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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

NYU will announce its spring semester plans this week as the omicron variant continues to surge. Other New York City colleges and some NYU schools have already communicated virtual plans for the beginning of the spring semester. (Staff Photo by Manasa Gudavalli)

NYU to announce spring semester plans this week

The university will soon decide whether classes will remain in person or turn virtual for the spring 2022 semester as the omicron variant continues to drive high case rates.
Kristian Burt and Rachel Cohen January 10, 2022

NYU expects to announce its spring semester plans this week, according to an email sent by university leadership to the community on Jan. 7. The directive will come amid the continued...

NYU's COVID-19 positivity rates have increased sharply in recent weeks, but have remained lower than the rates in New York City as a whole.

NYU COVID positivity rate more than 20x pre-omicron average

The most recent data shows an 18.29% positivity rate in COVID tests at NYU.
Alex Tey and Arnav Binaykia January 10, 2022

COVID-19 positivity rates at NYU are up drastically, with 18.29% of tests conducted between Dec. 27 and Jan. 2 coming back positive. This latest data marks a 22-fold increase from...

John’s of Bleecker St. is a pizzeria located on 278 Bleecker St, and one of the restaurants saved by the Open Restaurant program from the impacts of COVID-19. (Photo by Kevin Wu)

Outdoor dining plan sparks space conflicts among Village residents, businesses

As New York City’s Open Restaurants program moves toward becoming permanent, Greenwich Village businesses owners and area residents take different stances on the benefits and drawbacks of outdoor dining.
Emma Grimes, Contributing Writer December 12, 2021

New York City's Open Restaurants program is on track to become permanent. Since its emergency authorization due to COVID-19 in June 2020, more than 10,000 restaurants have enrolled...

The MTA is responsible for public transportation in the New York City metropolitan area. The NYU School of Global Public Health received a $4 million federal grant to study the impact of COVID-19 on transit workers. (Staff Photo by Ryan Walker)

NYU researchers win $4M grant to study COVID impact on transit workers

The five-year project launched in November will help develop preventative measures that protect frontline workers from this pandemic and future ones.
Nicole Chiarella, Contributing Writer December 9, 2021

When COVID-19 began to spread in New York City last March, the services of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority were deemed essential, and transit employees were required...

On Nov. 29, members of the Patient-Led Research Collaborative for Long COVID wrote an open letter on the NIH’s RECOVER initiative to study long COVID-19. The letter expressed worries about the initiative and made suggestions on how to ensure its success. (Staff Photo by Manasa Gudavalli)

Patient group says Langone long COVID research forgets patients

The Patient-Led Research Collaborative for Long COVID published an open letter to the National Institutes of Health and NYU Langone Health expressing concerns over the success and integrity of the initiative. 
Rachel Fadem, Deputy News Editor December 8, 2021

JD Davids, a research advocate for HIV and other post-viral infections, had been living with multiple, complex chronic conditions before he contracted COVID-19 for the first time...

An illustration of a wooden box in a park. A pair of legs with blue jeans and black Converse sneakers stands on top of the box. The box reads “WSN.”

The Soapbox: the omicron variant, Barbados, Ukraine

​​The Soapbox is a weekly column by WSN’s news desk examining the major developments in world news and rounding up the stories we think are worth the read this week. Global consciousness for a global university.
Suhail Gharaibeh, Deputy News Editor December 3, 2021

Around the globe, the omicron variant is set to prolong the pandemic As the new omicron variant of COVID-19 spreads around the world, some of the poorest countries — particularly...

Palladium dining hall is located on the third floor of Palladium Hall is one of the most popular NYU dining locations. Various dining restrictions since COVID-19 have made student dining more difficult, causing more harm than good. (Staff Photo by Jake Capriotti)

Opinion: Dining restrictions are hurting students’ wellbeing

Despite NYU’s commitment to student health, mental health struggles are slipping under the radar. COVID-related dining restrictions curtailing eating spaces are negatively impacting the wellbeing of students, especially those who have complex relationships with food.
Alyssa Goldberg, Contributing Writer November 23, 2021

Content warning: This article discusses disordered eating. While NYU has placed a major emphasis on COVID-19 safety policies, the administration has paid significantly less...

(Charlie Dodge for WSN)

Opinion: NYU’s mask policy is just for show

NYU's mask policy is far stricter than local guidelines and sends the wrong message about vaccine efficacy. It would be more beneficial for the university to focus on encouraging booster shots. 
Jules Roscoe, Staff Writer November 22, 2021

Last year, the medical community rejoiced as Sandra Lindsay, a New York nurse, became the first American to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and more...

In early November, New York City’s COVID-19 positive test rate was 2.06% while NYU’s was 0.76%. A decrease in hospitalizations and deaths accompany the increase in the positive test rate. (Staff Photo by Ryan Walker)

NYU sees slight rise in COVID cases as winter approaches

In the week leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday, an increase in New York City’s new reported COVID-19 cases has some students concerned about breakthrough infections.
Gabriel Hawthorne, Staff Writer November 22, 2021

NYU reported a slim increase in the number of COVID-19 cases on campus as positivity rates increased in New York City over the past four weeks.  In the most recent testing...

Gov. Hochul’s administration ended the Emergency Rental Assistance Program. The state needs to resume this program with state funding until federal funding can be secured. (Image via Wikimedia Commons)

Editorial: Hochul should continue funding rent assistance

The New York state government decided to end the Emergency Rental Assistance Program because federal funds are running out. Gov. Kathy Hochul should exhaust state funding while requesting federal assistance to protect the housing insecure.
WSN Editorial Board November 22, 2021

For the past several months, New York has provided rental assistance to state residents struggling during the pandemic. With the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, the state...

This semester, students find that NYU’s attendance policies contradict with the university’s messaging about student health and wellbeing. The various approaches to attendance policies of different schools and professors are more visible due to continuing effects of the pandemic. (Staff Illustration by Manasa Gudavalli)

NYU’s contradictory attendance policies raise health concerns

Students struggle with vague absence guidelines and apathetic professors.
Ava Emilione, Staff Writer November 16, 2021

Tisch junior Meagan Wachtel’s room resembles an art studio. With colored markers and production schedules filling their desk, Wachtel’s dedication to her studies is apparent....

COVID-19 guidelines are taped on the Campus Safety desk at Third North, one of NYU's residence halls. Jp Iregbulem writes that NYU should continue improvements made to public health and accessibility even after the pandemic. (Staff Photo by Sirui Wu)

Opinion: Make some COVID policies permanent

The COVID-19 pandemic forced NYU to make some positive changes to university policies. From improved ventilation to remote learning, NYU should maintain these changes even after the pandemic ends.
Jp Iregbulem, Staff Writer November 10, 2021

It is said that crises can, in the long run, prove to be windows to new opportunities. The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be a great example of such a crisis. Overall, NYU...