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COURTESY OF JAKE LEFKOVITZ Panelist discussed the recently released Freedom in the World 2019 report.

Experts discuss declines in democracies

By JAKE LEFKOVITZ | February 7, 2019

Michael Abramowitz, the president of Freedom House, sat down with Karen DeYoung of The Washington Post and Yascha Mounk, political scientist at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Angora Institute, on Tuesday to discuss his organization’s recent report on the global state of democracy. The School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), the SNF Agora Institute and Freedom House hosted the event, titled “Freedom in the World 2019: Democracy in Retreat.” Elise Labott, former CNN foreign affairs reporter, moderated the talk.

Panelists discuss how to fund unpaid internships

By KATERINA FRYE | February 7, 2019

The Career Center hosted a workshop titled, “How to Fund Your Internship” on Tuesday night. The panel consisted of directors from Internship Programs, the Office of Development, the Career Center, the Center for Social Concern and the Office of Student Financial Services. 

COURTESY OF ANANTA SRIVASTAVA The black history month opening ceremony included poetry readings.

Students reflect on the start of Black History Month

By ANANTA SRIVASTAVA | February 7, 2019

In honor of Black History Month, the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) hosted an opening ceremony at The LaB on Feb. 1. The ceremony featured poets Aja Monet, Dominique Christina and Mecca Verdell as the opening act. This was the first in a series of events that will be held throughout Hopkins during the month of February. 

WELP.SK / CC-BY-SA-3.0 Environment Maryland data says Baltimore air pollution is among the top 10 worst in the nation.

Baltimore City Council passes bill to regulate trash incinerators

By WILL EDMONDS | February 7, 2019

The Baltimore City Council voted to approve a bill that would require trash incinerators in the city to either abide by stricter environmental regulations or shut down on Monday, Feb. 4. After a two-month long process that started on Nov. 19, 2018, the Land Use and Transportation Committee voted unanimously on Jan. 30 to send the bill to the full City Council for approval. After the City Council passed the bill 12-1, a final vote remains and is to be held on Feb. 11.

SGA discusses private police, JHU-ICE relationship

By CLAIRE GOUDREAU | February 7, 2019

The Student Government Association (SGA) listened to a presentation on public safety legislation by University officials and endorsed a walkout organized by the Hopkins Coalition Against ICE during their weekly meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 5. 

FILE PHOTO Despite months of protest from students and community members, the University is in the process of creating a private police force. 

Hopkins releases first draft of revised police bill

By MORGAN OME | January 31, 2019

University officials released the first draft of a bill that would grant Hopkins the authority to establish its own police force on Wednesday. The News-Letter also independently obtained an earlier draft of the bill that same day. The draft is the first piece of proposed legislation released to the public since March 2018 and includes several revisions, such as the creation of an Accountability Board, an expanded definition of “campus area” and a timeline for implementing a police department. 

Rally for Immigrants’ Lives tackles JHU-ICE

By JAMES SCHARF | January 31, 2019

Members of the Hopkins community gathered on Wednesday to listen to a panel about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and its contracts with the University. The four panelists included an expert on migration, an organizer for CASA de Maryland, a volunteer with Sanctuary Streets of Baltimore, and Drew Daniel, the Hopkins English professor who organized a petition protesting the JHU-ICE contracts.

Students Against Private Police organized one of the largest campus protests just days after the University announced its intent to create a campus police force on March 8, 2018.

Eight questions with Students Against Private Police

By TRISHA PARAYIL | January 31, 2019

Within hours of the University announcing its plan to create a private police force last March, several student activist groups organized to form Students Against Private Police (SAPP). Within days, SAPP had organized one of the largest protests on campus and marched to President Ronald J. Daniels’ house. By the end of the month, SAPP had lobbied legislators in Annapolis and circulated a petition which garnered over 2,300 signatures. This semester, they continue to coordinate efforts against the formation of a police force. 

FILE PHOTO Charles Village, one of the neighborhoods bordering Homewood Campus, would be impacted by the proposed police force.

How do city residents view campus policing?

By MEAGAN PEOPLES | January 31, 2019

Last spring members of the Maryland General Assembly refused to support a bill that would allow Hopkins to create a private police force. Lawmakers called on University officials to conduct an interim study and engage in more substantial community outreach if they wanted to reintroduce a bill in the future.

Another Believer / CC-BY-SA-3.0 The Newseum will remain open through 2019, after which it will relocate.

University to buy the Newseum building in D.C.

By DIVA PAREKH and JAE CHOI | January 31, 2019

The University announced its $372.5 million purchase of the Newseum building in Washington, D.C. on Friday.  The Newseum, located at 555 Pennsylvania Ave., is a museum dedicated to raising awareness about free speech and journalistic freedom. It is managed by the Freedom Forum, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the First Amendment.

COURTESY OF RUDY MALCOM Speakers from various backgrounds discussed women’s rights at the March.

Baltimore City hosts third annual Women’s March

By RUDY MALCOM and JAE CHOI | January 31, 2019

Hundreds of Baltimore residents and Hopkins students gathered at City Hall on Jan. 19 for the third annual Women’s March. Speakers highlighted women’s recent political gains, protested the Trump administration’s policies and outlined various challenges women in Baltimore face, before leading demonstrators through War Memorial Plaza. 

COURTESY OF JAKE LEFKOVITZ Governors Sununu, Hogan and Wolf discussed bipartisanship at Monday’s talk.

Three governors discuss bipartisanship in the U.S.

By JAKE LEFKOVITZ | January 31, 2019

Governors Chris Sununu (R-N.H.), Tom Wolf (D-Pa.) and Larry Hogan (R-Md.) discussed bipartisanship in an era of division on Monday at the Parkway Theater. PBS Managing Editor Judy Woodruff presented the talk, titled “Divided Nation, United States.” The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Agora Institute sponsored the event. 

FILE PHOTO

University solicits feedback on draft of new personal relationships policy

By EMILY MCDONALD and KATY WILNER | December 18, 2018

Vice Provost Sunil Kumar informed the Hopkins community on an email sent on Friday, Dec. 14 that the University is drafting a policy regarding personal relationships, particularly between students and professors. The Draft Personal Relationships Policy defines personal relationships as dating, romantic, and sexual relationships. The University is currently soliciting feedback on the draft.

PUBLIC DOMAIN

University releases new compensation plan for RAs

By MEAGAN PEOPLES | December 14, 2018

The Office of Residential Life and the Office of Student Financial Services announced a new compensation plan for Residential Advisors (RA) in response to concerns that RAs are not paid equitably. The plan, which was announced on Thursday, will take effect in the 2019-2020 school year. RAs will be considered student employees and receive a yearly $5,100 stipend. In addition, their housing will now be considered non-taxable income, and therefore it will not affect financial aid.

FILE PHOTO

OIE blocks 18 reports of sexual misconduct

By DIVA PAREKH | December 8, 2018

The Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) announced on Wednesday that an issue with its website had mistakenly blocked it from receiving 18 reports of sexual misconduct, which took place between January 2016 and October 2018.  

Activists gathered on the steps of MSE Library where they shared their experiences reporting sexual misconduct and assault to the Office of Institutional Equity.

Students protest the University’s mishandling of sexual violence cases

By MORGAN OME and DIVA PAREKH | December 6, 2018

Around 100 students, faculty and community members gathered outside of the Milton S. Eisenhower Library (MSE) on Thursday to demand that the University reform how the Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) handles cases of sexual violence. Demonstrators also called on administrators to take action against Anthropology Professor Juan Obarrio, who has been accused of sexually assaulting a visiting graduate student in May. 

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