Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
May 3, 2024

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.





FILE PHOTO

Garland Hall currently houses administrative offices, like those of the President and the Provost.

Forget Mattin. Garland Hall should be our student center.

Students have been talking about getting a student center on campus since at least 2001, and every couple of years, there’s a renewed push to get one. We are in the middle of one of those pushes now as a confluence of University groups and reports —  the Student Government Association’s Referendum, the Second Commission on Undergraduate Education (CUE2), and the Task Force on Student Mental Health and Well-being Final Report — have called for the construction of a student center. 


We need a security committee for every campus

In an email to students last Thursday, new Vice President for Security Melissa Hyatt welcomed student feedback on Hopkins security. She included a new email address and announced the creation of a new Student Advisory Committee for Security, whose role is to “address a variety of subjects” and “provide diverse perspectives” pertaining to security at Hopkins. The Committee is actively seeking applications.


How self-care can empower women (and men)

This year, I’ve gotten better at taking care of myself.  For me, a lot of this means allowing myself to slow down. I set aside time to cook. I eat healthier and take my time at meals. I go to the gym. I sleep a lot more and avoid staying at Brody past midnight.





COURTESY OF ROLLIN HU

Hu argues that to be more effective activists, students must look to their predecessors.

Take lessons from the past for future student activism

Over the past three years, I’ve gotten to learn more about Hopkins than I would have liked. Our renowned medical research carries the shadow of exploiting test subjects with cases like the nonconsensual removal of Henrietta Lacks’ cells or the Kennedy Krieger lead paint experiments. Our school’s commitment to research-based solutions is discarded as it pursues a private police force which researchers and community members alike have rejected.


What Asian representation means to me

When I learned that there was a movie called Crazy Rich Asians hitting theaters, I decided that I was going to love it. I didn’t really know or care what it was about. All I knew was that it was an American movie with a predominantly Asian cast, and that was all it took to get me on board. 


Creating a black arts district would celebrate our city’s history

Baltimoreans have called for a black arts and entertainment district to be designated in the city for years. Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle, a local grassroots think tank, formally applied to recognize a historic part of Pennsylvania Avenue in Upton as such a district this year. After a kick-off event in the area this weekend, the creation of a black arts district has never seemed more achievable.


We’re Top 10 again. But does rank represent the true student experience?

After falling to number 11 last year, Hopkins has reclaimed its number ten spot in the 2019 U.S. News & World Report National University Rankings. Being a top ten school is something our University holds in high regard, publishing it proudly on The Hub and delivering the news to every student’s inbox. It is even listed as the fourth goal in University President Ronald J. Daniels’ Ten by Twenty plan.


Support local businesses, boycott Amazon

This past Labor Day, tens of thousands of workers employed at Amazon fulfillment centers appreciated one of their few days of rest. It was doubtlessly a needed reprieve from working conditions so strict that Amazon fired a worker for seven minutes of unproductivity, forced employees to walk over 15 miles a day and caused one employee to state that [Amazon] kills you mentally and physically.


To fight ableism, hold yourself and the University accountable

Most of us at Hopkins are privileged in not having to think about disability accommodations, or even think about the challenges our peers with disabilities face. As the University moves forward with its initiatives, it’s time we change that. If we’re to successfully undo ableism at Hopkins, staying ignorant and passive is not an option. 


Homewood should implement a smoking ban

That smoking jeopardizes everyone’s health has been well-known for decades. In fact, Hopkins faculty have produced much of the research detailing smoking’s deleterious effects. Ironically, it is the University’s smoking policies that lag behind those of its peer institutions. 


COURTESY OF TEACHERS AND RESEARCHERS UNITED

Since 2014, Teachers and Researchers United has been fighting for affordable healthcare.

We must keep organizing for graduate student workers

If you’re a graduate student receiving health insurance through the University, congratulations are in order. The 2018-2019 plan which took effect on Aug. 15 is a big improvement over its woefully unaffordable predecessors, reducing the costs of care and expanding coverage to vision and dental. Turns out that our eyes and teeth are part of our bodies after all.





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