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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

An illustration of four people walking into the distance in a village. The image is tinted with a teal color.

Review: New doc on Sarah Lawrence cult tells the harrowing truth of survivors

The docuseries follows a group of nine students at Sarah Lawrence College who fell victim to manipulation. It serves as a harrowing realization that cults are not things of the past, but closer than we know.
Julia Diorio, Contributing Writer February 28, 2023

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of sexual assault. Sarah Lawrence College sits in the small village of Bronxville, New York, an affluent Westchester County...

An illustration of a woman wearing a red dress with five microphones pointing at her. Around the woman is a silhouette of a large planet and text “Beyond N.Y.U.” There are many smaller planets around the larger planet against a purple background.

Beyond NYU: Reporting the midterm elections for an ABC docuseries

Abby Wilson, News Editor October 21, 2022

With midterm elections looming, many are just now tuning in to a number of high-stakes races across the country. But Libby Cathey — along with six other young political reporters...

Kate Berlant dressed in all black stands on stage facing two bright stage lights with a projection of her face enlarged in the background.

Review: ‘KATE’ is an immersive theatrical experience like nothing you’ve seen before

Kate Berlant stamped her name onto an annoyingly entertaining alt-comedy show that revives live theater.
Alexandra Cohen, Opinion Editor September 23, 2022

You don’t already have to love Kate Berlant to love “KATE.” But we have a kinship — we both followed the all-girls school in Los Angeles to NYU pipeline — a common trend...

The 5th Dimension performs at the Harlem Cultural Festival in 1969. In his directorial debut, Questlove’s Summer of Soul creates a time capsule of the essential music of Black America. (Photo courtesy of Searchlight Pictures)

Review: The spirit of ‘Summer of Soul’: An archive for the modern day

Questlove’s directorial debut both captures the magic of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival and celebrates the essential music of Black America.
Ava Emilione, Contributing Writer September 24, 2021

My memories of living in Harlem endure within me: the mixtapes sold along 125th Street, the bright lights of the Apollo Theater and the pride of living in a mecca of Black culture....

"Another Round" takes place in Copenhagen, where the town’s youth partake in chaotic drinking games to offset the stress of their exams. This sets the stage for the prevalence of drinking culture in the film. The main character, Martin, is a depressed and unsatisfied school teacher who decides to test out a theory that humans are born with a blood alcohol content that’s too low and drinking actually helps people reach their full potential, both professionally and emotionally. (Images by Sophia Di Iorio, Debbie Alalaide. Staff Illustration by Alex Tran)

‘Another Round’ review: An intoxicating film about drinking to find meaning

Thomas Vinterberg untangles the complexities of substance abuse with a tale of four friends who engage in binge-drinking to break away from the monotony of everyday life. The Academy Award Nominated film is currently playing on Hulu.
Sophia Carr, Staff Writer April 22, 2021

Abusing substances to feel better about your life is never a good idea. Four men attempt to test if this presumption is actually true in the Danish Academy Award-nominated movie,...

"Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets" captures the last moments of a dive bar named Roaring 20's. With no narration, the documentary may be more than what it seems. (Photo by Elaine Chen)

‘Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets’ is an engrossing portrait of a community

Dip into dive bar life in this unique blend of documentary and fiction filmmaking.
Sebastian Zufelt, Staff Writer April 16, 2021

Nowadays, most people associate documentaries with true crime Netflix originals — “Tiger King” was the first notable piece of quarantine media. Noting the success of the...


Dollface, a Hulu original series, launched its first season on Nov. 15. (Via Twitter @dollface)

‘Dollface’: An Unexpectedly Necessary and Hilarious Rollercoaster Ride

The Hulu original is a comedy we didn’t know we needed about female friendship.
Nyssa Joseph, Contributing Writer December 4, 2019

“Dollface” is a show that audiences did not even know they needed. The Hulu original comedy about the bonds of female friendships and womanhood follows the journey of Jules...

alexandra chan

Disney+ Is a Cash Grab

Disney’s release of Disney+ exploits its consumers, makes content inaccessible and is just another attempt to monopolize the market.
Alexandra Chan, Staff Writer November 14, 2019

This week saw the launch of Disney+, a new streaming service exclusively for Disney content. The practice of keeping content exclusive is damaging and reminds us of Disney’s...

Netflix's Raised Prices Will Drive Students Away

Netflix’s Raised Prices Will Drive Students Away

While Netflix has cemented itself into our culture as an entertainment mainstay, price increases might force students to turn to other platforms with similar content.
Wayne Chen, Contributing Writer February 25, 2019

It wasn’t too long ago that Netflix was a shoddy DVD-rental service that relied on USPS. Back then, Netflix was like Blockbuster, but with long shipping times and the unavoidable...

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Best Female-Led Comedy Series

Instead of letting you rewatch “Frasier” or “The Office,” the Arts Desk is here to give some TV show recs for shows with female leads that are just as funny and worthy of binge watching.
Guru Ramanathan, Alex Cullina, Claire Fishman, Arts Desk February 15, 2019

The landscape of TV has changed a lot in the past decade and one central aspect is how much more of a favorable environment it has become for women — though of course, there...

Cover art for "Fyre" on Netflix (Courtesy of Netflix).

Fyre Festival Scam Continues

The music festival scandal that led to a social media riot culminated in two competing documentaries, but even they were unable to escape ethical issues in their production.
Dante Sacco, Staff Writer February 11, 2019

Fyre Festival, the brainchild of practiced millennial manipulator Billy McFarland, was a 2017 ultra-luxe music festival in the Bahamas imagined to appeal to the basest desires...

Let the Streaming Wars Begin

Let the Streaming Wars Begin

Ethan Zack, Contributing Writer October 1, 2018
The variety of streaming services is rapidly growing, but some NYU students want to stick to the basics.