Written by Lexi Foley
Heads and fingers pointed to a darkened sky as they waited for the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse. A million pairs of eyes from across the nation watched as the moon danced in front of the sun for a brief four-and-a-half minutes.
White glimmering light encircled a group of strangers, including viewers Jacob Roberts and his family, united under the low glow of the covered sun. A path of totality drew in as the world experienced darkness at 2:00 p.m. together.
“All the people on Earth saw that at the same time,” Jacob Roberts said. “It makes me want to go out and learn about stuff in space and all that.”
A minute into the pseudo-night sky phenomena, Anne Hegstrom from De Moine, Iowa adjusted her camera. Hegstrom missed the 2017 eclipse because of teacher in-service work, so the 2024 eclipse was an occasion she was unwilling to pass up. The phenomenon was an opportunity not only for her but for her students as well.
“I’m a teacher, so it’s our job to bring the world to our kids,” Hegstrom said.
She sees experiences like totality as a chance to instill a sense of adventure in the minds and hearts of each third grader she used to teach. After snapping a couple of photographs, Hegstrom placed her filtered glasses back on her nose and watched the hidden sun in child-like wonder.
Another minute in and Jacob and Emily Roberts and their mother Laura Paige adjusted their hats, a Hershey’s Kiss sat atop the heads of the siblings, keeping them safe from the rapture. Sunglasses rested on the two’s tinfoil hats—fending off alien mind control as they enjoyed the natural phenomenon together. The family would normally be working and attending school, but instead chose to dedicate their time to experiencing a marvel only some will get to say they have seen in their life.
“I pulled him out of school, and I got out of work because this is an amazing event. It’s beautiful,” Paige said.
It will be 20-plus years before a total solar eclipse will pass through the United States again. By then the family will be in a completely new stage of life. Emily would be moving to a new state away from her family in the coming months. Watching the total solar eclipse this year was a moment the family would never be able to replicate, not just due to its natural significance but because it is a one-of-a-kind stamp in the current chapter of their lives.
“In 20 years, she’ll be almost my age when she comes back to see it again,” Paige said.
As the sun began to reappear, another family, the Yonts enjoyed their third total eclipse. For Jane and Tim Yonts, the solar eclipse is an opportunity to be part of a unique and diverse community. The couple sees the eclipse as a chance to watch a collection of people with all kinds of motivations for traveling to be in line with totality.
“We’re tailgating like we would for a sports game,” Jane Yonts said.
The Yonts are from Walker County in North Georgia. They travel to eclipses like proud parents following their son playing his first season of Division One baseball. Places like Cape Girardeau, Missouri become melting pots for curious minds desiring an out-of-planet experience.
Watching people react to the eclipse is just as fascinating as watching the actual phenomenon. It was like a football game with a more peaceful fan base and a shorter main event. Shops featuring colorful shirts and solar eclipse glasses lined the streets.
The cities in line of totality are unique, each bustling with its distinctive people, varying from teachers to photographers to whole families. It is a hub for the inquisitive, a real-life image of what many will only see on a pixelated screen.
Day began to break again as the sun peered its face back from behind the moon. Heads dropped and glasses returned to the tops of heads. The sounds of awe echoed across the street as people looked to their left and right at folks who became their neighbors for four-and-a-half minutes.
Sun Fakers
Written by Lexi Foley
A line of mass crowds from across the nation followed the 2024 solar eclipse path of totality across 15 U.S. states. Each person eagerly anticipated an event that would not happen in America again for another 21 years.
Meanwhile, a computer collects data to recreate the event in a simulated image. The semi-accurate AI image was plastered on millions of screens daily. After seeing the computer-generated image, residents of Chattanooga were concerned.
“All the fake images going around—they kinda warp people’s perception,” Christopher Viernet said. “I think that has a huge influence on especially young people, changing their perception of what they think the world is supposed to be like.”
AI has become a hot debate in almost every facet of life: education, social media, work, and now, news outlets. Concern is high over publications using computer-generated images of what a phenomenon or event could possibly look like. People question the validity of an image crafted and not taken from a true event.
“AI is kind of scary,” Amelia Durbin, a high school student from Mississippi said. “The fact that it can make stuff that realistic and that close to reality.”
The image should have depicted white with a hint of yellow light outlining a dark circle. Behind the eclipse should be a black sky.
Just black.
“It’s somewhat disconcerting,” Kathy King said. “I mean it’s remarkable and amazing, but disconcerting at the same time.”
As the crowds lined up to watch the phenomenon in real life, a computer generated a shadow of the experience they were having right in front of their eyes.
Meet the Story Tellers
Abby White is a senior at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and currently studies Communication with heavy emphasis on multimedia journalism. White’s ambition derives from a love for people, storytelling, and integrity, with aspirations of being an unseen voice for the overlooked. White is a section editor for Rising Rock, a staff photographer for the UTC Echo, and photographs other various organizations on campus, where she demonstrates her love for documentary photography. She finds herself consistently in high-adrenaline environments, with a passion for rodeo and sports photography. White can be contacted through her website: https://www.abigailwhitephoto.com/
Haylee Bowerman is a junior at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga majoring in Communication and minoring in Creative Writing. She is a passionate storyteller through photography and writing, aspiring to create positive change in the greater Chattanooga area. Bowerman is driven by her love for community, spirituality, and the arts. She hopes to utilize her effervescent, uplifting personality to give others the comfort and confidence to share their unique stories. In her free time, she runs a photography business focusing on portrait and wedding photography. For any collaboration ideas or inquiries, email her at hayleebowerman@gmail.com.
Daniela Durán Pérez is a senior at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a double major in Communication and Spanish. Durán works as the Communications Specialist for the non-profit organization La Paz Chattanooga, where she creates graphics and produces videos to reach Chattanooga’s Latino population. As a bilingual content creator, Durán aspires to become a video producer that creates stories the Latino community can empathize with and feel included. In case of assistance or collaborations, contact through email at cjz655@mocs.utc.edu.
Lexi Foley is a senior studying communication at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Find Foley with a camera and keyboard on the sidelines of any game, or on the track competing for UTC. Foley’s passions are not tethered to sports, however, as her heart belongs to illuminating stories hidden in the shadows of a spotlight. She is always looking to connect with new people and understand new perspectives. Her work can be found on the UTC Echo—where she serves as a staff photographer and Sports Editor—and https://foleyphotographs.smugmug.com/ . You can contact her at dmy375@mocs.utc.edu.
Ava Nessell is a junior at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga majoring in Communication and minoring in Brock Scholars, the honors program. She loves connecting to people and telling their stories through photography. She is also skilled in crisis management and is a social media expert. Nessell is always eager to learn new skills. As an avid equestrian, Nessell is passionate about land conservation and agriculture. Coming from a small town, she is dedicated to uplifting communities underrepresented in the media. To contact Nessell, reach out to her at zlv928@mocs.utc.edu.
Rising Rock 