Summary
People mentioned:
Sam Brady, Emily Perry training to become a flight director, Josh Babb, Metta Smith. Chris Alldredge, Bryce Redd, Stephen Porter, Matt Long, David Merrell, Dan Adams, Dave Wall. James Porter.
Topics:
Bug Hunt. Masquerade's first test run. Phoenix Construction Update. Wishing for new controls: perhaps in Real Basic or Flash. Volunteer point system. Summer 2000 report on 48 Hour Camp 2. Discovery Room Construction. The Grand PooPah's First Tellings. What the Magellan's Discovery Room was Intended to be. James Porter Talks about the UV8??
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| David Merrell and Chris Call |
People mentioned: Sam Brady, Emily Perry training to become a flight director, Josh Babb, Metta Smith. Bug Hunt. Masquerade's first test run. Phoenix Construction Update. Wishing for new controls: perhaps in Real Basic or Flash.
December 8, 2004
From the Space Center's First Blog: SpaceEdVentures
by Chris Call
Here I am, sitting down to write the blog, and I have left my notes... elsewhere. Usually I
keep notes to remember all the funny and interesting things that happen throughout the
week. Ah well. It happens.
You may have been wondering what happened to the semi-weekly blog. A new game
came out recently: World of Warcraft. Very enjoyable. Enjoyable enough that I came to
work Friday morning with only about an hour of sleep behind me. Yup, it's that good. The
day went okay, and I FELT like I had enough energy to go around... but the bags under my
eyes gave me away. (Curse you bags!!!) Needless to say, the blog is back.
My crew surprised me this week. What I thought would be a horrendous and annoying
crew turned out to be great! They flew through the mission at fantastic pace, and had a
lot of fun. Sam played Dr. Tarkis, and the Gelf, and did a great job doing both.
Emily continues to surprise and amaze me in her training to be a flight director. She ran
one mission where Josh and I just sat, and watched and wrote things down. We both had
long talks with her afterward about things that could be improved. She's becoming
EXTREMELY versatile though. (When you can answer complex questions as the computer,
at the same time you are changing tracks to fit the next part in the story means you are
getting good.) Becoming a Flight Director is learning how to multitask in your mind.
Emily is doing great. Even Mr. Babb agrees... and as everyone knows: " In Josh we trust. "
Oh. I almost forgot. Metta. She must be mentioned. Sometimes, I, and others, are at the
space center a LONG time. Josh knows what I'm talking about. It's being at the center for
32+ hours straight sometimes. Metta is awesome because she gets us food. She gets us
fast food and brings it to us when we don't have time to do so ourselves! There is more
than one time I would not have survived without that rescue. THANK-YOU Metta Smith!
A funny note: 1... or was it 2 weeks ago?.... I ran Bug Hunt. In that mission, the Klingons
show up at a very inopportune moment promising to wreak havoc, and just ruin a good
guy's day. The mission was typical, and Klingons showed up right on schedule. I could
really tell that the pilot understood what was going on when he looked up at the main
viewer, and saw the Klingon ships bearing down on them. His face blanched, and he said,
"Oh $@*#!"
I've never had quite that reaction before. Usually I stop the mission when certain choice
words come out of a young man's mouth. On this occasion, I would have done the same,
if I could have stopped laughing. It surprised and disarmed me. Maybe you had to be
there, but it was EXACTLY the line that would have been said in a movie. Just like in
Generations when the Enterprise is plummeting towards the planet and you KNOW they're
in trouble, Data let out a few choice words too. It was just like that. Especially because
the kid looked around nervously, as if to say, "Did anyone here me? Is my mom here?" But
no, no one on the ship heard him because they were busy panicking themselves... At least,
he thought no one heard. Beware the things we say when we think people are not
listening...
Phoenix Development: Marty and Jeff are doing great building the new simulator. Every
day that I come in, it seems like there's something new. They're very hard workers who
bend over backward to make sure that things aren't just functional, but that they look cool
too. Not that I would know, but I think it's hard to find the right kind of people to help the
space center grow like those 2 have. They do great work, and are both pleasant to be
around.
RealBasic: Sounds good, but I have not seen anything yet. I see Flash everyday on the
internet and I say to myself: "wow. wouldn't it be great to have controls that looked that
good? But it's too hard to learn, and I don't know if young programmers could learn it fast
enough. Had a dad come in this week that works in Flash. Had a long conversation with
him. He said that everything we do, Flash could do, that it would be funner, be better, and
that he knows some people who probably do it for us for free. Hmm... I should probably
tell Mr. Williamson."
Christmas Program: We're running an insane 18 hour long mission on December 28-29th.
ALL. NIGHT. LONG. Whoa. I'm planning on running Masquerade. There is much work
to be done. Both video and tactical must be done. The story must be streamlined. I
better finish this now...
-Chris
Space Center Blast from the Past. Posts from the Space Center's first Blog: Space EdVentures.
The Original Point System for Volunteers
July 2000
Hello Voyagers!
There is a new point system used to calculate seniority in the class of 2000 volunteers. If you go to the database and look up the Voyager Society and the Student Staff you will see the final column says Points. These points will be used as one indicator of seniority. You get points for the following:
10 points per month of active service (you must work at least one flight per month for these points)
1 point for each flight hour volunteered.
3 points for each hour of class training and staff meetings you attend.
10 points for each station passed
100 point bonus for passing off all stations.
50 points each quarterly report card turned in.
The points, along with your months of service and your staff grade give you seniority.
Your staff grade is the grade the adult staff give all volunteers when there are openings in the student staff. These points and grades decide promotions.
Thank you
Mr. Williamson
Space Center Blast from the Past. Posts from the Space Center's first Blog: Space EdVentures.
Summer Camp 2000. Report on 48 Hour Camp 2
July 10, 2000
Hello Voyagers!
48 Hour Camp 2 went very well. It was our first camp with local kids so it got off to a quiet start. The ships were in working order. We are always holding our breath and crossing our fingers because Allan is in the mission home and no longer able to save the day.
Some of the Highlights of the camp:
1. Matt Long starting training to become the Falcon's 2nd chair.
2. Bryce Redd complete all his station pass off's ! Good job Bryce.
3. Stephen Porter changed his Grand PooPah voice. VERY GOOD! We all like it.
4. Construction continued for the new Magellan Briefing Room. They began cutting through the wall into the Magellan during the Magellan's last rotation. Chris Alldredge had to deal with a flight and the sound of a cement cutter slicing away through the wall into his simulator. HE DID IT. Flexible is the name of the game around here.
5. Right in the middle of the last rotation the Odyssey's TV connection device broke. The kids could no longer see the tactical screen. David Merrell earned his pay that day.
The air conditioning is still off in the cafeteria......... One day we hope.
Well, today starts another busy week. Privates today with an overnighter. Wednesday a 48 hour camp. Next week we call "Hell Week" pardon the language. Next week we have a Day Camp Monday to Wednesday and a 48 Hour Camp from Thursday to Saturday evening.
All the Best.
Mr. Williamson
Space Center Blast from the Past. Posts from the Space Center's first Blog: Space EdVentures.
Update on Construction of the Discovery Room
July 20, 2000
Dan Adams, principal of the Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center and Central Elementary School has begun remodeling a classroom adjacent to the Magellan Simulator to become the Magellan's briefing room and the school's new science education room. The
Science Center will be equipped with a transition hallway and new entrance into the Magellan set and Magellan control room. The Center will also have a video projector, experiment tables, several computer monitors mounted near the ceiling connected to the internet, a space images display, and a large virtual saltwater fish tank. The room will be used for all science instruction at Central Elementary School and the main briefing and instruction room for all Magellan space and sea programs. Construction is expected to be complete by the opening of the new school year in September.
If it's summer than you can expect remodeling at Central Elementary School. Currently the school's restrooms are being retiled and modernized. Several classrooms are having carpet replaced. The floors will be waxed and walls and carpets cleaned for the upcoming
school year.
Dave Wall is currently working to finish the Pathfinder Simulator in Salt Lake City. Current plans call for a grand opening in September. Check back for further updates.
The Space Center's summer season is off and running. Each week between 110 and 130 students attend "Space Camp". Four different camps are offered: Day Camp,48 Hour Camp, Overnight Camp, and Adventures in Astronomy. The campers participate in simulated
flights in our five space simulators and classes in space and science in our class sessions. The reviews of the camps written by our campers have been excellent. The last summer camp ends the last weekend of September.
Mr. Williamson
Space Center Blast from the Past. Posts from the Space Center's first Blog: Space EdVentures.
Update on Construction of the Discovery Room
July 21, 2000
Through the genius minds of Mark D. and myself, we have come up with the way the UV8 will be camouflaged. Instead of a holographic projector that uses to much power, we have the shell (tortouise *DO NOT CORRECT SPELLING). I is many plates that extend outside of the outer hull. These plates can be different colors, such as: Gray (outer hull of Voyager) Black (Space) and Brownish... (Resembles meteor). The shell can cover the entire ship, parts can remain uncovered (like where they are working on the broken stuff). The
shell has other benefits than just a disguise. It is also like armor, and that's it. Buy with these advantages come disadvantages,
1. Can not operate thrusters while up,
2. Only minimal sensor readings,
3. Look realy cool... wait make that an advantage.
I think that is it for this update on the U..u..V..v..8.8.8.8.8
-James Porter
We all owe DAVE WALL a big thank you the next time you see him, for all the work he does for video night. THANKS DAVE!!
The Imaginarium
