Hopkins School News Archive The Razor

February

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.

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.

January

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.

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."

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.

New Year’s Resolutions and Achievements

The Razor asked Hopkins community members for their New Year’s resolutions for 2026 and their 2025 achievements.

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.

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.