Total Eclipse Comes to Belmont

Students take to the main lawn to see the eclipse, Joanna Walden

Nashville went dark Monday afternoon, and it wasn’t from clouds. 

A total solar eclipse was visible throughout much of the middle of the United States on Monday. 

Belmont students, equipped with their specialty glasses and a variety of towels, and blankets found spots to see the rare sight.

 The sky in Nashville was obscured by clouds for some of the afternoon making it difficult for some to see the eclipse.

The cloudy sky obscuring the view for students trying to see the eclipse, Braden Simmons

Senior environmental science major Kennedy Warden was glad to have another shot at seeing an eclipse after a disappointing experience in high school. 

“I honestly remember it being uneventful, so I think I viewed it in a bad place. I'm excited to see what it looks like,” she said. 

Freshmen Allyson Reed, Abby Koepf and Rachel Rihani made a sign for the eclipse while wearing their glasses from Sonic, Braden Simmons

Senior audio engineering major Sara Smith came with her friends in between classes to make the most of her free time to catch a glimpse at the eclipse. 

“Just being between classes, it was a solid time to come and see it,” she said. “I was here during the last one, so getting to see it again was really fun.” 

The Bruin Shop was giving away free glasses in honor of the event but ultimately sold out hours before the event, Braden Simmons

The last eclipse students were able to see was in 2017 and the next total solar eclipse will not cross the U.S. until 2044 so some students wanted to make sure they didn’t miss the special event. 

Clarke Judd, a freshman commercial music major, was able to come with his spikeball class to the south lawn to try and see the eclipse even with all the clouds obscuring their view. 

A spikeball class out on the South lawn, Ty Wellemeyer

“Hopefully, the clouds separate and maybe we can get 100% totality,” he said. “I know that it doesn’t show that Tennessee is supposed to get any of that but maybe we’ll have that slight chance that we’ll get to have 100% all over.” 

Some professors even brought their entire classes out on the lawn to turn the event into a learning experience. 

Professor of Asian Studies, Chris Born took his lesson plan out to the main lawn speaking with his students in Japanese about the eclipse while watching it happen. 

“I think it's a once-in-a-very-long-time experience that not everybody can have. It's culturally relevant,” he said. “In Asian mythology, the idea was that a dragon would come eat the sun.” 

Students gathered around the fountain attempting to catch a glimpse of the eclipse, Elisabeth Gage

Even with the clouds obscuring their views students still cheered as clouds passed overhead giving the briefest of glimpses at the eclipse. 

“We put our glasses on, stared, and eventually the clouds moved for two seconds,” said senior Marissa Creelman. “It makes it entertaining because you never know when you're going to see it you’ve got to stay on stay on your toes.” 

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This article was written by Braden Simmons with contributory reporting by Ty Wellemeyer, Joanna Walden and Elisabeth Gage.