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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

Crime

In the search for Gabby Petito, nine other bodies were found, many of whom were women of color. The media should start reporting the stories of women of color who go missing and bring an end to “missing white woman syndrome.”
(Staff Illustration by Manasa Gudavalli)

Opinion: Put an end to ‘missing white woman syndrome’

Considering the fact that nine other bodies were found in the high-profile search for Gabby Petito, we should treat missing cases involving people of color with increased importance.
Srishti Bungle, Deputy Opinion Editor October 29, 2021

On Sept. 1, Brian Laundrie returned alone to his home in Florida in the white van he and Gabby Petito had shared during their cross-country road trip. By Sept. 19, authorities...

On Oct. 18, New York’s police watchdog agency recommended 65 officers be charged with misconduct. In order to hold police officers accountable, the NYPD commissioner should not have the final say in the disciplinary hearings. (Staff Photo by Manasa Gudavalli)

Opinion: NYPD officers must be held legally accountable

Recent findings of NYPD officers' misconduct underscore the importance of strict disciplinary accountability.
Michelle Han, Deputy Opinion Editor October 28, 2021

On Oct. 18, in response to an ongoing investigation into over 300 filed complaints of police brutality during the Black Lives Matter protests from the summer of 2020, New York’s...

A woman holds a sign demanding the closure of the Rikers Island jail. Activists are criticizing the rising death toll and inhumane living conditions, and New York City has pledged to close Rikers Island in 2027. (Photo by Sam Clegg)

Opinion: Close Rikers now

Amid an alarming rise in suicides, neglect and unlivable conditions, it is incumbent upon Mayor Bill de Blasio to shut down Rikers Island jail complex and stop wasting taxpayer money on pointless reforms.
Asha Ramachandran, Opinion Editor September 30, 2021

After touring Rikers Island on Monday, Sept. 27, Mayor Bill de Blasio noted the city’s progress in improving the jail. However, he failed to mention the deadly overcrowding,...

The death of #vanlife influencer Gabby Petito and the disappearance of her boyfriend Brian Laundrie has captured national attention. The tragedy of the story is underscored by its underlying issues of mental health and domestic dispute. (Staff Illustration by Manasa Gudavalli)

Opinion: The true crime of Gabby Petito’s story was domestic violence

The Gabby Petito conversation cannot overlook how our legal system inadequately handles domestic abuse.
Michelle Han, Deputy Opinion Editor September 29, 2021

Content warning: This article discusses domestic abuse.  The case of Gabby Petito, a 22-year-old who was found dead in Wyoming last Tuesday, went viral on social media after...

Police officers ride by Bobst. Mayoral candidate Andrew Yang's policies do nothing to curb the issue of police power in New York City. (Staff Photo by Alexandra Chan)

Opinion: Andrew Yang’s police reform plan is insufficient

New York City needs a mayor that will tackle police brutality with bold and radical reform. Andrew Yang’s current proposal imitates the timid nature of past proposals while simultaneously avoiding the true source of the problem.
Lucy Yama, Contributing Writer April 30, 2021

In the wake of Derek Chauvin’s conviction, the former officer who murdered George Floyd, New York City mayoral candidates, have renewed calls for police reform. There is a vigorous...

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...

Gun control has a racist past

Gun control has a racist past

The March 22 shooting in Boulder, Colorado, reignited conversations around gun control. However, many of these conversations overlook how gun control legislation has been used as a tool to suppress Black revolutionary movements.
Srishti Bungle, Contributing Writer April 5, 2021

The United States has a glaring problem: mass shootings. From Columbine to Aurora to Parkland to Boulder, mass shootings briefly grasp the nation’s attention before joining the...

You know who had a bad day? Asian women

You know who had a bad day? Asian women

The killing of six Asian women in Atlanta is a hate crime informed by centuries of exoticization and dehumanization.
Ashley Wu, Opinion Editor March 18, 2021

Yesterday morning, I awoke to frantic texts from relatives and friends back home in Georgia who were terrified by an act of senseless violence in a year fraught with hate crimes.  On...

De Blasio's police reform is hollow and insufficient

De Blasio’s police reform is hollow and insufficient

Mayor Bill de Blasio’s new police reform plan is full of abstract ideals and does not take the concrete, radical action necessary to transform the current reality of a violent NYPD.
Asha Ramachandran, Deputy Opinion Editor March 16, 2021

After a summer swept by protests for racial justice and demonstrations demanding the New York Police Department be defunded and held accountable for its violent racism, Mayor Bill...

Release Juveniles From Detention Centers During COVID-19

Release Juveniles From Detention Centers During COVID-19

States need to expedite the release of youth from juvenile detention centers in order to protect them from both COVID-19 and emotional trauma.
Helen Wajda, Deputy Opinion Editor April 23, 2020

At the Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center, a 17-year-old incarcerated teenager and three other boys in his unit spend their days speaking to each other through a crack at the...

The Exploitation of Prisoners During Crisis

The Exploitation of Prisoners During Crisis

As the coronavirus spreads across the state, New York is shifting the responsibility of combating the outbreak onto incarcerated people and is paying them around 60 cents an hour to do it.
Asha Ramachandran, Deputy Opinion Editor March 12, 2020

New York State is in the middle of a grave public health crisis, with the second-highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country. The way that Governor Andrew Cuomo’s...

Don’t Try Children as Adults

Don’t Try Children as Adults

The boys charged with the murder of Tessa Majors, like every other child indicted with a serious crime, should be tried in juvenile court.
Emily Dai, Deputy Opinion Editor March 2, 2020

On Dec. 11 of last year, 18-year old Tessa Majors was fatally stabbed while on an early evening walk through a park near campus. Majors had recently moved to New York from Charlottesville,...