The following letter was sent to Local early this morning Tattooist the download. SOFA, a new NYU campus group with ties to the Obama campaign, lead the creation of the letter.
NYU Students and Administration Members,
Though “Take Back NYU!” (TBNYU) has raised legitimate concerns regarding the conduct of the NYU administration, we, the undersigned believe that these concerns should be expressed in a more constructive manner within the avenues that NYU has established for student advocacy.
Many NYU students support budget disclosure, financial aid reform, greater sensitivity to student concerns, and increased openness and transparency. However, we believe that:
1) TBNYU’s tactics are confrontational and disrespectful in a manner that alienates sympathetic students and prevents the university from constructive and respectful engagement.
2) TBNYU’s demands are too disjointed. Broader student support can only be achieved if demands are coherent and focused.
3) TBNYU’s conduct is not appropriate to the gravity of the situation and does not encourage the thoughtful discourse necessary.
We urge that the NYU administration not dismiss the concerns of TBNYU and continue to pursue an amicable end to the situation. Should they be raised in a more constructive and appropriate manner, whether by TBNYU or any other student group at NYU, we hope the administration will not close the door to future discussion on the issues.
We, the undersigned:
NYU Students Organizing for America
Students of Color and Allies
Think Torch
NYU College Democrats
NYU College Republicans
Political Union & Review at New York University
In past articles, Duncan Meisel has said that many TBNYU! critics are “quibblers” who do not care enough about the issues to create a viable alternative to TBNYU!’s methodology. If this is an honest attempt at addressing the issues, I by all means welcome it. This is a chance for all those who disagree with TBNYU!’s tactics to jump aboard and put their money where their mouth is.
Prediction: The students with the “I don’t agree with their methods, but support disclosure and transparency” syndrome will remain wholly apathetic as they have in the past when TBNYU! (with its coalition including not-so-radical student groups including Amnesty International and Earth Matters) has attempted to garner support for these issues. There will be no continued dialogue concerning this letter, and is merely a public statement to satisfy the students with the aforementioned “syndrome” – those who claim to care about these issues. Also, doubts as to whether the administration will even READ this letter, and most definitely will not make a public response to it.
So please, all of you NYU students who claim to care about the financial demands, prove me wrong! Unite your voices and tell the adminstration how the students feel about budget disclosure, transparency, and responsible investing. If you feel the avenues that TBNYU! took were inappropriate, use any and all of the avenues that you feel ARE appropriate to make them hear these concerns. Because so far, few people have done anything about these issues besides TBNYU!, and right now I am calling your bluff.
Fun fact: Over the past two years, TBNYU! has repeatedly reached out to ALL of NYU’s official clubs. We’re a coalition, and a coalition isn’t much fun without lots of different groups’ support and ideas. We extended personalized invitations to every one of the clubs who signed the above letter, asking for their feedback and with the exception of SOCA, not ONE of them expressed any interest in working on this campaign or any support for increasing transparency and democracy at NYU.
But club leaderships change, and maybe the kids who wrote this letter are really in favor of budget/endowment disclosure and eager to do something about it. If so, hopefully one of the successes of this occupation is that it pushes them to work for student empowerment themselves, and not to leave it to someone else whose tactics they may not agree with, or better yet, to join the 20+ clubs that comprise TBNYU!’s coalition and help construct a strategy they think would be more effective.
As publisher of Think Torch at NYU, and a standing officer of the Political Union at NYU, I want to indicate for the record that these two groups have reached no consensus toward a stance on TBNYU!’s occupation.
In the case of Think Torch, the organization was added to this letter through the actions of one officer alone, and his position does not necessarily represent the position of the journal.
In the case of the Political Union, the organization was added to this letter through the actions of the representatives from the College Republicans and College Democrats, and their position does not necessarily represent the position of the Political Union as a whole.
I request that until official consensus has been agreed upon and released from the officers of these two organizations that they not be recognized with this letter.