If any building on Antioch College campus was yours to manage (or neglect), which building would it be and what would you do with it?

Jeanne Kay: I would transform Spalt into an internationally renowned medical center to study and extract the properties and virtues of toxic mold.

Tim Noble: Norment. I’d rebuild it. It was my favorite house.

Shea Witzo: I’m sure Toni and Tom’s Main Building pool party was a lot of fun. I’d probably do that with another building, like South. Wait…

Juliet Hansen:  North. I’d turn it into an indoor rainforest, and live in it of course!

Lincoln Alpern: The Library. I’d produce a blockbuster horror movie filmed in the basement.

Queer Center

Coordinator: Nic Viox
The queer center is a group is open to anyone who self-identifies as a queer. I hope to have a few events this term, including [but not limited to]: movie screenings, a musical guest, and Genderfuck! More information will be forthcoming as events begin to take shape.

SANE (Students for Alternatives to Neoliberal Economics)

Coordinator: Jeanne Kay
What is neoliberalism? How does it operate on local, national, international levels? After the financial crisis, what can we do to help build a post neoliberal world? How does Nonstop fit into a larger struggle as a bastion against the corporatization of Higher Ed? Are Obama’s policies challenging or maintaining the neoliberal economic order? What should be the role of the international financial institutions post-Washington Consensus?
These are the questions that SANE will attempt to tackle this term, through discussion groups, fieldtrips, movie events, speakers, and hopefully, an AntiWatt radio show!

The Alternative Library

Coordinators: Katie Connolly, Jonny No, and Rose Pelzl
We are here to support the academic realization of our community with the Alternative Library. The ‘Alt Lib’ is a unique and radical book collection comprised of harder-to-find alternative print media including periodicals, books, magazines and archived materials from main campus.
Recent donations have been added to augment the previous Pennell House collection including some incredible resources from faculty and personal collections. Other collections that are housed and managed in conjunction with the Alt Lib include the Womyn’s Center collection and the Underground Zine collection. In terms of integrating other IG collections salvaged from the Union much work remains undone, but we’ll be focusing on them later this year.

About 200 Yellow Springs residents, Nonstop community members and Antioch College alumni celebrated the official opening of newly renovated Campus North in Millworks on February 6. Some comments from attendees:

Its homey and nice. A template for a student union and a great piece of performance art.
-Steven Duffy (1977), alumni associate, College Revival Fund.

Nic Viox and Lauren Soldano

This space and this event are wonderful. Nonstop should grow.  This is the perfect business for the village: life-enhancing, non-polluting and revenue-generating.
-Brad Myers, Yellow Springs resident.

Community Managers, Chelsea Martens and Meghan Pergrem cut the Nonstop cakes while Joseph Minde-Berman looks on

I’m blown away!  What a beautiful, festive event!
-Neenah Ellis, new WYSO general manager.

Taken from the staircase to the CG loft

It’s wonderful to see the Yellow Springs community here.
-Joan Meadows, Nonstop communication coordinator.

Micheal Casselli, designer of the Campus North place

A spectacular show of frugality and entrepreneurship. Very Antiochian, very green.
-Sam Eckenrode (1983), village resident.

Chris Hill, Executive Collective member, and Dianne Chiddister, YS News reporter

“The most Antiochian moment I’ve had in several decades, bringing together community and learners and teachers and staff in that wonderful community space to celebrate the hard work, creativity and accomplishment of all those associated with Nonstop. We need to remember what’s been accomplished and hang on to the glow of this success. It’s too precious to be washed away.”
-Bob Devine (1967), Nonstop faculty, looking back after the unfortunate flooding of Main Building and the temporary eviction of the community from Campus North

“We say that our curriculum is built on the 3 C’s: classroom, co-op & community but the only two that [were] institutionally recognized [were] classroom and co-op”, said Community Manager Chelsea Martens.

COPAS (Community Organization, Participation and Service) is a mandatory class that gives students credit and support for community involvement. Through the framework of COPAS, students work as receptionists and techies, and provide studying assistance to fellow students. Students, also coordinate Nonstop Presents events, community lunches and the food pantry. Coordinators of the Independent Groups (IG’s), such as the Alternative Library and the Queer Center, are supported and credited through COPAS as well.

In addition to job supervisors, every student has a COPAS faculty advisor who helps the student analyze the decision-making structures and partnerships involved in their job and reflect on the impact of their work.

The work commitment is only one part of COPAS. As Martens explained at the February 9th meeting, “COPAS also aims to, empower and enhance the work that everyone’s doing regarding community, so that it’s done… in more of a thoughtful manner, but also in a way that enhances your ability not only to do community organizing at Antioch… but so we develop skills that transfer into other organizations…. Community organizing isn’t something you just know. It’s something you have to do with a lot of intentionality; it has to be done responsibly.”

On Saturday, February 7, a passerby noticed that Main Building was flooding and raining from inside. It is not certain at this point if the source of the leak was caused by water pipes freezing and bursting open after thawing, or if the pipes were simply old and rusty, although it is more likely the former. At noon the following Monday, students, faculty, staff, and a number of villagers gathered to protest the University’s neglect towards Main, as well as other buildings. A number of reporters from various local media outlets covered the story. Links are posted below all the photos.

Antiochians gather infront of Historic Main Building

Antiochians gather infront of Historic Main Building

Several news channels reported on the gathering

Community members express their dedication and love outside Main Building

Protestors walk to University Kettering office building looking for answers

Reporters and villagers request University statement from Linda Sirk, who was unavailable for comment.

External Links

Dayton Daily News coverage: www.daytondailynews.com/search/content/oh/story/news/local/2009/02/09/ddn020909antiochweb.html

Yellow Springs News:

www.ysnews.com/stories/2009/02/021209_antioch.html

McGregor Voice coverage:

www.mcgregorvoice.com/

YouTube Channel 7: