College students, officials hold “Great Eclipse” party in Georgia

By Colleen Knight (EBC Florida Bureau)
Eagle News Service

BRUNSWICK, Georgia (Eagle News) – “Cloudy” and “rainy” are not the words usually used to describe ideal eclipse viewing conditions, but those were the conditions at the College of Coastal Georgia viewing party in Brunswick, Georgia, in the United States.

Despite the gloomy weather, as 2 p.m. on Monday (August 21) approached, excited students, faculty and staff began to gather. A palpable tension was in the air. College staff, administrators and science department faculty worried that their viewing plans would be ruined by the inclement weather.

Thirteen minutes before totality (or 93.6% for this part of Georgia), the rain stopped and the Physical Sciences Lab Coordinator, Ms. Sheila Ebri, rolled the large solar-filtered Dobsonian telescope out to the academic quad. Cloud cover was still thick but at 2:40 p.m. the clouds parted and the telescope was locked on target.

Students, faculty, staff and administrators stood in line to take their turns at the scope. Others looked up to the skies with their filtered glasses to watch the amazing spectacle. Some eclipsers even created crescent shadows through their hands.

Dr. Meg Amstutz, the Interim President of the College of Coastal Georgia, was very excited because today was not only the day of the eclipse, but also the first day of classes.

“It’s truly fortunate that the College of Coastal Georgia’s students will be starting Fall semester classes on the day of the eclipse,” Amstutz said. “This impressive natural occurrence will spark discussions about science, mathematics, astronomy, history and literature among our students and those in the community.”

Joining Amstutz were faculty from every discipline on campus. Mr. Jeff LeMieux, a Professor of Art, but also an avid hobby astronomer was also in attendance. Although he works in the arts, LeMieux is keenly aware of the importance of science for every citizen.

“It is important to understand our human nature, our environment, and our place in the universe. Science is vital in the development of this understanding,” said LeMieux.

For the freshman of the class of 2021, the first day of the rest of their academic careers was marked by an amazing phenomenon that they were able to share with their fellow students, the college faculty and staff, and even the college administrators. It is truly a day many will remember for years to come.

(Eagle News Service)