First.

And Still Awake.

first!

nice ending. can’t wait for 8am and 10 am to roll around. very curious…

damn just missed it

From the WSN article: a light show, naked people, and A THOUSAND GALLONS OF PUDDING?!!! TBNYU should just throw in the towel now.

[...] – Day 2 coverage is in a new post here. Leave comments there. This thread is closed. [...]

I like the demands about transparency and support for Gaza! Stay strong.

Maria, you are great!

Way to go people. You’re doing very important work to make the powers that be answerable to something more important than their own whims & wants. Stay strong.

What do you want parents and alum to do to support your demands?

Yeah right, like the union is going to take risks for a bunch of undergrads with absurd demands.

Paul,

Write letters to administrators showing your support! Also, let people know that there is going to be a great solidarity rally happening at Kimmel at noon today and we want/welcome as many bodies as possible!

Thanks for the snarky live-blogging of this ridiculousness.

yay guys! keep it up!

dwindling numbers only matters if the remaining people give it up.

sit ins are the thing of the year.

The discrepancy between NYU Local and WSN’s reporting of this event should tell you everything you need to know about why this paper-thin live-blogging trash will never be a suitable replacement for good journalism.

@the 9:37 post: They probably either want to make sure to use the non-meat based tear gas, or they are going to give you food.

I have to say that all the coverage of light shows and dance parties makes this sit-in read more like a high school lock in. If the protesters can’t stay serious throughout, how is the world at large supposed to take them seriously?

Or perhaps I’ve missed the dance to Justice for Justice trend that has yet to reach the West Coast.

[...] Coverage: Washington Square News, NYU Local. [...]

@AlexG: If by “everything you need to know,” you mean that WSN had two sentences and a picture up for the first few hours and then essentially started liveblogging as well, I see what you mean by a discrepancy. If you’re referring to the fact that Charlie’s been in the Kimmel cafeteria watching the whole thing unfold and reporting the events before anyone else, well, I see that discrepancy, too.

@ Alex G (please use your full name or keep your comments to yourself in the future. Thank You)

Are you seriously opposed to liveblogging? I mean, this may just be the night’s most regressive comment. Investigative journalism has a place, but until the entire event’s course has been run, I feel certain that the majority of the public would like a play-by-play rundown of what occurs at the scene – is this not what radio, television, and the internet all accomplish journalistically?

You’re covering the security cameras while video-blogging? Okey doke. That makes sense.

hahaha nice work with the covering of cameras. nobody will ever guess who was there.
but more seriously, good work y’all. better people than i.
and keep up the good work charlie, thanks for keeping us in the loop!

LOL @ “SWAT team”: The likelihood of a swat team breaching a barrier of tables and chairs in Kimmel is about equivalent to that of NYU taking out the turnstiles in Bobst to open it up to the public, I’d say.

I am spreading the news of occupation in my classes. Good job charles.

Props Charlie. Thanks for getting us this awesome coverage. Even if apparently going by some of these comments you’re subhuman garbage because you use the internet and aren’t an accredited journalist.

I’m glad the NYU students are realizing that occupations are good. From their Gaza demands, I would have thought they were against the occupation.

Some of the demands had merit, but I lost complete respect for this action once I came to read about Gaza. 1) What does Gaza have to do with transparency and NYU in general? Nothing. Its absurd. 2) Do a little research, one would think that it would be ok for Israel to take military action having its civilians been attacked ceaselessly for the past 3 years by Hamas

The demands are ridiculous, as is TBNYU.

I’m just glad that we reached a point where people are saying “first”

These demands are absolutely absurd and make you seem like a bunch of whiney kids.

How do you lump all those random requests together and expect to be taken seriously.

Why don’t you throw in “WE DEMAND FREE CHOCOLATE ON TUESDAYS FOR ALL OF LOWER MANHATTAN!!!”

Free access to bobst?!?! Are you mad? THAT is why you pay tuition you ungrateful spoiled brats. Not to mention it is already crowded as all hell!

Lastly how do you lump support for Gaza in with a bunch of demands relating to NYU’s finances? You kids are amateur and embarrassing.

Someone get Christian Bale in here to set you straight.

truly a waste of time. haha, but hilarious.
covering up the security cameras?! you
are not robbing a bank and taking hostages!

go home, go to sleep, then wake up and
cheat on your tests…

“Gaza”? Eff outta here.

They sent Bob Butler to negotiate?

bahaha. i feel bad for the SAP that had to put down
the 10 bucks @ GODADDY.com for the takebacknyu.com
domain name.

haha. what the hell are you gonna do with this domain
when this shit is over and nothing changed…looks like
someone should have invested in FAILBLOG.org

also, barring the press is dumb. the press is the only chance you’ve got.

An observation: students, not exclusively at nyu, though the trend seems prevalent here, have a very self satisfied way of demanding with little concern of civic responsibility.

I’m referring to the “I’m paying my tuition, fuck the rest” crowd. There are obligations that stem from going to school a long with the benefits of receiving the education, and these obligations are broader than the fiscal ones. Simply put you don’t live in a vacuum, coming to New York I thought that that would be obvious.

Maybe I’m making an assumption but perhaps these are the people who also think that they should get good grades because of how much they’re paying? There’s a lot more to being a student then that. The returns to the school of staging such protests, even admittedly a less adequately organized one, are still huge.

We don’t function as a society if we don’t engage in dialogue, which will hopefully lead to constructive reform. But even if doesn’t, it’s a vital part of the civil experience.

If you don’t agree with the sit in, engage it, address it, don’t dismiss it. That way this sort of thing becomes a broader reflection of the student body then the narrow scope of TBNYU.

As for me. I support them, and I endorse most of their demands, I do think they are somewhat overly dramatic, but that’s a reflection more of upper middle class culture than the flavor of the protest.

showing some support from the 4th floor lol keep up the good work guys seriously and i think all of you who left negative comments are lame.

Why didn’t you just set up a twitter? This blog is far too time-consuming

They sent anyone to negotiate?

I agree with some of the claims… the open finances but lets be real.

How the hell do you expect to give out free library access that is so absurd it just hurts to think that there are kids as dumb as you getting a 50k education.

What are you going to open a little donation box ? this isnt a public school your money goes into funding it, wont you be pissed when you cant get a seat to study after they open the floodgates?

Seems like you planned the barricade well why dont you just think aobut that one for 2 seconds and realize the horrible concequences of public library access….

There is a public library and its funded by the city… maybe you should go there to study and give your NYU ID to someone else who deserves it.

>>Dan P
>twitter?

Twitter’s max character count for posts is too low.

one of the terms of NYU’s purchase of the tamiment collection was that the community was allowed access. so if you enter the library, go to the window on the left and ask for a pass to go up to tamiment, they’ll give you a sticker and you can go anywhere in the library.

(sigh) I wish I could take back NYU from these Take Back NYU kids. Free library access? Go to the New York PUBLIC library, kids.

Ignore the negative comments. They are pathetic. What you are doing is great.

Tamiment Collection Access: http://www.nyu.edu/library/bobst/research/tam/about.html#access

It’s true! But don’t tell anyone. I don’t want to share.

Yes, only accept blind praise! Doesn’t that comment negate the Take Back NYU movement? They are one big negative comment about NYU. We have the right to question their validity just as they have the right to question NYU!

The tamiment point is indeed fact.

Re: Tamiment Library — Tamiment is open to the public, but Bobst is not (yet!). If you, member of the public, go to Bobst to visit the Tamiment Library, they give you a pass and tell you to go directly up to the 10th floor. It’s not like they escort you up there, but you’re not technically supposed to go anywhere else.

http://www.nyu.edu/library/bobst/research/tam/about.html#access

Just pepper spray all of them already.

public access to Bobst is not only ridiculous but dangerous for students. we pay a lot for our facilities to keep them in the working condition that they are in. we don’t need the public to come in and abuse those privileges. if the public need to go to the library, they can use the free nyc public library system.

From Bobst FAQ:
Can I use Bobst materials if I’m not a member of the NYU community?

Researchers and scholars not affiliated with New York University, may utilize the library’s collections on site under certain conditions.

Does this feel like children playing “make-believe protest” or “tea party activism” to anyone else? Seriously, pepper spray.

I’m pretty sure that one of their demands is public access to Bobst because half of these protesters aren’t even NYU students.

WAH WAH WAH I want to use the LIEBERRY!

Bobst isn’t even a good library to begin with. In fact, the only thing I like about it is that it is private. A group of 50 are trying to make a demand and change that will affect the entire student body, of whom, I guarantee 99% in this case disagree with. I can’t imagine why a student would want Bobst open to the public.

[...] Update: A student is liveblogging the protest here. (Entries from last night and early this morning are [...]

The public also has access to Bobst’s Government Documents department.

I’m going to spell it out from a typical NYU student’s point of view in terms of Bobst. It is hard enough finding space in our 12-floor, suicide-inducing library. It’s always a struggle to find rooms and tables, and if you’re trying to get books from course reserves, you can expect a long waiting list and extremely limited time with your textbook. We don’t want more people in our library—if anything, we want them to get out. It’s one of the few places left where we can study (we don’t have a campus, remember?) and just because YOU think that people should have public access, doesn’t mean WE will. You can’t argue for stabilized tuition and then open up our library to the public, because our tuition is what keeps the library running at its current rate, so bringing MORE people into our buildings will only increase the cost of maintaining our library. People in New York City pay taxes; let them use what their taxes pay for (yes, the New York Public Library, emphasis on the PUBLIC!) We pay tuition, so let us peacefully use what we are paying for. I think it’s a fair statement.

I agree with everyone questioning opening Bobst up for the public. . . while most of their demands seemed aimed at making sure 100% of NYU finances go towards causes directly benefiting the students, they want to open up one of their major facilities to the public? An increased traffic of randoms using the library will no doubt come at a cost. Where is the sense in that?

And as an NYU graduate (Tisch 2005), I’d hate to see the library opened to the public, not out of selfishness, but as many people have said, for security. During my time at the school, I specifically remember two occasions where a friend of mine, a woman, was approached/hit on by strange man in Washington Square Park and followed to her class/meeting at Bobst. Going through those security gates saved her a lot of trouble. . . if any random can get a card letting them into the library, then I’m sure a number of the non-student, non-right in the head people who hang around Washington Square will get themselves access and abuse it in the interest of chasing tail/being their crazy selves. Sorry, but when I dropped my $100+ thousand on tuition (which I’m still paying off), I was happy to benefit from a secure, private institution in the middle of the city.

TBNYU clearly does not speak for all of the students at NYU. . . probably not even for the majority of them. Just because they’re screaming the loudest doesn’t mean their opinions matter more than the rest of student population. If Bobst going public is indeed one of the very few concessions the administration will make, there will no doubt be an even STRONGER move made to reverse the policy.

I support the idea of protesting to voice an opinion or to get a cause recognized. I don’t necessarily think support has to equal agreement with the cause.
In this situation, I have been trying very hard to find a reason to say I think what you’re doing is great, it’s awesome, I’m behind you 100%! because though I support the right to protest, I have a bit of hesitance supporting the reason behind the protest.
Like many other people have said, I think the demands lack logic or consistency. Maybe taken alone, or in smaller groups, many of the demands would make more sense. Though I don’t understand how understanding the university’s role in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict relates to the financials of the school, or how providing students in Gaza with scholarships will be any more beneficial than providing any suffering area with scholarships (including poverty stricken areas in the United States).
And one more thing that I think is bothering me the most about this is the demand that there is no legal or disciplinary action for those involved in the protest. My thought would be, if you’re willing to fight for something you believe so passionately about, be willing to take whatever consequences come with it. That’s what happened during the protests in the 1960s, that’s what happens during international protests…if you’re fighting for a cause, shouldn’t you be willing to make yourself vulnerable and possibly have negative repercussions?

Make them wait until 1:15 for the rally!

Use your powers!

Oh, perfect. A tiny group of NYU students (apparently only about 25-30) and people from other schools think they can represent a student body of THOUSANDS.

As evident by many other comments here, most of us DO NOT WANT public access to Bobst. Studying is hard enough without crying babies, schoolkids, and bums walking around the library too. There’s a reason the New York Public Library exists (and is one of the best libraries in the world).

[...] The students at N.Y.U. established a Web site where they published their demands. (Charlie Eisenhood has also been blogging the occupation, with updates Thursday morning.) [...]

This is silly. Another bit of theatrics from the TBNYU crowd just confirms even more that they’re a bunch of 60’s-wannabes.

NYU is a private university. Don’t like it? Go somewhere else.

Nice. Linked by the Times.

about Chick-Fil-A: i know more than a couple people who have asked me if i could get it for them. color me not surprised at that comment.

Also, all this TBNYU anger towards Charlie kinda reminds me of something one of my journalism teacher said. He was an investigative reporter and he covered a lot of stuff regarding mafia politics (when the mafia was still relevant). Anyway I asked him if these mafia members ever got angry at him and came at him after getting out of jail. He replied no, that he had even interviewed and spoken to some of them after. He said that its all about doing your jobs, whatever it may be, and the mafia understood that. It was work, not personal.

That was basically my very long digression leading to my point- that the mafia might be more clear-minded and less blame-happy than TBNYU.

Hello. I’m sure you are learnimng a lot from this. If you would like to contine formal seminar learning, I volunteer to come in and teach Introduction to Semiotics. If you write me at ccsysd05@yahoo.com I will email you the syllabus. I can provide help with contacts to ploitical theater artists and/or work with you on political theater of your own.
In Socialist Solidarity, Christopher Carter Sanderson NYU ‘90 (TSOA UGD ETW), Associate Fellow Calhoun College Yale University, founding artistic and producing direcor, Gorilla Rep NYC

i also support what Jay Aich said about Bobst- completely and totally.

Needs MOAR pictures of topless boobies

(Tisch MA ‘06)

Students for Justice in Palestine stands in solidarity with Take Back NYU
It is important that NYU provide resources to rebuild the Islamic University of Gaza which was recently bombed by the Israeli Army. The weapons which were used on Gaza last month were manufactured and developed in Tel Aviv University Research Labs. As you all know, NYU has now entered a partnership with Tel Aviv University and will establish a study abroad site in that location. Palestinians deserve the right to education, just as anyone else. It is therefore ironic that we can send our students to study at Tel Aviv University while Palestinian students in Gaza witnessed their schools destroyed, continue to suffer under Israeli siege, and are not permitted to leave Gaza to pursue higher education. We must hold NYU accountable for its actions; whether we’re talking about Gaza or the lifting of the Coke ban or disclosing NYU’s finances, we students must unite in the pursuit of justice.

It’s brutally ironic that a group claiming to be so dedicated to transparency is giving so much shit to the only person reporting on what’s happening in there. For that matter, the fact that TBNYU doesn’t publicly disclose their leadership structure and officers reflects very poorly upon their legitimacy as a group.

Talking with Press Person Emily Steinkamp right now about food delivery, press conference, and broader goals.

*Stainkamp

Pat, TBNYU doesn’t believe in a leadership hierarchy. Call someone the leader, and they’ll freak out and say that they’re all on an equal level of responsibility. Or something like that.

[...] NYU Local: Day 2: NYU Students’ Occupation of Kimmel [...]

Not that it hasn’t been said before, but there is absolutely no merit to the demand that Bobst be open to the general public. Unsafe, illogical, and unnecessary.

This is ridiculous. This is flat fucking ridiculous. If these fucking jackoffs don’t like the way things are being run here, they can feel free to get the fuck out. They do not represent me, they do not represent anyone I know, and they do NOT represent the NYU student body. Fuck these pitiful little wannabe zapatista bitches.

I promise you will not get NYU to Budge. I hope you all get arrested and thrown out of NYU. You are making a mockery of this school and its reputation.

“Does this feel like children playing “make-believe protest” or “tea party activism” to anyone else? Seriously, pepper spray.”

Completely agree. It looks like it’s just a game to these kids.

I don’t know the situation exactly, but if one employee in Kimmel doesn’t receive pay for today because of these irresponsible students’ actions, then I’d be in favor of telling every one of them to leave the school and would support a public ass beating in Washington Square.

TBNYU seems to miss the fact that they attend a private university. Tuition stabilization? The concepts of financial aid and NYU tuition are much more complicated than this group would like to believe. That Kimmel Center is maintained in part because of the tuition you pay; so is Bobst library and every other convenience that NYU students enjoy. If you don’t like the high tuition, then why not demand that the university take away some of your privileges as an NYU student? And NYU’s ability to offer financial aid has more to do with the size of our endowment (which is tiny) than any sort of underhanded corporate scheme of greed. There is NO MONEY to offer more student financial aid, an issue that concerns the University administration as much as it does students.

I pay out of pocket for whatever money is not covered by NYU, including loans in my name and a work-study job. I am well aware of the costs of attending a university like NYU. I agree that more financial aid would go a long way in meeting the needs of students. But TBNYU ignores how a private university must operate.

There are thousands of kids out there who would kill for the spot you are in now – if you don’t like it, then leave. And if you want to be taken seriously, come up with some demands that are coherent (Gaza aid?).

And P.S. – I guarantee 99% of the student body will be opposed to public access to Bobst (which, may I remind you again, is maintained by YOU).

Looks like TBNYU backed out of their abstention from property damage. LOL.

They’ve damaged school property by breaking the door. Can these make-believe protesters just get ARRESTED or PEPPER SPRAYED already. This is MY school, not THEIRS. In fact, plenty of these students don’t even seem to be NYU students! Get them out of there!

Hmm, this publicity stunt sounds awfully familiar to what the College Republicans love to do! Maybe both groups have the same agent…

these guys r lyk so kewl

but seriously, you guys can be stopped at ANY time…. way to be attention whores.

And to whoever is blogging this, I love you. Keep up the good work.

I may not agree with how or where NYU spends my tuition money, but I surely don’t want ANY of it to go to fixing the deadbolt on those fucking balcony doors. I’ll be damned if I have to pay a penny for damages caused by neo-hippie hooligans, who have all the time in the world to occupy university buildings because their tuition and housing is paid for by a trust fund. Once they start working for food, rent, and utilities (or to pay off the loans that bought their education), these fancy notions of disclosure will fly right out of their misguided heads.

Also, Charlie seems to be getting loopy from exhaustion and lack of sustenance. Can anyone help that brutha out? Maybe toss a muffin onto the balcony?

Get cozy Charlie, GSOC striked for 6 months and got nothing.

Try ordering delivery?

Oh hey Foster, you read this too? You left your keys at my place.

Please let the guards put an end to this. This childish attempt to DO SOMETHING IMPORTANT and MAKE A CHANGE only shows how immature these kids are.

Despite all my shit talking on them, I did in the back of my mind think this act of childish QQing might get some kind of traction with the administration. . . and then they broke more idiots into the place and broke into the balcony. Bye-bye, what little credibility you might have had!

On another note, I love how this is being done to create a democratic academic environment between students and staff, yet last night on their video stream, it was mentioned several times that a significant portion of the people at the protest identify themselves as anarchists. Why are random shit starters being used for a supposedly organized democratic cause? How are you going to expect to NYU administration to take you seriously when half your crew are NON-NYU STUDENTS who admittedly are just there to fight the man, regardless of what that fight is over?

Peaceful protest NYU will deal with. Destruction of property and rushing the guards then going “homgz they tried to stop me when I tried to run past them like a moron” is a dealbreaker. Get them out of there.

If Take Back NYU! ever gets to see the budget, they’re going to see a significant expense for for dealing with this stupid charade.

Charlie Local

Shoot the negotiations team, arrest the rest, implement martial law across the campus, and send everyone home with a letter to their parents explaining that NYU has wasted enough time and effort trying to housebreak their entitled pet and are returning them home to their parents to deal with the fallout.

Hahaha Joe.

Hey just wanna point out to you all one more time: the “if you don’t like it, leave” argument is infantile and moronic. Have you asked yourselves why these students haven’t left NYU? Why are they using their time trying to change NYU policies? It would be much easier for them to leave, and they wouldn’t have to deal with some pissy apathetic peers who think themselves clever because they take potshots at the only people with the courage to stand up while they lie on their bellies. Rather, these protesters are trying to improve the university because they care about the instutition (which is more than I can say for the “get me my degree and let me out, status quo all the way” posters in here). In fact, their having had the courage to get expelled shows the depths of the care they give to this institution and its betterment.

I’m not saying you have to agree with them, I’m not saying you should agree with them. But if all you are going to do is sling insults from some darkened corner fo the interwebs, then you are part of the problem. Engage in dialogue. If you think their actions would be detrimental, reason it out like others have. Merely stating “pepper spray them” is tantamount to declaring you lack intellectual capacity to hold a conversation, much less go to college.

Cheers.

p.s. http://www.takebacknyu.com : read updates, goals, revisions on nonviolence policy (!)(!)(!) straight from the source. May help those of us not in the loop get some background on these events. Oh, yeah, you can post there too.

@EJ Henricks

“In fact, their having had the courage to get expelled shows the depths of the care they give to this institution and its betterment.”

I don’t know if you’ve actually looked at their demands, but the last states that they want “full legal and disciplinary amnesty for all parties involved in the occupation.”

So no, they don’t have the courage to get expelled, and that demands merely shows how uncommitted they are to their cause because they will only submit if they aren’t held accountable for their actions.

What ridiculous demands! I just wish tuition were lowered so I could finish my one year lleft at nyu as opposed to the two and a half years I’m going to have to do at a local college because I can’t afford to go back to nyu for my senior year. Thanks, poorly organized protesters with unreasonable demands. If you guys were rational about this you might have helped out people like me who just want a good education but can’t afford it. Also, fuck the spoiled grad students. That is a tired song they’re still singing.

The biggest mistake of this movement is that they haven’t kicked you out and established their own voice on what is going on. Very sad. But resistance 101 says: establish your own propaganda before someone does it for you. Charlie, you’ve done a great job but your reporting is not helping their movement because you are cynical. I don’t blame you. I blame them for not throwing you out.

Ok, I’m done sniping from my “dark corner of the interwebs”. . . which isn’t that dark, considering I’ve put my name and personal website to almost all my posts. Short of coming down there and yelling insults at the balcony dance squad myself, I don’t know how less anonymous I could be.

Can we just get these children out of there already? Playtime is over, and its not going to end well if you refuse to put away your toys in a timely fashion. Demand #1 is at serious risk here, people!

Activists Speak for None – response to Take Back NYU…

Take Back NYU!, a student organisation at New York University, has spent the last 15 hours barricaded inside the Kimmel student center. The situation has recen ……

@EJ Henricks:

The argument you make that they are so passionate and believe stongly in their cause is as infantile as the argument you decry. They disagree with an established system they voluntarily joined and then engaged in coercive action against the community as a whole to compell others to give in to their demans. Yes, they are throwing a temper tantrum.

If they cared and were passionately working through legitimate means you might have a point. They ignored legitimate channels and sought violence – yes, occupation of another’s space by these means is violence – as a means to an end.

Also, what courage is there in willing to be expelled? Will any of those who are taking such a courgageous stand have trouble being admitted to another institution? That’s unlikely, isn’t it? How many of these folks are really endangering their futures through such actions.

Go charlie go…you are making my job today less boring, haha. I have hated NYU’s Administration since the moment I was notified of my acceptance AFTER my class’s welcome party, up through when they couldnt even get my diploma right. But DUDE, these kids are amateurs!!…just remember to hold ur dick tight when SWAT arrives…keep it up charlie, and tell people like “a supporter” to suck it!

Just hold on. University officials are gradually being forced to adjust their positions. Your actions are a gift for students, not just at NYU but worldwide! People power can bring about positive change in our time.

Pete Perry, where the fuck are you getting your news?

Does TBNYU really think NYU cares about their demands anymore? We are in the hot zone for terrorist activity, and what they’re doing borders on that. This is not a quiet sit-in. Their demands lost all credibility when they destroyed property, and when they refused to take the meeting they were offered. They’re only after attentions, and unfortunately, don’t realize these actions may adversely affect the rest of their life.

No one should take the availability of higher education for granted. I’m not saying they shouldn’t be protesting, but this is no longer effective.

haha

Was MLK famous for destroying private property and going naked for his cause?

Did Gandhi make change by kicking and screaming?

Change takes class and respect – not shouting louder than everyone else.

Matt, dozens of universities will soon follow suit. And a couple weeks ago students in Rochester won concessions.

The comparison to terrorism is laughable. The government and multinational corporations are guilty of terrorism.

When we (generationally speaking) are hesitant to outrage, we are branded the “me” generation, and wide generalizations are made about our obsession with apathy and x-boxes. When we try to raise our voices and take action, we are accused of being amateurs and told to try harder….well, no, we are told to go home to our laps of privelege and daddy’s money.

We are granted few resources that teach us how to stage an effective protest, especially if, as some of you suggest, we refrain from taking cue from the sixties. For those of you with such heated opinions about how to make this “nonsense” more efficient, thank you. Speak up, pitch in, be a teacher, be a leader, and join in. Where was this advice when there was nothing to make you think about it? Welcome to this brainstorm.

As a student of Performing Protests/Art and Activism, sure, I can name a dozen scholarly-founded critiques of the execution of this particular action. However, it is happening. Something is happening. Maybe it’s no more than a learning experience–but is that so misplaced on university grounds?

If you are critical of this action, thank you for constructive feedback on how to make it more powerful next time. If you address the effort and its participants crudely, condescendingly, and with base dismissal, we take this as an attempt to silence us, and it will not win you our respect.

If you really want to hurt those who care enough to commit to a risky action, then ignore them. Hateful words prove your attention. Helpful words help everyone.

We are the generation of the future–as in, we will get farther into it, unless those older and “wiser” go into hibernation and leapfrog our lifespans. Progress is scary and unsettling, and maybe your respectful voice of experience can help.

FBI definition of terrorism: “The unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a Government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.”

Uh-oh.

@Petey Perry

“The government and multinational corporations are guilty of terrorism.”

Do you hyperbolize this much in regular life, or just on the internet?

Seriously people. Put your names when you comment.

@Herny Chan

Seriously dude, on the internet no one knows I’m a manbearpig.

clarify for me who overturned the coke ban? (i honestly don’t know) didn’t a democratic student body vote to overturn it?

Please don’t disrespect the real victims of terrorism by reassigning the definition of “terrorism” fit your momentary political piss-off.

I would like to say a big THANK YOU to TBNYU. Without what you have done, I don’t think my new essay for Advanced College Essay would be nearly as good.

Thanks for the great coverage. If this happened pre-NYU Local, I don’t know what I’d be reading. I might actually have to walk down the street and watch.

“we’re not getting expelled. I have no plan b”

LMAO

KEEP IT COMING CHARLIE

[...] for democracy. Iran, 1999: college students riot, risking their lives to stand against theocracy. Manhattan, 2009: privileged white college students risk a slap on the wrist to stand for… a look at the school [...]

You rock for doing this Charlie.

This is among the funniest things I’ve seen in a long long time. I don’t think the Onion could make up a protest any stupider than this…

Oh, and, turning down the food because of prison labor? Almost pissed myself laughing when I read that.

Thanks for the entertainment TBNYU, and thanks for making all the other rich, spoiled NYU students look like idiots to the rest of the country.

Riot cops? Uh oh. Bad idea NYU.

I just want to say this coverage is hilarious. My day at work has been amazing because of this.

take the live feed outside for the press conference please

About 20ish cops (not public safety) are staging outside of kimmel. Has an order to disperse been given?

i don’t see how NYU can take this circus seriously. demands such as clarity with regard to endowment, tuition, etc. are one thing, and possibly justified… but LEADING the list of demands with “amnesty for all parties involved” is a joke.

also there is NO focus from what i can tell. specifically, investigating war profiteers, providing scholarships for Palestinian students and sending supplies to Gaza are mentioned in the list of demands. these are noble ideas but they can be accomplished in a multitude of ways besides staging a protest or sit-in. just start a student group and raise sufficient funds to provide a scholarship and then grow the organization from there… the same student group could get the wheels in motion to accomplish the other worldly goals as well.

but the NYU-focused demands are also puzzling. demanding student groups have priority for reserving space in buildings? of COURSE student groups have priority… i’m guessing the student groups are just not getting their reservation requests in early enough. demanding an investigation into lifting the Coke ban? that’s ridiculous… Coke likely pays NYU for the rights to distribute its products, so if you don’t want those products, then don’t purchase them. you want collective bargaining for TAs? teaching assistants receive substantial compensation in the form of an advanced degree from a great institution, as well as discounted tuition in most cases… many are not even good teachers, so what more do they deserve?

my advice would be to go back to the drawing board and come up with demands that are attainable and that cover topics directly affecting the NYU community. otherwise you will never be taken seriously by the faculty.

i am a graduate of Wash U in St. Louis and have never attended NYU. from where i sit it seems these students are acting extremely immature and lack a grasp of reality. they will and SHOULD face whatever consequences are coming their way.

Riot Cops? Those are bloody mounted police–pony cops. It’s all good, relax. Besides, swat wouldn’t bother with this–they bring swat for life-threatening, not student sit-ins. If they do anything, It’ll be to seal you off an starve you out after they kill power and water.

Have fun, and good luck! (By the way, did anyone who broke in have the sense to bring food stuffs? If you’re gonna throw a revolution), you gotta be prepared!

@TBNYU
Stop breaking stuff. The high road or STFU.

CBS 2 news will be covering this in a few minutes apparently.

I cant wait till these children graduate and have to deal with real life problems, if their parents ever stop paying their rent.

I love the idea of 1) complaining about tuition costs, 2) demanding unionization of all workers and 3) giving a committee of 19 year olds veto power over the investment and financial actions of the NYU trustees.

Hopefully they will have at least one freshman from Stern on there to guide the socially responsible investments which will pay for unions and lower tuition.

Cut off their internet. That will show them.

@Brett – I had the same thought, but then again:

1) the world would not get to experience this idiocy first hand.

2) I’m enjoying Charlie’s live feed *way* too much.

A: Yeah, pony cops are kinda amusing. unless you’re demonstrating on the street. Then… they can be kind intimidating.

B: Get out before the *&^% storm hits. Or stay and watch and get good shots for us ;P

I love the reason they gave on their blog for rescinding their policy of “Abstention from Property Destruction”.

“we feel that reacting to the changing situation of the occupation is more important than adhering to any dogma, even our own.”

So, what exactly about the situation changed that forced them to revise their policy? My guess: They realized they weren’t being taken seriously, so they decided to break stuff. But, isn’t that exactly what the non-destructive policy was supposed to prevent?

I imagine that a more accurate picture of what took place was that they got a little too caught up in their own mob mentality and decided to break things. Most likely it wasn’t until after the fact that they realized they violated their own policy and scrambled to justify it.

diet coke OWNS. get over it.

Stop messing around, you will get none of your demands, you do not have what it takes to stay there long enough to make any sort of impact. You need numbers which you don’t have. Your support will dwindle and you’ll be out by 3AM, dawn at best.

Get out soon. I love your postings but I don’t want to see you get caught up in anything in the very small chance these kids grow balls when the cops show up, and things get ugly. It’s been fun, man.

stay! Keep commenting, I’ve had this blog going all day and I don’t want to have to wait till tomorrow to find out how it turns out

Stay in, you’re the only source of news on this. Or at least stay until 1 am, to see if they try to forcibly remove the occupiers.

hang in there charlie… your coverage of this has renewed my faith in new media journalism… at least temporarily

According to Fox News, NYU has stated that the students will be able to stay in Kimmel through the night. I don’t know who to believe…

As for whether you should stay “entrenched”, I vote yes. You have been an excellent source of information so far, and I have been refreshing your blog all day. It would be a shame to bail now. Ride it out until the end.

@Oingo Boingo- If you read back to the early events of the day you’ll learn the real reason they break onto the balcony was because they needed a nicotine fix. This entire situation is pathetic and, frankly, makes me embarrassed to be an alum.

“we feel that reacting to the changing situation of the occupation is more important than adhering to any dogma, even our own.”

Anyone else reminded of Family Guy:

“I make my own rules. I don’t follow anybody else’s rules. Not even my own.”

STAY !!!

TAKE MORE PICS THOUGH AND POST < GIVE US THE INSIDE SCOOP

You should stay and rally more support outside, make some noise you have plenty of people walking down wsq S to get some serious support. I’m in class and so few people even know what’s going on. MAKE SOME NOISE!!

Might as well stick around could be fun to watch them get tear gassed.

Charlie! Please don’t leave!!! My roommate and I are all the way in Prague and have kept up with this tomfoolery all day! Stay strong and keep the laughs coming!

Stay! This coverage has been fantastic.

Definitely stay. This blog has literally made my day 100x brighter (for the laughs)

Stay in there as long as you’re safe, Charlie. Thanks for the excellent coverage all day.

But if things start getting ugly, get out of there ASAP. We don’t need you getting expelled or anything just for “being there.”

Question: what does, “Rally is over,” entail, exactly. Or, by “rally”, do you mean the thing that was initially meant to be a press conference?

You have to stay, dude! This is way too entertaining! Or at least make sure someone else competent is live-blogging.

You are doing a fantastic job, congrats.

Guys, get some petitions… a protest with all these demands won’t get anywhere… its too much… I’m in favor of some of your demands, but get people to sign papers…

Charlie what happens to you if you’re there till the end? Do you get amnesty?

Stay! Charlie you’re really taking one for the team on this one and I think everyone appreciates your coverage. We need to know how this ends, plus you’re making one hell of a name for yourself. Just imagine the conversation: “Who’s Charlie Eisenhood?” “You don’t know Charlie Eisenhood?! He’s the brilliant journalist who subjected himself to uninterrupted exposure to TBNYU because reporting on the story mattered that much to him!”

Please stay, Charlie. Whatever happens at 1:00 AM, we’ll only get propaganda from both sides unless you’re there.

Oh Charlie you gotta stay, I totally just tried to sneak in but some admin kicked us out.

Yea Charlie you’re doing a great job, and you’re an inside look into what is actually going on in there. I’ve been following this since last night, and refresh the page constantly.

Keep posting, as long as you can: this is crazy, and people need to know. BUT, your human needs for food, water, sleep, and the companionship of non-crazy people ought to predominate at some point.

Stay until they either tear-gas ya or the vegans start to smell just way too much. I’d imagine a room full of 50 some odd of ‘em would be pretty stinky…

Either way thanks so much – truly made my day!

Yes yes, Charlie, your coverage is WIN

charlie please stay. if you leave i will have nothing to read and no reason to put off doing my work any longer.

S T A Y !

this is too entertaining for you to leave!

Stay at least til the 1 AM deadline. And see if you can talk to anyone about being given permission to stay as long as the protesters are there, because you could get in trouble if you’re there past 1 AM as well.

oh stay! unless they make you eat another vegan cupcake. then definitely go.
regardless, this coverage on the ridiculousness that is TBNYU has been wonderful and made my boring day 10000x better.

Gotta stay. I’m coming down to the area soon. Any food items I can hurl onto the balcony for you? Can I do such a thing without risking the wrath of the pony cops?

Stay! I live 1500 miles from NYU and still find this incredibly entertaining.

definitely stay. this has been very entertaining.

WAY TO GO ON ACCEPTING THE FOOD!!!!!!!!!!

I guess it’ll be okay if you stay as long as you don’t get tear gassed and they know not to arrest you, too.

I love how the whole protest is boilerplate catchphrase ridiculousness, “IS THIS DEMOCRACY!?!” Yet they refuse to let you, ostensibly one of the only journalists on the scene, into their meetings, or tell you anything.

Between that and their little Revised Statement of Nonviolence (which basically says we reserve the right to change our positions on anything at any time depending on who is jonesing for a cigarette at the moment), these kids are not only morons, but complete hypocrites.

I’m an ex-NYUer, and I’ve seen my share of NYU protests, but I gotta say, I’m siding with The Man on this one. Good luck on the job market after you get expelled, hippies.

PS. Hey, Foster.

Was just down there. glad to see a take back kimmel front is forming outside. wishing i had my quesadilla today

Please stay the rest of the way through this. too funny to pass up.

do ppl inside really think they will be arrested? is that a def thing that will happen come 1am?

and def stay….this is keeping me highly entertained!

OCCUPY EVERYTHING is objectively hilarious. It reminds me one of the seven aphorisms of Summum, which Dahlia Lithwick wrote about for Slate during that case, “everything vibrates.”

Destroy Time yesterday?

What the hell does that even mean? XD

I’m laughing like a loon, this blog is the best thing all day

BTW, major props to you and NYU Local for covering this so well.

All I know is you better get a Pulitzer nomination for your coverage. It has been phenomenal.

And hopefully that chicken dinner too. That sounds delicious.

As a side note, I have been told by a fairly reliable source (long before this protest began) that NYU’s basis for budget non-disclosure is closely related to their policy regarding lawsuits, namely that any and all lawsuits brought against NYU are settled out of court. This is a policy of settlement makes sense, as most individuals who actually file suit tend to have a very good foundation for the suit (otherwise it would not make fiscal sense to sue in the first place). However, because NYU is such a massive entity that has an impact not only on students and employees but the residents of New York, on paper, the collective settlement amounts are without a doubt astronomical (even though they may pale in comparison to what the legal fees would be if NYU were to take each suit to court).
As it stands, NYU continues to receive donations from former students and each year is able to find a plethora of students willing to pay the seemingly huge tuition fees, even though NYU refuses to disclose its budget. If NYU were to release said budgetary information, it runs the risk of donations being affected by former students considering certain costs (such as settlements) as frivolous, or disproportionate. Thus, NYU’s maintains its policy, which is ultimately beneficial for the students, as a larger endowment means better facilities, better professors, and more financial aide.

Again, this information comes from a source which I consider credible but will not disclose. Much of the argument is my own logical extension of what I have been told.

yo charlie
mad props for still being there. really. Have you slept?
I allow you to take a blogging break for a nap.

See this is what I mean…the TBNYU folks should not only throw you out (although I’m enjoying the moment by moment commentary), but if they were to have a live blog site like this they should also deny anti-TBNYU comments so it looks like all (or most) of the comments are positive. This isn’t about democracy or not, this is a movement. Internally it should be democratic, but it doesn’t need to consider our views at the moment. In the end, every movement must have it’s propaganda if it is to succeed.

Must I teach you everything :p

Charlie, I have nothing against you. In fact, this is great journalism. It’s just crap propaganda, which is what these folks need right now to convince NYU that everyone is on their side and they have mass support.

The New school occupation was far more solid on its media control. One got the feeling as if they were on top of the world and it was because they had one of their own reporting the excitement.

I just tried to sign onto NYU-ROAM2 and accidentally typed NYU-LOCAL. There ya go.

GET THE FUCK OUT! I WANT MY BURRITO!

Love,
J Sex

[...] an NYU cafeteria with a list of demands and a mean calisthenics regimen. (Part one here, part two here.) There’s even a link with topless coeds baring it all for the cause, holding signs saying [...]

Here’s the solution: Let them stay. I’d be willing to sacrifice the Kimmel dining hall for the semester to see how serious they are. If NYU just ignores them and gives them the space indefinitely, will they stay? Or will they eventually all give up in favor of class, work, or their parents telling them to get to class or they’ll cut them off? They aren’t causing any real problems, so I say Sexton should call their bluff.

If it’s poisoned, you’ll go out a martyr. Cheers!

I bet this is really just a ploy to get free meals.

Free meals paid for by my tuition money.

Bastards.

Charlie, you’re the only one who should be getting that food for free. The rest of these rich kids can buy it if they’re so hungry. Or just leave.

This group is making NYU look so ridiculous. It need to stop.

I doubt the food is poisoned. BUT I also doubt that they followed any food safety guidelines in its preparation. That’s standard-NYU operating procedure, though. Check out this link if you don’t believe me. It’s Kimmel’s February 2 NYC DOH Inspection.

http://167.153.150.32/RI/web/detail.do?method=detail&restaurantId=40943103&inspectionDate=20090203

you don’t see any ex-lax remnants around the food do you?

Ok now I’m pissed. I’m an NYU alum, I barely make any money, and now these f’s are getting free delicious food and I’m eating pancakes for dinner, third night in a row? Hey NYU, I’m performing a sit-in protest in my apartment for the rest of the night. Bring me a quesadilla please.

Here’s hoping all but the blogger’s chicken & taters be laced with ipicac and/or laxatives.

Which begs the question, do these jokers have access to a bathroom? Or are they poo-ing in buckets?

I was arrested in the action in May ‘70 to shut down DC and was beaten and jailed. You people are beyond pathetic. Go back to class and leave the protesting to people with some cujones.

GOVERNOR PATTERSON HAS ASKED THE ADMINISTRATION TO MAKE CONCESSIONS!!!!!!!!!

Charlie: You are the man. Seriously fantastic job you’re doing.

As for the protesters, what happens if you support Israel and also support the university disclosing it’s funds? You talk about STUDENTS UNITED yet you’re alienating large swaths of people with what you’re doing. I’m not even talking about the occupation (which I also think is stupid), I’m talking about the demands which read as though you have to support all of it or none of it. You can call them all “related” in some way but the facts are, a lot of people are going to agree with the disclosure thing but disagree with everything else and you’re sacrificing a large amount of numbers that you could be using to actually get some change implemented here.

@ Chris–
i read somewhere earlier today that they university gave them permission to use the bathrooms in the kimmel center

Ok couple things. First I absolutely agree that NYU needs to be more transparent. Second, the scattershot approach for demands is probably the dumbest thing they could have done as protesters. ONE STEP AT A TIME PEOPLE, you can’t try to solve everything you have an issue with at once. Not to mention, Palestine? really? They picked arguably one of the most controversial topics in the world today and decided to PICK A SIDE as a means of reform? If they had stuck with University Reform solely, i might be up there with them. But they lose most of their credibility with the random reforms they pull out of the air seemingly. The piece of paper i was handed today can be summarized as follows:

“University reform…University Reform…University reform…University reform….by the way we want palestinians to have full scholarships…and only 13 of them…k thanks thats all.”.

question: does TBNYU have an alternative plan in case Plan Get All Our Demands Met- oh I don’t know – doesn’t end up working out? And if they do, are you at liberty to discuss?

By the way I’ve heard ridiculous rumors along the likes of TBNYU having a month’s worth of food stocked in there with them to only being stuck with apples and hummus.
gotta say to the latter: NASTY.

hilarious. great coverage. hilarious. keep it up. be the last one out the door.

hilarious!

@BobJones That would be “cojones.” And, hang on, they’re pathetic because you were beaten and they weren’t? Just making sure.

Charlie, you rock. At the end of the night when everyone get’s expelled, you should get a Congressional Medal of Honor. I think it’s time for a new thread, though… this one’s getting absurdly long.

You know they would have been better off just demanding the stuff that they have in the demands section of their website.

http://takebacknyu.com/demands/

1) The inclusion of an elected representative from the student body in New York University’s (NYU) Board of Trustee meetings. This representative should have rights, including voting rights, equal to that of Trustees, as well as the authorization to make public statements on the operations of the Board of Trustees without prior approval from any administration official.

2)Public release of NYU’s annual operating budget, including a full list of university expenditures, salaries for all employees compensated on a semester or annual basis, funds allocated for staff wages, contracts to non-university organizations for university construction and services, financial aid data for each college, and money allocated to each college, department, and administrative unit of the university. Furthermore, this should include a full disclosure of the amount and sources of the university’s funding.

3)Disclosure of NYU’s endowment holdings, investment strategy, projected endowment growth, and persons, corporations and firms involved in the investment of the university’s endowment funds. Additionally, we demand an endowment oversight body of students, faculty and staff who exercise shareholder proxy voting power for the university’s investments.

I think it’s hilarious that TBNYU decided to take the food after all. Doesn’t that completely eviscerate the point that both students and the university should look beyond their immediate needs and think of the greater philosophical and social implications of what they are doing? Way to sell out within 24 hours, guys.

(sorry didn’t put my last name in before)

I’m loving your live blogging.

I just thought someone should let you guys know – I was at the press conference, standing across the street and it was difficult to hear what you guys were saying a lot of the time – I think that accounted for low responses to your chants.

@Madeline Kane

Not wanting to speak for BJ there, but look at the listing of TBNYU’s demands. Number one is “Please don’t get me in trouble.” Basically, “We’d really like all this to happen but are unwilling to sacrifice anything. If dad finds out I got expelled for this he’s going to say I can’t go to Amsterdam for spring break, which I TOTALLY want to do. So, first and foremost, no trouble for me, please.” I think BJ probably went into DC knowing what the consequences might be and not caring. These kids go in and worry they might have to eat something non-vegan. Every step in this process has shown an incredible lack of principle of any kind on the part of these protesters.

To “A Supporter”: Do you not realize the level of hypocrisy you espouse? TBNYU is all about transparency, but they can’t provide any of their own? Look, I think that from the point that they changed their “Nonviolence and Abstention from Destruction of Property” statement to their, “Nonviolence, and we broke something because we needed to smoke, and we reserve the right to change any stance we have should it prove useful to us in getting attention” statement, that this has all been kind of a joke.

The sad part is that I’d say 99% of NYU students feel there needs to be more transparency involved in NYU’s accounting practices. TBNYU is frankly, doing an atrocious job of harnessing that consensus.

New thread! Go here:

http://nyulocal.com/on-campus/2009/02/19/night-falls-on-the-nyu-protesters-will-negotiations-happen/

I was informed today that John Sexton’s annual salary is 750k. No wonder he’s always so happy. How about reforming that too?

[...] For my previous coverage of this event, go here. [...]

[...] NYU’s online student paper is also covering the story. [...]

[...] like commenters here, who claim that it shows a lack of strategic sophistication on TBNYU’s part have it exactly [...]

[...] Photo credit: NYU Local [...]

Alex G hit it right on the head

[...] The students at N.Y.U. established a Web site where they published their demands. (Charlie Eisenhood has also been blogging the occupation, with updates Thursday morning.) [...]

WOW, When threatened with suspension you all left your post.
That is so revolutionary.
I guess y’all are too afraid to piss off mommy and daddy to stick to your politics.
Have fun in your lux, apt with your trust fund baby friends and thanks for watering down youth rebellion to a palatable consume of lies and weak wills.

[...] night ended with no negotiations, and the alienation of TBNYU’s journalistic champion. NYU announced that at 1 am the building would be closed and [...]

THE PIZZA’S RESISTANCE FRONT WILL NOT BE SILENCED!!!

[...] DAY TWO [...]

[...] for democracy. Iran, 1999: college students riot, risking their lives to stand against theocracy. Manhattan, 2009: privileged white college students risk a slap on the wrist to stand for… a look at the school [...]

If you guys don’t like NYU, DROP OUT! You’re wasting everyone’s time.

[...] Eisenhood: Local’s National editor and embedded blogger. For his phenomenal blogging, he was recognized by The New York Times, The American Spectator, New York Magazine, The New York [...]

[...] student rights is an administration under which I don’t want to study. I know NYU isn’t exactly laissez-faire, but I think it’d be a little more difficult to get away from the problem in [...]

I dont browse the net now without a anonymous proxy like http://www.surfshuffle.com, it protects my computer from the nasties on the net

[...] For more than forty-eight hours, without much food and even less sleep, Eisenhood reported basically nonstop through real-time blog updates, video interviews, and photos, many of them exclusive, leading to an unprecedented spike in Web traffic and interest in the new media upstart.  Literally, unique visitors to the NYU Local site more than sextupled in a single month– from 7,000 in January to nearly 47,000 in February– a rise that publisher Cody Brown attributes directly to interest in the reports filed by Eisenhood, now known as “everyone’s favorite liveblogger.” [...]

[...] and professors tweet links to their research. “NYU” even became a trending topic during Take Back NYU!’s Kimmel occupation last semester, just below “Rihanna photo.” So what if you got an A in Writing the [...]