Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
March 9, 2026 March 9, 2026 | 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.

We need to expand our conception of eating disorders

By EMMA ANDERSSON | March 7, 2023

Last week was the 39th annual Eating Disorders Awareness Week, a period devoted to sharing and reflecting upon lived experiences and eating disorder education. The week of awareness is one of many impactful initiatives spearheaded by the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), representing a time to advocate for those affected by eating and body image disorders. It is also a time to invite additional people into the conversation.

FIBONACCI BLUE / CC BY 2.0 After a record-breaking number of shootings in January, the Editorial Board calls for a renewed fight for gun control.

Gun violence is a life-or-death issue. We need to act like it.

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD | February 23, 2023

As soon as the holiday season came to a close, the grim reality of gun violence in America once again reared its head. We didn’t even have time to take down our Christmas trees before headlines were filled with tragedy after tragedy — this past January was the worst January on record for mass shootings, both in terms of frequency and the number of casualties. 

AMANDA MILLS / CC0 1.0 UNIVERSAL Liu argues the tiger parenting style, common among Asian American parents, is flawed.

Tiger parents should change their stripes

By ROWAN LIU | February 23, 2023

As an Asian American student, I regularly hear my peers talk about the academic and career pressures they face at home and some of the resentment they feel toward how their parents raised them. I’ve come to think that the Asian parenting style has left us with more burdens than benefits, even though we did our best to fulfill our parents’ definition of success.

ROEE SHPERNIK / CC BY-SA 4.0 Raj cautions that the bird flu threat should be taken seriously.

The bird flu outbreak requires a solution

By RITWIK RAJ | February 22, 2023

While the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, a new threat looms on the horizon: the avian influenza (more commonly known as bird flu) outbreak that is sweeping across the globe. In particular, the H5N1 strain of this virus is raising fears among scientists monitoring its spread. We must be proactive about the bird flu before this outbreak grows into a pandemic.

STEVEN SIMPSON / PHOTO EDITOR Tan suggests that a college education is not the sole path to success.

College doesn’t have to be for everyone

By KAITLIN TAN | February 22, 2023

Chances are you’ve been faced with the college question — “Will you or won’t you go to university?” — posed by (hopefully) well-intentioned guardians, mentors or friends. Otherwise, you might be like me, someone from a community where college was never seen as an option but as an imperative.

SHOURYA ARASHANAPALLI / DESIGN STAFF

TRU-UE is finally in the game. Will Hopkins play fair?

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD | February 9, 2023

Teachers and Researchers United (TRU) — affiliated with United Electrical Radio, and Machine Workers (UE) — has achieved a historic milestone. Last week, after more than four years of organizing, Hopkins graduate students voted to unionize with a resounding 97% majority.

Is TikTok the new Times? Why we must choose reliable sources

By MICHELLE LIMPE and MOLLY GAHAGEN | February 9, 2023

As Editors-in-Chief of The Johns Hopkins News-Letter, one of our roles is to serve as the public face of the paper, which means we can often be found around campus delivering print papers, at tabling events or simply repping our News-Letter tote bags or crewnecks. It never fails to astound us when students ask, “We have a school newspaper?”

True crime is exploitative and harmful

By SAMHI BOPPANA | February 3, 2023

True crime, a genre of media that tells the stories of real-life crimes committed by and against real people, has boomed in popularity in recent years. There are hundreds of true crime YouTube channels, podcasts and numerous Reddit threads, including r/truecrime and r/truecrimediscussion, for people to hear and discuss true crime stories. 

Be gone, bot: Don’t use AI to cheat your way through college.

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD | February 2, 2023

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing higher education, but as we integrate ChatGPT, a language model created by OpenAI, into our classrooms, we must also consider the ethical implications. Privacy, accountability, and the student-teacher dynamic are all at stake. It's crucial that we take responsibility for ensuring the responsible use of this powerful technology, before it's too late.

COURTESY OF ELVAR B. BJARKASON PhD candidates Siddiqui and Brig-Ortiz encourage other Hopkins graduate students to vote in support of a union.

Our union is our power, and today we take it.

By ALI SIDDIQUI and KRISTIN BRIG-ORTIZ | January 31, 2023

After years of struggling with the University and barely improving working conditions, almost 3,200 doctoral students at Hopkins are finally voting to form a graduate student worker union. This is the culmination of years of organizing for a living wage, protections for international students, fair grievance procedures and so much more that graduate workers need to lead a dignified life. 

YUSUKETAKEUCHI / CC BY 2.0 Tuschman argues free medical school is necessary due to the impending physician shortage and the benefits of diversity in medicine.

America needs free medical school

By ABIGAIL TUSCHMAN | January 30, 2023

At a school like Hopkins, it can seem like half of the student body is pre-med. You can’t walk through Brody Atrium without hearing someone mention shadowing, clinical research or biochemistry. From the moment their undergraduate experience begins, pre-med students are stressing about getting into medical school. 

JOHN D’CRUZ / GRAPHICS EDITOR

Don’t let the winter blues get you down.

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD | January 26, 2023

This week kicked off the start of the spring semester. Though we have new classes and new professors, it’s difficult to feel excited with Baltimore’s cold and gray winter weather hanging over campus. Our surroundings may be bleak, but it doesn’t mean our days should be, too.

SHOURYA ARASHANAPALLI / DESIGN STAFF

Get through finals, then get involved

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD | December 8, 2022

We have come to the end of another semester at Hopkins. Fall 2022 was challenging, rewarding and in many ways the first “normal” semester since the University suspended in-person instruction in March 2020.

JINA LIM / CARTOONS EDITOR Tuschman advises students considering study abroad to do thorough research before selecting a program. 

Manage your expectations for study abroad

By ABIGAIL TUSCHMAN | December 7, 2022

Ever since The Cheetah Girls 2 premiered on Disney Channel in 2006, I’ve wanted to go to Spain. Granted, I was 4 years old. I don’t think I even grasped what countries were then. Yet, I knew I wanted to see the streets of Barcelona where the girl group sang “Strut.”

GAGE SKIDMORE / CC BY 3.0 Boppana predicts a 2024 presidential campaign by former President Donald Trump will hurt the Republican party, regardless of whether Trump is the Republican nominee or runs as a third-party candidate.

Trump running in 2024 is a problem for Republicans

By SAMHI BOPPANA | December 6, 2022

On Nov. 15, former President Donald Trump announced from his Mar-a-Lago residence that he would be running for president for the third time. Trump cannot be allowed to escape the consequences of his presidency. He denied the results of the 2020 election and incited violence at the Capitol in January of 2021. 

Hopkins, put your money where your mouth is and divest.

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD | December 1, 2022

If you didn’t know the United Nations’ Convention on Climate Change was happening last month, we don’t blame you. Representatives from almost 200 countries attended the summit, known as COP27, to advance global climate action. Despite its importance, conversations on campus about the conference were slim to none.

Letter to the Editor 11/16/22

By MATTHEW MOSS | November 19, 2022

In response to “Hopkins Dining union hosts forum to discuss negotiations with the University” published November 15, 2022:  As a leader in food service operations for over 25 years, I’ve seen a lot. I’ve been all over the country working in universities, convention centers, hospitals, restaurants and even at a couple of Olympics. Last September, I came to JHU tasked with leading the transition of bringing our Homewood and Peabody dining operations in-house, and I can honestly say that it’s some of the most meaningful work that I’ve ever done. 

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