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.

Rose Pelzl

I am a first-year Nonstop student. I grew up in Yellow Springs, and
just recently learned that I am the 5th in a long line of Yellow
Springs women to attend Antioch College.

Over this term it’s been really apparent to me how important it is for
the health of the Village, the academic community and the rest of the
world that Antioch stays open. The coming months present a wonderful
set of opportunities for both personal reinvigoration and community
reinvention for the Village and the College.

We have reached a turning point, we have many things to think
about and do here in Yellow Springs. Nonstop has started doing these
things, even though we’re not on campus, a lot has been accomplished.

I look forward to doing work outside of the traditional classroom, and
working with faculty as part of the creation of a new Antioch. I know
I’m not the only one who feels this way.

In the near future I plan to collaborate with other students on
projects to provide creative student housing solutions in Yellow
Springs, while working to enhance both Village and College
communities.

Based on my understanding and experience of this group of people,
there is no way Nonstop and Nonstop students will not be a part of
building this new Antioch. I hope we will insist on being included in
the rebuilding of Antioch College. We’re here.

Robin Rice Lichtig, Antioch College alum (59-63) placed in the top three in the Goshen Peace Play Contest 2008 this summer for her one act play, “Blood Sisters.” This prestigious award is hardly the first Lichtig has received in her play writing career.

According to Lichtig, the world of play writing is a tough one. “Any where I send a script for a competition, they get any where from 500 to 1000 scripts.” However, for Lichtig and other playwrights, contests are only the beginning. “I remember you asked me ‘what does this [award] do for you’ – and I said ‘nothing’ and it really does do nothing at all, except that when you send the play out you can mention that it was a winner,” she said. “All it ever gets you: Sometimes you get a production. Sometimes you get $300 if you’re lucky, but really that’s about it.”

Lichtig specifically spoke about the difficulty of landing a major production. “There are almost no agents for playwrights; they’re getting out of the business. It’s financial.” she said. Lichtig went on to describe a conundrum she says she and others are experiencing. Landing a major production is very difficult, especially without an agent, but the agents still in the business only work for those who have had major productions.

The Womyn’s Center

The Womyn’s Center is a supportive space for female-bodied and female-identified individuals of varying identities and backgrounds to get excited, educated, and share experiences of womanhood. The content of conversations and activities is open to the interests of the participants, but often include such titillating topics as menstruation, body image, gender roles, cunts, feminist theories, abortion, health, sex, women’s rights, violence against women, arts, crafts, and of course community. I can’t wait to have “Love Your Body Night”, the most widely anticipated Womyn’s Center event, with food, art making, and body positive celebration! I’m also super excited about DIY activities, alternatives to the western version of reproductive health, and women in the media. I’d love to see radical discussions take place within the frame of a loosely defined Stitch ‘n’ Bitch, inviting crafters of all varieties to participate. Also, aside from scheduled meetings and parties, womyn should feel free to ask me about impromptu or non-structured female time, space, and support as needed.

Interfaith Dialog

I am Jessie Clark and I will be coordinating the Interfaith Dialog Independent Group (IG). In this IG, we will be engaging in intriguing discussions about spirituality, religion and all the juicy bits in between. The discussions will take place over tea at the Dharma Center. A time has yet to be figured out. If you have ever pondered the meaning of life or have a general interest in the theories of others come join us! The focus will be on exchange and mutual discussion, sharing religious woes and oohs (epiphanies), what bothers us and what is helpful to us in thinking about the spiritual life (need there be such a thing?). We are interested to here what you think about these hot topics. Atheist & religious misfits also welcome. For more information e-mail me at jessie.spoons@gmail.com. Hope to see you there!

Oct. 2: The Junkyard Ghost Revival

7pm, Apollo Room, Student Union, Wright State University

Celebrated spoken word theater, The JGR- Derrick Brown, Andrea Gibson, Anis Mojgani, and Buddy Wakefield- will guide the audience through a tour of their personal junkyards.
[Co-sponsored with with Women's Center at Wright State]

Oct. 4: The History of Jazz

9am-12pm, Bryan Center, Room A, 100 Dayton Street.
1-4pm, Senior Citizens Center, 227 Xenia Avenue.

Steve Schwerner, Antioch College emeritus faculty, will teach a day-long workshop on the History of Jazz, starting with its origins in the African-American tradition to the present day world music it has become.

Oct. 5: Founder’s Day

The Nonstop Community will celebrate the founding of Antioch College in 1852 by Horace Mann, the father of public education in the US, with assorted festivities.

Click here for more Nonstop Presents events.