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.
America is PLAGUED by an obesity epidemic. QUINTILLIONS of dollars in health care are being poured towards PREVENTABLE diseases. People are DYING. School lunches are POISONING the nation’s FUTURE. METEORS are EXPLODING over RUSSIA.
I have seen every episode of Girls, the HBO dramedy currently airing its second season. I have read many critical analyses of the show, both on informal blogs and in esteemed national publications. I have discussed the show far too much with interested parties.
There once was a time when rap lyrics were inspirational. That time has passed. Sure, most rap songs are pretty catchy these days, but we would be screwed if we actually lived by the lyrics of our favorite songs. Here are ten rap lyrics that set terrible examples for us all. Don’t try these at home:
This piece is tricky because it does not fit into one single category. My column is not a travel column, although travel is absolutely one of my favorite things. I also hope not to repeat here the same themes that were in my piece about loving cities. But, since my trip to Nashville this past weekend, I have been reminded of this: one of the greatest ways to push yourself out of your comfort zone is by exploring a new city like a local. Of course, this is difficult if you do not have a native tour guide, but I try to give it my best effort.
Like many 90s babies, somewhere around the age of five I was introduced to the cinematic classic that is the 1998 version of The Parent Trap. I am an avid lover of movies and I wish I could claim that the first film that really made an impression on me was The Sound of Music or The Wizard of Oz. But nevertheless, with pride I declare that Nancy Meyer’s remake of the movie recognized as Haley Mills’ original claim to fame remains one of my favorites. For a good two years, the only movie I ever wanted to watch was that. I loved every aspect of it. I loved the creativity and intricacy of the syrup, feathers and whipped cream-filled pranks that Lindsay Lohan’s characters of Annie and Haley relentlessly pulled on each other. I hoped that one day I would have a British butler who did a quirky handshake-dance with me whenever I saw him, no matter how old I was. I wanted to dance around with my mom at her designer photo shoot singing Jakaranda’s “Hey oh ma ma ma ma bed doo a dai ya!” But most importantly, the movie launched my admiration for Lindsay Lohan as one of my favorite people to watch.
I think it’s pretty safe to say that our society has advanced beyond the “are women funny?” debate. Because, duh, women are funny. You don’t have to look far to find tons of ladies (haha, binders full of women, haha, whatever) who are building careers with their impressive comedic chops. Look at Tina Fey. Or Amy Poehler. Or how about Sarah Silverman? Or Kate McKinnon, Kristen Schaal, Kathy Griffin, Janeane Garofalo, Wanda Sykes, Aubrey Plaza, Amy Sedaris, Ellen Degeneres, Margaret Cho, Chelsea Piretti or Kristen Wiig? Need I go on?
I was part of a drum circle this weekend, and it was magical. I never realized that banging on the drums in 30 degree weather while chanting “No more oil,” at the top of my lungs would be my thing, but it was everything that I ever wanted to happen. That is, everything except for the freezing weather.
Electronic dance music (EDM) is one the most popular trends in music right now, especially the live performances. Tickets to festivals like Ultra, Electric Daisy Carnival, Electric Zoo and the countless others similar to them are a hot commodity to come by. There is even somewhat of a dress code for these events, consisting mainly of neon clothes and glowing bands, spandex, bandanas, sunglasses and pinnies. In addition, there is a massive sub-culture involving the use of amphetamines, especially MDMA (a.k.a. molly) or ecstasy, in order to heighten the euphoria exemplified by the music. However, despite all the happiness and fun involved, some questions have been raised due to the higher ticket and performer prices. What are these electronic “musicians”/”DJ’s” actually doing live? Are they performing and mixing everything live or is it all preprogrammed? Is that worth the money to see?
I don’t always go to OccCiv but when I do, I look for ways to pacify my boredom. Recently, I discovered Tinder.
By the time this article is printed, I will have completed the GOOD Hackathon.
Dear AskMani, My boyfriend has been pressuring me to have sex but I’m not ready, what should I do? Sincerely, Stressed
As dedicated appreciators of every culture’s food, we knew we could not let the Chinese New Year pass without some type of celebration. So when the Chinese New Year came around this past weekend, we saw the perfect opportunity to pull out our chopsticks and experiment in the kitchen.
Though surrounded by much debate as to whether it should even exist, Black History Month allows us to recognize the historical contributions black people have made worldwide, as well as the effortlessly awesome figures that show that black history is full of ... well, BAMFs.
The day was November 4th, 1991 when the Irish alternative rock band, My Bloody Valentine, released their album Loveless. Recorded pretty much entirely by Kevin Shields, the main songwriter of the band, it took two years to record and nearly bankrupted their label, Creation Records. Their first album, Isn’t Anything, which was released in 1988, received much positive critical acclaim. It was one of the first albums that stood as a major influence on “shoegazing,” a genre of music that used extensive guitar effects mixed in with indecipherable vocals to create a noisy, yet at times mellow, sonic landscape.
Whether it be “that girl has crazy nice hair” or “that boy is acting crazy,” people throw around the word “crazy” in a wide range of situations; its meaning constantly varying based on the context. Growing up in my family, this word was used more often than any other -which definitely says something. The word was mostly said about or directed towards a significant other. The couples guiltiest of this usage were my parents and my grandparents.
It took me a while to write this. About six years and a few months to be precise. It will be difficult to summarize why I love NBC’s TV show, 30 Rock so much, but I will attempt to in this timely reflection of this week’s season finale.
I took Adam Ruben’s stand-up comedy course over Intersession. Thanks, Adam! If you saw me in the final show, allow me to say thank you for coming, and I apologize for saying the word “anus” so many times.
Dear AskMani, I used to be a Christian but I think I have become an atheist. I still want to go church but I don’t know what to do. Sincerely, Losing Faith
