Vacancies in SGA cue the start of Willingness-to-Serve elections: SGA members encourage students to run for open positions

Posted by Andrew Shi

The Student Government Association website lists 51 open positions on various committees for the Willingness-To-Serve elections. When asked if the vacancies impaired operations, SGA President Jonathan Zeidan '12 said that although there's always room for more members, there is no immediate need for worry.

According to Zeidan, SGA membership has significantly increased compared to past years. In addition, he said there is a healthy pool of students seeking available positions through online applications for Willingness-To-Serve elections. Zeidan believes that about eight to ten people have shown interest in positions at SGA meetings, which take place weekly on Tuesday nights from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. in Ladd 307.

"SGA membership is very comprehensive this year. We have a very involved and intelligent student body who is always looking for ways to get involved," Zeidan said.

All positions that are not filled in the main election at the beginning of the semester become Willingness-To-Serve positions, which students may run for throughout the semester. These positions are approved by the senate at SGA meetings, which elected eight students on Oct. 4.

Raiza Nazareth '12, vice president for communications and outreach on SGA, said interested members of the student body should go to the SGA website and apply for the committee or role upon which they wish to serve. "Last year, we had a website," she said, "but it wasn't always up to date and user friendly. Now we're trying to push it with the new site that students can easily access the forms."

After the application, contenders for positions are invited to SGA meetings to deliver personal statements, reminiscent of smaller-scale election speeches. A panel of student senators then judges the candidates (if there are multiple students seeking an open spot) and votes to elect them onto their respective committees.

"We need to make sure they have the skills to sit on this committee and the experience to be a strong member," Nazareth said.

Zeidan hopes there will be a stream of applicants seeking to serve on the Traditions Committee and the Speakers Bureau, both of which currently have six open positions, as well as the Integrity Board, which has seven available slots.

Zeidan and Nazareth said senators who are required to sit on at least one committee often choose to sit on several, thus filling in some of the empty spots. However, although current senators are able to support the association, additional members would help alleviate the voids in committees the senators themselves cannot address.

Other committees in need of new officials will wage an awareness campaign during the next SGA meeting, and senators will deliberate on the appropriate action needed to reach out to the student body.

"This year, we started a willingness-to-serve fair and really focused on awareness as we know the members of the student body want to be active on campus," Zeidan said. "The biggest hurdle is oftentimes the logistical issues, not the desire."

To promote the remaining posts, Nazareth said SGA will continue to email the student body updated newsletters detailing current SGA motions, as well as advertising Willingness-To-Serve elections. Posters on campus also remind students that commitments to taking an active role in their college life can be catalyzed through serving on an SGA committee.

Additional information booths in the atrium of the Dining Hall, a common promotion tactic used by most student organizations, will not be used until second semester elections, Nazareth said.

For a full list of the additional vacancies, as well as links for election applications, students should contact Nazareth or visit the SGA website.

Art faculty exhibition ruminates on environmentalism in Schick Art Gallery: Faculty pieces reflect desires to return to the natural world

Posted by Kristin Travagline

The Selected Art Faculty Exhibition in Schick Art Gallery features a variety of striking individual pieces and a collective cohesion in both appearance and theme. The works contemplate upon humanity's relationship to nature. 

Upon walking into the gallery one cannot help but assume that the artists constructed their pieces with the goal of a unified exhibition in mind. Yet, the opposite is true.

Serendipitously, the light green surfaces of professor of art Leslie Ferst's organic sculptures, "Ebb and Flow," play upon the turquoise water of the Columbia River featured in professor of art Deborah Hall's photograph, "Artifacts," across the room, which, in turn, picks up the vibrant green grass displayed in professor of art Robert Parke-Harrison's mixed media image "Bloodroot."

On the center wall of the gallery hangs Parke-Harrison's image, "The Scribe," which depicts a white winter scene, with the faint outline of pine trees in the background. In the foreground, a hand, modeled after Parke-Harrison's, draws a striking line of blood across the pristine landscape. Piano parts, a wasp's nest and medical tubes wrap around the hand, creating a device that paints the red line.

"It's like he's trying to draw a line in the snow, as though he's using his own bodily substance and fluid to create art from. This image was based on the extreme difficulty and pain of creating something new," Parke-Harrison said.

The mechanical components of "The Scribe" resonate with professor of art David Peterson's brass sculpture, "Aero II," which is comprised of many small details to present a complex, unified industrial structure that is simultaneously reminiscent of a bicycle, a skyscraper and a satellite.

However, one cannot attribute the rich interplay of these pieces to chance. The gallery director and curator, Peter Stake, took pains to assemble the exhibition in a manner that "brings out the individuality of each piece," Stake said.

Stake manages numerous aspects of the exhibition, including coordinating with the faculty 2-3 years prior to the show to determine which professors' works will be featured.

"We have so many faculty in the department that we decided it would be better to show a few faculty at a time so they can have more pieces in the show and so the students get a better idea of their work overall," Stake said.

Stake aims to exhibit a range of mediums in the show. In presenting the work, he takes into consideration the most advantageous ways for the artwork to be presented, including installation, vantage point, lighting and overall aesthetics.

Across the board, the pieces revealed a common theme and interest the artists wanted to convey: environmentalism. Several of the pieces in the exhibition convey a melancholy desire for a return to nature and nostalgia for humans' lost connection with the natural world.

Hall features three photos, out of a series of 14, taken on the Columbia River during her sabbatical in fall 2010. These pictures were taken at Priest Lake in northern Idaho where Hall visited as a child. She recalled the location being "very remote… very undeveloped; it was peaceful and wonderful and you could just go from this trail, run down, jump in this water and swim. I mean, it was crystal clear to the bottom."

However, when she visited the site last fall she was confronted with a worn in trail and private waterfront properties. Although Hall could no longer access the water from the walking path, as she was not allowed on the neighbors' properties, various welcome signs ironically greeted her along her walk.

Hall said the narrow, vertical composition of the photos reflect the narrow focus of the property owners and the narrow composition of the plots. Hall's photos "Artifacts" and "Percussions" deal with similar concerns about humans' interactions with nature and notions of the possession of nature.

Parke-Harrison's mixed media image, "Mourning," raises prominent questions about humanity's relationship with nature. "We're really interested in concepts of the environment. Over all the years of working, one of the great successes that we've found was when our work was put in the context of the environmental movement, as a voice for artists that address this issue," said Parke-Harrison, who collaborates with his wife, Shana Parke-Harrison, on all of his artwork.

The image depicts a male figure sitting in a prison-like cell with his body and face turned away from the viewer. The cool, blue-grey tones of the piece lend a melancholy mood to the scene. Yet, vibrant butterflies flit into the scene from an opening in the cell and rest upon the man's body, modeled after Parke-Harrison's own figure.

Parke-Harrison said, depending upon how the viewer interprets the image, the man may be either harming the butterflies or gently taking them into his hands. "He's in this kind of cold state of this sort of modern person out of touch with the natural world, but it's about that combined moment, that magical moment. It's hard to say what would happen next in this image," Parke-Harrison said.

Likewise, Ferst made her series "Ebb and Flow" for an exhibition based on the theme "fragile ecosystems," Ferst said. The pod-like shapes, subdued moss-like colors and inviting textures are reminiscent of coral or even fungi. "These are sort of more tactile, kind of intimate pieces," Ferst said.

The intimacy of the Schick gallery provides a comfortable venue for students and members of the Saratoga community to contemplate the intricate interplay of ideas and images brought alive by these pieces. "I hope that students start thinking about different possibilities, not just appreciating the work that is in the gallery, but thinking about possibilities for their own work. It kind of enlarges their sphere of influence and enlarges their perception," Stake said.

A book that includes the artists' backgrounds, artist statements and brief biographies is available in the gallery. The exhibition will remain open until Oct. 16.

Volleyball drops Liberty League match to Union

Posted by Skidmore Athletics

SCHENECTADY— Union College won a tight Liberty League volleyball match over Skidmore College, 3-1 (25-21, 22-25, 25-15, 25-22), Tuesday night.

The loss drops the Thoroughbreds to 3-3 in Liberty League play and 11-7 overall. The Dutchwomen are 3-3 and 11-9. With the win, Union earns a season split with Skidmore.

Olivia Glassman '15 had a double/double for the Thoroughbreds with 12 kills and 15 digs. Mallory Mendelsohn '13 had 39 assists and 11 digs, while Sam Friedman '13 had 24 digs.

Skidmore will in the Union Interleague Challenge Friday, Oct. 7 and Saturday, Oct. 8.

Skidmore Athletics

"Drive" is the must-see, piss-your-pants good action movie of the year: Ryan Gosling impresses as venomous stunt driver in new action flick

Posted by Eli Cohen

"Why don't you shut your mouth, or I'll kick your teeth down your throat and I'll shut it in for you."

OK, it may not win an award for best tough-guy line any time soon. It lacks the provocative sass of Mr. Blonde's classic line: "Are you going to bark all day, little doggie, or are you going to bite?" from Quentin Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs," or the unruffled coolness of Michael Corleone making his enemy an offer he cannot refuse. But still, coming from "The Notebook" heartthrob Ryan Gosling, the message manages to come across crystal clear: do not mess with this pretty-boy.

"Drive" centers on an (almost comically) brooding, nameless stunt driver who moonlights as a getaway driver for various smalltime crooks. With his monosyllabic dialogue, scorpion-embossed driving jacket and perpetual toothpick hanging from the side of his mouth, the man we see kicking an evil henchman's face in until there is nothing left but pulp is a major departure from anything audiences think they know about Gosling.

In the supporting roles are: a hyper-emotional waitress named Irene (Carey Mulligan, who broke out in 2009s "An Education"), a boisterous, flashy Jewish mobster played by Ron Perlman ("Sons of Anarchy," "Hellboy") and a psychotic, eyebrow-less Albert Brooks. "Drive" takes its audience through a burglary/double-cross/payback gone awry. Brooks, known for his ‘70s and ‘80s comedies (and for the voice of Marlin in "Finding Nemo"), shows a hugely different side of his acting ability as Perlman's partner in crime, but manages to bring some levity to an otherwise dark and gruesome film ("My partner is a belligerent asshole, but he's a belligerent asshole with his back up against the wall, and, now, so am I).

Bryan Cranston, better known as Walter White from AMC's "Breaking Bad" (or as the Dad from "Malcolm in the Middle), also makes an appearance and Cranston fans will be astonished to see that this is one character who does not find himself onscreen in the patented Cranston tighty-whities.

The feel of this film is one of wild extremes. Director Nicolas Winding Refn, who directed the bio-pick "Bronson," which looked at the most violent inmate in Britain's history (played by Tom Hardy), is not known for his restraint. Consequently, the violence in "Drive" is gratuitous, Gosling's quietness is almost disconcerting and the gangsters are…well, pretty much how you would expect gangsters led by the shark tooth-grinned Perlman to be.

It's true that flashes of the Gosling teenage girls know and swoon over still come through from time to time, like the shy smile that plays around the corners of his mouth, like everything is a big joke and he's the only one privileged enough to be in on it. But this sense is immediately countered by his crippling awkwardness and almost annoyingly precious interactions with Irene (the most charming he gets is when he awkwardly offers Irene's son, Benicio, a toothpick).

While this movie began as a "Fast and the Furious" rip-off for Hugh Jackman, it is clear that Gosling brings a dark edginess that Jackman would have failed to deliver (although people probably said the same of Gosling when he signed on). This movie offers no tearful reunions, only the bare Hollywood minimum happily-ever-after and scarcely the slightest hint of redemption. "Drive" is pure testosterone—gut-wrenching, ball-punching action that somehow manages to hold on to a vague sense of control amidst the chaos. This probably will not be the best movie you watch this year overall, but it will almost certainly be the best action movie. And be thankful that Gosling isn't coming after you with a hammer, a bullet and a pair of weird leather gloves.

A look at study abroad in Christchurch New Zealand: The aftermath of the earthquake for Skidmore students in New Zealand

Posted by Kelsey Nichols

The devastating effects of the 6.3-magnitude earthquake that killed more than 65 people in Christchurch, New Zealand in February 2011 were featured on news programs across the globe. The effects of this disaster reached closer to home than many imagined, as some of Skidmore's own students were only minutes from the epicenter of the quake.

Ellie Nichols, '13 an International Affairs major, was sitting in her New Zealand politics class when the quake suddenly hit. "The ground started shaking and I heard a deep rumbling. Papers were falling and tables were shifting. The girl next to me dove underneath her desk and then I did the same thing," Nichols said. 

Nichols had been a student at the University of Canterbury through the Institute for the International Education of Students program, or IES, for only one day before life in New Zealand was disrupted. After the quake, aftershocks continued to rattle the town with enough strength to make cars sway on their axles.

Approximately 90 percent of Canterbury's campus infrastructure was completely or at least partially destroyed. There was no clean drinking water, and students were not able to use ATMs, which contributed to a growing sense of chaos on campus.

Nichols was lucky enough to have been traveling through New Zealand for a month before classes started and she had made some friends in Nelson, a city about four hours from Christchurch.

Her friends were kind enough to come pick her up as well as some of her friends. She was brought to an area away from the aftershocks and "housed in a school bus that was filled with mattresses and surfboards," Nichols said.

The IES program was not created to deal with situations of such huge proportions and three days after the earthquake, the University sent out an announcement that there would be no more classes for the semester.

"I was lucky to have an exit strategy with one of my local friends, however I think IES abroad should have handled the situation better. Those who didn't have an immediate exit strategy had to spend one, maybe two nights in Christchurch while the aftershocks continued. Eventually IES organized an escape to a dude ranch retreat center in the South, but this was quite delayed," Nichols said. 

Some students were given the opportunity to transfer to the University of Auckland, but there were limited  options besides making the trip home. Skidmore's insurance policy for abroad studies is comprehensive and Skidmore students were fully reimbursed. Other IES students were not so lucky and have not been reimbursed at all.

Jon Reeves '12 was also in Christchurch and faced changes to his abroad experience. "I transferred from Christchurch to Wellington. The curriculum was basically the same, I just had to change a few classes. I had more amenities in Christchurch, whereas I lived in a dorm in Wellington, but the main difference was that I was living with Americans before the move," Reeves said. 

"I had to get used to a city where I was starting out later in the semester and only had a few months to be there," said Reeves of the move. "It was difficult networking in a foreign country, finding rides and friends with similar interests." "Because I wasn't with Americans after the move it turned out to be much more a test of putting myself out there and facing rejection. It was definitely more of a challenge, but also more of an adventure," Reeves said.

The semester did not go to waste for Nichols, but she decided not to stay in New Zealand. Nichols went back home to Denver, CO and did some freelance fashion work, which culminated in her securing an internship in Paris for a fashion photo production company, Brachfeld-Paris, which was founded by a Skidmore Alumnus.

The natural disaster in NZ has not deterred Nichols from going abroad. She plans on heading to Florence in the spring of 2012.

"Paris was an incredible experience. Although I was bummed to lose my semester in Christchurch, I wouldn't have been able to seize the Paris opportunity if I was still abroad," Nichols said.  

Nichols still encourages people to study in New Zealand. "It's just so incredibly beautiful. I mean, it's where the Lord of the Rings is filmed which is pretty awesome."

"One thing to watch is how Christchurch will rebuild its beautiful city center. Some say this might be the opportunity to see what real, sustainable development looks like. It is a rare occasion to be able to rebuild a city with the technological developments of the 21st century and Christchurch may become an example of this high tech development," Nichols said. 

Nichols hopes to return to New Zealand someday. "Part of me hopes to plan a fantastic destination wedding there." Evidently, the appeal of New Zealand can outlast even an earthquake.  

Skidmore downs Southern Vermont in OT, 4-3

Posted by Skidmore Athletics

SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Diego Reinero '12 scored in the 98th minute to lift the Skidmore College men's soccer team to a 4-3 OT victory over Southern Vermont, Tuesday night at Wachenheim Field.

The Thoroughbreds improve to 5-7, while the Mountaineers fall to 7-4.

The teams put on an offensive show in the first half, combining for six goals. Vermont's Pierre Massena got the scoring started at the 7:14 mark, heading home Erik Argueta's crossing pass from outside the box for his seventh goal of the season. Skidmore's Brock Bakewell '15 answered right back just a few minutes later, scoring on a rebound off a defensive save to tie it up.

Just over two minutes later, Pat Wildes '12 gave the Thoroughbreds the lead after taking a pass from Gildas Girimana '14 in front of the goal, dribbling to himself and finding the back of the net for his first of the season. At the 31 minute mark, Adam Beek '15 sent a pass to Bakewell in the box who chipped it over Mountaineer goalie Connor Anniello for his second of the game, making it 3-1.

Southern Vermont brought it within one at the 38 minute mark on Chris Hansen's first goal of the season, a blast from outside the box that deflected off a defender and in. Ignacio Cervantes tied it up at the 41 minute mark, taking a pass from Brett Clatworthy in the box for his second goal of the season.

Neither team was able to find the back of the net in the second half, despite Skidmore holding a 24-3 shot advantage.

In the overtime, the Thoroughbreds controlled the game offensively, getting off three shots on goal before Reinero blasted home a rebound to earn the 4-3 victory.

Nick Peterson '12 made two saves for Skidmore, while Anniello finished with 12 saves.

The Thoroughbreds held a dominant 45-7 advantage in shots and 14-1 in corners.

Skidmore is at Vassar on Oct. 9.

Skidmore Athletics

Men's soccer falls to Hobart, 1-0

Posted by Skidmore Athletics

SARATOGA SPRINGS– The Skidmore College men's soccer team suffered a tough 1-0 loss to No. 18 Hobart in Friday afternoon's Liberty League matchup at Wachenheim Field.

The Thoroughbreds fall to 4-6 overall and 1-2 in league play, while the Statesmen improve to 8-1 overall and 1-1 league.

Caetano Sanchez scored the lone goal of the contest, putting his team up in the 72nd minute. Sanchez headed a ball put on goal by Taylor Jones past Skidmore keeper Nick Peterson '12 for his first goal of the season.

A few minutes later, the Thoroughbreds tried to answer on a shot from Diego Reinero '12 that was swatted away by Hobart goalie Charlie Hale, forcing a corner. On the corner, Andrew Blake '14 corralled a loose ball and sent it on goal, but a defender was able to clear it before it crossed the goal line. Skidmore was able to get a few more shots off but couldn't put one on goal as the Statesmen held on for the 1-0 win.

Peterson finished with three saves, while Hale made two.

The Thoroughbreds outshot Hobart, 9-8 but the Statesmen held a 9-7 advantage in penalty corners.

Skidmore Athletics

Skott's last second goal lifts No. 3 Skidmore

Posted by Skidmore Athletics

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – Sam Skott '15 scored with no time left to lead No. 3 Skidmore College field hockey team to a 2-1 win, Friday night at Williams.

The Thoroughbreds improve to 9-1, while the Ephs fall to 4-4.

With seconds remaining, Skidmore earned a corner as Jackie Slocombe '12 sent a pass in to Kelly Blackhurst '14 and Skott deflected Blackhurst's shot past the keeper with no time remaining to secure the 2-1 victory.

Emily Jablonski got Williams out to an early lead, scoring at the 11:38 mark to make it 1-0.

Neither team was able to score for the remainder of the first half, but Blackhurst tied it up in the 44th minute with her 12th goal of the season. Slocombe was credited with the assist.

Both teams played a close game for the remainder of regulation before Skott sent the Thoroughbreds home with a victory.

Haley McDougall '15 made two saves in goal for Skidmore.

Skidmore Athletics

Stansky goal leads Thoroughbreds past RIT, 1-0

Posted by Skidmore Athletics

ROCHESTER – Elena Stansky '12 scored at 71:46 to lead the Skidmore College women's soccer team to a 1-0 Liberty League road win over RIT, Saturday afternoon.

Stansky scored the game winner for Skidmore in the 72nd minute. Kelsey Yam '13 took a shot that was blocked by a RIT defender. The rebound came right to Stansky and she fired a shot into the top right corner, breaking a scoreless tie.

The Tigers had a good chances late in the second half to equalize; with 13 minutes to play Sierra Kiss gathered a loose ball off a corner kick and fired a shot that was headed for the corner, but Skidmore goalkeeper Meghan Sleezer '12 made the diving stop.

Sleezer finished 10 saves, including seven in the second half for her fifth shutout of the season. Skidmore improves to 7-3 and 2-2 in the Liberty League, while RIT falls to 4-6 and 1-2.

Skidmore Athletics

Thoroughbreds fall to No. 2 William Smith, 3-0

Posted by Skidmore Athletics

GENEVA – The No. 2 ranked William Smith women's soccer team put up three goals in the second half to beat No. 24 Skidmore, Friday afternoon at Cozzens Field.

The Thoroughbreds fall to 6-3 overall and 1-2 in Liberty League play, while the Herons remain unbeaten at 8-0-1 overall and 2-0 in league action.

William Smith kept Skidmore under heavy pressure throughout the match, but struggled to score against goalie Meghan Sleezer '12, who had at least three diving stops among her five first half saves.

The match was still scoreless at halftime despite a 10-1 advantage in shots for the home side. The Herons also took all seven corner kicks in the first 45 minutes.

Chelsea England got William Smith on the board in the 56th minute with a strike from the far left of the box that slid under the crossbar just inside the far post. Just over three minutes later, England notched her second goal of the match, chipping the ball over Sleezer to about the same spot in the cage. Both tallies were assisted by Whitney Frary '12.

The Herons' final marker came off a lucky bounce. Sleezer attempted to play a ball out of the penalty area, but Krista Longo '15 ran in front of her. The ball ricocheted off Longo's face and into the Thoroughbreds' net for a 3-0 lead with less than 12 minutes remaining in the match.

Sleezer finished the match with 10 saves. William Smith senior Amanda Davis and sophomore Chelsea Dunay combined for the shutout without making a save.

The Herons held advantages in both shots (20-1) and corner kicks (9-1).

Skidmore Athletics

Thoroughbreds go 2-2 in weekend Liberty League play

Posted by Skidmore Athletics

CANTON – The Skidmore College volleyball team split Liberty League matches in a weekend North Country trip. The Thoroughbreds beat Vassar 3-2 and Bard 3-0, while losing 3-0 to Clarkson and 3-1 to St. Lawrence.

The team is 11-6 overall and 3-2 in Liberty League play.

Skidmore opened with a 25-22, 25-10, 29-27 loss to league leader Clarkson. Carolyn Bottelier '13 had eight kills, 11 assists and eight digs, while Sam Friedman '13 added 11 digs.

The Thoroughbreds battled Vassar to an exciting 3-2 (25-22, 14-25, 25-8, 17-25, 15-13) win. Bottelier had 28 assists and 11 digs. Corinne Palmer '14 chipped in 11 kills and three blocks, while Elise Finnerty '14 had 16 kills and two blocks. Mallory Mendelsohn '14 had a double/double with 21 assists and 12 digs and Friedman had 27 digs.

On Saturday, Skidmore had a 3-0 (25-13, 25-10, 25-15) win against Bard. Finnerty had eight kills and two blocks. Brittany Dingler '15 had seven aces. Mendelsohn had another double/double with 21 assists and 20 digs. Maureen Mahoney '13 contributed 15 digs.

The team closed out the weekend with a 3-1 (15-25, 25-19, 18-25, 30-32) loss at St. Lawrence. Bottelier had a triple/double with 12 kills, 26 assists and 14 digs. Kelley Vershbow '12 had 13 kills and 15 digs and Glassman had 10 kills and three aces.

Skidmore will be back in action at Union College on Oct. 4.

Skidmore Athletics

Cornell scholar to lecture on campus

Posted by Sarah Barry

Bernadette A. Meyler, Professor of English and Law at Cornell University, will give the Ronald J. Fiscus Lecture on Constitutional Law on Thursday, Oct. 6. Her lecture, titled "Common Law Originalism: Constructing Constitutional Meaning from Transatlantic Legal Contexts," starts at 8 p.m. in Gannett Auditorium, located in Palamountain hall.

Meyler's articles have been published in several journals and law reviews. She is also currently working on two books, "Common Law Originalism" and "Theatres of Pardoning: Four Chapters on the Concept of Sovereignty from Shakespeare to Hobbes." Meyler received a Mellon Fellowship in Humanistic studies, as well as a Chancellor Fellowship to complete a doctorate in English at the University of California, Irvine. She also clerked for the Hon. Robert A. Katzmann of the U.S Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit following law school.

The Fiscus Lecture was established in 1991 by the Government Department to honor Ronald J. Fiscus, a member of Skidmore's faculty from 1980 until his death in 1990. Fiscus was instrumental in the development of the law and society minor at Skidmore and was a specialist in constitutional law.

Dr. Frances Kendall presents lecture on bias to Skidmore community: Guest speaker addresses diversity and dealing with bias on campus

Posted by Adrian Appleman

At 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 26 in Gannett Auditorium, about 200 students and faculty attended the "What Will Move Us to Act?: Understanding and Interrupting Bias" lecture by guest speaker Dr. Frances Kendall.

Kendall has produced books, lectures and run workshops regarding diversity and white privilege. She is known for her hands-on approach to emphasize bias in communities.

Kendall's central message throughout the night was that bias is recognized but not addressed in institutions throughout the country. She argued that despite many efforts to the contrary, Skidmore College had fostered a public space that caters primarily to white heterosexual males.

Mariel Martin, director of Student Diversity Programs was very pleased with the discussion. "I loved how eager the community was to engage in the conversation," she said, "and I loved even more that most folks stuck around."

In the workshop portion, audience members filled out a "stereotype roadmap," elucidating "which side of the track" each audience member was on. Kendall asked how people felt about categorizing themselves.

She then asked for certain people to stand if they had they checked a certain box, which offered a clear picture of the majorities in the room. With this, Kendall introduced the thesis of her presentation: the creation of "Public Space."

This lecture was one of many that Martin hopes to organize for the college community. The reason Kendall came to campus so early in the semester was to kick start the discussion about diversity. "We have to start early, and then keep with it," explains Martin, "because by midterms, people's memory starts to fade."

"A lot of times it feels like we're preaching to the choir," said Martin, "but I did see quite a few new faces, and it felt like folks were listening."

More presentations on bias and diversity will occur throughout the course of the semester. Students and faculty hope that Kendall's presentation will help jumpstart the discussion that will hopefully bring further institutional change to the college.

"It is important, for the sake of our community," urged Martin, "that after lectures like the one Kendall made, we continue to ask ourselves, 'What do we do now?' "

Students and faculty gather for Undergraduate Research Conference: Students and faculty present and discuss everything from neologisms to garlic mustard

Posted by Julia Leef

On Saturday, Oct. 1, the college hosted the Undergraduate Research Conference, at which students from Siena College, the College of St. Rose, Union College, Colgate University, Hamilton College, St. Lawrence University and Skidmore College gathered to share the results of their research from the past summer. The New York Six Liberal Arts Consortium, formed in 2009, sponsored the conference.

More than 100 students and faculty members from these colleges met to discuss a wide variety of topics, including microfluidic chips, neology and genetic algorithms that can be used to design regenerating robots.

"This is like going back for a day to a great liberal arts college," said Bob Turner, associate professor of government and the organizer of the conference.

One research team from the college spent the summer pulling and studying 15,000 garlic mustard plants, otherwise known as Alliaria petiolata, from North Woods in order to learn about the spread of invasive species.

One of the major aims of the conference was to give undergraduate students a sense of what graduate school would be like. For some, like Colgate biology major Tinashe Nyanhete, it was their first time organizing their results on a poster for the presentation.

"I spent a whole week on it," Nyanhete said. "It was tough, but fun."

"This is a great opportunity for students to show off what they did over the summer and to share it with others outside the campus," said Kristen Fox, associate professor of chemistry at Union and director of undergraduate research.

Due to the success of the event, the conference organizers are already putting plans in place for next year's gathering, which will either be at Skidmore or another New York Six institution.

Stories I Never Quite Finished, Part 3

Posted by Kevin Kerrane

To refresh your memory on the second story I never quite finished, click here.

I have tried writing fiction – everything from vignettes to the great American novel. But I have – fortunately, perhaps – been found lacking. This article is one in a series of several stories, of one type or another, that I never quite finished – usually because I had neither the energy nor the heart to do so. After each story a short criticism follows. The criticism is offered to me, but of course you may profit from it too.

You may notice, incidentally, that in some cases the criticism is longer than the actual story reprint. This conclusively proves what has been a major contention of mine for some time now: namely that critics make things grow. How? I think that any farmer knows what makes things grow.

---

I wrote the third story that I never finished (I guess you've figured out by now that I've never finished any of them) when I was 15-3/4. It's a bawdy drama called Stogie Road, a play about the poor Southern sharecroppers.

Act III, scene 6:

Punky: Where aire ye, Pa?

Pa: Yo!

Punky: Hey, Pa!

Pa: Yo!

Punky: Ah wants ta ast ya sompin.

Pa: Yo!

Punky: You seen my yo-yo?

Pa: Yo-yo?

Punky: Yo!

(Both exit as audience throws rocks)

Criticism­

The fact that the first two acts and sense of the play are not extant and may, in fact have never been written might have something to do with the relative effectiveness of the scene. Perhaps Punky's yo-yo is some sort of Freudian symbol. Maybe it's the family heirloom. Then again, if we assume that yo means yes, yo-yo would mean yes-yes, and the sentence would read as You seen my yes-yes? How does that sound?

The author has, at least, progressed to the drama as a means of expression, but he may, as he approaches the burdensome age of 16, be taking somewhat of defeatist attitude in his stage instructions to the actors. Then again, it may be one of those Our Town type things where the audience gets into the act, so to speak. I wish I could remember.

Skidmore conference to focus on undergraduate research: Students and professors gather to share the findings of their research

Posted by Julia Leef

On Saturday, Oct. 1, the college will host the first Undergraduate Research Conference, at which students from seven upstate colleges, including Siena College and the College of St. Rose, will discuss 72 topics of interest.

Such topics include the effects of Facebook on college students, banjo-instruction methods in 19th century America and the potential to create safer schools by increasing teachers' awareness of bullying.

The conference is the largest of its kind to be hosted by any of the participating colleges, and has more than 100 students submitting abstracts on their topics both singly and in teams. One of the events at the conference will be a Taiko drum performance to demonstrate the impact of the West on Japanese culture.

"Our aim is to give undergraduates the experience of presenting at a professional meeting without the high registration fees and travel costs of a professional conference," said Bob Turner, associate professor of government and conference organizer. "These experiences are providing undergraduates with the sort of training and education that typically are available only to graduate students."

This conference will be the first academic project sponsored by the New York Six Liberal Arts Consortium, formed in 2009 by Skidmore College, Union College, Colgate University, Hamilton College, St. Lawrence University and Hobart William Smith College, the last of which is the only college not sending students to this event. Amy Cronin, coordinator for the consortium, predicts it will not be the last conference of its kind.

"Given the fantastic response to the call for presentations for this initial event, I anticipate that it will become an annual fixture in the consortium's activities," Cronin said.

"This conference has the potential to transform both the students and our respective institutions," Turner said. "When students present their research and answer the questions of their peers, it stimulates their intellectual creativity and aspirations as they see how their colleagues analyze different questions using other methods."

Many of the students attending the conference have spent the past summer working in laboratories with their professors, who also will be attending. Students have been working in a wide variety of areas, including gene replacement and climatology. In addition, some have studied the formation of the galaxies and the human senses, and some have conducted studies on animals and human diseases.

"I hope the conference will identify shared intellectual passions that lead to collaborative research and teaching opportunities among the schools that allow us to tap into our collective expertise in the future," Turner said.

The conference will start at 9:30 a.m. and is open to the public. The schedule and program can be found on the Skidmore website.

The SEC Big Fall Show scheduled on Yom Kippur: Campus concert coincides with Jewish holiday

Posted by Julia Leef

This year's Student Entertainment Committee Big Fall Show, featuring the band TV on the Radio, coincides with the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, both of which fall on Oct. 7, creating controversy with Hillel, a student-run organization under the Office of Jewish Life.

Yom Kippur is the holiest of all Jewish holidays and is a time of fasting and repentance, lasting from sundown on Oct. 7 to sundown on Oct. 8, and welcoming in the New Year with a reflection upon the events of the previous year. According to representatives of Hillel, the nature of the concert conflicts with Yom Kippur.

Hannah Ronson '12, who spoke on behalf of SEC, said that the dates for these concerts are given to the SEC by the administration, and that the choices for the Big Fall Show this year were either the Oct. 7 or Oct. 8. SEC offered these two options to TV on the Radio, who chose to play on Oct. 7. The SEC itself is not given many options regarding the dates of shows.

"It's unfortunate that this happened," Ronson said. "But it really wasn't something that we had control over."

Upon discovering the overlap, the members of Hillel emailed the administration and SEC, and met with SEC on Sept. 26 to discuss possible solutions for this issue.

"I think that we all got to speak our minds, which was a good way to communicate, and especially in a controlled environment, so that there was no bad air. It's still a work in progress, though," said Rebekah Page '14, co-president of Hillel.

SEC and Hillel decided that both events would take place on the same day, and that students would choose which one they wanted to attend. "It was established that there's no student life policy or anything prohibiting shows from happening on Yom Kippur or any other religious date," Ronson said.

"It came down to the fact that they recognized the effect that it had on us and we reached a point where we're forming a committee to either create a policy change in event planning or to create a sort of checklist, not just for this holiday but for other ones as well," said Zoe Silver '14, publicist for Hillel.

Members of SEC, Hillel and the Student Government Association will be co-writing a joint statement to the college community explaining what happened and the outcome of their discussion.

Hillel will still strive to prevent this kind of conflict in the future, saying that they want to retain religion as an important aspect of college life. "We need to make people aware so that people will be sensitive to religion," Page said. "Our big issue for us was that it's just known that college students take a step back from religion when they're in college."

"I think I'm maybe disappointed that I don't know if this has gotten out to the general public enough," said Erika Wohl '14, co-president of Hillel, "and because the mediation discussion was closed, it probably didn't get publicized enough. I don't know if people will understand the extent of this situation from that."

Silver said that she found a college policy from a few years back that stated there will never be classes held on Yom Kippur, and looks to bring attention to this as well as to other aspects of the college-religion relationship.

Students who are interested in attending the Big Fall Show should purchase tickets in Case Center, where members of SEC will be selling them up until the date of the concert. Tickets are $8 for students with their college IDs and $25 for the public. The concert will take place at 8 p.m. in the Williamson Sports and Recreation Center. More information can be found on SEC's Facebook page and blog.

Those who wish to attend service on Oct. 7 can go to the Janet Kinghorn Bernhard Theater at 8 p.m. for an evening service held by Hillel with co-rabbis Linda Motzkin and her husband Jonathan Rubenstein of Temple Sinai. There also will be a morning service on Oct. 8 followed by a nature walk in North Woods, and an afternoon service at 4 p.m. followed by Yizkor, Ne'ilah and break-fast. More information can be found on the Hillel website.

Editorial: Make composting a campus-wide effort

Posted by the Editorial Board

Last Friday each resident of Northwoods and Scribner Village received a knock on their door and a bucket for the corner of their kitchen. The composting season has begun.

Thanks to the efforts of the college's Environmental Action Club (EAC) Skidmore's residential areas have remained on board for one of the easiest and most gratifying ways to reduce waste on campus. Perhaps one of the more immediate benefits of this practice is the soil quality of the Skidmore Garden, which through the use of compost is more fertile and productive. The wider purpose, of course, is to reduce our waste production, amassed not only through scraps of food but also landfill space.

The contribution of the apartments is impossible to ignore. A subcommittee of the EAC has kept track of how much waste Northwoods Apartments produced last spring: 945 pounds of waste, about 24 pounds on average each week, was created by each apartment building.

So the buckets in every house, taken to the nearest composting bin and left for volunteers to pick up, have already demonstrated their potential to push Skidmore closer to an ideal environmental policy.

The next logical step, then, would be to institute composting in the college's nexus of food and waste production, the Dining Hall. According to Riley Neugebauer, Skidmore's sustainability coordinator, the college is currently looking into a smaller pilot project for some of the waste from the Dining Hall. 

Why, in the wake of the impact of composting in the residential villages, might we be taking this kind of gradualist approach? The project under way is certainly better than nothing, but it is by no means obvious why the college shouldn't throw its full weight behind an initiative that would reduce so much waste and potentially save money.

One reason, and the one most cited by students, is the less than enthusiastic reception of Dining Hall composting after an audit was conducted last year. This test-run, one must admit, was not perfect in its execution. A table of only four composting bins were simply propped in front of the standard tray accumulator and made the expected lines much longer. It comes as no surprise that students felt any new composting system might bring about a clumsy and clogged dining hall experience.

But the kinks in the audit that gave way to such doubts are easily fixed; the fact is that Dining Hall compost stations can work, and are working elsewhere in the country. For some competitive context, we might take into account the progress made by other colleges on this front. Connecticut College, only a year after the idea was proposed, has eliminated 35,000 pounds of waste a year from two of its campus dining halls.

Cornell, having perfected its vast system for years, eliminates 850 tons of pre and post consumer waste from the dining halls each year. Schools such as Oberlin, Vassar, and Tufts are all joining in and making strides toward an impressive policy.

The details of Skidmore's new dining hall project are still being determined as the college gathers more information and talks with those who have done large-scale composting for years such as state municipalities and the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. Hopefully the planning and execution of this initiative will match the relevancy and importance of its purpose.

A Friday full of folk and funk with the Ryan Montbleau Band at Putnam Den: Ryan Montbleau band embraces different styles at Putnam Den

Posted by Dale Obbie

On Sept. 23, the Ryan Montbleau Band returned to Putnam Den, filling the venue with its faithful fans. The band members have played at this venue a handful of times over the past few years, so the full house was not a surprise. Their last show in Saratoga Springs was in late April. Montbleau—on top of a stool and grinning with his acoustic guitar under his arm— radiated just as much warmth as he did last spring.

But this time around the band featured its new lead guitarist, Lyle Brewer, who joined last spring, replacing longtime viola player Laurence Scudder. Since then, the band's music has taken on a slightly different character, leaning more toward rock and funk than the rootsy Americana that showcased Scudder's viola playing so well.

But it's hard to pigeonhole Montbleau's music—he embraces styles ranging from jangly Delta blues to reggae. For the most part, his music bounces back and forth between feel-good folksiness and foot-stomping funk, and sometimes it lands somewhere in between the two. But no matter what you want to call it, it's always soulful.

Unsurprisingly, Montbleau drew from a variety of genres, beginning with the song "Inspired by No One", which featured a bouncy solo from organist Jason Cohen accompanied by Montbleau's funky acoustic guitar chords. Bassist Matt Giannaros plunked a head-bobbing riff on his sleek electric upright bass, giving the song the playful vibe of a Jackson 5 song. The soul-tinged popiness of it then gave way to a danceable Americana swing that verged on bluegrass.

The next song was equally lively and sounded like a fusion of funk and rock, thanks to Brewer's gritty guitar playing. This gave way to "Songbird," a thumping reggae tune that brought the crowd closer to the stage. Giannaros switched to his bass guitar, shaking the building with its low notes, while Montbleau's cheerfully lilting voice made the song's title seem appropriate.

Having gained the crowd's attention, Montbleau sang a few folk songs to his rapt audience, accompanied by no more than his own acoustic guitar. He seemed to be just as confident alone on stage as he was with the support of his band and, despite the bluesiness of his songs, he still gave off the same joyful aura.

After returning with beers, Montbleau's band mates jumped into some full-force funk. Ryan set his guitar down, stood up and belted out some far-reaching vocals, sounding more like a '70s soul singer than a young singer-songwriter.

Montbleau brought something for everybody that night, from the people up front dancing to the irresistibly funky bass lines, to those in the back of the crowd, bobbing their heads quietly to his contemplative folk songs. Hopefully he will return soon and once again spread his love for all types of music.

Saratoga Springs Police Department releases full report on death of Alexander Grant: Investigation of active leads complete, but case to remain open

Posted by Gabe Weintraub

The Saratoga Springs Police Department announced today that they have completed their investigation of all active leads in the death of Alexander Grant. The case will remain open pending new information. Below is the full report:

Saratoga Springs Police have finished examining the active leads in the investigation into the death of Alexander Grant during the early morning hours of March 6, 2011. A summary of the investigation is below. Much of the information contained herein has been released on prior occasions.

On March 5, 2011 Alexander Grant, 19-years-of-age from Briarcliff Manor, NY who is a student at Boston College, travels to Saratoga Springs during his spring break to meet with friends who are attending Skidmore College. He arrives in Saratoga Springs sometime before 8:30 p.m., picks up a friend in the downtown area and travels to Skidmore College. He plans to stay with a friend in one of the dorms on campus.

Between his arrival in Saratoga Springs and 10:28 p.m. when he boards a bus on the Skidmore Campus, Grant and several others are drinking beer and tequila in one of the dorm rooms. At 10:28 p.m., Grant and the group of people he is with board a bus at Skidmore and then is dropped off at the intersection of Clinton and Van Dam Streets.

They then walk to a party at 146 Church Street where Grant is reported to be last seen dancing with a female between 11 and 11:30 p.m.. Two female Skidmore students are identified as having contact with Grant at the party however both report that Grant was only there for a short time before he went to another part of the house and they never saw him again. Grant's friend loses track of him at the party and assumes that Grant has met up with someone else and that they would re-connect at a later time. His friend sends approximately six text messages to Grant between 11:37 p.m. and noon on March 6 asking where he is and giving Grant the address of the dorm room. All of the people who report seeing Grant at the party state that they left the party when the police arrived to break it up at about 12:30 a.m.

Surveillance video at the train station on Station Lane off of West Avenue in Saratoga Springs shows Alexander Grant walking to the front of the building from Station Lane at 11:31 p.m. He is alone, fully clothed and appears to be staggering as he walks. Grant is observed walking around the building to the train tracks behind and then is last seen heading north along the tracks towards the Church Street overpass. No other people or vehicles are observed coming or going from the train station. He is last seen at the train station at 11:34 p.m.

At 1:33 a.m. surveillance video at 3 Care Lane captures Alexander Grant kicking in a small 3x3 window at the entrance to the building. He squeezes inside and is now observed to be wearing only one sock, a long sleeve white shirt and shorts. He appears to have already fallen outside, as there is dirt on his back upon his entry to the building. Grant has cut himself and is bleeding considerably. He never leaves the lobby area or attempts to break into any of the offices. He appears disoriented and/or intoxicated. He is stumbling into the walls and repeatedly loses his balance. He eventually staggers out of the building once again at 2:11 a.m. and is last seen walking away from the building. Any blood trail that may have been left by Grant at that time was washed away by heavy rains during the day on the 6th, prior to police being notified of the break-in at 12:36 p.m.

Police are notified of the break-in at 12:36 p.m. on the 6th. A brief search of the area for evidence related to the burglary is conducted as police have no missing person report until 4:47 p.m. when Grant's friend and another student arrive at Police Headquarters and report that Grant has not been seen since the party on Church Street. No additional evidence of the burglary is located during the initial search.

Grant is quickly identified as the person observed on the Care Lane surveillance video and an intensive search of the area is immediately begun. An approaching severe winter storm reduces the amount of time police and fire personnel will be able to search on the night of the 6th. New York State Forest Rangers are unable to respond during the night due to the storm and New York State Police Aviation is unable support the effort that night. Thermal imaging units were employed without success. The Saratoga County Reverse 911 system was activated, reaching 7,000 landlines within a half-mile radius of Care Lane generating any leads or reported sightings.

Small search teams begin searching the area to the north and west of the Care Lane area, along the railroad tracks, and including the buildings at Sunnyside Gardens. One search team located Grant's pants and wallet on top of a snow bank between the Care Lane building and the railroad tracks. Another search team located footprints in the snow along the railroad tracks. There was only one set of footprints that traveled north along the tracks occasionally entering the woods, circling dense brush and then returning to the tracks. One set of tracks leading into the woods towards Putnam Creek was observed and a visual check of the creek was made without success. The tracks were lost and no other tracks were observed further north. By this time the storm had become too severe for further searching and all search teams were called back to the command post.

On the morning of March 7, an intensive search with additional manpower was begun at about 10:30 a.m. with improving weather conditions. Searching continued all day on the 7th until dark. Search teams again were sent out on March 8 at 9:45 a.m. and at 10:43 a.m., Saratoga Springs Fire Department personnel located Alexander Grant's body submerged in Putnam Creek under an ice shelf in about four feet of water approximately 30 yards from where the last set of foot prints were seen during the search on the night of the 6th.

Chief of Police Christopher Cole and Public Safety Commissioner Richard Wirth made notification of the recovery of Alexander Grant's body to his parents.

The body was turned over to Coroner John Demartino and Dr. Michael Sikiricka at Albany Medical Center performed an autopsy on March 9.

The cause of death is officially listed as asphyxia due to drowning with contributing factors of intoxication and probable hypothermia. At the time of his death Alexander Grant had a blood alcohol content of 0.16 percent. A low level of THC (marijuana) was also detected. Injuries sustained by Mr. Grant were consistent with someone who had been stumbling through the woods with no indication of injuries consistent with an assault observed. As noted by Saratoga County District Attorney James Murphy previously, two toxicology tests were run with several hundred drugs being screened for. Other than the alcohol and marijuana, no other drugs were detected in Grant's system at the time of his death. The known facts of the case tend to support the conclusion made regarding the cause of death. Alexander Grant apparently became lost and disoriented due to his level of intoxication and suffering from the effects of hypothermia tragically fell into Putnam creek and was unable to pull himself to safety.

Police do not suspect foul play in the death of Alexander Grant. However, police have tried unsuccessfully to interview the occupants of the 146 Church Street apartment. With the exception of one of the occupants, who police spoke with last week, all have declined written requests by police to their attorneys to make them available for interviews. The friend that Alexander Grant had come to visit and planned to stay with while in Saratoga Springs has also decided not to speak with police any further and has obtained legal counsel.

Police have stressed that the priority of this investigation is to determine what happened to Alexander Grant. Saratoga County District Attorney James Murphy has offered immunity from prosecution for anyone who may have information relating to what happened to Alexander Grant but fears being arrested for minor disorderly conduct or alcohol related charges.

Police have located the source of the alcohol for the Church Street party, which was legally purchased by someone over 21 years of age. Police were first notified of the party on Church Street at about 11:50 p.m., nearly 20 minutes after Alexander Grant is captured on surveillance video at the train station. Patrol units were eventually able to respond, and arrived at 12:25 a.m. on the 6th. Police had a difficult time controlling the unruly crowd and dispersing the partiers. While doing so they were unable to build enough probable cause to arrest anyone for furnishing alcohol to minors at the party. None of the occupants at the time of the party currently reside there.

As for the drinking that occurred in the dorm room at Skidmore College. None of the participants was of age. Police do not know how the alcohol was obtained, but do know that alcohol was consumed in the room, including by Alexander Grant. Again, the source of the alcohol at the dorm room was a secondary consideration during the early phases of the investigation. By the time police were able to focus on this aspect of the case, potential witnesses were uncooperative and police were not able to locate independent evidence of the source of the alcohol in the dorm room. In consultation with Saratoga County District Attorney James Murphy and in consideration of court decisions and the facts of the case, a decision has been made not to charge any of the occupants of the room with a criminal offense.

Police do not know how or why Alexander Grant came to be at the train station at 11:31 p.m. Based on the time of the video, Grant was at the party on Church Street for considerably less than one hour. He appears in the video, walking alone and apparently intoxicated. Police have been unable to locate anyone who saw or had contact with Grant between the time he left the party and the time he appears at the train station. Several phone messages and text messages were sent to his cell phone between 11:37 p.m. and noon of the following day, however Grant never answered and his cell phone was never recovered. It is important to note that no one and no vehicles approach the train station for a considerable amount of time before or after Grant appears on the video.

By the time Alexander Grant appears at the Care Lane location, he has not only shed some of his clothing but he appears quite disoriented, probably suffering from the effects of hypothermia. In addition, on March 9 an employee of 7 Care Lane found Alexander Grant's Boston College ID in the snow next to the door. The door to 7 Care Lane has a swipe card lock system similar to the system at the entrances to the buildings at Boston College. Along with the footprints in the snow that enter the woods and circle dense brush repeatedly, this indicates that Alexander Grant was considerably disoriented.

At this point the Saratoga Springs Police have no more active leads. However the case will remain open in the event that someone comes forward with information about the critical time period between when Grant leaves the party and he arrives at the train station. Grant's shoes and cell phone were never recovered and if found may give police additional information on his route of travel and therefore additional possible leads. Police will leave the investigation open in the hope that someone or some item of evidence will provide the critical information needed to complete the investigation.

The family of Alexander Grant will continue to be advised of any developments in the case. Once again, the Saratoga Springs Police offer their condolences, and their support to the Grant family.