A new season filled with hope approaching the holiday season. It's the time where, for many, the shackles of childhood come off for the first time and you are allowed to start growing into the person you will someday be. There is an abundance of new people to meet and adventures to be had. The sounds of the marching band once again fill the streets and the roar of the stadium echoes across the neighborhood. It is a season of new beginnings and second chances for students that might not have performed as well as they hoped.

Soon the leaves will begin to change and the smell of pumpkin spice will be in the air. By this time the new students will have learned a lot about themselves and the world after high school. Just as the homesickness really kicks in there is a convenient break where we get to retreat home and overindulge in turkey, stuffing, and pie while your family probably argues in the background. For some, this quick break might be all you needed to remember why you were so excited to go off on your own after being trapped in the parent's house again, even if it was just for a few days. Either way, we are reinvigorated to get back and finish the last few weeks strong after a quick mental break and a tummy filled with real food. The air gets colder and the stakes get higher. After we make it through the stress of finals week more holidays are waiting to greet us and fireworks are shot off in celebration.

The past four months have been a hell of a ride and whether you are just finishing your first semester or on the homestretch of your college career, every passing fall has taught us valuable lessons. We are all here to get an education but I have found that I have grown as a person and New Years is the best time to look back and recognize what you've accomplished. To me, it is the best semester because of all the excitement and energy that it holds. Let's go out and have a great fall!