It has been 21 days since President Glotzbach announced that Skidmore College will be switching to remote learning effective March 23, due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has brought the entire world to a temporary shutdown.
A week or so later, Saratoga Springs, along with the entirety of New York State, closed most of its businesses, following New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo’s executive order that requires non-essential workers to stay home, from March 22 until May 15.
Outside Case Green, a popular sitting place during the warmer months (or less cold times) is abandoned
Most Skidmore students have followed the news and updates from the sidelines, as the issue intensified during the college’s Spring Break, only to return a week later not to finish off the spring semester, but to move out of the apartments and dorms they called home. While these actions are absolutely necessary for the sake of community well-being — including Saratoga Springs residents — and to flatten the disease’s curve, the drastic change that occurred in mere weeks is incredibly jarring if not heartbreaking, especially for the class of 2020.
As the entirety of Skidmore College’s community, from its student body to its faculty and staff, try to adjust to this disruption indoors — either attending or lecturing a zoom class — the campus stands like a ghost town.
Case Walkway, an intersection route for most of Skidmore’s classes
Outside Lucy Scribner Library, snowy as always during the last days of March
Library is closed for the foreseeable future, check website for updates
A Sussman Village apartment with an ironic “For Rent” sign
A rare sighting of a student in Case Student Center
A personal favorite spot on campus, follow @skidmorenews on Instgram and share yours!
The Spa was open 8 a.m.-8 p.m. for all students living on-campus for take-out only during March. On April 10th, the location changed to the Murray-Aikins Dining Hall
What is usually Case Center’s busiest hallway
No coffee run at Burgess Cafe anytime soon
Probably the most familiar Skidmore space for students
Ending on a more hopeful note, beautiful Skidmore sunsets remain a constant in these troubled and ruptured times. Practice social distancing, stay hopeful, and look out of your window every once in awhile, you might see something magnificent!
A Skidmore sunset from Sussman Village!