Natalie and Connor
As you read in an earlier Troubadour post, the Christa McAuliffe Space Center bade farewell to Natalie Anderson and Connor Larsen at the end of the summer camp season. Natalie was the Odyssey's Set Director, Conner was the Magellan's. Both have retired to pursue life planetside. Natalie will continue to work as a published author (prepare yourself JK Rowling for the new generation). Connor will continue his organ studies with the final goal of living in a crumbling castle fortress in the depths of the Black Forest where he can play the organ with such music as to frighten even the ghosts away. Word has it he is even practicing his sinister laugh.
With their departure, Mr. James Porter was tasked with appointing replacements. A extensive search was undertaken from one corner of the Space Center to the other as he looked for the perfect candidates; and after serious consideration, the decision was made.
Mitch Foote: Odyssey
Mitch Foote is the new Odyssey Set Director. By tradition the Odyssey simulator's microphone was to be handed to Mitch by Natalie in a somber and reflective ceremony held in the presence of the Guild of Former Odyssey Set Directors. Sadly, Natalie and the Guild were unable to attend so Mr. Porter stood in by proxy for Natalie. Natalie was present in spirit and by photograph - displayed on the Planetarium screen.
Natalie offering the Odyssey's microphone to Mitch
Mr. Porter was Natalie by proxy
Mitch is a new kind of set director. Most Set Directors work at the Space Center until they graduate from university and leave when they enter a profession. Mitch, on the other hand, is already established in a profession (computers) and works at the CMSC as a second job. It is his passion for the Space Center's mission that attracted him to the Center as a volunteer just a few years back and kept him there. With Mitch at the helm, the Odyssey will be in good hands. And with that said, Natalie can rest knowing she trained a good replacement.
Tyler Gotcher: Magellan
Tyler Gotcher is the Magellan's new Set Director. Tyler started as a volunteer over 5 years ago as a youngling junior high student and found a home away from home in the Magellan. Since then it was one promotion after another until he was nipping at Connor Larsen's heals. "I feel that kid breathing down my neck," Connor was heard to say in a water fountain conversation (if my memory can be counted on as reliable :) "I think he wants my job."
Conner, your premonition came true. He has your job.
Tyler accepting the Magellan's Microphone from Conner
Yes, I had to do a bit of editing
The Magellan will be in great hands because Tyler learned the trade by working with the best; Nicole Vandenbos, Conner Larsen, and Jake and Lissa Hadfield. I don't want to forget Jon Parker, he steps into the Magellan from time to time when the need is great.
Congratulations to Mitch and Tyler. May your stories be true, may the wind be at your backs, may the road rise up to greet you, may the magic of subspace fields shorten every journey and may your staff remember the favors you are owed, may the solar winds of fortune sail you in gentle space, and may it always be the other guy who says this Romulan ale is on me, may luck be a friend and trouble a stranger, may you live as long as you want but never want as long as you live, and may good and faithful friends be yours, wherever you may roam.
And so say we all...
Oh, and may Fortuna never know your working schedule...
American Heritage School's Space Center Gearing Up for a New Academic Season.
Alex DeBirk showing me the newly built FD computers
Alex DeBirk is the director of Space Center at American Heritage School in American Fork. Last Thursday I stopped by the school to visit Alex and get an update on the Center's start to the new school year. I met Alex in the hallway outside the Center. He had just come from a meeting with another teacher. They were outlining new missions for the year.
Our first stop of was the Creativity Lab. Alex's responsibilities changed over the summer. A new teacher was hired to oversee the Lab thus freeing Alex to focus all his efforts on his physics classes, space tech classes, and his in school Young Astronaut program for students in grades 5 and up.
The new Creativity Lab at American Heritage School
The new Creativity Lab at American Heritage School
The new Creativity Lab at American Heritage School
3D printing
The school's Creativity Lab is the where the imagineering takes place. Alex tells the lab's instructor what he needs for the simulators and the lab's students do the planning, designing, and creating. It is the perfect partnership.
An Entrance / Exit of the Starship Discovery
The Discovery's Bridge
Our next stop was the Starship Discovery. I was surprised to see the ship in a state of repair. Alex explained that improvements were being made to the ship along with a few new additions to equipment. The Discovery won't open until January. Once the ship opens for the school year, Alex will begin the in school Young Astronaut (YA) program for the school's students in grades 5 - 12. The YA program is held during the school day. Students come to the Center with their teachers on an in school field trip - very much like the model used at the Lion's Gate Center at Lakeview Academy.
The next stop was the Galileo Room. Alex would like to put the ship back together and get it running but is having problems with the fire marshall. The fire marshall wants a full fire suppression system installed connected to the school's system. That means a sprinklers in the ship, which leads to variety of other problems. "We will get it figured out," Alex said "although it may take some time."
The Galileo and Discovery will have side by side control areas. Yes, that means two flight directors sitting side by side in the same room.
The two flight director stations for the Galileo and Discovery side by side.
Alex asked if such a thing had been tried before. "It has," I answered. "We had side by side flight directors at the iWorld's Space Center in Murray back in the day. It can work but it isn't ideal. The flight directors wore headphones to hear their ships meaning no one else sitting with them could hear anything unless you were plugged into the audio system yourself."
"Well, it will have to work because this is the only place I can put the flight directors," Alex replied.
The Galileo's old torpedo/probe equipment units
Alex is bringing back the Galileo's torpedoes / probes. They will be repurposing the original equipment and the Creativity Lab will make new equipment.
Alex's Space Tech classes are a hit at the school. Alex has high school students broken into 4 guilds: story writing, programming, animating, and flight directing. They are working on several projects. I'll be writing a few missions for them to be animated by the guild.
The Space Center at American Heritage is moving ahead warp speed with its programs. The current space center will be dismantled in a few years and will be moved into a floor of its own in the school's new high school building soon to start construction on the large field just north of the current building. Alex will be one busy center director for the foreseeable future.
Imaginarium Theater
The Best Videos From Around the World Edited for a Gentler Audience
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