Wellesley Students Take a Break before Finals to Enjoy the Outdoors

As finals season begins, Wellesley SMiLES and the Wellness Outreach Collaborative (WOC) have teamed up to provide each dorm with its own bin filled with outdoor games and activities, encouraging students to take a break from studying and enjoy the pleasant spring weather.

The idea for these “Take Me Outside” bins came from a brainstorming session during a WOC meeting. The goal, according to Nancy Baden, outreach nurse educator and a member of WOC, is to “encourage students to engage with the outdoors in a fun way” and take advantage of Wellesley’s beautiful campus.

SMiLES heard about the WOC’s idea and offered to partner with them; together, they bought all the necessary supplies. For Lara Trimarco Prebble ’19, a member of Wellesley SMiLES, one of the best parts of the bins is their accessibility, as they offer “a variety of activities, from games that require running around to mats that could be used for studying or picnicking.”

“We are so unbelievably lucky to have the Wellesley campus as our backyard, and unfortunately I don’t think everyone takes advantage of this,” Prebble, an architecture and Italian studies major, said. “There is nothing like getting fresh air, smelling all of the blooming azaleas, and spending time with friends.”

The Wellness Outreach Collaborative is composed of representatives from Health Services, Physical Education, Recreation and Athletics (PERA), Stone Center Counseling Service, Student Involvement, the Office of Religious & Spiritual Life, the Office of Sustainability, and Wellesley Fresh/AVI.

Photo: Wellesley students enjoy the beautiful weather and make use of the outdoor games provided by the Wellness Outreach Collaborative and SMiLES.

With reporting by Christine Roberts ’19.