Back in 2014, Taylor Swift was “reinvented for the first time” (according to herself) when she released 1989 in 2014, as this album represents her foray from country into pop. I was in fifth grade, on the cusp of middle school, when I first listened to “1989.” When I listened to “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” in 2023, the same emotions that I felt listening to 1989 in 2014 rose to the surface. This album is not just music; it recalls childhood memories that live in the back of my mind.
Read moreSkidmore student choreographers' fall showcase set to dazzle
The Skidmore Dance department’s Choreography II showcase will premiere this Saturday, November 18, at the Dance Theater, located in Williamson Sports Center, at 2:00 pm and 5:30 pm. This annual event is the culmination of Choreography II, a course required for the performance and choreography track of the dance major. Taught by Erika Pujic, the class is meant to incorporate skills students have learned from their first two years in the major—like individual and group work, choreographic tools, leadership and collaboration—into a space with other students. The 12 upperclassmen began the fall semester by holding open auditions which welcomed any Skidmore student with a background, or even an interest, in dance. From there, the students casted and held rehearsal processes with showings that included feedback from peers and professors alike.
Read morePalm-Sized Dragon
Photo by Matthias Gellissen
He isn’t a mighty dragon that any myths depict, bravely fighting off adventurers to protect his treasure, nor a fearsome companion that I soar through the skies with. You won’t see him on the battlefield, roaring with enough strength to shake the earth; in fact, he’s the quietest member of my family, squeaking only in surprise in the 20 gallons of water he lives in. He’s a Spanish ribbed newt, which my 11-year-old self named Issac Newton, a birthday gift that excited me beyond belief. I was over the moon upon learning that he could live with me for 20 years, defending me against the great foes of boredom and homework; my mom was undeniably thrilled to hear that as well, the remark conveniently made after she’d signed the receipt.
Read moreRetracing the Ongoing New York Migrant Crisis
Photographs by Yunghi Kim/Contact Press Images/CNN
In September of 2023, it was recorded that more than 118,000 migrants had arrived in New York City since the spring of 2022. This statistic prompted Mayor Eric Adams to declare a state of emergency in the city. Mayor Adams has been adamant about putting a stop to this crisis by begging the federal government, even going to Washington himself, to obtain sufficient funding and hasten work authorizations for the incoming migrants, which would allow them to be self-sufficient. Adams relayed his frustration by claiming that President Biden has “failed” the city by not attempting to do more. During this time, Adams has also been dissuading migrants from seeking shelter in New York City.
Read moreRepublican Primary Candidates Hope to Unseat Trump and Bring Change to the GOP — Who Are They and Where Do They Stand?
When discussing the 2024 Republican primary, we must keep one thing in mind — former president Donald Trump will in all likelihood be renominated. Polls show Trump maintaining a substantial lead over every challenger.
Read moreYour guide to the MLB postseason
At the beginning of October, the Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season wrapped up and moved on to postseason games. The MLB postseason is a high stakes series of playoff games spanning the month of October to determine which teams will compete in the World Series. This October so far has been a postseason of ups and downs with unexpected teams taking the top spots. If you haven’t been paying attention, fear not. This is a comprehensive and rather simple guide to the postseason, so you can jump right on the bandwagon when the World Series rolls around at the end of the month.
Read moreSkidmore welcomes Mongolian Folk artists
On September 23rd, Zankel Music Center launched listeners into a captivating cultural experience with The Tuvergan Band; a Mongolian folk group complete with an array of beautifully unique instruments and vocals. The Chicago-based band debuted in 2020 and has since toured countless venues including performing at The Chicago World Music Festival, The Chicago Cultural Center, and of course, our very own music center. Students and faculty were lucky enough to attend the performance free of charge, relax into a wonderful musical experience and gain new insight into music from other cultures. Music plays an integral part in Mongolian culture and the performance was a compelling and unforgettable experience. The folk band’s lead singer Tamir Hargana is also using this week to visit student’s classes, asking music students around campus to indulge in exciting new sounds and engage in conversation with new faces. He gave demonstrations and explanations of the vocal styles and instruments, led throat-singing workshops, and even let the students ask him questions and prompt discussion about the music.
Read moreannual arts quad party celebrates skidmore’s vibrant art scene
Formed five years ago, the Arts Quad Party was initially intended to incentivize students “who had never set foot in the building” to come check out the JKB, and it has since evolved into a social event which helps members of the Skidmore community destress, socialize and get in touch creatively before beginning the academic year.
Read moreA poem to the bird I found dead
Pretty Little Dead Thing—
Sky Creature Hit Ground,
you were always invincible to me,
above the Earth’s cruel touch,
but It has taken you.
Read morePalm-Sized Dragon
He isn’t a mighty dragon that any myths depict, bravely fighting off adventurers to protect his treasure, nor a fearsome companion that I soar through the skies with. You won’t see him on the battlefield, roaring with enough strength to shake the earth; in fact, he’s the quietest member of my family, squeaking only in surprise in the 20 gallons of water he lives in.
Read moreBottoms: A Box-Office Hit
This year has seen an uptick in mainstream LGBTQIA+ films. The summer began with a second season of Good Omens, a mythical love story. Next, season two of Netflix’s Heartstopper, based on a series of young adult graphic novels, premiered on August 3rd. Days later, Prime Video released Red, White & Royal Blue based on a book in which the first son of the United States and a young British prince fall in love. All of these pieces of media have one thing in common — they feature men. It’s about time that queer people have a film with queer women, and director Emma Seligman (known for her 2020 film Shiva Baby) delivers with her new comedic film Bottoms. Bottoms is a film that finally focuses on queer women instead of the endless (albeit important) films featuring queer men.
Read moreSGA Update: Introducing Free Laptop Lending Kiosks to Skidmore College
On February 28, 2023, the SGA Senate passed Resolution 33-14: Laptop Loan Program Act, approving the purchase of an automated laptop lending kiosk and twenty four computers to be installed in the Scribner Library. This service, as of September 14, 2023, is officially available for use to students, staff, and faculty. Each of the 24 laptops available comes with the following programs: Microsoft Office, Chrome, Firefox, Zoom, Adobe Reader, Mathematica, JMP, Matlab, and STATA. Borrowing a laptop is simple. You can initiate a loan from the kiosk touchscreen and swipe your Skidmore card, which will check the laptop out on your library account. The loan period is fourteen days, and if you need more time, you can return the laptop you have and check out a new one.
Read moreROOM•MATE Living with Tang Art
Photo Credits: Ana Sherwood ‘22, Morgan Sickles ‘23, Stella Piasecki ‘23, and Matt Grega ‘23 at home with Max Bill’s Geometrical Construction 1, 1970, color lithograph, Tang Teaching Museum Collection, gift of the Roberts Cugno and Logan, Media Gallery.
On September 9, 100 works from the Tang Teaching Museum’s collection were loaned to Skidmore students on a first come, first served basis as part of the Tang’s annual art loan program known as “ROOM•MATE.” It is tradition for many students to camp overnight in front of the Tang in order to get a good spot in line, much like at any Taylor Swift or Harry Styles concert, thus starting a line outside the Tang on Friday afternoon, long before the museum doors opened on Sunday morning. These students carried tents, snacks, blankets, and more to make the wait comfortable and bide their time throughout the night.
Read moreFilm Review : New Frontiers and Old Farces in “Asteroid City”
Until now, Anderson has been a master of reinvention. The director has walked, gracefully, the narrow line between consistent and repetitive. But “Asteroid City” is so self-referencing that it ceases to be captivating or clever, and misses the mark of annoyingly-but-tolerably-cocky. Instead, the film feels altogether redundant.
Read moreMy Love Letter to Skidmore: “I Was Here”
Skidmore, the professors I’ve had here (especially Professor Krefting and Professor Owens), and Black women, this is my love letter to you. Ultimately, through these actions, I hope I can be remembered—that I, Raven Jade Villa, was here.
Read moreRA Unionization Updates and Spring Election
As of May 10, it was announced by Adrian Bautista, Dean of Students and Vice President of Student Affairs, that “the RAs and CAs voted in favor of being represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).” The Union won with a unanimous vote of 37 to 0 in favor of being represented by the SEIU. The next steps will include the Skidmore administration bargaining with SEIU towards “mutually agreeable terms” regarding fair pay and equitable treatment for student workers.
Read moreThe Second Death of Eurydice
I’m a wanderer, a nomad of sorts
When I walk, you follow, and when I hurt, you hurt
If there were a path we went down
I wouldn’t look back or turn around
I’d go and know, you followed…
Read moreSkidmore College and SGA Partner to Eliminate Per-Cycle Laundry Fees
We write to share some exciting news about a College-SGA partnership to address the ongoing challenges around laundry services. Following approval of a joint-financial plan between SGA and the College by the Skidmore College administration, and a subsequent vote of approval by the SGA Senate, the College is eliminating per-cycle laundry fees, effective Fall 2023. This initiative is reflective of a 2022-23 academic year marked by increased communication and collaboration between SGA and the Skidmore College administration to better meet your needs and improve the residential experience.
Read moreWhat's in Your Car?
The collection of items in her hands falls in front of the cashier in a tumble of plastic that crinkles when it hits the hard surface. The boy behind the counter wears a blue baseball cap backwards, and is swallowed in a large yellow sweatshirt. She wears baggy clothes too, but it isn’t cool in the same way the cashier dresses. He looks ready to be photographed in magazines, and she looks like her clothes aren't her own. He chomps loudly on a piece of gum, and each time he pops a bubble, her jaw twitches. She tries to ignore the sound and motions to the stands behind him. He points to the cheapest pack. He doesn’t even turn around, one hand sliding across a brightly colored screen and the other grabbing blindly behind him. She stuffs her hands into the pocket of her cargo pants, and when she pulls them out, her nails are black and broken, her wallet matching the tips of her fingers. The beep of the scanner makes her twitch, and she swears she only has, at most, five things, but the sound keeps playing in her head relentlessly. Beep, beep, beep.
Read moreBlack Ink and Red Blood: How Journalists Ushered in Trans Panic
The United States has long had a paradoxical interest in freedom. While touting herself as the land of the free and home of the brave, she maintains massive mills of oppression, at home and abroad.
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