The American Heritage School's Space Center Trains New Flight Directors. Pictures from Honor's Night Nov. 2004 Meet the Great Ones from the Past. My 40th Halloween as a Teacher. Imaginarium Theater

 

The American Heritage Space Center Flight Director Team

     Bracken Funk and I were at American Heritage School in American Fork last week with Renaissance Academy's basketball team (I keep the game stats, Bracken is the coach). With several minutes to go before game time, I took the opportunity to go upstairs to the school's space center to visit with its director - Alex DeBirk.  I heard Alex's voice several yards down the hallway coming from the Galileo Room.  He was discussing the finer points of flight directing.

     I found Alex at the mission control station training three flight directors.  "This is our first class of flight directors," Alex said as he introduced me to the trio.  I jotted down their names and have since lost the note so I apologize for not formally introducing them to you, but that will be corrected as time passes and The Troubadour highlights their work.  I do know that the gentleman beside Alex is the school's high school chemistry teacher.  He also teaches the classroom portion of their in school field trips scheduled to start in January.  

     I will be joining the flight team as well as needed. Of course I'm on call at the Christa McAuliffe Space Center in Pleasant Grove (also when needed) and have my primary daily responsibilities at The Space Place at Renaissance Academy where I teach the Young Astronauts and Voyager Club cadets. 

     Flying at American Heritage will be interesting. There is one control room for both ships (Discovery and Galileo). The flight directors sit side by side. I haven't done that since the days of iWorlds in Murray, Utah back in 2007 with the Apollo and Artemis simulators.  The situation is temporary until the school builds the new High School building in the vacant lot north of the current building. The school's space center will move to the new building at that time and will have more room.  

     Good luck to the valley's newest flight directors! 

Meet the Staff and Volunteers of the Past.  Honors Night, November 30, 2004

     The series continues. Today I want to introduce you to some of the people who made the Christa McAuliffe Space Center the place it is today.  Here are a few pictures from the Honor's Night held on November 30, 2004.  All these great people are 18 years older and wiser today; some still live locally and others are, well who knows where, but to all of them I want to say thank you for your service to furthering the Space Center's great mission, To Create a Space Faring Civilization!

Honors Night volunteer honors. I think that's Jessica in the blue jacket.  Warren Nuila is in the gray outfit. Bridge Maxwell is behind Warren in black. Rebecca Clegg is in the green shirt. Eric Babb next to Rebecca 

and that's all I can remember.

     I apologize for the blurry photo above. We still used traditional cameras with film back in the day and whoever took this photo didn't focus. That's ok, we can still make out some of the faces and names.  I'll need help with the others (spacecamputah@gmail.com).   

OK, back row left to right.  Me, then ?, then Ammon Clegg, then?, then Steven Bristow in orange, BJ Warner,  Amber McEntire, the young man in black is a Robinson, and I don't remember the name of the volunteer at the end in green.

Front Row:  Jessica, Taylor Herring, Brandon Warner, Spencer Dauwalder, and another name I've forgotten

Thomas Harding receiving his Supervisor Blues.   

Here is an easy one. Megan Warner earning another honor.  Megan lives locally working with Matt Long at Enigma 3 AND works with us at The Space Place

Rick Cowdell 

Sam Brady

And here they are, Rick Cowdell, Megan Warner, and Sam Brady. They each earned their first bar (look at the collar). 

Halloween Past and Present 

     Has it been that long?  I just celebrated my 40th Halloween in education.  Do you see a difference between my students from way back then at Central Elementary School (three pictures to on the left) and my sixth graders today at Renaissance Academy (picture on the right)?  About the only difference I see is the quality of some of the costumes, other than that, kids are kids and Halloween is sacred. 

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5 Odyssey Set Directors Together in One Place! It Will Bring a Tear to Your Eye. Flightmares at The Space Place: Another Year, Another Success! Meet the Last of the Young Astronauts. This Week's Imaginarium Theater

     The Troubadour welcomes Matt Ricks onto our staff with his first article below. Matt is well suited for the job based on his demonstrated mastery of Space Center trivia and history. In fact, Matt and Sir Kyle Herring EOT (Old Timer Extraordinaire), are the Space Center's resident historians. Both have in their temperature and humidity controlled vaults items held in trust for that day when the Space Center opens a museum. 

     Matt is married to Tabitha. Tabitha is the Space Center's volunteer coordinator / supervisor. This conveniently gives The Troubadour feet on the ground for the most recent and juiciest news.  Welcome Matt!  We look forward to hearing from you regularly. 

     Are you interested in joining our staff?  The Troubadour needs reporters and photographers at all the space centers. Remember, I'm getting old and don't get around as much as I use to :)  

A Disturbance in the Space Time Continuum at Jordan and Brylee's Reception 

     This is The Troubador's field reporter Rick Matthews here, with a news story of a recent spacetime disruption.  

The Odyssey's Great and Power

Left to Right: Mitch, Natalie, Nathan, Tabitha, and Christine

     Two weeks ago, I received an assignment from HQ to report on a known upcoming spacetime event.  According to the monitoring station that watches for major events, marriages between Space Center kind usually cause quite the disturbance.  I was tasked to go to the source and monitor the situation, and report back any interesting findings or news.  In this case, the event was Jordan and Brylee's wedding.
     As I was en route to the event, I received a message from HQ, "The readings from the event are already exceeding our forecasts.  Something bigger is happening there.  We are deploying additional reporters."
     As I arrived, I noticed the "bossman" reporter pull in as well, who must have been sent in by HQ.  He may seem feeble, but he quickly hobbled toward the entrance of the reception before me.  As he walked past with his tricorder in hand, we nodded to each other.  We both knew this was going to be a remarkable event.
     I pulled out my own trusty tricorder before I walked in to make sure I got all the data I could.  As I walked in I could tell that something was different about the festivities.  I'd been to Space Center weddings before, but at this one, there was an unusual readings coming from some of the attendees.
     As I mingled with the other wedding goers, I began to find out why the readings were so high.  In attendance at the wedding reception, was not one, not two, not even three, but five Odyssey Set Directors past and current.  They eventually found each other.  Luckily I was on scene to capture the moment when the spacetime disturbance was the greatest.

     After snapping the photo, I quickly tried to scatter them.  According to my tricorder readings, spacetime was beginning to warp, and any additional time in such close proximity could be the start of a nova event.  Before I scattered them, they insisted on one last photo together.

     Of course you can't become a set director of the Odyssey without being a little bit of an oddity yourself.

    It was a near miss for disaster; a close attempt by Fortuna to wreak havoc.  After I reported my findings to HQ, I realized why this gathering of set directors was so significant.  It is amazing to consider that with this group of 5 set directors, their time at the Space Center spans almost 10 years, 3 different physical sets of the Odyssey, 2 different school buildings, 3 different directors of the Space Center, thousands of crew members, countless hours flown, and a dozen or so new and unique stories.
     There were 2 set directors missing from the decade lineup there that night.  I was able to compile a short report of Odyssey Heads over the past 10 years.

Christine: 2011-2013
Emily: 2012-2013
Tabitha: 2014-2016
Devin: 2016-2016
Natalie: 2016-2017
Nathan: 2017-2018
Natalie: 2018-2022
Mitch: 2022-Present

     In addition to the 5 Odyssey Set directors, there were at least 5 other set directors of other ships present at the reception as well.
     When all is said and done, the festivities were lively, the refreshment were consumed, and we wish the newlywed couple to live long, and prosper.  It truly takes an influential couple to bring so many notable space center folk together.  And so we wait for the next major ripple in the continuum...

Flightmares at The Space Place. Another Successful Season!

The crew from that abandoned starship, you know, the 

one your mother told you never to beam aboard.

     Last night was the last night for The Space Place's Flightmares Halloween Spectacular.  Flightmares were held most Friday and Saturday nights throughout October. The program is a tradition at Renaissance Academy.  The 5 hour long missions are geared to scare the outer space Bejeebers out of the crews.  

The Unlucky Captain

     It's all hands on deck for Flightmares.  The staff often outnumber the crewmembers.  A make up artist is on hand to add that special touch to the volunteer and staff's space zombie appearance. 

The Unlucky First Officer

     Don't worry if you missed this year's production.  Halloween will be back again in a year's time and so will Flightmares. 

These two did a great job wondering around the school

in the dark. They are masters of "That Walk" zombies do.

I believe they watched an episode of "The Walking Dead" to 

get it down just right :)

 

The Last of the Young Astronaut Squadrons.  Finally...

     Today I'd like to introduce you to the final two Young Astronaut squadrons at Renaissance Academy's The Space Place.  In total you've meet 207 Young Astronauts and Voyager Club cadets.  They are spread out in 24 squadrons of between 7 and 10 members each covering grades 3 to 9.

     Lejana Funk (Bracken's wife) is the captain of both squadrons.  All 3rd grade squadrons have either an adult or a high school student as captain.                                                         

The 3rd Grade Tiger Squadron

The 3rd Grade Scorpion Squadron

 

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Another Space Center Wedding: Jordan Smith and Brylee Perry. May They Live Long and Prosper. Meet MORE Young Astronauts at The Space Place. Pictures of Never to be Forgotten Staff and Volunteers

 

Brylee and Jordan

     Their story together as man and wife began on a dark and stormy night.....

     Not a very good beginning to their life together right?  Well, not to worry. Even though it was stormy and cold outside it was warm and cozy inside the reception for Brylee and Jordan.  I found the couple preparing to move into place for the reception. I have a standing policy to arrive at receptions at the exact starting time for logical reasons; 1) no line so you can go right up to the couple to pay your respects and offer sincere congratulations and 2) get to the good refreshments before they're picked over by the hoard of younglings soon to arrive (LDS receptions in particular).  

     If my memory is correct, Jordan and Brylee are the fifth or maybe the sixth Space Center wedding.  Remember Jordan's older brother James, a former flight director, married Christine, an Odyssey Set Director, several years ago. Space Center romances were something I expected when I started the program way back when which is why I kept a close eye on anything that looked suspicious.  And yet, couples who are meant to be always find a way to meet.

     Brylee works at the Space Center as both a Galileo Flight Director and planetarium presenter.  Jordan was the Phoenix Set Director until several months ago when he took a programming job planetside.  

     A Space Center wedding always brings out the staff and volunteers and last night's was no exception.  Huddled together throughout the venue I found current and former staff catching up on life in general.  How many in this large scrum parked in the very center of the hall can you recognize?  Shall I help?  Left to right... Natalie, Nathan, Matt, Matt and Tabitha's baby, Tabitha (Matt and Tabitha are another Space Center couple) Silver (Brylee's brother) Jon, Maeson, Sydney, Scott, Orion, and Lindsey.  It boggles one's mind to think of how many missions they've either directed or staffed over the last decade or two!   

        

     Blocking the free flow of guests isn't a good thing so the group found their way to the refreshment table, loaded up, and hijacked a table to continue their discussions.  

     Isn't it great to see how life long friendships are made at the Space Center? Honestly, volunteering at the Space Center is the best thing a young teen could do with their spare time - which is how all of these find folks got their start. 

     The Troubadour wishes both Jordan and Brylee long life and prosperity as they venture forth into a life together. And if younglings to happen to arrive, then remember the clause in your Space Center contracts committing you to start them as volunteers upon reaching the age of 13. The traditions must be passed on to future generations until interstellar travel is real and our goal of building a space faring civilization has been fulfilled.

Mr. Williamson

Meet Last Week's Young Astronauts.  Yes, It is Another New Crop.  And Yes, They Keep Coming and Coming. Remember There are Over 200 of Them at The Space Place.

Say "Hello" to the 3rd Grade Lion Squadron. High School student Mark is their captain. Mark is a former Young Astronaut at The Space Place and a member of the staff

And a "Hello" to the 4th Grade Phoenix squadron. They did a great job especially being a couple crew short.  Our Young Astronaut on the left end proves that space travel can be dangerous 

And another "Hello" to the 4th Grade Tiger Squadron.

They meet Friday afternoons from 12:45 P.M. to 2:45 P.M.

They had a new member of the club as captain. He did a 

smashing job!

Meet the Great Staff and Volunteers from the Past.  October 2004

 

Stacy Carroll, Metta Smith and Richard Orcutt in the Magellan at the end of a mission. The Space Center pins on their collars signified how many years they worked. The other pin you see on Stacy's collar indicated her rank.  Are these old uniforms still being used today?

In the Magellan Control Room, Bridger Maxwell is standing. Scott Slaugh is the blue shirt and Jessica is the volunteer in black.

Mr. Williamson looking all high and mighty in the cafeteria.

It's Saturday morning and the campers have just finished eating breakfast on the overnight camp.  The staff are finishing up the grub.  Scott Slaugh, Taylor Herring, and Spencer Robinson are behind me.

Josh Babb (Green shirt) and Bridger Maxwell in the Discovery Room.  Bridger is showing off his newly found muscles 

after helping put the sleeping cots away.

Bridger Maxwell

Scott Slaugh

The staff are putting away the cots from the overnight

mission. Taylor Herring is holding the cot. Bradyn Bodily is in the black shirt at the back. 

The staff slept in the Galileo from time to time.

Lorraine Houston was our overnight camp chaperone 

for over 20 years!

It's nearly midnight and the staff are just finishing off 

cake and ice cream before heading off to bed on the

overnight camp.

And finally, Josh Babb in the Magellan Control Room.

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