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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

Helen Wajda

Helen Wajda, Opinion Editor

Helen is a junior double majoring in Childhood/Special Education and English. She's from Upstate New York (actually Upstate, not Westchester) and enjoys making extremely specific playlists when she's not writing. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @helenwajda.

All content by Helen Wajda
An illustration of a megaphone with a red handle. Written in orange on the megaphone are the words “Staff Rants.”

Staff Rants and Raves: The Emmys

From Bad Bunny to COVID-19 precautions, our staff has a lot of thoughts on the Emmys.

Rants  On the “Friends” Reunion Helen Wajda, Opinion Editor I never watch the Emmys and this year was no exception, but that didn’t stop me from having to see some...

Homeless Students Deserve More From NYC's Education Department

Homeless Students Deserve More From NYC’s Education Department

While the DOE has taken steps to help the city’s homeless students get online for remote learning, homeless communities in the city still need more support to ensure that they can continue to attend school during the pandemic.
Helen Wajda, Opinion Editor September 21, 2020

At a homeless shelter in Manhattan, Christlie Jean-Baptiste struggles to get her children online for remote learning due to the shelter’s lack of Wi-Fi and cell service. While...

An illustration of a megaphone with a red handle. Written in orange on the megaphone are the words “Staff Rants.”

Staff Rants: Parties

From tailgates to sobriety, our staff has a lot of opinions on parties.

On Tailgating  Helen Wajda, Opinion Editor I enjoy hanging out with my friends as much as the next person, but I will never understand the appeal of tailgate parties. Why...

Making Space for Self-Compassion Starts in the Classroom

Making Space for Self-Compassion Starts in the Classroom

While it’s tempting to try to continue on as normal during this time, trying to forget that we’re living through a pandemic might be more harmful than helpful for mental health.
Helen Wajda, Opinion Editor September 15, 2020

Almost every day since mid-March, I’ve felt overwhelmed with anxiety and exhaustion. Will my family members — many of whom have underlying health issues — contract COVID-19?...

An illustration of a megaphone with a red handle. Written in orange on the megaphone are the words “Staff Rants.”

Staff Rants: Back To School

From the big workload to Zoom complaints, our staff has a lot of feelings about the first week of classes.

On the Lack of Anonymity  Alexandria Johnson, Deputy Managing Editor  Maybe it's just me, but why do I need to put my camera on for every class? I'm in my senior year juggling...

An illustration of a megaphone with a red handle. Written in orange on the megaphone are the words “Staff Rants.”

Staff Rants: Coronavirus

From the loss of indoor seating to general annoyance, our staff has a lot to say about the coronavirus.

On The Loss of Public Seating  Helen Wajda, Opinion Editor One thing living through a pandemic has taught me is that I rely entirely too much on public seating to get me...

The Persistence of Classism at NYU

The Persistence of Classism at NYU

The classist language used on the American Sign Language Department’s universal syllabus reveals an ongoing culture of elitism that extends beyond the student body.
Helen Wajda, Opinion Editor September 2, 2020

It’s no secret that NYU prides itself on being a diverse and inclusive institution — each year, we hear that the incoming freshman class is the “most diverse” class in...

President Hamilton: Support Students in Need and Take a Pay Cut

President Hamilton: Support Students in Need and Take a Pay Cut

NYU President Andrew Hamilton’s email is just another example of NYU overspending on administrators and failing to genuinely support students in need.
Helen Wajda, Deputy Opinion Editor May 7, 2020

When I received President Andrew Hamilton’s email discussing NYU’s current financial situation last week, I expected it to contain the usual insistence that the administration...

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...

Google Must Offer Financial Support to Media Outlets

Google Must Offer Financial Support to Media Outlets

In light of COVID-19, Google must compensate publishers for online content that shows up in search results.
Helen Wajda, Deputy Opinion Editor April 30, 2020

Before COVID-19 wreaked havoc on the global economy, news media outlets — especially local publications — were struggling to survive. As approximately 26.5 million Americans...

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...

Release Juveniles From Detention Centers During COVID-19

Release Juveniles From Detention Centers During COVID-19

States need to expedite the release of youth from juvenile detention centers in order to protect them from both COVID-19 and emotional trauma.
Helen Wajda, Deputy Opinion Editor April 23, 2020

At the Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center, a 17-year-old incarcerated teenager and three other boys in his unit spend their days speaking to each other through a crack at the...

Staff Rants and Raves: Movies

Staff Rants and Raves: Movies

From Lizzie McGuire to Lady Bird — here’s what our staff thinks about movies.

Rants On Issues With “Blue Is The Warmest Color” Anna-Dmitry Muratova, Deputy Managing Editor When I was younger, closeted and in total denial about my own queerness,...

The National Emergency Library Must Support Both Authors and Readers

The National Emergency Library Must Support Both Authors and Readers

While the creation of the National Emergency Library is good in principle, the service’s current model is detrimental to authors.
Helen Wajda, Deputy Opinion Editor April 13, 2020

As libraries across the country have closed in response to COVID-19 in the past month, the Internet Archive announced that they were creating a National Emergency Library that...

Students Need Long-Term Reliable Internet Access

Students Need Long-Term Reliable Internet Access

While it is promising that many are working to make sure students have access to reliable internet during the pandemic, there needs to be a long-term solution to ensure that all students have reliable internet access moving forward.
Helen Wajda, Deputy Opinion Editor April 9, 2020

As the coronavirus pandemic has forced public and private schools across the country to move to remote learning, the number of students who don’t have reliable internet connections...

Staff Rants and Raves: Fruit

Staff Rants and Raves: Fruit

From durians to watermelon — here’s what our staff thinks about fruit.

Rants On Eaten Fruits Anna-Dmitry Muratova, Deputy Managing Editor This is going to be an opinion as unpopular as my previous hot take on apples, however, this needs to...

The COVID-19 Productivity Trap

The COVID-19 Productivity Trap

Dealing with a global pandemic is difficult enough without the added pressures of being as productive as possible at home.
Helen Wajda, Deputy Opinion Editor April 2, 2020

Since I started social distancing a few weeks ago, I’ve found myself surrounded by tips for how I can maximize this time all over Twitter and Instagram — from people posting...

It’s Time for University-Wide Pass/Fail

It’s Time for University-Wide Pass/Fail

Continuing to use the letter grade system during a global crisis only places an undue burden on students.
Helen Wajda, Deputy Opinion Editor March 26, 2020

After University President Andy Hamilton announced that residence halls would be closed and students should move out, my sole focus was packing up my dorm room and finding safe...

Staff Rants and Raves: Self-Quarantine

Staff Rants and Raves: Self-Quarantine

Here’s our staff’s struggles and joys while in isolation.

Rants On Parents Jake Capriotti, Photo Editor Being home in Arizona under quarantine has me worried. Not only am I not allowed to leave the house because of quarantine,...

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...

Stop Celebrating Disordered Eating Habits

Stop Celebrating Disordered Eating Habits

While there is a distinction between disordered eating and eating disorders, disordered eating is still incredibly toxic, and celebrating it only wreaks havoc on one’s health.
Helen Wajda, Deputy Opinion Editor March 9, 2020

Content warning: this article discusses eating disorders. Over the past year, Adele’s dramatic weight loss has sparked headlines. As more photos of the singer have emerged,...

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...

Conquering Loneliness

Conquering Loneliness

While loneliness can be deeply unpleasant and scary, labeling it as something negative that needs to be avoided only encourages people to fear a natural human experience.
Helen Wajda, Deputy Opinion Editor March 4, 2020

When I first committed to NYU, most people warned me that if I didn’t try really hard to make friends (and even if I did), I’d end up feeling incredibly lonely. As a result,...

The Rural Public School Crisis

The Rural Public School Crisis

With federal cuts to rural education, it’s time for the Department of Education to pay attention to rural public schools.
Helen Wajda, Deputy Opinion Editor March 2, 2020

In 2018, Keshia Speight, a third-grade teacher at a public school in rural North Carolina, reported that most years, she spends approximately $1,000 of her $37,000 annual salary...

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 Inadequacy of Sex Ed

The Inadequacy of Sex Ed

Although there have been recent improvements to sex education in New York, there’s still a lot of work to be done to ensure that statewide sex education is inclusive and accurate.
Helen Wajda, Deputy Opinion Editor February 24, 2020

“Don’t have sex, because you will get pregnant and die.” So begins a well-known scene from 2004 teen comedy “Mean Girls,” where a coach lectures high school students...

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...

Participating in the Classroom

Participating in the Classroom

Factoring how often students talk in class into grades favors extroverted students and can make introverted students feel anxious and alienated.
Helen Wajda, Deputy Opinion Editor February 14, 2020

Every time I write a weekly discussion post for my English class, I’m grateful that my professor understands that participation can be measured in ways other than simply talking...

Staff Rants and Raves: Oscars

Staff Rants and Raves: Oscars

Sunday’s Oscars was a historic night for film. Here’s what our staff has to say about it.

Rants On Viewer’s Etiquette Jake Capriotti, Photo Editor I did not know what to expect from my first Oscars party at NYU. I attended the Third North viewing with two...

Stop Looking Down on Young Adult Fiction

Stop Looking Down on Young Adult Fiction

Judging people for reading contemporary fiction doesn’t do much but discourage them from reading what they really enjoy.
Helen Wajda, Deputy Opinion Editor February 10, 2020

Last week, I experienced what I’ve come to expect as an inevitable occurrence when talking to fellow English majors: someone ranting about how no one seems to read good literature...

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...

Don’t Fixate on Calories

Don’t Fixate on Calories

Our society-perpetuated obsession with counting calories overlooks our unique nutritional needs and the different ways our bodies function and process food.
Helen Wajda, Deputy Opinion Editor February 3, 2020

In between classes yesterday, I grabbed a granola bar to hold me over until my next meal. I usually try to avoid scrutinizing nutrition labels too closely, but this time something...

Staff Rants and Raves: Back to School

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.

Rants On Masks Alexandra Chan, Deputy Photo Editor Growing up in post-SARS Hong Kong, wearing masks is very normal to me. It blows my mind that there is an American (or...

The Inaccessibility of the Student Health Center

The Inaccessibility of the Student Health Center

NYU’s failure to advertise resources leaves students to fend for themselves in an environment where it is already difficult to establish a concrete support system.
Helen Wajda, Deputy Opinion Editor January 27, 2020

Finding an affordable therapist in the city after I ran out of free appointments at the NYU Student Health Center took most of last semester. After a few weeks of unsuccessful...

Medical Professionals Need to Be Educated on Eating Disorders

Medical Professionals Need to Be Educated on Eating Disorders

Medical professionals have a responsibility to educate themselves on eating disorders so they can help and validate struggling students.
Helen Wajda, Contributing Writer November 25, 2019

When I went to urgent care at the Student Health Center and then the emergency room after passing out, I told every professional who helped me that I was currently in treatment...

Navigating NYU Diet Culture With an Eating Disorder

Navigating NYU Diet Culture With an Eating Disorder

If NYU wants to encourage health and wellness, they need to stop participating in diet culture.
Helen Wajda, Contributing Writer September 24, 2019

When I rushed out of my dorm room yesterday morning, I was met by a bright sign outside the elevator: “Burn Calories, Not Electricity. Take the Stairs!” As I waited for the...

Vendors off campus will no longer accept campus cash.

Campus Cash Canceled

Helen Wajda, Contributing Writer September 10, 2018
Campus cash will no longer be accepted at off-campus vendors.