The Fleet of Starships are Always on Duty, Even Over Spring Break! First Tellings of Missions: The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat. The Imaginarium.

When you're home sleeping, they're out there serving and protecting. When you're on vacation, they're on duty protecting democracy. When you're on vacation, they're guarding your freedom.
I'm talking about Utah County's fleet of starships - very nearly always on duty. Very nearly always out there in the depths of space safeguarding everything you hold dear.  Very nearly always staffed by competent fearless crews always too willing to use their ship's powerful arsenals to overreact to situations which could be solved by compromise and dialog, But hey, talking isn't as fun as unleashing a barrage of photon torpedoes - is it?

Farpoint Space Education Center
  
The Voyager was on duty yesterday on a five hour mission to protect something from someone of dubious intentions.  The mission, a test run of Isaac Ostler's new five hour story. 

Carter, Isaac B, Affan, Olivia, and Luke. Just a few of the many staff and volunteers who kept the gears
turning while Isaac panicked.  First mission tellings are always rough. This was no exception.

Armed with over two dozen computers and other pieces of high tech wizardry; staffed by dedicated and surprisingly talented teens from local schools; crewed by people not chosen for their intelligence, looks, or connections but by something even thicker - blood; yes his family members. Isaac took the Voyager on the first telling of his new five hour mission.  

Isaac Ostler at first chair chewing on the microphone. Maeson Busk at IIFX smiling. Always smiling. Who know what second story scenarios were mulling around in the dark recess of his mind.  Whatever they were, they had to be good.

The mission is over. All that is left is the Fat Lady's Song and the pronouncement of victory or defeat

 Isaac's summary of how the mission went? "It was the worst mission ever!" he lamented. Battle fatigue, exhaustion, and post traumatic stress was written in every line of his face and every syllable out of his mouth. 
It was time for me to bring perspective to his interpretation of events. "Listen Isaac, I've never told a new mission for the first time without thinking it was the worst mission ever. A first telling is wrought with problems. It's the nature of the beast. Don't throw the story out just because it was a tough slog. Get feedback. Change what bothered you the most. Ask yourself if you were really prepared with everything needed to engage the crew. Make adjustments and tell it again. It gets better. If it doesn't, then you've written a dud."

I'm a master at encouragement. 

Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center

Of course, the granddaddy of all space centers was a busy hive of activity over Spring Break. 

Erin and staff were busy drafting the USS Galileo's new summer camp mission. They set up their imagineering camp in the Discovery Room. The brainstorming was documented in a dizzying array of color on the whiteboard. I witnessed the end of the event myself; impressed with the storyboarding and plot lines, all nicely tied in ribbons of bright corrections and smeared changes. 

Erin's unusual, questionable, and slightly skewed sense of humor is demonstrated by her choice of lunchbox.  Based on available evidence, I'm coming to understand Erin's preference for night flights and her preoccupation with the macabre.  Just mentioning you're donating blood brings her out in a sweat.   

Telos Discovery Space Center Staff Join Two CMSEC Staff to Test Jon Parker's New Summer Mission on the Phoenix.

Jon Parker Briefing his crew on his new summer story

Jon Parker and Jordan Smith imagineered the USS Phoenix's summer mission called "Catch Me if You Can". Friday afternoon was its first telling.  Megan Warner, Director of Telos Discovery Space Center, along with three of her staffed joined Brylee and Audrey from the CMSEC to make up the crew. The mission briefing was conducted in the school's faculty room.

I warmed to the mission half way through the briefing once Jon wrote the name of the mission's primary ship (besides the Phoenix) on the whiteboard.  The USS Victor Alan has to be the finest ship name I've ever heard in all my thirty-four years of writing and telling simulator stories. The genius of syllable and tone along with history and vision all wrapped in reverent pronunciation makes the USS Victor Alan unique and inspiring.  Well done Jon!  

The Discovery / CMSEC crew ready to tackle what could be the summer's best mission at the CMSEC

Training at their stations

Wondering why I'm taking picture after picture. "Hasn't he anything better to do with his time," she's thinking.

The Phoenix. I really like the Phoenix. My decision to build it wasn't popular with the staff.
The staff's recessed bunk beds were sacrificed to build it.

The seriousness of a mission's first telling was evident in the focus you see on the staff's faces. Maeson (resident Time Lord) at Second Chair took shallow breaths so as not to disturb Jon and Jordan as they frantically typed messages.  Devin (out of the picture) sat in the Odyssey's Control Room doorway enjoying his lunch. Luckily it was a lilted salad - no munch and no crunch.  

Yes folks, Spring Break is no break at all for those of us in the space education business.

Mr. Williamson

The Imaginarium
Celebrating Imagination

People who just don't care...

Pictures from the Space Center's Earlier Days. August 2002 Overnight Camp with Josh Webb's Birthday. Honor's Night 2002. The Briefing Room Pre-Phoenix. Theater Imaginarium.

Blast From the Past. The Early Days of the Space Center.  August 2002 Overnight Camp with Josh Webb's Birthday. Honor's Night. The Briefing Room, Pre Phoenix Days.

Starring: Bryson Lystrup, Landon Richards, Alec Fowler, Josh Webb, Chris Call, Josh Babb, Bryce Redd, Richard Orcutt, Alex DeBirk, James Porter, Kyle Herring, Julie Collett, Sam Brady, Metta Smith, Lorraine Houston, Ryan Parsons, Jennifer Halverson, Others from the back, and others whose names I've forgotten (but I still remember you!), and of course yours truly.

After an August 2002 overnight camp. Standing left to right: Bryson Lystrup, Landon Richards(?), Alec Fowler, ?, Josh Webb, Chris Call, Josh Babb, Bryce Redd, and Richard Orcutt. Seated left to right: Alex DeBirk, ?, and Jennifer Halverson.

I find there are those rare and occasional times when I repost a picture thinking I hadn't posted it before.  If that is true with today's post, please forgive and enjoy regardless. It is better to post and say oops than to not post and miss giving you a warm fuzzy when you remember your time at the Space Center as a staff or volunteer.

The picture above shows some of the overnight camp staff from an August 2002 overnight camp. We ran overnight camps every Friday night all through the school year and most of the summer. They started at 7:00 P.M. Friday and ended at 10:00 A.M. Saturday morning. The campers went to bed at 11:00 P.M. The staff usually stayed up to talk and enjoy the treats Mrs. Houston usually supplied when she'd come to chaperone the girls.  

Notice the beds behind the staff?  That's where the Phoenix sits today. Many of the staff didn't like my decision to build the Phoenix. They loved their little bunks in the wall, but I needed more simulators and that wall area was the last place in the school where one could be built.  After the Phoenix was built, the male staff slept on the Magellan bridge, the Briefing Room, and occasionally the Odyssey if it wasn't used by campers.  The girls usually slept on the stage. The Odyssey's control room door is still in the same spot. 

Josh Webb's Birthday, August 2003

     These Josh Webb birthday pictures were taken sometime between 11:30 and 11:45 P.M. during an overnight camp. The campers were in bed. The staff gathered briefing to gorge on ice cream, Mrs. Houston's treats, and soda.  This is where the staff learned Space Center lore. This is where they bonded. This is where the politics of volunteering and staffing played out. There was the good, the bad, and the ugly - as in any organization. 
     I was blessed to have the privilege of working with such fine young people.  They've all grown up now. Many have children of their own and have moved away. There is one thing I'm sure of, each one fondly (I hope) remembers his or her time at the Space Center. Their time at the 2nd happiest place on earth will always be a part of their lives.  

The staff and volunteers kindly listening to me babble on about this and that before bringing Josh to front for his cake.
A few you see in this picture: Scott Slaugh, Josh Babb, Richard Orcutt, Ryan Parsons, Josh Webb, Mrs. Houston, Metta Smith and others.

     Someone calling that late at night wasn't unusual. Parents had my number and could call at any time during a camp.  I loved my long desk. Some of the staff rudely hinted it mirrored my ego, but we all know that would be a lie.  I was and am humble to a fault. I just needed something larger than a normal desk because we used the Briefing Room for our Field Trip lessons back in the day and needed a long demonstration table.  What do you remember about the old Briefing Room?  

     Today my desk area is one of the Space Center's large storage areas, sitting in front of the new Odyssey simulator's bridge. 

Mrs. Houston is getting ready to cut the cake. The staff wait patiently, which was unusual for them. My "Love Me" wall is visible next to the Voyager's small doorway.

 

I'm still on the phone. Josh grew bored and decided to light the candles himself.

?, Josh Babb, and Chris Call. Chris was the Odyssey's Set Director at the time.

     The morning after. Josh gets his stuff to head out to the gym for the post overnight camp bombardment game. You see one of the young volunteers is on his way to the gym with the balls. 

     Bombardment was played after every overnight camp.  I'd try to make it into the gym to "call shots" (the cheating was rampant).  I called myself "Old Eagle Eye" and bragged that I never missed an infringement of the rules. The staff and volunteers would disagree with that but they're not the ones writing this history :) 

Josh and Alec Fowler leaving for the gym. Sam Brady and ? at the Odyssey's entrance.

     Shortly after this overnight camp constriction of the Phoenix began.

     I'm hoping you enjoy these trips down memory lane.  Please let me know your memories and thoughts so I can include them in this narrative. Email me at spacecamputah@gmail.com.

Mr. Williamson

 Honor's Nights in the Old Days. January 2002

Mr. James Porter Receiving his Flight Director's shirt (If I'm correct). Is that you James?

I did my best to hold an Honor's Night every month, but it wasn't a steadfast rule. We had a large staff and volunteer program in those days - too many for a classroom to hold so often I held the event in the gym or lunchroom. 

Alex DeBirk Getting his Galileo pass pin I believe. Can you find yourself in this photo?
Kyle Herring is standing to my right.

Theater Imaginarium
The best gifs of the week edited for a general audience.