Honor's Night. February 2002. Celebrating Those Who Imagineered the Space Center Over the Last 25 Years. Thank You

Front Row Left to Right: BJ Warner, Emily Perry Paxman, Alex DeBirk, ?
Back Row: Aleta Clegg, Licia Clegg, Ammon Clegg, Sam Brady, and ?

Hello Troubadours,
     To celebrate the Space Center's silver anniversary on November 8th, I've decided to highlight and honor the people of the Space Center by posting many of my old pictures.
These dedicated "troops" were (and are) my comrades, confidants, volunteers, staff, and friends. Each one played a part in making this brand of experiential education remarkably successful.
     Thank you for your help. Thank you for your kindnesses. Thank you for your time and efforts. I hope your time at the Space Center is remembered fondly.  Please drop me a line and say hello. I'd like to know where life has taken you.  Also, please come to the 25th anniversary party, Saturday, November 7 at Central School. 
spacecamputah@gmail.com

Mr. Williamson

Honor's Night. February 2, 2002

Honors Nights are a time for staff and volunteers to gather and be recognized for their achievements
Look at who got their blue shirts way back in February 2002.
Megan Warner, Jameson McDougal, Wesley Moss, Casey Voeks, Sam Brady, and Rick Cowdell.
I need someone to email and tell me what the blue shirt requirements were in 2002.

Tanner Chamberlain is looking confused. Brady Young is looking over the honors.  

The meeting had started. Mark Daymont and Lorraine Houston were ready to present the honors.
The now long gone Falcon portable simulator was in the white boxes in the background.

A more formal picture showing the gang showing off their one year volunteering pins. 

Rio Downs was presented her five years of service pin.  The original Galileo is seen in the background. 

Ahh, you were really something to be given a Lorraine Houston pillowcase.  I believe you needed 500 volunteering points to earn one. Alex Debirk is in the background.  The front row left to right
Casey Voeks, Katie Kirkham, Megan Warner, and Sam Brady.

Where and how this tradition started in unknown to me, but I'm sure someone out there will write and tell me. 

Ryan Parsons hit the 1000 volunteering points and received his highly coveted Lorraine Houston blanket.

Tanner Chamberlain earned another rank of distinction.  The staff earned ranks they wore on their right collars.
  

Scott Slaugh being recognized for his outstanding work.

Brady Young being honored.

Josh Babb very please with his new rank.

Rio officially retired from the Space Center on this honor's night. She took a job at the Wendover airport.  

Clint Cowdell was one of the new volunteers just coming onboard. He got his black shirt that night.

Thomas Harding, Clint Cowdell, and Emily Perry - all happy new volunteers.

Randy Jepperson ranking up. He was the last of the old school volunteers.

Yes, that's the current Space Center director James Porter being congratulated by Dave Wall for something seriously profound. What that was is unknown because I can't make out what he's holding.
Dave Wall and his brother designed and built the original Odyssey.  Dave was the Odyssey's first flight and set director. 

How About a Couple Bonus Pictures from a Few Years Earlier

Digital cameras were just coming out when these two pictures were taken - hence the poor quality.
We have the band of brothers at the start of an overnight camp standing in front of the Odyssey.
Landon Hemsley, Soren Seibach, Charlie Heaton, Bryson Lystrup, Randy Jepperson, Brady Young, Matt Long, and Bryce Redd.

Landon Hemsley, Soren Seibach, Charlie Heaton, Bryson Lystrup, Randy Jepperson, Brady Young, Matt Long, and Bryce Redd.

The Imaginarium

The Space Center VooDoo Queens. The Highlander's Epic Five Day Mission. The Imaginarium.

The Pin Cushion Queens

     Voyager Club members Lindsey and Marissa were found practicing the dark arts in the Magellan Control Room recently. They claimed innocence and made every effort to convince me that I misunderstood what my eyes clearly witnessed. 
     "Mr. Williamson, you only see what you want to see," Lindsey reasoned. "I'm making this cuddly bear for no other reason than to make a child's life happier; you conjure a scene of witchcraft, voodoo, and curses.  This is one you've got wrong." Marissa nodded her head in agreement. I wanted to believe, but sewing a cuddly bear usually doesn't involve one person stabbing a pwen while the other mumbles latin verses in a semi conscious state - which is exactly what I thought I saw when I walked in on the ritual. 
  

A classic example of a Pwen

     The doll above, Lindsey's sock creature looks eerily like a classic voo-doo doll as seen below.

     So, I leave it to you Troubadours. Are the dark sisters practitioners of the dark arts or am I truly off the mark?  

A word of warning in closing; stay alert and attentive around them. Be careful what you say, especially critical remarks about their performances on the bridges or control rooms of the Center's simulators.  

Mr. W. 

DreamFlight Adventures' IKS Highlander Completes Epic Five-Day Mission

This just in—the IKS Highlander has just returned from an epic five-day mission.

Under the direction of Admiral Huckelberry, also known as mild-mannered Michael Kaleta, the lucky 6th grade Health Students at Harrison Middle School have bravely battled ferocious diseases and saved two civilizations when it looked like all hope was lost.

On Day 1, the crew was briefed on their mission and introduced to the many crew roles available on the Highlander.  The students then completed job applications in which they used persuasive writing skills to apply for the crew positions they were most interested in.

On Day 2, the crew met in the Mission Ops lab adjacent to the simulator where they received a sealed envelope from the Infinity Knights headquarters containing their crew manifest.  They then began the rigorous process of training on their stations.

On Days 3-5 the crews flew the Pandemic mission inside the simulator and completed a variety of hands-on activities in the Mission Ops STEAM Classroom.

While working in Mission Ops the Carnegie Science Center supported the curriculum with their Anatomy Adventure Science on the Road exhibits. These hands on activities directly connected the content covered in Health Class to the content learned in the Pandemic mission.

While participating in the Pandemic mission, Health students embarked on a journey to save a sick delegate and restore peace between two nations. They had to locate viruses in the sick delegates body systems and stop them from spreading.

Congratulations to the bright students at Harrison Middle School—and to Mr. Kaleta for building such a fantastic experience for them!

The Imaginarium