A patient’s positive relationship with his or her doctor can provide support that eases the diagnosis and treatment of an illness. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center recently identified the neural activity underlying the physician-patient relationship.
Backpacking through Europe had long been at the top of my bucket list. Last spring, Wellesley granted me one year abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to check #1 off my list. I highly recommend completing this type of trip at some point, with eager eyes and an appetite for adventure—and without personal, academic or career-related commitments bogging you down.
Friday, March 15 was a joyous occasion. The promised break, whose coming was foretold by the blessed Academic Calendar, had finally arrived, and we rejoiced. We reveled and toasted in Boston over Indian food, and danced the night away at MIT. But then dawned a terrible, monstrous Saturday.
Perhaps you miss the home-cooked meals or exotic cuisine that you enjoyed on spring break? Returning to campus doesn’t mean a two-month sentence of dining hall food. It isn’t too late to check out Restaurant Week Boston, which ends on Sunday, March 31.
The majority of Wellesley College students own Mac laptops. If you stroll through a library during midterm seasons, you’ll see dozens of them—white or silver, MacBook Pros and MacBook airs, many dressed up in colorful cases. But you’ll also see an array of PC computers: Lenovos and Dells, Toshibas, Sonys and many more.
After a thorough review of its own budget, the Student Organization and Appointments Committee (SOFC) applied to itself for funding and was promptly denied. A college government committee responsible for funding student organizations, SOFC spends most of its time taunting various on-campus organizations by giving them only enough money to buy snacks and advertise on campus.
Wellesley students attend MIT ROTC ball as cadets and civilians
The Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Program—a rigorous leadership development and military training program that prepares college students to be commissioned as officers in the U.S. armed forces upon graduation—observes many significant traditions.
What if I told you that you could win a round-the-world trip by sitting on a couch? Jenny Lu ’12 did exactly this when she recently won a chance to travel the world through couchsurfing.org’s “Get Inspired” video contest. Couchsurfing is a travel community that allows people to create accounts and connect with other people around the world.
Shopping for soymilk is always a cost-benefit analysis. The benefit is clear: protein, vitamins and something creamy to pour into your coffee. The cost—I’m still trying to work that out. The most exciting part about living off-campus (and off the meal plan) is cooking my own food.
Discovering swing dance in Boston and around the country
If you don’t understand what a rock step is, or you aren’t sure how to do a walkthrough, chances are, your friend can explain—and someone they know can demonstrate. Few degrees separate you from the growing swing dance network in the United States, and in Boston, there are several venues where you can join it.
Nora Mishanec ’14 recently launched the Wellesley Beekeeping Club, a new organization that will focus on learning about and working with bees. Despite constraints in both time and funding, the group holds high hopes for this semester. “Spring is the best time to start beekeeping,” Mishanec said.
If you’ve been spending every night in the Science Center or Clapp, a change of scenery might be just what you need. There are many different places you can go to study in Boston, but here are a few of the best possibilities. For a beautiful atmosphere and the chance to visit a place with great historical significance, jump on the T to Copley Square and go to the Boston Public Library.
In what is now being called “the biggest missing person scandal since MIT rush week,” Mindy Min ’15 was reported missing Sunday afternoon, only to be found later that day engaging in strange practices alone in the Multifaith Center. The pre-med women and gender studies major has a busy schedule this year.
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Last December, 16 seniors received the Jerome A. Schiff Fellowship, a $2,000 award for interesting and promising thesis projects. The monetary award has allowed many of the students to buy supplies as well as reduce their work commitment in order to spend more time on their theses.
Student organization screens mainstream and indie films each weekend
Every Friday and Saturday night the Wellesley College Film Society screens a pair of movies in Collins Cinema. The films, which are usually grouped thematically or by a common actor or director, can be viewed for free by Wellesley students or for $3 by off-campus guests.
Allison Walker-Elders ’13 finished her coursework at Wellesley last semester and is now completing an internship at Wellesley’s Office of Environmental Health and Safety. She is living in Allston, but returns to campus every day. She can’t decide whether she is more like the ghost of a Wellesley student, haunting campus until graduation, or a Wellesley zombie, somewhere between an undergrad and an alumna.
Pneumonia is the largest cause of death in children around the world. And although bacterial pneumonia can be effectively treated with antibiotics, only 30 percent of children receive care. One way to detect the disease is to use a pulse oximeter, a small device that fits around your fingertip and measures your pulse and blood oxygen level.
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Amy Benzaert excited to combine liberal arts and engineering
This semester, Wellesley welcomed its first-ever engineering professor, Amy Banzaert, as a visiting lecturer. Professor Banzaert previously worked in conjunction with MIT’s D-Lab, where she focused on producing environmentally, economically and hygienically sustainable cooking fuels for developing nations.
While I’d like to claim that I spent my winter break catching up on classic literature, picking up a new foreign language or learning a new instrument, I must admit I was rather preoccupied by a jar of Nutella and the endless wonders of Pinterest. However, my “Pin-crastination” did amount to the discovery of a treasure trove of dorm crafts, one of which I’m happy to show you how to make: the dry-erase paint-chip calendar.
After some speculation, it has been confirmed that not a single Wellesley College student has a crush on a professor. Cameras in the science center and the academic quad confirmed that no student has fallen for a professor at any point in time in those buildings.
As a single-sex institution, Wellesley faces different challenges than other institutions around the country. In other institutions and communities, a gap remains between women and men interested and involved in science, particularly at an early age.
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In 2012, three Wellesley College students were selected as fellows for Teach For China—more than from any other single college, despite Wellesley’s small size. Teach For China (TFC) is an international nonprofit that operates in rural China, where fellows spend two years teaching English to Chinese youths who would probably otherwise never be educated.
If you love learning about different cultures, the best way to do so is to immerse yourself in them. But since traveling around the world this weekend is impractical, the next best thing may be right down the Mass Pike. In Boston, there are many ways not only to learn about different cultures but also to understand their history and development in the context of the city.
Standing proudly atop a grassy hill and commanding the attention of passersby with its imposing gothic architecture, Severance Hall reigns supreme over West Campus. But all is not well inside these brick walls, for Severance harbors an ignoble secret.
The start of the semester brings new classes, office supplies and books. These items can easily cost several hundred dollars, even if purchased from discounted online vendors. Worse, most textbooks are only needed for one class—meaning you’ll only use them for a few months before reselling or renting them to someone else.
A how-to guide for streamlining your life with apps
The majority of Wellesley College students have smartphones. And the majority of Wellesley College students are also exceptionally busy people, constantly swamped by classes, meetings, due dates, study dates and fun dates, readings, midterms and more.
In this final stretch of the semester, everyone is busy, stressed and sleep deprived. But during this time, it’s important to have fun and relax. The cold weather may be just what you need to find some exciting, winter-themed events in the city. One traditionally Bostonian winter activity is ice-skating on the Boston Common Frog Pond.
As of Monday, Dec. 3, when an announcement was posted to the college’s “Community” Google Group, Wellesley students have officially declared war on Christmas. The statement in its entirety simply read, “We have tried to negotiate with Christmas, but it refused.
I ate my first peanut butter and jelly sandwich this past summer. This might seem surprising, since most American children are introduced to that particular delicacy well before the age of 18. However, I had been subconsciously boycotting peanut products since before I can remember.
Since its first tweet in March 2006, Twitter has established itself as an influential and popular news source. It is now an essential tool in journalism and is quickly being integrated into other professions, including the entertainment industry, politics and even health care.
Those who have seen the recent blockbuster “Pitch Perfect” know that a cappella—solo or group singing without instrumental accompaniment—is “aca-awesome.” Wellesley College is home to five very different yet entertaining a cappella groups: the Blue Notes, the Tupelos, the Widows, the MIT/Wellesley Toons and Awaken the Dawn.
The world is ending in 22 days. At least according to the end-date of the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, which dates doomsday to Dec. 21, 2012. Better known as “that Mayan prophecy,” the world-famous phenomenon has spawned blockbusters (“2012”), jokes (“I only had enough room to go up to 2012”), songs, documentaries, hundreds of books and countless websites.
Have you ever frantically rushed to print out your problem set (p-set) just minutes before it was due in class, only to have the printer jam? Did you ever experience an intense wave of panic when you realized that your p-set was actually due this week on Tuesday, and not next week on Tuesday, as you originally thought? Or were you ever left tragically empty-handed once all of the graded p-sets had been returned in class, but yours had mysteriously vanished? If you unenthusiastically answered “yes,” to any of the above circumstances, please use this next sentence to brace yourself for some rather discomforting news.
Every year, 18 to 20 Wellesley juniors are selected to participate in the Wellesley in Washington internship program. The program’s goal is to provide students with an opportunity to explore their diverse interests in a unique setting: Washington, D.
What are the Botanic Gardens like at night? To start, the Botanic Gardens are still there. This may seem like an unnecessary assertion, but it is not without merit; with Wellesley’s iconic street lamps illuminating campus pathways every 10 feet or so, one might guess that the campus is leading an all-out War on Darkness.
Courtney Wilson ’08 came into Wellesley unsure of what her future would look like, and left a member of the army. “I did not have any intention of joining the army—it kind of happened by accident,” said Wilson. She was introduced to the army through two close friends at other schools, and soon realized that it was the best career path for her.
They call themselves the “Leaky Beaker Quintet,” but drummer Alden Griffith notes that they’ve only ever played as a group of four. Griffith, a professor in the Environmental Studies Department, is one of a handful of science faculty members with hidden musical talents.
How solar outbursts caused the end of the last ice age
For years, an ancient script called rongorongo found on Easter Island was deemed impossible to translate. But recent insights into life at the end of the last ice age have shed new light upon the script’s meaning and also the history of human society.
Students all over campus are reportedly recovering from last Wednesday afternoon when, after election results were confirmed, political campaigns everywhere broke up with student campaign interns and volunteers via email. Most emails read, “We’ve done it!” while others simply said, “Thank you for your time.
Boobtube, Wellesley College’s satirical news show, created in Spring 2012, has been making tremendous strides in the past two months. Reaching over a thousand views on YouTube for their first episode of the school year, the show is now even more well-known on campus.
Halloween is an occasion for children to parade about in costume and receive candy because, well, actually I’m not sure. Thanksgiving, however, is an opportunity to cook a turkey and eat as much as possible in memory of a group who moved to America and (thankfully) did not starve to death.
Wellesley students organize write-in campaign for Trump presidency
Students have responded to Donald Trump’s Oct. 24 cry for attention by volunteering to organize a last-minute grassroots write-in campaign for presidency on his behalf. The billionaire recently released a video offering President Barack Obama five million dollars, to be donated to a charity of choice, in exchange for Obama’s transcripts and passport documentation.
As we reach that time of year when the chill of fall and winter is fast approaching, we know that the freedom of shorts and sandals is well behind us. Luckily, the Boston area presents many entertaining indoor activities that are a perfect way to spend those cold days of a Northeastern winter.
When I ponder “Where does my food come from?” I have to admit, the first image that pops into my head is a grocery store. That’s right. Not farms, fields of grain or fruit bearing trees. Not harvesters, processors or packagers. Not fast-food joints, sit-down restaurants or dining halls, but a big-box store where I load my cart.
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When the time is ripe: Ethylene sensors may decrease the quanity of food wasted
Nobody wants to discover that a just-purchased cantaloupe is overripe or that the avocado that seemed perfect on Monday has gone bad by Tuesday. Though there are a plethora of tricks to detect the choicest fruits in the supermarket, these tactics are difficult to employ efficiently on a large scale.
With Halloween here, it’s easy to get in the festive mood—but Oct. 31, also known as All Hallow’s Eve, is not the only time ghosts and spirits abound. There are many places that are haunted every day of the year. Wandering Boston will likely take you through many ghosts’ territories.
You set out on a perilous quest with only your love of freshly made food to guide you. You struggle through the treacherous mile to Whole Foods, and you ache on the mile back with grocery bags splitting and spilling as droplets of rain begin to fall.
Six decades after graduation, Patty Mansfield ’51 remains active in the Wellesley classroom. In preparation for her trip to China in the spring, as an auditor, she joined my section of History 278: Reform and Revolution in China. “I’m anxious to expand my international horizons,” Mansfield said.
Between the much-celebrated Hillarys and Maddys on the list of impressive alumnae, Margaret C. Ferguson is an oft-overlooked dynamo. Both a student and a professor at Wellesley College, Ferguson was an outstanding botanist, highly regarded in her field, and a dynamic leader of the botany department at Wellesley College in the early 20th century.
Accuracy in science journalism is essential to both scientific and lay communities
On Sunday, Oct. 14, Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner shattered multiple world records when he plummeted more than 24 miles from a hot air balloon into Roswell, New Mexico. His 128,100-foot descent and max speed, clocked at 833.9 miles per hour (mph), are only two of his notable new records—both of which have been misrepresented by journalists with a clumsy grasp on scientific facts.
Roughly half a million children in India suffer from blindness. But given the proper care, a quarter million of these children could be treated and learn to see. Dr. Pawan Sinha, a visual neuroscientist at MIT, investigates how the brain learns to see and, in the process, has coupled his numerous research projects with a humanitarian mission.
On a cold Thursday evening, I stood at the end of an outrageously long line, awaiting my free burrito at Boloco, when a man donning a Boloco apron and cap suddenly rushed past carrying a teenage boy on his back. No, this wasn’t some shady kidnapping business.
Before winter arrives, everyone should head into Boston to enjoy the fall weather. However, at this stressful time of the semester, you may wish to head farther into town than Boston—maybe even across the ocean. Since midterms are still underway, making such impromptu trans-Atlantic travel difficult, you can always just head to the Boston Harbor Islands.
While many students traveled home for fall break to catch up with family and friends, others got some rest and relaxation. Yours truly of Chic of the Week found inspiration while perusing Newbury Street and the Natick Collection in search of more goodies for the season—and by turning to other students to ask for fashion advice.
Students build home in library to “focus on studying”
Sources confirmed Tuesday that Anita An ’15 has finished building her house in the Clapp Library. The sophomore, who is pursuing an interdepartmental architecture major, reportedly started her project over fall break, when she hired contractors to build on the third floor of the library.
New technology, Augmented Reality (AR), enhances real-world perceptions
The Terminator’s glowing red eyes allow him to overlay information about everyone and everything around him onto the things he “sees;” Iron Man’s suit does the same. Other movies, such as high-tech spy thrillers, show similar technological feats: in the opening scene of “Mission Impossible 4,” an IMF agent uses facial recognition contact lenses to identify a mark.
Wellesley just can’t seem to get rid of Olga Shurchkov ’01, who loved the College so much that she returned as an assistant professor of economics in 2008. With fond memories of her time as a student on campus, strong connections with professors and a love for a liberal arts education, Shurchkov plans to stay at Wellesley for as long as possible.
On the night of Saturday, Sept. 15, an amazing natural wonder occurred in the Margaret C. Ferguson Greenhouses. Unbeknownst to the majority of campus, the night-blooming cereus—also known as the queen of the night or by its scientific name, Hylocerus undatus—was ready to bloom.
As you meet someone for the first time, you are inundated by information about that person and, for better or for worse, judgments are passed instantaneously. We make split-second decisions on a daily basis, often without even realizing we are making them.
The 586 members of the ruby class of 2016 are, unsurprisingly, exceptionally diverse. Students hail from 39 states and 34 countries, with 43 percent identifying as African American, Asian, Latina, Native American, biracial or multiracial. These students speak dozens of languages, play on every sports team and have joined nearly every organization on campus.
Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Project Runway, stylists, models, accessories. If you have an affinity to any of the aforementioned, then you might just be a fashionista. If this is the case, then dear Wendys, look no further than Boston Fashion Week. Boston Fashion Week began early in September, but there are still some amazing events in the coming weeks.
It’s that time of year again. School is back in session and fashion lovers everywhere are quickly devouring September fashion magazines in search of this season’s newest trends. But what students may not realize is that style inspiration can come from anywhere—just take a look around Wellesley’s campus.
Wellesley College authorities, under considerable pressure from both students and the public, finally opened up on Monday about housing incoming students in Lulu Chow Wang Student Center closets. “The Admissions Office was jacked up on too much caffeine last spring, and we accidentally let too many students in again,” admitted Pauline Pail, manager of the Admissions Office.
Interning abroad: A Wellesley student’s perspective
Over this past summer, I had a unique and transformative experience as a student interning abroad. I spent my summer months at the Irish diplomatic office or “Mission” in Strasbourg, France, working directly under Ambassador Peter Gunning, the Permanent Representative of Ireland to the Council of Europe.
Wellesley and the world are mourning the loss of Nora Ephron ’62, who passed away on June 26, 2012, due to complications caused by acute myeloid leukemia. Ephron was certain she wanted to be a writer, and she fulfilled that role in so many forms.
Anindita Sempere ’00 found her passion in three areas when she graduated from Wellesley College: writing, education and technology. Sempere’s interests had manifested themselves in forms ranging from SAT prep tutoring and teaching at a charter school, to writing poetry in her spare time and keeping up a personal blog, to staying on campus for a robot building winter session class and researching new technology.
Last spring, the Wellesley College community nursed a collective broken heart when WellesleyFML.com, the long-standing online publisher of students’ whining, griping and exultations, disappeared from the World Wide Web. Why it left us, or who—if anyone—is responsible, remains unknown.
Anybody who has ever tried to put together an outfit knows that shoes can make or break a look. Flip flops can ruin the classiest of dresses and clunky tennis shoes can take the style out of any ensemble. But have you ever stopped to consider whether your shoes could actually be embodying something about your personality, and not just your sense of style? Angela Bahns, an assistant professor of Psychology of Wellesley College, has considered this question closely.
Spotting Queen Elizabeth II and Co. at the Diamond Jubilee
I’d never been so cold in June. But standing in damp, windy London weather for five hours waiting for the royal family to pass in either a massive barge or a gilded carriage taught me that a light sweatshirt is not enough to endure the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee weekend.
Renowned political scientist, author and professor Melissa Harris-Perry delivered the commencement address to graduating Wellesley class of 2012 on Friday, May 25. Her speech, by turns humorous, moving, and encouraging, emphasized the dual strengths of independence and interdependence for enabling success in the future.
Nothing brings out a sweet tooth more than finals period. As a collective student body straining under academic stress, we’re all searching for our next big sugar fix. Candy, cookies and ice cream all do the trick—but there is no better sweet treat than a cupcakes.
A trend I see quite often at Wellesley is that of students wearing what is traditionally viewed as menswear, dressed up or down or accessorized to appear more feminine.
I continued my quest for a quality bead store in the Boston area after my favorite hometown bead store closed this past August. Having spent just under half of my $20 budget on 14 beads at my first two stops (Bead + Fiber of the South End and The Pear Tree of Brookline), I had slightly more money to spend at my next two stops: Boston Bead Company of Harvard Square and Sarapaan of Wellesley.
When I first stepped inside Lux Nails and Spa, located on 555 Washington Street, I was surprised to find that it was unlike any other nail salon that I've been to in the Wellesley area.
Why say "That Whoopie Pie was delicious!" rather than "The Whoopie Pie, which consists of a mass of frosting sandwiched between two moderately sized cakes, tasted good"?
If you are a jewelry junkie, there's always going to be that necklace, bracelet or pair of earrings that doesn't exist in the store—only in your imagination. By beading, you can make it.
In honor of New York Fashion Week 2011 (Feb. 10-17) and of finding someone who will commit to writing an article every week, the Wellesley News has decided to start a fashion column.
Over winter break, I witnessed the birth of cookie robots, antigravity serum and shrink-rays when I happened to watch the animated film "Despicable Me."
Traditions like Flower Sunday and Hoop Rolling are constant reminders that Wellesley's heritage remains strong. But not every tradition has been in place since the 1870s, nor has every tradition survived.
On Nov. 21, Professor Beth DeSombre of the environmental studies program celebrated the release of her second CD, "At Home in this Town," at the Multifaith Center, to an audience of family, friends, colleagues and students.
Once upon a time I scoped out the available tables in my dining hall and heaved a huge, disgusted sigh. A table with three chairs and 16 paper-tents of spam? Where would I put my dual glasses of water and chocolate milk?
Claire Ayoub '11 may share many qualities with her fellow seniors: stress, uncertainty about the future and anticipation of what post-college life will be like. But Ayoub has a distinctive passion that sets her apart.
Somewhere, beyond the reflecting ripples of Lake Waban and amidst the acorn-strewn green of the Academic Quad, exists a place known as Electric Ladyland. In this place, music reins supreme and college students become professionals for a moment in time.
When you search for WCTV from the college's official website, it directs you to the home page of the old WCTV, which curiously became extinct in 2006. The page archives two past shows, both aired in 2001. The organization introduces itself as a "student-run television station that puts on six shows a year for the Wellesley College community.
Whenever a new sibling joins the family, they inspire a sense of curiosity. I know I stood over my three little sisters at some point, scratching my head and wondering: Who is this person? What is their purpose in life? Are they going to take my toys?
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