COURTESY OF REBECCA MURATORE
Muratore reminisces on her time at The News-Letter.

Saying goodbye to The News-Letter

By REBECCA MURATORE | May 22, 2022

Like many freshmen, when I first got to Hopkins I had no idea what I was going to do with my time here. Pacing through the aisles at my first Student Involvement Fair (SIF) and putting my name down for any club that sounded vaguely interesting, I cast a net as wide as I could. Most of those frantic, overeager freshman sign-ups amounted to little more than receiving monthly emails from clubs I never ended up attending. The News-Letter, however, sent the one club email I actually paid attention to.

COURTESY OF RIA ARORA
Arora reflects on her first year post-graduation.

When we all graduate, where do we go?

By RIA ARORA | May 22, 2022

Hi Class of 2022, It’s the most wonderful time of the year: graduation season! With perfectly manicured pictures of your cap and gown, a flurry of “Congrats Grad!” balloons and bottles of champagne, graduation season is (and should be) a time of merriment and joy, celebrating all the hard work you’ve put in for the past four years.

COURTESY OF ROMILA SANTRA
Santra discusses the bittersweet feeling of graduating.

Memories with my roommate, best friend, sister

By ROMILA SANTRA | May 22, 2022

I’ll be honest: I don’t know how to do the graduation thing. It’s not the wear-a-cap-and-gown, walk-across-the-stage part that perplexes me. It’s more the aftermath: the friends-leaving-forever part.

COURTESY OF ANANTA SRIVASTAVA
Srivastava shares some advice and life lessons for her freshman self.

Letter to my freshman self

By ANANTA SRIVASTAVA | May 22, 2022

Dear freshman self, You made it. As cliche as that may sound, I know that wasn’t something you could have easily imagined, especially after your first semester. You are graduating today and are about to begin a new, exciting chapter of your life. These past four years have flown by faster than you could have imagined, and it has definitely been a learning experience. I’m going to do my best to share what I wish I had known when I was in your place.

COURTESY OF MEGHANA RAVI
Ravi discusses how her love for science and creative writing have intertwined to shape her experiences and goals.

Pursuing the intersection of science and the humanities

By MEGHANA RAVI | May 22, 2022

Growing up, I got the impression that people expected me to eventually choose between studying the humanities and science. However, I’ve always felt an equally strong affinity for both. Even in my undergraduate days, which are coming to a close now, I decided to major in both Writing Seminars and Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB), because I couldn’t imagine not having either discipline as a part of my life.

WOLFGANG LONIEN/CC BY-SA 2.0

Park reflects on the computer games she played growing up.

A breakdown of the top gaming websites of the 2000s

By SOPHIA PARK | April 21, 2022

As one of the founding members of Gen Z, I was lucky enough to experience firsthand the descent into our current, modern-day internet frenzy. From binging the music videos of iconic Disney superstar Ashley Tisdale to learning how to poke my friends on Facebook, I was a seasoned internet user by the age of 10.

COURTESY OF LEELA GEBO
Leela on her first day of kindergarten.

Growing up in Brooklyn

By LEELA GEBO | April 21, 2022

My childhood is chronicled by the first-day-of-school photos taken on the stoop of the apartment building I grew up in. Though my backpacks, hair and outfits change over the years, the limestone columns and wrought-iron door remain constant behind me.

COURTESY OF LAURA WADSTEN
Wadsten and Zippo.

Being a horse girl

By LAURA WADSTEN | April 21, 2022

I was a horse girl in another life (about 10 years ago).

COURTESY OF LAURA WADSTEN
Wadsten spent countless hours hanging out on the rooftop terrace of Mattin Center.

Back in my day

By LAURA WADSTEN | April 21, 2022

Since I first stepped on campus in 2018, lots has changed (obviously). For the sake of prosperity — and so I can reminisce in pre-pandemic nostalgia — I racked my brain for some places, policies and things that just aren’t what they used to be. For better and worse (mainly better), this school is a different place than it was four years ago.

COURTESY OF ROSIE JANG
Michelle reflects on how early digital technology shaped her childhood.

A look back at early 2000s technology

By MICHELLE LIMPE | April 21, 2022

In today’s society, it is difficult to imagine a world without technology. From iPhones to laptops to artificial intelligence, technology is central to every part of our lives and only continues to advance every year.

COURTESY OF ISABEL THOMAS
Thomas describes the toys that defined different eras of her life.

Toy trends from my childhood

By ISABEL THOMAS | April 21, 2022

Growing up, I enjoyed a lot of old-school games that my elementary and middle school-age cousins — and actually, most of my friends today — have never heard of. Some of these were handclap games like Concentration 64 and Miss Mary Mack, which my classmates and I would play while we waited in the after-school car line to be picked up by our parents.

COURTESY OF SRINITHI SRINIVASAN
Srinivasan remembers her childhood in Coimbatore fondly, always surrounded by family and neighbors.

Growing up in South India

By SRINITHI SRINIVASAN | April 21, 2022

South India is a land known for its luscious landscape, generous hospitality, heritage going back to almost two millennia and cuisine containing an assortment of spices, savories and sweets. Amid this huge universe of varieties and possibilities, I grew up in a city called Coimbatore, also known as the Manchester of South India for its booming textile industry and the rich cotton fields that surround it.

ROSIE JANG/CARTOONS EDITOR 
Goudreau had several pet fish throughout her childhood.

An ode to my dead childhood goldfish

By CLAIRE GOUDREAU | April 21, 2022

My first brush with mortality involved flushing a surprisingly high number of 50-cent goldfish down the toilet.

HELEN ALFVEGREN/CC BY 2.0

Emma reminisces about foods from her family heritage.

The recipes that defined my childhood

By EMMA ANDERSSON | April 21, 2022

Growing up in a household led by a Swedish father on one side and a Jewish mother on the other, both sets of cultural practices weaved their way into my upbringing through holiday celebrations, summer travel, spoken language. Reflecting on my childhood requires acknowledging these distinct influences. Here I’d like to highlight one specific manifestation: food.