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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

Government

Are Caucuses Hurting Our Democracy?

Are Caucuses Hurting Our Democracy?

Sam O’Donnell, Contributing Writer February 18, 2020

Dating back to the 1800s, caucuses have been essential to the U.S. electoral system. The presidential race begins with caucuses in Iowa where the nominee for the two major parties...

Who Will Fight for Our Choice?

Who Will Fight for Our Choice?

Having a right to an abortion is a controversial political issue that lawmakers constantly dodge. With Trump’s apparent pro-life stance, Democratic candidates need to protect legalized abortion at all costs.
Sam O’Donnell, Contributing Writer February 10, 2020

In the wake of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, the American public has turned its focus to reproductive legislation. During his speech, Trump introduced...

Master’s Students Need More Financial Aid

Master’s Students Need More Financial Aid

Having a master’s degree is increasingly becoming the standard for many jobs, but its steep cost deters students from attending.
Gabby Lozano, Staff Writer December 4, 2019

With the first semester of my sophomore year coming to a close, I am beginning to feel the pressure of endless postgraduate options. I could go straight into the workforce, take...

Beto’s Success Amounts to Pretty Privilege

Beto’s Success Amounts to Pretty Privilege

Much of the optimism and excitement around Beto’s audacious presidential run can be attributed not to any unique political ideas, but his attractiveness.
Emily Dai, Staff Writer November 11, 2019

Beto O’Rourke, tumbling in poll numbers and dwindling in fundraising figures, recently dropped out of the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries. After struggling to channel...

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,...

alexandra chan

US Politicians Don’t Know How to Deal With Hong Kong

The fight for democracy in Hong Kong deserves better than the political maneuvering and schemes of U.S. politicians.
Alexandra Chan, Staff Writer November 4, 2019

Images of a rally outside the U.S. embassy in Hong Kong peppered local news outlets and social media in September. Protesters clad in black waved U.S. flags, asking the supposed...

New York City Must Help Its Homeless Children

New York City Must Help Its Homeless Children

The number of New York City public school students experiencing homelessness has remained higher than the population of Albany for over a year. The failure of the city to significantly reduce this number shows the city needs to treat this issue like the crisis it is.
Cole Stallone, Opinion Editor November 4, 2019

Since last year, over 114,000 New York City public school students have continued to struggle with homelessness, and nearly 38,000 live in shelters. Recent reports by the Advocates...

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,...

Journalism’s Impact in Wake of Impeachment

Journalism’s Impact in Wake of Impeachment

Following up on our findings from the Opinion Desk’s “Future of Journalism” series last spring, Hanna Khosravi analyzes the role of the modern-day journalist at the forefront of the national conversation during this chaotic political period.
Hanna Khosravi, Editor-at-Large October 14, 2019

When WSN’s Opinion Desk published its series on the Future of Journalism last May, the state of our union was distinctly different. Five months ago, as our pieces came out, the...

The Battle for LGBTQ Rights Is Far From Over

The Battle for LGBTQ Rights Is Far From Over

After the landmark 2015 case legalizing same-sex marriage, some believed the American fight for LGBTQ rights was over. However, three upcoming Supreme Court cases could change everything.
Emily Dai, Contributing Writer October 7, 2019

The Supreme Court is kicking off its new term this Tuesday with three monumental cases that could alter the direction of the LGBTQ rights movement. Altitude Express Inc. v. Zarda,...

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....