Earlier today, The Skidmore News reported that Wesley Yang, an outspoken transphobe, was scheduled to speak at “Are We All Fundamentalists?” a conference being held to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Salmagundi magazine. Following a number of appeals to involved parties, including the Salmagundi editorial board and President Conner, we have received confirmation as of 5:00 pm that Mr. Yang has withdrawn from the conference.
Read moreThe Anti-Transgender Extremist on Campus this Weekend
The entrance to the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery. Image courtesy of Peter Olsen, Saratoga Living.
“Are We All Fundamentalists?” is a conference being held at the Tang from September 27 to 29 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Salmagundi magazine. Those in attendance includes Wesley Yang. Mr. Yang is a writer, columnist, and editor currently working for Tablet Magazine and Esquire. He is also an extreme, vicious, obsessive, and myopic anti-transgender extremist.
Read moreThe Cultural Resurgence of Metal Music
Soviet rock fans celebrating at the Monsters of Rock concert in Moscow, 1991. Image courtesy of Rare Historical Pictures.
To witness the height of influence metal had in the world, one only needs to look at the Monsters of Rock show in Moscow right before the fall of the Soviet Union. After this pinnacle, there began a slight decline, but within the last 5-8 years, metal seems to be reemerging. What bands and reasons are contributing to this?
Read moreTyre Nichols and the Continued Relevance of Police Brutality
Image courtesy of NBC Bay Area.
On January 7th, 2023, what should have been nothing more than a routine traffic stop turned violent when 29-year-old Tyre Nichols, a black man, was pulled over by Memphis police officers. Body camera footage showed that Nichols was pulled out of his vehicle, held down, and pepper sprayed.
Read moreAn Introduction from SGA President Josh Maxwell
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 moreRiding the Wave: A Spectacular Resurgence in Women’s Sports
The 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 moreSaratoga Horse Racing: Crown Jewel or Cruel Tradition
Horse 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?
Read moreA Night with Lizzie No: Singer-Songwriter Takes Center Stage at Caffe Lena
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.
Read moreReforestation: How Local Communities Come Together to Protect An Endangered Ecosystem
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.
Read more“Once in a Lifetime”: Skidmore Students Celebrate Near-Total Solar Eclips
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.
Read moreThe Tortured Poets Department is “One Hell of a Drug”
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.
College Can Be Ruff: A Spotlight on Skidmore’s Therapy Dogs
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 moreThe Great American Musical: Gatsby Comes to Broadway
F. 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 moreCreativity at its Pinnacle: 2024 Senior Coda in Dance
The 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.
Read more96th Academy Awards Best Picture Roundup
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 moreStanley Cup Consumerism: The Rise of the “Must-Have” and the Fall of Personal Style
In 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 moreThe Day the Music Died: The TikTok and UMG Debacle
TikTok, 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 moreRoaming, Writing, Slouching: Skidmore Alumnus Publishes First Book
Slouching 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.
Read moreSkidmore Students Walkout in Show of Support for Palestine
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.
Read moreUpbeat New Orleans Sound Upstate: Tank and the Bangas Take Zankel
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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