The Magic of the Space Center.

Hello Troops,
Take a minute from your battle with ignorance and let me share a thought.
Many times throughout the years we've all heard Space Center visitors say,"This is better than Disneyland!". Each time I hear that I wonder how that can possibly be! Disneyland has everything from expensive, imaginative rides to restaurants and shopping. The parks are squeaky clean. The sets effectively transport you from the daily grind to the world of imagination. I'm an admirerer of everything Disney. So...... being a fan (I don't own a pair of Mickey ears so I don't consider myself a FANatic) I'm honored to hear such things but really couldn't, until now, accept the statements as truth.

I recently returned from a week at Disneyworld. That week gave me multiple opportunities to compare and contrast the best theme park in the world to our humble log cabin approach in Pleasant Grove. I could write a small book on the subject but today I'll share my greatest realization.

I noticed that when people get off a Disney ride they speak briefly about the experience. You hear things like: "That was awesome," to "I think I'm sick," to "That wasn't what I expected," to "That drop almost gave me a heart attack!". You also hear them talk about others in their group:
"Did you see mom's face?" and "I thought Dad was going to throw up!"
The ride discussion quickly ends and the family starts talking about the next meal or hurting feet or exclamations to hurry to get the next Fast Pass. The ride discussion ends quickly because every participant had THE EXACT SAME EXPERIENCE! They were side by side. They all saw the same thing, heard the same sounds, smelled the same smells, and jumped at the same time.
A further discussion is pointless because every comment you make is answered with "We Know, we were there,".

Now compare that to a group leaving one of our simulators after a fun 2.5 to 5 hour mission. Read the points I make below and see if I'm not spot on with this observation:

• We hear from moms that their children's mission talk continues all the way home and then on for days afterword - Why?
• Each person on a Space Center mission gets a different ride! Think about it. You have the captain who experiences a somewhat different mission than a security officer. Each person picks up certain story points that others don't because everyone does a different job.
  
• Only by sharing your mission experience with the team does a team begin to understand the entire mission. A mission is like a jigsaw puzzle. Only by putting the pieces together do you get to see the picture.
• Humans are story tellers. That is what we like to do when we get together. Think about your family gatherings. The adults set around and tell stories to each other. Think about the time you spend with your friends. Don't you tell each other stories? That's right, you're sharing your daily experiences and insights. If we don't have stories to tell, the conversation turns silent and we move on to another group where stories are still being shared.
  

We have these stories because we all experience a different aspect to life. Are you getting my point? We slaughter Disney in one very important aspect - our 'rides' give everyone something different. In addition to that - our rides continue well beyond the time spent in the ships. The mission residue continues for years to come as stories pass from person to person on the semi-shared experience.

This is the magic of the Space Center! It has taken 18 years to really understand but I think I get it. What are your thoughts? Share them if you would using the 'comment' feature of the Blog.

All the Best,
Mr. Williamson

Space Center News Update. All the News That's Fit to Bore!

Read "The Space Center News" Below or 

Pick it Up from Elmer in Downtown PG. Our News is Worth Every Penny!

Hello Troops,

And now, the news from the Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center.  

• Brent Anderson, our former chief programmer and all around Lord of Computers received an LDS mission call to the Prague, Czech Republic Mission.  He enters the MTC in February.  He is currently at BYU and very excited, I've been told, about learning a new language.  It shouldn't be too difficult.  Brent already speaks English and a host of other computer languages.  How could Czech be any worse than C ++?
• BYU's School of Engineering has accepted the Space Center for a Capstone project.  The student engineers will build a new Galileo simulator.  We expect delivery sometime in May.  Dr. Long's electrical engineers will assist by doing all the electrical work.  This new Galileo will have a metal exterior and work stations for six crew members.  Needless to say, we are all awash with excitement except me.  I'm the one that needs to worry about the final bill.  This project may put the United Federation of Planet's Central Bank into difficulty.  We may need to go to the Federation Government for a bail out.  Why not, everyone else does? 
• Parts of the Voyager are getting new carpet.  The old gray carpet was showing its age.  After eight years and thousands of children's shoes later the old carpet was giving up the ghost.  Large dark age spots were showing up everywhere, especially in front of the small Voyager fridge.  Gray was not the best choice for color.  It was a decision I made eight years ago and regretted.  Today my repentance was complete when the carpet men brought the new carpet.  It is a smattering of colors - with navy blue being the dominant hue.  There is also a sneeze of red which matches nicely with the red carpet that covers sections of the Voyager's walls.  The carpet men left  two sets of stairs uncarpeted at quitting time Friday.  They'll return Monday afternoon.  Tonight's overnighter is interesting.  The staff and crew have nice new carpet and sticky, uncarpeted stairs to walk on.  Oh well, you never know what to expect when you come to the Space Center.  The staff discovered something else they like about new carpet - The smell.  I found them in the ship at the beginning of the camp.  They were like cows in the field - down on all fours  with their snouts dragging across the new carpet.  
• Our programming class started last Saturday.  Bridger is teaching our Programming Guild (and certain special guests) how to program in Cocoa.  To those like me that think cocoa is used for double fudge brownies - you are correct but..... Apple has taken a very descriptive word and used it for a computer programming language.   Hey, how could a computer language called Cocoa be difficult to learn?  Following that logic - imagine how difficult it would be to learn a programming language called 'Chopped Liver'.  Wait a minute, isn't that what Windows and Vista is programmed in?  My apologies to our PC fans.  
• I'm relearning how to tell our school mission "The Children of Perikoi".  I found an old recording of me telling the story four years ago.  That recording will shorten the learning curve putting us in the groove sooner rather than later.
• Our School Year Flyer is out.  You can sign up for classes and Super Saturdays.  There is also a section of the flyer for donations.  Money will hemorrhage from our accounts this year with the Galileo rebuild and the Voyager refit.  Anything resembling good old American money will be welcome.  I'm even willing to accept Euros - a sign of our desperate need.  I draw the line on Russian Rubles and Chinese Won.  I don't like the way Russia is throwing its weight around and as for the Chinese - they won too many gold medals in the Olympics with girls barely out of diapers parading as 14 year olds on their  gymnastics team.  Oh, I don't think I'll take any of that phony Canadian money either.  Who can trust a dollar nicknamed a Loon?  

Well, that is about it Troops.  There are other minor things I could list but I feel I'm already taxing your attention so I'll stop while you're still semi conscious.  Enjoy your week.  We surely will.  We Open with School Missions This Week.  Wish us luck!

Mr. Williamson   

Why I Call You Troops

Hello Troops,
As many of you know, I use the word 'troops' often when I'm wearing my educator's hat. I've done it for so many years I forget using the term with a classroom of children may cause some confusion. Last Thursday one of my pre algebra students raised his hand at the beginning of class.
"Adam," I said looking down from my elevated perch in the Discovery Room.
"Why do you call us troops?" he asked. "We aren't in the army. We're a bunch of kids."
I got everyone's attention before dispensing my answer.
"Troops, Adam would like to know why I call you troops. Anyone else interested in knowing?" I asked. They all stopped talking. The look on their faces led me to believe a few had an interest. The others were quiet, knowing my feelings about talking when I'm talking.
"I call you troops because that's what you are. You are all soldiers in our war against ignorance. American is in a war of wits with the rest of the world. If we are to maintain our leadership and position as leader of the free world we need to do one thing above all else - we need an educated population. We need a population that can think creatively. We need a population with imagination. We need a population of doers AND hearers. We need a population that understands propaganda and can tell the difference between fact and spun fact. We need a population that knows their math and can read and write well. We need a population that knows their nation's history and understands our liberties were fought for and not given.

Get on the Ladder of Success

Ignorance is out there competing with me for your brain. Ignorance wants you sluffing school. Ignorance wants you tied to your ipod and video games. Ignorance wants you to think that book smarts are stupid and street smarts are the only thing you really need. Ignorance wants you to think doing 'some' drugs is OK. Ignorance wants you to think morals are for religious fanatics. Ignorance wants you to believe that a lie here and there is OK and cheating is the way to get around a tough assignment. Ignorance wants to shut me up right now to keep you from hearing the truth. Well it won't shut me up.

We are in a war troops. Now that you know your enemy what will you do about it? For one hour every day I'm your general. I'm going to lead you into battle. Our enemy is your apathy so leave it at the door. Our enemies are the problems we work on the board. These aren't math problems. These are challenges to your future. We attack! If defeated we get up, brush ourselves off and attack again, and again, and again until we understand.

We will never surrender. We will never quit.
So Troops, are we ready for the day? Then let's get to work."

I'm not sure Adam will ever ask a question again but I think I made my point.

Now Troops, Let's get to Work.

Mr. Williamson

My Thoughts on Our Approaching 18th Birthday.

Hello Troops,
We are nearing the Space Center’s 18th birthday. Years have come and gone. I remember our first year very well. I had doubts. I questioned whether I knew what I was doing. I knew others were concerned about my sanity.

This concept of a Space Center all started with a Young Astronaut Club and a trip to Japan. I saw a school with a small shuttle simulator and wanted one for my club at Central. Suddenly the dream took on its own life. The little ship Pegasus, destined to be built where the Odyssey is now, had morphed into the Voyager – a new addition build onto the school.
So many people were drawn into the project. Great amounts of money and manpower were spent. It had to succeed but I didn't know what `it' was. Failure wasn't an option. I didn't sleep well those first years. My health suffered. My poor heart never completely recovered. The anxiety attacks, I'm happy to say, lasted three years and ended. I had a building but no real understanding what to do with it. I envisioned a science lab on board a futuristic spaceship but that idea never took root. I experimented with a scientific mission to Mars. There are people that remember that first school mission. We flew at warp speed using HyperCard controls I programmed. Once there we used a Mars laserdisc for special effects. We flew around the planet learning about its climate and features. I stood on the bridge next to the Tactical screen. My 6th grade staff (2 kids) sat in the control room listening and waiting for clues on when to play and pause. How primitive it was compared to what we do now. After a few Mars missions I felt something was missing. The students showed little
excitement. They were just bodies sitting at the computers listening to me. I was in command giving the captain orders on where to go and what to do. It wasn't working.

I thought back to my days in the classroom with the overhead projector, boom box, and paper controls. Then the idea came – do what you've proven successful. Introduce some drama. I quickly pulled a few of my "Star Trek" videos and, using two of the school's VCR's, I edited an ending with of a Romulan warbird showing up orbiting Mars.
It was a crazy idea but crazy ideas built the Center. I guess being willing to act on crazy impulses is a character trait I should be proud of.

The idea of adding the Romulan scene at the end of the mission worked well. The kids got excited to see the Romulan ship. The little battle thrown into the end of the Mars mission was successful. It convinced me that my original idea of taking a class on an EdVenture into space would work with the general public like it did with my
captive class. I quickly sat down and wrote another mission. I believe it was called "Epsilon". It was a story of a planet in the Klingon Neutral Zone. Half the planet was under Federation control and the other was under Klingon control. The treaty, allowing joint control of the planet, was soon to be reviewed. The planet would be awarded to the government that demonstrated it could best care for the planet's population.

The story had the Voyager entering the Neutral Zone bringing a new kind of wheat to the planet. This new wheat was genetically engineered to grow well in the planet's harsh climate. The Voyager had a few close calls on the way to the planet and a few others while in orbit. At the end of the mission our classes left the Voyager so
excited. I knew I had found the formula and the rest, as they say, is history.

Now here we are nearly 18 years later. The one ship is five. Our stories are much more complicated. Our simulators are ten times more sophisticated. Our work force has exploded but here I am – still sitting at the helm of the Voyager with microphone in hand. The years have taken their toll. I'm getting older and gray but the magic is
still there. Someone once asked me If I would ever move on. I've thought about that many times over the years. Sometimes, when everyone is gone, I go onto the Voyager's Bridge and sit under the dim lights in the Captain's chair. I look at the walls. I imagine the voices of 225,000 children swirling around the room - in the very fabric of the ship. I look over at the left wing and see the original staff training students at their stations long before the days of training tapes. I see Jacob over in the corner asleep when he should be doing his job as a bridge staff. I hear Russell downstairs playing the blind doctor. I watch a much younger Mr. Schuler coming up the stairs in full Star Trek uniform. I hear a child's voice shout, "Admiral on the Bridge!" I still see that silly mask popping up over the loft and staring at Security. I hear the screams, the laughing, and the quiet that came from sadness when Blossom died in a fiery crash into a planet so many years ago. The memories are happy and so I think I'll stay awhile longer.

Perhaps some day video game technology will become so evolved that children will do one of our missions at home connected to some kind of virtual reality machine. The computer will play my part, telling the story and reacting to the kid's decisions. The class will sit with goggles covering their eyes showing them the bridge of some futuristic ship. Gloves will give them the feel of working the controls. Perhaps the Voyager will still be around. A museum they will visit with their grandparents. As they tour the simulator the sounds of our voices and the blaring music with red alerts will mix with their grandparent's stories of when they flew the Voyager to places far distant.

Thank you everyone for eighteen years. It has been a long road and we are far from our destination, whatever that is. The road has been a pleasant one because of good company. Thank you to our customers and students for believing in the Center and attending our camps and programs. Thank you to the staff and volunteers for the time and effort. The pay isn't great but you're helping me create lasting memories that will stay with our students forever.

Sincerely,
Mr. Williamson

Let's Get to Work: A Staff Message

OK troops, I'm back from the Land of Imagination. Disney World is Magic. I think of it as "The Happiest Place on Earth". Disneyland in California comes in a close second. The Space Center blazes across the line in 3rd. I know you may disagree but I'm prejudice and admit it without shame.
I saw many happy children in the parks. I saw others crying to go home. Some were feeding their faces with churros and soda while others were dragging their parents from ride to ride. This excitement is generated because Disney knows how to spark imaginations by resurrecting memories of childhood - a time when you believed in magic and magical creatures. The thousands of dollars spent in the park stores is evidence of that!
I believe we are in the same business. We want to inspire our visitors. We want to spark their imaginations. We want to create magic.
Our visitors are coming to experience the magic YOU, our Space Center staff, create.

This school year, by working at the Center, you will brighten hundreds of days. You will make thousands of children laugh. You will revive thousands of imaginations with thoughts of what could be. You will motive many to work harder in school. You will encourage others to rush home to their computers and begin writing stories of people accomplishing the impossible in the vastness of space.
You will make a difference.
All of this will be because you are here . I'm proud to have you as my partner at the 3rd Happiest Place on Earth.

Mr. Williamson

I've Escaped

Hello Troops,
I've escaped. I've left the fortress of Utah on silver steed with white contrails for a land far away. I'll explore a castle. I'll dine in Mexico. I'll battle a Maelstrom in a viking long boat. I'll mount an expedition to Everest. I'll eat fish and chips in an English pub.
I'll do all of this in the span of five days.
How?
I'm sure you will figure it out. Give it some thought. I'll see you all upon my return Friday.

And now, with belongings in tow, I walk across the drawbridge and step onto adventure's unpredictable road.

Mr. Williamson

Comings and Goings. An Update

We have goodbyes and hellos for this post.
Bracken Funk directed his last Overnight Camp on Friday. He ran his signature story ‘Silhouette’. His final scores were good enough to take first place in the post camp surveys.
Bracken leaves on Wednesday for the MTC in Provo. A few weeks later he will leave Utah. Houston Texas is his final destination.
The Overnight Camp was picture perfect. The scores were good (not great) and the kids were excellent in both behavior and performance. The Happy Bucket was given out but not used - a mark of another great camp. Equipment problems were fixed without delay. There was one small incident that stained the tranquility of an almost perfect camp. At 11:10 P.M. we were in the cafeteria giving the campers ice cream. Lorraine and I stood there in a semi conscious state staring, but not really seeing, the kids as they ate. You know how your mind drifts when tired. My half slumber was disturbed by a staff member telling me the police were outside and wanting to see me about an incident reported by the neighbors. I was busy with the campers and sent Mr. Schuler out instead. With ice cream consumed I walked the boys to the gym. They picked up their gear. Our final stop was the lobby. The boys dropped their things and headed to the restrooms for a final break before bed. I had a minute so I walked outside, behind the Voyager, and found several policeman along with Mr. Schuler, Bracken and a few other volunteers standing near the gym wall. Bill told me the police drew a gun on him when he went outside.
“That’s ‘over the top’ for a noise complaint,” I said looking at the approaching officers.
“It was more than a noise,” he said. “Someone was throwing dry ice bombs and one went off next to a policeman,” he responded.
Sure enough, the story was repeated by the officer. He added another fact omitted by Bill. The policeman was moving around the back of the school toward the large outside air conditioner used by the school’s new addition. Near the cooling unit he saw something with red flashing lights. It looked like a bomb! He moved closer to the black object with blinking lights apprehensive as to its purpose. Just then, another dry ice bomb dropped behind the officer and exploded. Needless to say, the police were in a very bad mood and determined to catch the delinquents.
The bomb was actually one of our Space Center props set outside by the Voyager staff for their landing party. It was innocent but easily misunderstood. The police wanted to get on the school’s roof to find the culprits. I let them up through the ladder in the custodian’s closet. They found nothing. Whoever it was got away. I wouldn’t want to be them if the police ever find out. I’m sure it would be a minimum of ten years community service and a fine so large they would finally get out of debt to the Pleasant Grove City on their eighty-sixth birthday. I was relieved the Space Center wasn't blamed for the officer’s thrilling night out. The experience was added spice to Bracken’s last mission!
On Saturday afternoon the Programming Guild met at the Space Center for Brent Anderson’s last meeting and official resignation. Brent officially turned the reigns of the Guild to Bridger Maxwell. Brent will be attending BYU this fall, followed by an LDS mission. He hopes to enter the MTC in December. Brent came to me years ago as a youngling with a dream to build his own simulator at his home. He was in the process of raising money. One of his mentors told him to come to the Space Center and learn how I got the place started. I remember that meeting. Brent and his friend stood in front of me with grand ideas. I listened politely. A thought dawned on me as they spoke. If I could take that drive and enthusiasm and redirect it to the Space Center we would have a fantastic new and talented volunteer.
I asked Brent to come on board as a volunteer. He eagerly accepted and the rest is history. The Space Center thrived under Brent’s administration of the Programming Guild. Brent took us out of the dark ages in many respects by streamlining my work and making everything he touched work more efficiently. Brent was awesome. There is nothing more to be said. Both Brent and Bracken will be missed. Wait...... that is worded to weakly. They will be missed greatly!
We held a goodbye open house for both of them at my home Saturday night. It was well attended. We shared stories and memories and laughed for hours.
I went to listen to Bracken’s Farewell speech in Sacrament Meeting this morning. He did well. He overflows with self confidence which was evident to anyone listening to his talk.
I was impressed. I know he will be an unstoppable missionary. Watch out Texas - the Funkman is coming your way.

Brady’s Return

We are loosing two of our best. The clouds gathering over the Center appear dark and foreboding. Luckily a silver lining has been spotted. Brady Young has returned from his mission to Florida and is back at the Space Education Center eager and ready to resume his position as Voyager Flight / Set Director. Instead of crawling into a corner and rocking for weeks in fits of depression I’m sitting at my desk thinking we will all survive this hurricane roaring around us. Brady is back - one of our best.
For some reason, and always when we need the help, the right person seems to walk in the Briefing Room Door and say “Here I Am. You’ve been looking for me”. The Fates are with us again my friends and we dare not tempt them. We continue our lives happily knowing that someone or something in the vacuum of space has us under a watchful eye.

Now it is time to stop. Work hard and make each day better than the last.
Remember, the success to life is imagination, education and hard work. Take time each day to sharpen each of those legs on successe’s stool and you to will be unstoppable and nearly irreplaceable.

Mr. Williamson