“The most historic event that happened while I was a student at Auburn University was on January 28, 1986, when the space shuttle Challenger exploded in mid-air just 73 seconds after liftoff in its tenth mission.
I was a student employee in Foy Union at the information desk and I was working that cold morning in January, answering phones and giving students phone numbers and various bits of information. As I, and my co-workers manned the phones, the big screen television in the lobby was broadcasting the news cast of the liftoff.
Suddenly, we heard screams on the television and watched as students came running into the building towards the television as they heard the tragic news. I will never forget that day as we answered phones and watched the horrors unfold on the news.”
Ellen Wylie Sims