–Historic school is home to the oldest
observatory in the U.S.
–E-Calypso party coming to
campus
HUDSON,
Ohio, March 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- While many
schools will be closed on April 8,
2024 for the total solar eclipse, Western Reserve Academy
(WRA) in Hudson, OH is using the
day to celebrate its place in the path of totality, and its place
in history.
OH high school with US's oldest observatory
plans novel celebration for Eclipse Day.
Home to the oldest observatory in the country still standing on
its original foundation, WRA has a long history of observing what's
happening overhead. Viewing the eclipse in the path of totality
will continue the school's fascination with exploration, science
and the wonders of the cosmos.
The Loomis Observatory, constructed on WRA's campus in 1838
based on the plan of astronomer Elias
Loomis, still contains many of its original stargazing
instruments. Loomis used the observatory to gaze at everything from
Halley's Comet to thousands of stars and storms, documenting it all
in letters and books now housed in the nearly 200-year-old high
school's archives.
Fast forward to today and WRA is approaching a very big birthday
-- its Bicentennial in 2026. WRA Head of School Suzanne Walker Buck thought eclipse day,
occurring in the same month that WRA was founded in 1826, would be
the perfect time to launch a two-year celebration of its
Bicentennial.
"Our school's motto is Lux et Veritas, or light and truth," said
Buck. "So, when the eclipse happens on April
8, we'll enjoy the collective wonder of the dark and the
metaphorical moment of the lux, or the light, coming back on to
kick off our Bicentennial celebration."
On eclipse day, students will be treated to an (e) calypso band,
moon pies, performances (the choir will sing "Total Eclipse of the
Heart," of course) and time capsule creation under a large tent on
campus. When it's time to look skyward during the 3 o'clock hour,
community members will don safety glasses and another special piece
of eyewear to celebrate WRA's two centuries of existence.
Media is welcome to join us that day from the Observatory or
other corners of campus for unique vantage points, historical and
scientific commentary, and excitement about this once-in-a-lifetime
celestial event. Junior student Aparajita Shimpi started the school's Astronomy
Club and is available to offer a kids-eye view of the eclipse that
day, alongside her mentor/teacher Ignacio
de Echevarria. She discovered her passion for space as a
middle school student at Bedford Stuyvesant School in New York City and, since coming to WRA, has
worked to preserve and provide access to the school's observatory.
She plans to host future stargazing events and is involved with
NASA's Citizen Science Projects, sourcing data to NASA for the
space sciences.
Western Reserve Academy was founded in 1826. It is ranked top in
the state for STEM and college preparation and was named the Most
Beautiful Private School in Ohio
by Architectural Digest. The student body includes 439
students from 33 countries and 30 states. The spirited school
believes in joy in education and has been known to sing about
it.
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SOURCE Western Reserve Academy