October 18 - 20, 2024
Schedule of Events
An important note about purchased meal tickets: please be sure to stop by the Celebration Weekend Welcome Desk on the 2nd floor of Case Center to pick up your pre-purchased meal tickets. A copy of your confirmation email will not be sufficient to enter the Dining Hall. Thank you for your understanding.
Schedule is subject to change. Locations subject to change. Current as of: 8/29/24
Friday | Saturday | Sunday | General Info | Local Attractions | Anytime
Friday, October 18
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Campus Office Hours
Please be aware if you need to visit any business offices on campus they will only
be open on Friday, October 18. Most offices will be closed for lunch from 12:00 –
1:00 p.m.
11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Celebration Weekend Welcome Desk
Case Center, second floor
Pick up your pre-purchased meal tickets and a weekend program.
11:00 a.m. – 4 p.m. Lunch in the Dining Hall
Murray-Aikins Dining Hall
Join us for Chicken Finger Friday! Tickets can be purchased at the Dining Hall (credit
or debit cards only).
1 p.m. Renia’s Diary: Book Talk and Signing
Case Center, Wyckoff Center
Join Elizabeth Bellak P’92 & Alexandra Bellak ’92, the surviving sister and niece
of Renia Spiegel, for this moderated discussion of Renia's Diary: A Holocaust Journal. This long-hidden diary chronicles the life of a young Polish woman during the Holocaust.
Sponsored by the offices of: English, History, Religious & Spiritual Life, World Languages and Literatures, and the Lucy Scribner Library.
2 – 3 p.m. Campus Sustainability Tour
Community Garden
Join Tarah Rowse, Director of Sustainability Programs and Assessment, for a tour of
campus sustainability initiatives, including the campus bike share program, community
garden, geothermal system, North Woods, and more. The Office will share information
about student leadership opportunities, co-curricular events, and future plans. Please
wear sturdy shoes.
2:30 – 5:30 p.m. Billie Tisch Center for Integrated Sciences Celebration
Billie Tisch Center for Integrated Sciences
Passport to Discovery: Join Skidmore's Science Department as we celebrate the completion of the Billie Tisch Center for Integrated Sciences (BTCIS). Ten classrooms and labs will be open to explore as faculty and students demonstrate the state-of-the-art equipment and talk about their current research. There will be brief remarks and light refreshments in the Glotzbach Atrium, BTCIS, from 2:30 - 3:00 p.m.
3 - 4 p.m. Roadmap to the World: International and Domestic Study Programs
Palamountain Hall, Emerson Auditorium
At Skidmore, students are encouraged to map out their own academic adventures off
campus through College-run programs in England, France, New Zealand, and Spain, in
one or more of the over 125 approved programs throughout the world, or through domestic
off-campus study. They are given tips for navigating the selection, application, and
preparation processes and for managing the bumps along the way. Find out how the Office
of Off-Campus Study & Exchanges works with students to create their own roadmaps to
the world.
3 - 5 p.m. Career Jam
Murray-Aikins Dining Hall, second floor
The largest on-campus networking event of the year. This event brings parents, alumni,
and students together for conversations around a topic on every student’s mind: careers.
This is an opportunity for students to connect with professionals in their field
of interests to learn more about graduate school, interviews, resumes and potential
internship and job opportunities.
4 – 5 p.m. Tour of the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery
Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery, Atrium
4 p.m. Women’s Soccer vs. RIT
Williamson Sports Center, Wachenheim Field
Watch the Thoroughbreds take on the Tigers.
4:30 – 5:30 p.m. Connections: First-Year Families & Faculty Reception
Case Center, The Spa
Visiting families and students are invited to this light reception to meet with first-year
faculty members.
5 – 7 p.m. “Dining Out at Skidmore”
Murray-Aikins Dining Hall
Our Dining Services staff extends a hearty welcome to all guests. Reserve tickets
in advance and pick them up at the Welcome Desk upon arrival to campus. Tickets can
be purchased at the Dining Hall if they are not pre-ordered (credit or debit cards
only).
5:15 p.m. Student-led Shabbat Services
Wilson Chapel
6:30 p.m. Candle Lighting, Kiddush, and Shabbat Dinner
Murray-Aikins Dining Hall
7 p.m. 2024 Filene Scholar Celebration Concert
Arthur Zankel Music Center, Helen Filene Ladd Concert Hall
Featuring the winners of the 43rd Annual Filene Scholarship Competition, along with
current Filene Scholars and faculty artists. Celebrate the musical community fostered
by this scholarship through the generosity of the Filene Ladd families. This event
is free and open to the public.
8 p.m. MDOCS: Making Documentaries Across Disciplines
Palamountain Hall, Gannett Auditorium
A film screening and talkback with faculty, staff, collaborators and community partners
of Skidmore’s John B. Moore Documentary Studies Collaborative, including a curated
program of short films produced with collaborators from on and off-campus.
8 p.m. Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom
Janet Kinghorn Bernard Theater, Black Box
Skidmore Theater will present Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom, written by Jennifer
Haley and Directed by Dennis Schebetta.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19
8:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. Celebration Weekend Welcome Desk
Case Center, second floor
Pick up your pre-purchased meal tickets and a weekend program.
8:30 – 9:30 a.m. Meet & Greet Coffee Hour
Palamountain Hall, Class of 1967 Lobby
Meet other parents while enjoying a cup of coffee and a light continental breakfast.
9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Library Book Sale
Scribner Library
Only cash or checks will be accepted at the sale.
9:30 – 10:30 a.m. President’s Hour
Palamountain Hall, Gannett Auditorium
The Parent and Family Council invites you to join President Marc C. Conner for a lively
discussion of College updates and his vision for the future.
10:45 - 11:45 a.m. MiniCollege Programs
AI & Writing
Palamountain Hall, Emerson Auditorium
Michael Marx, Associate Professor of English & Director of Expository Writing
Television was the death knell for radio. CDs wrote the epitaph for record LPs – or was that Spotify? Streaming platforms closed movie theaters (with a little help from COVID-19); and as Socrates teaches in the Phaedrus, writing hammered the nails on the coffin of oration and human memory. But will generative AI supplant writing – particularly college writing? Have ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Co-Pilot foretold the end of the college essay? In this mini-college session, examine the implications of generative AI for writing, how Skidmore faculty are responding to AI tools, and the opportunities and threats – real and imagined – generative AI poses for the teaching of writing.
The First Day of German 101
Bolton Hall, Room 281
Juliane Wuensch, Assistant Professor of World Languages & Literatures
Guten Tag und herzlich willkommen! Have you ever thought about learning German or how it would be to know another language? In this session, experience the first day of a Skidmore German 101 class and come away with basic knowledge of German as well as some fun (and not-so-well-known) cultural facts.
The Indie Movement: Are Independent Voters in the United States Truly Non-Partisan?
Palamountain Hall, Davis Auditorium
Ron Seyb, Associate Professor of Political Science
Since 2009, the number of independent voters in the United States has been steadily increasing. Most analysts attribute this trend to accelerating partisan polarization during this period. As the two parties’ adherents have moved to the ideological poles, more voters are rejecting party labels and their associations.
The Supreme Court’s overturing of Roe v. Wade in 2022, the growth of “Me Too movement,” the reaction to the MAGA movement’s increasing control of the Republican Party, and burgeoning feelings of economic insecurity among large swaths of the electorate in the post-COVID era may have caused some voters to become independents because of issue concerns rather than because they did not want the taint of a partisan affiliation.
This talk will examine whether these new independent voters are “persuabales” or merely partisans without portfolio.
The Liberal Arts & The Liberal Imagination
Bolton Hall, Room 282
Bob Boyers, Professor of English, Editor of SALMAGUNDI Magazine, and Director of the
New York State Summer Writers Institute
In many quarters there is talk of turmoil and dysfunction in the liberal arts. Many students and teachers speak of a campus climate inimical to humanistic study. The very notion of what the critic Lionel Trilling called “The Liberal Imagination” now seems very far from the routine business of our colleges and universities.
Does the demand for so-called “safe spaces” and the notion that no one in a classroom need ever feel “uncomfortable” comport with the open, lively, occasionally contentious arena envisioned by proponents of the liberal university? Has the liberal commitment to teaching the conflicts, introducing controversy, been replaced in today’s campus by a commitment to teach students how to embrace and articulate the correct line or orthodoxy of the moment?
Of course it is possible that reports of decline and dysfunction are somewhat exaggerated, and that in any case it is a good thing to revisit and interrogate the idea of the liberal imagination, to ask what it meant to earlier generations of students and academics and what it might mean in an era like the present.
This mini-class will survey recent developments in the liberal arts, propose a series of relevant cultural markers, and invite general conversation.
Paris 2024: An Olympic Retrospective
Bolton Hall, Room 280
Jeff Segrave, Professor of Health and Human Physiological Sciences
In this session, we will touch on the history of the Olympic Games, including their genesis and practice in ancient Greece, iterations of the Games during the 17th-19th centuries, and the current Games which were first celebrated in Athens in 1896. We will also note some of the notable modern Games, especially the recent Paris Games. We will also consider the significance of the Olympic philosophy, Olympism, and its place in our contemporary world.
11 a.m. Relentless: Book Talk and Signing with Luis Miranda, Jr. H'24, P'23
Case Center, Wyckoff Center
Join Luis A. Miranda, Jr. as he discusses his personal and political memoir: Relentless: My Story of the Latino Spirit That is Transforming America. A veteran of New York and national politics, Mr. Miranda embodies the relentless
spirit of progress of American immigrants. His memoir reveals a deep understanding
of Latino culture and how to build community to change our world for the better.
12 – 4 p.m. Celebration Lunch
Murray-Aikins Dining Hall
Join us for a culinary celebration of the Skidmore community. The menu will feature
a range of dishes that highlight the talents of our culinary team. There will be something
for everyone! Please note that there will be two lunch seatings. Purchase tickets
for either the 12 p.m. seating or the 1 p.m. seating. Reserve tickets in advance and
pick them up at the Welcome Desk upon arrival to campus. Tickets can be purchased
at the Dining Hall if they are not pre-ordered (credit or debit cards only).
12:15 – 1:15 p.m. Curator’s Tour of Mark Dion & Alexis Rockman: Journey to Nature’s
Underworld Exhibit
Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery, Atrium
1 – 2 p.m. What Families Still Need to Know
Palamountain Hall, Gannett Auditorium
Join us for an informative panel featuring representatives from key campus offices,
including Campus Safety, Resident Experience, Health & Wellness, First Year Experience,
Student Academic Services, and the Career Center. This session will provide an overview
of the resources and support services available to students, covering academic guidance,
personal well-being, campus safety, residential life, and career development. It’s
a great opportunity to learn how each office can help you succeed both inside and
outside the classroom.
2 - 3 p.m. MiniCollege Programs
A Fine Line
Saisselin Art Building, Room 307
Trish Lyell, Teaching Professor of Art and Assistant Director of The Schick Gallery
Think you “can’t draw a stick figure?” Why not?
What can a simple line do? Is a line simple?
What makes a line “beautiful?”
In addition to being the basis of virtually every kind of visual art, line can be as expressive and compelling as any art form.
We will look at examples of line drawings from Rembrandt and Katsushika Hokusai, to Ellsworth Kelly and Egon Schiele - simple, delightful, forceful, and mysterious.
Then we will try our hand at a line drawing of our own.
Piety and Perversion: Exploring the World of Medieval Manuscripts
Bolton Hall, Room 280
Kaylin O'Dell, Visiting Assistant Professor of English
The world of medieval manuscripts is a wonderfully weird place. While we might expect these early books to be static and flat—full of Latin prayers and dusty old poetry—they are in fact dynamic repositories of medieval creativity and humor. Central to this dynamic nature is the relationship between text and image. Within the margins of the manuscript page, a bizarre world emerges, filled with fantastical creatures, bathroom humor, and scenes from everyday life—a prayer is surrounded by snails fighting knights, while a heroic poem sits next to a nude bishop flashing his rear end. This presentation studies a handful of manuscripts to explore what happens when the sacred and the profane collide.
Terroir: Wine & the French Sense of Place
Bolton Hall, Room 282
Timothy Freiermuth, Senior Lecturer of World Languages & Literatures
Originally a winemaking term, terroir speaks to the “irreproducible uniqueness of place” and thus offers a distinctively and stubbornly French perspective on the value of “placeness” in an increasingly global and virtual world. We will explore terroir’s roots in the world of wine, only to find ourselves enmeshed in debates on environmental policy, cultural protectionism, for-to-table activist economics, nationalism and immigration, reproductive technology, urban planning, cafeteria lunch wars, accent standardization, and so much more. It’s all there in a simple bottle of wine!
2 – 3 p.m. Skidmore Treblemakers and Ad-Libs Performance
Filene Hall, Filene Recital Hall
Join the Skidmore Treblemakers A Cappella group for their annual Celebration Weekend
performance! This year they are joined by the Ad-Libs, Skidmore's only improv comedy
group.
2 – 3:30 p.m. Family Fun at the Tang
Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery, Payne Room
Join this immensely popular program offered by the Tang. Suitable for children ages
5 and up with their adult companions, this program offers a creative opportunity for
a hands-on art activity. Come any time between 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to create your
own special project.
2 p.m. Women’s Soccer vs. Ithaca College
Williamson Sports Center, Wachenheim Field
Watch the Thoroughbreds take on the Bombers.
2 p.m. Women’s Volleyball vs. William Smith College
Williamson Sports Center
Watch the Thoroughbreds take on the Herons.
3 p.m. Dance Performance
Dance Center, Dance Theater
Please join us for an afternoon of improvisation, music, and dance featuring the works
of Skidmore faculty and student choreography.
5 – 7 p.m. Dinner at Skidmore
Murray-Aikins Dining Hall
Our Dining Services staff extends a heart welcome to all guests. Enjoy farm-fresh
cuisine from local farms. Purchase tickets for either the 5 p.m. seating or the 6
p.m. seating. Reserve tickets in advance and pick them up at the Welcome Desk upon
arrival to campus. Tickets can be purchased at the Dining Hall if they are not pre-ordered
(credit or debit cards only).
7 p.m. Schenectady-Saratoga Symphony Orchestra – “Realize”
Arthur Zankel Music Center, Helen Filene Ladd Concert Hall
To reserve tickets, visit .
8 p.m. Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom
Janet Kinghorn Bernard Theater, Black Box
Skidmore Theater will present Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom, written by Jennifer
Haley and Directed by Dennis Schebetta.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20
10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Celebration Weekend Welcome Desk
Case Center, second floor
11 a.m. 30th Skidmore Celebration 5K Run-Walk
Case Green
Awards will be given to the first three finishers in six different categories. There
is no entry fee and the first 80 entrants will receive a free t-shirt. Walkers and
joggers are welcome!
Separate Registration Required
11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Brunch in the Dining Hall
Murray-Aikins Dining Hall
Join students and families for brunch. You might even catch a football game on the
big screen in the afternoon! Reserve tickets in advance and pick them up at the Welcome
Desk upon arrival to campus. Tickets can be purchased at the Dining Hall if they are
not pre-ordered (credit or debit cards only).
2 p.m. Field Hockey vs. University of Rochester
Williamson Sports Center, Wagner Park
Watch the Thoroughbreds take on the Yellowjackets.
2 p.m. Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom
Janet Kinghorn Bernard Theater, Black Box
Skidmore Theater will present Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom, written by Jennifer
Haley and Directed by Dennis Schebetta.
GENERAL INFO, Open OFFICE INVITATIONS, and local attractions
On Campus...
Burgess Café Hours
Case Center, 2nd floor
Friday 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Sunday 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Skidmore Shop
Case Center, 1st floor
The one-stop Shop for all things Skidmore. Along with textbooks and course materials
for class, we carry branded merchandise for students, families, alumni, faculty, staff,
friends of the College, and anyone visiting. For this weekend only, get a Skidmore-branded
keychain with a purchase of $50 or more!
Friday: 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Sunday: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
The Office of Admissions
Have a friend or sibling of a current student who is also interested in Skidmore?
Visit the Admissions website to learn more about exploring campus while you’re here!
Tours will be offered at:
Friday: 11 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.
Saturday: 9:30 a.m. & 11 a.m.
Schick Gallery Exhibition
Saisselin Art Building
Featuring ceramic and photo-based sculpture and installation by Melinda McDaniel
Friday: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Saturday: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery
Friday: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Van Lennep Riding Center
145 Daniels Road, Saratoga Springs
Visit the Riding Center which includes a heated indoor riding area, large outdoor
riding ring, turnout paddocks, heated stables with 65 stalls, staff offices, lounge,
tack rooms, feed rooms, indoor and outdoor wash stalls, grooming stalls, and a blacksmith
shop.
Saturday, 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.
The Student Wellness Center
Case Center, Room 308
Meet the Peer Health Educators (PHEs) who work to create an open, safe space to empower
and educate the Skidmore community on issues relating to health and wellness. Whether
you are looking for information on nutrition, sexual health or misconduct, relationships,
stress reduction, alcohol, or any other college health-related concern, we are here
to assist! While you’re here, check out our library, pick up some pamphlets and other
educational items, and visit with our regular rotation of therapy dogs!
Friday: 10:15 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Philip Boshoff Writing Center
Lucy Scribner Library, Room 440
The Writing Center invites interested guests to stop by, meet our tutors, and see
how they work with student writers.
Saturday: 12 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Around Saratoga...
Local Religious Services
For a listing of local religious services the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life has put together a partial list which can be found on their website at /religious-life/localworship.php. They welcome inquiries about additional options.
Saratoga Springs Farmer’s Market
Visit the Farmer’s Market and sample some of the fresh products from numerous local
farms. Located on High Rock Avenue in downtown Saratoga Springs from 9am – 1pm. More
info:
Saratoga National Historic Park: Did you know that the Battles of Saratoga have been termed the Turning Point of the American Revolution? This historic site is a short drive from campus. More info:
Grant Cottage
Visit Grant Cottage State Historic Site, the final home of President Ulysses S. Grant.
Visitors can tour the cottage, viewing the original furnishings, decorations, and
personal items belonging to Grant. Access to the site grounds, walking trails, Overlook
views, audio grounds tour, visitor center exhibits, and gift shop are FREE to enjoy.
The Cottage Tour has a small fee to support historic preservation. More info:
Anytime
Exhibitions at the Tang
Online
For more information about the exhibitions visit: .
The Alumni Learning Consortium
Online
Parents of Skidmore students are invited to experience the talents of our faculty
through our webinar platform. Explore valuable resources from our community and beyond
to help you grow personally and professionally.