By Eva Erickson and Vanessa Query

From the 20th to the 22nd of February, the Antioch College Board Pro Tempore came together for the first time in Yellow Springs to create goals and plans for the revival of their alma mater. The four main agenda topics of the meetings were finances and fundraising efforts, evaluating the flood damage of the buildings as well as theirneed for remodeling, the Definitive Agreements for the College’s independence from Antioch University, and Nonstop’s integration into the new Antioch.

Due to the sensitive nature of the current state of negotiations with Antioch University, most of the sessions were closed to the public. In fact, only two events were open: a bird-watching hike in the GlenHelen Nature Preserve and a presentation on Nonstop’s creation, successes, and what it could offer to a new vision for Antioch College.

The bird-watching was a success, if you count seven Nonstop students waking up at 6:30 on a brisk Saturday morning in February a success. Sadly, most of the board did not share the students’ enthusiasm for bird-watching, as only one ProTem member – Nancy Crow, who is also president of the Alumni Board –arrived. Along with board consultant Matthew Derr, they all had a lovely hike in the Glen under the tutelage of bird expert Nick Boutis, Director of the Glen. We were all pleasantly surprised to find out that Derr and Crow really know and love their birds. In fact, Derr got very excited when he spotted, for the first time in his bird-watching life, a Carolina Chickadee. He remarked that he hadn’t realized there was anything other than just a regular old chickadee. Boutis replied that you could tell it was a Carolina Chickadee by its southern drawl.

By Jeanne-Kay

Research: Brian Springer, Kathryn Leahey, Jeanne Kay

Prelude: The Discourse of Toxicity

“Toxic Culture.” Steve Lawry’s infamous phrase is now part of the vocabulary of virtually all Antiochians. The year before the Antioch University Board of Trustees (UBoT) resolved to close the college, the key political issue on campus and the polemic that reached alumni revolved around the question of Toxic Culture–whether there was one, how it manifested itself, how to fix it or how to debunk its myth.

To alumni whose only contact with the community in years had been filtered through Media and University intermediaries, “toxic culture” meant a steady decline in academic excellence and increased political narrowness from their time at Antioch onwards; to conservative reporters, “toxic culture” came to be the perfect excuse to write diatribes against political correctness at liberal arts colleges; and to many observers “toxic culture” was a perfect shortcut to explaining how Antioch College had found itself in such an incomprehensibly dire situation: Antioch students were narrow-minded, unstable, out of control–they chased away new students, driving down retention and preventing Antioch from achieving financial stability. The toxic culture narrative made sense–and it was useful.

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Emily Mente, Lauren Soldano, and Iveta Jusova about their experiences on the Summer 08 Antioch Education Abroad Women’s Studies Program. Emily is a third year student at Antioch / Nonstop from Pittsburgh. Lauren is a second year Antioch / Nonstop student from Hamilton, Ohio. Iveta Jusova has led the Women’s Studies Abroad Program for the past five years, and currently teaches at Nonstop.

About the program:

Iveta: This program was created by Antioch College Women’s s Studies faculty in 1984. Marianne Welchel and Jean Gregorek are some of the College faculty who have been involved in developing and improving the WGSE program over the years. The structure of the program is wonderfully conducive to combining classroom academics and experiential learning. I love the constant back and forth between theory and practice on the program.

Emily: It is a thirteen week program. You take four classes:
Situated Feminism, Feminist Methodologies, Feminist Theory, and an independent research project. This year, we started in Utrecht in the Netherlands. The program starts out wherever the NOISE Summer School conference is which is a two-week program on European Women’s Studies. From there we went to Krakow, Poland, and from there to Prague, then to Berlin, and back to Utrech for two weeks. Then we flew to Istanbul where we spent ten days, and then back to Utrech. It was quite a trip.

Student
Organizing–
Antioch is
back!

If you make love
Like you run a meeting
I’m joining your committee.

I am constantly
humbled and inspired
by what y’all are doing

Ellen Borgersen:
We love you-

Molly-
Heartbreaking ExCils-
Downward dogs-
Sunrise Potatoes-
You made my winter
extreme
and sweet-
But I know
Spring Will Be Even
Better. <3

Dear Meghan Pergrem,
Will you dress me
in the morning?
-<3-
the community

You know
what I
think.
Casselli

I’m writing a song about you.
I hope you know it’s yours
when it’s done. I think you might.

Spring is coming.
Bob Devine is on the move.

Shouldn’t we just
rename it
“Relentless Liberal Arts Institute”

The best dialogue I’ve had
Since the last time we talked.
Can’t wait till next time.

John Hempfling,
Edited for new developments–
Let’s dance often
–and talk even more.

Dear Meghan Pergrem,
You’re still the
hottest girl in
school
-<3-
your secret admirer

If you don’t,
Somebody else will.

Jonny No,
Thank you for
being selfless, for
supporting this
community seemlessly,
for being strong,
for being here!

Dress up and
Bikes and
Warmth await us.
Thanks for being
magic and daring.

Fashion Dance

On a cold February night, creepy undead Nonsters and high-schoolers rose from their piles of homework and took over Michael Casselli’s studio to celebrate none other than: Undead Prom! The space was transformed into a cemetery complete with fog machines, tombstones, cobwebs, an open-coffin snack and beverage bar and an eerie hologram of demented men’s faces with mouths for eyes, singing along to the music. Clad in DIY costumes, fake blood, and hallowed eyes and cheeks, the undead creatures danced to MJ’s “Thriller” and the “Monster Mash” and, of course Madonna’s “Like a Prayer.” They posed and flaunted their stuff in a high-fashion photo shoot taken by Jonny No and Rose Pelzl. And what’s a prom without prom royalty? Jeanne Kay, Jonny No and Nic Viox were voted Prom Queen, King, and Gender-Queer Hierarchical Power Reference, respectively.