news-features

What mental health resources does Baltimore have to offer?

By JEANNE LEE | November 29, 2018

As students at Hopkins, we are all residents of Baltimore City. It is easy to forget this when we talk about mental health at Hopkins, an indisputably academically stressful environment, yet a privileged population. In some neighborhoods in Baltimore, mental health stems from deep-rooted issues of segregation, poverty and socioeconomic disparities. 

A Place to Talk hosts #Kindness campaign

By BRANKO MRAVIC | November 29, 2018

A Place to Talk (APTT), a student-run peer listening service, launched an ongoing campaign titled #KindnessAtHopkins this semester. The campaign, which encourages students to share positive experiences at Hopkins by submission through a Google Form, seeks to shed light on everyday moments of kindness that have affected students.

When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it. (66).png

Final police forum leaves questions unanswered

By RACHEL JUIENG | November 30, 2018

At the second and final open forum in the University’s Public Safety Initiatives series, Hopkins officials revealed new details about their proposed private police force. Community members, however, voiced their opposition to the University’s plans and criticized Hopkins for failing to acknowledge their concerns.

Self-care tips from The News-Letter editors

By SARAH Y. KIM | November 29, 2018

Sometimes it helps to set everything down and stare into space for a few minutes. If I’m at home, I like to open the window, sit on my bed and focus on something aesthetically pleasing in my room, like my succulent, Luna. I’d listen to something instrumental to slow down my heart rate and breathing: Studio Ghibli soundtracks, Hilary Hahn’s Bach recordings, Schumann and the “Peaceful Piano” playlist on Spotify are always helpful. Afterward, I always feel more grounded, alert and focused. 

Panelists debate the value of standardized testing in public schools

By ARPAN SAHOO | November 29, 2018

The nonprofit Teachers’ Democracy Project (TDP) hosted a panel and discussion on the efficiency of using testing data to judge school productivity on Monday. Participants discussed the school accountability movement, which seeks to hold schools liable for providing a good education for their students.

HOPKINSSPORTS.COM The Blue Jays made it to their first Final Four in program history.

Field Hockey’s magical run ends in Final Four

By BRANDON WOLFE | November 28, 2018

2018 was a magical year for the Hopkins field hockey team. At every turn, it seemed that the Blue Jays were rewriting their own record book, only to rewrite it again just weeks later. All good things must come to an end, however, and the most successful season in Hopkins field hockey history ended in the Final Four as the No. 9 Jays fell to the No. 4 Tufts University Jumbos. 

Using Google Maps to keep homesickness at bay

By STEPHANIE LEE | November 28, 2018

Humans, by nature, love to measure things. Throughout history, civilizations and individuals alike have consistently created systems of measurement: Ancient Maya charted the skies and compiled a calendar to measure time; physicists work to calculate the scale of our universe; English bishop John Wilkins invented the metric system in the 17th century.

COURTESY OF VAGUEONTHEHOW Grant Gustin plays Barry Allen, the protagonist, on The CW’s The Flash.

Taking in the wisdom of accomplished people

By ARPAN SAHOO | November 28, 2018

Twist the burette, open the tap with your non-dominant hand, swirl the flask and voila! A quick and easy titration,” my chemistry lab professor said. He had been watching me do the lab and stepped up to teach me his titration technique. I observed with awe as he transformed a 10-second process into a one-second feat. 

Explore what your local food scene has to offer

By FRANK GUERRIERO | November 28, 2018

The moment my bus pulled away from the curb of Newark’s Penn Station — only late by a modest 12 minutes, impressively enough — I felt it. With only half a cup of coffee to assuage its relentless appetite, my stomach began to rumble in longing for the hometown staples I’d savored over Thanksgiving break.

PUBLIC DOMAIN A go-to dish from home is the arancini at his uncle’s deli in Fairfield.
COURTESY OF ADDY PERLMAN Pledges bobbing for apples as part of their quest to become sisters.

A tradition passed down through generations

By ADDY PERLMAN | November 28, 2018

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I thought I would give you a story to be thankful for.  A long time ago, two mortal enemies formed rival sororities for their high schools. They were each going to take 50 girls from their grades to form pledge classes. Who would recruit whom? Which would be more popular? Who would win? 

What made this year’s Thanksgiving unique

By SAMUEL FARRAR | November 29, 2018

I have to admit, this Thanksgiving was probably my favorite of all time. I talked to some family I hadn’t seen in years, had two Thanksgiving feasts, reconnected with former classmates at a Friendsgiving, and it was all topped off with a nice little $1.8 billion cherry from Michael Bloomberg.

COURTESY OF DAVID SHANKBONE/ CC BY-SA 3.0 Michael Bloomberg’s donation made this Thanksgiving extra sweet.

Latest film in Fantastic Beasts franchise disappoints audiences

By JUSTIN KIM | November 28, 2018

Continuing the spinoff series that nobody asked for, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is the second installment in the Fantastic Beasts franchise that keeps teasing the showdown between Grindelwald and Dumbledore. It keeps confusing me. Why is this series even called Fantastic Beasts? At least the Harry Potter movies were actually about the boy who lived; unless Dumbledore and Grindelwald are going to have an aerial dogfight on top of dragons and Hippogriffs, I don’t see why the Fantastic Beasts part should have any relevance.

New York Public Library exhibition honors Atkins

By KATHARINE LEE | November 28, 2018

This winter the New York Public Library celebrates Anna Atkins, an English botanist and artist from the 1800s. The exhibit Anna Atkins Refracted: Contemporary Works explores Atkins’ influence through the works of 19 contemporary artists. 

While a powerful film, Boy Erased erases its star

By RUDY MALCOM | November 28, 2018

I wasn’t expecting the uplifting sensation of a feel-good rom com when I went to see Boy Erased on Tuesday, Nov. 20. That shouldn’t come as a surprise; the film — based on producer and LGBTQ activist Garrard Conley’s same-titled 2016 memoir — is about Jared Eamons (Lucas Hedges), who begins gay conversion therapy after his Baptist father tells him: “We cannot see a way that you can live under this roof if you’re going to fundamentally go against the grain of our beliefs.” But I wasn’t anticipating the unshakable tremor of a disturbing horror movie either.

UPROXX/ CC BY 3.0 Lucas Hedges stars as Jared Eamons in Joel Edgerton’s new film about conversion therapy, Boy Erased
courtesy of Jon Schroeder/JHU Consensus performed show ‘ConCERNed’ on the Hopkins campus, combining rap and STEM fields

British rapper Consensus explores a passion for physics through rap

By COLE DOUGLASS | November 29, 2018

As a student majoring in the two very different fields of Cognitive Science and Writing Seminars, I am fascinated by the ways that one area of study can be used to deepen our understanding of another, completely unrelated, subject. This is one of the reasons that I like the musical Hamilton so much; by pairing a historical narrative with a musical medium, Lin-Manuel Miranda has helped me retain more about the American Revolution than any history class has.