Your Weekend

Your Weekend is the section where we highlight the intriguing, exciting and all-around fun events and activities happening in Baltimore over the weekend.

Miracle on 34th Street lights up Hampden nights

By KATIE TAM
December 5, 2019

As I’m sure many of you can relate, I wasn’t as productive as I should have been over Thanksgiving break. This past Saturday, I got back to Baltimore and wasn’t particularly in the mood to get started on the papers and projects with looming deadlines ...

COURTESY OF KATIE TAM Miracle on 34th Street is a tradition that helps usher in the festivities of the holiday season.

Make more time for friends over Thanksgiving

By JESSE WU | December 5, 2019

After a long 12 weeks, we are finally here. Thanksgiving break and the last issue of The News-Letter. This year, since Thanksgiving came so late in the semester, it seemed that many of us needed the break more than usual. Personally, I was exhausted from the unsustainable schedule I had established that usually works in other school years.

COURTESY OF JESSE WU Friendsgiving in Baltimore was the highlight of Wu’s Thanksgiving Break.
COURTESY OF JESSE WU Dry fried pork intestine and chili mung bean noodles: Sichuanese classics.

Taste of home: Mixed feelings about Orient Express

By JESSE WU | November 20, 2019

In this issue of The News-Letter, Your Weekend brings you a special theme: Taste of Home. In the other article, you will hear from Aubin, who has found a warm comfort in the homey stews and fried plantains from the newly opened Sobeachy Haitian Cuisine in the renovated Cross Street Market. I, on the other hand, will revisit one of the places I have loved to hate in the two-and-a-half years of my Hopkins undergraduate career: Orient Express.

Sobeachy Haitian Cuisine sparks childhood memories

By AUBIN LOHIER | November 21, 2019

Food is a large part of our lives, cultures and identities. Each culture has its own set of unique ingredients, cooking techniques and dishes that distinguish them and set them apart. It is those elements that let us feel closer to our families and ancestors. It is also the taste of those things that give us a sense of belonging and home.

COURTESY OF JESSE WU Poisson rouge, or fried red snapper, is served with pikliz, plantains and rice.

An exploration of parks and trails near campus

By BAILEY ROBERTSON | November 13, 2019

Many students may believe that the extent of nature which can be found in Baltimore are the trees immediately surrounding campus. However, there are many places nearby full of outdoorsy opportunities for those who feel like exploring nature when they’re not studying for their exams. While not spectacularly expansive, there are areas nearby which are within walking distance from campus. These options provide opportunities for running, hiking or biking depending on what you prefer.

PUBLIC DOMAIN The Jones Falls Trail is one of the best outdoor options near campus.
COURTESY OF FRANK GUERRIERO The pop up at Socle served char siu steak bites and kimchi fried rice.

Ekiben and SF’s Deuki Hong host pop up at Socle

By FRANK GUERRIERO | November 14, 2019

As any seasoned group chat veteran can attest to, the most difficult college endeavor is getting five friends to agree on a spot to wine and dine at on a Saturday night. It’s hard enough to burst the Hopkins bubble without a half-dozen stomachs and palates negotiating a balance between the K-BBQ cravings of one and the Whole30 ambitions of another.

PUBLIC DOMAIN Korean BBQ is a late night favorite of Gupta’s that can be found near campus.

A brief guide to late night eats close to campus

By KUNAL GUPTA | November 6, 2019

When I first moved to Baltimore a little over two years ago, I knew very little about my new home. Everything was new to me, and it was at times daunting to even think about how to begin getting to know this University, let alone the city and the people who live in it. But I have found that there’s a lot to love here in Baltimore, and one of my very favorite things about this city is the food.

Courtesy of Yoosoo Yeo

Baltimore Light City Festival illuminates local artists

By YOOSOO YEO | November 6, 2019

Not knowing much about it, I went to the Baltimore Light City Festival last weekend and initially thought it would be a display of various light installations in a small area of Inner Harbor. I guess I didn’t think much of the word “festival” because I hadn’t realized the light installations were just a small part of what seemed like nighttime Spring Fair on steroids. 

CC0 Public Domain/Petr Kratochvil The Hopkins community celebrates Halloween in a variety of different ways.

The News-Letter’s guide to a fun Halloween season

By ARIELLA SHUA | October 31, 2019

Officially, Halloween takes place on Oct. 31. Unofficially, the days surrounding Halloween are also grouped with the holiday. Some enthusiasts have long been celebrating, but there are still plenty more activities to put you in the spooky spirit.

Director Terence Nance inspires young creators

By CHARLOTTE WOOD | October 30, 2019

This past Friday I had the pleasure of taking a seat in the Parkway’s main theater — which is a pleasure in and of itself as the place is gorgeous — and watching some truly amazing work from TV writer, director and creator Terence Nance.

PEABODY AWARDS/CC BY-SA 3.0 Terence Nance is a director known for the HBO series Random Acts of Flyness.

Ramen Utsuke is the best value ramen in the city

By JESSE WU | October 24, 2019

Where do you go when you are half an hour outside the city at Ikea, and you’re hungry and tired from all that furniture shopping? This past weekend, my roommate and I decided the correct answer to that question meant driving across the city to the Inner Harbor/Federal Hill area and leaving all of our new furniture in the back of the Zipcar pickup truck. Ramen Utsuke, with its bright bold letters outside of a brand spanking new building, caught my eye as I drove along Key Highway with my new furniture and an empty stomach.

COURTESY OF AUBIN LOHIER Ramen Utsuke is the best bang for your buck noodle spot in town.
CC BY 2.0 Krystal M. Garrett/Kasie P. Whitfield Skyzone is full of fun bouncy times, reminding Chen of childhood times.

Sky Zone offers a bouncy getaway from adult life

By VICKY CHEN | October 24, 2019

Last week I went to Sky Zone in Timonium for my friend Sophia’s birthday. I hadn’t been to a trampoline park in years — not since my friend Naomi’s fourth grade birthday party, when I met Anne and didn’t like her. I remember having fun at the time, but it was normal. I used to go to Kira’s house all the time to jump on her trampoline, and I remember doing somersaults on Ivy’s during late night dinner parties. This was normal.

COURTESY OF EMMA SHANNON Mobtown Ballroom is a niche of Baltimore that Shannon frequents.

Mobtown Ballroom celebrates its 8th anniversary

By EMMA SHANNON | October 17, 2019

This weekend, Mobtown Ballroom, Baltimore’s own hub for swing dancing, will celebrate its eighth anniversary. I myself am a regular there, frequently going to their weekly dances and trying to convince other Hopkins students to go with me. While I would love to use this article to coax others into joining me for the festivities Mobtown has planned — live bands, contests, drinks, dancing the night away — I instead decided to speak with one of the owners about how the ballroom changed from an old church into the beautiful institution it is now.