Farewell to a Hopkins Legend

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Name: Kimmy Hilson

Year: Class of 2014

Hometown: Baltimore, MD

Major: Sociology

Minor: Entrepreneurship and Management

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When I am home, I enjoy “reading” the newspaper. I quote reading because it primarily consists of me flipping to the “Life” section of The Baltimore Sun to play sudoku, read my horoscope, and attempt a crossword puzzle. I love how the Baltimore Sun has all of the “fun stuff” in one place; it makes it easier for “readers” like me to find everything. The Life section also includes a neat “This Day in History” feature where they have a fun, historical fact about the current day that happened years ago. For example, on this day (May 10th) in 1497, Amerigo Vespucci supposedly began his first trip to the New World. Pretty cool, right? Let’s see if you can guess this date: August 1963? Any guesses? In August of 1963, Jerome (Jerry) D. Schnydman first arrived on the Johns Hopkins Homewood campus as a freshman student in the class of 1967. This June will mark his retirement as a member of the Johns Hopkins administrative team after 49 years of service, both as a student and as an administrator.

During his time at Johns Hopkins, Mr. Schnydman has worn many hats. He has been a student, lacrosse player and coach, Director of Undergraduate Admissions, Executive Director of Alumni Relations, and most recently and currently Executive Assistant to President Ron Daniels and Secretary of the Board of Trustees. I sat down and talked with Mr. Schnydman to learn more about his experiences at Hopkins, and out of everything that he told me, the following statement has really stood out to me: “I’ve never had to work cause I have had fun.” His daughter, Becky Mossing of Baltimore, says of her dad’s devotion to Hopkins: “it is truly amazing to me how he has dedicated his life to Hopkins.”

But let’s start from the beginning. During his first “stage” at Hopkins as a student, Mr. Schnydman was a student majoring in humanistic studies. In addition to his academics, Mr. Schnydman was also a member of the men’s lacrosse team, and won a championship during his senior year. Of his time at Hopkins, he remembers his “great professors, [his] opportunity to play lacrosse and co-captain a championship team during his senior year, and the world renowned faculty [on campus].”

Lacrosse Hall of Fame Member

Like many students now, Mr. Schnydman frequented the library as a study spot on campus, and he “used to study on D-Level.” During his time at Hopkins, he’s seen many construction projects start and finish, including the Milton S. Eisenhower Library and the O’Connor Recreation Center. “Seeing the campus broaden in terms of wealth and beauty has been great.” Mr. Schnydman is a Baltimore-native, and was a commuter student during most of his career as a student, but recalls spending some weekends at his fraternity house, Phi Sigma Delta.

In the eight years following his graduation in 1967, Mr. Schnydman joined the Reserves and served active duty for six months during the Vietnam War. Upon his return to the United States, Mr. Schnydman worked with his brother in the insurance and pension business for 8 years.

It didn’t take long for Mr. Schnydman to return to Hopkins. Eight years later, he returned to Hopkins in 1975 as an Assistant Director of Admissions and also as an assistant coach of the men’s lacrosse team.  Three years later, he became the Director of Admissions. Senior Associate Director of Admissions, Sherryl Fletcher, has many fond memories of Mr. Schnydman and recounts two of them. “My fondest memory of Jerry is actually two memories! One includes seeing Jerry walking from a car repair shop on Howard to the Homewood Campus and my stopping to offer him a ride to work. Jerry showed his appreciation by having me park in one of the President’s Office parking spots for the day! My second memory is of Jerry arriving at a meeting, one where we would chat about an applicant he had an interest in, with a flower in hand!”

Eleven years after becoming the Director of Admissions, Mr. Schnydman was asked by then-president William Brody to be the Executive Director of Alumni Relations. Eight and a half years later, he was again asked by the President Brody to work with him, as the Executive Assistant to the Present and the Secretary of the Board of Trustees, the position that he currently holds.

Throughout his journey through Hopkins, Mr. Schnydman has made many friends along the way. His easy going personality and his cheeriness make him a very easy person to get along with. As I was talking with him, I could sense his love and genuine passion and commitment to the school, as well as his interest and enthusiasm in our conversation. He considers Hopkins to be “a place where you can have lots of fun, but serious study is what students can expect. That’s the constant. Work hard first and play hard second, but there is plenty of time for both.”

The genuine kindness, compassion, and liveliness that is Mr. Schnydman is felt by everybody he encounters. Daniel Creasy, an Associate Director of Admissions at Hopkins, remembers the first time he met Mr. Schnydman. “When I finally had the chance to meet Jerry in person and have a conversation with him about admissions as well as lacrosse, I realized why so many people had such wonderful things to say about him. What surprised me was his humor and his fondness for telling in-depth and engaging stories. Never have I met in all my time at Hopkins someone so committed to the University’s goals, so passionate about the students, and so dedicated to making JHU better day after day. With Jerry’s retirement a undeniable legacy will be left behind in which Johns Hopkins University improved every year and decade that Jerry was on the job. He will be missed by me, my colleagues, and the entire Hopkins community.”

Me and Mr. Schnydman

Mr. Schnydman has been a fixture in the Johns Hopkins community and will be greatly missed by all who have been lucky enough to call him a friend. Alumnus of Johns Hopkins and friend of Mr. Schnydman, Robert Clayton ’84, said of Mr. Schnydman: “Regarding Jerry, I can simply say that Jerry was a very fair man and that you always knew that he would tell you the truth. You always knew that you could depend on what Jerry said and that whatever it was that he was telling you could be trusted.”

For many, Mr. Schnydman’s presence on campus legendary, and without doubt, he will be greatly missed. For many, including Mrs. Fletcher, “Jerry is Johns Hopkins for so many of us. He has offered us inspiring leadership, wisdom and great energy combined with great friendship.”

Congratulations, Mr. Schnydman, on a remarkable career, and I wish you all the best in your retirement!

Hop’in Around Baltimore: JHU Family Weekend

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Name: Jake Golman

Year: Class of 2014

Hometown: Dallas, TX

Major: Economics

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The weekend of October 14, 2011 was family weekend at Hopkins.  This year, my youngest brother Hank (15) and uncle Greg came to visit.  My brother had never spent significant time on a college campus and my uncle had not spent much time on one in over 30 years!  They both were excited (or so they said) to see Hopkins and me.  Since we planned to drive a lot and parking can be a bit of a hassle, I reserved a Zipcar for the weekend.  They came straight to campus from the airport.  Right off the bat we went shopping to restock on supplies – Giant, Target and Staples.  We bought so much that it took the three of us two trips to get everything to my room.  THANK YOU UNCLE GREG!!  We then went to the famous Woodberry Kitchen for dinner.  Have you heard of it??  Woodberry was featured on Food Network.  Although all of its dishes are spectacular, Woodberry is best known for their C.M.P. dessert, described on the menu as “Malt ice cream, chocolate sauce, marshmallow fluff, wet peanuts.” I think a better description would be “heaven in a cup!”  My uncle was amazed.  Sometimes I go to Woodberry Kitchen just for the dessert!  I highly recommend this restaurant – it’s only 10 minutes from campus – but you need to make reservations weeks in advance.

Eating the CMP!

We started the next morning at another Food Network dive, Blue Moon Café, located in Fells Point.  Words of advice from a Blue Moon regular – go early to avoid a VERY long wait.  We ordered the famous Cap’n Crunch French Toast and some pumpkin pancakes.  Huge portions, great food.  After breakfast, the real touring commenced!  We first stopped on the Homewood campus.  Our tour of Homewood included a guided tour of the Baltimore Museum of Art which has on permanent exhibit one of the largest Matisse collections in the world as well as several Picassos, Degas, and Monets among others.  During the summer before I started at Hopkins, I went with my uncle to Europe and visited many well-known art museums.  He has seen his fair share of art over the years and even collects it.  His was quite impressed by the depth and variety of the BMA’s collection, especially for a museum on a college campus.   I am a Hopkins tour guide and gave them an unofficial tour of the Homewood campus after visiting the museum.

The Blue Moon Cafe

My brother absolutely loved the Da Vinci machine in Hackerman Hall and enjoyed reliving parts of the “Social Network” which was partially filmed on campus.  My brother and uncle both thought the school would be “older looking” but quickly concluded that most of the buildings are pretty new.  The campus buildings really flow together, one of the reasons that I loved Homewood from the beginning!  We concluded the tour by walking around Charles Village. I showed them my places- Charles Street Market, University Market, Eddies Grocery Store, Maxies Pizza and my fraternity house.

The Breezeway

We grabbed a quick bite to eat in Hampden, a kooky neighborhood a few blocks from campus that not many people seem to know about, and then headed over to the Peabody Campus.  Although I know several people who attend Peabody, I had never been on the campus so I thought this would be a perfect time to check it out.  The Mount Vernon area has a very different feel than Charles Village.  Although our stay was short, I saw one thing I wanted to see, the George Peabody Library.  The Peabody Library, which has mostly old books, gets rave reviews and is regularly written up as one of the most impressive college libraries in the country.  We then zipped through Little Italy and, after grabbing a cannoli as a snack, headed to the Inner Harbor and the Babe Ruth Museum near Camden yards.  The Inner Harbor was packed!  Many people had ran in the Baltimore marathon earlier in the day while others were simply enjoying the beautiful afternoon.

Peabody Library

Our last stop before dinner was the Hopkins Hospital.  My uncle has been a doctor in a major city for 30 years but was astonished by the sheer size of the hospital.  Being from Texas where almost everything is bigger, my brother said, “This place is bigger than Jerry World (the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium).”  After a long day of touring, we had dinner at a little joint in Canton and called it a night.  On Sunday morning, the only thing on our schedule was breakfast at Paper Moon Café (5 minutes from campus).  My uncle could not stop talking about the restaurant’s décor!  It was finally time for them to go back home.

During their two short days with me, we visited at least 9 different Baltimore neighborhoods!  They had an awesome trip (although too short L), and I really enjoyed showing off Hopkins and the city of Baltimore to my family!

The Cove is Anything But Common(s)!

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Name: Kimmy Hilson

Year: Class of 2014

Hometown: Baltimore, MD

Major: Sociology

Minor: Entrepreneurship and Management

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Last spring, my friends Ladora, Allaa, Keryce, and I decided that we wanted to live together for our sophomore year. We were SO excited, and had every finger and toe crossed for a quadruple room in the coveted Charles Commons. The Residential Life office had told us to keep our eyes open for an email from them that would come at 5pm on March 31st with our priority number, which would determine when we would get to pick our room. March 31st came, and we all got together, anxiously awaiting our number. 5 o’clock came and no email. 5:05 came and still no email. We’d seen our friends posting their amazing lottery numbers as their Facebook statuses, so we were getting nervous. Finally, at 5:12, my phone vibrated, and I saw the subject: “Priority Number Notification.” We took a deep breath, and opened the message. There were a few paragraphs of specifics, but all we cared about was the number. 377. At first, I thought to myself, “Wow this is awesome! There’s about 1200 students in our class, so we got a pretty good number!” My excitement soon ended when I found out that the numbers had nothing to do with how many students there were in our class, but rather how many groups of students there were. After doing some investigating, we discovered that there were 386 groups. We were 9 away from the bottom, which meant that we would be choosing from the rooms that everybody else didn’t want. Feeling sad, frustrated, and everything BUT excited, we all tried our best to hide our disappointment from each other.

4) Me and my suitemates plus some other friends, downtown for dinner. Left to right: Chantel, me, Allaa, Amanda, Ladora, Keryce, Michelle, and Denee.

When we moved into McCoy 120 this August, we were still kind of bummed that we wouldn’t be living with all of our other friends who had the good fortune of living in Charles Commons. We spent almost every waking hour hanging out in our friends’ rooms in Charles Commons, relaxing on their couches in their living rooms, and just wishing that we could be living there.

I’m not quite sure how this happened, but one day it seemed like everybody was coming to OUR room…to hang out, to do work, or even sleep. Though I was confused at first, I loved how everyone started flocking to OUR room in McCoy rather than our guy friends’ room in Commons (which they call “The Spot”). Our room was gradually turning into “The Spot,” and we couldn’t have been happier.

Me and Ladora (my roommate) last spring

One night, we decided that we would hang Christmas lights in our kitchen to give it a homey feel. After hanging them and stopping to look at them, Keryce announced that it was “Christmas in the Cove!” Ever since then, we have affectionately named our room “The Cove,” and it’s a perfect name because our room is in the alcove of a wing in McCoy. I’m always getting texts or Facebook chats from my friends who live in Commons or Homewood who will ask, “Kimmy, are you guys in the cove? Can I come over?” and of course they’re always welcome. We joke that some of our friends, Michelle and Denee, especially, ought to just move in or get a key made since they’re always over.

It’s almost November, and I know that I can speak for my suitemates when I say that living in McCoy has turned out to be a more exciting experience than we had anticipated. I am so happy to be living in McCoy, and I wouldn’t have wanted to spend my sophomore year anywhere else with anyone else.

My suitemates and me! Left to right: Ladora, me, Keryce, Allaa

Entrance to the Cove!

The Blue Jay Take-Away: Showcasing Music from Homewood

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Name: Richard Kumapley

Year: Class of 2013

Hometown: Accra, Ghana

Major: Public Health

Minors: French Cultural Studies, Global Environmental Change and Sustainability

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Music at Hopkins? What’s there to say? Surprisingly more than you think. I know we, Homewood students have Peabody, where we can go as far as a minor without application and some of my good friends even double degree, taking a full course load here at Homewood and at Peabody. I’ve been fortunate to be exposed to the music community here at Homewood through WJHU, Hopkins’ student-run radio station and I’m proud to say that there are a lot of talented musicians here: The Calms, The Swami-Jane Equation and The Silent Whys to name a few. What I really wasn’t happy about was the lack of exposure and I wanted to do my bit to help change that. My idea was to show off Hopkins students performing their own songs with the beautiful Homewood campus as the backdrop, kind of like our own version of Vincent Moon’s take-away shows. I wanted to find the most interesting places and stick a band in that space and have them do what they did best while the camera just tries to capture it all.

Homewood is beautiful regardless of the time or season.

Getting the equipment for this project was the easy part, the DMC is fully stocked with video and audio equipment and all I needed to do is to sign them out. The hard part was the execution. I needed someone to help me bring these ideas to life. Joshua Gleason A&S’11, a talented filmmaker gladly jumped on this project and really helped to make it his own. We had a lot of fun filming these intimate performances and the more we filmed the better we got. Looking back to me each performance was memorable. Whether it was The Calms crammed in the Mattin Center practice room, Houseboat with his interesting beat-making process in the WJHU station or a golf cart driving by Nik Barbera in the Gilman Tunnel but if I had to pick one, I’d say Alex Duncan in the President’s Garden was the most outstanding.

So what’s next for the Blue Jay Take-Away? Well, Ian Han A&S’14 has stepped in for Josh who is currently studying Film Directing at the California Institute of the Arts. We plan to record about four performances this semester in some interesting places. We’re currently working on getting access to film in the Gilman Atrium, the Merrick Barn and the Newsletter House and we’ve already lined up performances by Pat Hampton, Sindhu Carmen and Mike McFadden.

So find us Vimeo for more videos and let us know what you think!

For more about WJHU check out wjhuradio.com

Tales of a Resident Advisor

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Name: Joe Nugent

Year: Class of 2013

Hometown: Belmar, New Jersey

Majors: Neuroscience and Psychology

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Three years ago, if you asked me where I’d be living at the start of my junior year, I’d tell you that I’d be in an off-campus apartment with some of my best friends. Ever since I saw how big some of the off-campus apartments were I knew that was where I wanted to live. During parents weekend my freshman year my Dad asked me if I would ever consider being an RA, and I said that if I lived on campus I definitely would. What’s not to like about being an RA? You get free room and board! That was always something I kept in the back of my mind.

So fast forward two and a half years. For some reason I decided that I wanted to go through the RA application process, just to see what happened. I started by talking to one of the Associate Directors about the job, and everything about it seemed awesome to me. So I made it all the way through to the interview stage, and once they offered me the job, I knew I was going to except. I was really excited about everything I heard RAs get to do, and I found myself not being able to wait until training started.

So fast forward to August 22nd, the first day of RA training. I went in knowing about 2 or 3 of the RAs on staff, and 4 out of the 5 ADs. By the time training was complete 9 days later, I knew all 66 RAs, all 5 ADs, and Shelly, the Director of Residential Life. Throughout those nine days we did probably every single icebreaker you’ve ever heard of, but going through them as an RA is so much different than when you’re a freshman or sophomore. Everyone was there because they wanted to be, and everyone wanted to meet new people. These were the people you were going to be with almost every hour you were awake for the next 9 straight days, why not get to know them?

Honestly those 9 days were probably some of the best 9 days of my life. The first thing all the RAs did was go to a camp where we did a bunch of team building activities. But I don’t remember those activities when I think of the camp, I remember the free time we were given and how everyone used it to get to know each other. At one point we had the entire pool filled with RAs and we played one of the best games of pool football I’ve ever seen. It actually got so intense that the lifeguards started being the referees for us.

The entire Wolman staff, we had an inside joke that the guy in the middle looks like the main character from Super Troopers, and we’ve been pressuring him to grow a mustache, so as a joke at our first area meeting we all wore fake mustaches.

It was a little upsetting when training ended, because you saw all 70 of these people for 9 straight days, and now we don’t really have times when all of us are together again, minus our all area meetings. But what I didn’t know at the time was that the best part of the job hadn’t even started. One day after training ended all of my residents moved in, and I don’t remember staying up until 5am finishing my decorations, I remember meeting all of my residents for the first time, and knowing all their names by the first floor meeting. I remember the party all of Wolman Staff had during Hurricane Irene and having nearly 50 people on my floor at one time playing Rock Band.

Honestly I couldn’t be happier with my residents, and there are nights where I stay up until 4am talking with them even though I need to be up early the next day, and not because I’m required to, because it’s something that I love doing. Applying to be an RA was honestly one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, there are so many perks to the job I can’t even begin to think of all of them. I can’t even imagine what would have happened this year if I hadn’t been an RA. Sure I probably would have gotten a lot of my schoolwork done earlier, but I’d rather be staying up late finishing everything because I chose to bond with my residents instead than missing out on knowing them.

The amazing residents of Wolman 7 West during Orientation week

Keep in mind that even though this is my story you may have a very similar experience. You may find yourself doing something that you never would have expected. And if you’re someone like me, then you’re reading this now thinking that you have everything planned out and nothing out-of-the-ordinary will happen during your college experience. Always have an open mind, not only in the college search process, but especially when you make it to college. The greatest things that happen in life are those you don’t plan for.

All of the RAs right before our dinner with President Daniels

The Best of Hopkins

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Name: Elizabeth Kraus

Year: Class of 2014

Hometown: Jupiter, FL

Intended Major: Cognitive Science

Intended Minor: Theater Studies

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Hi everyone! My name is Liz and I’m a guest blogger here to share with all of you what I love so much about being a student at Johns Hopkins!

When I was accepted to Hopkins, I immediately wrote it off thinking that I didn’t want to go to a school where work would consume me. However, my parents convinced me that I might as well give it a fair chance- so in April of my senior year, I came to visit the Homewood campus.

If you’ve never been on Johns Hopkins’ campus, let me give you warning:  Hopkins is one of the most beautiful college campuses in the United States, and I have to say, I’ve seen quite a few.

Hopkins immediately drew me in not only because of its beauty but also, because I saw that all the other students that were accepted were just like me: hardworking, yet fun people, with motivation towards the future.

Almost all the students at Hopkins know what they want to do and they work everyday to achieve their goals. That being said, if you have no clue what you want to do- do NOT be frightened or decide Hopkins isn’t right for you on that basis. Personally, I had an idea of what I wanted to do with my life, but now, I’m reconsidering.

I applied to Johns Hopkins as a History major, planning on going into law school. However, this semester, while fulfilling distribution requirements for the History major, I needed to take a class that was either classified as a Natural Science, Quantitative Studies class, or  Engineering. So, I signed up to be in Introduction to Cognitive Neuropsychology, and was really worried how I would do with a science class at Johns Hopkins, a school known specifically for the rigor of its science courses. However, despite my fears, this turned out to be the best decision I ever made. Right now, my life is headed in the opposite direction I thought it would: I’m currently thinking of pursuing a major in Cognitive Science with the possibility of applying to med school.

Though I changed my mind, there are students at Hopkins who know what they want to do and they never waver. My roommate is a Neuroscience major and is completely in love with everything she’s learning. We even went to the bookstore and bought Neurons (brain cells) in the form of stuffed animal-like-things.

Another great thing about being a Freshman at Johns Hopkins is that housing is guaranteed. Though it’s a little pricey, students are given many choices (first choices are granted based on a lottery); you can live in Buildings A or B which are suite-style, AMR I or II which are communal buildings separated into Houses (for example, I live in AMR I Royce House), or Wolman which is on North Charles Street and is apartment style.

My experience living on campus is not exactly what I had expected, but it may just be better! I live in the AMRs which are said to be extremely social, but that also depends on the people in your house. My house, Royce, has the best group of people ever! There is Samantha and Taylor across the hall and Trisha, who is my next-door neighbor, and others around the corner and on the third floor. I feel as though I’ve made friends at Hopkins that I will have forever, even though we’ve only known each other for a couple months.

Right near campus, there is a farmers market which happens every Saturday until noon. If you’re bored and want to take a study break, or just want to go get some fresh food and goods, this is a great opportunity to get off campus. In addition, there are buses which can take you to Towson mall, the Inner Harbor, and all the universities in the Baltimore area. One friday night, I took the bus to the Inner Harbor. My friends and I went to see the Social Network movie and then ate Sushi; so it’s always possible to find fun things to do!

To those of you worried about the amount of work at Hopkins, I can tell you Hopkins is difficult, there is no doubt about that. They will give you a ton of homework and materials to study; however, there are so many opportunities to get out and explore Baltimore that you’ll never feel like all you do is study.

I hope you all choose to come to Hopkins! It really is a great place. I know it was the right place for me, is it right for you?

Living with the Freshmen

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Name: Keith Spangler

Year: Class of 2012

Hometown: Berlin, MD

Intended Program of Study: Global Environmental Change and Sustainability

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I’ve known since my freshman year that I wanted to be a Resident Advisor for freshmen.  I lived on the fifth floor of the West Wing in Wolman Hall and I loved every minute of it. My RA, Evelyn, was always there for me when I needed help – whether it be advice on how to deal with conflict on the floor, how to cope with stress, or just being there to let me into my room when I would forget my keys (a frequent occurrence). Not only was Evelyn always available when I needed her, but she quickly became one of my closest friends. Not surprisingly, I decided to apply to become an RA at the end of my sophomore year. After a lengthy admissions process, I was offered a spot on the Wolman Staff. So far I am really enjoying the position, but have found that there is a whole lot more to it than most people think. Being a full-time student at Hopkins is hard; being a full-time student at Hopkins responsible for 44 rambunctious freshman is downright demanding. But, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

The year started with two weeks of shockingly rigorous training. We went to workshops, did team-building exercises, and even went camping where we pushed our limits on a ropes course. (Funny story about camp: my ropes instructor forgot to lock my carabiner. Long story short: I got stuck in a tree two stories off the ground, balancing on a questionable rope. I don’t think the training was meant to push me that far, but I must admit that I’m not sorry it happened; it actually made me realize that I’m a lot calmer under pressure than I thought.) Before I knew it, training was over and it was time to meet the residents.

Here are my cherubs:

I’ve got quite a unique bunch. Being on the third floor of the West Wing, I have what is known as “Vacation Housing.” In other words, all the residents are allowed to stay in the dorms during Thanksgiving and Spring Break closedowns. As a consequence, the majority of my residents are comprised of international students and lacrosse players.

Now, these two groups don’t automatically come to mind when you are thinking of a homogenous group; yet, they’re meshing amazingly. Every evening, the common room is full of people watching TV, studying for an exam, or just hanging out. It took awhile for everyone to come out of their shells, but at this point everyone has come to know one another. Early in September, our floor went on an excursion to Towson to gather supplies that every dorm-dweller should have: coffee pot, bulk packages of Easy Mac, and Brita filters.  Later on, we participated in Dorm Wars, an annual event sponsored by Sigma Phi Epsilon that pits all the dormitories against one another in a field day-esque event of insanity. Our floor’s banner was a giant international flag with crossing lacrosse sticks – very fitting for the dynamic of our floor. Although we didn’t win, we had a great time and put up a good fight.

We’re also pretty crazy about lacrosse. Given that half the floor is playing for Hopkins, we have no choice but to bleed blue and follow all the games.  Last week, our ladies had their first game against Virginia Tech. We cheered on our girls from “The Nest” as they destroyed the Hokies. It was a great time and brought us all together.

Now, it’s not all programming and fun in Residential Life; there is a lot of work, planning, and drama that comes with the territory. There are days when Murphy’s Law comes by in full force and things just don’t go as planned. When this happens, it’s important to remember to stay calm and think through situations diligently. There are some weekends where there is so much chaos that I’m reminded of being on the tight rope at camp – but, I clear my mind, take a breath, and get through it.

Between programs, staff meetings, and bonding with residents, it’s remarkable that I’m also a full-time student. Some days I wish I had a Time-Turner like Hermione. Unfortunately, I was waitlisted at Hogwarts so I’ll have to settle for 24 hours at Hopkins like every other Blue Jay. But how can anyone fit ALL of this into one day?

Well, I’ve found that, like everyone at Hopkins, balance is paramount. Some days I know I need to buckle down and get things done, but other days I know that for my own well-being I need to just take a day and relax. Too often our society pressures us to work constantly and we forget to take time for ourselves. Being an RA has given me enough to do that I have no choice but to schedule and plan things diligently – fortunately, though, this has given me a better grip on budgeting my time and has allowed me the chance to take time for myself.

As my boss puts it, being an RA has been “the hardest job I’ll ever love.” It’s a lot of work, but I’ve grown to budget my time and remember to take time for myself. My floor has really come together and bonded to form friendships that I can tell will last well after they graduate from Hopkins. It’s been a rewarding experience so far, and I’m thrilled to see how the rest of the year goes.

Snow Week ’10

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Name: Laurin Wolf

Year: Class of 2012

Hometown: Faribault, MN

Major: Writing Seminars

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There’s something kind of magical about the beginning of a snowfall. Growing up in Minnesota, I’ve experienced thisa lot—I mean, a lot—yet those first few flakes never fail to stir up a little excitement in me. I have lots of positive associations with snow: snowmen, snow angels, sledding, and, of course, snow days. A free day from school in the middle of a long, dark winter was quite a gift for every elementary-age child in Minnesota. I was working in my usual spot in the Admissions Office on a recent Friday afternoon when I glanced out of the 2^nd floor window and saw a scene reminiscent of a snow globe. The delicate flakes were beginning to whirl and stick to the lawn and streets below. “That’s pretty,” I thought. “ What a nice reminder of home.” Almost 24 hours later, the storm raged on, and the view from the big glass windows of my dorm common room resembled my home state a little too closely. The streets were piled high with drifts, cars were completely buried, and the miniature snowplows that Baltimore appeared to

have on hand, while very cute, didn’t seem to be making much progress in controlling the mess. By Sunday evening it became clear that the snow was too great of an obstacle for many professors traveling to campus, and classes were canceled on Monday morning. Snow Week ’10 had begun. The next day, Baltimore received another huge snow storm and… surprise! Wednesday classes were canceled as well. And then Thursday classes. And Friday classes. Having never received a single snow day during my entire middle school and high school career, I could hardly believe this string of events. My friends back in Minnesota were incredulous when I filled them in. “We never have class canceled due to weather,” complained one at University of Minnesota. I tried to explain that snow protocol was, well, a littledifferent here in Baltimore. Here are some fun facts to help illustrate the distinctive cold weather cultures between my two homes:

1)    The average winter temperature in southern Minnesota, where I live, is 16 degrees Fahrenheit. The coldest temperature on the books in -60°, recorded in 1996. The typical annual snowfall for those of us “down south” is between 50 and 60 inches. The average January temperature in Maryland hovers around the 30° mark. Throughout Snow Week, parts of Baltimore City gathered almost 50 inches of snow.

2)    Minnesota spent 67.5 million dollars on snow removal activities in 2009. From the Minnesota Department of Transportation: “Winter is our bread and butter. We take pride in that.” By Day 3 of Snow Week, Maryland had spent 27 million dollars on snow removal—from a budget of 26 million. From the Maryland Department of Transportation: “You just can’t not plow the snow.”

3)    Maryland’s salt use during the snow deluge: 74,000 tons. Minnesota’s use throughout an average winter: 350,000 tons.

4)    The University of Minnesota has had two weather-related cancelations in the past 20 years, according to an article that ran in The Minnesota Daily on February 8^th, day 1 of Snow Week. One of those cancellations occurred at 2 p.m. I think my friend should give up hope for a snow day…

5)    On Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources webpage, you’ll find maps of groomed snowmobile trails (over 20,000 miles of them) and safety tips for ice anglers. On Maryland’s DNR page, the headline that jumps out first is “Attention Crabbers!” It explains how to keep the wild Maryland terrapins out of your crab pot. Hmm.

Now, don’t get me wrong—I’m not trying to say that Minnesota is superior to Maryland in any way. I love Maryland crab! And -60 degrees is a temperature never to be endured by a human being, in my book. But I will say that this list does help to give a little perspective on the overall snow preparedness of the two places. Slowly but surely, the Baltimore we have all come to know re-emerged. The snow began to melt and the ghost-town atmosphere gave way to life and noise once again. As I walked to my first class on the Monday following Snow Week, I realized how glad I  was to see the campus full of students again. While a series of snow days is certainly special, most people I talked to were ready for Hopkins life as we know it to resume, and that’s a testament to how cool life here can be—if you’ll excuse the pun.

Life Behind the Bar

3

Name: Rena Barch

Year: Class of 2009

Hometown: Hillsborough, NJ

Major(s): International Studies and Economics

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For those of you who have visited campus, you may have noticed that Hopkins really doesn’t have a student union to act as a hub of campus. However, that doesn’t really bother us, because students here find their own places that can act as hubs while they are on campus.

For students that are heavily involved with Spring Fair, the biggest event on campus, as well as those that run the Milton S. Eisenhower Symposium and the Foreign Affairs Symposium, the Office of Student Involvement is often their home base. The students that run volunteer based groups such as the Tutorial Project often use the Center for Social Concern. Other students rely on other areas around campus such as Levering, or the Hut.

There is one other major “hub” of campus, one which has certainly been my home base during my four years here: Cafe Q. Cafe Q is located on Q level or the “quad level” of the library. It is a great spot to meet with TAs and professors, or to catch up with a friend. It can also be a great place to study, to run into friends, or just to grab a snack and a caffeinated beverage during a long study session (Most highly recommended foods: Chicken Salad sandwich on Multigrain bread or for a snack, the cookies).

Cafe Q filled all of these purposes for me, but in the second semester of my sophomore year Cafe Q took on a much greater role in my Hopkins experience when I applied to work as a “Barista”. Working at Cafe Q has saved me a great deal of money–getting all the free coffee a girl could dream of. Although this has been incredibly detrimental for my caffeine addiction, working at Cafe Q has otherwise been a great experience. So…for my guest blog I thought I would offer a perspective of Hopkins from behind the bar.

During a shift at Cafe Q, I interact with a melange of members of the Hopkins community. I get the chance to talk to professors, graduate students, University staff, and undergraduate students. Even more interesting perhaps is the conversations one overhears at Cafe Q. Professors talk to each other about their research. Economics professors will make jokes about the state of the economy, and a recent Wall Street Journal article on Greenspan’s testimony in the Senate. Graduate students talk about the stress of studying for their comprehensive exams, or their advisor’s comments on their research grant applications. Professors and students discuss a paper topic, or discuss in further detail any range of topics covered in class. Amidst this conversation, one can also hear giggles over something that happened at the Phi Psi party that weekend or discuss their plans for that night. As I mentioned, students will meet at Cafe Q to catch up or to take a study break which often means some amount of gossip. Also being the sole source of caffeine in the library means getting to know the rhythm of exams and papers on campus. Talking to customers about their purpose for being at the library at 10 PM can give you a lot of information about a variety of courses available at Hopkins; which are great; which are more work than they are worth. Being at Q can make you the eyes and ears of campus life, which can at times be creepy.

Working behind the bar is not only a great way to learn a lot of things from your customers, it’s also a great way to meet people. Some of my closest friends at Hopkins work with me at Cafe Q. If you come visit and stop by Cafe Q for some food, you’ll often see us joking around back there, throwing cups, and being ridiculous. It’s just one of many communities I’ve found here. I’ve also had the chance to make connections from those on the other side of the bar.

Working throughout the day, I see a lot of people I wouldn’t always get the chance to see otherwise. I see my freshman year roommate, or people I’ve taken a class with but don’t see much anymore. I get another chance to see people who I only  know through other contexts, such as other Admissions Representatives or members of the debate team. Moreover, I suddenly noticed more familiar faces on campus. Some students and professors are regulars, and you can strike up conversation with them even if they aren’t in your department or in your classes.  I’ll let you in on a little secret: we know some of our regulars by their drinks. Prior to working at Cafe Q, I was a pretty devoted customer. For the first four weeks I worked there, everyone called me “Anarchy,” after my usual coffee drink, the anarchy in the UK latte (It’s a latte with irish cream and english toffee. Delicious.).

Working at Cafe Q is not all perks and greatness. I work either morning shifts or closing shifts. This means either waking up at 6:30 a.m. to get to work by 7:00 a.m., or getting out of work at 1 a.m. Waking up at 6:30 AM is no easy task, but luckily I’m free to make myself coffee as soon as I get there. This type of schedule might also explain why sometimes I’m not able to make it to Laura’s aqua-jogging in the morning (see previous guest blogs). Despite the inconvenient hours, working at Cafe Q has been a great experience, a great way to earn some extra money, and to meet more people on campus. If you come visit definitely stop by and say hi!

So Much Has Changed

0

Name: Stephanie Tow

Year: Class of 2008

Major: Neuroscience

Hometown: Belle Mead, NJ

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“Congratulations graduate! You did it!”

I can’t believe people will be saying this to me in a few days. Commencement is just a few days away and I find it extremely difficult to believe that my undergraduate experience at Hopkins is done – my four years here have certainly zipped by!

My name is Stephanie and I have just completed my senior year at Hopkins. In late March, I found out that I was awarded a Fulbright grant to go to Hong Kong next year to teach English at the Hong Kong Institute of Education. Although I am stoked for Hong Kong, I have had such a great time at Hopkins as an undergraduate that I am really sad to be leaving. It feels like it was just yesterday when I was hanging out with my friends until 4AM in AMR II.

Since my freshman year, a lot has changed. The meal plan has been revamped, new buildings and a new quad have sprouted on our campus, there are no longer single-sex dorms, the AMRs are now carpeted (although still not air-conditioned), and a ton of new security measures on and off campus have been implemented. In addition, with the development of Charles Village (the area of Baltimore near our upperclassman dorms) and Charles Commons (the new dorm for upperclassmen), Charles Village has become a great hang-out hub for students. However, these are just the physical changes.

Looking back at myself during my freshman year, I am amazed at how much I have changed over just four years, and I believe I owe most of it to my various experiences at Hopkins, especially the activities in which I have been involved. During my freshman year, trying to figure out what exactly my interests were, I experimented and joined a whole bunch of activities. I tried out Crew for a month, but quit before the team started 4AM practices. After I quit Crew, I joined the Women’s Ultimate Frisbee Team, which as a club sport, allowed more flexibility with my schedule. I also played in the Hopkins flute choir and took flute lessons at Peabody. I experimented with various other activities and organizations on campus, such as Alpha Phi Omega (the service fraternity on campus), Cooking 4 Love (another community service organization that prepares meals for a homeless women’s day shelter), and the Ski and Snowboard Club.

Sometime during my sophomore year, I finally found the right bunch of activities that fit my interests. However, there were also many activities with which I was not able to get involved until my junior year. These activities included my positions as a resident advisor (RA) in Wolman Hall and as a teaching assistant (TA) for Organic Chemistry Lab. My experiences with these two activities have definitely allowed me to grow significantly as an individual, providing me new perspectives and insight into Hopkins. In fact, the RA position has definitely been my favorite involvement during my time at Hopkins.

As an RA for freshmen (and a few sophomores) in Wolman for two years, I have met so many interesting people. Last year, I was an RA for twenty-eight freshmen and sixteen sophomores. This year, I was an RA for thirty-five freshmen and four transfer sophomores. I remember having so much fun with my residents last year and worrying that I would not have as much fun with my new residents during my senior year. Last year, my residents would sit out in our lounge until at least 3AM on most nights, jamming on their guitars, playing Halo, watching “Family Guy” on our lounge TV, or watching various movies on a projector borrowed from the Digital Media Center. Although my residents this year were quite a different bunch of individuals, I definitely had as much fun with my residents this year. In fact, I was amazed by how so many of my residents hung out in the same group of friends this year (last year, there were a lot of smaller groups of friends instead of one giant group) and how my floor in Wolman had become a close-knit community.

Every month, I plan a few events for my residents, and in December, we did an event that decorated our hall. More than half of my residents came out that evening to help decorate the hall, and the outcome was mind-blowing – our floor was bursting with holiday spirit, and every resident who did not live on our floor would voice how they wished their floor was as crazily festive as ours. Furthermore, I was blown away by the maturity, altruism, respectful manners, and fun-loving spirits of my residents this year. They would often study together in the lounge and stay up late to help each other out. Although most of them kept an appropriate focus on their academics, they were also quite outgoing, getting involved with many activities on campus, going to every lacrosse game, or making plans for the weekend with other residents on the floor to go to Towson, Inner Harbor, DC, or various other hot spots.

This year, I became very close to my residents, serving basically as their older sibling who looked out for them and gave them advice. My position as an RA was definitely rewarding this year, knowing that I was able to influence my residents in a positive manner. In fact, during my final floor meeting on the last day of classes, my residents surprised me with a parting gift along with a poem they had written for me:

The best RA ever
Is Stephanie Tow
To show you our love
We don’t even know how

You made our first year
At Hopkins so great
Living on Seven East
Must have been fate

We painted Easter eggs
And ate lots of brownies
You turned upside down
All our little frownies

We wish you the best
Of luck in Hong Kong
Thank you for never
Steering us wrong

After reading this poem, I almost cried. I will certainly miss my residents when I leave Hopkins. But in addition to becoming close to my residents, I have also made some of my closest friends with other RA staff members, which has given me even more reason to love the RA position. We go together to lacrosse games, theme parks, snowtubing adventures, and for those of us who are at least 21, we’ll also hit the bars together with other friends. Our favorite is “Howl at the Moon,” located in the Power Plant in the inner harbor. “Howl,” as we call it, is a really fun dueling piano bar, and my friends and I keep winning these free happy hour parties in which we are allowed to invite up to a hundred friends for a Friday or Saturday early evening. Singing along to classic rock hits with the piano man, my friends and I always have a blast at “Howl.” Included in this group of friends are not only RAs, but also friends from freshman year with whom I am still close, including my freshman year roommate. It amazes me that even though I have changed so much, I am still close with a bunch of friends from freshman year.

My many experiences at Hopkins have not only helped prepare me for my future, but also have made up the best four years of my life. I have had so much fun here at Hopkins and would not trade my Hopkins experience for any other undergraduate experience. While I start the next chapter of my life in Hong Kong, and then the subsequent chapter in medical school, I hope to be able to come back to Hopkins, once again reminiscing on my undergraduate years, hopefully with my friends at my side. With the amount of change I have seen in the past four years, I can’t even imagine what things will be like in ten or twenty years from now…