only illuminating the absurdity of our existence. These grave yet laughable bits of human experience are as potent as ever in McDonagh’s newest (and most unmistakably Irish) film, The Banshees of Inisherin (2022), which reunites Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson from their unforgettable In Bruges (2008) performance.
Read moreFilm Review: "The Menu" Bites Off More Than It Can Chew
The Menu, directed by Mark Mylod, is poised to be a cinematic feast. Its narrative is ambitious, its cast is impressive, and its cinematography is simultaneously delicate and striking. Ultimately, however, the film tides viewers over more than it fills them up. Though gripping and provocative, a few too many questions remain unanswered when the credits roll.
Read moreWednesday: Netflix’s New Show Gives Viewers a Thrill
Wednesday follows teenage Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) who has recently been expelled from her high school for playing a lethal prank on her classmates. Believing she would feel more at home in a school for Outcasts, her parents enroll her at Nevermore Academy. During her time there, she must figure out how to navigate her growing psychic ability, solve a series of murders, and reveal a secret that her parents have been concealing from her for years.
Read moreJust One Letter (Skid)More!
Hey Skidmore! Please enjoy a relaxing crossword as we head to the end of the semester. There's a bit of everything here: music, geography, pop- culture, the occasional pun—you name it! If you get stuck on any of the longest words, go for a walk over to the quad and take in the view—it might prove inspirational. If you like what you see (or rather, solve), I post crosswords occasionally to my Instagram: @wunterhasser.
Read moreBlame It On The Planets: What’s The Word on Mercury Retrograde?
The phrase “Mercury Retrograde” is frequently tossed around in pop culture–such as on TikTok and other social media platforms– but what does it mean and why do tarot-reading-yerba-mate-crystal-girls start freaking out every time it happens?
Read more“The Internet is F***** Up”: A Conversation with Skidmore Alumna Grace Kuhlenschmidt
Earlier in November, I sat down with Grace Kuhlenschmidt, a 2017 graduate of Skidmore with a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology and one of the TikTok creators at the front of this phenomenon. Kuhlenschmidt, who is currently living in Brooklyn, New York, has accrued 338,000 followers on TikTok and nearly 170,000 on Twitter.
Read moreThe Dreaded Debate Over Exams Versus Papers
Much debate exists as to what form of assessment is “better” or “more productive.” At first, the question really becomes what would you rather do: take exams or write essays. However, one could argue that it is important to consider which method is least stressful for students and the most fair assessment of the knowledge students have retained in their classes. Additionally, is it fair for students that assessments are often seen as the sole evaluators of our understanding of class material?
Read moreRevamped Skidmania Takes the Stage and Community by Storm
When eight p.m. rolled around on November 18 and 19, the house lights dimmed in the Arthur Zankel Music Center’s Helen Filene Ladd Concert Hall. The chattery hum of the audience fizzled to a pregnant near-silence of anticipation. Written in this silence was a mutual understanding: this moment was special. And throughout the next two hours, the audience was musically transported fifty years into the past.
Read moreInvestigating Allegations of Drink Druggings in Downtown Saratoga
At the beginning of every new school year, Skidmore College students relish in the last of Saratoga’s summer warmth. Returning students reunite with friends and spend their Saturday nights at well-loved local venues. Many first-years attend college parties for the first time. This fall, however, those blissful weekends were interrupted on September 25, when Skidmore students awoke — many of them after a night out — to an alarming message in their inbox. The email, sent by the College’s Office of Campus Safety, reported a suspected drink drugging at a downtown establishment.
Read moreThe Case for Art Spaces
This June, after over a year of research and development, Skidmore released their Campus Master Plan, an assessment of current facilities and a guide to the next decade of campus development. It’s ambitious and accessible, full of great ideas and long overdue admissions of substandard facilities. However, one thing that was conspicuously absent was any meaningful mention of Skidmore’s art department. All that it said on this topic was that, in 10+ years, there would be some sort of “condition focused renovation.” In speaking with other students, though, it’s been hard to ignore the general sentiment that changes in the art department are long overdue.
Read moreMidnights: Swiftly Taking Over the World
Midnights tells "the stories of 13 sleepless nights" that occurred throughout Swift's life. The album was released at midnight on October 21. Midnights gracefully speaks on themes of love, loss, anxiety and self-image, taking the listener through nights of insomnia-fueled anxieties that keep Swift awake. These themes are evident on tracks such as “Labyrinth” where Swift sings, “It only feels this raw right now / Lost in the labyrinth of my mind” and “Anti-Hero,” with the line, “I'll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror.”
Read more2022 World Cup - A Look into the History and Current Controversies of the Stadiums
The long awaited 2022 FIFA World Cup is now here and being hosted in Qatar from November 20th to December 18th. Games will be played across eight stadiums, all within a 22 mile radius of Doha, the capital city. Qatar won the right to host after a controversial bidding process in which several FIFA members were accused of bribery, amongst other corrupt practices. Not only was the bidding process problematic, but Qatar's suitability to host has repeatedly been called into question for a number of reasons, including the hot climate and more concerningly, their human rights record.
Read moreThe Solidarity Project: the Story of my Art Installation in Case Gallery
A few months ago, Akhil Reed Omar, a professor at Yale University, came to Skidmore. He was giving a talk about the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the future of the Supreme Court - both topics I am interested in. But that is not why I attended this lecture. I attended this lecture because I wanted to ask him a specific question.
Read moreSilent Sky Review
Dim lights rise in the Black Box Theater, furnished with two wooden platforms, an upright piano, and a short, circular stage painted with a map of the night sky. The audience surrounds the thrust stage on three sides. A woman in Edwardian clothing with an old-fashioned hearing aid around her neck enters the stage and stands on the star chart, gazing upwards.
Read morePhantom of the Opera Coming Off-Broadway
In the past three years, theater fans have noticed a rapid depletion of Broadway musicals. Dear Evan Hansen, Beetlejuice, Come From Away, and now, the longest running show in Broadway’s history, Phantom of the Opera. What exactly is going on that is causing so many seemingly loved shows to shut their doors?
Read moreBrazil Presidential Election: Lula Defeats Incumbent Bolsonaro
On October 30th, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defeated incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil's presidential election. The election was very close, with Lula winning by only 1.8 percent of votes. Lula is a leftist politician who previously served as Brazil’s President from 2003-2010, leaving office with an 87 percent approval rating. Lula will fight for liberal values, but, like in the U.S., Brazil's economy is suffering from inflation. Before he can jump into his liberal agenda, Lula must rebuild a struggling country with many people in poverty and going hungry. As Lula pointed out during his campaign, Bolsonaro was pro-torture and pro-dictatorship. Lula’s goal is to return Brazil to a stable democracy. Along with his promises to enforce laws preventing deforestation, Lula also pledged to increase the minimum wage and social welfare, and support civil rights.
Read moreTua Tagovailoa's Head Injuries Raise Questions about the Ethics of the NFL
Tua Tagovailoa rejoined the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, 10/23, following a two-week absence due to multiple head injuries. The quarterback was brutally sacked in a game during Week 3 of the National Football League (NFL) season against the Buffalo Bills, where his head was hit with immense force on the turf and he struggled to walk after. The team’s medical staff, however, cleared Tagovailoa to play for the rest of the game. The next week, the 24-year-old suffered a concussion in Cincinnati during a game, this time with much more serious consequences. After an intense hit, he was seen lying on the field unmoving with his fingers clenched in stiff, unnatural positions.
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