Don’t assume PC culture is always right

It’s an era of ultra-liberalism, where users on social media platforms such as Tumblr and Instagram have biographies riddled with labels that add color in a few quick words to identify them, empower them.

Why saying “not like other girls” is damaging

Hopkins students need to accept their shortcomings

Everyone at Hopkins is stressed out. We all have papers and exams and problem sets and lab reports and and and we can’t possibly have the time to get all of that done and also be in an a cappella group and a theater group and a sorority and a community service group and and and also sleep.

White supremacy pervades our politics

After the 2005 recording of Donald Trump bragging about sexual assault surfaced this week, several top Republicans have been disavowing him or rescinding their endorsements (my future children will potentially read about the “pussy tapes” in their textbooks; Let us softly weep).

The Bamboo Café brings community and diversity

The day is Wednesday. The time is 12 p.m. For those passing through the Mattin Center, Bamboo Café offers a convenient lunch stop with a variety of Asian dishes. Some order their bahn mi sandwiches to go, others sit among friends to enjoy a bowl of steaming hot jook, a Korean-style porridge dish that was recently added to the menu.

Hopkins students need more sleep: Bring back naptime

Sleeping seems like such a simple thing. You go to bed at night and wake up in the morning, and whatever happens in between is what we call “sleep.” It’s you lying still in your bed for six to eight hours, and then when your eyes open in the morning, you’re refreshed and ready for the day.

Editorial: Indigenous Peoples’ Day should replace Columbus Day

Monday marked the 79th anniversary of the establishment of Columbus Day as a national holiday. The tradition first began in 1937 to commemorate Christopher Columbus’ landing in the Americas on Oct. 12, 1492.

Reality TV subverts comfortable narratives

My obsession with reality TV started when I was about 10 years old. Occasionally during Sunday family lunches at my grandmother’s house I would sneak upstairs and watch VH1 reality shows, namely Flavor of Love, Rock of Love and Charm School.  

Let’s start talking about mental health

When I was younger, I was afraid to order my food from restaurants. I wouldn’t talk to waiters, and I wouldn’t talk to cashiers. I would timidly whisper my order to my mother, who would relay my words. That’s just one example of how my social anxiety manifested itself before I knew to call it that.

Germany’s 2017 elections put Europe at a crossroads

Conservative populism, arguably the most concerning development of the decade, is on the rise across the Western world. Conservative populism appeals to the common man in that it rejects current political consensus and is very anti-elite. Back in 2010, the political establishment’s grip on political power seemed absolute. Today, however, fringe politicians like Marine Le Pen and Nigel Farage wield substantial influence over the electorates of France and England, respectively. It seems as though Germany is no exception.

Editorial: The importance of balanced discussion on Greek life policy

At the beginning of the 2016-2017 academic year, the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life (OFSL) revealed its Chapter Assessment Program (CAP) to the general student body.

Presidential debate raises questions about our beliefs

Squinting at a small computer screen, college students across the country streamed the first presidential debate from their dorm rooms on Monday, Sept. 26. For most college students, this is the first election cycle that warrants our voice with any degree of authority. This is the first time we are eligible to vote. Fortunately, this milestone coincides with our journey to sculpting our own political identity. After 18 years living under our parents’ roofs, we are both liberated and abandoned on our quest to find our political ideologies.

Editorial: How to improve the second year experience

In an email sent to the Class of 2019 on Aug. 26, the University announced the introduction of a Second-Year Experience (SYE) Program with the goal of easing the difficulties of sophomore year.

Editorial: The difficulty of achieving a truly diverse faculty

The Office of the Provost released the first ever Report on Faculty Composition on Thursday, Sept. 22, which presented statistics about the makeup of our faculty‘s gender and ethnicity.

SGA signature petitions lack legitimacy and logic

About a week ago, I had gathered in a library study room with some friends. Although there were some new faces in the room, I focused on doing my work, not on meeting new people. Someone I hadn’t met before caught my attention, however, when they requested us all to sign their SGA candidacy petition.

Kaepernick’s protest is not disrespectful

Last week, the sports section of The News-Letter published an article criticizing San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s decision to kneel during the national anthem in a protest against the oppression of black Americans. Although I vehemently disagree with the article and applaud Kaepernick’s bravery to bring issues of white supremacy into discussion, the article did provoke thought about nationalistic imagery. Specifically, how myself (a twenty-year old) and the young-adult authors of anti-Kaepernick pieces, could grow up with the same nationalistic symbols in the fervently patriotic post-9/11 world, yet develop such different viewpoints.

The Emmys show that TV is more progressive than film

The 68th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards aired on Sunday, Sept. 18, and this award ceremony crossed some big milestones for diversity in Hollywood.

Listen to the victims of sexual assault

Aside from the national electoral candidates, one name seemed to dominate this summer’s headlines: Brock Turner, the former Stanford University student convicted of three felony sexual assault charges after he raped a fellow student.

Modern college students are theologically illiterate

When Harvard College became the first institution of higher education in North America, it was founded on religious terms. While exploring truth claims about the natural sciences and humanities, students were also trained to study the divine and spirituality, beings and principles not physically measured. Most others in the Ivy League, and many beyond, followed this model.