Students across departments have been fighting to increase access to vital spaces on campus, like meeting spots for clubs, financial resources, and other means of support. UPLIFT is a Black, Indigenous Persons of Color (BIPOC) affinity space for theater students at Skidmore. I had the pleasure of sitting down with UPLIFT’s leaders and directors, with whom I discussed its founding, goals, and ideas for the year.
Read moreA Costume Guide for Last Minute Halloween Inspiration
With Halloween coming up in less than two weeks, you might still be looking for just the right look. Have no fear; I have compiled a list of ideas that can be used as group or single costume inspiration. Given how Halloween is fast approaching, these costumes can easily be put together with common items or items that can be purchased quickly and cheaply. Without further ado, let’s begin.
Read moreTo Juliet
Between the current political climate, the pandemic, and the planet burning up, it’s very easy to fall into a pit of despair and feel like time is standing still. However, now that I am three months away from turning twenty, I’ve been reminiscing on the only point in my life where I took my time, and genuinely enjoyed being a child. This is for you Juliet, thank you for being a true friend.
Read moreThe Case for Compassion: A Commentary on Students’ Reactions to SGBM
The more we stick to love and compassion, the stronger we are. If the Skidmore administration shows us that they will continue to be apathetic and “objective,” we will be the space for empathy and support. History has shown that the people are more powerful than authoritative institutions. The people have the power to create and destroy, to mold and reshape. We can’t do that without love, kindness, and respect.
Read more“Becoming Othello: A Black Girl’s Journey” Gifted to Skidmore from Debra Ann Byrd
On October 1st, Skidmore College had its first live performance in the JKB Theater in over a year and a half: Becoming Othello: A Black Girl’s Journey, performed by Debra Ann Byrd. Byrd (who uses she/they pronouns) is an actor, director, and founder of both the Harlem Shakespeare Festival and Take Wing And Soar Productions.
Read moreBackstage Missing Cases in Wyoming: The Exclusion of Indigenous Peoples
Twenty two-year-old Gabby Petito’s death was nothing short of tragic. A week after being filed as a missing person, Petito’s body was found in Bridger-Teton National Forest, Wyoming. With the official cause of death being ruled as strangulation, her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie is being pursued as a suspect. But is the same amount of attention being given to find answers and justice for missing Indigenous peoples?
Read moreSkidmore's Return To Athletics
Last year, many of us were sent home without knowing when we could return, while others were suspended in a liminal space not knowing what their college experience would look like. When in-person students came back to campus in the fall of 2020, it was a year none of us could have predicted, as our college experience was halted and changed possibly forever. Everyone has stories of how COVID affected their lives, but what was the year like for athletes, never knowing if their seasons could be cancelled due to an outbreak?
Read moreIt Didn’t Have To Be Like This: The Skidmore Administration’s Role in the COVID-19 Outbreak
When the Fall 2021 semester began, we all had high hopes for being able to put the pandemic behind us and have a relatively normal college year. Understandably so: after the heartbreak, loss, and frustration of a year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic, we finally had 98 percent of students and staff vaccinated, and the end seemed in sight.
Read moreSkidmore Panel on Afghanistan: What Can We Learn?
On September 29th 2021, the International Affairs department presented a talk in response to the U.S.’ abrupt departure from Afghanistan, a country they undoubtedly fractured. While the panel's goal was to fill in the gaps of information about the Afghanistan war, this discussion also explained the causes that led to this man-made tragedy, and the long term consequences of the U.S. invasion.
Read moreAlice Wong Visit: Accessibility, Representation, Storytelling, and “To the Future!”
In a two-fold event, Alice Wong, disabled activist, media marker, and writer, visited Skidmore College on Zoom.
Read moreHayes: A Personal Short Story
Hayes stood at the entrance of a room. He knew neither how he arrived at this place nor what lay ahead of him…
Your Monthly Horoscope for Spooky Season
Happy October! In honor of both the spookiest month of the year and Mercury going into retrograde, I bring you an astrological look into the upcoming month. After consulting numerous zodiac sources, and with the help of my muse (aka a pumpkin iced coffee from Burgess), I have concocted the following predictions and pieces of advice, sure to tell you all that you will need to make it through to November 1st.
Read moreAesthetics of Nostalgia: The Resurgence of Film Photography
Nostalgia is a gateway to a myriad of senses— from revisiting a meal from your childhood to hearing a song you grew up with. Arguably, there is no such potent a sense as that of sight when it comes to nostalgia. When one hears “film photography,” their mind may automatically go to a Polaroid camera. How can we help it when Outkast told us to shake it like a Polaroid picture?
Read moreThe Met Gala Was “Wack This Year," & Not Just For Its Fashion!
This year’s theme was “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” which was more broad than others have been in the past. Although the invitees and panel of hosts (Naomi Osaka, Timothée Chalame, Billie Eilish, and Amanda Gorman) seemed to promote diversity, the way in which the protest outside of the event was handled itself showcased how America typically chooses to operate when it comes to the treatment of Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC). As a person who adores and appreciates fashion, the Met Gala is usually an event that I am excited about; but as a Black person, the situation that occurred outside of the event this year is something that is difficult for me to ignore.
Read moreTop Five Plants for College Students
Now that the first few weeks of classes have come and gone here at Skidmore, perhaps you’ve settled in and realized that your dorm room is missing that little extra something…
Read moreSatire: Fourth Best College Food in New York
Our new normal is basically back to pre-COVID normal, but with masks, and I'm sure everyone’s sick of asking covid safety questions, I am to a degree, but entering D-hall with 100-plus students is still overwhelming when we've been so conditioned to socially distance. Hopefully more of us can be vigilant in wearing masks indoors (like in the library) and the future of our campus won't become a COVID hotspot.
Read moreLiberalism and the Paradox of Tolerance: Is the Marketplace of Ideas a Free-For-All?
Hundreds of Skidmore sophomores attended President Conner’s speech on September 6, in which he discussed the importance of differing opinions. I, too, believe there is value to be found in other people’s opinions, and that disagreement, or the discussions resulting from it, can benefit us. It is in that light that I would like to present a divergent perspective on two of the topics from his speech.
Read moreMajor League Baseball Postseason Preview
After a painful 2020 of team quarantines and empty stadiums filled with cardboard cutouts, 2021 was a great year for baseball. From epic trades to record breaking no-hitters, the league seems to be back and better than ever, and it will be exciting to see who makes it to the end. It’s clear as the regular season begins to wind down, that fans are on the edge of their seats to see who will have a shot at the 2021 World Series.
Read moreThe 2021 Met Gala: A Missed Opportunity
This year's theme was "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion." One would think with two years of preparation, tons of inspiration from the recent turbulent times in America, and the opportunity to attend such a huge event after years spent inside, the Met Gala guests would take this opportunity to make some commentary on American politics or pop culture. One might think this, yes, but they would be wrong.
Read moreHow the FYE Summer Reading Can Help the Skidmore Community
Already this year, students on campus are applying the summer reading’s concepts to our own community. Without inclusive and accessible spaces, Skidmore is incapable of either calling itself or working towards being an antiracist institution. Skidmore students have cultivated serious and plausible ideas for how to do this. This semester, as we get settled into new classes and a fresh routine, it is imperative that we take Kendi’s lessons and use them to improve our community for all.
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