Skip to Main Content
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

A person grabs toothpaste from a box in a drawer. On the counter and in the cupboards above them are stacks of non-perishable foods.

Steinhardt USG opens pantry to address on-campus food insecurity

Students at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development will now be able to access free hygiene products and food from an on-campus pantry.
Gabrielle Panelo and Tyra Hughes March 7, 2024

Steinhardt students will now be able to access basic goods for free from a food pantry created by the Steinhardt Undergraduate Student Government. The pantry, which opened this...

A white and purple N.Y.U. flag and a purple banner that says "N.Y.U. Steinhardt" is placed side by side on a building wall.

Guest Essay: Steinhardt USG launches food pantry

Tanisha Thakkar is the president of the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development’s Undergraduate Student Government.
Tanisha Thakkar, Guest Contributor February 29, 2024

Guest essays reflect opinions from writers beyond WSN. If you’d like to submit a guest essay for consideration, please email [email protected]. Imagine juggling classes,...

Ten students holding a banner that reads “N.Y.U. FEED YOUR STUDENTS” standing side by side in a lobby.

Students demand food security measures in petition to Mills

NYU’s chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America called for the university to change its approach to food insecurity in a petition delivered to administrators.
Gabrielle Panelo, Contributing Writer February 27, 2024

Around 10 students from NYU’s chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America gathered at Bobst Library on Monday to deliver a petition addressed to NYU president Linda...

(Graphic by Manasa Gudavalli)

A look inside the student government’s budget

NYU’s student government receives an operating budget of around $500,000 every academic year. Last year, it spent the most on Violet 100 programming, conference funding and stipends, with thousands of dollars also put toward a banquet and retreats.
Graylin Lucas and Mariapaula Gonzalez November 29, 2023

The student government budget was around $524,000 last year, with the most money having been spent on the spring spirit week event Violet 100, grants for students to attend conferences...

(Graphic by Krish Dev)

Over half of students do not know about the student government, WSN survey finds

Seventy-three percent of surveyed NYU students said they do not consider themselves familiar with the Student Government Assembly.
Dharma Niles, Sidney Snider and Zoe Alford October 4, 2023

Approximately 73% of NYU students do not consider themselves familiar with the university’s student government, according to a WSN survey.  Out of 360 students surveyed inside...

The close-up shot of a hand scanning an NYU ID card above a card reader.

Opinion: Swipe it Forward is taking a step backward

The program aimed at helping food-insecure students has always had its issues, but instead of resolving them, NYU has made the program even less accessible.
Molly Koch, Opinion Editor September 29, 2023

The student government's Swipe it Forward program is one of the few resources for food-insecure students on campus, allowing those with meal plans to donate extra meal swipes to...

The close-up shot of a hand scanning an NYU ID card above a card reader.

Swipe it Forward returns with new banking system

The student government announced changes to its meal swipe donation initiative, Swipe it Forward, at a meeting on Thursday, Sept. 14.
Maisie Zipfel, Deputy News Editor September 18, 2023

NYU’s meal donation program, Swipe it Forward, recently returned to select on-campus dining locations, despite limitations from NYU Eats, the organization that operates the university’s...

A student’s hand holding an N.Y.U. I.D. card up to a dining hall entrance scanner.

Swipe it Forward expands to include 4 additional dining halls

Bruna Horvath and Adrianna Nehme January 26, 2023

Students can now donate meal swipes at four additional dining hall locations through Swipe it Forward, the Student Government Assembly’s meal swipe donation program. The program...

A tall building complex with a glass exterior in daylight with traffic passing in front of the building.

Winter break recap: What happened at NYU while you were gone

The fibs of a Congressman, a former NYU administrator commits fraud, the new billion-dollar building, and all the other news you missed.

As students return to campus for the start of the spring semester, here is some of the news you may have missed over winter break. Former NYU finance director indicted after embezzling...

A hand holding an N.Y.U. identity card up to a dining hall entrance scanner.

Student gov’t deliberates Swipe it Forward, temporary visas and ICE event

NYU’s Student Government Assembly provided Swipe it Forward updates, debated temporary student visas and more at its meeting on Thursday, Nov. 3.
Yezen Saadah, Staff Writer November 7, 2022

NYU’s Swipe it Forward program — a food donation system that allows students to request a free meal swipe at select dining halls — has received 470 donations since its start...

A boy and two girls stand side by side smiling at the camera. Each holds different styles of food shopping bags. Behind them, the green trees of Washington Square Park.

Gallatin first-years mobilize students to donate meal swipes to mutual aid

XR University NYC, revived in March, is challenging students to address issues ranging from climate change to food insecurity.
Tori Morales, Staff Writer May 2, 2022

It’s no secret that NYU has a food insecurity problem. The university’s Swipe it Forward program, which allows students to donate meal swipes that would otherwise go to waste,...

On an easel, a poster with a dark purple background reads in pink font: “Donate up to 3 meal swipes per day at the following dining halls.” Below in white font, one under the other, it reads: “Downstein, Jasper Kane Cafe, Kosher Eatery, Marketplace at Kimmel, NYU Eats at Lipton, Peet’s Coffee, Palladium, NYU Eats at Third North.” Next to the easel the door of Kimmel Marketplace is open and a dining hall worker is seen in the back.

Opinion: NYU’s Swipe it Forward meal donation program could be great

The meal swipe donation program aims to combat food insecurity in our community, but its inconsistency and confusing logistics are hindering its potential.
Holly Kase, Contributing Writer April 7, 2022

We live in an expensive city, which means eating doesn’t come cheap. A 2019 NYU study surveyed 257 NYU students and found that 41% were experiencing food insecurity. That’s...