Vibrant Autumn colored leaves from a garland hang above a window in the University Housing. Photo by Catalina Garcia
By Catalina Garcia, Staff Writer
The leaves are changing and the weather is getting crisp and cool. The flannels, cardigans, and cable-knit sweaters are making their way to the front of the wardrobe. The long-awaited season is approaching.
As the Fall arrives, there is the need to embrace fall-related themes, whether it is movies, decorations, scents, flavors, or activities.
With the outdoors being crisp and the trees changing, you find yourself wanting to stay inside to keep warm and stay comfortable. So why not bring the aesthetic of the outside into your home or dorm room in a comfy and cozy manner?
For decorations, some autumn-colored garland is a great place to start. They are nice and take up a decent amount of space and are appealing to the eye. If you have a staircase banister you can weave these along the banister. If you do not have one you can pin these with thumbtacks in entryways and windows.
You can get these at any crafts store like Michaels. They usually have coupons and sales for decorations to help save some money.
One of the many ways that you can use these fall-themed garlands could be for the door decoration competition that will be hosted by University Housing. They have multiple events and activities that the housing staff will be showcasing for their residents.
Paola Carbajal Romero, the resident life coordinator, mentions “…this includes but is not limited to costume contests, door decorations, goodie bag giveaways, and giving thanks programs.”
Maya Harris, a Psychology major who resides in Phase 2 apartment-style dorms of University Housing states, “I really love all things holidays. So I’m excited about the events Housing is putting on for us residents.” This is her first time living on her own. Harris has many plans with her roommates to get into the Autumn spirit including going to pumpkin patches and hayrides.
The Los Angeles area offers plenty of events for students. The Pa’s Pumpkin Patch in Long Beach is one and offers rides, games, and a petting zoo.
If you plan to stay in with roommates or friends rather than going out you can bake a treat and watch a movie, you can try to make the Pumpkin Doughnut Drops. If you or any of your friends are vegan or have special dietary needs, here is a link to a Pinterest with a large variety of vegan treats.
You and your friends can also plan to watch a movie. Freeform, a television channel, made a section on their streaming platform containing all the classic Fall/Halloween movies.
Some of the movies are Hocus Pocus and A Corpse Bride. You can also tune in on Freeform and watch the scheduled movies for their famous “31 Nights of Halloween.”
To set the mood and engulf yourself in the aroma of Fall, the candle is Autumn Harvest by OpalHouse sold at Target. For those in University Housing, you are not allowed to have open flames. But you are allowed to have wall plug-in scents.
Warm Apple Pie is the plug-in scent for this season. It smells like a mother’s kitchen after making homemade apple pie. Both of these are truly comforting and add the final touch of Fall to your dorm room or home.
Now, doing all of this while living in University Housing at CSUDH can be tricky. The University Housing has regulations and protocols that must be followed. Decorations guidelines are in section Ⅲ. FACILITIES and OPERATIONS, D. Decorations of the resident agreement.
Allowed scents can be found in Section Ⅱ. RESIDENTIAL HALL STANDARDS, D. Fire Safety/Evacuation and more information is also explained in HERE. (Even though it states Residential Hall, these rules apply to Phase 1 and Phase 2 Apartment Style dorms). If you are not in University Housing and are living off-campus go crazy with the decorations and the aromas.
Now that your home or dorm is in the Autumn spirit, it is time for you to get cozy in your sweaters and blankets and enjoy the season.
