The opinions presented below are solely the views of the author and do not represent the views of The News-Letter. If you are a member of the Hopkins community looking to submit a piece or a letter to the editor, please email opinions@jhunewsletter.com.
From time to time, I noticed that some of my acquaintances had reposted the same post, which featured the caricature of a person pointing to themselves and had the caption, “Guess who will still be your friend no matter who you vote for. Know why? Because that’s called being an adult.”
In the aftermath of the 2024 presidential election, even the shock, fear, anger, and fatigue has taken on a horror-like, deja vu quality. It’s the same queasiness we felt after the 2016 presidential election, after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 and reversed affirmative action in 2023, and every time we open our social media to see images of the latest harrowing example of colonial violence.
Sharp angles. Bare sides. Flat features. Only lines. Am I talking about Picasso’s 1907 Les Demoiselles d’Avignon or about Elon Musk’s relatively new Cybertruck? If you weren’t sure either, maybe you’ve already made the connection that the Cybertruck is our modern version of cubist artwork. We’ve moved away from the canvas and oil paints and ventured into the world of stainless steel and armor glass.
Last Saturday, the best pollster in the country, Ann Selzer, showed Kamala Harris ahead by the three points in deep-red Iowa, a state Donald Trump beat Joe Biden by eight points. Ann Selzer is one of the two best pollsters (along with The New York Times/Siena College) according to polling guru Nate Silver.
With the abrogation of immigration policies aimed at deterrence, prevention, and removal—coupled with executive actions that retroactively extended mass parole and temporary protective status to hundreds of thousands of otherwise inadmissible migrants—there first came a border crisis. In its wake came a national crisis, defined by burgeoning crime, financial burden, and threats to national security.
In response to “The News-Letter’s 2024 Presidential Endorsement” published October 10, 2024:
October is National Arts and Humanities Month, and perhaps it is ironic that in a month designed to celebrate music, literature and philosophy, we are reflecting on just how neglected these pursuits are on college campuses like Hopkins.
With an Interdisciplinary Studies major, one does not need to complete multiple majors in order to gain expertise in a specific field or prepare for a career path. Instead of a triple major, one could pursue a singular major in a precise area of interest.
Athletics and athletes have for too long been undervalued at our school despite their intangible contribution to university life and reputation. It's time athletics became a central part of the Hopkins brand. Your move, Hopkins.
More than any previous election, this one is a test of American democracy, and one that we must answer by voting for Vice President Kamala Harris — the candidate who values political institutions, promotes American interests domestically and abroad, and who will responsibly wield the power of the Presidency.
Today, we confront a question that cuts to the heart of our university’s mission: as we’ve grown wealthier than ever, with a ballooning endowment and majestic buildings sprouting up across Baltimore and Washington, will we maintain our foundational commitment to graduate education?
My state of New Mexico often votes blue and I understand that the Electoral College has recently disadvantaged Democrats. Without it, we — and countless other small states, blue or red — would be left without a say.
Admittedly, Hopkins may not have much school spirit, but there is one time of the year where we all rally: the release of the U.S. News & World Report College Rankings. This year, Hopkins rose from ninth in last year’s rankings to sixth — its highest position yet.
Immigration was one of the most frequently mentioned topics by former President Donald Trump in the presidential debate on Sept. 10. “Migrant crime” is a term he often used against Vice President Kamala Harris. Nothing from that night frustrated me more than the fact that she did not once push back on his rhetoric. There is no migrant crisis: The “issue” has been incorrectly pontificated by Republicans looking for political gain.
One could say that a man so consistently opposed to democracy has no business running a university. And, if the University were, as Daniels idealizes in his book, primarily an institution aimed at the pursuit of truth and cultivation of citizenship, then he would certainly be poorly suited for his job.
The climate crisis is real. We see evidence of this in increased storm severity, more intense wildfires and inundated shorelines. As with all problems, humans naturally search for a root cause for these continuing disasters. It can be difficult to reconcile that we — the humans searching for answers to this crisis — are responsible for the global climate crisis. Greed, short-sighted mitigation strategies and stubborn opposition to change are among the top reasons why mankind have thus far failed to adequately address the urgency of climate disasters.
The News-Letter is proud to be financially independent from the University, a tradition started by alumni of the paper that we have maintained for decades. This means that the paper does not receive funding from the University which enables us to serve as an unbiased and trusted organization when reporting on matters affecting the Hopkins community. As we begin the new school year, we want to provide readers with a greater understanding of our sources of funding and the importance of maintaining our independence.
As a Muslim student, I call for my peers of all faiths and identities to stand in solidarity with Jewish and Muslim students alike across the country, especially here at Hopkins. Next time you say something, share something or hit that repost button…bear in mind your Jewish or Muslim classmate, and think about both of them.
On Monday, April 29, the Beach became the site of a Palestine Solidarity Encampment, one of many on campuses across the nation. The encampment concerns many Hopkins students — the Jewish community included. While the Hopkins Jewish community possesses a variety of opinions regarding the Israel-Hamas war, we are committed to promoting peace, security and healing for all affected by this tragic war. But irrespective of the conflict, it is unacceptable to risk the safety and security of students. The hatred espoused within the encampment puts every Hopkins student at risk.
We, Johns Hopkins student organizations advocating for reproductive justice, condemn the University’s choice of Mitt Romney as the 2024 commencement speaker. In particular, we are calling attention to Senator Romney’s damaging views on reproductive health which disproportionately affect marginalized communities.
