See what our College community has been up to in the past month in our Campus Recap.
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ANTIOCH FARM: HARVEST HIGHLIGHTS
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This season, Antioch Farm had a bountiful harvest: 1,764 pounds of potatoes (including our farm favorite blue Adirondacks), apples from our orchard trees, and a new record of 3,082 pounds of squash and pumpkins! The largest pumpkin tipped the scales at 72 pounds. Much of this produce will nourish students in our kitchens, with scraps going to our chickens or compost to sustain the farm’s cycle.
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PORCHFEST
Last weekend Antioch College’s Coretta Scott King Center was a participating location in Yellow Springs Porchfest. YS Porchfest is a free, neighbor-driven day celebrating music and community. It’s an annual event, from noon to 7pm on the third Saturday in September. Local musicians play on the porches, front yards, and patios of homes and businesses within about a half mile radius of downtown Yellow Springs.
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ADMISSIONS HOSTS HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELORS
We were thrilled to host a dynamic delegation of approximately ten college counselors from the IDEA Public Schools network, a key partner for Antioch College, for an immersive campus visit. The visit was designed to be a deep dive into the Antioch experience, moving beyond a standard tour to include meaningful conversations with our Learning Hub directors, current students, and alumni who are IDEA graduates. These interactions provided a powerful, firsthand perspective on how our educational model translates into transformative learning and purposeful lives, offering our partners at IDEA a tangible understanding of the unique pathway Antioch provides for their students.
The energy of the visit was further amplified by a late and welcome addition to the group: Ann Marano, the Executive Director of Colleges That Change Lives. Her presence underscored the shared mission between our institutions and enriched the dialogue around the life-changing power of a student-centered education. The entire day served as an energizing reminder of the power of partnership, successfully bridging the gap between a K-12 network dedicated to college readiness and a college dedicated to producing engaged global citizens. It was a fantastic opportunity to strengthen our relationship with IDEA and showcase the vibrant reality of an Antioch education.
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DEAN CREEPINGBEAR: LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT & KEYNOTE INTRODUCTION
Shane Creepingbear, Dean of Admissions and Dean of Community and External Relations, provided a land acknowledgement and keynote speaker introduction for The National Association for College Admission Counseling’s 2025 Conference in Columbus, OH.
Shane reflects: “It was a profound honor to be invited by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) to develop and present the official Land Acknowledgement for their 2025 national conference in Columbus, Ohio. This responsibility provided a powerful platform to bring the vital work of Antioch College and the voices of Indigenous Peoples to a national stage. Presenting to thousands of admission and high school counseling professionals immediately before the keynote address by Dr. Brené Brown was a pivotal moment to center themes of respect, responsibility, and historical truth-telling within our professional community. It was also a timely matter as many state schools including Ohio State University passed new policy that forbids the use of land acknowledgements on their campuses and at their events. This is coming as part of the anti-DEI initiatives in the state of Ohio. NACAC passed their land acknowledgement policy 6 years ago and as part of their practice they seek Indigenous educators, communities and experts in the area in which their annual conference will be held.
The acknowledgement itself was a collaborative effort, informed by the guidance of Indigenous leaders including Chief Ben Barnes of the Shawnee Tribe and members of the Urban Native Collective. It moves beyond a simple statement to frame our gathering on the ancestral homelands of the Shawnee, Potawatomi, Miami, and other nations as an act of respect and a call to action. By explicitly linking the history of the 1795 Treaty of Greeneville and the Indian Removal Act to our present-day responsibilities, the text challenges us to confront the ongoing legacies of settler colonialism and to actively support Indigenous sovereignty and resilience. This opportunity underscored my commitment to advancing equity and justice, not only within admission practices but also in how we collectively understand our relationship to the land and its original caretakers.”
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YELLOW SPRINGS NEWS: Antioch College steps in as Job Corps future uncertain
When the U.S. Department of Labor moved to suspend the Job Corps program, impacting nearly 100 centers nationwide, Antioch College stepped in. This summer, the College admitted 11 displaced Job Corps students, provided them housing, meals, on-campus jobs, and enrollment support, and opened a path for them toward four-year degrees. While the future of Job Corps remains uncertain, Antioch’s support is offering a much-needed lifeline to young people whose vocational and educational opportunities were suddenly in jeopardy.
Thank you to those in the Antioch Community who made a donation to support this effort.
Read the full article here.
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ENDEAVOR GRANT BEGINS PHASE II
Antioch College is proud to announce its pivotal role in a national consortium that has secured $8.5 million from the Endeavor Foundation to transform student mental health and well-being at small liberal arts colleges. Antioch is a founding member of the Endeavor Lab Colleges (ELC), a collaborative of ten institutions driving this groundbreaking work.
The funding includes $5.22 million dedicated to Phase 2 of the initiative, which will allow Antioch to build upon its successful pilot programs and deepen its commitment to fostering resilient, purpose-driven, and caring campus communities.
“This investment is a testament to the innovative work already underway at Antioch and a powerful catalyst for our future,” said Jane Fernandes. “Our mission has always centered on educating the whole person for a life of meaning and impact. This grant provides critical resources to scale our efforts, ensuring that well-being, belonging, and community care are not just add-ons, but are fully integrated into the fabric of an Antioch education.”
Read the full press release here.
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Michael Casselli, Associate Professor of Sculpture and Installation supported the Peace Mask Project by hosting workshops in Antioch’s Sculpture Studio and an exhibition in the Herndon Gallery. Led by artists Myong Hee Kim and Pierre Nagley, the project commemorated the 80th anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and honored hibakusha through handmade washi paper masks. Over 50 Yellow Springs community members participated, reflecting the village’s legacy of peace and social justice. The 100 Hibakusha Peace Masks were permanently donated to Wilmington College’s Peace Resource Center, coordinated by Tanya Maus.
Kim Landsbergen, Associate Professor of Environmental Sciences was reappointed as a research affiliate with Ohio State’s Museum of Biodiversity, where she volunteers in the freshwater mussel collection. At Antioch, she incorporates malacology into her courses using the College’s mussel collection. This summer she completed Ohio EPA training in Primary Headwater Habitat assessment and is now certified to conduct evaluations. Landsbergen also co-authored two forthcoming publications: a peer-reviewed article in Methods in Ecology and Evolution and a book chapter on environmental justice in The Handbook of Broader Impacts.
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PRESIDENT’S MEDALLION AWARDED
Honoring President’s Medallion Recipients: This summer Antioch College President, Jane Fernandes, presented the President’s Medallion to Dr. Susan “Shay” Mayer ’79 and Maureen Lynch at a private gathering at Folkmanis House.
The President’s Medallion recognizes individuals whose vision, service, and extraordinary commitment have left a lasting mark on Antioch College.
Dr. Susan Jean Mayer ’79 has dedicated her career to advancing democratic education, serving as a teacher, scholar, and educational designer. A longtime supporter of Antioch, Susan (aka Shay) has been deeply engaged with the College through the Alumni Board, Board of Trustees, and pivotal moments in the College’s history, including the reopening. Her leadership reflects Antioch’s enduring values of equity, agency, and community.
Maureen Lynch, a former trustee, is a widely respected leader and advocate for human rights, women’s health, the arts, and community well-being. Though not an alumna, Maureen has embodied Antioch’s mission through decades of service in the Miami Valley and beyond. Her wisdom, generosity, and unwavering support have strengthened Antioch at every step.
Together, Shay and Maureen represent the very best of Antioch’s spirit: visionary, engaged, and committed to education as a force for justice and transformation.
Congratulations to Shay Mayer and Maureen Lynch on this well-deserved recognition.
(Shay and Maureen pictured above with members of the Antioch College Board of Trustees)
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175 CAMPAIGN: EDUCATORS, THEN & NOW
For 175 years, Antioch College has been a place where education transforms lives and where dedicated educators inspire generations of changemakers. From our earliest days, Antioch has been committed to bold ideas in teaching and learning, creating a legacy of faculty and alumni who carry the spirit of education forward into classrooms, communities, and beyond.
This month, as part of our 175th anniversary celebration, we honor the educators of Antioch—past and present—whose commitment to learning has shaped our College and the world around us.
Antiochians From The Archives
Mahala Jay, class of 1857. Mahala Pearson Jay and her husband Eli transferred to Antioch College from Oberlin in 1853. The Jays had started a small school in Fredericksburg, IN in 1849, which convinced them they had to attend college to become better educators. Attracted by Antioch’s promise of fully equal coeducation, the Jays were both members of its first graduating class. A Latin teacher in the Antioch Preparatory Dept. during her Senior year, Horace Mann considered her the best Latin instructor he had ever known. In 1864 she and Eli joined the faculty of Earlham College, where she was principal of its preparatory school for twenty years. A lifelong Quaker committed to service to humanity, Mahala was also a leading figure in the Women’s Foreign Missionary Association and a founding figure of the American Friends Board of Foreign Missions.
Irene Hardy, class of 1885. Born in Eaton, OH in 1841 and known by the diminutive “Rene,” Hardy entered Antioch College in 1861, but her education was interrupted several times due to many factors, including the American Civil War. Despite not having her degree, she taught school back home through the 1860s. In 1874 she began teaching in the Antioch Preparatory Dept. and served as College Matron, presiding over the women’s dormitory North Hall for two years. She soon moved to California, resumed her teaching career, developed statewide standards for instruction in composition and literature, and published a textbook. In 1894 she joined the faculty of Stanford University to teach literature and writing. Hardy retired in 1901 to a cottage built by her adoring students where she wrote her memoirs. After her death in 1922, her brother Lewis deposited the 530 page manuscript in Antiochiana at the Antioch College Library, where it was eventually discovered by longtime Antioch Professor of American Civilization, Louis Filler. He edited the work and published it in 1980 under the title “An Ohio Schoolmistress.”
George Hubbell, class of 1890. Springfield, OH native George Hubbell grew up on a farm near Bellefontaine. As a student he was active in the Star Literary Society. Hubbell earned a PhD at Columbia University in 1902 after a brief stint as a high school principal in Fairfield, OH. While a graduate student he held numerous teaching posts including Professor of University Extension, Professor of Geology and Higher English, and Professor of Pedagogy. In 1904 he became vice-president of Berea College in Kentucky and in 1906 was named president of Highland College in Williamsburg, KY. In 1910 he became president of Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, TN, retiring in 1922. Among his many publications was a biography of Horace Mann (1910) and his prized possession was the original draft of the Antioch College charter.
We’d love to hear from you: Which Antiochian educator made an impact on your journey?
Was it a professor who challenged your thinking, or an alum whose career in education inspired you? Reply to this email and share your story, which we’ll collect into a list of Antiochian educators on our 175th Campaign Website.
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MAKE AN IMPACT THIS FALL
As Antioch College marks 175 years of bold, trailblazing education, we are looking ahead to building a strong and sustainable future. A central goal of this historic anniversary is to grow enrollment to 175 students—a milestone that reflects both our proud legacy and our ambitious vision for what comes next.
Thank you for being a part of the movement to 175.
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Alumni Engagement Opportunities
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JOIN THE VOLUNTEER WORK PROJECT CREW
The fall Volunteer Work Project week is coming up. Are you ready to join the crew?
The work week begins Sunday, October 19 in the evening and ends on Friday, October 24 in the afternoon. Learn more and RSVP now!
Antioch’s Volunteer Work Project (VWP) is a community of alumni who return to campus to donate their time and sweat equity to the College. During work week, participants volunteer for different projects, both physical labor (repairs, weeding) to admin support (writing thank you letters, mailings). Alumni work and eat meals together for the week, which creates an amazing space for Antiochians to connect.
VWP is open to all ages and abilities. We have participants who are recent grads all the way to two volunteers in their 90’s! It’s open to non-alumni community members as well. We regularly have alumni family members attend.
For more information, visit the RSVP form. For questions about Volunteer Work Project, contact David Vincent davincent@sbcglobal.net or 510-375-7396
VICTORY POINTS
You only have a few months left to earn and claim your Victory Points in honor of Antioch’s 175th anniversary! So far, 16 students, staff, alumni and friends have earned 175 points or more. Will you join them on our leaderboard before the end of 2025? Learn how you can earn Victory Points, and submit them here.
OCTOBER STREET FAIR
Antioch College will be tabling at the October 11 Yellow Springs Street Fair. If you’re local, come say hi!
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COMMUNITY DAY
Community Day this term will be held Tuesday, September 30.
SERLING DEDICATION
A pioneer of television will be honored during the Rod Serling Ohio Historical Marker dedication on Thursday, October 2, at 5 p.m. on the campus of Antioch College. Rodman Edward Serling was an American author, screenwriter and Emmy award-winning television producer best remembered as creator and host of the television series “The Twilight Zone” and a major influence in the science fiction world. He spent formative years in Ohio, where he worked, attended Antioch College, met his wife, and returned to teach in later years.
The October 2 date for the historical marker dedication is significant as it was the date that “The Twilight Zone” premiered in 1959, making this the 66th anniversary. Following the marker dedication, the Yellow Springs Film Festival will honor Rod Serling with its Opening Ceremony: A Tribute to Rod Serling, a pre-purchase ticketed event at 7:30 p.m. at the Foundry Theater on the Antioch campus.
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FALL OPEN HOUSE
Antioch College Office of Admissions is hosting a Fall Open House on Friday, October 17th, 2025. Registration for the event is currently open but will close on October 6th, so prospective students should register soon if they wish to attend. This open house is an opportunity to learn about the college’s self-design majors, hear from future professors and fellow students, and explore what makes Antioch a unique learning environment. We will be hosting a group of about 50 visitors. A combination of students, parents, and families, and high school counselors. Register here: https://choose.antiochcollege.edu/register/Fall25
SOIL HEALTH SYMPOSIUM @ ANTIOCH FARM
The Antioch College Micro Farm will host a full-day program focused on sustainability and hands-on learning at Antioch College. This event is designed for farmers from all backgrounds, practitioners, researchers, and community leaders who are passionate about soil health, sustainable agriculture, and collaborative project development. Registrants will connect onsite to participate in generally applicable soil health training/education; to learn about the Antioch College Micro Farm’s sustainable agriculture practices; to brainstorm innovative, fundable, and mutually beneficial projects; and to socialize with like-minded agriculturalists and environmentalists.
Soil Health Symposium Hosted by Antioch College Micro Farm and Learning Hub
Friday, November 14, 2025
9:30 AM 3:30 PM
Learn more here.
HANIF ABDURRAQUIB @ THE FOUNDRY THEATER
Reading, Q&A and Book Signing Event: Hanif Abdurraqib is a poet, essayist, and cultural critic from Columbus, Ohio. His poetry has been published in Muzzle, Vinyl, PEN American, and various other journals. His essays and music criticism have been published in The FADER, Pitchfork, The New Yorker, and The New York Times. Hanif’s newest release, There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension (Random House, 2024) is a poignant, personal reflection on basketball, life, and home. The book was a #1 national bestseller, a New York Times bestseller, the winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Criticism, and longlisted for both the National Book Award and the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction. His first full length poetry collection, The Crown Ain’t Worth Much, was released in June 2016 from Button Poetry. It was named a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Book Prize, and was nominated for a Hurston-Wright Legacy Award. His first collection of essays, They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us, was released in winter 2017 by Two Dollar Radio and was named a book of the year by Buzzfeed, Esquire, NPR, Oprah Magazine, Paste, CBC, The Los Angeles Review, Pitchfork, and The Chicago Tribune, among others. He released Go Ahead In The Rain: Notes To A Tribe Called Quest with University of Texas press in February 2019. The book became a New York Times Bestseller, was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize, and was longlisted for the National Book Award. His second collection of poems, A Fortune For Your Disaster, was released in 2019 by Tin House, and won the 2020 Lenore Marshall Prize. His book, A Little Devil In America (Random House, 2021) was a winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal and the Gordon Burn Prize, a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Pen/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award. In 2021, Abdurraqib was named a MacArthur Fellow, and in 2024 was named a Windham-Campbell Prize recipient. He is a graduate of Beechcroft High School.
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RHYTHM & RELEASE @ THE CORETTA SCOTT KING CENTER
This exciting dance class taught by Dr. Queen Meccasia Zabriskie features West African and Contemporary African dance, and it is accompanied by live percussion from Afracanacosa’s Bro. G, Shamba Muhammad, Tom Kondas, and other area drummers.
This class is being sponsored by the Coretta Scott King Center at Antioch College and the Yellow Springs Community Foundation every Friday at 6:30-8:00PM.
BINGO @ THE WELLNESS CENTER
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Arrivals, Departures, Transitions & Milestones
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ARRIVALS
Zoe Ritzhaupt I Admission Counselor
DEPARTURES
Jennifer Boyd I Director of Presidential Operations
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