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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

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 13, 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,...

Protect Black Girls Before It’s Too Late

Protect Black Girls Before It’s Too Late

Black girls and women are failed every day that society continues to neglect and ignore them.
Chinenye Onyeike, Staff Writer November 25, 2019

Samaya Dillard was a seven-year-old black girl from Sacramento. In December of 2013, Dillard’s second-grade teacher dragged her by her chair outside into the cold and made her...

The NYPD’s Subway Occupation Must End

The NYPD’s Subway Occupation Must End

After several instances of police abuse in New York City subway stations, an awareness of the NYPD’s campaign against those most in need is growing — this violent force must be confronted.
Asha Ramachandran, Contributing Writer November 11, 2019

A young black man, Adrian Napier, was sitting alone on the subway at the Franklin Avenue station in Brooklyn on Oct. 25. A gang of police officers assembled outside of the train,...

The False Promise of Closing Rikers Island

The False Promise of Closing Rikers Island

The city’s so-called proposal to close the jail and build four new ones only guarantees the creation of the newer jails. Rikers’ closure, set for 2026, is not guaranteed to happen.
Asha Ramachandran, Contributing Writer October 27, 2019

The New York City Council overwhelmingly voted earlier this month to close the notorious Rikers Island jail complex. The $8 billion resolution will replace Rikers by building,...

DNA Collection Program Demonizes Migrants

DNA Collection Program Demonizes Migrants

Americans must recognize that the new U.S. immigration policy of DNA collection is a racist step toward genetic mass surveillance.
Jun Sung, Deputy Opinion Editor October 7, 2019

Soon, U.S. immigration officials will be allowed to start collecting DNA samples of detained migrants. Supporters of this argue that the program is necessary to find people posing...

What the Puerto Rican Government Owes Its Women

What the Puerto Rican Government Owes Its Women

Puerto Rican women are being attacked. Despite protests, the government has only just begun to tackle the problem — but it may not be enough.
Sofia Martinez Rivera, Staff Writer October 4, 2019

A video began circulating Twitter last week and further inflamed an already-heated discussion regarding the lack of protection for victims of domestic violence in Puerto Rico....

The Supreme Court Is Facing a Legitimacy Crisis

The Supreme Court Is Facing a Legitimacy Crisis

Sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh have recently resurfacedand the Supreme Court is certainly heading toward a crisis in public confidence. The question is, will it be able to recover?
Emily Dai, Contributing Writer September 30, 2019

Almost exactly one year ago, the American public watched Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s gripping account of a sexual assault perpetrated by then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh...

South Africa’s Gender-Based Violence Needs Our Attention

South Africa’s Gender-Based Violence Needs Our Attention

South African women have something to say. It’s time we listened to them.
Neil Dittrich, Contributing Writer September 15, 2019

This past week, my social media feed has been ablaze with friends and family voicing their outrage about the escalation of gender-based violence back home in South Africa. The...

Broken Windows, Broken Policy

Broken Windows, Broken Policy

In light of the growing tensions between civilians and police, the NYPD Slowdown reveals something transformative about the future of policing and security.
Cole Stallone, Opinion Editor September 6, 2019

In response to the firing of NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo — the man who killed Eric Garner — Police Benevolent Association President Pat Lynch declared that “the NYPD will...