News

On Monday, April 8th, fifty St. Lawrence students and staff travelled South in search of the total solar eclipse.

At 1:30pm, the group piled into two yellow school buses and headed in the direction of the bridge. Brilliant sunshine and warm spring weather had enticed many others to attempt the journey, so the St. Lawrence group found themselves stuck in standstill traffic, waiting nearly an hour and a half before finally being able to cross the river. A time-related anxiety had permeated by that point and when the bus finally pulled onto the Pont de Québec, cheering ensued. 

The partial eclipse started when the bus was still in motion, with students struggling to get a glimpse of the sky (through eclipse glasses!) out the windows. The traffic-related delay was significant. By the time the group reached Lévis, the eclipse was already at 30% coverage.

One bus had the good fortune of making it to the totality area, experiencing the once-in-a-lifetime view of a dark sky full of stars and just the sun's corona. The other bus only made it to Sainte-Marie, stopping in the Domaine Taschereau Nature Park, which experienced a 99.6% eclipse. All the same, the experience was breathtaking. Students and staff joined local eclipse-seekers and gathered to look up at the sky, many pointing out that a planet's light was visible in the minutes just before the peak of the eclipse.

Over several minutes, the sunlight dimmed, with a breathtaking darkness eventually falling. It felt like dusk, the temperature dropping rapidly. Some students said the experience felt surreal, even spiritual. But the highlight of the day was agreed to be the sharing of such a unique experience. "I appreciated the energy on the bus ride," said Social Science student Sami Benmahbous.

Merrick Marshall, a student in the Science program and head of the STEM-oriented student group Proto-St.Lo, was excited to experience the astronomical phenomenon, but felt it was about more than that. "I think what defined the eclipse was the human aspect... the buildup that you get with friends and the stories we make together," he shared.

The event was over just as soon as it began. After half an hour of leg-stretching and camaraderie, everyone hopped back on the bus and headed North once again, facing little traffic on the return trip. It was a remarkable day, and one these students will not soon forget.