dance - THE RECORD

Nonsters Return: Students Ready for Round Two

By Eva Erickson

It’s the beginning of round two for the Nonstop Liberal Arts Institute, and the Nonsters are back and ready to fight. They come in all different shapes, sizes, and styles including self-proclaimed: smelly nonster (1^st year Rose Pelzl ), hermit nonster (2^nd year Stacy Wood-Burgess), awkward, yet joyous nonster (2^nd year Ashley McNeely), an artsy-fartsy/party nonster (3^rd year Shea Witzberger), and even a stick-to-your-ribs nonster (8^th year Jonny No). Team Nonster has lost a few teammates since last semester, but has gained many former Antioch students and returnees from Antioch Education Abroad in Europe and Mali, and even a few fresh faces.

Katie Connolly, one of about three totally new students to Nonstop, came here from Chicago after attending three years at Northeastern, and decided she wanted to be in a smaller college with a stronger sense of community and more personal connection between the faculty and students. She’s also interested in learning how to make documentaries and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make one with Anne Bohlen in the “Toxic Tours” co-op. She learned about Antioch through her older sister, Kelly Connolly, who graduated in 2003 and is currently involved with the Chicago Alumni chapter. She also wants to learn the history of Antioch College’s transformation to Nonstop.

Other students, like Shea Witzberger, have returned from their study abroad semester, hers in particular was in Mali, West Africa (for more detail see [Dennie Eagleson’s interview]). Before she arrived at Nonstop, she was keeping in touch with some of her Antioch friends, so she had a pretty good idea about what Nonstop would be like, but “I was impressed when I got here by how lively and impassioned people are. And also, I was impressed by the breadth of classes available. I was not expecting there to be so many.”

There were in fact, about 60 classes originally offered, but many were cancelled due to lack of attendance. Of the classes still remaining, some of the popular ones include: Queer Animals (using Queer Theory to explore the limit between humans and animals), Introduction to Post-Structural Thought (Philosophy), New Continental Feminist Theory, and Palestine in Fiction and on the Ground.

Ashley McNeely, a math and post-structuralism major, is looking forward to Queer Animals in particular “because I’ve always been interested in how our culture views animals … and how I can change that.” Although there are no math classes currently available, Ashley’s relationship with Antioch is decidedly monogamous. “We’re married,” she says frankly. The reason for this is that no other institution would accept her as she is like Antioch does; both Antioch College and Nonstop are almost universally accepting and supportive of queer people. When asked if she’ll stay at Nonstop or in Yellow Springs, she replied, “If there’s work to be done, I’m here.” Otherwise, she’ll “probably go somewhere else, have a horrible semester, and then come back.”

From The Editor – Bryan Utley

My last words.

Throughout the entire term I have been racking my brain as to what my last editorial would be. At times I thought maybe I could just go all out and say some things I have wanted to say for three years. I am angry, angry that I didn’t graduate from the place I have dedicated so much energy towards, but instead of saying angry things I want to celebrate my time here. So, with that said, I want to say thanks to the people that have made my time here enjoyable. Natalie Adams, you are a beautiful, brilliant and talented person. I have traveled thousands of miles with you; you have been there when I needed a shoulder to lament on. You are my sister and best friend, and I can only hope to be more like you. Rachel Hamilton, our friendship was rocky in the beginning but it has blossomed into something beautiful that I wouldn’t trade for anything. You laugh at my jokes (when no one else does), and you’re my dance partner forever. You are also my sister, my confidante and I am a better person for having known you. Continue reading From The Editor – Bryan Utley

Masculinity and a Personal Note

By Alaa Jahshan

I remember talking to some friends and the words, “I hate heterosexuals!” came spewing out of my mouth as I realized I was surrounded by several of them. So what, I thought, I’ve heard people around me my whole life say they hate homosexuality, disgusted by it, wouldn’t even consider discussing it, sin itself. I wanted to say fuck you, and I still do. It makes me feel better, but it doesn’t accomplish anything.
First, I thought, I need to deal with my own problems. I feel hate towards traditional heterosexuals and hetero-normative culture. I am many times resentful of the male culture I grew up in, consequently leaving me with an insecure image of manhood and sexuality. Stereotypical men were obscure to me; they interested me because of how oddly charged they were. For lack of a better description, these were the dude bros, man. It was an identity that I felt I had to habituate because my other options did not make much sense. Hell, I had the privilege of physically being one of them, but still I became resentful because I didn’t thrive in that kind of population. Continue reading Masculinity and a Personal Note

SENIOR PROFILE: TOM SAIN

So what year and major are you?
I’m a fourth year and I’m going to get my BS in physics.

What are you doing for your senior project?
I’m designing a circuit that relates to resistance to temperature. It’s kind of abstract right now because I haven’t really done anything on it. So I guess when that day comes that I have to present it is when I will know what my senior project is. Until then there’s not much I can say on it.

Yea there’s a lot of people who are stressed out about their SP. People don’t seem to know what they’re doing.
I mean the school is closing and that puts such a burden on all of my academics. It just freaks me out. Continue reading SENIOR PROFILE: TOM SAIN

Last Poets at Antioch

By Alex Mette

This Saturday night Antioch hosted the ‘Godfathers of Hip Hop,’ The Last Poets. The group’s name is a reference to a poem by the South African revolutionary poet Keorapetse Kgositsile, who believed that the era of poetry was at an end, soon to be replaced by that of guns. The group, originally Felipe Luciano, Gylan Kain, and David Nelson, was born on Malcolm X’s birthday (May 19) at Marcus Garvey Park, East Harlem, 1969. Today The Last Poets are: Abiodun Oyewole, Umar Bin Hassan, and Don Babatunde Eaton. Like Malcolm X himself, the Last Poets have changed their political ideologies over time, and today denounce much of modern Hip Hop music. An article by DuEwa M. Frazier entitled, “The Last Poets: Still on a Mission,” quotes Abiodun Oyewole as saying that “Hip Hop has become a circus. The vehicle is still the same, but the artists, the drivers are silly. We know they’re doing this because niggas are trying to get paid, but see a lot of people are on the line to be niggas and they’re being paid to be sleazy and greasy.” On Saturday, Oyewole spoke of the importance, or lack thereof, of rhyme in poetry. While their use of rhythm and rhyme probably had a significant impact on what would become Hip Hop music, Oyewole stated that rhyme should come second to substance and that “You can’t just talk because your mouth runs.” In terms of political philosophy, when asked in an interview done in 1997 how his ideas about revolution had changed, Abiodun Oyewole stated that “back then, I wanted to see everything burned and people hanged. I wanted to see riots. The one thing that stopped me in my tracks was this guy speaking at one of our forums. [He said] ‘You can’t really be a revolutionary until you know the kind of world that you want your kid to live in.’” Going on to say, “Now, my whole thing is, we have to see how we can be the greatest part of us, which is the healing part of us. This self-empowerment mode is where I’m at. I’d rather that folks learn how to save themselves before they kill themselves. That’s what I’m trying to do.” Continue reading Last Poets at Antioch