DMC Campus Community “Solarbrates” Great American Eclipse with Watch Party on April 8
DMC students and employees gathered at Heritage Campus Amphitheatre for solar themed event with special viewing glasses, music, drinks and snacks to mark occasion
Article by Melinda Eddleman
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The celestial event was called the “Great American Eclipse.” And, even though the weather was cloudy in the Coastal Bend, Del Mar College (DMC) students and employees found the total solar eclipse as cause for a “Solarbration” on Monday, April 8, when the Moon passed between the Sun and Earth for a short time, completely blocking the face of the star also called “Sol” that sits in the center of our solar system.
During the eclipse, the track of the Moon’s shadow across Earth’s face, known as the path of totality, measured about 115 miles wide and included Corpus Christi as that shadow moved from across Texas and the United States toward Canada’s Atlantic Coast.
With the help of the Student Leadership and Campus Life Office and the College Relations Office, the College celebrated the occasion and built campus community camaraderie with DMC students and employees gathering at the Heritage Campus Amphitheatre for a one-hour watch party from 1 to 2 p.m. as the “Great American Eclipse” took place at approximately 1:33 p.m. in the Coastal Bend for a duration of totality lasting less than five minutes.
Participants received special-ordered viewing classes to watch the solar eclipse and themed drinks like Sunny D, Sunkist and Capri Sun, along with snacks and candy such as Moonpies, Sun Chips, Star Crunch, Cosmic Brownies, Starbursts, Milky Way Bars and Eclipse and Orbit Gum.
In addition to the celestial-named snacks and drinks, organizers piped music from a celestial-themed playlist, including Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden), Blinded by the Light (Manfred Mann’s Earth Band), Dark Side Of The Moon (Pink Floyd), Good Day Sunshine and Here Comes The Sun (The Beatles), Island In The Sun (Weezer), Total Eclipse of the Heart (Bonnie Tyler), Walking On Sunshine (Katrina & The Waves) and You are my Sunshine (Johnny Cash).
The next total solar eclipse won’t occur over the continuous United States until 2044. For more detailed information about the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse, go to greatamericaneclipse.com.
Del Mar College empowers students to achieve their dreams. We offer quality programs, individual attention, outstanding instruction through faculty with real-world experience and affordable costs to credit and noncredit students in Corpus Christi and the South Texas Coastal Bend area. Nationally recognized while locally focused, we’re ranked in the top two percent of community colleges in the country granting associate degrees to Hispanic students (Community College Week). Del Mar College focuses on offering our students programs that match current or emerging career opportunities. Whether students are interested in the fine arts, sciences, business, occupational or technical areas, students get the education they need for the future they want at Del Mar College.