Picturing My Next Four Years on “Wisconsin’s Most Beautiful Campus” Hayley Jasinski

“I can come with you to orientation, right? I miss my college days,” my aunt expressed to me a couple weeks ago when I mentioned I was interested in attending the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

”If you’re going, that means I’m coming too!” another aunt exclaimed.

Although these two women are from graduating classes decades apart, hearing the stories of their time well-spent at this university intrigued me. Did my aunt really take lunch trays and sled down the notorious hill in the wintertime?

I decided to investigate for myself. Driving on the interstate on the way to Eau Claire was a gorgeous ride; the forests lining the road transform themselves in the fall. I’ve always had an admiration for autumn colors, but living in the suburbs means that it’s rare for me to see an entire forest bursting with these unique hues.

Once we arrived on campus and navigated through the Garfield Avenue construction, I gazed at the various buildings on campus. From the towering Centennial Hall to the red brick Old Library to the Haas Fine Arts Center across the river, there was a lot to take in. I could picture generations of my family rushing along these paths to get to class, or walking arm-in-arm with their friends to get lunch. I could...