Antioch College Student Union Minutes for Oct. 10, 2014 Sontag Fels Building, 9pm.

Introductions - names and pronouns

in attendance:

Lauren Gjessing Greta Treistman Spencer Glazer Keegan Busick Jack Hassler Justin Moore Gabe Arnheim Selena Wilkinson Rachel Humphreys Taylor Larson Fleet Simons Ciana Ayenu Todd Ennis Esmé Westerlund Seth Kaplan Angelina Rodriguez Javis Wonderman Kabbeh Davies Todd Sanders Gaerin Warman-Szvoboda Marianthe Bickett Sara Brooks Sam Benac Dorian Bell Kelsey Bird Tatiana Dorff Elijah Blanton Evan Schieber Alison Easter Steph Harman Cleo Ku Fleet Simons Charlotte N. Richie Hauck Michelle Fujii Odette Chavez-Mayo Jennifer Ruud Taylor Spratt Amelia Horn David Blakeslee Noah Reveley-Hunt

Sequoia Ponzio-Young

Item #1 - Introduction to Union Definition

Greta - we are not a union yet - we don’t have one yet, but we need one

This is a space to talk about issues important to students and to the campus at large - a different space from community meeting - an important space - but we want an intimate and safe space for students to talk amongst themselves keep this space going and talk about how we want to form the union to have added power to take collective action infrastructure - and how to accomplish our goals, and form goals, cohesive, overarching demands

Research on unions, and Antioch Student Union

Taylor - first records of student union here in 1967 - existed until the closing before, there was a building - the Student Union ’67 - mission statement - [on agenda sheet]

the original mission statement - in undercut oppression - we added classism and ableism (not in the old mission statement)

some important parts o the union, defining characteristics: non-hierarchical challenge power dynamics in which we’re placed advocate for institutional accountability integrity and stably of academic programs safe, constructive community

first action the union gathered around - a student - Steven Bowers - refused to pay tuition until Antioch cut all contracts with Dept. of Defense - A. decided one week to pay tuition or he’s out - the union backed him, support him also, concerned with faculty’s closed meetings - one of their main issues - getting students into closed meetings when student issues discussed

one of the best articles - an editorial advocating for the success of the union - advised to not mistakes opinions for interests -union formed to hammer out those differences, decide on best course of action we can’t be effective if we’re small - have to be a large, cohesive group to effectively, legitimately represent the student body here so if interest wanes, the union wouldn’t be effective the article ended - the faculty should be with us - for if community succeeds, then the school won’t explode

in the 90s - main student action - finding relationship between AU and AC - what was AU’s accountability to AC

Next steps for creating our union now

Lauren - power of unions from strikes - we can, and that’s where leverage comes from

last quarter we started meeting midway through as a student group some of our faults: we didn’t have the ability to take action, no means to discuss something in a productive way and think through things before action we collected some concerns: —campus health network —faculty support —Wellness Center issues —coop funding —better connect with Ohio Student Assoc. —Dean’s List

we want to think about: what’s our mission as a union? what are our values? we need to consider those values as we consider our concerns - always approach issues through the lens of our values we want to walk away from tonight’s meeting with an idea of our cohesive values and how do we organize around those values? what is our system of organization?

so we want to open this meeting to discussion on this.

Todd S. - remember to put group interest first

Noah - you can’t avoid offending someone all the time - remember that – and don't let unnecessary fear of offending someone stop you from sharing your ideas

Dorian - last time, we didn’t move on our actions - we had a lot of plans, didn’t follow through we need to get people together who are dedicated to our causes

Lauren- what do we care about, what do we want to work towards? then next meting, how will we?

Kelsey - something I’d like to see- when we have a confrontation, especially within our own community, to make sure that we approach things with compassion, not to say that we want to over- accomodate, to be too nice, letting people walk al over us, but make a point to preserve community relations. We’re a tiny place, and it’s important that all the people who live here, work here, have to be here, feel comfortable being here, don’t feel ostracized.

Lauren - construct a positive, safe community.

Tatiana - especially when heated issues come u that require action - during those processes, that we still reflect, are discerning, and figure out what’s going to be the most effective course of action. Thinking more long-term. There have been really quick decisions in the past, that don’t end up being the most effective ones. Sometimes those were in response to issues with time constrains - so going forward let’s take a step back and reflect, is this really what we want to do?

Fleet - one thing that comes to my mind - I see those concerns, that we are considering

organizing around, but I don’t know much about most of those. Would anyone be willing to go into some detail about the history?

Greta - this began last quarter, as a space to talk about issues, no membership structure, and also let this continue to be a discussion space- we are going to continue to have discussions about campus-wide issues, and also have a mission statement, goals, in the background. Last quarter, pressing issues.

Taylor L. - Jon Crawford shooting in Beavercreek. Eric Rhodes and Rebecca Smith invited OSA members to talk about the issue, demonstrations, protests, etc. around the issue. The union here wanted to be involved. Darsheel was here to help us et involved.

Greta - this is ongoing.

Spencer - current actions?

Greta - members of the OSA have been occupying the Beavercreek police station for the past week, blocking the doors. Some going to Ferguson - this weekend is a beginning of resistance there.

Gabe - they’re not occupying the place station now.

Greta - weekend of resistance in Ferguson - rallies, panels, community events- around stopping racist, militarized policing in the Us. Around John Crawford - focused on this too. Oct 18 at the State House in Columbus, 12pm, a rally- looking to organ carpool. I will be a point person for anyone looking to go, organize going there.

Dorian - the fact that we are a new student body, so small, so closely involved with faculty and staff, a big point in our ability to change the school With accreditation, hard to get changes - especially grades [no letter grass, narrative only],

Elijah - once we receive [provisional] accreditation - we will have the ability to change. So starting the conversation now, will make its easier then.

Spencer - or encourage other facets of change - old AC had AdCil - hiring and firing decisions ... hello little spider ... class organization, etc. This is something we could have a hand in, should we organize as students.

Kelsey - some background about the Dean’s List issue - first ACSU meeting - some of us had been sent dean’s list letters and a lot of us didn’t know we even had a list, and felt that it was not a good representation of our values - promoting “success” in that way, comparing us. Not a very healthy thing. We talked about action, but didn’t move forward with it. I would still love to address that with the academic office.

Angelina - I read about academic warnings - if you have a certain GPA, is that legitimately a warning because they’re concerned about you, or... ?

Elijah - The faculty member teaching the class alerts them.

Jessica - if you have a certain GPA for a quarter, you get an alert or watch. They’re working on

restructuring that right now, as it stands you have to meet with the student success coordinator

and your advisor with the alert - and there area lot of reasons to have a low GPA, and that approach hasn’t been successful.

Todd E. - how would our decision-making process go> how to form actions?

Lauren - this week - that mission, what are our values? newt wee, look at different structure, decide what’s best for our model here. We don’t have structure totally yet. So we plan on making it happen! Come back newt week, too!

Taylor L. - the strutter we attempted was consensus for each issue - what ended up happening was some of the subcommittees met and didn’t report back, and most never met- os no action ever came out of them. The issue committee in ’67 - stye sea structure used int eh original Antioch Union - those committees would draft a proposal, bring it back to the larger group, they rout would vote on whether they wanted to take action on the proposal . Each dorm had a representative voted in, and only those representatives could vote on the proposals.

Lauren - unless there are other comments, we could talk background on some of these issues. Focus in on what’s really important here? Campus Health Network, to start?

Seth - I don’t understand #4 on the mission statement- already est. processes?

Greta- this is already adapted form the original Union’s mission statement - and already condensed, a little added to it. We can address that. This as it stands is only a proposal. They might have been referring to something we don’t have around anymore. Any thoughts on making this more relevant to us now? eg. addressing CG, etc.

Tatiana - can I request that transphobia be added to the list?

Taylor L. - edits now?

Justin - two points on fourth bullet point that don’t necessarily need together all the time. “undercut institutionalized oppression; and “demand accountability” don’t need to go together.

Undercut... [in #4] added to the second one (about undercutting various oppressions...)

Todd E. - phrase “nonhierarchical” - were we to have subcommittees? hierarchical?

Elijah - not necessarily. Successfully done before. Could be a good research group to work through this.

Noah - do we have a way to set an agenda for next meeting?

Greta - anyone who wants to be aded to student union FB group, ID now:

Cleo Ku Fleet Simons Evan Schieber Todd Ennis

Charlotte N. Richie Hauck Michelle Fujii Odette Chavez-Mayo Jennifer Ruud Taylor Spratt

Amelia Horn Esmé Westerlund David Blakeslee Noah Reveley-Hunt (email) Seth Kaplan (email) Sequoia Ponzio-Young Angelina Rodriguez Kabbeh Davies

Fleet - facilitators are volunteers?

Greta - yes - each role is volunteer, we rotate.

Kelsey - did we explain the hand signals? Will we continue?

Greta- let’s.

Jessica - [goes over signals - hands up - agree, down, disagree, “L” means louder, put hand up for stack, direct response is the pointy thing, DR are for one-sentence responses that is immediately relevant. Stack: a list of who will be speaking next, stack-taker calls on speakers in turn. If you have a point of information, point one finger up - to correct a factual error. Clarification - make a “C” - to ask for clarification. Block - a last resort move, during proposals - if you fundamentally disagree, ie would be willing to leave the group if it passes, then you use this. Rolling hands in circle means “wrap it up, your point has been made. Point of order: make a triangle - address when someone does not follow the guidelines, or urgent issue like a fire alarm.]

Fleet - if convo goes off-track?

Jessica - that’s a POI.

Elijah - also, the facilitator will step in.

Evan - requesting clarification, verbose? or general, elaborate?

Jessica - depends.

Evan - POI in context of current discussion, or, we need to move on?

Dorian - not following guidelines, or disrespect, off-topic, it varies in context.

Going over our concerns

Campus health network

Tatiana - we don’t currently have a nurse or physician. We have a list of resources in town, but

some of the info is incorrect, and also some of these ounces have not responded to students well, particularly the OBGYN. also, STI testing - we do have [free] HIV/AIDS testing once a quarter, but not a general STI testing here. Have to go to GP or Planned Parenthood. Two counselors, but if you don’t jive, you have to go elsewhere.

Faculty Support - faculty have left, or felt threatened, restriction of academic freedom, which hurts students and faculty alike. We want to protect faculty lives, they are part of our community. Want to talk with faculty about experiences without outing them, then plan to move forward.

Wellness Center - problem at the beginning of the wellness center - firing a staff member that worked there that was integral to AC and to the WC - problems when it opened - no gender neutral access to the pool, problem s with access for physically disabled people, pretty much no student concerns were taken into consideration when building it, classes for years at the school not allowed space at the WC, even those it warted after the class did. A lot of different problems.

Greta - also, we have no womyn-only hours. And also, adding Curl back into the WC’s name - an interesting and important story. There will be aRecord article about this.

Dorian - Taylor and I will be talking about this at Community Meeting Soon.

Richie - student-only hours, too?

Evan - what kind of relationship do we have with Monica?

[group]: nonexistent.

Evan: and that’s who we have to talk to? [yes].

Kelsey: she’s inaccessible. Appointments blown off, etc.

Lauren - time getting short. Let’s move to co-op funding.

Spencer - controversy in the past, which students get funding. for what co-ops? what reasons? how that will play out from here. Make sure it makes sense, is legitimate.

Jessica - I’m interested in seeing the funding going towards energy fund for students on co-op for emergency situations. [group flutters of upward hands].

Sara - in the past, before closure - every student got 100 if they were going to a rural area, 300 if going to an urban one, rather than a few getting couple grand, and others getting nothing.

Evan: clarification, when did that policy happen?

Sara - 60s on? till closing.

Ciana - OSA is not just a student organization - HS, college, people out of college - just has that name,

they’re thinking of changing it.

Also, is 9pm okay? [mostly positive responses]

Spencer - could it be earlier? 8 or 7? depending on class workload?

Gera - any problems with 8pm next week?

Noah - more attractive to more students if earlier.

Great - we also met Thursdays sometimes before.

Angelina - we went to listen to what’s going on first. We’re soaking it up. [onward in backwards order from list above] I’m interested in moving forward - working out the rough edges, and getting to know them first. [pass] [pass] Davis - it’s an interesting group - make changes down the line - just want to get started. [pass] Absorbing, just been here for a week. Second a lot that’s been said - and also, how do you add to the agenda? Eg for me - possibly building a roof structure over the bike racks. /Ciana/ - and smoking tables! Carry. Carry. Carry. Todd E. - even without speech - presence important to stay informed - it only happens if a lot of us are here. Represent! Evan - I’ve been away for six months. I’ve noticed since returning that we have a lot of fantastic ideas to solve our problems. We do put some into action, at least a little, but what’s lacking is an organization. This is where we do that. We seem to be in the structural phase. My goal is to try to build a structure that will be inclusive, be real - Id’ing problems, who they affect, what is our leverage and entry point. If we spend enough time getting our foundations together, we can do a lot. But we can also end up just sitting here for an hour complaining. Fleet - I’m here because I think students need to stick together and organize to fight for our interests.

Elijah - is there any interest in Sara and I ginning presentation on the recent history of Antioch? [unanimous yes]

Sara: Jesus fuck. [laughter]

Lauren - next week we will look at structure, and maybe that presentation! So please come next week and I think that will be key to moving forward. Thank you all for coming.

Greta - thank you all! and to Ciana for snacks!