Conversations with my Grandmother
by Zoë Owens ‘22
CW: implications of eating disorders
She didn’t look at me as she said it. It was almost like she wasn’t saying it to me; she was saying it to get it out of her head and off of her heart.
Read MoreOn Explanation
By Parker Piscitello-Fay ‘22
I have two beautiful mothers, an amazing younger sister, a sperm donor father, and at least three half-siblings. I don’t know how to explain how this feels to strangers.
Read MoreMountain Air
By Sage Wentzell-Brehme ‘21
For those who don’t know, Wellesley has an outdoor recreation department that sponsors hiking and rock climbing trips around the region. In a fit of early semester exuberance, I signed up for a hiking trip at the end of October.
Read MoreStretch Marks and Swollen Joints
by Erica Maul ‘21
Content warnings: eating disorders, body dysmorphia
I don’t have a full-length mirror at Wellesley, and this was my first time seeing the stretch marks. I’ve had plenty in my life, and they tell the story of hips sprouting from my pre-teen body several years ago. But I’ve never had them here.
Read More"Gamer Girls": A Concept
by Cheryn Shin ‘20
Those of you who know me know that I play a lot of games, especially League of Legends. For a long time, gaming was—and still is—considered a male-dominated activity.
Read MoreA Dispatch from the House of Mirrors
by Megan McNally ‘20
I know, of course, that the world has changed. But sometimes I am surprised at the ferocity with which it has not.
Read MoreDear Office of Student Housing
by Anonymous
Dear Office of Student Housing,
I want to say you’re trying your best. I want to make excuses for you and tell myself that this is my fault. I want to believe that you care about Wellesley’s student body, our mental health, our well-being, our sleep. I wish I could thank you for making our lives easier, fostering a hospitable living environment for all of us, and making sure we feel cared for by securing a room and a bed for every student.
Read MoreWaldeinsamkeit
by Corinne Muller ‘21
Several years ago, I happened upon a website entitled “The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows.” Compiled in this dictionary are words mostly derived from the Romance languages, German, and Japanese that somehow encapsulate those feelings that always seem impossible to adequately identify, those feelings whose pulse the English vernacular never satisfactorily touches.
My Body
by Mar Barrera ‘20
Content warnings: gender dysphoria, mentions of transphobia
My body feels like a political statement, even though it never asked to be one. Wherever it exists (or doesn’t, according to the Wellesley College administration), it must be prepared to justify and explain its existence.
On Anna Karenina, Loving Literature, and Wellesley
by Samantha English ‘19
I have marked my time at Wellesley in books. When I recall the people, lessons, and love I’ve experienced during my four years here, I always remember a novel I was reading or a paper I was writing alongside them, a character I was falling in love with or an image I was tracking. Jane Eyre undercuts my Wellesley experience, illuminating every image in every book I read until I found my senior thesis topic of birds and women in Victorian literature. Other books are scattered, left behind in past semesters with only memories to speak for them.
Read MoreZippers
by Roz Rea ‘19
Content warning: suicidal ideation
Senior Spring has culminated in one event after another where I am supposed to wear outfits that make me look “nice.”
Senior Soirée required “cocktail attire” with the caveat of “whatever makes you feel comfortable.” But if everyone else is in cocktail attire and you’re not, you sure won’t feel comfortable anymore. I wore a blue lace cocktail dress. It didn’t zip all the way up.
Read MoreWhat are you going to do with that?
by Lydia MacKay ‘19
When I tell people that I’m majoring in History, their first question is often, “Well, what are you going to do with that?” Is there a good answer to this question? Sometimes I list out some “acceptable” responses—law, business, the usual—but other times I’m just sarcastic. As if their skepticism isn’t bad enough, people often feel compelled to offer their advice that I choose a more profitable major. True story: once I talked with this man for all of five minutes, and he recommended that I switch my major to accounting.
Read MoreStar Island
by Ely Willard ’20
Every summer, my family goes to Star Island for a week. It’s a tiny island ten miles off the coast of the New Hampshire-Maine border, in a cluster of eight other islands known as the Isles of Shoals. For the past hundred years, Unitarian Universalists and Congregationalists have hosted week-long conferences there throughout the summer. My family always goes to one of the UU weeks even though none of us go to church that often. But people from all faiths are welcome, and most of the programming has no direct religious connection. It’s kind of like summer camp, but for whole families, not just kids.
Read MoreCognitive Dissonance
by Sofia Rose ’22
You are hit with a brilliant epiphany! You’ve been stupid! When you’re feeling bad, you should reach out for help! Obviously! You are a fully functioning person in control of your fate, so you make an appointment at the Stone Center for Monday.
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