As this new season begins, it is important to recognize that autumn symbolizes both beginnings and endings. During this change of season, students can embrace both comfort and transition. Facing midterms, deadlines, and semester stressors during this time of year can often seem overwhelming. Though those things can frequently take over day-to-day life, this is also a time of celebration and achievement knowing that the halfway mark of the semester is here.

Transition like this is symbolized throughout this season in subtle ways.  The leaves of beautiful vibrant colors falling to the ground can also represent loss and the colder months ahead. One day, Gaels are wearing their summer tops and sandals, but suddenly the temperature drops, and students bring out their fun-fall styled outfits, to adjust to the crisp air.

This seasonal shift can cause a mix of emotions for freshmen looking forward to the new beginning college offers them, while seniors are holding onto their last “firsts”. The stress of scheduling appointments for the spring semester schedules is coming up. There are many different academic elements that come with the season of Autumn. The season can often be associated with the feeling of nostalgia. This time of year is tied to childhood memories of school beginning, holidays with family, and familiar cozy scents and sights. Being on campus, nostalgia might make students reminisce on how far they’ve come as they look back to where they started to where they are now.

I like to consider this season as the in-between. It isn’t the excitement of a new year, or the freedom of summer, but a time of transition and change. It shows that beauty and uncertainty can co-exist. Fall traditions also have a way of bringing people together both on and off campus. Events at Iona coming up like Homecoming Weekend and basketball games are ways for our community to connect and make lasting memories. Off campus things to look forward to could be Halloween and dressing up with friends, while also finding new things to do like going to farmers’ markets or pumpkin patches in New Rochelle. It’s important to remember to start growing new interests and socializing around campus during this time of change! It is fascinating how a season can hold so many different feelings for everybody. At its core, autumn reminds us to step back and notice not only the season itself, but the many moments of growth, change and progress that we often fail to see.