Aurora Shenanigans

By THEA VAUGHAN ‘27

    There are so many places you can go to see the aurora borealis. Swasey, for example. You could also go to the football stadium or even the library quad. Or you could be where I was for this beautiful showing of the northern lights: inside, in a room with no windows.

    When the aurora came to Exeter, I was sitting with one of my friends in the music building. We were attempting to learn the song “You Are My Sunshine” on one of the practice room pianos. We had to play it simultaneously because neither of us was coordinated enough to play it alone. Together, though, we sounded pretty good. Expect to see us at the next student showcase… is what I would say if our intense practice hadn’t been interrupted by my friend jumping up and racing out the door. She offered no explanation besides, “We have to go NOW or we’ll miss it!”

    Confused out of my mind, I followed her as she led us outside. As we stepped through the doors of the music building, my first thought was uh oh, my Lion Card and phone are both still inside. For those who aren’t aware, those are two very important things to have on your person around campus. I glanced at my friend, who thankfully had her phone in her hand. But maybe I’m addicted to my phone or something because I definitely had a moment of panic there.

    My second thought was that my vision was messed up. Maybe I’d been punched in the face or stared at a bright light for too long because there was a massive red spot in the middle of my vision. Obviously, this was incorrect, as what I should have been seeing was the black of the sky. But then my friend pointed to it and said, “That color is so bright!”

    Okay, I’d thought, so clearly the lights in the music building are far too intense if we’re both seeing red spots. And that’s when I realized that I was the single dumbest person on the planet. My vision wasn’t messed up. The sky was just red.

    My friend and I sprinted to the grass in front of the Academy building to get a better view of what I had now determined were the northern lights. Now that I had figured out my vision was working just fine, thank you, I admired the amaranth color of the sky. If only I had my phone to take a picture of it. As my older brother likes to say, if it’s not on Instagram, it didn’t happen. But I pushed my chronically online thoughts away and decided to appreciate the moment without a screen. That’s what most people were probably doing, right? No screens, just enjoying the view.

    I opened up Instagram twenty minutes later to find dozens of posts about the aurora. Even the official Exeter account had posted pictures of it.

    I wish I’d remembered my phone.

By HENRY WISE ‘27

While there were many great places to watch the recent aurora from, these 10 take the cake, providing new views for everyone to see it from.

    1. The 5th floor of Phillips Hall: I think everyone can agree that if you’re trying to see something that’s outside, the 5th floor of Phillips hall is the place to be. Being there gives you a great new perspective of what is really outside, rather than what you can see just with the plain eye!

    2. Elm: Why would you want to watch this amazing event from Elm? While Elm would provide an extremely unique perspective to watch the aurora, you would also be able to take in the sounds of people clanging forks and knives, slamming plates, and getting food! It all would add to the wonderful experience!

    3. Your dorm room: Your dorm room would be the absolute perfect spot to watch this amazing event. All you have to do is open the window and maybe punch the screen out, but once you get past that easy barrier, you’re free to watch from the comfort of your own room!

    4. The Nekton Pool: I think this one pretty much speaks for itself. So many things go on in this pool at once, so it would be a great place to watch the aurora, especially if you want a clear view! Along with the amazing viewpoint, you could also combine your experience with the loud noises of people splashing in the pool and the smell of chlorine! A 10/10 viewing spot!

    5. Grill: Grill is one of the best spots to see this wonderful event. You could have so much peace and quiet since people HARDLY ever spend time in Grill, and you could see a wonderful new viewpoint with the many, many places in Grill to view this event from.

    6. From a moving vehicle: This one is great. While the aurora was occurring last week, I was personally on my way home for the long weekend and was watching it from the comfort of my own car! Not only was this event super, super convenient to try to see from a moving car, but it also was not distracting at all any time a tree would get in the way, or the car would turn in the opposite direction of the aurora. This method also tests your concentration skills with all the honks and rolling cars going by! How great!

    7. Downer: Watching this event from Downer would be a treat for the eyes. It has so many great places to watch the aurora from! The sounds of weights clanging and people grunting as they try to lift their weights compliment the calm, soothing view of the aurora. If this event ever occurs again, watching from Downer would be a top option on my list!

    8. Wetherell dining hall: Where do I even begin? If you had watched the event from or near Wetherell, it would be super fun and interesting to see! It would not be too loud at all because of construction, and there would be so, so many places to see it from, in or around!

    9. Mindfulness Room: While this room may not be the quietest, the view of the aurora would be wonderful! There would be so many unique places to view the aurora from, and it wouldn’t be obstructed to your view at all! Besides the noise, the mindfulness room is a great place to see the aurora from with its many views!

    10. The hockey rinks: This one is the definition of saving the best for last. First of all, the temperature in here would be incredible, the perfect temperature for this kind of event if you want to be just right. Second, the hockey rinks offer INCREDIBLE views because of the many, many places to view the aurora from. Along with this, the noise of pucks hitting the wall and the Zamboni going up and down would add so much to the experience, making it extra enjoyable for anyone deciding to watch it from there.

    If I were to go back in time, these are the 10 places that I would consider viewing the aurora from, and I would recommend all of these options to anyone craving an unforgettable aurora experience!