[Alumni-chat] Rescue Money

[John Shufelt]

"I will go on record with a pledge of $1,000/yr. No fooling."

Hello everyone --

Lost alum here.  I didn't mean to get lost, honest.  I've stayed put for
twenty years.  Sometime in the early-to-mid-90s the College dropped me from
its mailing lists, but last month I mailed in an unsolicited check for 100
bucks.  Got a letter of thanks, but no mention of closure.  I see that I am
not alone in that regard.

We are all distressed, but I feel especially badly for those of you who are
getting clobbered all at the College right now.  There's nothing I can say
that hasn't been said.

My overriding feeling for the institution is a profound sense of gratitude
for the life-liberating education I received, 1978-1983.  I showed up at the
doorstep that funny last summer quarter, July 1978 with my life-savings
of $1200 , and Antioch "demanded" I forfeit $280 and then "coerced" me into
signing a $1000 NDSL loan (remember those?).

Antioch College did this for me with its back to the wall -- and when none
of the institutions which had recruited me would also offer anything like
financial support I needed.  I submitted one application for undergraduate
education in 1978.   Antioch never recruited me.  Like most of you, I
assume, I found my own way to Kelly Hall.

I'll go in with Bob Abrams pledge for $1000 per year, if others will join
us.   Also, now is the time for someone to track down Sam Watanabe ('82) and
call in the wager he lost to Al Denman circa 1981-1982 .(If you were there,
you will recall the bet.  If you were not, check *The Record* for details.)
That should be good for six figures at least, I should think.

Honestly, though, I'll do what I can, if we all do what we can.  Damn --
this one really hurts -- but it would be so un-Antiochian of us to not pull
together and at least imagine the possibility of saving the College.

John Shufelt, 1983
Lecturer
Tunghai University
Taiwan