Fall, Autumn, Harvest season – or whatever name one may call fall, is not far off from being the center stage season.

The leaves will begin to transform into an array of reds, oranges and yellows.

The wind will once again introduce us to a familiar chill we once recognized many months ago.

We will once again obsess over pumpkin spice flavoring.

The change in season may sadden some.

We are abandoning the long days of beachwear and ice cream cones.

Instead, we replace those days with warm sweaters and apple pies.

Fall is just around the corner and as a freshman university student, I heavily anticipate the transformation both on the hill and around the Hurst.

Just over a month ago, Mercyhurst was once again graced by students, professors and staff.

The air was warm and the excitement of new classes and decorating dorms was the main thought of nearly all students alike.

Now that some time has passed, we are all settled into our new daily agendas, signed up for clubs and maybe even making a new friend or two.

Now that fall is just around the corner, the campus is in full swing and we are almost to the benchmark of the first academic semester.

In all, we’ve settled into our lives here at Mercyhurst.

When most think of fall they may think of hometown traditions such as haunted house festivities, apple picking or even something like Friday night football games.

On the other hand, some– including myself may see autumn as a chance to realign ourselves, a time to revive an organized lifestyle and a chance at a blank academic canvas.

Autumn nonetheless, is a time where we can truly realign ourselves.

With this, we can settle into a new school year or even a new lifestyle.

For many students, this fall marks their first or last year here at Mercyhurst and acts as a chance to start off on the right foot.

Or, they could end things with a bang.

They may be trying things for the first time, or reminiscing as they go about their last fall at Mercyhurst.

Nonetheless, autumn marks an era of change not just in season, but for all kinds of people as well.

While the seasonal shift makes us nostalgic for the dog days of summer, fall helps in making those hopeful for the end of the year.

With talk of pumpkin spice drinks, Halloween, and eventually Thanksgiving and Christmas, we can’t help but notice our social media timelines and social circles get excited for these upcoming traditions.

As children, we anxiously awaited to buy our Halloween costumes, yearn for holiday breaks in our early school days and open presents on Christmas Day.

Now that we are all older, we anticipate the endless nights of relaxing around a blissful bonfire.

We sit around, taking cliché, yet beautiful fall pictures at sunflower fields, pumpkin patches, or other such places.

Some of us will even be waiting in line all night to get into our favorite annual haunted house.

Regardless, autumn and the following months never fail to hype up any man, woman, or child for the end-of-year festivities and holidays.

While the season ahead is the one that is most heavily anticipated, we must appreciate how far we have grown these past months.

We have learned much, we have grown and we have changed.

We are approaching an exciting season that is both new and familiar.

Fall reminds us that we have come so far and we are incredibly close to a new beginning – a new year.

In a short time, we will be propped against our rainy windowpanes feeling nostalgic for sunny days.

We’ll be longing for the days when we would blast music in the car with the windows down with friends – the wind teasing back our hair.

On the other hand, we anticipate the last few months ahead.

We plan to make new memories with our friends, partners and ourselves.

We yearn to become the best version of ourselves we can create before the last crimson leaf falls.