Abstract

The University of Central Arkansas experienced almost four minutes of totality during the April 8, 2024 Total Solar Eclipse. This event was the capstone to many years of discussion, followed by 18 months of planning and coordination within the university, with funding agencies, and with outside groups. These brief minutes of highly anticipated totality brought together STEM and Arts (STEAM) faculty, staff, and students for a unique, fun, and educational event that reflected well on our campus and community to University visitors. We present in what follows a summary of the STEAM eclipse outreach events planned in the days and weeks prior to the eclipse, details of how events were supported by grants and by university funding, and media impacts. Any large event, such as a total solar eclipse, requires many volunteers and hours of planning; however, you, too, can create enjoyable and educational activities for your campus and community.

1. INTRODUCTION

This manuscript highlights the outreach activities at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA), which was in the path of totality during the April 8, 2024, Total Solar Eclipse. We experienced 3 minutes and 56 seconds of totality, with the beginning of the partial eclipse occurring at 12:33:50 p.m., totality beginning at 1:51:05 p.m., totality ending at 1:54:57 p.m., and the partial eclipse ending at 3:11:36 p.m. Three major outreach events occurred on the day of the eclipse, with many other events scheduled in the lead-up to the main event. Significant time and effort went into planning for these events in the months and years leading up to the eclipse by the authors, as well as many others on and off campus. Additionally, we are proud that external grants and generous donors funded the costs for the majority of these outreach activities. By our estimates, at least 4,000 people engaged in these outreach activities on the day of the eclipse, which was widely regarded as a success by the authors and the university.

UCA is located in Conway, Arkansas, 30 miles north of Little Rock (Figure 1). Arkansas has a population of approximately three million. Conway’s population numbers were more than 69,500, and it was one of the fastest-growing cities in Arkansas in 2024. UCA excels as an undergraduate and graduate institution, offering 141 degree and certificate programs, with a student body of roughly 10,000. Conway is located on a major East-West interstate, highway I-40, which links Oklahoma and Tennessee. Additionally, Interstate 30 links Texas to Little Rock and then to Conway via I-40. Our location in the path of totality (while not on the center-line) and our proximity to these interstate connections to large population centers indicated there was the potential for a large visitor presence on April 8th. Unfortunately, historical weather data predicted that we had a 50% chance of cloud cover in early April. Even in the lead-up to the eclipse, regional weather forecasts provided varied outlooks for cloud cover and precipitation for April 8th. Luckily, the afternoon of April 8 provided attendees with clear skies and 80-degree temperatures. Changing real-time weather conditions before the eclipse drove some visitors to our events from Texas, which was experiencing cloudy conditions in some regions.

1.1 ACTIVITY 1: LUNA, The Eclipse Superhero

For the April 8, 2024, Total Solar Eclipse, the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) commissioned LUNA, The Eclipse Superhero. Pittsburgh-based artist Morton Brown designed this 25-foot inflatable sculpture. LUNA is a woman of color who has Luna moth wings and stands on the Moon. With powers of camouflage, echolocation, flight, illusion awareness, and levitation, she fights evil lurking in the eclipse’s shadows (the umbra and penumbra). We chose the innovative medium of vinyl because, when compared to traditional sculpture media such as bronze, marble, or wood, it is fast, cheap, and, most importantly, portable. Between March 8 and April 8, 2024, LUNA was displayed at nine different venues across Conway, Morrilton, and the UCA campus. Key to the success of the project was our engagement with both the inflatable fabrication company Sherba Industries of Brunswick, Ohio, and the theatrical company Stage Hands LLC of Maumelle, Arkansas. The latter transported, deployed, and monitored the sculpture for eight days (64 hours total). We also enjoyed collaborations with Carolyn Lewis Elementary in Conway and Morrilton Intermediate, two public schools that participated in STEAM outreach activities, partially funded by a grant from the Arkansas Arts Council (Figure 2). Taking inspiration from LUNA, students in grades 3-4 used graphic design techniques and math to draw their names using the NASA “worm” font and embroidered constellation patterns on superhero capes (Figure 3).1 UCA faculty who collaborated on these workshops included Dr. Todd Abel (Dept. of Mathematics and STEM Institute), Professor Pete Bella (Dept. of Art and Design), Dr. Michelle Buchanan (Dept. of Teaching and Learning), and Professors Lauren Rogers and Richelle Weese (Dept. of Communication Sciences and Disorders). Additional collaborators included the Creative Institute of Central Arkansas, which facilitated LUNA’s display at the Conway Art Walk, and the UCA STEM Institute, which provided personnel and supplies for the outreach activities at the schools. Our attendance numbers far exceeded our expectations. More than 6,500 people attended events and viewed Luna on and in the month leading up to the eclipse. Visitors came from 25 states and seven foreign countries. We were pleased that 61 percent of viewers were children who were very engaged with LUNA, presumably due to her exceptional size and culturally popular superhero theme. We were also pleased to serve a diverse audience that included 39% non-white viewers.

1.2 ACTIVITY 2: Dog Barkanalia

LUNA occupied pride of place in the central rose garden at UCA’s College of Business lawn for a dog-friendly eclipse viewing party, a Barkanalia, a portmanteau combining the words “bark” and “Bacchanalia,” the latter referencing the celebratory parties of the ancient world (Figure 4). LUNA, complete with a red carpet and velvet rope stanchions, made a perfect photo opportunity for attendees and their dogs (Figure 5). LUNA also oversaw live music performed on a main stage, pet adoption, dog agility and scent work demonstrations, dog-themed lawn games, and commemorative laser-engraved dog tag giveaways (Figure 6). The tagline for this event, “Put the World on Paws,” referenced our belief that a total solar eclipse is about bringing people together, even if it is only for 3 minutes and 56 seconds (Figure 7). We hosted at least 1,369 people and countless well-behaved dogs at this event. This event was coordinated by a comprehensive 20-member committee chaired by Seymour, comprising faculty, staff, and students representing the five academic colleges, Admissions, Physical Plant, Public Appearances, Student Affairs, and Torreyson Library.

1.3 ACTIVITY 3: STEM in the End Zone

STEM student organizations at UCA, led by Slaton, worked hard to develop and execute hours of outreach to the community and campus visitors on the day of the eclipse in the Estes Stadium end zone (Figure 8). Participating student organizations included the following: Allies in STEM, American Chemical Society, Bears Teach, College of Natural Science and Mathematics Ambassadors, Geography Club, Green Bear Coalition, Pre-Dental Society, Pre-Vet Club, Robotics Club, STEM Institute, The Society of Physics Students (Figure 9), and UCA Office of Diversity & Community. STEM activities were funded through a grant from the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium and included activities such as the following: hands-on coding and robotics, UV beads and solar viewers, straw rockets, geography map scavenger hunt, slime making, film canister rockets, STEM/LGBTQ+ button crafting, phases of the moon activity with chocolate and cream filled sandwich cookies, and others. Related to the eclipse, two large white sheets provided a means to view the elusive shadow bands that occur immediately before and after totality.

Additionally, the eclipse was live-streamed from the UCA Observatory using grant funding from the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium. The live stream was piped to the stadium jumbotron (visible in the background of Figure 8) and to the department’s Physics and Astronomy YouTube channel.2 The live stream provided a convenient focal point for visitors viewing the eclipse on the football field as well as a reference point for announcements regarding how to view the eclipse safely and when to take off/put on eclipse glasses. We interspersed the stream with a playlist of music curated by KUCA, UCA’s student-run radio station. At scheduled times throughout the day and at multiple campus locations, local author Darcy Pattison gave readings of her child-friendly book, Eclipse: How the 1919 Solar Eclipse Proved Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity.3 600 copies of the book were bought with Arkansas Space Grant Consortium grant funds to give away to kids visiting campus for the eclipse (Figure 10). In fact, all events were well attended by children since local K-12 schools decided to close for the day of the solar eclipse.

1.4 OTHER ACTIVITIES

There were many other eclipse-related activities planned and presented before and during the total solar eclipse on April 8th. We present a brief summary that highlights the inclusion of the arts in this grand astronomical spectacle and reflects the campus eclipse committee’s close coordination with UCA’s Public Appearances (directed by Amanda Horton) and the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Artists in Residence program (coordinated by Seymour). A full schedule of events can be found on UCA’s Eclipse webpage.

1. There was an artwork exhibition by Artist in Residence Russell Crotty, an internationally known Los Angeles-based artist and amateur astronomer. He is renowned for his distinctive ballpoint pen drawings on paper-coated suspended globes and on giant books, which engage astronomy, landscape, mapping, and coastal studies (Figure 11).

2. A dance/theatre/film performance, A Brief Moment of Alignment, was choreographed by Artist in Residence Sue Schroeder in collaboration with Berlin-based filmmaker and composer Christian Meyer. It featured Conway performers Wanda Eason, Hannah Hanshaw, Aida Quintero Kuettle, and Nakeya Palmer (Figure 12).

3. A performance for children was presented in UCA Public Appearances’ Main Stage Education Series, titled “Exploring Microgravity.” Janet Ivey, creator of Janet’s Planet™, brought to light legendary heroes of science such as Galileo, Sir Isaac Newton, and Henry Cavendish, as well as their groundbreaking theories that have shaped our understanding of the universe. With Janet’s fun and engaging approach, students experienced complex concepts in an accessible way, helping them retain more information and develop a deeper understanding of what astronauts experience in space.

4. Eclipse Kickoff Celebration featuring Artist in Residence Sean Ardoin and display of LUNA, The Eclipse Superhero (Figure 13). Four-time GRAMMY nominee Ardoin and the Kreole Rock and Soul band also gave a public performance in the Windgate Concert Hall, co-sponsored by UCA Public Appearances and CAHSS Artists in Residence.

5. The Elton John Experience, featuring The Rocket Band and LUNA, The Eclipse Superhero inflatable, was presented by UCA Public Appearances. Award-winning actor/singer Craig Meyer used his remarkable resemblance and uncanny ability to sound like the legendary star Elton John to celebrate the character, costumes, and charisma of the famed pianist and singer.

6. A film screening of Le Voyage dans la Lune (1902 silent film, directed by George Méliès) with an original score by Dr. Blake Tyson (Dept. of Music) was performed live by the UCA Percussion Ensemble. This short adventure film, which follows a group of astronomers who travel to the Moon, is widely regarded as the earliest example of a science fiction film and as one of the most influential films in cinema history. This event, coordinated by CAHSS, included a pre-screening discussion of French silent films by Dr. Glenn Jellenik (School Language and Literature) and a post-screening presentation about eclipses in history by Dr. Azida Walker (Dept. of Physics, Astronomy, and Engineering).

7. UCA Public Appearances organized a lecture by astrophysicist Dr. Amber Straughn. Straughn, who grew up in Bee Branch, Arkansas, works at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD, as the Deputy Project Scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope Science Team.

8. An original feature film, Road Trip to Totality, a dramedy combining narrative and cinéma-vérité techniques, was written and directed by UCA film professor Emily Railsback and produced by UCA Artist in Residence Tara Sheffer (Figure 14). The film, with a climactic scene shot at the Barkanalia in real-time during totality, stars Robin Mullins, known for her work in Nell, Cold Mountain, and The Secret Life of Bees and Michael B. Woods, known for his appearances in the TV Series The Bear, Shining Girls, and Utopia, and his recurring roles in Chicago PD and Empire.

   

9. A planetarium show, titled Eclipse: The Sun Revealed, presented by Dr. Scott Austin (Dept. of Physics, Astronomy, and Engineering), Feb 20 - April 7, 2024, with 33 separate showings at UCA’s Dr. Edmond E. Griffin Planetarium.

10. Food trucks and vendors, coordinated by Chief of Staff Amy Whitehead in conjunction with the Conway Chamber of Commerce, helped pass the wait time for attendees at the watch party in the football stadium on April 8th.

2. UNIVERSITY SUPPORT

The office of University Marketing and Communications was instrumental in designing UCA eclipse-themed glasses, t-shirts, and a website to highlight events. 10,000 UCA bear head eclipse glasses, compliant with the transmittance requirements of the ISO 12312-2 international standard, were purchased by the university to give out to faculty, staff, students, and visitors free of charge. This number complemented an additional 10,000 eclipse glasses (with the same ISO standard) from the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium (ASGC). ASGC glasses were given away at planetarium shows, public outreach events, and any other opportunity in the lead-up to the eclipse. Additionally, 500 eclipse-themed t-shirts were created for sale through the university bookstore. Lastly, the university’s eclipse web page provided a place for visitors to RSVP. The website had over 12,000 unique visitors with an average engagement time of about a minute and an average of approximately 2.5 views per visitor. RSVPs totaled 1,500 from 30 US states and seven countries: AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, HI, KS, IA, LA, MD, MA, MN, MS, MO, NE, NM, NY, NC, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI; Canada, England, France, Japan, Mexico, Scotland, Trinidad and Tobago.

The university also coordinated with the City of Conway for street closures and traffic considerations, given that the full extent of the number of visitors to the region was unknown. The City of Conway, together with Conway Corp and UCA’s Physical Plant, also assisted in extinguishing all street lights in the area surrounding the Barkanalia venue. Media and state government officials were predicting far larger numbers of guests for the eclipse than were realized on the day of the eclipse. The seriousness of the potential for more people than anticipated resulted in a well-organized unified command and communication structure with members of the local and university police departments, fire department, emergency services, a National Weather Service meteorologist from Little Rock, as well as our local power company, Conway Corp. Additionally, the university provided ample portable restrooms for guests as well as additional security staff and emergency medical personnel at both watch parties to complement UCA PD.

3. BUDGET

Funding for the eclipse events highlighted above came from several sources. Primary funding came from two grants written by co-authors Seymour and Slaton to the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium’s (ASGC)4 Eclipse Event solicitation. The ASGC is funded through NASA to promote the state of Arkansas in NASA activities through research and outreach. The Eclipse Event grants were for $20,000 maximum with a mandatory 1:1 cash match. Slaton’s proposal for STEM outreach, eclipse planetarium shows, and live-streaming hardware was fully funded at $15,000, with a $10,000 match from the university that provided the UCA-themed eclipse glasses and an additional $5,000 was awarded from the Conway Advertising and Promotion Commission to offset expenses and accommodate the anticipated number of visitors to the city for the eclipse. Seymour’s Eclipse Grant for LUNA, The Eclipse Superhero, was fully funded at $15,000 and matched with funds from UCA Arts Fees, UCA Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (Research and Grant Development Program), and Artists in Residence sponsor Engage Management. Funding for outreach activities associated with LUNA was generously provided by the Arkansas Arts Council, a department of Arkansas Heritage, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Costs associated with visiting artists sponsored by the UCA Artists in Residence program and those presented by UCA Public Appearances, which were considerable, were part of the 2023-2024 operating budget, again highlighting the need to plan early and coordinate with entities on campus with funding streams that can align with a public interest in an event like the eclipse. Additional funding was provided internally by UCA’s food service provider Aramark, UCA Staff Senate, and UCA Student Government Association, and externally with significant support from Little Rock philanthropist Pat Becker Wallis and an anonymous donor.

4. IMPACT

Attendance information at eclipse-themed events in the lead-up to totality and during totality shows the presence of visitors from a large geographic area outside of the state. For example, the Dog Barkanalia viewing party hosted 1,369 people and countless well-behaved dogs with attendees from 25 states (44 zip codes) and seven countries: AL, AR, CA, FL, GA, HI, IA, KS, LA, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, NM, NY, OK, OR, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI; Canada, England, France, Japan, Mexico, Scotland, Trinidad and Tobago. The eclipse-themed planetarium presentation totaled 33 separate showings from Feb 20, 2024 – April 7, 2024, comprising 1,569 attendees. Lastly, the attendance numbers at Reynolds Performance Hall for UCA Public Appearances’ eclipse-themed series totaled 2,690 with the following breakdown: Janet's Planet: 1,337, Sean Ardoin: 368, Elton John Experience: 567, and NASA’s Dr. Amber Straughn: 418. Overall, the university estimates that at least 4,000 people attended events on campus on April 8th, 2024.

5. EARNED MEDIA

Approximately one month prior to totality, our campus made national news as some of UCA’s eclipse activities were included in a press conference hosted by Ark. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. News outlets from Manchester, New Hampshire, to Memphis, Tennessee, carried footage of the news conference with images of our campus. As we moved closer to the date of totality, UCA professors were invited to provide scientific expertise. Local television stations and print media called upon professors and staff to discuss specific events being planned on campus and how the community might be involved. These media calls, coordinated by Dr. Fredricka Sharkey, director of Media Relations, came primarily from the four television stations in Little Rock, but radio stations and print media were also actively engaged with the UCA campus. Case in point, B98, a top radio station in central Arkansas, conducted three interviews in late March with two professors and a staff member. Here is the recording schedule:

Dr. Scott Austin, Eclipse science5 - Wednesday, March 27

Dr. Gayle Seymour, Barkanalia6 - Friday, March 29

Amy Whitehead, Eclipse planning7 - Tuesday, March 26

Those three interviews are still live on the radio station’s website. Media engagement continued steadily leading up to the eclipse. For the kickoff celebration with Sean Ardoin, KATV hosted the entire event as a Facebook live, the first in university history outside of sporting events. On April 8, our campus was visited by three Little Rock-based television stations, a Memphis television station, the local daily newspaper, and an NPR radio reporter. One of the three Little Rock-based stations hosted two anchors on campus for the entire day who interviewed students, visitors, professors, and other organizers about the day’s events. The other two Little Rock stations and the Memphis station also had several live shots in which they played pre-recorded stories and interviews. The NPR radio reporter created a story that ran on hundreds of NPR stations across the country. Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN), the state’s PBS affiliate, created a package about UCA’s STEAM activities at Morrilton Intermediate School, which they included in their eclipse documentary Totality: Live Eclipse Events Across Arkansas. While we are still calculating earned media8 values and impressions, an easy guesstimate is that the eclipse accounted for several hundred thousand dollars in earned media. It should also be noted that content for many of these earned media instances is still available on the media outlet’s website, and as long as the content still exists, additional impressions can be earned.

6. CONCLUSION

Whether you consider it a blessing or a curse, being on the path of totality gives organizations the ability to plan for such an event well in advance.9 This advance notice is critical to align university and community needs and events for a smooth, fun, and safe experience. The 2024 total solar eclipse followed on the heels of the 2017 solar eclipse, which, while viewed only partially at 90% of the Sun obscured in Conway, provided the necessary impetus as it was fresh in the minds of decision-makers. Bringing together a group of STEM and arts experts from across the university to create STEAM events provided a fertile ground for event planning, grant writing, and the seamless execution of the planned activities. Also, the involvement of senior administration officials is critical as campus-wide coordination and decision-making influence the size and experience of the event. Lastly, it is extremely important to work closely with your campus media relations office for opportunities to highlight your outreach activities as well as your university.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors would like to thank several people involved with this event, without whose contributions our campus and community eclipse event(s) would not have been possible. These include Dr. Scott Austin, Department of Physics, Astronomy, and Engineering; Robby Burton, Program Coordinator, Art and Design; Mark Heffington, Executive Director, University Marketing and Communications; Amanda Horton, Executive Director, UCA Public Appearances; Jason Huselton, coordinator, UCA Makerspace; UCA Chief of Police John Merguie and the UCA Police Department; Carol Walton, coordinator, UCA Emergency Management; Matt Whiting, director, UCA Athletics; Treavor Seifert, VP of Information Technology; UCA Physical Plant with special thanks to Associate VP for Facilities Kevin Carter, Andy Anderson, John Kepke, Nelson Landers, and many others. A very special thank you goes out to Dr. Fredricka Sharkey, Director of Media Relations at UCA, who was instrumental in coordinating faculty, staff, and media to make us all look good. Dr. Sharkey also compiled and wrote the Earned Media portion of this manuscript. Additionally, the President's chief of staff, Amy Whitehead, provided the administrative leadership to coordinate the entire eclipse endeavor from early planning to final execution. We would not have been successful without her help and support. We would also like to thank faculty and staff at the University of Southern Illinois, Carbondale for useful discussions about their experience with the 2017 total solar eclipse. Lastly, financial support from the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium through NASA - ASGC Training Grant 80NSSC20M0106 for the Eclipse Awards is greatly appreciated.

Authors Note:

We have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to William Slaton, Dept. of Physics, Astronomy, & Engineering, The University of Central Arkansas, Conway AR 72034. Email: [email protected]