Politics & Policy
Family Feud: Will the Real Satmar Please Stand Up?
Fist-fighting, beard-pulling Orthodox Jews. Brotherly break-ins at the local synagogue. Williamsburg hipsters hooked on something besides Ms. Pac Man, calling the throw-down “a hell of a story.” Here’s a tale — Shakespearian in drama — of feuding Hasidic brothers, sons of a grand rabbi with worldwide spiritual power, fighting over succession in a neighborhood otherwise spared from fraternity bar brawls.
Tookie's Clemency Campaign Gathers Steam
The Crips co-founder upstages former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft at a rally at Columbia University.
Reading is Elementary at Harlem Link Charter School
Bill Feerick never needed an excuse to bellow into his trombone or whack his tennis racket. Reading was another story. It wasn’t until Father William O’Malley’s English class at Fordham Preparatory School in the Bronx that he began to love words. The experience of teaching a first grader her letters made him realize his calling — teaching underprivileged children to learn how to read.
Six Billion Reasons College Sports Won't Change
This year, the NCAA will be enforcing new academic standards aimed at raising graduation rates on all Division I sports teams to about 50 percent and threatening sanctions against programs that don’t comply. But whether the NCAA is actually willing to impose severe penalties is unclear.
NYU Students Prepare for Death
Most people in their 20s are focused on finishing college, getting their first jobs and figuring out where to hang out on Saturday night — certainly not something as depressing and unimagined as death.
Oriental: Rugs or People?
Even the dictionary says that when used to describe a person, “Oriental” is “now often regarded as a term of disparagement.” When did the word become so loaded?
The Lost Children of Sudan
American reporter Maria Sliwa attempts to shed light on the horrific abuses endured by the children in southern Sudan, including being forced into the army and into slavery.
Falun Gong Finds Home at Kimmel
Falun Gong demonstrations became a common sight for New York pedestrians this summer as followers of the practice, which originated in China, set up exhibitions in prominent New York City locations. Now Falun Gong has spread to a new locale even closer to home than the village streets: the Kimmel Center at New York University.
Walking the Walk
It’s true that the crime rate in New York City has reached the lowest level since 1968, but there are still more than 25,000 crimes that are committed annually, enough to provoke caution on anyone’s part.
When a Soldier Said No to War
Petty Officer 3rd Class Pablo Paredes has submitted his application for discharge based on conscientious objection. While he waits for a decision from the Navy, his brother Victor Paredes speaks out about why Pablo did what he did, military recruitment among young minorities and why voting matters.
African, Victorian B&B in Old Ghetto
Akwaaba Mansion, the only black-owned bed & breakfast in New York, has merged African art with Victorian opulence for a decade in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, once known as America’s largest ghetto.
Journalist Encourages Students to Explore City
Veteran journalist and author Pete Hamill advised journalism students to explore New York City and to remember its history when writing about the city during a reading of his newest book, "Downtown: My Manhattan," at a recent New York University talk.
Fems Find Flesh Flaunt Flawed
Now that women are no longer defined by their sex, discussion has emerged over how to define themselves. Women wonder how feminine and sexy they can act before that is all they are recognized for. Young women are at the center of the debate.