Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
January 1, 2026 January 1, 2026 | Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896

News & Features

COURTESY OF CHRISTIAN MENDOZA The organizers highlighted Posner’s dedication to research and stressed that his legacy should be carried on through the fellowship.

Push to rename Woodrow Wilson Fellowship in honor of Ethan Posner

By AIMEE CHO | April 9, 2024

On March 8, sophomore Biophysics student Ethan Posner passed away from a brief illness. In his freshman year, Posner was selected as a recipient of the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, a three-year undergraduate research funding program that provides up to $10,000. Some students, faculty and community members are pushing to rename the fellowship to the Ethan Posner Fellowship in honor of him. They are collecting the names and testimonies of people in support of the cause through an online form.

FILE PHOTO The Institute for Planetary Health will work on issues pertaining to the Earth’s well-being, including pollution and climate change. 

Hopkins announces Institute for Planetary Health

By AIMEE CHO | April 7, 2024

On April 3, Tuesday, the University introduced the Johns Hopkins Institute for Planetary Health (JHIPH) in a University-wide broadcast. The institute is one of the cross-university initiatives that Hopkins has been pursuing as part of the Ten for One Strategic Plan.

COURTESY OF JANVI MADHANI Members of the TRU-UE bargaining committee after signing the tentative agreement. 

TRU-UE reaches tentative bargaining agreement with the University

By SHIRLENE JOHN | April 5, 2024

The graduate student union, Teachers and Researchers United (TRU-UE), and the University reached a tentative bargaining agreement on Friday, March 29. After almost a year of negotiations, this tentative agreement covers several important articles, including raising the minimum stipend to $47,000 this July, with an additional one-time signing bonus of $1,000 upon ratification.

COURTESY OF MAYA BRITTO Panelists offered three different approaches to understanding and interpreting the issue of sportswashing.

FAS panel sheds light on global issue of sportswashing

By MAYA BRITTO | April 3, 2024

On Wednesday, March 27, panelists Dave Zirin, Rob Koehler and Doug Bandow discussed the global implications of sportswashing during the latest installment of the Spring 2024 Foreign Affair Symposium (FAS) series, Kaleidoscope: Embracing the Global Mosaic.

STEVEN SIMPSON / PHOTO EDITOR Despite the policy change, the University expressed that it does not question the value of the COVID-19 vaccine and remains an advocate for its significance. 

University lifts COVID-19 vaccine requirement

By CATHY WANG | April 2, 2024

Effective Thursday, March 28, the University will no longer require at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for all faculty, staff and students. Instead, the COVID-19 vaccine will be strongly encouraged, while the seasonal flu vaccine remains mandatory.

GAGE SKIDMORE / CC BY-SA 3.0 Graduating students expressed mixed responses about the commencement speaker announcement. 

University announces Mitt Romney as commencement speaker

By AIMEE CHO | March 29, 2024

On Wednesday, March 27, the University announced that Mitt Romney, a U.S. Senator from Utah, will give the commencement speech for the Class of 2024 on May 23. Romney was sworn in as a senator for Utah in 2019. Previously, he served as the governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007. Romney has run for the Republican presidential nomination twice and was selected as the presidential nominee in 2012. 

COURTESY OF SHERELLA CUPID Imran highlighted the "ground up" nature of the CDS initiative, which encourages students to be actively engaged in their studies.

New Chloe Center pushes for Critical Diaspora Studies Major

By AIMEE CHO | March 29, 2024

The new Chloe Center for the Critical Study of Racism, Immigration, and Colonialism is a research center that officially launched this semester. The center emerged from the Program in Racism, Immigration, and Citizenship (RIC) founded in 2006 and is currently directed by Professor Stuart Schrader. With this expansion, the Chloe Center plans to continue programs from the RIC, such as open roundtables and the Graduate Student Symposiums, in addition to expanding and bringing more people into its orbit.

Hopkins community mourns the loss of Shani Tahir Mott

By YANA MULANI | March 28, 2024

The University is mourning the loss of Shani Tahir Mott, who passed away Tuesday, March 12 from cancer, four days before her 48th birthday. She joined the Hopkins faculty in 2008 and was a lecturer in the Center for Africana Studies and the Department of History.

COURTESY OF MAYA BRITTO Although Ochoa was initially rejected from NASA’s astronaut selection, she continued to pursue her dream and became the first Latina woman to go to space in 1993.

Latina engineer and astronaut Ellen Ochoa inspires Hopkins students

By MAYA BRITTO | March 25, 2024

On Thursday, March 14, Dr. Ellen Ochoa, the first Latina woman to go to space, was invited as the second speaker of the Spring 2024 Foreign Affair Symposium (FAS) series, Kaleidoscope: Embracing the Global Mosaic. This event was hosted by the HOP, and was sponsored by the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, the Chloe Center and the Maryland Space Grant Consortium (MDSGC). 

ARUSA MALIK / DESIGN & LAYOUT EDITOR The elected 2024–2025 SGA Executive Board representatives discussed their goals for the upcoming academic year.

2024–2025 SGA election results are announced

By AIMEE CHO | March 15, 2024

The results for the 2024–2025 Student Government Association (SGA) Executive Board and class council elections were released on Wednesday, March 13. The Committee on Student Elections (CSE) reported that a total of 1,032 students voted, a number much lower than last year’s turnout of 1,453 students.

COURTESY OF SHIRLENE JOHN

New South Asian Studies minor proposed by SGA senators

By CATHY WANG | March 14, 2024

Two Class of 2026 senators in the Student Government Association (SGA), Srigouri Oruganty and Shruti Tyagi, are spearheading an initiative to establish a South Asian Studies minor. The minor is expected to consist of 14-20 credits, with core courses in history, geopolitics, sociology and theology. While the minor is currently in the early planning stage, the senators hope this program will provide interdisciplinary and individualized electives.

COURTESY OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS The Barn was originally built as a farm building but functioned as a space for student organizations after it was acquired by Hopkins.

Merrick Barn: Past and present

By LANA SWINDLE | March 14, 2024

Merrick Barn, located behind Brody Learning Commons, is one of the oldest buildings on campus and home to the Undergraduate Program in Theatre Arts and Studies at Hopkins. According to A Brief History of the Homewood Campus: Its Buildings, Monuments, and Sculpture, the Barn (as it was formerly named) was first constructed in 1803 for Charles Carroll, Jr., son of Charles Carroll of Carrollton — signer of the Declaration of Independence and one of the wealthiest American men at the time.

COURTESY OF CHRISTINE WANG Wang highlighted that she learned about the importance of communication and teamwork through her work experience at NASA.

Humans of Hopkins: Christine Wang

By AIMEE CHO | March 14, 2024

Christine Wang is a junior majoring in Biomedical Engineering and minoring in Space Science and Engineering. Outside of Hopkins, she has worked as an engineer in NASA’s Johnson Space Center since January 2023. In an interview with The News-Letter, Wang described her work at NASA, her experience as a Miss Maryland finalist and her professional fencing career.

STEVEN SIMPSON / PHOTO EDITOR SGA discusses community organizing and charity events.

SGA discusses MSE renovation plan and event planning

By LEO QI | March 14, 2024

The Student Government Association (SGA) convened for its weekly meeting on Tuesday, March 12.  The session began with a presentation from the library leadership team on the renovation plan for the Milton S. Eisenhower Library (MSE), which showed computer-generated graphics and floor plans of envisioned spaces. The project highlights open spaces, integration of natural lighting and an increase in seat count.

COURTESY OF NICK DAUM TRU-UE and administration are progressing in contract negotiations, but the union recently introduced a strike pledge due to disagreements over fair wages and benefits.

TRU-UE threatens strike amid stalled negotiations

By NICK DAUM | March 13, 2024

Following another round of negotiations with the Hopkins administration last month, the Hopkins graduate student union, Teachers and Researchers United (TRU-UE), announced a strike pledge on Tuesday, March 5. In the pledge, members expressed their willingness to strike if they do not reach an agreement with the administration regarding competitive wages and fair benefits.

COURTESY OF MAYA BRITTO Students held handpainted signs that called for the liberation of Palestine.

Students organize protest in opposition to violence in Palestine

By MAYA BRITTO | March 13, 2024

A demonstration in solidarity with Palestine took place on Monday, March 11. Around 20 students convened in front of the Beach on North Charles Street to protest the ongoing violence in Gaza. The protest was organized by Hopkins Students for Palestine and involved students from various groups on campus, including Speak Out Now and the Hopkins Justice Collective.

Hopkins community mourns the loss of Ethan Posner

By AIMEE CHO | March 12, 2024

The University is mourning the loss of Ethan Posner, who passed away Friday, March 8 after a brief illness. He was a sophomore studying Biophysics at the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and a member of Hopkins Hillel, the Jewish Students Association, Club Swimming, the German Club and the Undergraduate Brain Computer Interface Society.

FILE PHOTO The candidates for the SGA Executive Board elections discussed issues such as MSE renovations, dining concerns and current vacancies in the organization.

SGA Executive Board candidates debate campus issues

By CATHY WANG | March 9, 2024

The candidates for the 2024–2025 SGA Executive Board took part in a debate on Wednesday, March 6, during which they answered questions about their platforms, the expanding structure of SGA and solutions to various issues on campus.

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