If there’s one thing that Hopkins has no shortage of, it’s fantastic a cappella groups. But with so many groups on campus, it can be difficult to really highlight the unique strengths and interests of each one. This week I was able to sit down with senior Matt Rodgers, the president of Ketzev at JHU, to find out what makes Ketzev and a cappella at Hopkins so special.
Out of the 38 Netflix Original releases so far this month, nine of which are movies, the new Netflix romantic comedy Love At First Sight sits at the top of the pedestal as No. 1 in the top 10 movies in the U.S. The new addition to Netflix’s repertoire is an adaptation of the novel The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight, written by Jennifer E. Smith.
While Olivia Rodrigo’s second studio album GUTS follows the same musical style as her previous project SOUR, there is an added edge to the returning punk attitude as she discusses the challenges of growing up.
This week’s picks also include Expend4bles, the latest addition to The Expendables film series, Kylie Minogue’s long-awaited return with her new album Tension and the Baltimore-wide arts festival Artscape.
In Teezo Touchdown’s debut album, style trumps over substance, and though there are enjoyable moments on songs such as “Mood Swing” and “Familiarity,“ most of the track list is full of generic instrumentals and laughable performances.
The 2023 O-Show was split into three separate showcases: Sept. 1 was for theater, Sept. 2 was for a cappella groups and Sept. 4 featured the dance groups on campus. The sheer number of groups involved and the quality of the acts display that performance art is thriving on the Homewood Campus.
This week’s picks include an adaptation of Agatha Christie’s A Haunting in Venice, a remix album by Demi Lovato and The Death I Gave Him, a queer Shakespeare retelling of Hamlet.
The Irish singer-songwriter Hozier released his third album, Unreal Unearth, on August 18. Drawing on R&B, folk and rock influences, the album is heavily steeped in ideas of heartbreak and betrayal but also takes time to celebrate joyful memories despite the pain.
This week’s picks include Shane Gillis’ first Netflix special Beautiful Dogs, Olivia Rodrigo’s second studio album GUTS and the fifth annual Billie Holiday Jazz in Lafayette Square Concert.
The Bohs are a newly formed band on Homewood campus, playing all eras and styles of rock and putting together their separate and unique backgrounds, all with the hopes of revitalizing the Hopkins band scene.
This past Saturday, I spent my night in the Ralph S. O'Connor Center for Recreation and Well-Being. Instead of smelling like sweat and disinfectant wipes, the Rec Center was filled with the White-Claw breath of hordes of Hopkins students after a day of dartying. We were all gathered (way too close together) on the basketball court to watch Kehlani, this year’s Spring Fair Concert headliner.
The first night of Culture Show has always been one of my favorite days of the semester. For two electric hours, I’m completely absorbed in seeing what all the incredible cultural groups on campus have spent the semester preparing, learning about different styles of music and dance and being humbled by Hopkins students’ commitment to carrying tradition forward into our campus today.
This week’s picks include redveil’s EP playing w/ fire, Nida Manzoor’s film Polite Society and Wiz Wharton’s new novel Ghost Girl, Banana.
Most of us can undoubtedly claim to be extremely busy, but would you consider yourself busier than Winston Churchill? From 1898 to 1918, Winston Churchill wrote seven books while holding political office and still managed to have a two-hour nap each day, a habit he even kept when he was prime minister during World War II. Do these naps signify Churchill’s laziness? I would argue they do not; rather, they signify a disciplined schedule that allows time for rest, as Churchill recognized that stillness in his life was a necessity.
The Lan Yun Blue Orchids, a traditional Chinese dance team on campus, performed in their second annual showcase on the evening of April 15. The showcase was titled Dancing Through the Dynasties and told the history of China through dance and musical performance. The program was set up as a timeline, using performances to characterize each dynasty.
I’m always oddly heartened when the simplest beginnings can yield the greatest stories. It’s almost like a sign that our lives really can go anywhere, and the bounds of reality, no matter what the cynics say, just aren’t that realistic. In Netflix’s Beef, the latest revelation from creator Lee Sung Jin, these all make for sorry understatements.
As the weather gets warmer in Baltimore, it’s time to get outside and enjoy the fresh air! Maybe you’re in need of a Beach read or some new hits to listen to on your walk to class. Or, maybe you’re hiding in your dorm room from the scourge of allergy season, in dire need of something fun and interesting to watch to keep yourself entertained. Either way, the Arts section has some fresh recommendations for you.
This past weekend, theater group the Barnstormers presented Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater’s musical Spring Awakening, a modern classic based on the 1891 play by Frank Wedekind of the same name. The play is set in late-19th-century Germany and follows the sexual awakenings of teenage students in a strict Christian school.
The Students of Caribbean Ancestry (SOCA) and SLAM held a spring showcase in Shriver Hall on April 7. In addition to performances from both groups, the event also featured other Hopkins dance groups including Temps d’Afrique (TDA), Korean Pop Motion (KPM) and JOSH.
April is shaping up to be a great month for the arts! From big-budget, fun romps like The Super Mario Bros. Movie to timeless classics like Alfred Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt, there is something for everyone on the silver screen. Meanwhile, rock fanatics are in for a treat as Metallica drops their new album this week.
