"I Saw the Light" Film Screening and Excursion to the Brown Mountain Lights
Tuesday, September 17, 2024, from 5:30-10:30 p.m.
I.G. Greer Hall Auditorium, 401 Academy St, Boone, NC 28608
BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University's AppDocs, Office of Sustainability and University Forum Lecture Series invite students, faculty and staff for an evening learning more about the Brown Mountain Lights on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. The event will begin with a screening of the documentary "I Saw the Light" in the I.G. Greer Auditorium and conclude with a hike at Wiseman's View to search for the lights.
Garrett Martin's "I Saw the Light" follows a scientist, spiritualist and adventurer as they attempt to discover the elusive Brown Mountain Lights, a phenomenon where mysterious orbs of light have been documented in the mountains of Western North Carolina for decades. As they head into the remote wilderness, they begin to explore the meaning of the lights and the mysteries of the unknown. The film features App State's Dr. Daniel Caton, professor of physics in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and director of the Dark Sky Observatory. Watch the trailer here.
The screening will be followed by a question-and-answer period with Martin, Caton and Cary Curlee, adjunct instructor of Appalachian studies in App State's Department of Interdisciplinary Studies.
Later, students will have the option to load a van to travel to Wiseman's View in the Pisgah National Forest to look for the lights and further immerse themselves in the mystery. Interested students should wear comfortable shoes and bring a light jacket and headlamp or flashlight. In the event of inclement weather, the excursion to Wiseman's View, but not the screening, will be rescheduled for Wednesday, September 18.
The event—part of the Fall Sustainability Film Series—is free and open to App State students, faculty and staff. For a disability accommodation, visit odr.appstate.edu. Questions can be directed to App State's Sustainability Program Director Jennifer Maxwell via email at maxwelljb@appstate.edu or via phone at (828) 262-2667.
###
About AppDocs
AppDocs supports documentary work grounded in collaborative local and global partnerships that use photography, film/video, audio, and narrative writing to capture and convey memory, life, research, theory, and culture. AppDocs emphasizes stories from the Appalachian region. Learn more at doc.appstate.edu.
About Sustainability at Appalachian
Appalachian State University’s leadership in sustainability is known nationally. The university’s holistic, three-branched approach considers sustainability economically, environmentally and equitably in relationship to the planet’s co-inhabitants. The university is an active steward of the state’s interconnected financial, cultural and natural resources and challenges students and others think critically and creatively about sustainability and what it means from the smallest individual action to the most broad-based applications. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate academic degree programs that focus on sustainability. In addition, 100 percent of Appalachian’s academic departments offer at least one sustainability course or course that includes sustainability, and all students graduate from programs that have adopted at least one sustainability learning outcome. Learn more at appstate.edu/sustainability.
About the University Forum Lecture Series
The University Forum Lecture Series brings nationally prominent speakers to campus. Their views enliven campus dialogue on a variety of issues. Past speakers have included activist Gloria Steinem, conservationist Terry Tempest Williams, presidential historian Harold Holzer, CNN correspondent Peter Bergen and award-winning science journalist Carl Zimmer. Learn more at universityforum.appstate.edu.
Garrett Martin's "I Saw the Light" follows a scientist, spiritualist and adventurer as they attempt to discover the elusive Brown Mountain Lights, a phenomenon where mysterious orbs of light have been documented in the mountains of Western North Carolina for decades. As they head into the remote wilderness, they begin to explore the meaning of the lights and the mysteries of the unknown.
Garrett Martin's "I Saw the Light" follows a scientist, spiritualist and adventurer as they attempt to discover the elusive Brown Mountain Lights, a phenomenon where mysterious orbs of light have been documented in the mountains of Western North Carolina for decades. As they head into the remote wilderness, they begin to explore the meaning of the lights and the mysteries of the unknown.