From performing for retirement homes to fundraising, Harmonies for Healing is a club that uses music to make a positive impact on student performers and their local community. 

I’ve always had a hard time getting people to say my name correctly. While there’s an abundance of Anjalis in India, most people in the United States have never met someone with my name before. Growing up, I always resented having to explain its pronunciation every time I met someone new. However, as years go by I’ve only become more and more grateful for my simultaneously unique and ordinary name, because the baby names chosen by celebrity and influencer parents have increasingly ventured into even stranger territory.

Being a captain of a Hopkins varsity team is an honor saved for a select few students. Teams reward athletes with a title to reflect their leadership position on the team, however, the process of deciding who the team will award the position is different for every team.

At the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year, tens of thousands of schools across the US began implementing phone bans in an effort to increase focus among children and break phone habits and addictions that research suggests is detrimental for their development. Despite this ban being in place in more than 77% of US schools, it remains controversial. Through various efforts, Hopkins has also tried to limit phone use during school. 

For the third consecutive year, Hopkins hosted the Connecticut Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) on April 6. The event, founded by the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) in 2003, aims to bring students from grades 7-12 and adults from independent schools across the state together for a day of dialogue, networking, and community building, according to the CAIS website.

Engines roaring, rubber burning, sparks flying, and breakneck speeds. In recent years, motorsport viewage has risen in the United States, according to NBC News. Generally, motorsports, such as Formula 1 and Nascar, refers to sports that utilize a motor vehicle, most commonly a car or motorcycle. However, the term is open to interpretation and which has sparked debate outside of the Hopkins community, a large percentage of Hopkins believes that motorsports are legitimate sports and watches them regularly.

During the second week of spring break, members of the Girls Tennis, Girls Lacrosse, Golf, and Baseball teams experienced a week of sand, sweat, and serious spring training under the sun in Orlando, Florida. The Spring Break training trip has always been a tradition for the Hilltoppers.

Though 39 steps might seem ordinary to the average Hopkins student who takes the stairs from Baldwin to Thompson five times per day, the Hopkins Drama Association’s (HDA) production of “The 39 Steps” is far from routine. As a comedic parody of an Alfred Hitchcock thriller, “The 39 Steps” is filled with humor, mystery, and action. The cast and crew are hard at work to prepare for the show, which opens on April 24.

This year, Hopkins is undergoing reaccreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), a process that helps ensure the school meets high standards across academics, resources, safety, and student experience. According to Head of School Matt Glendinning, the reaccreditation study “examines key factors in a school’s success such as resources, admissions, the academic program, the student experience, health, and safety.” Though reaccreditation is required for NEASC recognition, the process also offers opportunities for reflection and growth. The NEASC process essentially forces a school to undertake this kind of work,” said Glendinning, “and that is fundamentally beneficial for the school, its students and families.”

Every year, the race for Student Council President at Hopkins brings excitement, with each candidate demonstrating strong arguments and a flurry of promises, along with a Bingo card that pokes fun at speeches. The president's role is not just about leading assemblies twice a week—it’s about being the student voice and collaborating with other school leaders, among many other responsibilities. By the time this article is published, Hopkins will have elected its 2025-2026 StuCo president. Nevertheless, the Razor interviewed each of the candidates before election day, asking a series of questions to get to know them and their ideas better. (Terrell Tolsen could not be reached for an interview.)

Award-winning poet, novelist, and essayist Patricia Lockwood visited Hopkins on March 31 to share her work and speak with students about her writing. During assembly, she read excerpts from her debut novel No One Is Talking About This (2021), poems from her poetry collection Motherland Fatherland Homelandsexuals (2014), and answered questions about her own experience with writing. Selected by the Hopkins English Department out of a 21st Century American Literature class booklist, Lockwood and her visit serve to introduce students to a professional perspective on literature.

Many Hopkins teachers choose to step into the role of being a coach, embracing a challenge that extends their impact far beyond the classroom. 

A variety of individual and personal factors often influence a teacher’s decision to coach. For Spanish teacher, Varsity Field Hockey Coach, and Varsity Girls Tennis Coach Susan Bennitt, her decision stems from her time as a Premier League Field Hockey and Softball player in Spain, as well as her work as a translator for books on sports psychology and strategies for success.

As I savor the last few months of my time at Hopkins, I return to Joan Didion's seminal essay collection “The White Album,” which I first read over Thanksgiving break. The Hopkins Drama Association had just closed Shakespeare's "The Tempest," our last production in the Woodbridge Club before we transitioned into the new Academic and Performing Arts Center. Didion writes, “A place belongs forever to whoever claims it hardest, remembers it most obsessively, wrenches it from itself, shapes it, renders it, loves it so radically that he remakes it in his own image.”

Black History Month at Hopkins serves as a time when students are able to honor and learn about the experiences of Black individuals. Throughout February, Diversity Board (DivBo) and Black Student Union (BSU) organized a plethora of events to celebrate Black History Month (BHM) at Hopkins including Spirit Week, movie nights, an affinity lunch, a showcase, gallery tour, game night, basketball tournament, and a final affinity celebration. 

Nestled into a residential section of New Haven is an ice cream shop called Elena’s on Orange. Elena’s serves three flavors: soft-serve vanilla, oat milk chocolate and a rotating seasonal flavor. Inside the store are bright colors, customers enjoying sweet treats and smiling staff. Elena’s also offers baked goods, hot chocolate and more. Elena’s is owned by Hopkins graduate Elena Grewal ’02, who will speak at assembly on March 28 as part of the Alumni Fellows Program to share her wisdom and perspective. 

As Zal Mody ’25 concludes his career in the Hopkins Aquatics Program as the captain of the Boys Varsity Water Polo and Boys Varsity Swimming teams, he turns his focus to the spring season and captains the Varsity Golf team alongside Krish Garga ’25. 

Affectionately dubbed “the wall” of her team, Layla Kenkare ’25, who co-captains the 2025 team with Josie Lipcan ’25 and Maggie Russell ’25, has been a fundamental part of the Girls Varsity Water Polo team since her freshman year. 

FLIK staff – the dedicated and welcoming unsung heroes of our campus community – work hard every day to fuel students, faculty, and staff alike. Although all Hopkins students benefit from the dining services and cafe on a daily basis, few Hilltoppers know many details about how their food arrives in their hands. From the energetic curly-fry chaos to special cafe items, FLIK staff help define the Hopkins community.

With the growing popularity of mobile apps, more and more Hopkins students have been flocking to their phones to play the new trending app Block Blast. Huddled in assembly, around the lunch table, or even in class, students are hypnotized, trying to beat their friends’ high scores.

With Gen Z and Gen Alpha as the primary users of social media apps like TikTok and Instagram, slang is not what it used to be. It has even taken on a new name: brainrot. 

Movie aficionados and those who simply enjoy movie theater popcorn are all gearing up for the most anticipated night of the year for film: the Oscars. Between the fancy outfits, the interesting glambots, and the controversial nominations, the Oscars never fail to either amaze or disappoint viewers, and this year is no different. With 2024 being such a huge year for new releases such as “Wicked,” “Emilia Perez,” and more, this year’s event is, to many, more excitement-filled than recent years.

“People who haven’t red hair don’t know what trouble is,” Anne Shirley of Green Gables famously lamented. Unable to blend in, impossible to ignore, we Gingers have been victims of persecution, witch-hunts and ridiculous stereotypes since the beginning of time. 

March 8 is such an important day for women in other countries — and I’ve always wondered why it isn’t for Americans. My parents and relatives celebrate International Women’s Day through gifts, and women even get a half-day off work every year in China. As a child of immigrants, I know that there are many aspects of American culture that differ from that of other countries; holidays and traditions celebrated elsewhere may not be a commonplace observance here.

With their energetic and dynamic live performances, Goodnight Blue Moon (GNBM) introduces a unique genre of Americana folk music to the stage—featuring Hopkins’ very own band teacher, Erik Elligers, on guitar and vocals. Based in New England, GNBM features seven musicians who perform around the New Haven area. Goodnight Blue Moon also performed on campus during the Fall Festival, where students and faculty could enjoy their energetic music.

Human-to-human interactions have steadily declined due to the silent period of suffering during the pandemic. The final nail in that coffin of connection? Artificial intelligence (AI) companions, offering a person something to confide in, with a free, instant accessibility that will always beat out your friend who takes 3-5 business days to text back.

On the average day at Hopkins, you might see student-athletes roam the halls wearing glitter pants and cookie
monster hats, before changing into their uniforms to win a game. From “Men in Black” suits to shin guards, each team has its own traditions and uniforms, but they all represent Hopkins, whether diving into the pool in swimsuits or stepping onto the field in lacrosse skirts.

From surprising snubs to memorable speeches, the Grammy Awards have captured the essence of the music

industry since 1959. However, as we approach the 2025 ceremony, the Grammys are now grappling with navigating the changing landscape of music production, consumption, and recognition. With the rise of streaming services, viral trends on platforms like TikTok, and the increasing influence of independent artists, the Grammys face new challenges in staying relevant and inclusive.

Hopkins offers many opportunities for student enrichment, from sports to clubs to community service. Additionally, Hopkins provides specific specialized courses for students with certain passions. Two Hopkins-specific programs are the Hopkins Authentic Research Program in Science (HARPS) and the Young Apprentice Writer’s Program (YAWP).

Every few Wednesdays, the Weissman Room fills with students discussing political issues. Middle Ground, a student-organized conversation platform, tackles a variety of polarized global topics. Similarly, Students United for Racial Equity (SURE) created Community Conversations as a way for the community to engage in discussions about race, identity, and culture. Recent Middle Ground conversations following the presidential election and the Israel-Hamas war have left many students reflecting on what makes for a productive dialogue.

As the new term starts and students begin to lose focus on academics, they turn to one shared goal: finding love. With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, Hilltoppers are taking extra time to reflect on the uncontrollable romantic craze surrounding campus.

For the Term Two Democracy Series, Hopkins is welcoming a number of important speakers to campus. As the first speaker of the term, former Nicaraguan pre-candidate for president in the 2021 general election, Juan Sebastián Chamorro, spoke in Assembly on January 24. He also held small group Q&A sessions in the Lower Library in the morning with students and faculties.

Each year, Hopkins students enrolled in the core Atlantic Communities (AC) history classes are required to write a research paper on a topic of interest. The months-long process entails choosing a topic, conducting research, writing, and workshopping an eight- to twelve-page paper. Given the challenges of this under- taking, members of the Hopkins community offer tips and advice to help students stay ahead of the research paper game.

With students flocking to Instagram the second anything remotely interesting happens, more and more Hopkins-affiliated Instagram pages are being created. Posts on these accounts range from funny candids of their friends to informational posts about Hopkins events. Recently, gossip pages have grown in popularity within the Hopkins community, with one freshman-run account gaining the school’s attention. This raises the question: do Hopkins administrators have the right to restrict students' online activity? If so, what are the limitations of this power?