LWC Students Look to the Sky as the 2024 Great Solar Eclipse Passes Over the Region

COLUMBIA, KY. – Lindsey Wilson College students had their eyes on the sky as they gathered at the campus quadrangle on Monday to catch a glimpse of the great solar eclipse of 2024.

The partial solar eclipse began in Columbia, Kentucky, around 2 p.m. CT. with the moon blocking about 80-90% of the sun. Several hundred campus community members assembled on the lawn in anticipation of the astronomical event that won’t occur again in the contiguous U.S. until August 23, 2044.

LWC Junior Saleh Pierre Ekuchi from Kigoma, Tanzania, says he remembers the eclipse from seven years ago.

“I was a 13-year-old high school freshman then,” said Ekuchi, a psychophysiology major and member of the men’s soccer program. “Time flies – it feels like yesterday – to think I’ll be 40 years old before the next one comes around.”

Event coordinator and Student Activities Director Stephanie Blackwood who joined LWC’s staff in December expressed her satisfaction at seeing the students come together and deepen their understanding of this rare phenomenon.

“Several classes let out early or canceled for the watch party,” said Blackwood, a 2023 LWC graduate from Liberty, Kentucky. “The turnout is amazing. I am excited to see a variety of groups, clubs and athletic programs represented here today. These young people will have families and full-time jobs by the time an eclipse of this magnitude rolls around again. Hopefully, they will look back with fond memories.”

Another group of LWC students traveled nearly three hours to experience the solar eclipse within the path of totality. Led by LWC Professor of Physics Mark McKinnon – 75 students, faculty and staff departed early Monday morning for Ferdinand State Park in Dubois County, Indiana.

“Ferdinand State Park was within the path of totality, where the moon completely obscured the sun,” said McKinnon. “A total solar eclipse is one of nature’s most dramatic events yet it is not destructive. This was a breathtaking experience that many people only see once in their lifetime. I am delighted that so many students were eager to make the trip today. This is an experience they will cherish and remember always."

The educational excursion was made possible by a Horizon Grant and was open to all LWC students on a first-come, first-served basis.