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David Mrizek , vice president of college services, has dreamed of having aChallenger Learning Center at San Antonio College since 1994. Wednesday, the college took the first physical step with agroundbreaking ceremony that drew about 100 people. June Scobee-Rodgers , widow of Francis Dick Scobee suggested it when she visited the college for the July 9, 1994,dedication of the planetarium to her late husband, a former studentwho became commander of the space shuttle Challenger. Scobee and six crew members died in an explosion Jan. 28, 1986, only 73seconds after launching. That mission included an elementary teacher, Christa McAuliffe , who was to teach several live lessons to America sschoolchildren from orbit and tape several more. After the tragedy, the families of the lost astronauts founded theChallenger Center for Space Science Education to continue thespirit of the mission, which focused on education. Challenger Learning Centers are designed to teach students aboutaeronautics and its technology, the center s website states. This college s center will be one of 46 in the nation. Texas ishome to four centers. The fundraising goal is $7 million and the balance of $5 millionhas been obtained with maintenance tax notes. Serious talks about adding the center started about a year agoafter a center was torn down at Brooks City-Base. We had the opportunity for it to come back, Mrizek said. Wewant to continue the mission. The $12 million renovation will increase the square footage of theplanetarium from 3,950 to 21,519. The project is expected to becompleted in fall 2013. The renovation will include a space station simulator, gift shop,mission control room, lobbies and a 100-plus seat planetariumtheater, said architect Robert Moritz, a former student of thiscollege. The floor of the theater will have to be dropped 20 inches toaccommodate reclining seating, Moritz said. The third floor of thebuilding will feature a deck with five telescope pedestals and onemain telescope. A memorial will be added to the west side of the planetarium tohonor the Challenger mission, Moritz said. Dr. Robert Zeigler, president of the college, joked that therenovation will finally provide on-site restrooms for planetariumvisitors, who previously had to seek facilities next door in thechemistry and geology building. The day of the ground-breaking ceremony delivered a blue sky asclear as the morning of the Challenger accident. Pam Peterson, director of strategic partnerships for the ChallengerCenter for Space Science Education, said, It is an amazingly,wonderful day. It is really a breakthrough, President Robert Ziegler said ofthe changes coming to the 50-year-old planetarium. It s awonderful opportunity for not just the college but for thecommunity. Zeigler said the center will be useful in engaging young people inscience, engineering and math. Peterson agreed, saying, You can actually see the light bulbsgoing off. She said, Many of the students go into the field, though thecenters are designed so students are encouraged to do all theycan in all fields of study. James E. Perschbach, chairman of the Challenger Learning Centeradvisory committee, said about a million jobs cannot be filledtoday because people simply do not have the required training inaerospace. There is so much more that needs to be done, Perschbach said. The former Brooks Air Foce Base on the city s Southeast Side washome to the Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine and the city sChallenger Center. The base closed Aug. 31, the school moved toWright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio, and the Challenger LearningCenter needed a new home. Zeigler said it is important to give students a chance to gainexperience not just with hands-on activities, but also with mentalactivities such as the simulator. Alamo Colleges Chancellor Bruce Leslie agreed, saying, Learningdoesn t take place only in the classroom. Calling the project a huge achievement, Leslie said, We willcontinue to make San Antonio College one of the best communitycolleges in the nation. For more information, visit . I am an expert from led-swimmingpoollights.com, while we provides the quality product, such as China LED Swimming Pool Lights , RGB LED Pool Light Manufacturer, Waterproof Pool Light,and more.
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