YOUNGSTOWN — Some of the most unique students on Youngstown State University campus hosted a party Monday to celebrate one of the most unique events of their lifetime.

Students, teachers, and staff from the Rich Center for Autism gathered on an outdoor basketball court near the center’s home in Fedor Hall, just north of Kilcawley Center, to watch the solar eclipse. They soon were joined by countless other students and faculty from across the campus community.

Rich Center leaders said they were happy to share their party with everyone because YSU always has been a welcoming environment for their students. Classroom supervisor Erika Campolito said Monday also was not the first time the students got to learn about the cosmos.

“We usually bring them down to the (Ward Beecher) Planetarium every summer,” she said. “Everybody at the university is so welcoming to us. We have many professors who come and give presentations and do science experiments with the students.”

Rich Center Executive Director Mike Latessa said students worked on eclipse-related projects in the weeks leading up to the event.

“From everything as basic as coloring sheets to designing planets made out of newspapers,” he said. “One of our classes made cupcakes topped with Oreos fixed to show the different phases of the eclipse.”

The Rich Center let all of its students out at noon Monday and opened the tented and catered event to students and their families, complete with ISO-approved solar eclipse glasses.

“We’re very appreciative to YSU for providing us with this space,” Latessa said. The University even sent mascot Pete the Penguin to show support, wearing one of the Rich Center’s specially designed T-shirts that read “Solar Eclipse of the Heart.”

Spokesman Jake Ellis said the event allowed the Rich Center to help its students maintain some sense of normality on a very unusual day.

“We want to provide a sensory friendly environment, but of course there’s a lot of change on eclipse day,” he said.

Latessa said the event helped students to enjoy the eclipse in a safe environment but also helped the Rich Center’s mission.

“Our students have heard a lot about the eclipse over the past several weeks from many different sources, and this gives them a chance to ask questions, and it gives them a nice familiar environment in which to ask those questions,” he said. “And April is Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month, so every person who stops as they’re passing by to ask us about the Rich Center and what we’re doing here today, it helps us with that objective.”

Many YSU students took advantage of the pleasant weather to play volleyball on the sandy pitch next to the tent and also made plenty of room for the Rich Center students who passed the time until the eclipse playing in the sand.

Frank Melia was one of those Rich Center students excited for both the eclipse and a chance to play in the sand.

“The party is great. I got to see my friends and I was the first one to meet Pete the Penguin,” he said. Frank, 8, of Canfield, was also excited to wear some cool new shades for the event. “I’m going to look just like a supermodel with my solar eclipse glasses on.”

Frank’s mom, Jen Malia, said the atmosphere Monday is just one of the many reasons she is grateful for the Rich Center. She said Frank has made “tremendous progress behaviorally and socially” in his two years there because of the environment they provide.

“That’s one of the truly great things about the Rich Center,” she said. “They always find some reason to celebrate and some way to find joy in all the little places.”

Frank, at times loquacious, at others a man of few words, thought the eclipse was “really cool.”

So did Ellis.

“It sort of grew into something great that we didn’t really expect,” he said. “So many people came together here today, and not only did we all get to see the eclipse, but hopefully a lot of people learned some more about the Rich Center.”