I've been told that all good things must end and sadly that came true on Saturday, October 2 when Lisa Hadfield completed her last mission with the Magellan, her home away from home for the last several years. And with the last "Hurray!" from the crew and polite applause from her staff, she repeated those famous Flight Director words heard only on the Magellan (they're the only simulator commanded by a commodore), "Congratulations Commodore and Crew, you guys successfully finished your mission!"
Today, The Troubadour celebrates Lissa's last mission and reflects on her career at the Space Center. The photos and video are courtesy of Audrey Henriksen.
Lissa's Final Crew
Lissa started at the Space Center in 2014. She was a member of my Voyager Club which met early Saturday mornings on the Magellan.
Lissa with her Voyager Club Squadron plotting their winning strategy for one of our early Saturday morning club flights. Notice Nolan and Lindsey was also on her team and have since moved on to become flight directors
Lissa as a young volunteer awaiting her turn to do something in the Magellan.
It didn't take long for Lissa's talents to shine. She earned her Magellan supervisor Blue Shirt
Lissa and Lindsey were given purple shirts and restarted the Space Center Actor's Guild
In February 2017 Lissa became a Flight Director. The Phoenix was her first ship.
Lissa and Jake Hadfield live in Lehi. Jake is finishing up his schooling. Lissa has taken a position in a medical office in Lehi and what can we say, the opportunity was too good to turn down. Life has a way of doing that.
The last couple minutes of Lissa's last mission. I apologize for the video
quality. It is the best I could get from the source.
On behalf of all of us who know you, love you, and have worked with you, let me offer our sincerest farewell. You'll be greatly missed by the staff, volunteers, and the campers who were privileged to sit in your ships and experience the Space Center from a truly talented storyteller and flight director.
Goodbye Lissa!
The Space Place at Renaissance Academy Offers "Flightmares!" This Halloween Season
If you're wanting a scary space mission then you need to book a place on the Starship Voyager at Renaissance Academy's The Space Place. Bracken Funk, Megan Warner and BJ Warner do a fantastic job telling a chilling story set in the deep dark recess of space.
I stopped by last Saturday for a few hours to enjoy the Halloween atmosphere on the Voyager.
I found BJ Warner getting all decked out in a freaky robot outfit. Come on, a poorly programmed space robot is perfect for Halloween. So what if he seemed preoccupied with DEATH!
And then there are the volunteers love to scare kids, and are even happier when they can use a bit of theatrical makeup to do the job even better.
There are a few tickets left on the last mission if you dare........Come join us and enjoy 5 hours of the unknown.
Imaginarium Theater
The best videos from Around the World Edited for a Gentler Audience.
Monday was the first meeting of this year's Young Astronauts and Voyager Club for the 2021-2022 school year at Renaissance Academy. The Voyager Club is for students in grades 6 to 9. The Young Astronaut Club is for students in grades 3 - 5. There are 165 students enrolled in the club this school year. Students are referred to as cadets.
Voyager Cadets on the Starship Voyager
The cadets are divided into squadrons of between 8 to 10 students. The squadrons meet once a month on average with a total of 8 meetings per school year. Meetings go from 3:20 P.M. to 5:20 P.M. The meeting agenda for October was:
Welcome to the Club.
An overview of the Starship Voyager's bridge positions
Selection of bridge positions for each cadet for the first two meetings.
Training in those positions in the Voyager simulator.
A discussion of the club's motto and pledge
An introduction to the club's point and ranking system
An introduction to the Farpoint Universe our simulation curriculum uses for missions.
A video on the New Space Age
A discussion on the importance of doing well in their math and science classes.
The meeting ended with pictures showing all the ships in the Space EdVenture Fleets.
The Young Astronauts and Voyager Club's Pledge
The Young Astronauts and Voyager Club's Logo
The Closest Galactic Houses to Earth's in the
Farpoint Universe
The Starship Voyager's Vital Statistics
The Young Astronauts and Voyager Club's
Ranking System and Points
The Cadets wear lanyards identifying their rank during meetings and on board the Voyager. Cadets are issued club t-shirts as part of their tuition.
Bracken Funk in the Voyager Control Room
Bracken Funk is responsible for the simulation curriculum. He is the director of The Space Place at Renaissance Academy.
Larry Vindinha is responsible for the club's team building curriculum. He is the school's 7-8 grade science teacher. I'm responsible for the club's space science curriculum and teach the classroom portion of club meetings. It is a great team. I'm spot on when I say there isn't a better space science club for students in grades 3 - 9 anywhere in the state of Utah.
We have great students, parents, and staff. The 165 Young Astronauts and Voyager Cadets are off to a fantastic start at Renaissance Academy.
Mr. Williamson
Imaginarium Theater
The Best Videos From Around the World Edited for a Gentler Audience
Today I'm posting pictures showcasing our good friend and long time Space Center alumni Alex DeBirk. Alex, along with his high school students, is building the new space center at American Heritage School in American Fork, Utah. This new Utah County space center will have two simulators: the Galileo from the Christa McAuliffe Space Center and an all new ship yet to be named. This new simulator will be one for the books: designed and built by American Heritage students and their awesome teacher - Alex. The set designs are phenomenal! I hope to stop by this week to see it all in person. Until then, we will have to let our imagination soar with the photos Alex has supplied.
The Imaginarium Theater
The Best Videos From Around the World Edited for a Gentler Audience
