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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

Kevin Ryu

Kevin Ryu, Sports Editor

Kevin is a senior in CAS majoring in philosophy. When he is not yelling at his computer screen during Lakers games, he loves playing chess and reading in his free time.

All content by Kevin Ryu
The Bobcat has been NYU's mascot since the late 1980s. There are only two rules in mascoting — never speak when you are in the suit and do not take the suit off in public unless you are with your assistant. (Illustration by Alice La)

Meet the Students Behind the Mask

Here's an inside look into the lives of students who wear the Bobcat suit for NYU’s mascot team.
Kevin Ryu, Sports Editor September 28, 2020

When you join this NYU club, you might be able to attend the premiere of a Broadway show for free or participate in a mechanical bull riding competition outside Madison...

Heung-min Son is South Korea’s pride in the game of soccer, being the star forward of Tottenham Hotspurs. With the skills and traits of a top player, he challenges the Asian stereotype in the sport and so inspired numerous aspiring young talents. (Staff Illustration by Chelsea Li)

Why Heung-min Son Is My Favorite Player

I have watched Heung-min Son play for Tottenham Hotspurs for four years now. He has since become my favorite player.
Kevin Ryu, Sports Editor September 28, 2020

My fandom for soccer began when I was five. It was the 2002 World Cup, and like everyone else in South Korea that summer, my friends and I had been swept by the fervor...

NYU does not have a football team. NYU students discuss their predictions for the 2020 NFL season. (Staff Illustration by Deborah Alalade)

NYU Predicts: NFL Edition

With the start of the 2020 NFL season, NYU students give their predictions.
Kevin Ryu, Sports Editor September 21, 2020

The Kansas City Chiefs’ 34-20 victory against the Houston Texans opened the 2020 NFL season on Sept. 10. After opting out of having a bubble, the games have started with...

NYU Athletics are cancelled for the Fall. NYU senior athletes in Fall sports discuss how they have processed the canceled season. (Staff Illustration by Deborah Alalade)

The Bitterness of Leaving Unfinished Business Unfinished

How NYU senior athletes in fall sports are processing the canceled fall season.
Kevin Ryu, Sports Editor September 21, 2020

When CAS senior Dillan Spector learned that fall sports were canceled, he had little time to rue the lost season. He had a decision to make, one he had been delaying making...

(Staff Illustration by Chelsea Li)

The ‘96-’97 NYU Women’s Basketball Team Was Impossibly Good

Inside a season and a game that won NYU its first NCAA DIII championship.
Kevin Ryu, Sports Editor September 14, 2020

Days before the championship game, Jehan Clark was heading to class when she noticed something. “Back then, our student center was called Loeb,” Clark said via phone....

A sport where people have seemingly forsaken creative play for optimal play is chess, after Deep Blue chess engine first defeated the chess world champion Grandmaster Garry Kasparov in 1996. Similarly, NBA audiences have raised concerns that sports are becoming increasingly homogenized as teams across sports push for an optimal style of play. (Staff Illustration by Deborah Alalade)

Is Creativity Dying in Sports?

As teams across sports push for an optimal style of play, people have raised concerns that sports are becoming increasingly homogenized. However, that does not mean there is no longer room for human ingenuity in sports.
Kevin Ryu, Sports Editor September 14, 2020

Geographically, the NBA of today is completely different from what it was 20 years ago. Compare the graphics of top shot locations from the 2001-2002 season to the current...

(Staff Illustration by Debbie Alalade)

Stuart Robinson Starts His Tenure as NYU’s Athletic Director

A New York City native brings two decades of experience and success to his new role.
Kevin Ryu, Sports Editor September 8, 2020

When you have worked at the same place for 28 years, there are very few surprises. You achieve a familial awareness of everyone’s personalities and idiosyncrasies, from what...

Lionel Messi celebrating a goal against Granada CF for Barcelona back in October of 2014. Now, Messi and the club's current relationship remains uncertain after the player's request to leave was denied. (Image via Wikimedia, from L.F.Salas)

Can Messi and Barcelona Achieve Their Perfect Goodbye?

By declining Lionel Messi’s request to leave, Barcelona has gambled both on Messi’s brilliance being enough to propel a comeback season and on having a chance at an amicable split with the soccer player.
Kevin Ryu, Sports Editor September 8, 2020

When Sir Alex Ferguson retired from managing soccer club Manchester United in 2013, 13-year-old me could not believe it. He had just led the team to another Premier League...

NBA players strike to hold their organization and owners accountable for not taking a stand for social justice. The NBA’s lack of real action shows their progressive image is an empty promise. (Staff Illustration by Chelsea Li)

The Reactive and Equivocal Politics of the NBA

The NBA promised to be at the forefront of movements for social justice. The NBA players’ strike is the latest reminder that their promise has not been backed with action.
Kevin Ryu, Sports Editor August 31, 2020

It was the second time in league’s history — and the first time since 1964 — that NBA players had organized a strike. Back then, the players striked for a pension and...

Pictured is NYU’s Taekwondo team after practice at Palladium Gym. Athletes reflected on a premature end to their season and discussed their future plans for the sport. (Image courtesy of NYU Taekwondo Club Sport)

Just For Kicks: NYU Taekwondo Team Discusses Their Season’s Premature Ending

With the cancellation of nationals, a temporary pause on their pursuit for a Division I promotion and even a false alarm coronavirus scare at a competition, the NYU Taekwondo team discuss their reactions to their season’s early end and reflect on their favorite memories of the season.
Kevin Ryu, Staff Writer April 27, 2020

When she first heard that their upcoming tournament at New Jersey State would be postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak, Steinhardt senior Christine Zheng thought she would...

NYU's own competitive Quidditch Team reflects on the cancellation of their season. (Staff Illustration by Charlie Dodge)

NYU Quidditch Team Rides Out Their Season’s Premature End

Due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, the NYU Quidditch team will not be able to compete in nationals.
Kevin Ryu, Staff Writer April 20, 2020

Steinhardt junior Katelin Martinez originally signed up for Quidditch tryouts thinking it would be a way to connect with other Harry Potter fans. What she soon found out was that...

With the abrupt end to their athletic season, NYU athletes find creative ways to remain active at home. (Staff Illustration by Charlie Dodge)

NYU Athletes Discuss Their Quarantine Routines

In this article, NYU Athletes talk free time without sports and dealing with training setbacks.
Kevin Ryu, Staff Writer April 13, 2020

CAS senior and captain of the women’s golf team Arisa Kimura did not expect to spend her second semester attending middle-of-the-night classes, watching television (her current...

Stern sophomore women's golfer Arshia Mahant has represented India for international tournaments. She started the "Adopt a Golfer" initiative to promote golf in India. (Image via NYU Athletics)

On and off the Course, Golfer Arshia Mahant Excels

Stern sophomore Arshia Mahant wins golf tournaments and creates her own initiative to spread the game of golf in India.
Kevin Ryu, Staff Writer April 6, 2020

Ever since she picked up the golf clubs at the age of seven, Stern sophomore golfer Arshia Mahant has competed at the top of her sport, representing India for National Tournaments...

Steinhardt junior Haley Will, back row center, is ready to make a comeback on the basketball court. Will has been injured during most of her career at NYU, but her passion for the sport won’t let that hold her back. (Photo courtesy of Haley Will)

No Obstacles Can Stop This Junior Guard

Despite an asthma condition that has limited her playing time for the women’s basketball team, Steinhardt junior Haley Will’s passion for the sport has driven her to be the best teammate she can be.
Kevin Ryu, Staff Writer March 30, 2020

When her asthma and pneumonia sidelined her for all of junior year of high school, Haley Will questioned how concerns about her health would impact her college recruitment. Now...

Gallatin senior Lily Hitelman and CAS junior Alexandra Daley are co-captains of the NYU equestrian team. The team had four riders qualify for their regionals. (Staff Photo by Jake Capriotti)

Yes, NYU Has an Equestrian Team

Under Gallatin senior Lily Hitelman, the NYU Equestrian Team has been preparing for the March 29 Equestrian Regionals.
Kevin Ryu, Staff Writer March 9, 2020

Gallatin senior Lily Hitelman has been riding horses her whole life. Working with a horse and developing a sense of chemistry has always energized her, even when she had to wake...

Tandon senior Riley Demps dribbles the ball, looking for a chance to pass during practice. The men's basketball team ended a tough but rewarding season. (Staff Photo by Jake Capriotti)

NYU Men’s Basketball’s Disappointing End

Due to injuries and close losses, the men’s basketball team finishes their season with an 8-17 record. However, the team’s optimistic about the next season.
Kevin Ryu, Staff Writer March 2, 2020

On Feb. 29, the loss against Brandeis University concluded a disappointing 8-17 season for the men’s basketball team. The team’s struggles were similar to last season, as their...

NYU President Andrew Hamilton stops to view a particularly intense table tennis game. Representatives from each NYU school participated in various sports at the All-University Games. (Staff Photo by Alex Tran)

NYU Students Exhibit School Pride Through All-University Games

On Tuesday, Feb. 18, NYU students from all schools traveled to Chelsea Piers for the Violet 100 All-University Games.
Kevin Ryu, Staff Writer February 24, 2020

At NYU, where students willingly acknowledge the lack of school pride, Violet 100 — NYU's official spirit week — gives students the opportunity to experience a sense of collegiate...

CAS senior Grant Williams is the co-captain of NYU's fencing team. He hopes to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. (Staff photo by Chelsea Li)

CAS Fencer Grant Williams Aims to Compete in 2020 Olympics

After taking a year off of school to train for the Tokyo Summer Olympics, CAS senior and fencer Grant Williams is finally ready to achieve his ultimate goal: making the U.S. Olympics team.
Kevin Ryu, Contributing Writer February 18, 2020

After taking a year off of school to train for the Tokyo Summer Olympics, CAS senior and fencer Grant Williams is finally ready to achieve his ultimate goal: making the U.S. Olympics...

The NYU Men Volleyball team is off to a good start. They have stayed undefeated this new season. (Photo by Julia Moses)

Men’s Volleyball Bump, Set and Spike Its Way to an Undefeated Start

With blowout victories over their opponents, the men’s volleyball team is proving to be a powerhouse in Division III.
Kevin Ryu, Contributing Writer February 9, 2020

On Feb. 6, the men’s volleyball team triumphed in a four-set match against Hunter College, moving to a 6-0 record.  The Violets have benefited from strong performances across...

NYU students share favorite memories of Kobe Bryant after his sudden death. (via Needpix.com)

NYU Students Share Their Favorite Memories Of Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant’s sudden death has left the world in shock. Kobe inspired many, so we asked NYU students to share their favorite memories about the Black Mamba.
Kevin Ryu, Contributing Writer February 3, 2020

On Jan. 26, 2020, a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif. claimed the lives of nine victims, including Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant. During his 20-year career as...

Athletes Are Human Too

Athletes Are Human Too

The recent outrage over Kyrie Irving’s Instagram post showcases the problems with the discourse surrounding sports and mental health.
Kevin Ryu, Contributing Writer December 3, 2019

Last Wednesday, the Brooklyn Nets faced the Boston Celtics in Boston, marking Kyrie Irving’s first return to Boston since signing with the Nets. Though Irving was out for the...