By Luke Langlois

When the teacher turns the lights on or raises the curtains, every student seems to groan as if the world is on the brink of nuclear extinction. “NO, NOT THE LIGHTS!” This has always bugged me. Why are you opposed to light? What has darkness ever done for you? Do you have night vision? No. You do not have night vision. I have definitively concluded that people only resent the light because it’s the cool teenage thing to do (the pain of adjusting eyes may have something to do with it as well). Anyway, being a mysterious creature of the dark does sound pretty great, but most of us aren’t actually creatures of the night. On the contrary, we’re built for sunlight, as long as you aren’t excessively tanning. PSA; wear sunscreen. Here’s a couple of the reasons why sunlight is GREAT for us. 

• The sun is our primary provider of vitamin D. Your body actually cannot produce vitamin D on its own without a supplemental supporter. What a design flaw! You can drink as much SunnyD as you want, but that will never replace the free source of healthcare in the sky: the SUN. When people give you funny looks for praising the glory of the sun, you should be able to justify it. As sunlight hits your skin, your body is signaled to start producing vitamin D. Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption in the body. It also assists bone growth by repairing and remodeling osteoblasts and osteoclasts, cells that are instrumental in the synthesis of bone matter. Vitamin D can also assist in immune system regulation and body weight maintenance. 
• Sometimes, people get S.A.D.: seasonal affective disorder. This is a mood disorder that tends to occur at the same time every year, usually during the doom and gloom that coats the landscape in late autumn and winter. As it turns out, research has found a possible solution for that. Yes; it’s the sun. In general, light, especially natural light, improves our mood. If you’re feeling blue, join the light crew!
• We are so reliant on rhythm and consistency every day without even realizing it. If you misplaced your keys or forgot your water bottle somewhere, your entire DAY is RUINED because your schedule is all messed up. Just like our minds have schedules, our bodies have schedules. The specific term in psychology for our body’s schedule is the “circadian rhythm.” Although much of this rhythm is internally regulated, light gives us cues so our bodies know what to do and WHEN. Consistent light stabilizes our internal rhythms. If it’s dark, you’re *supposed* to be closing in on bedtime.

Hmm, if only there was a giant ball in the sky that provided us with essential vitamins, a regulated day, and free light. Oh, wait; there is! Please, appreciate the sun while we have it. In four to five billion years when it explodes, you’ll really miss it as our planet freezes over. 

Light Editor: Renée Vazquez