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

Aaliya Luthra

Aaliya Luthra, Art Director

Aaliya Luthra is a senior majoring in Media, Culture, and Communication and minoring in studio art and South Asian studies. As an artist, she enjoys creating illustrations and short animations for all the things she's passionate about. from music and pop culture to humanitarian crises. You can follow her art page @littleredbookillustrations to see more.

All content by Aaliya Luthra
An illustration of football player Zach Wilson wearing a white headband and a green jersey.

Photo: The New York Jets are fun again

Oct 7, 2022

Fans of Zach Wilson, the 23-year-old quarterback of the New York Jets, are elated at his return. (Illustration by Aaliya Luthra)

A cup of tea and a laptop placed on dark blue bedding with the laptop displaying a screenshot of the animated film “Belladonna of Sadness.”

Photo: Off the Radar: ‘Belladonna of Sadness’ paints a vivid feminist nightmare in watercolor

Oct 7, 2022

“Belladonna of Sadness” is an animated film portraying feudal and patriarchal violence against women. (Illustration by Aaliya Luthra)

A door lock shaped like the Eiffel Tower on a wooden door. Behind the door lies a female student sleeping on a bed in a room.

Photo: Cleaning staff at NYU Paris enter dorms unannounced

Sep 29, 2022

Students raised safety concerns at NYU Paris after residence hall cleaning and maintenance staff entered rooms unannounced. (Illustration by Aaliya Luthra)

An illustration of two Black women side by side and surrounded with a dim purple light. The woman on the left is dressed in a purple jacket. The woman on the right is dressed in a pink jacket.

Photo: Review: The deafening silence of 'The Silent Twins'

Sep 30, 2022

“The Silent Twins” tells the story of Jennifer and June Gibbons using compelling visuals, but fails to fully develop the intricacies of sisters’ relationship. (Illustration...

A laptop and a cup of tea lay against a dark gray blanket. On the laptop screen is a picture of a boy riding a bike in a forest.

Photo: Off the Radar: ‘The Kid With a Bike’ tackles the violent consequences of abandonment

Sep 30, 2022

“The Kid with a Bike” is a coming-of-age film by director Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne released in 2011. The film is available on major streaming platforms. (Illustration by...

An illustration of two girls posing next to each other, smiling, near a gift shop.

Photo: Chinatown munchies that are Mott Street Girls approved

Sep 29, 2022

Mott Street Girls co-founders Anna Huang (left) and Chloe Chan in Chinatown in Lower Manhattan. They give tours that highlight authentic stories from Chinatown. (Illustration by...

An illustration of a map of Europe with the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Czech Republic, Italy and Spain painted purple with white New York University emblems. Each country has one city labeled, which are London, Paris, Berlin, Prague, Florence and Madrid. Illustrations of New York University global sites’ buildings are included next to each country on the map.

Photo: First year away: An untraditional introduction to NYU life

Sep 28, 2022

Many first-years in Liberal Studies and Stern have spent their first years of college abroad, immersing themselves in different cultures outside of New York City. (Illustration...

An illustration of a female wearing a blue turtleneck sweater and brown hair who smiles while lifting a blue mask away from her face.

Photo: Off-Third: The end of NYU’s mask mandate is the best thing to happen to my nose

Sep 28, 2022

The end of NYU’s mask mandate means no more hiding my fake nose. (Illustration by Aaliya Luthra)

An illustration depicts Elleni Solomon standing while wearing a black dress, a white lab coat and a stethoscope around her neck. The background is a gradient of yellow and pink. There are logos of the sorority Alpha Epsilon Phi.

Photo: The Science of Sisterhood

Sep 25, 2022

(Aaliya Luthra for WSN)

A hand holds a blue, smoking vape labeled “blueberry” on it. The image is enclosed in a foam green circle, and a depiction of space is in the background.

Photo: Beyond NYU: Quitting vaping with judgment-free Jones

Sep 23, 2022

Jones seeks to help users quit vaping in a judgement-free environment. (Illustration by Aaliya Luthra)

A cup of tea and a laptop displaying the film “Ruined Heart” on dark blue beddings.

Photo: Off the Radar: ‘Ruined Heart’ rides out the high and lows of love to a medley of moving melodies

Sep 22, 2022

“Ruined Heart” is a work by underground filmmaker Khavn. (Illustration by Aaliya Luthra)

A person sits in bed and cries while holding a family photo. They are sitting in their college dorm bedroom, and a New York University flag hangs on the wall. The text “FAKE NEWS” is written across the image in red.

Photo: Off-Third: Homesickness is not real

Sep 21, 2022

NYU has everything your home has to offer and more. (Illustration by Aaliya Luthra)

An illustration of a hand with red fingernails holds a smartphone that displays a BeReal interface. The woman takes a selfie while she pets her dog.

Photo: Opinion: Let's be real about BeReal

Sep 21, 2022

BeReal provides insight into what your friends are doing, bringing you closer together. (Illustration by Aaliya Luthra)

A woman lays in front of a large vinyl record in a shimmering top and bottom, wearing long earrings and sparkling heels.

Photo: Review: Ari Lennox navigates relationships and self-love in ‘age/sex/location’

Sep 21, 2022

Ari Lennox’s second album portrays the duality of wanting to be desired while playing hard to get. (Illustration by Aaliya Luthra)

Three voice bubbles with a banana and an apple, a book and a clock emerge from a phone. The image is enclosed in a purple circle, and a depiction of space is in the background.

Photo: Beyond NYU: Betting on building healthy habits

Sep 16, 2022

The app 021 measures a user’s ability to follow through on tasks by tracking fitness, nutrition and diet, lifestyle, skills and learning and mindfulness. (Illustration by Aaliya...

An illustration of the silhouettes of three NYU Campus Safety officers, standing with the hands clasped in front of their bodies. None of their faces have been drawn.

Photo: Inside NYU’s troubled Campus Safety department

May 17, 2022

(Staff Illustration by Aaliya Luthra)

An illustration of two people facing away from one another. One person is on the floor sitting on the shadow of the other person. The shadow and the person on the floor are holding onto the same bouquet of flowers.

Photo: 5 ways to cope with unrequited love

May 3, 2022

Unrequited love sucks. (Staff Illustration by Aaliya Luthra)

An illustration of a computer on a bed covered with a blue blanket. The computer’s screen displays light blue mountains. Next to the computer is a small teacup.

Photo: Off the Radar: ‘Woman in the Dunes,’ a twinge of horror in the eyes of monotony

Apr 29, 2022

The 1964 film “Woman in the Dunes” is a Japanese film nominated for two Academy Awards. The film is available for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. (Staff Illustration...

An illustration of a computer on a bed covered with a blue blanket. The computer’s screen displays a woman holding a rifle behind a red fort and a red background. Next to the computer is a small teacup.

Photo: Off the Radar: ‘La Chinoise’ asks ‘revolutionary or revisionist?’

Apr 22, 2022

“La Chinoise,” released in 1967, is a French dark comedy directed by Jean-Luc Godard. The film follows a group of young Maoist activists in France. (Staff Illustration by Aaliya...

A monochromatic portrait of Father John Misty in a white shirt and black suit with a dancer in a feather-decorated dress behind him.

Photo: Review: Father John Misty’s 'Chloë and the Next 20th Century' is a jaggedly stylistic statement

Apr 20, 2022

Joshua Tillman, known by his stage name Father John Misty, is an American indie rock musician and singer-songwriter. (Staff Illustration by Aaliya Luthra)

Illustrations representing different academic majors. A music note combined with a vinyl record in front of a line graph, a plant sprouting from a vial, math operations symbols, the silhouette of a human head combined with swirling leaves and a globe covered in electronic devices connected by wires.

Photo: The truth about changing your NYU major? It’s not that bad

Apr 18, 2022

(Staff Illustration by Aaliya Luthra)

An illustration of two baskets on a blue background. The basket on the left has five Bibles and the basket on the right has chocolate Easter eggs.

Photo: Celebrating with unity and joy on one of the most sacred Christian holidays

Apr 15, 2022

Easter, a Christian holiday celebrated in early April, has secular traditions as well. (Staff Illustration by Aaliya Luthra)

An illustration divided vertically into two sections. The left side shows two men and three women in suits against a gray background. The vertical right side has the words “NYU Publishing Panel Event” and “Learn More” against a purple background.

Photo: Opinion: NYU’s publishing program needs to diversify 

Apr 14, 2022

NYU’s Masters in Publishing program includes events with guest speakers from major publishing companies, but lacks diversity. (Staff Illustration by Aaliya Luthra)

An illustration of five vertical panels. The first panel: a planner against a blue background. The second: a woman facing her reflection in a large mirror against a green background. The third: a woman with a laptop sitting on top of an hourglass surrounded by clocks, calendars and sticky notes against a purple background. The fourth: a suitcase packed with clothes and a passport against a pink background. The fifth: pink and blue bottles of nail polish spilled on the floor against a brown background.

Photo: The do’s and don’ts of handling college burnout

Apr 13, 2022

(Staff Illustration by Aaliya Luthra)

An illustration of a disheveled woman with ash on her face and a shocked expression. She wears a black robe and behind her is a man and a forest.

Photo: Review: ‘You Won’t Be Alone’ meditates on the simultaneous universality and individuality of the human experience

Apr 13, 2022

“You Won’t Be Alone” marks Goran Stolevski’s directorial debut. It premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. (Staff Illustration by Aaliya Luthra)

An illustration of five vertical panels. The first panel: a planner against a blue background. The second: a woman facing her reflection in a large mirror against a green background. The third: a woman with a laptop sitting on top of an hourglass surrounded by clocks, calendars and sticky notes against a purple background. The fourth: a suitcase packed with clothes and a passport against a pink background. The fifth: pink and blue bottles of nail polish spilled on the floor against a brown background.

Photo: The do’s and don’ts of handling college burnout

Autumn Kaufman, Contributing Writer Apr 13, 2022

(Staff Illustration by Aaliya Luthra)

An illustration of a computer on a bed covered with a blue blanket. The computer’s screen displays a black-and-white image of a butt with a rose between the cheeks. Next to the computer is a small teacup.

Photo: Off the Radar: ‘Funeral Parade of Roses,’ a surreal peek into the psyche of a Japanese subversive

Apr 8, 2022

The 1970 film “Funeral Parade of Roses” portray’s Japan’s queer community. The film is available for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. (Staff Illustration by Aaliya...

An illustration of a severed leg served on a plate.

Photo: Review: ‘Fresh’ proves women bite back

Apr 5, 2022

“Fresh,” directed by Mimi Cave, is a comedy thriller that depicts a dating experience gone horribly wrong. It stars Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan. (Staff Illustration...

An illustration of a computer on a bed covered with a blue blanket. The computer’s screen displays a black-and-white illustration of a ball with some grass-like lines coming out of its right hand side. Next to the computer is a small teacup.

Photo: Off the Radar: ‘La Haine,’ a harsh reality transcending time and place

Apr 1, 2022

“La Haine” is a French film depicting police brutality that premiered in 1995. The film is available for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. (Staff Illustration by Aaliya...

An illustration of musician Charlie XCX wearing a black string bikini. She is falling out of the door of a crashed white car, with her legs still in the passenger seat and the rest of her body hanging out onto the road below.

Photo: Review: On “CRASH,” Charli XCX hits cruise control

Mar 28, 2022

On her new album, “CRASH,” Charli XCX continues to pioneer the experimental hyperpop genre which recoded the DNA of pop music. (Staff Illustration by Aaliya Luthra)

An illustration of a computer on the right of a bed with a blue blanket. The computer screen displays a woman wearing a white shirt and holding a video camera. In front of the computer there is a small teacup.

Photo: Off the Radar: ‘The Gleaners and I’ and the art of picking up what’s left behind

Mar 25, 2022

The documentary “The Gleaners and I,” directed by Agnès Varda, follows the tradition of gleaning and why people do it. The film is available for free via NYU’s streaming...

To either comfort you or prepare you for the heartbreaks you have gone or will go through, here are five archetypes of NYU students who will break your heart by senior year. (Staff Illustrations by Aaliya Luthra)

Photo: Editor’s Note: What purpose do letters to the editor serve?

Alex Tey, Editor-in-Chief Mar 26, 2022

To either comfort you or prepare you for the heartbreaks you have gone or will go through, here are five archetypes of NYU students who will break your heart by senior year. (Staff...

An illustration of five individuals. From left to right, a man with tattoos wearing a black graphic t-shirt, a man wearing an oversized white t-shirt and gray rounded sunglasses, a girl sitting at a cafe table, a man with a white button down shirt and khaki pants, and a man reclined on a white bed sheet.

Photo: Ranked: NYU students who will break your heart by senior year

Ary Russell, Contributing Writer Mar 23, 2022

Since he followed you on Instagram in your first year at NYU, you’ve been on and off with the Extremely Burnt Out Club Promoter. When you end things, It’ll sting for a bit...

An illustration of the back of a Black girl’s head while she sprays products into her hair in front of a mirror. On the right is a table with eight assorted hair care product containers.

Photo: The US hair care industry lags behind in accepting Black hair

Mar 11, 2022

For Black women, hair creates a sense of identity and self. Manufacturers should do more to accommodate Black hair types with their products. (Staff Illustration by Aaliya Luthra)

An illustration of a computer on a bed covered with a blue blanket. The computer’s screen displays a black-and-white illustration of Apu in the film “Pather Panchali.” Next to the computer is a small teacup.

Photo: Off the Radar: ‘Pather Panchali,’ the poetic low-budget film that put Indian cinema on the map

Mar 11, 2022

Satyajit Ray’s 1955 film “Pather Panchali” is about a family living in a rural Bengali village. The film is available for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. (Staff...

An illustration of a computer on the right of a bed with a blue blanket; the screen displays a Hindu wedding scene from “Monsoon Wedding.” In front of the computer is a small teacup.

Photo: Off the Radar: ‘Monsoon Wedding’ offers a window into Indian tradition

Mar 4, 2022

Directed by Mira Nair, “Monsoon Wedding” is a 2001 Hindi-English language drama film. NYU professors collaborated with Nair in the scriptwriting and production of the film....

An illustration of a Rooted Fare Dried Chili Sichuan Sauce jar with red chilis and garlic bulbs laying next to it.

Photo: NYU alum’s business partners with immigrant chefs to spread the sauce around

Mar 2, 2022

Rooted Fare, a business started by Steinhardt graduate Ashley Xie, works with immigrant chefs around the country to get their sauces in stores. (Staff Illustration by Aaliya Luthra)

An illustration of a computer on the right of a bed with a blue blanket; the screen displays Jenna Ortega and Maddie Ziegler. In front of the computer is a small teacup.

Photo: Off the Radar: ‘The Fallout’

Feb 28, 2022

In the Gen Z film “The Fallout,” Vada (Jenna Ortega) and Mia (Maddie Ziegler) bond over the trauma of a school shooting. The film is available for free via NYU’s streaming...

An illustration of a hand holding up an iPhone with a camera app open. The back camera frames a sink and the front camera frames a woman in a blue hood. Above the camera app are the words “2 minutes to share what you’re up to.”

Photo: Can social media app BeReal deliver on its eponymous promise?

Feb 24, 2022

BeReal is a social media app that promotes a casual, unfiltered experience. (Staff Illustration by Aaliya Luthra)

Instead of subscription-based streaming services such as Netflix and HBO Max, NYU community members also have the option to stream films through video databases provided by Bobst Library. (Staff Illustration by Aaliya Luthra)

Photo: Free movies through Bobst: Navigating NYU’s wide range of streaming services

Feb 18, 2022

Instead of subscription-based streaming services such as Netflix and HBO Max, NYU community members also have the option to stream films through video databases provided by Bobst...

As lovers celebrate their romantic holiday, Valentine’s Day can be the perfect time to enjoy a heartbreaking breakup album. (Staff Illustration by Aaliya Luthra)

Photo: This Valentine’s Day, listen to a breakup album

Feb 14, 2022

As lovers celebrate their romantic holiday, Valentine’s Day can be the perfect time to enjoy a heartbreaking breakup album. (Staff Illustration by Aaliya Luthra)

Protein bars are a popular snack choice. But they may not be as nutritious as they claim. (Staff Illustration by Aaliya Luthra)

Photo: Remaking the protein bar: the ugly, processed truth of a beloved snack

Feb 9, 2022

Protein bars are a popular snack choice. But they may not be as nutritious as they claim. (Staff Illustration by Aaliya Luthra)

“Dexter: New Blood” is a miniseries and a continuation of the original “Dexter.” The show seeks to appease fans disappointed with the original show’s finale. (Staff Illustration by Aaliya Luthra)

Photo: Review: ‘Dexter: New Blood’ continues exploring the complexities of the murderous antihero in series revival

Jan 26, 2022

“Dexter: New Blood” is a miniseries and a continuation of the original “Dexter.” The show seeks to appease fans disappointed with the original show’s finale. (Staff Illustration...

Kacey Musgraves released her fifth studio album “star-crossed” on Friday, Sept. 10. In the album, Musgraves dives into the conflicting feelings of love and hate and eventually the acceptance of both. (Illustration by Aaliya Luthra)

Photo: Review: Kacey Musgraves’ 'star-crossed' is a Shakespearean tragedy

Sep 21, 2021

Kacey Musgraves released her fifth studio album “star-crossed” on Friday, Sept. 10. In the album, Musgraves dives into the conflicting feelings of love and hate and eventually...

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