End of Summer

Summer’s over.

I don’t care what the thermostat says; I don’t care that Labor Day Weekend hasn’t passed yet. (I don’t get Labor Day off anyway, so it isn’t much of a holiday for me.) School has started, and summer is over.

Our halcyon days of choosing any parking space we wanted to are over. I’ve transitioned from my summer work wardrobe of cropped cargo pants and polo shirts to blouses and skirts and heels. Incidentally, the transition hasn’t been so smooth – this morning, in an award-winning display of clumsiness, I managed to cut BOTH of my feet and ruin my stockings with the heels of the opposite feet. Don’t ask how, ’cause I couldn’t possibly tell you. The cuts are small, but there is definitely blood and bruising, and these aren’t even fierce heels!

Our freshmen came to campus to register and move in last week. The parents programs department is loosely tied to mine, so I was asked to spend an hour or so answering questions and giving directions in the registration area last week. Normally I’m able to get out of doing it, but this year I felt like I needed to make the effort, and so I did.

This college gives an extraordinary amount of personal attention to its students. It’s one of the qualities that really make us stand out from our peer schools, and one of the reasons I work here. I heard from a lot of parents who had kids at other colleges, and were shocked that we had a hospitality room, and that we had volunteers on practically every corner, and that many of our staff members actually help freshmen move in to their dorms. It’s kind of funny – I had none of these things when I started college, and never missed them. And now, I can’t imagine our campus not providing those services for people. Side note: if anyone can tell me why it’s necessary to attach a U-Haul trailer to your Escalade in order to haul all the stuff you’re moving in to a DORM ROOM to campus, I’d appreciate it. Seriously, what is up with that? Do they know how big dorm rooms are, and that there tends to be another person living there?

I was driving out to get lunch today when I passed a group of what had to be freshman women, although they definitely looked like middle-schoolers to me. They were small, and young, and this has been happening a little more each year that I’m here, but I just can’t believe they’re in college.

I love fall. I know it’s not quite fall, but I just want you to know that I love it. It’s a good time of year, and I love the energy on campus right now, but I’m still weirded out by how young the kids seem this year, and I think I might be getting old.

Side note: Last week I found that the stores are stocking Pumpkin Delights and I totally bought a box. But then I felt kind of guilty about it. Is it too early to be eating Pumpkin Delights?

Man, I totally love those things.

9 Replies to “End of Summer”

  1. hell no it aint too early. if i saw jingles cookies in the store today, i'd buy 'em, and they are for CHRISTMAS.

    holy god this means that there will be pumpkin scones at starbucks soon. MMMM.

    also, if one can accumulate as much shit as i did each year when moving out of the dorms, lord knows you can move that much in as well.

  2. It's too early for pumpkin anything. Pumpkin in October = delicious. Pumpkin in the sweltering 90 degree heat of St. Louis in August = vomitous.

  3. Fall is the best EVER. Love it. LOVE.IT. My bday is in sept so naturally I have to <3 it! Plus burning leaves, crisp, clean smelling air, and sweaters are always fun too.

  4. Yeah as to the gradeschool girls. When I went back to college when I was 30, going to the college bars was actually a little shock as all these girls who looked to be teens were drinking at the bars! Still can't believe some of them are of age-they look so young!

  5. Oh man oh man oh man. Pumpkin Delights you say? I didn't see any the other night when I was at the store, but… oh man oh man oh man. Pumpkin Delights! I'm such a loser.

  6. Despite not being a freshman I live in a freshman dominated dorm. I have noticed that I am taller, older-looking, and wearing twice as much fabric as nearly all of them. You're right, they do look young. It's scary. Mostly because of all the short ass skirts.

  7. We grow pumpkins (often a plant will grow were someone has just tossed a seed; imagine that) and my wife then makes pumpkin pies, bread, waffles/pancakes, you name it. We are completely out of the candy/sugar cycle, as too many people are overweight and pre-diabetic as a result of consumptions of sweets and other simple starches. I'm 20 pounds lighter than 1 year ago, and have been going for 15 mile bike rides in the appalachian foothills on early weekend mornings. I have more energy now than I thought possible. Ok, sermon over…

  8. I am with you on fall. Love it.

    This year's freshman were born in 1986. More than young enough to be my kids. It's absolutely stunning…

    Bring on the falling leaves. Are you guys worried about hurricane Frances, by the way?

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