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The Johns Hopkins News-Letter
The Underground
April 12, 2012
The Johns Hopkins News-Letter Exposed...The Johns Hopkins News-Letter Exposed...The Johns Hopkins News-Lette
W
elcome to Hopkins Exposed, a collection of anonymous first-person narratives that capture aspects of life at Hopkins. Just like you won’t know who wrote these pieces we don’t directly know either. They were solicited through word of mouth and submitted using a (temporarily) open News-Letter email address. Our hope is that these reflections offer a window into who we are as a community.
A disclaimer: the views expressed herein are not The News-Letter’s. They are your views, or the views of the person next to you in class or the views of the people you see on the JHMI every day. They are the views of that person you don’t really know, but run into sometimes at parties. These are the personal — at times deeply personal — thoughts and stories that make up our lives at Hopkins. Some will be familiar, some strange. Some may affirm your beliefs, and some may offend you. Some may make you fear for your hygiene while sitting in places on campus you previously thought safe. But our hope is that they will at least inspire you to think a little bit more about the things you take for granted from your peers. Although The Underground did not place any limits on subject matter, and accepted articles addressing a range of topics, we were struck by the number of submissions dealing with sex, sexuality and gender identity. Clearly, while forums to discuss these subjects exist, people have more to say. Perhaps there has not been a broad enough dialogue on campus for these topics to really feel safe. We hope that publishing these submissions will be a step toward a more open campus. To those who contributed to this issue, I personally want to say thank you. You have shared something incredibly precious with me and with our community: yourself. To those who read this issue, I hope you enjoy the entries as much as I did. — Laura Muth, Magazine Editor
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Hopkins is without a doubt one of the most prestigious universities in the world. We have awesome programs that include science, engineering and even Writing Seminars. But with that prestige comes the work that must be put in to achieve that success. We cannot be expected to learn from our professors without putting in the time and effort to really become immersed in the subject and understand what we are being taught. As a result, no matter what time of year it is there is always one topic of discussion that will emerge in every social group: complaint sessions. “Ughhhh, I haven’t studied for this test neeearly enough! I am so screwed!” “Can you believe I have three midterms and a paper due this week?!” “I. Hate. School.” It’s natural, it’s common and I’ll admit it is totally understandable. As 18 to 22 year-old adults surrounded by our best friends, we would much rather be out on the Beach tossing a football around or at CVP enjoying a drink weekends and weekdays. But instead, we are cramming into the library every night like herded sheep, driven by the omnipresent shepherd named “GPA.” But I like to think about it differently. What’s the point about getting all worked up over grades anyways? I think working hard and striving to do well in school is absolutely important. And stress is a good way to tell yourself when you need to stop watching that TV show on the computer and start reading your textbook. But there is a point where the stress of doing well can become overwhelming. When that happens, I think it is vitally important to stop and think about what all that stress is actually doing. Pressure from parents, competition with peers,and a personal drive to succeed can make a determined person go crazy when things aren’t going right. But it’s important to realize that no matter how anxious you get, your current situation is not going to change. That test is not getting farther away, those vocabulary words are not getting any easier to understand, and whatever else is making you break a sweat is probably not going to change just because, well, you’re sweating. Instead, when those situations arise we should know that we aren’t in an ideal situation, learn from it, and then move on.Easier said than done, I know. But what’s the harm in trying? So while it’s common, and even expected, for us Hopkins students to start freaking out over school, I think our time would be better spent letting the pressure just run right past us instead of constantly trying to run with it.
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SMOKIN’ JAYS – What comes into your mind? For many in the JHU community the answer is Eddie’s Market on St. Paul Street. Our relationship with Hopkins is the heartbeat of our existence. When the calendar turns to August we at Eddie’s Market feel the pulse build in our store. The long summer break is finally coming to an end and we spruce up and look forward to the rush of the incoming students, freshmen with their families trying to get them settled, and the upper class students returning. In our 50 years serving the Homewood community both Eddie’s and JHU have changed and grown. When we first opened our doors in 1962, the student body was all male. NY Mayor Michael Bloomberg was an undergrad at the time. JFK was president and the Orioles were lousy before they were great and then lousy again. The Baltimore Colts were lead by Johnny Unitas and played just a few blocks away – across from what is now the Eastern Campus on 33rd Street. Hopkins Lacrosse was already a tradition of winning excellence but the NCAA tournament was nine years away from being born. We at Eddie’s are dedicated to serving the JHU community. We were the first merchants to accept JCash as payment. We were among the first to offer a student discount with the Alumni Discount card. Our owner, Jerry Gordon, is an original member of the Hopkins Hundred Club – the booster club for JHU Lacrosse. Eddie’s is the place many students come to for coffee and bagels in the morning before exams. At lunchtime our counter is filled with students, faculty and administration folks looking for a great sandwich. Our fabulous Smokin’ Jays is well known by all. We have made delicious crab cakes affordable. In the afternoons and evenings our aisles are filled with students and neighbors getting their daily fresh produce and fixings for dinner and the next day’s breakfast. When the weather is nice, the tables in front are filled with students enjoying our food. We pride ourselves on carrying a variety of fresh breads and top brands of locally roasted coffee. We brew a great cup of coffee and offer a free 12 oz. cup with any breakfast sandwich. Eddie’s Market and JHU – to us at Eddie’s we are one and the same. Thank you for your continuing support. Hopkins students are family to us. Go Jays! Let’s win it all this year in lacrosse.
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