RELAY the Message

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On hearing the group name “Relay For Life,” many people ask me how I can possibly run all night long, even for such a great cause. Well, if you’re one of those people who has evaded Relay For Life in the past out of a fear of having to run for twelve hours, you’re in luck. Relay For Life actually requires no athletic ability at all – it is an annual, all night event full of ceremonies, games, entertainment and food, and the purpose is to fundraise as much money as possible to support the American Cancer Society. Teams generally take turns sending one member to walk the track so that one person from every team is walking at all times. Relay For Life is, internationally, the American Cancer Society’s largest fundraiser. 100% of donations go to the ACS, where they are divided up into funds that help support Hope Lodges, provide rides to treatment centers for cancer patients, connect cancer patients with survivors who can relate to them, sponsor scholarships for cancer survivors, and, of course, contribute to the search for a cure.

Just a cool side note – Relay For Life stems from the efforts of one dedicated man, Dr. Gordy Klatt, who actually ran for 24 hours around a track in 1985 – for more than 83 miles – to raise money to fight cancer. Over 300 of his friends watched and donated as Klatt proved that, cliché as it is, impossible is nothing. He raised $27,000 in 24 hours. If one man can succeed at such a feat, imagine what we can do as an entire campus.

When I first arrived at Hopkins and attended the awesome and very overwhelming Student Activities Fair, I signed up for the Relay For Life e-mail list; my town at home never had a Relay, so I was excited to become a part of the group and apply to be marketing & publicity co-chair. So many people in my family and so many of my friends have lost people close to them to this horrible disease, and its prevalence in our society terrifies me – I wanted to join Relay to fight back. Fortunately, I became marketing & publicity co-chair, and I loved being on the executive board so much that I reapplied and still hold the position. Our event co-chairs and the executive board work extremely hard all year to create, plan, and fundraise for this event, and our goal is to get the entire campus and the Baltimore community to come out and support this amazing cause (while having fun and making a difference simultaneously).

Relay For Life at Hopkins takes place on the upper Quad (unless it rains, in which case we move to the indoor track at the Rec Center – equally as fun), and I can vouch that the entire night is beautiful in a million different ways. Despite the fact that I helped plan the event last year, I had no idea what to expect. After finishing set-up and successfully constructing a balloon arch, we watched as people started streaming in. The night was crisp, clear and a little bit windy, as we later learned in the Luminaria ceremony. Teams pitched their tents all around the quad, fundraising stations popped up everywhere (think tons of bake sales, inflatable jousting, video game stations, cotton candy, etc.), and the quad truly came to life with the community’s collective enthusiasm. The cancer survivors at the event start off the night with the kick-off lap; it is a remarkable sight to watch them walk together, reminding us why we Relay in the first place. This part of the night comprises the “celebrate” aspect of the “celebrate, remember, fight back” slogan as we seek to celebrate the lives of these strong, inspirational cancer survivors.

Next is the Luminaria ceremony, which is aesthetically beautiful – the quad is lined with paper Luminaria bags that each hold a burning candle, and we usually try to spell out “Hope” in Luminaria bags on the Gilman steps. These bags honor individual people touched by cancer, and the mere number of bags present at the event has a huge emotional impact on everyone in attendance. Last year, it was so windy that some of the bags lit on fire… it was almost disastrous, but we were luckily prepared with back-up electric candles! Luminaria is part of the “remember” ceremony – we remember the lives of those who lost their battles, but it is also motivation for the “fight back” ceremony for those in the midst of cancer. In the actual “fight back” ceremony, everyone makes a personal commitment to save lives by joining the fight against cancer.

Relay at JHU was a blast – my friends and I had a great time while supporting an outstanding cause. My favorite part of the night was when my friend Lindsay and I sprinted around the track at two or three in the morning due to the insane amount of sugar we consumed (how can you say no to a cupcake that will support the fight against cancer?). I stayed almost all night – my spring allergies were in full throttle so actually sleeping outside was not looking too promising – and I groggily returned to the quad very early on Saturday morning to help clean up. The most dedicated Relayers were welcoming the morning from their tents, and I took a moment to take in what I had been a part of the night before. It feels good to take a stand against cancer, and it feels even better when you see all of your hard work come together between the Gilman steps and our good friend Milton E. Eisenhower, culminating in this rare unification of the community with one goal in mind: stopping cancer in its tracks.

There is no doubt that Relay For Life at JHU will be even better this year. To top the crazy dance party that broke out in the middle of the night last year, Relay has invited some of the campus’ top entertainment groups to come and perform. Some groups include Adoremus, S.L.A.M., the Eclectics, Vivaz, JOSH, the Sirens, the Octopodes, the Vocal Chords, the Allnighters and JHEC. If that doesn’t convince you, what if I told you that Miss Maryland will be here to help out with the notorious Miss Relay Pageant? You do NOT want to miss this.

We are less than 15 days away from the event – we are looking to raise over $80,000, and we are only at a little over $27,000! Relay is Friday April 13^th at 7 PM – Saturday April 14^th at 7 AM – you don’t have to stay the whole time, but we hope that you come out and support Relay For Life and the American Cancer Society. You can sign up at www.relayforlife.org/jhu by either joining an existing team or creating your own team. Check to see if your favorite student group has a team – if they don’t, start one! There is a $10 registration fee that goes directly to the American Cancer Society – it’s easy to find $10 floating around, and you can even skip out on coffee for a day or so to come up with the money! When it comes down to it, it’s one night, one fight – spending your Friday night on D-Level is not an excuse to skip out on this event. Cancer’s prevalence in our society is alarming, and there is no reason that Hopkins cannot surpass our past fundraising goals and become a top fundraising school.

One night, one fight. Relay the message, and I hope to see you there.

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.

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.

An Awesome Intersession Experience

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Name: Claire Schwimmer

Hometown: Westport, CT

Year: Class of 2012

Majors: Computer Science and Economics

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Following winter break most Hopkins students return to campus for Intersession, a three-week program in which students have the opportunity to take incredible classes, study abroad, intern, volunteer, and more! I chose to spend intersession in Honduras on a Global Brigades trip focused on microfinance.  Global Brigades is global organization that brings students to Panama, Ghana, and Honduras on different community service projects.  Microfinance is a diverse field but our trip focused on improving a rural Honduran bank and recruiting new members to the bank.

At 3:45 am the morning of January 15th, the nine of us met and exhausted, made our way to Honduras.  Once in Honduras we began our exploration at a national park with a view of the whole city. We then drove to “the compound”, which is where we would be staying for the next week.

The view from the national park

Our first day there we drove two hours through rivers, over rocks, and on the bumpiest roads imaginable to our community, “El Junco”.  Once there, we met with the executive board of the bank and questioned them endlessly until we understood how their bank operated.  El Junco has an agricultural economy, based mainly off of coffee so in the afternoon we learned how to make coffee, starting with planting the plants and ending with drinking the coffee.

Me with my coffee plant. The basket around my waist is for collecting coffee beans.

Driving through a river

We spent the next two days learning about different family’s financial situations by visiting their homes.  Since many families did not save any money, the majority of our time was spent figuring out ways for them to efficiently allocate their incomes.  The first family we visited had seven people (including a two week old adorable baby) living in a three-bedroom house.  Each member, including the children when they weren’t in school, had to walk an hour and a half each way to work on someone else’s land picking coffee.  They barely had enough money to get by and in the off season they had even less disposable income.  We realized that this family needed another source of income to provide for all of the children, so we helped the women open a business selling clothes, a skill they could now capitalize on.

After talking with the families and the members of the bank we made suggestions about how to improve the bank’s functionality and how the families can utilize the bank to improve their livelihood.

However, my trip to Honduras wasn’t all work. One of my favorite memories was visiting an orphanage and playing with the kids.  My Spanish isn’t great but I was still able to communicate and have fun.  There were hammocks all around the compound so when we weren’t in the community, I spent a majority of my time relaxing in the rural beauty of Honduras on a hammock.

One of the kids from the orphanage

My intersession trip to Honduras was amazing! It gave me a chance to see Honduras, learn about microfinance, and make great friends!

All the Small Things – Confessions of a Soon-to-be-Adult

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Name: Saznin Mehta

Major: Public Health

Hometown: Alexandria, VA

Year: Class of 2012

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Now that it’s March of my senior year, I’m beginning to realize how dangerously close I am to becoming A Real Person. You know, someone with a job and an apartment and bills and, gasp, responsibilities. Even though I’ve lived off-campus for two years and have more or less gotten the hang of taking care of myself (laundry is still a struggle), I’m about as close to reaching real adult-status maturity as your average toddler. I knew coming into my second semester that I needed a smooth transition to post-grad life, something that would give me a taste of the real world without requiring me to abandon my comfortable college bubble. With that in mind, I began applying to internships in DC and finally landed one at the UN Foundation.

This, I thought, would be the perfect segue to impending adulthood. I would commute to DC two days a week, work remotely from Baltimore on those days when I had class, and gain valuable experience at an amazing organization. I’ve had my share of internships before, but never during the school year, so I braced myself for a heavier-than-usual workload, which at Hopkins is no small feat. I went to the mall and bought myself a few blazers and slacks and some sensible shoes so I’d look the part. Now was my chance to prove that I could act it, too.

Here’s the part where any other blog would launch into ‘A Profound List of Things I’ve Learned,’ but I’ve decided to go in another direction. Sure, I’ve had my fair share of challenging learning experiences – meeting deadlines, handling a million projects at once, learning programs and procedures very quickly, rectifying mistakes gracefully – but I’ve also run across some subtle yet equally important lessons that have proven vital to getting me through the day, such as…

• Don’t email people on Monday mornings before they’ve had their coffee. They’ll be in an exponentially better mood after 10 AM, and it’ll show in their responses.
• Never stand on the left side of Metro station escalators unless you want to incur the wrath of a million angry commuters.
• The best way to wake up at 5 AM and stay up: leave your alarm by the milk and cereal. Food always triumphs over sleep.
• Write stuff down. If I don’t make a note of a task right when I get it, it might as well not exist.
• Turn your phone off, not just during meetings, but also when you’re out with people. Little known fact: the world will not end if you don’t answer that text. And who wants to be friends with someone who’d rather hang out with their iPhone? That’s right: no one.
• Smile at strangers. Sounds cheesy, but getting a big grin in response is enough to turn even the most horrible day around.

… and many more. Profound revelations these are not, but they’ve taught me to be perceptive, proactive, and productive. And if the last few weeks have taught me anything, it’s that the smallest things can make the biggest difference. The best part of my day is not when I’ve finished answering emails or completed a big project or dazzled my boss with my efficiency; it’s when I give myself a chance to improve my day through the little things. When I’m content with the most mundane aspects of my life, the more important things seem like a piece of cake to handle. So will my ever-growing list of little things help me grow up? It remains to be seen, but then again, I’m sticking to yet another little nugget of wisdom: take it one day at a time.

A Unique B-more Experience

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Name: Steven Albers
Year: Class of 2015
Hometown: Apple Valley, MN
Major: Biomedical Engineering

As some of you may already know, Hopkins winter break is pretty unique because of our Intersession. Basically, every student gets a 3 week winter break (which is probably sounding good to you guys, and trust me, it’s great!) and then there is another 3 weeks before the spring semester starts. During these three weeks, students get a lot of great options – There are a ton of unique classes offered on campus for one or two credits each, with topics from neurodegenerative diseases to the science of baking . Alternatively, it’s a great time to study abroad or do some volunteering. And since it’s totally optional, a few people even take it as an extended winter break (but most students love Hopkins so much that we come back)!

As Freshmen though, there’s a really unique opportunity to take part in the B’more program. The program only occurs during the last week, before which you can take a few classes, or do what I did and spend it with your family, and there are tons of opportunities available. Basically, there are a ton of different themes, from photography to writing to sociology, and you spend the week getting to know Baltimore better and meet new people.

I took part in the B’more class called Studying Innovation and Change, and all in all, I had a really great time during the week. I think the main reason I really liked it was that we spent a lot of the time off campus at notable locations around the city. I’ll talk about a few of the places to give you guys an idea about the kinds of field trips we took.

One of the first trips we took was nearby, just down Charles Street to the Peabody Library to see the rare books collection. This library is absolutely gorgeous. I have to say, if and when you tour, this place is something you need to see. A fun fact about Peabody Library: You know the library Beast gives Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast? It’s based off of this library. And the best part of all: it’s open to Hopkins students to study in.

As a class, we also took multiple trips across town to the Johns Hopkins medical campus. We had various guest speakers come talk to us about the city and the innovations that Hopkins medicine sparked in the area, and afterwards we went to a street market to get a bite to eat. The most memorable part about that specific trip were these great smoothies we found at the market. There were dozens of flavors, and all of them sounded great!

Finally, since we were only using the free transportation available to the community, we got to spend our travel budget on a nice lunch in Fell’s Point, one of the neighborhoods in downtown Baltimore. Our instructor chose the restaurant because it actually used to be an old factory. It was really cool, because the place was completely transformed but you could still definitely feel some of the elements from the days it had been a factory.

 I think the best thing I got out of taking part in B’more was that now I’m more aware of the opportunities that Baltimore has to offer, and am more willing to venture out into the city. Me and my friend Cara even went back to the smoothie shop just to get off campus and have a relaxing afternoon! :) The intersession program here at Hopkins is great, and if you find yourself on campus here next winter, I highly recommend you take advantage of the B’more program!

The Loves of a Blue Jay: Favorites of a Hopkins Student

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Name: Elyse Thulin

Year: Class of 2013

Hometown: Jackson, Wyoming

Majors: Psychology and Anthropology

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So, thinking about what life could be like as a Hopkins student? The promise and the glory of saying that you got to walk the brick pathways, climb the marble stairs and learn from the modern day greats? But is Hopkins just that? Is it a place to spend 24 hours a day learning from a book? A place solely spent studying in the purgatory of an overly hot library? Of course not!

I am Elyse Thulin, a psychology and anthropology double major, member of the class of 2013. I hail from the state of Wyoming and was an excited but nervous “pre-frosh.” Now, in my junior year, I feel as though I know my school, my classmates and my professors within my major departments. And I’d like to dispel some Hopkins myths and tell you a little about my life at JHU!

What are some things that I love around campus?

Learning from the greats:
One of my favorite aspects of this university is the ability to learn from professors at the top of their fields. I recently read a paper for an upper level psychology course written by a professor I had freshman year…before I even knew I would be a psychology major. In my current anthropology class, we commonly reference the highly regarded Jane Guyer, a major name in the contemporary field of anthropology. It just so happens that she is my advisor in the anthropology department. Beyond having the primary source of knowledge so readily available, it is so inspiring to learn from such intelligent, driven individuals. Also, just having classes with students who are as interested as me in learning is such a cool experience!

Research:
One of the things that I commonly reference when giving tours to prospective students is research. However, rarely do I get to express how much I truly enjoy it (there are just too many other amazing things I want to tell prospective students and their parents about in 45 minutes!). I work both at the Homewood campus andthe Med school campus, which is a short commute on the JHMI shuttle, free for all Hopkins affiliates. It is a constant thrill going into these labs which are publishing papers relevant not only in the present, but also for the future. Hopkins is a research institute and therefore, provides great opportunities for students to get a real taste of what working in a lab is like. And these chances are frequent; there are many labs and internship possibilities at each of Hopkins’ graduate school campuses.

Clubs:
We have so many clubs to be a part of, from cultural organizations to leadership-based clubs to interest based clubs. I am involved with the JHU Italian Club as VP of Communications. I enjoy getting to practice the language I took my first two years here with both classmates and native Italians! Plus, add a cannoli to anything and it is infinitely better.

I am also involved with the Blue Key Society, a group who works with Admissions to give prospective students and their families a tour of campus (if you have visited, perhaps we have met!). I really relish getting a break from my normal routine to get to show my school (off) and share all the things I love about it!

Greek Life:
A big part of my social life has to do with being part of a sorority on campus. PanHellenic sororities and fraternities can be a lot of fun to get involved in, with date parties allowing you to venture off Hopkins campus to venues around Baltimore, as well as providing a way to get involved in philanthropy (my sorority works with an elementary school a few blocks from campus), and a great way to expand your social circle.

Hopkins also has academic, cultural, and service fraternities for those who want to get involved socially on campus and also focus on something specific (for example, APO is a service fraternity and many of their functions are volunteering projects).

Fitness:
The final  activity that I spend a considerable amount of time on each week is hitting the gym. Whether it is going with a friend for a run, playing a game of racquetball (a great stress reliever!), or stretching myself out with some yoga, exercise is a part of my daily routine. Hopkins students are active people so it’s rare that you will go to the gym and not see people you know!

Another fun way to get some fitness in is to go on an outdoors trip on a weekend through Outdoor Pursuits or Johns Hopkins Outdoors Club…backpacking is a favorite of mine!

Joining Greek Life: Perspectives from a Senior

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Name: Danielle Nemzer

Year: 2012

Hometown: Santa Monica, CA

Major: Public Health Studies

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In my opinion, one of the reasons why spring semester is the best semester here at Johns Hopkins is because sorority and fraternity recruitment happens during the first week back on campus! About 25% of students are involved in Greek life here, and just two weeks ago we invited 192 new women into the Panhellenic sorority community. This year we had some of the highest numbers of women go through recruitment – all four chapters handed out invitations to 45-plus women to join their group. I’ve been involved in Greek life since I was a freshman, when I joined Phi Mu. It has given me the opportunity to take on a bunch of leadership roles; last year I assumed the Assistant Membership Director role for my sorority, and this year I’ve acted as the President of the Panhellenic Council, which is the organization which overlooks all of sorority life on campus. As Panhellenic President, I got insight into the sorority and fraternity recruitment process like I had never seen it before. It was a really fun start to the semester.

Sorority recruitment is different here at Hopkins than at other schools. It happens during beginning of the spring semester, only spans about 4 days, and is really an exciting time for both the current sisters and the potential new members. Everyone who goes through recruitment makes a ton of new friends, even those who decide not to join a group. The best night of recruitment, however, is the final night – Invitation Night – that’s when “bids” to join a specific sorority are given out. The way that Invitation Night works is that we arrange a room with almost two hundreds chairs in the middle of it. Every chair has an envelope which will contain an invitation to join a sorority for the women who have decided to go through recruitment start-to-finish. Women from each sorority come into the room and are cheering and dancing and yelling (and wearing matching t-shirts), and then there is a big countdown for the potential new members to open up their envelopes and see which sorority they have the opportunity to join! It’s very loud, exciting and the energy in the room is absolutely electric. After the women open up their envelopes, they run to their new sisters and there is a lot of hugging and happy tears. Writing this out doesn’t come close explaining how much fun this evening is – I guess you’ll just have to experience it next year!

Fraternity recruitment is less formal, and it is going on right now as I write this blog. Fraternities will host events, like Wings and Pizza Night or Duckpin Bowling to get to know boys who are interested in joining. Fraternities are a lot smaller that sororities here at Hopkins, and most of them invite around 20 students to join each year. The events that fraternities will plan range from “Duck Duck Goose Night” (still unsure what that means) to heading down to DC for a Wizards basketball game.

If you decide to come to Hopkins, I highly recommend checking out Greek life. It’s one of the most vibrant, exciting, and involved communities we have here on campus!

Outdoor Pursuits Pre-Orientation

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Year: Class of 2014

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Major: History of Art

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If you ask me what my best decision has been so far at Hopkins, I think I’ll surprise you in saying that is was also one of my first. When I was a mere pre-frosh, I decided to go on one of the Pre-Orientation trips offered by Outdoor Pursuits. Going on Pre-Orientation, or PreO in Hopkins jargon, was an adventurous decision for me. To put it lightly, I was a city girl. Born in San Francisco and raised in Los Angeles, my idea of spending “a week outside” was going to the beach everyday with warm hot showers at night in a hotel.

Nevertheless, I decided that I should try something new and make some friends before I was caught in the whirlwind that is Freshman Orientation. Somehow, I not only survived, but actually loved my week in the backcountry on Canoeing and Hiking Pre-Orientation. For four days we paddled the Potomac River, and then hiked the Appalachian Trail for three days. It was the first time I had slept outside for more than a night at a time, and it was definitely the first time I went a whole week without showering. I don’t want to get all tear-jerker on you here, but I met my to be best friend and now roommate, Jen, on PreO, and I looked up to my leaders like idols. My leads told me all about what to expect from classes, dorm life, parties, etc., and each night Jen and I would get in our sleeping bags and wonder what our new lives were going to be like.

I think the best thing about PreO is that it doesn’t end when the week is over. When we got back to campus, my group got our cell phones back (finally!) and we immediately all exchanged numbers. The first few weeks of school, my leaders would check in on me regularly, asking how I liked my classes, letting me know what they would be up to that Saturday night, and telling me the best places to eat near campus. About a few weeks into school, my leaders approached me and asked if I was interested in becoming a leader myself. Had they forgotten that I was the girl who showed up in a white dress and leather boots to the first day? Well, needless to say I applied.

I was selected as a Canoeing leader, and a few months later I picked up Kayaking too. Outdoor Pursuits has become like a family to me. When people ask me why I love PreO, my answer is always the same: the people. I can go out into the backcountry any weekend, but only during that one week of the year does the PreO spirit come alive. So make the best decision you’ll make at Hopkins before you even get here, and join me and forty-six of my best friends/fellow leaders on Pre-Orientation 2012.

Mentoring Assistance Peer Program

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Name: Mia Spad
Year: 2013
Major: Public Health Studies and Psychological and Brain Sciences
Hometown and State: New Fairfield, CT
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As a junior, I like to think I’m solidly planted at Hopkins — I’ve found my niche and I feel at home in Baltimore. While my friends have become a second family to me, I feel particularly lucky because I’ve stumbled upon an additional group of people I can always count on: my MAPP Family. I’m both a mentor and a member of the Leadership Committee for the Mentoring Assistance Peer Program (MAPP), which is a Hopkins mentorship program for underrepresented students. Specifically, we cater to freshman and provide year-long support and guidance for them as they go through their first year at JHU. We’re comprised of about thirty to thirty five mentors, sophomores through seniors, and each of us gets four to five freshman mentees that we’re responsible for. Out of the larger organization we’re split into families: my individual MAPP family consists of myself, my own mentees, along with an assigned grouping of three to four other mentors and their mentees too. As mentors we regularly program events for our freshman mentees. These programs range from social, such as a trip to the Inner Harbor to explore Baltimore, or academic, where we arrange for panels with academic advisors so our mentees can learn about different majors, or cultural, where we celebrate Latin Heritage Month by learning how to salsa dance.

Now the official role I play is ‘mentor’, however I can safely say after my second year as a part of MAPP that the bond I have with my mentees, who I inexplicably always end up referring to as ‘my babies’ each year, is so much more than the formally labelled mentor-mentee relationship; we’re friends; we’re a support system. I know that for them it’s a comfort to always have someone they can turn to if they need to just talk to or hang out with if they’re having a bad day, and in turn they’ve become a comfort to me as well. The same can be said for all my fellow mentors in MAPP; I’ve met some amazing people through this program that I wouldn’t have otherwise. I’m always texting someone something funny, running to a coffee date with someone else, and looking forward to an upcoming MAPP family dinner or get together. Being a MAPP mentor has transcended from being an organization I’m a part of into being a integrated part of my regular life, and the people in it are not just fellow members or mentees in the program but my friends.

As a freshman mentee, you can expect your mentor to be there for you rain or shine, which you need sometimes! Don’t get me wrong, freshman year here at Hopkins has by far been my favorite year, but even the best experiences can have their rough patches. As a seasoned veteran of whatever can possibly come, I help my mentees with everything from figuring out how to study, what clubs they should join, how to handle a fight with their roommate, and everything in between. Along the way you meet a ton of other freshman and friendly upperclassmen, learn a thing or two about Hopkins and Baltimore, and most importantly you get unlimited advice from your mentor. What better way to figure out freshman year than have the guidance of someone who’s already done it?

MAPP Retreat May 2011

My mentees and I out to lunch to kick off the semester!

My mentee family and I at Charm City Cakes