[Alumni-chat] Antioch College is dead

Sat Feb 23 01:42:54 EST 2008

I feel that life Johnny.  It is not over until it is over and it ain't over.  Even if a suspension succeeds it IS NOT over, because the roots of Antioch are very deep.  It has gone on through many challenges since it inception.  When we graduated in 1983 after arriving in fall of 1979 after articles appeared in the hometown headlines that Antioch College may have to close its doors.  Read the letters and papers of early Antioch College.  It almost folded many times.  It is not over until it is over.  I don't want to encourage false hope---but as the story goes---Hope was the last thing out of Pandora's Box.  It is not over at this moment.

Lately the image of Washington rallying the troops to cross the Delaware in the cold of winter, shoeless and uncertain and very, very cold.  Perhaps it is all the talk of Presidents.  Perhaps it is the nearness to Washington's birthday.  Perhaps it is the fact that my father was named George.  And my husband's father was named George Washington Bahr (born on Washington's birthday in Western North Dakata)   I want to say--This is America Baby.  Remember who founded us.

Remember Horace.  Remember Horace Mann.
Remember Olympia Brown, and Irene Hardy and all those unknowns.
Remember the stories Art Dole and Yazz and others have conjured.
We have a long and living history.

I could go on to conjure the Civil Rights movement and all that has met to America and to Antioch.  I hope some will chime in with these stories of what Antioch has met to Civil Rights.  The characters that have walked among us.  Coretta Scott King being our poster girl.  There was Bill Chappelle and Jim who went down to Mississippi to help rebuild.  There's Gabby and all the good town folk and such a rich legacy.  I would like to hear more conjured from people about our roots in the black community.  We need to ignite that legacy and let it  cast a light on what is being done here.  We need to keep that light bright and steady...not throw in the towel.  

We have to be like Muhammad Ali or John Coltrane.  I remember Steve Schwerner's jazz shows and all that Coltrane into the night.  I remember that saxaphonist late at night jamming away in the halls, out in the open air...anyplace he could blow he would blow.  The whole place is enveloped in Jazz from that one man's blowing.  Not to mention Cecil Taylor's stint at Antioch.  Or Bill Chappelle singing his deep baritone like a Paul Robeson.  Bill Chappelle could sing. 

 Not to mention all the visitors who have came and danced, talked and played a concert in Kelly Hall.  I could start a list of all the great performances I witnessed in YS between 1979-1992--it is called Cultural Wealth.  The place has been blessed.  Think of all the previous generations and what they heard and saw.  Think of what the ones who came after heard and saw.  Think of what could come for the future.  It is an education like no other.  Like no other.

There are so many great stories and so much history to the place.  I had to stick around and let it all seep into the marrow of my bones.  Yellow Springs is in the marrow of my bones.  It is in my dNA.  We do not forget our people and our community even if we are separated.  It is worth caring for that place and that campus.

One fights the good fight.  "Ain't going to let nobody Turn Me Around, Turn Me Around, Turn Me Around.  Ain't going to let nobody turn me around.  KEEP on Walking, KEEP on Talking...going to build a brand new world!"  They were singing that facing awful conditions.  It did not look like a brand new world.  It looked like same old , same old...you got to keep one's eyes on the prize.  You got to keep one's ideals and strength before you always.  Even when the chips are down, even when there may be long struggles and defeats.

The first song John Ronsheim taught us was "Nobody Knows the Trouble I have Seen."  He taught us that because it was a solace, we all have troubles, the world has troubles, Antioch has troubles.  Nobody knows the troubles I have seen.  We are all unique and we all have troubles.  Singing the song feeling that pathos connects us to each other.  Gives shape to our pain, moves us to recognize our condition, and still sing.  We gotta sing.

The next song he taught was "God's Going to Set This World on Fire"
I never took that literally...like go burn down buildings.  I took it that you have to have passion, creative imagination, FIRE...like the sun.  We are all remnants of previous suns exploding (according to my amateur astronomer).

This is America Baby.  Antioch College is as American as you get and it does not die easily, it does not die in the quiet of the night or in the back rooms of some LA secret board room deals.  If we believe that then we are not remembering our history very well.  It is Antioch Baby.  It is US.
American as cherry pie.  I bet there was some mighty good cherry pie being baked at Antioch--when Antiochians ate pie.

Maybe the LA chapter could get a cherry pie for each BoT(what were their names?) and an extra special one for Toni Murdock and shove right smack in their faces.  This is Antioch College and we are as American as Cherry Pie in your face.

Sorry I do get worked up.  But I hope someone gets my drift.
Antioch College is not dead yet.

Lesley A Pownall Bahr

> Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2008 20:33:51 -0500
> From: jonny.no at gmail.com
> To: alumni-chat at w3.antioch.edu
> Subject: Re: [Alumni-chat] Antioch College is dead
> 
> fight for us as a community. Do not confuse us with the institution.
> If the Antioch I know is the same one you claim to have loved, you
> should know better. We've been rolling with these punches for
> generations. Punches is what you can expect; in context, an indicator
> we are still keeping it very real. I can assure you that those of us
> in YS are not dead enough to be led away without some kicking and
> screaming. They may have succeeded versus nice Antioch, but history
> will show that the disrespect and contempt they have shown was what
> led to the gloves coming off.
> 
> On 2/22/08, TheBangaloreBlue <thebangaloreblue at yahoo.com> wrote:
> > I think the decision to close Antioch College for next year is the final
> > nail in the coffin for Antioch.
> >
> >   Although it might return in some form (or continue to exist in some form -
> > i.e. the other campuses, etc) the Antioch we all know and
> > love/hate/defend/fight for/wish for/dearly love is dead.
> >
> >   Having talked to my classmates, who have similar views I will not honor my
> > pledges to an institution that is dead.  I will find other places to devout
> > my energy, money, and time to that embody the ideals and spirit of Antioch.
> > They feel the same way.
> >
> >   The time for fighting is over.  It is time to mourn, to cry, and to
> > remember.
> >
> >   Antioch is dead.
> >
> >
> > ---------------------------------
> > Never miss a thing.   Make Yahoo your homepage.
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> > Alumni-chat at w3.antioch.edu
> > http://w3.antioch.edu/mailman/listinfo/alumni-chat
> > Visit http://www.Antioch-College.edu today!
> >
> 
> 
> -- 
> Jonny Estes
> NEW TEL#: 6147980914 (till 10pm)
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> e: jonny.no at gmail.com
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