Henry David Thoreau once said, “I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.” This quote is so weird to me that I had to verify it on several different websites but it is indeed attributed to the famed American poet. Honestly, sitting on a pumpkin seems extremely uncomfortable, but then again he also spent two years alone in the woods as a social experiment so maybe it’s not a huge stretch. Putting aside the problems I have with Thoreau’s opinions on appropriate seating choices, the quote does express our culture’s affinity for fall. Some might even venture to say it’s the best season of the year. Sweatshirt weather, pumpkin-spiced everything, a “Halloweentown” movie marathon on Disney Channel — what’s not to love? Here are some of the things that get me most excited about fall. 

1. Seasonal foods

I’ll go on the record that I think that fall is the best season for food. I’ll start with just two words: apple picking. It is a commonly known fact that Honeycrisp apples are the best of their species — the champagne of apples, if you will. There’s nothing better than taking a bite into a huge Honeycrisp apple as you walk to class, breathing in the crisp fall air. Fall is also the season for pumpkin-flavored delicacies, such as pumpkin bread, pumpkin seeds and, of course, the infamous pumpkin-spiced latte. Every year, I wait until the perfect autumn day arrives to get one — not too cold, but just cool enough to be comfortable in a sweater. On this day, I get my only pumpkin spiced latte of the year and it is glorious. Then I remember I don’t really like them, so I don’t get another one until next fall, after I’ve had an entire year to convince myself I do like the taste of sickly sweet coffee. It’s a vicious cycle, but an important tradition.

2. Autumnal colors

Students at Creighton are fortunate to attend a university that has such a beautiful campus during all seasons of the year, but it is especially impressive when the leaves begin to change. The campus is highlighted with stunning shades of red, yellow, purple and orange that make even walking to an 8 a.m. class bearable.

3. Halloween

It’s best day of October. Whether you’re planning to go all-out on a Halloween costume or just planning on dressing up as yourself (lame), the holiday is sure to bring some festive fun into your day. According to CNN, the average consumer will spend moe than $80 on Halloween decorations, costumes, candy and more, so if you’re planning on splurging on that movie quality Chewbacca mask you might want to start saving now. I’m from St. Louis, and when I was little we had to tell jokes when we went trick-or-treating, but it has come to my attention recently that not everyone does that. Which is a shame because it’s fun and it forces kids to think on their feet! Fun fact: people in Ireland and Scotland originally used beets or turnips as lanterns on Halloween.

4.Fall movies

There’s nothing quite like curling up in a blanket on a chilly fall day and watching a movie. Some movies just perfectly capture the spirit of the season, whether it is because they are centered on specific holidays, back-to-school season or because of their autumn-in-New England vibe. I highly recommend “When Harry Met Sally,” “Good Will Hunting,” “Rushmore” and “Election” (which was filmed in Omaha) for a seasonal movie night.