Your body throws proteins and antibodies at the invading substances that have entered its crevices – the pollen, ragweed, dust. Your body is in overdrive, trying to stop the attack but it’s too late. Your defenses have been breached. Prepare for the runny noses, sore throats and mind-numbing headaches that are to follow.

   Nothing says ‘summer’s over’ like allergies. Although the possibility for contracting allergies exist everywhere, allergens especially tend to thrive in our campus’s mild temperatures and calm winds; however, you don’t need to be stuck in fear.

   “As with all allergens, avoidance is your best strategy,” Michael Beringer M.D. said.

   Still, with students trying to focus on the new year, environmental allergies prevents a select group of students from breathing easily in between classes. With our rich floral life on campus, pollen has invaded the airspace, exposing unsuspecting students to the side effects: itchy, watery eyes, runny nose and nasal congestion. Apart from pollen and ragweed, the leaves on the Quad and just about everywhere on campus have a set of potential allergies. Mold spores and mildew easily grow on these leaves during the fall, leaving behind hay fever symptoms.

   A less common way to be exposed to allergens is if you run into some of the wildlife on campus. Contact with one of Mrs. Burmeister’s infamous cats, and you will start sneezing from the animal dander. So, the next time you’re taking your morning walk on the Quad, beware the dangers on campus.