An Email from a Friend of the Space Center.

Dear Mr. Williamson,

I had some spare time and I really like writing so I wrote this for you and your staff

When I look at the stars I think big of starships and warp-drives, places far away. Of Alpha and Delta, Beta and Gamma. I think of Romulans, Klingons and honor, Orion Pirates and Borg, The Federation and Starfleet. I think of war and peace,danger and death, cheers and silence,lies and threats. Of bombs and mines, explosions and radiation, chaos and racing against time. I think of Shadows, the best time of my life. I think of Guardians, the hardest decision of all. I think of the future as well as the past. But most of all I think of a dream, a spark of imagination... A reality.

Dedicated to the space center and it's wonderful staff.

Annika

I's Early Saturday Morning at Camp. Time for Bed.

It's 11:55 P.M. Our 45 fifth grade campers from Cedar Ridge are settling down for the night. I finished typing their Rank Certificates an hour ago. They sit on my desk top waiting to be signed. Pandora is playing the Enya channel as I type this last entry for Friday ( or the first for Saturday).

A few of the male staff are finishing up a game of cards in Discovery. The rest are finding places in the Magellan to unroll their sleeping bags and bed down for the night. The female staff are in the gym. Mrs. Houston prefers chaperoning in the gym. I prefer it that way as well. If the boys are in the Voyager and Odyssey, I get to sleep in front of my desk. It's quieter, meaning I might be able to squeeze a few more minutes for zzzzzzzzz's before waking up at 5:45 A.M. to get ready for my Saturday morning doughnut run to WalMart.

It's been an interesting and busy week at the Space Center. Mrs. Powell's father passed away at the beginning of the week, Emily contracted some strange flu that put her straight down. The rest of us managed to keep the ship afloat. We were short staffed so we survivors rolled up our sleeves and mucked in to get the job done. Thanks to all those that went the extra mile!

OK, Pandora is playing something resembling music - a collection of sour notes played by two or three winded bagpipes, although I can't be sure.

I think it's time to go to bed.

Mr. W.

What the Space Center Experience can do for a Kid

Hello Troops,
Although we don't see students this young, this photo pretty much sums up the experience for the vast majority of students who visit the Space Center. You hear it as they descend the stairs from the Voyager's bridge at the end of the mission...

"Dude that was so sick."
"I saved us."
"At the last second I ....."

I hear it all the time. Students explaining how they saved the ship from certain death. Students talking about how they pulled off the impossible with seconds to go. Students, put into situations that required them to think quickly, make decisions based on presented information, and held accountable for those decisions all agreeing that it was the best field trip ever. Students given the chance to be Superheros for the first time in their lives.

Yep, that's what we do.

See you in the trenches. There be more coming today. Not to mention our overnight camp with 45 students from Cedar Ridge and then a full slate of missions on Saturday. The weekend is upon us.

Mr. W.

P.S. Did you really think I'd let a post get by without something from the Imaginarium?

And Finally, Isn't this just about one of the coolest bridges you've seen? It demonstrates real imagination and creativity in design and function. I'd love to take the Battlestar over this at excessive speeds not recommended for causal driving. Going airborne over that last curve might get a bit dicey though....