The Field Hockey team now stands 8-6 on the season. The Blue met their match against Tufts University on Oct. 13, losing 7-0. On Oct. 16, they played a well-matched game against MIT, but ended up losing 3-0. They also had to put up a good fight against Babson College on Oct. 19, but unfortunately fell to the Beavers 7-0. Fortunately, the Blue is riding on the high of an exciting win against Mount Holyoke on Oct. 23 winning 2-1, and another 2-0 win against UMass-Dartmouth on Oct. 26 where Keller Gardner ’23 scored both goals for the team. Their last conference game is scheduled for Oct. 30.

Soccer

Wellesley Soccer has an interesting record of 5-4-3 so far for their 2021 season. In an exciting match against MIT on Oct. 13, the Blue ended up losing 3-0. Goalie Kendall Lincoln ’23 had 4 saves in a game against Babson College where the team tied Wellesley 0-0. The Blue took another 1-0 loss against Emerson College on Oct. 23. The team has two more conference games left for the season on Oct. 27 against Wheaton College at 3:00pm and Oct. 30 against Mount Holyoke at 1:00pm that are both at home.

Crew

Blue Crew officially became the fastest DIII program in the nation following the Head of the Charles Regatta on Sunday, Oct. 24. The first varsity boat placed 2nd in the Collegiate Eight race with a time of 17:19.578, and the second varsity boat placed 11th with a time of 18:02.700. The Collegiate Four boats finished 18th and 19th with times of 20:50.833 and 20:52.483. The members of each boat are listed below. The event brought much excitement to the Wellesley Crew Program, and the team is looking forward to competing in their spring season.

Collegiate Eights

First Varsity: C – Isabella Santos ’23; 8 – Anneka Hallstrom ’23; 7 – Katie Ball ’22; 6 – Catie Moeser ’24; 5 – Kaitlyn Severin ’24; 4 – Olivia Gorman ’22; 3 – Anya Hanitchak ’25; 2 – Gaya Krishna ’23; 1 – Kaylee Liu ’24

Second Varsity: C – Colette Kennedy ’25; 8 – Adeline Van Buskirk ’24; 7 – Zipporah Cohen ’23; 6 – Anastasia Brooks ’23; 5 – Cricket Liebermann ’23; 4 – Eleanor Antezana ’23; 3 – Amelia Lee ’23; 2 – Emma Anghel ’23; 1 – Bryn Flanigan ’24

Collegiate Fours

First Varsity: C – Rachel Shrives ’24; 4 – Macy Lipkin ’23; 3 – Claire Johnson ’25; 2 – Autumn Smith ’22; 1- Cora Barrett ’23

Second Varsity: C – Naomi Weisner ’25; 4 – Rosemarie Goldstein ’24; 3 – Melissa Daniels ’25; 2 – Katherine Welsh ’24; 1- Ella Tweedy ’25

Noodle sometimes has a hard time staying up on his paws, but how can we blame him? He’s carrying the entire weight of how people’s day will go on his shoulders. On Bones Days, we treat ourselves. We take risks and indulge. We ask out the cute person we saw at the Laundry Day concert. We eat dessert at lunch and dinner (and maybe even breakfast). And on No Bones Days, we play it safe and take it easy on ourselves. We ask our professors for extensions with no regrets. We spend some time color coding our Google Calendar. 

What’s particularly interesting about Noodle’s tellings, and his platform that has grown to over 2 million users in the past few months, is that there seems to be some truth to his forecasts. Someone posted on TikTok in response to Noodle’s videos saying that they felt empowered to give their two-weeks notice at work on a Bones Day. Another user attributed their broken coffee machine to a No Bones Day. It was no coincidence that the day Wellesley rowed in the Head of the Charles Regatta and became the fastest DIII program in the country it was a Bones Day!

It is common for people to rely on symbols and signs to develop coping mechanisms for the ups and downs they are presented with throughout life. Noodle has become an iconic metaphor for people’s livelihood, but what the phenomenon of this dog really boils down to is our tendency to externalize control over our lives. Sometimes we just can’t handle the idea that we are at the helm; which is understandable. What we have to keep in mind, particularly as midterms start to pick up during the hump of the semester, is that, bones or no bones, we must stay positive and do our best to make the most of every situation.

How does all of this relate to discussions about wellness? Well, the sources we use for developing positivity and motivation ultimately relate to our well-being. Having a Bones Day outlook on life will keep you going even when you’re struggling through that last PSET problem, or undoubtedly reaching with all of your might to achieve the pesky word count that you always seem to barely miss by a hair for that paper that is hanging hauntingly over your head. Not everyday is a Bones Day, but we can always stand up on our feet (or paws) to take on the day and try to be thoughtful, healthy beings.

The Field Hockey team now stands 6-3 on the season with some exceptional games taking place in the early weeks of October. Cass Novello ’24 led the Blue to a 1-0 win over WPI on Oct. 2, and made another goal against Nichols College on Oct. 6. Keller Gardner’s ’23 hat trick helped to secure the team an 8-0 win against the Bisons. Alex Lenart ’24 also had a hat trick during the team’s game against Smith College, where the team won 3-2.

Volleyball

The Volleyball team has had an undefeated October. The team played Mount Holyoke on Oct. 2, winning 3-0. Wheaton College could not match the Blue on Oct. 5, when Wellesley won 3-1. The team’s senior match took place on Oct. 9 against Suffolk University. Nicole Doerges ’22 secured over 20 kills for the seventh consecutive game on her senior day. Fellow seniors, Izzy Sebold ’22, Tiffany Shou ’22 and Lizzy Jessen ’22 also had strong performances, leading the Blue to a 3-1 win over the Rams.

Cross Country

Ari Marks ’22 helped the Blue to a second place slot at the Keene State Cross Country Invitational by finishing first overall with a time of 18:07.0. This is the second race where Marks has secured a first place finish. Maya Bradbury ’22 and Lily Herold ’22 also led the team to success by finishing 5th and 12th at this meet.

Soccer

The Soccer team finished off the month of September with a 5-1 win over Framingham State University on the 30th, with goals from Thea Feldgoise ’23, Marleigh Ausbrooks ’25 and Reva Sankhe ’23 and two from Eliza Roy ’22. The Blue finished 1-1 against Smith College on Oct. 2, lost in overtime 2-1 to Clark University on Oct. 6, and had a 2-2 draw against WPI on Oct. 9.

Golf

Wellesley Golf finished seventh at the Williams Golf Championship on Oct. 2. Emma Lim ’24 and Caroline McVicar ’23 both scored under 80 at the match. The team will travel to New York for the NYU Invitational this coming weekend.

Crew

Blue Crew had an exciting first regatta at the Head of the Housatonic on Oct. 9. The team had two 8+ boats competing that landed 11th and 14th place against a mix of DI and DIII teams. The first boat, rowed by Anneka Hallstrom ’23, Catie Moeser ’24, Gaya Krishna ’23, Kaitlyn Severin ’24, Olivia Gorman ’22, Anya Hanitchak ’25, Eleanor Antezana ’23, Kaylee Liu ’24 and coxswain Bella Santos ’23, finished with a time of 16:10.02. The team will compete in the Head of the Charles Regatta on Oct. 24.

Alex Lenart ’24 surpasses these criteria. Despite having a slow start to her athletic career on the Field Hockey team due to COVID-19 restrictions at Wellesley last fall, Lenart came back swinging during her premier appearance on the field. In a game against Worcester State University on Sept. 14, Lenart had an assist in the first half as well as a goal in the final 10 seconds of the game, which led the Blue to a 2-1 win over the Lancers. Lenart now has five goals and two assists on the season, and she shows promise in continuing to help lead the Blue for the rest of their 2021 competition.

Lenart is from Princeton-Junction, NJ. She graduated from West-Windsor Plainsboro in 2020, where she captained the varsity Field Hockey team, and plans on majoring in economics while on the pre-health track at Wellesley. 

A teammate shared this sentiment when nominating Lenart for this recognition: “Alex is a duo sport athlete in Lacrosse and Field Hockey and is a member of ROTC. She does all of this while being pre-med. She works harder than anyone I have ever met. She also scored the game winner on our home opener!”

The News interviewed Lenart earlier this week.

TWN: What advice do you have for student-athletes as they return to regular competition?

AL: The advice I would give is something my dad always says: play your game. If you’ve been working hard, staying in shape and dedicating yourself to your sport, you’ll be fine. It’s definitely nerve-wracking returning to games, especially since for a lot of us, this is our first time playing collegiately. But if you just stick to how you play, it’ll all work out. 

TWN: Have you faced any adversity as your season has progressed? If so, how were you able to overcome those challenges?

AL: I think the biggest challenge the team has faced is the mental aspect of the game. We’ve been working on trying to be mentally present as soon as the game starts and making sure that we keep the intensity up during practice. Especially as classes have started, it’s even more important that as soon as we step onto the field, we’re in field hockey mode. It’s something we’ve been improving on and can hopefully continue to improve upon. 

TWN: What gets you most excited to play your sport?

AL: I think just having the privilege of being able to play with such amazing, incredibly funny people. I don’t think there’s been a practice yet where I haven’t laughed at something or someone. I’m also a very competitive person, so playing sports has always been a good outlet for that!

TWN: What is something you’ve learned about yourself and/or the world since the start of the pandemic?

AL: I’ve learned that time is truly short and to not waste it worrying about trivial things. Like a lot of people, I think the pandemic gave me time to reflect on myself and my own life, and how I want to be moving forward. It also taught me to appreciate my family so much more and to enjoy every second I get with them.

The Field Hockey team’s first two games were postponed, and the third was canceled due to COVID-19 cases on opposing teams. The Blue currently stands 3-2 on the season, and is hoping the pandemic will not pose any more threats to their play. 

“I’m so excited to have a season this year, especially after our first three games were canceled,” Lenart said. “It’s definitely made me appreciate the ones we do have that much more. I’m so incredibly grateful to be a student-athlete at Wellesley, and it’s definitely one of the best parts of my college experience!”

Keep an eye out for the October Student Athlete of the Month nomination form that will be distributed at the beginning of next month.

Barbara Southcote, Wellesley nutritionist, started at the College as a member of Health Services in 2016 before taking her current position in the Office of Student Wellness. Her philosophy on food and nutrition is simple.

“A balanced and holistic approach to nourishing your body happens when mind and body come together to signal your body has been adequately nourished,” Southcote said. “Eating should be one of the most natural things we do, yet many may struggle when faced with the simple act of nourishing ourselves because of a confluence of factors, both external and internal. Unfortunately for many, the foods and quantities we choose are often dictated by will power and the goal of weight loss.”

These factors resonate all too well with some students on campus, causing folks to try new forms of dieting. Southcote advises that “when it comes to eating, throw away the rule book. The old approach of accepting restrictive and punishing diets as the norm and shaming others into losing weight in the name of ‘health’ not only does not work, but actually makes people less healthy. Weight is not indicative of health and focusing on weight as a health criterion is often harmful.” Those in the Office of Student Wellness are making a point to eliminate the weight stigma on campus, and are celebrating body diversity of the greater community.

Other factors that influence relationships with food are linked to the connections between food production and climate change. Many students have shifted to a vegetarian or vegan diet to protest the mass production of meat and its poor regulation. In 2020, the World Resources Institution determined that 11% of annual greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to animal agriculture. As the College seeks to reach a more carbon neutral campus, Southcote says that it is important to keep in mind that vegetarian diets are sometimes difficult for folks to achieve.

“While I think it is a good idea to be open to trying new foods, for a variety of reasons, texture, taste, temperature, mood, to name a few, eating new foods for some is not always easy,” said Southcote. “Working toward a more sustainable campus is a laudable goal. However, we must be cautious not to shame, judge nor alienate any student who may not eat a lot of plant-based foods.”

An alternative for not only the College, but all people, is to shop and eat carefully when it comes to meat. There are still plenty of local farms that sell sustainably grown animal products, but large Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) that supply most of the world’s meat products are driving small farms out of business. Some issues with plant-based foods are also coming to the forefront of nutrition with companies manufacturing fake meat with a variety of chemicals that attempt to recreate the flavor and even the bleeding of meat products. At that point, eating organic grass fed red meat and free range poultry is probably better for you and the environment

There are a variety of other factors to consider when deciding what makes it onto your dinner plate. Southcote referenced the eight dimensions of wellness that interact with each other: physical, social, emotional, intellectual, environmental, financial, occupational and spiritual. Southcote said, “For example, eating with others impacts our social well-being, sharing meals can also be part of our religious well-being, and so forth. Translation: food is important and certainly plays a role in your overall health and well-being, but it is only one of several components of wellness, and it is impacted both positively and negatively by other aspects of your wellness.”

There are a few other tips that Southcote had to offer about navigating your personal journey with food:

• Self-care over self-control: “Balanced nutrition is eating foods from different food groups, eating a rainbow of colors, eating foods you enjoy, satisfying your hunger and eating foods that provide your body with the energy and nutrients it needs to grow and thrive.”
• Avoid categorizing food: “Just as there are no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ foods there is no right or wrong way to eat. One thing is certain; our relationship with food is complex. Nutrition is a science, but food is personal. Labeling foods as good or bad, or clean or dirty, is dieting by another name and dieting is the most important predictor of developing an eating disorder.”
• Assess your hunger: “What are you hungry for? A meal, a snack, a drink of water, an activity, change of scenery, a hug? We all experience hunger differently on different days. There is no right way to experience hunger. When you are hungry, choose an amount and types of food that will fill you up. Be guided by how your body feels and responds to food rather than what you think you are supposed to eat. On those days when you are super busy or distracted, it may be difficult for your body to accurately communicate hunger signals.”

Students can schedule a one-on-one meeting with Barbara Southcote by reaching out directly at bsouthco@wellesley.edu, or by completing the consultation form found on the Office of Student Wellness website. Please note that Southcote is only available for consultations during the academic year. Southcote can also refer students to off campus resources.

Staff members have had to shift their communication tactics to be more fast-paced given the day-to-day implications that the pandemic has posed on the community. The Keohane Sports Center (KSC) has had to shut down on a few different occasions due to positive case notifications among the athletics bubble. Tim Snyder, director of sports performance and fitness, shared comments on his experience working at the KSC with the News.

“Just like successful teams, we have been able to make necessary adjustments in our communication style to still be able to provide opportunities for students. Whenever there has been a potential issue, we’ve heard quickly from the PERA administration. Then we pass the information and action steps down to everyone in our lines of communication. In regards to COVID-19, it is imperative to be efficient with your communication so the information can be shared in an effort to keep the community safe,” Snyder said.

Coaching staff were tasked with the challenge of tailoring workouts and practices to the COVID-19 guidelines instated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, CDC and NCAA. Snyder and others tapped into their creativity to keep athletes performing at the level they were before the pandemic.

“Some of the main adjustments sports performance made were instead of having sessions in the varsity weight room, we moved most of our equipment into the Fieldhouse and held our sessions outdoors whenever possible,” Snyder said. “We created ‘boxes’ that were appropriately distanced that each student-athlete could be in, and provided detailed instructions on how to clean the equipment after use.”

Snyder noted that Wellesley’s student-athletes were very happy to be back in the team environment, even if it was not quite what they were used to. Not all athletes who have been living off-campus had access to the same gym equipment as those on-campus. Fitness staff posted bodyweight workouts on an app called TeamBuildr so remote students could continue to follow an exercise regiment.

Given the novelty of the pandemic, much of the infrastructure the College put into place to keep students and staff members safe was experimental. The PERA staff recognized this and kept lines of communication open between the athletes and the staff members, asking for feedback on how the pandemic was handled.

“It is obviously a difficult situation for all parties involved and I believe we have done an excellent job from President Johnson and senior leadership to PERA to the students living on-campus,” Snyder added. “PERA posted QR codes around the KSC to try to get as much feedback as possible. We felt as though it is important to hear the voice of the students and make adjustments when needed.”

The Wellesley student-athletes are very thankful for the coaching staff that have worked tirelessly to help them reach their fitness and athletic goals given these trying times. Blue Nation is gearing up to make a big comeback for when it is safe to compete again.

Start With Setting Goals

As Wellesley students, we know all too well that not meeting goals can be extremely disheartening, making it easy for us to refrain from setting goals in the first place. Let’s challenge ourselves this winter and carve out a list of goals that get us to the peak wellness we have been thinking about but never gotten around to working on. During quarantine, I kept a journal with three simple daily entries:  my current mood, my wellness objectives for the day (including a workout plan, meal plan and relaxation plan) and any longer term goals I wanted to achieve. Journaling is not the best method for everyone, and I certainly missed some days if my schedule got too busy, but there is a strategy out there best fit for you. The biggest step is starting a routine. Begin with short term goals and take it day by day. You got this!

The Beauty of a Yoga Mat

If I had gone all of quarantine without a yoga mat, I do not think I would have been able to make the jump back into the school year. Not only can doing stretches on it help to destress and unwind, but it is also a great surface for getting a really good workout. Take advantage of being in a single with a little extra floor space than you might not have had in previous years. No one is watching, so go for those tough workouts that make you sweat more than you would like to admit. When it comes to finding workout routines, Youtube, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest are great resources for finding at-home workouts that really get your heart pumping and your muscles burning. If you do not have access to a yoga mat, try using a towel or the floor itself. There are many workout routines that require no equipment at all.

Fuel Your Body

Though the food we eat is not typically as dependent on the time of year, take this as a friendly reminder to keep in mind what you consume when thinking about your wellness. The selection in our dining halls is not quite the same as last year, but there are still plenty of healthy options to choose from. Do not be afraid to mix and match different dishes in the dining halls. Get creative and make the most of what the dining halls have to offer. If you have access to a local grocery store, then think about some items that you could add to the Wellesley meals. Although the restrictions on kitchen use are limiting, the microwaves can help fix up a meal better than you think!

80 Percent Good, 20 Percent Bad Mindset

Keep in mind that it is unreasonable to be perfect all the time. We are still humans who love to chow down on some buttery popcorn or ice cream while watching movies after a day of lounging around. Incorporate that into your lifestyle as well, just in moderation. Thinking about it in terms of doing 80 percent good or healthy activities and 20 percent bad or unhealthy activities during your day can put into perspective the need for balance in life. Do not get down on yourself after skipping a workout or eating a whole bag of Oreos, and instead try to make up for it by doing a harder exercise or eating an apple for dessert the following day. Any progress is an achievement, and one slip up is not a set back. Good luck with setting and pursuing your wellness goals this winter!

Among these groups are the varsity sports teams. The Wellesley athletics department has derived a plan for student-athletes to continue play, in some capacity, safely and with the community’s well-being in mind.

Wellesley’s Lacrosse team took to the field for the first time since March on Wednesday this week. With only eight students living on campus this fall, and one dedicating her season to the Field Hockey team, the field felt a little roomier than usual. However, this provided the team with plenty of room to have a virus transmission free practice. It was clear that some rust needed to be shaken off after a long break from their sport, but by the end of the hour-long session, the skills the group implemented last semester were reemerging. 

The best part was being reminded of how good it feels to be working hard and having fun with each other, sticks in hand. The team attended an outdoor lifting session with Coach Tim Snyder prior to hitting the field, and though this lift looked much different from what the returning sophomores were used to, the squats still burned just as hard and the hip flexor stretch still felt just as good. It was very apparent that the coaching staff had put in a lot of effort to address every opportunity to prevent viral transmission, and provide the safest environment for athletes to continue with play.

The presence of the upperclassmen is certainly going to be missed this fall. While they might not be on the Blue’s field, they are keeping the team’s future seasons in mind by continuing to exercise and practice stick skills from a distance. 

“In the beginning of the semester, I was living with three other Lacrosse players and one Golf player where we held each other accountable to keep up running and working out,” said Lorna Li ’22, who is studying remotely this semester. “I’m fortunate enough at home to have a decent amount of gym equipment, which has allowed me to keep up with the TeamBuilder exercises Coach Tim has sent us. I’m really sad to be apart from the team and missing out on meeting the First-years, but I am so grateful to have a community I feel so comfortable in.” 

The team is unsure of what the 2021 season will look like in the spring, but as of now, only the juniors and seniors will have the option to be on campus during that time.

Many athletes have taken time during quarantine to reflect on racism in their sports of choice. The Lacrosse team has discussed ways in which they can reflect on the Native American origin of lacrosse, and how they should practice mindfulness and respect towards the historical value the sport holds — a value that is often overlooked by many lacrosse participants at all levels. The Lacrosse team, as well as many other Wellesley College sports teams, are also strategizing ways to not just be performative during the Black Lives Matter movement, but to truly make an institutional difference among the student-athlete sphere and the Wellesley College community as a whole. Student athletes are returning with lots of energy to take to the field, but also to address the issues facing our country and greater community today.