Reading Period activities hope to entertain stressed students

This Friday kicks off the start of reading period at Homewood Campus.

“The reading period was established so that students could have several days free of other obligations in order to prepare for their examinations... No final examinations are to be administered during the reading period,” the Hopkins administration statement on final examinations policy reads.

In addition to providing students with time to study for their upcoming exams, reading period also frees up extra time for students to get a brief respite from the burden of classes before the semester ends. Hopkins students can participate in a number of light activities each year during the period. These activities encourage students to leave Brody or the library, even if only for an hour or two, and take a break from the intensity of studying for finals.

“I really appreciate reading period, since it gives us time to prepare for finals,” sophomore Veronica Kim said. “It’s nice to not have classes in the week leading up to exams.”

This year, many performances by on-campus performing arts groups will be held during reading period.

The JHU Sirens, the only all-female a cappella group on campus, will hold their annual winter concert in the Bloomberg Auditorium at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. The theme for the group’s concert is “Walt Disney Pictures,” and the set list will feature Disney classics in addition to songs by Beyoncé, Boys Like Girls and other artists.

“[The Sirens] are a giant singing family, and being in this group has been a highlight of college for me,” senior Jordan Gray, president of the JHU Sirens, said. “Not only do we spend time together at rehearsals six-plus hours a week, but we also bond outside of practice... sometimes even spontaneously break[ing] out into songs of perfect harmony at any given moment. We are very excited about our upcoming concert and can’t wait to show our friends and family what we’ve been working on all semester.”

Following the performance by the Sirens, the JHU Octopodes, the oldest co-ed a cappella group on campus, will be holding its fall concert at 8:30 p.m in the same location. Admission is free, and the event is co-sponsored by the JHU Red Cross, which will be collecting donations and providing pizza before the concert. The Octopodes will be performing some of the latest hits by Ed Sheeran, Sia and Maroon 5, among others, and will include a special guest performance by the Georgetown Phantoms.

Also on Friday, the Buttered Niblets, the only on-campus improv comedy troupe, will be performing in the Arellano Theater at 8 p.m. A nationally-ranked comedy group, the Buttered Niblets have a night of fun prepared for their audience members. Tickets will be sold at the door for $1, and the performance includes a special guest group from Dartmouth College.

In addition to music and theater events, there are also intellectually engaging events taking place on Friday evening. The JHU Program in Racism, Immigration and Citizenship is hosting a holiday roundtable discussion called “Living ‘Hopkins’ in Baltimore, An Immigrant City.” The panel will begin at 4 p.m. in the Sherwood Room of Levering Hall and will be catered by Blacksauce Kitchen.

“The Program in Racism, Immigration and Citizenship invites Hopkins students to participate in an informal roundtable discussion on the intersections of race, migration and citizenship in Baltimore city,” senior Lindsey Sanborn said. “We will engage with a range of questions, including how we use the diverse spaces of Baltimore and how the Homewood campus fits into Baltimore’s fabric.”

On Saturday, Adoremus, a Christian a cappella group, will be holding its winter concert “Through It All” at 7 p.m. in the JHU Interfaith Center. This performance will feature songs by Hillsong, Francesa Battistelli, Jars of Clay, Sufjan Stevens and many other artists.

The Hopkins Symphony Orchestra (HSO) will also hold its winter concert on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. in Shriver Hall. The concert will feature Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor, op. 64; Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture–Fantasy; and Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, among others.

“It’s such an incredible experience to share this [performance] with undergraduates studying about the humanities and music,” conductor Jed Gaylin said. “It’s truly incredible to have the best example of those humanistic studies come alive in sound.”

The JHU All-Nighters, the only all-male a cappella group on campus, will also be holding its winter “Mad Scientist” concert. Beginning at at 8:30 p.m. in the Bloomberg Auditorium, the All-Nighters have prepared a night of music sung by Hopkins’s very own men in vests.

There will also be a Jazz Concert, featuring Alan Ferber Nonet, at the Johns Hopkins Club on Saturday. The jazz series has two sets, with each performance beginning at 8:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., respectively.

The JHU Notes of Ranvier, a new co-ed community service a cappella group, will hold its first official fall concert called “Notes Turn 1.” The concert will be held at 7 p.m. in the Bloomberg Auditorium and will feature songs by Ingrid Michaelson, Sia, Cash Cash, Justin Timberlake and many more. Admission is free, but the group will be accepting donations to the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.

“[The Notes of Ranvier] are doing things a little bit differently for our first birthday,” sophomore Madison Archard said. “Instead of receiving gifts, we thought we would give a few away. There will be a raffle for Chipotle gift cards, with all of the proceeds going to the Johns Hopkins Children’s Hospital. There’s no better way to kick off reading period than coming to our dinging, swinging first birthday bash.”

At the end of Reading Period, on Dec. 9, the Office of Residential Life will present “Midnight Breakfast, Karaoke and Make Your Own Snow Globe.” This event will take place at the Fresh Food Café from 11 p.m.-1 a.m.