This will be my fourth semester volunteering at a Baltimore hospital. In that time I've gone from a wide-eyed and scared pre-med fascinated with the theoretical "patient experience" to looking forward to listening, connecting and being with patients. I've picked up skills and strategies to be more present with patients. Thinking back I am almost surprised at the number of patients I do not remember. I see hundreds of patients a semester, but even though I can recall the emotions an encounter elicits, I have realized the specifics of most interactions have escaped me. I do not remember my first, and I don't remember most of the brief cups of water, fetching of blankets or restocking of gloves, nor the muted interactions that prompted them. But I do remember the patients who ask questions, who ask me to stay. I remember the pride staying 10 minutes over my shift to talk a patient down from a panic attack brought me. I remember the wonder in the eyes of a woman as she outlined her son's adventures across Laos on tuk-tuk.

But there is one patient I will never forget. I remember everything about that night. The weather that night, what I was wearing, the room. Everything. I was just over halfway through my shift and the nurse I'd been talking to prepped me for the next room. The situation was delicate and the patient spoke only Spanish. I tried to soften my composure even more and struggled to recall the three years of Spanish classes I'd taken. I knocked and entered the room with the Spanish version of my opening spiel on my lips.

"Hola, me llamo Michael, soy-"

Inside, the patient was young and the surgery she had scheduled for the next morning was the kind that scares you. Being pre-op, she was NPO (nil per os, Latin for nothing by mouth), so there wasn't water or ice chips I could offer, nor much menial I could busy my hands with. She sat there shell-shocked, scary-quiet, somewhere far away from the room. She did not react when I asked if she was cold and offered "una manta otra," another blanket.

Her mother was not quiet. She was unraveling. She crossed the room before I'd even finished my introduction, took both of my hands in hers - she had to reach up to do it, she was easily a foot and a half shorter than me-and started praying. Over her daughter. With me standing there, a stranger with a laminate who'd walked in three minutes earlier struggling to recall phrases from my Spanish classes, mentally preparing to have a conversation because I thought she wanted someone to speak to her.

I was wrong. She didn't need someone to talk to her. She needed someone to listen and let her talk to G-d. Her Spanish was rapid and as she clasped my hands and in the middle of what must have been a terrifying, horrible night, waiting on a lifesaving surgery for her daughter that she couldn't control, she thanked Him. For 30 minutes she proclaimed her faith and thankfulness for the strength He had given her until tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes, and she literally shook with the effort, taking long, shuddering breaths.

Finally, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. I asked if I could bring her a coffee. When I returned she took it gratefully, and she had grown quieter, calmer. She told me she hadn't slept in a while and thanked me profusely for just bringing her coffee calling me an angel. She introduced me to her daughter, who didn't respond, and asked where I was from. She told me I was a child of G-d, as were we all.

Honestly, I did very little. I poured a cup of coffee from a pot I didn't brew and stood in a room and listened to a language I'd really only practiced in a classroom. But before I left, she traced the sign of the cross over me and asked me a few small questions: my name again and where I was from, the kind of details I realized that she needed so she could keep praying for me after I walked out the door.

I finished up my shift, forcing everything down, going through the motions. I did not have any other deep interactions for the hour I had left. I did see one person who told me her life story, and we guessed at Family Feud answers together, but then I clocked out of my shift at 8 and then chose not to go home.

I walked aimlessly and thought about medicine. I really thought about it. Why would I, why would anyone want to go into a career of such pain? Choose to see people at their most fearful, most in pain? I began to question myself. Am I just a morbid observer happy because I can peek into people's lives before darting back to safety in the reality of my healthy body?

I know I helped that patient, or at least her family, but at the end of the day I can walk away from the horror and realities of that room.

At that point my reasons for medicine were pretty cliche. I wanted to "help people." I relished the order and stability a life in medicine might provide. Vain enough, I wanted what a white coat said about me. But all those selfish reasons really paled at the patient I had seen.

What I see as a volunteer is a snapshot. A freeze-framed moment in time of a person's life, and I feel both privileged to share that moment and duty bound to help them any way I can.

Being a volunteer has taught me the role of a health-care provider is to meet every patient where they are. No two patients are alike and your role requires an even keeled flexibility not to act a role for a patient, but to try and connect with them where they are at. At times I have been a friend, a source of home, a curious listener, an impressionable young person, a storyteller, a source of entertainment, even someone uniquely talented to decode the complicated hospital TV remotes. I was many things for that patient and I hope the connection we developed in that snapshot helped her continue on her journey as much as it has helped me on mine.

Michael Sebastian Alderman is a senior from Tulsa, Okla., studying Anthropology and History on the pre-med track.

During the initial period of funding changes, The News-Letter interviewed several Hopkins researchers to gain more insight into the direct and indirect effects felt. One year on, these researchers were interviewed once more to understand their current circumstances and concerns about the future.

Brendon Davis, who was a PhD student in cell and molecular biology and serving as Vice President for Science Policy of the Science Policy and Diplomacy Group at Hopkins during the time of his previous interview, highlighted the political underpinnings of the matter at hand.

"I think we saw the whole cycle last year... president requests large cuts to science, Congress generally rejects those cuts and kept funding for pretty much most science agencies, which was good... we're now in that cycle again, but I think... you're seeing a lot more people get a little more into the specific rules that are being proposed."

When asked about potential steps towards remedying the situation, Davis highlighted the need for advocacy from the scientific community.

"I think we kind of sit in these academic circles and talk about science... the ones on the ground doing the science... can go to communities and policy makers and talk about it the most effectively, as long as they get out of that bubble... we're close enough to DC that that's easy to go to a lot of big [rallies], but on the other hand, you can also set up meetings with your members of Congress... you can write op-eds... The only way that things can actually materially change is if people are actually speaking out to all those policy makers and all the people who are voting for those policy makers."

Beyond students, The News-Letter also interviewed several professors to gain insights into the experience of running a laboratory or operating in a similar position of authority throughout this situation.

Dr. Peter Winch, a professor at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, previously addressed the loss of two of his projects focused on environmental sustainability in Bangladesh and the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a result of federal funding changes. While he re-emphasized the detrimental effects of the reduced funding on international cooperation and the people who stood to benefit from the success of those programs, he also highlighted the specific predicament faced by Hopkins as a private rather than public institution.

"[State universities] get a check from the government to run the University, and that's like the core of their funding... the faculty positions are frozen... Private [universities] don't have any capitation, so our income comes from tuition and [mostly] from research money... Even for the funding that exists, people are unsure what the rules are, and the rules are changed all the time by the Trump administration..." Winch said.

Winch also discussed how the cuts impacted the researchers working on the project.

"The number of faculty isn't set... a lot of those people who we hire to work on specific projects [have to leave] when the funding for those projects ends... At the time when the cuts were made in January 2025, Hopkins as a whole was well-funded and there was lots of discretionary money... So we sort of kept people going for a while, hoping that funding would come back. But now that we see funding isn't coming back, we're starting [to] cut people," he added.

Winch highlighted recent staff layoffs carried out by Hopkins as examples of this phenomenon. Furthermore, he indicated his experience with graduate students having difficulty finding further jobs and with funding the indirect costs not usually accomodated for within grants.

Similarly, Steven Salzberg, who had previously spoken about his concerns regarding the effects grant funding changes could have on the future of the field, continued to highlight the threat of the financial climate to research. While his lab has been able to continue its operations, he stressed the unsustainability of operating without more stable government funding.

"There is no scenario under which private funding can possibly support the United States research enterprise... Scientists have been going to private donors already for decades. Of course, we get private funding already, and those private donors didn't suddenly get a lot richer last year..." Salzberg said.

Salzberg emphasized the historical importance of research funded by the federal government.

"Starting back in the 1950s, universities would do research funded by the federal government, and the system grew over the years... in part because it was very successful. It still is very successful. It's brought a lot of discoveries that over the course of time have been very beneficial to United States, which is paying for this, and to human beings in general... it's the kind of long-term investment that companies just can't do or won't do," he said.

Speaking of the long-term, Salzberg highlighted the significant stressors the circumstances placed upon international recruitment and collaboration.

"It's not that it impacts the research itself, it impacts people in the lab, most of whom are not native-born US citizens, and it affects our ability to recruit new people... We've been a tremendously attractive place to come and work, and so we've been able to bring the best minds from around the world to our labs. I've had some excellent people come from other countries. Now I know that some of them don't want to come because of the hostility they perceive."

Zooming in on specific fields within research, The News-Letter had the opportunity to follow up with two faculty members studying means to explain and treat pancreatic cancer. Dr. Elizabeth Jaffee and Dr. Daniel Zabransky previously explained their boundary-pushing work was highly reliant on federal funding and consistent investment to provide the ability to take risks and plan long-term experiments.

In her follow-up interview, Jaffee highlighted the significant technological and scientific advancements that were being made in the search for a pancreatic cancer vaccine. Yet, the funding situation has added new barriers to their success.

"This current environment, politically, is squashing what we can do in science. Our grants are at risk. This is all government funded work... our work is under pressure, and I'm very worried about that... in fact, our vaccine work depends on our vaccine. We developed our vaccine ourselves, but there's only one company that will make the vaccine for us that we can give to patients right now, and that's in Germany...another lot of this vaccine came to the US border, and we were told that we had to pay an extra $13,000 because of the tariffs now. I don't know where to get that extra $13,000; they're cutting our grants," she said.

Zabransky, her frequent collaborator who continues investigating pancreatic cancer, suggests the situation might be even worse for other fields.

"I think infectious diseases and global population health research that focuses on disparities [is] much more affected by the change in priorities and the change in policies. [In comparison,] cancer research, in a broad sense, always gets a lot of popular support, and I think the importance and the significance of it is well understood. But even without direct targeting... a lot of the structural changes in how the NIH and other government funders makes it harder for everyone."

These effects have been observable directly at Hopkins. The News-Letter reached out to Radha Rajan, at the time a researcher working at the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs. She spoke about the struggles imposed by funding changes and specifically the Breakthrough ACTION project focused on the implementation of health knowledge in her previous interview. Upon follow-up, Rajan confirmed through e-mail that the project was halted and never reinstated.

Nonetheless, all fields remain under some level of threat. In his interview last year, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor Jeff Coller emphasized the uncertainty faced by his field of RNA research, ranging from a loss in international competitiveness to difficulties in recruiting graduate students to sustain his work's future. During a follow-up interview with The News-Letter, he explained that many of these concerns remained or were even exacerbated by the continued difficulties as well as proposed policy changes to give the government greater oversight regarding research and grant approval. Coller also highlighted the role played by Hopkins in weathering the storm.

"Hopkins has been fantastic in the way in which they've responded to try to help and protect the faculty, mainly through the active creation of funding mechanisms. They won't be able to take care of everybody, but they've created these resilience funds which are competitive...It's actually very encouraging, and I feel very privileged to be at a university where there is this active stance by the university's administration to really try to make sure that we're protected in this in this really delicate time," Coller said.

Though the situation remains tense and continually evolving, there remain ways in which scientists, activists, and all concerned parties within the public can continue to push for solutions to the various issues described.

"I don't think anyone would ever vote against [getting] rid of cancer... I think it's harder for the public to understand [that] one of the best ways to do that is to use federal government money to really support research institutions, to support academic research labs... a lot of that work came from government-funded non-profit research support... that's the pipeline, that's the foundation for a lot of the great breakthroughs that are going to help everyone in their health in the future," explained Zabransky.

SGA Treasurer Amy Xu announced that the finance committee had been working on approving allocations and had approximately $200,000 remaining to distribute.

Black Caucus Senator Oluwanifemi Ajayi spoke about her work to increase campus visibility of Black culture. She identified multiple Black student organizations on campus and said she plans to meet with them and create a centralized platform intended to share information about Black student life at Hopkins.

Class Council Senator Kai Martin discussed several Student Service Committee projects. These included an effort to clarify meal swipe rules at Charles Street Market and a plan to meet with Hopkins Dining about the removal or exclusion of certain cultural food options. Furthermore, the committee is assigning members to serve as liaisons to University departments and planning a tabling event concerning data centers.

Senator Mamadou Thiam spoke about exploring how to make athletic trainers available to smaller club sports to help prevent injuries and give immediate on-site support when they occur.

SGA next confirmed four students to serve on CSE. The committee conducts candidate information sessions, establishes election timelines and oversees election procedures. The Senate confirmed Grace Yang, Sajiv Harikrishnan, Anahat Goraya and Jazlyn Sandhu.

Senators then discussed a proposed Accountability Act. The changes were intended to promote transparency in members' work and attendance. The proposal requires senators to remain listed in initiative reports regardless of whether or not they have an update, allowing the public to see which members are and are not actively reporting work. The act distinguishes absences from GBMs from absences at committee meetings. Members would be permitted three excused GBM absences per semester, as well as three excused absences for each committee on which they serve. The Senate voted to send the Accountability Act to the Internal Affairs Committee for further review.

SGA then considered the Fast-Forward Finance Bill on second reading. The measure allows funding requests below a designated cap to bypass first reading and proceed directly through to Finance Committee review and a second reading before the Senate. The proposal's expedited-funding ceiling was increased from $500 to $1,000. Members said many event-funding requests fall below $1,000, and some questioned whether the higher threshold would limit appropriate legislative scrutiny of a large amount of money.

The revised bill permits up to $250 in summer spending on SGA promotional materials. Senators said the provision could help SGA prepare banners and other materials before the academic year begins. The Senate also approved a separate funding bill for the Johns Hopkins University Muslim Association.

The package did not add proposed transfer-student and LGBTQIA+ caucus seats. Sponsors said those changes would need to follow a separate constitutional amendment process. The proposal vote fell short of the required three-fourths threshold, leading the Senate to table it until the next GBM.

During public input, a student announced plans to introduce legislation that would mandate SGA to release aggregate and more comprehensive statistics about how the organization distributes funding.

Welcome back to Hopkins, Blue Jays!While campus was quieter over the summer, there was plenty happening in the world of science. Here's this month's science news in review.

Scientists locate a new target for cancer immunotherapy

Recently, scientists at the Erasmus Medical Center found that cancer may interfere with the immune system before its defenders even reach a tumor. In a study published in Nature, researchers examined lymph nodes from patients with melanoma and found immune cells producing high levels of PLA2G2D, an enzyme that appears to limit the growth of cancer-fighting T cells. These lymph nodes are normally where T cells first prepare to respond to a tumor.

Researchers used mice models to study PLA2G2D. They noticed that when PLA2G2D was blocked in mice, more tumor-specific T cells developed and tumor growth decreased. This approach was then combined with a treatment targeting PD-1, another immune-system brake. This combination showed improved benefits in the study's models. Through this research, scientists have found a new direction for where to focus efforts in cancer treatment. However, further research is still needed to determine whether blocking PLA2G2D is safe and effective in patients.

Venus's pale clouds may contain a much darker substance

Through telescopes on Earth, Venus's clouds appear pale yellow. In ultraviolet light, however, they show dark patterns that scientists have observed for decades without knowing exactly what causes these patterns. In a study published in Astrobiology, researchers used observations and computer modeling to estimate how much light the material inside the cloud droplets must absorb to produce those patterns.

Their results suggest that the liquid could appear surprisingly dark if it were collected and examined in a laboratory, even if the clouds look bright from a distance. This is because tiny droplets scatter sunlight, changing how the clouds appear. The study does not identify the mysterious light absorbing material. However, scientists now have a clearer idea of what measurements to test against possible ingredients in Venus's atmosphere.

Satellites track ocean heat to improve hurricane forecasts

In order to measure changes in ocean height, scientists at NASA are using satellites to study this year'sweather phenomenon El Niño, a climate pattern in which unusually warm water in the Pacific Ocean shifts weather patterns, such as storm activity. Essentially, the one of the satellites,Sentinel-6B, first begins sending data related to weather while flying shortly behind its predecessor, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich. Together, they measure the ocean's surface with radar by recording changes in ocean height.

These measurements matter because warmer water expands, so changes in sea level can help scientists estimate how much heat is stored beneath the surface. That heat can fuel a hurricane and affect how quickly it strengthens. Researchers plan to incorporate the newer satellite data into forecasting tools, which could eventually give coastal communities more useful warnings before a storm reaches land.

If you're looking to feel less stressed about your own life, you can find some comfort in knowing that there's a Resident Evil protagonist out there going through a relentless, inescapable nightmare. Zack Cregger, best known for his critically acclaimed horror films like Barbarian (2022) and Weapons (2025), debuts his Resident Evil (2026) movie this week. Instead of attempting to adapt an interactive, longform video game, which many of the other Resident Evil movies have done, Cregger opted to write a script that parallels the events of Resident Evil 2 in a more modern era rather than a strict recreation of the game. This new, exciting take on the franchise seems promising; and considering Cregger's past filmography, Resident Evil (2026) should be a monumental treat for any fan of horror.

Perhaps you're looking for a less explicitly terrifying experience - if you are, Exit Party might be the perfect read. Emily St. John Mandel is best known for her award-winning novel Station Eleven, an examination of what happens when society collapses after a flu pandemic, and Exit Party explores similar ideas of societal decay. It's set in 2031, and America is at war with itself, but the Republic of California has been declared and residents of L.A. are going to a party to celebrate. However, this party seems to fracture reality in more ways than one. Exit Party explores shadowed worlds and fractured timelines as its characters search for answers.

Ruminating on life is an integral part of any lived experience, and beabadoobee's music offers an upbeat, catchy way to do so. The alt-rock singer-songwriter releases her fourth studio album, Pylon, this Friday. "Sun Has Set," the album's lead single, features her familiar indie rock-pop beats and introspective lyrics about a closing relationship. Pylon also features collaborations with Hayley Williams and Brendan Yates, so we can expect that the rest of the album is worth a listen.

There's not much more you can do to relax than listen to poetry, and The Writing Seminars Reading Series will host a poetry lecture from Matthew Zapruder on Sept. 16. During the 2016-2017 year, Matthew Zapruder held the annually rotating position of editor for the Poetry Column for The New York Times Magazine, and he is currently the editor at large at Wave Books. He is the author of six collections of poetry, with his most recent I Love Hearing Your Dreams out from Scribner. Don't miss this lecture from a great contemporary poet!

To watch:

• Resident Evil, directed by Zach Cregger - Sept. 18
• The Weight, directed by Padraic McKinley - Sept. 18
• Bad Apples, directed by Jonatan Etzler - Sept. 18
• Tiny Fugitives, directed by Michael Lewen - Sept. 18
• Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, directed by Steve Cox and Matthew Walker - Sept. 18

To read:

• Exit Party, written by Emily St. John Mandel - Sept. 15
• Hollow Bones, written by Jodi Picoult - Sept. 15
• American Nightmare, written by Kelly McWilliams - Sept. 15
• Deadly Little Lessons, written by Danielle Valentine - Sept. 15
• After Year Zero: On Postwar German Thought, written by Fredric Jameson - Sept. 15

To listen:

• Pylon, by beabadoobee - Sept.18
• Day and Night, by Carly Rae Jepsen - Sept. 18
• Bass Persuades, by Miley Cyrus - Sept. 18
• Mule, by Orville Peck - Sept. 18
• Nocturne, by Wasia Project - Sept. 18

Live events:

• The Writing Seminars Reading Series: Matthew Zapruder Turnbull Lecture - Sept. 16, 6-7 p.m. at Gilman 50
  • This event is free.
• Howard French with Minkah Makalani and Madina Thiam: The Second Emancipation - Sept. 17 6-7:30 p.m. at Bird in Hand
  • This event is free.
• Ankur Thakkar Presents Blow Yourself Up - Sept. 17, 7-8:30 p.m. at Greedy Reads Remington
  • This event is free.
• Mark Leidner presents Elegy for Pangaea with Don Berger - Sept. 18, 7-8:30 p.m. at Greedy Reads Remington
  • This event is free.
• Family Movie Night: Ratatouille - Sept. 19, 6-8 p.m. at Homewood Field
  • This event is free and requires registration.

Friday

Fell's Point Oyster Fest, Broadway Square, 1641 Lancaster St., 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

The Fell's Point Oyster Fest returns Sept. 11-13 with three days of fresh Chesapeake oysters, live music, local vendors, food and waterfront entertainment. Presented by Kooper's Tavern, the free festival also features an oyster and wine dinner on Friday evening, an oyster shucking championship on Saturday and a Ravens watch party throughout the weekend.

Outdoor Movie Night: The Greatest Showman, Baltimore Peninsula, 6 p.m.

Enjoy a free waterfront screening of The Greatest Showman under the stars as part of Summer at Baltimore Peninsula. The event begins at 6 p.m., with the movie starting at dusk. Guests can bring lawn chairs and enjoy local food and drinks available for purchase before or during the film.

Saturday

Dog Walking at MDSPCA, Maryland SPCA, 3300 Falls Rd., 9 a.m.

Spend Saturday morning volunteering with BMORE Good Co. at the Maryland SPCA by helping walk dogs before breakfast. Volunteers will give the dogs time to stretch their legs and get outside while connecting with the local community. Closed-toe shoes, long pants and sleeved shirts are required, and spots are limited.

Bmore Vegan Block Party, 3-8 p.m.

The Bmore Vegan Block Party returns for its 5th annual celebration of plant-based living, community and sustainability. The free, family-friendly event features vegan food vendors, local businesses, live entertainment, wellness activities and interactive experiences for all ages. The zero-waste event also promotes reusable dishware, water refill stations and other sustainable practices.

Sunday

Football Sundays at Hampden Yards, Hampden Yards, 1 p.m.

Football Sundays return to Hampden Yards with Ravens games shown across five outdoor TVs with real sound. The Sunday lineup includes Great 8 Purple Crush, bucket specials, The Raven purple pizza and a free Jell-O shot for every Ravens touchdown. The outdoor watch party offers a festive way to enjoy football while the warm weather lasts.

The current outbreak, considered the 17th in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is caused by the Bundibugyo strain. It has been identified as highly contagious, with fatality rates estimated at over 30% of infected cases. While the DRC - for which the WHO has labeled the situation as "very high risk" - is considered the main site of the outbreak, bordering countries remain on high alert, with a brief series of cases in Uganda. The situation remains monitored by countries around the globe, including Europe, where the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control encourages active monitoring and awareness of the potential risk.

Previous notable outbreaks of the Bundibugyo strain had occurred in 2007 and 2012, but the 2026 outbreak has been named the fastest-growing outbreak of Ebola as per recorded statistics. No vaccine specific to the current strain has yet been made public, leading to other stopgap measures such as the use of prior vaccines in the hopes of conferring additional protection. The situation continues to develop rapidly, with thousands of deaths and infections noted despite potential underreporting.

The News-Letter interviewed Andrew Pekosz, a professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at Hopkins, to learn more about the specific details surrounding the response to this outbreak. Regarding challenges with developing a vaccine, Pekosz highlighted some nuances with regard to the Bundibugyo strain.

"[The virus] hasn't infected humans very frequently. So from a research standpoint, we're really, really carefully trying to monitor the sequence of the viruses from patients to see if there are any changes happening that might make the virus better at infecting humans. We've seen this kind of adaption with COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 when it enters the population... so, right now, this Ebola virus outbreak is in the middle of one of those," Pekosz said.

Difficulties in monitoring the virus across thousands of cases and with discrepancies in reporting make the situation non-ideal, and further concerns were noted by Pekosz as impacting the possible implementation of solutions.

"We know how to make Ebola vaccines, but we kind of have to start from scratch and make new ones specific for this strain, and that's taking a lot of time... to be honest, there are problems that absolutely can be addressed, and we knew about these problems. We just really [don't] have the money in place to be able to drive forward some of these things" Pekosz added

Previous major Ebola crises have included the 2014-2016 outbreak in West Africa, which led to the deaths of 11,325 people, and the 2018-2020 outbreak in the DRC. As a result of the recurring threat posed by the disease, several protocols and methods have been used across the years. To gain further insights into these practices, The News-Letter interviewed Chiara Altare, an associate research professor in the Department of International Health at the School of Public Health and faculty member at the Center for Humanitarian Health.

While Altare is not involved in the response to the current outbreak, she previously worked with the WHO on the 2018-2020 Ebola outbreak. Altare served on the monitoring and evaluation teams, which established clear parameters for the WHO across the board. Regarding her efforts during the previous outbreak, Altare highlighted the creation of thematic pillars around which the complex response to an epidemic could be organized.

"The first pillar is always coordination... You have the two key actors coordinating this outbreak response that are Africa CDC and the WHO [AFRO], but [there is also the] country level, where the Ministry of Health is the key actor in charge of the response..." Altare continued, "Then you have a variety of pillars that look at clinical management..., you have a big component which is the surveillance and contact tracing..., there is a pillar on laboratory capacity... and then you have the overall continuity of care, which is also something that is often forgotten."

Altare further discussed some key differences between the 2018-2020 and the current outbreaks. One key difference she mentioned was the lack of a confirmed vaccine, whereas the vaccine and ring vaccination methods conducted in the previous outbreaks were essential.

"There have been two other outbreaks [of the Bundibugyo virus] in the past, so technically we could have been prepared. We were not for a variety of reasons... so it will require even more resources for contact tracing and surveillance..." Altare added.

Altare went on to highlight another emerging risk in the situation.

"Most of the new cases are actually not coming from contacts, which means we don't know what the sources [are]... This means that we have not understood yet exactly how the pandemic, how this epidemic is spreading, and that's very dangerous."

Current response systems have been working to mitigate the negative impacts under these circumstances. One such measure in place is the use of biocontainment units. Found around the globe, these specialized units seek to prevent the spread of high-risk diseases when treating infected patients. The Hopkins Biocontainment Unit (BCU) is one such example, having previously played a key role in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The News-Letter interviewed Carrie Billman, the director of education and training and lead infection preventionist for the Hopkins Biocontainment Unit, to gain further insight into these systems. Billman highlighted the exact nature of the BCU's role during outbreaks.

"We have citizens coming [back] all the time from having traveled to [high-risk] countries, whether they were visiting family or they were part of aid organizations that are helping with the outbreak. Obviously those types of people are screened when they come back into the country, but you are potentially able to [become infected] up to 21 days after being exposed to any version of Ebola, so we have to be ready at a moment's notice for anyone who has returned and perhaps had high-risk behaviors while they were in those areas to be able to care for those patients," Billman stated.

Due to the international nature of the current outbreak, Billman went on to highlight the global cooperation involved.

"[There are] high level isolation units all over the world, and so we are constantly in contact with our partners in crime in other countries - in Europe, in South America, in parts of Africa to not only make sure that we are all exchanging best practices, but really kind of any lessons learned for caring for these patients that could be coming from abroad..." Billman continued, "Thankfully, there are things like Zoom and Teams that help us a lot, so that we can really make sure that those lines of communication are open."

Despite the current spotlight on the Ebola crisis, Billman further emphasized the importance of remaining aware of other outbreaks around the globe and of broader preparatory measures.

"When you hear about outbreaks, they're interesting, and people should pay attention because there's always something going on. It is not just from Africa. There's Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever that's usually over in the Middle East and in other parts of the world... Ebola is definitely what helped bring this national system together and develop our biocontainment units, but we like to think that we are prepared for Ebola and beyond."

Though such measures might be in place, geopolitical and region-specific factors also play a role in disease management. During her interview with The News-Letter, Altare went on to highlight this point.

"It's not only the outbreak. It's 30-plus, 40-plus years of conflict and repeated humanitarian emergencies, repeated phases of complete disinterest of the international community, more recent funding cuts... It's actually very difficult to describe how challenging everything is - not only to respond, but for the people living there, and to understand what they are going through."

Pekosz also spotlighted similar struggles beyond the basic science issue of developing a new vaccine.

"We're having a hard time getting to people to get them the tests and getting good turnaround time so that people hear those results quickly... The situation in terms of the local region that this is happening in is bringing on additional challenges because of the political strife that's going on in those areas, and the lack of ability to get objective WHO-mediated healthcare into those areas as well. So, even if we could have an Ebola vaccine that's specific to this strain today, it would still be a real challenge to get that rolled out into the population in a very timely manner."

As of September 2026, the situation remains exceedingly complex and continually updating. An appropriate containment approach merits careful and consistent monitoring by all parties involved in the response to best mitigate the impact of the disease's spread.

Pericles: What is it and why is it hardly produced?

It wasn't until I heard that the Merrick Barn would be producing Pericles for the Spring Mainstage that I had even heard of the play. I decided to pick up the book from my local library and read it during winter break. This is when I realized there was one apparent theme that made the play difficult to produce: incest. Though only mentioned during Act I and the choruses, the incestous relationship between Antiochus and his daughter holds an irreparable value to the plot. I was hesitant to see how the Hopkins Theatre Department would handle the theme of incest, and as we moved through Act I, it became incredibly apparent that the cuts of the script were made with impeccable amounts of time and care to properly convey the stakes of shows in a mindful manner while concurrently leaning into the comedy of the script.

The Musical Heart: Tessa Barcelo and Max Hsu

The collaborative genius of Tessa Barcelo and Max Hsu truly brought Pericles to life, transforming the traditional John Gower narrator into a dynamic bluegrass and folk chorus. Hsu, a graduating senior in Writing Seminars and Political Science, brought a deep musical background, starting guitar at 10 years old and expanding to piano, bass, composition and songwriting. Barcelo, also a graduating Writing Seminars senior, started piano at five years old and added voice, drums, guitar, ukulele (which she played in the show) and bass.

The aesthetic direction for the music initially stemmed from the director's specific vision of a bluegrass and folk-inspired chorus - referencing the distinct styles of Nat King Cole and Stubby Kaye (of Cat Ballou fame) - which created a unique framework for Hsu and Barcelo to inhabit. From this foundation, Hsu contributed his own diverse influences - namely the fingerstyle intricacies of Bert Jansch and Lindsey Buckingham, alongside a touch of Hadestown - while Ben Shaver, the music director of Pericles, introduced elements of vaudeville into the mix.

During the workshop phase of these songs, Hsu's improvisation would usually take the lead while Barcelo joined in, with every session being taped so they could revisit those spontaneous moments later. Sometimes these vibes were more generalized - an upbeat and dramatic Chorus 1, for instance - while others were more unique and faceted, drawing inspiration from the epilogue of "Our Lady of the Underground" from Hadestown or the energy of Legally Blonde.

While Hsu noted that he and Shaver worked together quite effectively, the process wasn't without its complications - particularly when it came to the immense pressure of navigating Shakespeare's varied and often inconsistent meters in an email to The News-Letter.

"Some of the earlier choruses are in iambic tetrameter, mimicking the medieval style of John Gower, while others are in typical Shakespearean pentameter, and some aren't consistent at all," wrote Hsu when discussing the challenges of the composition.

Barcelo also brought these choruses to life in her choreography and her interactions with Shaver, who played on stage in tandem with the duo. The trio found the inconsistent meter of Shakespeare's text challenging, especially in the choruses, but their smooth collaboration led to a unique, contemporary musical experience.

A behind-the-scenes look with Director James Glossman

I also had the privilege of being able to have a talkback over zoom with James Glossman, the director of Pericles. I used the interview to gain a further understanding of not only Glossman's background in Shakespeare, but his vision for this production and the experiences that helped shape it.

Glossman studied performance of literature at Northwestern University before pursuing various advanced studies, including prestigious stints at the University of Oxford and the Yale Drama School. Following this training, he chose to pivot his talents away from acting to focus instead on writing and, more specifically, the art of adaptation, which he applied to works such as those of Raymond Chandler. He has primarily centered his work within the Mid-Atlantic area, having recently co-written a play with Tom Hanks titled This World of Tomorrow, that premiered off-Broadway this past October; it was John Astin, a longtime friend of Glossman, who eventually brought him to Hopkins during the 2000-2001 academic year.

Shakespeare has always been the singular playwright that Glossman found himself most passionate about, appearing to him as an "ever-changing and ever-working" entity that seemed to reveal more of its complexity the more he revisited it. Glossman explained that selecting Pericles for the Spring Mainstage felt like a natural choice, largely because the department maintains a specific dynamic of alternating the spring production between a smaller, intimate scale and a much larger, more expansive one. Since he had directed the play nearly 20 years ago, Glossman thought it was finally time to revisit the work to see what level of energy it could generate when student actors took on the roles and collaborated with him to create something new.

Glossman spent a significant amount of time studying the traveling theater cart and enjoyed the concept of having all actors, even Pericles, playing multiple roles. Although most of the casting was based on the actors' abilities, the specific doubling of Antiochus and Lysimachus seemed to embody a clear moral spectrum (the "worst guy (Antiochus) and best guy (Lysimachus)") necessary for the production. Mark Gonzales, a doctoral candidate in robotics, was his dream candidate for this specific doubling because of his kind character and his contribution to a collaborative environment.

Through these various means, most notably the musicalizing of the choruses, the play took on a contemporary dynamic. This is not the first time Glossman has musicalized a Shakespeare production. The last Shakespeare play he directed in the John Astin Theatre, Twelfth Night (not to be confused with the Barnstormers' recent production of Twelfth Night in 2024), featured original music composed by Feste. As Glossman put it, "we showed people that the impact through musicalization in theater was how verse was to theater in Shakespeare's time," suggesting that the more we integrate music, the more engaging the theatrical experience becomes for a modern audience.

Glossman also used this opportunity to show off his world-premiere adaptation of Red Harvest, the Dashiell Hammett novel, being, of course, a lifelong fan of that hard-boiled crime fiction from the late 1920s. He described the story as being a morality tale in that old-school style of the private eye, essentially a question of how one might retain a moral compass when everything in the surrounding world has, quite frankly, "exploded and disappeared." The world premiere play will be produced by the Hopkins Theatre Department as their Spring Mainstage for the 2026-2027 season.

Spotlights: what truly stood out

It's undeniable that Pericles was a phenomenal success - but there were some moments in the show that have resonated with me even this long after the production. The fishermen scene in Act II, where fishermen in Pentapolis provide the shipwrecked Pericles with clothing to help him journey to King Simonides' court, was so incredibly well done. The two fishermen, played by Yona Levine and Sara Pantoja, had an incredible chemistry with one another and had an even greater understanding of physical comedy. From playing with the fish prop to navigating how they moved about the stage, they kicked off Act II in a way that had the audience in the palm of their hand. Speaking of King Simondies, Jason Lafita had the audience in the palm of his hand in the interactions with himself, Pericles and Thaisa. He clearly highlighted the light-hearted, good nature of King Simondies, whilst simultaneously giving him a heightened energy that truly made the character his. He captivated the audience even in the smallest movement, such as his breaking of the fourth wall with incessant winking, capturing the overzealous plot that Shakepeare loves to write. In tandem with King Simondies, the three knights played by Kayla Sinkler, Gemma Watson and Sara Pantoja had an incredible sense of physicality that brought these smaller roles to life. They shuffled about the stage, played with the highly contrasting height dynamic, and used this scene for all it was worth. They didn't need over-the-top movements to bring their roles to life; it was the small, cohesive movements they did that made their roles a powerful unit while still letting each of them shine.

In total, there were some groupings of actors that had impeccable chemistry and connection with one another that truly made the show feel real. One of these was Cleon and Dionyza, played by Cassandra Fan and Yona Levine, respectively. They both handled the text wonderfully, but what stood out was their connection. It was clear to anyone in the audience that they were incredibly connected to both the scene and one another, even when Cleon and Dionyza disagreed with one another. Another duo that were an incredible standout was Audrey Douglas as Pericles and Jewels Seeger as Helicanus. While the duo didn't have the most time on stage together as these roles, every moment showed their connection. Additionally, the scenes where Helicanus was without Pericles and still declared their loyalty to the Prince showed the connection Douglas and Seeger had, both on and off the stage.

Vasilios Van de Verg as Cerimon truly captivated me as he excellently portrayed the older, over-the-top wiseman that keeps the plot going in circles. His interactions with Barcelo as she was in the box that was thrown out to sea was so excellently done. He truly kept us on our toes every time we traveled back to Ephesus, playing with the language of the script to bring his role to life. Watson was also a warrior when it came to wielding the text of Shakespeare. Each throwaway line was done with a calculated precision, and the lines that were meant to stick did just that.

Finally, I would like to highlight the title role of Pericles, played by Douglas. Pericles is an absolute beast of a role. From the amount of lines to the sheer intensity of transformation the character goes through as they age, Douglas knew the stakes for her character and truly showed it throughout the show. Even in the moments where her character was in his lowest parts, she never lost his intensity, leading us through this emotional journey in a way that was both incredibly riveting and convincing.

Concluding thoughts

Looking back, Glossman's deep understanding of Shakespeare really shaped the whole experience into something phenomenal. You could feel how much freedom the actors had to bring their own vision to the stage. Every single person got their moment to shine before melting seamlessly back into the ensemble. The musical choruses gave the show such a fun, unique edge. The only con I had about the entire production was that the lyrics of the choruses were difficult to hear. Since I had the privilege of reading the text beforehand, I knew what was being explained, but to audience members that came in blind, it was difficult to follow along.

I remember laughing so hard at the blocking and choreographed scene changes. As soon as I'd caught my breath, something else would set me off again. Visually, it was stunning without trying too hard. The minimalist set and beautifully painted backdrop kept things clear, letting the breathtaking costumes stand out. Even with all the chaotic quick changes from actors playing multiple parts, every single look was impeccable. The cast and crew somehow managed to bring a traveling caravan right into Merrick Barn, making Pericles come to life.

On Monday, July 27 I watched the new stage film Hadestown (2026) at my local AMC. Written by Anaïs Mitchell and directed by Rachel Chavkin, the live musical Hadestown debuted on Broadway in 2019, starring Reeve Carney (Orpheus), Eva Noblezada (Eurydice), André De Shields (Hermes), Amber Gray (Persephone) and Patrick Page (Hades). The musical won eight Tony Awards and a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album, and the stage film continued the success. In the opening weekend, Hadestown (2026) earned $10.2 million, breaking records for the highest-grossing live stage capture film. The film was slated to release for a limited five-day run from July 24-28, but the unexpected success prompted an extended theatrical release.

As one of those many theatergoers, I completely understand the excitement. When I saw Hadestown on Broadway, I didn't catch the original cast, so their performances in the stage film blew me away. My sister joined me for both the Broadway show and the stage film, and we found Gray to be a real standout. Her acting and delivery, especially during the entr'acte "Our Lady of the Underground," balances an endearing cleverness with a tragic desperation. De Shields, another one of my favorites, couldn't have been a better narrator; his every gesture lands with authoritative gravity. We also loved the Fates, played by Bella Brown, Madeline Charlemagne and Allie Daniel. Their harmonization contributes to some of my favorite parts of the soundtrack in songs like "When the Chips are Down" and "Word to the Wise."

Regarding the music, I've always appreciated how much attention Hadestown gives to its pit musicians, who are no less passionate than the musical actors and actresses. In the stage film, various angles shine a spotlight on those we don't see as clearly, such as the drummer, Brad Webb, near the back of the stage.

In general, the stage film fully utilizes the switching of angles to compose really interesting shots. The look between Hades and Eurydice near the middle of the musical is breathtakingly tense, dramatically framed to make the confrontation more striking than if you saw it live on Broadway. More than any other scene, the shot of Orpheus in the dark during "Doubt Comes In" really highlights the advantages of the stage film format. Seeing the show live, you watch Orpheus walk in circles along the spinning stage, pretending to travel along the dark road out of Hadestown. In the film, space expands with the camera angles. Orpheus looks as though he is genuinely wandering in an endless dark expanse, with his face singularly illuminated and alone. Where, during the live show, I know that Eurydice and the other workers are following behind in the dark, the framing of the stage film excludes them and puts me into Orpheus' unique perspective. There is an undeniable magic to live theater, but Hadestown (2026) takes full advantage of its form as a stage film to deliver a wholly new experience.

Hadestown (2026) joins the list of Orpheus and Eurydice film adaptations, alongside Orpheus (1950), Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) and La Chimera (2023). Like Alice Rohrwacher's La Chimera, Hadestown blows the myth to massive, political proportions, using it to metaphorize alienation under capitalism and the disastrous effects of irresponsible energy production on the climate. While poignant, the use of ancient myth places the musical in a double bind.

Adaptations are tricky. While there's a moving story to be found, the musical runs the risk of portraying systemic problems as interpersonal ones. In Hadestown, political action reduces to reminding Hades of his humanity and repairing Hades and Persephone's love, which "made the world go 'round." All this takes is a special song, one which "brings the world back into tune," by retelling the story of Hades and Persephone's romance. It's as if all the citizens and birds and critters in the kingdom live in harmony when the king and queen are in love. But is love enough?

Of course, Hadestown doesn't hope to propose a guide to political action. Musicals, especially those with Greek gods, are not and do not claim to be real life. There's importance in simplification, in abstraction and in fantasy. What Hadestown does hope for is for more hope. It's not wrong to look at the past, at ancient myth, for hope in the future. Even if it's a sad song, there's value in singing it again.

In the lead up to the event, Sydney Carroll, a senior at Georgetown University, informed The News-Letter that the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue was being used to facilitate the race. In a photo taken by Carroll and shared with The News-Letter, the entrance of the Hopkins Bloomberg Center had been branded as the "Media Center" for the event. Signage bearing the Freedom 250 Grand Prix's insignia was present as well as the logo of technology conglomerate Cisco, which was listed as one of the event's official partners. Additionally, certain University guests were given lanyards designating "Special Guest" status, allowing them to watch the event.

In an email to The News-Letter, a University spokesperson confirmed that the Hopkins Bloomberg Center had, in fact, been used to function as the media center for the event.

"The university was approached by the non-profit organization planning the race to host the media filing center, and we agreed to open several of our conference rooms and meeting spaces for journalists covering the event. The race organizers managed the media center independently," the spokesperson wrote.

Notably, the University does not appear on the official event partner list. When inquired about the finances involved surrounding the Hopkins Bloomberg Center's usage, the spokesperson confirmed that the University's DC facilities cannot be rented and denied any sponsorship of the race.

Regarding University guests receiving special status, the spokesperson explained that some affiliates were able to participate in educational activities in the building.

"For example, on Friday, a group of Hopkins engineering and medical students were able to go behind the scenes of the race to meet with IndyCar engineering teams and the emergency medical professionals who supported the event. Those students and others also were invited to view the race activities on Saturday and Sunday," said the spokesperson.

The special guests were selected by University departments, who were offered to nominate attendees through a lottery system, over 600 of which were selected.

"A group of Hopkins engineering and medical students were able to go behind the scenes of the race to meet with IndyCar engineering teams and the emergency medical professionals who supported the event. Those students and others also were invited to view the race activities on Saturday and Sunday," the spokesperson shared, highlighting the educational benefits of inviting University guests.

While much of the criticism of the event has been political in nature, due to Trump's involvement not just in the organization but the event itself, some local attendees also highlighted disorganization and poor viewing experiences. However, event organizers are also purported to be advocating for the initially one-off event to make a return in the future.

Look, freshman year is the first time your calendar doesn't look like a game of Tetris and your excuses haven't caught up yet. Someone on your floor asks if anyone wants boba? As long as it's before 10 p.m., just say yes and head to one of the many spots flocked around campus. A club you're only kind of interested in is having a meeting with free pizza? Save the meal swipe and go. You don't know these people well enough yet to know if you'll click, but the best (and only) way to find out is to just show up.

By sophomore year or even freshman spring, everyone (plus you) has a routine, a friend group and some reasonable excuse for why they aren't able to come hang out. Freshman fall is the one time saying yes is the easiest.

Tip #2: The friend of your friend is also your friend.

I feel like Captain Obvious writing this article so far, but I find myself forgetting this one all the time. On a campus of 5,000-something undergrads, you will find that everyone knows everyone. It's just your luck that the person in front of you in lecture is actually your roommate's teammate's ex's lab partner. This is a blessing and a curse, but as a freshman, it leans toward the former. If you see a familiar-ish face - maybe someone from your friend's hall or a person tagged in a mutual's story - go ahead and say hi. Ask to sit with them. Worst case, it's a little awkward for 30 seconds. Best case, you just skipped the "how can I even talk to this person" part because you already have something in common: you both know someone. Just please don't sound like you're trying to make connections for the sake of it; this isn't LinkedIn.

Tip #3: Give a little, get a little lot!

When doing "research" for this article, I messaged my closest friends: "When did you guys 'officially' think of us as real friends?"

"when u would keep txting us to cometo ffc for dinner since there was mac and cheese"

"I would always look for you guys in lecture?"

"your liked reels kept popping up on my instagdam"

"i talk to my mom abt u gys all the time!!"

A lot of varying answers here, but something stands out immediately (other than the fact we all should use spellcheck more): repetition.

What makes a friendship isn't brief hallway nods or one good conversation at the orientation event boring you to tears. What turns an acquaintance into a friendship are repeated, low-stakes interactions. It's the FFC dinner text you send even though you're not sure they'll say yes. It's saving the seat next to you in lecture. It's a cute Pomeranian photo you send at 11 p.m. because your friend has her Pomeranian as her phone background. You're putting effort into initiating each interaction until it stops feeling intentional and starts feeling effortless.

It's one thing to have a familiar face during orientation or that one person you always sit by in class. But unfortunately, any non-first-year student will tell you this: the friends you make the first couple of weeks aren't always your friends by winter break, and that's okay.

What separates the people who stick around from the people who fade into "we had a class together freshman year" is whether someone (which could be you!) keeps initiating. Be the one who texts first or who asks if they're free: I promise it stops feeling vulnerable a lot faster than you would think.

The keeping part

Finding friends at Hopkins is very much the easier half of this article.

Everyone's looking for that fabled college friend group in freshman fall, which means everyone's a little more open than they'll be later. Keeping them is the part nobody really prepares you for because it's less about grand moments and more about maintenance.

Schedules don't magically line up, majors change and club enrollment happens. Maybe your friend decides on a major that eats their whole week, and you join a club that eats yours. Maybe breakfast gets harder to coordinate, especially when one friend has lab at 9 a.m., one friend has decided to swear off breakfast (something about cereal industry propaganda), and one friend wakes up bright and early at 12:30 p.m.

This is normal, and it doesn't mean the friendship is fading. But what it does mean is that it needs a little more intention than it did in September, when you both lived thirty feet apart and had nothing but time. So keep doing the small, repeatable things: the check-in text, the "I saw this and thought of you," the standing plan (even a boring one, like laundry at the same time every week) that doesn't require a whole conversation to schedule. And please be flexible and understanding! Plans may not knit together as organically as they did before, but that's okay. At the end of the day, the strong friendships that make it past freshman year aren't the ones with the most dramatic origin story. Your best friends will probably be the ones who keep showing up.

Thansi Garikipati is a sophomore majoring in Biophysics from Edmond, Okla. She is the Public Editor for The News-Letter.

Thus, after transferring to Hopkins last fall, I quickly set out to find my new go-to study spots. Through these explorations, I got to try and learn more about various nearby cafes throughout Baltimore. Here are some of my top finds, all of which feature Wi-Fi, outlets (a necessity for my laptop, whose battery pretty much requires life support) and a wide variety of caffeinated beverages.

KANOM Cafe

Starting off north of campus, there's KANOM Cafe. This cozy study space has lots of pastries and brunch food options, such as the Lox Toast, a slice of sourdough topped with cream cheese, smoked salmon, dill and capers, or the Fresh Tomato Toast, topped with ricotta, tomato, salt and pepper. The smell of fresh, buttery baked goods while you study is an added plus.

Blueprint Cafe

Blueprint Cafe is another convenient option, as it's right next to campus on St. Paul Street. This popular spot is great for studying around meal time, as it has lots of creative pastries, focaccia sandwiches and bowls. The menu frequently features new specials to try if you're feeling adventurous, as well as staples ready to become your go-to orders. In my opinion, Blueprint also has a really good iced americano. The cafe has both indoor seating and a small outdoor area with tables and chairs.

Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse

Another option that's quite close to campus is Red Emma's, located about a 10-minute walk away. This combined coffeehouse and bookstore has lots of flexibility schedule-wise - it's open 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sundays, and there's almost always plenty of seating. The menu is completely plant-based and includes some great curly fries.

Coffee Olivia

While this spot is a little farther from campus, it's easily accessible. To get there, just take the JHMI to Penn Station, where Coffee Olivia is just a few minutes away by walking. The menu offers a variety of different coffees and hand-crafted teas, and this aesthetic space has lots of natural light and seating by the windows.

The Bun Shop

Another cafe that's easily accessible by the JHMI, The Bun Shop is about a 10-minute walk from the Peabody stop, though you can also take the Blue Jay Shuttle to or from the cafe after 6 p.m. This is a great spot for late-night studying, as it's open every day until 3 a.m. There's ample seating, including well-lit spaces by the windows toward the back of the cafe.

Ceremony Coffee Roasters at Mt. Vernon

Last but not least, there's Ceremony Coffee Roasters, whose Mount Vernon location is also just a 10-minute walk from the Peabody JHMI stop. The menu includes breakfast items and lots of unique seasonal drinks, such as a matcha with oat milk and coconut pandan foam as well as an iced espresso with passion fruit tonic and vegan cold foam. This is another aesthetic space, with lots of seating by the windows, at tables or at high top tables with boxes of puzzles. Outside, there's also a patio with plenty of seating.

By exploring Baltimore's cafe scene, I've gotten to get off campus and learn more about what there is outside of Hopkins. Moreover, I've found that discovering a new go-to study spot is a great way to make a new environment feel more like home. Hopefully, this guide can be a good starting point to kick off your exploration of what the surrounding Baltimore area has to offer.

Annabelle Huang is a senior majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Lexington, Mass. She is a Copy Editor for The News-Letter.

Section breakdown:

• News & Features: the backbone of the paper (as expected). Our news section provides the latest breaking stories happening around campus, from big announcements like the free tuition change to the emergence of a new start-up organization. Writers can learn investigative journalism skills, meet with campus organizations and personaities and get plugged into events happening around Baltimore and DC!
• Opinion: Got a hot take? Send it over to our Opinion Editor. This section has a wide range of topics meant to stir up conversation, whether it's about the state of Homewood Campus' avian biodiversity or the modern-day situationship. Writing for this section means developing your skills in putting together a strong argument, which goes for expressing any new perspective surrounding things like the politics in current events or construction projects on campus.
• Sports: If you want to know how our Blue Jays measure up in the epic highs and lows of college sports, you'll find some great commentary here. Maybe a streak for the Super Bowl predictions roundtable is in the cards for the future? Freddy, one of our Sports Editors, was quite close last year. You don't need to know every single rule of a sport or player of a team to contribute as long as you have an interest in whatever sport you're writing about.
• Science & Technology (SciTech): Curious about the scientific innovation happening around you? At a school as STEM-heavy as Hopkins, there are practically hundreds of opportunities to learn about new developments in research from the undergraduate to Nobel Prize level, science policy, fellowships and more! Writers get ample opportunities to attend scientific seminars, interview professors, and explore the state of science in our local and national communities.
• Voices: If you've ever imagined yourself publishing a piece in a column with a catchy title reminiscent of '90s romcoms, this section is for you. From heartwarming childhood stories to relatable college experiences, this flexible section welcomes your own unapologetic, unique anecdotes. Whether it's a song you really like that carried you through high school or your recent reflections on your hometown, as long as it can be somehow expressed in writing, you can showcase it all here.
• Arts & Entertainment: That album/book/movie/play/exhibit/concert that's been stuck in your head? The Arts section gives you a chance to showcase your opinions and hot takes! The section also gives writers access to free concert tickets in the vibrant local Baltimore arts scene.
• Leisure: Take a break with the Leisure section and learn about shops, restaurants and things to do in Baltimore. You get to connect with local business owners too! The section is also ripe with fun hobbies, dorm decor, personal recipes and weekend plans.
• Public: If a fourth-wall break was a section, this would be it. Our Public Editor acts as the bridge between The News-Letter and the student body, keeping a good balance between the two. After a (short) break in the cycle, the Public Editor role is back! This means that students (you) can share your thoughts to our Public Editor about how The News-Letter is doing.
• Magazine: What you're reading right now! The News-Letter publishes four magazines a year covering unique themes like personal growth, social media and politics, and the gamification of life.
• Copy: Our last line of defense before an article reaches your hands. Changing "3" to "three," when to use en dashes over hyphens, and how to refer to specific buildings on campus are all part of the proofreading job. If you've got an eye for detail, our copy staff is always looking for people to train in the Associated Press style. This is one of our most important sections, but at the same time, it is also one of the more low-commitment roles because of its flexibility. If you have a particularly busy schedule but still want to get involved with the paper, this could be where to start.
• Social Media: We are actively recruiting social media managers! As one of the most common platforms that college students use, Instagram serves as one of our major spaces to release breaking news and other pressing information. Follow our Instagram @jhunewsletter to be some of the first to know about Hopkins-specific news, such as campus protests and the annual commencement speaker.
• Design & Layout: This wonderful team makes our paper look fresh and aesthetic. Thank them for the graphs as well! Any and all visually creative people that want to put their portfolio skills out into the world: we are sending out a call for your talents. If authors for articles need eye-catching visuals to sit at the top of their pieces, our Design & Layout editors are who we need to make their visions a reality.
• Video: The video section is our newest section! Expanding into video journalism, we produce three minute long documentaries focusing on events happening not only on Homewood Campus but also in Baltimore. If you're interested in the art of visual storytelling, the section would love to have you! While we'd love any previous experience, none is required to get invlved. We also have our own video and sound equipment that you can use.
• Puzzles: Ever since The New York Times crossword got put behind a paywall, our Puzzles section has been quite the boredom killer in long lectures (and it's free!). Our Puzzles editors are constantly cooking up new ways to challenge your intellect.

Our hopes is that at least one, if not a few, of these sections have piqued your interest. As a completely student-run newspaper, we are always looking for eager and creative minds in any and all aspects, so if you've taken a particular liking to any of these sections, don't hold back and contact us! We hope to see you (and your work) in the very near future!

Our first interactions with The News-Letter:

As freshmen, you will often hear that first impressions are important. And although this is true to a certain extent, The News-Letter is a place of development and change, where both writers and editors learn new things and hone different skills throughout their time with the paper. So in honor of this principle, we would like to speak on our own first impressions of the newspaper and how they've changed over time in hopes that you readers might see yourselves in similar journeys.

Ayden:

My first days with The News-Letter were when I started out as a copyreader in my freshman year as an assistant to the copy editors. At the time, my role felt so minor and almost marginal to what I would eventually see in the print editions weeks later, but as I continued to read more and more pieces, I gradually started to see that the paper was a much more tight-knit community than I had initially thought. Over time, I became familiar with all the section editors and learned how extensive the publishing process actually was. This didn't mean that it made the staff more distant; rather, it brought them closer together in order to deliver the best version of the paper that they could.

During my entire time with the paper thus far, I've continued to learn new things with every new staff member that I meet and every new piece that I read. At first, I was a little worried about all the deadlines and structure that come with the nature of publishing, but the work that goes into bringing content and information to our readers is some of the most fulfilling that I've done during my time in college thus far. Now, each piece that I come across is an opportunity to learn not just about the subject matter of the writing itself, but about the writer, and in a greater sense, what is important to the Hopkins student body and communities. This has made each of my experiences at Hopkins feel all the more real, which I imagine is important to all the freshmen readers just about to start this journey.

Ayden Min is a senior majoring in International Studies from Los Angeles, Calif. She is a Managing Editor for The News-Letter.

Alex:

I was visiting Hopkins before admissions decisions came out in the spring of my senior year, aimlessly roaming around campus and exploring the buildings. When I found myself in the Gilman Atrium, I saw a copy of The News-Letter on one of the tables. I picked it up, flipped through it and started the crossword on the back page. I was so enthralled that I carried the paper through the rain back to my friend's house just to finish the puzzle. Evidently, it was a very good crossword. And I decided that, if I had the chance to go to Hopkins, I wanted to join The News-Letter.

What I remember most from my first SciTech article (on the effects of a Category 4 hurricane) was the willingness of professors to engage with undergraduates at Hopkins. As I've continued writing and editing with The News-Letter, I've gotten the chance to learn so much from professors, students and researchers at the University. If there's anything new writers want to learn about work being done at Hopkins, a quick email to an expert in that field is sure to satisfy their curiosities.

Alex Pan is a junior majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Dallas, Texas. He is a Managing Editor for The News-Letter.