Everything about September is undecided. It’s not quite fall, and it’s not quite summer. You know your schedule, but you don’t know your classes—the teachers, the students, the dynamic. It’s school, but no one is in the swing of things, and the work has yet to set in. It could be just another year, or it could be the year. It’s cliché, but it really is what you make of it, and it will be all the more bearable if you go in with the right mindset. Let this collection of items and ideas get you through September.
Song: Paul Simon’s “Wristband.” It’s Paul Simon, so the voice is familiar, but the song is off his new album Stranger to Stranger. If nothing else, the song will remind you of your Grassroots wristband. If you listen, though, the song is about how one time Paul went outside and the bouncers of his own show wouldn’t let him back in without a wristband and he was like what the heck. So maybe you’ll be able to relate when someone asks you to show them a pass or why you’re in H-Courtyard and you’re like come on, I belong here. Either way, it’s a mix of the new and the old; perfect for September.
Book: In Our Time, by Ernest Hemingway, is a collection of short stories. This book is practically as undecided as September, and if you don’t know what is going on the whole time, it’s okay. Hemingway’s “theory of omission” is basically “less is more,” and he lets this collection be exactly what you want it to be. Let go of conventions and attempt to understand Hemingway. No matter if its style frustrates you, this is a quick read that won’t be too overwhelming at the beginning of the year. Honestly though, I bought this book at the book sale so I have no idea if it exists at libraries or stores in the area. If you can’t find it just go for anything Hemingway.
Style: People talk about back-to-school shopping, but I’ve been shopping all summer. Throw on a denim jacket over all your new dresses, shirts, or whatever else. Suddenly your look is cooler, yet warmer. A new shirt with an old jacket is a combo that has September written all over it.
Spot: Hopefully, it’s still warm. So go outside. You probably won’t have real homework until the end of the month, so carry on with your carefree summer attitude, to an extent. Pretty soon it will be below zero and you will hate Ithaca. Have some fun now to look back on in a few months when you want to hibernate forever.