A large group of Hunter College students occupied the college president's office yesterday to demand that she take a public stand against the proposed tuition hikes, budget cuts, and war on Iraq(which is where all that money is going) or participate in a public forum with students to discuss these issues. After the president refused to even listen to the students and turned her back on the student speaker a group of slightly under 20 students(myself included) spent the night in her office in order to present the demands to her again in the morning. That morning, after again turning her back on us, we were threatened with arrest and suspension if we didn't leave. As a matter of principle, nine of us opted to stay anyway until we were forced out or she at least acknowledged our demands...faced with the choice between agreeing to look at our demands and dragging students out bodily throught the college they caved in, and agreed to respond by friday. What do people think about this type of tactic? Is it effective? Is it justified? http://nyc.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=46431&group=webcast
So let me get this straight... you occupied her office and demanded that she take a stand on a war against Iraq, because you don't believe the US should be forcing their own opinions down everyone elses' throats?
No. We occupied her office and demanded that she take a stand on a war against Iraq, the budget cuts, and the tuition hike because we, the students will be adversely affected by these things and she as the president of our college should represent our views on these issues. We gave her the option of agreeing to a public forums to address the issue as well, knowing that she would never agree to take a stand that might hurt her politically.
hypewaders, in general, I agree that having a very specific target is crucial, in this instance the budget cuts, tuition hikes and war are all sufficiently connected to make it effective. This action was aimed at hunters working class student population who are going to be hit with a 1200 dollar tuition increase, by drawing people's attention to the connection between their tuition increase and the war budget we showed how the war effects us all personally.
jps, yes I can see now that it would make sense, and strengthen the message among Hunter students- Like they say "Think Global Act Local". Congratulations on your initiative. I'd like to hear the news on the college's promised response Friday. Can you link a website covering this? I often talk with people about the economic downside of our Mideast "nation-building", and many are far more interested in that aspect than in the human costs. As you rightly point out, it's all tied together. You have me thinking, maybe the disastrous economics of Bushevism do need more daylight, along with the grisly human costs of the coming American Anschluss. If Americans are unshakeably hard and callous when it comes to brown people 6k miles away, maybe more emphasis on the damage here at home would help break the ambivalence, apathy, and blind nationalism. Unfortunately, I personally am an Economics moron. Well, until I think on it some more, my marching sign just says "DISARM DUBYA!"
yeah, Although in a way I think its reprehensible to talk about the war in economic terms when the human toll of it will be so terrible, but I think the most important thing is to be effective in getting people mobilized against it. With any luck this action will increase Hunter's contribution to the CUNY contingent for the 15th demo. updates will most likely be on nyc indymedia, linked above. I'll watch for your sign. seems as good a slogan for this issue as any Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! I still haven't come up with a good one yet, at this rate i'll get stuck with one of the mass produced ones they hand out there.
jps Do you happen to live in California? I just received a letter that my college is more than doubling the tuition costs starting in the fall. I thought this was only because of Californias economic nightmare, is this happening other places too? Oh, and I dont think your scare tactics are a good idea. I agree with The Marquis, you cant expect anyone to take you too seriously if your being hypocritical. Oppose the war on Iraq or else!!!! That just doesnt settle too well with me. But at least your doing something about what you believe in. Theres at least honor in that.
Re: jps I live in New York City, Hunter is part of the City University of New York(CUNY) I don't know about all around the country, but it wouldn't surprise me, there's certainly been a lot of cut back in NY state. This economic nightmare doesn't have to exist. The money is there. The problem is that Bush has given a bunch of it away in a huge tax break to the obscenely wealthy and has allocated the rest for killing Iraqis.(thats an over simplification, but its basically true) I'm unclear on how demanding that the president of our college take a position thats on the side of the colleges students is hypocritical. We didn't say "oppose the war on Iraq or else" we said either oppose the war on Iraq or meet with the students in an open forum and tell us why. We were forced to camp out in her office because she refused to even look at the papers we had drawn up, and instead made a vague statement about how "we all want the college to be as affordable as possible" and then turned her back on students responding to what she said. Of course I respect her right to hold any opinion she wants, however, if her opinions, and actions, are fundementally opposed to what is in the interests of the students she is supposed to serve, then she should not be the president of this college.
This tactic was used quite a bit in the 60's {I was a bit too young to remember it}. Anyway, some form of protest it better than nothing. I too live in NYC and this is the first I've heard of this talking place. Does anyone in the NYC area know where the protest will be taking place this weekend? In an ideal world, you would be right but in this day and age...
dkb218, The rally will be near the United Nations (First Avenue stretching north from 49th Street) beginning at noon. for more info: http://www.unitedforpeace.org Also today another group of activists blockaded the hollland tunnel. Hopefully this is the start of a trend. I think the best place for information on activism in NYC is indymedia http://www.nyc.indymedia.org/
Slackmeyer sez: Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Doonesbury, Nov. 30, 1970 Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Doonesbury, Dec. 1, 1970 and one last one: Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Doonesbury, Nov. 17, 1971 So history is cyclical. I'm not sure what else to say. Sit-in, love-in, pray-in, do whatever. Sure, not everybody's Rosa Parks and not every issue is Civil Rights, but if it's what you gotta do .... :m:, Tiassa Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
How can you demand that she take a stand on those issues? What if she required all students come to a forum so she could demand that each of YOU support a war with Iraq? Would you? As president, she's not required to express your views. If you have a cause (and you've got too many) then have your sit in and hope you get some media coverage to express your views, but don't expect the school administration to echo your beliefs.
As president, she SHOULD be required to support our views on issues which put us at risk of not being able to afford tuition anymore. Again, this is not a matter of individuals demanding that other individuals accept out views, this is the students demanding that their president, whose salary WE pay not be acting in a way that is counter to the students interests.
Then drop the anti-war demands and focus on tuition hikes. Money earmarked for the war would not have trickled down to institutions of higher learning anyhow. Those are basically funded by the states, or as is often the case with private institutions, by a particular religious denomination. And don't expect much help from the school president on that end anyway. She can have little effect on what a board of trustees decides about tuition; that's not really her area. She is there to oversee the funds that are provided for the operation of the school.
jps thanks for the information. My birthday this weekend and I can see no better way to spend it! Thanks!
As I stated above, by educating students on the connections between the war and their tuition hikes we hoped to show how it affects them personally. The college is funded by the state, however the state's lack of funds is in no small part caused by the federal governments diverting money away from social programs and towards war. The federal and state governments are not independant of one another. The war also effects students directly as many of them will be called up to go to Iraq.
My opinion is that if you want to take a stand on your own free will and conviction make sure you are not forcing someone else to take you own stand and convictions. Why would she have to take a “public” stand on something that she isn’t responsible for just because the students do not agree with Government policies? You are students, you are there to attain intelligence and if you attain it, use it wisely. Chaos takes place when people wake up, having missed most of the movie and start throwing tomatoes for a lousy show. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
