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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

City

(Alex Tey for WSN)

Opinion: NYC needs to invest in its community, not in a Cop City

Mayor Eric Adams’ Cop City plan will not meaningfully improve public safety — it's time for a different approach that centers social services and housing support.
Serin Lee, Staff Writer April 4, 2025

The New York City Police Department is the largest and most funded police department in the country, with roughly 36,000 officers and over $671 per capita in annual funding. But...

(Akshay Prabhushankar for WSN)

Off Topic: We must protect our libraries’ federal funding

Libraries and museums provide knowledge, community and equity, yet recent federal funding cuts threaten to undermine these invaluable institutions.
Antonia Ang, Staff Writer March 21, 2025

On Friday, March 14, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that will remove funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, as well as half a dozen other...

(Kevin Wu for WSN)

Opinion: Federal funding cuts will exacerbate NYC’s homelessness crisis

The Trump administration’s cuts to federal agencies and programs that combat homelessness will worsen the homelessness crisis and overburden local governments and nonprofits.
Serin Lee, Staff Writer March 19, 2025

Last Friday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order eliminating seven critical government agencies “to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.” Among the...

(Kiara Mujica for WSN)

Opinion: The urgency of NYC’s water scarcity

For the first time in over two decades, New York City is facing its first drought warning, with dangerously low reservoir levels fueling wildfires. The city, and its people, should be attempting to minimize the damages.
Steven Wang, Staff Writer March 10, 2025

Since the start of 2025, wildfires have spread at an alarming rate across the United States, with over 8,000 wildfires and over 160,000 acres burned. Fires have devastated cities...

(Danny Arensberg for WSN)

Opinion: How the NYPD evades accountability for misconduct

Legislatures need to address the department’s internal corruption of dodging disciplinary consequences for police misconduct.
Steven Wang, Staff Writer March 6, 2025

Since 2000, there have been 180,700 New York City Police Department misconduct complaints that included 59,244 separate incidents and 35,435 officers. Out of 50 million police...

(Charlotte Nichols for WSN)

Opinion: NYU gentrifies as New Yorkers suffer

NYU’s geographical dominance impacts both affordable housing and the progression of gentrification in lower Manhattan.
Steven Wang, Staff Writer February 24, 2025

Last month, NYU finalized its purchase of the Hebrew Union College building on West Fourth Street for $75.5 million. This addition to the university's already-massive real estate...

(Natalia Kempthorne-Curiel for WSN)

Opinion: Hustle culture is harming us, and self-care isn’t helping

In our performance-driven world, students find themselves on the receiving end of two toxic trends — hustle culture and its commercialized counterpart, self-care.
Mehr Kotval and Noah Zaldivar February 21, 2025

As college students, academic stress, burnout and demanding expectations are all familiar experiences. The job market has raised its standards, and the constant pressure...

Opinion: Students need to rethink their relationship with weed

Opinion: Students need to rethink their relationship with weed

As marijuana use increases among college students, including at NYU, it's important to consider the risks that often go overlooked.
Konrad Zawadzki, Contributing Writer February 19, 2025

At NYU, marijuana is a large part of campus culture. When I walked through campus for the first time, the pungent smell of cannabis lingered in the air, emanating from dorms, elevators...

(Kevin Wu for WSN)

Opinion: Subway safety is a manufactured crisis

New York City is spending millions on subway policing and surveillance, but these measures do more to ease public anxiety than actually reduce crime.
Steven Wang, Staff Writer February 12, 2025

Anyone who turns on the news might think that the New York City subway system is more dangerous than ever. Every few weeks, a violent subway crime becomes the subject of alarmist...

Opinion: A lack of accessibility leaves disabled commuters behind

Opinion: A lack of accessibility leaves disabled commuters behind

New York City’s transit system has an accessibility problem. What can the MTA do to fix it?
Sam Kats, Contributing Writer February 5, 2025

Nearly 1 in 6 New York City residents have a disability, and for many, the subway system remains a source of exclusion rather than access. As of January, 336 subway stations in...

(Marva Shi for WSN)

Opinion: The exploitation of prison labor

The prison labor system in New York state exploits incarcerated individuals, denying them fair wages, workplace protections and dignity.
Mehr Kotval, Opinion Editor January 28, 2025

In New York, chairs in classrooms, street signs and license plates have one thing in common:  They are all produced by prison labor. As of 2024, around 1.8 million people were...

(Kevin Wu for WSN)

How you can help NYC’s homeless crisis

Homelessness in New York City has reached an unprecedented scale. However, there is a way for us to support those without shelter for just one night.
Steven Wang, Staff Writer January 24, 2025

For most NYU students, the worst of a cold January night will be facing the bitter winds as we walk into the warmth of our own dorms. Inside, it’s cozy with the radiators turned...