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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.

The Tuerk House’s great work needs recognition

By WILL MARCUS | February 25, 2016

In the early 1950s, a former Korean War tank commando had a dream. His name was Walter Criddle, but his friends knew him as “the Fat Flying Squirrel” because he was apparently a spirited dancer despite his weight. As a recovering alcoholic, Criddle built himself a happy life as the owner of a successful Baltimore tire store. After a few stable years, Criddle began to look past his dream of owning a Corvette as the endemic alcoholism of his community began to weigh upon him. Walter Criddle wanted to do something about it. He wanted to start a halfway house and, with the help of a motorcycle-riding, chain smoking, spitfire of a preacher named Harry Shelley, succeeded in the venture. This is a highly condensed origin story of the Tuerk House, which was my favorite non-profit organization I worked with last summer. This group is still in operation as a halfway house for any kind of Baltimore addict and does beautiful work in our city.

Mental health task force: suggestions and considerations

February 25, 2016

This week, the University announced its decision to create a task force of professors, students and staff to investigate the state of student mental health and to create recommendations for measures to improve health and well-being.

Why you should care about the local Baltimore elections

February 18, 2016

With the mainstream media dominated by a boisterous primary season for the upcoming presidential election, it can be easy to forget the political climate in the University’s own backyard. The Baltimore mayoral election is impending, with the Democratic primary occurring on April 26. Although most students are unable to vote in this race given their lack of permanent, legal residency, it is still important for students to remain informed about the political world they inhabit for four years.

MEGAN DONNELLY/FOR THE NEWS-LETTER

Deadpool’s success might signal return of R-ratings

By WILL MARCUS | February 18, 2016

Deadpool is an important film not just because it is a neoclassical example of American entertainment at its finest, but because it broke the record for highest grossing movie ever released in the month of February — and it was R-rated. Trust me this movie is a game-changer. Here’s why:

Discussions like Islamophobia panel help us keep an open mind

February 18, 2016

Earlier this week, a number of campus groups held a panel called Confronting Islamophobia: A Discussion of Islamophobia in America. The panel was hosted jointly by the Hopkins Muslim Association, College Republicans, Sikh Student Association and the Office of Multicultural Affairs, with the purpose of discussing Islamophobia and its impact on and relation to college students, including students’ use of social media.

Don’t let your excuses deter you from optimal achievement

By ANITA LOUIE | February 18, 2016

As humans one thing that we universally excel at is making excuses. Why didn’t I join that club? Well it was because I was busy doing homework (a.k.a I was too scared to go to something where I don’t know anybody). Why didn’t I ask that question in class? Oh I figured it out on my own (a.k.a I was too scared that I would look stupid in front of everybody).

Brian Teutsch via FLICKR/ CC-BY-2.0

The rest of the world stereotypes Americans too

By SOFIA DIEZ | February 11, 2016

It’s Jan. 2, everyone in the room is jet lagged, and, of course, London’s classic rain soaked everyone on the way to the conference. The administrators of the abroad program wait for us to grab our cups of coffee, ignoring the tea like the Americans we are, and pick through the assortment of cookies, or rather, biscuits before taking out seats.

MEGAN DONNELLY/For the News-letter

The Bachelor might be onto something about love

By AISHWARYA RAJE | February 11, 2016

I wish I could say I have no time for reality television. I wish I were so busy with work and studying that I simply do not have time to watch shows that are the antithesis of intellectual curiosity. Unfortunately, every week I religiously watch, and feel like I’m actively participating in, the cultural phenomenon that is The Bachelor. Why do I like watching The Bachelor so much? More importantly, why do I have opinions about what happens on The Bachelor? These are questions I ask myself in the effort to prove that yes, I realize it is an inherently absurd show and yes, I am embarrassed that I am so invested in it.

Don’t be afraid to transfer; It’s not scary

By SARAH STOCKMAN | February 11, 2016

The spring semester has just begun, and some of you are feeling the pressure. I don’t mean the pressure of classes, I mean the pressure to fit in at Hopkins, to be happy, to make friends. Is this the second, third or fourth semester you’ve tried to convince yourself that this semester will be better than those previous? Do you find that, despite joining numerous clubs, you still feel as though you and Hopkins just don’t mesh?

Chilly winters shouldn’t invade dorms

February 11, 2016

As winter brings dropping temperatures to Baltimore and Homewood, students are raising concerns regarding their on-campus housing experiences. Issues range from insufficient hot water to poor insulation around the dorm windows, which are often directly next to students’ beds. Intermittent or occasional maintenance issues are bound to occur in any building, but the frequency and severity of the issues that occur inside the dorms — such as room temperatures dropping below 50 degrees Fahrenheit at night — should justify spending the necessary money to complete large-scale repairs.

Student Involvement Week: ineffective and poorly publicized

February 11, 2016

The office of Student Leadership and Involvement (SLI) moved this spring’s activities fair from the Rec Center to the Breezeway and lengthened the event to a full week. The new format, called Student Involvement Week, lasted from Feb. 1-5 and included tabling at the Breezeway and a Student Organization Showcase on Wednesday. Each category of student groups — Advocacy and Awareness, Performing Arts, etc. — was assigned a day to set up tables at the Breezeway and attract students passing by.

Megan Donnelly/For the News-Letter

Criticize Trump, but don’t stop there

By EMELINE ARMITAGE | February 4, 2016

During this hellish never-ending abyss of what-the-f**k-ery that is this election season, my social media accounts have been flooded with posts decrying Donald Trump and his racist fascist rhetoric. Which, don’t get me wrong, is not a bad thing. Denouncing fascism, Islamophobia, racism, misogyny, etc. is a good thing in my book. Unfortunately I have not seen that same indignation aimed at the systems and policies that mirror some of Trump’s rhetoric and affect millions of people, specifically immigration.

COURTESY OF SARI AMIEL

Rain, shine or blustering snow, our vital staff is here for us

By Christy Lee | February 4, 2016

Do you remember when the ground was covered in a fluffy blanket of snow? The time when all you could see was white while the sounds of giggles and laughter rang throughout our campus? Over the weekend, Hopkins students braved the cold and made (or at least attempted to make) snowmen; Students spent hours sliding down the Beach and making fun of that random kid who was still wearing cargo shorts. Those of us who were less courageous chose to curl up on the couch with a delightful cup of hot chocolate. Four days later, things were back to normal and students are once again heading to class at 9 a.m. with cups of coffee in hand. The snow was but a fond memory of laziness.

Financial education can disarm predatory lenders

By AGASTYA MONDAL | February 4, 2016

George Pope, a 62-year-old disabled man living in Queens is convinced by a smooth-talking mortgage broker to refinance his home at a rate of $535 per month. Pope, however, only receives $558 in monthly income from Social Security. Despondent, Pope recalls: “Not being able to read, I got a loan that was predatory and I didn’t know it.” He now faces foreclosure on his home.

New recruitment policies are out-of-touch with students

February 4, 2016

New changes to the Greek life rush process greeted recruits at the start of spring semester. While some changes were met with approval, such as the shortening of sorority recruitment from seven to four days, others did not earn high marks among members of Greek life. Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life Calvin Smith mandated a shortening of the pledge process for fraternities by several weeks in an attempt to reduce the stress felt by pledging fraternity members. And while the goal may have been to make the lives of these pledges easier, the Editorial Board believes the opposite effect will be achieved.

MEGAN DONNELLY/FOR THE NEWS-LETTER

Female Oscar winners are far too rare a sight

By SARAH STOCKMAN | January 28, 2016

In 2009 Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win a Best Director Academy Award for her work on The Hurt Locker. I remember the anticipation beforehand about the implications of the first female winner and the gossip that surrounded her because she was up against her ex-husband James Cameron (for Avatar). I remember her name being announced, and I remember her standing on the podium, giving a speech. But I don’t remember much else. After all, I was 15 and in 10th grade — there were more important things to think about.

Local businesses make our campus unique

January 28, 2016

The closing of Donna’s represents a concerning trend in Charles Village. We’ve lost more than that famous mac and cheese and weekend brunch. The decreasing number of small business eateries near campus detracts from the identity and health of the Hopkins community and the surrounding neighborhood.

LET IDEAS COMPETE/CC-BY-SA-4.0

Baltimore’s distribution problem

By ANITA LOUIE | January 28, 2016

Down in West Baltimore, there’s a six-lane highway that winds through the town. It’s a perfectly normal highway, except that there are no cars in sight and the road dead-ends into a McDonald’s.

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