Campus Community Celebrates Historic Total Eclipse of the Quad
On the afternoon of April 8, 2024, students, faculty, staff, and their family and friends filled the Richard F. Brush ’52 University Quad to celebrate St. Lawrence’s unique position within the path of totality, and to experience the total solar eclipse together as a community.
In the hour leading up to totality at 3:25:30 p.m., the campus community covered the Quad with lawn chairs, inflatable mattresses, and blankets, while Henry Priest Professor of Physics Aileen O’Donoghue, Astronomer Jeffrey Miller, and NASA Partner Ambassador and physics major Tyler Karasinski ’24 set up and staffed the department’s high-powered telescopes equipped with solar filter lenses. Viewers could glimpse the sun up close as it became increasingly covered by the moon.
Laurentian Engagement gave out free glow-in-the-dark branded eclipse glasses, T-shirts, and cups. Live music by The Laurentian Singers and the Upbeats, and additional tunes by DJ Lucky Luc, added to the festivities. Student organizations hosted eclipse-related games, while food trucks and Dining Services served up sunny snow cones and other treats. The young children of faculty and staff may not have fully grasped the cosmic event about to occur, but they clearly enjoyed the moon bounce.
The Quad grew dark, and when the moon had completely covered the sun, a massive cheer erupted. O’Donoghue announced: “Welcome to totality!” She encouraged everyone to take off their glasses, put down their phones, feel how the air had turned cooler, and to look at the sunset hues all around the horizon. Gasps of wonder filled the air, as everyone shared the once-in-a-lifetime experience for just over three minutes. “The moon is moving at 2,500 miles an hour. Savor it. Hang onto it.”
Once the moon moved way, continuing along its narrow path toward the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, O'Donoghue pointed out for the crowd the “diamond ring” effect, and then announced, “The Sun came back! Let’s celebrate.”
Once the sky was illuminated again, Elizabeth Craig ’24 shared her reaction, “That was one of the coolest things... probably the best Monday I’ve ever experienced... there was a sunset 360 degrees around us, it was perfect!"
Margaret Fleischner ’24 shared that her experience was "the coolest thing I've ever seen in my entire life. It went from light to dark, and then it was like the sun arose all at once, it was the best thing ever."
No one captured the moment quite like our NASA Partner Ambassador Tyler, who introduced the livestream of the event. With tears in his eyes, he concluded: “Just electric, incredible... this has been months in the making, so many people have been working on this for the past year... Seeing it all come together like this ... It’s nothing I’m ever going to forget!”
Total Solar Eclipse Merchandise
Can't get enough of our total solar eclipse celebration? Commemorate the out-of-this-world experience with custom St. Lawrence gear. Choose from hoodies, T-shirts, posters, and so much more at our online shop.
