Celebrating the Start of the Fall Semester
JHU’s Homewood campus came to life last month as students from across the country and around the world returned for the fall semester. First- and second-year students living in the residence halls successfully navigated new COVID-19 safety protocols during campus move-in, including mandatory testing and masking indoors. On Sunday, August 29, nearly 1,400 members of the Class of 2025 gathered on the Keyser Quad to take a class photo—a JHU tradition that looks a bit different this year with social distancing protocols in effect. Later that evening, first-year and transfer students participated in Convocation, the annual ceremony that welcomes new students to Johns Hopkins and marks the official start of their academic journey.
The Office of Parent and Family Relations, in particular, was ecstatic to welcome both students and families during Move-In. During Pre-Orientation Move-In on August 16 and 18, welcome tables were set up in Wolman and the AMR residence halls with bags of Hopkins goodies for families. We had over 700 families join the Move-In festivities on August 20, 21, and 22 under the Hackerman Breezeway to hear great tunes, receive goodie bags, take a family photo, write postcards to their students, and learn more about university partners like the Johns Hopkins Credit Union. And at the Blue Jay Family Farewell, families enjoyed ice cream treats and signature goodies from Baltimore before bidding farewell (for now) to their Blue Jays.
We look forward to many more memorable moments this year—starting with Family Weekend next month—and extend our warmest welcome to all new students and their families!
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Blue Jay Q&A with Dina El Mahdy, Class of 2025 Parent
This year’s Move-In was twice as special as we welcomed the Class of 2025 and many members of the Class of 2024 to Homewood for the first time. To commemorate the occasion and ring in the new school year, we talked with Dina El Mahdy, PhD, an Associate Professor of Accounting at Morgan State University and the proud parent of a first-year Blue Jay, about the joys and challenges of preparing a young scholar for college.
Q: What led your child to choose Johns Hopkins, and how did you react?
Johns Hopkins has been in my life since 1998. My son Mohamed’s dad was a biomedical engineering professor at Cairo University in Egypt when we met, and all of his students’ first choice for their graduate degrees was Johns Hopkins. We came to the United States for my PhD in 2005, when Mohamed was three years old; we started at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, then I finished my PhD at Virginia Commonwealth University, and then we ended up living 15 minutes from Hopkins!
Mohamed started to develop an interest in becoming a surgeon, so of course Hopkins was at the top of our list, without any hesitation. He applied early admission to Hopkins, and we were all praying. Plus it pays off only being 15 minutes from home—his twin sister Noureen started at Georgetown at the same time.
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The Importance of Civic Engagement
Johns Hopkins has a commitment to—and is proud to work with—our communities in Baltimore and beyond. There are many opportunities for your Blue Jay to explore their own passions and commitment to civic engagement by connecting to our community partner organizations and participating in the democratic process. Here are some of the programs, initiatives, and other opportunities with which our undergraduate students can engage during their time at Hopkins.
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Center for Social Concern
The Center for Social Concern fosters a lifelong commitment to active citizenship by integrating education, action, and reflection. We believe that education is crucial for ethical community engagement. We believe it's important to take action in the lives of our communities. We believe that participating in reflection and discovery is transformative to your student’s career at Hopkins and beyond.
In order to achieve this mission, we have developed programming that combines education, action, and reflection for a truly transformative experience. We offer a plethora of experiences that will fit your student’s interest, ranging from one-on-one tutoring sessions with Baltimore City Schools students, to cleaning up a community garden, to participating in a yearlong fellowship program, and many more. Through all of these experiences, participating students will gain a better understanding of the neighborhoods, local initiatives, and culture in Baltimore and gain a deeper appreciation of their new home and community. They’ll also create meaningful friendships with fellow students who share similar passions for civic engagement, leadership, and volunteer work.
Hopkins students play an invaluable role in helping local nonprofits, community groups, and government agencies achieve their missions. So, if your student has a few hours available to volunteer each month, or is perhaps looking to dive a bit deeper and learn about a social issue through immersion programming, encourage them to stop by the CSC office (3103 N. Charles St.), log on to our Hopkins Engage platform, and follow the CSC on Instagram or Facebook to learn how to become involved. For more information on the CSC’s programs and offerings, please visit the Center for Social Concern's website.
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Hopkins Votes
Hopkins Votes is JHU’s non-partisan effort to support students' ability to register and cast their ballots in each election cycle. Those who are ineligible to vote in the U.S. are still encouraged to be part of the education around the democratic process by registering their peers on campus. The Hopkins Votes initiative encourages students to explore both national and local politics, as both are imperative for strengthening our democracy and shedding light on the issues we care about most. While we celebrate, educate, and engage in our community, we look forward to hearing your student’s voice join the conversation. They can serve as a Hopkins Votes ambassador, volunteer, or register and pledge to vote!
Encourage your student to get involved with Hopkins Votes! They can reach out to hopkinsvotes@jhu.edu with any questions, and follow Hopkins Votes on Instagram to find out about upcoming events and resources.
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Democracy Day
The first-ever Democracy Day was held on Saturday, August 28, for the Blue Jay community to consider what is democracy and challenge our own ideas on how all Hopkins members can be part of a thriving community. Hosted collaboratively by the SNF Agora Institute, the Center for Social Concern, and the First-Year Orientation teams, the effort aimed to inspire students to reflect more deeply and consider the plan for their academic and co-curricular engagement with Baltimore. With an address by President Daniels, Hahrie Han (director of SNF Agora), and Professor Andy Parrin students launched their day and then moved to breakout lectures hosted by faculty and followed by an address of Councilwoman Odette Ramos. The day concluded with a fair on Wyman Quad to connect our first-year students to student groups, community organizations, and faculty offering engaged learning courses. Democracy Day has launched the effort, for what will be a year of engagement for our Blue Jay community!
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SNF Agora Institute
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Agora Institute integrates research, teaching, and practice to strengthen global democracy by improving and expanding civic engagement and inclusive dialogue and by supporting inquiry that leads to real-world change. In support of this mission, the institute will host webinar sessions and conversations throughout the fall semester. To learn more about upcoming sessions, your Blue Jay can visit the SNF Agora Institute website.
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Helping Your Student Stay Healthy and Well this Fall
There are so many ways for your student to learn about health and well-being, and the fall semester is the perfect time to start! During the ongoing renovation and expansion of the Rec, which will soon fully reopen as the Ralph S. O’Connor Center for Recreation and Well-Being, students can take advantage of group fitness classes, the climbing wall, and limited strength and cardio equipment. Students can register for group fitness classes using the “Follow Me To The Rec” app or via the Rec portal, and they can stay up to date on the latest happenings by following the Rec on Instagram and Facebook.
Cultivating well-being involves more than just working out in a gym, of course. Students can visit the Johns Hopkins Student Well-Being website to explore upcoming events and services and read the latest blog entries on health and well-being issues. On Instagram, students can find Meatless Monday meal ideas, as well as our Hopkins Moves series, which highlights new ways to move their bodies. Following our Instagram account is also a great way for students to learn about new programming from our peer health educators (the Peeps), our second transcendental meditation cohort (information sessions start on September 13) resources for students who choose a sober lifestyle, workshops on healthy relationships, and much more.
The staff in the Center for Health Education and Well-Being and Ralph S. O'Connor Center for Recreation and Well-Being are thrilled to welcome students into our spaces and programs, and we are looking forward to creating new programs that serve their interests, their minds, and their bodies.
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October 10 — Last day to drop courses via self-service
November 12 — Last day for course withdrawal via Case Management System; Last day to change enrollment grading system ("S/U")
November 22–26 — Thanksgiving Break, no classes
December 6 — Last day of classes
December 7–10 — Reading period
December 13–21 — Final examination period
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Family Weekend Update Plans for this year's Family Weekend, scheduled for October 15–17, are continuing to take shape. We can confirm that this year's event will take place in-person, incorporating the guidance and recommendations of the CDC and university officials. While this Family Weekend will certainly "feel" a bit different from previous years, we're excited to still have a few signature events planned, and attendees will of course have ample time to spend with their student and to meet other Blue Jay Families! A tentative schedule is now available on our website, and we will continue to provide updates as the weekend approaches. Please don't hesitate to reach out to us at bluejayfamilies@jhu.edu with any questions in the meantime.
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Virtual Student Involvement Fair A popular start-of-semester tradition, the Student Involvement Fair was held virtually earlier this month on Hopkins Groups. This platform, made possible thanks to support from the Hopkins Parents Fund, allows Blue Jays more autonomy within their organizations and provides them with enhanced communication options such as chat features, meeting scheduling tools, newsletters and upgraded websites, and increased financial transaction and accounting transparency. Student organization leaders added 494 organizations and university departments to the platform this year!
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Retaking Class of 2024 Photo
Families of students in our Class of 2024, a retake of the class photo is scheduled for September 26 at 2 p.m. on Keyser Quad. Please encourage your student to look for additional information via email.
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Introducing the New Hopkins Sports App
Stay connected with Hopkins Sports by downloading the new Hopkins Sports app! Available for Apple and Android devices, the app will show you the latest news, scores, and schedules, as well as keep you up to date on promotions, giveaways, and contests. Go Hop!
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Parent and Family Resource GuideWe have created a comprehensive Parent and Family resource guide that highlights many of the key areas that will support your student—not just for their first year but the entire time they are at Hopkins. Check it out!
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Seeking Family Ambassadors
Blue Jay Families, we need your help! Volunteer on one of several committees to assist and support other families. Please visit the Blue Jay Family Ambassadors webpage for more details and to submit an application.
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Visit the Hub for the latest university news and events.
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