Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
May 6, 2025
May 6, 2025 | Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896

Arts & Entertainment



COURTESY OF THE JOHNS HOPKINS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The Hopkins Symphony Orchestra performed with the beatboxer Shodekeh this past weekend.

Hopkins Symphony Orchestra incorporates beatboxing in concert

On Saturday, March 5, The Hopkins Symphony Orchestra took a leap in a new, more modern direction by introducing a new element to the classical concerts they are known for: beatboxing. The Hopkins Symphony Orchestra is a group composed of students, alumni, faculty and musicians from the community. 


Artivism Day displays the power of art

A floormate, much to my chagrin, recently declared that the humanities and the arts were unimportant. He argued that being able to communicate well is great, but only science, technology, engineering and math are critical to civilization’s survival and success. 


Planet Runway combines fashion and sustainability

Do you buy clothes that you know you’ll throw away after a year or so? How many clothes in your closet do you actually wear? If you are like me and many other college students, through contemplating these questions you’ll quickly realize that you are participating in fast fashion, a habit that hurts both your wallet and the environment. 


Courtesy of Will Scerbo
Ed Schrader and Music Beat put on a high-energy show at Metro Gallery on March 2.

B'more act celebrate the release of album Riddles

Ed Schrader has stood the test of time as a local legend in “alternative” Baltimore, from performing with local comedy group Wham City, to hosting a pop-up spaghetti restaurant, to his t-shirt series “Cats On The Lake.” 




COURTESY OF AMELIA ISAACS
Eric Puchner read at the local coffee-shop/bookstore Bird in Hand.

Professor Eric Puchner discusses his latest work

On March 1, 2018, Hopkins Writing Seminars Professor Eric Puchner read from his new collection of short stories, Last Day on Earth, spoke with host Nate Brown, and answered questions from Brown and the audience. The event was held from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Ivy Bookshop in Bird in Hand. 


Oscars 2018 Reactions

The News-Letter's contributors and staff offer some of their thoughts on the 2018 Oscars.



COURTESY OF AMELIA ISAACS
Spencer Finch’s installation Moon Dust will remain at the BMA until 2024.

Spencer Finch’s Moon Dust lands at the BMA

I really don’t think that you can capture the feeling of standing under an array of 417 light bulbs, perfectly placed and descending over your head. I think that there’s something intrinsically magical and romantic about the piece, inherent in the fact that it’s depicting moon dust and the oxymoronic nature of using light bulbs to depict the moon.


Lando Chill proves R&B is far from dead

We are in a new phase of R&B, where experimentalism and innovation are in vogue. A great example of this is Lando Chill’s collaboration with producer Lasso, māyā. maia. mayu — one of the smoothest records I’ve heard this year.


COURTESY JESSE WU
Holy Frijoles, a Hampden institution, closed briefly after a fire in 2016 but celebrated its reopening this month.

Hampden neighborhood hotspot Holy Frijoles re-opens its doors

Overall, I’d say the food’s nothing to rave about, but the events and the pinball make this place worth checking out if you’re in the area. If I’m in Hampden and want to get my stomach full while also keeping my wallet full, I’d definitely drop by again.


MANFRED WERNER (TSUI)/CC BY-SA 4.0
Kenneth Lonegran won an Academy Award in 2016 for his film Manchester by the Sea.

Kenneth Lonegran’s This is Our Youth comes to Homewood

While the characters are not entirely likeable as people, the strong skills of the three actors, all with extensive acting experience, create an undeniable atmosphere of empathy. We may not want these characters as our friends, but we do care about their lives and what will become of them. 


SIEBBI/CC BY-SA 3.0
Natalie Portman stars in director Alex Garlands latest film, Annihilation.

Annihilation evocatively blends beauty and terror

Annihilation is one of the most beautifully terrifying science fiction films I’ve seen in the past eight years. It’s wonderfully acted and benefits from the deft hand of someone that has directed more than one film.


EISTRETER/CC BY-SA 3.0
The rose is a common trope in the TV show The Bachelor. which is now in its twenty second season.

Why do audiences love the The Bachelor so much?

I prided myself for a long time on never watching The Bachelor. For some reason, not watching that show made me feel like a better person, like I didn’t need to sink down to the level of trashy TV and getting involved in the lives of people I didn’t know.


PUBLIC DOMAIN
This portrait shows actor Ira Aldridge dressed for his role in Othello.

Red Velvet explores the legacy of Ira Aldridge

It is deeply compelling to observe Aldridge as he grapples with a role previously reserved for white men and the implications that come with it: critics who utilize explicit racial terminology to discuss his performance, fatal fissures in his longtime friendship with the flawed LaPorte, and his fellow cast members who awkwardly and haltingly attempt to understand Aldridge’s experiences. 


GAGE SKIDMORE/CC BY-SA 2.0
Black Panther has grossed $361 million since its release on Feb. 16.

Marvel’s Black Panther is more than just a superhero film

I’m just going to get this out of the way right now: Black Panther is a really good movie — incredibly good. You should definitely go see it. It is a thought-provoking essay on racial issues with a wonderful cast. It is a philosophical tale about the ways that we interact with our culture and our past and whether or not those traditions should be preserved moving into the future. 


COURTESY OF KENNY SUN/CC BY-SA 2.0
Car Seat Headrest's Will Toledo successfully reworked Twin Fantasy. 

Car Seat Headrest Successfully Re-records Album

The muted bass that introduces “My Boy” is slow, delicate and groovy. Within two minutes, there is a flood of biting guitars and Will Toledo, the lead singer, is wailing into the microphone. This is the prototype for the usual Car Seat Headrest song.


COURTESY OF GIOVANNA MOLINA
Witness Theater’s Intersession Showcase celebrates the work of students.

Witness Theater debuts an eclectic showcase

Witness Theater presented their Intersession showcase, Welcome to Our House — produced by junior Sarah Linton and stage managed by freshman Dominique Dickey — in the Mattin Center’s Swirnow Theater this weekend. The show featured a diverse collection of four student-directed and written one-act plays. 


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