This Monday, former child soldier-turned-human rights activist Ishmael Beah came to Hopkins to tell the story of his remarkable journey. He was the final speaker of The President’s Reading Series, a joint effort between the Writing Seminars Department and President Daniels to invite acclaimed playwrights, novelists and journalists to bring their unique ideas and perspectives right to the doorsteps of Hopkins students. Colum McCann, Colm Tóibín, Isabel Wilkerson and Ishmael Beah all accepted that invitation this year. Each is a literary heavyweight that has won Pulitzer Prizes, National Book Critic Circle Awards and National Book Awards.
These individuals muster their creative talents to call attention to the issues of social importance that inspire them.
The Editorial Board commends the Writing Seminars Department for reaching out to such a broad range of literary figures and lauds President Daniels for funding these events. In previous years, events like these were scheduled sporadically, so the Board hopes that the Series adheres to a concrete schedule moving forward. The Homewood Community has benefitted tremendously from these occasions — hearing the story of a real child soldier in person brings a bevy of issues in Africa to the collective conscious of the Hopkins Community, and it opens dialogues among us that would otherwise never occur. Universities like Johns Hopkins will produce the leaders of tomorrow, which is why it is pivotal to promote a spirit of social justice on campus. The President’s Reading Series helps accomplish this aim.
It is very easy for Hopkins students to bury themselves beneath heaps of day-to-day responsibilities and focus their analytical faculties exclusively on what lies in front of them. The Editorial Board is pleased that groups like The President’s Reading Series are actively breaking this paradigm. These events enrich our college educations and prepare us much more fully to leave the campus bubble. The Editorial Board appreciates all the work the Writing Seminars Department has done to organize these poignant speakers and is eagerly awaiting next year’s speaker lineup.
