FORTRESS ANTIOCH by Duffy ’77
As April begins both COVID and winter seem to be retreating into some sort of rear view mirror. The Volunteer Work Project is here building an on-site classroom for the Antioch farm. All the volunteers are super vaccinated and tested.
It was great to see some long term friends return! They have done all this carpentry and more under much intermittent liquid sunshine. Perhaps they just bring their own brand of sunshine. The College has really been like a fortress in the storm over the past two years.
People have still managed to come and go on Co-Ops, all over the planet actually! And there have not been a lot of campus COVID cases. This should show how responsible yet resilient the entire Antioch Community is. For a good run there were only a couple, and when omicron came in a flurry of cases that quickly resolved, and there haven’t been any new cases in quite awhile.
So Antioch has been a much protected Fortress with a giant symbolic castle in the middle.
With much April rain the campus is about as green as the greenest parts of Ireland. The first few wildflowers are out but the explosion of wildflowers like spring beauties and violets on the lawns are yet to come. I know it is true spring when the “George Crowell ‘70 “ crabapple between the library and South Hall opens up. Most heavenly perfume! As the mid April flowers begin to open the campus will also gradually open to some kind of normal.
Spring break is almost over. However, a handful of Antioch Students over break did what Antiochians are good at..expanding their horizons and still squeezing in some fun. Students decided to go to a conference at Tulane University in New Orleans to delve into quite the array of subjects from “Tenant’s rights”, “Tennessee Williams and the LBGT Community in New Orleans”, “Money, power and influences in the music industry” and “Studying Runway Culture and Drag”. The students needed and were given some traveling assists from the Alumni PRIDE Fund and Alumni of Color Fund (via the Alumni of Courage for Diversity Group). One imagines that when the seminars let out there was still time to have fun…even after terrible tornadic weather passed through right as the conference began (a subtle climate change lesson?). When they get back one hopes they will share any new knowledge or stories with the Community in one way or another.
Meanwhile, a few are still heading out to Co-Op after lingering awhile here after winter quarter ended.
An internal facebook page just a couple of days ago said someone was looking for a ride to Dayton Airport so they could get to a San Francisco Co-Op. It looks like they got their ride straightaway. I saw a picture of them with baggage in tow and a smile on their face. FB can be useful…in this case maybe a new-age version of the old Ride Board in the Student Union near the Caf entrance. I remember a plane ride to SF many many moons ago; such anticipation and excitement. SF did not disappoint!
Speaking of anticipation and excitement there will be an in-person Reunion this year starting around Bastille Day, most revolutionarily appropriate for Antioch! As there are still concerns for everyone’s safety in event of any liquid summer sunshine there will be a cap of 250 people…so if you are interested in coming and enjoying great company in an idyllic setting…
Please don’t get too distracted or you might not be able to attend. Forget that crazier and crazier world and come back to the mothership!
Much love to you all on your big Co-Ops-in-the-sky!