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
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
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
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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
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
Planetarium coordinator’s designs inspired by
his late wife.
By Landon Penn
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
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.