List of 20 news stories.

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  2016 to 2026: Superstars to Sambas

  Ashley Deng '27 Assistant Features Editor
  Ten years ago, the “right sneakers could carry you through all of middle school,” says Betty Yang ‘30. Now, a pair can feel “old” before the semester even ends. From Adidas Superstars to Jordans to Sambas, each wave of shoes arrives and it can feel like everyone suddenly has a pair. In a decade shaped by microtrends, the lifespan of the “it” sneaker has shrunk dramatically. What once defined years of pictures and school dances now cycles out within months. The rise and fall of the “it” shoe reveals more than changing fashion. It displays more than changing fashion, but the bigger picture of how quickly social influence, especially online, can transform something from optional to essential. 

• Course Choice Consensus

  Elona Spiewak '26 Feature Editor
  With 109 courses available to choose from, it is not easy to find another person who has taken the exact same courses as you. Although there is not complete freedom in course selection due to graduation requirements, there is room to personalize one’s high school experience, especially with Hopkins’s decision to replace AP courses with more in-depth electives. With freedom, however, comes responsibility: How to create the schedule for oneself? In an identified survey sent via school email, where 62 students across 7-12 grades voluntarily responded, their opinions on different subjects showed the importance of self-awareness during the course selection process.
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  EXCLUSIVE: Assembly Speeches Now Powered by MattGPT, Founded in 1660

  Rebecca Li '27 Features Editors
  For 366 years, Hopkins School has prided itself on producing leaders, scholars, and citizens capable of facing the complexities of an ever-changing world. But allegedly, the individual currently tasked with guiding those leaders may not be facing those complexities alone. 

  He’s got a little help from his digital friend. 

• Entrepreneurship: HSIP and Assemblies

  Anya Huang '29 Campus Correspondent
  This year, Hopkins introduced a new entrepreneurship program for Juniors and Seniors- HESIP, standing for Hopkins Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation Program. So far, 36 students have applied for 14 open spots.
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  Hopkins Gallops into the Year of the Horse

  Aurelia Wen '27 Assistant Features Editor
  Parents roll out dough and fold dumplings in Upper Heath while students test their chopstick skills, practice calligraphy, and watch a papercut artist work near the café. The scenes are part of Hopkins’ annual Lunar New Year celebration, a campus tradition that blends food, art, and family customs from across Asia.

• Love Actually: Hopkins Edition

  Rebecca Li '27 Features Editor
  The word love is heavy: ambiguous, and often deemed as a cliché. Romance, in high school, is usually framed as fleeting, intense, and short-lived, meaningful only in hindsight. At Hopkins, where days move fast, and faces blur in the hallways, it can be easy to overlook the private lives unfolding beyond the schedule. And yet, love exists in moments of certainty and hesitation alike — sometimes unnoticed, sometimes unspoken, but always deeply felt. Or, as Hugh Grant's character says in "Love Actually," "If you look for it... You'll find that love, actually, is all around."
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  Not All Bathrooms Are Created Equal

  Abby Rakotomavo '26 Lead Features Editor and Ashley Deng '27 Assistant Features Editor
  If you ask someone at Hopkins where the nearest bathroom is, you are likely to get more than just directions.
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  New Year’s Resolutions and Achievements

  The Razor asked Hopkins community members for their New Year’s resolutions for 2026 and their 2025 achievements.
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  Now I’m Shinin’: Last-Minute Guide to Giving Gifts

  Abby Rakotomavo ’26 Lead Features Editor
  As Term 1 comes to an end and the holiday season is upon us again, some may find themselves scrambling to throw together gifts for their friends and family. Don’t panic! Even if you only have five minutes or five dollars, these last-minute ideas from the Hopkins community can save you from showing up empty-handed.
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  On the Fifth Day of Hopkins: Five Golden Rings 2025

  Ashley Deng ’27 Assistant Features Editor
  It’s that time of the year again, when the halls smell faintly of peppermint mochas, AirPods blast “Last Christmas” by Wham!, and Starbucks cups everywhere are filled with Sugar Cookie Lattes. The snow piles up just enough to cancel class, and people begin to whisper the same question: What are the seniors going to do for Five Golden Rings?

• Senior Holiday Wishlist

  I wish...
• 

  What Faculty and Staff Do Over Break

  Aurelia Wen ’27 Assistant Features Editor
  Thanksgiving and winter break are not only weeks for students to rest but also for teachers and faculty to take some time off from intense schedules and everlasting numbers of  homework and assessments to grade.
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  Democracy in Present Tense: 21st Century Democracy class

  Rebecca Li '27 Features Editor
  At Hopkins, the 21st Century Democracy class stands out for its immediacy. Instead of focusing solely on the past, it brings students directly into American history as it unfolds in the present. 
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  More Than Nice: Students Redefine Kindness in Action

  Ashley Deng '27 Assistant Features Editor
  In recognition of the upcoming World Kindness Day on November 13th, Hopkins students and faculty shared what kindness meant to them and the ways they bring it to life in our community.
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  Welcome, New Hopkins Faculty!

  Matt Glasz
  

  Where did you grow up?

  North Haven, CT

  What is your academic background?

  I attended North Haven High School and Trinity College
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  The Students’ Choice Awards: 2025 Faculty Superlatives

  Ashley Deng ’27 Assistant Features Editor, and Aurelia Wen ’27 Assistant Features Editor
  Who says superlatives are just for seniors? Hopkins faculty members have worked hard this entire school year. They have officially earned their moment to shine, thanks to a round of nominations by our students, and they are way cooler than we thought! Here are the winners of this year’s Faculty Superlatives.
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  Trisha Paytas? Barack Obama? Seniors’ Dream Graduation Speakers

  Abby Rakotomavo ’26 Lead Features Editor
  As seniors prepare to leave Hopkins behind and begin a new chapter, they face one final event: graduation. The ceremony often stirs a mix of emotions, much of which centers on the speakers chosen to lead the senior class into the future. This year, the Class of 2025 shared their dream graduation speakers.
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  Yellow Light: Doris Zelinsky and the Holocaust Memorial

  Rebecca Li ’27 Features Editor
  There was no passport, birth certificate, or diploma — just a single sheet of paper issued by the U.S. consulate in Frankfurt stamped with the words: “In Lieu of Documents.” 
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  From Court to Coasters: Hopkins Spring Break Training in Florida

  Rebecca Li '27 Features Editor
  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.

• One Hill, One President: Q&A With Candidates

  Elona Spiewak '26 Features Editor and Ashley Deng '27 Assistant Features Editor
  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.)