Danielle Paquette

Every Hoosier will tell you.
 
Fall in Bloomington is a beautiful, dizzying collage of red and orange and yellow, cashmere scarves and riding boots, pumpkin carving and pumpkin spice lattes, bonfires in backyards and beer pong on porches.
 
We're finally hitting the books (Farewell, summer!), catching our strides and testing every combination of cream and crimson for the best homecoming get-ups. (Think face paint and pin-striped overalls.)
 
It's the perfect example of right place, right time.

 
Heat wave, in October? That's Indiana for you. Erika and I shed our cardigans to walk around campus and enjoy the 80-degree weather.

We spot a dancer breaking it down outside of the Collins Living-Learning Center. Nutella Fest III, an all-day musical festival where students are encouraged to indulge in jars and jars of the creamy confection, featured musical acts of all styles. (Read more about it here.)

Do I have anything in my teeth? (Capturing Erika Hall '12 covered in Nutella is my duty as her BFF. Here's one for the scrapbook!)

Any given view could be on a postcard. Have we mentioned we love Bloomington?

Leaf fight! Just another spontaneous act of fall love.

Today, we marched in celebration. One year, three months and two days ago, Nicole Aders defeated cancer.

But, like in many great battles, victory wasn’t won without overcoming tragedy.

HCIUer Meghan Janotka '11 warns you: Andrew Butash is fun, perhaps too fun. Guzzle a couple Red Bulls before hitting the B-town party scene with this high-energy senior. He works hard and plays harder.

Full name: Andrew John Butash
Nickname: Booty
Year: Senior
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
Major: Political Science, Telecommunications
IU activities: WIUX Pure Student Radio, host of “The Morning Burrito”; Little 500 rider for “ACHTUNG”
Favorite Bloomington spot: SOMA
Why he loves IU: “There are a lot of different people to meet and every day is an experience!”
Why IU loves him: funny and loyal
What he did this summer: Worked as a waiter at a Georgetown bar – The Tombs
Post-graduation: Plans on moving to Barcelona for a year
Clothing line of choice: J. Crew/Vineyard Vines/Brooks Brothers
Who’d play him in a movie: Matthew Broderick, JFK Jr.
 

Ah, secrets:
 
Hilarious when a giggle-laced whisper is directed into your ear, but paranoia-inflicting when muffled laughter erupts two seats behind you.
 
Often times Americans romanticize the hushed exchanges as gateways to intimacy.  Picture close friends divulging dirty details over tissues and FroYo, new couples revealing personal matters during those long-lasting, late night phone calls, “I won’t tell you!” becoming “Don’t ever tell a soul!”

 
Knowing something special, something juicy, of which the general public hasn’t the slightest suspicion—that’s just fun. Exclusivity tightens the bond, and deeper understanding boosts closeness and comfort.
 
But not all secrets help pull a pair together. In romantic relationships, experts say some things are better left unsaid.
 
“Even though you're part of a twosome, your relationship will thrive if you maintain a private side," Marti Olsen Laney, PsyD, coauthor of The Introvert and Extrovert in Love, toldCosmopolitan in an interview this year. "Plus, some things might hurt your partner, so keeping them quiet prevents needless stress on your bond."
 

Let’s explore the difference between sharing the cute and admitting the catastrophic.