Skip to Main Content
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

Lorena Campes

Lorena Campes, Deputy Under the Arch Editor

Lorena Campes is a senior majoring in studio art at Steinhardt and double-minoring in cinema studies and English. She loves bad horror movies and making monthly playlists that nobody listens to but her. When she’s not at the dog park, painting portraits, or baking, she’s probably thinking about that time she saw Greta Gerwig outside of Rubin and didn’t say hi. You can find her @lorenn.aa on Instagram.

All content by Lorena Campes
A man wearing a red hooded zip-up sweatshirt smiles for a photo in Tompkins Square Park, holding a Citi Bike that has a gray basket attached to the front. A black pug with its tongue out sits inside the basket. A gray knit blanket is draped over the dog, and there's a hand holding a phone on the right taking a photo of the dog and the owner.

New York’s snazziest pooches: Halloween edition

From Elvis and Priscilla Presley to “Miss New Yorkie,” here’s how dogs and their owners celebrated Halloween at the 32nd annual Tompkins Square Dog Parade.
Lorena Campes and Susan Behrends Valenzuela October 27, 2022

Lorena Campes and Nandini Gupta are illustrated as children against a pink background. Lorena is wearing a red shirt, blue overalls and holding a paint palette with two brushes. Nandini is wearing a pink saree and is holding a paper with written text.

Contending With the Unconventional

Two students share how their ethnic backgrounds have shaped their college experience and career paths.
Lorena Campes and Nandini Gupta October 20, 2022

Four female characters dressed in colorful party outfits covered in blood and dirt look forward, terrified.

To critics of ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’: Let movies be stupid again, please

Described as “Euphoria With Knives” by New York Times critic Lena Wilson, Halina Reijn’s spirited Gen Z slasher “Bodies Bodies Bodies” garnered some negative first impressions from viewers who either didn’t realize it was satire or hate fun.
Lorena Campes, Deputy Under The Arch Editor September 27, 2022

Spoiler warning: This article contains spoilers for “Bodies Bodies Bodies.” In a laughably ironic display of a writer entirely missing the point, New York Times critic Lena...

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.

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

Goran Stolevski’s “You Won’t Be Alone” (2022), a fantasy film set in rural 19th century Macedonia, tells the story of a witch who learns to navigate the world in a human body.
Lorena Campes, Staff Writer April 13, 2022

Content warning: This article mentions abuse and sexual assault.  Filmmaking and movie-watching have evolved into collective processes and experiences. When it comes to international...

An illustration of a severed leg served on a plate.

Review: ‘Fresh’ proves women bite back

Mimi Cave takes the commodification of women’s bodies literally in “Fresh” (2022), exploring one of the most unimaginable — yet probably still not the worst — possible outcomes of dating a man who looks like Sebastian Stan.
Lorena Campes, Staff Writer April 5, 2022

Women are conditioned to view men as one of two things: a threat or a romantic interest. More often than not, it’s the former. “Fresh” opens with a shot of Noa (Daisy...

A focused headshot of Sam Webber in front of a pink background with a blurred ring circling around his head and brighter lighting focused on the left side of his face.

Sam Weber’s intimate Sultan Room set showcases the unifying power of live music

Sam Weber played a lively, invigorating show at The Sultan Room promoting his new album “Get Free.” The bands Dirty Bird and The Ladles, who gave equally stellar performances, opened for him.
Lorena Campes, Staff Writer March 29, 2022

The Sultan Room is a self-described “sanctuary” for revelers and artists alike. Promoting his new album “Get Free,” 28-year-old singer-songwriter Sam Weber offered a sincere...

An illustration of a man standing in a dimly lit, well-furnished living room. On the left is a coffee table with three beer bottles resting on it. On the right, a pink floral couch faces the table.

Review: ‘All My Friends Hate Me’ is cringe comedy and psychological horror at its most uncomfortable

Andrew Gaynord’s “All My Friends Hate Me” (2021) is an unsettling visualization of social anxiety. The film follows Pete as he reconnects with old college friends in celebration of his 31st birthday, only to come to the sinister conclusion that they are all plotting against him.
Lorena Campes, Staff Writer March 23, 2022

Spoiler warning: This article includes spoilers for “All My Friends Hate Me.”  Low-budget horror movies and “enlightened” comedies with a central heart-to-heart storyline...

A woman with a tired face wearing a dark teal jacket and a black backpack stands and holds onto a red pole of a bus shuttle as smiling passengers are sitting down.

Review: ‘Compartment No. 6’ artfully reimagines the road film

Based on a Finnish novel by the same name, Juho Kuosmanen’s “Compartment No. 6” follows a lonely archaeology student and her unlikely companionship with a churlish miner she is forced to bunk with as they journey across Russia.
Lorena Campes, Staff Writer March 22, 2022

Finnish director Juho Kuosmanen’s latest film, “Compartment No. 6,” is a Russian-language adaptation of Rosa Liksom’s novel by the same name. An unconventional take on...

Actress Renate Reinsve from the film “The Worst Person in the World” stands on a balcony overlooking Oslo. She holds a cigarette.

Review: ‘The Worst Person in the World’ investigates the perpetual uncertainty of adulthood

Norwegian director Joachim Trier’s third tribute to Oslo, “The Worst Person in the World,” follows Julie as she navigates self-love, romance and the intersection of the two.
Lorena Campes, Staff Writer February 22, 2022

Title sequences say a lot about a film. Marvel movies famously open with an intricate animation, while genre films, such as the romantic comedy, often opt for character montages...

“The Lost Daughter,” a psychological thriller, is ​​Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut. It is available to stream on Netflix. (Image courtesy of Netflix)

Five movies to watch if you wanted more from ‘The Lost Daughter’

Maggie Gyllenhaal's “The Lost Daughter,” starring Olivia Coleman and Dakota Johnson, explores young motherhood and its impact on identity. Here are some movies that do that better.
Lorena Campes, Staff Writer February 9, 2022

Maggie Gyllenhaal’s captivating first feature as a director, “The Lost Daughter,” follows Leda (Olivia Coleman), a gifted academic with a mysterious past who becomes obsessed...

Samia played a sold-out concert at Webster Hall on Jan. 28. The American singer-songwriter’s music focuses on the mid-20s experience. (Photo by Muriel Margaret, courtesy of Samia)

Review: Samia’s Webster Hall set makes having an existential crisis fun again

On Friday, 25-year-old Samia played an electric sold-out show at Webster Hall in the East Village, joined by an energetic band and equally vibrant opener Annie DiRusso. Her latest album, “The Baby,” is available on all streaming platforms.
Lorena Campes, Staff Writer February 2, 2022

At the intersection of Phoebe Bridgers and Japanese Breakfast is 25-year-old Samia Finnerty, with her ironically upbeat, incredibly existential lyrics about young adulthood and...

“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)

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

"Dexter: New Blood" is a miniseries and continuation of "Dexter" streaming now on Showtime, Prime Video and Hulu. The show follows Dexter, a serial killer who attempts to turn his life around by developing an inconspicuous alias and moving to rural New York.
Lorena Campes, Staff Writer January 26, 2022

In an interview for The New York Times, actor Michael C. Hall remarked that he likes to think about his own obituary — he believes that “Dexter” will likely make its way...