Tag: antioch college

Displaced Antioch College Alumni Camp Out on Historic Campus

Locked Campus Housing Forces Visiting Alumni to Sleep Outside During their Critical Annual Alumni Reunion Week

Yellow Springs, Ohio (June 21, 2008) – Over 450 Antioch College alumni traveled from across the United States to arrive at the pre-Civil War college campus, despite this year’s lack of reunion housing. Although a most recent announcement made by Antioch University officials, that stated that they were again willing to negotiate with alumni to keep Antioch College open, faculty members were locked out of their offices last week and all campus dormitories, which traditionally have housed alumni during the annual reunions, have remained locked and made unavailable to alumni, many traveling from as far as Portland, Oregon, New York, New York, Canada and Florida. In a response to the lack of housing and the continued conflicting actions of the university officials, Antioch College alumni created a “Tent City” on the most highly-used and visible lawn of the Yellow Springs campus, the “Horseshoe”, the lawn connecting Livermore Street to the historic Main Hall.

“We are claiming the most visible space on the campus as a sign that Antioch College is here to stay,” said Rowan Kaiser, Community Co-Manager for the 2008-2009 academic year of Antioch College, representing the voice of Antioch College alumni. “The college community will never stop working to reclaim the campus, the name, the assets, the heritage and the reputation of our Antioch College.”

Visiting Antioch College alumni have been sleeping in tents during the reunion with no access to hot or cold showers. At night, the Antioch campers have the use of portable toilets. “Not having access to basic facilities, like showers, beds and drinkable tap-water will not deter an Antiochian from participating in the movement to keep the college open,” said Chad Johnston, an alum from 2001 who traveled from Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

The Antioch College alumni and entire Antioch College community of faculty, staff and Yellow Springs villagers invite the press to a brief press conference at 5:00 PM EST, on Saturday, June 21, 2008, on the grounds of the, “Tent City”.