Total Eclipse of The Square

On the afternoon of Monday, April 8, Tech Square community members gathered in the courtyard to witness a rare celestial event –  a total solar eclipse crossed over the United States, Canada, and Mexico. To celebrate, we hosted a Total Eclipse of the Square viewing party. 

Around 2 p.m., participants started to gather outside to secure their free eclipse glasses and a good spot to watch all the action. While waiting for the peak of the eclipse, which was at 3:04 p.m. and only a partial viewing from Tech Square, attendees mixed and mingled with one another, enjoying complimentary Oreos and SunChips.

Community members also shared how many eclipses they’ve seen in their life thus far, with the majority witnessing only two!

Staying on theme for the day, CEO Spencer Boebel from one of our student-based startups, Blue Disk LLC, presented their solar panel concept, which involves reflecting sunlight from space to solar panels on Earth, making them much more efficient. It can also save consumers money: with the Blue Disk LLC technology, homeowners with a 9-kw solar installation can save up to $3,000.

And on the topic of making something on your own, one woman made and brought her own shadow box, crafted from cardboard and other household materials, to safely view the eclipse. This was not only incredibly innovative, but a good idea on her part, as we actually ran out of complimentary viewing glasses because so many people came to the event!

This actually worked in our favor, though, as tenants were willing to share the glasses with one another, ultimately sparking new connections and strengthening our community. And as a community focused on connections and collaboration amongst one another, it was exciting to see people come together for a unique collective experience.