Everybody has their favorite part of the leaves changing colors during the fall, whether it be looking up to a sea of yellow, orange and red or dancing around with the crunch of the leaves under one’s feet. Athens, with its endless wildlife and nature scenes, is the perfect place to admire autumn and all the beautiful things it has to offer.
Jillian Pride, a freshman studying pre-nursing, said her favorite part of the changing season was thinking about all of the festivities that are just around the corner.
“I really am loving the temperature and how it looks outside,” she said. “It just feels more cozy because there’s so many holidays coming up. It makes me happy that there’s stuff to look forward to.”
Pride said her favorite spot on campus this fall has been the gazebo in Emeriti Park, the pond area fairly close to Baker Center.
She said her favorite memory from this fall has been admiring all of the wildlife around campus.
“Seeing all the deer eating the pumpkins that they have laid out,” she said. “That's really cute.”
Claire Sundermann, a freshman studying pre-nursing, said her favorite memory from this fall has been homecoming due to the perfect temperature for the festivities.
Sundermann said the best part of nature this fall has been the colors of the leaves reflecting with the sunshine. This was especially apparent on College Green which she said looked especially beautiful this time of year.
She said waking up in the morning to such beautiful scenery has been a real motivator when walking to class.
“(What) makes me happy is walking outside with the sun in the morning, just seeing the sunrise in the fall with all the pretty leaves and stuff,” she said. “It's really pretty.”
Emily Browne, a sophomore studying nursing, said fall and the changing scenery held a very special place in her heart.
“I just think it’s my favorite time of year, like driving by Athens and seeing all the colors,” she said.
Browne said seeing all of the squirrels jumping around the trees is something she really enjoys about fall and that she especially loves the alumni gateway walking onto campus because of how the leaves cover the grass completely making it look especially beautiful.
She described some of the different scents that were especially prevalent during the wall and how comforting they were.
“It makes me feel relaxed because I feel like fall is coming,” she said. “And I feel like it kind of smells like the leaves, and it (reminds me of) pumpkin spice, coffee. It just makes me feel warm and cozy.”
Trey Beachy, a pastor working in Muncie, Indiana but visiting Athens, said his favorite part of changing seasons was the reintroduction of traditions done in years past. He said getting into a different type of way of living was something he was very excited about.
Beachy said he went fishing recently and the changing colors in the water were especially pleasant to look at.
He said his favorite area around Athens has been walking along the Hocking River north of campus.
“Walking along that river has been really nice and really peaceful as I’ve run or as I’ve walked there just thinking,” he said.
Beachy said he was excited for the cold weather to bring him closer to relationships.
“(I like) the transition from being outside and away from people a lot in the summer to being inside more cozy and next to people,” he said.
