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

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Staff Rants and Raves: Apple

Whether you associate “apple” with the fruit or the corporation, our staff has some strong opinions.
Staff+Rants+and+Raves%3A+Apple
Grace Halio

Rants

On Getting Scammed

By Melanie Pineda, Editor-At-Large

I remember exactly where I was when I learned my iPhone 6 was due for an upgrade. It was a warm Monday in August. The semester hadn’t begun yet, so I was still in the comfort of my own home with my dog by my side. Life was good. Then I was abruptly told by my mother that all of our phones had to be updated since we were on the same plan, and she wanted the new iPhone 7. It was in this moment that I realized I was going to have a headphone jack-less device for the rest of my life. I will never forgive Apple for forcing me to buy an unnecessary convertor so as to avoid buying $300 pretentious airpods just to blast Lemonade by Beyoncé on my way to class. Apple is a scam.

On Baseless Hatred

By Anna-Dmitry Muratova, Senior Reporter

Time for a Confessions Circle moment. I hate apples. No, not Apple. Apples. Hate doesn’t cut it, actually. It’s a strange phobia and I’m not using this word lightly! The assumption my parents put forward — it’s somewhat genetic, as my 35-year-old sister used to be like that back when she was 19. The kicker, though: I’ve never, not once, had an apple. Can’t touch them, can’t eat them, can’t be in the room with people eating them (less now than when I was younger). When I was a kid, I’d make my dad wash his hands and brush his teeth if he ate an apple before tucking me into bed. True story. He still reminds me of how much of a little sh-t I was. So, well, if you hate me, just give me an apple — it’s sufficient revenge.

On the Fact That You Can Buy a Single AirPod

By Kate Lowe, Deputy Managing Editor

A friend of mine recently lost one of her AirPods and bought a single one as a replacement. It cost like $70 and came in its own box. The box had a groove cut out to fit a single AirPod. Maybe that isn’t particularly egregious to you, but the possibility of such an object existing had never even occurred to me before the moment I saw it. Watching this saga unfold on her Instagram story, all I could think was that the coercive power of the Apple empire has clearly grown too large. If you’re reading this, please don’t buy a single AirPod.

Raves

On Big Dreams

By Ishaan Parmar, Deputy News Editor

I come from a small town in Silicon Valley called Los Altos. One of the few claims to fame of Los Altos is that Steve Jobs spent most of his young life there. From boba-drinking, AirPod-wearing bros to wannabe influencers taking Instagram photos on their iPhones, to middle-aged tech employees talking about how they remember when the first Macintosh came out, Apple reigns supreme in the Bay Area. When I was in elementary school, going to the Apple Store was a treat. Whenever my family was in downtown Palo Alto (the town in which Jobs lived as an adult), I begged my parents to take me to the Apple Store on University Avenue so I could play computer games on the iMacs there. We had an iMac at home: an old, white plastic thing with a thick keyboard, but they always had new games at the store. I also wanted to sneak a peek at all the iPhones and iPads my parents said I wasn’t old enough to have. Whenever Jobs took the stage in his black turtleneck to announce a new product at an event, I tuned in. I was obsessed. It felt like at Apple, Jobs was inventing the future. After Jobs’ death (which was a very big deal in Silicon Valley), I read his biography. I wanted to be like him — a genius, an inventor. But eventually I realized I didn’t like science or coding too much, so I started making movies. NYU has all of mine and my family’s money, so I probably will not buy any new Apple products unless my current ones break. Tim Cook is not as charismatic as Jobs was, and the new technology Apple introduces into the world does not seem as earth-shattering as it once did. However, I can’t help but get a little nostalgic for this billion-dollar company that started in a garage in my hometown.

On Allergies

By Mandie Montes, Deputy Copy Chief

When I was young, I developed an allergy to apples, which sucked because I loved eating caramel apples. It truly ruined my childhood. But a couple of years ago, I went to the doctor’s office and tested my allergy again only to find out that I was no longer allergic to apples. So now I can enjoy eating limitless amounts of caramel apples, and my life is no longer ruined!

Opinions expressed on the editorial pages are not necessarily those of WSN, and our publication of opinions is not an endorsement of them.

Email WSN Staff at [email protected].

About the Contributors
Melanie Pineda, Opinion Editor
Melanie Pineda is one of the Opinion Editors for WSN. She is a junior in CAS double majoring in Journalism and Latin American Studies. She enjoys going on long rampages about her dog because, well, he’s a good boy. Her hobbies include pretending to have it all together, discussing social justice issues and making obscure Vine (RIP) references. She is more often than not seen calling her mom about everything and anything and drinking absurd amounts of coffee. Follow her on Twitter @meiabean.
Anna-Dmitry Muratova, Under the Arch Managing Editor
Finley  comes from Moscow, Russia! They're a junior studying Journalism and Environmental Studies and it's their fifth semester at WSN. Finley loves all things inclusive, sex. ed., ecology and advocacy for a whole bunch of stuff. They'd love to chat with you if you want to write for Under the Arch! Find them @veryawkwardfinley on Instagram. :-)
Kate Lowe, Deputy Managing Editor
Kate Lowe is a sophomore in LS hoping to major in Economics and Metropolitan Studies. You can find her reading children's books at the Strand or gazing at some large body of water. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Kate feels that New Yorkers are not mean. Tell her about your favorite example of peaceful protest.
Ishaan Parmar, Deputy News Editor
Ishaan Parmar is a Tisch first-year studying Film & Television. He enjoys highs-and-lows during pitch meetings and making fun of his news editor, Victor. He joined WSN to get away from the oversized nicotine cartridge that is the Tisch building. Ishaan is from Los Altos, California, a small town 40 minutes south of San Francisco. He loves watching baseball and Gordon Ramsay videos at the end of the day to relax.
Mandie Montes, Under the Arch Managing Editor
Mandie Montes is a senior double majoring in Journalism and Latino Studies with a minor in French. Yes, that's a mouthful, so try not to ask her about it, ever. She really doesn't know what else to include in this bio and unfortunately because we're in a pandemic, you won't be able to bump into her on the streets of New York. Guess you’ll just have to follow her @mandiemontes on Twitter/Instagram to meet her ~virtually~ and see what she's up to.
Grace Halio, Editor-at-Large
Grace Halio has spent the past three years working at WSN because her job has an actual title, unlike her concentration in Gallatin. She's studying how journalism and public art can be narratives for social and climate injustice, but has a soft spot in her heart for New York Fashion Week and all things Features Desk. A Long Island native, she could likely live off of bagels. Grace spent her spring 2016 semester studying in Florence, Italy. Unfortunately, she did not turn into Lizzie McGuire; fortunately, she ate a lot of cheese. She looks forward to returning to the motherland. In the meantime, however, you can find her fighting for the necessity of the oxford comma and making pasta for dinner six nights a week. Follow her on Twitter to see her creative 140 character complaints or on Instagram to take a peek at how she spends her free time.
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