Skip to Main Content
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

Beyond NYU

Each week, WSN sits down with an NYU student, faculty member or alum who’s making change beyond the university.

(Courtesy of Brooklyn Horror Film Festival)

Beyond NYU: Bridging the gap between business and film

From Tisch to Stern, Alejandra Parody shares her journey in the film industry.
Lekhya Kantheti, Deputy News Editor February 13, 2025

Alejandra Parody, a Tisch and Stern alum, started her filmmaking journey with a love for storytelling, but evolved into something much larger. Exploring her passion for writing...

(Courtesy of Television Academy)

Beyond NYU: Shaping films and shows frame by frame

From NYU Tisch classes to Hollywood’s “Ted Lasso,” alum A.J. Catoline shared his experiences in the world of film editing.
Amelia Hernandez Gioia, Deputy News Editor February 6, 2025

Tisch alum A.J. Catoline always had an interest in film and writing, but he discovered that his true passion was for editing in an NYU filmmaking course. Now, he’s an Emmy-winning...

(Courtesy of Madi Kaplan)

Beyond NYU: Mixing acting with activism

Madi Kaplan, a first-year at NYU, decided to combine her passions for performance and nonprofit work into both a Gallatin concentration and a theater organization.
Amelia Hernandez Gioia, Deputy News Editor January 30, 2025

Gallatin first-year Madi Kaplan has always loved performing on stage, but she wanted to have a larger role behind the scenes. In high school, she decided to create a space where...

(Courtesy of Chelsea Kyle)

Beyond NYU: Shaking up the restaurant industry one article at a time

You might know Eater from its vast lists of restaurant recommendations. But for Editor-in-Chief Stephanie Wu, the publication offers many opportunities for expansion.
Lauren Ng, Culture Editor January 23, 2025

Growing up in Taipei, CAS alum Stephanie Wu always knew she wanted to live in New York. Now, she’s helping provide restaurant recommendations to hundreds of thousands of people...

A woman smiling against a black background with the words “N.Y.U. BEYOND” written to the left.

Beyond NYU: Opening doors to STEM for students of color nationwide

Inspired by her experiences as an NYU graduate student, Jaycee Holmes hopes to welcome more people of color and women into the computer science industry.
Rory Lustberg, Deputy News Editor December 5, 2024

When Tisch alum Jaycee Holmes was an undergraduate student at Spelman College — a historically Black, women’s university — the maker space lab for students consisted of one...

A close-up shot of a man wearing a blue-striped shirt and brown pants sitting in a floral-decorated staircase with big white words that say “BEYOND N.Y.U.”

Beyond NYU: From 8th-grade star to Broadway regular

Adi Roy scored his first professional role as an NYU sophomore. Now, he’s playing the iconic Disney prince that we all know and love.
Rory Lustberg, Deputy News Editor November 21, 2024

Former Tisch and Courant student Adi Roy first played Aladdin on stage in his middle school’s production of “Aladdin Jr.” At that time, he hadn’t even seen the popular...

A girl standing next to a lifesized cardboard cutout of herself, with the words “BEYOND N.Y.U.” written to her left.

Beyond NYU: Turning a creative outlet into a personal brand

Just like many of us, Stern junior Gracie Palumbo-Alkire used to wind down by watching TikTok videos before bed. Now, millions of people are tuning in to watch hers.
Rory Lustberg, Deputy News Editor November 14, 2024

In high school, Stern junior Gracie Palumbo-Alkire would go about her daily life of rigorous classes and sports practices, and get ready for bed — pausing her nightly routine...

A man standing in a suit holding a trophy, with “STUDENT ACADEMY AWARDS” written on the wall behind him and “BEYOND NYU” written to the right.

Beyond NYU: Documenting human rights abuses on camera

NYU journalism alum Rishabh Jain hopes to make a difference through creating documentaries highlighting peoples’ stories.
Rory Lustberg, Deputy News Editor November 7, 2024

As NYU alum Rishabh Jain created his thesis documentary while studying graduate journalism in the News & Documentary program, he never could have predicted that it would win...

A man posing in front of a white backdrop with the words “Beyond N.Y.U.” illustrated next to him.

Beyond NYU: From high school debate to the Broadway stage

Nihar Duvvuri attended the Tisch School of the Arts for over a year before deciding to redirect and pursue acting full-time. Now, he’s performing in “Romeo and Juliet” on Broadway.
Rory Lustberg, Deputy News Editor October 24, 2024

Former NYU Tisch student Nihar Duvvuri did not have a theater program in his high school — his only acting at that time were 10-minute performances for the speech and debate...

A black and white image of a woman with the words “BEYOND N.Y.U.” illustrated next to her.

Beyond NYU: How a Tony Award-winning director took a passion for performance

Rachel Chavkin, director of the Broadway show “Hadestown,” jump-started her career with five of her Tisch classmates by her side.
Rory Lustberg, Deputy News Editor October 17, 2024

The most important course of Tisch alum Rachel Chavkin’s life took place from 7-10 p.m. every Sunday night. In that experimental theater class at NYU, titled “Creating Original...

A man wearing an all black outfit and a bright orange beanie watches a monitor. Behind him are crew members wearing black, one of whom is holding a camera.

Beyond NYU: From moviegoer to festival screener

ishkwaazhe Shane McSauby spoke with WSN about his journey as an Indigenous filmmaker, his creative influences and how his identity has been shaped by the cinematic art.
Rory Lustberg, Deputy News Editor October 10, 2024

Tisch Graduate Film alum ishkwaazhe Shane McSauby began his filmmaking journey in a high school class in Michigan. Now, McSauby’s films depicting modern Native stories — inspired...

A brunette girl wearing a white top smiling, standing against a green wall, with the words “BEYOND N.Y.U" illustrated next to her.

Beyond NYU: How a Gallatin alum built her brand up from flea markets to fashion shows

Dissatisfied with her experiences in the fashion industry, Leah Gans decided to change the trajectory of her career by creating a clothing label.
Aashna Miharia, News Editor September 30, 2024

Gallatin alum Leah Gans came to NYU with a passion for fashion, but left with a degree in the psychology field. Now, she’s hitting rewind and teaching herself how to channel...