The Rise, a sunrise watching group that started on Nov. 5, is set to return for more early mornings in the spring semester.

The Rise was founded by sophomore English student Bailey Croft. The new student group encourages students to challenge themselves by getting up every Friday to watch the sunrise.

Croft said that the group is expected to meet on the first Friday morning after winter break, but that the time for the group to meet is still undecided.

“I basically decide when we will meet based on when the sunrise is expected to happen for that day,” Croft said. “But it’s a consistent timing in the sense that it’s always a similar amount of time that we get to the spot before the sun rises.”

Bunny Holler, a sophomore education student, began joining the group on Friday mornings and said that it has been a nice way to connect with new friends.

“At first I was a little hesitant because it was so early,” Holler said. “But it’s so nice to just get up early once a week and see people I don’t usually get to see…even if it is early, it’s worth it.”

So far, the group has seen the sunrise from Strosacker Hall, the steps in front of the BW Conservatory of Music and from inside Knowlton Center; however, the group primarily meets at Coe Lake.

“Coe Lake has been the nicest,” Holler said. “You get to watch [the sun] rise right over the lake with all the trees and it’s really pretty.”

Nov. 24 was the last day the group met for the fall semester, and because of the cold weather, Croft said she decided for the group to meet inside the Knowlton Center, where they could watch the sunrise through the large windows while staying indoors.

“We are going to keep Rise going throughout the semester, hopefully,” Croft said. “We’re able to do that because we had our last viewing in Knowlton, and it worked fine because we were able to stay warm and see the sun.”

Holler said the group was a fresh breath of fresh air. Holler said that in the weeks leading up to finals, it was a nice way to relax by staying connected, healthy, and surrounded by friends and scenery.

“Along with getting up early it’s good for you and your body.” Holler said. “[It’s a] beautiful way to start your morning.”

Emmanuelle Geremy, a senior international exchange foreign language student, said that seeing the sunrise was a beautiful and overall wonderful experience.

“I’m originally from the Caribbean so I’ve watched it from there,” Geremy said. “I would say the one thing that’s different is that it’s cold here.”

Although The Rise is not an official club on campus, the group is public and open to new members. They primarily meet at Starbucks and walk together to the rise location.

Croft said that she hopes to grow the organization in the spring semester by applying to become an official organization.

“I’m going to apply for a charter and try to become an official club that we can get funding for food so that we can have breakfast at the Rise, and I think that would be a really cool way to get more people to come,” Croft said.

Editor’s note: The founder of The Rise, Bailey Croft, is a staff writer for the Exponent.

Last Edited Dec. 14