Month: September 2007

College faculty pass vote of no confidence against Chancelor Toni Murdock

Toni MurdockFor the second time of her administrative career, Antioch University Chancellor Tullise “Toni” Murdock has received a vote of no confidence. The resolution was unanimously passed by the 26 faculty members present at Tuesday’s faculty meeting.

The decision was a result of the events of Friday August 31st, when the news broke unexpectedly that Steve Lawry was stepping down immediately from Antioch’s presidency. Issues surrounding the Offices of Development and Alumni Relations were also raised after staff was sent home for a ‘long weekend’ and their offices’ locks changed. The announcement raised numerous questions within the community as the reasons surrounding Lawry’s sudden departure were unclear; in July he had announced his resignation as of January 2008. Moreover, the news that Lawry was under a gag order which prevented him from commenting on the situation raised further suspicion about the real reasons behind his “resignation.” Continue reading College faculty pass vote of no confidence against Chancelor Toni Murdock

University putsch changes climate on campus

Sentiments at Antioch College are changing fast these days. Euphoria over the August 27 announcement that the Board of Trustees of Antioch University is willing to work with college alumni on a business plan to keep the College open past June 30, 2008, over the weekend has been replaced by distrust and fear.
On Friday, University Chancellor Toni Murdock in a series of press releases announced college CEO President Steven Lawry stepping down effective immediately, to be replaced by a an “administrative team,” headed by former dean of faculty Andrzej Bloch who assumes the new title of chief operating officer (COO) at the college.

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In Burma, A New Breath for Old Songs

Surnames omitted to protect people’s identities.

It is the Sunday of the birthday of the Buddha, the beginning of a new season in Burma. If this neighborhood, in the lively slum of Rangoon, is any slower paced than usual it is because so many people are at the ancient Shwedagon Shrine paying their respects. Inside this sweltering house, the faces of the nine musicians in the room glisten with a higher sheen than their various instruments, whose varnish has long since been worn away.
A structure of cement and corrugated metal, the house is owned by the brother of one of the musicians, a blind mandolin player with betel-stained teeth named Ko Pauk. Pauk, who began playing the mandolin at about the age of ten, was quickly recognized by his contemporaries as a musician of promise. Older musicians came to study or play with him. Now in his fifties, he still plays with the same core group who gathered around him when he was young.

Continue reading In Burma, A New Breath for Old Songs