Another example of sacrafice over opportunity, can Antioch College ever acheive peace with economic opportunity?

RedCell maintains a close connection to Antioch College located in Yellow Springs, Ohio. At least one of our consultants is an active alum and has been particularly active during Antioch's recent travails. The text that follows is a proposed vision statement for the reorganization of the college as a entity distinct from Antioch University, and of the college's defining mission. Unfortunately, this vision statement does not position Antioch as a school that is ready to prepare its students for the opportunities their futures might hold, rather it lands squarely in the old environmental paradigm of sacrifice. Could it be any clearer that the silent majority do not want to hear about how the perceived crisis of global warming will demand sacrifices on their part. The message that the silent majority of Americans are open to hearing is about economic opportunity. The green technology revolution offers both the opportunity for economic empowerment through development and remedies to some of the most unpleasant aspects of an industrialized and highly technical society.

The key words and phrases here are "rebalance" which suggests a return to some idealized past when humans lived in harmony with their environment, "social and ecological balance" implies that there is some objective balance to be struck that does not depend on a particular point of view based on cultural accumulations and artifacts, finally "healthy lasting world" according to whom, and by what objective definition.

As others have pointed out the line of thought behind the use of these words is inherently alienating to the majority of the public and in terms of people paying for their children's college education, it is unlikely that a poke in the eye will encourage the average two car household to cart junior off to an expensive private education where junior is taught to repudiate the way of life that led to their privileged position in the world. What gets a parent's heart is a vision that their children will find gainful employment after they graduate. By all means sell the green revolution to attract students, but sell it for its economic potential not for the opportunities it offers for personal and environmental altruism.


"Stimulating interest in the building of a philosophy and a pattern for living is the highest function of higher education and perhaps the one most neglected."
- Arthur Morgan

At this extraordinary time in the history of our planet we are challenged to rebalance our pattern of living on Earth. The regeneration of Antioch College presents a unique opportunity to address this challenge. The transition to living in social and ecological balance will require leadership, vision and invention on an unprecedented scale. Through Antioch's tradition of experiential learning, social activism and participatory community, our students will bring together classroom, community, and co-op, integrating theory with practice, and global perspective with local implementation. We envision Antioch College as a demonstration of sustainable patterns of living where students, in community, explore and experience environmental, economic, artisitc, and social practices integral to a healthy lasting world.