It’s the fourth week of the semester, and things are slowly falling into place. Students are getting used to balancing their school and social lives, living away from home and trekking up Jeff Hill.
The last, of which, most of us are doing while working up a sweat.
While fall doesn’t officially start until later this month, I — and many others — have been finding myself longing for my favorite season in Athens. While warm, sunshine-filled days in Athens are great, not worrying about your uphill hike resulting in pit stains every day is a relief. Plus, there’s only so many warm-weathered outfits you can repeat without growing eager for flannels, fuzzy socks and sweaters.
Different aspects of Athens’ beauty are brought into the spotlight with each season, but fall is arguably Athens at its peak. Ohio University is home to one of the most beautiful college quads in the nation, and the many trees throughout campus begin to burst with color around this time of year. Walking across College Green when there’s a brisk breeze and fallen leaves truly feels like you’re in a movie.
OU’s campus is already charming with its brick roads and white trimmed buildings, but the warm tones of leaves bring the small-town aesthetic to another level. Any campus location looks like it could be on a postcard. Other Athens attractions, like Stroud’s Run and Libby’s Pumpkin Patch, are popular among OU students during this time of year for their beauty and options for fall-centric fun.
Aside from the obvious beauty that’s found within the rolling hills and swaths of trees in Athens, fall rings in numerous traditions for every Bobcat to take part in. Soon, alumni will flood back into Athens for Homecoming, which will take place from Oct. 4 to 9. Events will include the beloved Yell Like Hell Pep Rally and Homecoming Parade.
As a senior, I’m incredibly excited and grateful I’ll have the chance to participate in one last Homecoming — especially since it was canceled last year. Handing out copies of The Post to those lining Court Street during the parade and watching the Marching 110 at the pep rally one last time will undoubtedly be bittersweet, but even having the opportunity to do those things again is priceless.
Athens is also well known for its annual Halloween block party, which was canceled last year due to the pandemic. City officials are still discussing the fate of festivities this year, with a recommendation to make a final decision Oct. 1. The concerns over holding a block party are understandable, but I do hope all current Bobcats will be fortunate enough to experience at least one safe Halloween weekend during their time at OU.
I love Athens and all of its beauty throughout the year, but I’d be lying if I said fall wasn’t my favorite. I’m itching to drink chai lattes from Donkey Coffee and Espresso while taking in all that Athens has to offer during one last fall.
Abby Miller is a senior studying journalism and political science at Ohio University and the editor-in-chief of The Post. Have questions? Email Abby at am166317@ohio.edu or tweet her @abblawrence.
