Month: February 2008

Dispatches from Community Meeting

by Erin-aja grant
The shape of McGregor 113 is reminiscent of a Greek amphitheater, stadium seats and all. This week the agenda was lively with thank yous or yays first, with all the nays (Pulse) at the end. As the counsel formed, folks enjoyed the free ice cream on a rainy day. Although the only Caesars present were haircuts, people were heard and decisions were made. The first yay was from Milt Thompson, who thanked students for their ongoing participation in the smoking ban, even though there are still issues. Students were thanked and applauded while faculty, staff, and students sang praises for the muses of our community. Scott Warren was acknowledged for his orations during breakfast with Dialogia. Dennie Eagleson accepted her Community Member of the Week chocolate for her role at Antioch, mirroring that of Atlas. Much like Hermes the Cil updates were helpful and informative. Kim Jurriaans reported to the gallery about AdCil. She talked about the current happenings with the AC3 and future plans to raze G. Stanley Hall. Levi B. lectured on behalf of ComCil as the chair. ComCil signed confidentiality agreements, appointed committees, and debated the CG elections and how to proceed with the race. The chair also explained the no candidate option, while announcing the continuation of the election as normal. Announcements were spouted much like Zeus’s siblings from the mouth of Cornus. Story time is Mondays for all the Antiochians with an Achilles-style weakness for picture books, Wellness 9:30pm. Dialogia is discussing “chicks” this week, 7pm Thursday. Others had enticements much like those from Hades, $1 corndogs in the C-shop, and a Mustache party Friday at 11pm. The herald of Antioch, “The Record” reminded the public to email questions, concerns, and op-eds to the editors. Also noble CM Chelsea Martens beseeched the citizenry to send events for community day via mail by Friday. The CFB was at a whooping $4,665 while requests were made. Niko Kowell asked for reimbursement for a conference he and other students attended. Students Jamila Hunter and J-Bear requested $40 and $50 dollars respectively. The exiled Jimmy Williams was chosen as the commencement speaker, with Patricia Hill-Collins receiving the next bid. The next item on the agenda was the candidate’s forum for the “Fab Four” collective. Comprised of Jamila Hunter, Fela Pierre-Louis, Niko Kowell, and Meghan Pergram, they led a discussion on their hopes for the future. They also proclaimed their personal deadline for their continued participation in the race. If the school has no final decision by April 4th, the “Fab Four” collective will step down. Although this news was a shock, continued help with the hiring process was mentioned. As the questions began in true dialogue, OM candidate Meghan Pergram discussed the budget and projections for next term. Niko Kowell clarified what support for staff and faculty could mean. The collective does intend to have a community forum to hear about the needs of students and discuss the 4th position. While many issues and questions remain the “Fab Four” did address student morale, LEG code difficulties, and diversity struggles. CM candidate Fela Pierre-Louis cited the need for “Antioch to be accountable”. The meeting ended in true sophist tradition, with a pulse conversation of laundry. Some poised value questions, while some asked about Antioch’s sense of social responsibility. Kim Jurriaans just wanted to know where her bras and pants went from the north dormitory. True Greeks could have debated this topic for hours but in the end it is simple. Next time you hear the sirens tell you to take peoples stuff, pull a Dionysus and get some wine instead.

Letter from ‘The FAB Four’

Dear Community,
As we approach the CG elections in just one week, we are anxious, excited, and motivated to move forward. As we have said before, we are a collective team of passionate and devoted community members and we intend to provide the Antioch College Community with leadership that will encourage sustainable education and progressive activism.
We realize that the CG elections have been stressful for all of us but we hope that you are still excited about legitimizing community governance through your participation in the upcoming election. While acknowledging that the options are limited, we hope our work and energy spent over these past several weeks convey that we are committed to reflecting all of the community’s voices.
Our next collective step is to support the community in the development and finalization of the 4th position job description. This process is incredibly important and we are committed to doing this work regardless of the outcome of the election. We recognize that the sustainability of Community Government is more important than who is in CG next year and will do what it takes to secure a strong 4 person CG for the year ’08 to ’09.
We believe in the words of Algo Henderson, “Freedom must be matched with responsibility”. It is imperative that we as a community make the necessary efforts to preserve shared governance and our Antioch community. We look forward to working with you in the coming months and to continue honoring the process of shared governance at Antioch. Thank you.

The FAB Four

Jamila Hunter
Niko Kowell
Meghan Pergrem
Fela PierreLouis

From the Editors – Edward Perkins

The Giants Super Bowl win was significant for me, but this had nothing to do with the events on field. As a Manhattan native, I’m always glad to see a local team win a title, but this had little to do with my emotional response to a most unlikely championship. I didn’t even realize the implications until the very end, when I was suddenly struck by a somber but triumphant wave of nostalgic memories.
My first conversation with former Dean of Students Jimmy Williams began with a conversation about sports. We were in his office, and I noticed various items of New York sports memorabilia, including the Giants and Jets, our two football teams. I being a Jets fan, and Jimmy a Giants fan, we discussed the merits of the two franchises. I didn’t know Jimmy was a New Yorker until this point, and this friendly conversation created an instant sense of familiarity and camaraderie which was present throughout all my later encounters with Dean Williams, who I came to regarded as my closest friend within the Antioch administration. Jimmy’s recent selection as commencement speaker can be seen as a glorious return to his former community, and the Giants return to the top of professional football provides the perfect metaphor for his return to Antioch College. Continue reading From the Editors – Edward Perkins