Last Saturday, the Northwestern University Community Not Cops (NUCNC) held a protest against the university’s police force. Within 10 minutes, 150 student protesters were threatened with chemical munition by the Evanston Police Department and met with riot shields and batons by Northern Illinois Police Alarm System officers.
We all remember where we were a year ago. The week started normally; students studied for tests, sports teams went to games and performing arts groups practiced for their spring showcases.
In recent months, anti-Asian hate crimes have skyrocketed. Throughout the pandemic, Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities have faced verbal and physical assaults fueled by fear of the virus and former President Donald Trump’s xenophobic rhetoric. Trump repeatedly called COVID-19 the “kung flu” and the “China virus.” Although he may be out of office, his presidency and the pandemic in particular have unmasked America’s racism and sinophobia.
The Maryland General Assembly held a hearing this week on House Bill 336, which aims to prohibit private universities from establishing police departments. Titled “Private Institutions of Higher Education - Police Departments - Repeal and Prohibition,” the bill would repeal several previously-approved articles permitting Hopkins to implement a police force and would more generally amend articles concerning forces at other private universities in Maryland.
Last July, the University launched several initiatives following the nationwide protests that took place after the deaths of George Floyd, Tony McDade, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless others. To address the University’s own role in structural racism, Hopkins created the Committee to Establish Principles on Naming, given the lives and legacies of many of our buildings’ namesakes.
Barely a week after the semester began, the University detected a spike in COVID-19 cases on Homewood Campus. The cluster was connected to a large party hosted off campus by the North Charles Social Club (WAWA), as well as other smaller events.
For years, members of the Teachers and Researchers United (TRU), a graduate student organization, have called on the University to recognize them as an official union. Since the start of the pandemic, the need for this has become increasingly clear. Over the past 11 months, the University has failed to adequately support its graduate students, despite their crucial role in our institution’s functioning.
Yesterday the University announced that a cluster of students tested positive for COVID-19 in relation to off-campus social gatherings. Until this point, there were relatively few cases among undergraduates. The day after some students had their first day of in-person classes in nearly a year, they were forced back online.
Welcome back to another semester and, for many, welcome to Homewood. Though a hybrid semester isn’t the experience we would normally hope for, we are cautiously optimistic to be on campus for the first time since March.
On Tuesday, University President Ronald J. Daniels and Provost Sunil Kumar emailed the Hopkins community that swastika graffiti had been found in a dormitory elevator at the Peabody Institute. The University condemned this act of antisemitism, which has been officially labeled as a hate crime. It is being investigated by the Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) and the federal government.
Last week, The News-Letter published, deleted and retracted an article about a Hopkins faculty member’s presentation on COVID-19 data.
Two weeks ago, the University announced plans to demolish Charles Village rowhomes. Community members and civic organizations were frustrated that, instead of seeking community input, Hopkins left the buildings to sit vacant for years — allowing them to deteriorate to a nearly irreparable state.
We hate to beat a dead horse, but 2020 has been full of tragedy and crises. Perhaps the single thing that hasn’t gone horribly wrong this year is the outcome of the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
On Tuesday, The News-Letter published an article in which seven students alleged that they had been drugged at parties held by Delta Phi (St. Elmo’s). While the fraternity denied the allegations, witnesses corroborated five of the students’ stories.
We don’t know for sure what direction the country is headed. Despite the uncertainty regarding the presidential election, we do know that Hopkins has a (tentative) plan for this spring.
Election Day is less than a week away. The stakes couldn’t be higher. As Democratic nominee Joe Biden has repeatedly said this year, the very character of our nation is on the ballot.
Last week, the University issued a public safety advisory reporting an uptick in carjackings in the Northern Police District, which includes Homewood Campus. In the report, Campus Safety and Security advised students to be aware of their surroundings, and if they are the victim of a carjacking they should surrender any requested property and report the crime as soon as possible.
Hopkins celebrated Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Monday, marking the third time that the University has recognized the holiday. The Office of Multicultural Affairs and Indigenous Students at Hopkins (ISH) led the celebrations, including a virtual pow wow. ISH shared dances by Indigenous peoples from all over the Americas on social media.
There are 26 days until the presidential election. Voter registration deadlines have already passed in 10 states, and the stakes have never been higher — American voters are being asked to choose who will implement the nation’s long-term response to COVID-19.
