Thanks to TBYNU! I spent the day secretly emailing Jess and Ideal husband an download.com/author/lily-q/”>Lily topless photos from my Inquiry class and not studying for my Economics midterm tomorrow. Quotes from students and more recent pictures after the jump.
Loitering outside Kimmel, I talked to Raphael Mishler, a Gallatin Sophomore. Though a supporter of TBNYU!’s occupation, he is not directly affiliated with the group. He said, “I think TBNYU! for a number of years have been trying different methods – less extreme methods – to try and make sure NYU is held accountable by its students and that student have the possibility to see where their money is going to. I think that this protest is the culmination of a bunch of failed effort.”
Another NYU Sophomore, who is a member of the Young Democratic Socialists, expressed her disapproval of the more sensational methods employed. “We have the words, we don’t need the skin.” She also said she didn’t approve of all the demands – like Bobst becoming public – because it detracted from the main issue, which is the budget disclosure.
Of the all the TBNYU! demands, Bobst opening its doors to the public has come in for the most criticism from the people I spoke to on the street. “Bobst is the epicenter of our school,” said NYU Local’s Kaela Rae Jensen, who works the circulation desk at the library. “Making Bobst public is also a safety issue.”
Mona Li, a CAS Sophomore, said, “I think its irrelevant that NYU, as a private institution, comment on the situation in Gaza. It seems out of place with the more important demands TBNYU! could be making.”
I think that the demands regarding Gaza are completely relevant – they are concerns of the students and action like this is necessary in order to effect change.
also, they are tied into the demands that NYU release the details of its investments–concerns that students’ tuition money is being used to support companies and situations that the students, themselves, may not.
Yeah, in what way is it wrong for students in the privileged sectors of the world to declare solidarity with those in the most miserable part of the world? How is that being a ‘spoiled rich kid’? If anything it shows a laudable sense of responsibility for fighting injustice around the world.
How is trying to force an administration that has material connections with Israel to contribute materially to innocent Palestinians an irrelevant demand? People have been saying ‘no money to terrorists’ as though every Gazan was a murderer. Doesn’t that get to the heart of the matter, that Israel engages in (illegal) collective punishment of millions of people because of the actions of relatively few nationalist Palestinians?
How is Gaza relevant to any of their other demands, and how is NYU responsible for something that happened miles away. You don’t see students occupying Columbia. That’s because they were smart enough to come to NYU where there won’t be any repercussions for them. This whole thing is ridiculous and a cry for attention. NYU kids need their 15 minutes of fame and their face in a newspaper.
My difficulty in seeing the Gaza demands as well-thought out or even fully heartfelt is that they are yelled in the same breath as hate speech towards Coca-Cola (to name one example). TBNYU’s complete lack of consolidation or clarity in their demands has already been thoroughly discussed, but I just can’t stop feeling like this kind of juxtaposition is insulting. Would the people suffering in Gaza feel truly represented and defended by a bunch of over-privileged kids who whine about their protest rations being vegan? Really?
NYU is in the pocket of Israel and the Emirs. How and why do you think there are campuses in Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi? There’s nothing anyone can do about that. I’m not here to say it’s right or wrong, but if one were to have a problem, I would suggest go to a different school. NYU is it’s own entity, and a powerful one at that, and they will decide to handle and do things at there will, end of story.
If your going to go after a private institution that you believe has wronged a lot of people, you do it with a class action lawsuit. Perhaps these genius kids could have consulted the law school before making complete asses out of themselves and their parents.
Mike, I think if TBNYU! had the money to hire a lawyer to sue, it totally would. Too bad most of its members are already working one or more jobs to pay for school and will still graduate with crippling debt…
Well, they should have picked a cheaper school/one they agreed with. It’s just that simple.