Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
April 28, 2025
April 28, 2025 | Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896

News & Features



COURTESY OF MARVIS GUTIERREZ
Leaders of student organizations voiced their anger over club disbandments and debt.

Frustrated student clubs protest at SGA meeting

The Student Government Association (SGA) met this past Tuesday for their weekly meeting to discuss the difficulties regarding student elections this semester, as well as SGA’s role in the Sex Week planned for April. During the public input period of the meeting, a large group of student leaders met with SGA to broach concerns with club restructuring and budget allocations with the recent audit led by SGA and Student Leadership and Involvement (SLI). 


COURTESY OF MICHELLE LIMPE
CUE2 held its first town hall discussion on Thursday, Feb. 27 in Levering Hall.

Second Commission on Undergraduate Education hosts town hall

The Second Commission on Undergraduate Education (CUE2) released a set of recommendations last month,  intended to revitalize the undergraduate experience and promote mental health on campus. Co-chaired by Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS) Dean Beverly Wendland and Whiting School of Engineering (WSE) Dean Ed Schlesinger, CUE2 is comprised of 30 faculty, staff, administrators, undergraduates and alumni.


COURTESY OF NOELA LU
Mendenhall explained how diabetes is linked to trauma and poverty.

Professor talks diabetes, trauma and poverty ties

Medical anthropologist and Associate Professor of Global Health at Georgetown University Emily Mendenhall gave a talk titled “Rethinking Diabetes: Entanglements with Trauma, Poverty and HIV” at the School of Public Health on Feb. 27, for the Social & Behavioral Interventions (SBI) Program. Mendenhall is the author of Rethinking Diabetes: Entanglements of Trauma, Poverty and HIV.


NIKKI RITCHER/CC BY 2.0
Michael Bloomberg terminated his presidential candidacy on Wednesday.

Michael Bloomberg drops out of 2020 presidential election

Hopkins alum and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg ended his campaign for president, endorsing former Vice President Joe Biden, on Wednesday morning. This announcement came after Bloomberg won only 53 delegates — and one territory — on Super Tuesday, despite spending hundreds of millions on his campaign. 


COURTESY OF JACKIE RITTENHOUSE

Stanfield spoke about decreasing drug use and violence among students.

Organizer aims to end violence in public school

Bishop Billy H. Stanfield Jr., the founder and executive director of New Vision Youth Services, gave a guest lecture at Professor Philip Leaf’s community-based learning course, “Health and Wellbeing in Baltimore: A Public Health Perspective” on Tuesday.


DEREK MORITZ
Tracy Walder shared stories about working for both the FBI and the CIA.

Former FBI, CIA agent talks national security

Former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Operative Tracy Walder spoke about her experiences working at the two agencies, her new book and what she perceives to be the greatest threats to U.S. national security on Friday. Walder’s book, The Unexpected Spy, is a memoir that chronicles her experiences working for the two agencies. Her talk was sponsored by the International Studies program. 


SGA Exec. Board candidates share their platforms

Two tickets, Focus Forward and Taking Flight, and an independent candidate, Sam Mollin, are running in the Student Government Association’s (SGA) executive board elections. The voting period will begin on Friday and end on March 11.


COURTESY OF CAROLYN HARRIS
New associate director for leadership development at SLI plans to improve communication with  students.

Students reflect on the role of SLI in light of new hire

Carolyn Harris came to Hopkins this January from Florida State University to fill the role of Associate Director of Student Leadership for the Office of Student Leadership and Involvement (SLI). She is succeeding Clifton Shambry Jr., who after three years left this position to work with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion in the Life Design Lab. 



FILE PHOTO
According to Spring Fair Committee members, there will still be a beer garden this year.

Is Spring Fair adapting to condensed timeline?

Billed as the nation’s largest student-run festival, Spring Fair has been an annual tradition at Hopkins for nearly half a century. This fall, an organizational review following allegations of hazing, underage drinking and other violations of the Student Conduct Code prevented Spring Fair Committee from planning the celebration, typically a yearlong endeavor.


COURTESY OF RAKESH NATARAJAN

Students discussed the political and economic effects of coronavirus.

IDEAL hosts discussion on coronavirus impact

IDEAL, a student-run nonpartisan group, hosted a coronavirus discussion roundtable to increase conversation about the social and political impacts of the disease on Wednesday, Feb. 26. The event considered the perceptions and implications of the coronavirus. 


Columnist analyzes public health and journalism

Baltimore Sun columnist Dan Rodricks gave a guest lecture at Professor Philip Leaf’s community-based learning course, “Health and Wellbeing in Baltimore: A Public Health Perspective” on Tuesday. 



Freshmen evaluate role of diversity workshops

As student facilitators begin to host this year’s Identity and Inclusion workshops, The News-Letter interviewed administrators and students on the impact that the workshops have had on the Hopkins community. All first-year and transfer students are required to attend an Identity and Inclusion workshop in the spring semester of their first year as a requirement for sophomore class registration. 


COURTESY OF SABRINA ABRAMS

Lawrence Ross discussed racism on college campuses.

Heritage 365 event explores racism in Greek life

Lawrence Ross, author of Los Angeles Times best-seller The Divine Nine: The History of African American Fraternities and Sororities, gave a talk titled “The Blackballed Lecture” on Thursday, Feb. 20. The event was held in collaboration between the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA), Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, the Black Student Union, and the Black Faculty and Staff Association as part of OMA’s Heritage 365 series. 



COURTESY OF EMILY MCDONALD
About 100 people gathered outside of Shriver Hall to protest Wong and Law's views.

Hong Kong activists spark controversy at FAS

Hong Kong political activists Nathan Law and Joshua Wong participated in the Foreign Affairs Symposium’s (FAS) first event of the year in Shriver Hall on Thursday, Feb. 20. The event was moderated by East Asian Studies Lecturer Giovanna Dore. 


COURTESY OF CAS GUSTAFSSON
Roger uses comic books to help male survivors of sexual violence heal.

Local writer aims to help survivors of sexual abuse through comic books

The Sexual Assault Resource Unit (SARU) hosted local writer Kenneth Rogers, Jr., on Tuesday to speak about sexual violence, identity and healing. A Baltimore native and School of Education alum, Rogers is part of the Speakers Bureau for Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization. The RAINN Speakers Bureau is composed of survivors of sexual violence who volunteer to share their stories. 


COURTESY OF CHRIS H. PARK
Speakers discussed why students should register for the 2020 Census.

Former senator calls for participation in Census

Former Maryland Senator and Professor of Public Policy Barbara Mikulski delivered a keynote address on the 2020 U.S. Census in Levering Hall’s Glass Pavilion on Monday. She was joined by panelists Mary Elizabeth Hughes, associate scientist at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Austin Davis, 2020 Census manager for Baltimore City’s Department of Planning. 


News-Letter Magazine