It’s Week 3, but it’s not quite Red (Taylor’s Version) season yet, and the autumn leaves aren’t quite falling down like “pieces into place.” It feels as though we are on the precipice of the seasons turning from green to gold, or at least that’s how I am feeling about my senior year. Each morning feels just a little bit chillier, and planning for the future looms closer. There are still crowds of new unfamiliar faces in the line at Novack, and it’s hard not to think about people who have recently graduated and moved on and away. They were the ones that once stood in the shoes of the freshmen behind me, and with every week that passes, I am acutely aware that this is my third and final fall in Hanover.
It’s hard to believe that it’s been three years since I was getting Green2Go in a face mask and sitting alone in my dorm room, anxious about making friends during a pandemic. I think back to how the faces who now comfort me were once random figures on a freshman floor Zoom call, or unfamiliar bodies that awkwardly walked around Occum after tentatively messaging on Instagram. Even if we haven’t spoken since, when we see each other around and exchange smiles, they are a testament to the memories of the last three years and the tough times we have endured.
This week at Mirror, our writers explore different facets of what makes this community so special. Two writers document the opportunities for yoga on and off campus, while another reports on how international student mentors support new arrivals. Two other writers explore the excitement surrounding the new intramural pickleball league, while another describes the challenge of hiking all 48 New Hampshire 4,000 footers. Finally, another two writers chronicle the frat ban events in place for freshmen.
Waking up is getting a little more tiring by the day, but there is so much to look forward to. It might only be Week 3, but big sweaters, fuzzy socks and cinnamon rolls are just days away. And here at Mirror, we are eager to leap in head first with you.
