Drafting My Senior Capstone Project
The title page of my story. (photo/Kasy Long) |
For the past few weeks,
my mind has been devoted to my senior capstone project, which I discussed in a previous
blog post. Since that blog post was written, I have completed ten pages of
my creative nonfiction story (or as my professor prefers to say, “essay”).
The articles I reviewed for my story. (photo/Kasy Long) |
I spent my spring break
reviewing newspaper articles, quotations and reading stories about Abe
Silverstein, the scientist I have devoted the past few months of my life to for
this project. Just in case you are unaware of Silverstein and his work, he was
a mechanical engineer responsible for designing the space rocket that took astronauts
Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins to the moon as part of the
Apollo 11 space mission.
The books I reviewed for my story. (photo/Kasy Long) |
It is very important for
people to recognize this man and his work, for if it weren’t for him, it would
have taken NASA much longer to complete President John F. Kennedy’s dream of
going to the moon. Americans may have lost to the Russians in the space race of
the 1960s. Scientific history changed because of this man, and I am
going to tell his story!
I ask in my story, “Why
me? Why am I so fascinated with this man?”
In short, I am very
intrigued with NASA’s Apollo space program. In my opinion, the time that the
program existed was one of the greater highlights of American history.
But it’s so much more
than this curiosity and fascination that has propelled me to write Silverstein’s
story for my capstone project (which I will also include in my grad school
applications next fall). It’s so much more. Silverstein is from my hometown of
Terre Haute, Ind. He attended the same school, Rose Polytechnic Institute (now
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology), that my father currently works for as the
Executive Editor and Director of News Services.
My draft, describing Silverstein's history in Terre Haute, Ind. (photo/Kasy Long) |
He stepped foot on the
same land I grew up. His heart was in Terre Haute, where my heart is right now.
The city of Terre Haute definitely does not credit Silverstein for his
scientific achievements. Instead, the city has a huge statue for basketball
legend Larry Bird, who (I apologize to the sports fans reading this post)
simply put balls in a hoop.
Silverstein put man on
the moon. Silverstein took men to the land of possibilities—the space of
discoveries and imaginations. Traveling to space is a brave and bold decision,
and I have always considered astronauts to be heroes. Without Silverstein’s
talented and intelligent mind, Scott Kelly would not have spent his year in
space.
So here I am—completing
my draft for my nonfiction writing course. I will workshop my story with my
peers next week. I hope they enjoy the story, but of course I will take into
consideration each suggestion they offer. A creative writer is always looking
for help.
This blog post may have
been about my capstone project, but I think it’s about something larger. It’s a
homage to my fascination. As a writer, I have never grasped the knowledge of
mathematics or chemistry. But this—the study of space and the history of NASA’s
exploration programs—clicks for me.
I am determined to turn
my capstone project into a full-length novel. Who knows, you may see it on a
bookshelf in a few years with my name attached to it. That’s a dream of mine,
but you never know. This is the kind of story that people are inclined to read,
that Hollywood likes to make movies about—stories about real people who changed the world.
I nod my pen to you, Abe.
Thanks for inspiring me. Thanks for everything you did for NASA. But most
importantly, thanks for being a fellow Hautian.
-KJL-
Long live Abe Silverstein! Glad to see you're drawing attention to this quiet legend in the world of aerospace. Those in NASA acknowledge his considerable contributions to America's space program. We wouldn't have put a man on the man as early as 1969 with him. Abe also had an influential role in the Jewish community in the Cleveland area, bringing several Russian Jewish immigrants to the region -- from exile and potential death at the hands of Hitler's occupation of Europe. Can't wait to read your work. Good luck on this project!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting topic for your capstone. I am sure you will tell his story with pride for Abe and his family. Good luck with your capstone!
ReplyDelete