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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

An illustration of the Earth on fire. Laying on top of the Earth is a student on their phone.

Off Topic: Doom scrolling destroys the planet — not just your mood

Generation Z may be social-media warriors when it comes to climate activism, but our online activism and activity may be having unintended negative effects.
Leila Olukoga, Deputy Opinion Editor November 11, 2024

Climate change has been at the forefront of political debates for decades, with Generation Z leading the charge in recent years. Nearly 50% of Gen Z say mitigating the impacts...

A woman in costume wears a pink wig with a crown. She has her hand over her chest, and is illuminated by blue light.

Opinion: Ditch your plastic Halloween costumes this year

If you are about to buy a last-minute costume for Halloween, try checking out a more sustainable option.
Anne Lise Tan, Contributing Writer October 31, 2024

Halloween might be a season for chills and thrills, but the real horror story lies in the unregulated sweatshops and factories that churn out those plastic-filled costumes. In...

Two people walk down the runway. One wears a quilt patchwork dress and the other wears a striped colorblocked dress.

IMPACT’s annual show champions sustainability but lacks organization

The nonprofit runway show featured nine designers and their debut fashion lines are rooted in sustainability and environmental advocacy.
Maisie Zipfel, Deputy News Editor February 22, 2024

An illustration of a building with a glass exterior with green plants growing. There are two pots of green plants drawn next to the building, all against a green background. The building is N.Y.U.’s Paulson Center.

Sad in the Paulson Center? There’s a solution.

NYU’s sustainability initiatives should extend beyond reducing our carbon footprint. We should have a visually lush and verdant campus.
Derek Kamakanaaloha Soong, Identity & Equity Editor May 4, 2023

As you enter the revolving doors of the new, billion-dollar Paulson Center, New York City's vibrant energy seems to fade away, revealing the new building's ineffectual space. The...

An illustration of a man with red skin wearing a pair of goggles with the text “Ready Player One” printed on it.

‘Ready Player One’ is a cinematic masterpiece, actually

Steven Spielberg’s “Ready Player One” is often maligned as pure commercial noise by hoity-toity cinephiles. Despite the criticism, Spielberg’s love letter to the gaming community upholds the essence of fun action films in the face of pretentious cinema.
Andre Garcia, Contributing Writer March 31, 2023

Every decade has a defining film that taps precisely into the zeitgeist. For American audiences, the ’60s had “The Graduate,” the '70s had “Apocalypse Now” and the '80s...

A collage of three photos. On the left is a drawing of a big, red lollipop against a green background. In the middle is a lime green wall with the words “Food in New York” and “bigger than the plate” painted in elaborate fonts. On the right is an orange vendor’s cart inside a museum.

The food New York City eats, and where it comes from

Fabio Parasecoli, one of the curators of “Food in New York: Bigger Than the Plate,” a special exhibition now on view at the Museum of the City of New York, gives you a guided tour.
Daeun Lee, Contributing Writer February 9, 2023

New York City is home to cuisines from all over the world. From the Jewish staple matzo ball soup to Cantonese siu mai, name any dish and you can likely find a restaurant that...

A protester shouting while holding a sign reading “There is no fashion on a dead planet” in Times Square.

FIT students rally for sustainable fabric in Times Square

Eighteen Fashion Institute of Technology students gathered in Times Square on Saturday to advocate against unsustainable textiles and their negative impacts on the environment.
Emma Grimes, Contributing Writer May 2, 2022

More than a dozen Fashion Institute of Technology students protested the proliferation of unsustainable fabrics in the fashion industry and their negative impacts on the environment...

An eco-friendly wall covered in green plants and pink flowers framed by brown and yellow roofing and walls.

NYU: Greenhouse emissions halved by 2025, carbon neutral by 2040

NYU administrators provided updates on the university’s efforts to combat climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions at its second annual State of Sustainability address.
Gabriel Hawthorne, Deputy News Editor April 26, 2022

NYU president Andrew Hamilton announced that the university is still on track to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 50% of what they were in 2006 by 2025 during the second...

An open area on the westside of Washington Square Park surrounded by trees. People congregate around Extinction Rebellion NYC tables and banners.

Climate activists hold environmental justice festival in Washington Square Park

Extinction Rebellion NYC held an Earth Day festival in the park, calling on corporations and the government to act against the fossil fuel industry.
Ally Dickson, Contributing Writer April 25, 2022

Extinction Rebellion NYC, an organization that advocates for climate justice via civil disobedience, hosted an art and music festival in Washington Square Park from April 19-22...

A tree-planting program spearheaded by Mayor Eric Adams and New York City’s borough presidents has overcome partisan barriers to improve habitability and living conditions for low-income residents. (Image via Wikimedia Commons)

Opinion: Adams’ new tree-planting program will bring New York back

The mayor's revitalized "Million More Trees" project will expand green space in the city and welcome people back after the pandemic drove them away in 2020.
Jules Roscoe, UTA Staff Editor February 16, 2022

Mayor Eric Adams joined the New York City borough presidents on Monday morning to announce another "Million Trees" program. The meeting, as The New York Times reported, called...

NYU Divest members sit in on the 12th floor of Bobst Library waiting to confront university administrators in 2015. (Photo by Lexi Faunce)

Opinion: NYU investors must commit to sustainability

From divesting to uplifting clean energy initiatives, NYU’s board of trustees must increase the sustainability and transparency of their investment decisions.
Clara Scholl, Contributing Writer February 2, 2022

In 2015, NYU’s student body led an “NYU Divest” campaign urging the administration and board of trustees to stop investing the university’s endowment in fossil fuels. Prompted...

To reduce the school's carbon footprint, NYU should go paperless by default. (Staff Illustration by Susan Behrends Valenzuela)

Opinion: NYU should go paperless

The return of in-person classes has brought the return of printed syllabi. NYU should take action to go paperless.
Alexandra Cohen, Staff Writer January 31, 2022

As my class ended, I went to throw away my freshly printed syllabus in front of my professor. I didn’t want to be disrespectful — I just knew that I could access the syllabus...