UCA partnered with the Conway City Chamber of Commerce to dazzle visitors with an eclipse watch party at Estes Stadium on April 8.
Bruce Street, between Lewis Science Center and the Estes Park Apartments, was lined with vendors from across the central Arkansas region, including campus RSOs.
One RSO with a booth was Green Bear Coalition, which sold plants and had a guest speckled king snake, named Speckles.
Visitors to Green Bear Coalition’s booth were allowed to pet and hold Speckles. The pots that the plants were sold in were painted by students during a collaborative event with Allies in STEM on April 4.
Freshman Kailyn Jeffries thought that the vendors and RSOs were nice, and the selection of merchandise was good.
Student Erin George holds a speckled king snake. The Green Bear Coalition had the snake at its booth at the viewing party.
“The vendors were really nice. Everybody was selling really good stuff, the lines were a bit long but that’s to be expected. The food was great, all the trinkets and tokens were great,” Jeffries said.
UCA expected an influx of visitors on campus, with some even RSVPing from Baltimore, MD, according to Chief of Staff Whitehead at the SGA Town Hall March 28.
“We do have RSVPs from 20+ states, I think it’s approaching 25, so there’s definitely a lot of interest [in UCA]. Most recently the chamber told me that someone from Baltimore said they’re coming here because we have so many educational and fun activities planned on campus,” Whitehead said.
Some students appreciated the amount of visitors, like freshman Damian McCone, who enjoyed meeting new people.
“I think it was fun, there were a lot of people, so it was fun to go around and talk to people,” McCone said.
Two partygoers take a selfie on the field at Estes Stadium. The next total eclipse in Arkansas is not expected until 2045.
Free eclipse glasses were handed out by the university to anyone who wanted them, and playlists consisted of celestial and eclipse-themed songs, such as “Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler,” and “Talking to the Moon” by Bruno Mars.
A man looks up at the sky with eclipse glasses. Visitors from across the state and country came to UCA's eclipse-viewing party at Estes Stadium.
The watch party also featured the Toad Suck Car Club, NASA TV on the big screen, and UCA faculty scientists to answer questions.
As totality approached, attendees were invited onto the stripes of the football field and into the stands to watch.
“So it’s been awesome out here. It’s been lots of fun. There are a lot more people than I was expecting, but it’s still a great event. Lots of cool T-shirts, good food for people.
“The eclipse was awesome. We all went out on the football field and it looked like a sunset all around us. It lasted longer than I was expecting as well. It was a really awesome event and a good time. I wish it could happen again even though it won’t,” freshman Luke Miles said.
The next solar eclipse to pass through Arkansas will be Aug. 12, 2045, and will run a similar path to the August 21, 2017, eclipse.
