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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

Politics

(Alisia Houghtaling for WSN)

Up for Debate: Is college worth the debt?

With tuition costs and student loan debt at record highs, many are questioning whether a college degree is still a worthwhile investment. Is the cost of a college education justified by its benefits?

In 2024, The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found a strong positive relationship between level of education and income. The same chart showed a 1.7% difference in the unemployment...

Lower half of a person in front of a market holding a yellow Wegmans tote bag.

Opinion: Budget cuts on social programs will starve Americans

Republicans’ proposed budget cuts for social programs like Medicaid, SNAP and other food programs are going to have devastating effects on millions of Americans.
Steven Wang, Staff Writer March 13, 2025

Republicans on the House Budget Committee have passed a budget resolution which includes a minimum of $1.5 trillion in spending cuts, and are currently pushing to have it...

(Kiara Mujica for WSN)

Opinion: Cancel culture blurs accountability and annihilation

Cancel culture has permeated our social media and culture, and we must properly wield this power to make or break an individual’s public image.
Shanay Tolat, Deputy Opinion Editor March 12, 2025

We are all familiar with what it means to get “canceled” — it all starts with an off-color comment resurfacing from a YouTube video back in 2010, and quickly ignites a social...

Two blue N.Y.C. Emergency Rescue Kit bags with two packages of 4mg Narcan Nasal Spray in front.

Off Topic: Patent abuse is to blame for the price of prescription drugs

Big Pharma employs business practices aimed at prolonging the profitability of their drugs, at the expense of sick consumers.
Noah Zaldivar, Opinion Editor March 11, 2025

Between 2005 and 2015, nearly three-fourths of issued drug patents were for already existing drugs. A common argument in favor of the current patent approval process for drugmakers...

(Kiara Mujica for WSN)

Opinion: The urgency of NYC’s water scarcity

For the first time in over two decades, New York City is facing its first drought warning, with dangerously low reservoir levels fueling wildfires. The city, and its people, should be attempting to minimize the damages.
Steven Wang, Staff Writer March 10, 2025

Since the start of 2025, wildfires have spread at an alarming rate across the United States, with over 8,000 wildfires and over 160,000 acres burned. Fires have devastated cities...

(Danny Arensberg for WSN)

Opinion: How the NYPD evades accountability for misconduct

Legislatures need to address the department’s internal corruption of dodging disciplinary consequences for police misconduct.
Steven Wang, Staff Writer March 6, 2025

Since 2000, there have been 180,700 New York City Police Department misconduct complaints that included 59,244 separate incidents and 35,435 officers. Out of 50 million police...

Opinion: Politics should not dictate research funding

Opinion: Politics should not dictate research funding

President Donald Trump has announced sweeping measures that’ll change the face of how research is conducted in the United States — and at NYU.
Serin Lee, Guest Contributor March 6, 2025

Ignorance and stigmatization defined the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States during the 1980s, contributing to the deaths of over 100,000 people, and leaving many more...

(Kevin Wu for WSN)

Opinion: Reproductive rights are human rights

President Donald Trump’s latest actions may only serve to further jeopardize abortion access.
Anjali Mehta, Copy Chief March 5, 2025

Women’s History Month should be a time to celebrate the enormous progress made in securing women's rights and the legal, educational and social advancements since the movement's...

(Alex Woodworth for WSN)

Opinion: The role of opinion journalism

In a world where the quality of political debate has been compromised, ethical opinion journalism is more important than ever.
Mehr Kotval and Noah Zaldivar March 3, 2025

“There was a time when a newspaper, especially one that was a local monopoly, might have seen it as a service to bring to the reader’s doorstep every morning a broad-based...