[Alumni-chat] where's the beef?

[Jim Jaffe]

Antioch is justifiably famous for producing outliers and I'm one.
Messages fly on the topic of what's the beef, but we may miss the
point when we focus on transparency, money and governance, all of
which I believe are good things we should see more of.  From my
perspective, Antioch College ultimately got in trouble because new
students weren't coming. I assume that's because they found what it
was offering less attractive that other options.

If that's so, the trinity of reform mentioned above won't do the
trick.  Within my small group I find it interesting that no one has
sent their kid to Antioch and, far as I know, none of our kids have
even applied.  There's a message there and it isn't about tranparency
or governance.  Its about having an attractive academic program.

When I went that was the co-op program, which promised -- and
sometimes delivered -- a balance between the academic and real-life
experience.  If it still exists at all, its but a shadow of its former
self.  Maybe its an outmoded idea -- though it worked well for me.
But the question I'm raising here is what the Idea is.

What's the pitch we want to make to prospective students -- the one
sentence description that'll ring their chimes.  I know what it is for
Reed and St John's, both of which I have relationships with, and think
I know what it is for a number of places like Colorado College,
Swarthmore and Hood.  But I'm at a loss of what Antioch's selling
beyond easy access to the Glen.  Am I missing something here.

Jim Jaffe, another proud product of the Dixon era.