The autumn season brings a series of familiar favorites: the smell of pumpkin spiced lattes, a crisp and refreshing cool breeze and big hand-knitted sweaters. Amidst the preparation for Halloween and the upcoming winter, many people tend to overlook one of the most underrated parts of fall, the changing colors of leaves.

Driving down the Merritt Parkway, the bursting colors of leaves closely resemble the fourth of July. With vibrant colors of green, red and yellow bursting from the trees, it is a spectacle to see.

James Lewis ’16 is awestruck by the beautiful scenery that he passes by on his way to school.

“Driving during the fall is a bad time for me. The colors are so mesmerizing that I get distracted really easily. It’s all so breathtaking,” Lewis said.

Aligning the back stretch of the Staples’ track, furthest from the school, is a color spectrum of leaves. Erin Munley ’16 has credited this change in colors to be the “the sole reason that fall is my favorite season.”

“Running along the track it’s truly remarkable to see all the pretty colors of leaves. It feels like I am looking at a rainbow,” Munley ’16 said.

The trees that nestle the bleachers along the track consist of maroon, tangerine orange, apple red and emerald green colored leaves.

With brisk winds knocking the leaves from their branches, many people are out raking up the leaves and disposing them into plastic bags, not paying attention to the natural beauty that mother earth has given us.

Connor Teran ’17 appreciates this beauty however.

“When I’m raking my leaves, I often find myself stopping and admiring the leaves as they fall. It is such a fascinating site to see all these colors falling down,” Teran said.

While the commotion of holiday season is right around the corner, and snow will soon begin to trickle down, take a moment to acknowledge the diverse color of leaves that Westport has to offer.