By Christian Cullen, Staff Writer 

Like many of you, I looked to the sky over the past few days in the hope of seeing the aurora borealis extend its range down to our humble home here in Ohio.I realized something along the way: Norwood sunsets are pretty great. 

I have always been someone who tries to be enamored with the beauty of a sunset. You can often find me gazing at them. No matter my physical location, I’ll be looking west. I think every Xavier student has the common experience of seeing a good sunset and just knowing that you are about to see it on 150 different Instagram stories. However, this should not disrupt our enjoyment of some really good sunsets.

I walked backward just so I could have a better view of the sunset to see it for just a little bit longer. The beautiful mixtures in the sky of yellow, orange, red and purple occupy a canvas that can do nothing but excite our eyes into a frenzy of glory. For something as simple as looking up at the right time of day, I think we can all take a moment to appreciate the natural beauty that we are afforded at the end of each and every day. I hope we can all take a bit of time tonight and appreciate what will (hopefully) be a good sunset. 

Okay, time to tell you all a secret: this article is not just about Norwood sunsets. They are excellent, do not get me wrong. 

I wanted to use them as a method to talk about what is a bit more near and dear to me: hope. Sunsets represent an ending with the knowledge of a new beginning. They are intertwined with hope: we must hope that the sun will rise after it sets. 

I think we can all use a bit of hope in this year. Admittedly, a lot of Newswire articles have been difficult to read about heavy topics. And I am not saying that these are unimportant; it is incredibly important to grapple with difficult topics. Especially in a time of a lot of disinformation and lying, it is important to pay attention to the news and discern what is right and what is wrong. 

However, it is just as important to take a step back every once in a while and take a deep breath. Doomscrolling has certainly earned its title. If we are always assailed by negative news stories yet never take a moment to consider hope, we can get easily burned out. There is so much in the world to be worried about but just as much to be hopeful for. It can be as simple as the hope for a new day tomorrow or the hope for something massive coming up in your life. Whatever the case, in the face of the void of modern life, there will always be hope and always be a sunset. So, take a deep breath and look at the sunset. I hope it fills you with hope.