It’s Not Summer Anymore: How to Fall at Lawrenceville

The air smells of pumpkin spice and everything nice. The leaves crunch under your feet as you step over dying flower beds. A chill is in the air and everyone is suddenly in knitwear! And then it hits you: summer is gone, and autumn is here instead.

 “What should I do?” you ask, as you panic and fret: You’re not ready for cold weather, and your palms are clammy with sweat. But do not fear! Help is near. Five Lawrentians we have asked, for their tips and tricks on this coming task. I promise you, after reading this review, for sure your fall fears will all disappear. 

Tenjiwe Sithole ’25, a fashionista from the Carter House, started off by describing her go-to fall outfit. She explained that she’s a “huge fan of knitwear and dark-washed flare jeans,” adding that with a pair of Converse shoes, she would be “ready for anything.” 

Churan Xu ’25 added that in regards to sweaters, some colors can never go wrong, as long as your clothing “makes you feel like you’re the embodiment of a pumpkin spice latte.” 

After hearing the phrase “pumpkin spice latte,” Sithole suddenly started on a tangent on her hatred for this classic autumn drink. “Pumpkin spice lattes are like chai but worse,” she said, “especially since they’re orange.” She continued to give a thorough commentary on fall festivities, describing events such as pumpkin carving to be a “waste of [her] time” and how “Halloween is overrated. We don’t even get a day off!” Sithole exclaimed, that Halloween is a holiday where “you still have to go to school” but also “dress up and [put on] make up.” However, Sithole still plans to dress up and is currently deciding between being Buzz Lightyear or Director of Dance Derrick Wilder.

After Sithole’s rant, Xu talked about her favorite fall activities. “Go to Princeton,” was her favorite, as she described how there’s often music-related events in downtown Princeton’s Palmer Square and suggests using it as an opportunity to “chill for a fall afternoon.” 

Anabel Guerreiro ’24 is a boarder from Connecticut who has survived two New Jersey autumns. Unlike other Lawrentians, whose general consensus seems to be antipathy or indifference towards the season, Gureirro loves fall, saying, “I love the leaves, I love that it’s getting colder but bearably so,” continuing to say that “existing in the fall is a festivity” on its own. She has taken hundreds of photos of the fall leaves, and her current iPhone wallpaper is, in fact, a picture of the “tree close to the statue in front of Tsai [Field House].” Guerreiro then described her idea of a perfect fall afternoon consisting of her “[enjoying] the weather” and taking a walk listening to music. 

Guerreiro suggests evermore by Taylor Swift to be a “top-tier” album to listen to in the fall. She also recommends Mitski songs and Hozier’s debut album Hozier as parts of the perfect autumn playlist.  

Gael Benavides ’26 and Marco Pellegrini ’26 are both strong supporters of Halloween. Pellegrini described the importance of dressing up, stating the “Halloween spirit” to be an important part of the season. He plans on dressing up as a Founding Father, or more specifically, George Washington this year. 

Benavides, also a strong believer in the Halloween spirit, described it as being “the best holiday out of all [other holidays]” because he gets to dress up and “get a lot of candy.” For his costume this year, Benavides plans to dress up specifically as Joaquin Phoenix’s rendition of the Joker. 

Pellegrini and Benavides then explained their favorite activity is to play soccer, and fall is the “best season to play [in].” 

After Benavides gave his thoughts on Thanksgiving being a “low-key kinda mid” holiday, he ended this interview by once again stating there was “no doubt” that Halloween is the “number one holiday.”