Tyler Gardner's Experience at Space Camp. Huntsville, Alabama. Part 2,

Area 51

Wow, summer has really gotten away from me!  I tried to get this post out much earlier, but other things have taken up my time.  Anyway, I will try to be short and to the point.  For those of you who did not read my previous post, this is post 2 in a 3 post series that I am writing about my experience at Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama.

Most of us know Area 51 as a mysterious military base somewhere in the deserts of Nevada.  Area 51, as far as Space Camp goes, is a team building ropes course used to teach teamwork and leadership.  At Area 51, I participated in multiple activities which included a 50 foot rock wall and a 30 foot panic pole.  Amazingly, I made it to the top of both of those!

Area 51’s 50 foot rock wall!  It’s higher than you think...

Climbing the rock wall.  Don’t look down!

Both the rock wall and the panic pole build trust between team members.  How so, you ask?  Well, while climbing the pole or rock wall, you are hooked on to one end of a belay line.  This safety line literally feels like a lifeline as you reach the top of the pole or wall.  On the other end of this lifeline are your teammates, making sure you don’t fall.  This means that the whole team has to work together to get every member up the pole and wall safely.

Team huddle!

Some of my teammates preparing to belay the next climber.

Many of you have probably climbed a rock wall before, but I doubt many of you have climbed anything like a panic pole.  As you reach the top, you realize that you are above most of the trees around you.  The wind blowing occasionally, making the pole wobble beneath you, does not help your confidence at all.  The worst part?  Stepping up onto the small platform on top and then making a 180° turn to jump and touch a rope.  Trust me, it is very nerve racking!

Me climbing the panic pole.

Attempting to turn around while feeling like you are going to fall at any moment.

In addition, my team also completed an island bridge challenge where we had to use planks to get our team from one ‘island’ to another.

Bridge Challenge

Evaluation of Area 51: very fun!  I almost wish the Space Center had something similar.  Almost...  Then again, the Space Center really doesn’t need anything like this.

In my final post, I’ll talk about how Space Camp runs their missions.

News Late in Coming (Sent by Pigeon Post)

     Space Center Pigeon Post

     Late but Reliable

Photo by Victor Williamson (Staff Photographer).  Expert Photoshopping by Victor Williamson

Pleasant Grove
Pigeon Post Extra
Sometime Last Month

Odyssey Directorship Changes Hands

In a solemn ceremony held at the Space Education Center and in full view of several staff and young volunteers, Odyssey Set Director Christine Gosland handed the Odyssey's Flight Director's microphone to Emily Paxman, and by so doing successfully and remorsefully ended her carrier as Odyssey Set Director.

Emily Paxman received the microphone graciously (well, sort of).  In her acceptance speech, Emily described the time Christine held the Microphone as "The Odyssey's Golden Age".  She went on to say, "Christine took the Odyssey from the depths of deprivation into the radiance of the Enlightenment.  It can only compare to Europe's transition from the Dark Ages to the Renaissance."

After a moment of applause, Emily turned to Christine and asked her to remove her shoes.
"How can I possibly fill these shoes?" she exclaimed as she desperately tried to insert her feet into shoes noticeably too large for her feet.  "You see.  It's impossible."

Christine reassured Emily.  "I have full confidence in your abilities. You will be a great leader. Take what I've done and Soar!"

Christine emphasised the point by running around the Briefing Room while flapping her arms to signify 'Soaring'.  Emily followed, flapping her arms to signify that she was ready to soar with the eagles.  It was a touching moment, a moment this seasoned reported may never forget.

Christine flew from the room and out the school's front door shouting,

"さようなら, ごきげんよう, ではまた

さようなら"   

And with that, Christine was gone like the wind......to the missionary training center to prepare for her mission to Japan.  


Congratulations Emily on your new positions as Odyssey Set Director.

     

The Space Center's Last Super Overnight Camp

 

Flight Director Jon Parker and his Doppelganger (pretending to be a reflection)  

Arriving to Fly the Space Center's Last Super Overnight Camp

Pleasant Grove
by Pigeon Post
Not as Late as the Previous Story

Jon Parker and his faithful Troubadours gathered last Friday evening to perform the Center's last Super Overnight Camp.   The performance began at 5:00 P.M. and ended Saturday morning at 10:00 A.M.

"A Super Overnighter is different than a normal overnighter because we stay up later and get more tired," Jon explained.  "I get so tired I can hardly keep my eyes open.  Its a struggle, but we manage."

Jon wasn't kidding.  The campers were kept up until 2:43 A.M.  I should know because I was on hand as a chaperon.  The staff staggered to their sleeping mats and collapsed.

"Oh, I forgot to add that on a Super Overnighter the campers get fed a mighty fine supper and snacks for later.  The breakfast is better than a normal Overnight Camp as well.  It's good eatin all around!"  Jon exclaimed.

Aleta With her famous Paklid Spaghetti

A real treat for those with a functioning pancreas.
What she does with a pair of scissors and a platter is unbelievable! 

 Aleta after a rough day in the kitchenActually, when not preparing camper meals, Aleta likes to get into character and join in the fun in the simulators.   With a bit of makeup, Aleta transforms to Adrian Stevens.

Jon wasn't kidding.  Just look at the supper spread compliments of the Space Center's Head Cook, Aleta Clegg

Flight Director Jon hunted me down once more before I could get away.  "I got something else to add," he said as he pulled on my arm.  "A Super Overnight Camp is different than a normal Overnight Camp because we bring in a make up artist to transform the staff and volunteers into the story's characters." 

 Jon wasn't kidding!  Just look at the Space Center's make up artists at work.

Ben Murdock before his transformation

 Ben Murdock after his transformation.  Hideous comes to mind.

 Devin Sudwicks before his transformation.

Devin's Transformation at the hands of Amanda Hadley   

Devin after our artist had her way with him.  He brought several of the campers to tears when they first saw him moving toward them in the darkened halls

A surprise visitor crept into the Center during the early hours of the morning.  Was it a bird?  Was it a plane?  No, it was The Red Blemish - Ordinaire!  Arriving on his trusty Red Scooter to help the campers defeat the evil Galactic forces of Mad Dog and the dread Orion Pirates.

It was truly a Super Overnight never to be forgotten.

The First USS Voyager. Scenes from 21 Years Ago

Hello Troops,

We finished our last Super Overnight at 10:00 A.M. Saturday followed by several private missions.  Our weekend ended at 8:00 P.M. last night.  Next week the Center is open Monday and Tuesday for private programs.  We are closed August 1 to August 14 so the staff and volunteers can enjoy a few weeks out of the trenches to bask in the warmth of family and friends.  The Center reopens August 15th.  The calendar for the rest of August is filling rapidly.

Did you get a chance to attend one of our summer camps?  If not, you should consider attending our Galaxy Camp on August 16 from 2:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M.  The Galaxy Camp is the Center's summer version of a school year Super Saturday - a five hour mission in one of the simulators.  You may register by phone (801.785.8713).

There are a few pictures from the last couple camps I'll post sometime this week.  Today I'd like to post a few pictures from the Space Center's first year of operation (school year 1990/91).

I'd like to introduce you to one of the first captains of the USS Voyager.  I don't know his name.  He is wearing the original headset radio connecting the Voyager Commanders to the Voyager Control Room.  Notice the first captains sat behind a large desk.

This young man is now 32 years old!  My, how the years have past.

The Voyager's Communication's Officers busy at work on the original Voyager's Bridge.  The young lady opened the frequencies by computer, the young man got to do the talking.  Two people doing a one person job.  That's how it was on the Voyager back in the day.
 

The original Voyager Bridge computers. The Mac Plus had an external hard drive that sat below the computer.  These were high tech back in the day.

A few of those old Macs had serious attitude problems.  I'd turn them on and nothing would happen.  Their hard drives wouldn't spin up to load the operating system.  I solved the problem the old fashion way.  Any computer with attitude got a good smacking.  One hard smack to the side usually got the drive spinning and the program loaded.  


One day the old Right Wing computer was throwing a super tantrum.  I smacked it once, then twice and finally the third time did the trick.  The computer came to life, although the wheezing sound from its lungs gave me a reason for concern.  


The field trip started.  I stood at the front of the Bridge giving my 'getting ready to take off' speech.  Mrs. Houston stood behind the Right Wing officer.  


"SMOKE!" she shouted.  


Yes sir'ee, that old Mac chose to go out on its own terms and not mine.  It committed suicide right there in front of me, the staff and a bridge full of students.  Smoke poured from the ventilation slits on the computer's top.  I unplugged the computer, excused myself from the bridge and gave it a proper send off.  I walked to the metal dumpster behind the school, opened the rubber top and threw it in. 

The Voyager's Control Room circa 1990.  I'm in the red sweatshirt running a mission.  Bill Schuler is sitting to my left.  Mark Daymont is on the Voyager's telephone talking to the Communication's Officer.  That was it, except for a few elementary and junior high students that helped out.  Everything you enjoy about a Space Center mission today was thrashed out during those first missions by the Bill, Mark and I.  We experimented with different story telling techniques.  We tried different approaches to running a mission.  There were many successes and several failures.  It was stressful and nerve racking yet so much fun.

That old red black and white TV had a 6 inch screen.  We used it as a preview monitor.  One of the jobs required of 2FX (2nd chair today) was to cue the upcoming bits of video tape footage for an upcoming scene.  It was my old TV from my days at BYU.  

A better view of the Voyager's Flight Director's Station.  I didn't have a fancy chair.  I didn't have a computer.  I did the talking (without a voice changer), ran the music, ran the sound effects, directed the mission and called all the shots.

The other half of the Voyager Control Room.  We had two computers to run the ship.  Video tapes were used for special effects.

The old Briefing Room - today's Space Center office and home to the Phoenix and Odyssey.

The Odyssey's control room sits today where the Gift Shop once was.  The staff bunks were inset into the room's wall as seen on the far left of the picture.

The back of the Briefing Room where the Odyssey is today.  

 There have been many changes to the Space Center over the years.  There are many changes still to come.  It is a work never ending.  We still try new ideas.  Many of them are successful and many are not.  The Center is a one of a kind.  We are it.  No where else on the planet can you go and experience something like this.

I appreciate the hard work and efforts give the Center by hundreds of staff and volunteers over the last 21 years.  I appreciate all of you who have come to the Center for camps, field trips and classes.  The Space Education Center is truly a community effort.  We are here because of YOU.

Thank you,
Mr. Williamson