{"id":2687,"date":"2021-10-13T09:42:53","date_gmt":"2021-10-13T13:42:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/?p=2687"},"modified":"2021-10-13T15:26:25","modified_gmt":"2021-10-13T19:26:25","slug":"cny-fall-favorites-staff-edition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/2021\/10\/13\/cny-fall-favorites-staff-edition\/","title":{"rendered":"CNY Fall Favorites: Staff Edition"},"content":{"rendered":"

Students claim to have the \u201cfull Syracuse experience\u201d because we\u2019re here during the frigid winter months, but I\u2019d argue that no one knows Central New York (CNY) better than those who live here year-round. Enter: Syracuse University staff members.<\/p>\n

I asked staff members\u2014administrators, assistant directors and beyond\u2014 to tell me what they love about fall in CNY, their favorite fall activities and what makes the CNY fall experience special or different from fall in the other places they\u2019ve lived and worked. After reading, I figured that their responses could be grouped into a few select categories: apples, pumpkins and nature. <\/span><\/p>\n

Lovers of All Things Apple<\/h2>\n

Apples and apple-picking are synonymous with fall, in my humble opinion. CNY has no shortage of apple orchards to choose from, so naturally, many Syracuse University staff members quoted \u201canything apple\u201d as their favorite fall activity:<\/p>\n

\u201cCan we please talk about how fresh our apples are compared to anywhere else? Make all the apple-picking jokes you want (see SNL skit here), but the experience is truly worth it. I highly recommend visiting Deer Run Farms Apple Orchard or Abbott Farms…sometimes the Barnes Center at The Arch will do trips during the fall!\u201d says Butch Hallmark, assistant director of New Student and Family Programs<\/p>\n

\u201cI love being able to get fresh apples and warm mulled cider on a chilly day with family and friends. We typically pick more apples than we can possibly eat, so I like trying out various apple pie or applesauce recipes with the warm spices of cinnamon and nutmeg,\u201d says Tanya Williamson, Ph.D., associate director of<\/span> Diversity, Equity, and <\/span>Inclusion at the Barnes Center at The Arch.<\/p>\n

Consider yourself a lover of all things apple? Check out these apple-related recommendations<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Pumpkin-Palooza Attendees<\/h2>\n

In a close second to apple-pickers, we have the \u201cpumpkin-palooza attendees,\u201d of which I am a card-carrying member, I will admit. Pumpkin-picking, pumpkin donuts, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin carving\u2014you name it, I\u2019m there. This sentiment is shared by many Syracuse University staff members, including Gabrielle Lake, communications manager for the Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cHands down the tradition of scouting the perfect pumpkin and either carving or decorating it is my favorite fall-specific activity. Be it decorating the house or carving\/decorating contests, fall pumpkins have been a long-standing tradition in my family, and one that I\u2019ve lovingly brought with me and shared with my friends and husband throughout the years each fall,\u201d says Lake.<\/p>\n

Want to join the pumpkin-palooza? Check out these pumpkin-related recommendations<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"A
Photo courtesy of Gabrielle Lake.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nature Enthusiasts<\/h2>\n

Many staff members mentioned the \u201ccrisp air\u201d as a primary factor for why they enjoy fall in CNY. Others cited the brevity of fall and the impending \u201cmonths spent covered in snow,\u201d as a reason for why they appreciate fall. Whether we love or hate the snow, the beautiful colors of the fall foliage in CNY<\/a> are not to be missed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love being able to not only feel the change in seasons with the weather, but the fall foliage is breathtaking. Having gone to school and worked at The University of Alabama, I love being in CNY because we have 4 real seasons. In Alabama, we have Fresh (spring), Boiling (summer), Hot (fall), and C<\/span>hilly (winter). While I hate the snow that we get up here, I do love fall,\u201d says Hallmark.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere’s an encouragement to go outdoors and soak up the beautiful colors of the trees\u2014taking a hike, enjoying the local wineries, getting lost in a corn maze, tailgating for SU, going on a spooky hayride\u2014whatever you enjoy, there are many options,\u201d says Williamson.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom being outside in the brisk fall air to being cozy inside, there is always something fun to do. Moving from the flat and sprawling landscape of Western New York in grade school, I was amazed at the beauty of the rolling hills and cozy valleys that Central New York boas<\/span>ts. The frequently changing and beautiful layout of our area is sparked to life with the colors of fall and lends to a fun and adventurous drive throughout the area,\u201d says Lake.<\/p>\n

\"Orange,
Photo courtesy of Butch Hallmark.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In closing, I will again quote Butch Hallmark, assistant director of New Student and Family programs:<\/p>\n

\u201cI view fall as the beginning of change: Shed some of the old habits to make room for new ones.<\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n

Truer words have never been spoken. Enjoy all that CNY has to offer this fall, and soak up as much sun as possible in preparation for the long Syracuse \u201cspring.\u201d As Hallmark says, change is a-comin\u2019.<\/p>\n

Written by Cecelia Kersten \u2019<\/span>23, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Students claim to have the \u201cfull Syracuse experience\u201d because we\u2019re here during the frigid winter months, but I\u2019d argue that no one knows Central New York (CNY) better than those who live here year-round. Enter: Syracuse University staff members. I asked staff members\u2014administrators, assistant directors and beyond\u2014 to tell me what they love about fall…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":319,"featured_media":2697,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[79],"tags":[213,214,206,207,29,222,221,223],"class_list":["post-2687","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beyond-the-hill","tag-apple","tag-apple-picking","tag-fall","tag-foliage","tag-outdoor-adventure","tag-pumpkin","tag-staff-profile","tag-vol-4-issue-4"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2687","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/319"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2687"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2687\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2720,"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2687\/revisions\/2720"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2697"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2687"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2687"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2687"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}