Opposing Viewpoints: the need for free speech from Hong Kong activists

I didn’t expect to witness a death threat upon entering the auditorium at the Foreign Affairs Symposium (FAS) event featuring the Hong Kong Umbrella Movement activists, Nathan Law and Joshua Wong.

Opposing Viewpoints: the Hong Kong protests are not pro-democracy

Two weeks ago, Hopkins hosted two leaders from the Hong Kong riots, Nathan Law and Joshua Wong. Ever since event promotion began, it sparked anger among Hopkins Chinese students. A petition on Change.org was launched, raising awareness that Law and Wong’s movement fueled “brutal violence, massive vandalism, threats and actions of terrorism, as well as far-right-winged nativist and racist hatred toward Chinese Mainlanders.” Despite the petition efforts and support from over 2000 signatures, the Foreign Affairs Symposium (FAS) event was held as planned. 

U.S. citizens are diverse. Our presidential candidates should reflect that.

With Tom Steyer, former Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Senator Amy Klobuchar and former Mayor Mike Bloomberg dropping out of the race for the Democratic nomination, the field now has even less diversity than it did last week. Now that my preferred candidate is no longer in the running, I’m tasked with selecting a new candidate.

Justice for survivors must not end with Weinstein

For decades, Harvey Weinstein preyed on women in the film industry. And for decades, he got away with it. As a wealthy Oscar-winning producer and co-founder of Miramax and The Weinstein Company, Weinstein was one of the most powerful men in Hollywood, and he seemed invincible. 

How we should understand cancel culture after Weinstein

Two years ago, I wrote an article  reacting to the Me Too movement. My thoughts reflected the disgust I felt at the many figures in Hollywood and the public sphere who got away with sexual assault for so many years.

The Supreme Court must remain honorable

In February of 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was at the height of his popularity and was running high with ambitious plans to implement more revolutionary New Deal programs. He had just won his first re-election by a margin that hadn’t been seen since James Monroe, and the Democratic majority in Congress was overwhelming.

THE PUBLIC EDITOR: A snapshot of The News-Letter’s shifting photo culture

If you even casually flipped through last week’s paper, you probably noticed the stunningly striking photo essay, “Frozen land: scenes from the Swedish mountaintops.” What you may not have noticed, though, was that the photographer’s name appeared elsewhere in the issue alongside photos assigned to articles. Yes, please join me in extending a warmest welcome to  the paper’s newest contributing photographer.

Georgetown will divest from fossil fuels. When will Hopkins do the same?

Since 2012, college students across the U.S. have been calling on their universities to divest from fossil fuel companies. At Hopkins, student group Refuel Our Future (Refuel) has been leading the fight for divestment. In November 2019, student protesters at Harvard and Yale disrupted the Harvard-Yale football game to call on their universities to divest. At over 50 universities, Hopkins included, students held events to recognize Fossil Fuel Divestment Day. 

The religious case against President Trump

Around two months ago, the magazine Christianity Today made national headlines by writing an editorial arguing in favor of removing President Donald Trump from office. This article was significant for many reasons, but perhaps the reason that it was so relevant was because of how thoroughly unexpected it seemed. The editorial wasn’t just interesting — it was surprising.

Why I’m not able to support Mike Bloomberg for president

We are two months into 2020, and it’s not an exaggeration to say that civilization itself hangs in the balance. All around us, Trumpian forces of authoritarianism and corruption operate with impunity in our federal government, the international order continues to crack under its own weight and the climate crisis marches on unabated. 

THE PUBLIC EDITOR: Before plugging in your headphones, try plugging into Charm City’s arts scene

You’re a Hopkins student. You wake up, and if you’re not already on campus you’re probably no more than a few minutes away. You grab coffee and a croissant from Brody Cafe before class. You catch the JHMI, which ferries you across Baltimore to the Hospital’s doorstep. You’re in the lab, head bent, back aching for hours. You head back to campus, hit up the library and then the rec center. You grab dinner at the FFC or, if you’re feeling adventurous, somewhere along St. Paul, on your way home.

How will a new undergrad curriculum improve the student experience?

Last week, the Second Commission on Undergraduate Education (CUE2) released a set of recommendations to revamp the undergraduate curriculum at Hopkins. These recommendations aim to improve the undergraduate experience, with an emphasis on student health and wellbeing. 

THE PUBLIC EDITOR: Making the most of Your Weekend in Baltimore (Hopkins bubble optional)

What is Your Weekend? I’m not talking about the weekend, those horribly magical two days during which you can both take a breather from the last week and work yourself into a panic about the next. Nor do I mean The Weeknd, whose mixtape collection Trilogy remains perennially underrated. And while we’re on music, I should clarify that I’m definitely not thinking of SZA’s timeless sidechick anthem “The Weekend.”

Voting should start in California, not in Iowa

Coronavirus can bring free speech to China

Coronavirus (CoV) is currently spreading all over the mainland of China. It has already constituted the deaths of over 1,100. Since the first CoV case in Wuhan, China on Dec. 1, it has not only brought about 45,000 individuals infected with virus, but has also activated Chinese civic awareness.

To improve student life, look to film director Bong Joon-ho

This past Sunday, the Oscars honored a historically excellent year of movies and recognized a group of artists at least somewhat more diverse than award shows of recent memory. From Tom Hanks announcing the opening of the Academy Museum, to the many award-winners who sobbed out their “thank you”s, to an emotional “In Memoriam” section, the show was truly a celebration of the passion for storytelling and dedication to their craft exhibited by the filmmaking community. 

All students must participate in meaningful local service

Before I start this article, I just want to say that I love Hopkins. I love the campus, I love the diversity, I love meeting new people every day, I love the Chocolate Chunk shakes with soy milk from Brody Café. However, there are some problems with our service culture that I think need to change quite a bit.

We will have a new academic calendar next year. How will this impact students?

Though the spring semester has just begun, the Office of the University Registrar is already looking ahead at next year’s academic calendar. On Friday, Jan. 31 Hopkins announced plans to implement a University-wide calendar in an email. 

THE PUBLIC EDITOR: Blue Jays asked, anonymous advice author Arden Arquette answered

You may have noticed an unusual byline in last week’s Voices section — Arden Arquette, a name laden with literary whimsy, appeared beneath a silhouetted headshot. Read the title, ‘Ask Arden,’ and the pieces come together — The News-Letter has an anonymous advice column.