On April 8th, 2024, students and faculty members of Morton West High School participated in a rare celestial event, a total solar eclipse. The total solar eclipse that Morton West, as well as many Americans, viewed, held the attention of all as it briefly paraded through the sky. A fulfilling feeling was conjured for all those who watched as the moon cast a shadow over our planet’s beloved star.
On Monday, students were led to the football field and given solar eclipse glasses by their 5th-period teachers. The event was put together with the help of many; one person in particular was Mr. Eric Mitchell, the astronomy teacher at Morton West. Mr. Mitchell hoped that seeing the solar eclipse would bring some sort of new perspective to students. “People tend to forget that we live on a tiny dirt-covered rock with an iron center. We sometimes just see the moon and think, “meh”. To see the moon revolve in front of the sun and the effects thereafter, it makes space very real for me.”
Another one of Mr. Mitchell’s contributions to the solar eclipse event was staged by his students. To help deepen people’s knowledge of the solar eclipse, Mitchell’s students created teaching stations to teach their peers about the complexities of the sun and how eclipses occur.
One Morton West student who had the chance to see the eclipse was Senior Genesis Ceja. Ceja, along with many other students, were surprised by the feelings provoked by witnessing the eclipse. “Seeing the eclipse made me feel grateful for being able to experience these types of events.” The next total solar eclipse in the U.S. is set to take place in 2044, and Ceja is already eagerly anticipating the event. “I am definitely looking forward to the next eclipse,” Ceja claims. “If I have the opportunity, I would love to travel to a place with totality.”
Morton West students were told about the opportunity to attend the solar event the week before spring break, giving students something to look forward to when they return from spring break. The event was held on the Morton football field by either their 5th or 6th-period teacher.
Being able to see this eclipse served as a moment of reflection, awe, and wonder for students, reminding them of the beauty of the planet we inhabit and everything else beyond it. The memories of this shared viewing experience are ones that students will take with them past their high school careers and will recall whenever they look up at the sky.
