News & Features

New vice president for security outlines plans for campus policing

By JACOB TOOK | September 6, 2018

Melissa Hyatt, a 20-year veteran of the Baltimore Police Department (BPD), joined the University as the vice president for security in April. Her appointment followed an increase in security operations due to rising crime rates around the Homewood Campus, along with plans to create a private police force that University officials announced in March. 

COURTESY OF MELISSA HYATT Vice President for Security Melissa Hyatt joined Hopkins last April.

Administration responds to demands for disability services

By JAE CHOI | September 6, 2018

Since April, the student group Advocates for Disability Awareness (ADA) has demanded improvements to Student Disability Services (SDS) on campus. In July, Vice Provost for Student Affairs Kevin Shollenberger and Vice Provost for Institutional Equity Kimberly Hewitt announced in a campus-wide email that the University would take measures to address these demands. 

COURTESY OF MORGAN OME The Alpha Delta Phi (WAWA) fraternity will not be permitted to return to the Homewood Campus before the fall of 2024. 

Following University suspension, Alpha Delta Phi (WAWA) fraternity revokes its charter

By KATY WILNER | August 17, 2018

Following a four-month investigation by the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, the University has issued a two-year suspension to the Alpha Delta Phi (WAWA) fraternity. Though the fraternity could have applied for automatic re-recognition after the suspension lifted, Alpha Delta Phi chose instead to revoke their recognition at the University and with their national office. 

COURTESY OF ROLLIN HU Whitehead Hall and the Power Plant building were placed on lockdown after the suspect fled to the area.

Carjacking suspect in custody after fleeing onto Homewood campus

By MEAGAN PEOPLES and DIVA PAREKH | July 25, 2018

The Baltimore Police Department (BPD) arrested a carjacking suspect on Homewood Campus this afternoon at 2:02 p.m. The suspect, who was involved in a carjacking incident in the Southeast District of Baltimore a month ago, fled a vehicle and entered Homewood on foot. According to BPD Chief Spokesman T.J. Smith, the suspect was unarmed. 

SGA issues voting recount to fill class council vacancies

By MEAGAN PEOPLES | May 9, 2018

The Committee on Student Elections (CSE) released the recounted results for the 2018-19 Student Government Association (SGA) Class Council elections on Tuesday night. The original results were released on Friday, but due to a change in voting system which left ten seats open, the CSE decided to conduct a recount. 

FILE PHOTO Following the recount, sophomores Omar Lloyd and Kiana Boroumand and freshmen Sam Mollin, Evan Mays and Matthew Taj were elected to senator positions.
FILE PHOTO Of the eligible student body, consisting of the current freshman, sophomore and junior classes, 23.3 percent cast their ballots. 

Following SGA class council elections, several positions remain vacant

By DIVA PAREKH and EMILY MCDONALD | May 5, 2018

The Committee on Student Elections (CSE) announced the results of the 2018-19 Student Government Association (SGA) Class Council elections on Friday. A total of 928 students voted, which marked a seven percent decrease from last year. Of the eligible student body, consisting of the current freshman, sophomore and junior classes, 23.3 percent cast their ballots.

Reddit co-founder speaks to student entrepreneurs

By JASON NGUYEN | May 6, 2018

Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of the social news website Reddit and the venture capital firm Initialized Capital, spoke at an event hosted by FastForward U, an initiative within Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures (JHTV) on Friday. This event, hosted in Hodson 110, kicked off Alumni Weekend 2018 and was open to alumni, students and faculty.

COURTESY OF IMANI WEST The panelists at the symposium discussed various political movements from 1968 to 2018.

University hosts symposium on social justice

By DRAKE FOREMAN | May 3, 2018

The Hopkins Urban Health Institute, in collaboration with the Office of the Provost, held its annual symposium on the social determinants of health at the East Baltimore campus this Monday. This year’s symposium focused on activism and social justice in the past 50 years. 

Panelists discuss the MD gubernatorial election

By GIULIANA LEOTTA | May 3, 2018

A panel of activists discussed the upcoming Baltimore gubernatorial elections at an event titled “Movement Power/Electoral Strategy: What’s at stake for Baltimore in the upcoming governor’s race?” this Wednesday at Red Emma’s. The talk featured journalist Marc Steiner and Associate Professor of Political Science and Africana Studies Lester Spence, as well as five other speakers. 

University hosts Alumni Weekend celebration

By JAE CHOI | May 3, 2018

The Hopkins Alumni Association hosted Alumni Weekend from April 26 to 29. Alumni returned to Homewood Campus to participate in a variety of social, cultural and academic events, which were open to both alumni and current students.

COURTESY OF JAE CHOI Alumni and current students attended celebrations like The Hullabalooza, which took place on Decker Quad.
JAMES DUNCAN DAVIDSON/ CC BY-SA 3.0 Stevenson is the founder and director of the Equal Justice Initiative.

University will award six honorary degrees in 2018

By ALYSSA WOODEN | May 3, 2018

The University’s six honorary degree recipients for this year include a co-owner of the Baltimore Orioles, an investment firm president, a prize-winning neuroscientist and a human rights lawyer. The list of recipients was announced on April 25, and the honorary degrees will be awarded at commencement on May 24.

SGA discusses future plans for fall referendum

By RUDY MALCOM | May 3, 2018

The Student Government Association (SGA) held their final meeting of the 2017-2018 academic year on Tuesday in Charles Commons. At the meeting, SGA passed their 40th piece of legislation, which is double the combined number of bills passed in the past two years. Members of the SGA also gave their final reports.

FILE PHOTO The OIE handles cases of discrimination, harassment and misconduct.

Administration responds to student criticism of OIE

By DIVA PAREKH | May 3, 2018

Last week, The News-Letter published an article titled “On their own,” which shared the stories of eight survivors of sexual violence and their experience with the University’s reporting process through the Office of Institutional Equity (OIE). In the same week, The News-Letter also wrote an editorial criticizing the OIE’s handling of reports of sexual violence.