A new season

Autumn is upon us again! While there are many things I love about the summer, autumn is my favorite season. As summer winds down and begins to give way to the fall, I look forward to crisp air, vibrant color spreading over the hills, and the coziness and smell of a nice fire in the evening. I enjoy the building excitement of football season and the sizzling culmination of the baseball season. My favorite part of fall is the timelessness of a warm autumn afternoon. Memories of seemingly identical days from previous years filter through, and it seems that in an hour I can relive many happy times from when I was younger. I think this is because, the drab fall days make the gorgeous ones stand out that much more. Each nice fall day is more easily imprinted on the mind, along with the sensory circumstances of the day. When those sensory circumstances are duplicated, the memories of great days flood in.

What do you like most about the fall? Why?

Work

Often when we say the word "work" we are referring to a job or a career. However, students have quite a bit of work to do. What is work? Given the choice between doing work and goofing around, many choose to avoid work. What is the point of doing work? What is the point of avoiding work?

Goals for the year

As we start a new school year, it can be very helpful to set goals. By choosing to pursue a certain level of accomplishment we can develop the plan we'll need to follow. Once we have a plan, we can check our progress from time to time; this will let us know whether we need to change anything we are doing. If we're setting our goals high, there will probably be some obstacles in the way of achieving them, like the goalie standing in front of the net.

What is one academic goal you would like to achieve this year? What is one obstacle facing you that will make it difficult to accomplish this goal?

(If you can't think of an obstacle, you might have set your sights a little too low; try thinking of a more challenging goal.)

Overcoming challenges

Sometimes simple acts can be the greatest achievements. For years, Michigan's football players have sprinted out of the tunnel and soared to touch the banner. Fans love watching it, and it is an emotionally charged moment full of power and grace. The stampede of fast, strong, agile athletes fills the stadium with awe.

What could be so special about one man slowly walking across the field to reach up and touch the banner?