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courtesy photo BMS students in attendance included Harper Peterson, Madi Ernst, Will Hauser, Jayden Sexton, Adlea Mattox, Sarah Waltrip, Amy Kincannon, Blake Weatherford, Brennan Williams, Cassidy Wofford, and Mackenzie Sixkiller. Additionally, 3 BPS students accompanied the group with their parents: Laylee Capps, Waverlee Capps, and Journey Busch.
Monday's total solar eclipse provided an unforgettable, magnificent celestial event for all observers. To see and experience it in the path of totality is too often a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity missed by most people, but for several hardworking Bristow Middle School students, they now have very special memories to last a lifetime.
Situated in the southeastern corner of the state, Hugo rested in the path of totality of Monday's eclipse. The city is also home to the Endangered Ark Foundation, EAF, a refuge for retired circus elephants. Because EAF strives to educate the public about Asian elephants and also relies upon fundraising events and grants as a nonprofit, the eclipse presented the organization an opportunity it could not pass up: the ability to raise money and attract a multitude of people to learn about its elephants at the same time. The result? EAF hosted 'Eclipse with the Elephants' on Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
As multiple hundreds of people waited in line to enter EAF Monday morning, a Bristow Public School bus filled with excitedly chattering students pulled through the gates. Teachers Becky Busch, who drove the bus, and Sheena Capps arrived with 11 students. According to Mrs. Capps, each student was required both to write a 5 paragraph essay about the total solar eclipse and to draw a diagram of all its stages to be allowed to attend the event.