[Alumni-chat] Antioch "Politically Correct?" Antioch??

[Michael Brower]

In a response to Bob's comment about with what human and financial  
resources would Antioch College launch a new
program on Social Entrepreneurship,  J. David posted this morning:

"Bob, isn't it possible that the real issue is the array of (ideological
pedagogical, professorial, politically correct, etc.) choices that  
have been
and are being made by and about the past and present resources --  
human and
financial?"

J. David -- Antioch made or making politically correct choices?   You  
have got to be kidding!
In the outer world I am known as a real and strong radical (used to  
be liberal). I have worked hard in almost every political campaign,  
local School Committee, City Council, Governor,
Presidential, for 51 years - since 1961.  Including organizing half  
of Massachusetts in 1972
for Sen. George McGovern and in the failing campaign in 1976 of  
Oklahoma populist Senator
Fred Harris who lost to Jimmy Carter.  I marched in the streets  
against the Vietnam war, and again against invading Iraq before  
Bushie lied and invaded, and again afterwards.  For the past two  
months I have been organizing a Peace Group which lobbies our local  
Congressman to vote against ALL funding for the Iraq war AND for  
Impeaching Bush and Cheney.   I wrote and delivered a public speech  
for Impeachment at Faneuil Hall in Boston on the April 28 national  
day of Impeachment rallies.  Then I spent a week carefully editing  
it, so that two national Impeachment groups could put it up on their  
web site.

Academic world experience?  I taught at Harvard, MIT, Brandeis and  
U.Mass-Boston.  After a decade teaching at MIT I was denied tenure,  
in part I think because both my political views and organizing AND my  
teaching methods were too radical.  Right now, in addition to working  
for Impeachment and stopping US Imperialism, I am writing a book on  
Democratizing Capitalism.

Yet when I spend hours in the C Chop talking with current students  
(six times in last two years) , I find them as radical as I am, or  
more so, although not as politically active, unfortunately.  Except  
they rant and rave against President Steve Lawry's efforts to save  
Antioch.

The students enjoy, as we did, small classes with lots of give and  
take with respectful faculty.  The students organized and worked for  
the new Racial Discrimination Policy.  They are constantly  
confronting other students (too rudely in my opinion) on the issues  
of class privilege.  There are more gays and lesbians and bi-sexual  
and trans-gender and cross-gender students, openly proud of their  
identities and quite confrontive about them, than I ever imagined  
exist.  I applaud this, but I did hear quietly from three straight  
white males that they do sometimes feel unfairly pressured and  
discriminated against.

Freshman classes are cross-disciplinary, with biologists and  
psychologists and dance instructors learning how to teach together.   
Hooray!  There is not a single one of the world's major problems that  
can be understood or solved by any single out-dated academic discipline.

Antioch politically correct?  Antioch is easily and far and away the  
most radical college in America!

J. David's final comment was:

"Of course, to be fair, a man holding on to a life raft with both  
hands finds
it hard to paddle.:

J. David, Antioch IS paddling.  The Board of Trustees has raised a  
lot of money to try to carry us through these difficult transition  
years.  New student enrollment last fall was MUCH higher than in any  
recent year.  The numbers look good to match that level next fall,  
although of course we still need to double that, or more, for several  
more years.

Some of us are busting our tails to organize Alumni Chapters around  
the country to get Alumni back involved, to help recruit students, to  
raise money, etc., etc. to save and grow our beloved Antioch.

To you, and all those who read this Chat board I ask:  What have YOU  
done to help Antioch recently?  What will YOU do, today, tomorrow,  
next week, next month to help?  Besides bitching --  which these  
various chat boards seem to be primarily used for!  AND, Do you and  
other Alums think that if we made Antioch EVEN MORE radical, that it  
would help quadruple enrollment, and make the wealthy elite MORE  
likely to donate tens of millions of dollars?  And recruit more  
students who can pay tuition?  Antioch now provides partial tuition  
support to 80-90% of students, a far higher percentage than most  
competing colleges.  I want to keep this number high, so poor  
students can afford the Antioch experience.  But that requires even  
more donors and even more fund-raising work by Alums.

By the way, I for one would appreciate it if you and other posters  
would add their year after their name.  Thanks.

Mike Brower  '55,  Member Alumni Board.