The Iranian Revolution of 1979 came about as a result of the dissatisfaction that many people had with the governance of the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Although the Shah pushed for modernization and Westernization at an accelerated pace since the White Revolution of 1963, the effects of these policies were not distributed evenly throughout society and worsened income inequality.

Ruhollah Khomeini, the Shah's most vocal critic, came out against the Shah's policies in 1964 as a result of their subservience to American interests, and he was subsequently exiled. Khomeini built a reputation as a moral and philosophical leader, promoting ideas of justice, freedom and popular sovereignty. When he came to power after the Iranian Revolution, however, Khomeini voided his previous commitments and dismantled the foundation of democratic principles that he had established. Khomeini instated clerics as the dominant rulers of Iran, contradicting his own promise that the clerics would only have nominal authority. The hijab that was previously promoted as a personal choice became mandated, and women were prohibited from serving in parliament.

For many years the Iranian government has been systematically oppressing its population. However, many have risen in resistance to this oppression, as shown by the student protests of the late 1990s to early 2000s, the Green Movement of 2009, the Mahsa Amini uprising in 2022 and the ongoing demonstrations of today. Each of these movements has faced increasing hostility from the Iranian government, namely a rise in the use of violence against protesters.

The current uprising has spurred one of the most brutal reactions from the Iranian government in recent memory. Evidence is surfacing of mass arrests, extreme violence and an incredible number of fatalities as authorities attempt to silence in any way possible. This behavior on the part of the Iranian government represents not just the pursuit of political control but rather a determined effort to silence individuals who are demanding to be treated with dignity. Such actions demonstrate that brutality is not limited to the borders of Iran; it will affect, in serious ways, many members of the Iranian diaspora around the world.

At Hopkins, we all have a duty to stay up to date on events in Iran and to support those whose families and communities are especially vulnerable in today's Iran. Demonstrators in Iran risk their personal safety as well as their lives for freedoms that the majority of us have the benefit of enjoying as normal aspects of everyday life.

Due to the overwhelming volume of notifications, breaking news alerts and continuous access to 24-hour news cycles in today's environment, it is easy to become desensitized to tragedy. When our daily routines remain unaffected by such developments, it is all too easy to become disengaged from them.

Media overload has led numerous people to feel anxious, depressed and hopeless. The American Psychological Association has encouraged individuals to limit their media consumption and take breaks from news and information. However, this may lead to an uninformed society that does not understand the complexities of human suffering on a global scale. By removing ourselves from the critical thought process associated with becoming educated about the complexities surrounding global issues, we run the risk of viewing the suffering of others as irrelevant and interchangeable.

It may be unrealistic to expect everyone to feel passionately about every crisis occurring around them, but to allow ourselves to disengage from the responsibility of remaining connected is a disservice to all. Instead, we should stay up to date with current events and continue to be educated and engaged.

Westerners often stereotype Iran's population and fail to separate the people from the actions of their rulers. Iran's population is often seen without empathy, reduced to political liabilities instead of being seen as human beings. Iranians in the United States or American residents with any sort of tie to the nation are often viewed with suspicion on account of their lineage.

The protests in January occurred throughout the country, in tens of cities, across almost all of Iran's provinces. These protests were not merely happening in one small isolated region (as was often the case with previous protests), but rather the protests were being held together collectively against the oppressive and tyrannical government. However, the courage exhibited by these individuals has come at a cost through the violence and bloodshed that has taken place during and following the protests, which will only continue to deepen the ongoing humanitarian crisis Iran is facing. The Iranian citizens are in dire need of their voices being heard and amplified in spite of their current state of mass censorship and technology blackout due to the ongoing conflict between the government and its citizens.

The News-Letter encourages the Hopkins community to support their Iranian peers during these times. This support can be displayed in many ways, including staying updated on current events, engaging in conversation and checking in on classmates or acquaintances that might be affected in any way. On Jan. 8, 2026, an internet blackout in Iran was implemented and maintained by the Iranian government, preventing information and updates from reaching the outside world. As a result, communication and engagement from outside Iran are critical forms of support.

Resources aside from major newspapers and platforms include the Center for Human Rights in Iran and Iran International.

The News-Letter: What inspired you to apply for the Fulbright program, and was there a defining moment that made you commit to pursuing it?

Ikshu Pandey: I started Hopkins in 2020, so we were part of the COVID class. If there was a time for me to study abroad, it would have probably been my sophomore year because I was a Neuroscience and Materials Science and Engineering double major on the pre-med track. So, [sophomore year] is the only sweet spot for studying abroad, before you go too in-depth into your electives because those are the classes you can take abroad. However, because of COVID, I could not.

The second big thing is, after reaching graduation, I decided not to apply straight to medical school because I wanted the opportunity to utilize my dual major skill set and kind of explore if I'm going to be pre-medical, MD, or PhD. I wanted that opportunity to apply my skillset. I talked to my Principal Investigator (PI) at Hopkins about it and he recommended me to look into some opportunities abroad.

One of the major things I wanted to do was research, particularly research at the intersection of neuroscience and materials engineering. Just like I had done at Hopkins. I really committed to it when I found a PI in Switzerland who matched my interests and proficiency in language. I have advanced French proficiency, and I wanted the opportunity that I missed in undergrad to study abroad. I also wanted that work experience and a trial run of what a researcher full-time would look like.

I did a lot of research throughout my undergraduate years, even throughout my summers. But that's different from having a project that you can devote your energy to full-time. I'm also incredibly passionate about healthcare, healthcare inequities and representing marginalized populations after being in Baltimore. I was curious as well to see if the healthcare inequities I saw in Baltimore transitioned to a place like Switzerland, even if Baltimore and Switzerland might not have a lot in common (at least from an outside perspective).

In Baltimore, I created an organization called StigMed to help and wanted to interact with a healthcare system in another country. It was a good mix of the MD-PhD experience and just aligned well with my proficiencies in language and extracurricular interests. That's why I decided to pursue the Fulbright.

N-L: Could you briefly walk me through your Fulbright project and research focus?

IP: [During my undergraduate], I studied blood-brain barriers from a neurodegenerative perspective and looked at characterizing the barrier in response to aging and Alzheimer's disease. This was important because in Fulbright, I studied brain barriers from a neuroinflammatory perspective, which was [in relation to] Alzheimer's disease. [Both these perspectives] were two sides of the same coin because neurodegeneration is in tandem with neuroinflammation. These things both exacerbate each other and relate to each other in general.

For my Fulbright project, I was studying the choroid plexus brain barrier in Alzheimer's disease. The reason I chose this is because it's historically overlooked. People do look at the blood-brain barrier and [its capacity] as a shuttle for getting drugs into the brain. Furthermore, I was studying the choroid plexus barrier as an area where there can be neurodegeneration, inflammation and a potential pathway contributing to the mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease prior to clinical presentation. This is crucial to investigate because many tangles and plaques that have been clinically removed haven't been able to ameliorate the symptoms of the condition. So, it's our hope that studying these changes [and choroid plexus brain barrier] beforehand could be used as biomarkers or shed light on the processes happening before.

N-L: How has Hopkins supported your research exploration and independence?

IP: One of my favorite parts about Hopkins is how everyone has access to research as soon as they say they want to. In my case, that was when I came to campus my freshman spring semester. I was in Prof. Peter Searson's lab throughout the entirety of my undergraduate studies. I really loved how, at first, I was helping with a postdoc's project relating to Lyme disease, but then I was able to gain independence.

I was able to do things autonomously by coming in on the weekends. I learned so much by myself about designing microfluidic chips and confocal imaging techniques. All of these things were essential to my Fulbright application because I demonstrated a proficiency in techniques that they could use immediately as soon as I got to Switzerland without having to train me.

I was one of three students in the inaugural neuroscience honors thesis program, and my independence in lab allowed me to gain the skillset to lead the Alzheimer's brain barrier characterization project. This was another reason why my PI was so willing to sponsor me. This transitioned to me completing this three-faceted project in Switzerland and design my own assays, like I did at Hopkins. In addition, I had experience writing grants when we needed to submit the grant application for Fulbright, so I was able to use these skills.

N-L: How has the Fulbright experience shaped your worldview and future work?

IP: Huge impact in a lot of different ways. At a more personal level, it was great to be in a country that values community and work-life split. Being able to take advantage of your extracurricular opportunities outside of work was huge because Switzerland is a nature hub. Every single weekend, most people go out into the mountains or go skiing. From that perspective it was cool; I had never hiked before, and I had never done these things.

Another impact was seeing how disenfranchised populations like refugees were coming into the country with the same healthcare fears that the people in Baltimore. I realized these issues are global and that the initiative I found in Baltimore is not restricted to Baltimore. Also, despite the different health systems and the different perceptions, these issues do stay consistent and thus need to be solved from more of a global perspective.

In terms of my future work, Fulbright got me the opportunity I have currently. While I'm applying to medical school over the next cycle, I'm also a research assistant at Harvard. I am continuing the exact research I did in Switzerland and applying the model that I pioneered, have ownership over in this lab here, and working with collaborators that I worked with in Switzerland. All of these experiences have made a direct impact on what I want to do, and I'm also open to pursuing [new research opportunities] abroad, which is something I wasn't before Fulbright, because I've seen how much is also out there.

N-L: What advice do you have for students who want to apply for a scholarship or follow a path like yours in research?

IP: The Fulbright was never on my radar and taking time off was never on my radar. But, the skills I have gained and having the experience to do something so scary, so young has been really invaluable. I have grown a lot over my year abroad in ways that I didn't even think about.

One of the big things of going to another country is realizing you are all by yourself now. I feel like post-graduate is always like that, but being abroad is different because you're adjusting to so much at once. I have become more confident in who I am, and also if I want to do something, I just go and do it - whether or not I have people to do it with now. All these things tie directly to the scholarship I pursued and being open to things I wasn't necessarily as open to.

I would say if you're looking into research, medicine, or medical research, there's no harm in just putting yourself out there. I would genuinely encourage students to explore, especially while you're at Hopkins. Try things that you hadn't tried before. Go straight through or take some time off. I don't think I regret it and no matter what path you choose, you'll get the skills that you want to get. However, don't be afraid to choose a path that people haven't taken because I was a little afraid about doing that, and I think I gained so much from it.

Also, when it comes to scholarships, Hopkins puts you in a really good spot to have a lot of things that differentiate you, like having ownership, being able to engage with people, getting treated like equals on some level from research and academic perspectives... So, sell yourself and highlight what you've done. I was a little nervous about doing that in my grant applications, but I've really learned to lean into what makes you different because those are the things that these fellowships are looking for. They don't want just a cookie-cutter applicant.

Women's Basketball: W (72-36), W (60-40)

The women's basketball team continued their dominant campaign through the Centennial Conference, notching their 16th and 17th wins in what has been, so far, an undefeated season.

Their first game of the week came at home against the Muhlenberg Mules. Despite being the fifth ranked team in the nation, Hopkins didn't burst out of the gate in the first half. It was a tightly contested match for the most part, as the Mules were able to stay within a single digit score of the Blue Jays by the end of the second quarter. After a tight first three minutes of the third, in which Muhlenberg was able to close the lead to four, Hopkins pounced and took control over the game. A 21-0 run by the Blue Jays effectively ended it in the third, highlighting a comprehensive team effort on both sides of the ball.

With a win over Muhlenberg in the books, Hopkins then turned their attention to Conference rival Dickinson. Once again, the Blue Jays took some time to assert their will on the game, but inevitably it arrived, and there was not much that Dickinson could do to stop it. A relatively close three quarters of play was blown wide open in the fourth as Hopkins would win by 20. Junior guard Lauren Knudson was the top scorer with 11 points, while senior guard Macie Feldman held the boards down with 14 rebounds!

Men's Basketball: W (83-43), W (80-53)

The Hopkins Men's Basketball team had two matches this past week, with their first away from home against McDaniel College. It is difficult to find another word to describe the matchup other than completely dominant. A strong first half in which the Blue Jays outscored McDaniel 33-19 was one-upped in the second as they mounted 50 points on the Green Terror. Senior guard Charlie Jackson led the way with an uber efficient 18 points as Hopkins would finish the match with an eye-watering 58% FG.

After dismantling McDaniel, the Blue Jays moved onto Muhlenberg in a contest at home. Hopkins didn't start off nearly as dominant, as they finished the first half down by two points, but this did not faze them. Once again, Jackson was outstanding as he led the way with 31 points as the Blue Jays outscored the Mules 51-22 in the second half, capping off a good week of competition.

The team will travel to Pennsylvania this Saturday to take on Haverford College away from home in what should be a good test of their ability to go on the road!

Track and Field: Dr Sander Scorcher

Over the weekend, both the Men's and Women's Track and Field teams travelled to Columbia University to take part in the Dr Sander Scorcher athletics meet. At the meet, both teams competed up against a strong field, including Division I programs.

Senior distance runner Emmanuel Leblond headlined the men's Hopkins athletes as he broke the school record in the mile run, notching a time of 4:05.36 as he finished ninth overall. Sophomore Brady Ott also did very well in the same event, finishing with a personal best of 4:09.99 that would place him sixth of all time at Hopkins as he finished in 21st place.

Freshman mid-distance runner Caleb Tenney also recorded the second-fastest time in Hopkins history in the 3,000 meters event with a time of 8:08.04. With this time, he finished fifth overall and was awarded the Centennial Conference Athlete of the Week!

On the women's side of the competition, Hopkins had two more Centennial Conference Athletes of the Week in senior distance runner Adriana Catalano and senior thrower Erika Ezumba!

Catalano competed in the mile run and recorded a personal best figure of 4:49.58 which is the second fastest time in Hopkins history. She would also sit as the 20th fastest mile in DIII history, an incredibly impressive achievement.

Ezumba would finish her second consecutive week as the CC Athlete of the Week as she recorded a PB throw of 19.17 meters in the weight throw, securing a victory for Hopkins. Ezumba would also place 12th in the shotput with a throw of 12.26 meters!

After an incredibly successful two days of athletic competition for the Blue Jays against some of the best competition in the nation, they returned to the field on Saturday, Jan. 31 at the Patriot Games.

The meeting, held on Zoom due to weather concerns, commenced with a discussion on the recently introduced the Office Hours Act. This act proposes opening regular office hours with SGA members where students can express concerns, which received widespread support from the senators. After some debate, it was decided that further discussion would occur in the Internal Affairs cohort.

Next, funding was discussed for the upcoming "Looking For A Jayfriend" event. Funding was approved with an increased food budget than was previously agreed upon.

Regarding non-legislative items, the primary item was to recruit volunteers to represent SGA for the upcoming Spring Student Involvement Fair.

Finally, the meeting went to cohort time. The topics discussed within cohorts included creating accessible transportation around campus, publicizing course grade distributions and supporting clubs losing prominence due to a lack of training information being passed down. After this, the meeting adjourned for the night.

Before the rampant romanticism of Valentine's Day takes over, consider watching a queer and subversive take on the pursuit of romance in Harry Lighton's directorial debut Pillion. The film stars Harry Melling as Colin, an introverted and timid gay man, and Alexander Skarsgård as Ray, a captivating and handsome biker, who enter a strict BDSM relationship after an initial hookup. Pillion is truly funny but unapologetically sincere in its depiction of sexual desire and pleasure while still offering space to examine the complexities of a relationship within an unconventional, vulnerable dynamic.

Unusual examination or, specifically, the means of interrogating in unexpected ways is beautifully demonstrated in Language as Liberation: Reflections on the American Canon by Toni Morrison. For the first time, the lectures from Morrison's time as a tenured Princeton professor are collected in one volume to be read. These lectures are subversive in their own right with profound reflections on the American understanding of race, and through Morrison's words, you encounter the redefining of the American literary canon with utmost wit and rigor.

If you're longing for love, or just yearning in general, listening to the new Joji album will be an exercise in rumination, but a worthwhile one. Piss In The Wind has some released singles, such as "Pixelated Kisses," featuring his usual gritty alternative R&B formalities like grinding synths and booming drums, but others, like "Love You Less," have a shoegaze-inspired texture. Once this upcoming studio album is fully released, we can expect a melancholic picture of failed love captivated in a dream-like, fragile manner reminiscent of the exact uncertainty a relationship brings.

Maybe, you're looking to experience a variety of emotions outside desire. Through the University's own Witness Theater group, you can experience laughter, drama or both by attending its Witness I-Show. The Witness I-Show features four selected student-written performances in Arellano Theater inside Levering Hall. There are showtimes for the entire weekend: 8-10 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

More suggestions are below if you want to venture elsewhere:

To watch...

Pillion, directed by Harry Lighton - Feb. 6

Dracula (2025), directed by Luc Besson - Feb. 6

Whistle, directed by Corin Hardy - Feb. 6

Solo Mio, directed by Charles and Daniel Kinnane - Feb. 6

The Strangers: Chapter 3, directed by Renny Harlin - Feb. 6

To read...

Language as Liberation: Reflections on the American Canon, by Toni Morrison - Feb. 3

Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Save Lives, by Daisy Fancourt - Feb. 3

The End of Romance, by Lily Meyer - Feb. 3

Clutch, by Emily Nemens - Feb. 3

Good People, by Patmeena Sabit - Feb. 3

To listen...

Piss In The Wind, by Joji - Feb. 6

The Fall-Off, by J. Cole - Feb. 6

Sunday Best, by Nick Jonas - Feb. 6

Do You Still Love Me?, by Ella Mai - Feb. 6

ODYSSEY, by ILLENIUM - Feb. 6

Live events...

Witness Theater I-Show 2026 - Feb. 6-8, 8-10 p.m. at Arellano Theater (Levering Hall) on Feb. 6, 7; 3-5 p.m. on Feb. 8

• This event is $4 for Hopkins students, faculty and staff.

Love and Family in Palestinian Cinema Series: 'In Between' - Feb. 2, 6-8 p.m. at Gilman Hall 50

• This event is free.

Hop Talks Book Talk: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Feb. 5, 6-8 p.m. at Great Hall

• This event is free.

Humanities in the Village ft. Dora Malech and Steven Leyva: TRYING X TRYING - Feb. 2, 6:30 p.m. at Bird in Hand

• This event is free.

John Sayles with Emma Snyder: CRUCIBLE - Feb. 3, 6 p.m. at Bird in Hand

• This event is free.

Snow has a way of transforming the world, turning even the most ordinary day into something soft, quiet and full of magic.

Growing up, snow was something I only ever saw in movies: a white blanket covering rooftops, kids laughing as they tossed snowballs, families sipping hot chocolate after coming inside from the cold. It didn't feel real to me. It felt like something that happened somewhere else to someone else. But all of that changed when I moved to Maryland.

I will never forget the very first time I saw snow fall from the sky. I was standing by the window when I noticed tiny white flakes drifting down like confetti. At first, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. Snow? Real snow? My heart started racing, and before I could stop myself, I ran outside without even grabbing a jacket.

The cold hit me instantly, but I barely noticed it. All I could focus on were the snowflakes - light, perfect and delicate, landing on my cheeks and hands before melting away. I stood there in complete awe, my breath turning into clouds in the air. For a moment, it felt like the whole world had slowed down just so I could take it all in. I remember thinking, I can't believe this is happening. I can't believe I'm standing in real snow.

As more of it fell, the grass and sidewalks began to disappear under a thin white layer. The world around me looked softer somehow, calmer, like everything had been brushed with a little bit of magic. I couldn't stop smiling. That moment, simple as it was, filled me with a kind of joy I had never felt before.

Snow didn't just change the way I saw winter; it changed the way I felt about it. Before, winter was just cold days and dark evenings. But after that first snowfall, winter became something I looked forward to. Snow made everything feel more alive, especially Christmas. Lights seemed brighter against a snowy background, music sounded warmer and even the air felt different, like it carried a little extra joy.

Even now, years later, I still get excited when I see the first hint of snow in the forecast. That childlike wonder never fully goes away. Every snowflake reminds me of that day in Maryland when I stepped outside and felt the season come alive for the very first time.

Snow, to me, is hope - a reminder that something beautiful can fall from the sky at any moment.

Looking back, that first snowfall represents more than just a change in weather; it marks a turning point in my life. Moving to a new place meant learning how to belong somewhere unfamiliar, adjusting to new routines, new people and a new sense of home. Snow became a symbol of that transition. Just as the landscape transformed overnight, I was slowly changing too, learning to embrace experiences I never imagined would be part of my story.

There was something comforting about how snow covered everything equally, old sidewalks, cracked roads and quiet houses making the world feel new again. It taught me that beginnings don't always have to be loud or dramatic. Sometimes, they arrive gently, one small moment at a time, until suddenly everything looks different. That realization stayed with me long after the snow melted.

Now, whenever snow falls, I don't just see winter. I see growth, resilience and the beauty of stepping into the unknown. The first snowfall in Maryland didn't just introduce me to a season, it showed me that change can be magical, and that even the most unfamiliar moments can become the ones we cherish the most.

Alexandra Garcia Herrera is a freshman from Laurel, Md. majoring in Chemistry. Her column, "Letter from a Freshman," explores her reflections on what happens outside the syllabus: friendships, identity, grief and growth.

From the outside, nothing looks wrong. I reluctantly get out of bed, go where I'm supposed to go, yap, laugh and dillydally. It doesn't seem that anything has changed. I'm still me: I deliver the same jokes and remarks, I have the same competitive spirit, I have the same interests I am very vocal about. However, underneath the noise, it's just silence.

This is what anhedonia looks like. Things happen but I don't feel anything about them. I can study and retain information, cackle at TikToks and complete housekeeping tasks, but there's no thrill, no satisfaction, no pull to keep going. I get my daily iced hazelnut latte from Brody sweetened with two packets of Splenda (my miracle drug) and sip it slowly, but it tastes like nothing. I scroll through social media and see out-of-pocket Instagram reels and funny TikTok trends. The laughter I produce is there, but I don't feel it.

I'm highly ambitious and constantly pushing myself to achieve with late night study sessions until my eyes ache to score extremely high in Cells and Systems I. I'm big on romanticizing studying as I am usually left awestruck learning about the neuroscience behind how I see and hear, and I love how studious I feel using my iPad writing with my Apple Pencil. Yet, the passion and drive that used to make me feel like a true scholar have faded. I don't feel like I'm levitating when blasting KPop Demon Hunters. Small moments of happiness such as eating cheese fries from Shake Shack only provide me with sustenance but not satisfaction. I move, I talk, I participate, I accomplish (do I really?) but inside, it's all muted. Everything is done out of habit, obligation or discipline, leaving only routine. Not tragic, not dramatic, just flat. I am my own automation, some AI replica of myself.

I guess the one reason I'm in this anhedonic state is that I'm simply unfulfilled. It's no doubt that there are many other highly driven students who have so much on their plate, achieving countless goals, leading organizations, conducting research and excelling in every domain. The more tasks I check off and the more goals I achieve, I will always be overshadowed by someone doing even more. Every conversation, every casual remark about accomplishments, every post on social media is a constant reminder that I am not doing enough. Achievements, even small ones such as scoring the median in Physics despite a low class average, feel rather hollow.

The constant pressure to outperform and the never-ending checklist of expectations gradually diminish any sense of satisfaction or joy. When every accomplishment is overshadowed by someone doing more, the brain starts to associate effort and achievement not with reward, but with inadequacy. Over time, this pattern dulls emotional responses: hobbies feel flat, responsibilities that gave you a sense of purpose now feel like chores, and even small pleasures lose their impact. The thrill of success, the spark of curiosity and the warmth of enjoyment fade, leaving me physically present but emotionally muted.

All throughout high school, I didn't allow myself to truly be happy until I got accepted into a prestigious college. Little did I know this never ending chase of achievement would never end there. Once I arrived, the bar simply moved higher. Dean's List? Check. New skill learned in a research lab? Check. Scoring in an A in an exceptionally difficult class? Check. I can't help but just feel guilty. I have everything: the privilege to attend a prestigious institution that many people basically sell their souls to get accepted to, a strong support system and my only stress is my academics. And still, it's like nothing really sticks. I have no idea what else would make me truly happy. Scoring within the A+ boundary in Cells and Systems? Receiving the PURA award? Securing the perfect internship? Ultimately, getting accepted to medical school? I'm constantly chasing this ideal version of myself that feels just so out of reach, and every success only highlights how far I still have to go. It's exhausting, and somehow, even when I get closer to that ideal, the satisfaction never lasts.

But, slowly, I've been chasing adventures, things that represent who I really am, such as going to Activate which was a lot more exhilarating than I thought it would be. I fell in love with exploring new restaurants all the way in the Inner Harbor where I have discovered new flavors I've never tried before. It's in these moments of spontaneity where I forget about achievement, and I simply live for myself.

Grace Wang is a sophomore from Tuscaloosa, Ala. majoring in Neuroscience. Her column chronicles life's unpredictable, beautiful mess - never neat, always honest and willing to show the chaos, contradictions and awkward truths we usually try to hide.

My thumb flipped the page, and I sat up straighter, holding my breath as my eyes glossed over the next page. Wait - what? How did the main character's brother just get killed like that? He was alive in the last chapter...

I stifled a gasp. I was in the Student Center, after all, surrounded by swarms of people. My left hand carded through half-written cheatsheets that lay scattered on the birch table in front of me.

In what felt like only a couple minutes - which gave way to a key plot development in Kelly Rimmer's The Things We Cannot Say, a historical fiction novel on the German invasion of Poland during World War II - half an hour had ticked by. I had gotten lost in a story, again.

This hasn't happened in a while or, rather, it happens less frequently now. In high school, there were a few instances where I dived deep into great stories - turning the pages of Born a Crime by Trevor Noah or When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi - until my fingers scaled over the back cover. But perhaps the last time I got lost in stories consistently was when I was in middle school. I vividly remember sitting on the couch with one leg tucked beneath me as I read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak the summer after sixth grade. My mind synthesized the words on the page to conjure images of what was going on, and perhaps it was that emotional investment that fueled my interest in history, specifically as it concerned World War II and the postwar era. Flipping those pages prompted me to dig through online museum pages, articles and artifacts to learn more.

These days, it's so hard to get lost in a story. Part of the reason is time: when I get immersed in a story, reminders of homework assignments, studying or other "more productive pursuits" linger at the back of my mind, pulling me out of the story until the images of characters facing their biggest obstacles are replaced with benzene molecules, reminding me that I should really be studying organic chemistry or exploring such scientific topics further. That would be more useful for my career, right?

Time isn't the only reason, though. It's not that I don't enjoy reading as much as I used to. Rather, I enjoy it too much, so I feel that I need to have a focused mindset for reading - one where my head isn't cluttered with the seemingly endless obligations of school and extracurriculars. Mindlessly scrolling the Internet - whether it's Reels, Reddit, LinkedIn or YouTube - eats up minutes each day; yet, those are just ways for me to fill in brief breaks within the day, passing time. Meanwhile, reading is a way to take a break and spend time valuably. The barrier here is entirely self-created: it's the feeling that I have to enter a flow state to get the most out of reading. But, maybe I don't have to. In a mostly packed schedule, little pages scattered throughout the day add up. They don't only have to come from books, but can also stem from longer, reflective articles such as those found in The New Yorker.

I'm not sure if I could ever fully tame the guilt that creeps into the forefront of my mind, reminding me that I could be doing something better with my time whenever I read. Then I remember: reading is what got me here in the first place. It was Kalanithi's When Breath Becomes Air that helped me define what a potential career at the intersection of medicine, innovation and the humanities could look like. Thrity Umrigar's The Secrets Between Us painted a vivid picture of urban Mumbai that remains etched in my mind even though I've never visited the city, reminding me that it's possible to find good in an unfair world while also serving as an inspiration for some of my creative writing.

Maybe that's where the heart of reading lies: in being inspired and getting exposed to worldviews and perspectives that otherwise may not come to light. Succinct yet powerful dialogues have popped up in my head during times of stress, providing insight I didn't know I needed. Blurry visions of characters and plot twists from a book I read months ago brings comfort when I suddenly remember them, as well as unexpected clarity while I'm pondering a decision. Stories have shaped my values and motivations, in turn dictating my actions - allowing me to turn the page in my own story.

Sareena Naganand is a sophomore from Piscataway, New Jersey majoring in Biomedical Engineering. Her column, "The Daily Chai," is about finding happiness in simple, insignificant moments: the kind that makes us smile, wrapping around us like the warmth that comes from drinking a cup of tea.

Saturday

Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1, streaming on Netflix

If you've officially committed to the couch, the Ton has returned at the perfect moment. Season 4 finally turns the lens on Benedict's long-awaited search for the Lady in Silver (adapted from An Offer from a Gentleman). With the first four episodes now streaming, it's the ultimate indulgence for a snowed-in afternoon. Part 2 of the season is set to drop on Feb. 26.

The Comedy Zoo: Improv at The Highwire Center, 3701 Eastern Ave., 7-8 p.m.

Need a quick escape that doesn't require a six-hour commitment? Highwire Improv is hosting a fast-paced, unscripted hour of chaotic characters and one-off sketches. It's affordable, high-energy and lets you get back under your covers by 9:00 p.m. Tickets are $10, and doors open at 6:45 p.m.

Sunday

Baltimore Restaurant Week (final weekend)

Braving the cold is much easier when there is a three-course meal at the end of the trip. This is the last chance to use the prix fixe menus across the city before they disappear. Local favorites like The Duchess in Hampden, Amicci's in Little Italy and The Helmand in Mount Vernon are all participating. It is a great excuse for a long meal and a much-needed break from dining hall repetition.

Vision Board Pizza Party, SBM The Studio, 3900 Falls Rd., 12-2 p.m.

Forget high-pressure "New Year, New Me" workshops. This is a low-structure creative hangout focused on journaling, vision boarding and reflection. They provide all the supplies (and the pizza), so you just have to show up and decompress before the Monday grind returns. Tickets are $35 (and going fast).

Indiana wins first national championship in program history

The top ranked Indiana Hoosiers defeated the Miami Hurricanes 27-21 last Monday, capping off a fitting end to a storybook season and arguably the greatest turnaround in college football history. While Indiana steamrolled its first two opponents in the College Football Playoff, the Hurricanes proved to be a more formidable foe. Key Indiana plays included a blocked punt that was recovered for a touchdown and QB Fernando Mendoza's 12-yard touchdown run on 4th and 5 to keep them ahead. DB Jamari Sharpe intercepted Miami QB Carson Beck to seal the victory. The Hoosiers joined the 1894 Yale Bulldogs as only the second team to go 16-0 in D1 football. Since finishing 3-9 and firing head coach Tom Allen two seasons ago, Indiana has now gone 27-2 under Curt Cignetti and look poised to contend for another national title.

Two groups of six teams make the College Football Playoff

In recent history, there has been a notable difference in team strength between the top five conferences, dubbed the "Power Five" (now Power Four due to the collapse of the Pac-12), and the other conferences, dubbed the "Group of Five" (now Group of Six). While a few non power conference teams had a compelling argument to make playoffs when it was restricted to four teams, only one ever did (2021 Cincinnati).

The expansion to 12 teams and automatic qualification for the five highest ranked conference champions meant that at least one Group of Six team was guaranteed a slot. Few expected more than one to qualify in the same year. Unranked Duke's upset win over then #16 Virginia in the ACC Championship resulted in James Madison and Tulane, both Group of Six teams, making the playoffs. While a notable achievement, both lost their first round games in lopsided fashion. These performances were likely a significant motivator for the change to next year's playoff format where all Power Four conference champions are guaranteed a spot in the playoff, regardless of their ranking.

Vanderbilt achieves first 10-win season

Following a promising 2024 season which included a shocking upset win over then #1 Alabama and their first bowl win since 2013, there was optimism for Vanderbilt entering this season. Led by QB Diego Pavia, who finished second in Heisman trophy voting, the Commodores started 7-1, their best since 1941, before losing to then #20 Texas. After this setback, Vanderbilt won its next two games and finished the regular season with a dominant 45-24 victory over rival Tennessee. They secured the first 10-win season in program history and ended up just outside of the playoffs. With this achievement, every team currently in a Power Four conference has reached ten wins in a season at least once. Although their season ended with a defeat, this was undoubtedly a fantastic season for the Commodores.

Success for recent newcomers to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)

Many programs have recently made the jump from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), the second highest level of college football, to the FBS, the highest level of college football. While some of these teams have seen success, it is nonetheless a difficult transition to make and this seemed like it would be even more true for Missouri State. Unlike several teams who recently made the jump, such as James Madison or Sam Houston State, Missouri State never won a national championship in the FCS. In fact, they only made the FCS playoffs twice since 1990 and failed to advance past the first round. Other recent newcomers to the FBS, such as Jacksonville State in 2023, Kennesaw State in 2024 and Delaware saw some playoff success in recent years.

Surprisingly, Missouri State saw a surprising amount of success (7-5) in their inaugural season in the FBS. Normally, teams need to spend a few seasons at the FBS level before they are eligible for bowl games but due to other teams opting out, the Bears faced Arkansas State in the Xbox Bowl where they lost 34-28. Also seeing unexpected success, Delaware went 6-6 in the regular season and defeated Louisiana 20-13 in the 68 Ventures Bowl. Lastly, Kennesaw State completely flipped their results from the prior year (2-10), winning the Conference USA en route to a 10-4 season. While sustaining success after making the jump to the FBS won't be easy (Sam Houston State finished this season 2-10 despite going 10-3 the year prior), other teams such as James Madison and Appalachian State have shown that it is possible.

Preseason favorites fail to reach expectations

If Penn State and Clemson fans were told at the start of the season that their teams' seasons would end with them facing each other, many would have likely assumed that meant a national championship showdown. After all, both made the playoffs the year prior and were among the top programs in terms of returning starters. They were ranked 2nd and 4th in the preseason AP poll and had the 4th and 5th highest odds to win the national championship. Penn State was arguably only a few plays away from making the national title game in 2024 and looked to follow the footsteps of fellow Big Ten teams Ohio State and Michigan, both of which returned many starters who helped win a national championship in 2024 and 2023 respectively.

Clemson looked to have its best chance at a championship run since the mid-to-late 2010s which saw two national champions and another two appearances for the Tigers. They stumbled immediately out of the gate, losing 17-10 to LSU in what seemed like a marquee matchup at the time but ended up being a game between two mediocre teams. After an uninspiring win over Troy, the Tigers lost to Georgia Tech and fell out of the Top 25 for good before clawing to a 7-5 regular season.

Penn State began the season 3-0. A loss to then #6 Oregon followed by two consecutive collapses to middling teams UCLA and Northwestern led to the firing of long time head coach James Franklin. The Nittany Lions would lose their next three games as well but finished the season strong with three consecutive wins to reach bowl eligibility and then beat Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl.

While many other teams also failed to live up to expectations (in fact six of the top ten teams in preseason national title odds failed to make playoffs, and four failed to end with any rank at all), these two examples are perhaps the most egregious. This demonstrates the unexpected nature of college football and how much things can change over the course of a single season.

The Betenbaugh Lab's main research involves using either microbes or mammalian cell lines to synthesize biologics, which are drugs or vaccines that are derived from biological sources. Becuti-Ortiz is working on the Living Wall project which uses Bacillus cellulus, a sturdy bacterial strain with the potential to help combat secondary infections at hospitals.

This research is crucial towards developing drugs for antibiotic-resistant pathogens like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. In his research, Becuti-Ortiz had the opportunity to work with various techniques, which involve high-performance liquid chromatography for characterising substances and prepping samples for gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

Becuti-Ortiz described the broader implications of his research in terms of fighting antibiotic resistance occurring through improper antibiotic use -many people, for example, take their antibiotics for fewer days than the prescribed time of use, which is often ineffective.

"At some point, antibiotics will become not as useful or effective as before, because most of the time we see a common trend of people misusing antibiotics," he said. "If you use them for [shorter than the prescribed time], there's a chance that there are still some pathogens that are in you, that are still alive, that now are becoming adaptive to the antibiotic."

Because of that, it is important to engineer new antibiotics. One approach that the Betenbaugh Lab focuses on is using the metabolites secreted from other bacteria as potential sources of antibiotics.

"So as long as you're able to engineer a plasmid... to create this metabolite that you know is very effective against this certain bacteria strain or this certain virus or this certain pathogen, you'll be able to effectively use it against this new pathogen," Becuti-Ortiz said.

He then described his role in the Betenbaugh Lab. As undergraduate lab manager, Becuti-Ortiz talks to the Principal Investigator, helps him coordinate undergraduate lab meetings and assists with the hiring of new undergraduates by matching people based on their interests to graduate students in the lab.

When approaching challenges in research, Becuti-Ortiz emphasized the need to continue to ask questions and be open to learning.

"It's just better to understand that you can learn from your mistakes and just ask questions -mistakes are perfectly okay."

He also talked about his experience with research in the summer when approaching a new project.

"I was scared because I didn't have much experience, and I stopped asking questions... but then I was like, this is not satisfying my drive to learn as much as I can. It was time for me to actually pursue what I want, and that's what I did, and that's how I overcame that challenge," he said.

Some advice Becuti-Ortiz gave to other Hopkins students is to be persistent in looking for research, emphasizing the ease of access to research here at Hopkins. He shared a rough collection of first steps such as creating a collection of possible labs to work in and cold-emailing professors.

"We have four short and, at the same time, long years at Hopkins. Enjoy your time at Hopkins. Enjoy your first year," he said. "There will always be research here, so there's no race to it."

According to the Team USA map of athletes from each state who have qualified, two athletes have qualified so far from Maryland. Bryan Sosoo from Laurel, and Carsten Vissering from Bethesda both qualified for bobsled. This will be both men's first Olympic Games. Also from Maryland, Noah Grove is a paralympian who competed at sled hockey in the 2018 and 2022 games and scored two gold metals. Growing up in Frederick and attending Towson University, Grove played for the US in amputee soccer until switching over to para ice hockey. Catch Team USA and their 17-man roster competing in this sport starting on March 7 against Italy.

While we're on the topic of hockey, the Olympic rosters were also released earlier this month. This year marks the first time in over a decade that NHL players are allowed to compete on the world's biggest stage, with the NHL Players Association and the International Olympic Committee signing a collective bargaining agreement which in turn pauses the National Hockey League (NHL) season for a month. Previously, rosters were filled by European league and collegiate players, thus only two members of the current men's team have competed before. On the women's side, seven out of 23 players are collegiate, while the rest are members of Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) teams. The PWHL's inaugural season was 2023-2024. The majority of the roster were members of the gold medal-winning 2025 World Championship team. Catch the men's team on February 12 and the women's team on February 5.

The US figure skating team is always under the spotlight, and the recent USA Figure Skating Championship was the pathway athletes used to chase their Olympic dreams. The four day competition in St. Louis was full of spectacle. In women's singles, Amber Glenn scored first, a dream she never imagined could come to fruition. In 2024, she became the first queer woman to win a national title. Her quest for gold is also a quest to be the representation for all young kids in the sport who are forced to try and act more feminine or pose in a way that doesn't feel true to themselves. She is joined by Alysa Liu and Isabeau Levito, who together hope to end the 20-year medal drought.

In men's singles, the "quad god" and one of the most dominant skaters in the world, Ilia Malinin, displayed how he will be the one to beat. He cleared his two teammates, Andrew Torgashev and Maxim Naumov, by over fifty points. Malinin is known for his gravity defying backflip, a move which was illegal due to safety concerns until recent seasons. The flip does not add skill points to the routine no matter how impressive it is. However, Malinin can gain points for artistry if he sticks the landing.

The ice dance and pairs teams were also finalized, and this announcement made me curious, what's the difference between the two disciplines? Pairs has been around for almost seventy years longer, and focuses more on acrobatics. In ice dance, no jumps or overhead lifts are allowed. Dancers must also stay within two arms length of each other, while pairs skaters can perform individual elements. Pairs has also seen an Olympic medal drought since 1988, and the winners in St. Louis, Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov, are hoping to rectify that. Madison Chock and Evan Bates have won five straight national titles in ice dance and plan on adding a new gold to their tally soon.

Now, on to the ski and snowboard teams. Household names like Mikaela Shiffrin and Lindsey Vonn headline alpine skiing, while Chloe Kim competes for her third snowboarding gold medal. Qualifying events were held throughout January at the Aspen World Cup and the Laax World Cup in Switzerland. Skiing in the Olympics is broken down into many distinct sports, including alpine, biathlon (which also involves rifle shooting), cross-country, freestyle, para alpine, para nordic and ski mountaineering (skimo). Each of these sports is then further divided into categories, for example slalom, giant slalom and moguls are all disciplines in alpine skiing. Competition starts early February.

Skimo, new for this Olympics, is a combination of uphill hiking on skis and downhill skiing. The race is a sprint format. During the uphill portion, athletes both climb stairs and ascend the mountain with skins on their skis. The skins allow for upward traction and are then removed so competitors can make a rapid descent. Currently, Anna Gibson and Cameron Smith are qualified, filling one of only twelve quota spots for the mixed relay. Skimo debuts on February 19 and team USA takes on the event on February 21.

Another sport to watch out for, possibly along the lines of obscurity with Skimo, is bobsled and skeleton. Two men and two women were named to compete in skeleton, as this is a single person sled. At Milano Cortina, bobsled has four events: 2-man bobsleigh, 2-woman bobsleigh, 4-man bobsleigh and women's monobob. I have toured the bobsled track at the Utah Olympic Park, and it's massive. The speed athletes get to is thrilling and dangerous. Another interesting fact, explained by pilot for the team Kaysha Love, is that many sled athletes are actually recruited from other sports like track and field. Also coming from track was Md. athlete Bryan Sosoo, who spent five years as a professional. If you're a quick sprinter and have ever had dreams of making the Olympics, maybe trying out a sled sport is the way to go.

Sixteen different sports will be showcased in this year's Olympic games, making it the most widespread competition yet. In the paralympics, there will be 79 medal events across six sports. Even if you haven't tried any of them, the next few months will be full of excitement and I highly recommend tuning in.

The News-Letter: You were the 112th Student Body President in your junior year as well as the Class of 2026's Freshman and Sophomore Class President. As you took on new responsibilities and dilemmas with each year, along with the changes occurring on campus, how did your mindset as a representative change?

Stone Meng: My experience being the freshman and sophomore class president versus student body president was quite different in the first two years. As class president, my main focus was more tangible, smaller goals that impacted my class, as well as events like the class formal. As student body president, it shifted to overseeing the whole school and helping make sure every senator [in SGA] is able to help their class. The focus shifted from independent, short-term wins to a mentorship role, where I prioritized planting seeds for future generations. While we do not always see the immediate fruits of that labor, knowing it will benefit the student body years down the line is very fulfilling.

N-L: As you reflect, what is the cause or change that you championed for that you are the most proud of? Is there anything you hope the future classes can consolidate and compound upon your work?

SM: One of my favorite changes, because it affects me and almost everybody I know, is the initiative I worked with other Senators on, including Vice President Amy Li, to make iClicker and Achieve free. Initially, we made just iClicker free for everybody. Later, we made learning software like Achieve for classes such as physics, chemistry and biology free. This helps students save a lot of money. The administrator who mainly helped with this was Tiffany Mfume. This is something that we started back in late freshman year and continued all the way till now. But recently, I also worked with junior class president Tarini Basireddy on a classroom renovation project involving all the major lecture halls, like Remsen 101.

I think one thing that I also really focused on was not just these initiatives, but also trying my best to make SGA a very collaborative and approachable environment, where senators felt comfortable asking questions. And I try to do that with my easy-going personality, with my entire administration, and I hope that's something that SGA can push for going forward. This current administration is doing a good job just kind of creating this environment - if we can get senators to take more initiatives and just send more emails, then we could see more change.

N-L: Is there anything students should be more aware of when it comes to SGA and its work?

SM: SGA meets publicly every Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in Hackerman Hall. I also think that every SGA administration, including mine, could do a better job broadcasting what we are doing to the student body via Instagram and perhaps Sidechat. So I think it's our role to make people more aware, especially because I think the majority of students don't really care about SGA. That's fine, but even if that's the case, I think we should be pushing for things that students want. Even if they don't speak to us directly about it.

N-L: You are also the founder of Higher Grounds, a startup that provides coffee and tea vending machines. How did that journey begin?

SM: The initial point was in spring of my freshman year, where I took the class EN.660.105, Foundations of America Enterprise, with Mia Russell. That was a really good class, and she had us do a project to identify an issue on campus. The project identified a lack of affordable, 24/7 coffee options on campus. Campus cafes were often expensive or closed during the late-night hours when students needed them most. We proposed coffee vending machines. After the class ended, I asked my teammates if they would be interested in turning this project into something real. My teammate Marco Azar stuck with me, and I also called my friends Alice Fedotova and Taliyah Huang, forming the founding group of four people. We joined the Pava Marie LaPere Center for Entrepreneurship's Summer Incubator program, I really recommend that. It was great because it helped us work on the project without any distractions. We were able to make so much progress so quickly and get the machine out before the fall semester of my sophomore year. We have worked on it for more than three years now, and it is one of my most enjoyed hobbies. We have three machines right now, and we're expanding to other campuses in the US.

N-L: There must have been challenges or difficulties along the way. What principles guide decisions when there's no obvious solution?

SM: Initially, our focus was on coffee because we thought that every college student would want coffee, but then we found out that the drink machine only selling coffee was not getting much attention or customers at all, but the [machines with] more sugary drinks that we had, like cocoa and matcha, were getting a lot of attention. We decided to pivot to sell and focus more on the specialty drinks instead of our caffeinated drinks, starting in the fall of 2024. I think that was a very successful pivot. Now we've introduced a lot more Asian and Chinese drinks, such as taro milk tea, banana milk and other specialty drinks you can't find in standard campus cafes. That pivot really took off. Students love our new drinks like the Thai milk tea, and I think that's going to be the focus going forward, not just at our campus, but new other campuses. With other issues, mainly operational, like a shortage of supplies or machine electronics, we just stayed up late and woke up early to fix them.

What I do when we encounter an issue that we don't know how to fix: personally, I normally take a hot shower first, whenever it's a difficult problem. Then, I always consult my friends, mentors and my parents. I think it's always great to hear other people's opinions. Sometimes, you just have to commit to a direction. In startups, we often get bogged down in analysis paralysis, but really we should just think about it, decide on the best option and go forward with it and stick with that. That [mindset] has helped me with a lot of things.

N-L: Where can students find and learn more about Higher Grounds Vending?

SM: Check out our Instagram page, @highergroundsvending, and the vending machines in the 2nd floor of Scott-Bates Commons by the laundry room, the 2nd floor of the Milton S. Eisenhower Library Annex, and the campus store. We're looking to place one in the Student Center too!

N-L: What do your future plans look like?

SM: I will be attending dental school this fall, currently deciding between three schools and am waiting to hear back from one more.

N-L: You have conducted research in the dental field, such as your time as a design team leader. How was that experience?

SM: I did design team in freshman year and also, most recently in junior year. It was really incredible and it lived up to my expectations; the BME Design Team Program was one of the main reasons I chose my major as BME. We were able to collaborate closely with a doctor that we got paired with, and also engage in all aspects of turning an idea or problem into a solution. That was awesome. We researched a lot, especially through papers online. We also spoke to patients and other doctors in the field, and also got to shadow in-person at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and other places. My first year, I did something on traumatic brain injuries. In junior year, I was a team leader, and with that one, we actually got to speak to many different dentists and see the procedures in-person. It's great that our school offers this opportunity to really pursue this.

We actually pivoted initially in our dental project. Originally, our design team's problem was to fix the scattering due to metal objects in your mouth when taking a cone beam computed tomography, which is a type of X-ray. But after a lot of research and interviews, we found that that was not really an issue anymore, and that modern technology has corrected this. So we decided to pivot to a new problem. We found that a common problem concerned dental implants and how they were prone to difficult-to-detect infections for certain populations. After doing a lot of brainstorming and research, we found that there was a way to use pH as a novel method to detect when the new implant is accumulating bacteria near it.

N-L: When conducting research, how do you quantify your success in terms other than numerical results?

SM: It's the same way I consider my fulfillment during my four years at Hopkins: through the people I meet and the friendships I make. It sounds cliché, but I really think that the best part of college is the people I meet here. In that regard, I have had a very successful four years. In all of my endeavors, from my pre-orientation hiking group to Higher Grounds, SGA, and Design Team, I've been fortunate to meet so many good people. I can't help but smile when looking back at my photo album, and that's how I know for sure I loved Hopkins.

N-L: How would you describe your time at Hopkins in a sentence?

SM: It's like eating an orange. There are definitely parts that are a bit sour, but, mostly, it's very sweet.

The News-Letter: Before we get started, could you please introduce yourself and share how you first got involved with social media?

Ace Buagas: My name is Ace, and I got into the social media space about two, two and a half years ago. I really didn't take it seriously at first. I actually started off on TikTok doing running content, and it just never took off. And then one day, I did something where I spoke about relationships, and then it started taking off.

I have an entire TikTok account with about 55,000 followers talking about relationships, trauma, friendships, human psychology, human behavior - all things I'm fascinated by, aside from food. Over time, I didn't ditch that niche, but I started focusing more on things that inspired me and where my interests naturally gravitated, like fitness and lifestyle, with food fitting into that narrative.

So I created a separate Instagram account, which is what you see today. It's a mix of everything. If someone looks at my page now, it's like, "Oh, this is the coffee guy." Two months ago, it was fitness. Two months before that, it was storytelling. I prefer it that way because it shows more of the human aspect. Interests change with seasons, and right now, it's cold, I love coffee and I get coffee every day.

N-L: How did you get started with the coffee series?

AB: I wish I had a grand revelation, but honestly, I was just getting coffee with my girlfriend. I had a light bulb moment while drinking it and thought, "It's pretty good. If you had to rank this, what would it be?" She ranked hers, I ranked mine and then we talked about what could have been better.

That's when I thought, I could probably do this with other coffee shops around the area. I went home, started searching on Google, Yelp and other platforms, and realized there are over 100 coffee shops in Baltimore. At first that surprised me, but then it made sense. Baltimore has a highly underrated food scene, and there are already creators here doing great food content. This felt like a way to explore the city through something I already loved.

N-L: What do you love most about Baltimore's coffee culture?

AB: I love how underrated it is. There are gems right in front of us, but most of the time, they're only known by the people who live in those neighborhoods.

Doing these reviews pushes me out of my routine. I get to explore parts of Baltimore I'd probably never go to otherwise. Every coffee shop has a different vibe and culture. They curate your experience differently, and that's what makes it special.

People ask me what my favorite coffee shop is, and it's a hard question. That's like asking a foodie what their favorite food is. Every place does something different. One has great ambiance, another has better pastries, another just feels welcoming. I live in Canton, but now I'm in Remington or other neighborhoods, discovering places I never would have visited. It encourages my audience to do the same and take a short drive to try something new.

N-L: You have a distinct format for your videos. How did you decide on it, and what does it take to stay consistent with a project like this?

AB: I did a bit of research. Social media gives you historical evidence of what works. People think they have to be influencers, but really, you have to be creators. When I studied popular food creators, I noticed people love following journeys. Day one, day two, day three. People like quests.

So, I took inspiration from creators who did that well and made it my own. There's no need to reinvent the wheel. Someone once said good artists copy, great artists steal and adjust it just enough to make it theirs. That's what I did.

It also evolved naturally. My first video was completely improvised. I didn't know what criteria I was using until I was filming. I started with popular coffee, then pastries, then people suggested checking out the vibe. A lot of it came together in the moment, and the editing really brought it to life.

The challenge is prioritization. I'm very regimented. I have everything scheduled. One of the best things I've heard is that you don't lack ideas, you lack deadlines. I've had a lot of ideas I never gave 100 percent to. With this series, I am. That means intentionally making time for it, whether that's mornings, afternoons or even late at night, while still balancing work and everything else.

N-L: How has the Baltimore community responded, and have you built meaningful connections along the way?

AB: It's been really positive. I'm talking to people I never would have spoken to otherwise. Especially with everything going on in the world, this feels like a way to focus on something good. Coffee, small businesses, exploring neighborhoods - these are things that make us human.

Not every coffee shop is for everyone. Sometimes people message me saying they hated a place I liked. And that's fine. I appreciate their opinion. I had a positive experience, and they didn't.

I like going to shops unannounced. I don't take compensation because I want my reviews to be unbiased. I've gotten messages from baristas, shop pages and social media teams, but the most meaningful connections have been with my followers. People tell me they tried a shop because of my video or that they started creating their own content after watching mine.

I've also met people in coffee shops who recognize me and strike up conversations. Those are people I never would have met if I wasn't doing this.

N-L: Looking back, what has been your biggest success throughout this journey?

AB: The connections. We live in a society that values extreme individualism, and that often leads to a lack of real connection. Through social media, I've met my girlfriend, my best friends, mentors and collaborators. I've had opportunities I never imagined, all because I put myself out there.

It's given me confidence and motivation. I'm not embarrassed to keep going. I'd be embarrassed to stop. The wheels have to stay in motion.

N-L: What's next for you, and what do you want readers to know as they follow your journey?

AB: I want to keep posting about my interests. Right now, that's coffee, but that could change. I'm starting another series focused on things to do after a nine-to-five, not just living for the weekend.

At the end of the day, I want people to know I'm doing this to reflect where I'm at in my life. Interests change, and that's okay. If I had to leave readers with anything, it's this: follow your passions, prioritize your mental and physical health, and make meaningful connections. Put yourself out there.

The first few videos I made were not good. I had 20 likes. But imagine 20 people in a room saying they like you. That matters. There's a lot to see outside your bubble, and sometimes it starts with something as simple as a cup of coffee.