A New York state teacher hosted dozens of his former students to watch Monday’s eclipse, finally fulfilling a promise he made all the way back in 1978.
Patrick Moriarty, 68, a former middle school science teacher, brought together about 100 ex-students of his to watch Monday’s total solar eclipse from his driveway, the Washington Post reported.
“I thought it would be a nice little core of people who were totally into eclipses, and maybe they’d share the experience with me,” Moriarty reportedly said to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
“But it’s not about the eclipse any more. It’s about this. It’s about the sharing. It’s about the impact of teachers. It’s about so much more.”
At 22 years old, Moriarty began teaching earth science to junior high students in Webster, New York, which is just outside Rochester.
For 16 years, Moriarty told his science classes that they would all watch the celestial event together. The former teacher even told students that he would take out an ad in the local paper with more details about the gathering.
Moriarty actually began the promised gathering’s planning about two years ahead of Monday’s eclipse.
He created a Facebook event for the eclipse and tried to get in touch with a few former students. Soon, word had quickly spread.
As dozens of students RSVPed for the event, Moriarty got to work, purchasing 130 eclipse glasses for his students along with catering for the party.
About 100 students arrived to Moriarty’s Rochester home to see the eclipse. Some traveled from across the US to attend the viewing party, the Post reported.
Many had not seen their beloved teacher – or fellow pupils – in decades. But they remember Moriarty fondly.
“I don’t remember a lot of my teachers from back then, but he was one of them,” Ric Mintz, who was among Moriarty’s first students, said to the Chronicle.
Mintz added: “When he said we were going to meet for the eclipse and he held true to it, here we are.”
Students sipped champagne and ate sun-shaped cookies during the celebration, the Chronicle reported. Guests jotted their graduating year on provided name tags.
Some even donned shirts that read: “Moriarty Eclipse Gathering: April 8, 2024.”
During the viewing party, Moriarty was in full teacher mode, using a microphone to provide facts on the eclipse, including how it created a drop in temperature and caused temporary darkness.
When the total solar eclipse finally occurred starting at 3.20pm, the group went quiet. Many quietly marveled over the celestial phenomenon. Others began crying.
Moriarty got emotional as he told the Chronicle about seeing so many of his former students come back for the event.
“Everyone wants acknowledgement in what they do,” he said. “To have that and have it be so meaningful – it’s amazing.”
