Skip to Main Content
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

Opinion

A student’s hand holding an N.Y.U. I.D. card up to a scanner at the entrance of a dining hall.

Opinion: I lost 112 meal swipes last semester. They should roll over.

Meals are going to waste. It’s time for the university to revisit how meal swipes are distributed. 
Molly Koch, Deputy Opinion Editor January 31, 2023

WSN’s Opinion section strives to publish ideas worth discussing. The views presented in the Opinion section are solely the views of the writer. NYU’s meal plans are confusing....

A light blue jetliner flies at night surrounded by nine pink hearts.

Off-Third: The best thing about going home is the airport

The airport process, especially during holiday break, is riveting and worthwhile.
Aksha Mittapalli, Contributing Writer December 15, 2022

Off-Third is WSN’s satire column. As the temperatures drop below 30 degrees Fahrenheit, the stress of finals threatens to consume you, and the luster of the city begins to...

A corner of a building with text “Paulson Center New York University” on the glass in a vertical layout. Overlaying part of the original text is a block of handwritten text “Sarah.”

Off-Third: That new NYU building should really be named after Sarah Paulson instead

NYU will unveil a new building, the twist? Each floor is an American Horror Story themed haunted house.
Alexandra Cohen, Opinion Editor December 15, 2022

Off-Third is WSN’s satire column. Yesterday, hedge fund billionaire John Paulson gave a $100 million donation to NYU. His name will be plastered upon the university’s...

An illustration of a white speech bubble that reads “This shit sucks” in black font. Next to it, another speech bubble that is blue and reads “Right?”. Both speech bubbles are against a gray grid background.

Opinion: A 3-step guide to complaining correctly

Life sucks sometimes. School is hard. It’s OK to complain about it.
Noah Zaldivar, Contributing Writer December 14, 2022

It’s finals season and we all know what that means: everybody is complaining. Just walk through Bobst Library, and you’ll hear the classic “Writing the Essay is killing me!”...

A person wearing a black coat, red hoodie and red pants sits on a stone bench in a park with a small table in front of them. On the table is a glass jar with cannabis joints in it.

Opinion: Stop buying weed from Washington Square Park

40% of cannabis sold at unlicensed dispensaries around New York City is contaminated. Cannabis sold at Washington Square Park is no exception.
Abi Rivera, Deputy Opinion Editor December 14, 2022

You have to be high to think you're getting a $10 pre-roll from Washington Square Park that doesn't have E. coli in it.  According to the New York Medical Cannabis Industry...

Students eating in the Palladium dining hall.

Opinion: NYU should extend dining hall hours

Dining halls simply aren’t open long enough to accommodate the unpredictable college student lifestyle.
Anuj Jain, Contributing Writer December 13, 2022

NYU’s dining halls are not open late enough. The majority of dining halls at NYU close at 9 p.m., and many close even earlier. While 9 p.m. is reasonably late, the fundamental...

A laptop screen displaying a webpage that indicates the course feedback website for New York University.

Opinion: You need to fill out your course evaluations

Giving course feedback is anonymous, a good place to vent and it helps professors with future job applications — you can take five minutes to do them.
Aksha Mittapalli, Contributing Writer December 12, 2022

A laptop screen displaying a webpage that indicates the course feedback website for New York University.Finals are right around the corner. As we get buried in assignments, our...

An illustration of a map of the world with six purple N.Y.U. logo pins placed in each inhabited continent.

Staff Rants: Our time abroad

Members of WSN’s staff who have studied away during their time at NYU reflect on their experiences and discuss what they’d do differently.

When I studied in Paris last semester,  I traveled quite a bit — sometimes impulsively — and my classes started to feel trivial. Does my homework really matter when I could...

An illustration of three people standing in a doorway next to a red sign that reads “Access Denied.” Below the sign, a hand holds a passport that reads “República del Peru.”

Opinion: The precarious path to employment for international students

Job prospects are too narrow for international students, especially those who are pursuing careers within the United States.
Valentina Plevisani, Staff Writer December 9, 2022

As an international student, coming to study in the United States involves navigating a never-ending obstacle course. You must apply for and attain a student visa. You are restricted...

A pair of hands tightly gripping a piece of white paper.

Guest Essay: Everything we cannot say: The global protests against tyranny in China

Protests in response to China’s extreme COVID-19 prevention protocols are kept alive through courage and unity.
December 8, 2022

Editor’s Note: WSN chose to withhold the name of the author of this op-ed, a Chinese citizen, to protect them from retaliation, at their request. They are an NYU undergraduate...

An illustration of an elf wearing a red and white pointed hat and a long-sleeve red shirt with a white collar on top of the shirt. The elf stands in front of a military green background.

Off-Third: Is your Elf on the Shelf spying on you?

This is the future George Orwell warned us about.
Sydney Barragan, Under The Arch Editor December 8, 2022

Nothing says Christmas like garlands, gifts and the threat of constant surveillance. It all starts with Santa Claus. This fat white man wears a red tracksuit and shimmies his...

An illustration of two sheets of exam paper stacked on top of each other against a blue background with text “final exam” written on it. There is a red circle with a diagonal line through it drawn on top of the two papers.

Opinion: Traditional final exams are impractical

With increasingly negative stigma surrounding the final exam period, it’s time to bid farewell to traditional final exams.
Molly Koch, Staff Writer December 7, 2022

As I said goodbye to my mother at the train station, heading back to New York City after a cozy Thanksgiving break, I remembered the intense stress that shows up right around finals...