The Troubadour: The Fleet is Dark Today Except for the Mighty USS Voyager! Sky Ridge High School Drama and the Voyager. Alex Anderson to Wed. Jon Parker and Technology

Twas the day before the night before the night before Christmas and all through the Space Center's not a creature was stirring, not even a Denebian Slime Devil.
That statement would be true if it weren't for the fact that the new USS Voyager is flying one floor below me right now. It's funny how the red alert klaxon rings in time to my hand as I decorate the language/ spelling / grammar tests of my 31 sixth graders with milliliters of festive Christmas red ink. Poor children; so hopeful of one last good grade to add that extra exclamation mark in their "Nice" column on Santa's Naughty and Nice spreadsheet. Another 'nice' mark could translate into generous presents under their trees.
The grading is done. I'm faxing the results to the North Pole. For some, Christmas will be all the merrier. For others - Santa's sled will be lighter this year.
Today's post is a hodgepodge of odds and ends; loose ends that need tying up. Let's get started.

Mr. Williamson

Sky Ridge High School's Drama Club Stars in a Voyager Test Mission

Last Thursday the USS Voyager ran a test / training mission for our new staff. Students from Alpine School District's new Skyridge High School in Lehi starred as the crew. What made this mission one for the record books was the added talent of a few of Discovery Space Center's staff and interns, especially the help of the DSC's director Maeson Busk. Maeson has accepted a position as part time Voyager flight director whenever he's not needed at the DSC and InfiniD.
The Voyager is a ship that welcomes the help of supervisors and flight directors from any of the Space Education Center's. It is a place where InfiniD, DSC, and CMSEC staff can get to know each other, work together, and hopefully become friends and associates. We are, after all, working toward the same goal.
Flight directing is pretty much the same on every ship using the methodology I created way back when. If you can fly the Everest, Apollo, Odyssey, or Magellan, then you'll be able to fly the Voyager with a bit of training on the peculiarities of the ship and software.

The Control Room with our DSC friends and our own Staff

Maeson briefs the Skyridge crew

Alex Anderson to Wed

This arrived in my overflowing inbox yesterday. Congratulations to our long time Space Center flight director and all around good guy Alex Anderson on his engagement to Crystal Tolley. I've met Crystal. What a great gal. Alex couldn't have done better. Please mark the date on your calendar and let's make it a grand Space Center event!

Thank you Alex for all your help in getting the Voyager up and running and being there when we've needed you for those odd emergencies.

Jon Parker, Defeated Again by Technology

I've been saving this picture on my phone for quite some time and decided today is the best time to put it out there. Consider it a warning to all who may want to consult Jon concerning any Christmas technology you may need help assembling or programming or just plain debugging.
Don't.
You've been warned. This is what happened when Mr. Porter asked Jon to hang a work scheduled in the Phoenix Control Room. Imagine the mess Jon gets into if asked to do anything more than push a button on a switcher or a hand held mic!