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| OK Mr. Williamson, this is a cursor. Let's start with that Alex Anderson demonstrating extreme patience, necessary to be a programming department Master of the Code. |
Hello Troops,
That's right, the Christa McAuliffe Space Center is bringing back the Programming Department, a special department to train a new generation of upcoming starship software programmers. The Department's Master of the Code is Alex Anderson, long time Space Center programmer, flight director, and all around good guy. It is the same Alex who created Thorium, the latest sensation in starship controls.
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| Mat Long, the last Master of the Code, teaching the Space Center's last programming department in 2015. |
Normally the Space Center's departments are closed to the general public. Participants must first register as volunteers. The Programming Department will be different as explained in Mr. James Porter's announcement below.
Programming DepartmentIt's back! I'm excited to announce that with the development of Thorium software for our simulators and the talents of Alex Anderson we have a steady platform for teaching very useful programming skills. The first meeting will be September 22nd at 8:30 and then will begin meeting every other week after that. The schedule for all department meetings can be found on the Volunteer Calendar. Because Thorium is an OpenSource project that is used by more than just us this department will be unique. It will be the first of our departments that is open to non-volunteers. So if you have friends who are interested and talented they can read and fill out this form to participate.
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| The new programming department is cool, but is it cool enough to bring back the baby blues? Isaac Ostler, a programming department alumni, showing how distinguished one looks in baby blues. |
Alex Anderson Speaks as Master of the Code. An Open Invitation to Those Seeking the Truth.
I'm pleased to announce the Programming Department, a department the Christa McAuliffe Space Center. This will be an extension of the Developer Workshop that was held last month and will be open to anyone interested in learning programming and working on Thorium.
We'll be meeting twice monthly at Central Elementary in Pleasant Grove to learn web technologies and build Thorium features. The first meeting will be September 22nd at 8:30am.
This department will be available to anyone interested in developing for Thorium, programming experience or space center affiliation (or lack thereof). Anyone who wants to get together and work on great simulator controls is welcome to come!
Check out this form for more information and to sign up to attend:
Can’t wait to see you there!
Alex
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| Crew recovering from a dousing of Slime Devil venom in the Voyager's Sick Bay Summer Camps 2007 |
October 7, 2002
James Porter Discusses the Importance of Volunteering and Not Abusing your Rank Plus Gives Us An Update on the Pathfinder Simulator in Logan.
Greetings from the Northern realm of Utah. All is well in Logan even though we lost to BYU by one point, just one. I wish to tell you a story of a great man I know whom we shall call Dave "the brick" Wall.
Many years ago Dave ventured from the well establish climate of Pleasant Grove's space education center to start up his own privately owned business. A few years after his move the maiden voyage of the Pathfinder simulator took place in Salt Lake. Many hours of work went into the development of the Pathfinder along with large amounts of money. It looked as though he was off to a good start until the project was moved up to the harsh winters of Logan, Utah. After waiting months without power, due to the bureaucracy of the school district, power was again flowing through the systems of the ship, without help from the school district.
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| A volunteer playing one of those dread Orion Pirates. In the Voyager's Brig under the watchful eye of a well trained and frightened Security Officer |
The first missions of the Pathfinder were run this last summer with great success. The Pathfinder was running but not all was well. That summer came at a great cost. Because the Pathfinder is a privately owned business, it has many expenses such as electricity and mostly staff wages it has to deal with. The Pathfinder does not have the benefit of a massive, well-structured volunteer force like the CMSEC. The Pathfinder's employees have not experienced the great benefits of volunteering, they only know that if they work, they get paid. Because of these expenses, the one known as Dave is losing money on his venture.
You might be wondering what this has to do with anything besides knowing what the situation of the Pathfinder is and the shameless promotion for it. I hope to make a point about volunteering. As always you must start with a definition, VOLUNTEER: To
perform or offer to perform a service of one's own free will - To do charitable or helpful work without pay.
The space center is made great because of the volunteers. If the volunteers weren't there the CMSEC would probably have run into the same problems as the Pathfinder, which potentially could end the program. I know that advancement is pushed rather intensely at the Space Center, but try to be there because you want to help the patrons have fun. Trust me, if you work hard to help them to have fun, you will have more fun.
I suggest you take the initiative and find out what mission is being run. If there are pirates (almost guaranteed) get your own camouflage outfit put together. Don't rely on the supplies of the space center, they deplete more and more each year. As a volunteer you need to make it your goal to make the space center the best it can be. When you put more
into the space center you get more back. Many volunteers developed skills because they wanted to better the space center that they are now finding apply to more areas in their life.
This wouldn't have come about if all they thought about was moving up in rank. Now this brings me to a problem I have been meaning to address since before I retired. Rank. I am
guessing that it is just as bad now as it was when I left. Here are some suggestions to help with this increasing problem. First of all, don't ever abuse your rank. Here are some ways to tell if rank is being abused. If someone of a higher rank "commands" someone below them to pick up a piece of trash when they can just as easily do it, that is a problem. Example, someone of a higher ranks is sitting around eating ice-cream and snaps at lower ranked volunteer to pick it up trash because he is too lazy to pick it up himself. "What's on your back" was a joke! Now it has turned into a way of saying, "Hey I am higher than you so that means I am right in what I do and say."
Let's say a level 2 ranger is signing in kids and asks politely if a level 4 ranger, who isn't busy, would go and see how many kids have arrived. If the level 4 in turn says, "hey, what's on your back . . . that's right," then that is a problem. They should be carrying their own share of the work. I have been disgusted at how some of you high ranking staff and volunteers have acted towards those below you. Instead of pronouncing your rank you should be saying, "oh, I'll take over for you so you can go and check real quick."
I hope you guys will be the example to the volunteers. I don't want to ever hear some of the backbiting I used to hear again. We should never hear a high-ranking staff member say something like, "He needs to learn his place," or "I don't want him to step foot in my simulator."
It is time for me to dismount from my high horse. Please take what I have said into consideration. I look forward to seeing you all again hopefully working towards a better space center.
-James Porter
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| The busy bridge of the USS Voyager. The Mother Ship. |
October 8, 2002
Tyson Baker Sends an Update from Logan and Remembers His Early Days as a Voyager Camper in the 1990s.
Hey Mr. Williamson,
Wow, I haven't talked to you for a long time. How are you? I'm doing just grand. I still haven't lost my love of the Space Center, I've just lost the opportunity. But I am planning to come down there and volunteer soon. Oh, and just FYI, if you're down in my area any
time soon, my school is putting on "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat". But anyway, I'm a senior now. I'm the 'rule of the school' I guess you could say. I'm getting
really interested in Cinematography, and that's what I want to study in college. I really miss the Space Center though. All the adventures I had, all the dreams that came true, and all the magic that was lived there.
The Voyager is still my favorite simulator. I really would like to volunteer this month a couple of times. That, and my mom says I should go down there anyway, because working at the Space Center counts as volunteer hours that I need to make-up for some lost attendance credit. I bet when I do come down, I won't recognize the place. It sounds like all the Flight Directors have been busy upgrading their ships.
I remember the first time I ever went down there. I was in 6th grade and on a Astro Camp 5 day camp. There were the old 'black-and-white' macs in the Voyager, and you were running the old 'Supernova' mission, with Dr. Jenkins. Oh that was so much fun! If I could reverse time that is exactly when I would go. Anyway, this message is getting pretty long so I better stop. But before I do, could you give me the e-mail addresses of everybody who is
involved with the 'PathFinder' project. I might look into volunteering for them. Is it Dave Wall and James Porter? I don't know. Enjoy every second of life. I hope to reunite with you and the Space Center soon.
See ya later!
Tyson Baker
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| Receiving instruction from the Voyager Captain. |
October 8, 2002
Mr. Williamson Discusses the Problems With His New Mission Called Stazi (Midnight Rescue). Do the Kids Get It?
Also, a Great Overnight Camp with Lindon Elementary's Gifted Class.
Hello Troops,
Just a quick Journal entry for last week. We serviced Sharon, West Jordan and Draper Elementary Schools. Some good groups but they all seemed to have trouble with the Stazi mission. I think the problem originates with the concept of what an Embassy is and its purpose. The central theme of Stazi is an Embassy rescue. I wrote the story after seeing news footage of the evacuation of Americans and the other staff from our Embassy in South Vietnam as the Vietcong entered the city of Saigon. Classes with an understanding of basic diplomatic protocol and a foundation in basic world war two history do very well. Of course, expecting this from the normal sixth grader would be asking too much. I must rely on our pre visit briefings to accomplish this. Once again I must trust the classroom teacher to do his/her job to prepare the class for their field trip.
I want to thank Kyle Herring for stepping up to the plate and running the Magellan for the last overnight camp. Another thank you to the awesome staff that assisted him. You folks know who you are - you did a super job. The Magellan reviews were just wonderful at the end of the camp. Kyle wanted me to thank you over and over again - so I've just done that.
I enjoyed the last overnight camp. The campers came from the 5th gifted class at Lindon Elementary. Those sharp fifth graders loved every minute of the EdVenture! It was fun to see their eyes as they entered the simulators for the first time. Most of the camp had never been here. Their look of amazement and wonder made the week for me. It reminds me of why I work here.
We are into another week. No overnighter this weekend. Everyone enjoy the UEA break.
That is All.......
Mr. Williamson
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| Remember all those landing parties in the school's gym? |
October 10, 2002
The Voyager was Host to the Star Trek Radio / WebCam Show.
Hello Troops,
The Star Trek Radio Talk Show will be broadcast from the Space Center tonight. You can get information on the show from the egroup calendar. Click on the event and the information will pop up.
The web site for the show is:
http://web.i-sci-fi.com:82/iscifi/connect/index.html
or just:
www.i-sci-fi.com
I think the show starts at 7:00 P.M. They will have a live web cam and a call in number. There is also a chat room so you can post questions.
If you are really interested you may come down and watch the show live. Stay for a few minutes or an hour or so. Your parents are welcome as well.
Arrive between 6:15 and 6:30. No later! Please have your ride here to pick you up at 9:00 P.M. or before. You should wear your Space Center t-shirt.
Thank you Troops,
Mr. Williamson
The Imaginarium
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| When you open up your exam and you hear the Asian kid next to you swear under his breath..... |
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| Recreation of the First Class Grand Staircase: Titanic |
We all have friends like characters in Lord of the Rings....
