.a human being.

UPDATE: These people are awesome!
As most of you know, I'm looking after my aunt's dog which means a ton of time wandering up and down the streets near New York University with a dog that has to pee on everything. The big news here is how a group of NYU students have barricaded themselves in the Kimmel Center (some sort of dinning hall) and have now created protests all over the area. Okay, so a group of students decided on Wednesday to block themselves in a high traffic NYU area to make demands. Simple. Okay, well, lets see a list of those demands. I look down at the first item on the list and it is:

1. Amnesty for all parties involved.

Wow. Okay. Way to really show them. I don't even know what you stand for and you want a full pardon. I now expect it to be something like, “Kill everyone who looks at me funny”.


But it goes on to demand that NYU releases their financial records and how they spend money. That makes sense. If I paid $50k a year I'd want to know how my money was being spent (actually, I paid $42k a year – wow, that is so much money). Totally understandable. They also demand that there is a freeze on tuition. That makes sense too. NYU (as well as every other private and public college in this country) has made it increasingly financially difficult to attend. But there is the fact that over 10,000 NYU students receive financial aid which covered an average of 65% of their costs. And considering that also the average NYU students leaves with $33k in student debt which isn't so bad when you spend $200k for a general 4 year education (these are all rounded numbers and considering the average student, with average costs of living with no extended study).

Moving on. They also want to...
4. Allow student workers (including T.A.’s) to collectively bargain.
5. A fair labor contract for all NYU employees at home and abroad.
...which is understandable. People have been protesting to unionize for well over a century. This makes sense. Really. No sarcasm. Cross my heart.

They also want the general public to have access to the Bobst Library. Again, this makes sense. That's very nice of them. Thank you. I don’t know what’s so great about this library but since I eat books like cupcakes any additional access to them is welcomed.

But then it turns to batshit crazy:
6. A Socially Responsible Finance Committee that will immediately investigate war profiteers and the lifting of the Coke ban.
First off, what do those two things have to do with each other. Did I miss something!?! You don't want your school war profiteering but you really, really, really want your Coke back. Like Coca Cola. Like, the biggest company in the world. Is this a joke? Is this some meta crap I don't get? I was taking this all seriously until I saw this. It's a joke, right? Haha. I get it. Wait, no, I don't.

7. Annual scholarships be provided for thirteen Palestinian students.
Why only 13? Why not 11 students from Sudan and 83 to Bosnian? Giving scholarships to only Palestinian students to taking a clearly political view which alienates a large chunk of the population (hello, New York = hella big Jewish population) and threatens future endowments. This is just hurtful for NYU to do - why don't you just ask for more scholarships for students in war-torn countries? I would be game for that. If I was in the NYU administration I would definitely agree to more scholarships those in war-torn nations. Screw all those European and Korean kids who keep coming over here.

8. That the university donates all excess supplies and materials in an effort to rebuild the University of Gaza.
Why select just one institution? I want to know if these students would be willing to send over excess food and clothing from their dorm rooms for these people as well. How about that CB2 lamp or that new Ikea couch? How about taking that money you spend on beer and pot each week and putting into a fund for those kids? I was walking behind two NYU students as they complained about going somewhere because they’d be too high. I wish I was joking. I’m planning on submitting it to Overheard in New York.

I really think this is all a result of too many kids buying too many keffiyehs for $5 at St. Mark's Place.

The best part now is that the Take Back NYU group has turned down requests to speak to the university. Brilliant. This just shows that students are now enamored with their own press coverage and the fact that the hundreds of people joining them have nothing to do with NYU. Hell, there are naked feminists joining them, because nothing says lower tuition and respect me like naked college chicks.

This is a joke. This is all anyone in the Washington Square Park area is talking about. The vegan food demands, the barricades, etc. Student protest can be wonderful. It can actually get things done and get young people involved with the policies that effect their lives. But when you start looking more and more like a spoiled rich brat who will spend $3500 a month for a studio in Williamsburg the more the general public will turn on you and less likely that any of those demands will be met. These seem like the kind of people I don’t want to know. I hope they kick them all out of the school. Fucking idiots. Have to turn a good thing bad every time….