Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
May 14, 2026
May 14, 2026 | Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896

Opinion

The opinions presented below are solely the views of the author and do not represent the views of The News-Letter. If you are a member of the Hopkins community looking to submit a piece or a letter to the editor, please email opinions@jhunewsletter.com.



ARMAN MOMENI / OPINIONS EDITOR
Schager argues that Hopkins should publish course syllabi prior to registration. 

The case for publishing syllabi at Hopkins

Syllabi are almost always made available by professors on the first day of class, characterizing the first two weeks of the semester as a period where students regularly use the conditional add/drop feature to switch out of courses that they wrongly predicted would be beneficial to them. If syllabi were published before this hectic window, registration and the add/drop period would be much less stressful.


COURTESY OF ALEXIS CONNER 
Serringer argues that while the DC streetcar system was unfinished and inefficient, it should have been preserved for its cultural and aesthetic value. 

A streetcar I desire: a superficial defense of streetcars

Instead, my argument in favor of streetcars deals with aesthetics. For lack of a better word, streetcars bring a certain level of chic to a city. While buses are undoubtedly more efficient, they’re not considered as sophisticated as rail transit. Streetcars simultaneously represent both modern urbanism and a time before car dependency, an attractive idea to residents and urban planners alike. 


SKASISH / CC BY-SA 4.0
Gauba argues for the many benefits of spending time with oneself

A table for one

Once a week, I still take myself on a date. Sometimes it’s coffee at a new spot in Hampden. Other times it’s a walk down Charles with nowhere particular to be. Occasionally I like to just sit somewhere on campus where no one expects anything from me. The awkwardness of asking for a table for one has long since faded away.  What replaced it was something I didn't expect to find by sitting still: a version of myself I could recognize. Turns out she’s pretty good company. 


ERIC WANG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Zamora, Jaiswal and Andriessen advocate for the removal of MCOs in Medicaid.

Reclaiming Medicaid from MCOs in Maryland

The future of Maryland’s health and our state budget can benefit greatly by removing MCOs. With 1.5 million Marylanders covered by Medicaid and 85% of those individuals enrolled in one of the state’s nine MCOs, a shift to a unified Medicaid program could save taxpayers up to $521 million annually while preventing patients from experiencing disastrous delays in care. 


KGROOVY / CC BY-SA 2.0
Feng argues for greater participation from citizens in primary elections. 

Better candidates start with better primary turnout

Even though the midterm elections are still more than six months away, many candidates have been campaigning for several months already. This long, dragged-out election season is in large part due to a peculiarity in our system — the primary election.



COURTESY OF CHRIS ZHANG
Zhang argues that U.S. intervention, while well-intentioned, does not provide necessary long-term solutions for regime change.

The US is fighting the right fights, but the wrong war

The U.S. has, since the start of the new year, conducted military strikes and operations in both Venezuela and Iran. This marks a surprising militant turn in U.S. foreign policy in recent decades, which presents a larger issue regarding the role and image of the United States across the world.



COURTESY OF KASHVI GANESH
Ganesh argues that Hopkins should guarantee housing for its students across all four years. 

Hopkins should guarantee four-year housing

From my little desk in the corner of the Housing Office in Wolman 103, I’ve gotten to witness the freshman and sophomore classes grow into the comfort of calling their dorms “home.” Groups of strangers on move-in day leave as best friends on move-out. 



Neutrality is not an option

Lately, it feels strange to walk into class as if everything is normal. To sit in lecture halls, laugh with friends and plan for the future while so much is happening beyond campus walls. The world doesn’t pause just because we’re students, and yet sometimes it feels like we’re expected to let it.


NASA GODDARD PHOTO AND VIDEO / CC BY 2.0
Morris condemns Jeff Landry’s op-ed in The New York Times, arguing that inflitrating Greenland contradicts America’s founding ideals. 

Greenland (and America’s) winter of discontent

On Jan. 29, Governor Jeff Landry penned an essay for The New York Times titled “Trump's Greenland Envoy: We Need ‘Total, Unfettered Access.’“ Mr. Landry, the U.S. Special Envoy to Greenland, was tasked by President Trump to “lead the charge” to acquire the world’s largest island. In his essay, he argues that the U.S. must expand its military presence in Greenland.


CMGLEE AT ENGLISH WIKIPEDIA / CC BY-SA 3.0
Feng argues that partisan gerrymandering undermines democracy and requires federal and systemic electoral reform. 

Gerrymandering is a symptom. Our electoral system is the disease

A fierce nationwide redistricting battle has unfolded ahead of the midterm elections this year, sparked by the Texas state legislature’s adoption of an aggressively gerrymandered congressional map aimed at flipping Democratic-held seats. Across the country, around a dozen state legislatures have initiated efforts to redraw districts to favor their parties.


COURTESY OF ARIANA GOLI 
Goli argues that those with freedom of speech must speak out for the human rights of Iranians. 

We must speak now about Iran

Currently, Iran is facing a political and humanitarian disaster. But most headlines only scratch the surface of the country’s state. As an Iranian American, I write here with a deep love for both the country and its people. In January 2026, Iran witnessed one of the deadliest crackdowns on the protests and nationwide descent of its modern history.


FIBONACCI BLUE / CC BY 4.0
Saeed condemns ICE’s aggression toward immigrants in the U.S.

The attack on immigrants is a widespread humanitarian crisis

I’ve struggled to make sense of the news lately. The systemic, administration-led violence against immigrants has torn apart families in the name of “law and order.” President Trump made his promises of mass deportations abundantly clear during his electoral campaign, but never could I have imagined the extent of his administration’s cruelty in carrying out his agenda.


 PRINTERVAL / CC BY-NC 4.0
Wang advocates against situationships and describes their presence in today’s dating culture. 

I hate situationships.

The very concept makes me want to curl up into myself and dig my head into the sand. The mere fact that situationships exist as an idea floating out there in the world deeply pains my heart every day that I am aware of it. And not just that, situationships have literally been all I’ve ever known.


BILL BRADFORD / CC BY 2.0
Nguyen criticizes the office siren aesthetic and the corporate culture surrounding it.

Why is everyone obsessed with the office siren aesthetic?

In today’s culture, there is a certain pressure to find one’s “aesthetic niche.” Social media has made self-presentation a kind of performance, where one’s outfit, lighting and even coffee order has become an indication of identity. Fast forward to 2025, and we’ve traded flowy skirts and notebooks for pencil skirts and lip gloss — the office siren has arrived.



SYDNOR DUFFY / DESIGN & LAYOUT EDITOR
The Editorial Board advises students to consider giving attention to the small joys that embody the spirit of gratitude this Thanksgiving break.

Put the "thanks" back in Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving can be a tone-deaf holiday. As the year draws to a close, things don't seem to be going well for a lot of us. Although Thanksgiving is sometimes seen as a superficial holiday preaching forced positivity, it is still an opportunity to appreciate small things and shape the holiday in ways unique to each of us.


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