Finding community or creating your own in Skidmore’s clubs

Students roam and chat outside of the Club Fair tents. You can see Lucy Scribner Library centered in the background.

The excitement surrounding this semester's Club Fair was not dampened by the rainy forecast, with hundreds of students in attendance.

by Catherine Hamilton ’25 and Maitreya Ravenstar ’25

The opportunity to participate in many unique clubs is an integral part of the college experience at Skidmore. Clubs are a crucial way to find community, friendship, and step outside of one’s comfort zone in college.

Skidmore’s biannual club fair, which takes place at the beginning of every semester, sees many of more than 100 clubs at Skidmore gathered in a fun celebration of community; people are excited, music is playing, and candy is handed out in abundance, all the while the diverse array of clubs provide information, answer questions, and take sign-ups.

Because of how special clubs are to the Skidmore experience, we came together to introduce you to just a few of the College’s one-of-a kind club offerings.

Skidmore Hillel

Students at the Hillel booth hold up signs: "Look Dad! I joined Hillel!" and "Look Rabbi! I joined Hillel!"

Skidmore Hillel is a space for Jewish students to find community and celebrate Jewish life on campus. Hillel hosts Shabbat dinners and services every Friday night, organizes celebrations for Jewish holidays, and hosts many other fun events — like apple picking, movie nights, and bowling — for the community.

While the club programming is open to everybody, Ariel Langberg ’26 says the club is particularly meaningful to her: “Hillel is a community that is very close to my heart because it allows me to connect and share traditions with people from a similar cultural and religious background to me.”

There are many other religious and cultural clubs at Skidmore, including the Newman Club, the Muslim Student Association, and Asian Cultural Awareness, among many others. Further, Skidmore’s Office of Religious and Spiritual Life hosts frequent religious services and holiday observances for the community.

The Breakbeats

The Breakbeats are an all-inclusive dance club that specializes in jazz and hip hop. There are no auditions, and it is open to everyone, regardless of their experience level. The club values community above all else; all Breakbeats meetings begin with a big circle, where everyone shares the high and low points of their day. From there, the group warms up and then practices one of their many dances.

Whether you come only once or every week, we offer a fun space for you to dance and make friends.
Breakbeats treasurer Krista Longo ’26, chemistry and biology double major

Halfway through the school year, the Breakbeats perform for the wider Skidmore community, where everyone is invited to enjoy the spectacular display of comradery, talent, and hardwork. Other dance clubs at Skidmore include Rithmos, Stopin’ Soles, Irish Dance Club, The Wave, and Extrava-gemz.

Cooking Club

Two members of the Cooking Club chat with interested students. A plate of food sits on the table in front of them.

Cooking Club gathers people from around the Skidmore community to cook and eat together. The club unites people through a passion for food and cooking and gives space for people to “enjoy a delicious meal and have good conversations about their stories and cultures surrounding food.”

Maya Graziani ’25, a studio art and management and business double major, is Cooking Club’s publicist. She emphasizes the club’s “focus on incorporating foods from a wide variety of cultures and being an inclusive space for people of all backgrounds.” Cooking Club events include Momo Making, A Night of Italian Delights, and Global Bites: A Multicultural Food Extravaganza.

Other food-related clubs include Feedmore and Challahmore. Regardless of what club you attend, almost all club meetings have snacks of some kind.

Her Campus Skidmore

Her Campus Skidmore is an online magazine written for and by anyone who identifies as a woman. Articles can be about anything from on-campus events to beauty advice to film reviews, providing an open space for students who want to share their thoughts and experiences.

Emma Shamburg ’26, an English major, acts as one of the club’s two presidents. Emma explains she became involved with Her Campus after seeing a poster that her co-president, Madeline, put up about wanting to start the club last year.

I've met so many women through Her Campus that I would not have met otherwise. Meetings feel like a bunch of girls at a lunch table talking about things that are important to them, which is an environment that I love to have facilitated creating.
Her Campus Skidmore Co-President Emma Shamburg ’26, English major

Other clubs that facilitate student publications are BARE, Lunchbox Magazine, Skidmore News, and Skidmo’ Daily.

Skidmore Club Soccer

Four students play soccer on Skidmore's South Lawn.

Skidmore Club Soccer is a club for students to play soccer in “a competitive but fun environment where players can improve and test their skills against other teams,” according to Emma Froelich ’25, theater major and captain of Club Soccer.

This year, the team is expanding to compete against other schools and recently traveled to compete against the U.S. Military Academy West Point’s club soccer team. But the club isn’t just about healthy competition. As Emma explains, the team has been an “amazing way to meet people from tons of different majors and find common ground in the sport that we love.”

Other non-varsity athletic clubs include Skidmore Ice Hockey Club, Alpine Ski and Snowboard Club, Badminton Club, and Table Tennis Club.

Additionally, Skidmore has three seasons of intramural sports that allow students to join and compete against other Skidmore students. Popular intramural sports include volleyball, basketball, tennis, and indoor soccer.

C.R.O.W.N.

C.R.O.W.N. is a club that aims to bring awareness to natural hair — to “both its beautiful and painful history,” as its mission states. Members put on various events and create a space for people to feel welcome.

Past meetings have included a meditation event and a study session, though Angelo Gonzalez '25, who is studying social work, reflects, “it is really just a hangout so people feel welcome.”

Last year the club put on Natural Hair Fest, where Angelo remembered buying a student's homemade shampoo and conditioner.

It was nice to invite different people in the club that had side businesses and then to go see it.
C.R.O.W.N member Angelo Gonzalez '25, Social Work major

Other multicultural clubs include Ujima, Raices, HAYAT, Asian Cultural Awareness, 213 Hip Hop Dance Crew, Black Student Union, African Heritage Awareness, NihonGo!, Skidmore Pride Alliance, International Student Union, and Extrava-Gemz.

Tbreds Raising Pups

Students pet a lab puppy wearing a green bowtie.

Tbreds Raising Pups is a club affiliated with the Guide Dog Foundation, whose members work to train young pups to be guide dogs.

They do a lot of the foundation’s socialization and basic training curriculum to get the dogs prepared to work with professional trainers to become specific guide dogs, oftentimes for visually impaired people.

Sophie Zuckerman ’26, an environmental science major, started raising pups five years ago. “I got into it because my last dog suddenly passed away, which was very sad. I immediately realized the impact that she had on my life. Even so, I couldn't even begin to understand the impact that a guide dog might have on the life of a visually impaired person.”

She started the club last year with some new friends. “Everyone became very close through that. I live with half of my club’s excutive board now in a house, so it's just been a really incredible experience, and I get to meet so many incredible people who love dogs and value our mission.”

Other clubs that help better the greater community include Best Buddies, Benef-Action, FeedMore, Environmental Action Coalition, H.I.P.S. Club, Skidmore College Emergency Medical Services, Active Minds, Challahmore, Minorities in Health & Health Disparities Awareness, and Protect Our Breasts.

Skidmore Polo Club

A student sits on a fake horse and reaches down to hit a polo ball with a mallet.

Skidmore Polo Club is for people who want to learn to play polo. There’s a beginner program for people who don’t have a lot of riding experience, a JV program for people who’ve ridden but never played polo, and a varsity team for people with more polo experience.

Since the varisty team is mainly made up of people who had been on JV the year before, team members often get to spend years learning and growing together.

Because of this, Ella Peterson ’25, a psychology major, studio art minor and the club’s vice president, says “I get to know people on the team really, really well.” The club also hosts four open rides every year, where anyone in the Skidmore community can ride a pony and practice hitting a ball with a mallet. Ella encouraged all to attend. "Polo’s super fun because it combines horses with a team," she says.

Other non-traditional athletic clubs include Circus Club, Outing Club, DiscMore, Ultimate Frisbee, and Mixed Martial Arts Club.

People Who Sing

A student smiles and holds up a sign for the club. It is decorated with music notes.

People Who Sing is a blend of an a cappella group and a band. It is open to people in all vocal ranges — from sopranos through bases — and also welcomes instrumentalists. Currently, musicians in the group play guitar, piano, drums, and other string instruments.

“We start with warmups, then practice a few songs separately as either instrumentalists or singers. Near the end, we come together to sing and play, and it’s magical. People Who Sing is such a kind, supportive group. We perform for an audience a few times a year, and it’s the best bonding experience,” says Helen Horner ’25, an English major and social media manager of the club.

Auditions for People Who Sing are held at the start of every semester. Some of Skidmore’s other a capella and musical groups are the Dynamics, Pulse!, Sonneteers, The Accents, The Skidmore Bandersnatchers, and The TrebleMakers.

Quiz Bowl

Quiz Bowl is a student-run trivia group that organizes friendly competitions. Max Schiller ’26, a geosciences major, started the club. Each week he reads out questions to participants like Alex Trebek at club meetings. Members answer questions Jeopardy-style or rapid fire, keeping points on a scoreboard. Whoever wins gets a prize.

Quiz Bowl organizes events with other groups on campus. Last year, they threw a special abroad trivia night.

Being able to compete and have something fun where you can put your academics to the test wasn't really a thing on campus before I started the club, and it's really fun to run it with my friends.
Club founder Max Schiller ’26, geosciences major

Other game clubs include TableTop Gaming Club, Chess Club, and Table Top Tennis.

One thing is for certain — whether you’re passionate about a certain cause, want to dance off the stress of a long day, or have a groundbreaking idea that you think others will love too — Skidmore truly has a club for everyone.

Not only that, but if you find there’s a gap between what’s offered and what you’re looking for, you can start your own club. Jet Lag Comedy, a comedy club that spotlights international and students of color, is an example of a recent addition to Skidmore's thriving comedy scene.

Two students laugh from a table emblazoned with "Jet Lag Comedy." Another student plays the ukulele.

Imagine what other brilliantly creative clubs will surface in the years to come!