It’s a glorious fall day on campus. The sun is shining, leaves are falling, and it’s unseasonably warm for the beginning of November. I have an Organic Chemistry 2 exam tomorrow, so right now, I need a break from reviewing aldol condensation mechanisms. After a few hours studying in Singer, I want to stretch my limbs, soak up some sun, and forget that Fischer Projections and reductive amination ever existed. Lucky for me, I’ve got the perfect excuse to take a study break — my last intramural soccer game of the season!
Before coming to Swarthmore, soccer was a big part of my life. My high school team won the conference championship for the first time in school history! Even though I’m not on the Swat women’s soccer team, I’m glad that I still have the opportunity to dust off my defensive skills each fall. Coed soccer is the only Swat intramural that I’ve participated in so far. Other options include volleyball, pickleball, basketball and dodgeball. Intramurals offer a great combination of exercise, fun, and camaraderie in a no-pressure, low-commitment activity — the perfect antidote for Swatties who are feeling a little stressed or overworked. If you want a little more commitment and serious competition, but aren’t a member of one of our 20 varsity teams there are also many club sports available including badminton, squash, and fencing (all coed), and men’s and women’s rugby and ultimate frisbee.
I’ve played on the QT-Pies team for two years now. Last year, I didn’t understand the signup process and was just randomly placed on a team. I didn’t know anyone, but my teammates were very welcoming. This year, I have friends on the team from my hall last year and from my time as an Orientation Leader, which is nice. Each season, we’ve had a few people like me, who played soccer in high school, and a few people who are totally new to the sport. Our record this year was 1-2-1, but that’s OK because it’s all about fresh air and fun!
One thing that I think is especially cool is that the Dean of Admissions, Jim Bock, has been our goalie for two years. Playing defense with Dean Bock as the goalie was a little intimidating for me at first, but he’s super nice! And considering that he graduated from Swarthmore over 30 years ago, he’s still got some great skills! The fact that he spends some of his weekend time playing soccer with us is just one more example of how the admin, faculty and staff at Swarthmore are part of our close-knit community — which sometimes manifests itself in unexpected ways.
