The Scobee Education Center opens its doors
Transcription
The Scobee Education Center opens its doors
Scobee Grand Opening www.theranger.org/news Oct. 31, 2014 The Scobee Education Center opens its doors Local astronomy groups help center with ‘Star Party.’ By Ian Coleman [email protected] After two years of planning and construction, the Scobee education center is opening on Halloween! The center will be hosting private and public events on its grand opening Oct. 31. The private event will include a ribbon cutting ceremony and guest Illu str ati on by Ale xa nd ra Ne speakers from 9 a.m. to noon. 300 guests are expected to attend. Guest speakers will include Eileen Collins the first woman in space, Ellen Ochoa the first Latina in space, and director of the NASA Johnson Space Center, Dr. June Scobee Rogers, the wife of late Lt. Col. Francis Richard “Dick” Scobee. Other guest speakers are Chancellor Dr. Bruce lip a Leslie, U.S Rep. Lamar Smith of District 21, President Robert Vela and former President Dr. Robert Ziegler. Rick Varner, director of the Scobee education center, said June Scobee Rogers and Lt. Col. Scobee met at this college. From noon to 5 p.m. the Scobee will have an interactive exhibit in the Challenger Learning Center titled “Earth Odyssey” and programs such as “The Secret Lives of Stars” in The Scobee Planetarium. Nov. 1 the center will be free and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The center will reopen 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. for a “Star Party” which will have telescopes for star-gazing provided by the San Antonio Astronomers Association and the San Antonio League of Sidewalk Astronomers. Also the Star Deck, which has occupancy of 50 people, will be open on top of the Scobee education center. The center hours will be Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Programmer Mike Donaldson of Design and Production programs cameras with Bill Seilnacht, manager of tech support for Scobee Education Center today in the space station at the center. Director Rick Varner toured the space today to check on the progress before the grand opening Friday. Neven Jones On Fridays the center will open at 6 p.m. and have planetarium showings at 6 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. The San Antonio College Planetarium was renamed The Scobee Planetarium in 1994 in honor of Lt. Col. Scobee. Lt. Col. Scobee was an alumnus of this college and the commander of the Challenger space shuttle in 1986. The shuttle crashed over Cape Orion designed and created by Bob Kelley in a mosaic window at the Scobee Education Center. Kelley designed four mosaic windows each one showing the beauty of outer space. The final window will be installed Oct. 28. Kelley said the windows were created for his late wife. Neven Jones Scobee Education Center’s mosaic windows combine art, science Engineering sophomore Israel Rodriguez studies chemistry Oct. 20 in the geology museum located in Room 003 of chemistry and geology. Neven Jones Rock, paper, study The GeoSpot allows geology students to explore relevant material. By Landon Penn [email protected] Planetarium coordinator’s designs inspired by his late wife. By Landon Penn [email protected] In addition to the Challenger Center, planetarium and observatory, Scobee Education Center features several mosaic windows designed by planetarium Coordinator Bob Kelley. The windows range in size from a wall clock to disco ball. Kelley said he designed the windows to add color to the main entrance and to bring art and science together. The four windows, which feature figures related to astronomy, are spherical to represent the planets in the solar system. Kelley said that he found inspiration to undertake the project from his late wife, Tonie Kelley. She had passed away five years ago from cancer. Kelley said they often looked at the stars together. One window’s design depicts the winter constellation of Orion as a tribute to his wife. “Orion was her favorite constellation,” Kelley said. Another illustrates the planets Saturn and Jupiter with a comet shooting between them. To add accuracy to the artwork, Kelley said he depicted Jupiter’s hurricane-like storm as a red mark over the planet to “add a little extra pop to the picture.” He also designed a window showing a quarter moon and Venus shining together. Because it happens to be the smallest of the mosaic windows, he calls it the “Children’s Window.” The final window depicts a shuttle being launched into space. Seven jewels symbolize the crew of the space shuttle Challenger, Canaveral, Fl. after a mechanical failure occurred shortly into its launch killing all crewmembers. Cash is only accepted for admission tickets for Scobee. Student, faculty and staff with an active I.D. badge get in free. Students from other colleges, senior citizens, military and kids tickets will be $4. Other adult tickets will be $5. Bob Kelley points to a comet flying through the sky today in a mosaic window he designed and created for the Scobee Education Center. The “children’s window” also shows Saturn and Venus. Kelley is creating a total of four windows. Neven Jones the shuttle that exploded during takeoff in 1986 off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Fla. The projects were started by Kelley 2 1/2 ago. He credits his wife for the encouragement to complete projects. “I would always hear her say, ‘I have faith in you that you’ll get it done,’” Kelley said. Kelley estimated he spent more than 100 hours constructing the windows. “It’s an honor to build windows for the Scobee Education Center,” Kelley said. “It’s kind of my legacy.” The planetarium will open Friday. The museum, or GeoSpot, in the chemistry and geology building provides a quiet place for geology students to study. Carlos Flores is the senior specialist of student success, offering tutoring from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. “Since coming here (The GeoSpot), my grades have gone from C’s to A’s,” Said Kelley Jaskinia, a Texas State mass communications sophomore. “Most students don’t know that the GeoSpot exists,” Flores said. The GeoSpot is located in Room CG 003. Fossil and rock specimens are displayed on shelves on the walls in the GeoSpot. There are six tables available for students. Flores said the GeoSpot “always keeps up with the courses” so the specimens are relevant to the current curriculum. For a closer examination of the specimens, a microscope is available for students. The GeoSpot is open to all students from any Alamo College. The public and any student with knowledge of identification and classification are welcome to volunteer to tutor. Though the GeoSpot is equipped to assist historical and physical geology students, its tutoring services extend to astronomy students as well. Anne Dietz, geology professor, said specimens come from several different sources. Some are purchased from companies such as Bone Clones and Skulls Unlimited. Others are donated to the GeoSpot.
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