ISSS response to Columbia loss

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From [1]
Copyright 2003 The Iowa State Daily Publication Board, Inc.

Space Society to commemorate Columbia

By By P. Kim Bui

Daily Staff Writer

(2.4.03)

Students who want to talk about Saturday's Columbia tragedy and the future of the NASA space flight program can voice their opinions at an Iowa State Space Society meeting Tuesday. The group made a last-minute decision to pull together a meeting that will reflect on Saturday's disaster, Columbia's crew and the history of both, said Dana Haugli, lecturer in aerospace engineering and engineering mechanics and the group's adviser.

The meeting will be held 5 p.m. Tuesday in Room 204 of Marston Hall.

Justin Goranson, senior in aerospace engineering and the group's treasurer, said anyone is welcome to attend the meeting.

The group, which was created in the 1970s, consists of a diverse population of students who are interested in space and wish to learn more about it, Goranson said.

Most of the meeting will consist of a presentation on Columbia, giving information abut the flight and tragedy, said Adam Chipman, senior in agricultural studies and president of the group.

Ryan Westbrock, sophomore in aerospace engineering and a self-declared "space buff," will give the presentation on Columbia.

He was scheduled to do a different presentation, but decided to discuss the Columbia when he heard of the events on Saturday, Chipman said.

"It will be along the lines of a brief overview [of the Columbia flight], with up-to-date info, possible causes, what NASA is doing and the space program's future," Westbrock said.

Haugli said he has advised those in charge of the meeting to avoid addressing theories behind the cause of the crash, because there are so many.

Westbrock said he will also try to answer questions about the tragedy, using what information he can find on the Internet and his own personal knowledge.

Goranson said the meeting will be a forum for anybody to discuss what happened Saturday, how it will affect the space program and other concerns people have.

A memory book will also be passed around for people to record their thoughts on the event, said Russell Cox, the group's publicity co-chairman.

Cox said the book will possibly be given to the Rev. Douglas and Betty Haviland, the uncle and aunt of Laurel Clark, who was a member of the Columbia crew and was born in Ames. Group members hope other groups that express interest in space will have an opportunity to contribute to the book, Cox said.

The group hosts speakers throughout the year and, at one time, thought about getting Clark to speak at a meeting.

"It will be a memorial and forum for thought on the [Columbia] tragedy," Haugli said.

From: [2]
Copyright 2003 The Iowa State Daily Publication Board, Inc.

Space society mourns the loss of Columbia, looks to future

By By Hannah Fletcher

Daily Correspondent

(2.5.03)

It wasn't exactly business as usual at the Iowa State Space Society's meeting Tuesday night. Due to Saturday's Columbia tragedy, the leaders and the members of the society paid tribute to the astronauts of the Columbia mission.

At the beginning of the meeting, Adam Chipman, president of the society, asked the members to maintain a respectful, solemn atmosphere to honor the lives that were lost.

"We didn't want to make light of the event because seven lives were lost," said Chipman, senior in agricultural studies.

The society's weekly meetings are held at 5 p.m. every Tuesday in Room 204 in Marston Hall. The meetings usually include a discussion on the group's upcoming events and often a presentation by one of its members.

Ryan Westbrock was scheduled to speak for this week's meeting, but after the Columbia tragedy, he decided to include a tribute to each of the seven astronauts in his presentation.

"These seven people are heroes to our country and the world," said Westbrock, sophomore in aerospace engineering. "They will truly be missed."

The society also discussed paying tribute to the Columbia mission at Veishea. The group considered having a booth dedicated to the tragedy and possibly making the Columbia tragedy the theme of its float.

Vice president Natasha Krentz, junior in pre-business, said the meeting's itinerary change did attract a few new faces. Of the 23 people who attended the event, she said she saw about eight new people.

The society's meetings usually attract members of all different majors, but they all have an interest in space programs and exploration, said Dana Haugli, lecturer in aerospace engineering and engineering mechanics and the group's adviser.

A memory book was passed around during the meeting that will be given to Columbia crew member Laurel Clark's relatives, the Rev. Douglas and Betty Haviland, of Ames. The Havilands were Clark's uncle and aunt.

The attendees of the meetings had an open discussion on the tragedy and their predictions for the future of the space program. The group plans to write a letter from the entire ISU community to NASA to pay respect to the crew members and show support for the continuance of space travel.

"Exploration will go on," Westbrock said in his presentation. "There's always going to be little kids, and a couple of big ones, that will look up at the sky and wonder what's out there."