By Jacqueline Griswold
Staff Writer
Hundreds of students gathered around Franciscan University’s main courtyard to view the solar eclipse on April 8 at 1 p.m.
Many students were able to attend the event because of cancelled classes, and even families made an appearance for the eclipse, during which they experienced 97% coverage of the sun. Music was playing while people lounged on the grass and played games such as cornhole and spike ball.
The moon slow slowly started to cover the sun around 2 p.m. Ever so gradually, the moon covered the sun, making it resemble a cookie with a bite taken out of it until it became like a thumbnail.
When the eclipse was at its height, the temperature cooled down, the wind picked up and the light was so dim that it was like the sun was setting. The street lights even turned on.
“Yes, it’s so cool! I’m glad the University did this. I wasn’t expecting this,” said freshman theater major Jessie Jasko.
Freshman clinical psychology major Emma Reynolds said, “It’s so fun, like the music is so much fun to listen to. And like all the snacks are eclipsed theme.”
“I love that we are on a campus that everyone wants to be outside for events like this,” commented Gretta Engel, a freshman theology and catechetics major.
Freshman communication arts major Mathew Levri affirmed that he was enjoying his time and remarked that “it was cool” when asked what he thought of the eclipse.