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

Selin Kemiktarak

Selin Kemiktarak, Deputy Managing Editor

Selin Kemiktarak is a senior studying politics. Although she is originally from Turkey, she has lived in Singapore and Switzerland prior to finding her way to the U.S. When she is not talking about her previous institution, Purdue University, she can be found making the best of her AMC membership or in line for Broadway rush tickets. You can find her on Instagram @selinkemiktarak or on Letterboxd @sometimeselin.

All content by Selin Kemiktarak
(Ivy Chan for WSN)

Former Gallatin student pleads guilty to choking charge

Abraham Chabon, the son of an award-winning author, agreed to do therapy and obey a restraining order in hopes of getting the misdemeanor charges removed from his record.
Selin Kemiktarak, Deputy Managing Editor June 11, 2026

Content warning: This article contains mention of sexual assault. Abraham Chabon pleaded guilty to choking and second-degree harassment charges at a Tuesday hearing, aiming...

SPS professor emailed Epstein hundreds of times after sex offender conviction

SPS professor emailed Epstein hundreds of times after sex offender conviction

An adjunct assistant professor maintained a professional relationship with the financier for years, alongside at least three other current and former NYU faculty members.
Selin Kemiktarak, Deputy News Editor May 6, 2026

A professor at the School of Professional Studies sent Jeffrey Epstein hundreds of emails after he was convicted of soliciting prostitution of a minor, according to files released...

(Courtesy of Barbara Cittadino, illustration by Maryam Lootah)

Beyond NYU: Leaving law for a career in photography

NYU Law alum Xiomáro spoke to WSN about his journey from owning his own law practice to taking photos for the National Park Service.
Selin Kemiktarak, Deputy News Editor April 30, 2026

Upon learning he had prostate cancer in his 40s, Richard Dieguez, who goes by Xiomáro, began to rethink his career as an attorney. Years after his diagnosis, the lifelong New...

Meet the NYU juniors selected as Truman Scholars

Meet the NYU juniors selected as Truman Scholars

Awarded $30,000 to pursue public service, these CAS and SPS students make up NYU’s 20th and 21st Truman Scholars.
Selin Kemiktarak and Eva Mundo April 30, 2026

SPS junior Sarah Martelly and CAS junior Summer Wildbill each earned $30,000 to pursue graduate studies, leadership training and career opportunities in public service as recipients...

Counterprotesters holding Israeli flags stood across the street from an encampment outside the Paulson Center in 2024. (Samson Tu for WSN)

NYU investigates student group that hosted anarchist, anti-Israel speaker

A university spokesperson said that Shut it Down NYU “simply lied” about NYU’s involvement in its event featuring former Columbia professor Mohamed Abdou.
Selin Kemiktarak, Deputy News Editor April 27, 2026

NYU is investigating an on-campus group after claiming it “simply lied” about its Tuesday event — where a speaker urged students to “escalate their organizing” of pro-Palestinan...

Mayor Zohran Mamdani at a March 2025 forum at the Skirball Center for Performing Arts. (Alex Woodworth for WSN)

Campus groups demand Mamdani outlaw 24-hour workday

Over five dozen students and faculty signed a letter supporting the No More 24 Act, one day before home care workers called off their hunger strike for the same cause.
Zachary Karp and Selin Kemiktarak April 24, 2026

A coalition of student and faculty-led organizations at NYU condemned Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s refusal to outlaw 24-hour shifts for home health aides in a Tuesday open letter,...

(Courtesy of Kenzi Crash, illustration by Maryam Lootah)

Beyond NYU: Changing the narrative on illness in literature

CAS alum Eshani Surya spoke to WSN about her debut novel and experiences with a chronic illness.
Selin Kemiktarak, Deputy News Editor April 23, 2026

The first time Eshani Surya wrote about her ulcerative colitis was for a writing class assignment at NYU. She began the short story not long after receiving her diagnosis, and...

(Saranya Mandapaty for WSN)

The history behind NYU’s logo

The evolution of the iconic torch gives a nod to city history.
Selin Kemiktarak, Deputy News Editor April 22, 2026

From nearly every corner of Washington Square Park, you can see NYU’s bright purple flags rippling in the wind, their white torches catching the light as students walk underneath....

(Courtesy photo by Vivien Killilea)

Actor, director Joan Chen named NYU Shanghai commencement speaker

Chen, who is the first female Chinese director to head a U.S studio film, will speak at the campus’ 10th commencement ceremony.
Selin Kemiktarak, Deputy News Editor April 21, 2026

NYU Shanghai will have Joan Chen, a Chinese-born American actor, director and author, address its graduating class at the campus’ 10th commencement ceremony on May 16. The university...

(Courtesy of Diane Hodson, illustration by Maryam Lootah)

Beyond NYU: Balancing teaching with podcast production

Gallatin alum Diane Hodson spoke to WSN about her journey from teaching high school students to working on the Pulitzer-finalist podcast “Hysterical.”
Selin Kemiktarak, Deputy News Editor April 16, 2026

Diane Hodson spent nearly a decade in the public school system teaching global history, often working with students who had recently moved to the United States. Using film to engage...

(Kiran Komanduri for WSN)

Stern pushed clubs to ditch DEI language, students say

Citing concerns about facing legal challenges and losing corporate sponsors, an administrator told club leaders to emphasize that their organizations are open to all.
Selin Kemiktarak, Deputy News Editor April 15, 2026

An administrator at the Stern School of Business told club leaders that language centering diversity, equity and inclusion was no longer permitted in their promotional materials...

(Courtesy of Amy Gabrielle, illustration by Maryam Lootah)

Beyond NYU: Rewriting life after loss

Steinhardt alum Amy Gabrielle spoke to WSN about exploring her identity and writing a memoir on her risque explorations as a widow.
Selin Kemiktarak, Deputy News Editor April 9, 2026

By 2021, Steinhardt alum Amy Gabrielle had built a stable career as an administrator at Columbia University. That year, Gabrielle, then 54, lost her husband to a rare cancer. She...

(Courtesy of Ken Schneck, illustration by Maryam Lootah)

Beyond NYU: Amplifying LGBTQ+ stories in the Midwest

CAS and Steinhardt alum Ken Schneck spoke to WSN about founding and running an Ohio publication after spending nearly a decade in university administration roles.
Selin Kemiktarak, Deputy News Editor April 2, 2026

When Ken Schneck launched The Buckeye Flame — Ohio’s only newsroom centered on LGBTQ+ issues — in 2020, he placed a section at the top of its homepage encouraging others...

Abe Chabon's trial was held at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse. (Courtesy of Americasroof)

Judge shrinks charges for Gallatin student accused of strangulation

Abraham Chabon, son of a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, had his charges reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor after his hearing last month was rescheduled.
Selin Kemiktarak, Deputy News Editor March 26, 2026

Content warning: This article contains mention of sexual assault. A Manhattan judge reduced counts against a Gallatin student facing strangulation and sexual assault...

(Courtesy of Dylan Shanks, illustration by Maryam Lootah)

Beyond NYU: From campus concerts to sold-out shows

CAS alum Dylan Shanks told WSN how he turned his experience at the NYU Program Board into a career in entertainment management.
Selin Kemiktarak, Deputy News Editor March 26, 2026

Dylan Shanks’ path into the music industry didn’t begin in a recording studio or corporate office, but rather the NYU Program Board — a student-run organization...

(Courtesy of Laura Ciriaco and LALU Studio, illustration by Maryam Lootah)

Beyond NYU: Opening doors for diversity through curation

CAS alum Kiara Ventura told WSN about founding her own experimental platform and the importance of uplifting underrepresented voices.
Selin Kemiktarak, Deputy News Editor March 12, 2026

When Kiara Ventura first arrived at NYU in 2014, she had plenty of experience as a student journalist as the founder of her high school’s first online newspaper. Determined...

Patrick Egan (Neil Tawney for WSN)

Civil discourse institute invites student fellows

The Berkley Institute for Civil Discourse and Civic Solutions plans to host 2-4 scholars with underrepresented perspectives each year, who will teach classes and encourage dialogue.
Selin Kemiktarak, Deputy News Editor March 11, 2026

Programming for NYU’s Berkley Institute for Civil Discourse and Civic Solutions is picking up, as director Patrick Egan encouraged students to apply for its fellowship at an...

(Kyra Reilley for WSN)

Have you noticed these new flyers?

NYU began posting signs about its policy on federal agents after a Columbia University student was detained from her dorm — some students don’t know they exist.
Selin Kemiktarak, Deputy News Editor March 11, 2026

Flyers detailing NYU’s policies against allowing federal agents on campus have popped up around the university over the past two weeks, after a student at Columbia University...

(Courtesy of Chloe Xiang, illustration by Maryam Lootah)

Beyond NYU: Celebrating female voices, from magazines to social media

Steinhardt alum Chloe Xiang told WSN about what it’s like to balance a full-time job as a social media editor with running a feminist magazine.
Selin Kemiktarak, Deputy News Editor March 5, 2026

When WSN first spoke with Chloe Xiang in 2019, she was a Steinhardt first-year trying to bolster the magazine that she wished existed while growing up — one that centered around...

Protest against NYU Langone Health denying gender-affirming care to children on Feb. 3, 2025. (Danny Arensberg for WSN)

NY attorney general demands NYU Langone resume gender-affirming care

Letitia James’ office said the medical center may be violating state anti-discrimination laws and gave it 10 days to reinstate the Transgender Youth Health Program.
Selin Kemiktarak, Deputy News Editor March 4, 2026

The New York Attorney General’s office ordered NYU Langone Health to resume gender-affirming care for minors by March 11, claiming it may have violated state anti-discrimination...

(Kyra Reilley for WSN)

NYU ranked 7th for most Fulbright scholars

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program awarded 25 students and alumni, marking NYU’s 10th year as a top producer for the program.
Selin Kemiktarak, Deputy News Editor March 3, 2026

NYU ranked No. 7 among universities for producing the most Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholars, marking its 10th year as a top producer for the initiative supporting students...

(Courtesy of Gwen Whittle, illustration by Maryam Lootah)

Beyond NYU: 4 decades of sound design for the world’s biggest movies

Tisch alum Gwen Whittle spoke with WSN about her time at George Lucas’ production studio and shaping the sound of major box-office successes.
Selin Kemiktarak, Deputy News Editor February 26, 2026

The first time Gwen Whittle created sounds for a movie with its own language was as a sound designer for 2009’s “Avatar” — the highest-grossing film of all time — for...

(Alex Woodworth for WSN)

Blizzard moves Monday classes online

NYU will temporarily halt its shuttle and Safe Ride services, but most dining halls remain open with tentative schedules.
Selin Kemiktarak, Deputy News Editor February 22, 2026

NYU will hold Monday classes remotely as New York City faces its first severe blizzard warning since 2017, Campus Safety head Fountain Walker announced in a Sunday email.  Faculty...

(Courtesy of Wesley Goodrich, illustration by Maryam Lootah)

Beyond NYU: Building worlds for music’s biggest stars

Gallatin alum Wesley Goodrich spoke to WSN about her background in public art and how she creates sets for some of the internet’s most talked-about scenes.
Selin Kemiktarak, Deputy News Editor February 19, 2026

If you’ve seen a music video recently, there is a good chance Gallatin alum Wesley Goodrich helped build the world you were watching. Over the past year, the Los Angeles-based...

A 2013 email conversation between NYU Tisch Dean’s Council member Steve Tisch and Jeffrey Epstein’s assistant. (Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Justice)

Tisch Dean’s Council member met several women through Epstein

The sex trafficker wrote about his “shared interest” with Steve Tisch, whose family is the namesake of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, in emails from 2013.
Selin Kemiktarak, Deputy News Editor February 18, 2026

Steve Tisch — a Dean’s Council member at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, which is named after his family — met several young women through convicted sex offender Jeffrey...

Abe Chabon's trial was held at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse. (Courtesy of Americasroof)

Gallatin student’s strangulation case postponed

Abraham Chabon, son of author Michael Chabon, was accused of strangling a woman and granted an adjournment for the charge.
Selin Kemiktarak, Deputy News Editor February 6, 2026

Content warning: This article contains mention of sexual assault. A Manhattan judge pushed back the hearing for a Gallatin student and son of a Pulitzer Prize-winning author...

(Courtesy of Zach Schofel, illustration by Maryam Lootah)

Beyond NYU: Affordable solutions for ‘the working renter’

SPS alum Zach Schofel spoke with WSN about how his startups repurposed student housing to expand nationwide rental access.
Selin Kemiktarak, Deputy News Editor February 5, 2026

Zach Schofel left behind a career in real estate at 22 years old to start Eastman Residential, which buys underutilized student accommodations at a significant discount and converts...

(Tony Wu for WSN)

Law school library temporarily closed after flooding

Access to NYU Law’s Lieberman Main Reading Room will continue to operate through the Vanderbilt Hall entrance.
Selin Kemiktarak, Deputy News Editor February 4, 2026

The NYU School of Law’s Library is closed until further notice after it flooded early Tuesday morning, according to students who spoke with WSN and a schoolwide email from its...

(Courtesy of Shiv Soin, illustration by Maryam Lootah)

Beyond NYU: Opening doors to climate activism

CAS alum Shiv Soin spoke with WSN about how he turned his passion for battling the climate crisis into a career.
Selin Kemiktarak, Deputy News Editor January 29, 2026

Shiv Soin was a CAS sophomore when millions of people across the world took to the streets to demand urgent climate policy reform in September 2019. After he recognized a lack...

(Jada Nakagawa and Maryam Lootah for WSN)

Stern professors use AI-led oral exams to test student comprehension

The professors replaced traditional written exams with a two-part, oral exam to evaluate students’ understanding of course material in real time.
Selin Kemiktarak, Deputy News Editor January 28, 2026

Two Stern professors implemented an artificial intelligence-led oral exam in the fall semester to test that students weren’t relying on technologies such as ChatGPT to comprehend...

NYU RAs rally for a union on April 23, 2024. (Lianna O’Grady for WSN)

RAs to receive $2,600 stipends after reaching deal with NYU

After months of bargaining to address job and housing disparities, unionized student workers and the university reached an agreement last month.
Selin Kemiktarak, Deputy News Editor January 22, 2026

NYU’s RA union reached its first collective bargaining agreement with the university after more than nine months of negotiations, landing on a deal that increases resident assistants’...

(Maryam Lootah for WSN)

Researchers identify possible new strategy for targeting lung cancer

NYU Langone researchers found that disabling a protective enzyme in cancerous cells could significantly reduce lung cancer growth.
Selin Kemiktarak, Staff Writer December 11, 2025

NYU Langone researchers found that blocking a single protein in the body can trigger a form of self-destruction in lung cancer cells, according to a November study that identified...

(Maryam Lootah for WSN)

NYU expands hazing violation reporting under new federal law

The development is primarily due to a national policy cracking down on hazing-related violence.
Selin Kemiktarak, Staff Writer December 11, 2025

NYU must now publicly document all hazing policy violations in an annual report, following a federal law passed last year that requires transparency from universities about such...

(Alex Woodworth for WSN)

Langone nursing home adds pilot physician program

The initiative aims to improve rehabilitative care at the site, alleviating the need for residents to arrange outside appointments.
Selin Kemiktarak, Staff Writer December 9, 2025

NYU Langone Health is expanding its Amsterdam Nursing Home in Manhattan to include a team for rehabilitative care — a change the medical center announced last month and says...

(Kiran Komanduri for WSN)

Steinhardt researchers say schools should stop separating English learners

Researchers found that conventionally separating English learners from their peers in K-12 classrooms shows little academic benefit and may hinder long-term success.
Selin Kemiktarak, Staff Writer November 17, 2025

Two Steinhardt studies found that K-12 students learning English benefit more from working alongside peers with varied proficiencies, compared to the current standard of grouping...

A crowd of people stands in front of a building with many windows labeled “STARBUCKS COFFEE.”

Students rally against Starbucks at Kimmel teach-in

Student organizers and community members demanded that NYU sever ties with Starbucks amid a stall in union contract negotiation.
Selin Kemiktarak, Staff Writer November 3, 2025

Around two dozen professors, students and Starbucks baristas from NYU and Hunter College demanded that administrators sever ties with the global chain at a teach-in at the Kimmel...

NYU Grossman School of Medicine. (Manasa Gudavalli for WSN)

NYU Grossman ranks No. 2 in anti-‘wokeness’ evaluation

Medical watchdog group Do No Harm said the school values students’ merit performance over diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
Selin Kemiktarak, Contributing Writer October 28, 2025

NYU’s Grossman School of Medicine placed No. 2 out of 154 medical schools on a ranking that ordered institutions based on their apparent diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives,...

(Maryam Lootah for WSN)

1 in 5 mothers experience perinatal mood disorders, Steinhardt study finds

Researchers recommended that medical providers expand screenings for postpartum mood and anxiety disorders and suggested more flexible paid family leave programs.
Selin Kemiktarak, Contributing Writer October 21, 2025

Roughly one in five mothers experience mood and anxiety disorders in the time around childbirth, according to a Steinhardt study last month that expanded on perinatal mental health...