Steven Stanzak Obituary: Born January 25, 1984, Steven Stanzak is known as Bobst Boy for living in the basement of New York University’s Bobst Library for eight months, from September 2003 to April 2004. was a typical student who relied on loans and part-time jobs, without any financial support from his parents. In September 2003, he found out that his NYU scholarship, four jobs and private loans would cover his tuition costs, but he faced a shortage of home loans.
He refused to drop out or transfer to a more affordable university, opting instead to live in a library. Tired of answering inquiries about library life, Stanzak decided to start an online question-and-answer section that later turned into a blog and website. This led to Stanzak acquiring a loyal fan base on the NYU campus. The Washington Square News, NYU’s student publication, was informed of Stanzak’s circumstances and asked to write a profile of him. Stanzak initially withdrew due to concerns about NYU’s possible response to the incident.
Told that the story would only be published with his consent, Stanzak decided to be interviewed. Prior to the publication of the news article in April 2004, the dean of NYU was informed of Stanzak’s circumstances and arranged a meeting. The dean praised Stanzak for his unusual initiative at the meeting, but informed him that he could no longer be in the library. Stanzak was then offered free housing at NYU for the remaining weeks of classes. After publishing the profile, Stanzak immediately attracted the attention of the media and quickly became famous. (1) (5) (6) Stanzak received extensive media coverage and appeared on Good Morning America on April 29.