Behind the Boards

Hopkins may sometimes lack senior presence at assembly or working Spikeball nets on the quad, but there is certainly no shortage of clubs. Hopkins clubs encompass a variety of organizations, from identity groups to special interest groups. Another category is student boards: Maroon Key Board, Diversity Board, and Sustainability Board. The difference between boards and clubs, Hughes Fitzgerald, High School Student Activities Coordinator, explains, is that “boards…are more structured than most clubs because of their scale and significance.”

Maroon Key’s mission, according to their club statement, is to “help Hopkins students engage with the community by providing learning and volunteering opportunities.” Vice President Shriya Vaid ’26 says that the group promotes “serving and connecting with the greater New Haven community.” This year, Maroon Key is “focusing on a holistic approach to volunteering, [which] includes becoming educated about and sensitive to the people [they] aim to help,” says board member Tessa Vandenpol ’27. Another organization at Hopkins is the Sustainability Board, also known as SusBo. Co-Head Jacob Richards ’27 says their mission is to “educate the Hopkins community and improve sustainable practices on campus through events and activism.” Faculty advisor Brad Ridky adds that the Board is “devoted to helping our campus and our community be as conscientious and caring stewards of the environment as possible.” The final student board is the Diversity Board (DivBo). Aiming to “provide a welcoming space for all students to connect over matters relating to equity and justice in the Hopkins community and beyond,” DivBo offers ”students the chance to celebrate their own identities while also advocating for the inclusion of underrepresented groups,” says Co-Head Riya Rao ‘26.

While each board has its own mission, they all implement strong structures that help them turn ideas into action. Maroon Key has a traditional structure, including a president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer, and two “social czars” whose responsibilities are to “plan activities to build community within the board,” says Vaid. The Board meets every other week from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. SusBo is made up of six subcommittees (natural environment, energy, waste, climate action, communications, and community engagement), and “each subcommittee plans around one large project each season with smaller events spread throughout the year,” Richards continues. DivBo is split into four subcommittees (Curriculum & Pedagogy, Cultural Awareness, Community & Belonging, and Outreach & Events), and each subcommittee leads its own projects and initiatives throughout the year.

At Maroon Key meetings, members focus on planning events, including a clothing drive, toy drive, Holiday Fair, Special Olympics Dance, and Impactathon (a week dedicated to service). The board also dedicates time to learning about ethical volunteering and toxic charity. According to Richards, SusBo’s events include “bake sales, nature walks, [and] moderated group discussions.” Some other initiatives, Ridky says, are “pushing for clear and consistent trash and recycling stations across campus,…identifying invasive plants in our midst,…documenting the wildlife that visits,...beach cleanups on the Sound, [and] advocating for geothermal heating and cooling at Hopkins.” SusBo’s biggest event of the year is Earth Week, where there are activities almost every block of every day. Co-Head Molly Powers ‘26 says the project is an “extravaganza!” Meetings for DivBo are open to the entire community and take place on Gray Tuesdays from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Co-Head Alan Xu ‘26 emphasizes the “free pizza!” The Diversity Board also collaborates with identity and affinity clubs to plan events throughout the year, including Pride Prom and Lunar New Year. Fitzgerald notes how the board has many roles and functions, but that the overall goal is to create “a culture where students are not only included, but where they can thrive as their full, unencumbered and unapologetic selves.”

Thanks to the hard work and planning of the board members and faculty advisors, there are numerous opportunities for students to get involved and learn more about various issues. The Hopkins community can stay connected by reading the boards’ emails, checking their Google Classrooms, staying up to date with @HOP, or going through The Summit.