On Halloween night, 2003, a young boy named Vincent Ledvina is walking home after a cold midwestern evening of trick-or-treating. He looks up and sees something bright and green shimmering across the sky. “Is that the aurora?” he asks his parents. They aren’t sure. But young Ledvina, having seen the wonders of the upper atmosphere with his own eyes for the first time, is hooked.

Now a second-year Ph.D. student in Space Physics at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Ledvina studies the aurora borealis. He is working to understand the intricacies of these beautiful—and even life-changing—natural phenomena using both NASA and citizen-sourced data. 

Stepping into the world of UAF’s Tabletop Role-Playing Games (TTRPGs) Club for the first time, I was invited to join a "one-shot" game of “The Witch Is Dead.” What I found was an evening filled with laughter, creativity and camaraderie. The vibe was solid - so good, so good! This club isn’t just about rolling dice; it’s about building a welcoming community for all.

Established in April 2004, the Community Yoga Club at the University of Alaska Fairbanks fosters a unique connection between students and the broader Fairbanks community.