Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
March 14, 2026 March 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.

Why you should donate to your class gift

By RACHEL UNDERWEISER | May 2, 2019

When I attended the Student Involvement Fair in the fall of my freshman year, I brought along a separate tote bag. In that bag, I collected flyers for every club possible: Model UN, Improv, Engineering Clubs, JHU Perch, you name it. There were so many options, right there, literally at my fingertips. That night I stumbled upon a flyer for a sketch comedy group with a large cartoon logo, and I pinned it on my wall, circling the date to audition.

COURTESY OF JAKE FOX Jake Fox (right) playing on the Iroquois Nationals at the 2018 FIL World Championship.

Native American lacrosse deserves greater recognition

By JAKE FOX | May 2, 2019

According to Native Americans, the Creator long ago passed down lacrosse to Native Americans. More than a sport, it was a medicine and allowed for healing of the people. Today, lacrosse is the fastest sport on two feet, played all around the world. As a Native American student athlete of the Métis tribe, I have continued to share the game to people of all ages and races. I, along with other Native Americans, want all to enjoy watching and even playing the game handed down to us. Yet many people around the world play without including us.

Progressives should not insist on anti-Zionism

By RUDY MALCOM | April 25, 2019

Like millions of fellow Jews worldwide, I began celebrating Passover on Friday night. The holiday commemorates the Hebrews’ biblically alleged exodus from Egypt into present-day Israel.  When I was growing up, several Jewish friends of mine told me that Passover — with its abundance of matzo — was the only time of the year that they ever thought about being Jewish. 

Remember Black Lives Matter during Earth Week

By NAADIYA HUTCHINSON | April 25, 2019

When Eric Garner, a 43-year-old Black American man, cried, “I can’t breathe” shortly before dying from a chokehold at the hands of a New York City police officer, it wasn’t just because of the officer strangling him. It was also because he had asthma constraining the amount of air he could take in. Garner’s death gained media attention due to uproar from the #BlackLivesMatter movement. But the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter generally makes one think of protests against police brutality and crime in Black communities. 

FILE PHOTO A 2018 rally by Refuel Our Future, urging Hopkins to fully divest from fossil fuels.

Despite progress, Hopkins must step up climate efforts

By ELLY REN | April 25, 2019

On Earth Day, University President Ronald J. Daniels made a few exciting announcements. The University has purchased solar offsets for two-thirds of our energy consumption, created the Sustainability Leadership Council and appointed a new director for our small and underfunded Office of Sustainability. 

Burnt out? Us too.

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD | April 18, 2019

Writing about work culture at Hopkins is tricky. We acknowledge that we are extremely privileged to be able to attend college, surrounded by scholars who are the very best in their field and peers who are already accomplishing so much. We are grateful to pursue our higher education in Baltimore, at one of the nation’s top institutions. And yet, as finals approach, and Brody remains full, many of us are burnt out. 

COURTESY OF LAURA NUGENT Shua recognize the importance of entertainment in reminding us of the horrors of the Holocaust. 

We need portrayals of the Holocaust more than ever

By ARIELLA SHUA | April 18, 2019

Last weekend I saw the Barnstormers’ production of Cabaret. It was the second week of the show’s run, so I had some background on the musical. It takes place in 1930s Berlin. There is a lot of sex. A Nazi is involved. It’s an interesting show, to say the least.

Why I won’t take the Enrolled Student Survey

By JACOB TOOK | April 18, 2019

Earlier this week, Vice Provost for Student Affairs Kevin Shollenberger sent out a survey to enrolled undergraduates as part of “continuing efforts to review and improve the Johns Hopkins experience.”

Can activists and the University reach a middle ground on the private police force?

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD | April 11, 2019

Since the University first announced its intent to create a private police force in March 2018, the Editorial Board has opposed the initiative. Now the bill – called the Community Safety and Strengthening Act – has passed in the Maryland General Assembly, and we maintain our opposition. We are disappointed that this bill is moving forward and we have the same concerns about a Hopkins police force that we have already expressed over the past year: a continuation of corrupt policing in Baltimore, potential racial profiling of students, the threat of armed guards on campus and further division between the Hopkins and Baltimore communities.

FILE PHOTO Parekh urges alumni to respect current students regardless of their political views.

Before attacking us, alumni should stop and hear us out

By DIVA PAREKH | April 11, 2019

Last year, on a Friday afternoon during Alumni Weekend, I was crying on a couch in the Gatehouse (The News-Letter office). I had just gotten off of a very upsetting phone call, and the Gatehouse was a safe space for me. It was somewhere I could cry and overcome whatever was going in my life. 

In defense of creating a Hopkins police force

By BENJAMIN LEACH | April 11, 2019

Nearly a week has passed, and the student sit-in at Garland Hall continues. Occasionally the protestors will walk out with their megaphone as students head to class, chanting, among other things, “No Justice, No Peace! No Private Police!” This past Friday, I encountered the group as they came to Levering Kitchens, hoping to garner support in their condemnation of the University.

We must keep organizing for demilitarization

By COREY PAYNE and PETER WECK | April 4, 2019

The Maryland State General Assembly has passed a law allowing Hopkins to form its own armed private police force. This marks the first time that a private corporation in Maryland will have its own police department, authorized to use force and make arrests. 

Becoming a more representative student newspaper

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD | April 4, 2019

Each week, our editorial board takes time to look at the issues facing Baltimore and the Hopkins community and share our stance on the ones we find most pressing. This week, we’re looking inwards to examine how The News-Letter can be a more representative newspaper. 

EDA INCEKARA/PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Adamson says that the University did not take concerns about Hopkins police seriously.

How tone policing legitimizes injustice (and private police)

By TYLER ADAMSON | April 4, 2019

I am a graduate student; I am an elected student representative of the Bloomberg School of Public Health; and I am a member of the Student Advisory Committee for Security (SACS). I came to Baltimore for Hopkins, but this city and the people here have grown on me. I joined SACS because I believed that the administration had the best interests of both the Hopkins and Baltimore communities in mind, that they wanted what was best for everyone. 

Ensuring that our university is accessible to low-income applicants

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD | March 28, 2019

Earlier this month, federal prosecutors charged dozens of wealthy parents for bribing or cheating their children’s ways into universities across the nation. Three days after the news of this college admissions scandal — now known as Operation Varsity Blues — broke, Hopkins welcomed 2,309 new applicants to its Class of 2023 at an acceptance rate of 7.7 percent, the lowest rate in the last few years. 

Saying goodbye to Swirnow, my second home

By SOPHIA LIPKIN | March 28, 2019

I first stepped into Swirnow Theater on Aug. 25, 2018, the day after I arrived at Hopkins. I hardly knew it then, but that space was to become my second home at a school that seems to care very little for the arts. 

COURTESY OF JESSE WU Wu was forced to shut down his food pop-up Jade after opening it in his dorm room.

University should do more to foster entrepreneurship

By JESSE WU | March 28, 2019

Student entrepreneurship is a key aspect of what makes a college experience special. Beyond the classes and specialized knowledge for the typical college grad careers, entrepreneurship allows us to pursue hobbies and interests that aren’t necessarily related to our studies and have commercial potential.

Our SGA executive election endorsements

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD | March 14, 2019

This past year, the Student Government Association (SGA) has had both triumphs and tribulations. SGA members have campaigned for years for a student center, and this month they realized that goal when the University announced that one will be built by 2024. SGA also hosted its inaugural Mental Health Summit to address the lack of mental health resources on campus. Beginning in the fall, around 2,000 undergraduates responded to an SGA-led referendum on campus issues. These are some of SGA’s successes from the past year.

STEPHEN MCCARTHY / CC BY 2.0 Noting the rise of Asian politicians like Andrew Yang, Fang hopes Asian-Americans will play a greater role in shaping U.S. politics.

Making political action a Subtle Asian Trait

By ALAN FANG | March 14, 2019

Subtle Asian Traits might be the biggest social media phenomenon you’ve never heard of. When a joke Facebook group started by a few Chinese-Australian high schoolers exploded to 1.2 million members within a few months, some people were bound to be left behind.

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