Hundreds of University of Arkansas students gathered at the Chi Omega Greek Theatre on Monday, April 8, to witness the Great American Eclipse of 2024.
Christopher Spencer, assistant director for Marketing and Strategic Communications for University Housing, played a large part in planning the event and engaging residential students. After being approached by Roland Liwag, director of social media strategy in University Relations, the two brainstormed and worked closely to source and distribute more than 7,000 pairs of eclipse glasses to residential students and staff.
Those viewing the eclipse on campus this year experienced 98.55 percent coverage of the sun, which was more than the last eclipse that occurred 7 years ago on the first day of classes in August 2017, with 90.6 percent coverage at the peak.
In the weeks leading up to the event, Housing distributed glasses to all staff and residential students who have a contract with them, including students in off-campus apartments and
housing-managed Greek Housing. They also ran multiple public service announcements on where to watch and how to view the eclipse safely, holding back some glasses for distribution at the event.
“Sharing a rare astronomical event together as a campus is just a cool, unique thing,” Spencer said. “Sitting next to friends on a nice day at the Chi Omega Theatre and staring up and just hanging out really is its own reward. I guess a sense of time and place and community was the goal. Maybe students will look back in 10 years and say, ‘Remember when we watched the eclipse together on that April day.’ I think the community built a fun memory together.”
Anna Greenland, a freshman human nutrition major, said it was refreshing being around so many fellow students to witness the event.
“I feel like the Greek Theatre is a great place on campus where we all come together,” Greenland said. “I like seeing everybody here, it’s unifying.”
“I thought watching the eclipse was a great experience! Other than just the sight of the fascinating phenomenon, it was really nice to see so many students come together to observe it,” said freshman Brooklynn Prince. “The entire Greek Theatre was filled out by students, and it was overall a wonderful way to connect with each other.”
In addition to students, many photographers, families, and individuals of all ages traveled to campus for the path of partial totality.
Spencer was surprised and delighted by the event’s turnout, with approximately 800 students showing up to sit in the Greek Theater and on the green grassy hills of campus. The event ended in a round of applause, and attendees left to go their separate ways, having just experienced a rare, celestial event as a campus community.
“The eclipse was a perfect example of cross-campus collaboration among different administration units and divisions resulting in an unforgettable once-in-a lifetime experience for our students,” Liwag said. “I’m proud to have been part of this event and to document it on the university’s social media platforms.”
After the event, Housing staff collected the eclipse glasses to donate to people in South America for the August 2024 eclipse.
Photos: Nathan Kesner
