The HabForum

ok even though space camp was great there were things that got on my nerves.
1 the bed they were horrible
2 under packing for camp i wore the same pair of jeans for 3 days and thats after i fell and rolled around the dust
3 the space camp kids man were they annoying
4 very little time to talk with rommies between last activity and lights out
5 space camp kids figiting in their seats at the imax theatre (those seats hurt if one of those camp kids bang it on your knees)
6 not being able to do the MAT twice (i wanted to go again)
7 some of the boring lectures
this is in order from most hated to least hated

Well i'll agree about the beds. I'd also add the food to that list. As for the little kids just remember you use to be one and they're not all bad. I was one of those space camp kids many years ago. As for lectures every year i went i learned something new from lectures. Space camp isnt all about fun you're also their to learn. And i never had any problems talking to roomies. Just because the lights go out doesnt mean you cant still talk. Most nights we had some of our best conversations after lights out. And we also had fun listening to the girls from our team in the room above us.

well even though we talked after lights out the counselors were always coming in and kept telling us to sleep

Well you just have to be quieter after lights out. We sometimes talked for an hour or more after lights out and no counselor ever came in to tell us to go to sleep.

Here's my list of gripes:
1. The beds were horrible and the rooms were too dark and dreary.
2. The general disrepair of the shuttle/MOCR sims. I realise they're infinancial trouble, but it was still disappointing to find Enterprise MOCR is in a closet off in a corner somewhere with nothing done to make it *look* like MOCR. Anyone who was at Camp in the '90s will remember how great Discovery MOCR was.
3. Too much free time. How often can you visit the gift shop or walk through the museum? Two, maybe 3 times and you've seen it all. I'd vote for tighter schduleing, but with optional activities. You don't care to build rockets? Then you can work in the hydroponics lab or something....not just wander around doing nothing. I didnt' SCUBA or do water survival and if I hadn't been taking photos for my article, I would've had nothing to do while I waited on the others.

Well i dont know about the state of Enterprise or MOCR in 2002 because i was last their in 98. I know Enterprise was having computer problems the whole week i was their. I was verry dissapointed with Mocr at ASA because their is just verry little to it. I got to work in Discovery's MOCR back in 93 and it was verry nive. It had comfortable chairs, alot more consoles a large screen for the mission video as well as smaller ones to see what was going on in the orbiter an station. I also remember it had large mission insignia just like the real mocr does hanging up on the wall. Ok sure they were horribly out of date all of them going back to the pre challenger days but it was still cool. They were similar to the ones that use to be in the cafeteria above the serving line before it was remodeled. I have to agree on free time. We didnt have alot built into our schedule though but our day counselor gave us too much when we were supose to be doing other stuff we were playing cards instead. I had wanted to attens Level 2/ASA for 7 years since i had attended camp in 01 and seen how big and cool enterporise was. I did not pay 900 dollars to fly to alabama and play cards every day. As far as the rooms go. Other than the beds and the fact they were freezing at night i didnt have too many complaints. But thinking back i remember seeing some old brochures back in the early 90s and late 80s that showed computers in the rooms. Ofcourse i went to camp in 91 and was in the big rooms of hab 2 and they may have had them in the smaller rooms of hab 1 but ive never seen a computer in any of the trainee rooms.

I gets the feeling that the computers in the rooms, mylar blankets on the beds, and pics of every MS in a space suit duing missions were just there for show. Think about it...how long would a computer last if 1000 kids got hold of it? The rooms are also shown in those brochures as bright and airy....not as dark and small as they really are (and I know *why* they're small). I guess it's OK since you just sleep in them...but at least wash the mattresses every now and then. Mine stank.

As far as every MS having a space suit. In the other programs i think they do. ASA for some reason though doesnt let the MS's have a space suit to wear during the mission. I never quite understood that. It adds to the realism.

i think they have to put higher bedguards on the top bunk since i nearly fell off of the top bunk halfway through the week

Never had that problem. I agree that the rooms arent all that great and they definately should wash the mattresses and probably pillows as well more often. The linens get laundered after a weeks use so why not the other stuff or atleast some cleaning once in a while. I'd guess they probably clean that suff onece a year maybe if even that.

Come on guys! If it was any other camp you wouldnt complain about these things because its part of the camp experience. Personnally i love everything about space camp except for one minor thing that i learn to live with every year. There is always at least one extremly ignorant idiot that is in my group and then procedes to argue with me about things they dont know about particurly when it something that i spend alot of time practicing or doing. anyways enought griping. im happy i got that out lol.thanx for your time

Well considering some camps i've been to where the dorm consst of a tent with 2 cots and the bathroom facilities consist of a whole in the ground with a toilet seat on it Space Camp's really aren't that bad.

Space Nerd wrote:There is always at least one extremly ignorant idiot that is in my group and then procedes to argue with me about things they dont know about particurly when it something that i spend alot of time practicing or doing.

hey i resent that comment (but i never did argue so it wouldnt be refering to me or would it?

I think I'd prefer not to know if i were you.

same here. ignorance is bliss and right now im in heaven

Well put Marcus.