Student Groups

BIAS: Journal of Fashion Studies is a student-run publication originating from Parsons School of Design that envisions dialogic integration of fashion studies with other academic disciplines and artistic and design practices. BIAS supports and showcases the work of emerging fashion scholars, artists, and designers and provides a platform for everyone to engage with fashion practice and theory.

The Climate Justice club is for people who are passionate about the environment and planetary health and who feel an urge to take action. Action can look like meeting to discuss climate change policies and lobbying. Group members collaborate on multidisciplinary creative projects that combat climate injustice and implement systems that reduce our carbon footprint. 

The New School Comedy Club is a place for comedy appreciation and analysis as well as a safe space in which to try out new material, whether it's improv, stand-up, variety, sketch, or another format.

The Cross-Country Team Running Club is open to students at all levels of skill. Practices are scheduled to fit into participants' schedules. Though independent, the Narwhals compete in races hosted by the Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the City University of New York. 

Students learn about literary journal publishing by researching contemporary practices in the field and by editing content for Lang's literary arts journal, Eleven and a Half. The editorial process includes developing goals for the journal; soliciting, reading, and evaluating submissions; and responding to authors. Students learn the basic vocabulary of journal production and publishing. Current trends in literary editing are discussed. There are field trips to presses and organizations that support literary publishing, and classes feature visits by New York City-based literary arts editors working with do-it-yourself practices, letterpress, book arts, Web-based journals, university and college-based publications, and journals with a larger mainstream readership. Register for the course or contact Albert Mobilio for more information.

Exile is a student-led multimedia publication, providing New School students with a platform to express themselves in visual and written works through their publications and Instagram feed. Students share their experiences of culture and the city in completed works and works-in-progress.

The Hip-Hop Collective is a dedicated hip-hop group that offers educational, musical, and social gatherings centering social activism and all elements of hip-hop culture.

The Impact Entrepreneurship Initiative (IEI) is a university-wide initiative that supports early-stage entrepreneurial leaders in developing the mindsets, skills, and sense of purpose needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world. The initiative is designed to promote the creation of an inclusive economy by making entrepreneurial education, resources, and networks accessible to students from diverse backgrounds. We envision a world that works for us all, in which individuals can do well by doing good, using their talents to shape a more sustainable and equitable economy. For more information about the Impact Entrepreneurship Initiative, visit this website.

This student-led organization is committed to championing the rights of international and third-culture students at The New School and in New York City. ISO is first and foremost an advocacy platform but also provides study support through its student-run Whatsapp group and resources tailored to foreign students and hosts events celebrating the talent and cultural wealth international students bring to The New School.

Each semester, students are invited to audition for a theatrical production at Lang. Plays produced by the faculty and students of Lang include Our Town, The Judith of Shimoda, From the Fire, Big Love, Measure for Measure, Nightclub Cantata, Operetta, and The Laramie Project. Public performances are scheduled in November and April. Students can receive academic credit for working as members of the cast or crew. For more information about auditions, contact a member of the Theater faculty or the Arts program office.

The New School Outdoors club hosts sports and recreation activities. "Our mission is to facilitate sports and recreation activities for all members of the New School community as we emphasize the significance of outdoor education and experiences in the nature-informed, regenerative change that we all wish to witness."

The co-ed Narwhal Soccer Club competes in approximately six games each fall, including the annual "Village Cup" match against rival Cooper Union.

Founded in 2003 by a freshman who wanted to build community at Lang, the New School Debate Team currently ranks 27th in the nation in college competitions, ahead of Dartmouth, USC, and NYU. The team competes in collegiate policy debate at the Novice, JV, and Open levels. It is part of both the Cross Examination Debate Association (CDA) and the National Debate Tournament (NDT). The team also does campus and community outreach.

Debating engages students in the full range of intellectual and policy arguments on selected issues of current public interest. It brings New School students as ambassadors to universities and other venues in the city, the country, and the world. Every semester, a workshop course in debate is offered for New School students interested in joining the team. New School students at any level of debate experience can join the team. Students can also volunteer to coach in the citywide Urban Debate League, a consortium of debating teams from New York City public high schools. For more information, contact Debate Team coach Vik Kennan at [email protected].

The New School Economic Review offers an outlet for research and work influenced by the radical and multidisciplinary tradition of The New School for Social Research. The organization's peer-reviewed journal focuses on the study of economics in a sociopolitical context and accepts submissions in a variety of fields. Membership is open to full-time degree-seeking students from all colleges of the university as well as New School faculty and alumni. 

65 West 11th Street, room 071 
212.229.5100 
The New School Free Press is a student-run digital newspaper serving the university community. Students may be able to receive academic credit for working on the newspaper, depending on the particular assignments and responsibilities. You can contribute as a reporter, managing editor, section editor, copy editor, production chief, designer, photographer, publicist, etc. If interested, visit the New School Free Press website or email [email protected].

The New School Game Club hosts a variety of video and board games on a weekly basis during the school year. Everyone is welcome to join. 

The New School Gardening Society brings nature to our community, emailing members and publishing the plant of the day on social media.  

Inspired by NPR's Tiny Desk, New School Sunday Sessions is a series of recorded sessions presented by the University Student Senate in collaboration with WNSM. Created by students for students.

OBSIDIAN is a supportive space and community for Black students from a variety of design disciplines at The New School and its global network who seek to gain a broader perspective on design in relation to the unique and complex issues pertaining to the diaspora. The group promotes awareness, visibility, and innovation around issues involving Black designers and engages in and facilitates conversations about their impact on the design field, Black culture, and the community at large.

The New School Printmaking Club provides a collaborative environment where students can come together to work, acquire skills, make friends, and take part in workshops. Printmaking does not require a major, and this club invites students to get that printmaking love in their lives and have fun doing it!

72 Fifth Avenue, 3rd floor 
New School Recreation offers students opportunities to take part in physical exercise and sports while meeting new people, enjoying social interaction, and building community. The office supports intramural team sports as well as weekly recreation programs (group fitness classes and personal training), outdoor education and activities, and other special recreational events throughout the academic year. Please contact Recreation with any questions.

Each semester, Lang offers courses designed around exhibitions at prominent New York City cultural institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Guggenheim Museum, the New-York Historical Society, and the Public Theater. Students venture behind the scenes to meet with staff and guest artists and investigate the artistic process. These courses teach students about the life and art of featured artists and the social and political milieu in which they worked. Students can meet with museum curators to learn about both featured exhibitions and the curatorial process. Other courses allow students to explore the process of historical representation and interpretation through material culture with field analysis of historic sites and public art in New York. For more information, speak to your academic advisor.

The Skybridge curatorial course provides an opportunity for students to take part in multimedia exhibitions and curriculum-based projects in the arts. Showcasing visiting artists' work, students' work, and broader curatorial projects, the Skybridge space is a vibrant and exciting laboratory for visual, aural, and critical thinking. Students consider ideas for the managing the gallery space, supported by readings and field trips to art galleries, public radio stations, and sound installations and a museum tour led by a professional curator. The history and practice of audio art is introduced in the context of conceiving and installing actual exhibitions, including creating acoustical landscapes to complement the visual and textual components of each project. There are usually two to three exhibitions each semester.

The Student Activities Board (SAB) provides expertise and resources to facilitate student-generated educational and entertainment programs in an effort to help students from different colleges of the university meet and host and participate in one another's events. 

72 Fifth Avenue, 3rd floor
212.229.5459
Students residing in campus housing should expect to enjoy new challenges and experiences and establish new friendships. University Housing supports learning by fostering residential communities that reinforce academic and personal growth. A secure and supportive environment with relevant programming allows residents to share experiences and activities, appreciate differences, and ease into the challenges of college. All residence halls provide exciting social and educational programs created to familiarize residents with both the traditions of The New School and the cultural opportunities of New York. Programs designed to engage intellectual and artistic interests and to promote personal health and wellness are implemented by the resident advisors. Our goal is to provide comfortable and inclusive communities that promote cultural awareness, academic achievement, and new and diverse experiences. Students who have questions or concerns about life in the residence halls should contact [email protected].

72 Fifth Avenue, 3rd floor
212.229.5687
Student Leadership and Involvement (SLI) sponsors many organizations and leadership programs and maintains an extensive calendar of events, all of which promote community and collaboration among students. The university has many recognized student clubs, organized around professional, academic, and social interests, including political action and advocacy, the visual and performing arts, faith and spirituality, and sports and recreation. A complete list is posted at NarwhalNation.

Tadka is a hub designed to introduce the New School community to South Asian culture through celebrations of South Asian festivals, activities, and food. New School students are welcome and encouraged to attend and participate.

The University Student Senate (USS) is the official student government of The New School. Elected from all schools of the university, student senators hear from students about their concerns, present students' concerns to administration, plan all-campus parties and other events, make political statements, co-fund one-off events held by other groups, and more. To schedule appointments, please email the senators at [email protected].

WNSR is the New School's Web-based radio station. Students are responsible for managing and producing content for the station's five programming streams (currently a series of podcasts; streaming options are being explored). Course components include station management, marketing, and fundraising; audio production, including basic recording and mixing; broadcast journalism, including interviewing and writing for radio; feature production, editing, and critique; music programming; and artistic performance programming, which involves interfacing with Lang's wide array of creative performance and arts programming. To listen, visit WNSR.