Spring Covid Precautions Yield Increased Plastic Waste

Skidmore’s 2020 Fall semester proved just how different college during a pandemic would look and feel. One seemingly small but significant change is the use of plastic to-go containers in the dining hall. When students returned to campus at the end of January, this waste-producing routine was only exacerbated by the safe shelter mode that defined our first week on campus.

Read more

Why Mental Health Matters Now More Than Ever

When you get sick or scrape your knee, the immediate reaction is to take medicine or grab a bandage. But what about when you are having a mental health day; when your anxiety or depression is making you feel worse than a cold or a scraped knee could? The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our lives more than any other time in history. Quarantine became the new norm and, for months on end, our mental health has paid the price.

Read more

Texas Winter Storms Incite a State Crisis

During the winter season in Saratoga Springs, it is normal to experience one or two Nor’easters. Students don heavy coats and boots, classes continue, and life carries on. As the national news reports, however, other parts of the country have been affected severely by strong winter storms this year. Over the past two weeks, Texas – a state not known for having much snow – has been hit by two heavy winter storms.

Read more

Celebrating Black Athletes: 5 Movies To Watch for Black History Month

As we close out Black History Month, it’s a great time to reflect on some of the most incredible and monumental African-American athletes that helped transform the world of sports that we know today. From the track to the court, these athletes’ excellence, hard work, and determination helped them overcome and shift racial barriers in sports. Here are 5 movies, all based on true stories, to watch to celebrate some of these athletes that revolutionized their sport. Happy viewing!

Read more

The War on Normal People: Revealing the Privilege of Education

The Skidmore student body prides itself on stepping outside of our bubbles to understand what it is like in the shoes of others. Another privilege that must be acknowledged, educational privilege, is one that we all share as students. The War On Normal People is a book that I believe every current college student or alum must read in order to better understand the experience and future of being “normal.”

Read more

Saratoga Police Reform Task Force Meeting: An Update to the Skidmore Community

Earlier this month, members of the Skidmore community gathered virtually to hear from Professors Winston Grady-Willis and Terry Diggory along with Jason Golub, one of the Co-Chairs of the task force. The task force, composed of 13 members – 8 of whom identify as people of color – is charged with reviewing the policies of the Saratoga Springs Police Department (SSPD).

Read more

Op-Ed: On the Accusation of Critiques of Israel Being Anti-Semitic

There is an entire history’s worth of politics and beliefs to consider when assessing the Israel-Palestine conflict because colonialism in Palestine did not begin with Zionism. When making educated, accurate critiques of the Israeli government’s policies, whether past or present, it’s not attacking Judaism or the faith of its people. It is our duty as part of this world system to understand all of its intricacies, and we cannot do that if we intentionally exclude the Israel-Palestine situation.

Read more

Josh Ridenhour on His Senior Season and Not Returning for the Semester

Beginning soccer at the age of 10, Josh Ridenhour 21’ knew he wanted to play sports in college. After being put into almost every sport when he was younger to see what he was good at, Ridenhour finally landed on soccer. Now a senior on the Skidmore Men’s Soccer team, Ridenhour reflects on his time playing at Skidmore and what it was like to miss his senior season because of the pandemic.

Read more

Speech at Skidmore: A Conversation with Dr. Sigal Ben-Porath About the Role of Free Speech on Campus

On the morning of a tumultuous and uncertain election day, I had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Sigal Ben-Porath, who gave the keynote address at this year's “Skidmore Speaks” lecture series. In response to the incidents of doxing over the semester, Skidmore virtually brought to campus Dr. Ben-Porath and experts on social media safety to inform students on how to protect themselves online and foster a discussion about free speech on campus.

Read more

Playing in the Pandemic: Sarah Winters On Her Unexpected Senior Season

Starting field hockey in the third grade, Sarah Winters 21’ has always considered the sport a big part of her life. Winters knew she wanted to play at the collegiate level because of her immediate love for the sport. Now a senior on the Skidmore Field Hockey team, Winters reflects on her experience playing at Skidmore and how the pandemic changed her senior season.

Read more