Unity Under the Eclipse: A Moment of Profound Wonder

On Monday, as the moment of totality drew near, I found myself gazing across the Richard F. Brush ’52 University Quad, surrounded by fellow human beings, all sharing in a profound sense of wonder. As totality descended upon us, a symphony of sounds filled the air: cheers, applause and even tears of awe. I’ll admit I was one of those who couldn’t help but be moved to tears. It was unlike anything I had witnessed on campus, with students, professors, friends, family and Canton residents alike all gazing skyward as if we were the sole inhabitants of the universe. Though I may have been unfamiliar with most faces around me, in that moment, I realized they were all integral parts of an eclipse experience that would be in my memory forever. The overwhelming emotion I felt stemmed from the breathtaking spectacle unfolding before us and the fact that millions of people across North America were sharing in this same cosmic event. As I gazed up at the celestial bodies, I couldn’t help but feel a profound connection to the universe, recognizing that we, as humans, are composed of the same elemental matter as the moon and the sun. The quote from Alan Watts, “You are the universe experiencing itself,” had suddenly become clear to me. This eclipse served as a unifying force, bringing together individuals along the path of totality for a fleeting but unforgettable moment. In those precious minutes, I experienced some of the most profound moments of my 21 years of life. 

Despite this eclipse being a “once in a lifetime experience,” in reality, they happen pretty often. The eclipse of the sun is as certain to us as something could be. We can predict when and where eclipses are going to happen hundreds of years from now, but something is so special about being able to see it from your home, your school or even your work. After the eclipse was over, I saw so many pictures and videos of people looking up at the sky — wearing protective glasses, of course — with childlike wonder written all over their faces. The sight of this is almost as overwhelming as the eclipse itself. Humans are complicated and unpredictable. We all have our own lives and priorities, and unfortunately, we don’t care too much about strangers unless they can do something for us. But seeing people of all backgrounds look up and past their differences in an indifferent universe should remind us of how petty some of our conflicts are. In the United States, unified is not a word many would use to describe our current landscape. For those three minutes, it seemed like all in the path of totality was unified. It shows that unity in some respects is possible, and we should look for that as opposed to letting our disagreements be our downfall. Our existence is brief and inconsequential to the universe at large; why do we spend it arguing with each other? We should savor and remember these moments of unity and strive for them even when we are just going about our daily lives. 

During the three minutes of totality, I’ll admit that I took some photos and videos. I had to capture not only the phenomenon but also the people around me who were fully immersed in it. I savored the moment in a way that I felt had the biggest impact on me. After, I reflected on my time on the quad and my place in the universe. The vastness and unknown nature of it and how I got to call it home. I get to live in this moment in time, a tiny blip in the infinite universe. My friend Elena Lindquist ’24 said it quite well, “This is why I believe people believe in a god, a greater universal force that we cannot control. A real-life spectacle in space that we can witness from our small existence on earth.” I knew that everything that had happened in my life and the universe led me to stand on the quad with some of my closest friends and many more strangers. 

Of course, after reflecting, I called my mom. Knowing how excited she was that I got to live in that moment. Since then, I’ve been thinking of other ways to recreate that feeling of awe in my everyday life. Quickly, I realized that I lived in one of the most beautiful areas in the United States. We at SLU are surrounded by nature and we have so many opportunities to spend time together in nature. Taking advantage of these opportunities is a great way to integrate that feeling we got from the eclipse into our lives. We should not feel small or insignificant in these instances but instead appreciate our surroundings and those we choose to do so with. 

I truly think this eclipse was one of the greatest moments of my life. It’s not something that I’ll ever forget. I even got a T-shirt, a cup, and a poster to commemorate it. But the materialistic side doesn’t matter. Sure, those things will surely be in my life longer than the three minutes I spent staring at the sky, but those three minutes are so much more than something that can be captured on a shirt or a poster. It reminded me of my place in the universe as well as the unifying power of such an amazing event. The combination of the people around me and the sight of these celestial bodies moving in tandem brought me to a place I hope I can relive for years to come.