[Alumni-chat] Why Aren't the Students Using the Library?

[Jonny]

Further to Duffy's comments:

Along with the channel 2 stuff and dennie's photos, which I'm chasing sources for as we speak - We have some great student-produced coverage of the parade and other founder's day events as Duffy mentioned.
I'll be posting this online as soon as I can get it endocded and smoosh it into a teeny-weeny
web-freindly package for streaming (*) I'll
also try to get a high-res copy uploaded somewhere for those that want
to bask in the full-screen digital radiance of non-stop Antioch. Will
send links when that is done. 

There is an enormous amount of student-produced media in production at the college surrounding the closure announcment, the ensuing set of on-campus responses and the underlying issues. These projects are being undertaken either formally as part of
a senior project or as a way of satisfying assignment requirements and
also informally, usually both as tradition suggests. From what I've seen, it is very potent stuff, having potential to empower us all in provided validation of a shared historical
legacy as well as the required 'oomph'  which will speak to the
public's understanding of who we say we are, and perhaps to some potential enrollees if we can manage to fling ourselves far enough.

Right at the moment there are some production bottlenecks and many of
us on-campus including Rowan and myself are focusing on providing the needed support, organizing with one another across multiple boundaries, and coordinating 
schedules & combining efforts where possible to avoid
duplication and to 'know what the other hand is doing' when possible and appropriate.

I'm trying to establish a co-op to address this specific need personally and
others are working on similarly imaginative and antiochian approaches,
so I'm not worried about the bottleneck  too much, I'm just excited
for everyone to have access to this stuff and can't wait to see the
responses. I did want folks on this list to know that campus is very much buzzing with activity around the clock despite the low population. Most have increased class loads, senior projects, etc. and still are managing to find the time and spare passion to come to meetings, self-organize, keep the discussions alive, etc. It's pretty amazing to see, and hopefully we'll be able to get a small keyhole for those who can't be here to look through, which we'll try to widen into a peephole then perhaps a porthole, and eventually we might install an honest-to-god window, ok? 

On that note, in recent discussions it has become apparent that on-campus elements consider it historically appropriate at this juncture to begin methodically documenting the normally somewhat dull trivialities charactarized by the bucket of fun that erupts when you break roberts rules of order out at a party. I think everyone would agree though that  in any number of possible outcomes to the current crisis, the importance of such documentation will remain, whether you are looking from the inside out or the other way around. So these documedia as a body of expressions in thier entirety will become the inscription on our grave, or will constitute our dance of jubilation, we are trying to attend to how that is going to represent the essential and unique features of Antioch 100 years later from now, from the perspective of 100 years ago, or anywhere near and in-between.

So - we will be posting as many links as possible at least internally, or streaming audio in an effort to draw alumni (who are not already into) into a personal investment in the voices and faces of those on-campus, who in many ways are representitives of the alumni and stewards of an ongoing narrative in which the alumni have invested considerably. Where sensitive, we'll keep it limited to ourselves, but where it presents no liability and can only aid in presenting ourselves accurately I'm commited to sticking with transparency. We don't have a lot to hide, and a lot of good things that need shown.

More on this in the coming days. If you have not considered it, consider attending the homecoming / reunion 2.0 (yes, it's called both as far as I can figure) coming up soon. The atmosphere here is as crisp and electric as it could be in 90 degree heat and 95% humidity (don't let that scare you off  - it's pretty much over)

If you have considered it and decided not to attend, reconsider it.

Yikes some crazy voodoo word-wrapping going on here in this email.. my apologies for being too busy to ask why or fix it ;)


jonny



(*) admittedly, we may have to youtube this in the short term pending more thoroughput capacity. just FYI for the geekinclined, apologies to the non-techs, you may safely return to the land of magical internet now ;) <-- teasing, in good fun.