Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
June 15, 2025
June 15, 2025 | 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.




Students with disabilities deserve more from Hopkins.

If you take the University’s word for it, Hopkins is a beacon of inclusivity. Alongside stunning views of campus, pictures meant to exemplify diversity feature prominently in the University’s promotional materials. This image is too rosy. The environment surrounding disability on campus exemplifies this inconsistency. 



GPA PHOTO ARCHIVE/CC BY-NC 2.0
Chatterjee reviews the role of media in the Democratic Party’s recent display of infighting, pointing out that oftentimes healthy negotiation is sensationalized.

Legislators are drawing battle lines. The news media struck the match.

Journalism has long been classified as a utility that provides information and facts to the public. However, with the advent of 24/7 news and the internet, the focus now seems to be on virality and maintaining constant attention from viewers. This causes much of the news to be sensationalized so that readers will click on, skim through and possibly share the story.



ROSIE JANG/CARTOONS EDITOR
To analyzes the ins and outs of hookup culture on college campuses, questioning whether casual sex really empowers women. 

Is the "hoe phase" really empowering?

There is nothing wrong with a woman wanting casual sex. There is nothing wrong with a woman wanting something more than casual sex. The game itself is what’s wrong. 



An apology is long overdue. Hopkins must do more for the Lacks family.

Last week, the family of Henrietta Lacks filed a lawsuit against biotech company Thermo Fisher Scientific. Seventy years ago, Lacks sought treatment for cervical cancer at Hopkins Hospital, where doctors harvested her cells without her knowledge. Following her death, her immortal cells, known as the HeLa cell line, would revolutionize modern medicine. 


ROSIE JANG/CARTOONS EDITOR
Andersson critiques the culture surrounding food at Hopkins, encouraging students to nourish their bodies. 

Let’s talk: eating disorders on campus

It has been a mere six weeks on campus and already I have lost track of the number of times I have heard some excuse to skip a meal: too much schoolwork, too stressed to eat, holding off until a later event.


We want to follow the rules. We just need a little more guidance.

As the winter season approaches and people increasingly opt to stay indoors, flu season has made its presence known on campus. With friends, fellow students, and even professors falling ill, it seems that everyone has been feeling under the weather. In a normal year, this might not be a cause for particular alarm. In a new normal year, however, this is concerning. 



SHOURYA ARASHANAPALLI / DESIGN STAFF

We can't catch a break.

This semester feels like a never-ending marathon. With midterm season upon us, students must constantly juggle exams, papers, applications and extracurriculars. To add to this stress, there are no formal breaks this semester in the 11 weeks between Labor Day and Thanksgiving.


ROSIE JANG/CARTOONS EDITOR
Van Atta describes the freshman experience at our University through a critical lens. 

The challenge of seeking balance at Hopkins

“Are you premed?” is the most common and frequent question I am asked after mentioning that I attend Hopkins or am majoring in Neuroscience. I have become accustomed to the blank, confused stares that I receive as I coolly respond with “Actually, no.”


Arashanapalli investigates how the expansion of technology has impacted our education system and the psyches of students. 

I don't care, just tell me the answer!

When it comes to technology and education, our preexisting negligence has been aggravated due to the onset of COVID-19. Students are reliant on their devices more than themselves and acquaint their identities in the grades they are compelled to work after. The precarious handling under the educational system drives students into an abyss of burnout and hollowed dignity.






SHOURYA ARASHANAPALLI / DESIGN STAFF

Feeling uncertain about the semester? Us too

It truly was another unprecedented summer. As vaccines became more readily available and COVID-19 cases in Baltimore declined this past June, Hopkins relaxed its indoor mask mandate and weekly testing policies. Many students felt optimistic that the fall would represent as close a return to normal as possible. 


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