Voices

Hopkins is a diverse university where an incredible mix of cultures, academic interests and personalities coexist and thrive. Here is the section where you can publish your unique thoughts, ideas and perspectives on life at Hopkins and beyond.

PUBLIC DOMAIN In addition to providing relief, FEMA helps cities prepare for climate-related disasters.

How is Baltimore City preparing to address the effects of climate change?

By ALEX WALINSKAS | October 24, 2018

The latest publication from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world’s leading body on climate science, made an urgent point: Climate change is rapidly occurring, and its consequences are dire. As a coastal, flood-prone city, Baltimore will most definitely feel the ramifications of rising sea levels and more intense weather events. Has City policy prepared us for the impacts of climate change?

MIKE MOZART/CC BY-SA 2.0 Goodwill is both a wallet and climate-friendly option. 

Low-income families and ethical consumption

By SAMUEL FARRAR | October 25, 2018

Earlier this month, the United Nations (UN) released a report that claimed we could be facing a major, climatic crisis in fewer than 25 years. It paints a dire picture, stating that in order to avoid catastrophe, a complete transformation of the world economy is required — at a speed and scale unlike any other in recorded history. Without change, hundreds of millions of people will be put directly in harm’s way.

Here are a few conditions for living in my hometown

By ADDY PERLMAN | October 18, 2018

1. Your first pair of boots must be Justin Cowboy Boots or a worn-looking pair of brown hunting boots with a gold buckle from Muck Boots. You must wear them at least four times a week with light wash denim jeans marked with small holes in the back pockets to show that you help out on the farm or work in the woods.

Coming out of the closet put me in another box

By RUDY MALCOM | October 18, 2018

Last Thursday I literally tagged myself with a label. For National Coming Out Day, I wore extra-long, half-rainbow, half-purple socks that had the word “GAY” sewn on them in white letters. Having no particular desire to wake up early for breakfast at the Office of LGBTQ Life, I felt obligated to celebrate queer awareness in another way. Wearing socks that I had borrowed from a friend for New York City Pride in June seemed like the move.

COURTESY OF RUDY MALCOM. This is the Instagram photo from last year’s National Coming Out Day. 

What I've learned about embracing my femininity

By SARINA REDZINSKI | October 18, 2018

When I was a kid, I prided myself on liking things that other girls my age did not. I liked skateboarding and playing in the dirt, gross-out gags and whoopee cushions. While I indulged in the occasional feminine pastime, like playing with Bratz dolls, I even turned that into something more aggressive and masculine, acting out elaborate murder scenes with my friend and filming them on the handheld video camera I got for Christmas. 

COURTESY OF SARINA REDZINSKI.  Throwback to when Sarina dressed up as a black cat for Halloween. 
PUBLIC DOMAIN. Don’t fret if your path doesn’t match one of Euclid’s perfect, straight lines. 

It’s okay if you feel indecisive about the future

By STEPHANIE LEE | October 18, 2018

Euclid’s first postulate of planar geometry states that a straight line can be drawn from any two points. Postulates state what is, not what may be or what can be proven. Therefore we have to accept the postulate as true with certainty. 

How I learned to see the value in my own story

By SAMUEL FARRAR | October 12, 2018

When presenting a problem or flaw in a system, it is expected that you also provide a solution to fix it. Talking about a problem without saying what can be done is taken as unhelpful complaining, as if you don’t really want to fix the problem ­— you’re just looking for something to be mad at or something to blame. 

COURTESY OF JANE023/ CC BY-SA 3.0 of Jane023/ CC BY-SA 3.0 Asheville, boasts a vibrant and artistic counter-culture community.

Seeing the good and bad in my high school years

By COLE DOUGLASS | October 10, 2018

A couple of weeks ago, I started working my way through old episodes of Doctor Who to prepare myself for the upcoming season (and, more importantly, Jodie Whittaker’s role as the first female incarnation of the Doctor).  Within the first episode, I was surprised to find how nostalgic the show made me feel. 

NICHOLAS SMALE/CC BY 2.0 Rewatching Doctor Who helped Douglass gain perspective on his past.

A few lessons that I learned from my freshman year

By SANIYA RAMCHANDANI | October 12, 2018

The first semester of college, my independence was tested more than ever. There was the first time I was late for or skipped a class and had no one to blame but myself. Or the first time I forewent studying an extra hour for a test to irresponsibly hang out with the cute guy I had just met. Last but not least, the first time I ate six bowls of mac and cheese and a few brownies, and then skipped the gym, simply because I could.

COURTESY OF DADEROT/ PUBLIC DOMAIN  Adjusting to life at Hopkins and living independently for the first time can prove daunting.

Explaining Governor Hogan’s hold on Maryland

By ALEX WALINSKAS | October 3, 2018

When it comes to taking a stance on big policy issues, Larry Hogan is no liberal. But in a state dominated by Democrat voters, Hogan has maintained an outstanding approval rate. With midterms quickly approaching, he holds a 16-point lead against Democratic challenger Ben Jealous. If re-elected, Hogan will be the first Republican governor to serve a second term in 60 years. 

COURTESY OF NATE PESCE/Cc BY-SA 2.0 Larry Hogan has managed to appeal to Marylanders throughout him time as the state’s Governor.
When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it. (35).png

Please, take time to share a meal with your friends

By FRANK GUERRIERO | October 9, 2018

At a school like Hopkins, it can be hard to find quality time to connect with people. Our lifestyle is conducive to shutting in without realizing it, and in those moments, we distance ourselves from friends and worsen their own solitude. This has been especially true as the nearly semester-long midterm season has finally begun to so rudely introduce itself.

COURTESY OF CARL VN VECHTEN/PUBLIC DOMAIN Roald Dahl is known for a variety of characters, including the beloved bookworm Matilda.

The power of novels to shape generations of women

By KATHERINE LOGAN | October 3, 2018

Chances are that if you’re here, you’ve always had a passion for knowledge, whether it manifested itself in a love of books (as was the case for me), an intense interest in taking things apart and reassembling them, or in playing “doctor” and “operating” on your siblings.