Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
December 16, 2025 December 16, 2025 | Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896

Voices

Hopkins is a diverse university where an incredible mix of cultures, academic interests and personalities coexist and thrive. Here is the section where you can publish your unique thoughts, ideas and perspectives on life at Hopkins and beyond.

COURTESY OF SOPHIA LOLA Lola spent several hours making nacatamales, a Nicaraguan dish.

A love letter to my heritage and very good food

By SOPHIA LOLA | September 12, 2020

Quarantine has, I assume, pushed us all to some kind of edge, whether it’s manically honing dozens of hobbies and skills for a sense of productivity, or biding your time by lazing around the house and having regular existential crises, or maybe oscillating between the two. I personally tend more toward the “biding my time” option, but thankfully I’ve also been able to hone a skill or two here and there, particularly cooking. 

How friends help you grow

By ISABEL RIOS-PULGAR | September 12, 2020

If you know me personally, you know that I spend a lot of my time either with my friends or talking about them. I can’t help it; I really attribute a lot of my personal growth and who I am today to them. Without them, I’m not very sure where I’d be or even who I’d be.

COURTESY OF SANIYA RAMCHANDANI Ramchandani likes to write down her takeaways from a setback and store them in this box.

Using setbacks to strengthen yourself

By SANIYA RAMCHANDANI | September 12, 2020

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” is a well-known cliché. Though Nietzsche was a little more eloquent in coining the phrase, this is the version that’s ingrained in our minds, thanks to Etsy’s wide array of t-shirts and pillowcases sporting it, and Kelly Clarkson’s 2011 hit song. So, it’s no secret in 2020 that failure is an opportunity to learn as opposed to something necessarily negative, but I’ll be the first to admit that when I’m down, I don’t want to hear that.

COURTESY OF ELIZABETH IM Im snaps a photo of the sky after a storm in Jeju Island, where she currently is staying.

The process of deciding to take a gap semester

By ELIZABETH IM | September 12, 2020

In my last column, I boldly claimed that I had learned to listen to what I want through my study abroad experience in Sweden. Yet listening to my heart still proves to be a challenge. Even if I’ve wanted to follow my desires — my true inclinations — sometimes I didn’t know what they were.

COURTESY OF ZUBIA HASAN After landing in Baltimore, Hasan admires the significance of her surroundings. 

My life is a movie

By ZUBIA HASAN | September 12, 2020

As the plane landed in Baltimore, the sun set. A brilliant fiery globe, fiercely yellow against the red sky. My first thought was ‘Wow, this means something.’ A new start maybe. The sun setting on my old life and a new dawn breaking. My second thought was to dismiss this — I have often chided myself for my romantic notions, my silly thought process, my living life as if it is a novel or a movie.

COURTESY OF ISHAN KALBURGE Kalburge reflects on what the past few months mean for his generation. 

Living through COVID-19 as a freshman

By ISHAN KALBURGE | September 12, 2020

To say, “I graduated from high school in 2020,” holds a lot more meaning than we might have thought it would. For those of us who wear that badge, it means an orchestra of mixed emotions, and with good reason: As graduating seniors, we expected the nine months between college application deadlines and the first day of college to be smooth sailing. And suffice it to say, we were royally ripped off. 

LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART / PUBLIC DOMAIN In Greek mythology, Zeus transformed Lycaon into a werewolf as punishment for testing his omniscience.

Werewolves and internalized shame

By RYAN AGHAMOHAMMADI | August 27, 2020

I can’t sleep. The humidity thickens the air, but the storm is long gone. My house is dark without power; only a few candles are lit here or there. The moonbeams drift in, shallow and blue, but the moon is so large it fills the window panes. These days, I am waiting for confirmation that I’m walking the right path.  

COURTESY OF MICHELLE LIMPE  Limpe reflects on her fitness journey in quarantine.

Exercising toward a healthy mind

By MICHELLE LIMPE | August 27, 2020

Even before the pandemic hit, staying at home everyday always left me feeling restless. I am the type of person who needs to be out and about doing something productive, whether it’s finishing errands, meeting with friends or simply walking in the park.

What chronic illness taught me about life

By ISABEL RIOS-PULGAR | August 26, 2020

Life has a funny way of teaching you a lesson sometimes. When I was little, I was solely focused on being the best: the best student, the best friend, the best daughter, the best everything. I would do whatever it took to meet that goal. Sleepless nights, high levels of stress, and infinite hours of overcommitment became my life. 

Feeling supported in uncertain times

By SANIYA RAMCHANDANI | August 13, 2020

There’s no denying that this has been an incredibly strange summer. For me it began with frantic plane rides, a hotel quarantine and a country-wide lockdown. Everything I thought I valued and considered important was put into question. As the world battles the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, this summer has turned into an extended period of self-reflection. I understand how incredibly privileged I am to have typed that last sentence. Essential workers and healthcare workers are working tirelessly day in and day out to keep us safe and minimize the damage of this horrible virus. Yet I have the ability to wear a mask and spend time with my family and close friends. 

COURTESY OF ZUBIA HASAN Hasan reflects on the depressing monotony of the current state of affairs.

Waiting for my movie moment

By ZUBIA HASAN | August 6, 2020

I really think I have lost the ability to write. I write a few lines, then I erase them. I repeat the process until the page is finally blank and I have no more starters, no more words. I really think somehow I have lost the ability to create.

NEHA SANGANA/PHOTOGRAPHY STAFF Isaacs and Kim reflect on their accomplishments this year at The News-Letter. 

Our time as Editors-in-Chief in a year of firsts

By SARAH Y. KIM and AMELIA ISAACS | May 3, 2020

On Wednesday, March 11, we sat together in our Gatehouse office for the last time. It was the day that the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, the day after the University had suspended in-person classes. Otherwise, March 11 was like any other production night. 

Learning to accept life's shades of gray

By ZUBIA HASAN | May 1, 2020

In my college essay, I had proudly proclaimed that I was not afraid of uncertainty, that I was not scared of complexity, that shades of gray only inspired me. I have to confess that it does not hold true today after three years of college.

COURTESY OF DIVA PAREKH Almost done with her master's, Parekh reflects on the friendships she's made along the way.

Saying goodbye to Hopkins after five years

By DIVA PAREKH | May 1, 2020

In two hours, I’m going to be logging in to my last class, which is going to be the last class I ever attend. It feels like a milestone in my life — leaving the comfort of academia to finally venture out into the unknown. 

COURTESY OF SANIYA RAMCHANDANI Ramchandani made the difficult decision to go home to Singapore.

Deciding to go home

By SANIYA RAMCHANDANI | April 30, 2020

Our semesters were cut short almost five weeks ago. Since we received that first email announcing that classes wouldn’t resume until April 12, I had been struggling with the decision to go home to Singapore. The uncertainty surrounding when the University would reopen and the perils of airports and airplanes at a time like this were some of the reasons that this decision was extremely difficult.  

This week’s “Ask Arden” column answers how to get over a breakup.

Ask Arden: How do I get over my ex-boyfriend?

By ARDEN ARQUETTE | April 29, 2020

I want to start by saying that this is completely natural to feel after a breakup. Your ex-boyfriend was at one point a significant part of your life and someone you cared for, so it’s natural to wonder what he’s up to now. Sometimes even years after we sever a relationship with someone, we wonder what or how they’re doing. This is common, but that doesn’t make it any easier; it’s a tough temptation to get over. 

COURTESY OF ADDY PERLMAN Perlman relates her quarantine experience to the famous graffiti wall in the Elephant House.

The Elephant House in Georgia

By ADDY PERLMAN | April 27, 2020

My mind feels like a graffitied wall. Emotions are scribbled diagonally and circularly in curlicue font and bold typeface. The neon colors are the random FaceTime calls from friends I miss. Black ramblings are the moments right before I go to sleep and right after I wake up and I remember why I’m in the room I left behind three years ago. Why is it that when it is mandated to stay home I want to leave the most? 

COURTESY OF VICKY CHEN Baking has been one of Chen’s favorite leisure activities during her time social distancing.

Reflecting on an "extended weekend" and what's to come

By VICKY CHEN | April 27, 2020

I have, like the rest of us, been feeling a mushy amalgamation of lethargy and unease. Each endless Sunday I wake up anytime between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., eat whatever meal feels the most appropriate, and weave in and out of Zoom meetings, naps, Netflix binge sessions and schoolwork. 

Navigating my relationship with Hindi

By MANAVI MONGIA | April 27, 2020

My French has faltered many times, especially in rather unforgiving environments like Paris. Yet I have always felt more confident speaking it than Hindi, the language I grew up hearing. My parents, who are Indian immigrants, have always spoken it at home, but never pushed me to when I was growing up.

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