By LENA KOOK ‘27 and JADE YOO ‘27

Everywhere on campus, the leaves that were once green are now turning into a wide variety of colors and slowly falling to the ground. You can hear the leaves crunching under your feet with every step and see students stopping in the middle of the paths to take pictures of the vivid foliage. Students are buzzing about Rory Gilmore, the Smiths, pumpkin spice lattes, and the excitement of seeing that the season has fully become autumn. New England fall is particularly beautiful amongst other places, and we are blessed with a plethora of beautiful scenery. However, students find themselves asking, “Are we doing enough to fully appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of autumn?”.

Last year in early October, Exeter opened up a fall festival with delicious treats, photobooths, games, and a Yellow bird mascot. It was an amazing time for students to celebrate the autumn season and bond with friends while eating fried dough drizzled with fudge. Students were able to go into bouncy houses and play basketball, and there was even an arcade car game. More than just a mere gathering, it was an event that deepened the appreciation for the beautiful traditions of fall. However, this year, Exeter has lacked many events to embrace this season. The only major student event that occurred was the Neon dance which was disconnected with anything related to fall. The vivid red and orange colors of the trees gifted by mother nature is currently our only display of fall’s charm on campus.

Also, last year at Elm, there were more varieties of fall food- from apple pie to warm fall-themed soups. There was also apple cider offered at Goel to honor the fall spirit. Students were able to not only experience autumn visually, but also through their taste buds as well with the various foods throughout campus that reminded students of the current season.

But, it is in the middle of October, meaning fall is in full swing. It isn’t too late to fully honor the fall spirit. Students have been wishing to bring back Fall Fest, which would be amazing to have, even if it is delayed. We could have similar games, bouncy houses, photo booths, and fall-themed foods and activities. It would also be interesting to have a pumpkin-carving contest amongst dorms, fostering connections and creating fun from fall themed games. Seeing more autumn-themed foods at Elm would be very gratifying as well, from pumpkin pies to apple cider and maybe even a pumpkin spice latte! Students have been complaining that there isn’t much to do on Exeter weekends anymore, so it would be fun and stress-relieving for students to take their minds off of the constant tests, assignments, essays, and more by treating themselves to some chill time where they can appreciate the season with their friends.

In addition, the woods are particularly beautiful right now. The trees are bursting with different colors, and the ground is scattered with crisp leaves. However, Exeter has never done an event involving the woods, and it is such a special space that is very neglected and underappreciated. Spotlighting and showcasing the woods with an event or encouraging students to go would really improve the quality of life of the student body since they can escape the repetitive Exeter scene and immerse themselves in nature.

Fall is already loved by many at Exeter, but with more events and recognition of the season, it can be enjoyed more greatly by our student body. Before we enter the treacherously cold winter term, enjoying the bits of warm weather and sun we can see is needed, so fall should be more recognized and appreciated by Exeter. Through events and fun activities, the autumn experience at Exeter will be very noteworthy.

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