Skidmore College Top Questions

What are the most popular student activities/groups?

Beal

There are so many fun events on campus that it would be impossible to attend them all. There is such a wide range of events, but the most popular weekend events usually revolve around student music clubs and bands and a cappella groups and student comedy groups. We have a myriad of each of these things, and their performances take different shapes throughout the year, sometimes performing in the dining hall, outside the Tang Museum, in the student center, or on the green.

Joseph

For a smaller school there are constantly events going on whether it is live music, sporting events, guest speakers, or a whole mess of other fun activities. Because there is no Greek system here nothing is exclusive which holds true for most every party. I can honestly say that no two weekends at Skidmore are the same, I have gone on essentially impromptu trips to Washington D.C. with the Environmental Action Club, been to parties with amazing live music or d.j.s, seen comedy shows and jazz concerts, you name it. During the week students generally study and work hard to enjoy the freedom of the weekend that much more.

Minh

Students often shut their dorm doors. Guest speakers and theater events are quite popular, more than athletic events, I met my closest friends in the International Pre-orientation program. Homework Halloween ball, weekend parties, Reunion, etc. They party every weekend There's no Greek life here. I was in NYC last weekend. Watching movies.

Ryan

The A cappella groups are probably the most attended events aside from the theater shows, but other clubs such as sports teams, comedy groups, art shows, concerts and lectures draw huge crowds too.

Reg

We have loads of a capella groups and comedy groups. They ar probably the most popular. But, we also have UJIMA, which is a african american and latino culture pride club, who put on great events like the UJIMA Fashion show. Also, there is something going on literally every weekend. There is no stop to the weekend excitement OH! We also have a great student run blog called skidmoreunofficial.com. Its rad.

Dan

I would not say there is such a thing as "most popular" anything on campus. The campus just does not function in that manner. That being said, there are more popular a capella groups, comedy groups and clubs than others. Greek life is nonexistent on campus.

Ben

Skidmore is full of social events on and off campus. This is an area where Saratoga Springs really adds to the Skidmore experience. The vast array of restaurants downtown provide great dinner opportunities, while there are always concerts at various bars and the SPAC. On campus the Outing club is huge. On the weekends its hard to be on campus and not hear a band of students performing in one of the on campus apartments. It's pretty hard to not find something to do during the weekends with so many events on and off campus to choose from.

Brendan

We don't have fraternities of sororities... sorry, if you are looking for that type of school, I suggest going to a state school or university. Every weekend, there is a performance of the arts on campus. We have the largest museum outside of NYC in New York State. We have some of the best athletic teams in the nation in the fall and spring. Many people will study on the weekends, and stay in most of the nights to get ahead for next week! What a concept! After all, sleep is good. It's science! But, of course, if you enjoy the drinking scene, and are of age (have to say that I guess), then you can enjoy the party scene downtown. We have the most bars per capita outside of NYC in the nation. Hmmm, another fun fact. Drink responsibly, as it is easy to get lost in any city!

Andrew

Skidmore's social scene is a little weak. Don't come here if you're expecting bangers and ranging frat parties. There are a good number of off campus houses that function like fraterities, but most of the partying is done in Skidmore's Scribner Village and Northwoods. There are also a good number of students who hit up Saratoga's admirable bar scene. Most of the student body works during the week and goes out at least two nights during the weekend (thursday-friday). There are a good number of clubs and student organizations. Get involved in one of them here as a good way to make friends.

Emmerson

a cappella performance

jane

most ppl are friends with the ppl who lived near them freshmen year. pretty safe and open environment. most ppl drink, heavily. and usually smoke too. thurs night thru sun ppl are getting trashed/recovering from getting trashed. random hookups galore.

Megan

The sports teams are quite popular. Instant group of friends. Sports team members also have many other friends too. In the dorms, many leave their doors open. Suite style living is also very helpful for that type of an environment. Meet closest friends through sports and living arrangements. Party thurs-sat typically. Sometimes people go out on other nights, not as common. 2 am on a tuesday.. could be studying, writing a paper, watching a movie, or talking with friends. no frats or sororities, though it seemslike the sports teams kind of take on that role here. I enjoy not having frats or sororities at school. Sat night no drinking - events held in our student center. Can also hang out with friends, watch movies, go into town, shop, etc. Off campus, shop, go to restaurant, visit friends. go to parks.

Kate

Skidmore always has a lot going on. The weekends start on Thursdays with performances, bands, dances, and of course parties. The social scene at Skidmore is as lively as any big university with the added perk of being sheltered away from town, and with a feeling of security when you know everyone that you see at any given party.

Alex

Benef-action, the volunteer group on campus, the environmental action club, the outing club, the ultimate frisbee club, the five a cappella groups, and the dance groups on campus are very popular. I have been involved in Benef-action since my freshman year, specifically as a Special Olympics Swim coach, which has been a positive addition to my weekly schedule. Benef-action has a number of different projects and programs to get involved with at any time, making it very easy to volunteer. I often do not go to bed before 1-2AM during the weekday because I am up doing work, so it is helpful that the lobrary stays open until 12AM and the student center and various other spots on campus stay open all night. There are no sororities or fraternities. Big parties are often located off-campus, but parties are still a regular occurence on campus on the weekends. I usually go to events-- dances, concerts, performances-- that are happening on campus on the weekend.

Michael

The most popular organiation is the outing club where people go on different events. I am more involved with work than any club. For guys, it is hard to randomly hook up with girls, if you are not officially dating a girl, than good luck hooking up.

laura

I think its hard to find something to do on the weekend if you don't drink. Maybe it's like that at all schools but I expected smaller schools to be a little bit more easy going.

Chris

People who play sports at Skidmore support the sports program. That being said, not that many students care about our athletics program. I am involved in the Theater. I play intramural Dodgeball in the winter and soccer in the Fall. My freshman year I was supported by the television station SkidTV and I produced a sitcom about college life: www.collegeishard.tv Students leave their dorm doors open. The Skidmore community is very trusting. Guest speakers and theater are very popular. Each year the theater department holds the National College Comedy Festival. Also, the Improv Troupe "The AD Libs" and the sketch comedy troupe "The Sketchies" draw big crowds. I met my friends in my dorm and through my classes. If I'm awake at 2am on a Tuesday night I am studying. Traditions: The Naked Run...enough said Partying is not a big deal on campus. Like anywhere, if you want to drink, you can find parties. Usually parties are small and don't involve hard drinking. People like to party with close friends and be social, rather than spend their nights self medicating. Late Night is an organization that puts on entertainment every weekend. Stand-up comedians and bands perform almost every weekend. Also, students go to theater, accapella and comedy shows. Off campus is Saratoga Springs. I'll occasionally walk into town to buy records, stop at CVS or watch a movie.

Jess

Dorm life is great, most students move to singles by sophomore year, and is only in doubles by choice after that. Dorms are suite style, and apartments on campus are available to upperclassmen. Campus is dry, but the Northwoods apartments are not.

Krista

Skidmore has an insane number of social opportunities. Sporting events are not the most popular of these options. I would say that more people come to art shows and dance performances than athletic games. Some of the yearly events include Junior Ring (a formal dance) and Fun Day (the last Friday or Saturday before the end of classes). Partying is common but by no means necessary. It sounds bizarre, but most of the people I have encountered are "smart partiers." I hear people in the dining hall on Friday evenings saying, "Yeah, I'm going downtown to the bars tonight, but I need to get started on the paper tomorrow as well." I have friends that drink and others that do not, and there is no conflict between the two groups.

Ben

Campus activities are bad... The school needs to do a better job. Party life is fun but takes time to get used to. It mostly involves keg parties and for those with fake ID's or have 21 years, there is a fun college bar scene in town.

Melinda

not a party school exactly, but theres tons to do if you know where to look. best advice, join a club or activity

Michelle

Since there is no greek life at Skidmore - most social events take place in the dorms or in the on-campus appartments. So, no one really locks their doors and you can always find either people roaming around, hanging out , or partying in a dorm. The dating scene is not too good. Since there are so many more girls than boys - its a lot harder for a girl to find a boyfriend. Random hookups are pretty easy ... but since the boys have so many to choose from, and from all of the people I know, it seems like the boys like to leave their options open and explore. People party a lot. Even if they are not partying .. they are not doing work. People are always watching movies, playing music, or hanging out. Typical weekends include partying in someone's dorm room and going to a dance or a concert or a show. Or sometimes people get off campus and go see a movie or take a road trip .. although people stay on campus for the most part.

Hannah

Skidmore does seem to care too much about athletics, but there are many teams. Skidmore students like to get drunk and smoke pot and this starts on Thursday night and goes into the weekend. Thursday is often refered to as "thirsty Thursday".

Phil

Drugs and alcohol are readily available, like all campuses where there's a will there's a way. You need an ID to get in downtown and if you are without one that sucks for you. The parties on campus tend to suck ass because campus po has nothing better to do. Social activities would improve if skidmore didn't try to get the majority of kids living on campus. Going off campus is a bitch, especially if you intend on drinking.

Ashley

The party scene is intensely monitored and it is tough to find parties freshman year. People take there studies relatively seriously and I'd say people party 2-3 nights a week. Dorms are always quiet.

Tate

Skidmore has a strict policy against fraternities and sororities, which in turn makes the community more social and active in different aspects. There are many social activities like comedy shows, bands, and similar events every weekend that give new students opportunities to be social and meet other students. Dorms are a big social factor...it is where freshman meet and bond. It is much more than just a living space. But all dorms are substance free, so if parties do occur, which is quite common, campus safety will be sure to break things up quickly. Parties occur from Thursdays to Sunday, depending on class schedules and homework loads. There are off campus parties which can easily be accessed by taxi (with a free ride back to campus policy) or house parties that are on campus in campus apartments. Also, there is a huge bar scene in walking distance downtown that most people go to after hours if of age. During the day the campus greens are a major aspect of social life and most students and friends lay out in the sun or do homework. There are usually students playing music or throwing a frisbee.

Harper

Very cliquey--even cliquer than high school. The hockey players hang out with the other hockey players, the dancers with the other dancers, and so on. The way Skidmore works doesn't limit your network of friends, but it's very typical for people not to range outside of their own clique when it comes to their closest friends. At parties, however, everyone is welcome. Although the party scene sometimes tends to revolve around the sports teams, there's little segregation on Thursday-Saturday night when it comes to drinking.

Emma

The most popular student organization is probably the Environmental Action Committee (EAC), followed by the Outing Club and some of the diversity clubs on campus including the Skidmore Pride Alliance (SPA). That doesn’t necessarily best represent the student body at large but certain represent the impassioned groups. Most people leave their room doors open and you can get into any dorm very easily, surprisingly there is very little theft on our campus its just not that type of place. Athletic events are attended by other athletes, at large the skidmore student body isn’t all that “sporty”. Anything that strikes controversy is very well attended and talked about all there after. A big speaker coming defiantly changes the talk around campus. On the flip side, most speakers are attended my the same people—a lot of preaching to informed.

Michael

Very safe in terms of dorm life and leaving doors unlocked. Athletic events are not as popular as one would think although many students are working to create more of a hype for certain teams such as men's golf, hockey and lacrosse. The party scene can be a bit repetetive however the bar scene for those of age is excellent. There are tons of great local bars in saratoga springs that the upperclassmen and those with fake ID's often find themselves at on thursday and saturday nights.

Emma

Since Skidmore doesn't have a Greek system, sports houses are really where off-campus parties are. Most of the time, you start your night in the dorms and gradually move to a house off-campus or in the upper-classmen apartments, and then end up back in your dorms. It can be hard in the winter because it's so cold outside and snowy, but there are a ton of things to do. Sports aren't huge at Skidmore; A Cappella groups really attract a pretty big following, especially the all-male group. Those as well as the improv comedy group get the biggest crowds at their shows, but people show up to pretty much anything. I met a lot of my friends through my classes, especially my freshman seminar. My best friend also was my roomate; the school did a great job pairing us up and we became really close.

Stephanie

First and foremost there is no greek life; we are such a small school, we definately dont need it to dictate our social scene. There are ton of activities, dances, live concerts (students and professionals). The party scene takes place either at off-campus houses or in the senior/junior housing. Skidmore kids love theme parties and love smoking pot; we know how to have a good time, but the parties are not as intense as what the movies portray college to be.

Casey

There is a club for everyone. There are no frats or sororities, but i honestly dont miss them. There are very few sports, but dont get to much support from the rest of the student body since we are a liberal arts college, but they are there. I dont find partying a problem here at all. If you want to party , there are opportunites, but if thats not your thing you dont need to worry. Ive never been to a party where someone was forced to drink or made to feel umcomfortable cause they didnt want to drink. Also if you dotn want to party at all, there are so many events and activities on campus to go to instead. Dating, if your a guy, is great you have lots of girls to choose from. If your a girl, its slim pickings, but there are datable guys at skidmore.

Alicia

Because we don't have a greek life you meet all of your friends based on your classes and where you are living. There is a big theater/dance/art scene here which makes for interesting past times every weekend. The athletics are pretty popular as well, I go to every Friday night hockey game and its something I look forward to at the beginning of every week.

Abbie

There are so many groups on campus that it is hard to decide which ones are most popular, but i would have to say polo, ultimate frisbee, EAC, and ProArts. I am involved in the ultimate frisbee club--the skidmore wombats, which is really fun. and i am also involved in the skidmore women's lacrosse team, which is AMAZING. Dorm life is really fun. I live on a floor with a bunch of my friends, and everyone always leaves their door open. Athletic events are not that popular, but a bunch of people go to the men's soccer, lacrosse, and ice hockey games. I met my closest friends on the lacrosse team, and from my preorientation program. I am usually awake until about 1-2am everynight doing work, but on the weekends i like to go out and and stay up a lot later. people party very often, like every thursday, friday, and saturday nights. Off campus i go to parties.

Emmy

athletic events attract a certain type of student as well as all the other clubs. There is not one more popular club than the others. They are all on the same levels.

Sara

Like the students, the social scene is pretty chill. No huge frat parties and such. We study hard and party hard, which starts on Thursday and stops on Saturday night. There are NO boys, and if you find a good one, he's probably gay.

Blake

There's not much to do.

Paul

The Outing Club is popular on campus because they provide entertaining things to do on the weekends and outrageous activities on campus. The weekends are hit or miss, sometimes the events going on are right up your alley, sometimes it's up to you to create the fun. Many kids leave their door open and the dorms tend to be very social places.

ari

sports arent a huge thing on campus but they are trying to be more popular. alot of people go to the mens soccer games and hockey games but thats about it. no one ever goes to the womens sports games. i never lock my dorm room, i honestly dont know anyone who does. there is a fairly large hookup scene at skidmore but it depends on the type of scene youre in. there is a huge hookup community with the kids that go downtown to the bars (mostly jocks and the girls that fuck them) no frats and sororities so the sports teams have become to "frats" but id say a lil less intense. although the dinning hall is pretty divided between jocks and non jocks. on the jock side, each table is set for a different team. and then on the opposite side there are the most artsy kids. there is a bunch of drinking on smoking on campus. id say most kids party pretty hard on the weekends. kegs. fun day. 420. scribner. north woods.

Ryan

The dating scene is not quite as hot as the "hook-up" scene.

Dawson

Some athletic events are popluar (mostly mens soccer, hockey, and lacross) while others don't get much of a crowd. Skidmore has a great theater program and most shows are very popular and sell out. I met most of my closest friends either through the soccer team or people I lived with or near during my freshman and sophmore year. There are not frats or sororities, which I love because I feel at some schools there is pressure to join in on Greek life. People party pretty often. Thursday and Saturday nights are big, and of course people go out on Fridays as well. Every year we have a semi-formal dance on campus called Junior Ring. It is always a lot of fun to get dressed up. There is also "Fun Day" where most kids get drunk and enjoy free entertainment and activities organized by the College. It is in Spring and is always a lot of fun!

Alex

Everyone leaves their door open because they're dumbasses. Athletic events are not popular. Fucked-up theater kids abound.

Melissa

No frats - but a lot of weed.

Stephanie

Many students are on sports teams. I am on the womens varsity tennis team. Going to a school where i could play division three athletics was one of the best decisions i made when it came to choosing a college to go to. Not many people go to the tennis matches, but a lot of students suppport the boys soccer, ice hockey and lacrosse teams. Theater is very popular. There are a lots of shows to see each year and are guest speakers. I met my closest friends on the tennis team and one of my teammates set me up with my boyfriend. If I am awake at 2 am on a tuesday i am out at a bar probably the alley. The big days to go out our tuesday, thursday and saturday, but most people just go out thursday and saturday. We do not have fraternities or sororities, which i love. Last weekend i had a tennis match so i could not go out. Saturday night you could go see a movie or go bowling or go to a party or go downtown. No one will make fun of you for not drinking.

Erin

We do not have greek life here which is one of the best parts about this school the student body is a lot different for that reason. Socially there is never one place to be on the weekends there may be a party held at one of the off campus houses, and a comedy show in our student center, a theater production in our mainstage theater, and a hockey game all in the same night, and students will spread out all over campus and into the saratoga bars and off-campus houses all in one night.

Kris

I really like the fact that there is no Greek life. It takes the pressure off of students in a big way...you don't have to try to fit in, because the groups intermingle. This isn't high school folks. If you hates high school, you will love Skidmore.

Nik

There's always something going on on campus. Be it an event sponsored by one of the clubs, or a party at a friend's house, entertainment is not hard to come by. There's enough alcohol and drugs to be found for people that seek such entertainment, and if that's not your thing then there's plenty of people that share your tastes. There's something for everyone here, be it a rousing game of D&D or an all-night tyraide that can't be remembered in the morning... or both.

Cameron

SGA is really big here (but that may be because I'm so involved) clubs are HUGE there are a million clubs so everyone has an opportunity to get involved - i think this school is more a casual dating/hook up school but i know plenty of people are in a relationship

Alexandra

Benefaction is the largest club. It's just about volunteer work in general. I love my activities and the people in them. Nobody ever shows up to events unless they involve hugely famous speakers, widespread intoxication, theatre or a cappella. Some dorm doors are open...not most. dating scene is the hook up scene: intoxicated make out sessions at parties. met my friends through activities. most meet through partying the first week of orientation. the real traditions aren't worth speaking about. We have a halloween and a winter dance. we have spring fling weekend, 4/20, and Fun day (get drunk on the green with moon bounces). people do homework until 4am. If you aren't getting inebriated or with people who are on a weekend you can sit around or sleep. There are events and music but they aren't fun if you're sober.

Leah

I'm mostly in the theater department, which eats your life, but I'm also involved with the Pride Alliance, which does a lot of LGBT themed awareness events and a dance each semester. My roommates like to leave the door unlocked all the time, but my iPod got stolen last semester so I'd advise against that. Music and the arts are everywhere, and you can always get involved/attend something. The gender ratio is 60/40 girls/guys, so the dating scene is a little sparse for girls... unfortunately. There is no greek life on campus, but there are some insane parties nonetheless. If you don't want to drink, you don't have to at all... people respect those kinds of decisions.