On Sunday, the heat of the summer finally dissipated (hopefully for good). We were misled before with some semblance of fall weather a couple weeks yonder before another long stretch of humid days in the 90s. This weather increased the SLU community’s collective anticipation for one of the four most exciting seasons of the year: fall!
There are many reasons to love fall. Autumn provides a unique set of activities and adventures to enjoy. The sensory experiences of fall in the United States are unparalleled. The colorful sights, the superb smells and delicious tastes are all an integral part of the fall season. All of these reasons make The University News staff incredibly excited to begin the fall festivities.
From jumping in an enormous pile of fallen leaves someone spent hours raking, or enjoying the plethora of sports available in fall time, it is quite easy to see why we’re all so excited. The Cardinals are embarking on yet another glorious playoff run. Could the Cardinals find more magic, or could another rally rodent grace the Cardinal’s run this Red October? Meanwhile, your favorite collegiate or professional football team is hopefully having a more successful season than my St. Louis Rams- maybe next year.
Another thing to do and enjoy in the fall season is visit the regionally famous Eckert’s Farm. Pick some apples and pumpkins outside then go to the general store for cider, hot chocolate, interesting salsas that don’t have anything to do with autumn and other delectable delights!
The bounty of food during the fall season is voluminous enough for several term papers, but a couple paragraphs will have to make do. First there are the products of the plentiful fall harvest, including apples, squash, corn, cranberries and of course the coolest, most versatile variety of squash on the face of this planet: the great pumpkin.
Henry David Thoreau, an all-American writer and lover of the neatness of nature, famously said, “I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.” Other than being a handy chair, the pumpkin also has gobs of other uses: it’s a vital component of breakfast delights such as pumpkin chai lattes and pumpkin muffins, it can be used in soups and breads, their seeds make a great snack, jack-o-lanterns can be made out of them and they are the crucial ingredient to the pumpkin pie.
Jack-o-lanterns and pumpkin pie brings us to the holidays of fall. There’s Halloween, where SLU students, men and women alike, can dress scandalously and party all night. Then there’s Thanksgiving, where we all can give thanks that great-aunt Marge never saw the Facebook pictures from that crazy Halloween. More importantly, Thanksgiving is perhaps the only time before winter break that students can visit home and see their families.
According to the UNews, unlike that ridiculous calendar, fall has already begun. So we encourage every SLU student to enjoy the season by watching sports, picking food, making food and eating food.
Also do Henry a favor and take a seat on a pumpkin.