In Marvin Gaye’s 1971 song Mercy, Mercy, Me (The Ecology), Gaye sings, “What about this overcrowded land, how much more abuse from man can she stand?” Gaye was tapping into a flourishing environmental movement of the ‘70s. This is where the “Yes In My Backyard” (YIMBY) has come in, a pro-housing movement that encourages new housing, urban development, and opposes density limits.

On March 26, 2025, Skidmore College's World Languages and Literatures Department announced during a Zoom meeting its decision to eliminate the Self-Instructed Language Program (SILP) from the course catalog. SILP allowed students to study a language independently while meeting with an instructor for two hours per week.

After an exciting election season, The Skidmore News was excited to sit down with the college’s next SGA President, Samantha Majiedt, to ask how she felt about her victory and her plans for the upcoming semester.

Over the past few months, the Department of Education has experienced many changes, some of which are causing concern for families, educators, and students across the United States. Among other responsibilities, the DOE is most known for ensuring rights to an equitable education, supporting schools, and providing grants and loans for higher education. 

Perhaps the most anticipated race of the season is for SGA President, as current President Josh Maxwell ‘26 runs against Vice President for Institutional Diversity, Samantha Majiedt ‘27. Although there have been debates for this position in previous years, none in recent memory has stirred this much excitement—or showcased two very different candidates.

On Tuesday, February 25, negotiating representatives from the Skidmore College Administration and the Skidmore non-tenure track (NTT) faculty Union reached a tentative Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for fair contracts. Voting on the CBA will occur on March 17-18, and the agreement will pass if the Union reaches a majority vote.

In the months running up to the election, Donald Trump ran on an unyielding immigration agenda that advocated for mass deportations, the militarization of the southern border, and the revocation of birthright citizenship. Two weeks into the new administration, President Trump is attempting to keep his promise of sanctioning mass deportations. 

Since its launch in 2016, TikTok, a video-sharing social media app, has gained immense popularity among users of all ages. Users can share a diverse range of videos on TikTok, including lip-syncing, dancing, video edits, cosplay, and product promotions through the app’s TikTok Shop. Despite its popularity, however, the U.S. government has expressed concerns about how the app may compromise national security. 

Los Angeles residents woke on January 7th to see a world engulfed in relentless, all-consuming flames. California is known for its wildfires and the state’s dry climate and vegetation, brought on by now-common drought conditions, make perfect kindling for fires to rapidly spread over large swaths of land.

The Student Government Association (SGA) had a very busy fall semester. From passing important legislation to representing students in College-wide discussions to hosting fun and informative events, the more than 75 members of the SGA worked hard to serve the student body.

On December 9, President Marc C. Conner announced the official opening of the McCaffery-Wagman Tennis and Wellness Center on January 21st, 2025. This long-awaited project was possible due to the generosity of the McCaffery-Wagman-Wachenheim families and by the additional support of Skidmore alumni and families. 

On December 4, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed outside an entrance to the New York Hilton Midtown Hotel on West 54th Street in New York City. The suspect, now believed by authorities to be Luigi Nicholas Mangione, age 26, shot him multiple times in the back and legs and fled on an e-bike.