Antioch College, after more than one hundred fifty years of more or less uninterrupted liberal indoctrination disguised as “teaching”, is soon to close its door, as of June 1st, 2008. Plans are already in the works to revamp the Antioch University flagship college for a possible, yet very tentative, re-opening set for 2012. When it does close, it will be for the third time, and very possibly for good.
The Antioch College alumni, trustees, and other personnel should be ashamed of themselves. The school, located in Yellow Springs, Ohio, is going to its grave without having accomplished much of anything worthwhile.
I took the liberty of pursuing a list of its most notable graduate luminaries, a sure general sign of the overall value to society of any college or university. Among such luminaries was Coretta Scott King. Once you get past her-and actor Montgomery Cliff-the small Ohio campus has not produced much in the way of living up to founding President Horace Mann’s admonition which is the mission statement of the college-
“Be ashamed to die until you have accomplished something great for mankind”.
There was one scientist. There was one anthropologist. I noted with some interest that there was one notable person who is known as a “nautical explorer”. Try as I might, I cannot banish from my mind the image of a bearded beach bum sailing the mid-Atlantic coast in a skiff, spending his hours looking for sand dollars off the South Carolina coast.
There were a few attorneys, as one might expect. Other than these, the majority of them were sociologists, politicians, authors, and actors. Here’s hoping the authors learned enough to be considered legitimate experts in their chosen fields. Probably they were. Those who were not were probably among those who went on to become successfully tenured professors at the college.
So what happened to Antioch? Wel, I guess that depends on who you ask. Here's their own statement. Here, on the other hand, seems to be the straight scoop from the Dayton Dailey News.
In the beginning, it was a Christian college that aimed to produce generations of public minded graduates who would contribute great things to society. They championed the cause as early as in the 18oo’s of civil rights for blacks and for women. Yet, due to opposition from the small Ohio communities that surrounded them, they turned out few if any black graduates prior to the 1940’s. They had two black students in the 1930’s, neither of whom went on to graduate.
By the time of the late forties, something happened. Their mission evolved, you might say, to a communist-or let us be kind and say “progressive left”-orientation. The House Un-American Committee criticized them, but they persevered. By the time the sixties came around, they were at the forefront of civil rights marches, anti-war protests, and other liberal advocacy positions, some of which were of perhaps, let us say, dubious value at best.
In the earliest days of its existence, Antioch sent students out to gain experience in the various crafts and trades, as interns to the different professionals in the area. By the pertinent time in question, they went out not to learn such skills as previously had been encouraged.
Now, they were sent out to demonstrate in marches, conduct sit-ins, and burn draft cards. Why not, hell, you got extra class credit for this, you see.
By well into the seventies and eighties, Antioch College was a well-known bastion of leftist ideology and indoctrination, right up there with Berkley and Kent State. Though it was classified as a liberal arts institution, this was not to be construed to mean that Antioch was a place you could go to get exposure to different ideas and philosophies. Antioch was the place to go to get reinforcement for the preconceived leftist philosophies of you, and the parents who might have paved the way to instilling them into your young, innocent mind. It was a place for reassurance, not for learning, nor for any kind of thought that might be considered challenging.
Perhaps it was fortunate that, somewhere along the way, Antioch forgot what its main purpose was. It had long ago ceased to be an institution where young people might learn those skills necessary to be successful in today’s ever more competitive world. Did I mention its second most notable luminary might be Montgomery Cliff?
Whatever the case, it is easy to see why a college that is classified as a “third tier” liberal arts college, might come to be considered third rate at best, and well advised to revamp its program toward the achievement of material success. However, the alumni of Antioch would disagree with that, naturally. To them, their purpose in life is to lead student protests-at the Dayton Court House-of Appellate Court or Supreme Court decisions that have nothing to do with the court being demonstrated against. One such example would be a recent decision curtailing or limiting the placement of minority quotas in school admissions. Antioch college students and professors went bonkers over this, and staged what they called a “people of color takeover.”
Or, perhaps one might point to the time they lead the way in producing what is perhaps the most bizarre sex-abuse statement ever written as a matter of school policy. I reproduce two portions of it, courtesy of The American Thinker, as follows:
"This spirit is about a fully affirmative YES. Not an ambiguous yes, or a ‘well-not-really-but-OK-I guess, yes,' certainly not a ‘silent-no,' ‘yes,' or an ‘ouch' or ‘yuck-but-I'm-afraid-to-hurt-your-feelings-yes.' This is about YES, UM HUM, ABSOLUTELY, YIPPEE YAHOO YES!"
Later on, the statement gets a bit more serious-I guess-with:
"-All sexual contact and conduct between any two (or more!) people must be consensual;"
"-- Consent must be obtained verbally before there is any sexual contact or conduct;
"-- If the level of sexual intimacy increases during an interaction (i.e. if two people move from kissing while fully clothed, which is one level, to undressing for direct physical contact, which is another level), the people involved need to express their clear verbal consent before moving to that new level;"
By now, you might be starting to wonder, as I am, how this institution lasted as long as it did.
Possibly, they are even proud to be known as one of the top ten anti-male establishments of higher learning in the nation.
However, to be fair, I have to jump to the defense of Antioch. I do not think it is accurate to say they are anti-male, so much as to say that they are anti-man. Especially, anti white upper-class man and anti white upper middle-class man.
At any rate, Antioch would probably have closed its doors ten years ago, but they have been kept floating above water by the other colleges in the Antioch University system. One can only assume these other schools have either adopted a program that is more conducive to attracting students geared toward achieving success, or that they are in parts of the country where the Antioch philosophy is a better fit. Those places would be Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Seattle. Yeppers, methinks that might have more than a little to do with it.
In Southern Ohio, it is not a fit. Few in-state families would be willing to shell out 23,000 dollars for a school that does not teach shit any more vital or competitive than Rabble Rousing 101. Nor would many out-of-state families opt to send their kids to such a school at even higher rates.
In the long run, many of Antioch’s most cherished causes might have contributed to the schools downfall. Take for example the atrocious Title Nine laws whereby so much money has to be set aside for female sports teams, whether they are profitable or not. A major university such as Notre Dame can absorb the shock of such a blow, perhaps, and even help it in a few cases become profitable over time.
A campus such as Antioch is dead in the water right from the start, as they are doubtless unable to fund more than a mediocre soccer team at best, though I doubt seriously that a sports program would be welcome at such a place under any conditions. Fair enough, but then again, such denial of reality is just another nail in the coffin of such schools. No sports team in a good many cases equals no interest whatsoever for a lot of potential students and their families. Moreover, that equals of course less money. A lot less money. A hell of a lot less money.
Perhaps the current Administration will be successful at reviving Antioch’s fortunes, and making it successful, but this would require adopting a curriculum which would attract competitive students who want to actually-well, accomplish something with their lives. Unfortunately, the pot hazed sixties era hippies who doubtless make up the majority of Antioch’s alumni and contributors will probably balk at this. Who cares about teaching impressionable young children about the value of making money when they should be taught VALUES, by God?
Why have programs to teach business, sciences and math, in addition to Law, Languages, and Literature, etc., that is the schools hallmarks of distinction. That is just the problem with Antioch. It was never a school that put a lot of value on worldly success, or material gain, and over time it only got more doctrinaire in its guiding philosophy. Now, it is paying the price.
Nevertheless, those old alumni might persevere after all, and return with a vengeance. They might show those more “realistic” thinking school deans and administrators what is what. How dare they change their beloved Antioch, and try to re-open it as an ordinary damned old college in 2012?
I look any minute now for the old guard to issue a statement criticizing this lack of cultural sensitivity to the Maya, to whom 2012 is a sacred year.
Every picture tells a story, don't it? Put them together, and you have an epic tale of despair, at the thought that-my God, what do you mean the sixties are over? They ain't over till they're over-by God
Without further ado, and thanks to the Dayton Daily News, I hereby present-
TRUTH? JUST WHOSE TRUTH?
The alumni, students, and community of Yellow Springs attend the meeting where the decision is announced to close the school in June 2008. They are not happy campers
The Deans and Alumni Board of Trustees with President Sanders at the meeting, making the announcement. Feeling the heat. Note President Sanders, second from the right. Wonder what he's really feeling?
("Maybe I can find an opening in a nice Day Care Center")
