From the changing leaves along the lake to the knit sweaters being pulled out of bins, Oswego is a perfect place to celebrate the oncoming of fall.
1. Go to a game!
Yes, our school has more than Greek parties. If you're coming from a large football school like mine, I'm sure you miss cuddling up on the bleachers with some hot chocolate and blanket while rooting for your favorite team. Bring back the memories this fall and support our Oswego peers ... and maybe they'll celebrate with you after!
For a list of events, go to: this website.
2. Go apple picking.
Oswego is pretty fall oriented, and if you think buying your apples at Walmart is a better choice than Ontario Orchards, you should pack your bags and move back home. The smell of an apple orchard and the doughnuts and cider you can also get out of the experience are enough to get you through the week.
Yum!
3. Run (or walk) a 5k.
Okay, okay. AFTER you sober up, and maybe hit the gym for a few days, a 5k is a great utilization of the weather. There's truly no better time to exercise outside than in the fall. It's not cold enough where the wind hurts your face, but you're not so hot that you question whether dying is a better option than being outside. The fitness center consistently is offering prizes and different activities to get you and your friends into shape before the hibernation. Use this as a way to make exercise fun, because we all know it's totally not!
4. Make a pot of chili.
So I know that it seems unreasonable because we're all living in dorms or houses where our money is spent more towards Franco's pizza at 2 a.m. and a bottle of Nikolai, but trust me, chili is a festive way to make your week better. Picture your mom spicing up a pot of chili as you walk in the door from a long day of school. You sit down at the table with the rest of your family and add cheese, sour cream, and a thick slice of corn bread. Gather your friends and go in on a big pot of chili as a Sunday dinner in the basement of the dorms. You can socialize and have a comfy cozy lunch for the rest of the week!
I even attached an easy chili recipe, so you have no reason not to make it.
5. Attend a fall festival.
From the Behling Farms festivals, to the Oswego Oktober Fest, there are a multitude of diverse ways to incorporate yourself into the Oswego community. Click here for a calendar of festivals and events this October and November.
6. Have a football party!
I never grew up around football-oriented people, so sometimes being around a T.V. where a game is playing makes me feel slightly uneducated. A great way to stay in touch with 75 percent of the people who go to Oswego who love football is to throw a little gathering. Just last Sunday we put together some chicken wing dip, pushed the coffee tables back, and invited all of our friends to hang out! Even though I don't necessarily care to understand the game, I had a great time watching with my friends and learning more about what they like ... I mainly ate the dip, though.
7. Take a fall photo shoot with your friends.
I know, this activity isn't for everyone. I can picture at least five people I know who would roll their eyes if I ever mentioned a "super-duper-fun fall pic sesh"! Grab your roommate(s), head down by the lake, and capture the beauty of it all. Sometime in the future you'll want to reflect back to the warm feelings you would get here in the fall, and show people a fun jumping picture of you and a sunset (not really). The color scheme is ideal, and you have a really adorable profile pic for a few weeks.
8. Get artistic.
From every angle of Oswego you see the beautiful lakeside and changing leaves. Even if you're more of the mechanical type, put your imaginative cap on and see our school in a different light. There are so many ways to express yourself through nature! Write a poem, grab a handful of leaves and make a dorm decoration, or even just post a filtered pic on Instagram! The more you engulf yourself in the weather, the more you'll enjoy it.
9. Make an awesome Halloween costume.
With 2015 comes a world of opportunity for a hilarious and pop-culture friendly Halloween costume. Huffington Post just recently sent out a list of ideas for costumes you should look at. My favorite? The Caitlyn Jenner track star.
