[Alumni-chat] Action Strategy immediate media response required - NY Times/AP: Petition proposal

Tue Apr 1 16:41:02 EDT 2008

All,
 I agree with Laura- we need to get materials out that refute and counter the damage that AU is doing with some basic straightforward facts.

 Marianne Connolly has a point on Jeff's post about the NY Times article(which I might have a connection to rebut with a regular underculture reporter of theirs, but that's when I have what I NEED in hand, and not before, like the radio show- never again). I feel that we need to build a PR army, and have taken a few steps to build our ability to go out on foot and do the work. This is another one. We will need this even and especially if we win- so it is timely.

 So, to get what I need to take this action, I'm combining the two threads.

 We have yet another opportunity in NYC.
 We will have many. 
 We must get used to it and take advantage of them.
 We'll have to develop the ability to critique ourselves on what we do and don't have that we need to win this fight as we go and create if not obtain the ones that we don't.
I build process as an aspect of action to keep this action ongoing and sustainable. I don't waste my time otherwise because we will not Save Antioch if we don't. Just acting without a realization of the process that we take, and not consciously adjusting our collective reflection of the change, has only proven as dips in our cooperative responsiveness during moments of uncertainty and doubt when we need it the most. We are now not on our feet for the big changes in final and dire battle. Any process of action should be inclusive, leave records of itself for review and improvement, be democratic, non-coercive and thus, ongoing, as, even if we win, we cannot forget- we then have to manage the target that we are acquiring!

 What do we not have?

 - It might do us well to think about each section of all of the things that we press release, and back it up with more info elsewhere, like the get informed page- you know, expand and expound to give reporters and interested outside parties more to work with- that's what we created it for.

 - Things to hand out that summarize the history of the school, helping people understand why it is important to save it and the current crisis that we are trying to save it from.

 - Self-organized self-representative cooperating independent and autonomous locals that are understandable as a whole system to all individuals within them that can communicate between each other, start efforts on our own, and develop them while maintaining integrity to the needs of everyone in the community, including welcoming and working with students who are travelling/on coop, Co-Op advisors and fundraisers, such as IA and the President.

 What do we have?

 - ACAN has a good and getting better Public info page for everyone, 
 check it out:
 http://saveantioch.org/get-informed/

 - We have Laura's 'short and sweet' Pro-1010 petition writeboard:
 http://123.writeboard.com/871fa7831c2178929
 password: 1010
 I gave it some headings, and set it up as a petition that we can all sign when we post it.
 Go at it.

- The ACAN wiki, which has all sorts of research and ideas in development, and can have more. Check it out:
 http://saveantioch.org/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page
 Now we can all have something in hand to forward with our name on it to our local press to make connections in personalizing the dialog- something that we've badly needed to continue doing long ago(Chicago with those videos made it on point!!!), and it's the ACAN that is the group oriented around this self-representation, so it's about time that we started churning this stuff out.

 Represent in your town, neighborhood, city and it's media- I wear my ANTIOCH longsleeve T once a week and many of my current friends and co-workers know what is going on because of it. I am preparing a 'why I have been away from you all so long letter with links to the Antioch Papers Antioch Confidential. We are a small self-representative army, not a ruling elite with money and paid labor on it's hands; 
 let's realize our advantages:
 We are many.
 We are amazing in our breadth and depth of skill.
 We are thoughtful.
 We are sensitive.
 We are thorough.
 We are intelligent.
 We are articulate.
 We are driven.
 We know how to listen.
 We have an inclusive self-representative democratic process 
 that we are always developing.
 We are Antiochians, 
 and 
 we are aware of it.

 Let's make them very aware;
 WE ARE EVERYWHERE!!!

 Don't sleep, UBoT- 
 we are EVERYWHERE!!!

 In NYC,
 Ed Trippel '92
 CG '93

Marianne said:

The NYT article is an AP article.  Unfortunately, the last time I
checkedgoogle there were almost 100 clones.  So.... more papers need more
letter writers.

Laura Fathauer <pas0705 at yahoo.com> wrote: ACAN's benefit is that we have the outreach to many consituencies. We have the
ability to quickly put up a petition and call for support, which I propose we
do in this instance.

A lot of the points that I made are already out there. ACAN can work on an
extended press release that integrates some of those points- however I think
getting up a petition with a show of support quickly is warranted and
necessary.

For that reason, I would propose we keep it short and simple. The initial text
(copied below) is at:

http://123.writeboard.com/871fa7831c2178929
password: 1010

In the interest of keeping the amount of email down, please add your editing
comments on there, not on this list.
------------------------------------------------------------

Reviewing the Antioch University administration’s actions over the course of
the last nine months, one conclusion is inescapable. The University
Administration never intended to negotiate any type of deal that would provide
for a viable future for Antioch College and its current tenured faculty and
unionized staff.

It is time for a new direction for Antioch University and Antioch College, one
that cannot be provided under the current University Administration.

The proposal still on the table from the Antioch College Continuation
Corporation represents the best opportunity the Antioch trustees will ever
again have to work with Antioch College alumni.

We urge the Trustees to adopt the ACCC’s 10/10 proposal for a brighter future
for the entire extended Antioch community.

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