Goldman Sachs Anti-Recruitment Session at Princeton University

Goldman Sachs Investment Banking Division recruitment session mic-checked at Princeton University by Occupy Princeton (www.occupyprinceton.net).

After several pointed questions on the financial crash and Wall Street's heavy hand in Washington, the Goldman Sachs recruiter asked who in the audience was interested in a career on Wall Street, and who was there "to play gotcha."Occupy Princeton responded with a resounding mic check:

Goldman, your actions violate our motto. In 2001, you helped mask Greek Debt. From 2007-2008, your imposed commodity market contributed to the global food crisis with a quarter-million people starving. In 2008, you paid a mere $14 million dollars in global tax, while making a $2 billion profit. Your lending practices helped crash our economy. Our bailout dollars went to your executives' bonuses. In light of these actions, we protest the campus culture that whitewashes the crooked dealings of Wall Street as a prestigious career path. We are here today as a voice for the 99% shut out by a system that punishes them just for being born without privilege.

Dear Fellow Princeton Students, we are here to ask you for a moment of reflection. Deciding on a future career path is difficult. It deserves serious introspection. When you came to Princeton as a wide eyed freshman, you probably didn't dream of working at Goldman Sachs. What happened? We are all privileged to have made it to Princeton. However, our talents will be wasted if we send all our best and brightest to Wall Street. Some of you joke that you're going over to the dark side. To the Gold Man Sacks. Those nicknames exist for a reason. You've heard that investment banking is an exciting, fast-paced career. That is what smart people like you do. You've been told that this is what success looks like. We are here to challenge those beliefs. What you've been listening to is a carefully crafted recruitment pitch. You can do better for yourselves and you can do better for our society. Princeton is a university "In the Nation's Service, and in the Service of All Nations." We invite you to join us at our next General Assembly.

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  Nonprofits & Activism

[alanabcd2005]

I am so ashamed of being a part of Princeton...

[aeopmusic]

The world needs less greed and more virtue!

The reason they're investment bankers is because ivy grads want 7 figure salaries, penthouse aparment, thousand dollar meals/dates, luxury prostitutes etc. If virtue were deemed a greater acquisition than greed, this wouldn't be a problem!

[mrfrednoname]

BTW occupy is SSSSOOOOO 2012...



[mrfrednoname]

So when they come crying to goldman sachs for a job in a few years... I hope they remember that you tube keeps these videos...

[santsguru]

Government Sachs

[nicholasjdemoI]

Hilarious how princeton kids are complaining about the very system that helped their parents afford to flip the 200k bill for college...hypocrisy at its finest.

[PsicologiaChannel]

Future homeless in America, LOL

[ciaranfitzgerald1]

It feels exceptionally rude, if someone from Goldman Sachs came to my finance class I'd be hanging on every word for what a great opportunity I have

[QuantumBunk]

Pssss. These yakking kids....next thing you know this yakking girl will be voting for Obama, the biggest murdering president the U.S. has ever know....'he's so liberal!!"

[kangaldogs0331]

Very insightfull comment. This is why as a recruiter I stay away from university recruiting. You get a bunch of lazy, self righteous, brainwashed kids who let there hippie professors invade their brains. I recruit almost soley from the military. Aggressive, disciplined, and motivated individuals who will kill to win. They are leaders not followers barking out what someone tells them. Winning is everything in business. If it was not, there would not be for profit business.

[kangaldogs0331]

As a recruiter, you just made my job easier. The whiners and lazy bastards left the room in a huff. Great! I just eliminated the self important fucks that think they have a clue on how to run a profitable business. I am sorry I work for a company that can exploit the laws your public servants initiated. You voted for them you morons. So my company hires great tax lawyers and accountants so they can profit 2 billion and only pay 14 million in corporate taxes.

[Stephanie Daul]

I would never have thought Princeton students could be this privileged and this stupid. Gives you a perspective from "the 99%."