A Belleville West High School alumnus just happened to be in the right place at the right time when he was surprised with an offer to celebrate a historical event with those who made the history happen.
"I figured these things happen in D.C. a lot," said Max Paul, a senior at Rice University in Houston. "But I didn't think it was going to happen that soon."
Paul got the chance to meet legendary astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, who were members of the Apollo 11 crew that was first to land on the moon, at a 40th anniversary celebration of the event at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington.
"I asked them how it was, and they said it was an amazing experience that they'll never forget," Paul said. "They seemed very energetic and happy about the event."
The electrical engineering student was interning at a consulting firm in Washington when he got a call from the university asking him to accept a moon rock awarded posthumously to President John F. Kennedy as part of NASA's Ambassador of Exploration Award.
Kennedy received the award for his order to send the United States to the moon. A condition of the award is that honorees select an educational institution or museum at which to put the award on display, and Rice received that honor as the site where Kennedy delivered his famous 1962 speech about the Nation's Space Effort.
Paul was notified hours before the anniversary ceremony to accept the moon rock on Rice's behalf after it was learned that another university originally selected as recipient already had received a moon rock.
He also got to meet Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, the former Maryland lieutenant governor and the daughter of Robert Kennedy. He described her as "very nice, a very fun person." ...
Fifth- through eighth-grade students who live in Collinsville School District 10 are invited to attend Splash Down 2009 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. today for fifth- and sixth-grade students or Thursday for seventh- and eighth-grade students at Splash City Family Water Park, 10 Gateway Drive in Collinsville. ...
A dedication ceremony for the new Waterloo High School will be held at 2 p.m. Aug. 16 at 505 E. Bulldog Blvd. Following the dedication, the new 227-square-foot building will be opened for public viewing from 3 to 5 p.m. ...
The industrial arts program at Mascoutah High School received a donation in the form of a high-end construction plotter and copier from Breese-based Poettker Construction Co. ...
State Rep. Eddie Jackson, D-East St. Louis, toured Belle Valley North Elementary School in Belleville on July 24 with Superintendent Kyle Freeman as crews worked to demolish a wing of the building because of damages from mine subsidence. The tour followed the passing of the legislation signed by Gov. Pat Quinn that allows the district to incur debt and replace the building. ...
The Edwards Jones branch in Shiloh, 4150 Green Mount Crossing Drive, will be collecting school supplies donations for students in need through the month of August. ...
E-Mail
Print
