The Blade features periodic columns from area college students as part of our Campus Corner feature. Daniel Roman is a student at the University of Toledo.
The summer season traditionally gets one last hurrah on Labor Day before being labeled as finished.
And while Labor Day might be the unofficial last day of summer, Aug. 22 quietly marked a seasonal turning point for University of Toledo students as the fall semester kicked off.
A generally tranquil campus is now busy as giddy freshmen eagerly get used to life in the dorms. Meanwhile, returning students no doubt wish by now that summer could have lasted just one more week.
Campus has morphed into a hive of activity with underclassmen trying to find their classes and students packing into steaming hot classrooms wondering where all the air conditioning went. The dining halls fill up and parking-pass enforcers make their rounds trying to bust violators.
Students looking to make a positive start to academics give the Carlson Library doors more action than ever before. As Rockets football returns, Saturday nights at the Glass Bowl illuminate the gradually chilly nights as the Launch Pad sends its vocal reminder to the visiting team that they're not in Kansas anymore.
It is just an awesome time of year.
With UT's new academic year kicking off, it's also a great time for the surrounding community. The start of the fall semester brings a sizable amount of people to the campus area and the rest of the city of Toledo. These people have to eat and drink somewhere and local businesses couldn't be happier to fulfill their need for good food, drink, and entertainment.
The influx of students also helps area businesses looking to hire a younger workforce or fill minimum-wage positions. It might be difficult to quantify the extent the university's impact has on the city, but it is apparent that Toledo benefits greatly from having the university back in session.
The start of a new semester also means that a flurry of exciting activities and a diverse range of events can be found all over campus. There are the blue-and-gold scavenger hunt, all-Greek BBQ, splash bash, the commuter ice cream social, music fest, tug-o-war contests, slip-n-slides, and Rockets athletics.
Other great events include a trip to Cedar Point fittingly dubbed Rocket to the Point, the Landscape and Reclamation exhibits, the UT Yard Sale, Fast-a-Thon, a concert featuring Michael Boyd with UT students, Humans vs. Zombies tag game, UT Jazz Nights, Film Fridays, and a lot more.
UT will continue to host varying events and activities all year, so be sure to check utoledo.edu to see what piques your interest.
With summer gradually turning into fall the change in seasons brings more than just cooler temperatures. It brings the palpable excitement of a fresh new year at the University of Toledo. This can be felt throughout the campus and the community and it truly is a great time to be a Rocket.
Contact Daniel Roman at droman3@rockets.utoledo.edu.
First Published September 15, 2011, 4:00 a.m.
