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Powwow celebrates Indigenous People’s Day

By CATHY WANG For The News-Letter

OCT. 12 — The University hosted its fourth annual Indig enous People’s Day Pow Wow on Oct. 10. Tribes from Wash ington, D.C., Maryland, Virgin ia and Delaware gathered on Keyser Quad to commemorate Indigenous culture with inter tribal music, dances and food.

President of Indigenous Students at Hopkins (ISH) and member of the Mi’kmaq Nation Hayden Fox ex powwows in an interview with The News-Letter.

“[A] powwow is a big cel ebration where people come

together and share our dances and songs, from traditional dancing to grass dancing to smoke dancing,” he said. “A big part of it is paying homage to our ancestors and continu ing to express our culture.”

In an interview with The News-Letter, Director for Di versity and Inclusion Joseph Colon described the Powwow as an important step towards the school’s commitment to acknowledging marginalized and oppressed Indigenous communities. He emphasized the narrative shift from cel ebrating Columbus Day to treating Indigenous perspec tives as the focal point.

POWWOW, PAGE A3

Students present research based on the American Prison Writing Archive

By LONDON CRADDOCK For The News-Letter

OCT. 11 — The Program in Racism, Immigration, and Citizenship hosted a panel discussion titled “Living in Prison: Insights from the American Prison Writing Ar chive” on Oct. 6. The event dis cussed the research of three Hopkins undergraduates based on the American Prison Writing Archive, a digital col lection of over 3,300 essays by incarcerated people.

Doran Larson, the founder of the archive and a professor of literature and creative writing at Hamilton College, opened the event by explaining how the archive originated with a cre ative writing course he taught inside Attica Correctional Facil ity for 10 years. The experience taught him the value of giving incarcerated people a means of expressing themselves.

“[Incarcerated people are] living... years inside this in stitution, which is a daily passion play of what happens

when the state can lay hands on citizens with no account ability,” he said. “What I dis covered is if you just help peo ple learn to write clearly about what they’re experiencing in side, they will produce docu ments that will be important for the world outside.”

The experience of teaching the course inspired Larson to put an ad in prison-support newsletters calling for essay submissions. He received so many submissions that after publishing some in a book collection, he decided to cre ate the American Prison Writing Archive so that more people could read about and understand the experiences of incarcerated people.

“The experience of reading this work simply is transfor mative,” he said. “If you ask anyone to read 15 essays from 15 states, from the moment they start that process they will have a new...and more granu lated sense of how the criminal and legal system works.”

Faculty members voice their positions on the JHPD

By AASHI MENDPARA News & Features Editor

OCT. 11 — The Univer sity’s plans for the Johns Hopkins Police Department (JHPD) have sparked dis course among members of the Hopkins community — including faculty members.

Following the recent devel opments with the JHPD, The News-Letter interviewed Uni versity faculty to discuss their views on the JHPD’s impacts on the Hopkins community.

As the University con tinues forward with the implementation of the Johns Hopkins Police Department (JHPD), many faculty, stu dents and community mem bers have spoken about the armed private police force.

In an interview with The News-Letter, Peter Armitage, physics and astronomy profes sor, shared his beliefs on the best plan for the University.

“[JHPD is] not good for University and Baltimore, and that’s the considered opinion of the faculty Sen ate on this matter,” he said. “The best path forward would be to abandon it.”

Similar to Armitage, Pro fessor Emeritus Toby Ditz emphasized that the Univer sity should renounce its plan to create an armed police de partment and instead develop other preventative measures in an email to The News-Letter

“It is not too late,” she wrote. “It should focus in

VOICES

PAGE A5

stead on upgrading the training of its already large, unarmed security force and on approaches to public safety other than policing.”

Professor of Classics Shane Butler highlighted that the University should listen to the concerns of Black community members in an email to The NewsLetter

Jr., they oppose the imple mentation of the JHPD.

“Members of the Senate reached their decision to vote for this resolution via meet ings with [Vice President] Bard, soliciting faculty opin ions through public meetings and virtual town halls, study ing the issue very carefully and — importantly — many one-on-one meetings with their colleagues,” they wrote.

In 2019, the Homewood Fac ulty Assembly unanimously passed a resolution against the future JHPD. Faculty across schools also signed a letter to the Board of Trustees in Janu ary 2020. In the summer of 2020, a petition opposing the proposed force garnered more than 6000 signatures.

“A good start would be [for the University] to start listening to Black students and faculty who, alas, often to be the objects of unwar ranted attention from the po lice,“ he wrote.

On Sept. 13, KSAS Fac ulty Senate unanimously passed a resolution stating their opposition to the pro posed armed force, urging other way moving forward.

In an email sent out to KSAS Faculty, the Senate explained that while they support the public safety ini tiatives that have been devel oped under Vice President of Public Safety Branville Bard

According to Armitage, who is the Chair of KSAS Fac ulty Senate, the Senate started as a forum for faculty to build their collective judgment through debate and conversa tion. He stated that the Senate had many conversations with in the group and with other faculty members. While a few colleagues spoke in favor of the JHPD, the overwhelming message from faculty mem bers was in opposition.

Butler, who also serves as a KSAS Faculty Senate Member, spoke on how evi dence and data informed the Senate’s decision.

“Some faculty have been skeptics of the proposed force from the start; others have become doubtful over time,” he wrote. “But the general rule that I’ve observed is that, when thinking people dig into the details and the data... they come to the conclusion that this just isn’t a good idea.”

The email to the KSAS Faculty outlined previous in stances when faculty mem bers raised their concerns about the private police force.

Armitage voted for the Senate resolution for many reasons, notably after speak ing with other faculty mem bers who are people of color.

“It was put to me very nice ly by another colleague who said that since moving to Balti more, he had at various points felt like there were problems with public safety,” he said.

“Even if he might feel a bit saf er by knowing that there was a [JHPD], he couldn’t justify his marginal feeling of feeling safer for knowing that he was putting colleagues and stu dents who would feel much, much, much less safe.”

Ditz asserted that the Senate’s resolution speaks to her own personal beliefs concerning the JHPD.

“As a member of the [Hopkins] faculty for 36 years before retiring in 2018, and now a Professor Emeri tus, the KSAS Senate reso lution expresses my views perfectly,” she wrote. “The creation of an armed [po lice department] would be deeply harmful for campus life, the University’s already damaged relations with its black neighbors, and the city of Baltimore.”

Editors in Chief Molly Gahagen and Michelle

paper’s transition back to print.

ArtS

PAGE b2 Witness Theater group performs a series of plays at Arellano Theater.

COURTESY OF will kiRk

The News-Letter staff are excited to bring print newspapers back to campus for the first time since March 2020.

EXTRA! EXTRA! WE’RE BACK IN PRINT!

“[JHPD is] not good for faculty, students, staff, the University and Baltimore.”

— PETER ARMITAGE, PRofEssoR

Looking into Baltimore: Race and public health inter ventions in the opioid crisis

By CATHY WANG For The News-Letter

OCT. 5 — While the en tire United States has been grappling with the opioid crisis since the 1990s, the epidemic has been hitting Baltimore City the hard est. Since 2017, Baltimore has had the highest opioid overdose fatality rate of any US city. A 2020 study reported 1028 opioid-relat ed deaths in Baltimore City, and it continues to witness an upward trend in opioidrelated deaths.

In response to the wors ening epidemic, the Balti more City government has implemented various poli cies and initiatives. Mary land Governor Larry Hogan declared a state of emer gency in his 2017 Executive Order to address the heroin, opioid and fentanyl crisis. This order grants emergen cy powers to state and local emergency management of integration and commu nication between jurisdic tions, the private sector and and fast-track a solution.

In an inter view with The News-Letter , Renee M. John son, an associ ate professor at the Bloom berg School of Public Health, commented on the impact of Hogan’s decla ration.

“An emer gency declara tion is really important be cause it opens up funds and resources to address a prob lem,“ she said. “They broad ened access to naloxone, a medicine that literally re verses the overdose.”

Through her experience in outreach and drug policy research, Landry identi misconception of opioids as key factors behind the that, as a result of crimi clarity on the proper use of opioids, which can lead to overdoses.

“For alcohol, we have a system in a market that regulates alcohol. When people drink alcohol, they know the potency of it.

They know how much they’re consuming. When you think of drugs like opioids, they aren’t regu lated like that,” she said.

“The reason that they cause so many deaths is because people don’t know what’s in the drug.”

The opioid crisis in Bal timore is deeply entangled with issues of race.

In an interview with The News-Letter, Dr. Tali Ziv, Hecht-Levi, fellow at the Berman Institute of Bioeth ics, commented on the larg er structural forces behind the opioid crisis.

“If we move away from the spectacle of the opioid crisis in terms of all its sense of urgency, when we get out of that sort of crisis-based way of think ing, what we see is deep so cial and eco nomic inequal ity,” she said.

— TALI ZIV, HECHT-LEVI FELLOW

Abell Improvement Association assesses JHPD for its potential effects on the community

By AASHI MENDPARA News & Features Editor

OCT. 9 --- In light of recent developments with the Johns Hopkins Police Department (JHPD), the Abell Improvement Association (AIA), the neigh borhood improvement associa tion for the Abell community

boring communities.

The AIA voted in opposi tion to the JHPD in April 2019. Maureen Daly, the former president of AIA, discussed

making processes in an inter view with The News-Letter

“There was a great deal of discussion at that meeting, and presented,” she said. “When the University proposed [the plan for an armed police force], they expressed a perception that Baltimore is dangerous and that an armed police force would address that problem, but there was a strong feeling in the community that an armed private police force would not address community problems but might lead to greater vio lence and bigger problems.”

that many surrounding neigh borhood associations have also stated their opposition to the implementation of the JHPD, in cluding Old Goucher Commu nity Association, Waverly Im provement Association, Greater Remington Improvement As sociation (GRIA) and Harwood Community Association (HCA).

In an interview with The News-Letter, Emil Volcheck, member of the AIA Committee

to Oppose JHPD, stated that

ciation to express their support, though many neighborhood associations have formally ex pressed their opposition to the implementation of the JHPD.

“There are neighborhoods around Hopkins that oppose the police department, and no neighborhood association is in support of JHPD,” he said.

a single one. Better Waverly, Charles Village Civic Associa tion and Oakenshawe have of

Jo Ann Robinson, former AIA president and a current member of the AIA Commit tee to Oppose JHPD, shared her concerns of implementing an armed police force in an in terview with The News-Letter.

“It gives the impression that this neighborhood is very dangerous and that we have to have all of this armed protec tion,” she said. “Who wants to move into a neighborhood that is dangerous, who wants to send their kid to a university that is dangerous?”

the University has the ability maintain public safety and the quality of life in cooperation with the surrounding neighborhoods and residents of Baltimore.

Similar to Robinson, Daly not ed that the University can play a positive role in the community through active engagement.

“We have some community involvement from Hopkins, that’s very helpful, and we look for more of that,” she said. “[The University] sits on the Charles

District Steering Committee, they’ve assisted with events with our own neighborhood association, and also, with the Merchants Association, Waver ly Main Street and more.”

According to Volcheck, the Charles Village Community

Authority recorded that Part 1 crimes have dropped nearly 38% between 2013 and 2020 in the Charles Village Community passes neighborhoods around the Homewood Campus. Part 1 crimes are crimes involving murder, rape, aggravated as sault, robbery, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft and more.

“I was at a Safety Advisory Council meeting where a Hop kins representative said that the data shows we need the police force, but this data here shows that you can have a sig

a police force,” he said. “I’m not saying that the unarmed correlation is not causation — but this does show that you can get a substantial decrease without private armed police.”

Three neighborhood asso ciations, AIA, GRIA, and HCA, have voted to ask Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison not to sign the mem orandum of understanding (MOU) with the University.

Daly spoke about Vice President for Public Safety Branville Bard’s history of working in urban univer sity neighborhoods, explain ing that he should apply his knowledge in the community without implementing the armed private police force.

“Any MOU would have to have community support, so we would strongly object to our police department sign ing an MOU with the univer sity because we don’t want an armed police force in our neighborhood,” she said.

Robinson expressed her de sire to have community mem bers and residents be more involved with the University’s student body.

“I hear a little bit of the nar rative that’s being given: you’ve got to watch your back and don’t go to this place, and while some of that is necessary, some of it’s just common sense,” she said. “I would love to tell [students] about the wonderful open space we have, where all kinds of things happen throughout the year, aspects of our community that are really very positive.”

She believes that if commu nity members showed the Hop kins community what the sur rounding neighborhood is truly like, the need for the armed po lice force would disappear.

Similar to Robinson, Daly commented on the narrative sur rounding Baltimore and how that may be perpetuated by racism.

“We are a majority Black city, and I wonder about the prejudice. For many, I think that a Black community equals a dangerous community, and that is very regrettable and un true,” she said. “I would love to give students an opportuni ent people in the community

creative, inventive things that are happening here on all kinds of levels, many of which Hopkins is involved in.”

According to Johnson, naloxone was historically governor’s proclamation created a standing order for naloxone, allowing every one to get it through a stan dard prescription. It can also be obtained free of charge through overdose response programs, which actively distribute it to communities.

Increasing access to nal oxone, which is part of the broader harm reduction program, goes hand in hand with long-term treatment programs. Johnson spoke to Baltimore’s need for a more comprehensive and layered system of care to combat the opioid crisis.

“We need multiple inter phases of any health prob lem. Many people will need a harm reduction interven tion, like naloxone admin istration, many times before they are able to take advan tage of treatment programs,” she said. “The beauty of harm reduction is that those people are alive to get to the substance use treatment cen ter at some point.”

In an interview with The News-Letter, junior Emma Landry, co-founder and pres ident of the Students for Sen sible Drug Policy (SSDP) JHU Chapter, spoke about anoth er front to the battle against against stigma.

Data shows that the opi oid crisis has historically affected the white population most heavily. However, Balti more is currently undergo ing a drastic racial shift in the demographic of opioidrelated fatality. In recent decades, fatality increased substantially among Black residents while decreasing marginally among white residents.

Ziv highlighted that

oid crisis is a complicated and long-term project that involves more than just addressing addiction and overdoses.

for equality, for meaning ful work, and for social and economic inclusion. Those are the more mundane po don’t really love to think about because they’re hard er and they’re slower but I think that’s where actually a lot of the change will hap pen,“ she said.

Johnson echoed similar sentiments regarding the com plexity of the battle against the opioid crisis.

“As public health peo ple, the idea isn’t ‘let’s just prevent cardiovascular disease,’ ‘let’s just prevent overdose,’ ‘let’s just prevent drug use’ — but the idea is to address the structural factors in our society that allow us to get sick in the have to think about social and environmental protec tions that enable people broadly to thrive, rather than just certain segments of society.”

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“It is a much deeper fight for equality, for meaningful work, and for social and economic inclusion.”

SGA discusses Public Safety Survey Students welcome fall with Hoptoberfest activities

By HELEN LACEY News & Features Editor

OCT. 13 — The Student Government Association held its weekly General Body Meeting on Oct. 11 to discuss public safety and the Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) Haunted House Bill.

Public Safety Survey and Email

Senior Class President JiWon Woo presented the Public Safety Survey, which is an anonymous survey intended to get a better understanding of undergraduate opinions on the Johns Hopkins Police Department and public safety on campus.

Junior Class Senator Harvey McGuinness also presented the Public Safety Email. The email, which will be sent to the student body next week, asks for responses to the Public Safety Survey.

AEPi Haunted House

Senior Class Senator Sophie Liu and Presi dent Breanna Soldatelli presented the AEPi Haunted House Bill, which establishes cosponsored funding for the AEPi “Murder at the Mansion” philanthropy event. The event is scheduled for Oct. 30 from 7 — 10 p.m. The bill passed unanimously.

Undergraduates present research on experiences in prisons

PRISON, FROM PAGE A1 Senior Adriana Orduña pre based on extensive reading of essays in the archive. Or duña found that prisoners are controlled to an extent that prevents them from accessing their basic needs.

“In the case of prisons, bureaucratic violence means that incarcerated people face punishment at every turn,” she said. “From the moment that incarcerated people en ter prison to the moment they leave, prison guards and ad ministration can use rules and regulations to limit [their] ability to access vital resourc es.”

Orduña highlighted spe violence she discovered in the archive, including high conduct standards prisoners are held to by guards, inten tional social isolation of pris oners and systemic barriers preventing prisoners from ac cessing educational and selfhelp programs.

Junior Emma Petite ex regarding the experience of inmates during COVID-19.

“Administrative responses permitted COVID to run ram pant through prisons, and subsequent deaths and de bilitation were certainly pre ventable,” she said. “Even so, failure alone cannot describe what happened. Failure con made to protect incarcerated populations. What incarcer ated individuals experienced was not failure but abandon ment.”

Senior Eliza Zimmerman discussed her research from the archive about how the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA), which was intended to deter the sexual

assault of prisoners, has been

“PREA becomes a physi cal way for an incarcerated person to remove people that the existence of PREA extends guard power over the incar cerated,” she said. “I looked at 50 essays that write about PREA, [and] there’s not a sin gle report of PREA [being suc cessful].”

Zimmerman added that she concluded PREA encour retaliation that silenced vic tims, including guards vio PREA by telling other incar cerated people who made cer tain reports and guards pun ishing prisoners for reporting sexual assaults.

In an interview with The News-Letter, sophomore Mariel Lindsay expressed her hope that the archive will help make literature about in carceration more accurate.

“One of my big takeaways [from the event was that] literature about mass incar ceration [is] usually [written by] scholars [who] don’t in corporate the actual voices of people who are being im prisoned,” she said. “It’s great that they have this archive that anybody can read and use to learn about what’s hap pening.”

Sophomore Nana OseiOwusu remarked that listen ing to the discussion made him want to read other essays from the archive in an inter view with The News-Letter

“I’m intrigued because hu man beings, we’re [...] so nar row-minded,“ he said “When stances begin to gain insight, [we] begin to understand that worlds.”

By LAURA WADSTEN

OCT. 11 --- Fall was in the air last week on Homewood Campus as students partici pated in the annual Hopto berfest tradition, organized by The HOP. The student-run event, which began Wednes day, Oct. 5, and culminated in a concert by rapper Desiigner on Saturday night, Oct. 8, fea tured seasonal activities like campus haunted house trip. in the Recreation Center with food trucks, crafts and

Though weather pushed the event indoors, The HOP adapted all of its planned ac tivities inside, except for the petting zoo.

Senior and Retention and Recruitment Chair for The HOP Anthony Megalla discussed the change of plans in an interview with The News-Letter.

“It’s a shame that we didn’t get all our things be cause of the rain,” he said. “But we’re making the best of what we got, and it’s turn ing out pretty well. I’m not too disappointed.”

and mini golf, candle mak ing, giant (beerless) pong and cornhole.

Sophomores Gerardo Fontes, Bryan Figueroa and Roberto Martinez were sim ilarly unbothered by the in

Fontes was drawn to at tend the event by the free food and shirts, as well as the opportunity to socialize be tween classes. He expressed his appreciation for the event in an interview with The News-Letter.

“It’s nice to see the Hop kins community and do something, not just sit in Bro

dy or MSE studying,” he said.

In an interview with The News-Letter, Martinez de scribed how occasions like Hoptoberfest are an oppor tunity for self care.

“It’s hard to make time for yourself sometimes, so it’s events,” he said.

The Oct. 6 activities took place on the Freshman Quad, which included a pumpkin patch, student group per formances, free burgers and giveaways. Freshmen Grace Lin and Raquel Conceicao de scribed waiting a long time to get pumpkins in an interview with The News-Letter. Lin and Conceicao also conveyed their confusion over when student organizers would distribute shirts, which Lin noted was a primary reason she attended the event.

“I’m just waiting for the shirts,“ she said. “I don’t know when they’re going to be given out, but I’m hoping for that.”

Snigdha Panda, senior and chair of The HOP’s traditions committee, discussed the is

sues that caused some of the confusion and frustration during the event in an inter view with The News-Letter

“There was a hiccup in our set-up, which required adaptability from both us and the community, which didn’t go as smoothly as we had hoped,” she said. “We apologize for the set-up is sue on our end, but we are taking feedback into account to ensure future events are more seamless.”

Panda noted that stu dents can submit feedback to The HOP via forms on the Hopkins Groups events listings. She also explained that the group followed the same distribution strategy as previous years and that there were never enough shirts for all students.

One exciting change this year, according to Panda, was the off-campus Haunt ed House tour at The Nev ermore. The HOP offered 100 tickets for the trip, which sold out within a few days. Panda explained why

the group decided to bring the new activity to Hopto berfest.

“We wanted to offer an off-campus event to al low students to get an op portunity to explore the city they’re in,” she said.

“It’s super easy to just re main on campus within a bubble, but we wanted to break that while also sup porting some of our small local businesses.”

Hoptoberfest, Lin encour aged other students to attend campus events.

“Come for the experience, it’s fun,” she said. “This can be like a reward after studying.”

According to Panda, the @hoptoberfest Instagram ac count will no longer be active and Hoptoberfest content will instead be shared by @jhuhop. She also encour aged students interested in helping plan events like Hoptoberfest, Lighting of the Quads and Spring Fair to join The HOP’s traditions committee.

Community members gather for annual Powwow

is to bring awareness to our culture to let people on cam pus know that we are still here.”

Fox discussed the unac knowledged rich Indigenous roots of the game of lacrosse, which has a strong presence on campus. Modern-day la crosse originated from a tra ditional indigenous game called stickball.

POWWOW, FROM PAGE A1

“[The Powwow] allows us to be much more intro spective about the real his tory behind not only the atrocities that occurred but also how people have per severed and really still cel ebrated today,” he said. “It’s not about substituting one for the other. It’s about mak ing a statement about jus tice in a sense of equity and highlighting our history.”

Senior, Edla Teshome has been attending the Pow wow every year to learn about Indigenous culture.

Similar to Colon, she ex pressed her appreciation for the societal shift from cel ebrating Columbus Day to acknowledging Indigenous history in an interview with The News-Letter.

“It’s giving more power to Indigenous people instead of Christopher Columbus Day, which is what we grew up knowing today to be,“ she said. “The change of ev erybody being more aware of the history gives them a place to show case their cul ture, which is really impor tant to see.”

In an interview with The News-Letter, sophomore Beatrice Opoku-Boahene highlighted that the event provided her with a rare op portunity to learn about In

digenous culture, which is something she does not see a lot in day-today life.

While Fox has observed tre mendous growth in the number of members in ISH, as well as the general Indig enous presence on campus, he maintained that the University still lacks Indig enous represen tation.

“From the student body all the way to the faculty and professors, we [Indigenous groups] are very underrepresented,“ he said. “I would say that a big part of the Powwow today

“A lot of people don’t recognize that lacrosse is a traditional Indigenous sport that was played for thousands of years by Indig variations all across North America, but all playing with a stick and a ball,“ he played between the ani mals and the birds, and we continue to play lacrosse to honor our creator.”

To address the issue of un derrepresentation, Fox sug gested adding more Indig enous history courses to the Hopkins curriculum.

Colon asserted that the underrepresentation of In digenous people is an issue that persists on a national and institutional level.

“A lot of the social justice issues that we’ve seen in the past years, whether it’s police brutality or any type of co Indigenous communities,” he said. “But we don’t see it be cause it’s not as open. There are also things happening within the reservations, like missing women and violence against women.”

COURTESY OF LAURA WADSTEN

Students reflect on Hoptoberfest and the opportunity it presents to spend time away from classes and studying.

“It’s giving more power to Indigenous people instead of Christopher Columbus Day, which is what we grew up knowing today to be.”

—

SEniOr

COURTESY OF WILL KIRK

The University celebrated Indigenous Peoples’ Day with its fourth annual Powwow.

Back in black and white Breaking the habit of not taking a break

ing the groundwork for this year’s eventual return to print papers.

We’re excited to see stu dents and professors alike lounging in Brody Cafe or Gilman Atrium, indulging in the nostalgia of reading a print edition and conversing over the myriad articles with the vague annoyance of ink-

ing mindful of sustainability, we are printing fewer pages per edition, publishing half as often and reducing the amount of copies we order (which means readers should make a point of grabbing one ASAP – as if you wouldn’t al ready). Additionally, if you so choose to dispose of your pa per, keep in mind newsprint is compostable!

We have also continued our collaboration with Spot and faculty have access to Spotlight’s paid subscription for free. Make sure to down load the app and subscribe to The News-Letter to get break

OCT. 13 — The return to ‘normal’ has been gradual for all, The News-Letter included. The pandemic forced us to move our print publication, a tradition on campus for over 120 years, to a fully online, daily production, with our last print edition published on March 12, 2020.

Last year, we returned to the Gatehouse, our cozy of in-person after spending a year operating remotely. As part of that transition, the paper re-introduced print magazines to campus, lay

Although we’re bringing the tradition of print back to cam pus, we are modifying some aspects to adapt to the modern

print copies of the paper will be distributed around campus on Thursday afternoons, but this time on a bi-weekly basis — which is actually the original schedule from when the paper was founded in 1896. Along side this, we will continue to publish articles daily on our website in order to maintain a timely publication.

We are also conscious of the environmental impacts of distributing a paper. Be

Our campus also looks time we distributed a print newspaper. With the Mattin Center gone and buildings

distribution route in order to reach our readers best –even President Daniels will receive a special hand-deliv ered copy to his doorstep. So make sure to stop by the bins at MSE and Levering or grab out at the Rec Center.

Alongside our return to print, The News-Letter has other exciting projects in store to extend our platform. At the end of last year, we laid the foundation for The News-Letter ’s podcast and providing our readers with another way to get their hands on the latest news in and around Hopkins. This year, we look forward to further developing the pod cast to run bi-weekly as well on opposite weeks of our print newspaper.

My mother’s hand in my life

Michelle Limpe and Molly Gahagen Chief Re ection Aliza Li Paper Trails

OCT. 7 — This past sum mer, I watched a matinee with my mom every Monday at our local AMC Theater.

We picked our movies al most arbitrarily. One week an romance set in foggy London. The next a major action block buster (think: Yakuza and locomotives) upon which my mother — who usually prefers drama over action — awarded the glowing review of not bad. less important to us than the time spent together, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t have an extensive discus sion after each showing.

Our Monday routine began with a movie around 10 a.m. followed by afternoon tea at one of the only dim sum shops in our suburban community. Over little plates of cheung fun and har gow, my mom and I would trade reviews of our re spective viewing experiences.

My cinematic tastes usu ally rely on three things: pretty cinematography, a moving soundtrack and attractive ac tors. My mother, on the other hand, takes a much more re movie-watching that touches on technical aspects of lighting and camerawork, acting ability, plot structure and editing style.

Her understanding of movies comes from a combi past work as a TV director in Hong Kong and her innate knack for analysis (on matters

It’s safe to say that my mom’s love and knowledge experience of cinema grow ing up. My childhood is full of many happy memories sit ting cross-legged in big plush theater seats and peering up at a silver screen. I’ve grown to subsume many of her opin because her rationale behind them is so expertly persuasive.

ence goes beyond cultivating my love for movies though. I would not be where I am to day — a Writing Seminars major at Hopkins — without her artistic background and

My mother, having grown up somewhat es tranged from her own par ents, learned the importance and value of freedom and independence early on. She exercised that freedom in her 20s when she decided to leave Hong Kong and study

was entirely unfamiliar with culturally, geographically and linguistically.

While my mother is not as much of a risk taker anymore, she still brought that mental ity of independence to how she raised me and my sister.

Rather than signing me up for piano or ballet classes as a child, she gave me the freedom to choose what I wanted to do. You might balk at this idea. How can a seven-year-old safely decide for herself what she really wants to do? What if her im mature decisions cause her to miss out on some valuable experience or hidden talent?

My mother wasn’t so much concerned with train ing my technical skills as she was concerned that I was forging my own path, gaining independence and enjoying my childhood.

Because of this, I decided from a very young age that I did not want to play piano or violin or take ballet lessons or sign up for after-school tutor ing. No, I wanted to read.

My weekends were spent in the library buried in a stack of books, feasting on words and stories, forming in my mind the beginnings of my own stories, which de veloped in me from a very young age, a love of writing. This love is what eventually led me to where I am today.

I’m eternally thankful for my mother’s parenting style and her loving acceptance of my choices. Yet, despite her best attempts to cultivate a strong and independent spirit within me, I am in evitably — as a still growing person — fallible to doubts.

I sometimes question my own decision to pursue writing in college. I think of myself as a happy, privileged fool. Happy in the sense that I’m pursuing what makes me happy. Privi

cial stability and opportunities to do so. And a fool in the sense that I will pay for my own hap

nancial ruin and instability.

In Chinese there’s a saying that translates to “wealth does not last beyond three genera

The second generation, grow ing up middle-class, stewards the money. And the last gen eration, growing up wealthy, squanders and uses the money.

Another saying, this time American, expresses the same sentiment: “shirt sleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations.”

In some ways, my pursuit of an arts degree is like a fast track to the third generation middle-class status that my parents cultivated is now be ing wasted by my pursuit of a seemingly fruitless career.

We would not have been able to do this without the support and guidance of so many individuals. Last year’s chiefs, Laura and Leela, facili tated a smooth transition for operations and have been con stant mentors to us. We also want to thank Paige Maultsby, our Managing Editor, who has enthusiastically helped us prepare for the print process while going above and beyond constantly. Allison Avolio, our University advisor, also em advice to adapt print to a dif ferent campus.

And of course, we want to extend our deepest gratitude

worked tirelessly to take on the additional responsibilities of print while continuing our daily production. Without their excitement and passion for journalism, this would not have been possible, and we are so proud of the work they have put forth!

We at The News-Letter are thrilled to be a part of his tory as we bring print back, you around campus!

OCT. 4 — Looking back at 21-year-old Sudha, I al ways used to be in so much of a rush. With everything I did — whether it was aca demics, research or even hobbies — I wanted to be the best. But now that I’m in graduate school, with al most the exact same sched ule every day, I have begun to feel like my progress is plateauing.

Once, I read in an article that graduate school work can be as tough as wran gling a beast. You don’t real ly feel like you’re a student, but you don’t really feel like an adult either. You lack the

ry, like the surplus of free time between classes that you once had in college or the set limits on work that come with clocking out of a job in the ‘Adult World.’

sibility, but it also means more freedom to decide when I need to step back from my tasks.

Another thing I realized was my own unrealistic expectations of myself. My old habits were not always healthy, like telling my self that I could constant ly work without taking a break or feeling guilty whenever I hung out with friends and didn’t reply to emails immediately. In the worst cases, these habits damaged my relationships with friends, family and significant others.

The picture I painted in my mind of the quintes sential scientist came from movies and documentaries about people who only be come great by working day and night without ever com plaining. I thought that I needed to become like one of these people instead of shap ing my own work ethic and

This realization helped me decide to invest my

ing myself, working on my hobbies and spending time with my family (through long-distance but meaning ful calls).

My own contemplations on my choices are met with many the perspective from my reli gion which preaches a release from earthly pleasures, a rejec tion of the extreme accumula tion of wealth and an embrace of humble, meaningful living.

But from a more practical standpoint, the perspective of my friends who do not have the privilege of pursuing arts careers and instead must wage through pre-med classes and engineering internships to

My mother grew up poor and neglected by her family. Her faith in God formed the founda tion of her emotional and men tal stability. She decided, despite her impoverished upbringing, to pursue an arts career.

In some ways, her decision is very much informed by her time. She lived in a generation

fund their degrees simply by working a minimum wage job for a few years. The choices back then were more diverse and more attainable.

This is a reality I wish ev eryone could have. I wish the choices could be more diverse and attainable for everyone. I wish we all had that privilege, that the framework of our so ciety was built to cultivate these opportunities in every one instead of only a few.

Somewhat paradoxically, I hope that after working hard to sustain their wealth, my friends are not afraid to have it squandered. I hope they can give their children the free dom to decide. And I hope my friends can give themselves the freedom to enjoy and create art in ways they could not before.

I hope I can handle the future, and I hope this is all worth it. And after my mom one day leaves, I hope to look back at these years fondly. I hope what I create can be a testament to who she is.

When I started graduate school, my first two years flew by as I spent each day taking classes, com pleting assignments, lead ing research presentations and attending meetings, to name just a few items in the huge list of what every graduate student must do on a daily basis.

This summer, I began to feel disenchanted with my work. I was no longer moti vated to try my best, no lon ger ambitious or passion ate about doing good work. Was this the famous feeling of burnout that I had heard about so many times? Was I really overworking myself?

I took a step back and tried to unwind by going on a few trips and starting a habit of hiking. I also began reading up on burnout and watching TED talks to mo tivate and inspire myself. Through these moments of a few things.

First, I should embrace the freedom I have in my life. When I was an un schedule and hard deadlines for everything to complete. Now that most of my work involves projects, I need to ent topics and write papers but the structure of all these

It’s completely up to me how much I motivate my self to get my work done. That means more respon

In the past, whenever I learned something new or made a change in my self, I always thought I should write about it in my journal. However, despite learning many new things and making many signifi cant changes, whenever I open my journal, the pages are always empty.

It’s almost as if the best feelings and lessons are the ones left unexpressed. I ad opted this same mindset with school: taking the time to live each day instead of always focusing on accom plishments or the future.

Though it might feel like it, school is not our life. Yes, it’s a giant bundle of work that can sometimes feel like us. We were people before school and will continue to be people after.

Now that I no longer feel guilty about taking breaks, hanging out with my friends and family actually calms me down and helps me get away from the research life for a bit. My hobbies inspire me and make me happy. Keep ing myself happy has become one of my long-term goals.

Breaks are not there to make you fall behind on your tasks; they’re there to help you reevaluate your time and be the best student you can be without falling apart! Remember you are a

vive in graduate school, thrive in it.

COURTESY OF MiChEllE liMPE Limpe and Gahagen discuss the paper’s print production history.

COURTESY

mindset

breaks

Sudha Yadav Crystal from the Valleys

E ditorial

This just in: Print’s back, baby

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD

OCT. 13 — If you’re read ing this, you’re probably aware of the exciting news that The News-Letter is back in print.

After being forced to shut down the presses due to CO VID-19 in March 2020, we are

newspaper back into our read ers’ hands. Over the course of our two-year hiatus, we’ve had print media means to us in an age of digital journalism. Now that we’re all back on campus, we believe it’s more important than ever that we continue as a print publication.

Since the pandemic started, The News-Letter has been pub lishing online on a daily basis, with our internet presence expanded through our social media platforms and, more re cently, a podcast and a TikTok.

Publishing daily has enabled

coverage, reporting on break ing stories and broadcasting them online more quickly.

Much of our audience relies on online news media sources.

According to the Pew Research Center, 86% of Americans get their news digitally, compared to only 32% who read print me dia. Consequently, more than one-fourth of U.S. newspapers — over two thousand publica tions — have folded since 2004, with more than 360 closing in the last two years alone. Even the largest national publica tions have seen steep circula tion declines, as online mem berships replace print ones.

Given this massive shift in the media landscape, it may seem strange that The NewsLetter is returning to print, but we believe print has many irreplaceable advantages that amplify the impact of journal ism.

While online journalism

has increased information ac cessibility, it has also lowered journalistic standards and made the proliferation of mis information more prevalent. In addition, the ease of online publication means that outlets can change articles after they go live.

Print allows us to serve as record keepers for the Hop kins commu nity and en sure that these records will be preserved. If we stopped paying our hosting platform, our work would be lost. Meanwhile, our print issues dating back to 1897 will forever be available from the Sheridan Libraries.

work we produce, why it mat ters and who it aims to serve.

mit that publishing exclusive ly online has been easier on our patience and our budget.

Creating a print issue is costly, time-consuming and often head ache-inducing. But worth it all.

Hopkins, the student news paper needs to have a strong presence. We know it’s been said before, but Hopkins lacks school spirit. We don’t have a strong, unifying force like other universities. It can be

the editorial board

Print holds us to a higher journalistic standard, forcing us to think deeply about the

Print increases The News-Letter’s visibility. When we exclusively pub lish online, readers don’t just stumble across our pieces — they have to ac tively seek out our website or follow one of our social media accounts. But with print, students or profes sors can pick up a copy any where across campus and read an article or two while sipping on a latte in Levering.

Particularly, at a school like

on with other campuses, clubs or academic departments. The News-Letter bridges these worlds and keeps readers ap prised of their community.

Our return to print also feeds our sense of nostalgia. Whether it’s vinyl records or wired headphones, many of us have felt that itch for something familiar from the past. Reading a physical newspaper — getting the ink

crinkle of the pages, smelling the groundwood paper — is an indulgent sensory expe rience that we want to bring back to our readers.

We’ve been anxiously awaiting our return to

print for months. It’s been a tough road – we’re a small school without a journalism program. However, we’re proud of our independent status and all we’ve accom plished on our own. Our editors have been working around the clock to make our goals of going back to print a reality. Each long Gatehouse, has brought us a step closer towards having the product of our labor in your hands.

Our work is unpaid, but not unrewarding. We are commit ted to and passionate about journalism. Our publication is our craft, and we hope you love it as much as we do.

EDITORIAL CARTOON

LETTERS & OP ED POLICY

The News-Letter encourages letters to the editor and op-eds. The Johns Hop kins News-Letter reserves the sole right to edit all op-ed pieces and/or letters to the editor for space, grammar, clarity, accuracy and style. This applies to the body of the submission as well as its headline. Upon submission, all op-eds and letters to the editor become property of The News-Letter The News-Letter reserves the right to not publish any op-ed or letter to the editor for any reason, at the sole discretion of the Editors-in-Chief. Letters to the editor are limited to 400 words, must address content previously published in The News-Letter, and must include the author’s name. Letters must be received by 5 p.m. Monday for inclusion in that week’s issue; they should be sent to chiefs@jhunewsletter.com (with “Letter to the editor” in the subject line). To write an op-ed, contact opinions@jhunewsletter.com. Op-eds are not limited in their length except as available space may dictate. All submis sions may be published online as well as in the paper, and no anonymous submissions will be accepted.

Submittal of an op-ed and/or letter to the editor acknowledges your accep tance of and agreement to these policies. Any questions about these poli

be directed

SHOURYA ARASHANAPALLI / DESIGN STAFF

As The News-Letter resumes print publication, the Editorial Board emphasizes the importance of traditional newspapers.

“Creating a print issue is costly, time-consuming and often headache-inducing. But the payoff is well worth it all.”

O pini O ns

OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS

By EMILIA GONZALEZ For The News-Letter

OCT. 12 — Everyone ex periences a culture shock

For some people it’s the weather, for others it’s the new city’s slang. For me, it

In my hometown, people cant others before leaving for college. It’s the norm. Of course, there are some excep tions. You have the couples college or the ones that go to schools 20 miles apart. As get back together again. But for the most part, you go to support this hometown cus tom of mine.

Go to college single. College brings its own set tracurriculars. Perhaps you you’re a college athlete. Not to mention, you have to con justing to college can suck up all of your time. It leaves you of sleep.

relationship but especially in a romantic one. Catching up can be exciting; you get to tell want to listen. It’s therapeutic to talk about everything. But

time to keep each other in the loop may create more stress than it relieves.

There’s also the issue of communicates. Texting is convenient, but it isn’t always the best way to talk. We have

store. Talking over the phone or FaceTiming can solve this to-face interaction. But there is still a lack of intimacy. You can’t see all of your partner’s non-verbal cues, which can igate a conversation.

ate insecurity in a relation ship. Talking about having other can make them start questioning if they’re enough relationship. They may anx start thinking I’m boring? Is this how they realize they

out of life. It’s a time to focus

time being able to pick what

Make the most of it. Life won’t always give you this opportunity.

I’m not claiming that your won’t last. In fact, within

graphically close relationships.

By TORSHA BASU For The News-Letter

We can’t touch or be physi

a movie or enjoying a meal together. Our limitations are we cannot have.

Yet.

The challenges of a longwhat cause it to have the most

truly love their partner?

marry their partners, while

With the exception of editorials, the opinions expressed here are those of the contributors. They are not neces sarily those of

Should students be in long-distance relationships?

But there are two things

so happy together. They talk he still manages to have the complete college experience. It’s impressive, heartwarm can survive college. stay just to prove me wrong, especially when it isn’t work

relationship feels more like a

ple is to their relationship. If one or both partners were not

ship after a few months once is unfortunately the case for to the common perception ships have short lifespans.

than couples who live to gether. Clearly, the com mitment it takes to be in a

line also removes many of the biases we run into in per son. As humans, it is inevita ble that we all carry our own an online setting, you meet your partner without any bi ases in the way, allowing you to focus on who they are as a person, not what they look tors. Details like a person’s

Johns Hopkins

a bank account.

person in the relationship is

tachment to their own school.

It’s the best way to explore re sources, participate in clubs last for the rest of their life.

college years alone. But it’s it, college is the perfect place to practice this characteris tic. This is the time to search for who you are. You have to

Emilia Gonzalez is a freshman from Ardmore, Pa. majoring in Writing Seminars and English.

ship shows not only strong loyalty. The commitment to to be with someone is a com mitment that will last a lifetime.

their personality, the most important aspect of a suc cessful relationship.

That’s how I fell in love who lives over 1,600 miles

sweet personality before I knew very much about him, even his name. We will be celebrating our two-year an niversary very soon.

relationships much easier. As person. There’s no reason our

But platforms like Twitter,

messages, watching shows Multiplayer games let us play

opment of better virtual real more options will open up in the near future. Much of the physical gap between longthrough such virtual means.

together. Whenever we are commitments, we are togeth er. There is never a moment

relationship truly sets it apart from in-person ones. We nev er allow possible time spent together to go to waste; we have to make every moment

Of course, I cannot wait for

tance to in-person. However

relationship are worth it in last forever.

Torsha Basu is a freshman from Chicago, Ill. majoring in Writing Seminars.

TikTok is bad for political discourse and furthers polarization

By SAMHI BOPPANA For The News-Letter

is no exception, becoming home to political content for its 1 billion monthly users. However TikTok’s structure, TikTok’s algorithm en the same political views more likely to see those again, creating a political echo chamber where one’s

Tags on TikTok are help ful for tailoring the content we consume to our interests our own Barnes & Noble has Tok, a community on the asts share book recommen to important processes like their use of the app. ing a new TikTok account with exclusively conserva tive content, the For You page believe that by using TikTok, they are not limiting them

only watching Fox News or only watching left-leaning Tok algorithm is similar or arguably worse in creating cause there are no journalistic

Clearly the algorithm is course, but it’s working as it enjoy. TikTok was simply not foremost an entertainment Despite this, politics have per In my experience with TikTok, the nuance of poli

In my time using the plat form, I’ve also seen a weak

no explanation. On a platform where short-form content — which limits meaningful po

war rhetoric. TikTok as an app

eration steers global political

From what I’ve seen, the clips that go viral on TikTok over-

sion of why certain positions eos, many users prefer to maximizes its impact by painting certain political po ignoring that it’s important to

Ultimately it is unlikely teens will stop using TikTok for politics, but it is critically base their political opinions or voting habits on the views

purposefully engage with

as unequivocally right or un equivocally wrong.

About two years ago, a Tik

Tok users to post their political

sorship are also problematic.

Samhi Boppana is a sopho more from Dublin, Ohio major ing in Molecular & Cellular Bi ology and Political Science.

jina lim / CaRTOOnS EDiTOR Gonzalez argues that incoming freshmen shouldn’t begin college in long-distance relationships, while Basu discusses their merits.

By Steven Simpson, Photo Editor

By Steven Simpson, Photo Editor By Steven Simpson, Photo Editor

By Steven Simpson, Photo Editor

Hopkins: Home Away From Home Hoptoberfest 2022

By Kayla Rabey, for The News-Letter

By Rex Xiao, for The News-Letter

By Steven Simpson, Photo Editor By Steven Simpson, Photo Editor

By Steven Simpson, Photo Editor

The B S ec T ion

Goats on the Slope 2022 at Wyman Park Dell

Goats on the Slope is an initiative by the Friends of Wyman Park Dell where goats are brought to the park to eat overgrown vegetation.

Hamilton at the Hippodrome Theater, 8 p.m.

The wildly popular musical Hamilton has made its way to Baltimore as part of its national tour!

The opening night of the Baltimore tour leg is this Friday, and there are still some available tickets on Ticketmaster.

Saturday

Baltimore Running Festival 2022 8 a.m.

Cheer on the 5k, 10k, half marathon and marathon runners this Saturday as they traverse the city. The marathon and half marathon routes both stretch up to our Homewood campus, so be sure to line the streets in support of the participants!

Events in Baltimore this weekend Friday Sunday

Reservoir Hill Annual Harvest Festival, 11 a.m.

Come enjoy cornhole, horseback riding, pumpkin decorating and fresh cider in Reseroir Hill!

Hot Art, Art Market

11 a.m. — 4 p.m.

Every Sunday this October, you can head down to the Bromo Arts District for the Hot Art, Art Market to support local artists.

How to navigate concerts in and around Baltimore

By ASHWATHA SURESH For The News-Letter

OCT. 11 — Concerts are a spiritual experience.

cert in Baltimore a couple weeks ago at Rams Head Live — where I witnessed the Sabrina Carpenter per form. The experience was life-changing, magical, surreal — everything from the music, the beat and the vibes made it an important memory in my college life.

But as magical as the concert was, navigating through a concert was a re ality that required a lot of

Plan. Not only does ev ery Hopkins student love to procrastinate on completing class assignments, but this translates to having fun too. Start looking at the sched ules of your favorite tour groups to see if they plan on coming to Baltimore or Washington, D.C.

Please don’t be that per son (aka me) frantically buy ing tickets on Ticketmaster the week of the concert. Al though I was lucky enough to purchase tickets for $8 the day of the Sabrina Carpenter concert, it’s always best to plan and purchase!

Figure out transportation. Good news: most transpor tation services are free for Hopkins students! Always make sure to remember to carry your student ID to show to the driver.

The most popular (and free!) public transit in cludes the Blue Jay Shuttle for areas close to campus, the JHMI, the Collegetown Shuttle and the Charm City Circulator. The Charm City Circulator has four routes –Green, Purple, Orange and Banner – running to places like Inner Harbor and Penn Station. Make sure to down load the TransLoc app to get bus and shuttle tracking info in real time.

your soul at Souvlaki

By GRETA MARAS Leisure Editor

OCT. 9 — I can’t think of too many things in life that are better than Medi terranean food. We’re often spoiled by the consistent presence of the B’more Greek food truck on 34th Street and North Charles Street, but there are a multitude of other incredible Mediterranean restaurants around the city.

If you’re looking for a way to scratch an itch for this kind of cuisine, you will win on price, location and taste if you opt for Souvlaki. Souvlaki is a small restaurant on 36th Street (colloquially known as the Av enue) in Hampden. Besides its Hampden store, Souvlaki also has locations in Dupont Circle in Washington D.C. and is about to open a new branch in Miami, Florida.

In terms that might be fa miliar to Hopkins students, it sits just past Grano Pasta

Bar and right next to Golden West Cafe, which is about four blocks down from the Charmery. You can’t miss the bright lime green storefront and marquee-style lights that spell the “Souvlaki” above the door.

I was fortunate to make a trek to Souvlaki for my latest trip, alongside our Editor-inChief Michelle Limpe and Managing Editor Paige Mault sby. We swiftly agreed that our stomachs that afternoon, and a lengthy discussion of its many merits followed.

entrees and sides. The ap sharing, so Paige, Michelle and I opted to split a hummus with warm pita for $8.95. This might sound like a lot for an

of hummus you get in return is as full and large as your av erage supermarket hummus.

is the spanakopita, which is a spinach pie made with phyllo dough and feta cheese. The the perfect textural back ground to experience the spinach and cheese, which is an infallible combination.

There are two main entree options at Souvlaki: the pita wrap (a souvlaki, in Greek terms) and a platter. The choice for me is abundantly clear every time I go: the sou vlaki, of course!

A souvlaki is a warm pita wrap that contains your choice of protein, fresh french fries, sauce and vegetable toppings. typical choice of chicken, beef, pork or lamb, but they also include vegan and vegetarian beetballs. It ranges from $8.95 to $10.95 depending on the protein you select, which is an extremely good price consid

While TransLoc does map out expected routes, sometimes buses come lat er than expected or even not at all. If this is the case, make sure that you are ready to have backup routes planned. Buses travel pretty frequently through different stations so this shouldn’t be a huge issue, but it’s better to be safe than sorry!

Uber is also another great option if you’re willing to pay, and it is more conve nient since you don’t have to wait at stops or walk from place to place.

What to bring. Tickets, water (passing out from dehydration might not be the best way to get an art ist’s attention, no matter what cheesy Wattpad sto ries you’ve read), your JHU ID, a fully-charged phone to take videos (my phone battery ended up at 8% after taking nonstop vid eos of Sabrina Carpenter), wallet and obviously bring your ENERGY!

Safety first! Baltimore city life is honestly such an aesthetic. However, some of the streets aren’t exactly the best for super hyped-up college students to be roam ing around at one o’clock in the morning. The most important tip is to make sure that you always travel with big groups of people,

ing long distances at night by taking an Uber or using public transport.

If you do decide to get into the mosh pit, remem ber to keep your belong ings secured and not lose track of the group you came with. The mosh pit can be insanely fun but also draining, so set lim its for yourself and know when to leave if you don’t feel comfortable.

have fun! Obviously the most important thing! Remember to let loose, feel the beat and dance the night away! This is a once-in-a-lifetime experi ence to watch your favorite

artist perform, so try to make the most out of it by enjoying this time with your friends.

I’ll be honest here. Al though I considered myself a Sabrina Carpenter fan, I could barely sing along to more than five of her songs and thought for a quick second that she, not Dove Cameron, sang “Boy friend.” My friends and I waited for over half an hour for Sabrina to appear on stage and hyped our selves up to Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well” 10-minute version.

But the moment Sabrina Carpenter appeared with her gorgeous white dress, I screamed myself hoarse singing along to what lit tle I knew of her songs. After all, a concert is a great way to break out of your bubble and explore Baltimore, meet new peo ple, and have loads of fun along the way.

Now it’s time for you to adopt the concert lifestyle, Blue Jays!

tween a souvlaki and a platter is that the protein and french fries (or whichever other side you might choose) are not wrapped in the pita bread. The taste is still just as impec cable, but to me the combina tion of each component eaten altogether is unbeatable.

My magical combination is a chicken souvlaki with hummus. I convinced Mi chelle and Paige that this is the only truly correct de cision, and they happily obliged by ordering their own ideal pita wraps. We all sang praises to our souvla kis, overjoyed at the sublime textures and tastes all swim ming on our palates.

While we didn’t opt for desserts during our visit, you can order from three Greek dessert options. You might be familiar with bak lava, a layered honey phyllo dough cake, but you can also

cheese pastry with nuts, or yaourti, a Greek yogurt with honey or cherry sauce.

I’ve never had the fortune of eating Greek food at its source, but Souvlaki’s proclaimed in tent to bring traditional food to a contemporary setting comes through strongly and successfully. It’s a simple, even inconspicuous, presence in a

neighborhood full of great res taurants, but the sheer power among the best Baltimore food money can buy.

is that Souvlaki is best enjoyed as fresh as possible. You want your pita, protein and french fries to be as toasty as a warm hug on a winter day.

COURTESY OF ASHWATHA SURESH Suresh offers tips on how to have the best concert experience possible through preparation and planning.

A rts & E nt E rtA inm E nt

Björk’s Fossora is a whimsical record on maternity, mushrooms and legacy

By ANDREW SHIBUYA For The News-Letter

an artist whose 10th album sounds as singular and

artist who can create a fungal concept album to excitement and acclaim. Such is the case with Björk’s new record Fossora exploration of motherhood, connection and legacy.

The title, Bjork’s own neologism, takes its form from the Latin word for “digger.” Through this archeologist of sorts, Björk leads the listener into the world of the record, one of fungi, bass clarinets and plant-inspired techno. Where Björk’s last record, the fantastically airy Utopia, focused on nebulous ideals — and indeed utopias — Fossora delves into much heavier and grounded material.

The central concept of the album revolves around fungi’s rooted and interconnected nature. Björk ties this idea of fungal networks to humanity’s own despite isolation during the recent pandemic. She further sings of solace in putting down her roots in her native home of Iceland.

Remarkably, Björk matches the fungal theme not only thematically but sonically as well. From the album’s

track “Atopos,” described by Björk as “Fossora’s passport,” the listener is met at once with a heavy bass beat and bass clarinet sextet.

Bringing about the theme of interconnectedness, she opens the record lamenting, “Are these not just excuses to not connect?” The song, with its bass swelling over the course of its length, turns its focus from the fantastically eerie woodwinds to an intense gabber beat, as Björk tries to

However, this socalled “biological techno,” as dubbed by Björk and collaborator Kasimyn, makes few appearances on the record. Following the opening track, the record turns primarily to slower songs, where Björk’s voice string arrangements and the same whimsical clarinets. Rarely do these songs have any recognizable structure; they are mostly composed of several verses with few having a chorus.

One such song that stands out on the album and in Björk’s immense discography is the sweeping “Ancestress.” Chronicling her late mother’s death, Björk is accompanied by her son Sindri Eldon as they sing of life and legacy. Intended as a funeral song, she sings of pacemakers and visits to the doctor intermixed with beautiful lines celebrating and commemorating her mother’s life.

It is this idea of motherhood and familial legacy that elevates Fossora beyond simply being a fungal concept album.

The inclusion of her own children on tracks such as “Ancestress” and album

Diverse, riveting plays light up the stage at

Witness Theater’s Fall Showcase

this become clear, as does the exact nature of the said camp.

closer “Her Mother’s House” adds to these poignant sentiments on maternity.

The latter track sees Björk bidding farewell to her youngest child as she departs for college. In this manner, from commemorating her late mother to watching her last child leave home, Fossora

place between generations of women.

Between these personal tracks, there are some similarly noteworthy, though somewhat curious, interludes, which may be bewildering for new Björk interlude, “Mycelia,” is reminiscent of Björk’s 2004 acapella record Medúlla with its chopped and processed vocals. The second interlude “Trölla-Gabba” continues this whimsy but includes a beat and a much heavier sound, almost resembling a cut from one of Arca’s several 2021 releases.

While the inclusion of these interludes adds to the world and feel of the record, some tracks feel as though they might belong elsewhere. The track “Allow,” for example, seems a touch out of place sonically, made in the sessions for Björk’s prior record Utopia. Though and breathy vocals contrast starkly with the grounded and almost heavy sound of the majority of the record. “Allow” is one of the album’s only sonic meanderings, especially following the richly textured and earthy “Victimhood.”

All in all, Fossora relishes in its own eccentricities and idiosyncrasies. While she does not necessarily reinvent the wheel here, Björk’s music remains as innovative and singular as ever. Where her music often looks forward, or at least gestures toward the future, Fossora seems content in the present. It is a story of and stability in a rapidly evolving and sterile world. And so, while Fossora might not reach the towering heights of Björk’s legendary records like Homogenic or Vespertine, it is still a beautiful and worthwhile addition to her discography.

By SOPHIA LIN Arts & Entertainment Editor

OCT. 11 — Dimmed lights, hushed chatter, a spirited ambiance. Last Friday this was precisely what surrounded me as I settled in for Witness Theater’s 2022 Fall Showcase.

Taking place in the Arellano Theater, the showcase would be featuring four studentwritten, produced and directed plays. I knew I’d be in for a ride.

It began with a bang.

the opening play, directed by Rafael Stamillo and written by Timothy McShea, reeled me right in. A man, calling himself Poe (Jack Webster), yells with a very

a woman, Sophie (Cassidy Wauben), stumbles upon him. Soon she meets the man in charge, Eliot (Siddharth Ananth), and the situation begins to unveil itself. These men are not who we think they are, nor are they exactly who they think they are.

With a title like Eliot’s Madhouse of Poets, I thought I knew what I was getting into — but what ended up playing out rose spectacularly above those expectations.

A brilliant British accent from the character Will (Aidan Alme) won’t soon be forgotten, and gags with props varying from a skull to a blue jay plushie added a delightful touch. Laughs sounded from all around as the play made light of the dangers of method acting — or perhaps, method writing.

The next play, intriguingly titled Bizarre Love Quadrangle,

was written by Madison Epner and co-directed by Brianna Groch and Nyore

season, the gist goes like this: Jasper (Ander Diez) tries to convince his girlfriend Natalie (Lily Wilson) to go on a double date. With some tongue-in-cheek bribery, he eventually succeeds. And so, across the quad come Jasper’s friend Morgan (Helene Apollon) and her girlfriend Miranda (Andrea Guillén).

As the two pairs meet, pandemonium immediately breaks out. They have their wires crossed — and in many more ways than one. Simply said, awkward has never been such an understatement. The breaking of the fourth wall was particularly enjoyable, and the horrors of interpersonal better illustrated. Interspersed moments of physical comedy added dynamism, while the grounded campus environment made it extra relatable.

play took quite a departure from reality. Co-directed by Angala Rajasegaran and Varen Talwar and written by John Liu, Scream Slay Replay opens on a much darker note. A psychopathic killer (Jeremiah Hadwin) roams a summer camp as two campers, Jennifer (Kirsten Choi) and Billy (Yona Levine), work out their next move. Trapped in a cabin together, they’re evidently at odds, with the seemingly kindhearted Jennifer facing scathing cruelties from Billy. Gradually the reasons behind

Initially what appears to be a horror concept takes a turn when mind-bending elements play as the story progresses. There were moments of genuine shock, such as when the killer reveals himself, armed with a knife and an artfully created mask. The somewhat ambiguous ending, involving two kids (Daniel Wen and Harley Tran), twists everything on its head.

Before long we had arrived at the last play, In Midair. Directed by Guillén and written by Cassandra Mitsinikos, it takes place amid the world of a traveling circus troupe. Making an escape with a bag slung over her shoulder, Erin (Annie Radin) is caught by Thalia (Hannah Kosak). Thalia makes quick work of the situation, deducing that Erin is running away — again. We soon learn that both girls are trapeze artists, with Erin relatively new to the circus.

syndrome of sorts that Thalia helps put to rest in a candid, heartfelt conversation.

The performances were especially captivating, hitting the hardest when Erin reveals her vulnerabilities and the true reason she originally left home. Notably there was an impressive duality to Thalia’s character — she conveys an indomitable inner strength as a mentor to Erin, while concurrently managing to share her own insecurities truthfully and disarmingly. It was an unbelievable joy to watch these nuances play out.

The story ends with the blossoming beginnings of Thalia and Erin’s friendship, doubling as a heartening, hopeful note to close the showcase on as well. Boisterous applause greeted the actors as they came out to almost palpable how much heart went into every line of every play, as well as across lighting, sound, props, set and costume design.

In an interview with The News-Letter, Ananth, playing the titular character in Eliot’s Madhouse of Poets, detailed the weeks leading up to the showcase.

“The initial rehearsals took place twice every week and each session lasted for

about an hour and a half. A week before show week, we had to let go of our scripts and start with more closed-book rehearsals,” he explained. “During the show week, we had to show up through transitions from one play to another, along with run of the show.”

“SHE CONVEYS AN INDOMITABLE INNER STRENGTH AS A MENTOR TO ERIN, WHILE CONCURRENTLY MANAGING TO SHARE HER OWN INSECURITIES TRUTHFULLY AND DISARMINGLY. ”

In another interview, Epner, the writer of Bizarre Love Quadrangle, shared what it was like being on the other side of the stage, so to speak.

“Plays are my favorite form in which to write because there’s so much room for interpretation and interaction,” she said. “Seeing

actors made — like voting during the fourth wall break on whether Miranda should break up with Morgan — made me so happy, because it showed me that the actors both understood my show and wanted to have fun with it.”

Needless to say, I left the show with more than a couple of the lines still resounding in my head. From lawn chairs to playing cards to peach rings, each of the plays contained a distinctive bit of every ingredient. But somehow they all undeniably a cohesive yet diverse amalgamation of hilarity and into the evening, I can only say I was struck again by the pure joy of the theater.

Varen Talwar is a member of Witness Theater and an Arts and Entertainment Editor for The News-Letter. He did not contribute to the reporting, writing or editing of this piece.

Rapper Desiigner electrifies crowd at Hoptoberfest

By JINGYAN ZHANG For The News-Letter

OCT. 12 — The week-long festivities of Hoptoberfest 2022 concluded on Oct. 8, with an exhilarating performance from Brooklynborn rapper Desiigner at Shriver Hall. Known by his stage name Desiigner, Sidney Royel Selby III is perhaps best known amongst the Gen Z undergraduate student body for his hit debut single “Panda,” which premiered in December 2015. By May 2016, “Panda” had reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, ending a nineweek streak of “Work” by Rihanna featuring Drake.

For the opening act,

SungBeats entertained the crowd with his own beats, covers of popular rap songs and teaching members of the crowd to beatbox. Mimicking the music of cellos, trumpets, bass drums and more, he impressed everyone with his unique abilities. Making his way up and down the audience, SungBeats taught the crowd how to make certain phonetic noises just using our mouths.

One of the highlights was SungBeats inviting a group of students on stage and recording their voices saying phrases or making vocal imitation noises, which he manipulated those sounds to create a new song using turntablism techniques —

for instance, looping a sound a given noise. This served as an enjoyable precursor to the star of the show.

Naturally, when the Hopkins Students Organization for Programming arranged for Desiigner to perform, a sold-out crowd of 900 students partook in the festivities. With crowdfavorite tracks like “Panda,” “Jaguar” and “Tiimmy Turner,” students were immediately enthralled by Desiigner’s electrifying demeanor and ability to cultivate an excellent experience for the concertgoers.

Donning his iconic black

heavy-duty silver chain around his neck, Desiigner transformed our classic

Shriver Hall into an entirely opposite ambiance, complete with strobe lights and deafening rhythms.

Amongst the highlights of Desiigner’s performance, the rapper selected a lucky few in the front rows to join him on stage. Not only were they encouraged to dance and revel with Desiigner himself, but at one point a student was handed the microphone to rap to “Jaguar” themselves. This engagement with the crowd maintained dynamic levels of energy.

Persistently maintaining a high-energy atmosphere throughout the entire hour or so, Desiigner was wellreceived by concertgoers. People clamored towards the

front row to get closer to the stage, and there was a general and presence on stage. It was clear that the rap concert as a whole was an entertaining weekend activity for the students.

The concert was originally scheduled to occur on the Beach, but the location was changed to Shriver Hall on the day of the event. Although the space allocated for the audience was not optimal in terms of movement, it was still a pleasurable experience. As the cold weather and midterms creep up on us, the Hoptoberfest concert was an exciting opportunity to let loose.

COURTESY OF LIESEL ARAUZ VALLECILLO Actors Kirsten Choi and Yona Levine onstage in the play Scream Slay Replay.

To Watch and Watch For: Week of Oct. 9 In Focus: In the Mood for Love (2000)

As the semester gets crazier and crazier with each passing day, the need for some escapism gets more intense. Taking note of that, the world of arts has once again stepped up to the occasion to help us Blue Jays out!

In cinema, Indian director Mani Ratnam brings an action epic in the same vein as RRR, while the iconic Michael Myers returns to the screen to scare new and old audiences yet

theaters, namely Michael Mann’s thriller Heat and Monty Python’s Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

A perfect collection of mystery novels is recently out for our bookworms who want to snuggle in for a thrilling read as the days get colder outside. Meanwhile, newer artists like Alvvays and AA Williams are making waves in the music world with fresh interpretations of their genres.

To watch...

Ponniyin Selvan: I, directed by Mani Ratnam — Sept. 29

Catch the critically-acclaimed Indian Tamil-language epic English subtitles.

Heat, directed by Michael Mann — Oct. 13

Revisit Mann’s gripping thriller starring legendary actors Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Val Kilmer as this week’s revival at the Charles Theatre.

Halloween Ends, directed by David Gordon Green — Oct. 14

The latest installment of the Halloween franchise starring Jamie Lee Curtis brings another terrifying experience with the return of Michael Myers.

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, directed by Will Speck and Josh Gordon — Oct. 7

Settle in for a fun time with this animated musical comedy starring Shawn Mendes as the titular singing crocodile.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail, directed by Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones — Oct. 16, 17 ONLY

Relive the hilarious magic of British comedy legends Monty Python satirize the tale of King Arthur in this week’s revival at the Senator Theatre.

To read...

, by Maggie Haberman — Oct. 4

As one of the most prominent journalists covering the presidency of Donald Trump, Haberman describes her understanding of the 45th American president.

, by Laurie Lico Albanese — Oct. 4

Hawthorne’s renowned novel The Scarlet Letter and her relationship with the author.

Mad Honey, by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan — Oct. 4

A riveting tale of the dark secrets that tear apart a woman’s life.

To listen...

, by A.A. Williams — Oct. 7

A.A. Williams’s second album following her debut album Forever Blue.

, by Alvvays — Oct. 7

The Canadian band’s critically-acclaimed third album is a deeper exploration of the band’s indie pop sound.

Varen Talwar In Focus

OCT. 3 — I distinctly

depression I fell into the weekend I went to see Wong Kar-wai’s In the Mood for Love at the Charles Theater last semester. There, in the company of an auditorium full of strangers, I watched a profound tragedy that haunts me to this day. I walked out of the theater paralyzed by an all-consuming sadness and spent the weekend trying to forget all about the so beautiful that any amount of pain is worth bearing to witness them, so I found myself back at the Charles on Monday night, watching the

Merely a surface-level analysis of In the Mood for Love can attest that it transcends the romance genre. It follows Mr. Chow (Tony Leung) and Mrs. Chan (Maggie Cheung), two neighbors in a dingy Hong Kong apartment building in the 1960s. Mere form an intense friendship when they realize that their spouses are having

Their bond remains platonic and innocent, as they meet secretly to work on a martial arts comic book, vowing to be better than their spouses.

other as their lives crumble around them. They enact imaginary conversations between their spouses that

and practice confronting them about it with each other. They are each other’s escape from the world, a sentiment

we never see their spouses’ faces, only ever hearing them talk or watching their backs. Thus, the protagonists are in a hermetically-sealed world of their own making as they

squalor of their personal lives in each other.

Leung and Cheung inhabit these incredibly complex characters with sublime perfection. Leung’s Mr. Chow is a mild-mannered man who goes through the ordeal with a smile so sad it is enough to bring the audience to tears by itself. His tragedy is that he inevitably falls in love with Mrs. Chan, who clings on to her vow to be better than her husband despite obviously having similar feelings. He buries these intense feelings deep within him as a secret he can’t tell anyone, not even himself, and one can see the pitiful remnants of a lovetorn soul in Leung’s eyes.

Cheung, in a powerhouse performance that, like Leung’s, is a masterclass in subtlety, is absolutely exquisite. She plays Mrs. Chan as a bright-eyed woman who is optimistic about her marriage throughout the her characteristic innocence and devotion. She is aware of the hopelessness of her situation and often weeps uncontrollably in the privacy of her shower, yet she goes on with a twinkle in her eyes

and a smile that lights up the entire frame. Her presence was so mesmerizing and her nature so pure that I fell in love with Cheung long before

With a story this juicy and everything together with a stylistic indulgence that makes In the Mood for Love a day auteur, Wong tells the story with such novelty that personality of its own and the theater is engulfed in its intensely crafted world.

Wong constantly plays with time, sometimes going into slow motion with Shigeru Umebayashi’s iconic “Yumeji’s Theme” playing in the background to accentuate the character’s motions, while sometimes jumpcutting across hours, months and years, highlighting both the beauty and transience of the present.

Perhaps the most is the lush cinematography

Wong and cinematographer Christopher Doyle compose frames that get imprinted in your brain forever. The ubiquitous use of red throughout feels like a

the protagonists realize that they too are falling in love,

in a red cage of love. They are now doomed to their tragedies, for while creating a bubble from the world, they brought the vices they were running away from inside it.

Wong’s soundtrack is yet another extremely memorable aspect of aforementioned hypnotically soothing “Yumeji’s Theme,”

Spanish and Chinese songs, all of which inexplicably blend seamlessly with the the refuge the protagonists music was the refuge from the tragedy unfolding on screen, as I continued to listen to “Yumeji’s Theme” for days on end after watching the

Through arresting visual composition and a soundtrack that befriends you, Wong

creates an unforgettable sensory experience. The viewer is extreme as Wong so indiscriminately that the ecstasy of its happiest moments is euphoric and the melancholy of the saddest ones is irreparably heartbreaking.

The audience is completely and the characters’ lives and

an abrupt sledgehammer to the heart. I won’t spoil the ending here, for its paralyzing tragedy is the

“MERELY A SURFACE-LEVEL ANALYSIS OF IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE CAN ATTEST THAT IT TRANSCENDS THE ROMANCE GENRE.”

It is a great vice of cinephiles like me to them a profound meaning in our lives. I try to avoid doing that, but every now

In the Mood for Love it impossible to reject the idea that the experience has changed my life. I genuinely

person before that Saturday and that it has shaped the way I perceive the world since then. It may not be the profound experience for each viewer as it was for me, but it is an undisputed work of art and a masterpiece if there ever was one.

Varen Talwar is a sophomore from India studying Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. His column focuses on world cinema, seminal works in cinema history and cinephile culture in Baltimore.

CARTOON: Baltimore Weather

By Mary Kate McCormick

WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION / CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0 Maggie Cheung is the lead actress of Wong Kar-wai’s 2000 romance drama In the Mood for Love

S cience & Technology

Ancient sciences given new focus on Hopkins campus

By ZACHARY BAHAR Science & Technology Editor

OCT. 10 — Prescription to Prediction: The Ancient Sciences in Cross-Cultur al Perspective conference brought Egyptologists, Clas sicists, ancient Near Eastern scholars and science histori ans from around the world to Scott-Bates Commons on Oct. 6–7 to discuss intercul tural exchange of medical the ancient world.

The conference, produced Ancient Egypt in CrossCultural Perspective (Sci Pap) project, is the third of its kind — the previous two took place in Copenhagen in 2018 and in New York in 2019 — and was sponsored by New York University’s Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW), the National Endowment for the Humanities Collab orative Convening grant and Hopkins’ Singleton Center for the Study of Premodern Europe and Department of Near Eastern Studies.

ISAW Doctoral Candidate and SciPap Collaborator Am ber Jacob discussed SciPap’s overarching goals in an inter view with The News-Letter

“The whole purpose of the conference series is to bring not just Egyptologists working on science togeth er, but scholars from adja cent disciplines... Because this is a very interconnected world where there’s so much interaction in the sciences,“ she said. “We don’t want to just be studying these texts in a disciplinary bubble, we want to really expand that conversation so that as new

texts are being published, they’re having scholars from other disciplines, in forming the way that we’re reading and interpreting these texts.”

SciPap, founded at the University of Copenhagen in 2017, was created to study, translate and publish the Papyrus Carlsberg Collec tion, the largest collection of Demotic medical and as trological texts. Demotic is a form of the Egyptian lan guage utilized between 650

CE that has received less at tention from scholars than its earlier counterparts.

One goal of the collabora tion is to shed light on Egyp tian contributions to Western medical traditions, which are often said to begin with the Greeks. This myth persists despite a 2000-year history of Egyptian and Near East ern medical practice prior to writers like Hippocrates. These sources, however, are portrayed as irrational and magical. One reason for the lasting legacy of this myth is the lack of Egyptian source material from the periods when trans-Mediterranean contact was greatest — to which many of the Carlsberg Collection date.

This lack of Egyptian source material results in a one-sided view of the ori gins of Western medicine that ignores non-classical additions. Her presentation “Cross-Cultural Encounters in the Transmission of Med ical Knowledge: Case Stud ies from Graeco-Roman Egypt,” gave an example of one such transmission of a cress, mustard and rocketbased prescription to treat

lichens and wrinkles found in Egyptian, Greek and Ro man sources.

Far from originating in Greece, the treatment passed to them through Egyptian hands with lin guistic analysis suggesting an even earlier origin in Per sian sources. This process of communication gives a clear example of the com plexity and multidirectional of ancient pharmacological and medical knowledge.

In an interview with The News-Letter, Hopkins Profes sor of Egyptology and Chair of the Department of Near Eastern Studies Richard Jas now shared his experience visiting the collection.

“I went to [see the Carls berg Collection in Copenha gen] with a German scholar in the 70s, one of the great

“We looked at that material, and as he was going through self, ‘There is material here for 100 generations.’ It’s ex citing and humbling for us to be able to be part of this process of recovery.”

While this material pos sesses more historical than now believes that studying ancient sciences furthers our understanding of science and the human condition.

“Engaging with these sorts of issues, cures us a bit of our hubris... Because it ex poses people to virtually new worlds, and much of what these people thought really resonates with us now,” he said. “It’s an inherently posi tive thing that we should be aware of what these people thought and that helps us get out of our bubble.”

Jacob agrees with Jasnow’s analysis adding that these texts speak to problems that no longer exist in the modern world, such as the violent, manic throes of fever, and highlight a legacy to which modern science is indebted.

“Anytime you’re study ing a modern discipline, it helps to understand the history of that discipline because it does pull you out of the world you’ve been raised in and gives you a lit tle bit of a broader perspec tive,” she said.

Over the course of two days, the conference cov ered 25 papers on topics ranging from Babylonian astronomy to dream divi nation and from Islamic alchemy to Greco-Roman theories of digestion. The conference was hosted in a hybrid format, enabling participants to attend from around the world.

In addition to the lecture component, the conference en abled SciPap collaborators to discuss their work with their peers and grow as scholars.

“The project has a com ponent where it trains [doc toral] students to do this type of work,“ she said. “We present our work at the con ference; we have these spe cialists in Demotic already convened, so then we host a workshop so that those of us who are reading these unpublished texts can say, ‘I can’t read’ this and we get

experts look at it.”

Jasnow mentioned the beauty of this collaboration, noting that it has been en hanced by technologies like Zoom which facilitate fur ther conversation.

“We all have trouble reading this script, and it’s really a beautiful thing to have people get together

and someone says, ‘I got this group here, this sign and I just don’t know [what it means]? What do you think?

I’ve looked at it for two years,’ and then through the wonders of Zoom, profes sors in Germany, England

can participate,” he said.

As the long process of translation and interpreta tion continues, Jacob en couraged members of all

and understand the strug gles that brought science to modernity.

“This is an academic tra dition that has a very long history,“ she said. “If you only just jump in, and all you have access to is this one little slice and particu larly if that slice happens to be very specialized, you’re missing a lot.”

Project MD 2027: Do I have to wear pants to my Zoom interview?

class of 2026. Among those interviewed, approximately 49.8% were ultimately of fered a seat.

In an interview with The News-Letter, senior Eesha Verma described her own experiences of waiting for interview invites.

this as a step forward for medical school admissions equity, others have noted that the virtual interview space presents its own realm of challenges for disadvan taged applicants.

Personally, Upadhyayula

for those that are coming across the country, you’re you’re not having to get a hotel, you’re not having to reorganize your month.”

SEPT. 30 — Smrithi Upad hyayula, a senior at the Uni versity of Texas at Dallas, was already resigned to the fact that her email inbox would stay packed for the rest of her medical school applica tion cycle. Every day, there seemed to be updates from one school or another about transcripts that needed to be updated or rec letters that needed to be resubmitted.

It was to the point that, interview invite, she de scribed feeling unsure if it was real in an interview with The News-Letter

read this wrong,’” Upadhya yula said.

After applicants submit both a primary and second ary application to a medical school of interest, the medi cal school often chooses a small subset of applicants to complete a live interview. For example, the Johns Hop kins School of Medicine only invited 12.7% of appli cants to interview for their

“I do feel a little nervous about having to wait to hear back, but I think at this stage, I’m mostly just relieved to be done,” she said. “I’m staying motivated just by trying to not think about the interview process right now, so I don’t get too overwhelmed.

Verma also described her backup plan should she not be accepted into medical school this cycle.

“I am preparing for job interviews, so hopefully skills I learn from practic ing those carry over into medical school interviews too,” she said.

In 2019, a medical school interview invite might have meant Upadhyayula would need to pack her bags and school in the country. It would have meant Upadhya yula would need to coordi nate with family members in the area for a place to stay for the night or book a hotel.

However, since the CO VID-19 pandemic began in 2020, most medical schools have conducted their inter views online. While many medical experts applaud

tual interviews have given her, especially after receiv ing multiple invites sched uled close to one another. There’s no way she could have logistically interviewed at so many schools before, let

She noted hearing an an ecdote that some students used to have to take out

view travel. Hopkins Medi cine still advertises these loans for students interview ing for residency positions.

Dr. Bradley Spieler, an As sociate Dean of Admissions at Louisiana State University Health Science Center (LSU HSC), recalls taking out a his own interview travel in the early 2000s.

In an interview with The News-Letter, he shared that the LSU HSC is planning to continue virtual interviews for the foreseeable future in order to improve accessibility.

“Interviewing for medical school, for residency, and in general, shouldn’t be costprohibitive, especially for a college student,” he said. “[With virtual interviews],

Despite this position, Spieler and his colleagues acknowledged both the ben virtual interview model in a publication this past spring. While virtual interviews

divide between applicants, it does introduce a digital di vide. In fact, one study found that virtual interviewees were rated higher if they had higher-quality videos.

As an interviewer him self, Spieler explained that he looks at more than just how the applicant is re sponding to his questions. Although he acknowledges that this shouldn’t be the case, an applicant’s internet quality plays a role in an in terviewer’s ability to prop erly evaluate them.

than meeting in-person. I’m a munication within a conver sation, with one-on-one in particular, is nonverbal,“ he virtual space to fully com municate in that sense.”

While she was able to save on travel, Upadhyayula highlighted that the virtual interviews themselves still take up a substantial amount

of time. Interviews are often scheduled during the work week, and depending on the school can take anywhere from one hour to a full day.

“I am having to really really plan out my life,” she said.

Spieler reports that, to properly acknowledge equi ty concerns in the interview process, LSU HSC’s student medical students to conduct their residency interviews with the proper audio-visual equipment and Wi-Fi.

“You can’t assume that everyone has this perfect liv ing situation where they’re going to be able to take x amount of hours out of their day and have this space within their dwelling to con duct an interview without any background noise,” he said. “It’s really incumbent on the institutions to then provide a place for their stu dents, to have a place where they can interview and not have to worry about these extraneous factors.”

Spieler’s publication goes into detail about the opti mal conditions for an inter view, at one point even leav ing a diagram of the ideal desk setup.

Upadhyayula shared her own interview Zoom setup, which includes a ring light, footrest and white back ground. While she hasn’t read Spieler’s paper, Upady ayula also mirrored his

suggestion to keep a water bottle to the side and have a phone on hand for any tech

Although the logistical as pects of a virtual interview are their own story, Upad hyayula stressed her initial concerns in preparing for the content of the interview itself.

How could she boil down her reason for pursuing medicine into a 60-second response when that conclu sion took her years to come to? And how could she put her best foot forward with so many other applicants vying for spots?

However, after experienc ing a few interviews herself, Upadyayula asserted that interviews aren’t as fright ening as she thought.

“Everyone will tell you ‘The interview is gonna be really chill. They just want to get to know you’ but we as type A pre-meds are rarely going to believe that,” she said. “You really have to experience it for yourself before you believe they really are trying to get to know you.”

Ellie Rose Mattoon is a junior from Austin, Texas majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Public Health. Project MD 2027 documents the challenges, inequities and triumphs of Hop kins students applying to medi cal school for entry in 2023.

Ellie Rose Mattoon

COURTESY OF ZACHARY BAHAR

Jacob, a SciPap collaborator, discusses a leprosy treatment at the Prescription to Prediction Conference.

Seeing through the fog: Cognitive impacts of long COVID

have shown that the pres ence of these risk factors can

Deanna Rahman In for the Long Haul

SEPT. 26 — Among the

vestigated by the Centers Prevention (CDC), cognitive dysfunction has emerged as one of the most persistent.

term cognitive impairment among patients who were duced oxygen to the brain if there are periods of time

they might be experienc ing exposure to new types of medications.” she said. “Many patients experience cognitive impairment.”

Furthermore, Hosey of fered insight into the causes

ety and depression.

“Some of these psycho

based on the JH PACT study.

Hosey noted that cognitive

and disease treatments have

pact patient out comes, such as tion program in

as an important aspect of patient recovery, which has tion from restricted visita

shared an optimistic per spective of the pandemic.

vices and used by the CDC reported testing positive for tested negative. 55.5% of re spondents who tested posi tive experienced persistent cognitive dysfunction. The

posure to new types of med ications, Hosey mentioned

pairment: advanced age, the amount of time a patient had to be sedated and how cording to Hosey, studies

to them again,“ she said. function in their day to day, which is sometimes associ ated with increased rates of depression.”

severity of cognitive impair ment is greater among pa tients requiring treatment in

“We know program] can understanding pening in their ness,“ she said. duces the harm of bedrest,

tions in the past decade. She dis cussed her key takeaways from her experience working with tients as they recover, espe

the pandemic. “There are many, many

ery,“ she said. “[Recovery]

sion, PTSD and major dis

of our attention to recovery,

“There are things we can start doing to protect the process of recovery, as a

ways that it shut us down.”

Deanna Rahman is a senior from Westchester, N.Y. major ing in Medicine, Science and the Humanities and minoring in Anthropology and Spanish for the Professions. “In for the Long Haul” aims to investigate and increase awareness about COVID-19’s impact on physi cal health, mental and emo tional well-being and the func tioning of society as a whole.

persistent symptoms that weeks.

study of patients from the Johns Hopkins Post-Acute vivors (varying in acute patients demonstrated im paired processing speed, 26 to moderate symptoms of patients reported trauma tacted Megan Hosey, an assistant professor in the Hopkins, for her insight nitive dysfunction is being investigated and treated. symptoms might be more rated on this phenomenon. those who did require things depression or post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We experience cognitive chang es, such as changes in things

By NATANIA KURIEN For The News-Letter

SEPT. 29 — Three Hop kins undergraduates have ing “The Dynamic Brace”,

mon birth defect, where the foot is twisted in a the tendons in the foot are moving the foot in the cor rect direction through mas eryday activities.

The team, which in Hannah Yamagata, be News-Letter, the group gan their process.

Yamagata said. “We found wearing the brace. They

and bar” brace. Pagnotta, who graduated this May with a degree in ing this past spring. team prioritized in their prototype.

“Comfort is one of the biggest things that we fo cused on because that was

According to the team, this interview process was stand how to improve the

Yamagata reported that phy in the Department of couraged their design.

about it,” she said.

Their design uses a vac uum pump to suck air out of the brace, hardening the

check shoe sizes at stores, that the foot and brace are put into and rotated to en sure the correct orientation.

According to the team, moving the need for a met

cheap, and the brace is supposed to grow with the the inside to prevent sores and increase the comfort.

The team reported that prove on the design.

a button,” Tan said. “Our prototype works to a certain ing to push that degree to even better.”

However, as Yamagata

so much you can do with she said.

maintain a vacuum. ing the patent process, the manufacturers that have

on the outcome of the petition, as prize money and the grand prize of a

process easier. However, to them, this is not the most important objective. that we have to do in be

According to Tan, this ect to answer open-ended questions, rather than sim

Yamagata echoed a simi tive experiences through out the project. doing anything mechani this,” she said. team showed their design Strobach, whose daughter bar brace. foot,” she said. “That was

great the impact of our de

COURTESY OF DELPHINE TAN

Jenlu Pagnotta, Delphine Tan and Hannah Yamagata pose at Design Day.

“I do have a lot of hope that we’re in the process of recovery, as a group, as a society, from all that COVID entailed.”

— Megan Hosey assistant Professor of PHysical Medicine and reHabilitation

Timothy McShea Sportpinion

Christopher Xiao Sportpinion

S port S

Victor Wenbanyama has emerged

calls and seemed to relish not only the moment but also the matchup with Scoot.

At Wenbanyama’s size, he

a basketball court. 7-foot-3 is unblockable but not in the hyperbolized sense we refer

OCT. 12 — In the midst of football season, there haven’t been too many noteworthy stories in the National Bas ketball Association (NBA). But on Oct. 4, 2022, an event occurred that I believe will dictate the next 10 to 15 years of the NBA landscape.

Broadcasted on ESPN2, the projected number one and number two overall picks in the 2023 Draft, Victor Wen banyama and Scoot Hender

To be frank, I had not banyama hype. Admittedly, this may relate more to who I am as a person than the type of prospect Victor is. At best, I’m cautious and hesitant to be true. At worst, I’m cynical, majority for the sole purpose That’s why, despite the the 7-foot-3 Wenbanyama

I had reservations. I pointed prospect with a similar build drafted second overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder, who recently injured his foot

As the murky hype sur reality set in: Chet will miss his entire rookie year, and his health will be a concern for the entirety of his career. I questioned whether he was just another tall, lanky pros pect who tantalized scouts and fans alike, but didn’t ac all, when you’re 7-foot-3 you have no choice but to play basketball. Wenbanyama turned me into a believer.

statline, most notably 37 7-11 from three and 5 blocks, does not fully capture the performance. Wenbanyama

assert himself as the preemp tive number-one pick. At the half, Henderson led all scor ers with 18 points and Wen 9. But in the third quarter, Wenbanyama responded by pointer after spectacular three-pointer. At the end of the frame, he had 26 points.

In the fourth, Wenbanyama continued to impress, block

induce scouts to salivate with sidesteps and stepback

Moreover, the way Wenban yama was up and active on the bench, fully immersed in his desire to win, was

maybe Rudy Gobert, who can block his shot.His shot is

appears equal parts advanced and multi-faceted, showcas

a variety of moves, as he ap pears to have mastered the balance and footwork neces any combination.

to the basket as well. Possess that will reveal open looks for his teammates just by his mere presence coupled with to be a versatile pick and roll partner immediately, with the potential to be the most action in the entire NBA.

Defensively, he has quick

of Bam Adebayo and his fel mentioned Rudy Gobert. Let me put that into perspective: Victor Wenbanyama has the player in the NBA, as well as the best defensive player.

At Wenbanyama’s size, he

a basketball court. He has in calculable potential and the mindset to realize it. With his recent performance, there is no doubt, teams like the Utah Jazz, the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma

yama’s performance, I could not help but be reminded of a similar performance which world. Victor Wenbanyama has arrived.

D iD You K now?

Men’s football, men’s soccer and women’s soccer all remain unbeaten this year and are at the top of the Centennial Conference.

CalenDar

Friday Football vs Muhlenberg: 7pm Saturday

W. Volleyball vs Muhleberg: 12pm W. Soccer vs Ursinus: 4pm M. Soccer vs Ursinus: 7pm

Ranking NBA contenders I N S I D E

The Players NIl aNd hoPkINs aNNouNced a New ParTNershIP To ProvIde Name, Image aNd lIkeNess (NIl) educaTIoN for The NaTIoNally reNowNed meN’s aNd womeN’s lacrosse Programs. Page B7

The National Basketball Association (NBA) sea son will start soon with 30 teams vying for the champi onship. However, each year there are only a few real contenders. Page B7

From preventative penalties to ATC spotters, the league have made it their priority and practi cally their mission statement to catch injuries as fast as possible. Page B7

Women’s volleyball comes out on top after busy weekend

By KAI KO Staff Writer

OCT. 8 — The Hopkins women’s volleyball team faced

on Oct. 1. The Blue Jays came into the weekend with a 6–6 of their previous matches.

The team’s day started at

Jays came out with an early

The second set started with back and forth, eventually ty obtained a 7–1 run to lead the set at 12–6. The Blue Jays soon

went on a 4–1 run to lead 16–9. Later in the set, the Blue Jays went on an 11–5 run to cut the

error from the Blue Jays, the

mean I had to remind myself that I didn’t need to hit every she said. “If the set wasn’t same shot too many times in a row, sometimes a well-placed

the team overcame the early season losses.

they happened, we delved into why they happened —

mates what they would do happen, which is why it was so

forth, the Blue Jays ultimately won the set 25–20 with a 10–5

In the third set, the Blue Jays took an 18–11 lead before an unanswered seven-point 18–18. However, the Blue Jays did not falter and won the set

With the Blue Jays only the match, the lead of the third set switched back and forth

to overcome, as the Blue Jays won the set at 25–15 and the match at 3–1.

Sophomore middle blocker named Centennial Confer ence Defensive Player of the

Haverford.

In an interview with The News-Letter, she commented on her successes.

After a bit of rest, the Blue Jays returned to Goldfarb Gym for a Centennial Confer tans. The Blue Jays came out an early 10–3 lead. The Spar tans attempted a comeback with a three-point run before the Blue Jays answered with their own run of four points. In the end, the Blue Jays put the set away with an 8–3 run. the Spartans and Blue Jays battled back and forth onto a 14–11 Blue Jays lead well into the match. However, the Blue Jays pulled away with an un answered six-point run before

The third set proved to be

lead of the match at 13–11. The er, with 11 unanswered points

tans for the day.

forward we minimize any un forced errors and continue on With just under half of their

mentum for the remainder of the season.

our recent wins — just as we did with our losses earlier in the season — and continu

which I think the momentum from these wins will help us course, is to win conference

CoUrtESY oF HopkinSSportS.Com

The Hopkins women’s volleyball team faced off against the Haverford College Fords and the York College of Pennsylvania Spartans on Oct. 1. The Blue Jays came into I N S I D E

NFL protocolconcussion is beingbroken due to lackof enforcement

Hopkins lacrosse’s partnership with The Players NIL presents tools to develop student-athletes

Jonathan Misdary Sportpinion