In the Greek Life forum....

GPhiBLtColonel · #1 02-03-2003, 10:39 AM

AGDAlum references a 2-2-2003 Milwaukee Sentinel Journal article that says Dr Laurel Clark, one of the Columbia Space Shuttle astronauts killed this past Saturday when the shuttle exploded on re-entry to earth, was a Gamma Phi at UW Madison --I checked the article and it is there in black & white -- I wanted to cross ref it with our last Gamma Phi directory (1996) but could not find Laurel either under her married name (Clark) or maiden name (Salton) and she did not turn up on a member search on the Gamma Phi website...the Gamma Phi roomie ref'd in the Milwaukee J-S article was listed though....

Is there anyone out there from UWM who can confirm this about Laurrel Clark? She probably would have graduated in 1983.

This link may get you to the article, if I did it correctly...

http://www.jsonline.com/news/metro/feb03/115317.asp

SmartBlondeGPhB · #2 02-03-2003, 02:11 PM

She is. I was able to find her under her maiden name, she was initiated in 1981. In addition, Rebecca and Vicki are developing a statement about the information.

gphiangel624 · #3 02-05-2003, 02:02 AM

I read an article from her family that stated she was a member of Gamma Phi Beta at UWM. It just hits so close to home and when I heard about the tragedy, I just had this feeling... either someone had something in common, or was from my university or something... and then I read this.

My chapter was shocked and upset to hear the news last night when I mentioned during closing ritual that Laurel was a member of Gamma Phi. But it only made the closing more significant. It's so sad to know that this happened to one of our sisters, but I'm proud to know that she was brave enough to do all that she has done.

In TTKE, Carol

SmartBlondeGPhB · #4 02-05-2003, 12:56 PM

If you haven't seen it, there's a letter on our website that Vicki Read wrote.

in IIKE,

GPhiBLtColonel · #5 02-05-2003, 02:07 PM

...and when I could not find her name in the Member Search on our website, well I still was not convinced -- turns out I typed SLATON for her maiden name instead of SALTON...oh well...still I think it is weird that I had this feeling like you did Carol...

I don't know about you but I sure wonder why there has been no previous mention about Laurel in The Crescent or anything -- even in the "What's New" section of our website -- there should have been something prior to Columbia's take-off that said something like -- One of our very own sisters is about to embark into space etc etc etc...

I know there are several other sorority women who have flown the shuttle in one capacity or another but it sorta bugs me that we did not say anything about Laurel until after she had passed away...

is it me???

SmartBlondeGPhB · #6 02-05-2003, 05:51 PM

To give the benefit of the doubt...............

It's hard for IH to know about the members if the members don't tell them. In this case, she hadn't even notified IH of her marriage and name change and I'm guessing the address wasn't up to date. My sorority affiliation is pretty well known by my friends and family, but if I wasn't so open about it, the people around me wouldn't have a clue.

Some of us are good about keeping everything up to date, and we have remained involved as alumna (or gotten back involved) but it's not the same for everyone (for lots of different reasons).

in IIKE,