Expecting Tuition Reimbursement, Tisch Students Receive Fee Refunds Instead Some Tisch Students Received Refunds for Fees After the Closure of Campus
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3 SPORTS 5 ARTS The NYU Athletics Department Dancing through Distress: Tisch Remembers Levester ‘LT’ Thompson Jr. Dancers on Remote Learning 4 CULTURE 6 OPINION CAS’ Red Dragon Society Emerges New Yorkers Don’t Deserve Petty From the Shadows Politics VOLUME LIV | ISSUE 11 MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020 Expecting Tuition Reimbursement, Tisch Students Receive Fee Refunds Instead Some Tisch students received refunds for fees after the closure of campus. By EMILY MASON News Editor Eligible Tisch students received an email on Friday, April 10 stat- ing that they had been awarded refunds, but upon closer examina- tion, students discovered fee reim- bursements as low as $35. “We have now completed the review of the dozens of individual school and course-based fees for the purpose of determining refunds,” the email to students read. “If stu- dents had not and will not receive the services, supplies or equipment for which the fee was paid, they will receive a full refund. If students had received some of the services, supplies, or equipment, but are not able to receive the balance because of the shift to remote learning, they will receive a partial refund.” Students soon discovered that this email was offering only fee refunds, not tuition reimburse- ment. Tisch students have been advocating for tuition refunds due to lost practice spaces, access to equipment and in-person training, which is especially valuable for drama students. The Tisch Partial Refund effort sent a letter to uni- versity officials and deans on Mon- day, March 30 and have not yet re- KATIE PEURRUNG ceived a response. Tisch students have been advocating for tuition reimbursement since the transition to remote learning due to COVID-19. However, students are being offered small fee refunds instead. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 I Lost Control Over My Life. ‘Animal Crossing’ Gave It Back to Me By ABBY HOFSTETTER myself furiously erasing and rewriting with further compounded upon by an unyielding Managing Editor each email from the Provost or a professor. I fear of the unknown. The current global crisis used to take my relationships for granted; now isn’t exactly helping, and the fact that NYU The coronavirus gives me anxiety. I know I cling to FaceTime like a lifeline. My friends has been making life-changing decisions with I’m not alone in that. Specifically, mention of are miles away and even the few who live close little warning hasn’t been helping either. Ev- its symptoms and its victims, especially ones can only come sit in my backyard at a six-foot erything is spiraling out of control, and I need- I know, sends me into a deep spiral I can’t distance. I used to assume I’d have a summer ed a rock to grab onto, just to steady myself. quite get out of on my own. There’s nowhere internship in the city; now all my internship Until March 20, I couldn’t find a rock, and to hide from a sudden burst of unwarranted, applications have been rejected because the in- I was losing it. graphic information, which seems to come a ternships don’t exist anymore. I used to live in On the same day I moved out of my Man- lot more often these days. It’s even harder to a little shoebox apartment in Manhattan, com- hattan apartment and into my childhood hide when you work at a small news publica- plaining about the broken elevator; now I still bedroom for the foreseeable future, Nintendo tion in New York City. pay rent for that apartment, but I live with my released the video game “Animal Crossing: I used to know the future, how my family parents, and I don’t know if I’ll ever live in that New Horizons” for the Nintendo Switch. would celebrate upcoming holidays; now, in- apartment again. I used to only think about The game’s release was highly anticipated, ABBY HOFSTETTER | WSN stead of hosting our entire extended family the health of my friends and family when it but not particularly by me — I didn’t have a Animal Crossing is a Nintendo video game that quickly rose in popularity for the Passover Seder, my family ate alone. I was an immediate concern; now it’s the only lot of free time, and I also didn’t own a con- among quarantined students, including WSN Managing Editor Abby used to rely on my color-coded calendar and thing I think about. sole to play it on. Hofstetter. Abby takes comfort in the gameplay and talks about her make plans down to the minute; now I find I have a deep fear of instability, which is CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 experience with the game. 2 Washington Square News MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020 [email protected] NEWS Edited by LISA COCHRAN and EMILY MASON Expecting Tuition Reimbursement, Tisch Students Receive Fee Refunds Instead CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ing between 12 and 18 credits, costing insurance and production fee refunds. been spoken about. I know that they’re are not acting unreasonably, regard- “We’re not hearing anything from $1,312 in fees. “We still pay a Tisch production going to send us ring lights for us to less of how the university may inter- them,” Tisch sophomore and supporter Undergraduate drama students were fee that doesn’t go to our studio and attach to our cameras, but still, it’s go- pret their demands. of the Tisch Partial Relief Fund Effort refunded an insurance fee as low as we’re not getting that back,” Tisch se- ing to be at a completely different scale “I think it’s hard when students are Kenzie Wilkin said. “We sent this let- $35.50. The breakdown of fee refunds nior Grace Traynor said. “That’s ridic- than what it would be if we were do- upset and angry and disappointed, so it ter to them two weeks ago and we’ve is available on the NYU website. ulous. It’s disappointing that they say ing it in person.” seems like we’re carrying around pitch- heard nothing, we’ve heard absolutely “It was really frustrating because we we’re going to be refunded for fees, but Students at Drexel University and the forks yelling, ‘Give us $30,000,’ but it’s nothing. So if they could at least tell felt we were actually getting something then not actually. It’s insulting. Like, University of Miami have filed lawsuits not like that,” Quigley said. “It’s asking us if they’re talking about it, if they done with trying to get some of our tui- ‘Here’s your $35.50.’” against their universities for not provid- for what’s fair and asking to be com- could tell us why we’re wrong just so we tion back in this weird, bizarre time that Tisch junior Lauren Quigley echoed ing tuition refunds. These lawsuits face pensated properly, and we don’t want can have a dialogue it would feel a lot we’re in and it felt kind of like, ‘Really, Traynor’s sentiment. Quigley’s studio tough odds as long as universities con- to have the wool pulled over our eyes more respectful.” that’s it?’” Wilkin said. was supposed to put on full-scale magi- tinue to provide classes for credit, ac- and feel like we’re being lied to and that A half-tuition refund would amount Many Tisch drama students also felt cal realism plays, which are now unable cording to reporting by the Wall Street something is being hidden from us.” to $13,982, so many students found the that in addition to the insurance fee, to happen at the same level. Journal. There is talk of taking similar double-digit refunds both insulting and they should have received production “We’re not going to have a full-scale action among Tisch students. Email Emily Mason dismissive. Most Tisch students are tak- fees back. Dance students received both set,” Quigley said. “Costumes haven’t Quigley commented that students at [email protected]. Student-Led Coalition Lobbies for Greater University Support Amid COVID-19 By EMILY MASON resource center assistants and protection world of social distancing and virus pre- tion tuition for. And for the university to cluded by stating it would continue to ad- News Editor for disabled students. It also dictates vention. Liberal Studies first-year Jenna shut that all down and say ‘we’re keeping vocate for the petition’s 18 demands and that a universal pass model and tuition Elsetouhy, a COVID-19 Coalition sup- the money’, that doesn’t make sense.” insisted upon an open line of communi- The NYU COVID-19 Coalition — a reimbursements should be instated. For porter, commented on why she became On March 31, NYU spokesperson cation with university officials, starting student activist organization — demand- university employees, the petition says involved with the movement. John Beckman responded to the petition with a meeting to discuss the feasibility ed a meeting with university officials in there should be ensured continuity of “The continuing issue is how in the on behalf of President Hamilton, which and implementation of the demands. its most recent letter to NYU President pay and job security, indefinite paid sick dark we’ve been left by all of this and how was posted on the coalition’s Instagram. The coalition has received wide sup- Andrew Hamilton sent on Tuesday, leave and hazard pay for essential workers it is that we can reach out and get help, Beckman’s response opened with well port from the student body and other April 7.