COURTESY OF CHRIS H. PARK
Hopkins is building a temporary structure in anticipation of increased demand for outdoor spaces in the spring.

Large social distancing tent to be pitched in Freshman Quad

By GRETA MARAS and CHRIS H. PARK | November 7, 2020

Earlier this week, a wheel dozer and a metal wire mesh fence along with several portable toilets appeared on the Freshman Quad, the patch of grass in front of the Alumni Memorial Residence dorm buildings. Here the University is building a temporary 9,000-square-foot structure — essentially, a large party tent used for outdoor weddings — to prepare for the hybrid reopening in the spring semester.

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Brandon Scott pledges “A New Way Forward” for Baltimore City.

Brandon Scott wins Baltimore mayoral election

By MICHELLE LIMPE | November 5, 2020

Democrat Brandon Scott, president of the Baltimore City Council, was elected to be the city’s 52nd mayor on Nov. 3. Succeeding Bernard C. “Jack” Young, Scott, at age 36, will become Baltimore’s youngest mayor. He will be officially sworn into office on Dec. 20.

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Panelists discuss how women in different political environments are shaping society.

Women activists emphasize the need for female empowerment in politics

By ANANTA SRIVASTAVA | November 5, 2020

The Aronson Center for International Studies held the third event in its 2020 Fall Speaker Series on Human Rights to discuss the topic of “Women and Conflict” on Thursday, Oct. 29.

COURTESY OF CHRIS H. PARK
It could take days for the result of the presidential election to be called.

Students anxiously await decisive election results

By LEELA GEBO | November 4, 2020

“I didn’t choose to go vote at home in Pennsylvania. I requested my absentee ballot in August and wanted to vote early and get it out of the way without having to go home... About two weeks ago, though, I got an email that said my ballot was considered undeliverable by the USPS.”

COURTESY OF CHRIS H. PARK
The 10% tuition reduction for the fall semester will not continue in the spring.

University announces hybrid plan for the spring semester

By CHRIS H. PARK | November 2, 2020

University President Ronald J. Daniels and other administrators announced in an email to University affiliates on Monday that Hopkins will offer in-person classes, research activities and housing in the spring semester.

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Because of historically low student voter turnout rates, the University will provide transportation for in-person voting.

Hopkins makes class on Election Day optional to boost student voting rates

By MIN-SEO KIM | November 2, 2020

To better accommodate students who will be voting in-person on Election Day, University President Ronald J. Daniels announced that no student will be required to attend live classes on Nov. 3 in a University-wide email on Oct. 19. Faculty have been asked to make recordings of their lectures for students who are unable to attend class.

COURTESY OF CHRIS H. PARK
SGA predicts that the student body will feel high levels of stress surrounding Election Day.

SGA plans to support students on Election Day

By CLAIRE GOUDREAU | November 2, 2020

The Student Government Association (SGA) discussed how to help students cope with the stress of the upcoming presidential election at its weekly meeting on Oct. 27.

PUBLIC DOMAIN
Ruha Benjamin explores the relationship between two major issues that have devastated the nation: COVID-19 and racial injustice.

Princeton professor presents a new theory on countering racism at bioethics lecture

By MICHELLE LIMPE | November 2, 2020

The Berman Institute of Bioethics hosted Ruha Benjamin as the first speaker in its speaker series “Epidemic/Endemic: Medical Humanities & Social Medicine 2020-21” on Oct. 30. The Department of Sociology and the Center for Medical Humanities and Social Medicine co-sponsored the event, entitled “Viral Justice: Pandemics, Policing and Public Bioethics.”

FILE PHOTO
On Monday, community members shared their hopes for the grant application process with the leaders of the Innovation Fund for Community Safety.

Nonprofit leaders give input on University's Innovation Fund

By ELIZABETH RAPHAEL | November 1, 2020

At the end of September, the University announced the creation of the Innovation Fund for Community Safety, a $6 million grant to be rolled out over four years to various nonprofits in order to improve wellness and safety in the Baltimore community. The University held a listening session on Oct. 26 with community and nonprofit leaders to gain a deeper understanding of how the grant application and selection process should be structured.

PUBLIC DOMAIN
U.S. Representative John Sarbanes spoke at a HopDems event about campaign finance reform in the context of the upcoming election.

Baltimore Congressman advocates for campaign finance reform

By MOLLY GAHAGEN | October 30, 2020

The College Democrats at Hopkins (HopDems) hosted U.S. Representative John Sarbanes to discuss campaign finance reform on Oct. 27.

COURTESY OF CHRISTOPHER CELENZA
Celenza, dean of Georgetown College at Georgetown University, will return to Hopkins effective Jan. 4.

Christopher Celenza to return to Hopkins as the new KSAS dean

By CHRIS H. PARK | October 30, 2020

Christopher Celenza has been designated as the next James B. Knapp Dean of the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS). According to a University-wide email sent on Oct. 22 by University President Ronald J. Daniels, Celenza will begin his tenure on Jan. 4, 2021.

COURTESY OF AARON WIEGAND
Participants engaged with archives regarding Baltimore’s LGBTQ history.

DSAGA explores Baltimore’s queer history through media archives

By AARON WIEGAND | October 30, 2020

The Diverse Sexuality and Gender Alliance (DSAGA) hosted an interactive event titled “Queer Times: A Virtual Exploration of Queer Media” on Oct. 24.

FILE PHOTO
Henrietta Lacks' cells, which were taken without her consent by the Hopkins Hospital, spurred many medical breakthroughs.

Hopkins honors Henrietta Lacks' 100th birthday

By JULIA CHOE | October 28, 2020

The Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) screened a video lecture honoring Henrietta Lacks and the impact of her cells titled “Henrietta Lacks Memorial Lecture: 100 years of Henrietta Lacks” on Saturday, Oct. 24. The event addressed the widespread reach and complexity of Lacks and her cells, both biomedically and ethically, and aimed to provide insight into the past, present and future of clinical research conduct.

COURTESY OF CHRIS H. PARK
Students voice concerns about how dropping temperatures will impact socially distanced outdoor gatherings.

Concerns loom about COVID-19 precautions as winter approaches

By CHRIS H. PARK and JACKIE RITTENHOUSE | October 28, 2020

The United States is entering a new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, with cases surging across the country. The seven-day moving average of new cases is at its third peak since the beginning of the pandemic. More than 83,000 new cases were added Friday and Saturday, marking the two highest numbers of new cases added in a single day.

COURTESY OF CHRIS H. PARK
At last week’s meeting, SGA invited students to share questions about the upcoming semester.

SGA hosts public forum to hear student concerns

By CLAIRE GOUDREAU | October 27, 2020

The Student Government Association (SGA) held a public input forum at its weekly meeting on Oct. 20. During the forum, students asked questions about topics including the spring semester, grading and the virtual freshman experience.

COURTESY OF TEACHERS AND RESEARCHERS UNITED
Graduate students call for an end to the austerity measures in light of the latest financial update from the University.

Austerity measures will be kept, despite budget surplus

By MICHELLE LIMPE | October 24, 2020

University President Ronald J. Daniels reported on Oct. 15 that the University ended the FY20 fiscal year with a surplus of $75 million due to mitigation efforts. These efforts, which include salary and hiring freezes, will be kept in place until the end of the school year.

PUBLIC DOMAIN
During the third event of this year’s MSE Symposium, Salaam detailed how the Central Park Five case changed his life and discussed the faults in the criminal justice system.

MSE hosts Central Park Five member Yusef Salaam

By GRETA MARAS | October 23, 2020

The Milton S. Eisenhower (MSE) Symposium hosted Yusef Salaam during its third speaker event in the “Living Through History” series on Oct. 20.

COURTESY OF ARIELLA SHUA
On Saturday, 200 protesters gathered in Baltimore for the annual Women’s March.

Baltimore Women’s March protesters stress the importance of voting

By ARIELLA SHUA | October 22, 2020

Baltimore Women United along with a number of other women’s rights and progressive organizations hosted the 2020 Baltimore Women’s March on Saturday, Oct. 17. The event, which coincided with nearly 400 other Women’s Marches across the country, used the slogan “March. Dissent. Vote.”

COURTESY OF CHRIS H. PARK
Students report that COVID-19 pandemic has increased stigma against the Asian-American community.

How has COVID-19 impacted the mental health of Asians and Asian Americans?

By CYNTHIA HU | October 20, 2020

As COVID-19 made its way from Wuhan, China to the United States, East Asians were strongly associated with the pandemic in the popular consciousness.

COURTESY OF CHRIS H. PARK
Many students reported that Hopkins could not locate their belongings.

Lost but not found: Housing has yet to present a plan for missing student belongings

By CHRIS H. PARK and ELIZA BOWMAN | October 20, 2020

Broken glasses, missing electronics, mislabeled boxes and radio silence — several students reported that the University failed to responsibly pack, store and return their items from this past spring semester. At least two months since the first reported incident, Hopkins still has yet to communicate substantially with affected students.

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