Sunday, September 18, 2011

Zombies in Higher Education

Well, I see that my erstwhile alma mater, Antioch College, has risen from the dead yet again.

Naturally, in the time I attended, I became quite familiar with this guy:

In 1991, a group called Womyn of Antioch persuaded the school’s trustees to approve a groundbreaking sexual-offense policy. Suitors were required to get verbal consent “with each new level of physical and/or sexual contact/conduct” — in other words, to ask: “Can I touch your knee? And now can I . . . touch your buttocks?” “Saturday Night Live” parodied Antioch in a skit entitled “Is It Date Rape?” The national press corps flocked to the campus. When a photographer from Newsweek prepared to take a picture of Gerry Bello, Antioch ’97, he told me: “I ripped off all my clothes and said, ‘Sure, you can take pictures of me, but you’re not going to be able to run them!’ ” 

Most of my memories of Gerry involve a damaged espresso maker with a faulty pressure gauge that threatened to explode and his thriving business in custom-made chainmail. Oh, and there was the time we all went to Columbus and got arrested protesting against the "Contract with America".

Well, to be honest, everyone but me. I had stepped away to get lunch with my ex-girlfriend and her mother.

Eh, what can I say? I wish the scamps the best with getting it back up an running. That said, the (single) year I attended, I didn't return after the summer of my freshman year. I believe something around 60% of other freshman that year declined to do so as well which certainly says a little something-something. I'd imagine that they'll have to institute some pretty far reaching changes if they're going to maintain any sort of student body. Inasmuch as their giving all 35 of their incoming freshman full four-year scholarships...Well, I can imagine that will help. Free is certainly a nice inducement.

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