For most college students, summer is as good as it gets. The warm weather, blue skies and cool waters perfectly describe happiness for many. The lack of school is one of the season’s largest selling points; fun can be found at nearly every turn.

As the leaves begin to darken and coats become a necessity, it can be easy to mourn the loss of summer’s shine. But don’t grieve too long; fall brings a whole host of activities and adventures summer and spring can only dream of.

Caleb Gilbert, a sophomore history and education double major, claims that the zoo is the place to be during the autumn months.

“People should go to the zoo during the fall. It’s a much different experience than you get during other times of the year,” Gilbert said. “People seem to forget that the zoo exists outside of the summer months, making it far from busy. It’s really easy to slowly enjoy all the exhibits, and from what I remember, it seemed like all the animals were still fairly active.”

Creative clothing choices brought in by the colder weather is another favorite part of fall for Gilbert.

“I love being able to dress in layers,” Gilbert said. “As much as I enjoy summer, dressing in shorts and a t-shirt gets pretty stale for me, but the colder weather makes it possible to have fun with how I dress.”

As for Sarah Circelli, a second-year criminal justice and psychology major with a penchant for pumpkin spice, she favors a different seasonal pastime.

“My favorite fall activity is cheering on our fall sports teams,” Circelli said.

Her love for the ‘not yet winter’ season includes more than soccer fields and volleyball courts. Circelli also holds an affinity for the canal path and any pumpkin patch that can be found.

Circelli will be bringing her love for the fall season abroad this quarter.

“I am very excited to be studying abroad in Italy. Sadly, this means I’ll miss cheering on our fall sports teams in person. I will be rooting from online though,” Circelli shared.

According to Racheal Ashcraft, a senior English major, October is unarguably fall’s best month. Autumn’s second month ushers in ‘spooky season,’ a time for terrors and treats, something Ashcraft is all about.

“I have a personal ritual of rewatching my favorite spooky movies like ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ and other more scary movies,” Ashcraft stated. “When I lived in Alabama, I loved going to corn mazes or haunted houses. Speaking of which, my roommate and I just bought tickets to go to a haunted morgue walk-through.”

Whether it is the cold nights or piping hot cider, autumn has a little something for everyone. These months are few and fleeting, so it is always the right time to find something new to love about the fall season. Even though Halloween may be the highlight for Ashcraft, it’s fall’s smallest details that impact her the most.

“Getting to see the leaves change, feeling real cold weather, enjoying a hot drink without sweating, the crunching leaves, and the rainy days. These are some of my favorite fall experiences,” Ashcraft said.