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!

It’s a Hopkins life for me!

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Name: Rachel Lew

Year: Class of 2015

Major: Environmental Engineering

Hometown: Ewa Beach, Hawaii

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I’ve only spent a semester at Hopkins so far as a college student, but I’ve actually already been here for seven years (yes, seven).  Ever since my first visit to JHU, which also doubled as a three week ‘nerd’ camp, I’ve been a bit …. attached. Maybe even obsessed. True facts: one of my first Facebook photos consist of me in 8^th grade – donning a turquoise Hopkins shirt, and in my junior year of high school, I wore a JHU lanyard everyday. I guess I was really quite the advertiser for Hopkins, but of course, I never knew if I would ever come back to live in AMR I (for the count, its my fourth time now!).  So when I received my acceptance email right after the bell rang, I was overwhelmingly happy. I didn’t have to take a JHU tour (which, by the way, are awesome) because I already knew where everything ewas and what it had to offer. Chipotle? Yep – St. Paul Street. Shriver Hall?  Yep – two quads away from AMR I. But what I didn’t know was how I felt about a place transitioning from a fun summer camp to a serious academic environment. Would I even like environmental engineering, something I decided to study after years of living in Hawaii?

Would I be prepared for the unknown?

Johns Hopkins graciously covers, or does not assign, first semester grades for freshmen, so I had ample time to see what college was all about. I tried everything – from traditional duckpin bowling to white water kayaking for the first time in the Potomac River. I absorbed material from my classes, learning about everything from titration processes to hydraulic conductivity. I met a rich and diverse assortment of students, learning more about other cultures while sharing my own personal experiences. Laundry trips at midnight and night walks around the beautiful Georgian-style campus became the new normal.

More importantly, I was really enjoying my Intro to Environmental Engineering class. Originally, I was excited to take it, because I wanted to see if I was really going to like what I plastered all over my essays in my senior year applications and scholarships (hey, we all did that!). I didn’t know – or even come close to expecting -that I would grow to truly enjoy learning about topics like water treatment, mixing depths of smoke plumes, etc. We brushed over a lot of topics, but Professor Alavi made it fun and interesting by mixing in guest speakers and a field trip to our usual lectures. Meeting students in the same field was really cool, and since JHU’s Whiting School of Engineering is relatively small, I didn’t feel like a lobbing fish in my engineering classes like I did in my general chemistry class, where there was definitely 200+ students. Also, I know that other schools combine environmental engineering into other engineering majors (because it’s often considered ‘minor’), but that is definitely not the case at JHU; here, we have DOGEE, which is the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering. I was able to tangibly visit the department and received daily emails from them, which I felt was a good measure of JHU taking environmental engineering just as seriously as, say, biology or international studies.

An amazing birthday dinner at Woodberry Kitchen, a popular restaurant in Baltimore!

In other words, I was loving it. Not quite camp, but it was clear that I was no longer a naïve preteen; in fact, in a way I can’t quite explain, I truly matured. Maybe it was because everything was suddenly thrown in my basket, or maybe it was the initiation of my daily coffee ritual. Whatever the reason was, I learned more in one semester than I probably did in two years of high school. Being able to reflect on this all through my (long) winter break back at home prepared me for my second, real-grades semester. I have a full course load this semester, but I already know it’s going to be worth it. I’m so excited!

We’re already few weeks into this semester, but if there’s anything I wanted to emphasize, it would be that everything we do at Hopkins (from the amazing to the insane) can be easily summed in one phrase:… “That’s the Hopkins life for me!”

Our field trip to the Baltimore RESCO Waste to Energy Facility.

Thoughts of a Hopkins Dreamer

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Name: Chantel Fletcher

Year: Class of 2014

Hometown: Detroit, Michigan

Major: Public Health

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If you really want to know if Hopkins is right for you, you must examine Hopkins from different lenses. I am here to showcase my experience here at Hopkins, so far. First, I want to introduce myself. My name is Chantel Fletcher. I am currently a sophomore studying Public Health Studies. I am from Detroit, Michigan. I get homesick a lot only because I can be a crybaby at times. My freshmen year I lived in Wolman Hall. It was nice; I shared a room with another girl and we had to share a bathroom and a kitchenette with 2 other girls. This year I have the luxury of living by myself in Homewood apartments. I just like coming home after class to my own space. It makes a difference in my life but we are all different.

I could begin to talk about the classes. I actually have fun in classes that are interesting to me. As a public health major, I enjoy classes such as health policy and cultural factors. Although the classes stressed me out I feel like I am getting a quality education. At Hopkins, you meet some dedicated professors and teaching assistants.  You may run into some who could care less but Hopkins provides several resources to help you succeed at Hopkins. You have the Learning Den if you aren’t a genius in Chemistry, Microeconomics, Calculus, Biology, Neuroscience, Physics, along with a wide range of other courses. Also if you aren’t too good at perfecting a paper then there is also help. The Writing Center is a great tool to utilize at Hopkins.

But Hopkins isn’t just a stressful place. There are fun events here. The highlight of my spring semester is definitely Spring Fair. It’s like a carnival on our campus. We have great concerts! There is great food here and awesome things to buy when spring fair rolls around.  Hopkins tries to balance out our workload in my opinion. I’m not a fan of frat parties but there is a multitude of things to do here at Hopkins and around Baltimore. A few weeks ago I went to a Turkish restaurant with a few friends and they had belly dancers.

This photo was at the Steel Pan Showcase during Black History Month. Funny thing is I learned how to play. If you want to hear Mary had a little lamb on the steel pan, I am your girl.

This photo was during freshmen year. Putting us to work early on. You gotta work at Hopkins to progress. It was fun and it brought me and my floor mates together.

This photo was an ice skating trip planned by the residential advisory board. They have some pretty good ideas. I only paid $5 for transportation, skates, and admission. Did I mention that I will be on my Michelle Kwan next time?

This photo is from freshmen year Homecoming week. Yes, we got discount tickets to see Wiz Khalifa. I told you Hopkins is cool. I had great seats too :)

This photo is from my prefrosh days at Discovery Days. I literally explored the entire campus in a 3 day time span.

Transportation is not an issue either. The JHMI and Collegetown Shuttle are pretty reliable. Although the Collegetown serves other schools, I think it provides good service for what it’s worth. It goes to the mall which makes retail therapy possible. There is actually a free public bus called the Charm City Circulator. I use the Circulator a lot to get around because it’s free! The other public transportation, the MTA, isn’t bad either.  It only costs $1.60 but don’t quote me on that. You can also take the MARC train to DC to relieve some stress. DC is pretty cool.

I hope, through this post, that Hopkins has become more appealing to your eyes but I understand the senior year of high school stress. My only advice would be to really do your research and where you could see yourself prospering at. I know during my senior year I visited Hopkins, Dartmouth, Duke, University of Chicago and applied to 50 million colleges. Ultimately, I loved Hopkins and got really excited about my future. I had so much fun at Discovery Days, a program that the Multicultural Student Volunteers put on for prefrosh.

Seeing Hopkins Backwards

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Name: Meera Valliath

Year: Freshman

Hometown: Winnetka, Illinois

Major: ChemBE

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As I write this, I am reclined on my lofted bed, catching a few minutes between my classes and work. My window, from which I can see the baseball team warm-up (a definite plus), is thrown open so I can enjoy the beautiful weather and the team’s pre-game music (Ke$ha – an even bigger plus).

AMR II, My Home!

This week for me marks the second week of Blue Key training. The Blue Key Society, as many of you may know, is Hopkins’ student-run, student-staffed official tour guide organization. I applied to Blue Key on a whim, unaware of how many students apply to be tour guides. I must have said something particularly entertaining during the interview, because, lo and behold, I am one of the newest members of the Blue Key society!

As part of tour guide training, we are required to shadow an information session and a campus tour (like many of you have probably done). Last Monday, I slid into the back row of Shriver Hall to observe an information session, which in fact, I never attended at Hopkins. Sitting there, I felt a flashback to spring of junior year, just starting the college search: countless information sessions with colored pamphlets and brochures filled facts and statistics I would not retain for long.

The senior conducting the session was charismatic and knowledgeable, but this information session was like any other. Later that week, my fellow trainees and I went on a tour with a Blue Key Executive member, who gave us last minute tips and quizzed us on the basic Hopkins facts. Walking around the brick buildings and green lawns, I tried to view everything as a prospective student, seeing the campus for the first time, but I couldn’t. Every place on campus I walked by, I saw through the lens of the countless memories I have made in my six months at Johns Hopkins.

Late night at the FFC with Matt!

We passed the Digital Media Center, where my friend Josh and I once spent hours recording our Adele cover, which successfully made my mother tear up (and isn’t that always the goal). We passed Shriver Hall, where I danced on stage for the first time since my ballet recitals in the 90s. We walked through the breezeway, affectionately dubbed “the Febreze-way” by my little sister, past Gilman, my favorite study spot. We crossed onto freshman quad, where I’ve read books, thrown Frisbees, and fallen asleep in my physics textbook. We passed the Fresh Food Café, where my hallmates and I inevitably appear late at night to snag fresh cookies, French toast, or fresh-squeezed orange juice and tell stories from our day.

Studying in Gilman with Ben and Megan!

As we passed my dorm, my anchor and home on campus, it struck me: I really love this place. I love the campus, the city, the community, my friends, the opportunities available to me, everything. I was apprehensive, to say the least, about choosing Hopkins. I didn’t know much about it, and I didn’t know if I would fit in on campus. As someone who takes a while to get used to new places and new faces, this was the first time that I was aware that I am completely, 100%,absolutely in love with Hopkins. I suppose I have been for a while. It just took a backwards walk around campus to see it.

“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.

Heart of Homewood

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Name: Liz Mauer

Year: Class of 2014

Hometown: Weston, CT

Major: International Studies

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Hi everyone! My name is Liz and I’m a sophomore here at JHU. Here on campus I am really active in the Blue Key Society, which is the group of tour guides here. As part of Blue Key I have some administrative duties but my most important role is giving a weekly tour. I always start my tour by talking about what I’m involved in here at Hopkins and then proceed take the group on the scenic tour of the campus. I always try to end the tour by talking about why I chose Hopkins but inevitably before I get there, a curious parent or prospective student stops me and asks, “Why, over every other school in the country, did you choose Hopkins?”. At this point I always pause, not because I don’t have an answer, not because I don’t want to say why, but because it is nearly impossible to say what I love about Hopkins in just one sentence.

First of all, the easy answer is this campus. Growing up in the northeast, I wanted a taste of home with the colorful fall and four seasons, with the benefit of a city near by. Honestly, what could be more perfect than Homewood, a suburban oasis in the heart of a city? Nothing.

Out to dinner with my roommates!

What drew me here next were the options for International Studies. I knew that was what I wanted to major in (don’t worry if you have no idea, so many people come undecided) and Hopkins has one of the most impressive programs in the country. I am given the opportunity to take classes across many departments (political science, history, economics, and more) to fulfill my major requirements, rather than staying within one. I also loved the importance Hopkins puts on study abroad, something I have always wanted to do.

Me (middle) with Alexis and Hannah from my awesome sorority, Phi Mu!

What I think is more important than why I came to Hopkins, is what kept me at Hopkins. Within days of moving from home to Homewood I could no longer picture myself anywhere else, it felt like the only possible fit. Since I’ve been at Hopkins I have met some of the most diverse, interesting, and fabulous people than ever before who I am now lucky enough to see every single day.

Some friends and me (pink scarf) in the FFC Freshman Year!!

Oh, and this hardly even begins to answer that question.

SO D-Xi-rable!

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Name: Amanda Goldman-Petri

Area of study: East Asian Studies, Writing Seminars, and Russian Triple Major

Year: Class of 2012

Hometown: Baltimore, MD

How I grew up and what my family is like are questions with answers that would push just about anyone away from me––anyone except for the sisters of Delta Xi Phi Multicultural Sorority. I have only been here for 3 years and yet Johns Hopkins has given me so much. I have undoubtedly been given an unrivaled education, but what has touched me more is the people that Johns Hopkins has blessed my life with. I have sisters now, life-long friends, and a fiance.

As a prospective student, each time that I stepped foot on this campus, I sensed a warm and inviting atmosphere. The campus community was a family and I was their welcomed guest. Coming from the dysfunctional family that I do, I needed to attend a university, which possessed this hospitable ambience. Attending Johns Hopkins is a decision that I have never regretted, because it has given me everything that I will need to succeed and be happy in life. Johns Hopkins has even satisfied my search for a family.

As a freshman, I knew I wanted to rush a sorority and the greek system seemed very appealing, but the problem was finding a sorority that fit me best. I immediately scratched all of the sororities in the Panhellenic Council off of my list, because I felt that those sororities were too big to foster the type of sisterly bonds that I wanted. This left the sororities of the Multicultural Greek Council. Delta Xi Phi Multicultural Sorority immediately caught my eye. The Johns Hopkins community has its own lingo and I originally knew this sorority as DXP. At DXP rush events, I saw a group of about 20 close, intelligent sisters who were bound together by the pillars of their sorority. These pillars are sisterhood, friendship, the advancement of women through higher education, philanthropy, and multicultural awareness. I have been an active sister for a year and these pillars have become a huge part of my life as well. The first pillar, sisterhood, means the most to me and how strong the bond of sisterhood can be never ceases to amaze me.

In my time with Delta Xi Phi, I have seen sisters do extraordinary things for this bond. They have answered the phone at 2am for a sister even when they were asleep and would normally never answer the phone for anyone else. They have gone together to the hospital when another sister was sick. They have driven to and from Towson for a sister many times and even multiple times in one night. Sisters from other chapters who we have never met have been loving and hospitable to us. Three of my sisters will be bridesmaids in my wedding, one of which is my maid of honor. My guest list is crowded with DXP sisters and I am on the guest list of another DXP sister who is getting married.

The bond of sisterhood runs deep within us and we are always opening our hearts to new sisters, who want to join our family. This is one of the many aspects of my undergraduate career, which has exceeded my expectations. Being a part of DXP has been an amazing experience and I would pledge all over again if I had to. So, ask me, “Why Hopkins?” My answer is going to be, “Because I wanted a family”…and I got it.

Hop On Board the SOHOP Express

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Name: Andrew Townson

Year: Class of 2014

Hometown: Andover, MA

Intended Area of Study: Writing Seminars

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Exactly a year ago, after all the envelope excitement had died, I remember looking over my acceptance letters thinking: “What now?” All the time and effort I had dedicated to the college admissions process had at last come to an end, the final decisions were in my hands, but my emotions were still in limbo–and with good reason. With so much focus on the first steps of the application process (the visits, the drafting of essays, the waiting, etc.), what is perhaps the most important step in the process is often overlooked: where am I going to spend the next four years of my life? That is ultimately what the process is about, and the Admissions Committee has made their decision, now it’s your turn to make yours.

For the first time in Johns Hopkins history, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions in collaboration with Hopkins Hosting Society is proud to present SOHOP (or the Spring Open House and Overnight Program). What in years past have been two separate programs, an overnight centered on student engagement and social activities and a day program revolving around campus interaction and academic exploration, is now one super awesome, incredibly exciting extravaganza.

So what exactly can you expect from this explosion of events? A text message-based scavenger hunt that will introduce you to the campus, a night with a current student in their dorm, a free ticket to one of our mash-up concerts, your very own JCARD (the ID card that all Hopkins students carry), a catered dinner under one of the largest tents you’ll ever see, the opportunity to sit down one-on-one with a professor and converse about their current research, a chance to play Quidditch, to relax on the Beach (the beautiful lawn in front of the library), and receive a TON of FREE stuff. Whew! And that’s just the first day.

College visits are such an important aspect to choosing the right home – as that is what your college will become: your new home. Throughout your college search, you no doubt got to know the brochure and online communities, but this next month is your chance to get to know the “real” colleges. We truly hope that you will choose to experience the “real” Hopkins during SOHOP, as it will give you the best insight into what the next four years of your life may be.

Over the past few months, several students and Admissions staff members have been working around the clock to prepare one of the best spring visit programs in the country. Yes, we think our program is that good (although it will be even better with you here!).

Hopkins has reserved a special Amtrak train, appropriately dubbed the SOHOP Express. Whether you’re coming from Boston or New York, we encourage all admitted students from the Northeast to hop aboard the SOHOP Express that will make its way down to Baltimore the morning of each SOHOP. On the train ride, students will have the opportunity to talk with currents students and faculty members all on a car decked out in Hopkins gear. For those traveling from outside the Northeast, when you arrive at BWI Airport, be on the lookout for a special welcome area designed for SOHOP students. You’ll have the chance to meet both current students and alumni before boarding a free shuttle to the Hopkins campus; this shuttle will also pick up those students at Penn Station.

So there you have it, the groundwork of an experience you’ll remember for the rest of your life. The amount of fun to be had during SOHOP is beyond words, and from all of us at Hopkins, we hope you come to Baltimore to witness the beauty of our campus and discover if Hopkins will be your home for the next four years. You’re a future Blue Jay, now come see your nest!

No, I’m Not a Comp-Sci Major

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Name: Joe Nugent

Year: Class of 2013

Hometown: Belmar, NJ

Majors(s): Neuroscience, Psychology

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HTML, CSS, MySQL, PHP. To most people these may seem like weird acronyms, but to me they’re languages which I’ve continued to learn over the past 6 years of my life. Web design has been one of my most prominent interests since I first learned HTML at my future high school in 7th grade, and when I finally attended my high school I ended up being part of a group of guys who would eventually redesign our high school’s website (the redesign that we did is still up at: http://www.hths.mcvsd.org/, check it out!). Since then I’ve been in charge of designing and maintaining a bunch of sites, including: the HTHS Website, New Jersey South Lacrosse Chapter’s website, JHU Orientation’s website, Hopkins Interactive, most recently one of my best friends from high school’s a cappella groups site at http://www.menoflastcall.com/, and a ton of other sites.

This is one of the first websites I ever designed with the help of some of my classmates at HTHS. They're still using the design that we made as freshmen and it doesn't look like its changing anytime soon =).

For each of these sites I was in charge of the design and coding for the site, which is of course mediated by whoever I’m designing the site for, but I always make sure I add a few elements of my own. Each time I design a site I’m required to think about the site as if I were a programmer. Questions run through my mind like: how can I make the page load the fastest? How can I ensure the site is compatible in all browsers? How can I write a script that does exactly what I have in mind? How can I optimize the design of the site but make it dynamic and aesthetically appealing? But in the end, I’m not a computer science major, although many many people (include our Dean of Student Life who I worked with on Orientation) think I am.

A little sneak-peak at what the code behind the Hopkins Interactive homepage looks like. All of the code was custom written by me and the file is about 500 lines long. Overall it took me around 30 hours each of the two times I wrote the functions.

As you can clearly see at the top of this post, I’m a Neuroscience and Psychology major, and that’s always been what I love. Web design has always been a sort of hobby of mine, but my academic priorities have always been medicine, more specifically Neuroscience/Neurosurgery. And for the rest of this post, I’m going to talk to you about what turned me on to the Neuroscience program and why I decided to be a Neuroscience major. In almost every other case in my life, I’ve had everything planned out and almost nothing has changed. But my major at Hopkins is one of the only exceptions.

I actually stumbled upon the Neuroscience Department by accident. When I came to Hopkins during fall of my junior year of high school, I was interested in ChemBE, and I had been for a few years. Everything went exactly as planned during the Open House, but my Mom saw that the Neuroscience Department was having a presentation, and said that it sounded interesting and that we should check it out. I agreed with her and we all decided to go to their presentation. During that presentation Drs. Gorman, Hendry, and Fortune spoke about Neuroscience and Behavior Biology. If you’ve ever heard any of them speak you know how enthusiastic they can be and how they make even the dullest topics seem entertaining. Needless to say after we left that presentation all of my family, including my father who does Corporate Realty and sister who is going to George Washington in the Fall for Anthropology were interested in Neuroscience.

From then on I always had Neuroscience in the back of my mind, but it wasn’t until the very last moment possible that I decided to study Neuroscience. And by the very last minute I mean when I signed my CRE Deposit form. In the end I looked at the course descriptions for ChemBE and Neuroscience, and I had almost no reaction to the ChemBE courses, but I wanted to take almost all the Neuroscience courses right away. That was when I made my final decision. But along the way there were several different aspects that interested me in Neuroscience. For a majority of my life I had been interested in computers, but in the end I made the decision to study the one thing more fascinating then computers: the human brain, which was ultimately responsible for the invention.

When it all comes down to it, the human brain is a computer. It does hundreds of thousands of calculations per second, it speaks only in binary (either a neuron fires an action potential or it doesn’t), and it runs on circuitry (but one that is subject to natural/physiological constraints that a computer is not). But in the end the human brain is so much greater than computers can ever be. But why is that? Well as you may know Jeopardy and IBM partnered up recently and paired Waston, a supercomputer, against the two top grossing Jeopardy champions. While Watson did win, it took 15 terrabytes of RAM (about 15,000x what you have on your computer) and 3,000 cores running in parallel which adds up to an extremely large room filled with hardware.

Watson competed against Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter and won with a final score of $77,147 to Ken Jennings's $24,000 and Brad Rutter's $21,600.

And yet even Watson is years from having the capacity to truly understand the answers he gave. Watson may be able t o decipher language, but he can’t actually appreciate the answers he comes up with. Even with all this hardware which can operate so much faster than the human brain as a whole pales in comparison to the human brain itself. If Watson was programmed to recognize faces instead he would be infinitely worse than even a young child because our brain was built and evolved to recognize faces. But this isn’t the only reason why I chose Neuroscience, it’s also because while we’ve learned so much over the past few decades about the brain, we’re still far from understanding how it actually works.

Basically Neuroscience is one of the forefronts of research, and we’re learning more every day. I took “An Introduction to Neuroscience” just over a year ago, and I’m learning stuff in class this year that was just discovered, and the best part is most of those discoveries happen right downtown at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Why is that even more awesome than it sounds? Because as a Hopkins Undergraduate I have the ability to email any of the researchers at the hospital and request a position in their lab, and if they have the space they’ll train me to do everything that the graduate students in their lab do. Next week I’m meeting with a researcher who has had several works published on Learning and Memory, and is responsible for discovering intrinsically photosensitive Retinal Ganglion Cells (ipRGCs), a discovery which has greatly changed the face of Visual System research.

ipRGCs, and a brief description of what they do along with a stain that allows you to see how large they are. 10% of all neurons from the retina are ipRGCs and help entrain the circadian rhythm.

So in the end I didn’t just chose Neuroscience, I chose Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University, a choice that I would make a thousand times over. The Neuroscience courses that I’m in now are probably more difficult than those at any other college that has an Undergraduate Neuroscience program (and there actually aren’t many of them), but at the end of this year my professor (who teaches students at JHMI) says that we’ll have as much knowledge of Neuroscience as a second year graduate student. But its all worth it, because in the end what my professor is teaching us is pushing the boundaries of what even he knows on certain topics, and he always lets us know as soon as a new discovery is made.

If you enjoyed Joe’s blog post, follow @JHU_Joe on Twitter!

A Niche for Everyone

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Name: Emily Nink

Year: Class of 2014

Hometown: Milwaukee, WI

Intended Programs of Study: Spanish &  Global Environmental Change and Sustainability
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I’m a freshman double majoring in Spanish and Global Environmental Change and Sustainability. I was born in Boston, but I grew up in Milwaukee, WI. In high school I was involved in lots of activities, but my two favorites were the Global Youth Leadership Institute and my mission trip to Appalachia. Both of these inspired my interest in sustainability, GYLI through its experiential curriculum involving environmentalism, and my mission trip because of the effects of mountaintop removal mining in the area.

Clintwood, VA on a mission trip with GYLI; India and Costa Rica, where I've traveled

This time last year, Hopkins was the last place I imagined myself going to college. I applied on a last minute whim and didn’t even bother checking online to see if I got in when the time came. When the package came in the mail, I saw that I had been admitted and tossed it in my desk drawer where it stayed until the last week of April.

It wasn’t that I had anything against going to Hopkins, I just saw myself somewhere, well, cooler. I’ve always been a city girl, even if growing up in Milwaukee, WI., doesn’t sound like such a big city to some of you ‘coasties’. I pictured myself in Boston, studying in eco-cafes and relying on the T to get around. I saw myself surrounded by hipsters, foreigners, and eccentric music, not kids who I had heard studied all the time and eschewed social interaction.

So how did I end up here at JHU? Well, I received the Bloomberg Scholarship and realized it would be a huge financial mistake to pass up a top-notch Hopkins education at an affordable price. And, big surprise, JHU turned out to be a perfect fit for me as well. Turns out Hopkins is pretty cool after all, and all those myths about everyone sitting in the library have been proved false over the course of my first semester in college. Hopkins is close enough to downtown Baltimore to satisfy my love of cities and yet has a beautiful campus unparalleled by any other school I’ve visited.

Much to my amazement, I found that Hopkins was also home to an awesome environmental awareness on campus. I joined the Eco-Reps, a group of freshman that does environmental projects on campus. I’m also involved in a campus garden and a new group called Real Foods Hopkins. Some of the projects I’ve participated in this semester include a water bottle demonstration on the quad, a waste audit in which we separated and measured recyclables and trash, a ‘jam session’ in which we canned and jammed vegetables from our garden, and green week, which consisted of a whole week of green activities across campus. I was also excited to find that there is a farmer’s market within walking distance of campus, and an Office of Sustainability right here on campus that is committed to making Hopkins as sustainable as possible. (If you want to find out more about sustainability at Hopkins, check out their website at www.sustainability.jhu.edu)

Jam Session and Eco-Reps

It’s a time of great exploration for me, and it can be for you too. Don’t allow yourself to be narrow-minded or influenced by stereotypes as you apply to colleges. I thought I knew what I wanted last year, but I turned out to be completely wrong. Wherever you go to school, allow yourself an open mind and spirit of curiosity. I’m so glad I took a risk by coming to Hopkins; opportunities here are endless and there is a niche for everyone.