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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

Dejarelle Gaines

Dejarelle Gaines, Highlighter Editor

Dejarelle (Deja) is the Highlighter Editor for the Washington Square News. She is a senior in Steinhardt studying Media, Culture and Communication and Journalism and she hopes to eventually land a job as an editor for a newspaper or a magazine. A lover of all things animated, especially anything that is related to Steven Universe or Avatar: The Last Airbender, you can follow her on Twitter and watch her as she awkwardly tries to interact with her favorite voice actors.

All content by Dejarelle Gaines
With so many cultural differences between NYC and Ghana, a study abroad trip to Accra can be greatly eye-opening.

Ghana: Learning to Love my Dark Skin

Dejarelle Gaines, Highlighter Editor October 11, 2016
Highlighter Editor Dejarelle Gaines recounts her experience in Ghana and how it affected her perception of beauty and self.
Kubo and the Two Strings is an animation that took a risk in diversifying Hollywood.

Risk-Taking ‘Kubo’ Pays Off

Dejarelle Gaines, Highlighter Editor September 6, 2016
"Kujo and the Two Strings" deals in risk and creativity in this season's most unique animated film.
The Best and Worst Songs of Summer 2016

The Best and Worst Songs of Summer 2016

Dejarelle Gaines, Highlighter Editor August 28, 2016

You can almost hear the end credits rolling as classes start and summer fades away. Whether it be lounging poolside, jamming front row at a concert or taking a road trip with the...

Peter Dowling's film, "Sacrifice," opens in NYC at the IFC on Friday, April 29.

‘Sacrifice’ Portrays The Evil of Patriarchal Societies

Dejarelle Gaines, Copy Chief April 27, 2016
"Sacrifice" tells the story of a surgeon who finds a young woman's body after moving into a new house.
Smorgasburg has some great food on the weekends, including the new and viral raindrop cake.

Weekend: Ditch Your Dorm, Take Advantage of the Weather

Dejarelle Gaines, Copy Chief April 14, 2016
Check out our guide for cool things to do the weekend of April 15th.
Centering around the death of Isabelle Reed, LOUDER THAN BOMBS is the story of a family's attempts to unearth the mystery around the fatal car crash.

“Louder Than Bombs” Experiments With Time Successfully

Dejarelle Gaines, Copy Chief April 8, 2016
Jesse Eisenberg stars in "Louder than Bombs" a family drama directed by Joachim Trier.

Screening Room Fails College Students

Dejarelle Gaines, Copy Chief April 6, 2016
Napster founder Sean Parker's proposed streaming service The Screening Room would give viewers the opportunity to see new releases in their homes.
Director Trey Edward Shults presents his new film "Krisha", a story of addiction and family turmoil.

Visually Stunning “Krisha” Only Tells a Hackneyed Story

Dejarelle Gaines, Copy Chief March 23, 2016
Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at SXSW 2015, "Krisha" tells the story of a woman returning home for Thanksgiving dinner after 10 years away.
Jenny Jiao Hsia

Jenny Jiao Hsia

Dejarelle Gaines, Copy Chief March 10, 2016

When was the last time you read the painfully self-conscious pages of a teenage girl’s diary while playing a video game? Personal touches like that are the exact thing that sets...

Marguerite tells the story of Marguerite Dumont as she follows her love for singing, while lacking the talent.

“Marguerite” is a Surprising, Off-Key Delight

Dejarelle Gaines, Copy Chief March 8, 2016
French film "Marguerite" centers on a wealthy, aspiring opera singer — who cannot sing.

The Gender Neutral Housing Option

Dejarelle Gaines, Copy Chief February 25, 2016
Here at NYU, you have the option to waive your gender specific housing option and opt for a gender-neutral one. Read about that process — and its benefits — here.

Greenwich Hall

Dejarelle Gaines, Copy Chief February 25, 2016

Polina Buchak Residency: Upperclassmen, Freshmen Estimated yearly cost: $13,000-$18,500 Low-cost rooms available: Yes Commute to class: 15 minutes Nearby subways: PATH,...

Katy Perry headlined the Super Bowl Halftime Show last year, and as much as we love Coldplay, the WSN staff thinks another artist could play the show better.

Staff Recs: Artists We Wish Would Play the Super Bowl Halftime Show

Let's give some more interesting musicians a shot.
From novel to the big screen, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is in theaters this Friday.

Zombies Take a Chomp at Austen’s Classic Novel

Dejarelle Gaines, Copy Chief February 4, 2016
Jane Austen and zombies are combined with mixed results.
The NYU New Visions and Voices Festival celebrates Tisch talent at its Finalists Screening & Awards Announcement on November 12, 2015. The finalists include Nadia Fedchin, Mitchell Lazar, Kira Dane, David Fu, Andreas Hadjipateras, Barak Barkan, Sachin Dharwadker, Braulio
Lin (from left to right).

NYU film fest shows New Visions, New Voices

Dejarelle Gaines, Staff Writer November 16, 2015
Film and Television students got a taste of the professional film festival circuit at the New Visions and Voices Festival. Festival winners were announced on Thursday, with first place going to Andreas Hadjipateras for his short film, "Gallero."
“The Peanuts Movie" unites audiences of all ages.

Classic comic strip graphics preserved on screen in ‘Peanuts Movie’

Dejarelle Gaines, Staff Writer November 12, 2015
The Peanuts Movie is a warm tribute to the beloved comic strip characters.
‘Entertainment’ not very entertaining

‘Entertainment’ not very entertaining

Dejarelle Gaines, Staff Writer November 11, 2015
"Entertainment" shows that even stand-up comedy can lose its fun and excitement.
"The Hallow" is set in rural Ireland, where a conservationist Adam Hitchens (Joseph Mawle), his wife Claire (Bojana Novakovic) and their infant son Finn have recently moved.

Monsters scare in ‘The Hallow’

Dejarelle Gaines, Staff Writer November 3, 2015
A conservationist unwittingly awakens ancient demonic forces in the Ireland-set film "The Hallows."
Director Jason Mann and producer Marc Joubert during a Q&A following a screening of their new film, “The Leisure Class” on the 28th of October, 2015.

Winner of ‘Project Greenlight’ deserves red light

Dejarelle Gaines, Contributing Writer November 2, 2015
HBO's "Project Greenlight" comes to a disappointing end with Jason Mann's "The Leisure Class," showing celebrity endorsement is not always well-guided.

Oscars, Emmys get no awards for diversity

Dejarelle Gaines, Staff Writer October 21, 2015
Despite the most diverse group of Emmy nominees in history, awards shows still fail to recognize people of color.
Freeheld is a 2015 American drama film directed by Peter Sollett, NYU alumni.

NYU alum Peter Sollett talks ‘Freeheld’

Dejarelle Gaines, Contributing Writer October 5, 2015
WSN spoke with "Freeheld" director Peter Sollett about the film, his time at Tisch and "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist."
Moore and Page defend gay rights in ‘Freeheld’

Moore and Page defend gay rights in ‘Freeheld’

Dejarelle Gaines, Contributing Writer September 29, 2015
Based on real events, Laurel Hester (Julianne Moore) is a dying police officer who wishes to leave her pension to her life partner Stacie Andree (Ellen Page) until the New Jersey board of freeholders denies the couple's request.