A New Starship Simulator in Texas Sponsored by a Boy Scout Council. Enroll in an Upcoming Camp and Help the Field Trip Program. Farpoint's Coders Brave Near Blizzard Conditions. Command Headsets Again. Theater Imaginarium.

Some Great Space Center Camp Opportunities 

And help the field trip program at the same time!

Announcement: 25% of all funds generated from any camps operated during the school year now help subsidize field trips for the following school year. Basically we are trying to find ways to save schools money while offering great experiences through the year.

Step 1 - Sign up for a camp: http://spacecenter.alpineschools.org/camps/

Step 2 - Yeah there really isn't a step two. We just take those funds and save schools upwards of $40-$60. That is if we get our camps filled. Right now we need your help in letting students and adults (yes the adult camps we offer also save schools money) know about these great opportunities.

Currently there are 4 camp dates available, but we will add more if they start to fill up. So help us out by sharing our link, writing a review about us, or sharing photos of your visit and linking it to our website. So I guess that would be Step 2 - Share the fun.

Step 3 - Feel good about helping more students to be able to come on our field trips. This year we have around 10,000 students who will have participated and made great memories.

Thank you.

Mr. Porter

Space Center Director

Student Camps - $40 : January 28th & April 22nd
Adult Camps - $40 : March 18th & May 13th

The Longhorn Boy Scout  Council's Starship

Bridge Space Room

Starship Battle Simulator.

     Strangely enough, great ideas catch on. Look at what I found docked at a lonely outpost in Hurst Texas.  Introducing a starship simulator similar to those found here in Utah, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C. and Venezuela. All programs which trace their inspirational beginnings to the USS Voyager in Pleasant Grove. This Texas simulator apparently sprung up completely on its own because I'm unaware of any connection to us through a former volunteer, staff member, or camper. This leads me to believe it is the brainchild of a genius suffering from the same addiction that plagues us - experientialsimulatoritis.

     Regardless of its parentage, it is good to see another example of experiential learning; this one sponsored by a Boy Scout council.  It think it's time to open subspace hailing frequencies and make contract with this lone ship and invite them into the fleet.

Mr. Williamson 

         

The following is from the Longhorn Council's website:

Longhorn Council

Boy Scouts of America
PO Box 54190
850 Cannon Drive
Hurst, TX 76054

Pilot an Imperial Starship into battle as the Captain and bridge officers: Helmsman, Weapons Officer, Science, Engineering, or Communications.  (NOTE: Groups with younger Cub Scouts and siblings should have parents helping while doing the Starship Bridge Crew Simulator.)

Pack 1220 Cub Scouts piloting the starship in a battle during a birthday party event.

Troop 28 Scouts learning to work together to maneuver their ship.

 Scouts from Troop 265 (left) and Troop 328 (right) serving as bridge officers during a battle simulation at an overnight lock-in.

Troop 127 Scouts maneuver their ship to protect the space stations in their sector.

Movies and Birthday Parties

. . .  or just watch a movie on the 80 inch main bridge view screen. (Bring your own sci-fi movie.)

Space Flight Simulators

Space flight simulators with multiple skill levels allow youth and adults to compete for the title of Best Pilot. By museum simulation companies Binary Star and Historic Space Systems.

– Discovery: Final Approach. Land the Space Shuttle Discovery at the Kennedy Space Center or at Edwards Air Force Base!
– Space Station Docking. Pilot NASA’s new Orion space capsule as you bring supplies to the International Space Station.
– Lunar Landing. “The Eagle has landed.” Pilot Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 Lunar Module and land on the moon in 1969.
–Air Force Interceptor. A dangerous asteroid is on a collision course with the International Space Station. You will pilot an Air Force rapid-response launch vehicle. Your mission: destroy the asteroid with a missile before it hits the Space Station!

The Farpoint Space Club's Google CS Coding Program Guarding the Nation's Interests Even in Near Blizzard Conditions

     What a mess it was driving to our homebase at Renaissance Academy early Saturday morning.  It was near blizzard conditions as I slipped and slid my way from Pleasant Grove to Lehi. "My kingdom for a snow plow to follow," I mumbled while searching for a set of tire tracks to wedge my wheels into. 

OK, maybe an exaggeration, but it sure felt like it.

     Conditions went from bad to worse the closer I got to the school. Relief is an adequate word to describe my feelings at pulling into the snow clogged parking lot.  Concerned about the driving conditions, I sent an email to my young coders saying the class would go ahead because I was already there and knew many others were already on their way. I asked those who hadn't left to consider not attending and coming to a make up day instead.       

     Surprisingly, over half the club showed up and got right to work guarding the national network against all enemies foreign and domestic.  We were particularly focused on the new administration and wanted to ensure the president's transition into Washington life went smoothly.  

 

Young Brandon was busy coding a program to guard against those nasty sprites which pop up from time to time. Helping him is Chris, a new volunteer guru.

JR was busy watching outer space. For a moment we thought he'd spotted a UFO. It turned out to be a ringed planet.

Paige always writes impressive code

Sinjin found a firewall breach in the NSA's mainframe.  The hackers used a penguin as their identifier.  Sinjin made short work of them as you can see by the toppled bird on his screen.  

Yet another awesome program created by one of our young coders.  The purple hooded figure indicates our mortal enemies in cyberspace - KAOS.  This was their poor attempt to shut us down. It didn't work.

This young Farpoint coder wishes to remain anonymous as seen by his tightly zipped coat. His project was highly classified which is why you only see him and not his screen. 

Andrew is one of our supervising coding gurus.  He monitors and helps.  Our Farpoint coding program relies on great volunteers like Andrew.

The Space Center Returns to Prompting Headsets for Command Crews

Josh modelling the new bluetooth headsets and showing where the microphone is located on the wall

     The captains of the CMSEC have a conscience again.  Or at least that's what we call the little headset given to the command officers to help them out during field trips.  From this headset the flight director can fill in the knowledge gaps since the 5th & 6th grade captains don't actually have 20 years of experience onboard a starship.  They haven't been in use for quite some time as the headsets of the past were dependent on two way radios whose reliability was less than stellar.  So with testing complete the new system uses bluetooth headsets that no longer require a bulky radio and tangled draping cords.

Imaginarium Theater 

The best gifs of the week assembled by a teacher for use in the classroom as a reward for outstanding student performance. Hey, it works for me. My students work hard to get to see the Imaginarium Theater every week. 

Alex Anderson and Crystal Tolley Wed. May They Live Long and Prosper. The Voeks and the Funks Celebrate Additions to Their Households. The Imaginarium.

Alex and Crystal

Alex Anderson and Crystal Tolley married on January 14th.  Many long time Space Center volunteers and staff remember Alex from his many years at the Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center. Chances are that if you've been on a Space Center mission in the last decade or so, you've flown in a simulator partially or completely programmed by Alex.  Older staff and volunteers remember Alex as a flight director.  

The new USS Voyager was Alex's last space related project. Both he and his brother Brent wired the Voyager and programmed Flint, the ship's operating system.  

True to form, Alex wore his trademarked British cap to the reception. He must own a cap for every occasion. He confessed, after exhausting grilling, that he doesn't wear a cap to church. Other than that, anywhere and anytime is fair game for him. 

Seeing him in that cap reminded me of a previous wedding reception I attended recently.  Do you remember Ben Murdock's from a previous post?

     

Converse trainers are Ben's thing as seen in the photo above from his reception.  I sense a trend blossoming in the fashion wear of old time Space Center folks.  I even see the first signs of it in our youngest volunteers.  Where this accessory statement sprang from is unknown. It could be a direct result from a lack of vitamin D as they were growing up.  Both Alex and Ben spent much of their teen years sequestered away in the simulators, far away from the sun's nourishing rays.  

   
Alex and Crystal were surrounded by loving family and friends.  His big brother Brent and his wife Michelle, chaperoned by their beautiful daughter Evelyn, were on hand proving once again that one can live a normal post space center life!  

Alex's sister Natalie is the current Anderson flight director at the Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center.  Do you realize that the Space Center has been blessed with at least one Anderson volunteer / employee for the past decade if not longer?  

Matt Ricks was there as well on assignment to keep me company. Sometimes I need a social interpreter for events like this.  Matt was good to remind me who was who along with a few details I could use in casual conversation.  He'd already scouted the refreshment table and directed me to the 'good stuff'.  Thanks Matt for your assistance. I need to be sure you get an invite to every event I attend.  

These two outstanding young people were kind enough to keep me entertained for longer than they felt comfortable for sure.   Wyatt Lenhart and Hayley Warner are two old time Space Center staff and volunteers who grew up at the Center and have gone on to do some amazing things working on the Star Trek Continues web series. 

Bracken Funk and Wyatt (aka. The Red Blemish)

I reminded Wyatt that once a superhero, always a superhero.  While he may hide his true identity from those whom he has sworn to protect, I know that beneath the blue jacket and hoodie is the scarlet caped crusader for social justice, the one and only Red Blemish!  (a superhero title I gave Wyatt years and years ago in a blog post during an overnight camp. He wore a red jacket and scooted about on a red scooter.)  

Congratulations to Alex And Crystal on behalf of all Troubadours. May they live long and prosper.

Mr. Williamson

Two Future Space Enthusiasts Born. Greatness is Upon Us!

Casey and Katy Voeks are the proud parents of baby Weston Victor Voeks

Welcome to the world Weston Victor Voeks, born to Casey and Katy Voeks.  What a handsome youngster so blessed to have Victor as a middle name.  Strange having another Victor around. We are a rare breed you know.  

I must chastise Casey for using my name without proper clearance from the International Society of Victors and Victoria's (ISVV).  The ISVV strictly monitors the use of both names and is entrusted to issue naming privileges only after the expecting parents pass extensive background checks, along with personality assessments to determine above average intelligence, patience, and goodwill toward men. I interceded on their behalf and, cashing in every favor owed, obtained a naming warrant from the Victor Prime for young Weston.  After all, there is no doubt as to the character of Casey and Katy.

Welcome to the world young Weston Victor Voeks.  

Bracken and Lejana

Welcome to the world Nyal Quincy Funk, son of Space Center legend and all around great guy, Bracken Funk and of course his better half Lejana. Nyal is Bracken and Lejana's second child. 

Coming from such good parents we assume young Nyal will be blessed with his mother's looks and his father's skills in a simulator control room and on the basketball court.  Brains and a winning personality are givens.  Welcome to the world young Nyal.

Give both boys a decade or so of growing up then expect to see them featured on The Troubadour for their work in helping me run the Voyager. One will be responsible for pushing my wheelchair, adjusting my bib to capture the results of my eating disorder, and reminding me of what mission I'm telling for the thousandth time. The other will hold the microphone while I fly and be ready to switch it off the moment he hears me drifting off mission in rants of garbled nonsense and slurs of politically incorrect speech.

Mr. Williamson

The Imaginarium