Be Ashamed to Die Until You've Painted a Wall for Antioch

the Antioch Record VOLUME 65, ISSUE 2 RECORDONLINE.ORG DECEMBER 10, 2014 Protests: Challenging the Dominant Narrative By Selena Wilkinson ’17 anywhere but in my childhood For the first nearly eighteen bedroom and, evidently, while years of my life, I lived in St. peacefully blocking the high- Louis city in a neighborhood ways that brought me to child- called Tower Grove South. My hood soccer practices. home is 1 mile from the Shaw I was asked to write this Neighborhood where Vonder- piece to discuss the media’s rit Myers, Jr. was murdered portrayal of what is happen- by police in October of this ing on the ground contrasted year, and 15 miles from Fer- with my first-hand experience guson, where Michael Brown, at home during the week of Jr. was murdered by police this Thanksgiving. So here goes: past August. I have wrestled the mainstream media is doing with leaving Antioch since the some intense framing of the first news article broke regard- situation to encourage fear ing Michael Brown’s death. and belittle the efforts of the I wanted to be at home pro- protestors. The mainstream testing in the streets I grew media is using words like up on with the people who “rioters” and “violent demon- have been out every single strators” in articles about the day since it happened. When highway blocking protests the announcement came that and sit-ins/die-ins happening Darren Wilson would not all over the city. The main- be indicted for the murder stream media has been mis- of Mike Brown, I decided to construing the messages so finally go home. I could not let fully that protestors now pause Photo credit, Odette Chavez-Mayo ’18. the unrest I was feeling be felt continued on page 2 Be Ashamed to Die Until You’ve Painted a Wall for Antioch By Jon Baker ‘72 money. Mac recalled a fresh- closed the College. Returning Pennell House. Walls were The old Maples fire engine It’s not uncommon for man orientation work project to their roots, alumni volun- stripped, patched and painted. garage, then used for storage, alumni to support their col- back in 1955. Using recycled teers helped refurbish Birch The inside of the building was was turned into a work space. lege. Usually it’s done with materials from former campus House for Glen Helen during cleaned and extensive repairs Tools and equipment were sal- a check in the mail. In keep- buildings, Antioch freshman the years the campus was were made. Outside, the vaged from around campus. ing with Antioch traditions, constructed Cedar Center, the closed. porch railings and lattice were The alums now had a place to many alums also do something first building in what was then In October, 2009, with the cleaned and painted. Pennell work. And the work began. which is a little different and called the “School Camp” and first reunion after the Col- House went from dilapidated The results - quite unique -- they show up is now the Outdoor Education lege was reopened, the work to restored in a year’s time as Theater Building - Origi- on campus several times a year, Center in Glen Helen. The project concentrated on the the result of several work proj- nally used as a foundry and then hammers and paint brushes in group of alums liked this idea Library, the only function- ects in 2010. production plant for airplane hand, and fix up the College. of volunteering to work for ing building at the time. It In the course of working engine parts used in World When you see folks around Antioch. The following year’s quickly and painfully became on Pennell it became clear War II, the theater building campus your grandparents’ age reunion saw 25 of them work clear that the campus had been that a single work project was showing its age. Alumni covered in paint and sawdust, in Birch, repainting dorms, neglected and needed a lot of per year was not going to cut attacked it with determina- you should know that they are replacing broken windows and work. That work began two it. Reprising Mac and Peg- tion, removing literally tons of part of a near-30 year tradi- repairing ceilings. The tra- months later when a group of gy’s group discussion some material and debris from the tion of alumni volunteer work dition was begun and work alums and students who had 25 years earlier, several of us building. It was cleaned, orga- projects. projects were then scheduled been on campus when Antioch talked about organizing the nized and the interior painted. That tradition began at the week prior to each year’s closed went into South Hall’s volunteer efforts. From that The floors, badly damaged, the 1985 alumni reunion when alumni reunion. To this day, attic, reinforcing its 160 year point on, work projects were were leveled and then either Mac Palmer, ‘61, Peggy Ers- Mac and Peggy still show up old rafters and thereby keep- scheduled several times a year, tiled or carpeted. David Vin- kine, ‘60 and other alums talked to work on them. ing the roof from falling in. not just during reunions. cent, ‘65 organized volunteers about helping the College even Work projects continued The following year alumni The first order of busi- to clean, repair and repaint though they didn’t have much even when Antioch University volunteers concentrated on ness was to build a workshop. continued on page 3 Student Shelby Diversity Open Letter to Space 4 Chestnut 11 Committee 12 the Student Body16 DECEMBER 10, 2014 2 Campus News THE ANTIOCH RECORD The Record Staff Keegan Smith-Nichols — Editor-in- Chief Taylor Larson — Assistant Editor Connie Brunson — Staff Writer Hannah Craig — Staff Writer Todd Ennis — Staff Writer Sequoia Young— Staff Writer Layla Saad — Cartoonist Sean Allen — Photographer Odette Chavez-Mayo — Photographer Ashley Bunton — Copy Editor Isabelle Segadelli — Copy Editor Jane Foreman — Copy Editor Photo credit, Odette Chavez-Mayo ’18. Challenging the Dominant Narrative continued from page 1 big-box stores, protesting at Instead, they want to pub- Mission Statement our chants about black lives the sports centers and malls to lish thinly-veiled racism and mattering to instead inform demand that business as usual “riot porn” (as it has been everyone watching that “WE (especially capitalistic business dubbed). This includes photos The Antioch Record is a student run publica- ARE PEACEFUL,” chanting as usual) not continue because of burning police cars, people tion for the Antioch College Community. We this over and over in place of it is constantly, systematically pouring milk onto each other’s continue the legacy of independent, student words about justice. And this harming people of color, vigils tear-gassed/maced faces, and run publications at Antioch and are dedicated is exactly what the media, and at area churches, and sit-ins/ face-offs between unarmed the white supremacist world, die-ins at governmental build- protesters and riot-gear clad to serving as an instrument for recording the wants. To derail the conversa- ings to remind those in repre- police. All of this is happen- college’s history. Our ambition is to promote tion. To quietly make it about sentative positions of power ing, yes, and I have been face informed dialogue, social engagement, and how “unruly” and “dangerous” that “the whole damn system to face with it, but it is not community action by fulfilling our civic and black people are. And to make is guilty as hell” (as the chant the only thing going on in my journalistic responsibilities. it seem like the only people goes). Children are show- hometown. In my opinion, all fighting for justice right now ing up, of all ages, right next of it is only serving to publicly are black. Neither of which is to people as old as my grand- dehumanize St. Louis. My true. parents. My mother attended friends, my family, my eight Record Updates The truth that I found at a few protests with me and year old sister and nine year home is that people from all was surprised by how safe and old brother, and my cat are all walks of life are protesting, peaceful the protesters actually still living there, along with all of all racial backgrounds and made her feel. Surely all of this of my beloved parks and favor- The Record is delighted to announce the across class lines. Multiple is terrifying to the police, to ite restaurants. Life is still hiring of Taylor Larson ’17 as Assistant Record hundreds were out every time see people coming together for happening every day for the Editor. In this capacity she will assist the Editor I was, despite the news saying the same cause for a consider- people of St. Louis. The pro- with running the paper, including tasks related “a small group” or “50 to 75 able amount of time (120+ tests are a long awaited airing to layout, editing, and writing articles. demonstrators,” it is hundreds. days straight at this point) and of grievances and preparation/ Multiple hundreds. Every self-organizing in all different public demand for real change time. The people are upset, the ways non-violently. for all of us. majority anyway, and rightfully People aren’t only self- Please stay tuned to the so. Injustice unto black and organizing in the streets, live streams and live feeds brown bodies is the backbone though. There are rebuild coming from the people on this country was built on- it’s efforts popping up all over the streets. If you do choose about time we try (again!) to the place, educational teach- to read/watch the news, keep shut it down.

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