From the Space Center's Historical Files. The Police Arrive at the Space Center with Guns Drawn! Bracken Funk Retires. Brent Anderson Retires, Brady Young Returns to the Voyager. Also, A New Podium for Central. The CMSC Planetarium Dome Takes Shape. Imaginarium Theater.

From the Christa McAuliffe Space Center's Historical Files. 
Comings and Goings. An Update

Twelve Years Ago this Week. August 24, 2008

Bracken Funk Briefing a Voyager Crew

Bracken Funk Retires

     We have goodbyes and hellos for this post. Bracken Funk directed his last Overnight Camp on Friday. He ran his signature story ‘Silhouette’. His final scores were good enough to take first place in the post camp surveys.
Bracken leaves on Wednesday for the MTC in Provo. A few weeks later he will leave Utah. Houston Texas is his final destination.

Admiral William Schuler

The Police Arrive at the Space Center with Guns Drawn!
     The Overnight Camp was picture perfect. The scores were good (not great) and the kids were excellent in both behavior and performance. The Happy Bucket was given out but not used - a mark of another great camp. Equipment problems were fixed without delay. There was one small incident that stained the tranquility of an almost perfect camp. At 11:10 P.M. we were in the cafeteria giving the campers ice cream. Lorraine and I stood there in a semi conscious state staring, but not really seeing the kids as they ate. You know how your mind drifts when tired. My half slumber was disturbed by a staff member telling me the police were outside and wanting to see me about an incident reported by the neighbors. I was busy with the campers and sent Mr. Schuler out instead. With ice cream consumed I walked the boys to the gym. They picked up their gear. Our final stop was the lobby. The boys dropped their things and headed to the restrooms for a final break before bed. I had a minute so I walked outside behind the Voyager and found several policeman along with Mr. Schuler, Bracken, and a few other volunteers standing near the gym wall. Bill told me the police drew a gun on him when he went outside.
     “That’s ‘over the top’ for a noise complaint,” I said looking at the approaching officers.
     “It was more than a noise,” he said. “Someone was throwing dry ice bombs and one went off next to a policeman,” he responded.
     Sure enough, the story was repeated by the officer. He added another fact omitted by Bill. The policeman was moving around the back of the school toward the large outside air conditioner used by the school’s new addition. Near the cooling unit he saw something with red flashing lights. It looked like a bomb! He moved closer to the black object with blinking lights apprehensive as to its purpose. Just then, another dry ice bomb dropped behind the officer and exploded. Needless to say, the police were in a bad mood and determined to catch the delinquents.
     The bomb was actually one of our Space Center props set outside by the Voyager staff for their landing party. It was innocent but easily misunderstood. The police wanted to get on the school’s roof to find the culprits. I let them up through the ladder in the custodian’s closet. They found nothing. Whoever it was got away. I wouldn’t want to be them if the police ever find out. I’m sure it would be a minimum of ten years community service and a fine so large they would finally get out of debt to the Pleasant Grove City on their eighty-sixth birthday. I was relieved the Space Center wasn't blamed for the officer’s thrilling night out. The experience was added spice to Bracken’s last mission!

Brent Anderson Programming the Voyager's Flight Computer

Brent Anderson Retires to Attend BYU
     On Saturday afternoon the Programming Guild met at the Space Center for Brent Anderson’s last meeting and official resignation. Brent officially turned the reigns of the Guild to Bridger Maxwell. Brent will be attending BYU this fall, followed by an LDS mission. He hopes to enter the MTC in December. Brent came to me years ago as a youngling with a dream to build his own simulator at his home. He was in the process of raising money. One of his mentors told him to come to the Space Center and learn how I got the place started. I remember that meeting. Brent and his friend stood in front of me with grand ideas. I listened politely. A thought dawned on me as they spoke. If I could take that drive and enthusiasm and redirect it to the Space Center we would have a fantastic new and talented volunteer.
     I asked Brent to come on board as a volunteer. He eagerly accepted and the rest is history. The Space Center thrived under Brent’s administration of the Programming Guild. Brent took us out of the dark ages in many respects by streamlining my work and making everything he touched work more efficiently. Brent was awesome. There is nothing more to be said. Both Brent and Bracken will be missed. Wait...... that is worded to weakly. They will be missed greatly!
     We held a goodbye open house for both of them at my home Saturday night. It was well attended. We shared stories and memories and laughed for hours.
     I went to listen to Bracken’s Farewell speech in Sacrament Meeting this morning. He did well. He overflows with self confidence which was evident to anyone listening to his talk. 

Brady Young Receiving an Honor at Honors Night
(A young photo of Brady. I couldn't find later one for this post)

Brady’s Return
     We are loosing two of our best. The clouds gathering over the Center appear dark and foreboding. Luckily a silver lining has been spotted. Brady Young returned from his mission to Florida and is back at the Space Education Center eager and ready to resume his position as Voyager Flight / Set Director. Instead of crawling into a corner and rocking for weeks in fits of depression I’m sitting at my desk thinking we will all survive this hurricane roaring around us. Brady is back - one of our best.
     For some reason, and always when we need the help, the right person seems to walk in the Briefing Room Door and say “Here I Am. You’ve been looking for me”. The Fates are with us again my friends and we dare not tempt them. We continue our lives happily knowing that someone or something in the vacuum of space has us under a watchful eye.
     Now it is time to stop. Work hard and make each day better than the last. Remember, the success to life is imagination, education and hard work. Take time each day to sharpen each of those legs on success' stool and you to will be unstoppable and nearly irreplaceable.

Mr. Williamson

News from the Christa McAuliffe Space Center

By James Porter (From the CMSC's Facebook Page)

Today we welcomed back a bit of the old Central Elementary and Space Center. Through the amazing efforts of Wes and his mother we have a new/old podium. It was made from the doors of our previous building and the East tree near the main entrance.

We have such amazing volunteers and we look forward to welcoming them and everyone else back in the coming months. Thank you Wes and mom for your contribution to our community.

The New Planetarium Dome at the CMSC is Taking Shape

Imaginarium Theater

The Best Videos from Around the World Edited for a Gentler Audience

Imaginarium Theater August 23, 2020 from SpaceCampUtah's Imaginarium on Vimeo.

Lakeview's Lions Gate Space Center Prepares to Open. Watch a Time Lapse of Central School and the Space Center's Demolition. The New CMSC Planetarium Takes Shape. From the CMSC Archives: The Staff and Volunteers Return to Work and A Tale of Two Captains. The Imaginarium Theater!

Virus or Not, Lakeview Academy's Lion's Gate Center Gears Up for a New School Year.

Parriss models the latest in Starfleet Virus Protocol.

     Nathan and Parriss King are busy with opening day preparations at the Lions Gate Center at Lakeview Academy in Saratoga Springs, Utah.  Number one on their to do list is safety protocols.  How do you fly over 1000 students and teachers in regular rotations in the space edventure center's three starship simulators (Apollo, Artemis, and Leo).  It looks like they've settled on two options, Face Mask and Face Shield.  One thing I'm sure of, the microphone foam covers will be changed for every flight director.  It's a no brainer that those foam microphone covers used at every one of Utah's Space EdVenture Centers are the perfect carriers of every communicable disease currently in the offering. 

     Parriss reports that this year the simulators at the Lions Gate Center will limit occupancy to 13 crew members with lots and lots of disinfecting between missions.   

      

Nathan King testing the equipment at the Lions Gate Center.
Have Masks, Will Fly.

News From the Christa McAuliffe Space Center 

By James Porter, CMSC Director

A glimpse into the demolition process that brought a close to the 3rd building to host Central Elementary students. Felt we should say goodbye before we welcome the next group of great minds into our new facility next week.

The New Planetarium Dome Takes Shape at the Christa McAuliffe Space Center, Pleasant Grove, Utah

     

     The new Christa McAuliffe Space Center Planetarium is taking shape.  If all goes well the new CMSC will open this Fall.  The new Central Elementary School will open its doors for students this Tuesday as the 2020-2021 school year gets underway.

From the CMSC Archives. Ten Years Ago this Week. On the Subway to Wonderland Station. The Space Center Staff and Volunteers Return to Work.

Posted on The Troubadour. August 23, 2010

Hello Troops,
Today I took the Subway to the Wonderland Station. It is time for the Space Center and the Imaginarium to open for full normal business. The train was packed with Wonderland employees returning to work after their forced vacation (thanks to the Space Center's three week closing for our summer vacation). There were smiles on many faces, the kind that come from knowing one still has a job to return to in these tough recessionary times.

Yes, even Wonderland has been hit by the Great Recession. Millions of Americans have had their financial dreams shattered by the world's faltering economy. Instead of having time to imagine and dream, more and more people are struggling to just make ends meet. Parental stress is also effecting the nation's children, whose imaginations are the primary fuel powering Wonderland.

Regardless of the situation out in the real world, I was happy to be back on the subway heading to the CMSEC and back to my normal routine, surrounded by the kind of people that think outside the box and look at the world a bit differently. We CMSEC folks are a befuddled group endowed with eternal optimism and a belief that the future is bright. The dark forces of despair brought on by the nation's woes are bewildering to us.  With a firm mission in hand, the Space Center's staff and volunteers will work to ensure that creativity, wonder and imagination remain vibrant in this world. It is our goal, it is our mission, and it is what we are paid to do.

You never know who you're going to bump into on the Subway to the Wonderland Station.
Just a few I met on the train today.

Volunteers and Staff. I'm glad to be back, glad you're back with me and glad to be in the trenches. Let's have a great 2010-2011 Space Center season!

Mr. Williamson

From the CMSC Archives. Twelve Years Ago this Month. The Joy and Pain of the Space Center.

From The Troubadour.  August 5, 2008

The Voyager Captain

The Magellan Captain

Well,
     Here you have it. Two captains from this summer's camps. The captain of a Voyager mission seems a bit upset. Could the mission be lost? Could his crew be driving him crazy?  The other is a captain from a Magellan mission. Do I detect success written in his expression?
     These pictures, in a way, represent the Space Center -  where every mission is different. Missions can end in success or failure. Where else do you get this kind of an interactive experience that relies on you for its success?
Movies? NO. In a movie you are a captive audience. You watch what's put in front of you.  Amusement Parks? NO. You ride the ride. At the end you say it was great or it wasn't. If you're happy you say they built a great ride. If you're not you say they wasted their money building the ride.
     Here at the CMSEC your actions decide the results. Work hard, think carefully through all problems, work well as a team, listen to comprehend and you may be successful. That is the joy of what we do at the Space Education Center. We take you out there, step back, and see what you do to yourselves.
     Live or die, sink or swim, succeed or fail - it is all UP TO YOU.
     There is no place like this in the world.
     Thank you to all that participated in our 2008 summer camp programs. Now get ready for there is lots more to come!

Mr. Williamson

Imaginarium Theater.

The Best Videos From Around the World Edited for a Gentler Audience. 

What a Great Space Center Leadership Camp: Ten Years Ago at the Space Center. See the Time Lapse Dismantling of the Galileo. Imaginarium Theater.

Ben Murdoch Disturbing a perfectly good photo of me in lecture mode during a camp

Leadership Camp 2010.  

By Alex Anderson

July 27, 2010.

For those of you that only read the first line of every post, the Leadership Camp was amazing. Now that I have that aside…

This years leadership camp was in planning for at least 8 months. I was brought onboard when Adam Hall, Ben Murdoch, Wyatt Lenhart, and Jon Parker told me about their plans for it: creating a brand new race (or, in this case, group of races) to battle against. It gave us something fresh to start with, instead of having to follow along with conventional races, like the Dominion from last year. We could use our creative muscles to imagine something new. They had a basic idea of each of the races, and a few of the rotations planned.

As January rolled around, we finished fleshing out the details of these new antagonists, how they used to live in the Delta Quadrant until they got kicked out by the Borg, and their fanatical ‘manifest destiny’ to live in the Alpha Quadrant, etc. The missions themselves had begun to take shape too, but as far as I know, only a few of the ones made up in January actually made it to the camp.

Wyatt Lenhart in Full Klingon Mode

A lot of effort was put into this camp in the months before hand. We scripted and filmed a few of these commercials, and posted them to the internet (FYI, between all 3, we have about 1,100 hits). This commercial also served as the introduction to these new aliens. We had to craft brand new space ship controls for a captured alien vessel. Jon put together a fantastic book of all Starfleet ships, as a reference for the captains. All the while, the rotations were being revised and rewritten. The Flight Directors were part of this process from the beginning, and their contributions definitely made the different missions more interesting and entertaining.

Finally, the actual day of the camp arrived. From what I could see, everything was in place and ready. Mr. W said that he would be in charge enough to make sure things were safe. The rest of the camp was up to Jon and me. On top of that, we had more than a dozen campers from last years Leadership Camp, and a few space center staff as well. The pressure was on.

Emily Perry Paxman and Adam Hall in the Odyssey Control Room

The classes for this year were taught by three outstanding instructors: Emily Perry was teaching applied leadership in the Voyager simulator, Bracken Funk had public speaking, and Casey Voeks explained how people’s psyches can affect leadership. At first, I wasn’t sold on these class choices, but as the camp went on, I could see the campers using the information they learned to help them in the rotations. The campers were very engaged in each class, and definitely brought something away from them. Heartfelt thanks to our amazing instructors.

Jon and I finished up the first night with the briefing of the entire campaign, and then, to honor tradition, Jon read a very moving speech (On Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs - Dave Grossman) The room was very still as his words finished. We tied the whole thing together, wrapped it all up, and then sent everyone off to bed. They would need their sleep.

The next morning, everybody seemed to be loving today. Their was excitement as the crews piled into Discovery. We explained each of the rotations to the crews, assigned captains, and then sent them on their way. The crews received no training; they had to figure out their own stations. Once that was done they were on their way.

First rotations was probably the roughest for the campers. There were a lot of deaths, the refugees they were supposed to save were killed, and the Voyager and Odyssey were destroyed. The campers were still light hearted, until Jon said a few words (More like chewed them out) Tension was high as they began their next rotation.

2nd rotation ended with the Magellan’s capture, and the crew being branded as failures. They were supposed to evacuate, but they wouldn’t hear of it. They tried to get their bridge back, but failed. During dinner, there was a lot of question about their consequences. Some said send them home (which was out of the question, but was considered), other said take away their hours. Finally, it was decided to make them part of the ASA.

We sent them swimming; I went with to manage some business when it was over. Bracken got caught up in the middle of an epic basket ball game with the boys vs. girls. There were only 5 girls on the whole camp. Epic.

Meanwhile, back at the space center, preparations were made, assignments passed out, phasers organized, and staff costumed.

Spencer Merryweather. A Great Voyager Volunteer

Swimming was over. I gathered all the campers around. Magellan crew was segregated; they were prisoners of the DC. The rest were organized into strike teams. We planted each of the strike teams at different corners of the school, told them they were taking Magellan back, and let them at it. We called it the ASA.

Last year, the ASA was a complete failure. This year, we decided to make it a little easier, but a little harder at the same time. We gave them specific objectives, but their objectives depended on each other. They completed it successfully, later than we wanted, but no more than we had planned. Back off to bed. Third rotation was slightly shorter than the others, and there really isn’t a lot to write. Lunch on Saturday featured the appearance of Hauck’Toaei, the disgruntled Klingon Chef who was forced to serve Pakled food (which turned out to be a messy ordeal.)

Just Some of the People Who Held the CMSEC Together Ten Years Ago. Brittany, Kevin, Bridger, Alex, Kyle, and
several of our younger Black Shirt volunteers.

Fourth rotation took a leaf out of last year’s camp. Mass Chaos was a Galileo/Odyssey joint mission where they had to blow up several targets. They got to plan and choose their targets together as they received messages from intel telling them where Dominion fleets were located. We tried to copy that this year, but instead of two ships, we would have five.

It didn’t work out as well as planned. The rotation began alright; Jon walked in, seemingly ready to brief when suddenly alarms played: Magellan was under attack! Chaos ensued in the hallways. Staff were bloodied up as if the station had exploded on them. Doctors ran through the halls tending to them. Screams pierced the halls. Campers ran to their ships as fast as they could.

Meanwhile, the captains were supposed to plan out what they were going to do. We had printed a huge map of the sector with a dozen targets. We planned on this section lasting 30 minutes. It lasted 5.

This was the most intense communication we have ever had between simulators. A chat system was set up so flight directors could always be on the know about where the ships were and what they were doing. Long range messages were sent through chat too. It was amazing how well that worked.

In the end, the Odyssey found the DC’s weakness, while all the other ships had re-docked with Magellan. We all waited in anticipation as the Odyssey told Magellan where they were…

Stephanie Blackman as the Phoenix Doctor

And Magellan went to transwarp to the wrong place! All the flight directors were in the Magellan freaking out about it! Eventually, they did get the message, readjusted their course, and made it there in time to hit the DC where it hurts. An ambassador (Jon) came aboard the Magellan, an armistice (big word meaning peace treaty) was signed, and the camp was over.

A few things I noticed at the end: the communication and cooperation between ships and campers was fantastic. I also felt like the campers came together in a way I had never seen in a space camp. I don’t know how well they knew each other before, but they really couldn’t stop talking to one another after the camp.

I would just like to thank a bunch of people who made this happen.  First, the campers. We got the camp filled in April, much earlier than last year. They were fantastic kids (teens?) and great sports about everything. I couldn’t have asked for better.

The CMSEC Staff Lined up for After Camp Votes

Second, the staff. We had around twenty of the Space Center’s finest. First, thanks for being so awesome. We wouldn’t have had you on the camp if we didn’t think you could do it. Second, thanks for pulling through without complaint. I could see that you guys were tired by Friday night, but you still pulled through all the way to the end. I suppose that deserves a congratulations as well.

Third, to the Flight Directors, Supervisors, and everyone else who contributed to the planning and carrying out of the camp. We never could have done it as well (at all) without your help.

I would like to personally thank Jon for being a fantastic host for the camp. He organized it from start to finish and it almost seemed like he knew what he was doing the whole time. Thanks for giving us all the opportunity to do this. It definitely wouldn’t have happened without you.

Wyatt, Ben and Adam

Finally, thanks to Mr. Williamson. Because of a crazy decision you made 20 years ago, we can all make crazy decisions today! The Space Education Center isn’t just for teaching the campers that come. It teaches the staff too. I for one have been taught countless things while working here. Thank you for actually doing your job as a teacher, instead of just working for a living.

Will the leadership camp happen next year? Maybe. I don’t know yet. But if it doesn’t, I know we have done it justice. If it does, the bar has been raised. Lets just see what the next year brings us.

As always, it is a pleasure to work with everyone.

Alex Anderson.

Today's News from the Christa McAuliffe Space Center



Imaginarium Theater
The Best Videos From Around the World Edited for a Gentler Audience

Imaginarium Theater August 9, 2020 from SpaceCampUtah's Imaginarium on Vimeo.