Why I joined The News-Letter, and why you should too

In high school, I was an arts kid. Theater, orchestra, choir — you name it, I did it. I also took classes in poetry and did a lot of that. To me, journalism seemed like another creative outlet that I hadn’t explored yet, and like any eager college freshman, I was itching to join new clubs the second I stepped foot on campus. 

Student Involvement Fair sneak preview: Hopkins club spotlight

There are over 400 student groups at Hopkins, many of which will be at the Student Involvement Fair on Sept. 7. We’ve highlighted a small selection here.

Charm City Food Guide: A quick rundown of Baltimore’s good eats

The best class I’ve taken at Hopkins

Historical facts to help you win Charm City trivia

Our best tips for navigating Brody and MSE

You’ve no doubt noticed the interconnected buildings behind the Beach, one older and shorter, the other newer and sleek. They’re empty now but they won’t be for long. These are MSE and Brody. If you’re a typical Hopkins student, they’ll become your second home.

Advice for freshmen: embrace failures and new friends

I’m writing an article called “Advice from a senior to a freshman.” Has it really been that long? It doesn’t feel like that long ago I was walking onto Homewood for the first time, standing in the middle of the Gilman Quad utterly and completely lost. I don’t think I’m ready to leave yet. 

Your guide to getting around Baltimore

As a new member of the Blue Jay nest, it is important for you and your new friends to spread your wings and fly beyond Homewood Campus. 

No fun and no humanities? Your Hopkins stereotypes, debunked

During my first days at Hopkins, I was incredibly anxious about how I would fare and whether I would be happy. But after forging meaningful relationships with friends from diverse backgrounds and getting a taste of the undergraduate experience, I learned that the negative stereotypes concerning Hopkins are based more on fearful speculation than actual experience. 

The long, yellow brick road to finding the right major at Hopkins

Among the go-to questions that you’re bound to be asked, not only as a freshman but throughout your years at Hopkins, are the ever-daunting “What’s your major?” or “What are you interested in?”

Stand up, be heard: a spotlight on student activism at Hopkins

Clarissa Chen, president of Refuel our Future, explained that one thing she learned from her efforts to persuade Hopkins to divest from fossil fuels is the unique ability of Hopkins students to sway the University. She reminded future student activists to recognize and use this. 

Why I joined The News-Letter, and why you should too

People often say that love makes you do crazy things. During the winter break of my freshman year — still sad about the end of my first high school relationship — those crazy things included watching clips of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind on loop, crying in bed for hours and rereading old messages late at night. Needless to say, I was not the most fun person to be around. 

My body, my choice: the politics of birth control

Last September, I woke up early on a Thursday morning and took an Uber to the Planned Parenthood clinic in central Baltimore.

Luna

Clarissa was a passionate collector of the small toys that were dispensed in capsules from the gumball machines in front of grocery stores. Her first full collection, comprised of mini Sailor Moon bobbleheads, had been paid for by the quarters her dad collected from his addiction to vending machine snacks. 

Never been kissed: Learning to accept my unsexy love life

I’m a 22-year-old college senior, and I have never kissed anyone. It’s not for lack of attraction or for any kind of religious reasons. It just never happened.

Love after love: Finding myself after my first heartbreak

Before I ever experienced romantic love, I spent years wondering how it might feel. From early 2000’s Taylor Swift ballads to my grandparents’ slow dance at their 50th wedding anniversary: The world around me was teeming with romance.

Learning to love from 300 miles away

I have been dating my girlfriend, Sydney, since Valentine’s Day in the eighth grade. Yesterday marks our seven-year anniversary.

Repeating my high school identity struggle: embracing polyamory

For better or worse, I’m mostly attracted to boys. But in the last few months I’ve started to think about other labels. And that terrifies me.

Grappling with the friend zone in modern relationships

The friend zone. The proverbial Sunken Place in which people hate to be caught. For some, it could be the worst possible thing that could ever happen.