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

NYU’s admissions statistics show that New York University is no exception when it comes to an elite university admitting disproportionately wealthy students each year, despite boasting itself on its record-setting levels of diversity. Netflix’s documentary about the 2019 college admissions scandal, “Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal,” portrays the scandal as a one-off incident in an otherwise just system rather than a symptom of a national issue. (Staff Photo by Ryan Walker)

Opinion: The story that Netflix’s ‘Operation Varsity Blues’ documentary doesn’t tell

Netflix’s recent documentary “Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal” isn’t the riveting expose it intended to create. The film misses the mark when it comes to making a thought-provoking documentary.
Batoul Saleh, Staff Writer April 27, 2021

Last March, a new documentary centering around the 2019 college admissions scandal came to Netflix. While the docudrama's lackluster quality and melodramatic reenactments leave...

The National Grid is constructing a fracked gas-line that runs through many marginalized communities in Brooklyn. This unsustainable energy method presents a real danger to the communities in which this main runs through. (Staff Photo by Alexandra Chan)

Opinion: Brooklyn’s fracked gas pipeline endangers vulnerable communities

Despite the associated health and environmental risks, the National Grid plans to build a fracked gas pipeline that runs through Brooklyn, which will hit marginalized communities the hardest. It is about time that we halt this pipeline and transition towards green energy.
Asha Ramachandran, Deputy Opinion Editor April 26, 2021

A 7-mile natural gas pipeline is under construction in northern Brooklyn. The multinational utility company National Grid wants to build the pipeline to pump natural gas from Pennsylvania...

NYU Senior Leadership has announced mandatory vaccinations for all students returning in-person for the Fall 2021 semester. This is expected to most negatively impact international students, who may come from countries with low vaccine availability. (Staff Illustration by Manasa Gudavalli)

Opinion: Mandatory vaccine policy for Fall 2021 overlooks international students

NYU administration has announced that all students must be vaccinated — with the exception of those unable to due to health and religious reasons — before returning to campus in the fall. How will this impact NYU’s international student body in the Global South?
Srishti Bungle, Staff Writer April 26, 2021

On April 19, senior NYU administrators sent out an email notifying the student body that NYU students returning to the city must be vaccinated for the fall semester. NYU leadership...

Mayoral candidate Andrew Yang’s vow to crackdown on unlicensed food vendors in NYC was widely met with pushback across the board. (Photo by Suhail Gharaibeh)

Editorial: Protect New York’s street vendors

Andrew Yang presented a dangerous and misleading narrative that unlicensed street vendors pose a threat to New York City. The opposite is true: City Council has failed the vulnerable, struggling vendors who make the city what it is.
WSN Editorial Board April 26, 2021

A recent tweet from mayoral candidate Andrew Yang recently made headlines, declaring “You know what I hear over and over again - that NYC is not enforcing rules against unlicensed...

New York is the 16th state to legalize marijuana. The bill is a promising step in racial and social equity. (Photo by Alina Patrick)

Opinion: New York State’s marijuana legalization bill sets a promising precedent

As the 16th state to fully legalize adult use of marijuana, New York has instituted both corrective and preventative efforts to ensure racial and social equity in the legal cannabis market.
Lucy Yama, Contributing Writer April 23, 2021

This year’s annual celebration of 4/20 in New York City took on renewed meaning in light of the state’s most recent marijuana-related legislation. On March 31, Governor Cuomo...

DOXA was founded by Higher School of Economics students in 2017 as a independent, student-led magazine covering current events, politics and HSE-related issues. Last week four DOXA editors were arrested when their Moscow office and apartments were raided by police. (Photo by Finley Muratova)

Letter of Solidarity: Washington Square News stands in solidarity with Russian journal DOXA

A week ago the Moscow office of Russian student magazine DOXA was raided by police, and several of the editors were arrested. Washington Square News would like to express its support for DOXA, from one student newspaper to another.
Finley Muratova, Editor-at-Large April 22, 2021

The Russian government’s rights violations, censorship and police violence stopped being news a long time ago. The international community has adjusted to hearing about yet another...

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the institutions accessible to NYU students through the recently suspended Museum Gateway program. This forced inaccessibility gives us a unique opportunity to re-evaluate our relationships with museums and their legacy. (Photo by Celia Tewey)

Opinion: The Museum Gateway Program suspension is an opportunity to scrutinize our relationship with museums

While we cannot reverse the suspension of NYU’s Museum Gateway program, we can use this time to re-evaluate our relationships with museums and which ones we, as students, receive free admission to.
Michelle Han, Contributing Writer April 22, 2021

NYU’s Museum Gateway program, which offers free museum admission for students, has remained suspended since last fall due to administration’s COVID-related concerns. The student...

Although the demand for the COVID-19 vaccine exceeds its availability at NYU, there is still a noticeable hesitancy among Americans. Due to a long history of medical misconduct at the hands of the federal government towards Black Americans, the percentage of the demographic that would immediately take the vaccine is lower. (Staff Photo by Manasa Gudavalli)

Opinion: The CDC must grapple with its racist history

As vaccination efforts continue at NYU and across the country, the CDC must address its history in order to overcome vaccine hesitancy among Black Americans.
Sydney Barragan, UTA Deputy Editor April 21, 2021

On April 5, NYU announced that vaccine efforts would be amplified following the increase of vaccine stock. In an email sent by Dr. Carlo Ciotoli, executive lead of NYU’s COVID...

Homelessness is an ongoing crisis in New York City, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The New York City mayoral candidates have spotlighted the urgent need for affordable housing but diverge in terms of their solutions. (Staff Photo by Alexandria Johnson)

OPINION: New York City’s next mayor must prioritize supportive housing

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated New York City’s homelessness problem. Supportive housing is a sustainable solution that addresses both the financial and rehabilitative needs of many homeless individuals.
Lucy Yama, Staff Writer April 21, 2021

Homelessness is an enduring crisis in New York City. Today, the number of homeless New Yorkers sleeping in shelters increased 40% compared to 10 years ago. This rise does not even...

An illustration of a megaphone with a red handle. Written in orange on the megaphone are the words “Staff Rants.”

Staff rants: spring break

Here are our thoughts on the "spring break" this weekend. We hope you enjoy reading them!

On Asking the Real Questions What’s spring break? Is that a thing we’re supposed to have? -Jake Capriotti, Photo Editor On Gratitude I don’t know about the rest of you,...

Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office released the second part of his reform plan for the NYPD last Friday. While the plan promises to create a city “that never participate[s] in, or tolerate[s] any further inequality or justice,” it only offers abstractions and empty promises. (Photo by Marva Shi)

OPINION: 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 April 15, 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...

A Trump supporter wears a MAGA hat at a midtown rally during the 2020 election. Trumpism has taken over the Republican Party. (Staff Photo by Jake Capriotti)

OPINION: Post-Trump, Republicans don’t stand for anything

After Trump left the White House, Republicans are prepared to double-down on his legacy. By tracing the roots of how the GOP became consumed by Trumpism, we can see that the Republican Party is now incredibly fragile.
Jack Li, Staff Writer April 14, 2021

“Do you miss me yet? Do you miss me?” After a five-week hiatus, the 45th President of the United States announced his presence at the Conservative Political Action Conference...