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



 lorie schaull/cc by-sa 4.0
Keith Ellison is running for DNC chair as a representative of the leftists in the party.

The Democrats are on their way out

This weekend, I watched a talk from Larry Holmes (not the boxer but the first secretary of the Workers World Party) about the current role of the Democratic Party. After the election, Holmes made the point that if the Democrats truly wanted to stop Trump, as they claim to in their rhetoric, they could do so easily.


 PUBLIC DOMAIN
The Maryland State House will hold hearings for the legislation.

Former research animals deserve safe homes

This month the Maryland General Assembly will be considering the Humane Adoption of Companion Animals Used in Research Act (SB 420, HB 528). This piece of legislation calls for research institutions in Maryland, including Hopkins and many others, to take reasonable steps in allowing for the adoption of research dogs and cats following their time spent as research animals.


Editorial: Promising Atrium app needs more professional oversight

A team of Hopkins students has created the mobile app Atrium as part of the Hopkins community’s mission to improve mental health on campus. The app is designed to provide free, anonymous peer support and counseling from a licensed therapist, and it is currently in pilot testing with Hopkins students.


Editorial: Why we need more spots in Computer Science classes

The Computer Science department is currently facing a shortage of teaching power, with waitlists for certain classes exceeding 50 people.  Many students, including CS majors and minors, struggle to get into the classes that they need in order to graduate.


 BAGOGAMES/cc by 2.0
The all-female Ghostbusters film was still directed by a man.

Hollywood needs to be more open to female directors

Think of a movie that revolves around the needs, desires and misadventures of at least one female character. No it cannot be a movie where a man spends an agonizing 120 minutes trying to get “the girl.” And no it cannot be a movie directed by a man. This is harder than it seems, right?


First-time protesters: Think and learn from the past

The Women’s March on Washington was fraught with problems from the very start. It was originally called the Million Women March, but black feminists pointed out that the Million Woman March had already occurred in Philadelphia in 1997. The organizers changed it to the Women’s March on Washington, which was then accused of co-opting the name of the historically important 1963 march.



Editorial: Follow Daniels’ example, reject Trump’s ban

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 27 banning travel to the United States from seven Muslim-majority countries. This ban came only a week after Trump took office, taking many immigrants, travelers, students and American citizens by surprise.


Editorial: The fight for the Humanities Center isn’t over

After a six-month-long review of the Humanities Center (HC), Dean of the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences Beverly Wendland announced mid-January that the Center will remain open. The neutral committee tasked with reviewing the HC compiled a report detailing three potential alternatives.


 Karl-ludwig poggemann/cc by 2.0
President Donald Trump signs a stack of executive orders on Inauguration Day.

Executive orders are a threat to democracy

America has endured little over a week of the new Trump Administration, and already there’s a sense of commitment towards unconstitutional governance. President Trump, as of this past weekend, has issued 17 executive orders and memorandums with the goal of making good on many of his campaign pledges. The problem is that the vast majority of these orders are completely unconstitutional.


 COURTESY OF GILLIAN LELCHUK Protesters gathered with signs at Baltimore’s Women’s March.

Stay active and involved beyond calling yourself a feminist

As we enter the next four years of America, it seems like a lot of people are taking a greater interest in politics and activism than they previously had. Protests are popping up all over the place, from the Women’s March to the anti-Muslim ban protests at international airports across the country.


Student groups should stop meeting, start doing

"Let’s meet to talk about that” seems to be the new get out of jail free card for those involved in administering student organizations. We must be wary of this phenomenon and take all necessary steps to defend against it. Meetings too often replace actual action with a trap of busywork, defined as work that usually appears productive or of intrinsic value but actually only keeps people occupied. Considering the extensive responsibilities some of our student leaders and administrators have, meeting may very well be a waste of time.



Editorial: We need to protect workers’ rights at Hopkins

Last Thursday, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), along with labor unions Unite Here Local 7 and SEIU 32BJ, hosted a “Forum for Equality” a gathering where representatives from the various contract workers’ unions on campus could share organizing strategies.


Editorial: Flash Seminars – liberating learning from the grade

Founded by two Hopkins seniors and inspired by an organization started at the University of Virginia, the new Flash Seminars strive to discuss academic ideas outside of the typical classroom setting. Each seminar invites a different professor to lead a group, capped at fifteen students, in a topic of the professor’s choosing. Designed to explore intellectual thought, these seminars act as a one-time event to discuss topics ranging from physics to poetry.


Letter to the editor: 12/8/16

The News-Letter’s recent articles about the International Studies Program (“Reviews Identity Flaws in International Studies Program,” “Editorial: International Studies Must Better Support Its Students,” 1 Dec.) raise several valid points about the current state of one of campus’ most popular majors.




 IRACAZ/CC BY-SA 3.0
Students seem to have time to lounge around the Beach, but not to sign a petition.

Students must stay inspired post-election

Following the presidential election, Hopkins students seem to have forgotten the apathy that typically characterizes them. Students have participated in protests against hate, fossil fuels, the review of the Humanities Center and so much more. All of this is great, but we can’t let it fizzle out.


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