As October has begun, the air has started to cool, the leaves are turning brown, and students are relieved that fall has arrived. Off the tails of an incredible heatwave, Covenant College and the greater Chattanooga area is finally entering a new season that is sure to bring cooler times to come.
For Covenant students moving back to campus, the end of summer is a cruel greeting for the semester, and the humidity and heat have definitely been a bit of an adjustment for both freshmen and returners. However, this summer’s end was particularly harsh.
“Coming from Peru, it was hell on earth,” said Armando Flores ’29.
According to data from the National Weather Service, the Monthly Highest Max Temperature for Lookout Mountain held a steady mean of 93 degrees Fahrenheit throughout July and August, even increasing to a mean of 95 in September.
Thankfully, that seemed to have been the turning point, as the temperature hasn’t broken 90 degrees since September 20. It even reached a low of 54 degrees on the 26th.
With the final bit of summer’s vengeance hopefully past, the cool temperatures have gotten many students into high spirits in various ways.
“Well, it’s a shame it happened,” said Daniel Garber ’29 when asked about the fall, “but at least there’s redemption and consummation!”
While some have had the “fall” of humanity on their mind, others have been thinking about the fall that brings the current dry weather and clear skies. Local students are expressing relief while out-of-towners are finally able to readjust to a more welcoming climate.
“I very much like the weather cooling down,” said Lydia Moore ’30. “I am from the Pacific Northwest, so I very much appreciate the cooler weather. It makes me feel like home!”
The leaves are already beginning to change, and even if the bygone heatwave gives the trees more browns than yellows, the scattering of fallen leaves is a welcome sign indeed. Campus itself seems to be bubbling with energy, and the outdoors feel less like a trial to march through on your way to class and more like an opportunity to recharge and fellowship with those around you.
Nellie Spivey ’28 summed up her thoughts, saying that just like the seasons of the year, fall has its own seasons, and as we change and grow together throughout this semester, the fall will be changing alongside us too.
“It’s Over the Garden Wall time, it’s fire in the Great Hall time, it’s sitting around telling stories and drinking tea time. I love those old ways of celebrating fall,” Spivey said, “and I love the way that we continue to celebrate and recognize the changing of the season at Covenant.”