Remembering CHALLENGER 39 Years Later
Today marks the 39th anniversary of space shuttle CHALLENGER exploding shortly after lift-off. I was in 6th grade. A kid, Jeff S., complained of a headache, so my dad, who was our homeroom teacher, sent him to the office for some Tylenol (back then, the school secretary doubled as the nurse, and she was permitted to give kids meds). Jeff came back reporting the shuttle just exploded. I remember everyone called him a liar. Dad told him to sit down and get to work - everyone knew the shuttle didn't just explode. A few minutes later the secretary came over the intercom, calling Dad to the office (he did double duty as the school principal and 5th & 6th grade homeroom teacher). Shortly after that, he went room to room, telling each class what had happened. Years later, he said that was one of the hardest days in his career, because so many kids were curious about the teacher-in-space, and having to see their faces when they heard about the accident. The night of Janua...