Humanities at Hopkins: an Introduction
Welcome to your first year at Johns Hopkins! As you probably already know — or else, will soon discover — this place has a bit of a reputation for being the “doctor school.” Maybe this is because of our hospital, whose renown ensures that the words “Johns Hopkins” appear frequently in the news alongside medical miracles and lifesaving discoveries. Maybe it is simply because our medical program is truly dazzling, and so many new students enroll in it every year. At any rate, the association is clear: to the public imagination, the students here invariably aspire to become nurses, surgeons or -ologists of some kind.
Whether this is true for you or whether you plan on studying something else, you may be interested in getting a fuller picture of Hopkins. While it can feel like the humanities occupy a much less visible corner of our school, in reality, it is just as colorful and vast as its science and engineering counterparts. If you immerse yourself in it, you will no doubt find areas of personal interest and see the ways that the humanities find application in our present and future. Gathered below are just some of the humanities opportunities offered at Hopkins. They are open to any student interested regardless of their major. While this list is by no means comprehensive, it should be enough to get you started.
Buildings and Locations:
A good start to any exploratory endeavor is getting to know the space. Walking around these buildings which are dedicated to the humanities, taking in their stained glass panels and shelves of books, you can start to get a sense of the windows they can open onto new knowledge and the rich repositories of information they keep in store.
- Gilman Hall: This is the flagship building of Hopkins, as well as home to most of the humanities offices and classrooms. You will probably have a class here at some point or find yourself studying in the Hutzler Reading Room. Posted in its hallways are information boards detailing the latest events and opportunities in each department, advertising research opportunities and calls for papers. Keep an eye on these, because there is usually something interesting and available to undergraduates.
- George Peabody Library: A place as breathtaking as it is functional. Almost everyone visits this library at least once in their freshman year, if only to experience the staggering feeling of walking inside for the first time. Cells of illuminated rooms stack up to the ceiling, which is itself ornate and glowing — seriously, you should go see it. Located easily within shuttle distance, the Peabody Library also offers access to archival resources for research.
- Film Centre: Our university’s hub for filmmakers and cinema enjoyers, this building is located just a little ways down from the Homewood campus. It offers weekly film screenings, as well as courses in film recording and editing.
- Evergreen Museum: Also off campus, this museum houses a collection of historic furniture, art and rare books. Student benefits means that admission is free anytime the museum is open, including the meticulously maintained grounds and gardens. Like the Peabody Library, you can also borrow research materials from the Evergreen’s collection of rare books and objects through the Garrett library. They have an especially strong Shakespeare focus, including a copy of the First Folio.
- Alexander Grass Humanities Institute: This is the humanities focal point for the Hopkins campus. Located on campus, this building hosts lecture series and interdisciplinary studies for all sections of Hopkins humanities. Watch out for events like the Blast Courses — a summer program which ran recently and featured free classes about Japanese food, artificial intelligence and the allure of death.
Journals:
Hopkins is home to a plethora of student and faculty journals, all of which are carefully curated and many of which welcome student submissions. Pick up a physical copy of one of these or explore a digital version, and let yourself be amazed by the pieces within.
- JHU Writer’s Warehouse: If you have ever been interested in creative writing, or in reading the writing of fellow students, this is the place to go. Each semester, the Writer’s Warehouse brings together student pieces into a themed magazine with eccentric cover art. They also host open mics, speakers and other workshops.
- The Hopkins Review: This literary journal, run through a partnership between our University Press and the Writing Seminars department, features a truly wide range of work. Their articles include fiction, poetry, essays, reviews and translations submitted by both established and first-time writers, partaking in both traditional and experimental sensibilities. The Hopkins Review also offers prizes for undergraduate writers like the Stephen Dixon Fiction prize and the fMRI Writing Prize, which is dedicated to Baltimore’s adult and youth writers.
- Johns Hopkins University Undergraduate Law Review (JHULR): For those interested in law and especially in pursuing law, this is a great resource. JHULR features articles from undergraduate students discussing significant legal issues. They also host mixers, alumni panels and workshops on legal writing.
- English Literary History: This is a front-of-the-line literary journal edited by Johns Hopkins faculty. They publish quarterly through our University Press, selecting highly interesting articles from around the world about English literature. Some recent topics include: occult detective stories, how Asian-American writers made use of Wallace Stevens’ poetry, and time as a character.
- Digital Philology: Released biannually, this journal is dedicated to exploring medieval texts and cultures. It is a part of the Digital Humanities project, which uses digital resources to study medieval materials with innovative approaches.
- And of course, The News-Letter: This one is great. You are reading it right now.
Research Opportunities:
It is always remarkable how many forces come to the aid of Hopkins students who are curious and who are refining their interests, and these research opportunities are no exception. With the help of research grants and distinguished mentors, you could be using these resources to refine and dive into your interests.
- Special Collections Fellowship: Each year, four students are selected to research and represent a section of the University’s archival material. With the guidance of a mentor, you would learn to deep dive into a historical collection and compile your findings. There are ample opportunities to present your research, as well as a research award of $1,250 at the end. It is also exclusively open to freshmen, so apply while you still can! I actually took part in this program last year and can attest to the value it brought me.
- Bloomberg Distinguished Professors (BDP) Summer Program: This program allows students to work with esteemed professors on a research topic of their choosing. Spanning 10 weeks, the program provides a research grant of $6,000 per recipient to help cover living costs in the summer. Projects delve into history through the University’s collections and cover all areas of interest — from public health to psychology.
- Dean’s Undergraduate Research Awards: Another archival research opportunity, this yearlong program is dedicated to students pursuing independent research using the University’s collections. With the help of a research grant of $3,500, previous students have explored topics ranging from teenage counterculture to international Dadaism.
Seminars and Lecture Series:
If you have ever found yourself blown away by listening to others speak about their areas of expertise, or if you have your own wealth of knowledge to share, check out these seminars and symposiums. Also, stay on the lookout for semi-regular events not listed here.
- Macksey National Undergraduate Research Symposium: This is an annual event that showcases undergraduate research across various disciplines. It provides students with the opportunity to present their work, network with peers and professionals, and gain valuable feedback. If you have ever made a great discovery and wanted to share it, this could be an excellent experience for you.
- TEDxJHU: In the spirit of “ideas worth spreading,“ these speaker series are held at various on-campus locations. Sometimes featuring students and often focused on the humanities, these events showcase inspiring talks aimed at engaging the University and beyond.
- Department events: Many departments in the humanities has their own lecture series. Just a few examples from last year include: a History of Art lecture on Chinese calligraphy, an English department symposium about conscience and complexity, and a Classics speaker event by Emily Wilson, who recently translated The Iliad. Additionally, the Writing Seminars department hosts a reading series each year with visiting authors and poets.
Noël Da is a sophomore from Baltimore, Md. majoring in English and History of Art. She is a Arts Editor for The News-Letter.
