Hopkins School Features The Razor

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.

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.

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.”

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.)

Behind the Scenes with FLIK Dining

Eric Roberts ’25, Lead Features Editor, Elona Spiewak '26, Assistant Features Editor

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.

Booming Breakthrough: The Rise of Block Blast

Arya Mehta ’27 Campus Correspondent

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.

Brainrot for Beginners: Hopkins Students Weigh in on Slang

Abby Rakotomavo ’26, Features Editor

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.

How to Make a Ginger Snap in March: A Step-by-Step Recipe

Aerin O'Brien ’26 Assistant Op/Ed Editor and Winter Szarabajka ’27 Assistant Op/Ed Editor

“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.

A Look Inside Hopkins’ Special Programs

Elona Spiewak ’26 Assistant Features Editor

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).

Can You Feel the Love Tonight? Romance on The Hill

Eric Roberts ’25 Lead Features Editor and Veena Scholand ’26 Assistant Features Editor

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.

Research Paper Writing: Tips, Tricks, and Techniques

Ashley Denh

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.

Beyond the Bow: The Art of Gift Giving

Christina Feng ’28 Campus Correspondent

With the holidays drawing near, the hunt for presents has begun. For many, gift-giving is a big part of winter holidays. Katie Spenner ’25 said, “My favorite part of the holidays is participating in gift exchanges.”

From Screens to Scenes: Hopkins Students on Holiday Traditions

Karolina Jasaitis ’27 Campus Correspondent

Following the three weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas break, many Hopkins students return to the comfort of their homes and spend some much-needed time with family. The holidays: a time of nostalgia, comfort, and rest that Hopkins students covet most dearly. Many families cherish traditions such as watching holiday films every year during the holidays.

Hilltop Hopes: Students’ New Year’s Resolutions

Abby Rakotomavo ’26 Features Editor and Veena Scholand ’26 Assistant Features Editor

With 2025 quickly approaching, students are setting goals to work toward in the new year. While some, like Logan Matthews ’25, view them as an opportunity for “self improvement [and] embracing the finite nature of life,” others are more cynical about making resolutions. According to Henry Weinstein ’26, New Years’ resolutions are “an arbitrary idea that humans created that the turn of the year should be the time to actually get your act together.” On the other hand, Olive Snow ’30 believes, “Every year is another chance to try again.”

Spilling the Tea on Social Media at Hopkins

Veena Scholand ’26 Assistant Features Editor and Abby Rakotomavo ’26 Features Editor

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?