Best of CASE District IV Award
 

Institution: Texas Tech University

Title of entry: Remembering Columbia: A 20th Anniversary Commemoration

About this entry: Issue 3 of our university magazine, Evermore, focused largely on the emotional story of Texas Tech's connections to the Columbia space shuttle's final mission. It ended in disaster on Feb. 1, 2003, when the shuttle disintegrated on reentry, and all seven people aboard were killed, including commander Rick Husband, a Texas Tech alumnus, and pilot Willie McCool, the son of two faculty members. The story was about them and their fellow Red Raiders who stepped up in the aftermath of the disaster to help in whatever way they could -- embodying the ideals of grit, integrity, courage and selflessness. We used illustrations throughout the spread to convey that inspirational spirit, and – as a tribute -- the magazine cover is pure white and silver with a blind emboss weaving a tapestry of hidden tiles across it. A glance at the back reveals that the cover is actually an homage to the shuttle.
On Jan. 28, 2023, four days before the 20th anniversary, we hosted an in-person commemorative event at Space Center Houston, the event center for NASA's Johnson Space Center. We brought together the Texas Tech and NASA communities to remember those lost and honor the undying spirit that remains to this day. We heard personal, firsthand accounts from Ginger Kerrick Davis, who was in NASA, and Rick's widow, Evelyn Husband Thompson. Our giveaways featured that same white and silver color scheme and two illustrations from the magazine.