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.

Editorial: PIIAC’s recommendation to divest is only the beginning

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD | February 7, 2018

The Public Interest Investment Advisory Committee (PIIAC) released an official recommendation last Friday that the University should fully divest its endowment from fossil fuel companies. The Committee — comprised of undergraduates, graduate students, faculty and staff — not only recommended divestment but also outlined how the University can begin the process.

PUBLIC DOMAIN Armitage cites natural disasters such as Hurricane Harvey as evidence for climate change.

Divestment from fossil fuels is a first step but not enough

By EMELINE ARMITAGE | September 21, 2017

On September 15, the Public Interest Investment Advisory Committee (PIIAC) released their recommendations for fossil fuel divestment. Overall, the recommendation was a complete success for student activists (specifically the group Refuel Our Future), with PIIAC recommending full divestment of the University’s endowment from fossil fuel companies.

PATRIOT Act was the wrong response to 9/11

By SAMUEL SKLARIN | September 21, 2017

Last week marked the 16th anniversary of the tragic attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. These attacks caused a ripple effect of kindness around the world: The New York firefighters sprung to the scene immediately, neighbors were doing anything they could to lift each other up and people in countries all around the world were deeming themselves as “American” as a sign of solidarity.

PUBLIC DOMAIN The PATRIOT Act gave the government unprecedented access to civilian electronic activity.

Uncovering grades puts Class of 2021 at a disadvantage

By TIM LYU | September 14, 2017

The Class of 2021 is the first class since 1971 that is without the privilege of covered grades at Hopkins. In June 2016, the Homewood Academic Council announced that the University would discontinue its renowned policy under which first-semester freshmen receive only an S for satisfactory (a letter grade of C- or above) or a U for unsatisfactory instead of conventional letter grades.

FILE PHOTO Lyu argues that uncovering grades could have many consequences for freshmen.

Orientation should last beyond “O-Week”

By SAMUEL FARRAR | September 14, 2017

When our parents went to college, orientation rarely lasted more than a day. It was just a time to register for classes and buy books. Parents attended simply to provide their wallets. There were no social mixers. There was no set interaction between students. There were no community building events. There were no formal talks explaining how to transition into college life. Unless you were going to parties, you sat alone in your room for days.

Why does being No. 11 matter to us anyway?

By JACQUI NEBER | September 14, 2017

This Monday, the U.S. News & World Report released their 2018 Best Colleges rankings. Hopkins had been No. 10 in the nation, but we’ve dropped to an 11th-place tie with Dartmouth and Northwestern. This is the biggest news in the Facebook meme group since... Well, the page didn’t exist when we first made it into the top 10.

Editorial: Defend our DREAMers

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD | February 7, 2018

U.S. President Donald Trump moved Tuesday to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy. This program, enacted by former U.S. President Barack Obama, protects the children of undocumented immigrants from deportation.

Public domain Armitage argues that news media whitewashed the violence that occurred in Charlottesville.

Our news media perpetuates systemic violence

By EMELINE ARMITAGE | September 7, 2017

It is difficult to truly grasp the pathologically violent nature of our country when it is so overwhelming and present. There is violence all around us. We are an exceptional country, but not for the reasons we were taught in grade school.

Who holds RAs accountable for their jobs?

By TOMMY KOH | September 7, 2017

Just as you do not get to choose your parents, you do not get to choose your residential advisor at Hopkins. Residential system pairings here can seem even more random than “random” roommates because of so many variables in the equation, such as floor layouts and RA assignments: Which residents live on which floors, and who of all the possible RAs is tasked with supporting the floor community? As a recent RA, I want to express concerns about the uncertainties in this process.

COURTESY OF TWITTER The Office of Sustainability is currently leading the charge to reduce waste production.

Hopkins must make campus sustainability a priority

By NANCY WANG | September 7, 2017

While I do want to talk about how we can improve environmental programming on campus, I don’t have any issues with the Office of Sustainability, the Homewood Recycling Office or anyone involved in organizing orientation events. These events help make a difference on campus. Having beef itself is also unsustainable because the resources used and methane released are some of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.

Editorial: HCPI marks a step in the right direction

  | February 7, 2018

Hoping to improve the neighborhoods surrounding Homewood campus, the University commissioned the Homewood Community Partners Initiative (HCPI) in 2012. The plan seeks to reconcile the University’s interests with those of the local community. Through HCPI, Hopkins has committed $10 million over the span of five years to the Central Baltimore Partnership (CBP), a group of 91 organizations dedicated to helping the 10 neighborhoods located just south of campus.

Editorial: Enforce our current smoking policy

  | February 7, 2018

For the past three weeks, the Student Government Association (SGA) has debated lending its support to a campus-wide smoking ban. The potential resolution has reignited debate on campus, pitching some smokers and civil liberties advocates against public health campaigners and anti-tobacco activists.

Accurate rape statistics ensure credible arguments

By WILLIAM BRYDEN | May 4, 2017

On April 20, The News-Letter ran a piece titled “Sexual assault at college: Confronting the rapists in our lives.” Although it is perfectly understandable where the author, a female senior undergraduate student studying International Studies, is coming from, there is a lack of some key points that provide the necessary context to fully comprehend the issue that King, the writer, brought forth.

Anti-Zionism is damaging to Arab-Israeli relations

By HOWARD SENIOR | May 4, 2017

A recent diplomatic spat between the German foreign ministry and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has once again thrust the Arab-Israeli conflict back into international prominence. Tensions between Israel and foreign governments and organizations seeking to ingratiate themselves with ostensibly “progressive” groups intent on, above all, the heavy-handed elimination of Zionism through brute-force methods (see: Boycott, Divest, Sanction) have soared over recent years.

Why we should never forget Freddie Gray

  | April 27, 2017

Freddie Gray, a 25 year old black man, died two years ago on April 19, 2015 after sustaining a severe spinal cord injury while in the custody of the Baltimore Police Department (BPD). According to the state medical examiner’s office, he sustained the fatal injury during a “rough ride” in a BPD van that was transporting him from the scene of his arrest to the Western District police station. His death, one week after the arrest, sparked both peaceful and violent protests, garnering national attention.