NYU Protesters End Occupation

HOw much free time doe these "students", or rather, idiots have to do stuff like this. Obviously, NYU classes are not hard enough.

"This is absurd. It’s an outrage. You don’t put a hand on any of the students in the building."

My favorite quote.

Guess they don't teach property law at NYU. Just because you pay to go there doesn't mean it's your playground.

Hey, I pay to go to my gym. But I can't go into the pool when it's closed, use the gym when a yoga class is going on, or sit in the cardio room after hours.

I think the punishment should be that this goes on their permanent records.

Most of the dozen or so remaining protesters vacated the premises earlier this afternoon after NYU administrators threatened them with suspension.

wow, they freakin rolled over

send them on a field trip to gitmo or afghanistan.

Deport them all to Gaza.

It didn't last as long as I hoped

EdEx - so what was the final casualty count? Make sure your people denounce their actions and destroy their homes. I hope you and your family have escaped these atrocities unharmed.

NOOOOOO! It can't be over.

But I got an idea. Listen, FIT students. It's time for a fashion-in. Take back your school and 7th Avenue. Hold indiscrimate fashion shows. We need illegal catwalks. Drive-by hair makeovers. Random shoe kickoffs.

Demand free boob jobs for all--male students included--and 13 tons of food to Star Jones. Because nothing makes you look thinner than a fatty on TV.

And don't forget to invite the Feminist Ninjas. We need nude girls.

Not exactly a shining moment for student organizing.

Wow, that was anti-climatic.

These dudes should try out self-immolation.

in the future the revolution will be lame

They must feel pretty burned that even the lame-o New School occupation was better than this.

Pathetic. Good thing these brats weren't in Tiananmen Square in 1989. Or maybe....

I've seen better organized protests for better causes by the 1st graders at PS 45.

The purpose of this letter is to put to a close any dispute of $8,601.06 that your front offices claim I owe to NYU. These charges are for a semester in housing, which I had clearly stated I would not be using as I was withdrawing from the university for a variety of reasons that I won't go into in this letter not because they're irrelevant - they're quite relevant and would shed light on my disgust with your university and my decision to leave - but rather for the purpose of brevity (ie I'll take one fight at a time). I don't exactly know the hardworking geniuses at NYU who thought it would be logical to drop me from the register (and cancel all charges and existence of me as an NYU student) yet keep me on the list as someone residing (and apparently, paying) in NYU housing. But that's what happened, and I ended up getting stuck with this nonsense bill.

In the early summer of 2008 - I believe sometime just after my 21st birthday (06.02) - after I became sick and tired of the constant stream of harassing letters from your offices, I decided to go, along with my mother (who had dealt with the financial aspect of my NYU sentence), to the office of the bursar. I was under the impression that showing up in person and speaking to somebody face-to-face would help resolve the lack of communication and unprofessional mismanaged communications (on NYU's part) I had encountered when trying to resolve this issue through phone calls and emails. Unfortunately, I was mistaken and the person at the desk told my mother and I (after she had gotten off her lengthy non work related phone call) that we were in the wrong place and needed to talk to the housing department. After waiting a considerable amount of time for the staff at the desk and receiving the same cold, unprofessional treatment at the housing office, we were told that the issue was a big misunderstanding and would be taken care of immediately. We also gave our home phone number in case there were any problems resolving the issue but were assured that unless we received a call, this would be taken care of.

(On a side note, I'd also encountered this same breakdown of communication, lack of knowledgeable staff, and unwillingness to help when I tried to work my schedule around the demands of my Air Force ROTC cadetship and was either told that I'd a) have to quit AFROTC in order to continue my NYU career or b) asked, "Air Force ROTC? What's that?")

Since that visit, I have received at least two letters a month from the bursar's office. Although I have made several attempts to talk to someone on the telephone (as I realized that going in person clearly did nothing more than inconvenience myself) more often than not I've been directed to leave a message and the voicemails I have left have gone unanswered. Starting December I began receiving threatening letters from a debt collection agency, and on February 12, I received a gem of a letter from one of your attack-dog attorneys. The last sentence of this masterpiece wrote, "Please review your records and demonstrate your willingness to resolve this matter directly with your creditor listed below."

I've reviewed my "records" and on my end they look like repeated, earnest attempts to contact NYU to fix the problem at hand. When the issue was first brought to my attention, I was extremely ready and willing to "resolve this matter." Now, not so much. My willingness to resolve this matter? None, actually. But don't worry - it will get resolved, I promise you that. And, I also am going to make all parties involved - including your current and future student body and the press - aware of this situation, the efforts I made to correct it and NYU's poor communication and mismanagement, lack of professionalism, and unwillingness to cooperate.

If I had the cash to give to NYU's piggy bank (so they can continue buying up and ruining New York City) I would, just so I could be left alone and have nothing more to do with this overstuffed, overpaid and overwhelmed institution. Unfortunately I make just over minimum wage at my job as a Wilderness Field Instructor/Assistant Medical Director in the northern Adirondacks rehabilitating troubled youth, and the $8,601.06 (as of 2.21.2009 - your greedy interest rates are piling up!) is a figure I can only dream of even having in the bank for myself, much less throwing away as an appeasement to the already bloated wallet of NYU.

Oh, right. I almost forgot: Your "Brine Family Commons" or whatever one of the downstairs floor in Bobst Library is called is named after my mom's side of the family - thanks to uncle Kev (Brine) who was on the NYU Board of Trustees for some time. And having a father in the media/publications as well as access to his connections couldn't hurt. Imagine the PR nightmare: overpaid NYU attorneys prosecuting a minimum-wage EMT/rehab counselor (whose family donated a large amount of money to the university) for $8,601.08 for a semester of housing in which said accused wasn't even registered with the university as a student. So if it goes there, sure. Let's take it to court and see what happens; but hey, sorry NYU - you're not covering this one up.

Respectfully,

Jamie Gollogly

P.S - Perhaps reviewing your policies and procedures - as well as developing a more professional, cooperative and helpful attitude in your front offices - would foster the environment expected in a university in which students don't storm the student center while protesters and police clash outside.