Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
October 14, 2025
October 14, 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.



Who were the original hipster dressers?

It’s an ancient story of opposites: yin and yang, light and darkness, cheap and chic, communism and capitalism. Though seemingly direct opposites, they contain traces of each other and, if taken to the extreme, provoke the same reactions. Or do they?



Brewer’s: Go for butter, beer and burgers

We know, we know, everyone has already been to Brewer’s Art. And everyone who has been to Brewer’s loves it and tells their friends that when they go, they have to get the beer and steak frites. It’s the best in Baltimore. As foodies with fairly similar tastes, we find that when we disagree on a dish (in this case the steak frites), someone must be right and someone must be wrong. So, we figured on this cold, winter’s night, why not settle the long standing debate? And at the beginning of restaurant week with a $30 prix fixe when steak alone costs $28 on the regular menu, why not?!


Losing control of your own creation: A playwright learns to cope

There is nothing more unnerving than letting go of what you’ve created. IFP workshops are one thing — accepting criticism, listening attentively as your peers tell you, “It’s too melodramatic” or “You could really shorten this” — but watching a production of your own play? That’s a whole new precipice of stress.




Ten things to do on Valentine's Day

February is upon us, and that means red and pink everything. Yes, it’s that lovely time of the year when romance is celebrated by the decorations in every store, restaurant or any public space, really. But as a freshman in college, is planning a date for Valentine’s Day really worth it? You’re probably so enthralled by your Chem lab that you have no space in your head for Valentine’s Day ideas.


 Courtesy of me and the sysop via Flickr

Ten things to do on Valentine's Day

February is upon us, and that means red and pink everything. Yes, it’s that lovely time of the year when romance is celebrated by the decorations in every store, restaurant or any public space, really. But as a freshman in college, is planning a date for Valentine’s Day really worth it? You’re probably so enthralled by your Chem lab that you have no space in your head for Valentine’s Day ideas.


Spring trends: what's cool vs. cold

As springtime arrives, it’s time to clear out old trends and make room for the new looks of 2015. Velvet, corduroy and satin are quickly replaced by chiffon and denim as the temperatures increases and the sun begins to shine. This season is home to flattering cuts, feminine outlines and old-time charm.


 Courtesy justicepirate via Flickr

Spring trends: what's cool vs. cold

As springtime arrives, it’s time to clear out old trends and make room for the new looks of 2015. Velvet, corduroy and satin are quickly replaced by chiffon and denim as the temperatures increases and the sun begins to shine. This season is home to flattering cuts, feminine outlines and old-time charm.


What is the value of varsity sports?

Because of its city location, Hopkins has very limited field space and outdoor athletic facilities. The vast majority of the time, these facilities are being used by varsity athletes, a very select group of students at the school. As far as I know, these sports teams are not self-sustaining (i.e. money from the University’s general fund goes into them, rather than the teams funding themselves through revenue and donations). Since the money from the University is generated from tuition and donations intended for the entirety of the student body, is it ethical for these very limited facilities to be earmarked for athletes?


A guide to romance for the lonely and alone

Valentine’s Day rapidly approaches, dropping our standards for Tinder rights — or rather, increasing the frequency of jokes about cheap chocolate and dates with fictional characters.


Following your bliss despite the baggage

Look at it in its purest form...Find what it is that you want to do and deconstruct that, until it’s so simple that it’s so easy. All the other stuff is just baggage. — Lucien Smith, New York City artist


The controversy behind American Sniper

American Sniper, Clint Eastwood’s brazen portrayal of Navy Seal Chris Kyle, sent off 2014 with a divisive bang. The film sparked controversy throughout the nation, polarizing the affronted left against the proud right. The former held that the film offended their liberal sensibilities through glorifying violence and brutality in a war that they found to be inherently unjust; the latter remained prideful of the film, praising Kyle’s valor and prodigious skill as a marksman.



Caught in a cinematic haze: how to be movie-obsessed

My amazing Intro to Cinema professor, Meredith Ward, always says that movies are better when watched together. There is something strangely magical about the shared cinematic experience as every laugh, every gasp, every tense, emotion-filled silence is amplified tenfold. It’s February, award show season, and as the pre-Oscar buzz fills cinephiles like myself with anticipation, the shared movie-going experience has wonderfully intoxicated this season.


Parks and Rec comes to a beautiful close

One of my favorite shows, Parks and Recreation, is in its seventh and final season this year. The newest episodes started airing in January, and they are being broadcast two at a time, until the series finale on Feb. 24. While this means that the 13-episode season will be over incredibly quickly, at least this gives Parks one last chance to churn out major plots that will hopefully satisfy long-time fans like myself.



What is the price and value of beauty?

Greek goddesses Hera and Athena offered the Trojan prince Paris power and glory, but he decided to give the golden apple with the inscription “for the most beautiful” to the goddess of love, Aphrodite. Why? She offered him the love of the prettiest woman in Greece, Helen. This, in turn, led to war, and the city of Troy famously went up in flames. Seems like too much ado about something so trivial: beauty.


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