Students revel under the total eclipse at Brick Street

Brick Street, one of Oxford’s Uptown bars, hosted an event to celebrate Monday’s total solar eclipse that spanned from Northern Mexico to Eastern Canada. Oxford laid directly under the eclipse’s path of totality, with the moon fully covering the sun from 3:08 to 3:11 p.m.

Students began filing through Brick Street’s doors at 1 p.m., just under two hours before full totality was projected to occur. Brick Street ran its signature “Beat the Clock'' event, selling pitchers of beer and shots at prices that correspond with the hour.

Photo by Harry Hittle | The Miami Student
Students arrived at Brick Street Bar around 1 p.m. to start eclipse festivities.

Brick Street stopped drink service at about 2:45 p.m. and ushered occupants into the street to watch the eclipse. However, Brick Street’s doors weren’t closed for long, reopening at 4 p.m.

Gabby Benedict, a senior journalism and arts management double major, went to Brick Street not only for the drinks, but also for the view of the eclipse from the bar’s street-level porch.

“It’s a really good view from here, actually,” Benedict said. “I like what they’re doing with the glasses and they’re passing out a limited number of shirts, that always gets people here.”

Photo by Jessica Monahan | The Miami Student
Viewers of the eclipse use special glasses to safely watch the spectacle.

Devin Million, a senior communications major, was impressed by how many students turned out to celebrate this rare event.

“I just like seeing everyone coming together for something so random,” he said. “Given, it’s an eclipse which is significant, but it’s pretty random that everyone just came out [to Brick] on a Monday. It’s just cool.”

Despite the day’s once-in-a-lifetime event, Miami University classes were held as usual. Some students, particularly those in classes that coincided with the eclipse, chose to schedule their day around the eclipse or skip class altogether. Lilly Peiffer, a senior finance major, completed a busy morning of coursework before her trip Uptown.

“I went to two classes, took an exam, and then I came up to Brick Street to meet up with friends,” Peiffer said.

Students had mixed thoughts about the eclipse’s significance. Peiffer said she thought it would be enlightening, while her companion Laura Parsons, a senior economics major, said she wasn’t so sure.

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“I think it will be underwhelming, but we’ll find out,” Parsons said.

However, Parsons did acknowledge that the event had a unifying aspect for the student body and community.

“It’s cool that it brings people together,” Parsons said.

After being steered out of Brick, the group of students largely dispersed and went to watch the eclipse elsewhere. Brick’s doors reopened at 4 p.m. for the rest of the afternoon with festivities continuing into the evening.

hittlehm@miamioh.edu