Alumnus among volunteers
for future space travel
Chowan College alumna, Bemice
Smith of Seaboard, Class of 1972, has
volunteered to be the first teacher to
travel in space. She teaches fifth grade
at Medlin Elementary School in
Roanoke Rapids.
Mrs. Smith is very active in church af
fairs as a member of Carmel Baptist
Church. She sings in the choir, teaches
in Sunday school and is church
treasurer. She has served as church
clerk, president of the Woman’s Mis
sionary Union, director of Young
Woman’s Auxiliary and Sunbeam Band
director of the West Chowan Associa
tion, and member of the Executive
Board of the State Woman’s Missionary
Union.
She served as county chairman for the
American Cancer Society and March of
Dimes and was a member of the Board
of Directors of the Chowan Alumni
Association.
Bemice Smith worked as director of
Young Woman’s Auxiliary of North
Carolina Woman’s Missionary Union for
15 years. She served three summers as
volunteer mission worker in Wyoming
and New York. She is a graduate of
Chowan and North Carolina Wesleyan.
By PAT EAGER,
The Roanoke Rapids Daily Herald
After President Reagan made his pro
mise to send a teacher into space, Mrs.
Bemice Smith became interested. In
describing her motives for applying, the
Seaboard native stated, “I’ve seen a lot
of the world. I’m interested in people
and things other than what’s around me.
I’m just curious, I want to go into space
and see what’s out there.”
The 18-year teaching veteran is no
stranger to travel and adventure. She’s
been to 40 countries and 45 states during
her summer vacations. A recent excur
sion took her through the Misty Fords of
Alaska in a foiu’—seater airplane. Other
trips included a tour of the pyramids
from camel-back and an elephant ride
in India.
Each potential space traveler must
propose two experiments to be con
ducted during the mission. Mrs. Smith’s
experiments would record the effect of
zero gravity on six liquids and the effect
of weightlessness on the growth of*
various plants: alfalfa, lima beans,
peanuts, com, cotton, wheat, tomatoes
and oats.
Approximately 40,000 classroom
teachers are expected to apply for the
trip. The winner will be announced in
September, with the launch planned for
early 1986.
If selected for the trip, Mrs. Smith
would receive 120 hours of training.
Upon her return she would travel the
country for a year, recounting her ex
periences in space.
When asked how her trip into space
would benefit her students and com
munity, Mrs. Smith replied, “It would
open up a whole new world to the people
I came in contact with. I could tell them
first-hand what I had seen.”
After a moment’s thought, she added,
“It would put Roanoke Rapids on the
map—and Seaboard, too! ”
Mrs. Bernice Smith, an alumnus of Chowan College and a teacher
at Roanoke Rapids' Medlin Elementory School, has applied for
travel on the first W. S. space mission to carry a teacher.
Mrs. Smith instructs Brooke Cavanoogh ond Leslee Johnson in the positions of the plonet?.
Her doss hos developed o keen interest in outer spoce since their teocher opplied for the
first spoce mission to corry o classroom teocher.
Two of Mrs. Smith's students join her on the playground for a
break from class at Medlin Elementary School.
The Chowanian, May-June, 1985—PAGE 11