If you live anywhere near the west side of Madison, you know they are back! There are telltale signs; increased scooter traffic, empty grocery store shelves and the most telling sign of all, heaps of trash along curbs and parkways spilling from downtown streets to the avenues and boulevards that abutt the downtown area. Of course, I'm talking about the college students.
As a Madison native, I enjoy the serenity of summertime in Madison. Most of the students have headed home or to an internship or overseas adventure. The campus is quiet and so are the surrounding neighborhoods.
But I am engergized as Fall approaches and the students return. There is an increased intensity in the city and the sleepiness of summer begins to wake with the renewed enthusiasm of these young people full of hope and promise.
Oh, there are certainly drawbacks to their presense - try to find a shower curtain at the Hilldale Target and you are out of luck - but in my mind, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. The college students are as much a part of Madison as the residents that welcome them each Fall.
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