CQ Events
2025-2026 Events
 | On Thursday, September 25th from 3:30 – 6 p.m., please join the Johns Hopkins Planetary Health Institute (JHPI) and JHU’s Common Question for an evening of great food, critical conversation, and networking with faculty, staff, and students interested in creating solutions to the challenges posed by our rapidly changing planet. JHIPH’s mission is to catalyze scholarship and practice of Planetary Health by bringing together a community of faculty, students, and staff united by their commitment to work across disciplines to address the urgency of the Earth crisis and its impacts on humanity.JHU’s Common Question is dedicated to investigating our biggest and most abiding questions in an effort to further scholarship, encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration, and leverage the immense intellectual capacity of our student body and faculty. Seating for this event is limited, so you’re encouraged to register today to reserve your seat.
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 | On Thursday, August 28th from 2 – 4 p.m., JHU’s Writing Center will host its annual fall reception. This event is free and open to the entire campus community, and we hope you’ll join us to learn more about the services and events offered in the Writing Center. The Writing Center is also home to JHU’s Common Question, and we hope you’ll come by for a soft drink, a slice of cake, and to meet and socialize with friends and colleagues. |
Past Events (2024-2025)
 | Writing Center Fall 2024 Opening Reception Thurs., Sept. 5, 2 – 4 p.m.Join us for pizza, cake, and other treats as The Writing Center officially opens for the Fall 2024 term. Learn about the resources available in the Writing Center, meet our Director, Associate Directors, tutors, and staff, and help us kick off the academic year in style. |
 | Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with Dr. Laura Hartmann-Villalta Thurs., Sept. 19, 2 – 4 p.m.How do you answer the Common Question from an Hispanophone perspective? Does the question translate in a way that makes sense? Answer these questions & more during our celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month with the University Writing Program’s Dr. Laura Hartmann-Villalta. |
 | A Lunch & Learn on Connecting with Your Representative Thurs., Oct. 3, 12 – 2 p.m. In partnership with JHU’s Center for Social Concern & Hopkins Votes, join us for a conversation about American Democracy and learn how to effectively communicate your concerns to your local, state, and federal representatives. Join us in learning how to make your voice heard. |
 | Solving Human Problems: A Celebration of STEAM Thurs., Nov. 7, 2 – 4 p.m. Join us for pizza and cake and great conversation about how a broad education in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts & Mathematics) leverages innovation, growth, & technological and social progress. |
 | “Sociolinguistic Research for Social and Linguistic Justice”: A Conversation with Dr. Christine Mallinson. Mon. Nov. 18, 12 – 1p.m.Join us for a discussion of sociolinguistics & linguistic justice with Dr. Chrstine Mallinson, Professor of Language, Literacy, & Culture & Affiliate Professor of Gender & Women’s & Sexuality Studies at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County. |
 | A Celebration of Multilingual Writing Thurs. Nov. 21, 2 – 4 p.m. The Writing Center & JHU’s Common Question invite you to join us for our second annual celebration of multilingual writing. We will explore the ways writers code mesh languages & dialects, demonstrating how writing is entwined with identity. |
 | Honoring the Mind and the Body Thurs. Dec. 5, 2 – 4 p.m.Let’s face it: it’s been a long semester filled with exciting and sometimes exhausting intellectual and academic challenges. Join us in the Writing Center for a relaxed and informal discussion of the mind-body connection and the relationship between physical, mental, and emotional well-being and academic success. |
 | Long Night Against Procrastination Tues. Dec. 10, 8 p.m. – Midnight Join us in the Writing Center for the Long Night Against Procrastination. Come get serious studying done in a collaborative, supportive environment & enjoy study time, pizza, snacks, & engagement with our writing tutors and participate in some necessary de-stressing activities. |
| Writing Center Spring 2025 Opening Reception Fri. Jan. 24, 1 – 3 p.m.Join us in the Writing Center (Gilman 230) for cake, snacks, and fun! Find out how the Writing Center can help you will all your writing projects, and learn more about the Common Question at JHU. |
 | Writing for Resilience: Find the Words We Need to Flourish Thurs. Jan. 30, 2:30 – 4 p.m. Writing can be powerful medicine, helping us make sense of struggles and transform them into flourishing. In this workshop, we’ll dive into the science behind expressive writing, exploring how putting pen to paper can reduce stress, boost mental clarity, and improve your overall health. |
 | Rx: Conversations about Medicine & Writing Fri. Jan. 31, 5 – 6:15 p.m. To practice medicine is to understand that writing is a key tool in the medical toolkit. Whether through the narrative art of diagnosis, or the therapeutic power of expressive writing, writing frames interactions & shapes how patients and providers see themselves and each other. Join us to explore how the written word informs & illuminates the practice of medicine today. Featuring Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan (Georgetown University), Dr. Lenny Grant (Syracuse University); and Dr. Jeremy Greene (JHU). |
 | What is Love? A love letter and poem writing event Thurs., Feb. 13, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. In partnership with Writers’ Warehouse, JHU’s Common Question & the Writing Center invite you to join us for an afternoon of good food, good fun, and an exploration of romantic writing. With live writing prompts and activities, we’ll help you write a letter or poem for your Valentine (or a friend, colleague, or family member). You can write an original work or take a famous love poem with you to give to that someone. |
 | Legacy & Progress: A Black History Month Museum Event Fri. Feb. 21, 2025 Moderated Discussion & Refreshments at 6 p.m. Exhibition & Reception at 7 p.m. Gilman Atrium | JHU Homewood Campus Brought to you by the Black Student Union, the Center for Africana Studies, JHU’s Common Question, the Writing Center, Legacy & Progress: A Black History Month Museum Event featured a panel discussion about the legacy of Black students and student organizations at Johns Hopkins as well as an exhibition of archival materials documenting the rich history of Black life at JHU. |
 | R. Eric Thomas Pre-Book Talk Event Brought to you by the FLI Network, the Writing Center, and JHU’s Common Question, this pre-book talk event will explore the poignant and often laugh-out-loud funny essays of Baltimore native and acclaimed author R. Eric Thomas. Come for the lunch and refreshments, and stay for an in-depth exploration of Thomas’s work and a related, short writing activity. Note: R. Eric Thomas will give a public reading on March 12, 2025 in the Glass Pavilion. You can register for that event by clicking here. |
 | Moving Beyond Disciplinary Silos: A Critical Call for Black Linguistic Justice Tues. Mar. 4th, 2025 Pre-reception at 5 p.m. | Talk at 6 p.m. Glass Pavilion | JHU Homewood Campus Brought to you by the University Writing Program, the Krieger School of Arts & Sciences, the Center for Africana Studies, the Office of Inclusion, Diversity, Anti-Racism, and Equity, the Medicine, Science and Humanities Major, and JHU’s Common Question, Dr. April Baker-Bell visited Johns Hopkins University on Tuesday, March 4th to deliver a talk called “Moving Beyond Disciplinary Silos: A Critical Call for Black Linguistic Justice.” An Associate Professor of Language, Culture, and Justice in English and Education and Educational Studies at the University of Michigan Marsal Family School of Education, Dr. Baker-Bell is the author of Linguistic Justice: Black Language, Literacy, Identity, and Pedagogy. |
 | R. Eric Thomas Reads from His Bestselling essay collection Here for It or, How to Save Your Soul in America Wed., March 12th, 2025 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Glass Pavilion | JHU Homewood CampusThe FLI Network, in partnership with the University Writing Program, the Writing Center, and JHU’s Common Question will host a book talk event with the award-winning essayist, playwright, and Baltimore native, R. Eric Thomas in the Glass Pavilion at Levering Hall.Please join us in welcoming him for an evening of catered refreshments and insightful discussion. Our moderated discussion will examine excerpts from his recent, hilarious, and bestselling essay collection, Here for It. Through a blend of humor, wisdom, and biting wit, Thomas will guide us through the pivotal moments that have shaped his distinct viewpoint and uncover surprising wells of hope along the way.This event is free and open to the public. |
 | Black Maternal Health is No Joke Wed., April 9th, 2025 7:13 p.m. Scott Bates Commons | East RoomJHU’s Common Question is proud to partner with the Mu Psi Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority to present Black Material Health is No Joke, an evening dedicated to educating attendees about the Black maternal health crisis, emphasizing its disproportionate impact on Black women and the systemic inequities that contribute to these disparities. The goal is to foster a meaningful discussion on the factors influencing maternal health outcomes and explore actionable steps toward achieving equitable healthcare solutions.The event will begin with an engaging Kahoot activity, followed by a panel discussion featuring students, Dr. Lisa Wright from JHU’s University Writing Program, and professionals from the public health field. Each panelist will share their research and insights on the topic, concluding with a Q&A session to encourage further dialogue and future engagement.More information can be found here. |
 | Dial Into Democracy: A Phone Banking Workshop Join the Center for Social Concern, Hopkins Votes, the Writing Center, and JHU’s Common Question for a non-partisan workshop exploring the role of phone and text banking in the American electoral system. Former Maryland congressional representative and the Agora Institute’s 2025 Distinguished Practitioner in Residence John Sarbanes will be on hand to provide insights and context, and we’ll be serving up free pizza, cake, and other refreshments! Come for part or all of the event! More information can be found here. |
 | The Long Night Against Procrastination Wed. Apr. 30th, 2025 from 8 p.m. – Midnight For our final event of the year, the Writing Center and JHU’s Common Question present the Long Night Against Procrastination (after all, what’s more human than the urge to procrastinate?) Please Join us on Wed. April 30 from 8 p.m. until midnight in the Writing Center to get serious studying done in a collaborative, supportive environment and enjoy study time, pizza, snacks, engagement with our excellent writing tutors, and participate in some necessary de-stressing activities. Come for all or part of the event, and prepare to get some serious work done just in time for finals week! |
2023-2024 Events
Racism and Repair Conference
Over the past three years, research teams funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and composed of leading experts have been excavating how academic departments in the medical sciences, social sciences, and humanities at Johns Hopkins University both created racist forms of knowledge and expertise and were reshaped by anti-racist and desegregation struggles in the 20th century.
This symposium will mark the first public presentation of the findings of these research teams. It will contextualize segregated knowledge production in the history of Baltimore City and propose forms of reparation while also inviting community feedback.
What is Repair Panelist for First Years
Monday, December 4th @ 4:30-6:30 (60-75 minute program, followed by pizza)
Panelists:
- Tom Brown, Head of the Hubble Mission Office
- Julia Roman-Duval, Hubble Project Scientist
- Shani Mott, Faculty in the Center for Africana Studies
- Sheharyar Imran, PhD candidate, Political Science
- Cleo Bluthenthal, Undergraduate Senior, Public Health Studies
What is Repair at the Space Telescope Science Institute?
Details tba.
Collective Photo Essay
We invite you to look for signs of repair wherever you are now and join the conversation. Submit your photos here.
Democracy Day
August 26th. Read the Hub recap here.
2022-2023 Events
Common Question makes its OrcaTV debut
Winter 2022
Senator Barbara Mikulski and “The Unexpected Route”
CQ + First-Year Seminars: The Right to the City and Words in Public
Wednesday, October 26, Mason Hall
Democracy Day: New Student Orientation
Saturday, August 26, 2022
2021-2022 Events
What is progress in mathematics? – CQ x Mathematics Department
Wednesday, April 20, Mudd 26
“What I would do there is nothing. I’d just sit there. And although I felt a bit guilty about how incongruous it seemed. . .it really did feel necessary, like a survival tactic. ” – Jenny Odell, “how to do nothing”
Wednesday, April 13, on the Breezeway
“The CQ team throws out a question so big that even the faculty can’t answer it with all their research and Google at their disposal, so they have to sit down with students and discuss it.” – Zandy Wong, TEDx Talk about the Common Question
“Show The Way You Grow” – Pop-Up Paper Garden
Friday, February 25 from 12-2pm in front of Brody Café
“There’s no best-practice handbook for the pursuit of unlikely dreams.” – DESSA Pop-Up Listening Party
Thursday, November 11 at 5:00PM in front of Gilman Hall.
Senator Mikulski Documentary Screening and Panel Discussion
Saturday, November 2nd at 7:00PM at the Space Science Telescope Institute.
Hostile Terrain Exhibit
CQ Partnership with the Hostile Terrain 94 Exhibit in the Milton S. Eisenhower Library.
https://hub.jhu.edu/2021/11/15/hostile-terrain-migrant-exhibit/
Common Question National Coming Out Day Celebration
Monday, October 11 from 12:00 – 2:00PM in front of Charles Commons.
“It all Became Space:” Physics and Poetry in Dialogue
Thursday, October 7th from 4:30 – 6:00PM in Mudd Hall.
“What is progress?” – CQCs with First-Year Students and Hopkins Staff
October 3 – 14
“What happens now determines what happens to the rest of the world.” – Black Panther at the Parkway
Thursday, September 30 6:00 – 9:00PM at the SNF Parkway Theatre.
“What is Progress?” Faculty Panel for New Student Orientation
Wednesday, August 25 from 10:00 – 11:00AM
Speakers Include:
Diedre Dawkins – Peabody Dance
Alison Papadakis – Psychological and Brain Sciences
James West – Electrical and Computer Engineering
2020-2021 Events
Dead Stars Salon: A CQ Reading Before the Reading
Thursday, April 1 at 5:15PM prior to Ada Límon reading in the Writing Seminars Reading Series. Register here.
PDF Document: Download invite.
Women in STEM Symposium, Women of Whiting Mentor & Mingle
April 2021
Common Question Conversations led by faculty from the Krieger, Whiting, and Peabody schools
Throughout Fall 2020 & Spring 2021. Upcoming dates: March 18-28.
Science Writing in the Public Sphere: A Discussion with Ross Andersen, Deputy Editor, The Atlantic
Presented by Triple Helix and Common Question
Sunday, February 21 at 6PM EST. Register here.
What is the common good? Hopkins faculty address this year’s Common Question
Presentation by Kelly Barry (Center for Student Success), Anne-Elizabeth Brodsky, (Expository Writing), & Aliza Watters (Expository Writing)
Sunday, January 31 at 7PM EST. Watch here.
Setting the Artist Free: Arts, Humanities, and the Common Good
A conversation between Atesede Makonnen (English) and Andrew Motion (Writing Seminars)
Tuesday, January 19 at 12PM EST. Watch here.
Democracy, Inclusion, and the Path to Empowerment:
a conversation with President Ron Daniels and Dr. Martha S. Jones (History)
Presented by Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commemoration & Hopkins at Home
Wednesday, August 26 at 7PM EDT. Watch here.
The Woman’s Hour: an interview with Elaine Weiss
Presented by Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commemoration & Hopkins at Home
Wednesday, August 19 at 7PM EDT.
New Student Orientation CQ Conversation Faculty Panels
Including professors Jason Eisner (Computer Science), Rigoberto Hernandez (Chemistry), Linda DeLibero (Film & Media Studies), & Daniel Foster (Peabody)
Thursday, August, 13 at 10AM and 8PM EDT
Curiosity, Conversation, and the Intellectual Life of the University
Anne-Elizabeth Brodsky, Expository Writing
JHU Center for Talented Youth webinar speaker series,
Thursday, August 6 at 12PM EDT. Watch here.
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Featured in…
Krieger Arts & Sciences Magazine
“First-Year Students Ask Deep Questions“
Magazine Staff, Fall 2020
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