IZZIE INZINNA
Staff Writer
KRYSTYNA PORTUGUES-KLOS
Staff Writer
Photo by Justin Hoock, Special to The Leader.
Western New York experienced a rare celestial event on April 8 — being in the path of totality for a total solar eclipse.
The light in the sky faded into black, shocking engulfed towns across the nation.
A solar eclipse can only occur when there is a new moon, and there is at least one every year, but any given person is rarely in the right spot to see one.
Partial eclipses occur when the moon is farther away, and is therefore too small and doesn’t fully block the sun, leaving a crescent of light around the moon.
During a total solar eclipse, which completely obscures the sun, animals tend to get confused and go into their sleep cycle.
In the summer, crickets and frogs can be heard and more deer will be present in the woods. The temperature also drops due to the moon covering the sun.
An eclipse isn’t super rare, about two to five eclipses happen yearly, and a total solar eclipse occurs every eighteen months. The rarest part of a solar eclipse is totality, since each area on Earth is in the path of totality only once every few hundred years.
The last time that Fredonia experienced a total solar eclipse was approximately 100 years ago.
With a rare event happening in its little corner of New York, SUNY Fredonia decided to celebrate in a big way.
Associate Physics Professor Dr. Michael Dunham and Emergency Planning Coordinator Charles Holder were co-chairs for the Eclipse Planning Committee, and met with President Stephen Kolison many times over the past year to discuss an event for the campus to celebrate and watch the eclipse together.
With Mark Suida from Campus Life, they created an event aimed at boosting student reception and inviting prospective students to see and engage in activities on campus.
Classes got canceled the day of the eclipse so that everyone could experience it together, and no one had to miss it.
Purchased by the University, eclipse glasses were provided for free to every student, faculty and staff member so everyone could safely view the eclipse.
Kathryn Thies, the special programs manager for the Faculty Student Association (FSA), communicated with five food trucks to come to campus for this event. Throughout the day, on Ring Road by University Village, these food trucks (Cheesy Chick, The Best of Buffalo by Byron, LuGia’s, Over the Rainbow and Yakisoba) were parked in lot 9D to provide students with some non-FSA fare.
There were multiple events such as a club fair, food trucks and a concert in the University Village put on by Fredonia Radio Systems, Sound Services and Campus Life.
Sangai Keita, an intern for Campus Life, helped organize the pep rally so that people could have fun with all the different activities.
There was also an opportunity to spin the Starry wheel for free merch from the brand.
Near the concert were tables where you could tie-dye t-shirts with class presidents
EJ Jacobs, a senior English major and the senior class president, was a part of the planning and running for the tie-dye table. Jacobs mentioned that there were already plans to have a senior class event on the day of the eclipse.
The senior class ordered white shirts — that way seniors could personalize them.
According to Jacobs, the table was a success. She said about 133 shirts were tie-dyed between students and community members. The junior and sophomore classes gave the senior class funds to get shirts, making this a more inclusive event.
While tie-dying, attendees were able to listen to music thanks to Sound Services and Fredonia Radio Systems.
On the bill for this show were Two Peas in a Pod, Plymouth Knob, Hit GRL and Bone Machine.
Facilities Services helped set up the event on Ring Road so that there could be live performances outside, produced with the help of Hunter Halterman, Elena Fitzgerald and Josh Ribakove from Fredonia Radio Systems (FRS) and the bands that played that day.
Fredonia Radio Systems booked the bands, while Sound Services provided the equipment.
Michael Tumbaco, a SUNY Fredonia alum and the bassist for Hit GRL, said, “This is kind of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and it was an honor to be able to play [during it].”
Between the Hit GRL and Bone Machine sets, there was a break for everyone to watch the eclipse. Food trucks shut down and music stopped as everyone put their glasses on and looked to the sky.