TU turns out for The Great Eclipse

Published 3:13 pm Monday, August 21, 2017

THOMASVILLE — Students, faculty and staff basked in the sun in front of Thomas University’s Smith-Bonvillian Hall on Monday afternoon, waiting for the sky to grow dark.

With Sun Chips, moon pies and solar eclipse glasses, TU students and staff turned their gaze skyward to watch the eclipse.

“This is cool,” said Courtney Rosa, the TU student activities coordinator. “This could be a once in a lifetime experience. I’ve never seen anything like this.”

Students gathered together, and through the glasses provided by the school, saw the sun diminish behind the moon.

“It’s pretty cool,” said Sam Ledbury, a TU student from Brussels, Belgium. 

Added his roommate, Rory Henderson of Edinburgh, Scotland, “It is a once in a lifetime experience.”

Henderson also pointed out that he was “blind as a bat” when looking at anything else through the glasses.

Freshmen Rhetta Weeks and Faythe Choate reclined under a tree’s shade to watch the eclipse.

“I think it’s really cool,” Weeks said. 

Added Choate, “It is a once in a lifetime thing.”

There also were eclipse T-shirts to commemorate the event for students.

“It’s nice to see everyone come to an event as TU students altogether,” Rosa said.

The lawn in front of Smith-Bonvillian also provided a clear view of the sky, which gave eclipse-viewers a great vantage point after a few clouds passed by.

“This is a perfect location for it,” Rosa said.

Editor Pat Donahue can be reached at (229) 226-2400 ext. 1806.