By: Rory Zeman and Megan Hastings

Media-Production Editor and Public-Relations Manager

Have you ever instinctively realized that someone entered the room you were in without actually seeing or hearing them? It’s probably because you felt their Aura, whether positive or negative. Someone’s Aura is essentially the quality of their presence in points. Positive Aura points are what we all want, but it’s not so simple to get them, especially when one simple mistake can lead to a subtraction in your Aura points. Here’s a list of some of the things that will lose you the most Aura points.

Falling in front of a group of people (-50 Aura points): Although this may significantly damage your Aura, it is easy to fix. To avoid making yourself look like a complete idiot, you should land face first for everyone to see, and you should be especially attentive to your stride and location. In fact, your eyes should practically be staring at the ground while you walk, even as you get up from a seated position. More importantly, you should pay close attention to your surroundings and the people walking in your direction if you are in a crowded area. If you do not heed our warning, you could end up walking straight into a pole or even worse: another person. The loud banging sound or resulting scream will draw the attention of everyone around you, probably forcing you to take out a second mortgage to pay back your Aura debt.

Trying too hard in Class Discussions (-300 Aura): Talking a few times here and there in classroom discussions for your grade’s sake is one thing, but actively trying to be some sort of classroom philosopher and answer every question will send your Aura to the Mariana Trench. To sum it up, no one wants to hear a five-minute rant that is just a regurgitation of a Spark Notes summary of a book, especially during an 8 AM English class. People are not particularly fond of the irritating cacophony of a person who is on the verge of an A in a class giving an entire speech. This is extra damaging to your Aura if you’re taking away opportunities for others to get a word in, like during a Socratic seminar or graded discussion. You should know when to stop if it gets to the point where the teacher is purposely looking at everywhere but where you’re sitting so they don’t feel the shame of putting their other students through the same auditory torture by calling on you. Pipe down!

Walking around with your backpack open (-500 Aura): The entire school does not need a peek into the gum wrappers, dismantled notebooks, and torn-up homework that lies within the depths of your bag. Is it not obvious that everything you have to your name is wide open? It doesn’t take much work to look over your shoulder or double-check before you leave a class.