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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

Off Topic

(Suditi Sircar for WSN)

Off Topic: The AI regulation movement must fight fire with fire

Artificial intelligence regulation hopefuls need to take a more proactive stance in limiting the unchecked power of AI companies and restricting chatbot usage for minors.
Sarah Kluckhohn, Contributing Writer October 30, 2025

“I take your hand, guiding you to the bed. Our bodies entwined, I cherish every moment, every touch, every kiss.” According to Meta Platforms guidelines leaked in August,...

(Maryam Lootah for WSN)

Off Topic: AI should not be used to exploit loneliness

Friend’s advertising campaign across New York City subway stations represents the dangerous reality of artificial intelligence.
Leila Abarca, Contributing Writer October 15, 2025

Content Warning: This article contains mention of suicide. Recently, a series of ominous advertisements characterized by futuristic-looking white pendants for an artificial...

(Suditi Sircar for WSN)

Off Topic: Late-night show losses are the next step in entertainment censorship

Between the cancellations of two late-night shows, PBS funding cuts and its effort to politicize performing arts, the Trump Administration is finding new ways to clamp down on free speech.
Annika Wilewicz, Deputy Opinion Editor September 24, 2025

Last week, ABC announced that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” would be on pause indefinitely following a statement that Kimmel made on air about MAGA benefiting politically from Charlie...

(Courtesy of ​​the Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs)

Off Topic: Department of Defense name change counters tradition and goals

The move directly contrasts the president’s self branding as a peacemaker.
Leila Abarca, Contributing Writer September 16, 2025

In another branding move as commander in chief, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to rename the Department of Defense to the Department of War. He rationalized the...

Charlie Kirk speaking with attendees at the Grand Canyon University on Oct. 28th, 2024. (Courtesy of Gage Skidmore)

Off Topic: Charlie Kirk fought for what killed him

Kirk’s murder was a tragic product of the ideology he championed.
Maggie Turner and Noah Zaldivar September 15, 2025

“I think it’s worth it to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights. That...

(Alex Woodworth for WSN)

Off Topic: We can’t afford to prioritize AI in early education

The rise of private, artificial intelligence-powered schools pose a threat to the next generation of students and the development of their critical thinking skills.
Maggie Turner, Opinion Editor September 8, 2025

Stanford graduate MacKenzie Price founded the “AI-powered” Alpha School for her own children in 2014, bent on the idea that “education needed a revolution.” At the institution,...

(Suditi Sircar for WSN)

Off Topic: Vaccine mandates aren’t ‘slavery’ — they’re necessary for safe schooling

Unqualified MAGA adherents are running Florida’s new health commission with an anti-science agenda that puts children at risk.
Noah Zaldivar, Opinion Editor September 5, 2025

On Wednesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo announced their plan to eradicate all of the state’s vaccine mandates. DeSantis also...

(Jason Alpert-Wisnia for WSN)

Off Topic: Foreign films aren’t foes

President Donald Trump’s tariffs on foreign-produced films only serve to further the interests of Hollywood executives at the detriment of menial workers and foreign filmmakers.
Noah Zaldivar, Opinion Editor May 7, 2025

President Donald Trump shocked film fans across the country with his nonsensical announcement on Truth Social that he’d be ordering a 100% tariff on all films “produced in...

Pinnacles National Park. (Krish Dev for WSN)

Off Topic: Public lands deserve priority

President Donald Trump’s national park cutbacks are a slap in the face to a century of environmental care and could have lasting effects for the future.
Piper Clark, Contributing Writer April 29, 2025

At the beginning of his term, President Donald Trump issued an enormous amount of budget cuts, layoffs and buyouts to almost every major area of the federal government, including...

(Courtesy of Gage Skidmore)

Off Topic: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s autism solution is worse than the problem

The health secretary’s proposed autism study is unrealistic, prejudiced and sets dangerous precedents for federal data collection and compilation.
Noah Zaldivar, Opinion Editor April 25, 2025

As part of U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s proposed plan to find the cause of autism, the National Institutes of Health has announced its plan to collect troves of...

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. (Matt Petres for WSN)

Off Topic: Trump’s war on the arts

The current administration’s new executive order to limit the exhibitions at the Smithsonian Institution mirrors actions of past authoritarian leaders.
Alexa Donovan, Arts Editor April 16, 2025

On March 27, President Donald Trump signed yet another executive order with a deceptively benign title: “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” What this order actually...

(Alex Woodworth for WSN)

Off Topic: Today’s feminism prioritizes performance over action

In an era of conservatism, feminism cannot afford to be merely symbolic.
Maggie Turner, Deputy Under the Arch Editor April 11, 2025

During President Donald Trump’s 2025 address to Congress, House Democrats reluctantly filed into the chamber of representatives, some holding black paddles reading “False,”...