All week at Purdue everyone has been talking about homecoming, will we win, is this our year for a big bowl game, where are the best parties. However, there was another story on campus this week. It was admittedly less followed but the event was an amazing experience.
The event I am speaking of is the dedication/opening of the $63 million Armstrong Hall. Dedicated to Purdue alumnus and first man to walk on the moon Neil Armstrong. It will aptly be used for teaching classes on Aeronautical Engineering, and the shape of the building mimics that of wings bringing Purdue's contributions to flight back to campus.
In attendance was not only Neil Armstrong for whom the building is named, but also Eugene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon and also a Purdue alumnus. These two greats were accompanied by their families and 12 other astronaut alumni of Purdue.
To many students on campus this is merely another building to navigate. But for the aeronautical engineers as well as Purdue's flight students this building is a monument to what a diploma from Purdue can get you. In the flight program here we are told that when we graduate we will be ready for a job as an airline pilot, but after listening to Mr. Armstrongs speech today, I am inspired to be more. This building to me is a daily reminder of why I am here. With a Purdue education not even the sky will be the limit for a student's potential.
3 comments:
I was/am so upset that I had to work that morning, especially as someone going into astronautical engineering...
I went to the ceremony and game. Seeing Neil Armstrong and Gene Cernan arm and arm waving was probaly one of the most symbolic things I have ever seen. I also liked how in the speeches, neither of them mention really, anything within the past 20-30 years. They talked like Nixon and Kennedy were still in office and it gave a really cool feeling becuase I know Armstrong is a very reclusive person now for obvious reasons. On of the other 12 astronauts there was announced as waiting to return to space, that's insane if you think about it. 14 Astronauts with one returning to space still in one place. I believe it was Cernan who made the joke about modern technology saying, "you folks have more technologically advanced instruments in your hands than Neil did to land on the moon." I realized immediately I would never see that again, and probaly Armstrong as well. Seeing all these people who pretty much represent the American hero for the past century gave me this retro feel that I will never forget.
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