The Editorial Board shares our fall favorites
Anjini Venugopal, Editor-in-Chief
Growing up, rainy days often meant one of two things — my mom bringing home soup or my dad bringing home samosas. With rainy days in somewhat short supply of late, I’ll accept a cloudy day instead of a storm as a reason to get a bowl of autumn squash soup (I haven’t found my go-to place for samosas in Davis just yet). Fall is my favorite season, and why wouldn’t it be? It’s the season of knit sweaters, corduroy pants, apple cider, pumpkin pie and falling leaves, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t feel gloomy at times. To cheer myself up, my snack of choice — to quote Adam Driver — is good soup.
Margo Rosenbaum, Managing Editor
I’m not much of a coffee drinker, and every fall, instead of sipping pumpkin spice lattes, I go crazy for tea. It’s a little tradition my housemate of four years and I have created together. We love picking out new teas to try together, and surprising one another with a steaming cup while the other is studying. Tea is my perfect study treat — not too much caffeine but just enough to lift my heavy eyes aching for a mid-morning or afternoon nap. If I need a caffeine boost, my go-to is chai with a dash of oat milk and cinnamon sprinkled on top. But one of my favorite times to drink tea is in the evening, when it’s cold and all I want to do is curl up under a knit blanket and watch nature documentaries. At night, I don’t need caffeine, so I drink herbal teas (yes, I’m a fraudulent tea-lover, I know). I love the classics, like peppermint or chamomile with honey, but one of my new favorites is blackberry pomegranate Sleepytime tea — a perfect cup before bed.
Sophie Dewees, Campus News Editor
Fall is easily my favorite season for baking. Among the many delicious recipes that come with the season, such as pumpkin and pecan pie and apple turnovers, pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are by far my favorite thing to make. Since baking them for the first time in my first grade class, I have pulled them out of the recipe book almost every year as soon as the leaves start to change color. Whether I’m making them from scratch (using my first-grade recipe) or using the Trader Joe’s box mix, there’s something about the blend of spices and sweetness that is both homey and a bit nostalgic for me. Paired with a cup of coffee or eaten on their own, they are the perfect treat to celebrate the changing of the seasons.
Maddie Payne, City News Editor
From kindergarten up until sophomore year of college, my favorite fall activity on chilly Saturday mornings was playing soccer: Nothing’s better to a five-year-old goalie than diving in the mud during a rainy day match and celebrating afterwards with a warm Swiss Miss hot chocolate from the snack booth. But now that my weekends aren’t filled with games and tournaments anymore, I’ve found another way to enjoy dreary fall days without compromising my time outdoors — hiking in the rain. While it can be hard to get out the door when it’s drizzling and 50 degrees, once you make it to the trailhead, the same old hikes are completely transformed: The paths are empty with people trying to avoid the bad weather and the foliage takes on a whole new beautiful glow under the gloss of rain. One of the best feelings upon returning home is that warm toasty feeling immediately when you step inside, reminding you that your day was well spent surrounded by nature, even if it meant getting a little muddy.
Eden Winniford, Opinion Editor
Every fall, I love curling up to the Great British Baking Show and drinking hot apple cider (bonus points if I’m sitting by a fireplace). I make most of my Christmas gifts by hand, so I’ll usually sew stuffed animals or work on other presents as I watch. November is also the start of clementine season, so I’ll always have a pile of Cuties on the table next to me. Even though I don’t love chilly weather, fall is a perfect time to relax, do some projects and catch up on cheesy reality TV.
Katie DeBenedetti, Features Editor
I’m not afraid to admit that contrary to popular opinion, the dreary, rainy fall weather is my favorite. Every October I obsessively check my weather app, desperately waiting for the first 60-degree day to show up on my 10-day forecast. So, I welcome pretty much all things fall and cozy. Chunky sweaters, hot coffee, fuzzy socks — what’s not to love? But my absolute favorite activity for a rainy day is cozying up on my bed, lighting some pumpkin spice candles and reading a book. Not a school-assigned, metaphor-rich, annotated book, but some fiction that lets me enter another world entirely. Most recently, my favorite has been “This Is How It Always Is” by Laurie Frankel, but “A Visit from the Goon Squad” by Jennifer Egan or anything by Taylor Jenkins Reid will always be my go-to recommendations.
Allie Bailey, Arts and Culture Editor
I have such mixed feelings about gloomy days — on the one hand, they make for a great excuse to treat yourself to a fall-flavored drink and emulate the main character in a Hallmark movie, but on the other, sometimes no amount of overpriced coffee can make up for a cold, dreary morning. So I can’t say I have a foolproof way to make every gray day a great one, but I do think I’m onto something with the corny Christmas movies: Listen to some jazz, throw on your favorite sweater, beanie or scarf, get a PSL and gaze out the window at the rain while you pretend to do your homework. Dark, dismal days are the perfect opportunity to romanticize your life. There’s a chance this will just make you feel worse (was that graham cracker latte with oat milk really worth seven bucks?), but I did say it wasn’t foolproof.
Omar Navarro, Sports Editor
Because I’m not a fan of the cold weather or the rain, this season sometimes feels endless and honestly pretty dull. But, one of the only bright spots I see in fall is that it is probably the apex of the sports season. There is so much going on in baseball, basketball, football and soccer that it feels like something is happening every day. When school or life gets hectic, I look forward to Sundays where I can decompress and just watch football all day or catch whatever great game is scheduled in basketball and other sports while eating whatever food comes to mind at the moment. It may seem very on brand for me, but having the ability to get away for a couple hours, talk with friends and engage with people on social media is something that I find myself needing more during this time.
Michelle Wong, Science Editor
While the fall weather often has me taking shelter at home, this means my housemates — who share my aversion to the cold — will be huddled in our apartment as well. In the midst of academics and extracurriculars, I find myself surprised at how little time I spend with the very people I live with. The fall crisp brings with it the prospect of hot pot dinners, puzzling sessions, pumpkin painting, movie nights or whatever we happen to brainstorm that day. These moments remind me that college is more than just studying and working and to slow down and make memories with loved ones. Although the dreary rain and piercing winds are an inconvenience, I’m thankful for the opportunity they give to enjoy the company of friends and appreciate the bonds I have created over the years.
Written by: The Editorial Board
