Contact Victor Williamson with your questions about simulator based experiential education programs for your school.
SpaceCampUtah@gmail.com

Saturday, October 20, 2012

What the Space Center Did for Me


 The Original Voyager Captain and First Officer's Station.  1990


 The Voyager Captain and First Officer's Station after the first remodel.  1995


The Current Voyager Bridge looking at the Captain's Station.  2012


Hello Troops,

"Save the Space Center" is the name of a new Facebook site sponsored by Brent Anderson and David Kyle Herring, both former employees of the Space Center and long time supporters!

"It's been nearly three months since the Space Center closed for renovations, and as far as we know nothing has been done," David Kyle explained on the Facebook page.

I appreciate the sentiment and enthuasim so many of you have shown toward the Space Center.  Remember, the school district has a difficult decision to make between three options:
 
1.  Spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to renovate the Space Center and bring it completely up
     to current codes.  The district was planning on building a new Space Center on a vacant lot to the
     north of Central School in 2019.  Does it make sense to spend so much money now, only to build
     a new Space Center building in a few years?
2.  Close the Center now, save the renovation money and put it towards the new Space Center
     building.  This plan would also move the new building ahead a few years. 
3.  Close the Space Center completely.  An option on the table but not favored by the vast majority
     of district's administrators and board members.

A decision this important takes time.  Imagine the large amount of data that must be gathered, especially when talking about thousands and perhaps millions of tax payer dollars!  I have a meeting with the district's administrator over the Space Center on Tuesday.  Hopefully she will have the district's decision.  Teachers, students, Space Center staff and volunteers can then plan accordingly. 

I'd like to share a post written by Brent Anderson and taken from the Facebook page.  In this post, Brent explains how the Space Center affected his life.

Please visit Save the Space Center on Facebook and like the page. For more information about the Space Center and its unique mission, visit SpaceCampUtah.org.

The Space Center
by Brent Anderson

I first attended the Space Center at age 10 and was amazed to discover that as a child I could make a difference. I was so influenced by the Center that, after being rejected 3 times for a volunteer position, I decided at age 13 to franchise the place and started finding advisors to help me in my endeavor. When I approached Mr. Williamson with my proposal to create a new, standalone center, he suggested I work there instead. As I left that meeting, I whispered to myself, “Well, here’s to the first day of the rest of my life!”

Over the next 6 years, I not only found an outlet for thousands of volunteer service hours, I was blessed to learn computer programming, networking, databases, web development, information security, 2d and 3d animation, photoshop, and countless other skills in a flexible and safe environment. I was able to give back with these skills in various volunteer classes, working with students who have since gone on to achieve great things in engineering, math, and science. I personally used these skills to start companies, develop a computer programming and information systems consultancy, become self-reliant, and continue to give back on a local, national, and even global scale through software I have developed and sold internationally, and personal contributions to open source software projects used around the globe. I have participated in state-sponsored security presentations, a university lecture series, and even served as a client and judicator for BYU Electrical Engineering Capstone projects - all because of the Space Center. And I’m only 23.

Without the Space Center, my life would be dramatically different. I don’t think I would have had the skills or experience necessary to start companies, to develop mobile apps, to win scholarships in high school, or to receive the State Sterling Scholar in Business award. I wouldn’t have had the exposure to countless contacts in business and industry that have proven very valuable to my business and my clients. The Space Center changed my life forever and for great good, helping me to reach beyond your “average” teenage and young adult experiences and instead to excel and discover the value and importance of volunteerism, of service, and of education.

My dream is to help the Space Center be a permanent pillar of educational experiences in our own community and beyond, a place where students discover the difference they can make and catch a vision of what our world could be like. Simulation in education is an incredible thing, and for over 20 years the Space Center has delighted, inspired, and educated hundreds of thousands of patrons. Even if the profound impact of the Space Center was felt by just a fraction of these patrons, the overall force for good reaching out through changed lives and broadened minds is inestimable. No one can truly measure the number of lives touched by the Space Center and Mr. Williamson. This is why the Space Center is worth keeping, and why I feel an urgency to help make this refit and upgrade as fast, and efficient as possible - so that the Center, her director, and her staff can return to “practicing the discipline of wonder” and begin her next chapter in shaping and inspiring the minds and hearts of children, students, parents, and all patrons once more.

Friday, October 19, 2012

News, Ancient Picture of the Day, A Facebook Drive and The Imaginarium


Hello Troops,
There is an update on the Space Center's renovation.  Check out the right side bar.....

I've got a great math class this year.  They are good kids, fairly sharp, and quick witted.  They enjoy a good anecdote served with side of sarcasm.  They're quiet (mostly), get their work in on time, and enjoy listening to my "When I was your age...." stories.  What more would a teacher want in a class?  Mind you, their attentiveness to my stories may be a ruse to avoid classwork.     

Today's Picture of the Day


  This picture was taken in the mid 1990's in the Briefing Room (Space Center Office).  A few things have changed in the Briefing Room.
1. Our picture of Christa McAuliffe hangs in the hallway today. 
2. The "USS VOYAGER" sign above the white board was there because back
    then, the Briefing Room was considered the Voyager's Briefing Room.  It was
    a part of the Voyager.  Voyager crews used the Briefing Room for crew
    meetings.  Think of the Briefing Room as the Voyager Captain's Ready Room.
3. Pictures of the Space Center's staff were displayed on a bulitten board at the
    front of the room.
4. This picture was taken at the end of an Overnight Camp.
     Back row staff:  Dave Wall; Odyssey Set Director.  Bill Schuler, still at the
     Space Center today.  Me.  Mark Daymont; current Magellan Flight Director
     and Space Center educator.  Jason Hills, volunteer.  Alan Steward (behind
     Jason) Space Center programmer.  Stephen Porter;  All around good guy
     and Supervisor.
     Front Row:  Ryan Davis; volunteer.  Luke Mattson; volunteer and Corbin
     Simmons; volunteer.
5.  We had burgundy colored staff shirts.

Overnight Camps started at 5:00 P.M. Friday evenings and ended at 11:00 A.M. Saturday mornings.  The campers went to bed at midnight and got up at 6:30 A.M.  Campers enjoyed an all you can eat pizza supper on Friday nights after they were briefed on their missions and trained to fly their ships.  The price of an Overnight Camp was $30.00. The Voyager and Odyssey were our only two ships. Things have changed, haven't they?

Space Center Facebook Page

Kyle Herring and Casey Voeks have opened a Space Center Facebook page.  They would appreciated it if you would 'like' the page the next time you go to Facebook.

They are asking people to post their pictures of the Space Center and post stories of your Space Center experiences.  They are afraid people will forget the Space Center if it is closed for an extended period of time.  I told them that would never happen - not with our die hard fans!

The Imaginarium


This must be one of the cars that speed by me in the mornings
when I'm working as a crossing guard on 100 North in P.G.  
They go straight through the crosswalk at 30 mph even when 
I'm standing in the middle of the road wearing my brilliant orange 
safety vest
     

   
A good education is the foundation of good citizenship.
Our colleges and universities must be affordable for your average
American.  That's my 2 cents worth.

    
What's for supper? 
Broccoli, Fish Sticks and Hot Dogs.



Double AMEN, especially with today's new math.


Found on a Burger King door.
Creativity: A


A dog house under the stairs.
Perfect for the dog named "Harry".  Max also I suppose.



Ever have one of those days?


Imagination: A


For every Force, there is an equal but opposite Force.
Are glasses a requirement for being on the Good side of nature?



Something to think about before you lift that
pack of gum.


Contact lenses of the future.  The Internet, with you 24/7.
I'll take a pair and tune out permanently. 


Imagination: A


An orphan from World War 2 receiving a new pair of shoes.
It kinda puts things in perspective, doesn't it?
Are we just a bit spoiled today?  


A creative footbridge across the Seine in France.
Creativity: A


In your neighborhood's friendly Bakery Shop.
The perfect diet killer.


A great way to get attention from street traffic!

Have a Great Weekend!
Mr. W.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Our Nearest Star Neighbor has an Earth Sized Planet! The Latest Exciting Space News.

Hello Troops,
News of an Earth sized planet orbiting Alpha Centauri, our nearest stellar neighbor, is causing quite a buzz in astronomical circles.  Unfortunately, it is too close to its star to support life.   

We live in amazing times.  Sometimes I think I am the one who fell down the rabbit hole and landed in Wonderland, especially when I compare how the world has changed since I was in elementary school.  Think about what we've discovered about ourselves and our universe in the past forty years.  Then contemplate what changes will come during your lifetime.   How blessed we are to see and experience such things. 

The graph below will tell you more about this amazing planet.  You'll also learn more about our nearest stellar neighbor.

Mr. Williamson 


Find out about the nearby Alpha Centauri star system and its newly-discovered Earth-size planet, in this SPACE.com infographic.
Source SPACE.com: All about our solar system, outer space and exploration