Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
April 3, 2025

Magazine

COURTESY OF SHAYNA FAUL As a native of the area, McShea discusses Hopkins students’ relationships with the city of Baltimore.

Beyond the Hopkins bubble

By TIMOTHY MCSHEA | August 30, 2023

There are a few terms and phrases which are endlessly repeated in Hopkins small talk and have varying importance. If you’ve ever heard someone discuss how they “want to become more involved” or how they need to “find their people,” then you’ve already witnessed what I would name the “Hopkins anxiety” or more simply, “Hopkins FOMO.” Basically, everyone is constantly anxious to make new connections and further their career. Just another part of the ambition that Hopkins requires.

STEVEN SIMPSON / PHOTO EDITOR Felton gives incoming freshmen advice he wishes he had his freshman year.

What I wish I knew freshman year

By JOSH FELTON | August 30, 2023

Freshman year of college is a thrilling experience. As you begin this new chapter of life, you’ll be bombarded with opinions, expectations and responsibilities. Looking back, there are several crucial lessons and insights that many students wish they had known before stepping foot on campus.

COURTESY OF ZACHARY BAHAR Bahar advises new students on creating and managing friendships at Hopkins.

Finding your place at Hopkins

By ZACHARY BAHAR | August 30, 2023

“Welcome to Hopkins! We’re glad you’re here!” Over the next few weeks, you will hear variations of these words more times than you can count. You will be inundated with invitations to the new world in which you find yourself. Maybe Hopkins feels wholly foreign to you or maybe it feels natural. In either case, you will need time to explore it and find your place. I urge you to savor this time.

COURTESY OF CATHARINA AUSFAHL John provides an array of study spots to choose from across the Hopkins campuses.

Places to study on campus

By SHIRLENE JOHN | August 29, 2023

Welcome to Hopkins! As a student, a lot of your time is unfortunately taken up by studying for your upcoming midterm or finishing up a problem set. Fortunately, our campus is filled with a plethora of places to study, and, depending on your mood, you can always find a new place to get some work done. 

ARANTZA GARCIA / DESIGN AND LAYOUT EDITOR Lacey explains the transportation options available to Hopkins students looking to get around Baltimore. 

Guide to getting around Baltimore

By HELEN LACEY | August 29, 2023

There are abundant options for getting around Baltimore without a car while living on or near the Homewood Campus. From local buses to Hopkins-specific transportation options, exploring Baltimore at a low cost is easy.

ARANTZA GARCIA / DESIGN AND LAYOUT EDITOR Gifford gives recommendations on cooking in college to incoming freshmen.

Trial by fire: A guide to dorm cooking

By HELENA GIFFORD | August 29, 2023

Eating good food on a daily basis can be important for staying sane and feeling healthy in college, especially when you’re leaving home for the first time. While the buffet-style meals and unlimited desserts of the dining halls may seem like luxury on your first week, by the start of classes you’ll probably be craving something that reminds you of home.

COURTESY OF AIMEE CHO Cho provides a neighborhood-by-neighborhood guide to the best bites in Baltimore.

The (un)official guide for Baltimore foodies

By AIMEE CHO | August 29, 2023

Once you try most of the restaurants on St. Paul Street (which, unfortunately, doesn’t take too long), you might want to explore places outside Charles Village. If you find it difficult to choose where to visit first, don’t worry! Here are some recommendations for good food in Baltimore.

ARANTZA GARCIA / DESIGN AND LAYOUT EDITOR Zhu gives incoming students a rundown of Hopkins vocabulary.

A guide to Hopkins lingo

By VICKY ZHU | August 29, 2023

Once you join the Hopkins community, you will soon learn to speak the Blue Jay language. Below is a list of words whose meanings are unique at Hopkins and whose presence are woven into Hopkins students’ daily life. 

COURTESY OF SHAYNA FAUL Faul reflects on the things that helped her adapt to amicably living with roommates.

Living with strangers: My happy experience

By SHAYNA FAUL | August 29, 2023

All incoming freshmen and sophomores at Hopkins are required to live on campus with their peers. This can be one of the biggest, but often overlooked, adjustments for most students coming out of high school. I know it was for me, so I’d like to offer some insight into my experience with my roommate and suitemates in my freshman year.

COURTESY OF MINGYUAN SONG Song introduces new Hopkins students to a handful of Baltimore neighborhoods.

Making Charm City your home

By MINGYUAN SONG | August 29, 2023

Welcome to Charm City! As your Leisure Editor, I see it as my obligation to introduce you to my favorite spots around Baltimore. Of course, I can’t possibly cover all the eateries, museums and wonderful neighborhoods in just 800 words, so I am choosing a few that students frequent the most: Hampden, Mount Vernon, Inner Harbor, Federal Hill, Fells Point and Towson. 

ARANTZA GARCIA / DESIGN AND LAYOUT EDITOR Boppana gives incoming freshmen tips on how to combat loneliness.

Feeling lonely in your freshman year

By SAMHI BOPPANA | August 29, 2023

After a summer of anticipation, attending every New Student Zoom available and obsessively soaking up every bit of information about Hopkins, my freshman year arrived. I imagined myself being very social, going out on weekends with friends and quickly forming deep friendships. 

COURTESY OF KEERTI SOUNDAPPAN Limpe reflects on the friendships she has made at Hopkins and the uncertainty of the future.

The butterfly effect: Friendships made at Hopkins

By MICHELLE LIMPE | May 27, 2023

I wish I was cynical about goodbyes. No matter how many times I’ve had to close a chapter and let go, nostalgia and sentimentality always get the best of me. As I lament the end of not just my Hopkins career but the time spent with my friends, I’ve always envied those who are able to rationalize goodbyes and move on, though I know this graduation is going to hit differently for all of us.

COURTESY OF LAURA WADSTEN Wadsten looks back at her college experience and her time with The News-Letter.

Gratitude for the unexpected

By LAURA WADSTEN | May 27, 2023

It’s hard to believe I’m currently writing my last article for The News-Letter ever. Though I have yet to walk across the stage at Commencement, this feels more like my true Hopkins finale. Yet this closing act of my studenthood hardly feels bittersweet. I can’t keep the corners of my mouth from turning up with gratitude while my fingers tap out reflections on the keyboard.

COURTESY OF LEELA GEBO In a letter to her freshman self, Gebo reflects on the memorable experiences that have made up her college experience.

Letter to my freshman self

By LEELA GEBO | May 26, 2023

Dear freshman Leela, Four years ago, there was so much unknown. When I think of you (us?) standing on the stoop in Brooklyn, surrounded by all your earthly possessions, waiting for Dad to pull the car around to drive to Baltimore for orientation, I wish I could give you a hug.

COURTESY OF SOPHIA PARK Park examines how her experiences with homesickness have changed throughout her time at Hopkins.

Changing my idea of homesickness

By SOPHIA PARK | May 26, 2023

“You are like a ball of constant stress.” I remember this line spoken to me during the beginning of my freshman year. At the time, I was still a Peabody Institute voice student, and I was in one of my earliest studio lessons. While nervously singing an art song learned hastily the night before, my legs kept shaking and my head could not keep still.

COURTESY OF ISABEL VELOSO Veloso shares what inspired her to start @jhufreestuff and what the future holds for the account.

Being @jhufreestuff

By ISABEL VELOSO | May 26, 2023

At this point, it’s not really a secret anymore, but, for those who don’t know, my name is Isabel, and I started @jhufreestuff on Instagram. To be honest, part of the reason I wanted to write this article was because of the theatrics (not surprising if you follow the account). The other reason was that I wanted a chance to reflect on what it’s been like to run this account for almost four years, which I can’t really do in one “face reveal” post on my Instagram story.

COURTESY OF ELLIE ROSE MATTOON Mattoon reflects on how starting her college experience virtually affected the way she formed important relationships.

My virtual beginnings and physical endings at Hopkins

By ELLIE ROSE MATTOON | May 26, 2023

As someone who started at Hopkins in the fall of 2020, many of my “college firsts” were virtual. It’s hard to define when exactly my college experience became “normal.” It could have been in my first in-person class sophomore year or the first show I was able to perform without wearing a mask.

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