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

The 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 is approaching this year. NYU has not done much to protect its Muslim, Arab, and South Asian students from racism, xenophobia, and Islamophobia, many of whom are international students who may now know how to protect themselves. (Staff Photo by Trace Miller)

Opinion: NYU needs to protect Arab and Muslim students on the anniversary of 9/11

As the 20th Anniversary of 9/11 approaches, vulnerable populations are bracing themselves once more for the anniversary of one of the most infamous terrorist attacks. What will NYU do to protect students who are worried about what this anniversary means for their safety?
Srishti Bungle, Deputy Opinion Editor September 2, 2021

The world changed on Sept. 11, 2001. Following the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, former President George Bush announced a War on Terror, created the Department of...

NYU continues construction on 181 Mercer Street in SoHo gentrifying the area. Mayor DeBlasio’s plan for affordable housing in the area does not serve the public interest of the surrounding area. (Staff Photo by Alexandra Chan)

Opinion: De Blasio’s rezoning plan is gentrification in the making

Mayor Bill de Blasio pledged to increase access to affordable housing for SoHo, NoHo and Chinatown residents with a controversial upzoning plan. The plan, however, will likely instead increase gentrification in NYU’s backyard and reduce net affordable housing. The City Planning Commision should reject it outright.
Asha Ramachandran, Opinion Editor September 1, 2021

Last year, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office introduced a rezoning plan targeting much of SoHo, NoHo and parts of Chinatown. The city has emphasized the plan’s potential to create...

New York got its first vaccine passport app which is the first government-issued immunity pass in the country. However, the prospect of widespread use of a vaccine passport has prompted both critics and supporters. (Staff Illustration by Manasa Gudavalli)

Opinion: A premature vaccine passport can threaten public health and equity

The vaccine passport has arrived in New York and is being debated around the country. Vaccine hesitancy poses a fundamental challenge to reaching herd immunity – therefore, a vaccine passport is contingent on increased vaccination efforts.
Lucy Yama, Staff Writer May 6, 2021

The stark ideological and political divide between American conservatives and liberals has been considered a proxy for one’s views on pandemic-related mandates, including mask-wearing...

Protestors march in Manhattan as part of a climate strike. Sustainability movements must recognize the need for intersectionality. (Staff Photo by Alexandra Chan)

Opinion: Let’s include voices of color into the sustainability movement

The sustainability movement needs to take strides to become more intersectional and community oriented.
Batoul Saleh, Staff Writer May 5, 2021

For the most part, Earth Day inspires people to post on social media with calls to action about the climate, the environment and how we, as individuals, can combat these changes....

Although the modern college campus is perceived to be filled with liberal and leftist students, professors, and policies, there is no shortage of young college republicans. Some young conservative activists claim that ideological diversity is under attack whenever their opinions are challenged. (Staff Photo by Alexandra Chan)

Opinion: When campus conservatives invoke ‘ideological diversity,’ don’t take them seriously

While conservative movements on campus stress the importance of ideological diversity, there's a price to pay for supporting the movement.
Srishti Bungle, Staff Writer May 4, 2021

The modern college campus is perceived to be rife with liberal and leftist students, professors and policies, especially by conservatives. Though this narrative gained traction...

On April 26, the Supreme Court announced that it would review a New York law that restricted the ability to carry a gun outside the home. This is the first time the Supreme Court has taken up this issue in over a decade. (Staff Photo by Taylor Knight)

Opinion: Conservative win in Second Amendment case could spur liberal court reform

Last Monday, the Supreme Court agreed to review a lower court decision regarding the Second Amendment, making this the first time the court has taken up this issue in over a decade. While gun rights activists are almost surely going to win, liberals may be able to turn it around and push for further court reform.
Emily Dai, Opinion Editor May 3, 2021

On April 26, the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it would review a longstanding New York law that restricted the ability to carry a gun outside the home. New York State Rifle...

The National Grid is constructing a fracked gas-line that runs through many marginalized communities in Brooklyn. This unsustainable energy method presents a real danger to the communities in which this main runs through. (Staff Photo by Alexandra Chan)

Opinion: Brooklyn’s fracked gas pipeline endangers vulnerable communities

Despite the associated health and environmental risks, the National Grid plans to build a fracked gas pipeline that runs through Brooklyn, which will hit marginalized communities the hardest. It is about time that we halt this pipeline and transition towards green energy.
Asha Ramachandran, Deputy Opinion Editor April 26, 2021

A 7-mile natural gas pipeline is under construction in northern Brooklyn. The multinational utility company National Grid wants to build the pipeline to pump natural gas from Pennsylvania...

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the institutions accessible to NYU students through the recently suspended Museum Gateway program. This forced inaccessibility gives us a unique opportunity to re-evaluate our relationships with museums and their legacy. (Photo by Celia Tewey)

Opinion: The Museum Gateway Program suspension is an opportunity to scrutinize our relationship with museums

While we cannot reverse the suspension of NYU’s Museum Gateway program, we can use this time to re-evaluate our relationships with museums and which ones we, as students, receive free admission to.
Michelle Han, Contributing Writer April 22, 2021

NYU’s Museum Gateway program, which offers free museum admission for students, has remained suspended since last fall due to administration’s COVID-related concerns. The student...

Homelessness is an ongoing crisis in New York City, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The New York City mayoral candidates have spotlighted the urgent need for affordable housing but diverge in terms of their solutions. (Staff Photo by Alexandria Johnson)

OPINION: New York City’s next mayor must prioritize supportive housing

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated New York City’s homelessness problem. Supportive housing is a sustainable solution that addresses both the financial and rehabilitative needs of many homeless individuals.
Lucy Yama, Staff Writer April 21, 2021

Homelessness is an enduring crisis in New York City. Today, the number of homeless New Yorkers sleeping in shelters increased 40% compared to 10 years ago. This rise does not even...

The NYPD’s war against racial justice protesters

The NYPD’s war against racial justice protesters

According to recently leaked documents, the New York City Police Department’s anti-terror unit trained officers to disregard the constitutional rights of demonstrators during last summer’s protests for racial justice. This unit must be disbanded and officers involved held accountable for these abuses.
Asha Ramachandran, Deputy Opinion Editor April 12, 2021

Beaten with batons, assaulted with pepper spray, shoved to the ground and unlawfully arrested — these are only a few examples of the force inflicted by the New York Police Department...

NYU needs to combat the bystander effect

NYU needs to combat the bystander effect

The recent rise of anti-Asian hate crimes has highlighted how dangerous it is to be a bystander in times of crisis. NYU must do more to combat this violence through more robust bystander intervention training.
WSN Editorial Board April 5, 2021

On Monday, March 29, three men at a luxury apartment complex in midtown Manhattan watched as an assailant beat and kicked 65-year-old Vilma Kari on the sidewalk outside. A man...

Students with special needs must be prioritized

Students with special needs must be prioritized

The current plan for in-person instruction issued by the New York City Department of Education leaves out students with special education needs: a vulnerable population of students whose academic performance is threatened by school closings.
Batoul Saleh, Contributing Writer March 31, 2021

Parents, students and teachers rallied at the Department of Education headquarters on March 13. They demanded that schools be reopened after over a year of virtual learning due...