BLOOMINGTON = If you’re on the Indiana University Bloomington campus on April 8, you’ll have a front-row seat to view the total solar eclipse. With all in-person classes canceled and numerous on-campus events to enjoy, you might have questions about what’s open, where you can park, or how to find eclipse glasses.
Read on to learn what you need to know about Eclipse Week, and visit eclipse.iu.edu for more information.
Events
Bring the kids to Science Fest on April 6 for some out-of-this-world educational fun, or watch the stars among stars like Janelle Monae and William Shatner at the Hoosier Cosmic Celebration on April 8.
Numerous events are planned for the weekend to celebrate this rare stellar experience.>
Safety
Eye protection
Protecting your eyes while viewing partial phases of the eclipse is a must. Check the American Astronomical Society’s list of safe suppliers to purchase your eclipse glasses.
IU will distribute a limited number of eclipse glasses across its campuses before and on April 8. Find out where you can find them.
Personal preparedness
Bloomington expects thousands of visitors to arrive over Eclipse weekend, which means events, businesses, and roads will be crowded. Ensure your IU Notify contact information is current so you’ll receive alerts from IU in an emergency.
Plan for traffic gridlock by filling your tank or charging your vehicle and packing snacks, water, and an emergency kit. Remember to report suspicious behavior or criminal activity to the IU Police Department.
For emergencies that pose an immediate danger to you or others, call 911. For non-emergencies, call 855-603-7911.
Phone and Wi-Fi disruptions
With the anticipated load on cell networks, faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to enable Wi-Fi calling on their phones. Whether at home or on campus, this will allow you to make calls and bypass the predicted heavy usage of cell services on April 8.
Parking and transportation
Available parking
Plan for parking if you intend to join eclipse events on April 8. Parking passes for the athletic lots around Memorial Stadium can be reserved online. By 6 p.m. April 5, vehicles in athletic parking lots north of 17th Street should be moved.
All IU garages will be reserved on April 8 for campus employees, including reassigned staff. HR representatives or supervisors may request specific placards through the IU Bloomington Office of Parking Operations. Still, any IU parking pass will allow working employees to park in any garage on April 8.
IU parking lots are not guaranteed to be available on April 8. Employees may attempt to park in these lots, but they may be full, and regular parking operations will not be conducted.
Get more information about parking during the eclipse from the Office of Parking Operations.
Campus Bus Service
Campus Bus will offer service from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 8; however, service may be suspended if the buses cannot move through their routes due to heavy traffic. Check Instagram and Facebook for updates on the day of the eclipse.
Health and wellness
First-aid and information stations
For those attending on-campus events, IU Public Safety will have first-aid and information stations at McNutt Circle Drive, Wells Library, and Lauren Robel Plaza. On April 8, they will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for anyone who has questions or needs help.
Student Health Center
The IU Student Health Center will be open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. April 8 to provide walk-in support for students with mild but urgent issues. Medical care will also be available via telehealth during this time.
Counseling and Psychological Services
If students need crisis intervention, call the Counseling and Psychological Services main office line, and a staff member will follow up by phone for telehealth services. TimelyCare, which offers free, 24/7 access to virtual care and well-being services, is also available for students.
Employees will also continue to have access to the SupportLinc Employee Assistance Program, which provides free, 24/7 access to professional counseling, resources, and referrals.
Food and dining
Some on-campus dining options will be available. For more details, see the IU Dining and Indiana Memorial Union restaurants pages.
If you need to work on campus, bringing your meals, snacks, and drinks is recommended so you can avoid leaving campus or having food delivered, as traffic may be heavy. Since leaving campus after your shift may take several hours, employees should also consider bringing additional meals/snacks beyond what they usually would.
More eclipse-day resources
Information: Mary Keck, News at IU
