Tulsa 8th graders meet the man that helped the crew of Apollo 13 come back home

Wednesday, November 29th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

He's looked down on the earth from outer space, and Tuesday he encouraged some Tulsa teens to keep reaching for the stars. Brigadier General James Oâ€™Neal was a part of the 1970 rescue mission that helped the crew of the disabled Apollo 13 return to Earth. O'Neal talked to more than 100 eighth graders at the University of Tulsa about the history of space exploration, and the international space station.

Tuesdayâ€™s ceremony is part of a program T-U calls "gear-up". "The ultimate goal is to make students aware of the opportunities that are out there for them, especially academic," said
Ken Pedersen, Clinton Middle School Teacher. Five Tulsa middle schools participate in the Gear Up program. The program follows students through their middle school and high school years, encouraging them to excel once they get to college.