Hamilton community watches the solar eclipse
By Erin Delaney ’26, News Editor
On Monday, April 8, Hamilton College students, faculty, and staff participated in viewing the biggest astronomical event of the year: the Great American Solar Eclipse. This was the last total solar eclipse visible in New York until 2079, hitting 99.4 percent coverage on campus at approximately 3:24 p.m. on Monday afternoon. Syracuse and the nearby Adirondacks were on the total solar eclipse’s pathway, while Hamilton and Clinton were on the edge of the pathway. In the days leading up to the eclipse, areas in the pathway planned for their populations to swell. New York State Police and other agencies shared guidelines and safety tips for travelers including being prepared for traffic jams, charging cell phones, filling up cars with gas ahead of the event and bringing extra supplies.
Hamilton students had been anticipating the astronomical event as well. Lila Cahill ’27 says, “the energy on the Hamilton campus was exciting to see because everybody was interested and talking about the eclipse, which made it feel like a very wholesome and fun experience. I was glad to be a part of it.”
Around 2:00 p.m. a crowd gathered at Burke Library for the Campus Viewing Party on the front steps, where they could see the eclipse through telescopes, eclipse goggles and pinhole viewers. Hamilton College set up two eclipse glasses distribution points throughout the day for students to pick up their glasses. Lily Rizzoli ’24 joined the library viewing spot in front of the library during the eclipse. “I did not expect to see so many people from the community come out,” she told The Spectator.
An off-campus total eclipse viewing was hosted by Associate Professor of Instruction for Physics Adam Lark, where campus community members could take buses to White-Otter Fish & Game Club in Woodgate, N.Y. Eclipse glasses and telescopes were available for viewing. According to Lark, the event gathered a little over 800 people, including students, staff, faculty and community members. Hamilton coordinated with the local library to have community members attend the eclipse event as well. Lark says that people were generally relaxed and having fun, playing soccer in the field and setting up camping tents. “It was a good vibe, for a lack of a better word,” Lark comments. “Everyone was hanging out outside enjoying the day.” When the eclipse reached totality, Lark says “it got really quiet all of a sudden. It was like a shadow had passed over us. Everyone had a moment of disbelief. Then everyone started cheering.”
One of the popular viewing spots off-campus was Verona Beach State Park, where Hamilton students joined crowds of people from the surrounding towns in viewing the eclipse. People from all ages traveled various distances to gather in the field, picnic tables, and surrounding the lake at the state park. Groups of college students played field games, families had picnics and barbeques and others tailgated in the expansive parking lot. Sophie Antone ’24, who went to Verona Beach State Park with her friends to watch the eclipse says, “the one in 2017 was underwhelming so this one definitely exceeded my expectations and was so cool!”
The Hamilton Men’s and Women’s Rowing teams went on a joint row on the Erie Canal into the path of totality for the solar eclipse. Hunter Howard ’27, a member of the Men’s Rowing team, says “it was an incredible opportunity to incorporate this once in a lifetime event with the sport and people I love. I will always have the memory of the hour-long row to the path of totality, where maybe it was actually more so about the journey rather than the destination.” Kai Polozie ’27 reported to The Spectator that he was very grateful for the rowing team giving them “the opportunity to row into totality along the Erie Canal.” He says “it was wonderful to get to experience the eclipse with my teammates, especially in such a unique place.” John Myles ’24 summed up his experience rowing into the path of totality with three words: “It was fue.”
Hamilton students also traveled to Lake Delta in Oneida County to view the eclipse, where they had overwhelmingly positive experiences and were surprised by the incredible effects of the natural phenomenon.
Susie Anderson ’27 says she had not thought much of the eclipse before, “but when it was actually happening it felt really cool. I loved the fact that it felt like a purely human moment when everyone started cheering and clapping when full totality hit and everything got dark.”
Marcie Coeny ’26 says she set her expectations low because she didn’t want to be disappointed, but she “really enjoyed the eclipse.” She told The Spectator, “I feel like it deeply connected me with nature and more so with my friends. I’m so happy to have experienced such a rare event with people I love.”
There was a strong sense of community among the groups of people gathered to watch the eclipse. Abby Baron ’26, who attended Professor Lark’s Woodgate viewing, says, “It was fun to be around everyone from Hamilton experiencing such a cool event together. It created a nice sense of community and it’s definitely something I’ll remember for years to come.”
Lark says that “the most beautiful part about these big astronomical events, eclipses especially, is that it just brings everyone together. The comradery is just palpable. No matter your religion or your political beliefs, everyone is there hanging out, sharing space and enjoying the sky.”
