January 28, 2011
How many times in history has an event taken place and you remember exactly where you were and what you were doing? Many of us who are older have too many times to which we can remember such an event that may have changed our outlook on life as well as the lives of many closely connected to the event. My mother, for example, can remember hearing the news about Pearl Harbor being bombed; President Kennedy being assassinated; Neil Armstrong walking on the moon; the Challenger disaster; and the events of 9-11 to name only a few.
But today, January 28, 2011, twenty-five years ago many of us witnessed the devastation of the Challenger breaking up and killing seven astronauts with 73 seconds after it was launched. This was not the first tragedy for the space flights, but it is one that captivated the nation and the world because of a "non-astronaut" who was on the flight . . . a teacher, Christa McAuliffe. This mission was unique because it was scheduled to be the first flight of a new program called TISP, the Teacher In Space Program. Many of us may have been interested in the space program, but this was one in which we all could relate to this teacher. Why? We all knew a teacher because we were students and/or were teachers ourselves. We should also remember the others who were on that shuttle too - the Challenger crew also consisted of mission commander Francis R. Scobee; pilot Michael J. Smith; mission specialists Ronald E. McNair, Ellison S. Onizuka, and Judith A. Resnik; and payload specialists Gregory B. Jarvis.
I remember vividly where I was and my feelings of what I had just witnessed. I had the same feelings as I did when it came over the intercom in 1963 that President Kennedy had been shot. Shock! Disbelief! Sorrow! I had a group of eighth graders who were watching the launch. Many of those students turned to look at me and asked me what had just happened. Many of them were also in shock! However, there were a few who cheered! Yes, cheered! I will never completely understand those students at that moment. However, once they realized the magnitude of what had just happened and how inappropriate their response had been, they did apologize. But their reaction will forever stay embedded in my memory!
How many times in history has an event taken place and you remember exactly where you were and what you were doing? Many of us who are older have too many times to which we can remember such an event that may have changed our outlook on life as well as the lives of many closely connected to the event. My mother, for example, can remember hearing the news about Pearl Harbor being bombed; President Kennedy being assassinated; Neil Armstrong walking on the moon; the Challenger disaster; and the events of 9-11 to name only a few.
But today, January 28, 2011, twenty-five years ago many of us witnessed the devastation of the Challenger breaking up and killing seven astronauts with 73 seconds after it was launched. This was not the first tragedy for the space flights, but it is one that captivated the nation and the world because of a "non-astronaut" who was on the flight . . . a teacher, Christa McAuliffe. This mission was unique because it was scheduled to be the first flight of a new program called TISP, the Teacher In Space Program. Many of us may have been interested in the space program, but this was one in which we all could relate to this teacher. Why? We all knew a teacher because we were students and/or were teachers ourselves. We should also remember the others who were on that shuttle too - the Challenger crew also consisted of mission commander Francis R. Scobee; pilot Michael J. Smith; mission specialists Ronald E. McNair, Ellison S. Onizuka, and Judith A. Resnik; and payload specialists Gregory B. Jarvis.
I remember vividly where I was and my feelings of what I had just witnessed. I had the same feelings as I did when it came over the intercom in 1963 that President Kennedy had been shot. Shock! Disbelief! Sorrow! I had a group of eighth graders who were watching the launch. Many of those students turned to look at me and asked me what had just happened. Many of them were also in shock! However, there were a few who cheered! Yes, cheered! I will never completely understand those students at that moment. However, once they realized the magnitude of what had just happened and how inappropriate their response had been, they did apologize. But their reaction will forever stay embedded in my memory!
I posted the question of "do you remember where you were when the Challenger Disaster happened?" on FB and was pleased that there were many who responded. They knew where they were and what they were doing! How many times these events of history affect us more than we really think is possible. We all have become a part of that day!
Twenty-five years ago today . . . . where were you when the Challenge Disaster happened?
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