January 28, 1986 is a date that stands out in my mind quickly. It is the day that marks the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. January 28, 1986 was a day when the lives of seven Heroes of Earth were lost in a tragic accident.

One of the people lost in this accident was an astronaut-physicist named Ronald Ervin McNair. Many of us know that McNair was an alumnus of North Carolina A&T, that he was a member of The Omega Psi Phi fraternity, and that he graduated from A&T in 1971.

However, there are many that attend this University who DO NOT know who Ronald McNair is, despite the fact that our School of Technology is named after him.

I was utterly staggered when I attempted to talk to a number of fellow Aggies about the twenty-fifth anniversary of his death. There were those who knew of the date and name, of course, but there were just as many who didn’t. One even responded to me in a joking fashion that, “It’s not black history month yet.” I am very proud of my vocabulary, but the only retort I had for a statement like that was “WTF!?”

Bryon Turman, a professor here at A&T, as well as an Alumnus, was not surprised at all when I mentioned some of these responses to him. He replied simply,

“That’s part of the unfortunate short term memory that has plagued us [as a people] for centuries. Ask people about Willie Grimes and it is even worse.”    

How is something like this even possible? How can we as Aggies not know one of our most famous Alumni?

At the same time, I am willing to bet that nearly all of us know that Terrance J from BET’s 106 & Park went to our school (for better, or for worse).

In 1978, Ronald McNair was chosen to represent the NASA astronaut program. Out of a pool of over ten thousand extremely qualified people, Ronald McNair was ONE of only thirty five chosen.

He accomplished more in a tragically short thirty-five years of life than most accomplish in a lifetime. He was a hero, not only as an A&T alumnus, but as a man in our Planet’s history as well. He walked the very same campus that we all do today.

Aggies we all have that same potential! There is no reason for us not to believe that any one of us can be the next Ronald McNair in our respective field.

Aggie Pride is not just pride in our school by itself. It is also the pride we have in all of the individuals around us and all of the individuals that came before us.

I take pride in the fact that I walk among each and every one of my fellow classmates. I take pride in the fact that I have walked on the same campus as Jesse Jackson, Ronald McNair, Janice Bryant Howroyd, Ezell A. Blair, Jr., David Richmond, Joseph McNeil, and Franklin McCain. I take pride that I have walked on the same campus as Taraji P. Henson and Terrance J.

I take pride that I have walked on the same campus as last year’s valedictorian, Erica Witherspoon. I take pride that I have walked on the same campus as my uncle, my sister, my cousins, and so many of my friends. I am proud to be a part of this school from the professors who have taught me to the people working at the

Memorial Student Union, and The Financial Aid Office (after all, they have to put up with all of us crazy students).

My only wish is that all of us would take the same pride in one another and those who came before us. We are all a part of a legendary school, and it is time that we all realize it.

Aggie Pride!!

• PATRICK ALEXANDER