Asha Ramachandran, Deputy Managing Editor
Opinion: Struggling New Yorkers need Good Cause Eviction legislation
The state eviction moratorium expired in February, leaving thousands of New Yorkers — Black renters in particular — vulnerable to homelessness. A proposed Good Cause Eviction bill would limit rent hikes and reduce evictions.
Five stages of grief
A poem about profound loss and healing.
Opinion: NYU should sever all ties with Michael Steinhardt
The board of trustees must change the name of the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development given Steinhardt’s proven record as a looter and sexual predator.
Opinion: Eric Adams’ pro-prison record is dangerous for NYC
Democratic mayor-elect Eric Adams has a troubling record with the prison-industrial complex. As conditions worsen for people at Rikers Island, Adams’ history of standing against the rights of incarcerated people makes meaningful reforms unlikely.
Opinion: Close Rikers now
Amid an alarming rise in suicides, neglect and unlivable conditions, it is incumbent upon Mayor Bill de Blasio to shut down Rikers Island jail complex and stop wasting taxpayer money on pointless reforms.
Opinion: De Blasio’s rezoning plan is gentrification in the making
Mayor Bill de Blasio pledged to increase access to affordable housing for SoHo, NoHo and Chinatown residents with a controversial upzoning plan. The plan, however, will likely instead increase gentrification in NYU’s backyard and reduce net affordable housing. The City Planning Commision should reject it outright.
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.
![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)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/chinatown-jail-marvashi-14-900x600-1.jpg)
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.
The NYPD’s war against racial justice protesters
According to recently leaked documents, the New York City Police Department’s anti-terror unit trained officers to disregard the constitutional rights of demonstrators during last summer’s protests for racial justice. This unit must be disbanded and officers involved held accountable for these abuses.
The urgency of supporting the #StrikeOnNYU
NYU’s graduate student union will vote on strike authorization until this Thursday. A strike would be a courageous bid for justice and fair conditions on campus, and deserves full solidarity from the NYU community.
Disabled subway riders deserve better
Only about a quarter of New York City subway stations are accessible to disabled residents. Despite this, the MTA spends taxpayer dollars fighting accessibility lawsuits instead of paying for more accessible stations.
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.
NYU Is Neglecting Its Struggling Graduate Students
NYU’s graduate student union and its fight for a fair contract have been met with complete disregard. It’s time for the administration to step up and meet the demands of its graduate student workforce for negotiations, or else risk a collective strike.
Police Can’t Be Trusted With Public Health
The NYPD has been entrusted with public health and safety during the pandemic but their racist, violent and reckless track record only puts New Yorkers in more danger.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Are Not Enough
In light of anti-racist uprisings across the country, the NYU administration has recently stressed its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. This does little to tackle institutional racism in any meaningful way.
NYU’s Inadequate Quarantine Meals Exacerbated Food Insecurity
NYU’s failure to deliver sufficient food to quarantined students has become a social media trend in the last few weeks. But amidst all the jokes and viral posts, the struggles of low-income and food insecure students are being neglected and trivialized.
The Misleading Nature of the NYU Administration’s Letter
In an email to the NYU community, the administration attempted to justify the university’s failure to reimburse tuition and financially accommodate students despite its sizable endowment. NYU is not being transparent about its financial assets nor its ability to meet the needs of its student body.
NYC Public Schools Are Failing English Language Learners
As the New York City public school system has transitioned completely to remote learning, they have abandoned struggling English language learning students and immigrant families who lack digital literacy.
Survivors of Abuse Are Not Safe in Quarantine
As New York has issued stay-at-home orders, it has simultaneously endangered survivors of domestic violence, trapping them at home with no means of escape. The government needs to take urgent action to protect survivors, not subject them to more trauma.
The Urgency of Housing Justice During the Pandemic
New York has done little to address the grave concerns of renters and homeowners as COVID-19 ravages the state. There is an urgent need for the government to protect New Yorkers by instituting immediate rent, mortgage and utility payment suspension.
The Exploitation of Prisoners During Crisis
As the coronavirus spreads across the state, New York is shifting the responsibility of combating the outbreak onto incarcerated people and is paying them around 60 cents an hour to do it.
New York Is No “Sanctuary City”
Recent events involving ICE in New York City show the flaw in the city’s sanctuary city policies, and how it allows overreach from the federal government.
De Blasio’s Privatization of NYCHA
Mayor de Blasio is planning to put one-third of New York’s public housing in the hands of private landlords. Privatization will only further harm residents, who have been struggling against NYCHA’s neglect and mismanagement for the last decade.
The Fallacy of the Free Press
Mega-corporations have monopolized media in the U.S., silencing local, independent, dissenting journalists in favor of news coverage that prioritizes profits over substance and integrity.
Staff Rants: Super Bowl
The Super Bowl — whether you care about the game or not — draws parties, commercials and more. Hear our staff’s take on the subject.
Staff Rants and Raves: Back to School
The first week of courses always fills people with mixed emotions. Here are our staff’s takes on the subject.
Trump’s Executive Order Censors Palestinian Voices
President Trump’s executive order claiming to target anti-Semitism on college campuses erases the diversity of Jewish people and equates Jewish identity with Zionism. It will suppress pro-Palestine students at every university in the US, including NYU.
Immigrants Don’t Need to Earn Human Decency
Immigrants should not have to prove themselves worthy of being in this country.
The NYPD’s Subway Occupation Must End
After several instances of police abuse in New York City subway stations, an awareness of the NYPD’s campaign against those most in need is growing — this violent force must be confronted.
The False Promise of Closing Rikers Island
The city’s so-called proposal to close the jail and build four new ones only guarantees the creation of the newer jails. Rikers’ closure, set for 2026, is not guaranteed to happen.
NYU’s Collusion with Amazon Deforesters
The Amazon rainforest has been burning for months and a member of NYU’s Board of Trustees is partially to blame.
