The Reel Life of Josh

So here’s the deal. Over the past few days, the Hopkins Interactive team has been publishing common blogs. These are entries that clearly show the diverse nature of Hopkins students by comparing and contrasting their experiences and feelings about the school. Here’s my take:

Get to Know JHU_Josh:

1. Birthplace and current hometown: b. New York, NY, hometown. Park Ridge, NJ

2. Major(s)/Minor(s): Film and Media Studies

3. When I grow up I want to… be a filmmaker

4. Favorite place to eat in Baltimore Golden West Cafe

5. Favorite spot on the Homewood campus Gilman Atrium

6. Favorite TV show: Arrested Development

7. Favorite color: Blue

8. Favorite sports team: NY Jets

My Hopkins Experience:

1. When did you know Hopkins was right for you? I sort of knew when I visited for the first time after the summer before my senior year of high school. It was never really on the radar before that, but I left campus feeling like it was a good place to go. I learned more and more about the school and the city and thought “Hey, this is a nice place.” And from there I haven’t regretted my decision.

2. What is one thing that would surprise your friends/family about Hopkins? Johns has an “s” on it. Some seem to still miss that even after 4 years. Also, that it has a film program (and one that I love so dearly).

3. If you were the University President, what is the first thing you would do or change? Lower tuition. But after that, I’d like to have a real student union. We have places like that now, but no real centrally located building that students can hang out at 24/7.

4. If you could go back and choose your college again, would you pick Hopkins? Why? I would. I’ve written a lot about this in the past, but it’s really prepared me for what I want to do. Not only through classes, but the incredible talent around me constantly pushes me to do better. And the professors are invested in their students completely.

5. What was your perception about Hopkins before enrolling and how has it changed since then? It hasn’t changed much. I thought it was going to be a little more intense than it is, but that’s about it. Be prepared to work hard, but if you do that, you’ll be fine. Also, the city of Baltimore is a lot cooler than I thought coming in.

6. What is/was your favorite class? It’s hard to pick one. I’d probably say Intro to Social Psychology is one of my favorites. I love learning why people do what they do. Also, I love all of my film production classes.

7. Describe your funniest memory or experience at Hopkins: I’ve had a bunch of funny moments, but I can’t recall them off the top of my head. A lot of them are just my roommate and I goofing around. One is probably with my friends last year when we went to hang out at place on campus that we always go that doesn’t really have a name so we called it “The Spot”. My friend Carlos was out with his parents to dinner but his phone was broken so my buddy Greg called Carlos’ dad and told him when he gets back to “meet us at The Spot” in the sketchiest way ever, concluding his sentence with “He knows where it is”.

8. How would your college experience be different if you hadn’t chosen Hopkins? It probably wouldn’t have been much different really. College is what you make of it. I would have met different people and been drawn toward different things maybe.

9. What has your greatest contribution been during your time at Hopkins, or what do you hope to accomplish before graduation? Heavy question. Modesty prevents me from thinking about this question fully. I hope that I have taken advantage of every resource and opportunity. I hope my professors think I’ve done so. I think my contributions as Co-Director of the Johns Hopkins Film Society have revitalized film culture here a bit (or at least started to) after a long term lull and financial issues within the organization. I think bigger things are in the future post-grad though so I’ll wait to contribute to my Hopkins legacy.

10. What advice would you give to a high school senior choosing their college? Find someplace that fits you. Find someplace that you can see yourself for four years. You can’t make a bad choice if you think that way. Don’t go on reputation or numbers. It’s all about the experience you’ll have at the school.