Blue Jay Buffet

Scanning the Johns Hopkins Magazine (Feb. 2008)

One of the great ways to learn about a school is to peruse the pages of the school magazines. We at Hopkins Interactive looked through the recent edition of the Johns Hopkins Magazine (the university's alumni magazine) and selected some articles for your reading pleasure.

BRIGHT IDEAS

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At Johns Hopkins a lot of thing get invented. In the past 132 years a variety of inventions have come out of Johns Hopkins. This article celebrates twenty of the innovations for 2007.

CHASING THE GREAT BEYOND

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The universe is a complex place with many, as of yet unsolved, problems. This article looks at how physicists and astrophysicists view the world and how something called "dark energy" could help explain some of the mystery.

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A LITTLE "SADISM" HELPS LAND SCHOLARSHIPS

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Students interested in applying for top scholarships, like the Fulbright or Rhodes Scholarship, have to go through a rigorous application process. This article explains how Hopkins deans stage mock interviews to help students prepare for the real thing .


WHY DOES EQUAL TREATMENT MATTER?

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In presidential campaigns media coverage matters but often times the coverage is not equal. Erica Falk, the associate program chair for the master's degree in communication at the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, discusses how gender plays a role in how much media coverage presidential candidates get.

INVESTIGATIONS

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Investigations looks at recent research done by Hopkins undergraduates. This  edition's includes profiles of work done by students taking a fall seminar entitled "Material Culture: Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Family in Early America."

NOT YOUR FATHER'S ROLLER DERBY

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Sometimes Hopkins students don't really know what they want to do after college. That's perfectly okay and as one student from the class of 1994 learned it can be a lot of fun.

Anne Jay Visits Towson Mall

Well I’m back, after an interesting day out at the Towson mall with JHU_Tabitha and her friends.

I must say the college town shuttle is a nice way to travel, and free for all blue jays, students, and birds like me! I got a seat all to myself for the whole way there.

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After the bus dropped us off we wandered into the mall, the first thing I saw was the yummy candy store, and there was even a cute monkey outside that I talked to!

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Sadly, Tabitha was too mean to even buy me the cute happy lolly that matched my wings, so I had to make do with a picture of me with it. I’m sorry I wasn’t looking at the camera in this picture, but I was too busy staring into the yummy looking store that I wasn’t allowed into!

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As we were wandering around the mall one of Tabitha’s friends insisted on stopping at every jewelry store around, so I thought I’d try on a necklace. It was a bit big for me, so I decided I didn’t need to buy it, although I think the color matched me very nicely.

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This picture is of Tabitha’s friend (the one who likes earrings!), trying on a hat that I thought looked like a great nest for me, so I sat on top. I was very sad when she wouldn’t buy it because I think I looked great sitting there (and I guess it suited her too) but apparently it was too expensive.

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Next we went into this cute little store that had all sorts of pretty hand made things, including some lovely chess sets. I decided to have a game with Tabitha, with me of course being the blue side.

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Finally after a lot of wandering around, which made me glad that Tabitha’s kind friend was carrying me in his pocket, we went to get the shuttle home. I sat on the bench with a nice guy called Tom.

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He was kind enough to share his crepe with me!

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And then we got the shuttle home. I was so exhausted, I passed out on a seat, but I had a great day.

Baltimore … It really is the Charm City!

Name: Diane Carney

Parent of: Lauren Carney - JHU Class of 2011

Hometown: Westmont, NJ

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Hello!  My name is Diane and my daughter Lauren is a Freshman at Johns Hopkins University double-majoring in English & Writing Seminars.  You can check out  her blog by clicking here.

I have to be honest ... when my husband and I left our daughter at Hopkins, it was THE hardest thing we ever had to do.  My husband is working on a blog dealing with that, so I thought it might be nice to talk about visiting your child at Hopkins … and how Family Weekend is a great time to experience not only Hopkins, but the city of Baltimore.  Not only is this a great way to see Hopkins up close and through your child's eyes, but it gives you an opportunity to explore new restaurants, neighborhoods, museums, and a city that is now a pretty big part of your child's life.

Family Weekend offers a "Parents College" on Friday with classes taught by JHU faculty and also classroom observation for parents.  Both of these seemed very interesting, but unfortunately, we couldn't get there early enough to take part in these ... maybe next year!  We arrived right after the last spot was filled for the Duck Tours of Baltimore, and this was a major disappointment ... again, another reason to get there earlier next year!  That night we decided to venture into Hampden for a relaxing dinner at Cafe Hon. This is highly recommended and you absolutely have to indulge in a piece of their pie!

They say Baltimore is the “Charm City” and one trip to the Inner Harbor is all it takes to believe it!  Early Saturday morning we went down to the Inner Harbor and had an early lunch. Since the Inner Harbor is a quick trip away from Hopkins, we were able to be back in time to watch part of the football game between JHU and Franklin & Marshall.  JHU lost but it was still a good game!  (I’m looking forward to seeing a lacrosse game in the Spring!)

We quickly headed over to Shriver Hall to see the a capella, choral and dance concert. You have to make it a point to get to this show … these students are so talented and they really put on quite a show.  When we visited the school in April of 2007, one of the a capella groups, Octopodes, performed "How To Save A Life" by The Fray.  It was amazing! This song will always be connected to Hopkins for us because of that. (Check out the video below ... this wasn’t the performance we saw, but it will give you an idea of how great they sound.)

Saturday night we ventured into Fells Point (again, an easy and short ride) for dinner at Bertha's.  This is definitely worth the trip for mussels.  You will probably see a few cars sporting the bumper sticker “Eat Bertha’s Mussels” since they don’t let you leave without a bumper sticker.  A few doors down from Bertha's was a great little shop that served gelato and this was the perfect dessert.

And while you are visiting the campus, you have to check out the Homewood House Museum right on JHU’s campus.  There is also the Evergreen Museum and Library just a short ride on North Charles Street.  The Baltimore Museum of Art is an easy walk from campus and you can access this through the Sculpture Garden. 

It was difficult to decide what to do since there was so much to see and do, both on campus and off.  We decided to mix Parent Weekend happenings with things that we wanted to do outside of the campus.

For a parent, visiting your child at Hopkins can actually feel like a "mini vacation".  There is so much to see and do in Baltimore.  Each time we come down, we try to experience something new we haven't done before. 

An absolute must when you visit the Inner Harbor is a ride on the water taxi.  This is a great way to reach the different neighborhoods and spend some time exploring them on foot.  This is also a nice way to relax and catch up on what's been happening in your child's life.  What surprised me was the ease with driving down to the Inner Harbor, Fell's Point and the other neighborhoods from JHU.  It's a quick and very easy trip to make.  Little Italy is next on our list of neighborhoods to explore, and I can’t wait!

Here is a link for the Family Weekend schedule of 2007 to give you an idea of what to expect and also a link to the parents website.  This is a great time to get to know Baltimore, the city that will be a part of your child’s life for the next four years.  I hope you mark your calendar for the 2008 weekend!  It’s a great time to start exploring this Charm City!

Life as an Eternal Student

Name: Leigh Lieberman

Class: Class of 2006 Graduate

Hometown: Delray Beach, FL

Current Residence: Princeton, NJ

Major: Classics

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Greetings from the Garden State!  Although I may have ventured far from the JHU Admissions Office, I certainly haven’t gotten away from the academic lifestyle.  Having graduated from Hopkins with a Bachelors Degree in Classics in 2006 and a Masters Degree in Classics in 2007, I am currently a first year PhD candidate studying Classical Archaeology in the Department of Art and Archaeology at Princeton (don’t worry – I’ll be wearing blue and white come the long awaited lacrosse game!!!). You can read some more about my research pursuits and travels while a Hopkins undergraduate in my Guest Blog entry, "Diary of a World Traveler," or about my experiences reading applications last spring in my Hopkins Insider Guest Author entry, "Introducing an Admissions Reader."  

I knew that after my well spent years in Baltimore I really wanted to be a student for as long as possible.  There’s something about the academic lifestyle – the people you meet, the ideas that pop up all around you.  It keeps me on my toes, and that’s the way I like it.  I really do see myself as a professional book-worm.  I feel that my time at Hopkins prepared me as well as a student could have been prepared for further work in academia.  My mentors at Hopkins, in the classroom, on the stage, and in the office, helped me to achieve my goals while I was there and prepared me to succeed in the future. 

Enough of the pep talk, though!  More to the point...

I’d love to tell you what I’ve been up to since relocating to New Jersey last summer.  You might be asking yourself what a graduate student studying Classical Archaeology actually does on a day to day basis.  In short, we read.  A lot.  We drink coffee.  A lot of coffee.  We always drink coffee when we read.  Oftentimes we read articles and books in languages that we wish we understood better than we actually do. 

The fun consequence of higher academia is that most disciplines are wholly international.  I’m going to need to read German, Italian, and French fluently, in addition to Ancient Greek and Latin, in order to do the research that my studies require!  Needless to say, there are several large dictionaries on my bookshelf in the library.  My department library is incredibly comfortable, a real necessity seeing as I have to spend a good deal of time there.  But, I still manage to frequent some of the quainter coffee shops, both on and off campus, whenever I need a change of scenery. I couldn’t abandon all of my Baltimore routines!

Being a professional student does come with some perks.  This past fall, I was part of a seminar that explored the art of divination in the ancient world.  Our sessions ranged from communicating with goddesses in the ancient Near East, to the role of lot oracles in early Christianity.  This interdisciplinary course also traveled to Greece for a week and a half in October to explore Hellenic oracular sites, all expenses paid! 

We began our journey in Athens, traveling south to Epidaurus and Corinth before heading north to Delphi, Dodona, and the Nekromanteion at Acheron.  Although I’d been to Greece before it was wonderful to be able to travel with such an enthusiastic group of people this time around.  I had never been to most of the places we visited, and traveling with a specific focus was also an inspiring experience. 

After returning to Princeton, we began working on our semester long research papers for the seminar.  As this course was part of a Princeton-Oxford Exchange Program, we invited students from Oxford University to a conference this past January, during which we all presented our diverse projects.  More than just being an academic colloquium, the conference allowed us a good amount of time to just socialize and really get to know one another.  Overall, I came out of this class with a great group of friends, both in and out of the classroom.

My nose isn’t always that close to the grindstone, though. In my free time so far, I’ve been tutoring high school juniors and seniors in preparation for the SATs.  It’s been fun to come at the college application process from a different angle this time around!  The SATs should by no means take over your life when you’re applying to schools – the test really is only one piece of the puzzle.  But for me, I’ve really grown to love being in front of a classroom and knowing everything there possibly is to know about the test.  Don’t get me wrong though – I couldn’t abandon my former glory days in the Admissions Office entirely!  I also frequently interview students in the Princeton area for JHU.  Talking to prospective students has always been one of my favorite aspects of the college admissions process, and after having such a wonderful time at Hopkins during my own time there, I can only hope that I am able to convey some of my enthusiasm now. 

Being so close to New York City also has its benefits.  There seemed to be a mass exodus to New York after graduation, so a good number of my close friends from Hopkins now call "The City" home.  As a former Barnstormer, I always meet up with my theatre friends, sometimes for an experimental theatre show, or sometimes just to eat things that make us feel bad about ourselves in the morning. 

I’ve got no complaints about life after Hopkins, save for the fact that the expensive train ride from Princeton to Baltimore has really limited the number of visits I’ve made to Maryland this past year. I do hope, however, to make an appearance at the aforementioned lacrosse game that is looming in the near future, where I will proudly don Blue Jay gear.  The cherry blossoms and the crab chips are calling my name too, but first, I’ve got to get some coffee.

Anne Jay visits Louisiana with Lauren

First off, I just have to say this: I may be a bird, but getting on an airplane is a scary thing.  I never really fly that high in the air!  Luckily, I was snuggled safely in Lauren's carry-on for the entire flight (I read a fascinating Nylon magazine and polished off a few granola bars that Lauren forgot about), only coming out to investigate when I was sure we were safely on the ground in our destination state: Louisiana, the home of JHU_Lauren's friend (and penpal since 7th grade!), Ashley.

Like Eleanor on her trip with JHU_Mandy, I immediately came into close contact (too close for me, really) with a member of the canine species.  His name was Scruffy and he was Ashley's very, very, very energetic Yorkie-poo.  He was respectful, just sniffing me and occasionally nudging me with his nose, but my little blue jay heart was beating faster than I knew it even could the entire time he was getting to know me.  Sure, he looks cute and harmless, but you just never know when a dog is going to get bored with being friendly and just want something fluffy to gnaw on.

But I survived, luckily, because our first major trip was on the second day we were there, and I didn't want to miss it!  Our goal was to make it to the Mississippi Gulf Coast ... and, after driving for two hours in the wrong direction towards the middle of Mississippi, we finally reached Gulfport.  This part of Mississippi was hit really hard by Hurricane Katrina in 2006 and is slowly being rebuilt again; surprisingly, though, it was still absolutely breathtaking.  I can only imagine what it must have looked like before the hurricane! 

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When we were here, we walked out onto a lonnnnnngg pier where there were people relaxing and fishing, and I accompanied Lauren on her first step into the Gulf of Mexico!

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Two days later (the day after we saw New Orleans, tried crawfish, and rode on a streetcar for the first time), we went on a tour of some beautiful plantations near Ashley's hometown.  First, we stopped for lunch at Cajun Potato, where I had an amazing Chicken 'N' Gravy Baked Potato and a lemonade.  It was a weird concept, for a blue jay used to eating bird seed and Maryland crab cakes, but it tasted great.

Afterwards, we drove to see Oak Alley Plantation in Vacherie.  The first part of the plantation you see is its "front yard," where there are two lines of oak trees that stand a perfect 80 feet apart from one another.  It's hard to believe people actually lived here ... it is definitely bigger than the Admissions office birdhouse that I'm used to! 

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The grounds themselves were gorgeous too, with huge trees, bridges, and well-kept lawns and pathways.  I could've stayed there all day but, unfortunately, we had to move on.

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Another plantation we saw was Laura Plantation.  It was hard to see from the outside because of high fences and a lot of trees, so we climbed the levee across the street to get a better view.  I felt more in my element this high up in the air, even with all the drivers on the road below honking and waving.  It took a while to get used to such friendliness but, now, it's really weird to fly around and not have the people you pass say hello.

The next day was all New Orleans!  We had beignets for breakfast, walked through St. Louis Cathedral, had lunch at Red Fish Grille, and spent a lot of time on Bourbon and Royal Streets.  On Bourbon Street, we passed by many bars and clubs, including Bourbon Cowboy ... but, apparently, they have stricter rules against letting birds inside than they are anyone else.  It was too bad, but we had fun walking (and flying) around the streets anyway. 

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We also spent a lot of time during the week in Midcity, where one of Ashley's friends lives, and Uptown, but Downtown was this blue jay's favorite!

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After we went everywhere from Mississippi to New Orleans to the Myrtles Plantation out past Baton Rouge (the most haunted house in America), it was really hard to get on the plane to fly back into Philly.  Ashley and her family were SO welcoming and SO hospitable that they made mine and Lauren's trip even more fun!  New Orleans, even after going through all of the setbacks and all of the drama of the past few years, is on its way to coming back and being even stronger than it was before.  It is thriving, and I contribute it in no small part to the amazing spirits of the Southern people.  Even from our first day in Louisiana, we saw that everyone was so proud to be from the South and, in particular, from Louisiana.  They love where they come from ... and, now, I do too!

P.S.  Be sure to check out Lauren's blog soon to see the rest of the pictures we took on the trip!

January at Hopkins

Although classes didn't officially begin until the end of January, many students chose to return to Baltimore around January 7th to participate in the optional (yet highly recommended!) three-week period called Intersession. Students took advantage of a quieter campus, fun and unique course offerings, unique activities, and the chance to relax and explore all Baltimore has to offer.

WECOLME TO INTERSESSION 2008!

The Intersession Program offers courses for academic exploration, experiential learning, programs abroad and personal enrichment. Students could register for up to three credits, leaving plenty of time to try out different activities around campus and explore the city during the afternoons. Click here to read about one of the many unique Interesession experience from last year - Extreme Jump Rope.

This year, many freshmen chose to pursue explore Baltimore through the "B-More: A Common Freshman Experience," an academic and personal enrichment experience offered exclusively to freshmen in the last week of Intersession. To read more about what the freshmen discovered during this week, click here.

During Interession students had the option of choosing from classes like Italian, Boy/Girl Boy/Birl (Crossdressing Culture in America), Journalism, Stand-Up Comedy, and numerous other interesting courses that are only offered during this three-week period. Last year's course listings included Introduction to Playing the Appalachian Fiddle, Ballet for Adults, Introduction to Massage, Getting to Know Your Shadow, Healing with Color, Juggling, Beer History and Appreciation, Practical Chinese for Business and Pleasure, What Are Words For? and others.

This year, even President Brody took to the classroom to teach two classes: one on "uncommon sense" and another on flying.  Offered by the Whiting School of Engineering, the first class dealt with such everyday issues as making money, marketing yourself and prioritizing your time. Brody, who has been a licensed pilot for many years, designed the flying class to offer an introduction to the basic principles of flight and the process of obtaining a pilot's license. Read more about President Brody's classes by clicking here.

It's safe to say that every student who chose to return to campus early for Intersession found something worth coming back for.

JHU'S MISSION TO MERCURY

The MESSENGER spacecraft, built and managed by Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory, executed a landmark flight close to the planet Mercury in January. First of their kind images taken by the spacecraft are regulary being beamed back to Earth and making national and international news.

On January 14, the MESSENGER passed 124 miles above Mercury's surface and executed extensive scientific observations, including imaging a large portion of Mercury's surface that has never before been seen by a spacecraft. Read much more about the discoveries and see some of the images:

• Main MESSENGER site including numerous galleries: click here.
• January 14th JHU Gazette article: click here.
• CNN.com article about MESSENGER's accomplishments: click here.
• A second Gazette article on January 22 revealing new images: click here.

BIG ON CAMPUS: ELECTION 2008!

Students and administration alike are getting involved and getting the word out about the 2008 elections. The political attitude of the campus is diverse and ever-fluctuating, and it's common to hear people debating the issues while they walk to class.

The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies' (JHU's well-known graduate school in D.C.) annual SAISphere magazine focuses this year on elections around the world, with essays from many faculty members, including Francis Fukuyama, Azar Nafisi, Riordan Roett and Ruth Wedgwood. Read individual articles or the entire issue by clicking here.

President Brody himself has gotten involved in the national campaign, promoting initiatives over the past few months to encourage a fuller, more meaningful discussion of healthcare issues. Over the past few weeks, he has been engaged in discussions with presidential candidates and other leaders for a series of half-hour television programs to air on Retirement Living Television, a national cable network. His discussion with Republican candidate Mitt Romney aired on January 14. He even was spotted at the State of the Union address. Read more about President Brody's Health Care '08: Search for Solutions program by clicking here.

And finally, Communications faculty member Erika Falk led a Podcast discussion on the topic of her recent book: what happened to women candidates - and how they were covered in the news media - in eight prior presidential elections. Click here to read the Gazette article about Professor Falk's work, and click here to check-out the podcast.

STUDENT-CURATED MUSEUM SHOW!

Homewood curator Catherine Rogers Arthur and students in the fall 2007 Introduction to Material Culture course, part of the Museums and Society Program, introduced the show “Welcome Little Stranger: Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Family in Early Maryland” on Jan. 17 at Homewood Museum. The special display explored practices associated with pregnancy, childbirth and family at the turn of the 19th century. Cribs, cradles, silver baby bottle nipples, forceps, early medical books and other period items on display offer a look at practices, traditions and politics concerning childbirth and childrearing in early Maryland, particularly those of Baltimore families like the Carrolls of Homewood. The show is on view through March 30 as part of regular museum tours. Click here to read the Gazette article, and also read more about the show at the Homewood Museums web site.