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Kerrey Calls New School Students' Occupation an "Unauthorized Sleepover"
By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 18, 2008
Modified Dec 18, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 18, 2008
Modified Dec 18, 2008
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It's been over 24 hours since New School students occupied the Graduate Faculty building in protest of school president Bob Kerrey's and other administration figures' action, and it hasn't been without incident. The students, who promised to "inaugurate a wave of occupations in New York City and the United States, a coming wave of occupations, blockades, and strikes in this time of crisis," scuffled with the police when they tried to take over more parts of the building (they were initially just in the dining hall).
CityRoom reported that in the afternoon, "City police officers removed some students from the building, and students rolled metal Dumpsters into the hall to block the police, who eventually moved back outside. The police said one person was arrested for disorderly conduct." New School Free Press reporter Elisa Deljanin also tells us that when Kerrey spoke to the students, "they did not refuse to correspond with him. He simply told the students that came out of the cafeteria that if they posed any hazard to the university, the students, or the staff, the administration will take action and ultimately press charges." Kerrey also called the event an "unauthorized sleepover" and that "we got blankets for 'em, pillows for 'em, and offered food for 'em, and they'll be fine as long as they don't start vandalizing property, threatening people, and in that case, they'll have to be removed."
Around 5 p.m., Kerrey sent an email to the New School community, "For safety and security reasons, I have decided to cancel The New School's University Student Senate Forum scheduled for tonight, December 18 at 8:00 p.m.," which drew the anger of University Student Senate President Peter Ian-Cummings, per the New School Free Press' live blog. The New School in Exile website says that they have gained control of the entire building, "There is music and study and general joy going on right now in the Graduate Faculty Building. We had some initial chaos when the building was taken considering we had a significant influx of people, but all is completely calm at this time. We have gone to work securing what we hold, barricading our doors." (It is unclear whether the occupation will continue through the month-long winter break.)
And apparently, after 10 p.m., the University Student Senate voted no confidence in Kerrey.
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Bob Kerrey
building
new school
Occupation
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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