Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
April 1, 2025

Opinion

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.



CBP PHOTOGRAPHY / PUBLIC DOMAIN
Swaminathan argues that there is a migrant crisis that financially burdens cities, threatens U.S. national security and impacts victims of migrant crime. 

The migrant crisis is about real people

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.



JIYUN GUO / DESIGN & LAYOUT EDITOR

Your STEM degree alone is useless

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. 




The News-Letter's 2024 Presidential Endorsement

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. 


Is Johns Hopkins abandoning its founding mission?

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? 



The rankings are out and caring about them is too

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.


NIRMALYA NAHA / CC-BY-SA 4.0
Mahto argues that the rhetoric about immigration in politics is misleading.

There is no "migrant crisis"

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.


Ron Daniels is the anti-democratic president Hopkins deserves

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. 


IVAN RADIC / CC-BY-SA 2.0
Kwasniewski argues that people can stay hopeful amidst climate change advocacy.

Is climate hope radical? The importance of collective hope amid the climate crisis

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 importance of The News-Letter’s financial independence

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.



Ignorance is not an excuse for hate

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.


Student reproductive justice organizations denounce commencement pick

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. 


The indispensable role of journalism on college campuses

As the school year draws to a close, The News-Letter is reflecting on the successes and challenges of this year and our role in the Hopkins community. It is a unique time to be working for a college newspaper. As editors of The News-Letter, watching breaking news notifications about our peer institutions roll in makes us wonder: What is the role of a university newspaper? Are we even making an impact? What can we do better? 


We can all learn from South Korea’s 4B movement

Bihon, bichulsan, biyeonae, bisekseu: no marriage, childbirth, romance or sex with men. It is so simple and nonviolent that one may wonder why this wasn’t a popular movement earlier. Women no longer need to deal with abuse or the fear of it when breaking up with men if they never get into a relationship in the first place. They no longer feel the need to have children or have sex due to societal and male pressure once they decenter men in their lives. 


SOLENFEYISSA / PIXABAY LICENSE 
Swaminathan argues that the bill in Congress aimed at regulating TikTok does not fully address the national security concerns associated with technology. 

Congress should pass the TikTok bill, but the problems are more pervasive

TikTok is a clear national security threat. With over 170 million American users, TikTok’s Chinese ownership and ability to collect, store and possibly even share data raises serious national security concerns. Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan bill calling for TikTok to divest from its Chinese ownership or face a ban in the U.S. While the bill should be passed, it is an incomprehensive step in the right direction; TikTok is only a part of more pervasive problems in our media landscape and culture.


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