Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
November 23, 2025 November 23, 2025 | Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896

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.

NEHA SANGANA / PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR After leaving The News-Letter, Parekh reflects on the pride she feels for what she helped build.

Why I spent four years working on The News-Letter and what it feels like to leave

By DIVA PAREKH | September 19, 2019

Here at Hopkins, you can always find people ready to talk about the journey they took to find the clubs that are important to them. They’ll tell you how they walked around the Student Involvement Fair (SIF); became completely overwhelmed by the sheer amount of clubs trying to recruit them; signed up for 50 different club mailing lists; followed up with five; and then finally found the two or three groups that were the most important to them.

PUBLIC DOMAIN For Ramchandani, saying “no” is one way to stand up for yourself.

Learning to set boundaries and put my needs first

By SANIYA RAMCHANDANI | September 12, 2019

With the beginning of classes comes the inevitable internal struggle between focusing on academics, being social and getting enough sleep. We all go through the same thing; classwork piles up, and somehow every single party is held on the same night every single lab is due, while every friend you’ve ever made crawls out of the woodwork and wants to catch up over coffee. 

COURTESY OF ALEX WALINSKAS Walinskas reflects on how D.C. compares to Baltimore, her longtime home.

Why I missed Baltimore during a summer in D.C.

By ALEX WALINSKAS | September 12, 2019

Baltimore, I have a confession: I snuck away and spent my summer in Washington D.C. Our nation’s capital may be a quick MARC train ride away, but the city and its culture lies in stark contrast to our home here in Charm City. 

Exploring and trying new things as a senior

By KELVIN QIAN | September 12, 2019

Everybody tells you when you’re a freshman that college is a time to explore, try new things and discover who you really are. Everybody tells you to talk to everyone you meet during O-Week, explore every major at Hopkins and sign up for the thousands of clubs that are at the Student Involvement Fair.

COURTESY OF GABI SWISTARA In this political climate, Swistara has no room for bigotry in her life.

Why I can’t separate the political from the personal

By GABI SWISTARA | September 12, 2019

To borrow a phrase coined during a “simpler” time, that the personal is political, I dare to claim the opposite is true today: the political is personal. In an era of sad nihilism, when bigotry and discrimination are boiled into our everyday lexicon and we have become self-obsessed with our national concerns — of which there is no shortage — to me, the political has truly become just that. Personal. 

Financial aid creates toxic situations for single parent families

By SAMUEL FARRAR | September 5, 2019

Every year, a good portion of this campus fills out their financial aid forms. Nobody has ever described this process as fun. For many of us our future at Hopkins is determined by the amount of aid we get, and that’s stressful. You have to be on top of all the different release dates, due dates, processing times and so on, and that’s stressful. Many times the financial aid office can be hard to reach as they take their time to respond to emails or forget to return calls all together, and that’s stressful. 

COURTESY OF EDA INCEKARA Beaver asks if Lover can really be a good album with lyrics like these.

Lover got good reviews, but it is definitely not good

By CLAIRE BEAVER | September 5, 2019

As the new school year is ushered in, it is accompanied by a slew of new music. And the breakup of Miley and Liam (RIP for real this time). But I digress. We recently were blessed with Lana del Rey’s Norman Fucking Rockwell and Miley Cyrus’ new single, “Slide Away.” Both are dreamy, soft summer bops.

COURTESY OF ELIZABETH IM Im reflects on the importance of representation of minorities in the media.

Looking at the importance of representation in media

By ELIZABETH IM | September 5, 2019

On August 4, I woke up at 7:30 a.m., even though it was a Sunday. Still not quite awake, I took the MARC train down to D.C with two friends. Our destination was Eaton D.C., the most artsy hotel I’ve seen: The entrance was decked with vintage vinyl, and it even had its own radio studio. That was where the 2019 Asian American Literature Festival was held.

Your place is here too: Adjusting to Hopkins as a limited income student

By SAMUEL FARRAR | August 31, 2019

No matter where you go, or who you are, the beginning of a college career is always filled with anxiety. Am I smart enough to be here? Will people like me here? Did I make the right choice? These are ideas going through everyone’s heads, and for the most part, we are all aware of how they can shape our acclimation to Hopkins. 

Surviving the FFC: How to navigate the central dining hall

By SABRINA ABRAMS | August 31, 2019

I cannot pretend to have been an FFC aficionado as a freshman. I actively avoided eating there in favor of a combination of Levering Kitchens, CharMar sandwiches and veggie burgers from Brody Cafe. However, there’s still a lot to be said about having the freshman year dining hall experience and how you can make the most out of it. 

Sophomores reflect on the best parts of freshman year

By WILL EDMONDS | August 31, 2019

“I really liked spring semester as a whole. You’ll hear a lot of older students telling you that second semester is better than the first. They’re right. First semester is cool because you get introduced to a bunch of new and amazing people, but it’s also difficult because of all the adjusting."

Study hard, study smart

By ERIC LYNCH | August 31, 2019

Of all of the things that can overwhelm incoming freshmen, the academic rigor of Johns Hopkins is one of the more common ones. Even though the students here are among the best and brightest that high schools have to offer, it’s no secret that a prestigious university like Hopkins is a challenge for everyone. Grades are a popular fixation among students everywhere, and there’s really only one way to get the ones you want: studying. Whether you’re a student who studied well in high school or a student who hasn’t had to study in their life, preparing for tests in college can be intimidating. So, to hopefully make studying less scary, I’ll share some of my tips for more effective test prep. 

COURTESY OF RUDY MALCOM Malcom reflects on what he's learned from some of his most embarrassing freshman year moments

Mistakes and regrets from freshman year

By RUDY MALCOM | August 31, 2019

Whether you’re still wearing your lanyard (please take her off), vomiting illegal liquids into the communal bathroom sink, or facing newfound commitment issues with romantic partners and extracurriculars, this year is sure to bring a multitude of missteps and debacles. But fret not! How else will you mature from a collegiate fetus into a wise Blue Jay?

Reflecting on choosing a major at Hopkins

By KATIE TAM | August 31, 2019

“Are you planning on going to medical school?”  This question has plagued me since my decision to attend Hopkins. The University is known primarily as a science, technology, engineering and mathematics — or STEM — school. We have an outstanding, world-renowned medical school, fantastic research opportunities at various labs around campus and no shortage of a multitude of science and engineering advances made by Hopkins researchers. 

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