Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
September 16, 2025
September 16, 2025 | Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896

News & Features



COURTESY OF PEYTON MIKOLAYEK
Mikolayek shares her experience being a social media influencer, while also a student at Hopkins.

Humans of Hopkins: Peyton Mikolayek

Peyton Mikolayek is a first-year undergraduate studying English and Psychology at the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences. She’s also a social media influencer with over 500K followers on TikTok. In an interview with The News-Letter, Peyton discussed how she’s adapted to life in college and the reality of navigating dual worlds while maintaining authenticity, as well as how social media has created new opportunities for her.


COURTESY OF MYRA SAEED
Shane discusses his new book Flee North with audience at the Homewood Museum.

Book Talk Highlights the Underground Railroad’s Forgotten Hero

Journalist and author Scott Shane discussed the history of his newest work, Flee North: A Forgotten Hero and the Fight for Freedom in Slavery's Borderland, at the Homewood Museum on Tuesday, Oct. 1. Jeannette Marxen, the Programs and Interpretation Manager for JHU Museums and organizer of this event, emphasized the discussion’s importance in relation to the museum’s focus on public education and Baltimore’s history in an interview with The News-Letter. 



COURTESY OF RILEY STRAIT
Yang and Kinzinger discuss the role of the two-party system in modern day politics.

SNF Agora Institute hosts Andrew Yang and Adam Kinzinger in a discussion of America's two-party system

On Thursday, Sept. 26, the Hopkins Lecture Series, in partnership with the SNF Agora Institute and the Aronson Center for International Studies, hosted a lecture on the future of the two-party system in Shriver Hall. The talk hosted Andrew Yang,  former presidential candidate in the 2020 election cycle as well as founder of the Forward Party, and Adam Kinzinger, former U.S. Representative for Illinois’ 16th district. 




COURTESY OF J.D. TOVAR
Tovar highlights his research on pi-conjugated systems and shares how his teaching style connects organic concepts to its applications and research.  

Humans of Hopkins: J.D. Tovar

J.D. Tovar is a professor at the Department of Chemistry, leading a research group focused on the synthesis and investigation of organic materials with extended pi-electron conjugation. In an interview with The News-Letter, Tovar discussed his fascination with the colors and applications of pi-electron systems, as well as how he balances the demands of teaching and research.




COURTESY OF BERNADETTE KIM
Student line up at the Beach to register to vote and fill forms for absentee ballots. 

Hopkins encourages civic participation at National Voter Registration Day

On Sept. 17, students gathered at the Beach for National Voter Registration Day, an annual event dedicated to encouraging civic participation. Hosted by Hopkins Votes and the Center for Social Concern (CSC), the event aimed to provide students with resources to register to vote and prepare for the upcoming election cycle.


SAMHI BOPPANA / CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF
The data released by the University on the racial and ethnic makeup of the incoming class of first-year undergraduates in 2024 showed a drop in the percentage of Black, Hispanic and under-represented groups. 

University announces drop in percentage of students from underrepresented groups in the Class of 2028

The University has released data on the socioeconomic, racial and ethnic backgrounds of the class of 2028, marking the first admissions cycle since the Supreme Court's 2023 decision to restrict race-conscious admissions. While the academic qualifications of the new class remain consistent with previous years, the percentage of students from underrepresented racial groups has declined sharply from the data for incoming students in fall of 2023.


JH Accountability Board faces backlash from community during virtual meeting

On Saturday, Sept. 14, the Johns Hopkins University Police Accountability Board (JH Accountability Board) hosted an open virtual meeting to discuss the policies and deployment of the Johns Hopkins Police Department (JHPD). The JH Accountability Board is responsible for sharing community feedback with JHPD leadership; reviewing JHPD metrics involving crime; and assessing departmental policies, procedures and training to provide recommendations for improvement.


An event by Hopkins Hillel hosting speaker Arky Staiman was met by a protest outside the building. 

Protestors assemble outside Hillel event featuring Arky Staiman

On Sept. 15, Hopkins Hillel hosted a talk at the the Smokler Center for Jewish Life at the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Building with speaker Aaron “Arky” Staiman, an American who serves in the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) military reserve as part of the Yasar, a body retrieval unit. 



Mark Krikorian speaks at YAF event, disrupted by protestors calling for event cancellation

The Hopkins chapter of the Young America Foundation (YAF), led by members of the Hopkins College Republicans, hosted their first event on Wednesday, Sept. 11. The event featured a speech regarding immigration reform by Mark Krikorian, which was to be followed by a 45-minute Q&A with the speaker. However, the event was soon disrupted by student protestors and ended early. 


COURTESY OF MYRA SAEED
Walsh and Guttenberg discussed the importance of open dialogue and highlighting the value of conversing with those of differing perspectives. 

SNF Agora hosts Joe Walsh and Fred Guttenberg for discussion on open dialogue

On Thursday, Sept. 12, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Agora Institute and the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue hosted former congressman and gun rights proponent Joe Walsh and gun safety advocate Fred Guttenberg on their tour, “Bridging the Political Divide: Two Dads Defending Democracy.” 


COURTESY OF VICTOR YOU
ABC Health volunteers helped the organization Break A Difference with their construction project in Edmondson Village.

Advocates for Baltimore Community Health expand efforts to serve local communities

Advocates for Baltimore Community Health (ABC Health) is a student-run organization under the Center for Social Concern that focuses on service and advocacy, and promotes healthy living in Baltimore. The group connects Hopkins students with local clinics, community organizations, and nonprofits to address the health needs of uninsured and underinsured populations.




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