Dear readers,
After another busy semester, The Kiosk is taking a break for the holidays. We’d like to start off by thanking all the students who contributed articles and creative work this semester, as well as our staff advisors who made it all possible.
When we restarted The Kiosk a year and a half ago, after a pandemic-induced hiatus, we couldn’t imagine the impact it would have on the CUNY SPS community. Since then, we’ve hosted journalism workshops, held contests for aspiring writers and photographers, and covered the most important goings-on at CUNY SPS.
Most recently, we held our Political Op-Ed Contest, which saw students submit opinion pieces reflecting upon our current state of national and global affairs. In first place, Emani Hanks wrote a revealing piece about the costs of ignoring workplace protections and intersectionality for autistic employees. In second place, Katerina Lewis Archer wrote a very meta piece about how American identity is wrapped up with being opinionated. In third place, Tasqui Guayasamin wrote about the power of voting as a privilege and responsibility for our communities. And finally, as an honorable mention, Michele Schultz wrote about the false threat of the TikTok ban in U.S. politics.
Student clubs played a huge role in bringing together our student body this semester. There were quite a few new student clubs to join the ranks at CUNY SPS, including the Cosplay Club, the Makeup and Beauty Club, and the Mental Health Club. Meanwhile, the South Asian Student Union went on field trips to different places of worship, including Queens Sikh Temple and the Islamic Cultural Center of New York.
CUNY SPS also hosted several eye-opening and engaging events. The School’s Committee on Institutional Equity and Diversity (CIED) hosted a screening of an Oscar-nominated short documentary, Stranger at the Gate, along with a Q&A with its subject, a former U.S. Marine who befriended the community at his local mosque after initially planning to attack it with homemade bombs. Meanwhile, the Disability Studies department hosted the first CUNY SPS Disability Culture Summit, which brought together academics, performers, and entrepreneurs with disabilities to discuss dance, sports, music, and technology within disability culture.
Lastly, for those students still hammering out their finals, The Kiosk has prepared a couple of relaxed playlists to help you study (or just unwind after a busy day) — check them out on our new Multimedia page.
The Kiosk will return in the Spring 2025 semester with new stories, contests, and events. Stay tuned for our info session at the start of the semester!
Good luck on finals and happy holidays!
Ivan De Luce, Editor-in-Chief
Nasreen Quadir, Managing Editor
