A letter to my freshman self: Molly Gahagen
Dear Freshman Molly,
Use the fields below to perform an advanced search of jhunewsletter.com - The Johns Hopkins News-Letter's archives. This will return articles, images, and multimedia relevant to your query.
66 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
Dear Freshman Molly,
Between coursework and extracurriculars, it can be difficult to keep up with the dizzying pace of the news cycle as a college student. Despite the way current events can feel overwhelming, being an informed citizen is a crucial individual responsibility and essential to being an active member of a democratic society.
Coming from South Florida, I grew up experiencing an endless summer, punctuated by the winter ‘cold fronts’ every few years that would bring temperatures down into the 60s. Every day, the weather was warm, the air was humid and the sun was bright. Fall was no different, distinguished from the rest of the year only as being the second half of hurricane season and the tail end of the wet season.
While almost nothing in the world of journalism can be certain, one key element of print nights at The News-Letter is delivery pizza. Putting out a print paper is a labor of love and one that requires endurance. Food is fuel, so we always make sure to take a break in the evening — in between editing articles and laying out pages — to enjoy a hot slice of pizza, with the leftovers reserved for stress-eating after midnight.
This academic year felt like the real beginning of the “new normal” after many false starts. During the pandemic, the paper shifted from a primarily print publication to operating online. As restrictions lessened, elements of old traditions returned. Last year’s Editors-in-Chief Leela Gebo and Laura Wadsten initiated the process of returning the paper to its normal operating status, as they brought back print magazines and welcomed masked staff back into the Gatehouse.
Divestment has been a demand leveraged by student activists to fight several social issues, including apartheid in South Africa and the unethical practices of tobacco manufacturers. For a little over a decade, student activists have found a new cause around which to mobilize and demand divestment: climate change.
The University enacted austerity measures in April 2020 in light of financial challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. These measures continued until April 2021, despite the fiscal year ending in 2020 having a budget surplus of $75 million.
Last weekend, craving some brunch, a group of News-Letter editors traveled down to Spoons in Federal Hill. Only a 20-minute drive or 30-minute bus ride from the Homewood Campus, the spot presents a convenient opportunity to get off campus and have brunch with friends to start off the weekend.
With a 97% majority, graduate students at Hopkins overwhelmingly voted in favor of unionization in a union representation election, facilitated by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), on Jan. 30 and 31.
As Editors-in-Chief of The Johns Hopkins News-Letter, one of our roles is to serve as the public face of the paper, which means we can often be found around campus delivering print papers, at tabling events or simply repping our News-Letter tote bags or crewnecks. It never fails to astound us when students ask, “We have a school newspaper?”
On Feb. 1, Tom Brady announced in an Instagram video filmed on the beach that he was retiring from the National Football League (NFL) after 23 seasons, and this time for good. This announcement came exactly one year after Brady originally announced his retirement, only to return to the game less than two months later.
If you haven’t been living in a labyrinth, you probably know that Taylor Swift recently announced her Eras Tour, with fans eagerly anticipating her return to the stage after four new albums and two re-recorded studio albums. Our love of Swift is nothing new, as both of us are longtime fans. While we, along with every other fan, are vying for the chance to live out our wildest dreams, we know that tour tickets will likely be untouchable.
In what may arguably be one of the biggest album releases of the year, Taylor Swift’s 10th studio album Midnights was released on Oct. 21. The 13 tracks depict “sleepless nights” from across Swift’s life, drawing on her strong storytelling skills and sharp lyricism.
The return to “normal” has been gradual for all, The News-Letter included. The pandemic forced us to move our print publication, a tradition on campus for over 120 years, to a fully online, daily production with our last print edition published on March 12, 2020.
Molly Gahagen
Throughout my childhood, I spent every summer at home in Key Largo, Florida, save for a few weeks spent on vacation. Summers at home have several constants: oppressive heat and humidity that necessitates cooling off in the water, swarms of mosquitoes and a town overflowing with tourists.
Academics
Students and candidates have voiced complaints about the campaign cycle timeline and voter turnout data reporting for this year’s Student Government Association (SGA) Executive Board and class council elections. The Committee on Student Elections (CSE) is responsible for organizing elections and reporting results.
When I was younger, I would watch Disney Channel for hours on end. The TV station’s movies continue to hold a special place in my heart, so I’m going to be evaluating whether or not some of my favorites still hold up today.
In an email sent to undergraduate students on April 6, the University reinstated several COVID-19 safety protocols in response to the rise in cases after spring break. Over 100 students have tested positive for COVID-19 since April 1, and the campus dashboard reported 64 confirmed cases on April 5 and 26 on April 6.