Entertainment

EPHS Chooses:

Which is the best season?

Stephanie Palomino and Jaliah Santiago • April 23, 2025

Spring

Origins of Spring:
The word “spring” comes from the Old English “sprinc”, which means a new beginning, or new day. A long time ago, spring actually used to be the beginning of the Roman calendar, between 738 B.C. – 46 B.C. Spring is also a reference to plants growing. This year, spring starts March 20th and ends June 20th!

Spring Activities:
During springtime in Chicago, there are plenty of activities that you can do. If you are a person that does not like the weather to be too hot or too cold, these activities will be just for you!

This is a springtime picture taken by Matt Cannon. The photo was taken in a lake in Bavaria, Germany.

Picnics with your family or friends
Plant your garden
Take a walk around the city
Go kayaking
Go to festivals with your friends
Relax in a hammock
Camp outside

EPHS’ Favorite Spring Activities:

“I like to always be outside and always exploring on my bike, running, walking or doing other activities.” (Natalie Merlos)
“Watch baseball, plant a garden” (Rose Craig)
“Enjoy life” (Megan Derewonko)
“Play football” (Daniel Dohoney)

3 Pros: Fresh Produce, flowers bloom, and temperatures go up.
3 Cons: Seasonal Allergies (high pollen), raining almost every day, and high number of cases of food-borne illnesses.

Overall, 22.8% of EPHS students who took our survey favor spring out of all the seasons.

Summer

Origins of Summer:
The word “summer” comes from the English word “sumor”. This word has been around for a long time, since the year 900. In Old English Literature, summer was thought of as the season of growth and fertility. In Chicago, we get full summers. Some days could be well over 90 degrees Fahrenheit or they could be really relaxing days with 70-80 degree weather. Summer in Chicago can last up to 3.5 months, from June 20th to about September 22nd!

Summer Activities:
In Chicago, there are plenty of activities that you can do. Some of these activities could be done at home or on a vacation somewhere else. If you are a summer person, we recommend you do these!

This is a picture taken by Patrick Malon during the summer in Oak Street Beach in Chicago.

Read while you tan
Go to the beach
Make a bucket list with your friends
Have a cookout
Go to the pool
Travel to unique places around the Chicago-land area
Visit animal farms
Make a scrapbook out of all the memories from the summer
Make a burn book

The picture above shows the Chicago River.

EPHS’ Favorite Summer Activities:

“Swim, go to the beach, hangout with friends, or go to the park.” (Alexandria Mendoza)
“Swimming, sports, summer camps and hang out with friends.” (Kasper Radzik)
“Go outside to the pool and get a tan and go swimming.” (Jailani Rodriguez)
“I play tennis, go outside, go fishing, swim, have picnics, stargaze, have bonfires” (Milana Brilyak)

3 Pros: No school, tanning, or trips to the beach.
3 Cons: Extremely hot weather, humidity, and dehydration.

On average, 33.3% of EPHS students that took our survey said they prefer summer.

Fall

Origins of Fall:
In the 1500’s, people referred to the season as “fall of the leaf”. This derived from the trees shedding their leaves for winter. Fall starts from September to November. Fall starts around September 22nd and ends November 30th. In November, once the weather begins to drop, winter is on the way.

Fall Activities:

In Chicago, there are plenty of activities that you can do to enjoy the climate. Most of these are fun with your friends and family. If you prefer, doing them alone is equally as enjoyable!

Visit a pumpkin patch with friends or family.
Starbucks trip to try season-limited drinks
Haunted Houses
Planning and preparing for Halloween
Fright Fest at Six Flags

This picture above is taken during the fall season at sunset.

EPHS’ Favorite Fall Activities:

“The atmosphere surrounding fall is absolutely amazing. I love the leaves falling down, the perfect weather, and, of course, Halloween.” (Yeimi Alday)
“The leaves falling signifies the beginning of the end for summer, and the weather isn’t too hot, or too cold, and it’s just a good time all around.” (Sergio Centenos)
“Because it’s nice and the best things happen during fall. Plus the nice outfits and [I] get to wear hoodies.” (Damian Mendoza)
“It’s perfect sweater weather, Halloween, and pumpkin themed foods like coffee and pie” (Adrian Mendoza)

3 Pros: The scenery, leaves changing color, and pumpkin flavored drinks and food.
3 Cons: Dry skin, raking leaves, and days get shorter.

Overall, 38.6% of EPHS students who took the survey prefer the fall.

Winter

Origins of Winter:
The word “winter” comes from the Old English dictionary and is related to “wet” or “water”. Winter, water, and wet also have other meanings in Germanic and Indo-European language. Winter starts around December 22nd and officially from that day on, ends around March 20th or 21st.

Winter Activities:

During the winter in the Midwest, of course it snows. Below are some things that you can do during this season.

Go sledding
Have a snowball fight
Build a snowman
This is a picture taken during the Winter in Chicago.
Going to an ice-skating rink with your friends or family
Watch Christmas movies
Bake cookies
Drink hot chocolate

EPHS’ Favorite Winter Activities:

“Build a snowman” (Brian Avila-Martinez)
“Wrestle because wrestling season starts in winter.” (Zachery Molina)

3 Pros: Better sleep, burning calories, and not as many allergies.

3 Cons: Frostbite, really cold weather, and shorter days.

Overall, 5.3% of EPHS students who took the survey prefer winter.

Looking at the data, most of the students at EPHS prefer fall by 38.6% over any other season!

Work Cited:

Boeckmann, C. (n.d.). First Day of Spring 2024: The Spring Equinox. (March 14, 2024) The Old Farmer’s Almanac. Retrieved March 15, 2024, from https://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-spring-vernal-equinox

Breathtaking Photos of Spring Taken Around the World. (2020, May 14). Business Insider. Retrieved March 15, 2024, from https://www.businessinsider.com/what-spring-looks-like-around-the-world-photos-2020-5#colours-of-bavarian-spring-by-matt-cannon-8

Bryant, W. (2019, April 1). Spring: A Brief History of a Beautiful Word. Literary Hub. Retrieved March 15, 2024, from https://lithub.com/spring-a-brief-history-of-a-beautiful-word/

Chicago Climate, Weather By Month, Average Temperature (Illinois, United States). (n.d.). Weather Spark. Retrieved March 15, 2024, from https://weatherspark.com/y/14091/Average-Weather-in-Chicago-Illinois-United-States-Year-Round

Hiskey, D. (2024, February 2). The Origins of Every Season’s Name. Mental Floss. Retrieved March 15, 2024, from https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/52813/how-did-seasons-get-their-names

McLaughlin, C. (n.d.). 30 Activities to Do This Spring. SignUpGenius. Retrieved March 15, 2024, from https://www.signupgenius.com/home/activities-for-spring.cfm

Summer Name Meaning, Origin, Popularity, Girl Names Like Summer. (n.d.). Mama Natural. Retrieved March 15, 2024, from https://www.mamanatural.com/baby-names/girls/summer/

What is the best season and why? survey, March, 2024

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About the Contributors

Stephanie Palomino, Staff Reporter

Hi! I’m Stephanie Palomino. I am a freshman at Elmwood Park High School. This is my first year writing for The Tiger. I plan on studying Nursing to become an Registered Nurse. The goal is to attend Michigan State University. Outside of school, I enjoy traveling and exploring new places. I have visited Mexico and multiple islands in Texas and Michigan!

Jaliah Santiago, Staff Reporter

Hey! My name is Jaliah Santiago and I am a sophomore at Elmwood Park High School. I like to play softball and volleyball in my free time. Currently, I plan to try out for our softball team. My plan after graduation is to start learning how to do nails, makeup, and hair. I plan on going to cosmetology school in the future.