Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
July 27, 2024

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.



Facebook: Addicted and hating every minute

Facebook is a trap. I’ve never loved and hated something so much simultaneously before. At the beginning you visit it occasionally. Before you know it, it sucks you in and you’re spending the majority of your spare time scrolling aimlessly through its content. Even as I wrote these first three sentences, I found myself flipping to Facebook to check for new notifications. Big surprise, I had none.


Some of the best major label debuts: 2012

With the year almost at a close, it is about that time when most periodicals post those “best of the year” lists for music. Instead of just listing out songs and albums, I’m going to look at some of the best major label debuts of this year. Here it goes:



The holiday’s best and underrated songs

A few years ago, I was in the car with my parents as we drove to Niagara Falls, New York to celebrate Christmas with family. I had put in my earbuds after the tenth rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” I was giving up hope in the variety of song selection on the radio. I mean, I love the classics as much as everybody else. That includes the songs that appear in every singer’s Christmas record, most notably Mitch Miller and the Gang’s “Holiday Sing-Along with Mitch.” I also define the term “classics” very loosely. I consider Mariah Carey’s “All I want For Christmas is You” to be a modern classic. But I find myself cringing after an extended period of time when holiday music is playing on the radio. Enough is enough. We have all been there.



Hachis Parmentier: Sounds fancy, tastes delicious

This article is intended to lighten the drab problem set-filled existence of those who need it. Happiness comes easiest through food. So, drop that burrito, forget about the wings and fries, and indulge in a little taste of heaven. For this, you will need the following:


A “How to do Thanksgiving better” guide

Thanksgiving has just finished blossoming all around us like an artichoke bursting forth from its stem-thing. I figured it only right to write a Turkey Day-themed Hip Hop post. Now that the holiday has officially passed, this seems like a perfect time for some deep reflection on it.




Dark Knight, arguably the best movie ever

This week, I’m going to go out on a bit of a limb. As a Film and Media Studies and Writing Seminars double major, I’m supposed to say that The Godfather, Citizen Kane, or Raging Bull (or some film of that critical caliber) is the greatest film of all time. However, I’ve watched those films and almost every other film that can hold claim to that title. While I feel that all of those movies have the right to make their arguments for that title, another, somewhat less heralded film deserves to be mentioned in the pantheon of American cinema — The Dark Knight. 


Seven holiday staples that I’m excited for

Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving break have come and gone, leaving in their wake a mountain-load of homework, straggling midterms for an unlucky majority, and the impending misery of finals. Joy upon all joys. Luckily, however — or perhaps necessarily in terms of everyone keeping a hold on sanity — the end of Thanksgiving also means the official beginning of the Christmas season!


Definitely check them out: Tame Impala

The Australian psychedelic rock band Tame Impala aren’t newcomers to the game. Their debut LP, Innerspeaker, which was released in 2010, garnered general and critical acclaim. While it did have a very nostalgic feel with the 60’s psychedelic rock influences, it still had a new and unique sound with the addition of a modern-day perspective. It put the spotlight on a young talented songwriter by the name of Kevin Parker. While live, Tame Impala perform as a band, in the studio, Parker records and plays every instrument.



Being unobservant goes to a whole new level

Everyone at one point or another has completely missed something that was right in front of their face. I’m talking about things like looking past a friend when walking around. This happens fairly frequently to me since I have a severe daydreaming tendency, but it had never been to the point where I didn’t notice things on people’s faces until the other day.


Dominion Ice Cream: The one stop wonder

At Dominion Ice Cream, you can satisfy your sweet tooth and eat your veggies too. Located on the corner of 33rd and North Charles Street, Dominion prides itself on making great ice cream. Its website (www.dominionicecream.com) brags that it is “healthier without compromising good taste.”




The GRE: Is it really that useful?

In 2011, over 800,000 people worldwide took the Graduate Records Examination, better known as the GRE, as part of an effort to gain admission to graduate education programs. This year, I will be among those taking the test.


Classy or not: How did you dress up?

Halloween 2012 has come and gone. Along with it, parades of girls sporting some sort of animal ears, or dressed as this or that uniformed official could be seen meandering the streets of Hopkins and Fell’s Point. Of course, you also had your classic celebs, political figures or iconic movie characters making an appearance (or several). The high incidences of multiple identical costumes that can generally be found during the Halloween season are a testament to the fact that thinking up and carrying out a distinct and brilliant original costume, while admirable and desirable, very often proves pointless and near impossible. However, just because you can’t be unique in your costume choice doesn’t mean that whatever you put together can’t be hilarious or well done. After all, the abundance of Mitt Romneys did not detract from those particularly spot-on Romney renditions that made sure to have their life-sized cardboard binder full of woman (singular — it turns out binders can’t actually hold that many women, Mitt). It’s not so much how you dress up, but rather how you arrive. Costumes need not be unprecedented or unparalleled in uniqueness, but whatever else they are, they should be executed well.


Podcast
Multimedia
Be More Chill
Leisure Interactive Food Map
The News-Letter Print Locations
News-Letter Special Editions