Greetings. The Communications Group of Chicago Antioch Alums is meeting this Sunday, July 15 at 2 p.m. at Erika Burkhart’s, 5453 N. Paulina, 1st Floor (downstairs from the alum meeting two weeks ago).

Please join us to plan strategies and actions, to promote a continuously operational and financially sustainable Antioch College to the public, the media, and stakeholders – and to continue building a communications network among those of use engaged in this effort.

Refreshments and chairs are welcome. Please spread the word. Let me know if you’re coming (yes only).

I’ll list some proposed agenda items at the end of this email. Any additions/comments are welcome. If you can’t make it to the meeting but want to add a subject to the agenda, feel free to send along your ideas.

A larger Chicago alum meeting will be held in a few weeks, where the communications group will report on ongoing work, along with the fundraising and legal/governance groups.

Save Antioch Video Testimonials

After the meeting, around 3 p.m., at the same location, we will be videotaping one minute Save Antioch Video Testimonials. We will post the testimonials online as a national model for promoting the College Revival movement. We will also provide the footage to the Alumni Association for use in fundraising, lobbying and organizing efforts.

Everyone is welcome to record a testimonial. If you want to record one, please let me know and we will schedule a 15-minute timeslot for you. You don’t have to come to the communications group meeting to record a testimonial afterwards.

If you plan to record a testimonial, please prepare a script in advance. Practice it and time yourself, make sure it’s not much more than a minute. Talk about who you are, what you do, your connection to the college, how it’s being threatened, why it’s important to keep it open, and how viewers can get involved. Be personal, direct, compelling, and to-the-point. If you think you will need cue cards to get through the testimonial, please prepare them in advance.

We want to represent diversity in terms of age, location, interest group, ethnicity, and occupation. If you know someone who would be a good testifier, please invite them.

We welcome anyone interested in shooting, recording sound, editing, uploading, or loaning equipment for this effort. If you’re interested please drop me a line. Everyone is welcome to record their own testimonials too, whether or not you can make it Sunday.

Communications Meeting Agenda Items 7/15/07

Internal Communications

* Connecting Chicago with national organizers, other chapters
* Reaching alums, stakeholders who are not yet involved – including those who can’t be reached online
* Coordinating communications with the efforts of fundraising, legal/governance groups
* Report to next larger alumni meeting

External Communications

* Promote strategic image Antioch College and College Revival Fund
* Objectives – support fundraising for College Revival Fund, combat misinformation, recruit allies, retaining/recruiting students
* Media outreach – identify and target specific journalists in mainstream and alternative press (print, TV, radio, online) to cover the College Revival movement
* Recruiting allies – educational groups, organized labor, progressive organizations, celebrity advocates
* Self-generated media – websites, blogs, podcasts, newsletters, video testimonials
* Benefit event – coordinate with fundraising group
* Short and long-term action steps

Thanks everybody. I hope to see you Sunday.

Ed M. Koziarski ‘97

Hello from Yellow Springs, the village that continues to hold the constant-beating heart of Antioch College…

I write to you all a brief update on our Emergency Town Meeting we held on Tuesday, July 10, 2007. I keep it brief because I believe that Diane Chiddister, editor of the Yellow Springs News, summed it up best, in her article in the latest issue of our local paper. Despite the unbearable heat of the day, over 300 people crowded into and outside of the meeting space, staying well past the agenda schedule. It was encouraging to see that most of the meeting attendees were in support of keeping Antioch College open (based on their applause and public questions and comments.). We, the meeting organizers, now know that we had over 300 attendees because 280 people signed in as they entered, and well over 20-30 more people entered late, filling in the standing room-only spaces outside and throughout the hallways. The Yellow Springs group to keep Antioch College open has officially increased 7 times from its original number of 40 people! Now, to continue the momentum… The meeting can be heard in its entirety on the WYSO website, where they have kindly loaded a podcast onto their site. It’s good to listen to while you’re multi-tasking (almost 2 hours-worth of listening). Link to WYSO podcast of Yellow Springs Emergency Town Meeting or you can click play directly at the end of this post.

The next meeting we urge people to attend is the Village Council Meeting at which chancellor Toni Murdock and president Steve Lawry will be presenters. The meeting, which is open to the public, will be on Monday, July 16, at 7pm at the John Bryan Center. Two more important dates for Yellow Springs: July 21, 2007 - A fund raiser screening of the film, “The Antioch Adventure” (1967) will be at the Little Art Theatre, time TBA. July 23, 2007 - Next major meeting for subcommittees from the Yellow Springs Residents in Support of Antioch College Revival Resolution, will be at 7pm at the Senior Center.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to the town meeting presenters, to the attendees, to members of the press, to the members of the First Presbyterian Church (which housed the town meeting) and especially to each of the hard-working individuals who helped to organize and volunteer at the town meeting!

Onward,

Judith “juju” Wolert-Maldonado, ‘05

(attended ‘94-’96, then ‘03-’05)

juju70

Ad from YS News.

More Coverage in :

• Residents, faculty, alumni question Antioch’s closing - the Xenia Daily Gazette
• Villagers overflow church at meeting to save the college - Yellow Springs News

 

 Yellow Springs Holds Emergency Town Meeting- WYSO: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download