Officially, fall began September 21. California however disagrees, our weather will stay in the 70s or 80s into late November. Stores like Michaels and Target started their autumn decor around August 30. Similarly, Starbucks released its pumpkin spice line on August 24. Once the iconic pumpkin spice latte drops, everyone will show up with their pumpkin spice coffee, chais, and muffins. While most people think that the quick transition from summer to fall is amazing, Some people have become bitter at the idea of such an early release into fall.
Granada senior Scarlett LaPointe said, “I personally don’t even like pumpkin spice, I’m not ready to let go of summer yet…I think it’s ridiculous how early people are decorating their homes for Halloween.”
Pumpkin Spice is closely related to the Halloween season, and like Scarlett said some students aren’t ready for summer to end.
“No one likes returning to school after a nice summer. I think people associate fall with going back to school,” said LaPointe.
On the other hand, another senior, Sophia Simonds, said, “I Actually work at Starbucks, and I think this is the perfect time for pumpkin. I don’t even order a pumpkin drink when I go, but I’m certainly happy for fall to start.”
Simonds continued, “I like the idea of studying and being a dedicated student, and it makes it fun to have your pumpkin latte and a big book to read.”
So, even though the transition back into school isn’t always glamorous, pumpkin can add a little spice into the new school year.
The negativity towards early pumpkin spice release might be due to the California weather.
LaPointe mentioned that, “I like that the weather takes much longer to get cold. It means cute outfits and we can be more comfortable during the winter.”
However Simonds said, “I wish that the weather would change once we get back to school. Personally, if I’m in school, I think that it shouldn’t feel like summer anymore.”
California won’t see a significant drop in weather until around December 3. On top of that, global warming has affected the summer heat, making it intolerably long. Last year, as we returned to campus, there was a huge heat flash with temperatures reaching as high as 115 degrees and quickly switching to relentless showers.
It seems like California skips fall altogether. For students excited to return to school and experience colder temperatures, California can be quite disappointing. This can either lead to disdain towards an early release of pumpkin spice or extreme excitement. In conclusion, three out of the five Granada students asked about pumpkin spice are ready for fall to begin and therefore don’t think that it is too early for pumpkin spice. Either way, Starbucks greatly profits from its iconic pumpkin spice coffees.
