Letter - THE RECORD

Letter to the Editor by Rose Pelzl

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.

How do we make it clear that our commitment is unwavering and that
those in power have to include all of us if they wish to succeed:
alums, staff, faculty and students?

Rose Pelzl, Class of ’14 (with a 2 percent margin of error)

Newsbriefs from Yellow Springs

By Jeanne Kay

Pro Tem Board delegation to visit Nonstop

On Friday February 13^th, a delegation of Board Pro Tempore trustees will be in Yellow Springs to meet the Nonstop Community. The team will consist of: Frances Horowitz, chair, Zelda Gamson, Ev Mendelson, Steve Schwerner, Prexy Nesbitt, Matthew Derr and a GLCA representative. The contingency will report on their visit to the whole board.

Risa Grimes on Fundraising

The fundraising target for the 90-day period between the Letter of Intent and the Definitive agreement is $15 million, of which the University will get $5 million. “The 5 million is predicated on the 10-we won’t get the five unless we get the ten;” CRF Executive Director Risa Grimes explained, “This donor [has made] a challenge grant.” CRF fundraisers are asking donors to pledge over a 5 year period; “It’s pretty normal that you ask for 5-year;” Grimes said, “It’s not unusual to give people that much time to pay that much money. The economy’s pretty bad so we want to give people the opportunity to participate-not make it so hard on them. ”

Grimes said that no fundraising numbers were available yet but that the CRF would provide public updates in the near future.

As to fundraising strategies, Grimes said that they were consistent with past processes: “We’re sharing the future-what it could be. We’re talking about getting their college back… we’ve been building a strategy for a couple years now-as we’ve gone through all of this, it’s just good memories… share stories, hope that it touches them somewhere where they want to help support… you do that over and over again.”

The Future of the CRF

The College Revival Fund “is still administering the funds that have been raised so far,” according to Acting President Ellen Borgersen. The Alumni Association, however, has turned responsibility for the college to the Board Pro Tempore-which has taken over the Antioch College Continuation Corporation. “The ACCC does not yet have its 501C3;” Borgersen explained, “The money that the ProTem Board is raising will be housed in the CRF until they get their 501C3 but they will be donor directed funds which the ProTem Board will control.”

After these funds are transferred to the ACCC, the CRF will continue to administer donations for the Nonstop Liberal Arts Institute and the legal fund. “At some point the CRF will go out of business,” said Borgersen, “We’ll go out of business when our work is done… When we have finished the fundraising for Nonstop and when we determine that it’s no longer necessary to maintain the legal fund.”

Letter from Jude ’97

Antioch is a place that I will never forget and that I will always remember. As a spiritual person I now know that it is God (whatever name you choose to give him/her) who blessed me with the know-with-all to choose Antioch College and to complete my undergraduate education. It was an American education unique to liberal arts education in America. To this day I cannot thank my human ancestors who preceded me in the Civil Rights Movement and the Abolition Movement before it at Antioch College in little old Yellow Springs Ohio. I neither am prepared to let go or to say good-bye. It is a sincere prayer of mine that Antioch College remains open and that the Board of Trustees and the Antioch College Continuation Corporation agree to such an autonomous agreement.
I did not know as a teenager entering Antioch College that I’d settle down in Yellow Springs Ohio nor that I’d enjoy working with students, faculty, staff, and administration of Antioch College as an adult well into my thirties. Yet it is true. Here I stand having been impacted by and hopefully at my best impacted Antioch College in miraculous ways only God could conjure up. Now it is important to me that all you agnostics and people that do not believe in God out there not right me off as a televangelist or evangelical Christian with the Christian Right or something. Continue reading Letter from Jude ’97

Privilege, Power, and Sharpies

Privilege, Power, and Sharpies
To my fellow first years:

This is a letter to inform you that the anti-Toni/Andrzej propaganda that has been scrawled across the walls of North is not okay. It is not okay to vandalize the private space we share. Does anyone remember last term? Does anyone remember how upset several first years got because they felt that their personal space had been invaded? Then why is this hostile behavior toward our building happening again? I can guarantee that most first years don’t want to be fined several hundred dollars because some of us can’t keep the lids on our sharpies when we get frustrated.
I understand being upset. Antioch has been a haven to most of us. It is our home, and we want it to remain our home, and some big, bad authority is telling us to vacate. This is worth the yelling. It is worth real action. Let’s not cheapen our passion with scribbles of crudely formed sentences in our living rooms. How often does Toni take a stroll through North? When do you think she’ll see these opinions? The fact is that the only people who will ever see these displays of outrage are tenants and the people who have to clean it up. Continue reading Privilege, Power, and Sharpies

Letter from Chelsea

Dearest Community,
I wanted to share with you my response regarding the events that took place this last weekend and on the future of Antioch College. It is true that the university will cease its’ operations of Antioch College effective June 30tth, 2008. This is not new news. In fact, its not necessarily negative news.  This past weekend the university continued with their position on the future of Antioch College, but has not concluded their negotiations with the ACCC.
We in CG were deeply troubled by the way their announcement was delivered to the community and are attempting to help paint a clearer picture of our current situation and our possible future. In no way are we trying to instill a false sense of hope, but the reality is that what was stated on Friday was presented with far more certainty than the situation warrants. We believe that the university administration and BOT are justifiably concerned about their legal position in regards to the college, but they can not speak for the ACCC, especially when those negotiations are continuing, which we understand that they are. Although the university administration and BOT can say that they are no longer operating Antioch College after the 30th of June, they cannot say that it will for certain be closed. The type of self-fulfilling prophecy that was exhibited this past weekend is dangerous and damaging to all of us, and the future of this amazing institution.
Continue reading Letter from Chelsea