Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
November 30, 2025 November 30, 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.

ISIS soldiers destroy thousands of years of art

By CARISSA ZUKOWSKI | November 20, 2014

For the past few months, headlines about ISIS have been sweeping the news cycles. Tension in the Middle East has been on the rise for years now, but earlier this week, U.S. President Barack Obama announced that an additional 1,500 troops will be sent to Iraq to help train Iraqi army soldiers to combat ISIS on the ground. This change in our nation's approach to ISIS marks a shift in strategy from air missiles and drone strikes to boots on the ground and draws new attention to the events occurring in the region. The perpetual states of war experienced by Iraq and Syria are not only detrimental to its citizens, but also risks the lives of past civilizations of the Mediterranean.

Apple retires iPhone Classic: a warm bon voyage

By JAMES CAMERON | November 13, 2014

Apple unveiled the newest set of iPhones a few weeks ago to much fanfare but made no mention of the product it was retiring: the original click wheel iPod. Sure, Apple will continue to sell the iPod Touch, but the legendary product that built the foundations of the ubiquitous company we know today will no longer be sold in stores.

Hopkins dining program has come a long way

By NOAH ERWIN | November 13, 2014

o begin this article, I would like to harken back and evoke the dining scene here at Hopkins just a few years ago. Taco Bell and Pizza Hut occupied Levering (talk about some healthy options, eh?); fried chicken and canned vegetables could be found daily at the FFC; Meals-in-a-Minute consisted of damp, soggy turkey sandwiches; and Nolan’s didn’t know how to spell "salad." Underclassmen do not recall when Aramark was our dining contractor, which was only two years ago (Bon Appétit is the current one). “We have a salad bar?” was the common reply to what was served for vegetarians or vegans. Having choices about what to eat on a nightly basis and not having to ask a manager about every dish has been a new experience for vegetarians and vegans on campus. Local food options included Pepsi (made right here in Maryland) and produce grown in North Carolina (not especially local). The dining program at Hopkins has seen a complete 180 in the past 10 years.

Crooked Wood: A war on childhood

By NIKA SABASTEANSKI | November 13, 2014

Last spring sitting in the Radcliffe Camera in Oxford and working on my final dissertation, I was writing somewhat frantically to my contact at Oxford Aid to the Balkans (OXAB). I desperately wanted to switch my placement in Bulgaria from an orphanage on the Black Sea to a small, dusty town a few hours south of Sofia called Pazardzhik to work with a group of Syrian refugee children. When I finally got confirmation that I would be heading to the veritable boonies of Bulgaria to teach these kids with another student from Oxford, I think the Rad Cam heard its first squeal in at least the past 150 years. A month later, I found myself on a plane to Sofia, trying to decipher the words that suddenly surrounded me. Even when I learned the Cyrillic alphabet, the world that I now inhabited remained obscure. Then again, it has never been particularly clear for the children we were to be working with. They and their parents have remained in a bureaucratic limbo, filled to the brim with political agendas and centuries-old prejudices. Even worse may be that no one actually knows of their struggle. While the Syrian refugees that remain in Iraq, Turkey and Lebanon have received widespread news coverage (not that this has benefitted them to any great extent), those who have made it out of the Middle East and into the European Union are virtually invisible. Fair enough, one might think, considering the disparity in wealth between the two locales... until you look at Bulgaria.

Student dining sentiment is troubling

November 6, 2014

Last spring, The News-Letter reported that many Bon Appétit employees were deeply dissatisfied with their treatment by the company’s management. After management changes, including the removal of Executive Chef Robert Lavoie and Resident District Manager Norman Zwagil, Fresh Food Café (FFC) workers have noted improvement. Yet there are still some issues that leave employees disgruntled — including clocking-in policies and a general lack of morale — and several students have observed disgruntlement amongst employees translating to employees’ treatment of students.

Fraternities can fight rape culture

November 6, 2014

In response to the alleged sexual assault that took place inside the Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity house, the Inter-Fraternity Council (IFC) unanimously voted to ban all open parties for the rest of the semester. The Editorial Board fully supports this course of action. Extreme circumstances, like the reported sexual assault of a 16-year-old, require a comparably extreme response — and we hope to see all IFC members abide by this initiative and for the IFC to impose forceful sanctions on any violators.

There's a beautiful city out there waiting to be explored

By MEGAN DiTROLIO | November 6, 2014

When you think of the Johns Hopkins University’s Homewood campus, located in the heart of Baltimore, you know it as a pretty and composed campus that has easy access to the affluent Inner Harbor. It’s the living embodiment of the pictures that all of the welcome brochures contain, and as a giddy, 17-year-old incoming freshman, you really think that you’ll experience all that Baltimore has to offer. After all, you wanted a city school for a reason — it’s full of off-campus activities. You yearned for an urban environment, but many don’t realize all of the facets that come with a city in its entirety.

There's a beautiful city out there waiting to be explored

By MEGAN DiTROLIO | November 6, 2014

When you think of the Johns Hopkins University’s Homewood campus, located in the heart of Baltimore, you know it as a pretty and composed campus that has easy access to the affluent Inner Harbor. It’s the living embodiment of the pictures that all of the welcome brochures contain, and as a giddy, 17-year-old incoming freshman, you really think that you’ll experience all that Baltimore has to offer. After all, you wanted a city school for a reason — it’s full of off-campus activities. You yearned for an urban environment, but many don’t realize all of the facets that come with a city in its entirety.

Don't let your transcript define you

By SOFIA DIEZ | November 6, 2014

Ivy Leagues were once known for their brick walls, prestigious alumni, low-acceptance rates, and now, unfortunately, they are becoming known for student suicides. Suicides such as Madison Holleran from the University of Pennsylvania were especially shocking once it came to light that she made the horrible decision after receiving “bad grades.” Even on our campus there are individuals who have felt the need to take their own life, such as Yangkai Li, and to whose friends and family I offer my condolences. Now, I will not claim to know exactly what was on these individuals’ minds that could lead them to leave us so soon, but it has to be asked: Why are high-achieving students taking their lives when they have everything to live for?

Don't let your transcript define you

By SOFIA DIEZ and SOFIA DIAZ | November 6, 2014

Ivy Leagues were once known for their brick walls, prestigious alumni, low-acceptance rates, and now, unfortunately, they are becoming known for student suicides. Suicides such as Madison Holleran from the University of Pennsylvania were especially shocking once it came to light that she made the horrible decision after receiving “bad grades.” Even on our campus there are individuals who have felt the need to take their own life, such as Yangkai Li, and to whose friends and family I offer my condolences. Now, I will not claim to know exactly what was on these individuals’ minds that could lead them to leave us so soon, but it has to be asked: Why are high-achieving students taking their lives when they have everything to live for?

Burkina Faso needs peaceful transition to civil government

By EMELINE ARMITAGE | November 6, 2014

On Oct. 30, in a blaze of metaphorical glory, protesters in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, set fire to the parliament in response to a constitutional amendment proposed by President Blaise Compaoré. The amendment would have removed presidential term limits, allowing Compaoré to continue the 27 years he had been in power. Twenty-seven years is already longer than the majority of Burkina Faso’s population has been alive — the median age is 17. Compaoré resigned on Oct. 31, reportedly fleeing to either Ghana or Cote d’Ivoire.

Marriage equality is just and right

October 30, 2014

The issue of marriage equality has long been a thorny subject in the political and social realms. In light of recent protests for and against same-sex marriage, and acknowledging the increasing number of states that are legalizing these marriages, the Editorial Board would like to state that it firmly believes that same-sex marriage should be legalized and that any couple that wishes to obtain a civil marriage license should have the right to do so. We do not think that a marriage should exclusively connote a union between man and woman.

University dining does not deserve No. 2 ranking

By Christy Lee | October 30, 2014

On Aug. 13, the college ranking that we have all been waiting for arrived: The Daily Meal’s list for the “75 Best Colleges for Food in America for 2014.” Students prepared for the waves of jealousy over their friends' campus dining programs at other schools, but much to everyone’s surprise, we ranked second. In one year, we managed to climb from number 42 to number two, beating every single Ivy League university in terms of food. But is the ranking truly accurate?

Mr. Phi Mu perpetuates gender double standard

By CARISSA ZUKOWSKI | October 30, 2014

Beauty pageants have been debated both ways: Some women find them empowering, while others view them as degrading. For some, beauty pageants are a lifestyle and a chance for women of all ages to use their grace, beauty, talents and mind to compete in a single competition. There is a stigma that surrounds the art of pageantry; outsiders often tend to judge contestants as shallow, vain individuals — only concerned with outer beauty. In competitions such as The Miss America Pageant, individuals have the opportunity to show who they are, inside and out, as they are judged in a talent segment, bathing suit segment, Q&A, dance and more. I often ask myself who would want to be judged on how “complete” of a “package” they are, but then I remember that some women find it enjoyable, and to that I say, “You do you.”

Sexual assault investigations should not be solely internal

By SARAH STOCKMAN | October 30, 2014

A few weeks ago I attended a mandatory Sexual Assault Seminar for all new students. I was prepared to hear how sexual assault, specifically rape, is a very serious crime that should be reported to the police. However, throughout the two-hour session, almost every aspect of sexual assault was mentioned except for the fact that rape is a felony.

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