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NEWS
| April 22
Plaque memorializing Chawla broken
Reportedly, a toddler accidentally
broke the structure by leaning on it during the science picnic Friday
afternoon.
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| The Shorthorn: Casey Horn |
| The space shuttle Columbia memorial
plaque on the Central Library mall shattered Friday afternoon
at the science picnic. A toddler leaned on and broke the
plaque, according to witnesses of the event. |
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By Josie
Garcia
Contributor to The Shorthorn
A plaque memorializing alumna Kalpana Chawla
was accidentally broken during Friday’s science picnic when
a child, reportedly between 1 and 2 years old, leaned on the structure
and broke it, witnesses say.
The memorial was created by architecture junior David Dodds with
a painted space shuttle listing the names of the astronauts who
died. It was situated on the Central Library mall shortly after
the accident.
Chawla was killed Feb.1 along with six other astronauts when the
Columbia space shuttle broke apart while entering the earth’s
atmosphere. She earned a master of science in aerospace engineering
from the university In 1984 and was the first India-born woman in
space.
The pieces of the plaque have been placed on the mall next to the
flag poles.
Science Dean Neal Smatresk said the Science Constituency Council
and the College of Science would try to reimburse the cost of the
plaque as soon as Dodds is contacted.
“It is one of those things, and to have kids — it gets
unpredictable,” he said. “They were kind of wound up.”
Public Affairs Director Donna Darovich said she was unaware of the
incident but added that the plaque was temporary.
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