Yesterday’s Flexible Instructional Day was no ordinary day away from NASH. For many students, Monday, April 8 was the occasion for students and families to witness an extraordinary astronomical event, a solar eclipse, which is a rare occurence when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, blocking the view of the sun. 

“The eclipse begins in Mexico, and then crosses over into the U.S. through Texas. From there, the path of totality, which is approximately 115 miles wide, extends northeast, crossing through 13 states. In the U.S., totality will end in Maine, but the eclipse will eventually enter the maritime provinces of Canada,” said Emily DeLetter from USA Today.

NASH junior Reagan Ball traveled to her grandparents’ house in Erie to watch the eclipse.

“Being in the line of totality, we knew the day would be special. We prepared by creating eclipse-themed dishes and getting shirts, making a whole day out of the event,” Ball said. “Once it finally started, we were all stunned. Everyone was speechless as we watched the moon cross over the sun. My favorite part was taking my glasses off at [full] totality and seeing the amazement on everyone’s faces.”

The totality, which is the area where the moon fully blocks out the sun, is a path that about 31.6 million people could have seen. The path ranged between 108 and 122 miles wide.

NASH junior Brenna Collery enjoyed her day while camping with her family in Pymatuning State Park, which was directly in the path of the totality.

“The eclipse was incredible, and during totality the area around us became very dark and cold,” Collery said. “People were screaming and cheering. It was probably the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Anna Fiffik, a junior, traveled north on Insterstate 79 to Edinboro, PA, to experience the event on her family ranch.

“I think that it was very pretty and interesting, but I just kind of wish I stayed closer to Wexford,” she said. 

Fiffik traveled with her mother and her friend Annika Good, a junior, and did all of the driving.

“It took us three hours to get there,” Good said, “but it took us four hours to get home.”

Not every student, however, adjusted their schedule yesterday to see the eclipse.

“I kind of forgot about it and ended up sleeping through it,” said one junior who asked to remain anonymous.

For residents of western Pennsylvania, yesterday may have been their only chance to see such a dramatic event. According to NASA, 2026 will offer a similar opportunity, but only in parts of Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia and parts of Portugal.