It's been 11 years today!

[Kemara]

It's been exactly 11 years today since I went to SA level 1, June 16-21, 1991. I was 14 years old, and so excited to be doing something I'd dreamed about since I was 9. My roommate and I had a room at the very end of the hab, with a window(now counselor's quarters)! And I think there were only two people per room (at least on our floor). We watched an IMAX movie every night and the top row of the theater was considered prime viewing space (?). My missions were Endeavour, as Space Station Commander and Discovery as Spacecraft Systems Officer.
I have three memories about those missions.
On space station, seeing a little red light wink on and then off on my panel and finding out later that it meant we had been destroyed by some mishap (not station's fault) and MOCR had be instructed not to let us know.
In MOCR, being told that, and I quote "If the Spacecraft Systems Officer had been doing his job, then Challenger wouldn't have exploded," by the counselor training us. Thanks for vote of confidence, and wrong information.
Also in MOCR before our second mission, sitting in stunned silence as 3 counselors raged at us telling us "You're the worst team we've ever had. You need to pull your act together." Think Andi in SpaceCamp "I can't hear it. You know why? Because you're all dead. You didn't work together as a team!" Same type of thing. They had reasons for yelling at us, and if you ask I'll tell you about it sometime.
Aside from those moments, SA was great fun. Each team designed a space station for the year 2080 and presented it as an oral report with plans and drawings to all the other teams. Do they still do that?
Fav. Quotes:
"Shh...The color-coded kiddie campers are sleeping." as we crept through the Camp hab. after dark.

"Your team knows how to have fun." A counselor to mine as we played a game of volleyball.

"There's an ant in my Jello."

"What is this?" "It's veal. Eat it. You'll like it." From my counselor, followed by a scraping sound as 20 plates were pushed away simultaneously.

Counselor: "Where are you from?"
Me:"Georgia"
Counselor: "Where?"
Me: "Georgia" Turning to my roommate "Tell him where I'm from!" I guess he'd never heard a Southern accent before! <G>

[Boomerang]

Well it sounds like you were at Space Academy level 1 about 6 weeks before i was at Space Camp for the first time. Your counselors were obvuiously idiots if they thought the SSO could have done anything to prevent the challenger accident. When i went to SA 2 years later i was commander on Endeavour and SSO on Discovery. Instead of a space station though we had to do a moon base. Vut when i was at camp in 91 we had to design a space station build a model of it and present it to all the other campers. I'm greatful i never had counselors like that with one exception at ASA but we only had him one day before they gave a new counselor her first chance to have a team and although she tried to hard she was better than the first guy. My 11 year anniversary of space camp will be coming up in mid to late July. I cant believe its been that long. Man i feel old compared to the other people on this forum.

[Vincent]

Happy Anniversary!!!

...I haven't yet reached my 11th anniversary, but it's been...a while!

Actually, I was happy to be at ASA exactly on my 5th anniversary of my first trip to camp!

...I too had to do the moon base in SA1 and I also recall having to do the space station presentation thing as well (at camp)...those really weren't my favorite things to do!

With regard to "the color-coded kiddie campers," did they assign space camp teams by color even then (i.e. Yellow Team, Blue Team, etc.)?

As for the Challenger...well, that was the fault of a great number of people. While anyone of "them" probably could've prevented it, no one person is really to blame, I feel.

[monkeynautt]

Whoa! it hasn't even been a year since I first went to ASA. It will be my one year anniversary while I am at ASA for the second time.

[orion8]

My one year anniversary was one month ago. Geesh... some of you guys are really old!

[Vincent]

Well, that and we were both smart enough to realize at a very young age how much fun it could be and lucky enough to be able to go at the time...

[Kemara]

Thanks for the good wishes and letting me prattle on. You know, it's funny, but I don't remember what got me interested in space or when I *wasn't* interested. My mom dyed an old jumpsuit of her's blue for me and I'd put a chair on its back inside a big packing box and play "astronaut" for hours. When my parents rented SpaceCamp for the first time, I refused to watch it and ran out of the room. I thought they blew up like Challenger. In 87, my uncle sent me a copy of the Space Camp program book and that started my dream. For my 13th birthday, my grandmother gave me a card with a check for $600 in it (Camp was cheap in those days). When I realized what it was for, I had hysterics and it took them a while to calm me down. Then I had to wait a whole year before I actually went, but it was worth it. Here's to another 11 years!

[monkeynautt]

I first found out about Space Camp in Grade 7. At the time my parent's were not able to afford to let me go. I would pester them forever but I got anywhere. Finally, when I was in grade nine I was old enough to get a part-time job. I saved up every penny and was then able to afford to go after my grade ten year. I got a discounted tuition this year so it cost way less and my parent's paying for some. With the exchange rate between Canada and the U.S. it makes it harder to go to camp. I'm so glad that I'm now going for the second time.

[Boomerang]

I got interested in space when my grandfather took me to the old NASA Langley Visitor center when i was really young. I saw Space Camp in theaters with the same grandfather in 1986. Even though i learned their was a real space camp at the end of the mvie i didnt give it much thought because all the kids in the movie were so much older. Then My grandmother asked at the Langley visitor center where we could get a jumpsuit like the ones they had for toddlers except for older kids. The lady at the gift shop gave us the number to get space camp infor we did and i learned their was a camp for younger kids and in a few years i went. And i loved it all 4 times.

[orion8]

I first found out about Space Camp in Grade 7. At the time my parent's were not able to afford to let me go. I would pester them forever but I got anywhere. Finally, when I was in grade nine I was old enough to get a part-time job. I saved up every penny and was then able to afford to go after my grade ten year.

My story is almost eerily identical to this one. I found out about space camp when my dad saw a tv commercial and called for the brochure. they knew i would probably never get to go, since financially my parents have never been well off. but i looked at the brochure every day, and each year i convinced my mom to call and get the new brochure. she did it reluctantly because she knew that they couldn't send me, and i was always getting my hopes up. in 9th grade i got a job offer and jumped at the chance to take it. ASA was my first goal and i quickly paid for it. I went in May of 2001, tacked on the end of my family's vacation. It was a blast. I am going again next week. it is my home away from home. I love every minute of Space Camp!!

[Boomerang]

Thankfully i had a grandmother who paid for 3.5 times i went. Otherwise i probably wouldnt have gotten to go till i was asa age and it probably would have een my one and only trip. My parents were never well off either.