When Lizzy Konopelski, senior, awoke on eclipse day, Monday the 21st, she didn’t even need her morning coffee. Breakfast tasted sweeter. For the first time in four years, she drove to MHS with excitement.

“I was in a better mood,” Konopelski said. “I felt more energetic and ready because I was actually looking forward to something that day.”

When sixth hour commenced, Konopelski walked with her friends to the turf and watched the light, sunny sky turn to dark.

“It was beautiful,” Konopelski said. “The stars were out. We saw Venus. I only wish it had been longer.”

All over MHS, the eclipse meant different things for different people. Students who chose to watch at school were afforded the opportunity to see the special event with close friends. Others gazed at the sun from home, staying with family and loved ones.

Although Tyler Sieli, senior, viewed the eclipse from school, he said the event proved to be therapeutic for his family.

“My dad texted me. He said ‘Wow wish we could have all watched that together. Just like the eclipse, we are all so proud of each of you’,” Sieli said. “My mom said, ‘You guys light up our lives.’”

Sieli said watching the eclipse with his friends made the event even more special than he’d previously imagined.

“I think it really brought us together,” Sieli said. “To experience new things with people you love and care for is awesome. It’s a great feeling.”

Scott Szevery, history teacher, witnessed the total eclipse with students. To commemorate the event, he wore a black shirt with a fancy trim, pinstriped black pants, leather shoes, paisley tie, and welders glasses which were certified safe for viewing an eclipse.

“Because it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, I treated this like a special day,” Szevery said. “You dress up for your wedding because that’s hopefully a once in a lifetime opportunity, so I dressed up a little bit for the eclipse.”

Szevery said he was thrilled with how the watch party was managed by the MHS administration. Taking time off of school to see something like that, he reasoned, is imperative.

“I think it’s fantastic,” Szevery said. “It’s potentially a once in a lifetime opportunity so it’s outstanding that they decided to go ahead.”

Dr. Dan Ramsey, junior principal, said the administration developed contingency plans for the eclipse months in advance.

“We were trying to figure out the logistics, the possible contingencies, the possible issues,” Dr. Ramsey said. “The big issue at the secondary level were concerned with traffic, crashes, and the sun.”

Dr. Ramsey said the purported risks with the eclipse would not let the administration detract from the student expeirence.

” We determined this was gonna be a unique, once in a lifetime experience and we wanted to experience the environment with our student,” Dr. Ramsey

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RSD safety precautions pre-eclipse:

RSD ensures safety during eclipse

Students watch eclipse outside of school:

Students watch eclipse outside of school