Farpoint Becomes Renaissance Space Academy. Supernova is a Hit With an Internationally Known VIP at Telos. The Voyager's Serious Upgrades. Veteran Flight Directors Have a Home. A Space Center in England?! From the Archives: Josh Enters the MTC. Lorraine Houston's Car Vandalized. Theater Imaginarium.

Dr. Anderson and Staff in the Hyperion's Control Room

A Internationally Known Pulitzer Prize Winning Author, Film Writer, Playwright, Columnist Visits Telos Discovery Space Center's Hyperion. Supernova Was a Hit.

     Dr. Ryan Anderson, Executive Director at Telos Discovery Space Center sent the following two emails celebrating a hit with Supernova, One of my Favorite Missions with the Conceited Egotistical Mad Scientist Dr. Marcus of the Romulan Academy of Science (A Part of Love to Play).

Mr.W.

Victor, 
     Today, as a part of Telos U's family days, we are running a mission for a group of our students and their parents. One of the parents is actually a very well known author, film writer, playwright, columnist, etc.  Sadly, due to confidentiality, I can't tell you who it is, but I'm sure you would recognize his work. Anyway, he has specifically expressed a lot of interest in taking place in the mission, and we'll be putting him through my updated Farpoint version of Supernova today. I'll let you know how it goes!

          Sincerely,

Ryan Anderson, Ph.D., LMFT, MedFTExecutive Director, Telos Discovery Space CenterProcess Addiction Specialist, Telos Programs

Victor     So, Vic, you have a Pulitzer Prize winning author who has fallen in love with your old Supernova story. That's very high praise! In addition to loving the story, they had a wonderful time. They liked it so much, in fact, that he and his wife (who both teach at a prominent university) are going to be bringing a group of their acting and writing students to come fly with us. Lol! I'm trying to figure out which is the next mission we want to send them on.      Vic, I hope that you can find a sense of real accomplishment and validation that your work holds up under scrutiny from someone of that level of accomplishment in the field of writing and directing. 

Sincerely,
Ryan Anderson, Ph.D., LMFT, MedFTExecutive Director, Telos Discovery Space CenterProcess Addiction Specialist, Telos Programs

The Farpoint Space Education Center is Now 

Renaissance Space Academy

The Bridge of the Starship Voyager at the Space Academy

     This seems to the be season for rebranding. The Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center was rebranded into The Christa McAuliffe Space Center complete with a new logo. 

Not wanting to be left out, Farpoint Space Education Center is now the Renaissance Space Academy with the shortened day to day name of Space Academy.  It was decided the FSEC was a bit too long.  Renaissance Space Academy reflects 1) Our school, Renaissance Academy. 2) Space Academy signifies our mission and purpose - education.  RSA's mission is to use experiential education to create a space faring civilization - pure and simple.

The Voyager's Control Room. An Overhaul Extraordinaire. New Everything but the walls.

A Major Investment into the Program by Renaissance Academy 

The new Voyager Control Room

      

     Renaissance Academy is home to Utah's Space Academy. The Starship Voyager is the Academy's starship simulator - a Farpoint simulator in the Space EdVentures family of simulators. Thousands of dollars have been put into the Voyager this last month in a series of upgrades: new computers, a new server, new chairs, lighting, etc. The new server alone is making an enormous difference in the quality of the missions.  

     Bracken Funk was the "thorn" in the school director's side - a constant visitor in Mr. Ursic's office.  Each visit started with a knock on the door followed by an extended hand holding a wish list.  

     "It's a space center rule that whenever you get new computers and furniture, you need to do a deep clean and reorganization of the control room," Bracken said. And with that, the Voyager's control room was gutted and redone in true Funk style.  

The Flight Director's Station

     

      I'm having a hard time deciding what excited Bracken most, the new server or the new

flight director's chair pictured above (complete with lumbar and neck support).  Please notice the empty desk space on the flight director's right.  My desire has always been to create a friendly, welcoming place for the Space Center's veteran flight directors to come and fly.  I know many of you experience mission withdrawal symptoms from time to time. Let the Voyager be your rehab.  The Voyager is set up so a flight director can fly missions without having to control anything but your music and the voice changer. The second and third chairs take care of everything else - under your direction of course.  I fly missions all the time, not having a clue how any of this works.  The staff take care of the technology - I focus on the story, the crew, and the curriculum.  

     Veteran Flight Directors - come talk to us. We also need NEW missions. I'm sure you've had several great mission ideas pop into your head over the years you've been away.  Let the Voyager be the outlet for all that pent up imagination that once flowed through your voice and into a simulator.  Remember the feeling of playing Master of the Universe with so many young lives in your hands?  You're feeling the itch again, aren't you?  Come visit us.

Mr. W.  

Bracken went on a labeling spree.  Even the microphone has been named.

The Voyager's Away Team Cart complete with mobile speaker system, lights, cords, etc.
Setting up an away team in the school's hallways or gym has never been easier.

    

The New Flight Director's Chair can lay all the way back so a Flight Director can Imagineer in Comfort.
Here Bracken is mimicking my flight directing posture.  Let's set the record straight, I never directed
a mission in the prone position. The hand up to the forehead with eyes closed as if I'm working to contain a massive headache is a mannerism I will claim.    

   

The English Space Center? 

     One of our travelling Troubadours found this in England.  What has Mr. Porter been up to?  On the other hand, perhaps this is the Big Announcement advertised on the Telos Discovery Space Center's Facebook.  Or.... maybe Mr. Williamson has had a bit of something on the side for several years now, being a big Anglophile and all.  Hummmmmm, what are your thoughts? 

Mr. W.     

Campers Arriving for Another 3 Day Camp
Summer 2007

From the Archives:

Space Center Journal: November 10, 2002

Josh Webb's Missionary Farewell. Thank You to Our High School Interns Metta Smith, Josh Webb, Alex DeBirk, Matt Long, Julie Colette, and Landon Hemsley. Praise for Lorraine from a Teacher, Attack of the Killer Spiders has a Name, Lorraine Houston's Car Broken Into on Overnight Camp.

Hello Troops,
It has been a few weeks since the last Journal. I'll do my best to update you. I'll begin with Josh Webb's farewell. Josh entered the MTC on Wednesday, October 30. His farewell was the Sunday before. It was well attended. He was given the topic of "Temple Covenants" to 
speak on. Sound a little crazy to you. Yes, and it did to me also. Why wasn't the topic some basic, simple gospel principal I don't know.  Asking a new missionary to speak on temple covenants is like asking a Catholic priest to teach a course on the basics of a happy marriage.  All book learning with no practical experience. Josh handled it well except for his opening statement. His girlfriend of a few years played a piano solo before he spoke. Afterwards Josh stood up and started his talk by saying, "I don't know what was prettier, the piano solo or the girl that played it - a girl I won't see for two years." I squirmed in my seat in the back. 

Campers Arriving from all over Utah for one of the Space Center's 3 Day Camps
Summer 2007

I've enjoyed having Josh in my home. Some of you may not know but Josh lost both his parents when he was nine years old. Josh was raised by his aunt and uncle until last February when he came and lived with me to finish high school and get on his mission. I'll miss almost everything about Josh. Notice I said almost everything. I won't miss the endless hours of Nintendo. I think I know the music to all the Mario games by heart! 

A Camper Arriving for one of the Space Center's 3 Day Camps
Summer 2007

Josh says he would like to hear from all of you that knew him fairly well. Mail is very important to a missionary so if you have a spare moment please drop a note to both Stephen Porter and Josh Webb. I'll do the same. Also, keep them both in your prayers.
Serving a mission is hard work and physically, mentally, and spiritually challenging.

Campers Arriving from all over Utah for one of the Space Center's 3 Day Camps
Summer 2007

I want to thank our outstanding high school interns for all the time and efforts they put in to making our field trip program successful. Our interns; Metta Smith, Josh Webb, Alex DeBirk, Matt Long, Julie Colette, and Landon Hemsley, arrive on time and stay later than required. Their help, along with the dedicated service of Lorraine and Aleta, has made our program unique, educational, and very enjoyable. The feedback I've received from visiting teachers has been all positive. Last Friday Mrs. Fossum, from Wasatch Elementary School, told me how much she enjoyed the field trip. She emphasized the classroom experience and said she could sit and listen to Lorraine teach all day. 

Campers Arriving from all over Utah for one of the Space Center's 3 Day Camps
Summer 2007

We've had some good groups for the last couple of overnight camps. Kyle Herring has finally named his overnight mission for the Magellan. We've been calling it "The Attack of the Killer Spiders," simply because I couldn't think of anything else the first time I introduced the mission to the kids. "The Treaty of Timeer" is the title. Chris Call and Landon Hemsley are experimenting with taking their private 2.5 hour missions and stretching them out into overnighters. "Doomsday" was on the menu Friday evening. The Voyager did "Mercy Strike". 

We had a serious misfortune on the overnight mission of November 1. Mrs. Houston's car was broken into. The driver's side window was shattered. She was parked behind the school. The thieves stole her purse. The first charges on her credit cards began at 5:00 A.M. that same morning. She immediately canceled her credit cards and put a hold 
on all checks. The thieves spent all last week attempting to cash her checks. They even used a stolen cell phone to call her. It has been a rough week for Lorraine. I'm worried about all our cars on the overnight camps. To date Kyle's car and Lorraine's cars have been vandalized. I don't know the solution except to say it may be best to park away from the 
school in the neighborhood or park out on the road near a streetlight. 

The Phoenix First Officer During a Red Alert
Summer Camp Season 2007

We are in a season of large classes. We've got some classes coming up that hit 36 students per class. Classes get really ugly when you hit those numbers. We max out at 32 in our simulators (in an emergency we can go up to 35). It will be an interesting November. 

On November 8th we celebrated our 12th birthday. Some interesting numbers can be found in our database "Attendance Totals". 

That's about it. I may have forgotten some things and If I have please let me know.

Take Care Everyone and keep in touch. Let me know about important things in your life that I can announce in the group. This is the group for current and former space center staff and friends to stay in touch.

Theater Imaginarium

The Best Gifs of the Week Edited for a Gentler Audience