[Alumni-chat] FW: [Organizers] Andrzej in Community Meeting today

[Marianne Connolly]

Forwarding Chelsea Marten's email ----

For those of you that heard about Andrzej's outburst at Community Meeting
today, I wanted to share my response:

Dear Andrzej,

I am deeply disturbed and appalled by your behavior at today's Community
Meeting.  I didn't realize the extent of your actions until key members of
the Community informed me about the specifics of what happened afterward, so
I apologize for this late response (it should have happened immediately
after the incident). From my seat at Community Meeting I wasn't able to
catch all the details.

You are a leader during troubled times. And I understand that I only have a
small idea of the stress and difficulty that you are under. As one community
leader to another I do realize the immense strain that your difficult
position puts you in - but your actions today were inexcusable.

It is important now, possibly more than ever, that the leaders of our
College pave a safe and supportive path for community members to walk down,
to guide them and lift their spirits during terrifying times of uncertainty.
As you know, the morale and spirits on campus are low. It is up to us to
infuse our community with a great sense of courage, hope, and love -
hopefully enough to help them hold their heads high, to help them feel
strong and capable enough to move through this term with enough dignity and
respect for each other to not only survive this term, but to thrive during
these times. It is our duty as leaders to support, empower, and affirm each
and every member of the Antioch College Community. And today, you have
failed your duty.

Your actions today were degrading, disrespectful, and demonstrated your
gross abuse of power.  You violently silenced members of our community by
yelling at them to "shut up". You violently pushed and shoved esteemed
members of our faculty. You called a member of our Alumni community a liar.
And you disrespected every single person counting on you to provide great
leadership.  Especially as a white man in an authority position, you are
charged with a greater sense of responsibility to check your power and
privilege, particularly while addressing women, children, and community
members of color. You abused every position of power you hold within this
community to humiliate and hurt members of our community.

I am calling for an immediate, personal apology to the student and her child
that you yelled at, to the faculty member you engaged in the physical
altercation with, and to the member of the Alumni Board that you insulted. I
am also calling for an immediate apology to the entire community for your
actions today.

To everyone else: Beyond that I am calling on each and every member of our
community to realize your own self-worth and dignity as a member of this
College. I know that at times it is hard to remember, but you do have power
within this College. You have a voice and you do have control. I want you to
know that you are appreciated, loved, and respected enough to deserve
better. Members of the community will gather in the c-shop tomorrow
(Wednesday, 4-2-08) @ 8pm in a strategic planning session for how to respond
to ineffective leadership. It is not just about this event, it is about
leadership at this College in general. It is about reclaiming a sense of
empowerment during this difficult times.

I also want to address my use of this public forum for a personal letter. I
think the way that power and control play into this situation makes it
complicated. The way that this community has been systematically denied its
own voice and agency, has been given misinformation, and has lacked a
leadership role that it has clearly voiced its need for further
complications the situation. Questioning power is a basic element of free
speech and an expression of someones dissatisfaction with actions that have
dire consequences to their lives. I do understand that Andrzej is more than
a "public official" and is also a humanbeing who is a member of the Antioch
Community, but his involvement within this community is certainly more
complicated than that, and I believe it warrants community dialog -
especially when other forms of attempted communication with you, Andrzej,
have so grotesquely failed.

I hope, Andrzej, that we can meet soon to discuss this matter further.


I also hope that you have heard my words,
Chelsea







Chelsea Martens
Community Manager
Antioch College
795 Livermore St.
Yellow Springs, Ohio 45387
cmartens at antioch-college.edu
937-769-1050

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