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Hundreds cheer Morgan on her first visit to McCall, since shuttle flight
MICHAEL WELLS | Dec 13, 2007
THE STAR NEWS

NASA Astronaut Barbara Morgan came home to McCall Tuesday to thank her hometown by sharing her experience in her classroom among the stars.

"I didn't do this, we did this," Morgan said to a crowd of more than 350 people at McCall Donnelly High School.

"There's nothing we can't do in this community," she said. " I'd like to give you a hand."

Greeted by a standing ovation after arriving by police car, Morgan shared moments from her 13-duy mission in August to the International Space Station.

"I didn't fdo this, we did this. There's nothing we can't do in this community.  I'd like to give you a hand." - Barbara Morgan

She received a key to the city from McCall Mayor Bill Robertson, and Morgan gave the city a mission patch that she took up into space with her that was signed by the crew of the space shuttle Endeavour.

As she looked out into the crowd, she kept seeing old friends that would cause her to pause.

"It's great to come home," she said. "We miss home very, very much. I love you guys."

Much to Learn
As Morgan recalled traveling at 17,500 mph to rendezvous with the space station 200 miles in orbit above earth, she pointed to a slide of the Milky Way galaxy.

She then spoke about what people know about the universe, pointing out that we know very little.

"There's so much to learn out there," Morgan said of why a teacher would go into space. "There are never ending open opportunities for whatever they want to do in the future."
She talked about the construction of the space station and showed a short film of the shuttle docking with the station.

Morgan described the darkness of space and the brilliance of the sun on the space station. She also talked about taking time just to look out at the stars each day in orbit.

"The stars look like they are hanging from strings," Morgan said. She said that viewing stars from space gave her a chance to perceive the depths of the universe.

Morgan took questions from schoolchildren who quickly lined up to a microphone.

She was asked if going into space was scarier than a roller coaster.

"I was so glad that we were launching, it was a happy feeling not a scary one," Morgan said. She was surprised about the experience, however.

She was expecting to feel gravitational forces pushing her into her seat, but what she remembered most was the shuttle pushing her upward into space.

Another student asked if she saw the forest fires burning in Idaho from space.

Morgan said she did not because when the space station and shuttle passed over Idaho she was busy working on the mission.

Another student asked what age she was when she first thought about being an astronaut.

"I never really ever thought about becoming an astronaut," Morgan said.

She said when she was growing up girls did not think about becoming astronauts. Later as a teacher, Morgan said seeking out new things and ways to learn pointed her to the stars.

M&Ms on Board
Morgan was asked what her favorite food while in orbit was. She mentioned a few different things before settling on her absolute favorite space food, M&Ms.

Morgan promised the rest of the children standing in line that she would answer their questions this week when she visited them in class on Wednesday. She said that the evening needed to end because it was a school night.

Morgan visited all McCall schools on Wednesday, including McCall Elementary School, McCall-Donnelly High School, Payette Lakes Middle School and Heartland High School.

On Wednesday night, a $50 per ticket reception in her honor was scheduled for Whitetail Club and Resort.

Today, Morgan will visit public schools in Cascade and Donnelly as well as the private Tamarack Academy.

While at Tamarack, a room at the resort's Arling Center meeting complex will be dedicated in her name.

On Friday, Morgan will visit students in New Meadows in the morning, followed in the afternoon by the dedication of the elementary school now under construction in McCall as Barbara Morgan Elementary School.

On Saturday, Morgan will return to Boise, where she will take a flight back to her home in Houston.

On Monday, following her arrival in Boise, Morgan attended a reception at the Discovery Center of Idaho and gave a lecture at the Morrison Center for the Performing Arts.