NYU Professor Arrested For Allegedly Recording Women Changing In Dressing Rooms

Hey Finocchio, what grows on you when you do something wrong and lie about it?

According to the NY Post, NYU art history professor Ross Finocchio was arrested on charges of unlawful surveillance, having been discovered at a West Village boutique recording women in the dressing rooms yesterday afternoon.

While in another changing room, Finocchio reportedly hid his camera in a shoe, slipped it under an adjacent door, and waited for women to enter the space.

The first woman, 26, “saw him put something under the door,” she told the NY Post. She and manager Stephanie Williams waited for him to try the stunt again; he did, this time with a 28-year-old. Finocchio did not come out when the manager demanded that he do, and when he “finally” emerged he was “sweating profusely.” Read more…


It’s Hard Out There For A Brony: Finding A Place In NYU’s Community

NYU sophomore Alice Guzman has been a “Brony” since the end of high school. “There is a female term–Pegasister–but that one’s so lame and it’s not fun to say at all,” said Guzman.

She is referring to My Little Pony, the toy-turned-animated-feature that has attracted an unexpected adult fanbase. Though she’s had trouble finding other “Bronies” at NYU, living in New York means constant meetups, which she attends almost monthly.

Like most college students, Guzman uses her desk as storage space, and the shelves are crowded with My Little Pony merchandise. Posters of other TV shows (Adventure Time), comics (Homestruck – a “new fandom”) and movies (Frankenweenie, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) decorate the walls.

Even at a school like NYU, which Guzman terms “very liberal,” it’s been hard to find people with as specific an interest as hers. “You don’t just go to Kimmel and hold up a sign saying, ‘All Bronies Follow Me.’ It’s more word-of-mouth.” Read more…


Don’t Want To Intern For Credit? Try This Loophole

Most of us have been there before: You’re reading through an internship posting, and it seems like the position was perfectly crafted for you, but then you get to the last line: “Please note: You must be able to receive school credit in order to intern with us.”

If the internship happens to occur during the academic year, and you happen to be taking less than a full 18-credit course load, and the position falls in line with what you’re studying, then you may be able to pursue the internship without paying additional money to NYU (though you’ll have to add some academic work to your load, as most NYU programs require papers and class time of for-credit interns). But if you want to pursue the for-credit internship over the summer, or if you’ve already signed up for 18 credits, or if your desired internship doesn’t fall in line with your major, it might be impractically costly or even impossible to take on the position.

Some students at NYU (myself included), however, have recently discovered a loophole that has allowed us to get out of interning for credit at companies that said they required such credit. The key is a “letter of support,” signed by NYU, which an employer may accept in lieu of you receiving credit. We can’t guarantee it’ll work, but it’s worth looking into. If you don’t need the credit, this could possibly save you a good amount of money and academic work.

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NYU’s New Official Twitter Is Alive And Well, But You Probably Didn’t Know That

In the fall, we criticized NYU for lagging behind on social media platforms (actually, we’ve been doing this for years). Despite Twitter’s explosive popularity as a marketing and communication platform for businesses, organizations and everything else that matters, NYU had not finalized a social media strategy until recently. Or at least not one that made sense of Twitter. The end of April will mark the one month anniversary of active tweeting from the University’s official handle @nyuuniversity, which has sat in dormancy since April 2009. Four years later, @nyuniversity peekabooed:

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Citi Bike Share Comes To NYU

Citi Bike Share, NYC’s newest transportation system, arrived on campus yesterday. The bike rack, a long line of inverted metal U’s, takes up half a block on Washington Square East in front of Pless Hall. Bikes will be installed in mid-May and available to rent via the kiosk next to the rack. Yesterday morning, NYC Bike Share employees cordoned off the area, chatted with NYU security guards, and finished the job in time to hit the next spot on their list.

Because the program does not start until May, biking from Gramercy to Silver for class won’t be possible until the fall. But it begins just in time for summer, and if your internship is in Manhattan and your apartment in Brooklyn, you can pick up the bike in one borough and drop it off in another. Read more…


[PHOTOS] NYU Stands with Boston, Holds Vigil in Kimmel

While New York and Boston have had a longstanding rivalry, any malice has been abandoned in light of the bombings that took place at the Boston Marathon one week ago. NYU hosted a vigil on the steps of the Kimmel Center yesterday afternoon to show our support and solidarity. More photos after the jump.

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Exclusive: Rihanna Will Not Be Visiting NYU Today

In February, NYU Local learned that Rihanna was set to visit NYU this spring in wake of the viral “Diamonds” cover video created last semester by group of students in the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. And earlier this month, we received confirmation from the video’s executive producer Hannah Babitt that Rihanna was planning to visit today, Tuesday, April 23rd.

However, we have just heard from the Clive Davis Institute’s Events Coordinator Nikki Mirasola that Rihanna isn’t planning to grace us with her presence today. “As it turns out, Rihanna will not be making an appearance on NYU’s campus as an alternate prize (off campus) for the contest winners has been coordinated,” she wrote in an email.

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Thirsty? Here Are The Best Places To Drink Outdoors Near Campus

It’s finally springtime: The flowers and trees are beginning to bloom, the temperature is slowly-but-surely rising, and most importantly, outdoor drinking is acceptable again.

One of the best parts about this time of year is being able to shed your heavy jacket, put on the sunglasses, and grab a beer, a glass of wine, or even a cocktail while enjoying the newly warm weather. Especially after a long day of work or class, it’s always nice to revel in the benefits of this glorious season in this manner.

Fortunately for us, a number of local restaurants and bars offer outdoor seating beginning this time of year. We’ve rounded up a bunch of our favorite outdoor drinking spots near campus for your convenience. Check them out after the jump.

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The Boston Marathon Bombings: The Latest Updates, NYU’s Response, And What You Can Do To Help


Authorities are still searching today for a suspect in yesterday’s deadly bombings at the finish line of the Boston marathon, which killed 3 people and injured 176, according to the most recent reports. Although there were numerous rumors that a suspect was detained yesterday following the detonation of two explosive devices, officials running the investigation have denied that they have anyone in custody in relation to the attack at this time. However an apartment was searched early this morning in the Boston suburb of Revere in connection to the bombings, according to authorities. Police were seen removing numerous paper bags and a duffel bag from the scene but no arrests were made. Read more…


Does Living In Hayden Make You Cool? And 39 Other Questions We Still Have About NYU

We seniors at NYU Local still think that NYU is shrouded in a deep cloud of mystery, even if graduation is just about a month away. It’s like the island from Lost, except there are way more shaggy haired dudes that play guitar than just Charlie. (Is there a time portal under the fountain?!)

As innocent freshmen, we stood under the arch clutching our lanyards like rosaries asking Housie in the sky for answers. We have 40 questions that have not been answered by four years of experience at this fine University.

You have just over a month to answer them NYU — get started. Read more…