Comments on: Hunger strikers release individual statements following 89-hour demonstration

By: S

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:40:03 +0000

2010, where did you hear that Cappy had said that to faculty? I doubt very much that Cappy would have expressed that to you directly and therefore how impartial is your source? If it’s not, or if they are not legally liable (such as the documentation released by the administration) for their communications to you, then how viable is the source? I do believe that there were already other employment opportunities made available for those they had laid off, some of which were taken and some were not. Also, employment counseling has been offered to those leaving the school for quite some time now. I’m afraid your hunger strike only caused the administration to make even clearer what had already been set in place.
As to your suggestion of hiring one extra student for the 45’000 dollars we pay, unfortunately that would only make matters worse as the cost of sending a student to school here is much more than that sum. If you remember, there is a day called ‘mind the gap’ sometime in February, this is when that tuition no longer pays for our stay here and endowment takes over. Also, this would mean that Vassar would have to get rid of it’s need-blind application process, which has allowed students from a greater variety of backgrounds to come here, including some of the members of your group.

By: really though?

really though? — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 05:15:54 +0000

2010 – there was already SO much attention around this issue, though. the fact that robyn has been here for less than two years and has already engaged in two hunger strikes seems odd to me — what seems more odd is the fact that neither time were the purported goals of said strikes fully met. so like, what, every time these kids find something problematic with the methodology of the administration, they’re going to starve themselves for four or five days then give in when their goals are kind-of-sort-of-but-not-really met? apparently they’re just that self-righteous. some might call them martyrs (though personally, i would not).

again, there was already a lot of attention around this issue, and frankly i think “we wanted to bring attention to the layoffs” would be a weak argument for hunger striking, anyway. the whole thing reminds me of when five year olds throw tantrums in toy stores because their mom won’t buy them the $60 videogame they want. like, even though the mother probably feels horrible about it, she knows it’s not a sound financial decision. but the child feels as though he’s in the right, so he embarrasses the hell out of his mom in public until either a) she gives in or b) he gets tired of stomping around.

By: 2010

2010 — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:37:22 +0000

Anger? Maybe. Frustration? Most definitely. Misplaced? no way.

By: John '12

John '12 — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:33:02 +0000

Wow, 2010, looks like you’ve got some misplaced anger…

By: 2010

2010 — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:28:38 +0000

you sick commenters can all go screw yourselves. The strikers may have had unattainable goals, but do you think they don’t know that? They brought more attention to the gross mishandling of the economic crisis by Vassar’s upper administration–what they did was admirable, and their goal of gaining exposure was reached. Falk, do you really think there’s nothing wrong with Vassar? Nothing wrong with the fact that employees are being fired while the upper administration keeps their $300,000+ salaries? That Cappy has said that professors can hire the laid off employees to clean their houses if they’re so concerned with the loss of jobs (yes, she did say that). You know what’s mature? Sticking up for people. You know what’s right? Sticking up for employees when at every turn, Vassar spends money unnecessarily and inappropriately. You know who’s a douchebag? All you guys out there shitting on the activists (yes, that’s right, activists and not “activists”). Because we all know the misc–yes that’s right, the MISC, that pinnacle of journalistic flawlessness, that beacon of truth in this hopeless mass of “babies,” along with the VSA who of course do everything right–is right, why question anything? Go fuck yourselves.

By: Falk

Falk — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 06:17:42 +0000

Wow, what a spineless bunch of “activists.” They promised to starve themselves until there were no layoffs. They promised not to surrender or nourish themselves until everyone saw the world through their Marxist lens. But then when they realized that a bunch of ignorant, uniformed children can’t make sound policy, they gave up. Like babies. If they had read the Misc or asked someone in student government or someone in the administration, they would have known that Vassar has been actively trying to place employees whose positions were eliminated into different positions. Now they’re trying to take credit for that, as if their not eating at ACDC for a couple days changed people’s lives. Royce/Robyn and co., next time, don’t act unless you actually have something to fight for. Don’t just assume that there’s something wrong with Vassar, because more likely, there’s something wrong with you.

By: Adam

Adam — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 06:09:16 +0000

“The unions were satisfied, and we did our best.”

WTF?

By: Deirde

Deirde — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 06:05:00 +0000

I’m glad their union overlords were satisfied. Anything for the SEIU and the CWA!

By: 2011

2011 — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:50:56 +0000

Did you actually accomplish anything? Weren’t all of those actions you purport to have brought about already happening?

By: Green

Green — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:03:07 +0000

Royce, don’t lie. You all changed your goal midstream from “re-instate the 13 workers” to “find them jobs sometime please?” because you knew that the administration was not interested in bending. You all took a serious loss, and you should recognize that. The only thing worse than a hunger strike is a failed hunger strike.