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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

Opinion

A graduate holds up a keffiyeh during the 2026 Gallatin graduation. (Neil Tawney for WSN)

Guest Essay: NYU’s graduation rules are worth breaking

NYU is doing everything in its power to curb pro-Palestinian political expression at graduation ceremonies. Students should speak out anyway.
Mehr Kotval, Guest Contributor May 22, 2026

Mehr Kotval is a 2026 Gallatin graduate and former editor at WSN. On May 13, moments before I was supposed to walk across the stage at Gallatin’s commencement ceremony at...

Letter from the Editor: My addiction to student journalism

Letter from the Editor: My addiction to student journalism

An attempt to grapple with saying goodbye to the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done.
Dharma Niles, Editor-in-Chief May 14, 2026

When you tell someone you’re the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, you’ll typically receive some form of praise. They might marvel at the — likely downplayed — hours...

NYU’s 2024 commencement at Yankee Stadium. (Jason Alpert-Wisnia for WSN)

Opinion: Defend student speech at graduation before it disappears

The shift to prerecorded remarks is part of NYU’s larger strategy of limiting political expression from students, and it demands pushback before it becomes permanent.
Mehr Kotval, Editor-at-Large May 6, 2026

As graduates prepare to receive their diplomas, the end of their NYU experience feels more like a controlled exit than a celebration. As higher education faces escalating...

(Lianna O’Grady for WSN)

Opinion: D-III sports deserve your attention

NYU’s teams show out for the student body every game — it’s time to give that energy back.
Kiran Komanduri, Sports Editor May 6, 2026

About a year and a half ago, I was offered the opportunity to cover my first varsity game at NYU, when the women’s basketball team took on Babson College in one of the first...

(Kaleo Zhu for WSN)

Opinion: NYC’s lines aren’t worth a surveillance network

Damn Lines’ strategy of recording people without their consent does not solve the city’s hour-long line epidemic.
Srishti Mangla, Staff Writer May 5, 2026

On any given Saturday morning in the West Village, there’s a line down the block in every direction you look. Locals, tourists and transplants alike are left in purgatory of...

(Alex Woodworth for WSN)

Opinion: Graduates deserve better than Jonathan Haidt

The choice to promote the anti-woke author is a slap in the face to a class defined by its activism.
Griffin Eckstein, Contributing Writer May 4, 2026

Last Thursday, NYU announced that Stern professor Jonathan Haidt would address graduates at the all-university commencement on May 14. But his resume, built on a crusade to combat...

(Julianna Lindo for WSN)

Opinion: NYU students need to get involved in local politics

Many students tend to focus on federal elections and those at home, but we can make our voices heard here too. 
Serin Lee, Deputy Opinion Editor May 1, 2026

Two days ago, City Council District 3 — covering Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen, Greenwich Village, West Village, Hudson Square, the Garment District and parts of Times Square —...

(Jada Nakagawa for WSN)

Off Topic: Violence has left America too disconnected between power and reality

After the third attempt on his life, President Donald Trump said he thought the sound of gunshots was a tray falling. What do schoolchildren think when they hear the same shots?
Parker Osborne, Contributing Writer April 29, 2026

This past Saturday, the annual White House Correspondents Dinner was quickly brought to an end when a man opened fire at the event’s venue, the Washington Hilton hotel. The shooter,...

(Suditi Sircar for WSN)

Opinion: Keep AI out of Tisch

NYU’s latest attempt to embrace the future of the arts will harm the very students it seeks to elevate.
Alice Rogers, Deputy Copy Chief April 29, 2026

At the annual Tisch Gala celebrating the work of students and alumni earlier this month, one honoree stood out from the rest. Cristóbal Valenzuela, co-founder and CEO of Runway...

In October 2024, a group of pro-Palestinian Jewish students and faculty built a Gaza Solidarity Sukkah in Schwartz Plaza. (Danny Arensberg for WSN)

Guest Essay: All Jews must commit to anti-Zionism

Jews Against Zionism is an organization in, but not of, NYU, formed by anti-Zionist Jewish students after October 7, 2023.
Jews Against Zionism, Guest Contributor April 24, 2026

Disclaimer: We put “Israel” in quotations so as to not affirm the illegitimate Zionist project claiming statehood. Earlier this week, an op-ed published in WSN argued that...

(Courtesy of the YeCao Collective)

Guest Essay: You can’t police universities into freedom

With a Saturday deadline to veto Intro 175-B, Zohran Mamdani must live up to his campaign promises and shut down efforts to silence student activists.
YeCao Collective, Guest Contributor April 24, 2026

The YeCao Collective is a student organizing group active in labor and community solidarity efforts. Dear Mayor Mamdani, In recent weeks, many of us in the NYU community...