Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
September 16, 2025 September 16, 2025 | Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896

Opinion

The opinions presented below are solely the views of the author and do not represent the views of The News-Letter. If you are a member of the Hopkins community looking to submit a piece or a letter to the editor, please email opinions@jhunewsletter.com.

Deepfake porn requires immediate action

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD | February 1, 2024

Despite the ways in which AI proves itself useful, it also harbors the potential to be used for far more sinister purposes. Last week, deepfake pornography of Taylor Swift circulated online, sparking public discourse on the potential dangers posed by AI. A deepfake is defined as “an image or recording that has been convincingly altered and manipulated to misrepresent someone as doing or saying something that was not actually done or said.”

STEVEN SIMPSON / PHOTO EDITOR The Editorial Board shares their 2023 Wrapped and reflects on the changes Hopkins has undergone this year. 

2023 wrapped: Has the University been listening?

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD | December 7, 2023

As the end of semester approaches and we close out 2023, it is important to reflect back on the various shifts that have occurred in the University’s academic landscape. In our final editorial of the year, we review the pleasant surprises and disappointing setbacks we’ve seen from Hopkins in 2023.

LORIE SHAULL / CC BY-SA 2.0 Koldas highlights the difficulty with Biden’s re-election, including his age.  

It's too late to fix the Democratic Party's mistakes

By BUSE KOLDAS | December 7, 2023

Ever since President Joe Biden confirmed that he would be running for president in the 2024 elections to seek a second term in office, one question has unified the American population more successfully than any Thanksgiving dinner could have: Isn’t he too old to be the president?

KURT KAISER / CC0 1.0 Boppana calls for consumers to consider the impact of fast fashion on the environment.

Fast fashion is bad for the environment and your style

By SAMHI BOPPANA | December 5, 2023

With fast fashion brands like Shein being so cheap, it is easy to convince ourselves that we should buy more clothes. Shein is amongst other fashion retailers, such as Temu and FashionNova, that are known for their cheap product prices and their frequent releases of new items. Despite the allure of fast fashion, it fosters a culture of clothing waste and overconsumption that is harmful to both the environment and individuals.

Hopkins must hold Dr. Darren Klugman accountable

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD | November 30, 2023

The News-Letter believes that no one supporting hateful ideology against Palestinian people, or any people, should practice medicine. Regardless of our varying views on the Israel-Hamas war and the broader Israel-Palestine conflict, members of the Hopkins community should agree on this. We call on the institution to treat this matter with the gravity it necessitates and come to a just decision soon.

STEVEN SIMPSON / PHOTO EDITOR The Editorial Board encourages you to make the most of your time at college, whatever that may look like for you.

Don’t just find your fit, make it

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD | November 16, 2023

It’s officially that time of year. It’s college admissions season, and many high school students are whittling down their college lists and submitting applications. In the last decade, college admissions have only become more competitive, especially at top universities like Hopkins. The University’s acceptance rate has substantially decreased from 20.4% in 2010 to 7% in recent years. We’re here today because we beat the odds. But, what now?

ALEX LOZUPONE / CC BY-SA 4.0 Daum highlights the necessity for more affordable rent and housing costs in the U.S.

Rent is too damn high

By NICK DAUM | November 15, 2023

In 2010, Jimmy McMillan founded the Rent Is Too Damn High Party and ran for governor of New York. The party’s platform was simple: a single-issue attack on rent prices in the bustling city. While the party (unfortunately) never achieved electoral success, its focus is still relevant to this day. Between 2000 and 2022, the median monthly rent price increased from $602 to $1,827, a staggering increase of over 300%.

ROSS KARCHNER / CC BY-SA 2.0 Daum argues that the recent election demonstrates that Democrats should emphasize their popular social policies to be more successful electorally. 

Abortion and weed: What Democrats can learn from 2023

By NICK DAUM | November 14, 2023

Picture this: a middle-aged, conservative coal miner from central Kentucky. You would be right to predict with near certainty that he would vote reliably Republican. And yet, in the same state represented by such “popular” politicians as Mitch McConnell, the incumbent Democratic governor Andy Beshear was just reelected by a comfortable margin. Considering Beshear’s impressive victory, Democrats should be teed-up for a blue wave in 2024. Right?

Hopkins has a serious case of the blues — and mustaches

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD | November 9, 2023

This November, we’re seeing more men around campus growing mustaches. While you might assume that the CVS Pharmacy on St. Paul Street has stopped stocking razors, it’s actually for Movember, an annual month-long push to raise awareness for men’s health issues — including prostate cancer, testicular cancer and suicide — by sporting mustaches.

COURTESY OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY The Editorial Board argues that the University must address student concerns regarding the MSE library’s closure and provide an adequate solution for students.

If you’re going to take all of our money, at least give us a library.

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD | November 2, 2023

As we enter the last month of fall semester classes, students will inevitably hunker down in the library while they prepare for exams and frantically type out papers. Typically, The News-Letter reminds students to leave the library and enjoy the sunlight; we tell students to prioritize their mental health and take breaks from continuous studying. Although that still holds true, we would like to highlight the importance of the Milton S. Eisenhower (MSE) library to this campus and its students.

MICHAEL STOKES / CC BY 2.0 Hsu argues that, despite dysfunction in the Republican party, President Biden’s re-election is not guaranteed.

The Republican Party is in disarray, and Biden is failing to capitalize

By MAX HSU | November 2, 2023

Joe Biden’s presidency has undeniably been held back by filibusters and conservative Democratic caucus members in the Senate, the current Republican majority in the House and challenges from the Supreme Court. But the intense division and dysfunction in the Republican Party provides a rare opportunity for a landslide victory for Democrats in 2024, which they look to be failing to fully capitalize on.

TERRI SEWELL / PUBLIC DOMAIN Daum highlights the current shortcomings of voting in the U.S. and proposes reforms. 

Voting in the U.S. is broken: We need to change that

By NICK DAUM | November 1, 2023

President Franklin D. Roosevelt once called the U.S. the “Arsenal of Democracy”, under the specter of World War II and the Great Depression. However, it is painfully clear that we are not living up to that lofty goal.

ALEXANDER MUSE / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Koldas calls for both YouTube and its viewers to take a more active role in detecting child abuse in family content on the platform. 

YouTuber parents’ exploitation of children has to stop

By BUSE KOLDAS | October 30, 2023

The dangerous side of family vloggers most recently came into global discussion following a scandal involving YouTuber Ruby Franke, who was more popularly known by her family content channel “8 Passengers.” Franke has recently been charged with child abuse and was arrested in August after authorities found a malnourished child with “open wounds and duct tape on their extremities.” This is proof that YouTube’s child protection policies must be improved.

Reflecting on the role of The News-Letter in campus discourse

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD | October 26, 2023

The News-Letter published an op-ed last week titled “The Israel-Hamas war is not too complicated for Hopkins students,” which took a pro-Israel stance on the conflict. Following its publication, The News-Letter and the article’s author received backlash for its lack of historical context on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

STIG NYGAARD / CC 2.0 In 2004, an art installment at the Roskilde Festival encouraged attendees to sign the wall to promote peace and protest a wall being built in Palestine. 

We have lost sight of the bigger picture in Gaza

By HAMAD HAMAD | October 26, 2023

As the world watches on and argues about who or what to condemn that led us to this reality where thousands have been killed in Gaza with no ceasefire in sight, we must ask ourselves what we would like to happen. Do we just want a world of retaliation and retribution, or do we desire a meaningful solution? 

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