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Dear Skidmore community,
My name is Josh Maxwell, and I have the honor of serving as the president of Skidmore’s Student Government Association (SGA) this year. I am entering my junior year at Skidmore, as well as my third year serving in the SGA.
Read moreThe past year has seen a dramatic uptick in women’s sports viewership. Even in 2019, excitement and passion around the women’s world cup was only at around 34% globally. In just four years, this number jumped to 41% of the global population being excited about the game. These numbers increase even more when looking at 2024. The rise is partly due to the exciting NCAA women's basketball season that just wrapped up.
Read moreHorse racing writ large is an abusive practice. Jockeys whip horses repeatedly in an environment where a single fall could mean the death of the horse. Onlookers watch, bet, and cheer as money changes hands. Families attend a spectacle of what seems to be an innocent sport that unites people and animals. In truth, horse racing is steeped in abuse, medical neglect, and debt. Can it really be a sport if it rests upon a structure of exploitation?
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Image credits to the Lincoln Center.
At the end of March, genre-defying singer-songwriter Lizzie No performed at Caffe Lena, a historic folk venue just off North Broadway. Lizzie performed with a guitarist and a keyboard player, and showcased her skills on the harp for a few songs.
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SIT Study Abroad students and TREAT members prepare for planting.
TREAT was founded with the aim of creating corridors between remnants of rainforest. The Wet Tropics, in which TREAT operates, is a diverse ecosystem that is home to many endemic species that only occur within the bioregion. When these forests are fragmented by agriculture and development, organisms are unable to move safely between patches. Some animals cannot leave their habitat at all, while others can but are threatened by cars, people, dogs, and cats when traveling between forests. When these organisms are restricted to smaller and smaller tracts of forest, they become more susceptible to disturbances that occur within the area, and the habitat they can escape into decreases as well.
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Image credits to Robin Glass.
In Saratoga Springs, residents can expect the sun to rise and set each morning and evening without fail. A recent celestial event, however, interrupted this normal routine, capturing the attention and excitement of the town and its college students alike.
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When Taylor Swift changed her social media profile pictures to black and white and wore long black gloves at the 66th Annual Grammy awards, everyone expected Taylor Swift to announce the release of Reputation, her 2017 album. Swift has been rerecording her albums after manager Scooter Braun claimed rights to them in 2019, so this was the next logical step for her career. When the beloved artist mounted the stage, onlookers in the audience and at home held their breaths in anticipation of the news.
I miss my dog, and I bet you do, too. At the start of each semester, college students must tragically leave their family pets at home and return to dog-less dorms or apartments.
Read moreF. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel, The Great Gatsby, is a cautionary tale of glamor and debauchery. Set in the vibrant 1920s in New York City, the tale has become emblematic of early twentieth-century America and the subject of countless reproductions.
Read moreThe Skidmore College Dance Department's annual Senior Coda showcase premieres on Saturday, March 30, and Saturday, April 6. The Senior Coda is a course available to all performance- and choreography-track and research-track majors, offered annually by the department. The class and participation in the showcase are prerequisites to earn honors. The class is taught by Jason Ohlberg, Associate Chair of the Dance Department, but the semester is primarily student-led. Professor Ohlberg’s teaching philosophy is giving the class independence and autonomy in the process of producing their first concert.
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On March 10, the 96th Academy Awards (Oscars) will take place, honoring the best films of 2023. As usual, the public eye is primarily focused on the prestigious Best Picture award, which has attracted additional attention due to a particularly strong crop of films.
Read moreIn a world that is increasingly online, consumerism has reached an all-time high due to internet-crazed trends and an influx in online services. Products peddled by influencers come in and out of trend faster than ever, as the internet puts an overwhelming emphasis on “aesthetics” over personal and timeless style. Terms like “Amazon must-haves” and “old-money aesthetic” compel us to purchase unnecessary and unsustainable items. All because influencers — that are paid to sell these products — are doing everything in their power to make us believe that we just have to have the “next best thing.” It’s fun to buy trending products and get excited about new releases, especially if you’re going to continuously use them for years to come. However, it might be necessary to discuss the pitfalls of excessive buying and the need to have everything, not to mention in every color.
Read moreTikTok, the popular video app, has been a hub for musicians and music lovers alike since it appeared in app stores in 2016. Through the platform , users can lip sync to their favorite songs, create video edits of their favorite films and shows, participate in dance trends, and keep up with new music releases. Music is a fundamental feature of the app. What happens when artists can no longer promote their music with TikTok? What happens when users can no longer engage with popular artists?
Read moreSlouching is a collection of personal essays, anthropological observations, illustrations, and collages of found objects. Squire, who graduated from Skidmore in 2021, was one of forty recipients of the Creative Research Impact Centre Europe Fellowship (CIRCE), which awards young academics and budding scientists funding to complete a creative project. Funding from CIRCE enabled Squire to spend the summer of 2023 writing, walking, and drinking wine — among other things. Their project tackled the grand concept of geography, considering how spaces facilitate our interaction with them, and in turn, how humans leave evidence of their interaction — whether that landscape is urban or rural, literal or digital. Towards the end of November, the author made time to speak with The Skidmore News about Slouching. We chatted about talking to strangers, compulsive collecting, the qualities of a perfect notebook, and entrusting our writing to others.
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Just before 11 a.m. on Thursday, November 9, nearly 100 Skidmore students left classrooms all over campus crowded in front of Case Student Center to take part in a demonstration in support of Palestine. The urgency of the walkout was undoubtedly prompted by Israel’s siege on Gaza following Hamas’ capturing of about 240 Israeli hostages on October 7.
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On Friday, November 10th, Tarriona “Tank” Ball sauntered onto the Arthur Zankel Music Center stage like she owned the place. And that night, she did. Tank and the Bangas’ one-of-a-kind sound swelled to fill the space. Tank was backed by a four-piece band and trio of back-up singers, and the ingenuity of each individual was evident. Altogether, though, the group was amplified. Tank and the Bangas’ commanded the attention of their audience. Under their spell, the concert hall came alive, coaxed by robust rhythms and breezy beats. Tank and the Bangas’ on-stage symbiosis and infectious energy made for an impressive show distinguished from the classical- and jazz-oriented music events that the space typically hosts.
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American Major League Soccer (MLS) has long struggled to sustain an engaged and spirited fan base like its sister leagues in South America, Europe, and other regions of the world where soccer has a stronger foothold — no pun intended. Since his debut in July 2023, it is indisputable that Messi has quickly transformed Inter Miami. He scored in his first seven appearances, catalyzing Miami to unseen success in the MLS-LIGA tournament and MLS bracket. There is no question that Messi is one of the most talented individuals to grace our fields. Still, some might question whether or not he is capable of bringing about the transformative change needed to popularize MLS in America.
Read moreWhen a major event occurs, whether it be an international conflict or an urgent national crisis, it is reported immediately across the United States. If you are a college student who has access to a smartphone or a computer, you know almost immediately. You may receive a notification on your phone, or the person next to you did and repeated the headline. , whatever way you receive the news, it’s clear that college students can access the news faster and more efficiently than ever.
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Nestled amidst the busyness of Broadway Street resided a small oasis for Saratoga coffee lovers. In 2006, a coffee shop by the name of Saratoga Coffee Traders opened on 447 Broadway Street in Saratoga Springs, New York. On September 30th 2023, owner Scott Swedish announced with great sadness that the branch would be closing after seventeen years of operation and later relocating to nearby Schenectady. While Swedish wanted to keep the shop open until December to allow his employees to explore other employment opportunities, the lease had expired sooner than expected. He relayed to the local news outlet, NEWS10, that the circumstances were unfortunately beyond anyone’s control.
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At a party recently, I heard a friend of mine, a non-athlete, say something along the lines of, “I don’t have any idea what goes on in Skidmore athletics.” When I asked her why she thought that was, she responded that she just didn’t care that much about sports. This refrain is common among many Skidmore students who do not participate in sports. Compared to other, larger schools, this is odd. Student spectator turnout at games is low, as it is at many liberal arts colleges, but why is this the case? Why don’t Skidmore students care about sports?
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