2020 vision: New Johns Hopkins students gather for annual class photo

Members of the Class of 2020 gathered on The Beach today for their official class photo.

Though this year's location is new—due to construction on Keyser Quad near Gilman Hall—the Johns Hopkins University tradition is still the same.

Will Kirk, university photographer, stood atop an adjacent building as the incoming undergraduate class formed the letters "JHU" and the last two numbers of the class year. As the new Blue Jays chatted with friends, fanned their faces, and wiped sweat from their brows, Justin Beauchamp, coordinator of orientation and first-year experience, made sure students stood in the correct positions.

Beauchamp and his CORE Team—undergraduates who help plan orientation—worked in tandem with first-year mentors to prepare the students for the picture and lead them through a Blue Jay cheer.

Lucy Delgado, a senior and program development coordinator for the CORE Team, remembered participating in her own Class of 2017 photo.

"I know where I am standing and everything, actually. So I look at it from time to time," she said.

Isabella Castillo and Faith Brown are first-year roommates in Wolman Hall. The duo met on the class Facebook page and elected to be roommates. Brown is a Spanish major and Castillo is bilingual. Castillo plans to study psychology, but both are interested in entering a health sciences field.

The pair arrived early for the class photo and said they felt that standing in the hot sun was well worth experiencing the tradition.

"You're kind of forced to talk to people around you sometimes, or just to enjoy together, or hate the sun together," Castillo said.

"It gets you out of your comfort zone," Brown added. "Suffering together makes you come closer with the strangers next to you."

The class photo is one of a handful of events that wrap up first-year orientation before the first day of the fall semester Thursday.

Next on Castillo and Brown's agenda was the class cookout. Then, they planned to learn CPR, tie-dye shirts, and attend the sorority life open house before dressing up for tonight's dinner and convocation.