A collection of pumpkins lay for sale at Bennett’s Best Christmas Trees & Pumpkins on Oct. 10. Sophomore Emma Leyson said she loves going to pumpkin patches near Malibu during the fall season. Photo courtesy of Emma Leyson
Students say Malibu does not have seasons. Living in constant, temperate 70-degree weather is its own version of paradise. But when October hits, students find themselves dripping with sweat under their thick sweaters and the leaves don’t change on the palm trees.
In a place where seasons barely shift, sophomore Emma Leyson said fall is less of an atmosphere and more of a mindset.
“I obviously love being by the beach,” Leyson said. “We are so lucky to go to school where we do because it’s constantly so beautiful. But I love autumn and I love when the leaves fall, so when they don’t, it’s a little sad.”
Decoration
Leyson said she loves decorating her dorm room for fall and Halloween.
“Whenever there’s a new season, I love to decorate,” Leyson said. “We have little pumpkins [in our dorm] and our soaps are pumpkin dispensers. I have little ghost decorations on my desk. I like to feel the holidays.”
A collection of Halloween decorations rests on Leyson’s bed in her room Oct. 22. Leyson said she loves to decorate her dorm for every holiday. Photo courtesy of Emma Leyson
Junior Elayna McClure is a Spiritual Life Advisor (SLA) in the Rockwell Towers dormitories. She said she embraces the fall season by arranging activities for the residents, such as the recent “Paint a Pumpkin” event and by decorating her room with pumpkins and lights.
“I have a warmer, darker light that I like turning on, and I turn on jazz music,” McClure said. “It’s very fall. I also have a ghost pillow and last year I had little fall leaf twinkly lights.”
Junior Elayna McClure poses in her dorm in Rockwell Towers with the butternut squash she bought from Trader Joe’s on Oct. 19. She said decorating her dorm makes her feel grounded in the fall season. Photo courtesy of Elayna McClure
“One [pumpkin] came from the Towers programming event, ‘Paint a Pumpkin,'” McClure said. “One of the other SLA’s Ellie brought the pumpkins. That’s where they came from. The other two are butternut squash, and those are from Trader Joe’s.”
Drinks
Like many students, McClure said she celebrates fall through the small comforts of the season.
“Obviously, I love all of the fall drinks at Starbucks,” McClure said. “The pumpkin chai is to die for.”
This opinion is common among Pepperdine students, Leyson said.
Leyson said she is a student worker at the Starbucks in Payson Library on Pepperdine’s main campus.
“I probably make like 70 pumpkin chai’s a day at least,” Leyson said. “It’s so fun, though. I love when corporations do fun things for the holidays, so the pumpkin drinks are really fun.”
Leyson poses with a pumpkin chai latte at the Starbucks in Payson Library on Oct. 22. She said the pumpkin chai latte is the most popular fall drink ordered by students. Photo by Annslee Mitchell
Leyson said most students order the iced pumpkin chai latte, even though it can be prepared hot.
“The iced version is just better,” Leyson said. “Plus, it doesn’t get too cold here. I really only want a hot coffee when it’s cold.”
Leyson said her favorite fall drink from Starbucks is a shaken espresso with pumpkin flavoring.
“Anything that says ‘pumpkin’ makes you feel the fall season,” Leyson said.
Fashion
Wearing fall clothes — such as flannels, boots and wool socks — is an autumn staple, but in the heat, dressing for the season can be a challenge, McClure said.
“I wear sweaters, even if it’s really hot outside,” McClure said.
Senior Jace Evans said he likes to wear a mix of fall colors such as rust orange, dark maroon, sage green and brown to maintain the fall spirit. A long-sleeve shirt and shorts combination is the best way to handle Malibu’s warm October days.
“My go-to outfit is definitely jeans, definitely Doc Martens and maybe a flannel or a sweater,” Evans said.
Senior Jace Evans poses in a flannel Nov. 24, 2023 in Manchester, United Kingdom. He said he misses wearing layered clothing like he could while studying abroad. Photo courtesy of Jace Evans
Evans said he enjoys wearing knitted sweaters, since it is not cold enough in Malibu for anything warmer. Still, it can be hard to find a balance between typical fall fashion and the warmth of Southern California.
“It makes me so mad because I want to wear long flannels,” Evans said. “I know I shouldn’t be complaining about the weather being 76 degrees, but I get so mad because I want to be able to wear layered and heavier clothes.”
Traditions
McClure said plenty of seasonal traditions help Pepperdine students to embrace the fall mood despite the surrounding beaches and palm trees.
“I like to paint my nails and watch the fall Hallmark movies,” McClure said.
Evans said he likes to drive through the Malibu Canyon to get away from the beach.
“Whenever I see the ocean, I think of summer — not so much of fall,” Evans said. “Through the canyon, you can see the leaves changing. There’s also a Pumpkin Festival in Calabasas near Avalon that happens every year.”
Malibu Fall
Despite Malibu not being a typical autumn scene, McClure said she still notices a subtle shift in atmosphere to celebrate as October hits. She grew up in Colorado but still appreciates the autumn season in Malibu.
“I don’t hate fall in Malibu at all,” McClure said. “In the morning when it’s cold, I can wear my sweater, and then halfway through the day I can be a little bit warm in the sunshine.”
Students in Malibu still love the autumn mood — even when nature doesn’t cooperate.
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Contact Annslee Mitchell via email: annslee.mitchell@pepperdine.edu
