Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
June 15, 2025
June 15, 2025 | Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896

Magazine



COURTESY OF GABRIEL LESSER
Captured moments from a recent trip to the market.

The Magic of the Waverly Farmers Market

A few weeks ago, I woke up bright and early at 8 a.m. on a Saturday to attend the Waverly Farmers Market. I am usually tempted to sleep in and rest on Saturday mornings; however, this particular Saturday, my friend Reese and I were motivated to go to the Bramble Baking booth at the farmers market, which always sells out before 9 a.m. 


COURTESY OF AMAL HAYAT
TikTok's tortilla hack is an easy way to slightly elevate the dish.

The highs and lows of TikTok recipes

Every Sunday, I get a notification from my phone announcing that my screen time is over five hours a day. A closer look shows that at least a third of that time is spent on TikTok.


COURTESY OF TANGYA TAN
Though a bit pricey, The Food Market offers superb American cuisine.

Hampden's can't-miss restaurant rundown

Forget the $20 Uber rides split with friends that are needed to pursue fine dining at the Inner Harbor. Instead, with a simple click on TransLoc, a Blue Jay Shuttle Night Ride will take you to Hampden, a quintessential Baltimore neighborhood whose main drag is home to some of the city’s best dining and bar options.


Six international recipes from international students

Everyone loves food. Aside from being a warm escape from the ever-cooling Baltimore weather, food gives us all something to bond over. Each region of the world has its trademarked delicacies. No matter the ingredients, however similar they are across geographic areas, each location brings its own taste to the table and its distinct palate to the picnic. Each culture revels in its own scrumptious glory.


COURTESY OF CLAIRE GOUDREAU
After many drafts, O'Donnell has compiled her choices for the perfect six-pack of beer.

Six beers I'd include in my ideal six-pack

Over the past year, I’ve gotten very interested in trying new beers. Now, do I have any qualifications to talk about beer? Absolutely not. But I am a human with preferences, and out of the beers I’ve tried, I like some more than others.


COURTESY OF STEVEN DEPOLO / CC-BY-SA-2.0
According to Wadsten, you don't need to break the bank to drink good wine in college.

Not your freshman year roommate’s André

André: The bottle is ubiquitous on and around the Hopkins campus, not just for its low price but also for its easy-to-drink sweetness. This is probably one of the cheaper bottles you can get at Eddie’s, and it comes in a variety of fun and fruity flavors. In all honesty, though, André is essentially juice.


COURTESY OF NENAD STOJKOVIC / CC-BY-SA-2.0
Tired of drinking straight from the can? Try out these upperclassmen's favorite mixed drinks.

A collection of cocktails

Underage drinking is illegal and The News-Letter does not condone it. Now that that’s cleared up, here’s a collection of some of the favorite cocktails of upperclassmen. If you haven’t yet defined your signature drink, order one of these at your next night out. You won’t be disappointed (probably). 


PUBLIC DOMAIN
Whether you prefer ice cream or gelato, Park and Maras have the spots for you.

The hits and misses of Charm City's ice cream scene

Good ice cream is no laughing matter. There are no other culinary joys in life besides ice cream that entail the perfect combination of temperature, flavor and texture. As such, our expedition to determine who offers the absolute best ice cream in Baltimore was a serious undertaking that we approached with the utmost gravity.


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Three years out from their orientation (pictured above), the class of '22 has a lot of tips to share.

Freshmen ask, seniors answer

Incoming freshmen asked; we answered! After collecting the Class of 2025’s top questions and concerns, seniors Laura Wadsten, Claire Goudreau, Adelle Thompson, Amal Hayat and Izzy Geada pooled their thoughts together to tell you what you need to know. 


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Whether you're interested in journalism, photography or business, Editors-in-Chief Leela Gebo and Laura Wadsten encourage you to join The News-Letter.

Why we joined The News-Letter and why YOU should, too!

When I moved into AMR III on a balmy August day, I knew a couple things: 1) I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life and 2) I was ready to take advantage of all things Hopkins. I applied early decision way back in 2017 (I’m feeling old), essentially hoping Johns Hopkins himself would throw a “life plan” right in front of my face. That came true, kind of. 


COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES — SHERIDAN LIBRARIES 
The News-Letter has been a staple of University life for 125 years.

Finding our niche at The News-Letter

After logging out of my Zoom class last November, my phone rang with an email notification. To my surprise, it was a reply to an interview request I had sent the day prior to a person I never thought would actually respond.  I have some time before 11am. Here’s my number:


COURTESY OF CLAYTON BLICK
The Gatehouse, pictured above in the 1970s, has housed student journalism at Hopkins for decades.

Putting student journalism in the spotlight

Over the course of the pandemic, The News-Letter transitioned from a weekly, print publication to a daily, online-only production. As shocking as it was for us to see the Gatehouse sit empty for nearly a year, the digital transformation of our production process matched current trends of news consumption — as of 2020, 86% of Americans reported that they accessed news from their smartphones. 


WIKIMEDIA COMMONS / CC BY-SA 2.0
Make sure to catch an Orioles game at Camden Yards before this year's season ends.

From Babb Field to Camden Yards: making the most of Baltimore sports

With the fall semester about to kick off, Hopkins students are slowly making their way back to campus. As the University begins to open up, the sports industry is beginning to open up as well. Many stadiums and leagues are permitting fans to return to games, which brings a whole other dimension to watching a sport.


COURTESY OF BRODY SILVA
Whether you're craving American, Lebanese, Japanese or anywhere in between, Baltimore has plenty of options.

A taste of Baltimore: Where to eat in Charm City

Moving to a new city presents the opportunity to explore a brand-new culinary landscape. Other than national trends, much of the identity of a city’s food culture is characteristic of its economic history, immigration patterns and community bonding through food. Though it can be daunting to find all the best places to take friends to show your local know-how, hopefully this guide gives you an updated look at what’s good and what’s special (all for a night out under $15).


A peek at the Class of 2025

Artists and athletes, scientists and scholars, hailing from across the world and just around the corner, the members of the Class of 2025 are bringing plenty of interesting perspectives to Hopkins. Here is a quick introduction to some of the new faces you might see around campus this fall.


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Lipkin argues that, when picking your major, it does not matter how good you are at a subject.

What you should look for in your major

I stumbled upon my Mathematics major in a manner only describable as an accident. I had always taken hard math classes in high school, and I became accustomed to math taking up most of my time, so it just seemed natural that I would continue to take those classes in college. And it sort of never stopped. Even though I am, by most accounts, terrible at mathematics.


COURTESY OF CLAIRE GOUDREAU
While living alone for the first time can be daunting, it can also offer independence.

How to live alone for the first time

They annoyed you on the car ride to school with their music choices, fumigated your dorm down with Lysol and possibly cried while they hugged you goodbye. But now that your parents have gone home, what are you to do with no adult supervision? The realization that an actual grown-up is not in the next room to help with an unexpected crisis is a scary one, but it’s one that most every freshman is facing right now.


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While “The Beach” has no sand or waves, students still use it to hang out with friends and sunbathe.

Your guide to need-to-know Hopkins slang

Now that you’ve arrived at Hopkins, there is a lot you need to take in all at once. It is certainly overwhelming, especially when people are throwing around lingo and jargon that might as well be in a different language. Here are the explanations behind some of the most common Hopkins lingo to help you get the hang of things.


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Students can call the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Call Center if they have any questions or concerns about the virus.

A checklist of Hopkins COVID-19 protocols

Dear Class of ‘25, Congratulations on getting into Hopkins! We are so excited to finally resume a sense of normalcy this coming school year and welcome you on campus. However, with cases on the rise and new variants spreading, the fight against COVID-19 is not over. Here is a checklist of a few important University rules (as of Aug. 23) to keep in mind to best PROTECT JHU as everyone returns and begins a new year in-person:


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