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

Arnav Binaykia

Arnav Binaykia, Editor-in-Chief

Arnav Binaykia edits the Washington Square News and studies journalism, history and data science at NYU. He reads and writes about local politics, labor and public data. Email him at [email protected] or find him online @arnavbinaykia.

All content by Arnav Binaykia
A plaque on a door that reads, “All-Gender Restroom.”

Photo: Opinion: NYU’s all-gender bathroom list is outdated and incomplete

Apr 11, 2023

NYU needs more all-gender restrooms. (Arnav Binaykia for WSN)

A group of people wearing purple and pink shirts hold signs with the letters “N,” “Y” and “U” under the Washington Square Arch.

NYU acceptance rate drops to 8% for class of 2027

After reviewing more than 120,000 applications, NYU sent acceptances to the most selective class in its history on Tuesday.
Arnav Binaykia, Editor-in-Chief Mar 28, 2023

NYU’s acceptance rate dropped to 8% for its newly admitted class of 2027, the lowest ever recorded at the university’s New York campus. The university’s newest class received...

Doctor Carl Zimmer speaks from the wooden podium in Hemmerdinger Hall. An audience sits in front of him. Behind him is a projector screen displaying two images.

Photo: How science journalists reported on the ‘story of our lifetime’

Mar 21, 2023

Carl Zimmer spoke at the event in Hemmerdinger Hall on Monday. (Arnav Binaykia for WSN)

Judith Heumann wearing N.Y.U’s commencement robe and red-framed glasses waves to the crowd.

Judith Heumann, disability rights activist who spoke at NYU graduation, dies at 75

A trailblazer in the disability rights movement, Judith Heumann passed away in Washington, D.C. on Saturday afternoon.
Arnav Binaykia and Bruna Horvath Mar 5, 2023

Judith Heumann, a dedicated advocate known by many as the “mother” of the disability rights movement, died on March 4 in Washington, D.C., at the age of 75. The cause of her...

A tall building complex with a glass exterior in daylight with traffic passing in front of the building.

181 Mercer named John A. Paulson Center after donation from hedge fund billionaire

NYU dedicated its flagship new development at 181 Mercer Street to alum John Paulson, who made a $100 million donation toward the building.
Abby Wilson and Arnav Binaykia Dec 14, 2022

With one month remaining before NYU’s billion-dollar new academic facility is set to open, the university announced on Wednesday that it will name the building, previously known...

Two people entering the building of New York Univeristys School of Professional Studies with a glass facade.

NYU suspends professor after learning of child porn conviction

Robert Ginsberg, a real estate professor, is a registered sex offender in New York state. That didn’t stop him from continuing to teach at NYU until earlier this week.
Abby Wilson and Arnav Binaykia Oct 9, 2022

NYU suspended a real estate professor on Saturday, after finding that he is a registered sex offender. Robert Ginsberg, an adjunct professor at the Schack Institute of Real Estate...

(Charlie Dodge for WSN)

End of NYU mask mandate planned for Sept. 28

As part of the updated policy, masks will no longer be required in classrooms or in Bobst Library, and event hosts, faculty and supervisors will not be allowed to require masking within a specific space. The weekly testing requirement for unvaccinated individuals will also be removed.
Arnav Binaykia, Editor-in-Chief Sep 23, 2022

NYU will drop its mask mandate on Wednesday, Sept. 28, marking the end of a two-year-long requirement for students and employees in academic settings, according to a draft of an...

A person sits against a tree while reading a book in Washington Square Park. Foliage and other parkgoers can be seen in the background.

2 NYU students report sexual assault in Washington Square Park

NYU’s Department of Campus Safety published an alert in response to two separate incidents on Monday evening.
Arnav Binaykia, Editor-in-Chief Sep 13, 2022

Two students reported that they were groped near NYU’s Washington Square campus on Monday evening, according to an incident alert from NYU’s Department of Campus Safety. The...

Michael Steinhardt resigns from NYU’s board of trustees

Michael Steinhardt resigns from NYU’s board of trustees

Michael Steinhardt, after whom the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development is named, will step down from his position as an NYU Life Trustee months after an investigation by the Manhattan district attorney found that he possessed 180 stolen antiquities.
Arnav Binaykia, Editor-in-Chief Aug 2, 2022

Michael Steinhardt, hedge fund billionaire and namesake of NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, will resign from the university’s board of...

Katherine Fleming standing at a podium delivering a speech. She is wearing a red, black and cream cheetah-print blouse.

Provost Katherine Fleming to leave NYU for Getty Trust

Katherine Fleming, who has served as NYU’s chief academic officer since 2016, will preside over the J. Paul Getty Trust and its $9.2 billion endowment.
Arnav Binaykia and Abby Wilson Apr 6, 2022

NYU provost Katherine Fleming was selected by the J. Paul Getty Trust, a multi-billion dollar cultural and philanthropic organization based in California, to be its next president...

A group of students sit on a bench in Washington Square Park. Buildings in the background rise above green trees with lots of foliage. It is a sunny day with a bright blue sky full of clouds. The fountain in the center of the park is on and spewing water into the air.

NYU acceptance rate falls to 12.2% for 2022 admits

The university’s incoming class of 2026 is its most selective ever. NYU received more than 105,000 applications.
Arnav Binaykia, Rachel Cohen, and Abby Wilson Mar 31, 2022

NYU’s undergraduate admissions rate dropped to 12.2% for the class of 2026, according to university admissions data released on Wednesday. More than 105,000 students applied...

A hand holding a New York University I.D. up to a dining hall entrance scanner.

Swipe it Forward meal donation program returns to dining halls

Students can once again ask for a free meal swipe at select NYU dining halls after the Swipe it Forward program resumed on Feb. 21.
Arnav Binaykia, Deputy Managing Editor Feb 23, 2022

Swipe it Forward, a food donation program that allows any student to ask for a free meal swipe at select NYU dining halls, resumed on Feb. 21. The program, run in collaboration...

A man was shot on the A train in Brooklyn on Dec.18. Bystanders crouched on the subway floor moments after shots were fired. (Staff Photo by Arnav Binaykia)

Photo: Subway crime spike unnerves NYU students

Jan 31, 2022

A man was shot on the A train in Brooklyn on Dec.18. Bystanders crouched on the subway floor moments after shots were fired. (Staff Photo by Arnav Binaykia)

NYUs COVID-19 positivity rates have increased sharply in recent weeks, but have remained lower than the rates in New York City as a whole.

NYU COVID positivity rate more than 20x pre-omicron average

The most recent data shows an 18.29% positivity rate in COVID tests at NYU.
Alex Tey and Arnav Binaykia Jan 10, 2022

COVID-19 positivity rates at NYU are up drastically, with 18.29% of tests conducted between Dec. 27 and Jan. 2 coming back positive. This latest data marks a 22-fold increase from...

Anime NYC was held from Nov. 19-21 at the Javits Center in New York City. An attendee from Minnesota tested positive for the omicron variant in one of the first detections of the variant in the United States. (Photo by Mari Binstock)

Anime club members should get COVID test, NYU says

The instruction came after the second U.S. case of the new omicron variant of COVID-19 was traced to a New York City anime convention that drew more than 50,000 attendees.
Arnav Binaykia, News Editor Dec 6, 2021

Members of Club Anime, the largest anime-related club on campus, were asked by NYU to immediately obtain a COVID-19 test in an email from the university’s COVID-19 response team...

NYU’s financial aid packages have met the full financial need of every student in the current first-year class. This is the first time that 100% of every applicant’s financial needs has been met. (Photo by Lauren Sanchez)

NYU is now meeting 100% of applicants’ financial need

The current first-year class is the first to receive financial aid that fully meets students’ financial need, with average financial aid packages increasing by over $11,000 since last year.
Arnav Binaykia, News Editor Nov 15, 2021

For the first time, NYU’s financial aid packages met the full demonstrated financial need of every student in its first-year class. The new policy, which started with the class...

A break-in occurred at a room in Lafayette Hall on Wednesday, Nov. 3. After the incident was reported to dorm authorities, it took over an hour for security to arrive and remove the intruder. (Staff Photo by Alex Tran)

Repeat dorm intruder infiltrates Lafayette, security response delayed

NYU security took over an hour to arrive when two Lafayette residents reported a stranger in their room harassing them and refusing to leave. This was the second time that the intruder was snuck into the dorm by the same hall resident.
Arnav Binaykia and Kristian Burt Nov 12, 2021

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of sexual harassment.  An outsider not affiliated with NYU gained unauthorized access to Lafayette Hall and harassed two...

BREAKING NEWS: ​​NYU received bomb threats targeting the Stern School of Business and the Center for Neural Science. Students have been instructed to evacuate to Bobst Library and the Kimmel Center. (Staff Photo by Manasa Gudavalli)

Bomb threats at NYU force evacuations

NYU received bomb threats targeting the Stern School of Business and the Center for Neural Science. Buildings across campus were evacuated, but are now clear to reenter. Classes will proceed as normal on Nov. 12.

NYU received bomb threats at the Stern School of Business and Center for Neural Science. The Hebrew Union College, an independent institution not affiliated with NYU, also received...

On Sunday, Nov. 7, Brown University, Columbia University and Cornell University received bomb threats. Both Cornell and Brown received bomb threats by phone and Columbia’s evacuations appeared to be in response to two threats posted by a Twitter account. (Images via Wikimedia Commons)

Bomb threats force evacuations at Brown, Columbia, Cornell

Brown, Columbia and Cornell Universities are the latest in a slew of bomb threats targeting universities across the United States this past week.

Brown University, Columbia University and Cornell University received bomb threats on the afternoon of Sunday, Nov. 7. Brown evacuated all buildings on the Main Green, Columbia...

The inside of the Colosseum, which was the largest amphitheater in the Ancient Roman world. NYU’s course syllabi, and Western academia in general, neglect the study of non-white cultures in favor of Roman and Greek art and history. (Staff Photo by Arnav Binaykia)

Photo: Opinion: NYU should stop idolizing the Greeks and Romans

Oct 22, 2021

The inside of the Colosseum, which was the largest amphitheater in the Ancient Roman world. NYU’s course syllabi, and Western academia in general, neglect the study of non-white...

The Arno river cuts through the city of Florence, the site of NYU’s campus in Italy. NYU’s limits on off-campus student housing options diminish financial accessibility at abroad locations — and impede students from fully experiencing their global study experience. (Staff Photo by Arnav Binaykia)

Photo: The case for Liberal Studies

Apr 18, 2022

The Arno river cuts through the city of Florence, the site of NYU’s campus in Italy. NYU’s limits on off-campus student housing options diminish financial accessibility at...

Tandon’s senior leadership and members of the Department of Campus Safety hosted a town hall at Tandon’s Dibner Library on Sept. 23. They addressed the shooting of an NYU student outside a Tandon building, and students voiced concerns and asked questions about the shooting and the universitys communication and response. (Staff Photo by Manasa Gudavalli)

At Tandon town hall, NYU confronts the aftermath of Sept. 21 shooting

Two days after a student was shot outside a campus building, the Tandon School of Engineering held a town hall addressing unanswered questions as well as the university’s self-described “communication breakdowns.”
Arnav Binaykia, News Editor Sep 27, 2021

Tandon dean Jelena Kovačević and head of campus safety Fountain Walker held a town hall on Sept. 23 to address the Sept. 21 shooting of an NYU student outside of a Tandon building....

Police and guards surround the Tandon campus in Brooklyn. An individual was shot near 6 Metrotech on Tuesday afternoon. (Staff Photo by Arnav Binaykia)

NYU student shot on Brooklyn campus

A Tandon sophomore was wounded in a shooting on the Tandon School of Engineering campus.
Arnav Binaykia Sep 21, 2021

An NYU student was shot at approximately 3:15 p.m. outside 5 MetroTech Center on the NYU Tandon School of Engineering campus. The victim, a Tandon sophomore, was wounded in the...

Security camera footage shows the perpetrator wearing a black face mask and riding a red and black moped. The reports all described the attacker wearing dark clothing and a motorcycle helmet covering the majority of their face. (Image courtesy of NYPD)

Another student groped on campus as string of sexual assaults continues

The fourth incident in a string of sexual assaults raises questions about security at NYU — particularly for women, who make up 58% of the undergraduate student population.

An NYU student reported that they were sexually assaulted on campus at approximately 4:40 p.m. on Sept. 10. This was the fourth such incident in less than two weeks, all of which...

A firefighter uses a thermal imaging camera on 9/12/01. (Photo by Yoni Brook)

‘A city grieves’: How the Sept. 11 attacks upended life at NYU

A review of WSN’s archives from the days after 9/11 reveals an aftermath of collective sorrow, despair and disbelief and shows how the NYU community scrambled to respond.
Arnav Binaykia and Suhail Gharaibeh Sep 11, 2021

This story is the second of a two-part series commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on New York City. Read the first story here. “In a brutal act...

On September 1, a flash flood emergency was declared for New York City from the heavy rains from the remnants of Hurricane Ida. Many NYU students reported flooding in Lower Manhattan residence halls. (Staff Photo by Shaina Ahmed)

Semester begins despite a torrential downpour, collapsed transportation system and flooded dorms

Sept. 1 was the fifth-rainiest day in New York City’s recorded history. The remnants of Hurricane Ida passed through the city, causing flash floods and leaving at least 43 dead. Students reported flooding at numerous residence halls, while others were stranded at NYU Welcome events.
Arnav Binaykia and Rachel Fadem Sep 2, 2021

New York City was pummeled by the remnants of Hurricane Ida on Wednesday evening, Sept. 1. The city declared its first-ever flash flood emergency, with Mayor Bill de Blasio urging...

Maria Bartiromo is the host of Sunday Morning Futures on Fox News and a member of NYU’s Board of Trustees. She has recently voiced empty right-wing claims about the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. capitol. (Image via Wikimedia Commons, Staff Illustration by Manasa Gudavalli)

‘A propagandist’: NYU trustee Maria Bartiromo peddles pro-Trump lies on Fox shows

Once a journalism student at NYU, Maria Bartiromo has recently turned to amplifying baseless right-wing claims about the 2020 election and Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol — all while serving as a voting member of NYU’s Board of Trustees.
Arnav Binaykia and Suhail Gharaibeh Aug 25, 2021

“This is disgusting! And we cannot allow America’s election to be corrupted. We cannot.”  These were the words of Maria Bartiromo — a Fox News personality and voting...

The Tandon School of Engineering is located in Brooklyn. Facebook disabled several accounts and pages associated with a Tandon political advertising research project. (Staff Photo by Ryan Kawahara)

Facebook disables accounts used by NYU political advertising researchers

Accounts and pages associated with the Ad Observatory project at Tandon were disabled in a move researchers called ‘disgraceful.’
Arnav Binaykia, News Editor Aug 4, 2021

Facebook has disabled the accounts of researchers at the NYU Ad Observatory, a project developed by the Tandon School of Engineering that documents and analyzes Facebook political...

When the pandemic hit, the drag culture was hit just as hard. Many queens, such as Honey Davenport, turned to the internet and social media, attempting to translate the extravagance of a live performance to a camera. (Staff Illustration by Arnav Binaykia)

Photo: New York drag queens share struggles and successes of online performance

May 6, 2021

When the pandemic hit, the drag culture was hit just as hard. Many queens, such as Honey Davenport, turned to the internet and social media, attempting to translate the extravagance...

NYC mayoral candidate Dianne Morales speaks to the picketers on day one of NYU GSOCs strike. Morales is among many other politicians and public figures who have expressed support for GSOC. (Staff Photo by Alexandra Chan)

Bernie Sanders, New York politicians stand with striking NYU grad student workers

Three days into the GSOC strike, politicians from the national to local levels have expressed their support for the union.
Arnav Binaykia, Deputy News Editor Apr 29, 2021

As the strike action initiated by the Graduate Student Organizing Committee entered its third day on Wednesday, national, state and city politicians expressed their support for...

NYU GSOC member Yuwei waves a flag that reads Solidarity, not austerity, join the strike on day 2 of the strike. GSOC will be picketing all week. (Staff Photo by Alexandra Chan)

GSOC agrees to mediator, NYU clarifies purpose of email to parents

NYU’s graduate student workers are striking for the fourth day in demand of a new contract.
Rachel Cohen and Arnav Binaykia Apr 29, 2021

The Graduate Student Organizing Committee’s strike entered its third day on Wednesday, April 28. Students and faculty reported disruptions to class activities, such as delayed...

NYUs GSOC gears up to strike April 26 Monday after an unsuccessful full day of bargaining on Thursday. (Staff Photo by Alexandra Chan)

NYU’s grad student workers will go on strike beginning Monday

NYU and GSOC, the union representing NYU’s graduate student workers, remain at a stalemate over contract negotiations. Members of GSOC will not report to work starting April 26, barring a last-minute agreement between the university and the union.
Arnav Binaykia and Trace Miller Apr 23, 2021

Graduate student workers will go on strike starting Monday, April 26, after NYU and the Graduate Student Organizing Committee failed to resolve differences between the union’s...

The Graduate Student Organizing Committee set a deadline to go on strike on April 26 unless the union and the university successfully renegotiate graduate student employees’ collective bargaining agreement. Undergraduate student representatives and activist groups such as NYU’s Student Government Assembly, Sunrise NYU, and NYU YDSA have expressed support for the Graduate Student Organizing Committee. (Staff Photo by Alexandra Chan)

Graduate student workers prepared to strike next week

As GSOC’s April 26 strike deadline approaches, contract negotiations between the university and the union remain at a standstill.
Trace Miller and Arnav Binaykia Apr 21, 2021

Members of the Graduate Student Organizing Committee will go on strike April 26 unless the union and the university successfully renegotiate graduate student employees’ collective...

NYU Tandon School of Engineerings undergraduate Teaching Assistants have gone on strike. The TAs responsible for course EG 1003 are demanding better working conditions. (Photo by Ryan Kawahara)

Teaching assistants at Tandon on strike

Undergrad teaching assistants for Tandon’s General Engineering 1003 course have gone on strike demanding competitive wages and an end to alleged administrative mismanagement.
Arnav Binaykia, Deputy News Editor Apr 7, 2021

Undergraduate teaching assistants for the General Engineering 1003 class at Tandon went on strike Monday, April 5, demanding a minimum wage of $25 an hour and better working conditions. Every...

The Fund Excluded Workers Coalition set up a strike at Judson Memorial Church. Workers deemed ineligible for NY unemployment benefits enter the fourth week of a hunger strike. (Staff Photo by Arnav Binaykia)

Workers enter fourth week of hunger strike, protesting lack of unemployment benefits

Undocumented and recently incarcerated workers barred from accessing New York state unemployment benefits have been on an indefinite hunger strike since March 16.
Arnav Binaykia, Deputy News Editor Apr 6, 2021

Workers excluded from government financial assistance during the pandemic completed their 21st day of an indefinite hunger strike on April 5. The group of strikers, which includes...

NYU will soon welcome the new class of 2025. Admissions rates have continued to drop each year. (Staff Illustration by Susan Behrends Valenzuela)

NYU acceptance rate drops to 12.8%

The university released admissions decisions for the Class of 2025 earlier this week, offering around 13,000 applicants a spot at NYU and welcoming its most diverse class yet.
Arnav Binaykia, Deputy News Editor Apr 2, 2021

The undergraduate acceptance rate for NYU’s New York City campus dropped to 12.8%, according to admissions decisions for the Class of 2025 released Wednesday, March 31. This...

The NYU Graduate Student Union held a strike vote rally at Gould Plaza on Tuesday. (Staff Photo by Alexandra Chan)

GSOC and supporters rally for strike authorization vote

Members of the Graduate Student Organizing Committee assembled at Gould Plaza on Tuesday in support of their ongoing vote to authorize a strike.
Trace Miller and Arnav Binaykia Mar 24, 2021

Members of the Graduate Student Organizing Committee gathered at Gould Plaza yesterday to mark the start of their vote on a strike authorization. They were joined by supporters...

Members of the Graduate Student Organizing Committee at NYU are starting voting tomorrow on whether to authorize a strike after NYU has failed to produce a new contract for graduate workers represented by the union and employed by the university. (Photo Courtesy of GSOC)

Graduate workers announce strike vote as contract deadlock continues

After nine months of bargaining with NYU have failed to produce a satisfactory contract, GSOC has called a strike authorization vote.
Arnav Binaykia, Deputy News Editor Mar 22, 2021

Members of the Graduate Student Organizing Committee will start voting tomorrow on whether to authorize a strike after nine months of bargaining with NYU have failed to produce...

NYU’s Office of Global Programs, located at 383 Lafayette St., opened its Fall 2021 Study Away Application. However, the uncertainty of the future of the pandemic has left aspects of NYUs study away programs tentative. (Staff Photo by Manasa Gudavalli)

NYU says post-pandemic study away is a tentative go

Uncertainty about vaccination timelines and the course of the pandemic has complicated the study away application process, leaving students excited and confused.
Arnav Binaykia, Staff Writer Mar 10, 2021

NYU’s Office of Global Programs opened the Fall 2021 Study Away Application to students on March 1, despite continued uncertainty about the feasibility of normal study away programs...

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