25 years ago
I was seven years old and in the second grade. I remember being very excited that morning because I knew we were going to get to watch a shuttle launch in school that day. I always loved watching the shuttle take off as a kid. They wheeled in a TV on one of those A/V carts for the entire class to watch it on. We waited anxiously as they counted down, and then we all cheered when it lifted off. Then everything went wrong and my heart sank as I watched the plume turn into that terrible Y shape. I remember thinking, is this really happening? Are they all dead? The teacher went up and turned the TV off, and then she just stood there for a while not saying anything. All of us were completely quiet.
I don't really remember what happened after that, if our teacher said anything to us about it, or if she just went back to teaching us whatever we were supposed to be learning that day. I do know that after that we never again got to watch another shuttle launch in school.
I don't really remember what happened after that, if our teacher said anything to us about it, or if she just went back to teaching us whatever we were supposed to be learning that day. I do know that after that we never again got to watch another shuttle launch in school.