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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

Education

An illustration of Donald Trump pointing his finger at a group of figures wearing graduation caps. Behind them are flags of the world.

Guest Essay: Studying as an international student under a second Trump administration

Kevin Hu is a Senator at-Large representing the constituency of International Students Seeking Employment in the NYU Student Senators Council and Student Government Assembly.
Kevin Hu, Senator at-Large November 11, 2024

10043. For most Americans, that number means nothing. However, ask any Chinese student you encounter on campus, and they’ll tell you how these five digits symbolize the fragility...

A photograph of a building from across the street.

Opinion: NYU needs to provide medication abortions

Many universities have stepped up to provide medication-based abortions on campus. With reproductive rights under constant threat, NYU needs to follow suit.
Mehr Kotval, Opinion Editor November 6, 2024

In the years following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, there have been a slew of assaults on reproductive rights, including numerous states enacting aggressive and restrictive...

A graph titled "Changes in N.Y.U. first-year demographics."

Opinion: The case for affirmative action and what comes next

The striking down of affirmative action has negatively affected rates of POC enrollment and threatens a fair admissions process. NYU should take measures to ensure diversity.
Leila Olukoga, Deputy Opinion Editor October 24, 2024

Last June, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down affirmative action programs in college admissions, triggering a sharp decline in diversity across college campuses nationwide. In...

Two diplomas against a red background that is split in half. One half is filled with yellow smiley faces, and the other is filled with blue sad faces.

Opinion: NYU has a double major dilemma

The university should open double major options outside of the College of Arts and Science so students can explore the interdisciplinary opportunities that NYU boasts about.
Steven Wang, Staff Writer October 23, 2024

NYU is known for its broad spectrum of academic programs, with the College of Arts and Science home to over 120 majors and minors. The university, like many others, offers the...

An illustration of different colored hands raised with three signs being held in the middle with one letter on each sign spelling “D.E.I.”

Guest Essay: In defense of diversity, equity and inclusion

Adrian Pica-Borjas is the Director of Diversity for NYU’s Student Government Assembly.
Adrian Pica-Borjas, Guest Contributor October 22, 2024

My name is Adrian Pica-Borjas. I am Honduran American. When I fill out forms asking for my racial identity, I select the oversimplified “Black” and “American Indian or Alaska...

A woman’s hand swipes a metrocard.

Opinion: NYU needs to get its students moving — for free

If the university truly believes that “the city is our campus,” it's time they help students actually afford to explore it.
Steven Wang, Staff Writer October 16, 2024

My high school — just like every public high school in New York City — provided every student with a free MetroCard to get to and from school. However, NYU offers no comparable...

People sit in a park under a tree with green and orange leaves. More groups of people sit scattered behind them.

Opinion: A single day off isn’t a ‘Fall Break’

NYU's approach to fall break leaves students with little agency to recharge or prepare for midterms.
Grayson Stotz, Staff Writer October 15, 2024

As the crisp autumn air settles in and the leaves begin to turn, students at NYU are greeted with a single day off on Oct. 14 — billed as a fall break. However, this fleeting...

A student sits on the floor knitting next to their laptop with hands coming out of the computer, untangling the yarn.

Opinion: NYU needs a standardized pro-AI policy

It’s time that NYU finally adopted universal policies to guide AI use in classes.
Andreja Zivkovic, Staff Writer October 10, 2024

“This set of lecture notes was improved using the ChatGPT editing function.”  For as long as I have been at NYU, students and faculty have debated the ethics of artificial...

The photo is shot from behind a troupe of police in helmets surveying a group of protesters while the Washington Square Arch stands above them all.

Opinion: NYU’s hypocritical attitude toward student activism isn’t new

As much as the university frames itself as a progressive institution, it continues to regress into actions that undermine social and political activism.
Muhammad Siddiqui, Staff Writer September 25, 2024

Today marks the 54th anniversary of the Weinstein Hall sit-in. After NYU canceled LGBTQ+ university events until homosexuality was deemed “morally acceptable” by a panel of...

An illustration of a violet torch illuminating a student doing an N.Y.U. training module on their computer.

Opinion: NYU’s How We Engage Toolkit forces students to comply with its politics

The university’s new training module goes beyond superficiality by embedding problematic policies into a mandatory agreement.
Krish Dev, Director of Creative & Digital Strategy September 23, 2024

At the start of the semester, NYU sent out the first two modules of its How We Engage Toolkit, including a Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy Training, to all students...

A student with long hair wearing five different graduation caps stacked on top of one another. There is a purple graduation cap falling off the top and the student is reaching out to catch it.

Opinion: NYU needs to give transfer students a better shot

With no guaranteed housing, limited financial aid and a lack of community, many transfer students are left feeling blue instead of violet.
Alexandria Smith, Contributing Writer September 20, 2024

As I’ve settled into my first few weeks as a sophomore transfer student at NYU, I have started to reflect on the highs and lows of my time at the university so far. Though adapting...

(Alisia Houghtaling for WSN)

Guest Essay: Club reimbursements render officers penniless and employees overworked

Sebastián A. Prats-Fernández is the co-president of the Puerto Rican Student Association.
Sebastián Prats-Fernández, Guest Contributor September 20, 2024

Guest essays reflect opinions from writers beyond WSN. If you’d like to submit a guest essay for consideration, please email [email protected]. For many students, clubs...