One of the hottest acts in electronic music currently has been a duo by the name of Disclosure. The English brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence just recently released their first album Settle on June 3rd and have only been growing in popularity since. Disclosure has been seen on countless festival line-ups recently and has also been performing with artists such as SBTRKT, Bondax and TNGHT. In the past few months Disclosure has been growing exponentially in terms of their following, and rightfully so.

With songs more infectious than a room full of toddlers with the cold it’s no mystery why summer will be dominated by the sounds of Disclosure.

Check them out on soundcloud.com or see them in one of there many shows this summer.

[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/59051244" params="" width=" 100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]

At Skidmore there has been a yearly student run game known as Human Vs. Zombies. Before the game starts Skidmore students go out to there nearest Nerf armory (Walmart or Target) in order to stock up on guns and ammo. Humans Vs. Zombies is essentially a huge game of tag. Humans wear bandanas on there arms and use Nerf guns to protect themselves from zombies. The zombies are former human players who have been tagged and now where bandanas on their heads. If a zombie is shot with a Nerf dart they can’t tag anyone for 10 minutes. Humans vs. zombies can be just as much fun to watch as it is to play. Between classes it is not uncommon to see a human player chased to and from class from a pack of zombies. Not everyone participates in the game. This was a very busy week for me so I didn’t think it would be very helpful to have worry about zombies every time I took a trip to the library. Humans Vs. Zombies has become a sort of tradition at Skidmore and as the game winds down I wish all my human friends good luck and safe travels.

So at least once an hour people come up to me and they are like “Hey Johnny why do you like Skidmore,” and “Whats so good about little ol’ Skidmore.” Because of this I decided to make a list. Here we go, number one: Skidmore has a small, friendly, and artistic community. I enjoy going to school where I know most everyone. Skidmore students are definitely creative, and I have found that Skidmore students are encouraging and genuinely interested in their peers creative endeavors. Small close-knit community, that’s number one. Number two is freedom. Skidmore gives you the freedom to explore your interests academically along with any other interests you may have. As an Economics major and a dance minor, I have the luxury of exploring the courses that excite me even though they are unrelated. It is not just academics though, if you enjoy ultimate frisbee, Quidditch, rock climbing, or almost anything else then there is a community that shares your passions. Number three may not seem like a big deal but it shouldn’t be taken for granted. Skidmore has a superior dining hall. With several stations serving different types of food it’s not hard finding something you want to eat. Even if you are having a hard time finding something to eat you can always have a sandwich made for you at the deli, or check out the assortment of pizza. So to sum up what I like about Skidmore: Good friends, good food, and the freedom to learn about what you want to.

Now occasionally I get sick of the same old things at the dining hall or there is nothing being served that tickles my fancy, that is where the peanut butter and jelly sandwich comes in. I often times forget that the peanut butter and jelly sandwich is an option. Eat it for breakfast, eat it as a snack, eat it for dessert. I would argue the PB&J is one of the most forgotten meals in Dhall, but still one of the best. If you are ever walking through the dining hall and don’t see anything you like, grab some peanut butter, some jelly, and 2 slices of bread.

Now I am not sure if everyone knows about how great Skidmore’s radio station WSPN 91.1fm is. Skidmore has a student run 24 hour station based in the bottom of Jonsson Tower. Other than a few shows that locals have had for years, (my personal favorite being the Polka Magic Show) it features all Skidmore student’s. Last year as a freshman I had a lot of fun going to my friends radio show every week, and I couldn’t wait to get a show of my own. Not only is it extremely fun to be on air but I also use it as a means to continue practicing DJ’ing. I would encourage every Skidmore student to have a radio show, and if that’s too much, at least go to a friends show and see what it’s all about. My show this semester revolves around my friend and me mixing live electronic dance music. We have a great time hanging out in the studio, playing music, and being foolish on air. Having people call in is always fun because then you know at least one person is listening. You can listen to me (Johnny 2×4) and DJ Thurstin’ on the Midi Mix Show, Sunday night/Monday morning 12-2am. I guess my favorite part about the radio show, and what makes it, worth it is knowing that there is probably one person out there listening, and that person may even be enjoying it.

http://www.skidmore.edu/studentorgs/wspn/

So Saturday night I DJ’d my first event at Skidmore. Part of Winterfest (Weekend of events set up by freshman SGA) was a dance at Falstaff’s called the “Hoe Down Throw Down”. It was awesome seeing Falstaff’s fill up as I got psyched to play my set. Once Falstaff’s was full I couldn’t wait to start playing music for everyone. I was a little nervous at first but once things started going well I was in a groove. There was a scary moment where some of the speakers went out but thankfully two of the other DJ’s, JJ and Andrew, got everything working again. It is a unique experience to get a room full of people dancing. I just want to say thank you to everyone who showed up, they are what made it fun. I had a great time DJing for the first time in front of a real crowd and I can’t wait to do it again. Keep an eye out for another show from Johnny 2×4.

Now Skidmore as a whole is not the biggest sports school. That being said, almost everyone watches the Super Bowl. Whether it’s for the commercials or for the actual game, dorm rooms, Scribner houses, and Northwoods are all full of people watching the Super Bowl. I would bet that more wings are ordered to Skidmore on the day of the Super Bowl than any other day of the year. This years Super Bowl is especially exciting at Skidmore because it is the New York Giants verse the New England Patriots. A large percentage of Skidmore students are from New York and Boston so it is fun to see so many people excited to watch there home team in the biggest game of the year. The Super Bowl is always fun at Skidmore because it is easy to get a group of friends together and watch the biggest game and best commercials of the year . . . oh yeah and Madonna is playing the halftime show, that should be interesting.

I am officially sick of being home and ready to go back to Skidmore. Actually I think I have been ready for about 2 weeks now, maybe more. I think December 27th was the exact date I decided I that I have spent too much time sitting around at home and am now ready to go back to school. I know I’ll be going back to a much smaller less comfortable bed, a shared bathroom, and homework, but honestly it’s worth it. I can’t wait to go back and hang out with my friends on the East coast. I have spent enough time in Arizona, get me out of here!

This weekend marked my first dance performance at Skidmore. After being in dance workshop all semester and working on our piece, it finally culminated in the three performances this weekend. For my first time performing at Skidmore I had an amazing time. One of my favorite parts of the experience was having all my friends come out to the show. It was exciting to be able to show my friends what my fellow dancers and I have been working on all semester. I really enjoyed hearing how much everyone enjoyed the piece after working so hard on it all semester. It was also great to meet and become friends with the other members of the cast. Everyone was extremely helpful and I had a lot of fun goofing around with them at rehearsals. With my first performance done, I can’t wait for my next opportunity to work with the other Skidmore dancers and faculty.

Being from Arizona always makes Thanksgiving an interesting time for me. Going back home hardly seems practical when the break from school is so short and traveling to and from Arizona generally takes an entire day each way. Last Thanksgiving I spent at a friends house and it’s always intriguing to spend a couple days with someone else’s family and to see how their Thanksgiving goes down. I was thankful for how comfortable and welcome they made me feel. This year my mother flew out from Arizona and we had Thanksgiving at my uncle’s house. It was strange having a Thanksgiving meal in which everyone could fit at the same table this year. I am used to Thanksgiving meals with at least 30 people spread all around my aunt’s house in Arizona. This year my aunt, uncle, two cousins, mother, and I all sat at the same table and ate our meal much later than I am used to. The six of us enjoyed a wonderful meal that my uncle slaved all day making alone. This year was a meal with china and silver candle sticks. In Arizona we usually eat our meals earlier outside in the 70 degree weather and I always have to sit at the kids/teenager table. I guess what I am trying to say is Thanksgiving in college is different every year and the traditions I am used to don’t apply. It has been fun experiencing a different Thanksgiving tradition each year.