I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but college is not exactly a place of rest and relaxation. Our workloads only increase as the semester progresses, alongside the weight of our backpacks. Most classes are extremely interesting and cover topics that our hometown high schools never came close to discussing. Nevertheless, college life can quickly turn stressful. Peaceful recharges are a necessity for students. 

I present to you the perfect not-so-hidden oasis: the Fordham fountain. In my highly biased opinion, the fountain is, without a doubt, the most beautiful spot on campus. It is the dream of every unabashed academic. 

Proximity to Hughes Hall allows people-watchers to catch a glimpse of Gabillionaires as they rush in and out of the glass doors, resumes in hand. Dealy Hall tempts students to fuel their Starbucks addiction and sit outside on one of the fountain benches. There, students can sip on something resembling coffee and admire the trees as the leaves fade to brown. 

In fact, this is how my love of the fountain originated. After my last Friday class, I would walk to Starbucks for a drink and a croissant, then wander out to the fountain to enjoy my snack and the crisp fall weather. 

My fountain routine even helped me to meet my best friends on campus. I mentioned to a classmate that I was going to grab a drink and sit by the fountain after class. She had the same plan. We ended up talking for hours. After a while, another friend of mine walked by who happened to know my classmate and joined us. Later on, my roommate came and joined the club. It was that simple.

The fountain is good for more than just socialization. It is my favorite place for comfortable productivity. Sometimes, cram sessions in the library can be a little too intense. The library is great for studying for midterms and finals, but when it comes to my day-to-day, I much prefer setting up my laptop on a bench by the fountain. 

Hours will pass by as I write and edit articles for the newspaper, listen to podcasts for class and finish up class readings. I can sit outside and work until dark without feeling too stressed. Whenever I am in dire need of a break, I can simply look up and take in my surroundings. It is a borderline religious experience.

The end of summer is definitely a drag, but there is nothing quite like a cool Fordham fall spent typing away by the fountain for motivation. There will always be some bumps along the road, like when a raccoon charged at my friends and I from under the bushes, or the bold squirrels that tend to eye my croissants feverishly. Still, I will hold even these memories of the fountain close to my heart.

Trust me when I say that this is not some show of love put on to feign school spirit — I propagate the beauty of the fountain to all of my friends and now, all of the Ram readers. My only regret is worrying that I won’t be able to find an empty bench this semester.