Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
July 7, 2025
July 7, 2025 | Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896

News & Features



COURTESY OF STEPHANIE LEE
For months, students called for the University to end its contracts with ICE.

University will not renew its contracts with ICE

Hopkins Medicine Senior Director of Public Relations and Corporate Communications Kim Hoppe announced in an email to The News-Letter on Wednesday that the University would not be renewing its contracts with the U.S. Department of Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE). 


Urban anthropologist presents book about mill workers in Mumbai

On Tuesday, Professor Maura Finkelstein of Muhlenberg College presented her recently published book, an ethnographic study of the workers operating the last privately owned commercial textile mill in Mumbai, India, as part of the Department of Anthropology’s fall colloquium series.


EDA INCEKARA/PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

The Life Design Lab is intended to change how students think about their career options.

New Life Design Lab hopes to change career culture

The Life Design Lab, previously the Homewood Career Center, is now focusing on allowing students to identify their strong areas of interests and inspiration and experimenting with them to advance their career. This marks a departure from the previous center, which was primarily based around career planning and the job search. 


EDA INCEKARA/PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Prof. Lawrence Brown explained how to conduct ethical humanities research in Baltimore.

Morgan State University professor discusses Baltimore-Hopkins relationship

Morgan State University School of Community Health and Policy Associate Professor Lawrence Brown gave a lecture on working in communities as an embedded researcher on Tuesday, Sept. 17. The lecture, which took place in Clark Hall, was part of the Engaged Humanities Speaker series. Brown emphasized the importance of integrating oneself into the community being researched in order to understand the injustices it has experienced.


EDA INCEKARA/PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Students fear that new budget cuts will impede future arts programming.

Performing arts groups report budgetary cuts

Many performing arts groups on campus are reporting significant budget cuts this year from the Student Activities Commission (SAC), which is the funding board of the Student Government Association (SGA). 


COURTESY OF CHRISTINA SIA
Hopkins Republicans feel ostracized based on political beliefs on campus.

What are students doing to promote civic engagement?

As it draws closer, the 2020 presidential election has become an increasingly prevalent topic of discussion on campus, with many student groups hosting election-related events. Students shared the various ways they try to engage with both the upcoming election and politics at large.  



COURTESY OF MICHELLE LIMPE
Gregory Pine discussed how science and faith help us make sense of reality.

What is the link between science and religion?

The Bloomberg School of Public Health hosted Gregory Pine, the Thomistic Institute’s assistant director for campus outreach, last Tuesday. Pine spoke on the relationship between science and faith, as well as on how the two can serve as complements to one another.


EDA INCEKARA/PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Students expressed a desire for course offerings in Eastern philosophy.

Students question impact of Philosophy donation

In January 2018, Hopkins alum William H. Miller donated $75 million to the University’s Department of Philosophy. Professor Richard Bett, then department chair, told The News-Letter that most of the donation — the largest ever to a university Philosophy program — was intended to endow new positions. This would allow the department to expand its course offerings into areas that are not currently covered. Bett had also stated that his personal goal was to find a faculty member who could teach Eastern philosophy. 



COURTESY OF EMILY MORRIS 
U.S. President Donald Trump visited Baltimore for a Republican retreat.

Local activists protest Donald Trump’s visit

Activist group Baltimore Welcoming Committee held a labor protest featuring singing and chanting in Harbor East on Friday afternoon. The musical demonstration was part of a series of events organized in light of U.S. President Donald Trump’s attendance at a retreat for Republican lawmakers this weekend. Trump’s Baltimore appearance marks his first visit to the city since calling it a “rat and rodent infested mess” on Twitter in July. 


Hopkins seeks to hire new Vice President for Security

In July, Hopkins announced that a search committee would be formed to hire a new Vice President (VP) for Security. In addition to overseeing the entire 1,200 personnel security force for Hopkins, the future administrator will be leading and developing the planned private police force.


FILE PHOTO

Blackboard displays students’ preferred names

Starting this semester, Blackboard and the Student Information System (SIS) will pull preferred name information directly from myJH. The initiative builds on updates made this past spring, which allowed Hopkins students, staff and faculty to designate a preferred name on myJH profiles. 



COURTESY OF RUDY MALCOM
Construction on the new SDS office will be completed this October.

SDS office will relocate permanently to Shaffer

The Office of Student Disability Services (SDS) will move permanently to a larger and more accessible location in Shaffer Hall this October. Previously, the office was housed on the third floor of Garland Hall. Some students reported frequent elevator malfunctions, which they said made it difficult to access testing accommodations and other important services.



Office of Multicultural Affairs event encourages students to talk about identity

The Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) hosted its first Identity & Cuisine Night of the school year on Tuesday. The event was a part of OMA’s Heritage 365 initiative, which is a unified approach to celebrate African American, Latinx, Asian Pacific and indigenous cultures throughout the year, and was sponsored by the University’s Asian and Pacific Islander Association.


COURTESY OF JAKE LEFKOVITZ
Wehle’s new book covers Constitutional checks on government power

Prof. discusses significance of the Constitution

University of Baltimore law professor Kimberly Wehle presented her latest book, How to Read the Constitution — and Why, at the Hopkins Barnes & Noble last Sunday. In her discussion, Wehle insisted that the challenges the American constitutional order is facing right now are serious, but not necessarily insurmountable. 



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