Summertime has come and gone. May passed quickly, then June, July and August flew. Now, with the arrival of LSU’s fall semester, students have returned to campus. The shift means new schedules, new classes, new professors and the familiar sensation of an old grind. Freshman scurry. Sophomores settle in. Juniors ponder. Seniors stride. The fall is promising, but memories of our time away still linger. As the students of LSU rev-up for new experiences to come, so too do they reflect on the experiences of summer.
Many of our student body traveled far and wide, searching abroad for fresh excitement. Many worked. A few found jobs they loved. A few found jobs they did not. Some were lucky. They met strange people in strange lands, formed friendships, saw family, spoke vows, discovered new possibilities. Others broadened their horizons while staying home.
Take Abbey Lawlor, a mechanical engineering freshman from Georgia. Lawlor graduated from high school this year, and over the summer, she stayed home to work at a science-centric summer camp.
“There were some interesting kids,” she said laughing, “Some of them were unhinged.”
Around her, the Quad buzzed with life, people walking, biking, scooting here and there. Amid the noise, she searched her mind for memories. “You’re watching 18 kids at once with just yourself,” her eyes went wide, “There’s going to be some antics.”
Even so, Lawlor relished her time working at the camp, called Stem Velocity. “It was really enjoyable to see kids get a good introduction to science.”
Architecture sophomore Paige Mac also worked at a summer camp, near her hometown in Illinois. But Mac’s experience was somewhat different. “I hated it,” she deadpanned, “The kids were just horrible.”
Waiting for the bus in the sun, Mac rubbed her eyes. Tiger Transit was running late. Instead of the bus, flashbacks of screaming, tiny people arrived. “They would not listen,” said Mac, recalling her tormentors, “They’d get in fights. . .They were not fun.”
At this point, Mac hadn’t decided her plans for next summer, but she knew one thing for sure: no more summer camps.
It wasn’t all nightmare children, though. Mac also went to Lollapalooza Chicago. “I think my favorite artist I saw was Kendrik Lamar,” she smiled knowingly. With little else to say, she summarized the experience as though a secret: “He had a good set.” With some things, you just have to be there.
In fact, more than a few LSU students had once-in-a-lifetime experiences over the summer.
Medical and plant sciences freshman Quin Cisneros saw the Eiffel Tower on a warm night in Paris. “I didn’t know it sparkled,” she mused. Her pink hair blew in the wind. Laugh lines cheered her cheeks in a sideways grin. “A lot of people in Paris that live there, it’s very nonchalant for them, to see it everyday. They don’t really care about it, but I never knew it sparkled.” Cisneros sparkled as she remembered.
Not only did she see Paris but also Great Britain, Cologne, Berlin, and so many places that she couldn’t remember the names of them all. “I was in Europe for the entire month of June.” It was her first time leaving the country.
On the other hand, biology senior Grace Booth stayed home in Louisiana. She worked as a nanny, which she “loved”.
“Being able to spend one-on-one time with a little one is really interesting, just watching them grow, and the learning process is really astounding at times,” said Booth.
Then she paused, looking down at her hand, “So, actually, another thing I did over the summer is. . .I got married.” There it was: the ring, a coy diamond set on a softly arcing band.
Booth beamed. “Seeing my husband’s face at the end of the aisle—that was incredible.” Details of her wedding came to her in waves: the dress, her family, a cherished memory. Though it’s now come to a close for Booth and her husband, this summer was the beginning.
Many mourn the end of summer, but it’s not the end. The fall is here, bringing with it the opportunity for new experiences, new memories and new life. And remember, after fall comes winter, then spring, then summer again.
Students walk through the Quad on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, on LSU's campus in Baton Rouge, La.
