An eclipsing good time

University of Dayton students gathered on the Central Mall and all across campus to watch the total solar eclipse together April 8. Classes were canceled for the afternoon so students, faculty and staff and their family members could partake in University-sponsored activities and eclipse viewing. The city of Dayton, one of the cities across the U.S. where the eclipse could be viewed in totality, was the perfect place to be for this once-in-a-lifetime event. And students agreed.

UD Magazine caught up with a few of them before and after seeing the eclipse on campus and asked about the experience.

Katherine “Kat” Bishop ’25

“It's cool to see everybody coming together on a day like this to see something that's really cool in our world that just happens and everybody can appreciate the planet. Maybe it'll help people appreciate the planet more and our resources and what we have because our planet is not doing so hot right now ...”

Sean Vitales ’26

“Seeing the crowd — there’s so many people out on the field — is really cool. It's a mix of students and non-students, which is fun to see. Today, everybody is together, whether you’re student or faculty or just a Dayton resident. Everybody is welcome on campus which is cool to see — all of the different cultures are mixing together. I think that that’s really important for a campus.”

Adam Fournier ’27

“It was a lot cooler than I expected. To be completely honest, I don't think I really internalized just how dark it would get. It was like the evening around here which was really cool in the middle of the day. Totally worth sitting here and staring at the sun for a while. I suppose it's a little bit inspiring when you think of the scale of things.”

Brendan Ash ’27

“It was fun. It was cool being around all my friends, sitting in Humanities Plaza and watching it with them, chatting and talking. This was actually my second eclipse. I saw one in St. Louis back home in seventh grade. Everyone said it was a lifetime event, but this is even better because I'll remember more of it.”

Kira Yoakum ’24
“It was one of the most memorable experiences during my time at UD, seeing the community come together to watch such a special moment in the world was unforgettable.” 

Samantha Zullo ’24
“Watching the eclipse at UD gave me the opportunity to sing ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ with my friends once it reached totality! It was a truly magical moment.”