There’s a chill in the air,
The leaves are beginning to turn and campus is starting to look like the next episode of Gilmore Girls. Students are breaking out sweaters, pumpkin spice, and summoning the academic comeback of a lifetime which is only possible in this specific season, fall. Or is it autumn?
Ever get confused why there are two terms for the same season? The sporadic use of these terms can be attributed to a historical issue of independence and linguistics.
Fall as a concept has existed since the beginning of time as the seasons have shifted. But the actual word is a more recent development. The first word to describe this season was the Old English word, harfest, as the season was characterized by the annual harvest.
The term autumn has origins in the Latin word, Autumnus, meaning the passing of the year. In their work about the changing season, poets shortened autumn to fall, writing about “the fall of the leaves.” In Britain, they coined the terms spring and fall from the fall or spring of the leaves to explain the transitional seasons. Only spring stuck in Britain.
The terms were further split on territorial lines when America gained independence from Britain. In an attempt to separate on linguistic lines, America took the term fall for themselves as autumn was already more widespread in Britain. The development of the printing press only pushed the transition from autumn to fall. The price of ink was significantly more expensive for longer words and to save money on ink, so colonists shortened words wherever they could.
Fall is obviously transitional, but is it transactional too? As the trees change colors, people change their clothes and embark on a journey of self reflection and growth. Pumpkin sales soar and almost every girl attempts to become Rory Gilmore, hoping to emulate her by purchasing cable knit sweaters, Ugg boots, scarves, and books. Fall on campus is discussing Halloween costumes over dinner, spending too much money on drinks from Thirsty Mind, and hours on end in the library. Fall is categorized by academia and a glow only possible with a hot mug in hand.
The fall season, in contrast to the winter, is also scientifically more productive. According to Amlotus, “Sunlight helps the brain produce serotonin, a hormone linked to mood regulation and cognitive functioning.” In the winter, the days are shorter, meaning that there is less access to the sunlight, which is responsible for regulating your circadian rhythm. Until November, the sun is out as long as it is in the summer, making fall one of the most productive seasons of the school year, and worthy of romanticizing.
Academia is romanticized throughout this season. Gilmore Girls and Gossip Girl are rewatched year after year. While the leaves around us are changing, we are modeling ourselves after fictional representations of success. This season is the widespread beginning of the school year, another new year of sorts.
For freshmen, this season is marked by a new school year, college, and community to establish ourselves in. As the leaves on the trees across campus change, freshmen are adapting to their lives on campus.