Finding Solace Abby Bellows I used to look at my reflection in windows when I ran by, focusing on my stride — how my legs moved past one another, how my feet landed — but I could never bring myself to look up at the rest of my body, knowing I couldn’t look at my chest without sending myself into a mental spiral. It was already hard enough competing on a women’s varsity athletics team, showering in a women’s locker room, and being included in groups referred to as “ladies” and “women” when I was not a woman and was not comfortable with how my body looked. Existing in athletic spaces means choosing between a women’s space or a men’s space — there is no space for me. I am a non-bi...

Over fall break, I was visiting a friend at Stanford University during their homecoming weekend. I saw droves of students and alumni flooding the campus with their Stanford Tree paraphernalia. This showout, however, didn’t compare to the scene I saw during the University of Michigan’s homecoming weekend, where the streets were lined with students and alumni covered head-to-toe in maize and blue. I saw enthusiasm and fellowship shared by so many people. Although my amazement at the sheer number of people present at each event may have simply been a result of the size difference between those schools and Oberlin — after all, each of those campuses do include graduate schools — I began to wonder, how much of an imp...

Oberlin is an institution composed mostly of students whose political views fall on the left side of the spectrum. Because of this, there are many stereotypes associated with the typical “Obie.” As a member of the Oberlin football team, I can personally say that my peers from other institutions have stereotyped me on multiple occasions. Bigotry is definitely a contributing factor to the stereotypes Oberlin student-athletes face. For instance, I have been called the N-word on the field before — and yes, the person was white. We shared a few choice words afterward and he tried to accuse me of being soft for being offended by his disrespectful word choice. At that moment, I felt that I would have been ...

As a tennis player, I grew up watching the Williams sisters on television. They were — and still are — my heroes. I would sit criss-cross-applesauce on the family room floor, eyes glazed over, head bobbing back and forth to follow the ball, barely understanding what was happening on the screen. Back in those days, Venus and Serena often played one another in the finals of tournaments. I would root for Venus, since she was the big sister, and my little sister would cheer on Serena. While Venus has fallen out of the spotlight in recent years, Serena continues to dominate the sports page. Yet as I age, I’ve seen her reputation dragged through the mud time and time again. Whether it be positive or negat...