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New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

Identity & Equity

An illustration featuring a Cuban NYU student carrying the stories of her Cuban heritage with her. Behind her, a group of seagulls encircle a raft with Cuban asylum seekers, also known as balseros.

‘Patria y vida’: Cubans and Cuban Americans discuss differences in identity, expression

Cuban and Cuban American students weigh in on generational conflict, peer interactions and Cuban identity at NYU.
Bianca de Ayala, Contributing Writer March 3, 2022

Around 2.4 million Cuban immigrants have taken residence in the United States as of 2017. This diaspora consists of three generations, ranging from recent immigrants to third-generation...

Palm trees swaying in front of a beach with clouds and mountains in the background in Maui, Hawaii.

Reasons to rethink tropical travel — from the people who live there

While tropical locations might sound appealing for spring break, some students who live there have different takes on tourism, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Derek Kamakanaaloha Soong, Staff Writer March 2, 2022

Spring break is supposed to be a time for students to relax, a reprieve from the chaos of day-to-day school life. But for NYU students from tropical locations, this time of year...

Forty-one percent of NYU students face food insecurity, according to Steinhardt alum Maura Puscheck. Food insecurity has become a dire issue across New York City amid pandemic. (Images courtesy of Alesha Gooden and Tera Nakata)

Food activism: taking food justice into your own hands

The "Zoom in on Food Activism" panel, part of NYU's MLK Week celebration, aimed to involve students in food activism.
Jules Roscoe, UTA Staff Writer February 18, 2022

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s words and ideas have spread far beyond the U.S. Civil Rights movement. NYU hosted its 17th annual MLK Week last week, theorizing what a changed world...

Actress Yara Shahidi and her mother Keri Shahidi discuss their efforts to support disenfranchised communities. (Image courtesy of NYU)

Yara and Keri Shahidi impart cycle of success for Black creatives with 7th Sun Production and educational endeavors at NYU talk

Yara and Keri Shahidi spoke with Lisa Coleman about how their desire to help create space for disenfranchised communities is rooted in their family values.
Alina Hollister and Sara Jordan Ruttert February 14, 2022

In celebration of NYU's 17th annual MLK Week, actress, activist, Harvard student and producer Yara Shahidi participated in a conversation with her mother, Keri Shahidi, and NYU’s...

Zodiac Black's is an all-women tattoo studio located on 68 Thompson Street in SoHo. Co-owners Britta Christiansen and Alex Sokolov opened Zodiac Black’s in 2020. (Staff Photo by Manasa Gudavalli)

Zodiac Black’s: The all-women tattoo studio creating a safe space for art and ink

Watercolor tattoo artist Britta Christiansen and her partner Alex Sokolov opened an inclusive tattoo studio where clients can feel comfortable.
Juliana Guarracino, Staff Writer December 10, 2021

Getting a tattoo can be an overwhelming and vulnerable experience. After all, you are trusting someone to ink something that will be on your body forever. At Zodiac Black’s Tattoo...

NYU’s new Faculty Cluster Hiring Initiative aims to improve faculty diversity. However, it remains unclear how the university actually plans to revamp the hiring process. (Staff Photo by Manasa Gudavalli)

NYU’s cluster hiring initiative sure is a cluster

Over the next three years, NYU plans to recruit professors through cluster hiring. Professors will be hired under research clusters to promote faculty diversity and interdisciplinary collaboration, but the plan is confusing.
Natalie Thomas, Contributing Writer December 8, 2021

According to Charlton McIlwain, NYU’s vice provost for faculty engagement and development, 2020 brought about “two pandemics” — COVID-19 and police violence. Though both...

RxHome set up installations in Columbus Park on Oct. 29 and in Astor Place Plaza from Nov. 3 to Nov. 7. RxHome seeks to end homelessness by drawing NYC voters’ attention to the current system that deprives homeless individuals of benefits and rights. (Image courtesy of RxHome)

Interactive maze exhibit at Astor Place educates on homeless issues

RxHome NYC, an organization dedicated to addressing the struggles that homeless people face in New York City, opened a maze exhibit titled “The Way Home” at Astor Place from Nov. 3-7.
Talia Barrington, Contributing Writer November 17, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated New York City’s problems with homelessness. As shelters shut down and income insecurity soared, homeless people became even more vulnerable....

A break-in occurred at a room in Lafayette Hall on Wednesday, Nov. 3. The intruder claimed that her roommates had locked her out and she had nowhere else to go. (Photo by Mariana Trimble)

‘Can I lay in bed with you?’: How a stranger got into my dorm room

I felt safe living in an NYU dorm — until a stranger pretending to be an NYU student knocked on my door and tried to get in bed with me.
Mariana Trimble, Staff Writer November 12, 2021

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of sexual harassment.  When you live in on-campus housing, you’re afforded a sense of security not found anywhere else...

Sanjana Bhambhani, a CAS senior, runs the trending TikTok account @womenofhistory. Many accomplished historical women are overlooked in K-12 education, but Bhambhani’s videos are giving these women the recognition that they deserve. (Image courtesy of Sanjana Bhambhani)

TikTok account @womenofhistory is the education you’ve been missing

Our K-12 curriculum needs an update, but for now we have Sanjana Bhambhani.
Emma Grimes, Contributing Writer November 9, 2021

At least once a week, I pull out Google Maps to make sure I’m going the right way. Each time, I silently thank the woman who devised the basis of GPS technology — actress Hedy...

Greenwich Village is home to many historic queer bars and restaurants, such as The Stonewall Inn in the West Village. Although the neighborhood’s history draws LGBTQ+ applicants to NYU every year, the university still needs to make improvements for its LGBTQ+ students. (Staff Photo by Manasa Gudavalli)

The complexities of being LGBTQ+ at NYU

The vibrant queer culture at NYU and in Greenwich Village is often a draw for prospective LGBTQ+ students. However, the reality of being queer at NYU remains complex.
Aria Young, Contributing Writer November 4, 2021

Located in Greenwich Village, a historic hub of queer culture, NYU portrays its environment as diverse and accepting of LGBTQ+ students. Although the neighborhood’s history draws...

NYU has begun to acknowledge the Indigenous land that the campus occupies. However, only acknowledging these facts without taking action is counterproductive. (Staff Photo by Sirui Wu, Staff Illustration by Manasa Gudavalli)

What are NYU’s land acknowledgments worth?

These statements are essential when done right, but they are only the beginning of NYU’s obligations to Indigenous people.
Sabrina Choudhary, Culture Editor October 8, 2021

You may have heard a land acknowledgment for the first time in a history class, at a Student Government Assembly meeting, or at last week’s event for this year’s NYU Reads...

Visitors crowd the Annual Feast of San Gennaro, held in Little Italy. Despite the name of the neighborhood, the Italian population in Little Italy has been decreasing and replaced by white collar workers. (Staff Photo by Jake Capriotti)

The Feast of San Gennaro bodes ill for Little Italy

The shocking number of piña colada stations at the Feast of San Gennaro 2021 may reflect more than just a dying tradition.
Alex Tran, Deputy Culture Editor September 21, 2021

As a student dorming at Broome Street Residential College, right by Little Italy, I felt obligated to join in the crowd for the Feast of San Gennaro. I’d walked home the previous...