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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

Cole Stallone

Cole Stallone, Editor-in-Chief

Cole is a CAS junior studying History. Born and raised in New York City, you can find him on just about everything @cmjstallone.

All content by Cole Stallone

Statement From Washington Square News

Cole Stallone, Editor-in-Chief April 24, 2020

WSN has retracted an article, “NYU Must Compensate Its Medical Workers Fairly,” which was published by our Opinion Desk on April 17, 2020 and has received a substantial response...

Navigating the Coronavirus as Student Journalists

Navigating the Coronavirus as Student Journalists

Much like the rest of the country and the world, WSN has been severely impacted by the outbreak of the global pandemic. As an essential service, our work still continues.
Cole Stallone, Editor-in-Chief March 29, 2020

Dear readers, At times, it feels like words aren’t enough to describe what’s happening. On one hand, it’s almost as if life has been put on pause in the midst of the crisis,...

Statement From Washington Square News

Cole Stallone, Editor-in-Chief February 26, 2020

WSN recently published an article, “NYU Professor Accused of Inciting City-Wide Subway Protests,” which has received criticism from Decolonize This Place and their supporters....

The Growing Necessity of Student Journalism

The Growing Necessity of Student Journalism

Student journalists will be the ones to tell the stories that need to be heard in the face of the declining industry. Meet WSN’s new Editor-in-Chief for 2020.
Cole Stallone, Editor-in-Chief January 27, 2020

Dear readers, The journalism industry is in a troubling state. In the last 10 years, jobs in the industry have decreased by 25% and over the next 10 years, jobs are expected...

Good for Business Isn’t Good Enough

Good for Business Isn’t Good Enough

As the university continues to make strides towards sustainability, it must also do what’s right, not just what makes money.
Cole Stallone, Opinion Editor December 2, 2019

NYU’s Chief Sustainability Officer Cecil Scheib recently outlined the reality of achieving sustainability goals at NYU: in order for them to be accepted, they must be good for...

New York City Must Help Its Homeless Children

New York City Must Help Its Homeless Children

The number of New York City public school students experiencing homelessness has remained higher than the population of Albany for over a year. The failure of the city to significantly reduce this number shows the city needs to treat this issue like the crisis it is.
Cole Stallone, Opinion Editor November 4, 2019

Since last year, over 114,000 New York City public school students have continued to struggle with homelessness, and nearly 38,000 live in shelters. Recent reports by the Advocates...

Greta’s Anger: A Shift Toward Accountability

Greta’s Anger: A Shift Toward Accountability

The reception of Greta Thunberg’s UN speech highlights the urgent need for new solutions to climate change and the need to hold those who’ve neglected the crisis accountable.
Cole Stallone, Opinion Editor September 30, 2019

Sixteen-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg’s impassioned speech at the United Nations Climate Summit caught the world’s attention. Despite this, it seems the full implications...

The US Needs a General Strike

The US Needs a General Strike

The National Labor Relations Board’s plan to redefine graduate students as non-workers poses a new threat to the growing labor movement. If the plan succeeds, mass action is the only response.
Cole Stallone, Opinion Editor September 23, 2019

Three years ago, graduate students earned the right to unionize. A new proposal from the National Labor Relations Board seeks to take that right away. This is a part of a series...

Ending Afghanistan Starts at the University

Ending Afghanistan Starts at the University

As a forever war drags on, students must understand their historic importance in stopping conflicts and pick up their contemporary responsibility to oppose the war in Afghanistan.
Cole Stallone, Opinion Editor September 12, 2019

Eighteen years ago, the United States began preparing for war. Supported by 88% of Americans at the time, the Bush administration rushed into a conflict in Afghanistan that has...

Broken Windows, Broken Policy

Broken Windows, Broken Policy

In light of the growing tensions between civilians and police, the NYPD Slowdown reveals something transformative about the future of policing and security.
Cole Stallone, Opinion Editor September 5, 2019

In response to the firing of NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo — the man who killed Eric Garner — Police Benevolent Association President Pat Lynch declared that “the NYPD will...

The Miseducation of Business

The Miseducation of Business

NYU Stern alum Bill Tsai’s insider trading charge reveals the fundamental flaw of business school.
Cole Stallone, Opinion Editor August 22, 2019

Bill Tsai, former Stern Student Council President, was charged by the SEC on Aug. 12 with insider trading. They allege he gained nearly $100,000 from the sale of stocks he purchased...

What It Means to Tell the Story

What It Means to Tell the Story

In the era of fake news, journalism has become one of the most controversial and important professions in the world. Was it always this way?
Cole Stallone, Deputy Opinion Editor May 7, 2019

On Sept. 25, 1690, “Publick Occurrences Both Forreign and Domestick” was distributed in Boston, becoming the first newspaper published in the Americas. By Sept. 29, the paper...

When Climate Policy Isn’t Enough

When Climate Policy Isn’t Enough

As the climate crisis worsens, read one writer’s take on innovative technology that offers new ways to reverse climate change.
Cole Stallone, Deputy Opinion Editor April 16, 2019

Nearly 300 activists were arrested in London yesterday for taking part in the Extinction Rebellion, a movement dedicated to using nonviolent tactics to bring an end to the climate...

Staff Photo by Alina Patrick

Midnight Confirmations and Bad Governance

The new Chairman of the MTA was appointed in the middle of the night; read one writer’s take on what this about the future of the world’s largest mass transit system.
Cole Stallone, Deputy Opinion Editor April 7, 2019

Anyone who’s ever taken the subway in New York City probably doesn’t like the Metropolitan Transit Authority. At 2. a.m on Monday, in the midst of finalizing the state budget...

The Disrepute of Mayor de Blasio

The Disrepute of Mayor de Blasio

Why New York City’s mayor is so disliked, and what that means for the city’s politics.
Cole Stallone, Deputy Opinion Editor March 24, 2019

In January, only five percent of New Yorkers said Mayor Bill de Blasio would make the best president out of a selection of prominent New York politicians. De Blasio’s approval...

Anti-Climate Change Panel is Grounded in Money, Not Science

Anti-Climate Change Panel is Grounded in Money, Not Science

President Trump’s new Presidential Committee on Climate Security represents the corruption embedded within the administration’s opposition to climate reform.
Cole Stallone, Deputy Opinion Editor February 27, 2019

Last week, the Washington Post reported that President Donald Trump was considering assembling a panel — the Presidential Committee on Climate Security — to question the established...

Teachers’ Strikes and the Resurrection of Labor Power

Teachers’ Strikes and the Resurrection of Labor Power

One writer’s take on the current wave of teachers’ strikes and what they mean for the future of progressive politics.
Cole Stallone, Deputy Opinion Editor February 13, 2019

This Monday, more than 5,000 educators went on strike in Denver. This was yet another in a series of recent large-scale strikes by teachers’ unions across the country. These...

The Conservatism of Climate Estimates

The Conservatism of Climate Estimates

The oceans are heating 40 percent faster than previously thought — read one writer’s take on the limitations of climate reports and their implications in the changing political atmosphere.
Cole Stallone, Deputy Opinion Editor February 11, 2019

The beginning of 2019 in climate politics was defined by one phrase — “faster than previously thought.” Many have been caught off guard by data from earlier in January that...

The Case for Prison Abolition

Read one writer’s take on the recent incident at MDC Brooklyn and what it says about the criminal justice system as a whole.
Cole Stallone, Deputy Opinion Editor February 6, 2019

In the midst of New York’s frigid weather last weekend, Metropolitan Detention Center Brooklyn, a pre-trial federal detention center for low-level offenders, lost power and heating....

The Contradictions of a Catholic Education

The Contradictions of a Catholic Education

Read one writer’s take on the Covington Catholic incident and what that says about the Catholic education and the Catholic Church as a whole.
Cole Stallone, Deputy Opinion Editor February 4, 2019

Like many, I was disgusted by the incident that occurred during the Indigenous People’s March just a few weeks ago; a group of Trump supporting teenagers surrounded and mocked...

The Hypocrisy of Imperialist Democracy

The Hypocrisy of Imperialist Democracy

Deputy Opinion Editor Cole Stallone takes on the ongoing struggle within Venezuela and the problems with the United States’ intervention.
Cole Stallone, Deputy Opinion Editor January 31, 2019

A coup is being orchestrated in Venezuela. Under the guise of constitutional authority and a supposed restoring of democracy, Juan Guaidó, the President of the National Assembly,...

‘We Will Not Settle for Crumbs’

‘We Will Not Settle for Crumbs’

The protests in Paris represent an energized new movement, but the movement itself must be careful of influence from the far-right.
Cole Stallone, Staff Writer December 5, 2018
The protests in Paris represent an energized new movement, but the movement itself must be careful of influence from the far-right.
Space Exploration Must Be for All

Space Exploration Must Be for All

As space exploration becomes more common, we must keep in mind the importance of making it accessible for all people.
Cole Stallone, Staff Writer November 30, 2018

On Monday, NASA landed the InSight lander on the surface of Mars. Over the next three months, the lander will use its various scientific instruments to collect data from the interior...

Brian Kemp Should Be Barred From Office

Brian Kemp Should Be Barred From Office

Cole Stallone, Staff Writer November 16, 2018
The Republican Georgia gubernatorial nominee had a blatant conflict of interest overseeing the administration of elections and should be barred from participating in any future elections for governor.
The Importance of Conscious Athleticism

The Importance of Conscious Athleticism

The conscious athlete is an important and accessible form of celebrity that can be utilized to bring attention to issues and foster social and political dialogues.
Cole Stallone, Staff Writer November 14, 2018

This weekend is the finale of the Showtime documentary series “Shut Up and Dribble,” which focuses on the intersectionality of sports and politics through the lens of the NBA,...

The U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Should Be in Prison

The U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Should Be in Prison

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has a sketchy history in the banking industry that should be grounds enough to imprison him.
Cole Stallone, Staff Writer November 12, 2018
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has a sketchy history in the banking industry that should be grounds enough to imprison him.
We Need to Talk About Native American Voting Rights

We Need to Talk About Native American Voting Rights

Cole Stallone, Staff Writer November 6, 2018
With the 2018 midterm elections underway, staff writer Cole Stallone examines why Native American voting rights are a long-neglected problem in the United States that deserve our attention and activism.
The Tyranny of Vague Legislation

The Tyranny of Vague Legislation

Cole Stallone, Staff Writer October 18, 2018
The 17th anniversary of the Patriot Act means it's time to reflect on how it has infringed on civil liberties.
Abolishing ICE Is Not a Radical Idea

Abolishing ICE Is Not a Radical Idea

Cole Stallone, Contributing Writer October 15, 2018

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been in the spotlight as a result of the widespread coverage of the separation of immigrant families, a policy that is blatantly...

Elon Musk Versus Toothless Regulation

Elon Musk Versus Toothless Regulation

Cole Stallone, Contributing Writer October 9, 2018
As seen through Elon Musk's settlement with the SEC, it's clear that rich people operate above the law.
Learning from the Past: The Violent History of Central Park

Learning from the Past: The Violent History of Central Park

Cole Stallone, Contributing Writer October 3, 2018
The end of gentrification starts with elected officials and urban planners listening to community input.
Democratize the United Nations

Democratize the United Nations

Cole Stallone, Contributing Writer September 26, 2018
In the wake of President Donald Trump's recent speech at the U.N., read one writer's take on the issues plaguing the U.N. as an organization.
Left Behind in Hurricane Florence

Left Behind in Hurricane Florence

Cole Stallone, Contributing Writer September 18, 2018
Read one writer's in-depth analysis on why the neglect of South Carolina prisoners at the height of Hurricane Florence is a sign of the broader prison reform that is growing increasingly necessary in the United States.