I often feel frazzled whenever I turn on the evening news and am bombarded by dozens of different stories at once. The broadcasters themselves switch quickly from topic to topic, the ticker at the bottom of the screen is constantly flashing headlines within seconds of each other, and sometimes there's even a bar feeding you a steady stream of updates on what people are "tweeting" about.

I admit it--I've never been a particularly concise person. I like to talk and, consequently, talk very much. Sometimes I talk about interesting things, oftentimes about uninteresting things, but always about something; just ask anyone who knows me, and they can surely testify.

I didn't really know what to expect when I got on the turtle van early in the morning on Sunday, Feb. 19 to head down to Clarksdale, Mississippi. I knew I would be helping build Habitat for Humanity houses, but that was about it.

When I got there, though, I quickly learned that there was really much more to the experience than just working on houses.

It finally feels like fall and, if you ask me, this is one of the best times of the year. Here are five reasons why:

1. Leaves

Last year as a sophomore, I was always quick to utilize a free period for getting through as much homework as I could. And, despite occasional distractions, I was pretty efficient.

However, this year there's only one thing I can focus on during a free period: sleep.

"If pineapples could talk, I'm sure they'd have many positive things to say about my friend Rosa."

I was lazily watching TV Sunday morning when the show ended and an ad for some weird oven-type thing came on. Thinking it would take only about a minute, like a normal commercial, I waited patiently.

It never ended.

It all started when fellow Gargoyle staff member Kahlilah Cooke asked me if I had any ideas for a creative food sale, something to deviate from the typical pizza or baked goods.

When I find a new song that I really like, I tend to listen to it on repeat for hours, even days, on end. Then, suddenly, I realize just how frequently I’ve heard it and immediately become so sick of it that I won’t listen to it again for a long, long time.

This never happens with The Beatles.

Up until now, I don't think Thanksgiving has ever had a true meaning to me. Every year it entailed the same kind of thing: delicious food and a few days off from school.

I have to admit that fortune cookies have long been the highlight of my Chinese — well, Americanized Chinese — food experience. Fortune cookies are like the prize in the cereal box or the cheesy joke on the Popsicle stick. They're the Happy Meal toys of Chinese takeout.

I think just about every kid has dreamt about going to outer space. Of course, most of us reluctantly give up on the idea later on. But with the relatively new concept of space tourism that arose back in 2001, some people are getting a chance to live that dream after all.