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

Arvind Sriram

Arvind Sriram, Sports Editor

Arvind is a first-year intending to study Economics and Journalism. He's from Arizona but proudly proclaims himself as a New Yorker despite living here for only three months. If you want to debate obscure sports topics such as the most valuable role players in the NBA, hit him up on Instagram @arvindsriram04.

All content by Arvind Sriram
“While we doubt this decision comes as a surprise, all of us, from NYU leadership to me, understand that NYU Athletics is important to many students, and that this decision impacts them deeply,” NYU Director of Athletics Christopher Bledsoe told WSN in an email.

NYU Cancels Athletics for Fall 2020

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, NYU has decided to cancel all fall and winter athletics during the fall 2020 semester.
Arvind Sriram, Sports Editor July 22, 2020

According to an email from the NYU Director of Athletics Christopher Bledsoe, on Tuesday, July 21, the NYU Athletics Department officially stated that varsity fall and winter sports,...

SPS junior Arik Rosenstein founded Passion F.C., a movement driven to address social issues through soccer. The student led group connects with people internationally and is determined to continue sharing their message. (Image courtesy of Passion F.C.)

Passion FC: Soccer for Social Change

SPS junior and founder of Passion FC, Arik Rosenstein, along with his team, strives to use soccer as a platform to address social issues.
Arvind Sriram, Sports Editor May 4, 2020

At the age of 17, SPS junior Arik Rosenstein took a gap year to live in Jerusalem to participate in a leadership development program that promotes social change and to advance...

Staff Rants: Books

Staff Rants: Books

From John Green to “Little House on the Prairie” — here’s our staff’s takes on books.

On John Green Jake Capriotti, Photo Editor Why is it that between late 2013 and mid-2015 it seemed the internet had a collective crush on John Green? I will admit that I...

Staff Rants: Drinks

Staff Rants: Drinks

From milk to kombucha — here’s our staff’s hot takes on drinks.

On Black Coffee Helen Wajda, Deputy Opinion Editor I love coffee as much as the next person, but I will never understand how anyone can drink it black. Maybe I’m drinking...

The New York Liberty is a professional women’s basketball team that competes in the Eastern Conference in the WNBA. The team recently drafted Sabrina Ionescu, considered the best collegiate prospect in the draft. (Staff Illustration by Chelsea Li)

Unlike the New York Knicks, the New York Liberty Are Doing Things Right

For the first time in team history, the New York Liberty received the number one pick in the WNBA draft, picking NCAA superstar Sabrina Ionescu with a bright future for the Liberty. Conversely, the New York Knicks’ questionable offseason decisions indicate a lack of direction for the long term.
Arvind Sriram, Sports Editor April 20, 2020

After a disappointing 10-24 record in the 2019 season, the New York Liberty received the number one pick for the WNBA draft, its first in team history. On April 17, with the number...

NYU senior student-athletes react to the cancellation of their spring season. 
(Staff Illustration by Charlie Dodge)

NYU Senior Athletes React to Their Final Season’s Early End

Due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, NYU senior athletes lost their final season of spring athletics.
Arvind Sriram, Sports Editor March 23, 2020

On Thursday, March 12, Evan Lindley, CAS senior and captain of the men’s volleyball team, was in his apartment in Brooklyn discussing with his father and sister the necessary...

The University Athletics Association voted to cancel the spring 2020 sports season as well as all NYU athletic facilities. (photo via NYU Athletics)

NYU Cancels Athletics for the Spring Season

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Presidents of the UAA have voted to cancel the rest of the spring sports season.
Arvind Sriram, Sports Editor March 13, 2020

On Friday, March 13, in accordance with University President Andrew Hamilton and the other University Athletics Association Presidents, NYU Athletics has officially canceled the...

Staff Rants: Online Classes

Staff Rants: Online Classes

NYU students have been taking classes online since Wednesday, March 11. Hear our staff’s experiences on the situation.

On Arriving Early Helen Wajda, Deputy Opinion Editor I’ve never been more uncomfortable than the five minutes before class started where it was just me, my professor and...

Staff Illustration by Charlie Dodge

Women’s Tennis Remains Undefeated

A recap of everything NYU Athletics from March 2 to March 8.
Arvind Sriram, Sports Editor March 9, 2020

Women’s Tennis On Saturday, March 7, the NYU women’s tennis team defeated Southern Virginia University 8-1. The Violets improved to 4-0, handing the Knights their third...

Staff Rants and Raves: Food

Staff Rants and Raves: Food

From under-portioned grains to juice cleanses, our staff has a lot of strong feelings about food.

Rants On Lack of Grains Emily Dai, Deputy Opinion Editor How come whenever I go to any establishment that sells make your own bowls, the server gives the person in front...

The Womens Basketball team practices in Palladium Gym. The NYU Violets qualified for the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament. (Staff photo by Alex Tran)

NYU Women’s Basketball Qualifies for Championship

For the first time since 2016, the Violets have qualified for the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament. They will face off against Emmanuel College on Friday, March 6.
Arvind Sriram, Sports Editor March 5, 2020

The Violets have qualified for the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament for the first time since the 2015-2016 season, where they were eliminated in the second round. They...

Staff Illustration by Charlie Dodge

Men’s Volleyball Climbs to Division III Number One

A recap of everything NYU Athletics from Feb. 24 to March 1.
Arvind Sriram, Sports Editor March 2, 2020

Men’s Volleyball The men’s volleyball team was ranked first in Division III on Tuesday, Feb. 25. However, NYU finished the week with a 1-1 record. On Wednesday, Feb. 26,...

Staff Rants and Raves: Language

Staff Rants and Raves: Language

From the unnecessary and stupid rules to the struggles of learning and speaking, here’s what our staff has to say on languages.

Rants On Creative Use of Punctuation Anna-Dmitry Muratova, Deputy Managing Editor Dear Creative Writing student, please, pretty please (!), stop NOT putting punctuation...

The NYU mens basketball team official welcomes 11-Year-Old Isaiah Mitchell to the team on Team IMPACTs “Draft Day” Ceremony. Mitchell has brought positive energy to the team and inspired them to work even harder. (Staff Photo by Arvind Sriram)

NYU Men’s Basketball Officially Signs 11-Year-Old Isaiah Mitchell

After courageously battling leukemia, 11-year-old Isaiah Mitchell joins NYU Men’s Basketball team through Team IMPACT’s “Draft Day” ceremony.
Arvind Sriram, Sports Editor February 24, 2020

On Monday, Feb. 17, the NYU men’s basketball team officially drafted 11-year-old Brooklyn native Isaiah Mitchell to join the Violets, per agreement with Team IMPACT, “a national...

Staff Rants: TV Shows

Staff Rants: TV Shows

We’ve all binged a show, even though we know we shouldn’t. Here’s what our staff has to say about the Golden Age of TV — or so they say.

On Netflix-Induced Pain Jake Capriotti, Photo Editor As a young boy growing up in Arizona, I was not fond of many television shows. One show that I was emotionally invested...

(Illustration by Charlie Dodge)

Wrestling Team Claims UAA Championship

A recap of everything NYU Athletics from Feb. 10 to Feb. 16.
Arvind Sriram, Sports Editor February 18, 2020

Men’s Wrestling On Saturday, Feb. 15, the men’s wrestling team defeated Case Western Reserve University and the University of Chicago, winning their first UAA Championship...

Staff Illustration by Charlie Dodge

Men’s Basketball Ends Seven-Game Losing Streak

A recap of everything NYU athletics from Feb. 3rd to Feb. 9th.
Arvind Sriram, Sports Editor February 10, 2020

Men’s Volleyball  Men’s volleyball stayed undefeated with victories against Baruch College and Hunter College. On Tuesday, Feb. 4, the Violets swept Baruch College, winning...

Staff Rants: Super Bowl

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.

On Representation Mandie Montes, Under the Arch Senior Editor I didn’t watch the Super Bowl this year because I don’t live with my superhero, sports fan dad anymore since...

Despite the cheating scandal, Houston Astros are still believed to be a force in the MLB. (Via Wikimedia Roy Luck)

Houston Astros Punished. Was It Enough?

The MLB issued fines, suspensions and loss of draft picks, yet no players were punished for their roles in the sign-stealing scandal and their World Series ring still remains.
Arvind Sriram, Sports Editor February 3, 2020

On Nov. 12, 2019, with the testimony of Mike Fiers, ex-pitcher for the Houston Astros, The Atlantic reported that the Astros used technology to illegally steal signs during the...

With a career high of points per game, Junior Guard Janean Cuffee is leading the women’s basketball team in a new season. (Photo via NYU Athletics)

Junior Guard Janean Cuffee Is Pushing the Violets to New Heights

Averaging a career high in points per game, Cuffee is leading the women’s basketball team to an incredible start.
Arvind Sriram, Sports Editor January 27, 2020

Off to a 12-3 start with an 18.2 point scoring margin, the women’s basketball team has been firing on all cylinders both offensively and defensively. With lopsided victories...

NYU students look forward to the 2020 Super Bowl and share their predictions (Image via Wikimedia)

NYU Predicts: 2020 Super Bowl Predictions

With the 2020 Super Bowl on the horizon, we asked NYU students to give us their predictions and hot takes.
Arvind Sriram, Sports Editor January 27, 2020

The 2020 Super Bowl will take place on Sunday, Feb. 2 with a match-up between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. Led by star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs'...

Over the years, the NCAA’s relationship with players has changed. (Via Wikimedia)

How the NCAA Did Wrong by James Wiseman (And Every Other Student-Athlete)

The NCAA makes billions of dollars every year off its student-athletes, while players like James Wiseman are financially punished for breaking rules despite not being paid in the first place.
Arvind Sriram, Staff Writer December 2, 2019

Last month, the NCAA announced that University of Memphis first-year basketball player James Wiseman will be suspended for 12 games. The No. 1 ranked prospect in the class of 2019...

Stern senior Sean Lyon pins down an opponent during a match at the Roger Williams Invitational(Via NYU Athletics)

Senior Captains Set Impressive Tone for Wrestling Team

Wrestling captains Evan Drill and Sean Lyons are off to a great start this season, showing the country what to expect for the rest of the season.
Arvind Sriram, Staff Writer November 25, 2019

CAS senior Evan Drill and Stern senior Sean Lyons are off to a strong start this season, each going undefeated and winning their respective divisions in the Roger Williams Invitational...

The Houston Astros have recently been exposed to stealing signs during the team’s championship season in 2017. (Via Wikimedia Roy Luck)

Houston, We Have a (Sign-Stealing) Problem. Again.

The Houston Astros find themselves in the news for their second sign-stealing scandal in two years. How the team and Major League Baseball respond will shape the future of professional baseball as we know it.
Arvind Sriram, Staff Writer November 18, 2019

Last week, ex-pitcher for the Houston Astros Mike Fiers told The Athletic that the Astros used a center field camera to illegally steal signs during the team’s championship season...

Load management is causing tension between the NBA and its fans. (Via Wikimedia)

Is Load Management the Future of the NBA?

Players like Kawhi Leonard have been sitting out games in order to rest their bodies during the 82-game regular season. Is this the way forward for the league or is it just the latest issue for fans to grumble over?
Arvind Sriram, Staff Writer November 11, 2019

Last season, Kawhi Leonard made headlines after he sat out 22 games due to “load management,” opting to rest his body while he was still recovering from the quad injury that...

(Graphic by Bela Kirpalani)

NFL Midseason Review

With the NFL season now at the halfway mark, which teams have surprised us and which teams have disappointed?
Arvind Sriram, Staff Writer October 30, 2019

The 2019-2020 NFL season has hit its midpoint, and some teams look like serious Super Bowl contenders while others — not so much. The New England Patriots and San Francisco...

Recap of NYU womens tennis teams performances in Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Oracle Cup National Championships. Left to right: Anna Maria Buraya, Karina Jensurd and Anastasiia Balyk.  (Via NYU Athletics)

Tennis Trio Falls Short at National Championships

The Violets finished in ninth place out of 16 in doubles and in last place in the singles competition.
Arvind Sriram, Staff Writer October 28, 2019

The women’s tennis team ended its memorable fall season with three All-Americans competing in the Oracle ITA Cup on Oct. 17 and 18 in Rome, Georgia. After losing her first...


The Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals are set to face off in the World Series this year.
(via Pixabay)

World Series Preview: Washington Nationals vs. Houston Astros

Is it time for the Nationals to win the first championship in team history?
Arvind Sriram, Staff Writer October 22, 2019

After taking two opposite paths to get here, the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals are set to face off in the 2019 World Series.  The Nationals overcame a rocky 19-31...

NYU students make predictions for 2020 NBA final. The Los Angeles Lakers got a lot of attention this summer. (Via Facebook)

NYU Predicts: NBA Edition

We asked NYU students their season predictions, including which teams will make the 2020 NBA finals, who will win MVP and which teams people may be sleeping on.
Arvind Sriram, Staff Writer October 21, 2019

After an offseason rife with player movement and drama, the 2019-2020 NBA season looks wide open. Los Angeles’ teams made the splashiest moves this summer, but the Milwaukee...

The NYU Womens softball team welcomed Alison, Meagher, a new assistant coach, this year. (Via NYU Athletics)

Softball Team Adds New Assistant Coach

Recent College of Staten Island graduate Alison Meagher has joined the Violets as an assistant coach.
Arvind Sriram, Staff Writer October 7, 2019

The softball team stayed local when it added College of Staten Island ‘19 graduate Alison Meagher to its coaching staff. Meagher, who was a three-year member of the Dolphins’...

Our writer has the Houston Astros winning it all. (via safestbettingsites.com)

MLB Playoff Preview and Predictions

After a long season filled with many surprises, who’s the team to beat in the World Series?
Arvind Sriram, Staff Writer October 2, 2019

The 2019 Major League Baseball regular season was a rollercoaster. With four no-hitters, four 100-win teams and new records for home runs and strikeouts in a season, there were...

Stern Senior Coltrane Tait is a member of the NYU baseball team and co-founder of “The Washington Square Sleep Company.” (Staff Photo by Chelsea Li)

Don’t Sleep on Coltrane Tait

Stern senior and baseball player Coltrane Tait hits home runs and runs his own mattress-lending company.
Arvind Sriram, Staff Writer September 23, 2019

Coltrane Tait takes classes in Stern, pulls all-nighters in Bobst and makes the usual trek to MCU Park in Brooklyn for NYU baseball games. He is also the co-founder of a start-up...

The U.S. mens basketball team at the 2019 FIBA World Cup. (via Wikimedia)

What’s Next for US Basketball?

After finishing in seventh place at the 2019 FIBA World Cup, the U.S. needs to reevaluate its priorities ahead of the 2020 Olympics.
Arvind Sriram, Staff Writer September 23, 2019

Following an 89-79 loss to France in the quarterfinals and a shocking 94-89 defeat against Serbia, the U.S. men’s basketball team ended its 2019 FIBA World Cup run in seventh...

Members of the womens golf team celebrate after winning the first national title in program history in May. (via NYU Sports Information)

Women’s Golf Team Looks to Repeat Championship Success

Last spring, the Violets were crowned NCAA Division III champions for the first time in NYU’s history. Can they do it again this season?
Arvind Sriram, Staff Writer September 13, 2019

Following five straight Liberty League Championship victories, the NYU women’s golf team capped off its 2018-19 season by winning the NCAA Division III Women's Golf Championship...