Eclipse Day.What was all the hype about?
By WILLIAM INOUE ‘27
It doesn’t matter if you open Instagram or TikTok; the topic of the solar eclipse is always at the top. Throughout history, we have always regarded the solar eclipse in various ways. Some saw it as a curse bestowed upon them by god; others saw it as a blessing. Yet, what is consistent is the importance of the solar eclipse to people. On April 8, continental America was in the path of totality. The last time this happened was in 2017; the next would be in 2044. It is because the fact that the next eclipse will be in 21 years in the United States generated so much excitement around the eclipse that everyone, including their dogs, rushed into the path of totality. Some claim this is a once-in-a-lifetime event, while the next lunar eclipse is next year, and the next solar eclipse in two years, which will hit a large portion of Europe. Yet, this raises the question of whether the complication of attempting to view the solar eclipse in its totality is all worth it.
Schools from Texas to New Hampshire had early releases or an entire day off for the eclipse, citing many reasons: for example, it may be dangerous for students to commute as they expect heavy traffic and potential danger by looking directly at the sun. Phillips Exeter Academy chose to do none of that and remained adamant about its decision to persist in school. There was no reason for Exeter to cancel school as there was no danger of traffic or people injuring themselves. However, students were deeply disappointed about the decision. There were countless (91) petitions to the deans to leave campus to experience the totality, as on campus it only reached 96 percent. When the deans denied these petitions, numerous people discussed possible methods to bypass it by fatiguing classes to travel. This strong desire to see this solar eclipse, although it would occur again in two years when most students would have much more freedom, is something we can all relate to.
The back-and-forth between students and the school continued, as no one had any luck organizing a legal petition to attend the total solar eclipse. Everyone thought the situation was out of luck until [the senior who is the former Student Council] forged a pseudoreligion, “Besselian Truth.” This was the winning card, as the senior found a way to email the entire school and gained momentum in his attempt to seek a legal loophole. He successfully made the school accept select petitions to join the mass, traveling to Vermont to see the totality.
Frankly, to me, this entire situation had no meaning. There should be no reason to stop school for a whole day for something that someone can experience more than once. If one were to have the day off for some reason, no one could dictate what they did with it. However, students’ duty is to attend classes and adhere to the school’s rules and guidelines.
What fueled this already raging fire was the pseudoreligion created by the senior. In his email to the entire student body, he wrote, “Become a believer in the Besselian Truth and argue for your spiritual freedom to observe the Day of Obscuration as was foretold by the Prophecy of the Eighth.” He would also claim, “Together, we can aggressively lobby the administration for freedom.” It is hard to find the religious claims serious when the senior claims that missing a full day of classes is our “freedom.” To add insult to injury, some parents would hop onto this bandwagon, claiming their spiritual right to view the solar eclipse.
It is not. While I am not religious, I am understanding and compassionate about others’ religions. However, creating the “Besselian Truth” was a malicious and deliberate act to take advantage of Exeter’s role in accepting all religious beliefs. It is a malevolent attempt by the senior to get what he wants by any means necessary. It is even worse that some parents do not see the disruptive nature of missing an entire day of class and supporting their child in this. It should be the adults’ responsibility to reason with the students and guide them to realize that the entire “Besselian Truth” only exists to take advantage of the school’s rules.
To Exeter, this issue may extend beyond missing a day of classes to safety concerns. A group of students in my dorm drove to Vermont to view the eclipse in its totality. They left the school at around 10:30 a.m. and returned at 3:00 a.m. the next morning. They spent almost 17 hours away from school, supervised and supported by teachers. I understand petitions and Orah passes allow the school to distance itself from the responsibility, yet as a boarding school, Exeter still values its students’ safety.
That being said, the eclipse was not entirely negative. I want to mention the surrealness of the eclipse while it was occurring. Everything that was supposed to be bright was dark, and the day felt strange. It was an interesting experience, even at 96 percent totality. Yet my argument still stands: we should not create legal loopholes through pseudoreligions, nor should we disrupt an entire day’s worth of class for the solar eclipse when it is bound to occur again in two years.