Illinois State University students are throwing a party on the Quad, and you’re invited.
Thousands of students, faculty, and staff members are expected on the Quad next Monday, April 8, for a watch party as Central Illinois experiences a total solar eclipse, an astronomical event that won’t be seen again locally for 20 years.
“It’s beautiful to see this object out there in space perfectly align with the sun and the Earth to create this phenomenon,” said junior Brayden Sefranek, president of Illinois State’s Astronomy Club and one of the student organizers of the campus event. “Even if you’re not interested in astronomy, you’ll get something out of it.”
The eclipse’s “path of totality” will run along a narrow arc across North America. The path cuts through Illinois south and east of Bloomington-Normal, but campus viewers can still expect to see the moon obscure approximately 96% of the sun. The eclipse will begin to pass over Bloomington-Normal around 12:47 p.m., be most prominent at 2:04 p.m., and conclude at 3:19 p.m.
Illinois State will celebrate the celestial event with educational opportunities leading up to and during the eclipse. Fifteen thousand pairs of solar eclipse glasses will be available for students, faculty, and staff free of charge (limit one per person), and the glasses will be collected at the conclusion of the eclipse for donation to other countries that will soon experience an eclipse.
“I didn’t realize how big of an event this was when we got started or how much I’d learn throughout it,” said graduate student and event organizer Bella Ogurek ’23. “I’ve never planned anything this big, so it’s been a great experience to be a part of it all.”
Illinois State’s campus last experienced a total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017. Director of Emergency Management Eric Hodges admits much was learned that day. A late delivery of eclipse glasses presented distribution challenges. An unfavorable forecast had organizers ready to cancel a campus viewing event, only for the clouds to part just in time for eclipse.
This time, Hodges started planning earlier … and with a different approach.
“We decided to rely more on student leadership, because there was interest there,” he said. “And it’s presented a unique opportunity for students to work with other students, faculty, and staff to lead a pretty significant campus-wide effort.”
“I didn’t realize how big of an event this was when we got started or how much I’d learn throughout it. I’ve never planned anything this big, so it’s been a great experience to be a part of it all.”
—Bella Ogurek ’23
Planning started last fall with representatives from five registered student organizations—American Society of Safety Professionals, Astronomy Club, Physics Club, Emergency Services Club, and Solar Car Team—taking the lead. They’ve been supported primarily by five campus units: Environmental Health and Safety, Office of Sustainability, Emergency Management, Physics, and Health Sciences.
For the past six months, students have collaborated by sharing ideas over emails and Zoom meetings. They’ve split into two teams with separate focuses on logistics and education. Once a month, they’ve met with staff and faculty in Illinois State’s Emergency Operations Center to present their ideas and gather feedback.
“They’ve been really hands-off but been there to give us support to get things up and running,” Sefranek said.
Ogurek is on the logistics team. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communication studies last year and is currently enrolled in the public health master’s program. She’s also been active in the Emergency Services Club at Illinois State. It all makes her uniquely equipped to serve as an event organizer, managing event promotion, signage, and distribution and collection of eclipse glasses.
“One of the things Emergency Services Club focuses on aside from emergency preparedness on campus is getting members experience with fire, police, EMS (emergency medical services), and Emergency Management,” she said. “So, this has been a great experience from that perspective, because I’ve gotten to work closely with Emergency Management.”
Sefranek is on the education team. A music education major and leader of the Astronomy Club, he too is well-suited for his role. He’ll be stationed next Monday with other members of the Astronomy Club under a tent on Schroeder Plaza—command central for the event—offering opportunities to view the eclipse through telescopes and providing a live stream of the eclipse from the path of totality.
“This has been one of the best leadership experiences I’ve ever had,” he said.
Event organizers are tracking the forecast for April 8, and one lesson learned from seven years ago is that the weather can change fast. “We’ve got our fingers crossed,” Hodges said.
A clear day and a big student turnout on the Quad will be visible signs of a successful event, but the students who organized it have already won by gaining valuable experience that will serve them well when they leave Illinois State.
“This isn’t something you get in a classroom,” Ogurek said. “I’ve been in meetings with faculty and staff presenting my ideas through this. Sure, you present ideas in class, but it’s not the same compared to doing in a professional setting like this.
“So, this has been a really unique and fulfilling opportunity.”
