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New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

COVID-19

Doctor Carl Zimmer speaks from the wooden podium in Hemmerdinger Hall. An audience sits in front of him. Behind him is a projector screen displaying two images.

How science journalists reported on the ‘story of our lifetime’

A science columnist for The New York Times spoke at NYU about the evolution of viruses and the importance of good communication with the public during health crises.
John Kim, Staff Writer March 21, 2023

Speaking to a group of more than 100 NYU students and professors, New York Times science columnist Carl Zimmer chronicled his story as one of the world’s foremost science journalists...

A man wearing a dotted tie, a white shirt and a black suit jacket speaks in an online conference session. Behind him are a bookshelf and five clocks displaying times in different time zones.

Minnesota prof criticizes public health response at COVID-19 lecture

University of Minnesota professor Michael Osterholm gave a virtual lecture at NYU on Tuesday, Feb. 8, criticizing aspects of the official response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shiann Stokes, Staff Writer February 8, 2023

University of Minnesota professor Michael Osterholm criticized the public health system’s reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects during a virtual lecture held by...

An illustration of a COVID-19 vaccination card in the background with a half-full syringe on the left of the foreground and a bottle reading “COVID-19 VACCINE BOOSTER” on the right.

Most NYU students haven’t received the bivalent booster, WSN survey finds

As NYU eases its COVID-19 requirements, most students are opting out of getting a second booster shot.
Hope Pisoni, Staff Writer February 7, 2023

NYU’s COVID-19 regulations are at their least restrictive since they were first put into place in March 2020. At the same time, according to a WSN survey of 105 students, most...

A building which has NYU and NYU Steinhardt flags hoisted from a walls.

After one month of checking visitor vax cards, NYU gives up

Though visitors to campus must still be vaccinated for COVID-19, they no longer need to show physical proof of vaccination to gain access to university buildings.
Carmo Moniz, Deputy News Editor October 20, 2022

NYU will no longer require campus visitors to present proof of vaccination to a university employee before they are approved to enter university buildings starting Monday, Oct....

Seven students wear masks while sitting at their desks in an NYU classroom. A professor sitting on a table listens to a student.

Immunocompromised students concerned following mask mandate removal

Although some students and faculty members have continued to wear masks on campus following the lift of the mandate last month, some immunocompromised students are concerned about increased risks to their health.
Leila Olukoga, Contributing Writer October 13, 2022

Some immunocompromised students at NYU, who are at an increased risk of severe COVID-19 complications, are concerned about their health following the university’s decision to...

(Charlie Dodge for WSN)

End of NYU mask mandate planned for Sept. 28

As part of the updated policy, masks will no longer be required in classrooms or in Bobst Library, and event hosts, faculty and supervisors will not be allowed to require masking within a specific space. The weekly testing requirement for unvaccinated individuals will also be removed.
Arnav Binaykia, Editor-in-Chief September 23, 2022

NYU will drop its mask mandate on Wednesday, Sept. 28, marking the end of a two-year-long requirement for students and employees in academic settings, according to a draft of an...

(Joshua Becker for WSN)

Outside guests now allowed in dorms and other NYU buildings

As COVID-19 restrictions on campus continue to ease, students are looking forward to welcoming non-NYU guests into university buildings under a new policy announced on Tuesday.
Adrianna Nehme, Deputy News Editor September 13, 2022

NYU students can now bring outside guests into residence halls and other campus spaces — a reversal of a policy that has been in place since fall 2020. Students, faculty and...

An illustration of a COVID-19 vaccination card in the background. In the foreground is a half-full syringe on the left and a bottle of COVID-19 vaccine on the right.

Updated COVID booster soon available at NYU, but not yet required

While NYU is preparing to offer the new COVID-19 booster shot soon, it has not yet decided whether to require the shot for students, faculty or staff.
Allison Chow and Griffin Eckstein September 12, 2022

Starting this week, all members of the NYU community are eligible for an updated booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. The new boosters from Moderna and Pfizer, which were approved...

A line of people stand waiting to take COVID-19 tests on a road near a gate. Workers in full personal protective equipment can be seen monitoring the line and administering the tests.

‘I need to get out’: NYU Shanghai lockdown leaves students struggling in dorms

Since the city of Shanghai's government lockdown began on March 28, students have been forced to quarantine in the dorms, take classes online and participate in daily testing.
Mitali Sapra, Contributing Writer May 2, 2022

On March 13, NYU Shanghai first-year Raghav Dembla received an email from David Pe, the dean of students at the campus, informing him that students and faculty would be unable...

The user interface of a change.org petition against a pink background: a description of the petition is in the upper half, and signatures of petitioners are in the lower half.

Petition against NYU’s COVID screener stalls after 3 weeks

After a Stern first-year was barred from entering his classes, he created a petition to end the university’s Daily Screener.
Maria Freyre, Senior Staff Writer April 22, 2022

A petition calling on NYU to stop requiring the Daily Screener — a COVID-19 vaccination pass that students, faculty and staff must show to enter university buildings —...

A student seated indoors, wearing a black mask, tan headphones, and a blue sweater with a reclining green frog.

Students conflicted about NYU easing mask mandate

As NYU drops its indoor mask mandate for some locations on campus, students express mixed feelings about the university’s decision and the further lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.
Gabriel Hawthorne and Carmo Moniz March 31, 2022

NYU’s decision to drop its indoor mask mandate in some locations starting yesterday has stirred mixed feelings among students over whether the university made the right decision.  According...

Convalescent plasma treatment can be effective in treating COVID-19 for selected patients, according to recent research from NYU’s Grossman School of Medicine. (Image via Wikimedia Commons)

Plasma treatment benefits some COVID patients, NYU study finds

An NYU Grossman study found that transfusing blood plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients to COVID patients with preexisting conditions can improve the recovery process.
Natalie Thomas, Staff Writer February 16, 2022

Blood transfusions from people who previously recovered from COVID-19 have been found to improve the conditions of some currently infected with the virus, according to an NYU Grossman...