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.
Immigration was one of the most frequently mentioned topics by former President Donald Trump in the presidential debate on Sept. 10. “Migrant crime” is a term he often used against Vice President Kamala Harris. Nothing from that night frustrated me more than the fact that she did not once push back on his rhetoric. There is no migrant crisis: The “issue” has been incorrectly pontificated by Republicans looking for political gain.
One could say that a man so consistently opposed to democracy has no business running a university. And, if the University were, as Daniels idealizes in his book, primarily an institution aimed at the pursuit of truth and cultivation of citizenship, then he would certainly be poorly suited for his job.
The climate crisis is real. We see evidence of this in increased storm severity, more intense wildfires and inundated shorelines. As with all problems, humans naturally search for a root cause for these continuing disasters. It can be difficult to reconcile that we — the humans searching for answers to this crisis — are responsible for the global climate crisis. Greed, short-sighted mitigation strategies and stubborn opposition to change are among the top reasons why mankind have thus far failed to adequately address the urgency of climate disasters.
The News-Letter is proud to be financially independent from the University, a tradition started by alumni of the paper that we have maintained for decades. This means that the paper does not receive funding from the University which enables us to serve as an unbiased and trusted organization when reporting on matters affecting the Hopkins community. As we begin the new school year, we want to provide readers with a greater understanding of our sources of funding and the importance of maintaining our independence.
As a Muslim student, I call for my peers of all faiths and identities to stand in solidarity with Jewish and Muslim students alike across the country, especially here at Hopkins. Next time you say something, share something or hit that repost button…bear in mind your Jewish or Muslim classmate, and think about both of them.
On Monday, April 29, the Beach became the site of a Palestine Solidarity Encampment, one of many on campuses across the nation. The encampment concerns many Hopkins students — the Jewish community included. While the Hopkins Jewish community possesses a variety of opinions regarding the Israel-Hamas war, we are committed to promoting peace, security and healing for all affected by this tragic war. But irrespective of the conflict, it is unacceptable to risk the safety and security of students. The hatred espoused within the encampment puts every Hopkins student at risk.
We, Johns Hopkins student organizations advocating for reproductive justice, condemn the University’s choice of Mitt Romney as the 2024 commencement speaker. In particular, we are calling attention to Senator Romney’s damaging views on reproductive health which disproportionately affect marginalized communities.
As the school year draws to a close, The News-Letter is reflecting on the successes and challenges of this year and our role in the Hopkins community. It is a unique time to be working for a college newspaper. As editors of The News-Letter, watching breaking news notifications about our peer institutions roll in makes us wonder: What is the role of a university newspaper? Are we even making an impact? What can we do better?
Bihon, bichulsan, biyeonae, bisekseu: no marriage, childbirth, romance or sex with men. It is so simple and nonviolent that one may wonder why this wasn’t a popular movement earlier. Women no longer need to deal with abuse or the fear of it when breaking up with men if they never get into a relationship in the first place. They no longer feel the need to have children or have sex due to societal and male pressure once they decenter men in their lives.
TikTok is a clear national security threat. With over 170 million American users, TikTok’s Chinese ownership and ability to collect, store and possibly even share data raises serious national security concerns. Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan bill calling for TikTok to divest from its Chinese ownership or face a ban in the U.S. While the bill should be passed, it is an incomprehensive step in the right direction; TikTok is only a part of more pervasive problems in our media landscape and culture.
One of the most daunting burdens faced by Hopkins students is the grueling task of reading an endless flow of papers, articles and documents. It is an arduous task that is ignored by some and reluctantly performed by others. But there is a way to easily harvest the valuable knowledge within these texts through the concept of active reading.
You might think that you’ve left Hopkins territory by walking a few blocks away from campus, but as the navy signage follows you, one thing is clear: The Hopkins bubble extends much farther than initially meets the eye. Recently, The News-Letter’s News & Features team launched an investigation into the University’s land and real estate holdings, both around Charles Village as well as the wider Baltimore area. After assessing its holdings, our Editorial Board is left with questions regarding the University’s intentions and its relationship with the Baltimore community.
This past Alumni Weekend, members of the first full class of female undergraduates were welcomed back to Hopkins to commemorate 50 years since their graduation. Since then, we’ve come a long way on making progress toward gender equity in academics, athletics and campus culture.
If we want to address the rising cost of housing in this country, we need to take a hard look at how our own zoning laws and restrictions are the cause of this. Let's get straight to the point: The U.S. is in the middle of a housing crisis.
In the days since Mitt Romney was announced as the University’s 2024 commencement speaker, students on campus have expressed their disapproval of the University’s choice of such a polarizing political figure. Are not all political figures polarizing, though? As a leftist, I couldn’t disagree more with Romney’s politics. Yet, Romney is not a bad person. Romney is simply a man who holds different political opinions to myself and other left-leaning college students. I believe Romney should speak at the commencement, and his polarizing presence could even be valuable to our community.
Minors are restricted from receiving contraceptives, abortions and other types of reproductive health care from their primary physicians without parental consent in many states. Yet, 44% of women who use birth control pills (BCP) are girls aged 15 to 19, outnumbering women aged 35 and over. Anyone seeking medical care has the right to receive the medication they want for their personal medical conditions. Minors seeking contraceptives should not be excluded from this medication and their access should be legally protected.
Many of us woke up last Tuesday to the heartbreaking news that Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge had collapsed. The bridge was struck by the Dali, a Singaporean-flagged cargo ship en route to Sri Lanka.
If you spent your break checking Canvas from the beaches of Cancún or frantically writing papers from airport terminals, you are not the only one. Contrary to what the name might suggest, spring break doesn’t always feel like a break. Our academic responsibilities seldom pause for our vacations with friends or trips back home.
Hopkins is not insulated from the trend of rising college tuition and student debt. In the past decade, the cost of attendance at Hopkins, including tuition and living costs, has increased 10% more than the average increase at other U.S. colleges. Although the University states that it is committed to making every attempt possible to prevent students from taking on loans, many still graduate with substantial debt. The average debt among Hopkins undergraduates who have federal loans is $12,750. For the 6% of graduating seniors who borrow from private lenders, the average loan is an astounding $52,734.
The notion that the humanities are inherently less valuable than STEM has pushed students away from studying societally important subjects. While a sizable number of students continue to study the humanities, the number of humanities degrees awarded drops every year, dropping nearly 25% from 2012 to 2020. This decline of the humanities could deeply hurt academia and society as a whole.
