NYU Buildings as Hunger Games Districts
As some might know, in the world of The Hunger Games, the “Games” were created after a war in which Panem’s 13 districts rebelled against the Capitol. District 13 led the other districts to rebel, but was then destroyed by the Capitol. The other 12 districts pay the price of the war with the annual Hunger Games where the district's children are killed for viewing pleasure and watched as a spectacle by the Capitol. Fans of the well-known series were visited with nostalgia after the prequel, The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, was released. The film was all anyone could talk about for months with memes being made online about Josh Hutcherson, who is famous for playing Peeta Mallark, in the original Hunger Games series. Fans on TikTok even took BuzzFeed quizzes to see which Hunger Games district they belonged to in the fictional world. As one enthusiastic user expressed, “I got 12! Funny as I actually am a coal miner in real life! Crazy how things turn out.” With all this talk about The Hunger Games on my mind, I wondered which of the 13 districts and the Capitol, NYU campus buildings belong to. As some might know, each district is known for something different. The Capitol is famous for ruling the districts, District 1 is Luxury, District 2 is Masonry, District 3 is Technology, District 4 is Fishing, District 5 is Power, District 6 is Transportation, District 7 is Lumber, District 8 is Textiles, District 9 is Grains, District 10 is Livestock, District 11 is Agriculture, District 12 is Mining, and District 13 is the hidden district by the Capitol where refugees from District 12 went after District 12 was burnt to the ground by President Snow’s regime. With many requests from my peers and my input, I was able to dictate which buildings were the best fit for each district/Capitol.
The Capitol (Power over All):
The Capitol in the Hunger Games is the center of all political power. It is most known for its extravagant displays of wealth and control.. After winning the war, the Capitol rules over Panem’s 13 districts with a firm hand. The Capitol initiates the Hunger Games every year and ultimately makes the rules for the districts.
Our NYU version of The Capitol is none other than the Stern building, known for its excessive glass staircase, special perks, and famous speakers. The citizens of The Capitol are also famous for thinking they are the best - which some would say is a common mindset of the Stern population. The Stern building feels the most exclusive too. Many students can find themselves lost in Stern because of how spread out it is and how confusing the elevators are. The Stern Building makes its presence known. The dome architecture stands out on NYU’s campus. The building is a common center that attracts people's attention with its glass shape and a large courtyard. The stairs leading up to the Stern building are even reminiscent of walking up to a grand structure of power like the Capitol. Now - talk about fashion - the Capitol people are known for their elaborate and unique fashion taste! The Stern students commonly will be seen wearing full business attire to class.
District 1 (Luxury):
The closest district to the Capitol is District 1. Known for Luxury, and being the wealthiest of the districts, the new Paulson Center is clearly District 1. The up-and-coming new building is attempting to rise to make a legacy, but it's not quite there yet. The luxurious, modern building is not only close to the Stern Building but stands out as wealthy and more powerful than other NYU buildings. Commonly hated by residents in the area, the Paulson Center doesn’t quite fit in with older building models. Similarly, District 1 is disliked by the other 12 districts. District 1 manufactures items such as jewelry. Although Paulson doesn't make jewelry, the outside interior glass structure sure looks like shiny diamonds!
District 2 (Masonry):
Known for its location far away in the Rocky Mountains is District 2. These tributes are makers of weapons and masonry and live in a rather wealthy area. Similarly, the Tandon School of Engineering Campus buildings are located far off in Brooklyn. Most NYU buildings are on the main campus near Washington Square Park. The engineering students design and create different types of things like robotics or software. These students also live in a nice area in downtown Brooklyn!
District 3 (Technology):
District 3 specializes in the making of technology and the people there produce computers, televisions, and other electronics. Very technologically advanced people reside in District 3. Located on LaGuardia Place is the LaGuardia Student Technology Center. In this center, the individuals know a lot about technology. Students can go there to collaborate and work around the use of technology. Some resources include computers, VR, media labs, and even video gaming areas. If you are interested in technology this District 3 duplicate is the place to go!
District 4 (Fishing):
The beloved, handsome, blonde Finnick Odair (played by actor Sam Claflin) is from District 4. Known for his abilities to swim and fish while also being incredibly wealthy and good-looking are common characteristics of those in District 4. NYU’s Palladium Hall and Athletic facility is the closest thing NYU will get to swimming and fishing. Palladium is infamously known for its reek of chlorine as soon as you enter the building as there is a pool in the basement for students to swim in. I am sure Finnick would enjoy swimming in the Palladium pool at NYU at some point.
District 5 (Power):
District 5 is not really talked about as much as the other Districts but is just as important! District 5 tributes are in charge of the power and electricity produced across all of Panem. This district even worked to house a hydroelectric dam, and many citizens took part in the building of this structure. Similarly, Warren Weaver Hall located on Mercer Street built a brand new CoGen plant to go greener. This new cogeneration plant located in the hall produces heat and electricity to simultaneously serve NYU’s campus’s residents while also being environmentally sustainable! You might not have heard of it, but you definitely benefit from its energy!
District 6 (Transportation):
If the name of this district isn't already obvious, District 6 is the main transportation for Panem residents. An NYU building that helps serve as a hub for the transport network of students is the Kimmel Center for University Life. Kimmel is a place where many students go to meet and take a break from their day. With Peet’s coffee on floor 2 and the dining hall on floor 3, students eat and chat before and after classes. People are constantly going in and out of Kimmel, as it is central to the main campus. Kimmel also has a lot of classes inside its hub. Additionally, extracurricular activities meet inside Kimmel, and it is where main NYU events take place with its 10 floors! Kimmel's elevators also can quickly transport students to the Global Center for Academic and Spiritual Life (GCASL). GCASL commonly has classes, study areas, and religious observance spaces for students.
District 7 (Lumber):
This district supplies Panem with copious amounts of lumber. District 7 is also surrounded mostly by trees and bushes. The iconic Johanna Mason is a victor from District 7. Many viewers loved watching her but also could not stand her interesting personality and choices in the games. NYU’s famous Bobst Library is very similar to District 7. The building supplies many students with books which are made of trees! Also, Bobst is surrounded by many trees as it is right across from Washington Square Park and next to a small courtyard. The building also famously (or infamously) is known for housing Bobst Boy: a boy who slept in Bobst Library for 8 whole months. He is a certain iconic figure to NYU, similar to the icon Johanna Mason is in The Hunger Games series for District 7.
District 8 (Textiles):
District 8 is known for producing the clothing worn by the peacemakers in The Hunger Games. This district specializes in the making of clothes and textiles for the Capitol and for the Districts. NYU students are known for their fashionable style, but Tisch students stand out for fashion! The Tisch School of the Arts located on Broadway is known for NYU students who can definitely picture the Tisch window display of mannequins wearing all sorts of textiles. The mannequins are usually dressed in different outfits ranging from dresses made out of newspapers to feathered capes! Very similar to Capitol inspired clothing some might say. Onlookers can admire the beautiful clothing pieces on display from the school’s talented students.
District 9 (Grains):
District 9, known for its production of grains, is the least known by the residents of Panem. Not much is known of tributes from this district. Similarly, an underground spot at NYU is The Torch Club or, as most students refer to it, 18-below. Only open from 11 AM to 2 PM, from Monday through Friday, The Torch Club produces different quality meals every week. Not many students have been to 18-below or even known about it when they first arrived at NYU because of its hidden location and underground restaurant atmosphere. This special spot to eat is one of the more underrepresented food options at NYU but still has some really good food options every week.
District 10 (Livestock):
The main job of this district is to supply meat to the districts and to the Capitol. District 10 is also known for raising and breeding all types of animals. Weinstein Hall is most known for feeding its residents at NYU. With three food options, people can find many things to eat. With Upstein’s many options, Downstein’s traditional dining hall food court, and Sidestein’s market for quick grab-and-go items, Weinstein Hall has the most food options out of the NYU buildings. Upstein even breeds chickens with their well-known Cluck-stein chicken! Although, NYU students are not totally sure if the chicken is 100% real. Nevertheless, many of Weinstein’s options are meat-based!
District 11 (Agriculture):
District 11 is composed of a very large area where Agriculture is the main industry. The land is covered in crop fields, orchards, and cattle farms. District 11 is known as one of the poorest districts and the tribute named Rue is from this district. The Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development building is similar to District 11, in that it is big and known for its Nutrition and Food Studies major. Additionally, the NYU Urban Farm Lab is an outdoor community farm where students from Steinhardt, and the Nutrition and Food Studies major commonly learn how to grow, care for, and harvest crops in an urban environment. People who go to this farm partake in different agricultural techniques along with District 11’s core values.
District 12 (Mining):
A fan-favorite District is no other than District 12. The most underrated and famous of all the districts. Most notable for coal mining and of course its notable members Katniss Everdeen, Peeta Mallark, Gale Hawthorne, and Haymitch. This district is the smallest, dirtiest, and poorest of the districts, but it makes a big impact throughout The Hunger Games Series. I would associate the Gallatin School of Individualized Study building with District 12 because it is notably the most underrated or unknown building regarding NYU buildings and majors. People don't give Gallatin enough credit! Let’s not forget of course all the famous alumni who are from Gallatin. Those include Dakota Fanning, Rooney Mara, the Olsen twins, the Sprouse twins, and of course, my favorite, Timotheè Chalamet. Gallatin, like District 12, has a lot of note-worthy names to the public.
District 13 (The Hidden One):
Notably showcased in the last two Hunger Games movies, District 13 was a district where the residents from District 12 resigned after District 12 was burnt to the ground. The refugees from District 12 came to District 13 under President Coin’s regime. This district had a hidden bunker for residents and nuclear power weapons. The Capitol destroyed District 13 during the war. President Snow claimed this District did not exist anymore, but it wasn’t gone entirely, just kept under wraps. The Silver Center for Arts and Sciences is most closely associated with District 13 because it used to be home to the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory which infamously burnt down in a fire killing many civilian workers. The fire mainly killed immigrant workers, mostly women who worked tirelessly in the building. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory’s exhibit explores a century struggle for radical reformers to improve working conditions in clothing shops. Similar to how District 13 works to fight against the Capitol to form a rebellion with their iconic symbol the Mockingjay, or known commonly to us as Katniss Everdeen.
All 13 Districts and the Capitol are unique in their own way. I am not saying any of these NYU buildings are carbon copies of the Hunger Games districts or that all of them are purely accurate representations. But a lot of the qualities depicted in the districts and Capitol represent common NYU buildings. Some people reading this might disagree with me and that’s okay. So many different buildings can represent certain districts in distinct ways. I had a lot of fun writing this article and it taught me a lot more about different NYU buildings and Hunger Games districts! If I offended anyone with my choices, I apologize! But if President Snow chose a major at NYU, I think we can assume it would be Business.
