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.
We’ve all laughed at the lists. We’ve all taken the personality quizzes. We’ve all shared the videos. But why, when and how did an online pop culture haven become so central to our Internet personas?
If you go looking for arguments about climate change, you will typically find the same points made over and over again from both sides. Overall, the debate is somewhat unexciting, as is often the case when people choose to disagree with the scientific community. It is the overwhelming consensus of climate scientists that climate change is a reality. And, even if one is wary of scientific studies, nature appears to be indicating that warming is occurring: Plant and animal species are extending their territories further north, coral reefs are becoming bleached by rising ocean temperatures and certain plants are blooming earlier than normal. Despite all of this tangible evidence, climate change remains as controversial a topic as ever.
I really love guns, don't get me wrong — I love to look at them, read about them, hold them, shoot them, clean them and then ogle them some more (I do draw the line at talking to them, stroking them or singing them lullabies, so please don't be too alarmed). Obviously, I really like guns, but like most of my favorite things in this crazy world, I realize that mankind would be better off without them. I shudder to imagine what some enlightened space-faring race would include in their galactic field manual about Earth: "Earth is absolutely covered with lethal weapons that any human can use to murder another with a single flex of his or her preferred index finger.” There might be a little "fun fact" box in the corner with a little blurb like: "Parts of Earth actually exist where it’s cheaper to get your hands on an assault rifle than on a quarter-pounder with cheese!" Alien textbook conjecture aside, it blows my mind that almost any American can walk into Walmart, a store that also sells pool noodles and inflatable slip n' slides, and buy a lethal weapon.
On June 30, in response to the growing border crisis and opposition to immigration reform from Congress, U.S. President Barack Obama promised to use his executive powers by the end of the summer to “fix as much of our immigration system as we can. If Congress will not do their job, at least we can do ours.” President Obama had good reason to make such a strong statement — in June, more than 52,000 (now 63,000) unaccompanied children were detained at the border.
For many of us, college is a fresh start. New friends, new teachers, new homes and, for most of us, a new city. But does it have to be?
The White House recently announced a new initiative called “It’s On Us” that aims to combat sexual assault, especially on college campuses, by encouraging men to stand up and speak out. In our editorial last week, we discussed the negative implications of the inventive anti-rape devices that are just starting to carve out a niche for themselves. We criticized this type of technology because we believed that, as simply a reactionary precaution, it compromises the sense of urgency we should all have about addressing the underlying issues. The “It’s On Us” campaign is exactly the education we think is necessary to do just that — to address the issue at its source.
Last Thursday, members of the Hopkins and greater Baltimore communities gathered in silent protest in response to the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, which occurred on Aug. 9 in Ferguson, Mo. Positioned around the Keyser Quad, dozens of protesters — organized by the Hopkins Black Student Union (BSU) — stood united in deafening silence, carrying signs that challenged spectators’ understanding of police brutality. Traveling around Gilman Hall and then down to N. Charles Street, the demonstrators peacefully forced those passing by to pay attention to their cause and to ask questions about how the Brown shooting affects the rest of society.
Ah the first few weeks of school: that magical time when most people actually attend class, and the walkways are clogged with freshmen trying to find the same lecture hall they will be in for the next four years. The beginning of school also brings with it another peculiarity: the early-leaving student. The brave soul who boldly stands and leaves within the first 20 minutes of the first meeting of a class, having made the snap decision that his or her time is better spent in other ways, or perhaps in other classes. Watching these people pack up their things and walk out of a packed room, heads held high, made me wonder, “What is it that affects you so greatly that you can decide in the space of a few minutes whether a class is worth spending the rest of your semester in?” The answer is, of course, the one thing that separates one lecture hall from another: the teacher.
Whenever I tell people I’m from HopInn, I brace myself for a barrage of questions: “Where is it? Is it like a hotel? Is it really isolated? Is it depressing over there?” I'll get to these questions soon enough, but the truth is we are an amazingly close-knit community for the weird and the awesome.
As mobile computing technologies continue to develop, we've reached the point where stylish, wearable technology has actually become a reality. Apple and Motorola have both released their own “smartwatches” that run on batteries that need to be charged daily. Both watches have their own distinct styles; the Moto 360 mimics the circular style of actual timepieces, while the Apple iWatch has a square shape with rounded corners. Much more than simple timepieces, these devices include a variety of features such as heart rate monitors, wireless charging, barometers and built-in pedometers. The fact that these devices can maintain a charge throughout an entire day's use and are completely contained in waterproof housing captures just how far modern mobile technology has come.
Tinder, defined by its official website as “a fun way to connect with new and interesting people around you,” has racked up quite a reputation these days. Known as a sort of a “hookup” app, Tinder is not quite percieved as intended. Originally intended to facilitate connections with mutual friends, Tinder is instead understood as a source of easy, no-strings-attached booty calls.
To the Editor,
You say tomato...I say Community Supported Agriculture.
The Editorial Board engaged in a healthy discussion in regards to the incipience of a whole new industry: rape prevention technology. Young engineers around the country are throwing their hats into the ring with creative inventions like Undercover Colors’ nail polish, which changes color when directly exposed to dissolved rohypnol (“roofies”), and LifeShel’s phone case, which has a panic button that can generate an alarm at decibel levels you would never find outside of a rock concert. These inventions are undeniably arresting — and dare we say it, pretty cool. Exciting technology along these lines generates awareness and sparks conversation about this sensitive issue. Publicity is certainly not detrimental to this cause; yet, the Editorial Board believes that the newfound attention has the potential to bring along its own set of complications.
The University recently announced its plans to relocate the LGBT Resource Center, which will now be housed on the first floor of the Homewood Apartments. This new space will serve as the centralized hub for all the LGBT groups on campus, including the Diverse Sexuality and Gender Alliance (DSAGA); Out in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (oSTEM); the Peabody Gay-Straight Alliance and Gertrude Stein Society. With such a large domain of student groups, we assume that this new space will host many events, group discussions and even simple study sessions.
For the first time ever, enthusiastic Blue Jays will be rewarded for coming to athletic competitions with more than just an exciting sporting event; through the Blue Jay Rewards program, students have a new incentive to attend varsity athletic games. The program allows them to accrue JPoints that can earn them prizes with a simple swipe of their JCards when they go to specified home games. Blue Jay Rewards is orchestrated by the Athletics Department and launched Sept. 3 with the intent of increasing attendance at athletic events. Students accumulate points throughout the year and receive certain prizes as they reach specified point levels. Prizes consist of free admission to NCAA championship games, vouchers for Eddie’s Market, jerseys sported during games, Barnes & Noble gift cards and an autographed men’s lacrosse helmet. The student who has garnered the most JPoints by Nov. 15 will win two sideline tickets to the first Big Ten Men’s lacrosse game that Hopkins will host this season, where the Jays will be vying against Rutgers. The student that is loaded with the most points by Feb. 21 will gain two sideline tickets to the Homecoming game against the University of Maryland.
The separation of church and state was one of the most ingenious inclusions in the Bill of Rights (it was a relatively novel idea at the time). So, why, over 200 years after the ratification of the First Amendment, does our government still sometimes err in keeping its affairs distinct from religious ones? One would think that ample time has passed to eliminate the overlaps between church and state. Nevertheless, a common overlap was exhibited this past weekend. President Obama designated three National Days of Prayer and Remembrance to honor the victims of Sept. 11, 2001. Obama’s proclamation encouraged Americans to remember 9/11 through “prayer, contemplation, memorial services, the visiting of memorials, the ringing of bells, evening candlelight remembrance vigils, and other appropriate ceremonies and activities.”
In the student body of Johns Hopkins University, no building is more derided, hated and scorned than McCoy Hall, the residential high-rise across from the Beach and MSE Library on Charles Street. As the latter half of the year approaches, an entire freshman class anxiously waits for a random lottery number that will decide their order in room selection for university housing the following year. There are several options: McCoy, Homewood, Rogers, Bradford and of course, the “crème-de-la-crème,” the crown jewel of university housing, Charles Commons.
Though I sometimes laughed with the rest of the audience and first thought the performance to be helpful and instructive, I’ve come to re-evaluate orientation week’s Sex Signals show. The aim of this performance is certainly noble; it aimed at educating college students about consent and how to recognize and prevent rape. Because of this group’s intentions, I have no desire to write anything so damaging as to impede them from speaking at other universities. However, they should reconsider the means by which they convey their “good word.” It seems an almost delirious oversight to tour nationwide performing a rape prevention talk without ever once mentioning what sort of damaging effect rape has on a victim and to go off on lengthy comedic tangents about a topic so grave as rape.
The Editorial Board would like to commend the fall 2014 Orientation staff for the new changes to this year’s program. These changes include eliminating the Peer Ambassador (PA) program and replacing it with the First Year Mentor (FYM) program, as well as building a new organizational structure to address the traditional chaos of past move-in days. These adaptations, among many others, have vastly improved the Orientation program.
