Translation of the last sentence of Beckman’s statement:

Man-up you faux ‘revolutionary’ charlatans. Time for your spanking.

Fucking retards… nyu oughtta just lock them all in there and turn the 3rd floor into a gas chamber. DIE YOU HIPPIE RICH WHITE KIDS!

Yes, moment I was waiting for.

NYU has behaved perfectly reasonably.

TBNYU should be punished to the fullest extent of the University’s regulations and the law.

Awesome, fuck these kids.

I was originally skeptical of NYU’s response, but I think they’re handling this right.

Twitter is saying they lost their housing, too. Any more info on that?

Playtime is over. These fools were outclassed by the administration every step of the way.

Fuck that.

fuck NYU for all it has done to destroy and gentrify the lowereast side for the past 30 years.

additionally fuck NYU for its bullshit conditions on negotiations, “we wont negotiate with you until you give up all leverage you have”

i dont think a pollice officer being hurt in a tussle is either a big deal, or a reflection of anything the people inside did. and i think NYU should be happy that a broken lock is the worst of their problems.

next time the protesters should renounce nonviolence and bring guns.

The NYU administration has embarrassed itself badly, and is telling some pretty egregious lies to try and look good. The administration never offered to seriously negotiate around any of the demands, negotiations were simply repeating over and over “get out or get in trouble”, This whole series of events demonstrates the truth of TBNYU!’s claims about the anti-democratic nature of the NYU administration and their unwillingness to engage with students and student concerns.

The NYU administration has embarrassed itself badly, and is telling some pretty egregious lies to try and look good. The administration never offered to seriously negotiate around any of the demands, negotiations were simply repeating over and over “get out or get in trouble”, This whole series of events demonstrates the truth of TBNYU!’s claims about the anti-democratic nature of the NYU administration and their unwillingness to engage with students and student concerns.

So, are they presently suspended or not? The last sentence leads me to believe they still have a chance to sign the deal? And this doesn’t mention the housing…

Perfect response.

When I was at Wash U there was an 18-day sit-in that was actually effective… the students sat in the offices of university administrators… here’s the timeline: http://bit.ly/Y9dED.

Of course, the huge difference is that the students at Wash U were actually fighting for something that everyone could believe in, and nothing that would benefit themselves.

Protest is OVAH

At least these kids are fighting for something they believe in. A glimmer of hope in a dark time.

Jon Jay, they are referring to an incident which happened inside the building, where protesters rush into the building to join those already inside. Some of the protesters themselves injured a security guard in an effort to get more people in.

The administration and security had not right to try to and keep the students out in the first place. If anyone get hurt it is the fault of the folks who run NYU, not the students.

As an NYU alumni, awesome. At first, I felt that NYU was too lenient. But, great to hear that they are going to be going after all those that were there, not just the ones that were detained. Their careers, professional and academic are over, the only education they will need is how to clearly articulate “would you like fries with that”.

Good.

Makes sense John Jay, guns are the answer.

Because after all why should the students have transparency with NYU and their finances? It is a public entity right. Oh wait, I forgot, it isn’t. They should stop going NYU and choose a state/city school if they want to have transparency. With the money they, sorry I mean mommy and daddy, will save they can donate that money so those 13 Palestinian students can get a scholarship (what the hell does that have to do with Taking Back NYU anyway?).

They say they speak for the students, well they don’t, not the majority anyway, more than half of the school things they are being idiots…

It is as simple as this, NYU Admin was smarter than the students and out-witted them, they should have signed the documents last night.

@ Mike, you said

“anti-democratic nature of the NYU administration and their unwillingness to engage with students and student concerns.”

I heard them sputtering the same bullshit off of that terrace they’re sitting on this morning.

What the fuck do YOU think a democracy is? You need a majority opinion to pass something. What support do you think you people actually have? If it’s the meager numbers of idiots standing outside of Kimmel right now, It’s not going to cut it.

TBNYU a minority voice. And while albiet they actually mean well, and have some constructive things to speak out against, TBNYU has harbored the enmity many of their peers. NYU students will not stand for the way they are demonstrating. They will not stand for this kind of bullshit being held on campus.

Take a look around you.

@Mike Da Cruz

How does NYU not have the right to keep the kids out? After 1PM, it is considered trespassing and it is NYU property.

I’m not saying I completely agree with NYU’s actions but it is their property and they may do as they wish, especially when their stuff is being broken.

Mike, they had every right. You are a crazy person.

@ Mike da Cruz:

NYU’s building, NYU’s right to decide who can be when and where. Disagree? I demand you let people into your home anytime they want. They hurt you or damage your property? Your fault.

[Wanted to re-post to not confuse the 2 "Mike"s on the comments, since it seems him and I disagree completely]

Makes sense John Jay, guns are the answer.

Because after all why should the students have transparency with NYU and their finances? It is a public entity right. Oh wait, I forgot, it isn’t. They should stop going NYU and choose a state/city school if they want to have transparency. With the money they, sorry I mean mommy and daddy, will save they can donate that money so those 13 Palestinian students can get a scholarship (what the hell does that have to do with Taking Back NYU anyway?).

They say they speak for the students, well they don’t, not the majority anyway, more than half of the school things they are being idiots…

It is as simple as this, NYU Admin was smarter than the students and out-witted them, they should have signed the documents last night.

@ Jon Jay: Guns? Really? How is someone getting injured “not a big deal”? So much for non-violence.

NYU should have gone all Kent State on this mess. A bunch of whiney liberals wanting a fair plan they’d never see actually implemented.
NYU acted respectfully, even supplying vegan wraps (not the old ammo covered in bacon grease pulled on the Pakistanis).
The fact is NYU is a private school, not a state school, it subscribes to it’s own rules. It doesn’t need to take shit from its student body, especially those who lock themselves in a cafeteria and cry about spending too much of their daddy’s money.

I love how one of the whole slogans is talking about how NYU should be a democracy….it’s a fucking UNIVERSITY! Universities and governments are not the same thing. And if you haven’t noticed the popular support wouldn’t have been behind MOST of TBNYU’s demands anyway. And so I bet even in a ‘democratic University’ they’d still be staging their rich ‘i wanna be a revolutionary, mommyyyy’ protests.

It’s = its

[...] and on the balcony. They should be coming out of the building in about 15 minutes. Although the press release says that non-NYU students will be turned over to police, some tips are coming in that a few have [...]

@ Justin:
NYU is set up like a oligarchy, the board and their admin run everything. You can’t pass things with a majority decision at NYU, you can do what the admin and board tells you or you can fight them and be threatened and abused. In order to get to a place where democratic decisions are possible, this is the sort of thing that needs to happen. This is how you fight anti-democratic regimes. When NYU refuses to allow for democratic control of campus, it is violating the rights of all its students, any and every student has both the right and the duty to resist that.

@Mickey
You’re operating under the assumption that the NYU administration owns NYU. As far as I can tell schools belong to the people who go there, the people who work there, and the people who live in the community that hosts it. So yeah, it is NYU’s building, that means it’s the students property, not that of the administration that is supposed to serve them.

@Matt
See above, the admin has no right to keep students out of their own building.

Yes NYU has a right to keep students out of their own building. You sign housing contracts and agreements when you come to NYU. Please read some of the policy.

@ Mike da Cruz:

You’re operating under the assumption that the students own they school. They do not. We pay the university for their services, not their property. We do get the right to appropriately USE their property. NYU is a PRIVATE institution, not a PUBLIC one.

Well, Mike da Cruz, you’re the one operating under an assumption. . . “as far as I can tell. . .”

I am not operating under any assumptions. NYU is a private university. Please stop with your craziness.

@ Mike Da Cruz

I pay taxes in the USA and according to you the country is made up of the people you live their. So I should be able to walk into the White House or any other at any time and the U.S. government shouldn’t stop me since I support this country.

Oooh, I hope they did lose housing. A nice dose of “real world” – i.e., apartment hunting and paying money and taking responsibility – is what these kids need. NYU would do no favors to them by coddling them.

@ By Stander, wow. “The Constitution is not a suicide pact,” nor is it a covenant for anarchy. “Ordered liberty” are the watchwords, not “preppies can do anything they want.”

Just because something is a school policy doesn’t mean that it is right…sexist and racist policies on admission and attendance spring to mind immediately but one could go on and on. Just because NYU can bully students into signing things that take away their rights and their ownership of their own school, doesn’t mean too much. Good for TBNYU! for refusing to be bullied.

@Mike: students DON’T own the school. They never have, and never should.

@Mike: They don’t have ownership over their private school just because they pay tuition, just like I don’t have ownership over Apple because I bought an iPod. They’re perfectly free to protest and boycott and use market power to encourage administrative change, but they have no right to make university policy.

@Mike Da Cruz

I’m not saying that NYU’s policies or actions are completely fair but TBNYU’s actions were out of line( breaking property and hurting an officer). NYU is also a private institution and no one is forcing these kids to attend; they could easily transfer to another school where they will be content.

@MIke da Cruz: “bully students into signing things”?

First, are you an NYU student? If so, and you voluntarily chose to come into this university, then you weren’t bullied at all. If you chose to live in an NYU dorm, unless JSex forcibly held you down until you signed up for housing, then you weren’t bullied/forced.

If you don’t wish to be bullied, at any time you can choose to leave. There are ways to change the system. This isn’t one of them.

Mike da Cruz, you’re confusing what is “morally right” with the university’s “legal right.” Sucks sometimes that they don’t overlap, but that’s how it rolls. NYU hasn’t bullied anyone into signing over their rights and ownerships of the school. They willing and eagerly did it when they replied to their acceptance letters.

@ ron, horrible analogy

He’s obviously a 17 year old who will be attending Idaho Community College.

Has anyone considered the inherent error in the name of this organization: “Take Back NYU?” Take it back? That implies that they had some kind of ownership of it to begin with.

@ Mike da Cruz:

Sexist admission policies? Are you high? One of the most touted facts at NYU is it’s 3:2 female to male student ratio.

Racist? Perhaps, but if so, I don’t believe it is direct. There is a good argument to be made that the high tuition and low aid keeps many minorities (who often, unfortunately, are of lower socio-economic class) out of NYU. This is a valid concern. TBNYU’s forum is invaild.

More generally, it’s true that school policy may not be “right.” However, the students DECIDED to come here. They were not bullied into coming, and they’re not being bullied into staying. To protest in the way they are just because they’re not happy with X is unjustifiable.

TBNYU actions cost NYU and the City of New York tens of thousands of dollars. This money could have spent paying TAs higher wages, increasing financial aid and supporting student clubs, some of whom are involved with the terrible situation in Gaza. Instead, the University will have to pay the medical bills for an injured security officer, it will have to pay higher insurance premiums, it will have to pay dozens’ of officers’ overtime, it will have pay for security experts to create contingency plans to prevent people from “occupying” buildings, it will have to pay the lawyers’ fees in regards to this fiasco, and it will have to pay to repair the damage TBNYU did to Kimmel after stating that they wouldn’t damage property. Meanwhile, their actions distract and thus prevent the University from solving problems. If they had gone in with a plan and some thought beyond having a dance party maybe something good could have come of this. But they didn’t. They didn’t think of their fellow students or how their actions would actually have an affect once they got into the cafeteria. Their actions made the world a worse place. They should be ashamed.

bob jones, i have to say most of your comments make u appear to be a real brody. u prolly listen to lil wayne

[...] rally outside the building, at Washington Square South and Laguardia Place. (See more coverage from NYU Local and The Washington Square [...]

I was talking about the history of private schools barring women and people of color not the current situation. The changing of these policies was, as many people may recall, the product of people doing stuff very much like what TBNYU! is doing right now. The position people here are taking “that private schools can do whatever they want just because they’re private” is a recipe for abusive and unjust behavior on the part of unelected and unaccountable leadership at those schools. When my school’s “legal right” is opposed to a moral right, I for one would rather do what is morally right than what is legally right. I’m sad so many people here feel differently.

I would also like to point out that nominally private schools generally receive huge amounts of public money, sometimes more than nominally public ones. The public/private distinction is less about funding and more about the assertion of the boards and administration of private schools not to be held accountable, which is bullshit frankly. One other I’d like to note is that the entire American education system is set up in a similar was to NYU (especially with public schools, facing underfunding, starting to mimic private) . This “go somewhere else” logic is nonsense. It is a systemic issue and requires us, the people schools are supposed to be here for, to change them.

Oh, and if people want to know. I go to Brown University.

Jeez, they’ll let anyone into Brown these days.

LOLbrown

sorry that dartmouth and vassar rejected you

@ Mike Da Cruz

The fights to end segregation and sexism in schools are legitimate applicable concerns in the interest of a large part of society.

TBNYU’s demand to help the University of Gaza and for 13 scholarship for Palestine students is irrelevant to the school’s concerns and future goals.

I do, however, agree that tuition stabilization would to a beneficial thing for all NYU students.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=21007664

@ Matt Burnett and Bob Jones

While I am not defending Mike Da Cruz( I actually disagree with him), there is no need to rip his school. Brown University is a great school.

Spencer’s point above is golden. This whole situation did likely cost the school in excess of $10k, money that could have gone to “meeting their demands.” Epic fail.

I have been reading the blogs and opinions for the past few days and I would finally like to add my two cents:
1. I don’t understand how most of you got into NYU in the first place…both your grammar and spelling are horrible.
2. If I can’t pay my mortgage, I sell my house. I don’t run to the bank saying it isn’t fair that I can’t have a large house and they should help me make my payments. If you can’t afford NYU, there are many less expensive, wonderful schools.
3. If you want to discuss helping in the Middle East, you should at least be impartial. Both Israelis and Gazans should get tuition help. There are many people and buildings in Israel that have been bombed and destroyed.
4. NYU buildings are for the primary use of NYU students paying for the privilege, not the general public.
5. In terms of the financial situation at NYU…looking into the books is one thing, having a say is another. I certainly am not qualified to analyze or influence the financial policies at NYU. My multiple degrees are not in business.
6. Taking responsibility for one’s actions is an important part of adulthood. Why should any of the involved parties’ actions not have serious repercussions?
7. Those involved are very thoughtless people. They not only interrupted the routines of thousands, but cost many people money.

This whole thing almost makes me want to transfer. Let’s be fair – not everyone at NYU is wealthy. I’m certainly not, which is why I think transparency in the budget is a nice ideal… how does NYU spend their money? Why did I only receive about half of what the government said my financial aid should be? Why will I be neck-deep in loans because, when I talked to the financial aid rep, she said “Well, if you can’t afford it, maybe this just isn’t the school for you.” Sigh.

Mr. Beckman:

It is you and the other excessively compensated executives at NYU that should make yourself, “available for discipline.” Year after year, you and your colleagues make University less affordable and therefore less accessible to working families, who are disproportionately of color.

Furthermore, the call for transparency in NYU’s investments could not be more timely given that the University just recklessly squandered critical resources in Madoff related investments.

Both the students and the hard-working security guards have good cause to lay the blame on the NYU administration for any minor injuries which allegedly took place. Instead of engaging in good-faith dialogue, NYU threw the guards without adequate logistical support into a clearly peaceful protest at which there was no need for heavy-handed security. I strongly encourage any guards who may have been hurt to file a lawsuit against NYU for its negligence.

I leave you with the words of a freedom fighter from our neighbor to the South:

Who should ask for forgiveness and who can grant it?

@GBC, no, Ron’s analogy is right on. An education is a product, which private universities are in the business of selling. Admittedly the relationship is complicated by other significant values that, more often than not, predominate over the financial mission, but it’s the business model that controls the “ownership” component of the student/faculty relationship.

Hi Ron!!! I’d rather not use my name here, but you know me b/c my girlfriend’s on staff at your law firm.

NYU is a disgrace!

I think it’s a shame when people don’t use their names. Man up! I’m sorry, but you are the reason why blogging gets a bad name.

I salute NYU Local (Charlie E’s actions, in particular, but really everyone who contributes) for its excellent coverage and availability to the entire student body.

wait, is there anyone still on the balcony????

NYU: Shame on You!!!!!

“Just because something is a school policy doesn’t mean that it is right…sexist and racist policies on admission and attendance spring to mind immediately but one could go on and on. Just because NYU can bully students into signing things that take away their rights and their ownership of their own school, doesn’t mean too much. Good for TBNYU! for refusing to be bullied.”

Sexist and Racist policies…..? Dude, do you ever go for one day without a hair up your ass about something? I guess the countless hours of diversity education and the universities commitment to a diverse campus that we get in our acceptance letter and a constant efforts to make this an open and diverse educational experience aren’t enough for you. You just have to find something to bitch about no matter what. You’re like a child who cries that he wants a lollipop and then you get it and continue to cry because it wasn’t the flavor you wanted. Please grow the fuck up and get real. I don’t know where you got this crazy idea that we own this school. We pay for its services. This is not a public institution. This is a private institution. We get a say through a student council. TBNYU! and their supporters appear to operate under the assumption that people have a right to be there. Guess what? You don’t. You never did. You chose to come here and so did everyone of those protesters. It is a PRIVILEGE to attend a university like NYU not a right. And you’re one of those completely irrational cretins who “doesn’t believe in private property”, I invite you to go waltzing into the Pentagon or the White House and start spouting off your anarcho-communist bullshit and see how far you get.

I wonder exactly how much this little TBNYU get together cost tax payers. What’s the bill for 3 days of riot cops and a few cans of mace? I can’t imagine it being small.

Also, I’d guess that the school took a real financial blow. Guess where you’re tuition is going this year, TBNYUers. It’ll be used for 3 days of hazard pay for the dining hall staff. And a broken lock. Good job.

acg, it is hightly inapropriate to compare an ipod to an nyu college education,

and besides that, its aint about money cuz we all make dollars

Weather Underground, Chicago 7… TBNYU is not. Now they knew who to f#cking put on a protest. TBNYU are a much a amateurs. Grow the hell up kids. Your tactics are futile. How about you graduate, get master, get Phds, get director positions at NGOs and pressure corporations like NYU to change things. Put your parents money to some good use. You’re just a bunch of misguided kids.

Call me thick, but I don’t understand how these TBNYU folks can pull a stunt like this and then act completely shocked and indignant when the administration aims to punish them for it. Did they really expect to emerge scot free from all of this after throwing a tantrum that inconvenienced their fellow students, taxed security, and left university employees without work? After trespassing and destruction of property and disturbance of the peace?

Come on. You guys knew full well what you were getting into. Beckman’s right; it’s time to take responsibility and face the consequences of your actions.

HIGHLY inappropriate!

lol, im at work son, typing quickly.

I disagree with the college’s inability to negotiate. They say they asked for dialogue, but in return they attempted to take the leverage tool that TBNYU had. NYU’s attempts at negotiations where tricks and deception. NYU continues to lie and is handling this in the most unacceptable fashion. NONE of the TBNYU’s demands were unrealistic, the reaction of the University was.

Oh yeah, I can’t sing the praises of Charlie’s reporting loudly enough. Certainly made it easier to counter TBNYU’s moronic supporters who said that NYU wouldn’t negotiate with them when it was completely the other way around.

Truly awesome reporting Charlie.

I just wrote John Sexton an email. You should do the same (john.sexton@NYU.edu)

Mine says:

Dear John:

You look like a fucking idiot. That means we won. HaHaHa.

Love,
Another Alumni who’ll never donate to NYU as along as you’re in charge.

Mike da Cruz,

I’m not sure if you’ve done all your research on the TBNYU! issue, but it extends way beyond the scope of financial transparency.
To address your first point (that social change was created by similar protests to the one TBNYU is taking part of), I would like to point out that the people involved in those protests 1. were willing to accept the consequences of their actions. TBNYU’s first demand, above all else, was that they be given total amnesty; 2. probably tried other, more civil methods of getting the message through. However, that social change was drastically necessary and popular amongst many. Financial transparency may be necessary, but not to such a grave extent that made such an immature, unplanned act necessary. Another thing I would like to point out is that their other demands are, not only disjointed from each other, but clearly not fully considered.

Best example: make the Bobst library public. (How would that be “morally right”?) Parts of the bobst library are already open to the public. We are paying for access to that library with our tuition dollars. Public access would make the place more crowded than it already is. No thank you.

I would also like to point out that they are claiming they want a democratic system. Besides the fact that NYU is a University and not a government, getting their way in this sense would accomplish little to nothing. A majority of the students do not agree with TBNYU’s views. Even if we did have a democratic system, TBNYU is a minority group and wouldn’t get their way. They took over the STUDENT CENTER. They are trying to open up a dialogue with the ADMINISTRATION. This “sit-in” probably affected all the students just as much as it did the administration. They are not helping their case. They’re turning the entire student body against them.

The final proof of their hypocrisy is all over this website. They want transparency between NYU and its stakeholders, yet they would not allow press to sit in on their meetings. The students who read this blog and WSN are TBNYU’s stakeholders, and they are completely unaware as to what the organization was planning and discussing in Kimmel.

I would really be interested to know what the organization planned to do if NYU released its financial statements and spending schedules to them. Would they even understand them? Probably not.

@gbc: it’s a difference in degree, not in kind. In both cases, we’re paying a privately owned institution for a product. If we don’t like how they run things, we can petition them to change their ways, or we can refuse to buy their product. But it’s pretty ridiculous to say we “own” them because we paid them money (what TBNYU is claiming). No one argued that an NYU education is equivalent to an iPod–but the fact that the products are different doesn’t mean the situation is.

@acg: Hi! I should have figured you’d be posting about this somewhere.

@Alex Knapp: Really? It’s reasonable to demand an arbitrary scholarship for 13 Palestinians (as opposed to, say, underrepresented minorities in general)? It’s reasonable for students to be able to veto any University financial decision? It’s reasonable for a very small percentage of the student body, without any evidence whatsoever that they represent event the slightest majority of the student body, to negotiate with the University regarding policies that will affect ALL students? It’s reasonable to demand that the Coke ban, which was lifted through democratic process, should now be reconsidered?

Nothing particularly reasonable about the vast majority of these demands.

Dear “alumni”

I’m sure he’s terribly saddened to hear that. If he wasn’t by far the best fundraising president that NYU has ever had, he might give a shit that you won’t donate (not that you were going to anyways).

“I would really be interested to know what the organization planned to do if NYU released its financial statements and spending schedules to them. Would they even understand them? Probably not.”

Let’s clarify something, these people aren’t ignorant. GOD DAMN, they’ve occupied a building for three days, that’s not as easy as you think.

I am all for people expressing their beliefs and protesting what they think is unjust. My biggest issue with this entire thing is: it was VERY poorly planned and executed. Several of their demands were legitimate…the problem is they were lost amid the crazy, whacked-out ones and the sheer comical nature of the way they planned the demonstration. The entire thing looks like they just woke up one morning and said, “hey, let’s protest something.”

I’m an old hippee who has done his fair share of “voicing his opinion,” and I can tell you that you guys lost this battle the moment you started it.

Alumni – I wrote him an e-mail promising not to send any further donations if they didn’t come down on the kids… so I guess we balance each other’s threats out.

“Let’s clarify something, these people aren’t ignorant. GOD DAMN, they’ve occupied a building for three days, that’s not as easy as you think.”

I know, they had to POOP in KITTY LITTER and wait like 4 hours before aramark brought them vegan mashed potatoes.

This isn’t WWII. They didn’t do dick.

“Let’s clarify something, these people aren’t ignorant. GOD DAMN, they’ve occupied a building for three days, that’s not as easy as you think.”

Dude, LOL. Just . . . LOL. They occupied the building because no one on the other side wanted to escalate things. The moment the decision was made to take them out of there, it was done. The key figures got nabbed the second NYU teased a negotiation with them, the barricades were breached as soon as the guards made a go at it. The few left on the balcony only remain there because of the safety concerns of trying to move them. How does this clarify their ignorance?

To people that didn’t or don’t go to NYU—- you guys are all a bunch of media sucking idiots.

Oh what you read it on Gawker somewhere or watched it on Sex and the City, NYU kids are a bunch of rich bitches? CLEARLY you haven’t spoken to even 5 people that go to NYU.

I went there. I come from a middle class family from the South. I worked all 4 years at that school, received NO financial aid, and will be paying back loans MYSELF for the next 10 years of my life. And you know what, probably more than half of NYU students are in the same situation as me.

Most of the school is NOT made up of the snooty assholes you blab on about when you have nothing better to do. Stop crying because you think we are taking away your precious nights to get wasted at some east village bar and cry about your life. If you can afford to live in this city, you clearly should not be alienating yourself from the ‘rich bitch’ population of NYU students.

As far as this TBNYU thing, the demands are just completely unreasonable. This is a private university for a reason. And clearly, you all lost this battle, and by know means should you be admired for “standing up for what you believe in.” Please.

The NYU administration has handled this situation in a completely reasonable and proper way. It offered to negotiate with TBNYU, and even when they were rebuffed took no action to threaten the students. They even provided them with free food and bathroom access to ensure the health and safety of all students involved. The students involved in this “Occupation” should be expelled from NYU. They not only seriously injured an NYU Safety Officer (who works to ensure that no one hurts NYU students) but they also assaulted an NYPD officer. Such action is more than enough to justify dismissal from the school.

There are official channels available to voice opinion at NYU, and they involve adult conversation and compromise. TBNYU has portrayed themselves to be whiny, spoiled brats that can’t think of anything more pressing than freezing tuition (maybe they could have spent their time organizing a fund raising effort to help the University in Gaza and its students). NYU is a non-profit organization and its expenditures are available and itemized, if TBNYU had actually done their research.

Also, I have to say that all this talk about “how democracy works” and that NYU is against the democratic process is ridiculous. Maybe TBNYU didn’t get the memo, but a university is NOT a democracy. You are paying for a degree, essentially a product. You don’t walk into a Salvation Army and buy a pair of pants and then demand to see all their tax records. It’s amazing to me that people smart enough to get into NYU are stupid enough not to understand how the real world works. Students do not own a university, they are consumers of the University’s product. They should stop whining and take an economics course.

Lastly, I am an NYU student. In regards to their accusations that NYU doesn’t help students get financial aid, I personally know they do. My mother was diagnosed with cancer last summer and hasn’t worked since and my father lost his job during the downturn this fall. It is because of the hard work of the financial aid department and the NYU administration that enabled me to continue this semester so that I can graduate in May. NYU’s not perfect, but they do care about their students.

@ Ron,
It’s reasonable for students to be able to veto any University financial decision? Yes, the students are kind of like share-holders of a company… if the majority of them agree then yes they should be able to.
It’s reasonable for a very small percentage of the student body, without any evidence whatsoever that they represent event the slightest majority of the student body, to negotiate with the University regarding policies that will affect ALL students? I don’t think they were trying to do that. If you look at their demands, they were trying to give the general population more say in what goes on at NYU.
It’s reasonable to demand that the Coke ban, which was lifted through democratic process, should now be reconsidered?
Yes, if someone has a concern, they shall be able to have it reconsidered

As for the Gaza thing… I don’t know. I do agree with you, that was a little extreme.

@ Monica J

Sorry, you don’t know what you’re talking about.

http://www.nyunews.com/2.6167/1.644812-1.644812

“The NYU student body’s affluent tilt shows in the number of students who submitted a FAFSA, which is required of all students seeking aid. Out of the nearly 4,000 students in next year’s entering class, only about 2,300, or 58 percent, did so, Hall said.

Hall said that the mean family income of those who demonstrated need through the FAFSA was $82,200 and the mean family income for those who did not demonstrate need was $199,200. Students whose families don’t bother applying for aid presumably have even higher incomes, but NYU does not have access to their financial records.”

I would just like to point out that TBNYU has not only wasted the financial resources of NYU and the NYPD, but also the time of people such as myself whose attentional biases could not be ignored. And anyone who is not substantially affiliated with NYU or has a doctorate in NYU-Student relations has no business or credibility in blogging here. Specifically you, Mike da Cruz. Jesus, you’re annoying! Now I’m going to go and resume my research in Bobst, access to which I fractionally pay for (not members of the general public—they have the NYPL system).

These kids are idiots. Complete retards. A protest over budget transparency? Really? I even read one quote that said “I had no idea going to school here costs that much”. That’s because you don’t pay for it.

If money was such an issue for NYU students then they would have looked at the financials before they went there. And the Gaza Strip thing: a pathetic attempt to illustrate their “selflessness”, even though they are being completely self-centered, meaning they are acting like their voice matters. It doesn’t.

Also, I love how there’s the classic Ivy League condescending school conversation on this board: “Jeez, they’ll let anyone into Brown these days.” “sorry that dartmouth and vassar rejected you”

Haha. You guys over at NYU must really try hard to make yourselves look this stupid.

mike you do realize that a private school can decide to only accept males or females. i know of several single sex colleges hell 2 are with in 3 hours of me.

I just want to comment on a few things here.

First of all, the injuries sustained at the protest. I love how everyone is commenting that a security guard was injured. I was there and I can tell you that I don’t personally know if I believe that any security guards were “really” hurt. I think that they may have taken her in as a precaution so she couldn’t sue. There were many students who suffered injuries caused by the security guards and police as well. But in spite of all of this, I witnessed a security guard shaking hands with one of the students and talking to him because they know each other from a dorm. Neither group wants to be fighting the other one. It’s a shame that the administration has declared that the security force should fight their battle for them. They refuse to take matters into their own hands and discuss the issues with the students. THEY have created an unsafe situation at the school.

Secondly, majority of the students protesting are not at NYU as trust fund kids. They are working hard for their education and will continue to pay off loans for years to come. It is not mommy and daddy’s money, as it clearly is for many of the people blogging about this. And if it is your money, then why don’t you care how it is being spent? I know that many of you have said that lower to middle class kids should simply go to a cheaper school, but that is exactly what causes the huge gaps in our economic classes. The name NYU, the prestige of this university, the doors that it opens for its students through internships, jobs, and networking cannot be found at any other school. Who is to say that only the rich should be privileged enough to gain access to the opportunities that this school has to offer? Why is it that a hard working, extremely intelligent, dedicated individual is not worthy of the same educational experience simply because they are not wealthy enough? All that does is make sure that the wealthy stay in control, even if they are not the majority in the country.

Lastly, NYU should have seen this coming. They have been aware of TBNYU’s issues for a long time now. They were also aware that they do not listen to the voices of their students. These are facts. What they now need to consider is the fact that these students have done exactly what NYU has taught them to do. This school shapes leaders. As a student here, I have been taught the importance of moral and ethical behavior which I have seen stressed by all of my professors and the administration itself. It is no surprise that these students who have been taught to stand up in the face of injustice have finally decided that enough is enough. These are not unintelligent losers, they DID get in to NYU, so respect them at least that much. They may have different beliefs than you, but they are not stupid, and stating that they are is ignorant and ridiculous.

I completely agree with Johnny Bravo. If executed better, I could respect them more. They came across as chaotic and disorganized, a few kids out on a lark. Their goals weren’t horrible, but they should have picked one theme and stuck with it. Financial disclosure, fair pay, Gaza and whatever else was on there were too disparate to take seriously. It didn’t come across as well thought-out. Did they think of the cost of providing scholarships to students to Gaza and whether that is the best use of the money? Why Gaza and not one of the several other places in the world that also need assistance? I think it is a noble goal to want the university to be socially minded, but you still have to think about the way to accomplish that. And I hardly think a small group of protesters deciding for the whole school that our resources should go to this one school in Gaza is “democratic.” I question how much thought they actually gave to the practicalities of executing their demands.

I am also very curious as to whether they even petitioned the administration before doing this. It does seem as though they just woke up and decided to protest. Civil disobedience is supposed to be a last resort. You don’t start with it.

And then to ask for amnesty first… to me that completely undermined their purpose. Their first demand should have been their number one goal, not a selfish plea to avoid the trouble they caused. I think they missed the point of civil disobedience; you are supposed to accept the punishment. Martin Luther King Jr. did not write his letter from the Birmingham jail because he had no where else to stay. A willingness to sacrifice yourself and accept punishment shows the strength of your belief in your cause.

[...] for you Rice alums) for the organization’s ringleaders. This despite generous offers of clemency from the NYU administration, who throughout the “occupation” treated TBNYU with greater [...]

[...] The protest where a bunch of NYU students locked themselves in their cafeteria (oh noes!) and wouldn’t move until their demands were met… moved. [...]

lil wayne was gangsta back den. now hes a lazy bum!