durham_chronicle_16-17_issue08

Campus chronicle.durhamcollege.ca January 24 - 30, 2017 The Chronicle 3
Hadfield lands on campus
Travis Fortnum
The Chronicle
Retired astronaut Chris Hadfield
thinks today’s college students
might need to beef up their long
distance calling packages – because
he says living on the moon
is a real possibility.
“Some of you folks are going to
have the opportunity in your lives
to live on the moon,” Hadfield told
a crowd of almost 1,000 at Durham
College and UOIT Jan 11.
“To go live in a permanent human
outpost on the moon. Maybe
even as far as Mars in your lifetime.”
With 166 days spent outside the
Earth’s atmosphere, Hadfield’s
resume is not shy of accomplishments.
He partook in three different
missions to space in 1995, 2001
and 2012. He served as Commander
of the International Space
Station (ISS) from December 2012
until May, 2013.
On top of this, Hadfield was the
first Canadian to walk in space.
The Student Association announced
Hadfield would be coming
to campus just before the winter
break.
Through social media promotion,
they sold more than 900 advanced
tickets with the rest sold at
the door on the night of the event.
Hadfield believes incredible
achievements are only possible if
people allow themselves to dream
big.
“The only way you can do impossible
things,” Hadfield told the
crowd, “is to imagine something
crazy, and then start changing
what you’re doing so that you can
learn about it enough that it can
Photograph by Travis Fortnum
After talking to the crowd, Chris Hadfield took the time to greet anyone willing to wait in line.
Little Aurora had an easier wait than most, held in the arms of her mother Kathleen Flynn.
It's really
liberating to
realize that
impossible
things happen.
be part of what becomes normal.”
Since retiring from the astronaut
life in June of 2013, Hadfield has
gone on to become a national bestselling
author, a top ten recording
artist and a coveted public speaker.
The famed former astronaut
brought stories of experience and
expertise with him to educate and
inspire students.
Growing up in southern Ontario,
Hadfield found himself inspired
by the fantasy of Star Trek,
as well as the reality of the Apollo
11 moon landing in July of
1969.
“On the morning of July 20,
it was impossible to walk on the
moon,” Hadfield said.
“Nobody had ever done it. But
by bedtime on July 20, Neil (Armstrong)
and Buzz (Aldrin) had
made all those footprints. That was
now something that was possible.
“It’s really liberating to realize
that impossible things happen.”
From his time with the Royal
Canadian Air Force in the 90s to
performing at a David Bowie anniversary
in New York City earlier
this month, Hadfield has experienced
things that many can only
dream about.
As he described the process of
launch and exiting the Earth’s
atmosphere, the audience was
captivated.
“After eight minutes and 42
seconds the engines shut off,”
Hadfield said, “you’re at the right
height, speed and direction and
the engines shut off. And you’re
weightless.”
He paused for a second, and you
could hear a pin drop.
Hadfield filled an hour and a
half with anecdotes of his life and
a wealth of knowledge on the past,
present and future of space exploration.
Hadfield closed his talk by performing
bits of an original from
his 2015 album and David Bowie’s
Space Oddity, which he famously
covered aboard the ISS.
After the conclusion of his performance,
nearly all the people in
attendance lined up for a chance
to shake hands and take a picture
with the first Canadian to walk in
space, as well as get a book signed.
Hadfield stayed until he had the
chance to meet them all.
Johnny Humphrey, the SA’s
campus life coordinator, played a
big role in organizing Hadfield’s
speaking engagement on campus.
“The SA is really happy with
how it turned out,” Humphrey
says.
“We received a lot of positive
feedback.”
Hadfield has taken his public
speaking across the pond, where
he will finish the month touring
Ireland and the UK.
DC, UOIT students inspired by former astronaut
Kayano Waite
The Chronicle
The lights were dimmed in the
school gym, with rows of students
and locals hanging on to the words
of the first Canadian to walk in
space.
“Using the time you have now
to prepare for the probable things
that are going to go wrong in your
life,” Chris Hadfield said. “To me,
that’s the very essence of success.”
This was the message former colonel
and astronaut Hadfield, who
was one of the highlights of Winterfest
at Durham College and UOIT.
The first Canadian commander
of the International Space Station
was the focus of the event, The Sky
is the Limit.
Hadfield spoke on his life in and
out of space as well as his hopes for
others to achieve their best.
Hadfield’s son Evan, who works
alongside his father, said the advice
given is applicable to anyone’s
average goals in life, not just those
interested in a particular field.
“He doesn’t necessarily teach
about space,” the younger Hadfield
said. “He uses space as an example
of how you should live your everyday
life.”
Talib Ali, president of the UOIT
Engineering Student Society, met
with Hadfield before the event,
and gave him engineering coveralls.
According to Ali, coveralls
are traditional for engineering
students.
Hadfield graduated from mechanical
engineering at Royal Military
College in Kingston in 1982.
Due to the dress code at the college,
he did not wear these during his
time there.
Ali said Hadfield was surprised
He uses space as an example of
how you should live your
everyday life.
by the gesture. “He was really excited
by it, and we were grateful
that he accepted our gift.”
Mechanical engineering student
Dustin Curry was one of the last
people in line, but didn’t mind the
wait.
“This is probably the closest I’m
going to get to space,” Curry said
jokingly.
Curry said his takeaway from the
night was for the audience to not
settle for less in life.
It was not only students who got
a lot out of Hadfield’s words.
Abdul Hameed, a former army
Colonel and electrical engineer in
Pakistan, was also there to meet
Hadfield.
Hameed heard about Hadfield’s
appearance from his son who attends
UOIT. Hameed, who has
followed the space program from
childhood, said it was a “rare”
moment for him to get to hear the
thoughts of Hadfield, who he called
a proud Canadian.
Hameed attended the event with
his daughter and thought Hadfield’s
words were important for
younger people there to hear.
“There will be failures, there will
be challenges in life,” Hameed said.
“They should not despair of any
moment that comes.”
Photograph by Kayano Waite
Hadfield left those in attendance feeling educated and inspired.