Reclaim
Last monday I witnessed what I had been missing for months: engaged Antioch students.
After weeks of bitchin’ and moaning about the lack of student involvement in al things revival, I saw 70 students coming together behind the student union organizing in ways that made it clear we are on the verge of something big.
Shea Witzberger on behalf of Creation, Collaboration, and Performance.
There is so much inspiring creation and collaboration happening on campus this term, and even if individually we aren’t yet in a primarily participatory role, each of us could learn a lot from what’s happening here on the ground. There is a group that is forming as part of a class, part of a grant, and part of a larger project that wants to listen and to collaborate and create with and within this community.
Under the theater department and with a grant from the Ohio Arts Council, the Creation, Collaboration, and Performance class was created to collaborate with the Yellow Springs/Antioch Community in creating work that addresses the current situation at Antioch College and the intersecting concerns of the Village and the College. This is a continuation of the Listening Project that was created last year. The base of the work will be listening, and unlike some community action theater, we are attempting to break the notion of coming from above to create art about You, whoever You may be. We are each a part of this community, and want to be engaged in the process of listening, collaborating, and acting to Save Antioch as a participatory force from this community.
The Creation, Collaboration, and Performance class has many partnerships in the works already. Migiwa Orimo, local mixed-media artist and Yellow Springs resident, will become an Artist in Residence in October. In addition to her help, we are working with Don Wallis from Yellow Springs, Beth Holyoke of the Yellow Springs Arts Council, Jill Becker from our own Dance Department, Chris Hill in Communications, CG, The Record, and several other groups and persons.
We will be cooking up a lot of great projects, events, and ideas, but we want it to be appetizing and satisfying for this community. We need to know what you like and what you are allergic to, so to speak. We hope to be a sounding board. We hope that our listening will become fuel for more talking. We hope to break out of spectator-vs.-performer theater and contribute artistically to events and activities on and off campus in an open, collaborative way. We hope to continue to strengthen connections between students of the College and villagers of Yellow Springs.
After this introductory article, each week’s Collaborate article will focus on ideas and events happening here. Stay tuned for more information, events, and musings.
On this Sunday, Antioch mugs were given to Students for free in the Caf, as one attempt to review college environmentalism. “Ten thousand paper cups are wasted in vain per month. We must not throw away them any more,” said Jake Stockwell, a member of the Campus Greening Committee. “If most students use this mug, it will prevent many paper cups from being wasted.”
The Campus Greening Committee has meetings which take place in Antioch Inn behind the Caf from 12:15 pm to 1:00 pm on every Wednesday. The committee consists mostly of students who attempt to keep Antioch College clean. Of course, anyone who is interested in environmental problems or wishes to join the activities can participate in the meetings.
The community is elaborating various projects for this term. First, they are revitalizing campus recycling with a new recycling coordination system. Next, they are increasing environmental awareness on campus. Third, they are examining Sontag Fels Building. The Campus Greening Committee places notices in our dooms and halls, which urge people to turn off lights and conserve energy in our dooms and halls.
“First, please come to the meeting of the Campus Greening Committee in order to know how to protect our environment. Also please contribute to our campus by putting rubbish into garbage cans and picking up trash on the ground. “ Jake said. “The most important thing is more an accumulation of effects to keep our environment clean than a particular action.”
For many students on campus, Antioch College was their first school of choice and they expected it to be their last. Unfortunately, under the current mandate of the board, they are in a predicament in which they cannot count on the college’s full operation next year. In an effort to alleviate the stress of finding possible universities to attend in the event that Antioch does close, the Office of Transition held a transfer fair on September 15 and 16 in the Herndon gallery, bringing potential schools to us. Representatives attending the fair, however, were not pleased to visit Antioch under these circumstances.
“As and admissions director, this is the most horrible thing I’ve ever done,” said Mike Warner, of Alaska Pacific University at the outer-university transfer day on Sunday. “Our hope is that [Antioch] will stay open, and we won’t have to get any [transfer students from your college].”
Variety- Representatives from over 30 universities scattered over 16 states traveled to Yellow Springs to inform prospective students about various programs, perks, and other general information about each college. The majority of schools advertised environments and curriculums similar to that of Antioch. For some students this likeness was appealing, others wanted more variety to choose from. Yuko Tanaka, one of 75 first-year- students that decided to attend Antioch regardless of the announced suspension, admitted, “The schools were not that varied; they were all very ‘Loren Pope’.”
Associations- This was no coincidence. When asking schools to come to Antioch for the fair, the Office of Transition sought schools with related interests to show Antiochians that the college is not alone in its unique culture and that there are other schools that can cater to their interests. All member schools of the Eco League, a consortium of six liberal arts institutions all sharing similar environmental and social value systems, were also at the fair. As the true representatives of the Popian ideas, constituents of the Colleges That Change Lives association, a dynamic group of 40 colleges and universities compiled by College counseling guru Loren Pope, answered to queries of non-graduating students.
Engaging- The afternoon did more than just inform students. It also provided a chance for other school’s counselors to get an impression of the infamous Antioch students. “I talked to representatives of the colleges who were just stunned at how intelligent and engaging our students were,” said new director of Admissions Angie Glukhov.” They were not expecting that.”
Hooks- In light of the college’s current position, many of the schools are offering special benefits to transfer students from Antioch. Oglethorpe University of Atlanta, Georgia, is offering complimentary AirTran Airways flights for students and one parent or guardian who wish to visit the campus. Educationally, the school focuses on urban ecology, and co-curricular engagement with the city of Atlanta. New Century College of George Mason in Fairfax, VA modeled is curriculum after Antioch, and they are waving limits on transfer credits, so that students may enter with as many credits as possible. Its three most popular majors are Elementary Education, Organizational Business Communications, and Child and Family Studies, respectively. Other colleges are waiving application fees, among other things.
Program perks- Heidelberg College in Tiffin, Ohio, prides itself with its Education program that let’s students begin real classroom observations in their first year. Students can expect one-on-one attention in all programs, the counselor said, but applicants should prepare for very competitive financial aid packages.
Yellow bikes and open doors- Eckerd College is located on 188 acres of land in St. Petersburg, Florida. This school has mentor programs for interested students, and operates on an “open doors, open minds” policy, where office doors of faculty actually lead to the outside world, not brick walls, the info package says. The school also has a yellow bike program in which public bikes are available for student use; you take a bike to your destination and leave it behind for the next person in need.
Alternatives to co-op- One school offering what could be called “co-op light,” is Alaska Pacific University (APU) in Anchorage, Arkansas. For one month during each semester, students have the option to go on a “travel class” where they “learn by doing.” During this time students can, alternatively, complete one class for credit.
Transfer within Antioch University- In an attempt to highlight transfer options within Antioch University, Saturday gave space to Antioch Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Seattle, New England and McGregor to present their offerings. Advertisements around campus for the Saturday fair, however, failed to attract numbers similar to those on Sunday. The mission statement of all Antioch campuses is alluding to common institutional ideals of equality and social justice, yet large differences exist between Antioch College and its University counterparts. Apart from being the only residential campus in the University structure, the college offers a full undergraduate liberal arts program with tenured faculty. The remaining five campuses offer graduate degree programs, with Antioch in Keene being strictly a graduate school. Although none of them offer residential life, they do promise help in acquiring housing.
Degrees-The Los Angeles chapter offers psychology tracks in both clinical psychology and individualized psychology. In addition, they have a very strong creative writing department and a specialized script writing course. Alluring with an ocean-side campus, Antioch Santa Barbara offers a wide variety degree options, from Liberal Studies to Organizational Management. The main educational focus of Antioch of Seattle is its teacher certification program. For all that can afford a Yellow springs rent, Antioch McGregor, allows students to finish their degree in Yellow Springs. Apart from a new 25 million dollar campus, the school offers a Human Development program and a certificate in Project Management.
For more information on various offered perks speak with Angie Glukov, and for information on the schools that were at the fair, visit www.antioch-college.edu/student/transition/transferfair.html, and click on your school of interest
Dearest Levi B,
I am really into tickling. Really into it. The problem is – I just don’t know how to address it with my partner or incorporate it into our play. Any suggestions?
-The Tantric Tickler