Last Day of Camp and Graduation

Boomerang · Post by **Boomerang** » Thu Jul 04, 2002 11:16 pm

Well as 2 diffrent space camp anniversaries are drawing to a close one tommorow and one on saturday i thought id start this topic about what the last day at camp was like for everyone. The first year back in 91 my last day was rough and sad. They woke us up early that morning so we could make sure we were packed and out linens turned in. Well i was already packed so that wasnt a problem. But i was still feeling sick from the MAT the day before so i went up to the sick bay and slept through breakfast not like i missed much. Well the counselor came and got me before graduation to fill out an evaluation and a few other things. We had graduation in hAB 1. This is the only year my dad was there for it. After graduation we said goodbye to friends and our counselors and then i had to pack up into the car for the drive home. The Second year was better but harder because i was closer to my team. We had our graduation under oathfinder that morning. It had rained that night so everything was wet. Our counselor called us the best team he'd ever had. Afterwards i got out with the group waiting for flights and it was a long boring wait. They put us all in a room and called your name when it was your time to leave. The third year which is one of the 2 anniversaries this week was at AC. That morning we got into our flight suits for graduation. We went to breakfast then came back and had a lecture from the Colonel. Then we went over to the sim room and waited for graduation At graduation we of course got out pictures wings and certificates and a few laughs at our callsigns on our team. Afterwards most of us said our goodbyes then those waiting for flights went to the ward room. After lunch those of us who were staying overnight were seperated and we went and had some fun swimming, going to the gift shop, museum and watching movies before bed time the next morning i had to be up at 5 to go to the airport so that was really the end of the week. For my 4th trip ill start another post as this one is getting long and the 4th trip will be long by itself.

Boomerang · Post by **Boomerang** » Thu Jul 04, 2002 11:43 pm

Well at ASA the last day of camp was a full one. Unlike most mornings the guys in my room didnt get up early to shower since we overslept after being eshausted from the EDM. So the showers were packed with lines at all of them. Not the best start to the last day of a week i will never forget. After everyone came downstairs we went to breakfast trying to enjoy the last few hours we were going to have together. We had already packed our stuff and out it on the first floor of the hab. The room i shared with 3 guys who had become some of the best friends i ever met was now empty. After breakfast we went to a trailer class room and did space bowl. Their was no competition the pilots beat everyone by a long shot. Thanks mostly to me. I know it sounds like bragging but if you asked my team theyd agree infact they told me so when we found out wed won at graduation camp wide. We also did the standard evaluations. Later that morning we went to Marshall space Flight Center. We got to see where the space station was being assembled in the same room they use to test the Saturn V's. We also saw the diffrent test stands used over the years from the redstone to a new generation russian rocket they were preparing to test. We went from Marshall to a nearby park for a picnic. We had subs for lunch and we played ultimate frisbee. The hours were slipping away ad we knew soon it would be over and the mood was getting sadder, Before we went to Marshall we had one last trip to the gift shop where we got something for our counselors. We got a Red Space academy shirt for Red and everyone signed it and a shuttle photo for Marlis which everyone also signed. We came back from the picnic and played cards till graduation time but you could tell the mood was sad and none of us were ready for it to be over. At Graduation we got the ussual stuff and our oilots won the space bowl and MS's won Area 51, We were all fighting to hold back tears most of us couldnt. Our counselor hadto get up and leave he was so broken up. Afterwards we spent the time hugging crying and saying goodbye to eachother. Our counselor called the whole team aside and told us he couldnt pick just one Right Stuff Award for our Team so he gave us all one. Then it was over 4 of us luckily had the same flight to Atlanta. The plane was pretty empty and we all managed to sit together on the flight trying to hold on to the week and eachother as long as we could. We'd hoped to have dinner in Atlanta but the plane had to wait for a gate and we didnt have time. So we all went our seperate ways. That was a week i'll never forget friends i hope always hace. It was without a doubt the best of 4 great years if going to space camp. The counselors were awesome the other team members were beyond belief. We knew how to be serious and we knew how to have fun. I still keep in touch with most of them and i hope i canas long as possible, That last day is 4 years ago this saturday. So you can understand why i'm a little depressed.

Kemara · Post by **Kemara** » Fri Jul 05, 2002 5:49 pm

Well, ASA graduation last year was pretty cool. We had it on the Training Center Floor in front of Enterprise. The sound system played the theme from Star Trek: The Next Generation as we were taking our seats. A counselor sang the national anthem which was neat as this was just a few days after Sept. 11. I think we all got a little emotional. Then they handed out the wings, photos, ect.
I love how Adult ASA gets two photos. One taken out at the moon landing site and one like NASA does with the team standing around their cake with the team patch on it.
They also gave out Area 51 t-shirts (only one of our two teams did it), Space Bowl t-shirts, and Right Stuff awards. There were only two adult teams, so it was more personal than I remember Level 1 graduation being back in 1991.

Post by **Vincent** » Fri Jul 05, 2002 6:04 pm

Wow! They really went all out for the adult's graduation!!!

I definitely have to get to one (or two or three or...) sometime!

Boomerang · Post by **Boomerang** » Fri Jul 05, 2002 6:12 pm

It definately sounds like they do a bigger thing for Adult ASA i hope i can go sometime.

FatMan · Post by **FatMan** » Fri Jul 05, 2002 7:35 pm

our graduation was cool too this guy sung the national anthem and boy could he sing also then they gave out the stuff the they gave out shirts we won the space bowl and other stuff

Boomerang · Post by **Boomerang** » Fri Jul 05, 2002 7:47 pm

Sounds like Graduation has changed some since i went. I didnt mention above but we did have a couple of special guest speakers in 91 and 93. In 91 Apollo 12 Astronaut Alan Bean spoke at our graduation and in 93 Edward O'buckbee who was the director of the space and rocket center at the time spoke at our graduation.

Post by **Vincent** » Fri Jul 05, 2002 7:55 pm

Ed Buckbee...

FatMan · Post by **FatMan** » Fri Jul 05, 2002 7:56 pm

our guest speaker is the president of space camp

PS this is post 123

Boomerang · Post by **Boomerang** » Fri Jul 05, 2002 8:09 pm

Ok maybe the O was his middle initial i thougght it was part of his last name back then you ussualy heard the O when they said his name. Or maybe i'm getting senile and i'm tottaly wrong.

monkeynautt · Post by **monkeynautt** » Fri Jul 05, 2002 10:31 pm

It must be that you're senile! (just kidding!)

FatMan · Post by **FatMan** » Fri Jul 05, 2002 11:35 pm

yup dude that what senility does to you

Boomerang · Post by **Boomerang** » Sat Jul 06, 2002 12:27 am

Actually the O is his middle initial 8i looked it up tonight. The way i heard it said most times it just sounded like the O was part of his last name.

orion8 · Post by **orion8** » Sat Jul 06, 2002 2:10 pm

I believe it was Ralph Bryson who spoke at our graduation but I'm not sure (same guy as last year)

Boomerang · Post by **Boomerang** » Sat Jul 06, 2002 7:44 pm

At AC and ASA we didnt have any guest speaker at graduation.

ISSpaceGirl · Post by **ISSpaceGirl** » Mon Jul 08, 2002 4:19 pm

Our graduation was extreamly touching. We had all bonded so much. I was supposed to be the first to leave. When I left, there were tears and all sorts of emotions. The rest of my team was overjoyed when they arrived at the airport to find that my flight had been delayed. We spent the next two hours reminicing on camp and promising to write to each other. It was very emotional.

Boomerang · Post by **Boomerang** » Mon Jul 08, 2002 4:25 pm

Well 4 of us left for the airport at the same time. graduation as you can read above was also extremely emotional for us as well. The 4 of us and a couple others from other ASA teams were on the same flight to atlanta. The 4 people from my team managed to sit together on the plane thankfully the flight was pretty empty. We were even going to have dinner together in atlanta but another plane wqas still at our ate and we had to wait for it so we didnt get to spend much time together off the plane.

ISSpaceGirl · Post by **ISSpaceGirl** » Mon Jul 08, 2002 6:27 pm

I really think its great how close the teams get. Each one has there own identity but the bond is always there. Well it has been for me.

LaRsOnAtRiXkIx · Post by **LaRsOnAtRiXkIx** » Mon Jul 08, 2002 6:52 pm

my last day was sad. they woke us up and nobody in my room wanted to get up cuz 4 of us had been up all night talking..eating starbursts..and getting our heads stuck in the guard rails. some lady came in to wake us up and started going rip sh*t cuz there were wrappers all over the floor shes like IM SUPRIZED YOU DONT HAVE COCK ROACHES. it was scarry. then we had like NO TIME to pack..sure it didnt help that i brought like everything i owned but ah it was scarry. then we brought all of our stuff down and left it by the door..exchanged our shuttle bucks for real money..and went to yucky breakfast. one of my friends from cali was like sick so i felt bad..but me and my friend i went with didnt talk to her a lot. so i dont remember what time graduation was..i think it was at 11..adn the little kids had already graduated. i was SO sad because i didnt get to say bye to some of my lil space camper friends. OH we went to the gift shop before graduation. we got random stuff..like hair brushes..LOL..then we went to graduation and had to wait in the hall so my friend and i kept fixing our hair. then we graduated..they pronounced my name wrong and i was sad. there were quite a few parents there..and those kids left. we were all sitting outside, the people who were left..then this guy w/ a radio came up to me and my friend and were like are you kristina and courtney and we were like yea..and then hes like blablabla your planes cancled blablabla theyre on strike..it was during that stupid time last spring. so i was like ahhhhh get me out of here cuz i was really tired. so they like booked us on another flight..but for some stupid reason it was huntsville to atlanta to some place in pensylvania...and i live in vermont..so we were like ummm no... and they were like oh my god youre right well have to fix this..so we had to stay for a long time waiting. then they found us a flight on another air line from huntsville to washington dc then back to manchester new hampshire. so finally in the late afternoon we got our bags and went to the van. it was really really hot out. i felt sad then cuz then i didnt want to leave. this lady that brought us let us get stuff at the vending machines before we left. then this scarry lady that was there when we landed came up to us in the airport. our friends from our team from cali were still there checking in. we got to talk to them then watched them take off. that was cool...so anyway then they decided our plane was too full..dumb frilkdjafkljs..so they put us on another one..and we had to wait a while..but we got coffee. so finallly we got on the plane. it was a really cute little one. the ride to washington was boring..then after that on the way to manchester we cried the whole way and looked at our group picture and stuff. it was saad. i miss it. yep..

ISSpaceGirl · Post by **ISSpaceGirl** » Mon Jul 08, 2002 9:23 pm

I know what you mean.

I miss it too.