Transcendental Students
Encyclopedia
Transcendental Students (TS) was a student activist
and anarchist group created in 1969 at NYU
in New York City
. Its motto and philiosophy was "insurrection
through happiness".
Transcendental Students differed from the more nationally well-known student group, Students for a Democratic Society
also based in New York City, both in philosophy and tactics. While SDS believed that government and society would need to be restructured, TS believed that social life could be humanized immediately through actions. As SDS pushed for reform of government or democracy
, TS called for decentralization
. SDS was influenced by state socialist thinking, while TS drew from anarchist and Situationist philosophy. However, TS and SDS did collaborate on some actions.
s protesting overcrowding in the classroom
. TS became known for holding events that they referred to as "Freak Ins" (or alternatively, "Freak Outs"). These convergences would occupy and 'free' an area, transforming study halls into radical spaces. As Frank Zappa
wrote in the notes to the 1966 album Freak Out!
"On a personal level, Freaking Out is a process whereby an individual casts off outmoded and restricting standards of thinking, dress, and social etiquette in order to express creatively her relationship to her immediate environment and the social structure as a whole." In ways, the goal of TS's gatherings were to create Temporary Autonomous Zone
s for the NYU community. (Similarly, twenty years later, in 1988, the San Francisco-based Cacophony Society
began holding 'Trips to the Zone', beginning with a party at Baker Beach and later resulting in the Burning Man
festival.) Present at these gatherings was TS's signature black flag with a red middle finger in gesture
.
At NYU, TS became a large group. TS would criticize SDS, dismissing its leaders as self-serving and its politics as incomplete or petty. Soon TS eclipsed SDS on that campus. As historian William O'Neill writes in Coming Apart, "In the fall of 1969 the most important radical student group at New York University was called Transcendental Students. At a time when SDS could barely muster twenty-five members, five hundred or more belonged to TS." The group was seen as a threat by some authorities and some members found themselves spied on by the NYPD political intelligence unit or "Red Squad".
In 1970, TS organized the takeover and occupation of NYU's Courant Institute
where they held a $3.5 million CDC 6600
computer hostage (equivalent to $19.4 million in 2010 dollars), demanding $100,000 ransom to be used for bail for the "Panter
21". The occupation, involving 200 students and at least 2 professors, was also in opposition to NYU's connection to the Atomic Energy Commission
and Richard Nixon
's invasion of Cambodia. When their demands were not met, members of TS suggested the computer's memory be erased with magnets while other students (perhaps Weathermen) decided to destroy the multi-million dollar machine outright with incendiary device
s. The devices were disabled and the CDC 6600 computer saved by mathematician
Peter Lax
, then director of NYU's computing center.
Student activism
Student activism is work done by students to effect political, environmental, economic, or social change. It has often focused on making changes in schools, such as increasing student influence over curriculum or improving educational funding...
and anarchist group created in 1969 at NYU
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Its motto and philiosophy was "insurrection
World revolution
World revolution is the Marxist concept of overthrowing capitalism in all countries through the conscious revolutionary action of the organized working class...
through happiness".
Transcendental Students differed from the more nationally well-known student group, Students for a Democratic Society
Students for a Democratic Society (1960 organization)
Students for a Democratic Society was a student activist movement in the United States that was one of the main iconic representations of the country's New Left. The organization developed and expanded rapidly in the mid-1960s before dissolving at its last convention in 1969...
also based in New York City, both in philosophy and tactics. While SDS believed that government and society would need to be restructured, TS believed that social life could be humanized immediately through actions. As SDS pushed for reform of government or democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
, TS called for decentralization
Decentralization
__FORCETOC__Decentralization or decentralisation is the process of dispersing decision-making governance closer to the people and/or citizens. It includes the dispersal of administration or governance in sectors or areas like engineering, management science, political science, political economy,...
. SDS was influenced by state socialist thinking, while TS drew from anarchist and Situationist philosophy. However, TS and SDS did collaborate on some actions.
Overview
TS began in the spring semester of the 1968-1969 school year after a series of sit-inSit-in
A sit-in or sit-down is a form of protest that involves occupying seats or sitting down on the floor of an establishment.-Process:In a sit-in, protesters remain until they are evicted, usually by force, or arrested, or until their requests have been met...
s protesting overcrowding in the classroom
Student-teacher ratio
Student-teacher ratio refers to the number of teachers in a school or university with respect to the number of students who attend the institution. For example, a student-teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that there are 10 students for every one teacher...
. TS became known for holding events that they referred to as "Freak Ins" (or alternatively, "Freak Outs"). These convergences would occupy and 'free' an area, transforming study halls into radical spaces. As Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
wrote in the notes to the 1966 album Freak Out!
Freak Out!
Freak Out! is the debut album by American band The Mothers of Invention, released June 27, 1966 on Verve Records. Often cited as one of rock music's first concept albums, the album is a satirical expression of frontman Frank Zappa's perception of American pop culture...
"On a personal level, Freaking Out is a process whereby an individual casts off outmoded and restricting standards of thinking, dress, and social etiquette in order to express creatively her relationship to her immediate environment and the social structure as a whole." In ways, the goal of TS's gatherings were to create Temporary Autonomous Zone
Temporary Autonomous Zone
T.A.Z.: The Temporary Autonomous Zone, Ontological Anarchy, Poetic Terrorism is a book by anarchist writer Hakim Bey published in 1991 by Autonomedia...
s for the NYU community. (Similarly, twenty years later, in 1988, the San Francisco-based Cacophony Society
Cacophony Society
The Cacophony Society is “a randomly gathered network of free spirits united in the pursuit of experiences beyond the pale of mainstream society.” It was started in 1986 by surviving members of the now defunct Suicide Club of San Francisco....
began holding 'Trips to the Zone', beginning with a party at Baker Beach and later resulting in the Burning Man
Burning Man
Burning Man is a week-long annual event held in the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada, in the United States. The event starts on the Monday before the American Labor Day holiday, and ends on the holiday itself. It takes its name from the ritual burning of a large wooden effigy on Saturday evening...
festival.) Present at these gatherings was TS's signature black flag with a red middle finger in gesture
Finger (gesture)
In Western culture, the finger , also known as the middle finger, is an obscene hand gesture, often meaning the phrases "fuck off" , "fuck you" or "up yours"...
.
At NYU, TS became a large group. TS would criticize SDS, dismissing its leaders as self-serving and its politics as incomplete or petty. Soon TS eclipsed SDS on that campus. As historian William O'Neill writes in Coming Apart, "In the fall of 1969 the most important radical student group at New York University was called Transcendental Students. At a time when SDS could barely muster twenty-five members, five hundred or more belonged to TS." The group was seen as a threat by some authorities and some members found themselves spied on by the NYPD political intelligence unit or "Red Squad".
In 1970, TS organized the takeover and occupation of NYU's Courant Institute
Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences
The Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences is an independent division of New York University under the Faculty of Arts & Science that serves as a center for research and advanced training in computer science and mathematics...
where they held a $3.5 million CDC 6600
CDC 6600
The CDC 6600 was a mainframe computer from Control Data Corporation, first delivered in 1964. It is generally considered to be the first successful supercomputer, outperforming its fastest predecessor, IBM 7030 Stretch, by about three times...
computer hostage (equivalent to $19.4 million in 2010 dollars), demanding $100,000 ransom to be used for bail for the "Panter
Black Panther Party
The Black Panther Party wasan African-American revolutionary leftist organization. It was active in the United States from 1966 until 1982....
21". The occupation, involving 200 students and at least 2 professors, was also in opposition to NYU's connection to the Atomic Energy Commission
United States Atomic Energy Commission
The United States Atomic Energy Commission was an agency of the United States government established after World War II by Congress to foster and control the peace time development of atomic science and technology. President Harry S...
and Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
's invasion of Cambodia. When their demands were not met, members of TS suggested the computer's memory be erased with magnets while other students (perhaps Weathermen) decided to destroy the multi-million dollar machine outright with incendiary device
Incendiary device
Incendiary weapons, incendiary devices or incendiary bombs are bombs designed to start fires or destroy sensitive equipment using materials such as napalm, thermite, chlorine trifluoride, or white phosphorus....
s. The devices were disabled and the CDC 6600 computer saved by mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
Peter Lax
Peter Lax
Peter David Lax is a mathematician working in the areas of pure and applied mathematics. He has made important contributions to integrable systems, fluid dynamics and shock waves, solitonic physics, hyperbolic conservation laws, and mathematical and scientific computing, among other fields...
, then director of NYU's computing center.
Philosophical revivals
Forty-years later, a number of student groups around the country began similar attempts at occupying university buildings, using both sit-ins and dance parties, with the goals of changing social relationships. These included efforts at NYU, The New School, the University of California and California State University. At many of these universities the administrations tend to valorize their schools radical past of protest and dissent, even advertising it in their recruitment materials. This elevation of past protests as part of a storied history may assist the university in its attempts to denigrate the contemporary student actions as misguided anger. At NYU students received a large amount of coverage in the media after 70 students occupied Kimmel student center. Despite the NYU administration's embrace of its storied history, many students were arrested and a number were recommended for expulsion from the school.See also
- TranscendenceTranscendence (philosophy)In philosophy, the adjective transcendental and the noun transcendence convey the basic ground concept from the word's literal meaning , of climbing or going beyond, albeit with varying connotations in its different historical and cultural stages...
- Transcendence (philosophy)Transcendence (philosophy)In philosophy, the adjective transcendental and the noun transcendence convey the basic ground concept from the word's literal meaning , of climbing or going beyond, albeit with varying connotations in its different historical and cultural stages...
, Transcendental argumentsTranscendental argumentsA transcendental argument is a deductive philosophical argument which takes a manifest feature of experience as granted, and articulates that which must be the case so that experience as such is possible...
, TranscendentalismTranscendentalismTranscendentalism is a philosophical movement that developed in the 1830s and 1840s in the New England region of the United States as a protest against the general state of culture and society, and in particular, the state of intellectualism at Harvard University and the doctrine of the Unitarian...
- Transcendence (philosophy)
External links
- Inciting to Riot - clip from the TS film Inciting to Riot