Yezen Saadah, Deputy Managing Editor
All content by Yezen Saadah
Review: Netflix’s ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ is rough, buddy
The live-action adaptation of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” rarely ever excels as a shot-for-shot remake of the popular cartoon, ultimately frustrating longtime fans of the original.
Carmo Moniz and Yezen Saadah
• Mar 15, 2024
NYU Langone lawsuit over use of purple in competing advertisements dismissed
A New York court dismissed NYU Langone Health’s “confusing” lawsuit against Northwell Health, which accused the medical center of deceiving patients by using a similar shade of purple in its advertisements.
Yezen Saadah, Deputy Managing Editor
• Mar 5, 2024
Off the Radar: Feminism, race and gender in ‘The Big City’
Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “The Big City” is available to stream on Kanopy and Max.
Yezen Saadah, Deputy Managing Editor
• Feb 16, 2024
The Soapbox: Agriculture in Europe
The Soapbox is a weekly column by WSN covering major news developments at NYU’s campuses and study away sites abroad. Global consciousness for a global university.
Yezen Saadah, Deputy Managing Editor
• Feb 9, 2024
Staff Rants: New beginnings or old complaints?
WSN staff shares their thoughts on the beginning of the 2024 spring semester.
Julia Diorio, Molly Koch, Abi Rivera, Yezen Saadah, Ania Keenan, Mick Gaw, Carmo Moniz, and Krish Dev
• Jan 30, 2024
Faculty member robbed near Washington Square Park
A professor was punched and robbed by two individuals near Washington Square Park, after attempting to run away from the suspects.
Yezen Saadah, Deputy Managing Editor
• Jan 27, 2024
Clerical and technical workers deliver petition for higher wages to Mills
Dozens of NYU’s clerical and technical staff met at Bobst Library yesterday to deliver a petition to President Linda Mills, calling for higher wages and increased benefits in their union’s new contract with the university.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Dec 14, 2023
FJP claims NYU ‘forced’ pro-Palestinian students to relocate teach-in
In a letter to administrators, NYU’s chapter of Faculty for Justice in Palestine accused the university of “shutting down” a teach-in planned by a group of graduate students.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Dec 11, 2023
Student sexually assaulted outside Alumni Hall
The student was walking into the residence hall when an unidentified suspect “grabbed their buttocks,” according to a Campus Safety email sent to the NYU community earlier this evening.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Dec 10, 2023
GSOC accuses NYU of canceling pro-Palestinian events, criticizes disciplinary action
NYU’s graduate student union claimed the university has targeted students and workers for promoting pro-Palestinian speech in a statement in response to the university’s recent student conduct report.
Adrianna Nehme and Yezen Saadah
• Dec 5, 2023
NYU releases report on student conduct since start of Israel-Hamas war
In a universitywide email sent yesterday, NYU announced that there have been several student conduct cases since the start of the war, with some students being suspended in cases “related to current concerns.”
Bruna Horvath and Yezen Saadah
• Dec 1, 2023
NYU facing discrimination lawsuit from conservative legal group
An anonymous first-year student at NYU Law filed a lawsuit against the university, accusing the school’s Law Review of discriminating against students on the basis of race and sex, and violating federal law.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Dec 1, 2023
Israeli alumni suspend ‘any cooperation’ with NYU over handling of antisemitism on campus
In a letter sent to President Linda Mills and Board of Trustees chair Evan Chesler on Tuesday, the NYU Alumni Club of Israel announced it will suspend “any cooperation or affiliation” with the university until it takes specific action against antisemitism on campus.
Adrianna Nehme and Yezen Saadah
• Nov 23, 2023
Doctor sues NYU Langone for unlawful termination after Israel-Hamas war-related posts
The lawsuit, filed by the former director of NYU Langone Health’s Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, also accused the medical center of religious discrimination.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Nov 20, 2023
NYU to establish center for antisemitism studies with million-dollar donation
The university announced it will establish a Center for the Study of Antisemitism, set to open in the fall 2024 semester. The announcement comes amid heightened tensions over the Israel-Hamas war on campus.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Nov 16, 2023
Student gov’t proposals call on NYU to condemn on-campus support for terrorism and protect pro-Palestinian speech
The two resolutions were proposed at a student government meeting, with one demanding that NYU leadership protect pro-Palestinian speech and another condemning on-campus support for terrorism amid the Israel-Hamas war.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Nov 10, 2023
Lockdown lifted after shots fired near Tandon
The university reported that shots were fired near its Brooklyn campus Monday afternoon before issuing an all-clear in an emergency alert to the NYU community. No injuries were reported in the incident.
Carmo Moniz and Yezen Saadah
• Nov 6, 2023
Dorm intruder caught at Third North, escorted to nearby hospital
A trespasser unaffiliated with NYU bypassed security and entered an unlocked dorm at Third Avenue North residence hall Sunday night before being removed from the scene by police and Campus Safety officers.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Oct 30, 2023
Staff Rants: Spooky season
Our staff shares their thoughts on Halloween.
Molly Koch, Krish Dev, Julia Diorio, Yezen Saadah, Kevin Wu, Nikkala Kovacevic, Abi Rivera, Naisha Roy, and Ania Keenan
• Oct 27, 2023
NYU announces uptick in Campus Safety and NYPD presence, addresses safety concerns
In an email to students yesterday morning, NYU president Linda Mills announced an increase in Campus Safety and police presence on campus to combat students’ safety concerns amid growing tensions over the Israel-Hamas war.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Oct 26, 2023
Students and faculty hold sudden pro-Palestine demonstration in Bobst
The protesters, who are members of Students for Justice in Palestine and the recently-formed Faculty for Justice in Palestine, also called for NYU’s study abroad site in Tel Aviv to be shut down.
Carmo Moniz and Yezen Saadah
• Oct 20, 2023
The Soapbox: Journalism crisis in the Middle East
The Soapbox is a weekly column by WSN covering major news developments at NYU’s campuses and study away sites abroad. Global consciousness for a global university.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Oct 20, 2023
Students call on Mills to publicly address Palestinian deaths in Israel-Hamas conflict
On-campus student groups wrote a letter in response to NYU president Linda Mills’ recent universitywide statement on the Israel-Hamas conflict, saying it neglected Palestinian students.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Oct 16, 2023
NYFF 61 Review: ‘Poor Things’ comedically and hauntingly explores self-liberation
Yorgos Lanthimos’ newest film is a dark comedy featuring breathtaking production design and stellar ensemble. “Poor Things” is screening at the 61st New York Film Festival on Oct. 12 and Oct. 15.
Mick Gaw and Yezen Saadah
• Oct 12, 2023
Mills responds to recent Hamas and Israeli attacks
Students at NYU’s Tel Aviv program sheltered amid recent airstrike and rocket attacks from the Israeli military and a militant group in the Gaza Strip, before embarking on a trip to Abu Dhabi.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Oct 8, 2023
NYFF 61 Review: The intersection of masculinity and dispossession in ‘The Dupes’
A restoration of “The Dupes” by Egyptian filmmaker Tewfik Saleh will hold its North American premiere at the 61st New York Film Festival on Friday, Oct. 6.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Oct 6, 2023
NYU facing gender discrimination lawsuit, upcoming trial
A gender discrimination case brought by a former physician against NYU is slated to go to trial in the next few months.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Oct 5, 2023
Chief investment officer steps down after 8 years
NYU’s chief investment officer of eight years officially resigned on Saturday to pursue “another opportunity” outside the university.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Oct 2, 2023
NYFF 61 Review: ‘The Boy and the Heron’ and the relationship between loss and discovery
Hayao Miyazaki’s latest film recently premiered at the 61st New York Film Festival in Film at Lincoln Center.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Oct 2, 2023
Staff Rants: School-life balance
As the semester starts to kick in, the WSN staff shares their experiences with balancing — or at least trying to balance — their academic and social lives.
Molly Koch, Abi Rivera, Nikkala Kovacevic, Valentina Plevisani, Andrea Lui, Krish Dev, Yezen Saadah, and Naisha Roy
• Sep 29, 2023
Course assistants to receive $1.7 million in missing back pay
NYU recently finalized a yearslong grievance with its graduate student union, which demanded over $1 million in backdated hourly pay for hundreds of course assistants.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Sep 21, 2023
Off the Radar: ‘Bicycle Thieves’ blurs the lines between fiction and reality
Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “Bicycle Thieves” is available to stream on Max and Kanopy.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Sep 15, 2023
NYU Langone facing disability discrimination lawsuit
A former NYU Langone patient accused the hospital and another medical center of unlawfully failing to provide her a sign language interpreter while she was in labor.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Sep 8, 2023
Review: Kubrick’s ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ terrifyingly depicts human ingenuity
The science fiction masterpiece recently screened at the Paris Theater as a part of its “Big & Loud” series.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Sep 7, 2023
New School student workers fighting for union recognition
Hundreds of non-unionized student workers at the university are calling for recognition under its student worker union.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Sep 6, 2023
Summer recap: What you missed at NYU over the last few months
Linda Mills’ appointment as university president, the U.S. Supreme Court’s strike down of race-sensitive college admissions and more news you missed from over summer break.
Adrianna Nehme, Bruna Horvath, Krish Dev, Maisie Zipfel, and Yezen Saadah
• Sep 5, 2023
‘A step backwards’: NYU leadership on Supreme Court affirmative action ruling
The university said it remains committed to promoting diversity on campus following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision against the use of affirmative action in college admissions.
Bruna Horvath and Yezen Saadah
• Jul 3, 2023
‘Life is a marathon, not a sprint’: Goldman Sachs CEO at Stern graduation
Thousands gathered at Madison Square Garden on Friday to celebrate this year’s graduating class of NYU’s Stern School of Business.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• May 19, 2023
2023 Commencement: Hamilton’s goodbye, a speech from Finland’s prime minister and more
Outgoing NYU president Andrew Hamilton gave his final send-off to the class of 2023 in his last commencement ceremony as the university’s leader.
Bruna Horvath and Yezen Saadah
• May 17, 2023
‘I see unity’: Hamilton at Gallatin graduation
In one of many school-specific graduation ceremonies at NYU this week, friends, family, faculty and administrators came together to honor the Gallatin School of Individualized Study’s class of 2023.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• May 16, 2023
Stern community holds vigil for students killed in Puerto Rico
Students and faculty at NYU’s Stern School of Business attended a vigil and memorial service for two students who were killed in Puerto Rico last week.
Carmo Moniz and Yezen Saadah
• May 12, 2023
‘They’re filthy’: Tisch adjuncts raise concerns over tiny teaching spaces
Adjunct professors at Tisch delivered a petition to the school’s dean on Tuesday, after months of calling on NYU to provide them with new practice rooms due to health and safety concerns.
Adrianna Nehme, Abby Wilson, and Yezen Saadah
• May 5, 2023
Adjuncts at odds with current union leaders in run-up to internal election
A number of adjunct professors unsatisfied with union leadership will run for executive positions within NYU’s adjunct union, citing lackluster communication from current leadership.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• May 4, 2023
NYU course assistants demand $1.3 million in missing back pay
The university’s graduate student union is calling on NYU to compensate course assistants for back pay included in a summer 2022 settlement.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Apr 27, 2023
NYU Law dean confronts protesters for heckling Israeli politician
Dozens of pro-Palestine students protested an event hosted at NYU Law last Thursday that featured an Israeli politician.
Ania Keenan and Yezen Saadah
• Apr 24, 2023
The Soapbox: French pension reform, drought in Spain, migration in Italy
The Soapbox is a weekly column by WSN covering major news developments at NYU’s campuses and study away sites abroad. Global consciousness for a global university.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Apr 21, 2023
Off the Radar: ‘PlayTime’ and the baffling nature of industrialization
Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “PlayTime” is available to stream on Kanopy and will screen at Film at Lincoln Center on April 16.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Apr 14, 2023
NYU Law students protest LexisNexis contract with ICE
Law students from NYU and Columbia University demonstrated outside the Park Avenue headquarters of the data brokering company to demand that it end its contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Apr 11, 2023
Hundreds protest Israeli mosque raid at Times Square
Members of NYU’s Students for Justice in Palestine joined a crowd that gathered on Saturday to protest the Israeli military’s recent raid of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Apr 11, 2023
The Soapbox: Tension in Palestine, Indigenous representation in Australia, migrant housing in the UK
The Soapbox is a weekly column by WSN covering major news developments at NYU’s campuses and study away sites abroad. Global consciousness for a global university.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Apr 7, 2023
NYU drops antisemitism charge against grad student
A graduate student worker who lost her on-campus job and was charged with counts of vandalism and antisemitism after writing on a discarded mailbag will be rehired by the university.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Apr 7, 2023
NYU’s Rory Meyers College of Nursing appoints new dean
NYU announced that Angela Amar, an accomplished nursing educator, will take over as dean of the university’s Rory Meyers College of Nursing this summer.
Bruna Horvath, Carmo Moniz, and Yezen Saadah
• Apr 7, 2023
NYU Langone opens new medical center in Brooklyn
The new center, which adds a second Langone emergency department in Brooklyn, is expected to provide care for over 200,000 patients each year.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Apr 3, 2023
The Soapbox: Argentina’s economy, Italy to ban lab-grown foods, UAE royalty
The Soapbox is a weekly column by WSN covering major news developments at NYU’s campuses and study away sites abroad. Global consciousness for a global university.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Mar 31, 2023
The Soapbox: No-confidence motion in Spain, judicial changes in Israel, potential ban in EU
The Soapbox is a weekly column by WSN covering major news developments at NYU’s campuses and study away sites abroad. Global consciousness for a global university.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Mar 24, 2023
Off the Radar: ‘Where Is My Friend’s House?’ and the importance of empathy
Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “Where Is My Friend’s House?” is available to stream on Kanopy.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Mar 24, 2023
NYU Latinx Project to create research center with $1.3 million donation
The university’s Latinx Project will use a recent $1.3 million grant to establish a new research center for Latinx studies with support from the Office of the Provost.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Mar 21, 2023
The Soapbox: Ghana’s economic crisis, Czech president leaves office, French protests
The Soapbox is a weekly column by WSN covering major news developments at NYU’s campuses and study away sites abroad. Global consciousness for a global university.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Mar 10, 2023
The Soapbox: Shipwreck in Italy, outcry after Australian murder, Germany’s feminist foreign policy
The Soapbox is a weekly column by WSN covering major news developments at NYU’s campuses and study away sites abroad. Global consciousness for a global university.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Mar 3, 2023
What the NYU community is doing to help Turkey and Syria
In the aftermath of the recent devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, NYU students and faculty have taken the initiative to organize relief efforts. The student-led Turkish Culture Association alone has raised more than $80,000.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Mar 2, 2023
NYU Langone sued for disability discrimination
A former physician’s assistant filed a complaint against NYU Langone, accusing the institution of disability discrimination after the hospital terminated her employment last year.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Mar 1, 2023
Review: Don’t waste your time with ‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey’
Gratuitous gore and pretentious attempts at subversion fail to impress in this abomination of a film. “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” is now playing in select theaters, but certainly don’t go out of your way to see it.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Mar 1, 2023
The Soapbox: Airstrikes in Gaza, shortages in the UK, a coal mine collapse in China
The Soapbox is a weekly column by WSN covering major news developments at NYU’s campuses and study away sites abroad. Global consciousness for a global university.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Feb 24, 2023
Columbia RAs take to president’s mansion, demand union recognition
Dozens of students and resident assistants gathered at Columbia University on Monday, Feb. 20 in protest of the university’s refusal to recognize the RAs’ union.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Feb 22, 2023
The Soapbox: UAE climate talks, drought in Argentina, Australia’s pledge
The Soapbox is a weekly column by WSN covering major news developments at NYU’s campuses and study away sites abroad. Global consciousness for a global university.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Feb 17, 2023
NYU to announce next president on Wednesday
After a monthslong search process, NYU’s Presidential Search Committee has chosen the university’s next president. An announcement will be made on the morning of Feb. 15.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Feb 14, 2023
Coursicle co-founder to students: ‘I am sorry for everything’
The co-founder of Coursicle, a popular course scheduling app, recently apologized for a manic episode last year during which he sent multiple controversial push notifications to students.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Feb 14, 2023
Review: ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ is a surprisingly ambitious spinoff sequel
Computer animation and an unexpectedly heartwarming narrative go hand in hand in DreamWorks Animation’s latest “Shrek” franchise installment. “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” is now playing in theaters.
Yezen Saadah, Deputy News Editor
• Feb 13, 2023
What to do this week: Valentine’s Day card-making, a puppet show and more
The Daybook is WSN’s weekly column listing in-person and online events at NYU and across New York City. This week: Feb. 13-19.
Yezen Saadah, News Editor
• Feb 12, 2023
Off the Radar: ‘Charulata’ and the conflict between old and the new
Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “Charulata” is available to stream on Kanopy and HBO Max.
Yezen Saadah, Deputy News Editor
• Feb 10, 2023
The Soapbox: Barcelona cuts ties with Israel, France-Algeria relations, African extremist groups
The Soapbox is a weekly column by WSN covering major news developments at NYU’s campuses and study away sites abroad. Global consciousness for a global university.
Yezen Saadah, Deputy News Editor
• Feb 10, 2023
Students and faculty mourn Palestinian deaths at vigil
NYU’s Student Government Assembly and Students for Justice in Palestine held a vigil on Thursday to honor Palestinian lives lost in an Israeli military raid.
Yezen Saadah, Deputy News Editor
• Feb 10, 2023
The Soapbox: Afghan refugees uprooted, Australian banknotes, German mask mandate
The Soapbox is a weekly column by WSN’s news desk analyzing major developments in world news and rounding up the stories we think are worth the read this week. Global consciousness for a global university.
Yezen Saadah, Deputy News Editor
• Feb 3, 2023
NYU grad student accused of antisemitism for writing on discarded mailbag
After a graduate student wrote on an Israeli mailbag that had already been thrown in the trash, NYU fired her from her on-campus job and charged her with counts of vandalism and antisemitism.
Yezen Saadah, Deputy News Editor
• Feb 1, 2023
Review: Martin McDonagh’s ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ depicts heartbreak and existential despair hilariously
“The Banshees of Inisherin” is undoubtedly one of the best films of the year.
Yezen Saadah, Deputy News Editor
• Feb 1, 2023
Top lawyer named next chair of NYU board of trustees
Acclaimed lawyer, NYU alum and trustee Evan Chesler — who recently represented Elon Musk — will replace William Berkley as chair of NYU’s board of trustees at the end of his term in August.
Carmo Moniz and Yezen Saadah
• Jan 31, 2023
Demonstrators march across Manhattan to protest Tyre Nichols killing
New Yorkers marched through the streets after Memphis authorities released footage of Nichols being fatally beaten by police.
Adrianna Nehme, Tori Morales, and Yezen Saadah
• Jan 29, 2023
The Soapbox: A raid at a refugee camp, African democracies, tanks for Ukraine
The Soapbox is a weekly column by WSN’s news desk analyzing major developments in world news and rounding up the stories we think are worth the read this week. Global consciousness for a global university.
Yezen Saadah, Deputy News Editor
• Jan 27, 2023
Hamilton bids new students farewell at final presidential welcome
At his final welcome address before he leaves his role, NYU president Andrew Hamilton greeted hundreds of incoming and returning students just before hosting the university’s biannual “Reality Show.”
Yezen Saadah, Deputy News Editor
• Jan 26, 2023
Liam Restivo, Contributing Writer • Mar 17, 2024
Maisie Zipfel, Deputy News Editor • Mar 15, 2024
Mick Gaw, Film & TV Editor • Mar 15, 2024
Ashley Simons, Contributing Writer • Mar 15, 2024
Dharma Niles, Deputy News Editor • Mar 12, 2024
Julia Diorio, Music Editor • Feb 20, 2024