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!

Going Greek: A Blue Jay’s Perspective

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Name: Becca Krishnan-Ayer

Majors: History of Art and French (double major)

Year: 2013

Hometown and state: Dallas, Texas

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The beginning of the spring semester marked an annually exciting yet busy time for Greek organizations on the Homewood campus. Here at Hopkins, most fraternities and sororities participate in delayed rush, or second semester rush, so that during their initial months at the university, students are free to explore what the school as to offer independently from their extracurricular or Greek affiliations. I was certainly interested in Greek life when I arrived at Hopkins freshman year, but wasn’t certain how involved the rush process and actual membership process would be. After talking with Lauren B. of Hopkins Interactive, who I met during my time on the Student Admissions Advisory Board, I felt more assured that trying out rush would suit my interests. I’ve always enjoyed broadening my horizons and meeting new people, and while I absolutely loved getting to meet all of the new students in my AMR I Royce house, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to branch out and at the very least, meet a number new people in the rush room that I wouldn’t otherwise have met. Luckily, I predicted correctly, and although there were a bunch of nerves that accompanied those interesting three or four days– chatting, talking some more, following a bunch of smiling sisters around in an intimidating room filled with older girls—ultimately, I ended up confident that I had made the right decision.

Not only did JHU_Lauren B. help to demystify the entire experience for me (she explained to me when we met each other the first week of school that she was a sister of the Phi Mu Fraternity), but also I was able to talk to a fellow classmate from my high school turned Hopkins student, also a Phi Mu sister, and another friend from home’s mother, who actually served as president for the first ever chapter of Phi Mu at Hopkins. After talking with current sisters and alumnae of the chapter, I realized that one aspect of Hopkins Greek life that sets it apart from other schools is its flexibility in terms of the degree of your participation or involvement. Our undergraduate student body is around 25% Greek in total, making it something that that certainly has a visible presence on campus, but doesn’t at all overtake the social or extracurricular opportunities here. Nonaffiliated individuals and affiliated individuals interact a great deal, and while Greek affiliates here definitely have an allegiance and brotherly or sisterly “pride” for their respective sororities or fraternities, this doesn’t negate the general Hopkins pride inherent in the student body.

During the spring semester, Greek visibility is generally more pronounced due to various rush activities and beautiful weather, which allows for outdoor events. Organizations typically plan events that coincide with lacrosse games, Homecoming, and Spring Fair, and I think it’s amazing to witness so many young alumni prioritizing their return to their alma mater from all over the country (not to mention, the world!) so they can visit with old friends and take part in a number of social, sporting, and university-sponsored events. Greek organizations typically plan separate homecoming events to welcome their own alums, so weekends such as Homecoming Weekend become an all-around thrilling time for returning students to not only to reminisce about their good times as an undergrad, but also about their fond memories as a Phi Mu, Kappa, or Fiji, for example. Students also embrace their sorority or fraternity pride during Spring Fair, Hopkins’ annual student-run fair and concert, a time when individual organizations can sign up for selling booths to raise money for certain charities or philanthropic events. In the past, there have been barbecues, stationary bike riding, head shaving for a cause, dunking booths, and much more.

As a current junior looking back on my initial reservations about participating in Greek life here, I have a whole new perspective about what being in a sorority, particularly a sorority at Hopkins, entails. After serving on the Junior Executive Board, a stepping stone for higher leadership positions in Phi Mu, for two consecutive years, I was thrilled when my sisters elected me to lead them as Vice President of Chapter Development. I just began my position this semester and have really enjoyed the opportunity think creatively on behalf of the entire group; plan fundraisers, brainstorm philanthropic events, meet with other members of the Executive Board, attend Panhellenic meetings, and most importantly, run Phi Mu’s weekly meetings.  At the very least, joining a Greek organization has enabled me to expand my circle of friends and acquire leadership skills that will undoubtedly serve me well in all of my future endeavors. But most what’s more, being a part of a group of successful, extremely motivated, talented young women has taught me what it really means to embrace tradition and friendship, and to use both of those in order to impact the Hopkins community positively.

OH JHUMUNC, Look at how much you’ve grown?

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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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JHUMUC is a 1500-student mammoth of a conference. There are many different moving parts and it’s really hard to make sure everything is ready to go come conference time. It’s a pretty hard job but that’s what the JHUMUNC secretariat is tasked with doing every year. I am the Undersecretary-General of Operations, which puts me in charge of conference logistics. Making sure the conference has all the equipment needed and that it goes off without a hitch from a technical standpoint is my duty. Being a member of the Operations team has been a lot of fun, although others regard the job as very stressful, the rest of my stellar team as well as equipment donations from companies like Epson and Meeting Tomorrow really lighten the load for me and ensures that there’s always a smile on my face.

If you want to know what the Ops staff is up to, check out our twitter @jhumuncOPS.

Every member of the JHUMUNC staff is really dedicated and has the delegates’ interests in mind. They spend all year planning different ways to keep you engaged and active in your committees and it’s our job in Operations to make sure that their plans are executed smoothly. It’s because of this that I spend my year ordering equipment, designing systems and preparing material to make bring your wonderful chair’s ideas to life. Of course I’m a student and so balancing this and my other obligations gets tricky sometimes, but isn’t the reason I came here to test the limits of what I can do and frankly when I see delegates having fun, it makes all the work worth it.

I’m proud of being a part of this conference. In my three years I’ve seen the quality of this conference skyrocket. Trust me the JHUMUNC from 2006 is very different from today’s JHUMUNC. We keep learning from previous conference so that we can continue to raise the bar. Being a part of this conference has provided me with many great experiences and opportunities. I still find myself climbing up the MUN ladder. I’ve been recruited to be a member of the CIMUN staff and so if I happen to work there later in the year, feel free to let me know what I can do to make this conference better for you.

If you want to know what JHUMUNC is like from a chair’s point of view check out this blog entry.

MUN doesn’t consume my life; I am also very involved in WJHU. If you want to learn more about that check out my other guest blog entry.

“What Are You Waiting For?”: Toughing It Out on the Hopkins Wait-List

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Name: Julia Allen

Year: Class of 2015

Hometown: Atlanta, GA

Majors: Economics, International Studies

Minor: History

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About a year ago I was right in the middle of the college application process and everything seemed overwhelming. Sifting through the mountains of information about all the different universities as well as the advice on how to get into these schools was just as exciting as it was exhausting. I spent weeks perfecting my essays for the Common Application supplements, months meeting with my college counselor, and years working my hardest in high school to get the grades I would need for the application process. I’m sure this sounds familiar to most of you who are currently battling through the world of college admissions right now, and the good news is that it will eventually be over and hopefully you will find yourself at a school that’s right for you. What might not sound as familiar to you guys is the wait-listing process, which I had to go through this past summer. This is what I would like to share because even if you are not placed on the wait-list (fingers crossed!), I think you might be able to learn from my experience.

The essays were tough, the standardized testing was tough, and the paper work was tough, but for me, the most difficult part of the college process came after all of my friends had come to terms with their rejection letters, celebrated their admittance letters, and committed to a school of their choice. I had been accepted to Boston University (which was definitely one of the top schools on my list), but I was also informed that I would be put on the Johns Hopkins wait-list. At first I was excited because I was not rejected, but the wait-list status put me in a state of limbo that made the end of my senior year and first half of my summer really stressful. On one hand I knew that I should focus on getting myself excited about all the opportunities at BU, but on the other hand I knew that I still had a chance to get into Hopkins and I wanted to do everything I could to make it happen. It was hard to get myself pumped for a year at BU while at the same time I was writing essays and crossing my fingers for a chance to get into my #1 choice.

In the end it was worth the wait and the extra work because I got a call from my college counselor in the middle of June saying that I had been offered a spot in the Johns Hopkins Class of 2015! I was really surprised because I didn’t think that they would take anyone off the wait-list that late into the summer, but, needless to say, I jumped at the opportunity to enroll in the Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences. At the time when I found out about the good news I was at the lake with all of my friends from high school.  Many of us had committed to schools in the Boston area for college so it was a little bit scary to leave that all behind after I had gotten myself so pumped about BU, but Johns Hopkins had everything I wanted academically and I wasn’t about to let that opportunity go out the door. I committed to Johns Hopkins the next day without hesitation because the International Studies program fit perfectly with my interests. I really wanted the opportunity to focus in Security Studies and even apply for the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) during my sophomore year, so I gathered up some courage, called the Admissions Office, and committed to four years away from the friends that I had known for basically my entire life.

Now that I think about it, I am incredibly lucky. Having never visited campus or looked into the social life here before committing, I realize that I could have been unpleasantly surprised if it were any other school. I came here because I am passionate about Security Studies and International Politics, but now I realize I have a lot more to love about Hopkins than just the academic life. One of the most surprising aspects of Hopkins for me when I first arrived was the campus. I was expecting a very scattered, dangerous, urban campus but I was surprised to find that this is not the case. The grassy quads and the Beach are some of my favorite places to chill outside with my friends! The brick buildings are beautiful and the security here makes walking around campus safe even after an all-nighter in “Club MSE” (also known as the one and only Milton S. Eisenhower Library where SAAB superstar Ruthie C. is known to party all night long! It’s BYOB… bring your own books, duh).

Since I have been here, I have had the chance to get involved in some great clubs around campus. I just became a staff writer for the JHU Politik (click here if you want to check out some of the stuff we do! http://jhupolitik.org/), which has been a great experience for me. I also had fun trying out field hockey for the first time this semester with the girls’ club team, and I am in the process of signing up to volunteer at the Veteran’s Center with the Support Our Troops club. Reaching out and making friends has also been a big part of my first semester here at Hopkins, and the social scene here makes it easy to meet new people. Whether you are looking to get involved in Greek life or you want to do your own thing (As of now, I am not certain what I will end up doing), there are plenty of ways to have a good time with the friends you make here.

My advice to all of you who are considering applying to Hopkins is to come visit the campus and take a tour to get a feel of this place. There is so much more here than just academics, and maybe if you have a chance to see how beautiful the campus is and how passionate and fun the people are, your decision will be easier. The wait-listing process was tough, but 100% worth the time spent in limbo, writing essays, and wringing my hands. The chances that any of you guys find yourselves in the same position that I was in last summer are slim to none, but hopefully you can take away some of the reasons why I chose to come to Hopkins and why I love it here.

Saving my 21st

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Name: Alanna Olken

Year: Class of 2013

Hometown: New York City, NY

Major: International Studies

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October 11^th as a birthday has served me well my entire life. I have always been a proud Libra and thankful that my birthday is always somewhere around Columbus Day, which has always meant a long and luxurious three-day weekend to celebrate. This year, however, it was as though all the negative karma I’ve accumulated in my entire 21 years on earth came flying at me in a whirlwind that was the worst 21^st birthday ever. I thought the memory of my 21st birthday was going to be forever tainted.

21 came the same day as not one, not two, but three midterms. I had two midterms in the morning, economics and history, and then a small break for lunch, followed by a political science midterm. After spending the three day weekend moping, studying, and drinking too much coffee, all I wanted was for Tuesday the 11^th to be over. Who cares about 21, all I wanted was to feel sorry for myself in my bed.

Once the disastrous day was finally over and I had slept from 6 pm until the next morning at 10am, it hit me how depressing my life had been. Sure, Hopkins is a stressful place once in a while, but I had allowed work to consume my entire life and hadn’t made any plans to celebrate my big day. Thinking that the opportunity had passed and I would have to wait another 364 until I could do it right, I gave up.

The next day, I came home from class still slightly delirious from everything, but feeling better. I opened by door to see three of my good friends standing in my kitchen, all appearing to be cooking something delicious and surrounded by grocery bags all over the counters.

“What’s going on,” I inquired, confused as to how they even got in and why my entire house smelled like a food truck.

“We’re making you a birthday dinner tonight. It’s at our house, the guest list and everything is taken care of. All you need to do it show up and get out of the kitchen.” With that, three boys shoved me out of the kitchen and stayed there until 8 pm, whipping up a delicious feast in my honor.

At 8:30 I arrived to a fully decorated with all my 15 close friends there to cheer me up. I walked into a table adorned with candles and covered with homemade dinner: short ribs over egg noodles, hasselback potatoes, brie and blueberry puffed pastries, Israeli cous cous and a delicious flourless chocolate cake for dessert. My friends had all come together to create a memorable and beautiful dinner for me; everyone pitched in in their own way to make the night special and to help me erase the horrible memory of the day before. Suddenly, my midterm stress melted away with each bite of the short ribs and the exhaustion that had consumed my life turned into appreciation for the wonderful friends I’ve made here at Hopkins.

The moral is that, sure, Hopkins can get crazy sometimes. It’s a rigorous school and throws you situations that are over your head once in a while. What is important is pushing through those moments, trying your best, and then forgetting them as soon as possible with great friends that you have made here. The support system you can create at Hopkins is invaluable, and what I’ve achieved here is a camaraderie that is rare and special. Five years from now when I remember my birthday, I know I won’t see an image of myself with thousands of coffee cups surrounding me at a table on C level, but instead remember the dinner that my friends so generously prepared and organized for me that saved the day!

Senior Year

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Name: Corey Adams

Year: Class of 2012

Hometown: Cedar Grove, New Jersey

Major: Political Science

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As a senior in high school, I was extremely happy that I was accepted into Hopkins nice and early. I was able to simply enjoy my senior fall while others were stressing about applications, win my high school’s first soccer state championship, and then, much to the chagrin of my parents, coast through senior spring. The only problem with this was the amount of questions I got from students, friends, and family members. Over the course of my senior year, I was asked the question: “You’re going to Hopkins, are you going pre-med?” While this annoyed me at first, considering I knew that Hopkins has much more to offer than pre-med courses, I took the opportunity to explain this fact to them after telling them I wasn’t going to major in a science related field. Over time, however, I realized that Hopkins is well known for its medical program and that this was the first thing people thought about when Johns Hopkins came up in conversation. I became accustomed to the question and was completely fine with answering it– as long as they gave me the chance to praise the other non-scientific departments of the school as well, of course. But, in my past four years here at Hopkins, I’ve realized that many people, in their earlier years of college, have trouble deciding what they are going to major in during their four years. Sometimes people even attempt to double major in completely opposite subjects– writing seminars and biology may seem like an unlikely pair, but it happens more than you’d think.

You may be asking yourself right now, where am I going with this? Fast forward four years and I’m getting a different type of question as a senior in college. This question is different because it has far more important implications than what major I was going to pursue in college. I can’t even begin to explain how many times I’ve been asked by friends, professors, coaches, family members, and most importantly, my parents: “Have you figured out what you’re going to do with your life after graduation?”

Let me answer that question for you. At the moment, I have absolutely no idea what I’m going to do next year. I have some ideas, but nothing solid. It’s reassuring to know that I am not alone, as most seniors don’t have solid plans at this point either. For a few weeks, I took part in resume drops and had a few interviews, some going better than others, but then I started to second guess that route. I’m not sure if I want to jump right in to working full time. Sure, some consistent income would be great, but I have to be happy with going to work everyday or I know I’ll regret taking the job. Grad school seems like a better option some days while working interests me more on others. It’s a never ending cycle.

I know I have to figure it out and time is of the essence, but part of me wants to put this monumental decision off for a few more weeks (or months). As much as I want to figure out my life after graduation, enjoying my senior year is of the utmost importance to me. I’m confident that I will come to a decision and be happy with it, but I plan on enjoying my last year atHopkins. Four years ago, I wanted to make a decision early. After spending three great years atHopkins, I’m not rushing to leave.

How to Fail a Freshman Room Inspection: how an only child learned to love a roommate.

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Name: Bridget Harkness

Year: Class of 2014

Hometown: Boise, ID

Majors: Writing Seminars and Public Health

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Jennings, Room 188 became The Lair. There was a green grape at the bottom of our refrigerator that we watched slowly become a raisin. There were round pillows, and patchwork blankets, and a warped ResLife measuring cup that someone once put in the oven, and I was too afraid to return. There was a temperamental printer that I named Oliver that printed everything slanted so it just became a jewelry holder. There was a small coffee maker that I rarely used because it was noisy and she slept late. There was a red lamp beside her bed because the overhead light was bright and I went to bed early. On my nightstand I had black eye masks and neon green earplugs. There was a Dali painting of elephants above my bed – that always made people go sort of quiet and say “That’s really cool”. There was a knitted turtleneck sweater with a dog head from her Aunt, and it wasn’t cool, but it made us laugh so I wore it anyway. There were HealWell antibiotics for my sinuses, sore from humidity and wind. There were herbal pills from her mother, skeptical of medicine or vaccines. We shared tissue boxes like sickness, commiserating. There were oversized suitcases. We traveled alone between the coasts by plane, coming together to lament the lack of Mexican food. There were Yiddish refrigerator magnets, ‘Oy Vey Bagel Shiksa’. That was me. There were Broadway tickets, and soundtracks, ‘Take Me or Leave Me’. That was her. There were glass dishes that sat dirty so long in my closet that one day I just threw them all to the bottom of a big recycling bin by the baseball field. I listened to the echoes of them breaking. There was a large cloth patterned like the Andean Flag pinned to the backboard of my desk. There was a painting of the dark mark hanging from her bed for use in the Quidditch music video. There were piles of work shopped poems, and stacks of college ruled Calculus problems. There were booby traps of books. There were labyrinths of computer cables. There were drawings and letters from a little girl she babysat in Tucson. There were pictures. My sweaty gym shorts, and worn out running shoes made my half of the room reek like rotting cornstarch. I made her go to spinning class and we bought air freshener that smelled like rain.  There were letters from my grandma and friends from High School tacked in circles. There was a candle we never lit. Our lights were always off – first because we were hot, then because we were lazy, eventually because we were used to it.

We had a saying, ”It has gone into the void,”

meaning you might not find it now

but it will show up eventually.

To Writing Sems, or Not to Writing Sems

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Name: Andrea Fields

Year: Class of 2015

Hometown: Brooklyn, NY

Majors: Molecular and Cellular Biology and Writing Seminars

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One of the scariest parts of the college process was writing application essays.  Between in depth descriptions of my deep appreciation for digital photography and neatly worded paragraphs about my summer in the neonatal unit, I was beyond overwhelmed.  It wasn’t that I disliked writing, I actually secretly really enjoyed it, but summing myself up in a few hundred words was both daunting and slightly demeaning.  I liked to think my seventeen years of life extended much further than a few double-spaced pages but, in mid October of last year, I sent the Microsoft Word version of myself to Johns Hopkins.

On the Hopkins application I was asked to write down what I intended on majoring in.   Unlike most of my friends from home (and most seventeen-year-olds), I was very strongly set on what I was going to do with my life.  At family functions and graduations gatherings when asked what I was thinking of studying, I would proudly declare that I was going to major in molecular and cellular biology without any hesitation.  This was a dream come true to my father who majored in Chemistry in college, but my mother, who earned a degree in English Literature, constantly questioned whether or not I was really her daughter.

Signing up for classes in July was easy: I knew I wanted to fulfill some of the biology requirements early on and also take a couple of classes that were completely irrelevant to my major.   Chemistry and calculus filled my cart within seconds but I decided to sign up for Fiction and Poetry Writing 1, otherwise known as IFP, on a whim, figuring I probably would get sick of so much science.  After adding Introduction to Neuroscience and a freshman seminar my slightly unbalanced schedule was set and I was ready for Hopkins.

My schedule for this semester

Choosing IFP wasn’t as random as I make it seem though.  In high school I didn’t have the chance to take a class focused specifically on fiction or poetry but in English class we were sporadically assigned creative writing.  Upon the announcement of the assignments, buried between the moans of anguish and annoyance from my classmates, was my excitement; I was always one of the few who truly enjoyed these assignments, and found myself beginning to write on the side for fun.  When browsing through Hopkins’ class list I knew immediately that I needed to see what it was like to write in a class and IFP was the perfect opportunity to do so.  Unlike my large neuroscience and chemistry lectures, there were only 15 students in my class and our majors ranged from cognitive science to classics.  After we introduced ourselves we immediately started analyzing poetry.  As the weeks went on, we got further into fiction and began writing and work shopping our own short stories.  It was something I’d never experienced before and while I still loved my calculus and chemistry classes there was something special about being able to sit in a circle and discuss the differences between Welty and Woolf.  I started to look forward to Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:30 and not just because it was the latest I got to sleep during the week; I knew I was starting to change my mind about my major.

About a month into school I had my first slip up.  Upon introducing myself to someone, I smiled and said that I was Andrea from Brooklyn majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology and, uh, maybe Writing Seminars.  I paused and despite a few confused looks from my close friends I realized that what I said wasn’t wrong.  I spent all day mulling over the idea of double majoring in two totally disparate areas of study and realized that I really did want to study those two things for my next four years.

Right now, even though it’s only half way through first semester, I’m already starting look forward to second semester classes and figuring out how to fit calculus 2 and English Lit among many other classes into my schedule.  Every so often I can’t help but think back to this time last year and how different I was: instead of Chemistry, college applications were ruling my life and I thought I had my future mapped out perfectly.  Even though I thought I knew myself better than anyone, I now realize there’s nothing wrong with not knowing exactly what I want to do with my year or my life.   College is for self-exploration and while getting to know myself better I’ve met so many amazing friends and accomplished professors who manage to teach classes while still periodically publishing papers. I also know that I’m in for many more fiction classes and creative writing than I expected when arriving on campus in August and I truly can’t wait.

Me and some of my best friends here at Hopkins!

Oh and before I go, let me introduce myself.  I’m Andrea, I’m from Brooklyn and I’m double majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Writing Seminars.

One Campus, Many Paths

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Name: Allie Fink

Year: Class of 2014

Hometown: Scarsdale, NY

Major: Economics

Minor: Financial Economics

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Me (right) and my twin sister, Lucie!

Hi everyone! My name is Allie, and I am a sophomore Economics major and Financial Economics minor here at Hopkins.  My twin sister is the one and only JHU_Lucie, one of the Student Admissions Advisory Board’s bloggers.  Many of you have probably read her blogs (http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/lucie/-click on this link to read more!), so you know that, as her twin sister, I have a lot to live up to.  Her creative writing ability is amazing, as is her talent of being able to make people smile and laugh through written words.

Lucie and I always knew that we would go to the same college; being apart for several months at a time was not something we wanted to do.  In our elementary school, twins were not allowed to be in the same class, and I’d like to think that this was the first step in allowing us to build our separate interests and personalities.

Our middle school followed the same policy; we had no classes together and often only saw each other during lunch.  Actually, it was not until our freshman year of high school that we had a class together, and by this time we had already developed different interests.  Lucie always loved performing and writing, while I favored the social sciences and business-related activities.  In high school, she was the president of the Drama Club, and I was Editor-In-Chief of the yearbook.  Being at Hopkins has only allowed Lucie and I to further diverge in our interests, and this has brought us even closer.

Me (left), my brother, Robbie (middle), and Lucie (right). As you can see, Lucie was always meant to be in front of the camera. We had different personalities from the beginning.

Having a twin sister is great, but what’s even better is being able to be two very different individuals while still being able to share the connection that is unique to twins.  Johns Hopkins has provided us both with a world of interests and opportunities that have taken us on very separate paths.  We have different majors (she’s a Writing Seminars major), and rarely ever overlap in our coursework.  Hopkins has allowed us to go our own ways outside of the classroom as well.  What I am trying to say is that JHU offers unique academic courses and extracurricular activities for every single person.  Here at Hopkins, I am on the Executive Board of the Blue Key Society, our collection of campus tour guides.  I’m also a member of the Financial Analysts Club, while Lucie is busy with Hopkins Interactive and her video show, “Learn More, See More, B’More.” She also spends a ton of time with The Mental Notes, Hopkins’ only comedy A capella group.  People can clearly see our different personalities, and we are very grateful for the sense of independence that Hopkins has allowed us to develop.

Getting to know someone: The perspective of a Johns Hopkins Ismaili

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Hello all! My name is Khurram Ali and I am an International Studies major here at Hopkins. I am also on the pre-medicine track, so I have taken a broad range of courses at this school.

A picture of my friend Joanna and I after mudsliding on Shriver quad post Hurricane Irene

You are probably wondering “what is he going to do with IR and pre-med?” I want to practice medicine but I also want to do health development work. Part of my inspiration to improve the lives of others comes from my religious faith—the other part comes from my desire to seek knowledge. If you asked me these questions three years ago, I probably would not have been able to say much. But in my time here I have developed a better sense of not  only what I want to do—but whoI want to be.  And the latter is much more important.

I want to begin from a global context. Perhaps one of the most difficult challenges of our time is our conflict with those that seek to use violence as political posturing. In the post 9/11 world, the media is filled with images of terrorism and acts of aggression that have erupted outside of the United States in places unfamiliar to many of us. Reporters from all sides of the spectrum (from the Washington Post to the Economist to Al Jazeera) depict our fight against terrorism as a conflict between the East and West.

Wait, what? East vs West?

This makes me feel weird. Because. Well…really? East vs West?

Picture of Samuel P Huntington, author of Clash of Civilizations. Are we really in a clash of civilizations? I don’t think so.

For 17 years of my life I have lived in the West. Both my parents are from the East and I was born in Karachi. So where do I belong?

I am reminded of Samuel Huntington’s famous book “The Clash of Civilizations”.  Are we at war with the East? I mean West?

As a Shia Imami Ismaili Muslim, and as a western-educated American, I am prone to say that we are instead (as Edward Said and others have noted) in the midst of a “clash of ignorances.”

My religious community is led by the Aga Khan IV, the 49^th descendant of the Holy Prophet. The Aga Khan preaches a message of peace and unity. He cites the Qu’ran to explain that all members of our world come from a single source (in Islam, God) and that from that single source we have matured into different creatures with unique characteristics and abilities. He notes this to remind us that diversity is a strength—indeed, human beings are different so that we can learn from each other and find solidarity in what makes us unique. But he also notes this to point to our common humanity—despite being different, we all live together as one, with a responsibility to our planet and God’s creation.

The Aga Khan, meeting with President John F. Kennedy during the Cold War.

Understanding this notion of pluralism has been central to my experience at Johns Hopkins. Indeed, the people that I have met here come from all walks of life—and getting to know them has been my greatest reward.

I wish I could tell you all about my friends and the cool things that they do—but then I would never be able to stop writing. I will say this: one thing that all my closest friends here have in common is a strong desire to learn from others. We enjoy getting to know people and we love making new and exciting friendships. Why does this matter?

It matters if we want to stop things like the conflict between “the East and the West.” Policy is important, but so is understanding that democracy relies on pluralism—alienation and exclusionism creates divisions in our society that are unacceptable in a truly democratic ethos. Learning to get to know others is a fundamental skill—we might have differences, but realizing that those differences should help us understand each other is so much better than letting differences preclude us from getting to know each other. I think this is true for college life as much as it is true for life in general.

My religious faith has helped me understand the value of pluralism—but my experiences here have helped me live by that principle.  Thinking of this really makes me hope that Huntington is wrong, because according to him “a clash of civilizations” is inevitable. But if we live in a clash of ignorances, we can hope to prevent conflict by actually learning from each other.

I wish you the best of luck on that uniquely enjoyable and enriching journey.

The Residential Advisors in Wolman Hall and me. We really bonded during RA camp.