Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
May 29, 2023

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.



McCormick argues that Tate’s recent virality reflects a much longer history of misogyny on the internet.

Andrew Tate's 15 minutes of fame are a classic portrait of modern online misogyny

I hardly need to introduce Andrew Tate. The controversy surrounding his name is difficult to miss. The 35-year-old former kickboxer, who gained notoriety through streaming and social media platforms, is known for saying atrocious things such as “I’m not a f**king rapist, but I like the idea of just being able to do what I want” while explaining why he moved to Romania and that women must “bear some responsibility” for being sexually assaulted. 


It’s time to be real, Hopkins. COVID is still here.

Every new school year brings change: different professors, different classmates, maybe even a different go-to order at Brody Cafe. But some of the recent changes on campus have us scratching our heads, wondering how and why the University has decided to alter key policies.


EVA RINALDI/CC BY 2.0
Kye criticizes Swift’s inconsistent political activism.

The problem with Taylor Swift’s political activism

Taylor Swift’s place in the political sphere is complicated, to say the least. Early in her career, she stayed silent about politics. Swift has said that she acted this way for two main reasons: she believed that country music was hostile towards artists who spoke out politically, as was the case with the Dixie Chicks, and she did not feel educated enough to make political statements with the ability to influence millions of people. 


Oh, the places we’ll go: Looking forward to fall 2022

This fall marks the University’s first fully in-person semester in three years. Along with this change comes the revival of classic college traditions and the process of adjusting to a repopulated campus. It’s both an exciting and scary time for all of us, even the ones who have been at Hopkins for a few years now.







SHOURYA ARASHANAPALLI / DESIGN STAFF

We’re back on campus, but students still aren’t voting.

Amid last year’s virtual classes, the 2021 Student Government Association (SGA) election showed a 66% decrease in voter turnout compared to the year prior. While this is understandable given that we were virtual, only 20.3% of students — compared to last year’s 12% — participated in the recent SGA election even now that we’re back on campus. 





Two years in and COVID-19 is still real

It’s now March, which means it’s been just about two years since the COVID-19 pandemic permanently impacted our lives. Around this time in 2020, students were sent home from campus without a clue about when we’d ever return as fear, lockdowns and uncertainty swept across the country. 




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Pasalis argues that consumers, not only artists, are responsible for taking action against large streaming platforms. 

Artists take control? The impact of COVID-19 misinformation on the music industry

On Jan. 26, industry legend Neil Young requested the removal of his music from Spotify, a private company, due to its complicity in allowing misinformation about COVID-19 to spread on the streaming platform. Digital platforms, like Spotify, present a perfect landscape for the spread misinformation, due to their relatively discrete algorithms and immense volume of participating voices.



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Madrigal reviews a fare-free transit program in Boston in the context of U.S. transit equity. 

Power and place: the accomplishments and pitfalls of fare-free transit

While the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act looks to improve infrastructure in the U.S., the U.S. currently receives a C- grade on this matter from the American Society of Civil Engineers and is often ranked poorly compared to other nations.The fact that this rings especially true for transit does not come as a surprise when one looks back at how public transportation has long suffered disinvestment in U.S. history.