Space EdVentures Board Member Appointed to the State School Board. Discovery Center's Honor's Night. A Video of the Discovery Space Center

Space EdVentures Board Member Named to State School Board

Gov. Herbert recently appointed Heather Groom to the State School Board.  Heather is a member of our Space EdVentures Foundation's Board of Directors and President of the Utah Federation of Republican Women.  Heather is an true fan of the Space Center and wants to see the Space Center experience available to all.

As a member of the Space EdVentures' Board of Directors, Heather is working on a proposal to provide the Space Center experience to everyone.  We will propose that the school district rent the Space Center's simulators to our Foundation for private missions, camps and classes.  In addition to private programs, our Foundation will restart the Space Center's volunteer club and Programming Guild.  Our proposal will be given to the District for consideration after we obtain the necessary insurance required from all groups renting school facilities.

Congratulations Heather on your appointment and thank you for all the work you do on behalf of the Space Center's thousands of fans, both young and old alike.

Discovery Space Center's First Honor's Night 

The soon to open Discovery Space Center held its first Honor's Night, last night, at the Stonegate Center for the Arts in Pleasant Grove.  During the Honor's Night,  Discovery's management announced the names of the newly hired staff.

Interviewing for a job at the Discovery Space Center was unusually imaginative, a good implementation of the Imaginarium's motto, 'Make the Ordinary, Extraordinary'.   Surprised job applicants were invited one by one into one of Stonegate's reception halls.  There they found the Great Galactic Council in session and ready to pass judgement on their application.

The Honor's Night ceremony immediately followed the interviews.  The reception hall was full of current and old Space Center staff and volunteers, along with many friends of the both Space Centers and Stonegate.

Megan Warner's presentation of old Space Center photographs started the evening.   

Randy and Vicki Bott spoke of the Christa McAuliffe Space Center's legacy and how important it was to them that the Space Center's spirit of community and quality be the foundation of the new Discovery Space Center.  And yes, as you can see above, a very kind and totally undeserved tribute of my work at the Space Center was given.  My picture will hang in the Galileo Room with a sign underneath telling the arriving field trip kids to "Leave chewing gum here". 

 Ben Murdock, Endeavor Set Director

The Discovery Space Center will have four simulators.  The Set Directors of each of the simulators were announced at the Honor's Night.   Each announcement included the 'Passing of the Mic', the ceremony whereby the Center Director passes the simulator's Control Room microphone to the new Set Director, and thus formalizes his or her position.

   
Ben Murdock was appointed as the UCS Endeavor simulator's Set Director.  Ben was a Galileo Flight Director at the Space Center.   

Nicole VanDeBoss is seen taking the microphone as Set Director of the UCS Atlantis simulator.  Nicole was a Magellan Flight Director at the Space Center.

Jon Parker is seen wrestling the USC Challenger simulator's microphone from Center Director, Casey Voeks.  Jon was a Voyager Flight Director at the Space Center.  

Casey Voeks is the temporary Set Director of the Columbia.

Brandon Wright received the highly regarded and much coveted Silver Chalice of Zod Award, made famous from the "Supernova" mission.  This award, given to such intergalactic celebrities as Dr. Marcus of the Romulan Science Council, Kirby Glad of Orem and Bill Schuler of Pleasant Grove, 

is given for outstanding service to a Space Center organization.  

Brandon is Casey's right hand man.  He does all Casey's dirty work for little or no pay.  He is the Discovery Space Center's Go To Man; meaning you go to him if you want something done quickly and efficiently ;)

Stonegate's Randy Bott is seen receiving the Five Golden Rings of Trevilee from Discovery Director Casey Voeks.  The Five Golden Rings honor true integrity and dedication to community service - all of which is epitomized in Randy Bott - a true gentleman and scholar.  

 

  The First Presidency of the Discovery Space Center

Casey Voeks, Director; 

flanked by his two Asst. Directors.  Brandon Wright and BJ Warner.

(Did I have two assistant directors when I directed the Space Center?  No. What's up with this?)

The intelligent and good looking staff of the Discovery Space Center and Stonegate.

This photo was  taken before refreshments were served 

(which is why they were so cooperative to have their picture taken)

Saturday at the Discovery Space Center 

Armed with my trusty Sony hand held camera and video recorded, I visited the Discovery Space Center to get an update on construction, simulator programming and mission development.  Again, I apologize in advance for the camerawork.  You may want to take a motion sickness pill before viewing.  

I narrate a bit as I walk around.  Now that I watch it before posting,  I realize I should have spoken more.  Let me outline what you'll be seeing as you labor through the video. 

1)  We start in the Galileo Room.  You'll see Discovery staff working on ship computer graphics and controls.  The Galileo Room looks a bit of a mess in the video. Be forgiving - this is where construction materials are kept until needed upstairs in the simulators.   The Galileo Room will act as the entrance to the Discovery Center once it opens.  

2)  Discovery's Center's four simulators and control rooms come next in the video.  The Atlantis and Columbia are the two larger ships.  The Challenger and Endeavor will be the two smaller sets.  

3)  The video ends back in the Galileo Room with Matt Ricks and Nicole VanDeBoss discussing the Atlantis' developing computer controls.  

You'll see how far they've come and how much is left to do before their grand opening on March 18.  

The Troubadour will keep you updated on the news from both Space Center's.