Region 2 "Newsletter of the Year" Award, 2012
Region 2 "Newsletter of the Year" Award, 2nd Place, 2011
Region 2 "Best Electronic Newsletter" Award, 2009

Volume I
Number 82
January/Early February 2015
CONTENTS
UPCOMING EVENTS
•  Sat., February 14: Where Is the United Federation of Planets?
•  Saturday, February 21: Treklanta Volunteer Staff Meeting
•  Fri.-Sun., Feb. 27–Mar. 1: AnachroCon Fan Table / Room Party

NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
•  Fleet Captain Eric L. Watts reelected to fifth term as CO
•  
Admiral Kelly Hilliard named 2014 Member of the Year
•  In Memoriam: Commander David A. Slaughter
•  Sean Kenney and Jason Carter confirmed as Treklanta guests
•  Michael DeMeritt to judge Star Trek Fan Film Awards
•  Hyperspace to perform in Trekkiepalooza! concert
•  Bobbin Wages to perform in Star Trek Comedy Show
•  ENS1 Julianne Trew becomes Treklanta Art Show Director
•  Guest Artists to join Treklanta's first-ever Artists Alley
•  Project: Potemkin to film "Room Service" at Treklanta
•  Treklanta to host a live recording of "Seriously, Dan"
•  Digital Video Productions to be Treklanta con photographer
•  Personnel Records
•  Classified Ads
•  Library Computer
•  Recent Chapter Event Photos

SIDEBAR
•  January Birthdays
•  Welcome Aboard!
• 
December Member Reenlistments
• 
January Membership Renewals
•  About the Republic
•  For More Information
•  USS Republic Online
•  Crew Roster
•  News from TrekMovie.com
   — Fan-made Star Trek timeline is a beautiful way to visualize
        the
Trek universe
   — Return to Tomorrow shipping this week
   — Fast and Furious 6 director Justin Lin to direct Star Trek 3
   — Next Star Trek film set for July 8, 2016
   — EDITORIAL – The Future of Star Trek: It's the Story, Stupid
UPCOMING EVENTS
Where Is the United Federation of Planets?
A Star Trek-Themed Lecture

3:00 p.m., Saturday, February 14, 2015
Fernbank Science Center
156 Heaton Park Drive, Atlanta GA  30307
(678) 874-7102
What would you discover if you could put all the known worlds of the Star Trek universe on a map?  Out of the hundreds of places mentioned in all the Star Trek series and movies, only 43 can actually be matched up with stars and objects we know.
On February 14, join your friends and crewmates on an away mission to the Fernbank Science Center in Atlanta to hear Dr. Larry Krumenaker present a 45-minute lecture, suitable for ages 10 and up, on the astronomical phenomena that can be found in both Star Trek and our own skies.  In conjunction with the Atlanta Astronomy Club, this awesome presentation is absolutely FREE for all ages!

Dr. Larry Krumenaker is a professional astronomer and educator, as well as a science, technology and online services journalist.  A member of the National Association of Science Writers, he has written dozens of articles for various academic, general science and information science publications, as well as several books.  Visit Dr. Krumenaker's web site here.

If this presentation looks familiar, it should!  This is the same lecture and presentation that Dr. Krumenaker gave at the Red Top Mountain State Park in Cartersville in November, which was attended by Captain Watts and a couple of friends of the Republic.  This entertaining, informative and educational presentation will be of interest to all Star Trek fans and anyone else with an interest in astronomy, and since admission is absolutely FREE, there's no reason why the Republic membership shouldn't turn out in big numbers at the Fernbank Science Center in Atlanta for this terrific event.  We hope to see you there!
Treklanta Volunteer Staff Meeting

7:00 p.m. Saturday, February 21, 2014
Galaxy Diner
3320 Henderson Mill Road, Chamblee GA  30341
(770) 723-9555
Please make plans to join your friends and crewmates at a volunteer staff meeting to prepare for our big annual convention, Treklanta, in April.  Volunteers are needed in all departments, so this is the ideal opportunity for anyone interested in serving on staff to sign up.  Available departments include Convention Operations, Technical Operations, Star Trek Programming, Space Opera Programming, Guest Transportation & Services, On-Site Registration, Artists Alley & Art Show, Gaming Room, Social Media & Press Relations, Video Programming, Photography, Videography and Security.  Volunteers are required to pay a nominal $10 staff fee to help cover basic overhead expenses.  Plan to attend and bring a friend or two!

And what better place to hold a volunteer staff meeting than at... the Galaxy Diner?  Conveniently located near the I-285 and Chamblee Tucker Road interchange, the Galaxy Diner offers delicious American, Italian and Greek cuisine favorites in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere where, they say, you will always feel right at home.  Their patio is open year-round, their Saturday night dinner special is all-you-can-eat catfish, and for our members of the age of majority, they also offer a selection of domestic and imported beer and house wines.  For a complete list of all their appetizer, dinner and dessert selections, please visit their web site.  For a restaurant critic's opinion of the place, read this.

This year's Treklanta is shaping up to be our biggest and best convention ever, and we need lots of volunteers to help it run smoothly and successfully.  Please plan to attend this meeting if you're interested in being on staff, and we look forward to seeing you there!
AnachroCon Fan Table & Room Party

Friday-Sunday, February 27–March 1, 2015
Atlanta Marriott Century Center
2000 Century Boulevard NE
Atlanta GA  30345
The USS Republic, host of Treklanta, will have a fan table at the upcoming AnachroCon convention on Friday to Sunday, February 27 to March 1, and we're interested in the possibility of hosting a room party there on Saturday evening, February 28.  Much help is needed with both.  If you are planning to attend AnachroCon or are considering it, and would be willing to help man our fan table and/or host a room party, we would very much appreciate your support.  CO FCapt Eric L. Watts will be there most of the weekend but cannot be there the entire weekend.  We need your help to talk to folks about Treklanta and encourage them to purchase a membership.  If you can help with either the fan table or a room party, please contact the Captain.  Thank you!
NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Fleet Captain Eric L. Watts reelected to fifth term as Commanding Officer
On December 20, 2014, Region 2 Zone 2 Coordinator Admiral Kelly Hilliard conducted a proceeding, in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order, during which all members in good standing in attendance at the USS Republic's annual Holiday Party nominated without opposition and voted unanimously to reelect Fleet Captain Eric L. Watts to a fifth consecutive two-year term as their Commanding Officer.

Captain Watts was first elected CO of the Republic in May 2006 following the resignation of previous CO Capt Matt Ebeling, whose term expired at the end of that year, and is the 13th member to serve in that position in the chapter's 26-year history.  He was awarded the Region 2 Commanding Officer of the Year and STARFLEET International Commanding Officer of the Year awards the following year for his work to rebuild the Republic as one of Region 2's most active and highest-profile chapters.  In his 8½ years as Commanding Officer, Captain Watts has also won four Recruiters awards, three Perfect Reporting awards, four Newsletter awards, three Web Site awards and one Mothership award.  The USS Republic was also featured on the front cover of the February/March 2010 issue of STARFLEET's international newsletter, The Communiqué, for having broken through the 100-member mark in 2009, an accomplishment that apparently no other chapter had achieved in many years.

Captain Watts would like to thank the membership of the USS Republic for their continuing loyalty and faith in his leadership, and looks forward to Boldly Going, Boldly Doing on many more adventures with the crew in the future.
Admiral Kelly Hilliard named USS Republic's 2014 Member of the Year
The USS Republic is pleased to announce that its 2014 Member of the Year award has been presented to Region 2 Zone 2 Coordinator Admiral Kelly Hilliard.  The award was presented to Admiral Hilliard by Commanding Officer Fleet Captain Eric L. Watts at the Republic's annual Holiday Party on December 20.

Admiral Hilliard joined STARFLEET International in 1989 and served as the Republic's sixth Commanding Officer from March 1992 to October 1996.  He held that position longer than any other CO until Captain Watts' tenure exceeded that length of time in 2010.  Admiral Hilliard remained a member of the Republic until 2007, at which time he transferred to the USS DaVinci, aboard which he served until the launch of the USS Atlanta later that year.  He served aboard the Atlanta until December 2012, when that ship was decommissioned, and at which time he transferred back aboard the Republic.

In addition to his service aboard the Republic, Admiral Hilliard previously served STARFLEET as Region 2 Zone 2 Coordinator from 1992 to 1995 and as STARFLEET Region 2 Coordinator from 1995 to 2000.  He has served once again as Zone 2 Coordinator since 2011.  His most enduring contribution to STARFLEET, however, is the co-creation, along with Admiral Mike Henigan, of the annual Regional Summit conference, first held in 1996, and which is now an event that has been copied and held by many other Regions around the world.

Congratulations to Admiral Hilliard for being selected to receive this prestigious award!
In Memoriam: David A. Slaughter
May 17, 1966 - November 24, 2014
The USS Republic is saddened to announce the recent passing of former member Commander David A. Slaughter at Saint Joseph East hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, due to complications related to his heart and an internal infection.  He was 48.

A native of Detroit, Michigan, Dave joined STARFLEET International in June 2005 and the Republic in November 2006.  He was a member in good standing for the next seven years, although he lived in Oklahoma and Kentucky for most of that time.  "Mr. Grizzley," as he was known to his friends, was also a member of Atlanta's Stargate fan club, Stargate Atlanta; a senior director at the Doctor Who and Stargate convention TimeGate; and the Director of Guest Services & Transportation for the Republic's annual convention, Treklanta (formerly TrekTrax Atlanta), from 2011 to 2013.

In "real life," Dave was a 1995 graduate of the ITT Technical Institute in Maitland, Florida.  He worked in the hospitality industry and was the general manager at several hotels, including Days Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Quality Inn and most recently, the Comfort Inn in Lexington, Kentucky.

The USS Republic extends its sincerest condolences to Dave's family and many friends.  Ad eundum quo nemo ante iit.
Treklanta announces Sean Kenney and Jason Carter as celebrity guests
Treklanta is pleased to announce that Mr. Sean Kenney and Mr. Jason Carter have been confirmed to appear at our 2015 convention!  Mr. Kenney is best known as the mute and disfigured Captain Christopher Pike in the original Star Trek series two-part episode "The Menagerie."  He also played Lieutenant DePaul in the original series episodes "Arena" and "A Taste of Armageddon."  Mr. Carter is best known as Ranger Marcus Cole in two seasons of the science fiction television series Babylon 5.
Mr. Kenney authored his memoir, Captain Pike Found Alive!, in 2012 and will have copies of the book available for autographing at the convention.  In addition to his role on Babylon 5, Mr. Carter has also appeared in numerous other television series including Viper, Beverly Hills 90210, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Charmed and Angel.

Mr. Kenney and Mr. Carter will be available for photo opps, host two Q&A hours each, serve as a judges for the Miss Klingon Empire Beauty Pageant and as presenters at the first annual Independent Star Trek Fan Film Awards, and attend our exclusive Friday night VIP Champagne Reception.  Mr. Carter will also guest-star in a brand new Project: Potemkin vignette, "Room Service," to be filmed at the convention.

Preregistered memberships to Treklanta 2015 are $40 and hotel rooms at our special convention rate of only $89 per night are still available.  Visit our web site to preregister, book your room and purchase your VIP Champagne Reception ticket NOW!
Treklanta announces Michael DeMeritt as Star Trek Fan Film Awards judge
Treklanta is pleased to announce that Mr. Michael DeMeritt has joined our panel of judges for the first annual Independent Star Trek Fan Film Awards.

Mr. DeMeritt is an assistant director who worked on Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise.  He joined the staff of Voyager as second second Assistant Director during its first season, became the Key Second Assistant Director during its fourth season, and rose to First Assistant Director before the series ended in 2001.  He then moved on to Enterprise, where he rotated between Key Second Assistant Director and First Assistant Director with Jerry Fleck.  After Mr. Fleck's death in 2003, Mr. DeMeritt continued working as the show's First Assistant Director until its cancellation in 2005.
In addition to his work as an assistant director, Mr. DeMeritt has served as judge on several student and paraprofessional competitions, primarily in visual media and writing, which makes him an ideal judge for the Independent Star Trek Fan Film Awards.  He joins previously announced judges Diana Botsford, Keith DeCandido, Peter David and Susan Sackett for the awards, which will be presented at Treklanta, to be held April 24-26, 2015, at the Atlanta Marriott Century Center.  For more information about the Independent Star Trek Fan Film Awards, visit its own Facebook Page.

Preregistered memberships to Treklanta 2015 are $40 and hotel rooms at our special convention rate of only $89 per night are still available.  Visit our web site to preregister, book your room and purchase your VIP Champagne Reception ticket NOW!
Treklanta announces Hyperspace to perform in Trekkiepalooza! concert
Treklanta is pleased to announce that Hyperspace will perform as part of our Trekkiepalooza! concert on Saturday evening, April 25!

Formed in September 2011, Hyperspace is a nerdy pop punk band from Atlanta comprised of Jason Kochis (guitar, vocals), Ryan Paul (drums, backing vocals, brony advocate) and Todd Ensworth (bass, backing vocals).  The band mixes punk, distorted guitars and catchy songs to create their own brand of pop punk.  Their songs tend to be about girls (with or without glasses), Star Wars, Dragon*Con, comic books and other nerdy stuff.

Hyperspace was a huge hit at our 2014 convention and we're delighted to bring them back for 2015!  Learn more about them at www.hyperspaceband.com.

Preregistered memberships to Treklanta 2015 are $40 and hotel rooms at our special convention rate of only $89 per night are still available.  Visit our web site to preregister, book your room and purchase your VIP Champagne Reception ticket NOW!
Treklanta adds Bobbin Wages to its Star Trek Stand-Up Comedy Show

Treklanta is pleased to announce that Ms. Bobbin Wages has joined the line-up of comedians confirmed to perform at our first-ever Star Trek Stand-Up Comedy Show, to be held at the 2015 convention in April!

Ms. Wages runs Hot Dog Beehonkus, a blog comprising humorous and gut-wrenching stories about her father's progression through Alzheimer's disease.  On a more light-hearted note, she and fellow Atlanta writer Jason Mallory post weird, collaborative essays at ameaslygrowl.com.  She also reads essays at literary events such as Write Club Atlanta and Scene Missing: The Show.  Ms. Wages recently performed at "The Wrathlanta of Khan" Star Trek comedy show and will join previously announced comedians Eric Daugherty and Ellaree Yeagley as featured performers at the Treklanta Star Trek Stand-Up Comedy Show.

Additional performers will be announced soon.  The Treklanta Star Trek Stand-Up Comedy Show will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2015.  Admission is included in your Treklanta membership.  
Preregistered memberships to Treklanta 2015 are $40 and hotel rooms at our special convention rate of only $89 per night are still available.  Visit our web site to preregister, book your room and purchase your VIP Champagne Reception ticket NOW!

Treklanta announces ENS1 Julianne Trew as Art Show Director
Treklanta is delighted to announce that USS Republic member ENS1 Julianne Trew has joined the convention as our Art Show Director!  She will responsible for running our first-ever Artists Alley and Art Show.

Ms. Trew is a prolific abstract painter from Georgia.  She trained at the Douglasville School of Art and later graduated from Kennesaw State University with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Drawing and Painting.  She paints out of her home studio in Smyrna, Georgia.  In Atlanta, her work can be seen at Kibbee Gallery and Mason Fine Arts.

Ms. Trew's work has been described as "pure product of the subconscious," as her paintings elude to biology and space without directly becoming anything that exists in our reality.  She paints autonomously by making decisions as she works, making it a personal journey of creation and visual calculation.  To complement this, she uses a subtractive method of painting, which results in a majority of her work being done in monochrome.  This heightens the scientific nature of the images, so that the viewer can impose their own consciousness on the imagery while being intellectually and aesthetically stimulated.

Ms. Trew's work has been exhibited in places such as Moss, Norway, and galleries in New York.  She's organized and curated small local shows in Marietta and Kennesaw, Georgia, and is a registered instructor with Gumbacher, a paint manufacturer.  She makes annual donations of artwork to Georgia Lawyers for the Arts, Hambidge Center for Creative Arts & Sciences, and Art Papers magazine.  Ms. Trew was recently awarded five stars at MOCAGA's annual pin-up show and became a recipient of their C4 Ignite scholarship.  She has been a member of the USS Republic since 2008.  She has directorship and extensive staffing experience with several Atlanta-area conventions and looks forward to bringing her vision and diverse set of skills to Treklanta.

Artists interested in participating in our Artists Alley and/or Art Show are invited to apply for a limited number of tables and spaces by visiting the brand new Artists Alley & Art Show page on our web site.

Preregistered memberships to Treklanta 2015 are $40 and hotel rooms at our special convention rate of only $89 per night are still available.  Visit our web site to preregister, book your room and purchase your VIP Champagne Reception ticket NOW!
Treklanta announces Guest Artists in our first-ever Artists Alley
Treklanta is pleased to welcome Ms. Katie Bracewell, Ms. Carly Strickland and Mr. Dimitri Walker as the first confirmed artists in our first-ever Artists Alley & Art Show.

Katie Bracewell is an artist based in south Georgia known as "Robo-Tart" and "K8e-art."  She focuses primarily on illustrations using watercolor as her main medium.  Most of her art is humorous with a dash of wit.  You can find Ms. Bracewell on all the social media sites, including Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter, DeviantArt, Facebook and Storenvy, where she documents her daily addiction to coffee, cats, zombies and robots.

Carly Strickland is a digital illustrator and book designer based in Birmingham, Alabama, and her favorite word is awesome.  She is very small and probably has a complex about it.  She prefers pet rats but supposes her step-cat will do.  Ms. Strickland is art director of Matter Deep Publishing, an independent publishing company.  She draws them a lot of pictures—so many pictures that she has published three children's books since Matter Deep was launched in 2011, and has two more in the works.

Ms. Strickland loves retro sci-fi, Star Trek, modern sci-fi, Leonard Nimoy and Star Trek.  You can see more about her obsession at her table in her new, fully illustrated Star Trek alphabet book, digital art prints and Mothership Goose, a children's book about nursery rhymes, jetpacks and mouse mechanics. Visit her web site, carlystricklandart.com.

Born and raised in Atlanta, Dimitri Walker is a simple artist at heart.  Brush, paint and canvas are his tools.  He has been a portrait artist since 1983, primarily graphite (pencil).  In 1994, Mr. Walker began to paint with oils and acrylics.  He also took a job picture framing to be near the art world.  He continued to learn and became a Master Certified Framer.  In 2005, at 40 years old, Mr. Walker went to college and earned a Bachelors of Fine Art.  In the spring of 2012, while teaching a drawing class at a local art gallery, a student/friend who took his class to learn to draw the TARDIS better, said to him, "Dimitri, I know you watch and love all the same shows and movies I do.  Supernatural, Star Trek, Doctor Who, Star Wars, Firefly and all the comic book movies.  I have been to your web site.  Why don't you have any Fan Art?"  Mr. Walker replied, "What's 'Fan Art'?"  And the rest is history.

Learn more about Mr. Walker at his web site.

Artists interested in participating in our Artists Alley and/or Art Show are invited to apply for a limited number of tables and spaces by visiting the brand new Artists Alley & Art Show page on our web site.
Project: Potemkin to film "Room Service" at Treklanta
Treklanta is pleased to announce that Project: Potemkin will film yet another vignette for their web-based Star Trek series during the convention on Saturday night, April 25.  Project: Potemkin filmed "Closing Time" at the 2013 convention and "Ladies Night Out" in 2014, and will film their third and final vignette with us in 2015.  "Ladies Night Out" will world-premiere at Treklanta this year!

The script for "Room Service" will be written by Christin Woods based on a story idea by Randall Landers.  It will feature the return of Eric L. Watts as Korgoth and will guest-star our celebrity Guest of Honor Jason Carter.  The vignette will be filmed, directed and edited by Landers, and because Project: Potemkin will soon be coming to an end, this vignette will be the last to be filmed at Treklanta.

Any attending member of Treklanta who has a Star Trek movie-era Starfleet costume (a "monster maroon," as they're often called) has a very good chance of being included in the film, most likely as an extra; please contact Randall Landers and let him know of your availability.

Set after the events of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Project: Potemkin is southwest Georgia's Star Trek fan film series.  The cast is comprised of professional, amateur and student actors from the Albany, Georgia, area.  The stories range in duration from five minutes to an hour in length.  Most are short, sweet and to the point, and many evoke the tone of Star Trek, The Twilight Zone and even The Outer Limits.

Join the cast and crew of Project: Potemkin at their Treklanta panel presentation for sneak previews of forthcoming productions and visit them at their fan table where you can make a donation and take your choice of DVDs.

Preregistered memberships to Treklanta 2015 are $40 and hotel rooms at our special convention rate of only $89 per night are still available.  Visit our web site to preregister, book your room and purchase your VIP Champagne Reception ticket NOW!
Treklanta to host a live recording of "Seriously, Dan" with Guests of Honor

Treklanta is pleased to announce that Dan Carroll will record an episode of his radio talk show, "Seriously, Dan," on Friday evening, April 24, as part of the Space Opera programming track.  Carroll's guests will be Treklanta's celebrity guests Sean Kenney, Jason Carter and Keith R. A. DeCandido.  These interviews will be taped in front of a live convention audience for broadcast at a later date.

"Seriously, Dan" is a weekly two-hour radio talk show broadcasting on WYXC-AM 1270 in Cartersville, Georgia, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Saturdays.  Carroll answers callers' questions about life, geekery, careers and romance, and often does live remote broadcasts from Atlanta-area conventions.

With over twenty-six years experience as a communications analyst, business consultant and media expert, Carroll knows how to listen.  "Seriously, Dan" is his way of giving back to the world for all of his blessings.  He sincerely believes he is fulfilling his vocation to help others learn from his mistakes and a laugh or two along the way.  While he takes you seriously, he doesn't take himself seriously.

Plan to attend this taping on Friday night at Treklanta!  
Preregistered memberships to Treklanta 2015 are $40 and hotel rooms at our special convention rate of only $89 per night are still available.  Visit our web site to preregister, book your room and purchase your VIP Champagne Reception ticket NOW!  Then, visit Carroll's web site and Facebook page.

Treklanta announces Digital Video Productions as con photographer
Treklanta is pleased to announce that we have contracted with Digital Video Productions LLC of Conyers, Georgia, to provide on-site, on-demand photographic portrait services for our 2015 convention.

DVP will set up a full-scale professional-grade photo studio in the autograph room at the convention and will be able to take the highest quality photos of you with one or more of our celebrity guests.  Better yet, you'll have an 8 x 10 glossy print of that photo in your hands within two minutes that you can then have autographed by those very same celebrity guests.

This incredible portrait opportunity will be offered to our attendees at a very reasonable and affordable price.  That price will be determined by how many celebrity guests are in the photo with you.

Preregistered memberships to Treklanta 2015 are $40 and hotel rooms at our special convention rate of only $89 per night are still available.  Visit our web site to preregister, book your room and purchase your VIP Champagne Reception ticket NOW!

Visit DVP at www.mydvpro.com for more information about the services they offer and see a gallery of their past work.
Personnel Records
Welcome Aboard!  
Ensign Tina Louise Jones
Simpsonville, South Carolina
Ensign Daniel Cowart
Cartersville, Georgia
STARFLEET Academy Course Completions
Congratulations to Lt. JG Lee Johnson, who received a grade of DISTINCTION for the STARFLEET Academy course "Basic Security Officers Course" from the College of Security, completed on December 8, 2014
Congratulations to Lt. JG Lee Johnson, who received a grade of DISTINCTION for the STARFLEET Academy course "TOS Rank Recognition" from the College of Security, completed on December 8, 2014
Congratulations to Lt. JG Lee Johnson, who received a grade of PASS for the STARFLEET Academy course "George Washington" from the College of US Presidents, completed on December 19, 2014
Congratulations to Lt. JG Lee Johnson, who received a grade of HONORS for the STARFLEET Academy course "Thomas Jefferson" from the College of US Presidents, completed on December 19, 2014
Congratulations to Lt. JG Lee Johnson, who received a grade of HONORS for the STARFLEET Academy course "John Adams" from the College of US Presidents, completed on December 19, 2014
Congratulations to Lt. JG Lee Johnson, who received a grade of HONORS for the STARFLEET Academy course "James Madison" from the College of US Presidents, completed on December 19, 2014
Congratulations to Lt. JG Lee Johnson, who received a grade of HONORS for the STARFLEET Academy course "James Monroe" from the College of US Presidents, completed on December 19, 2014
Congratulations to Lt. JG Lee Johnson, who received a grade of PASS for the STARFLEET Academy course "John Quincy Adams" from the College of US Presidents, completed on December 19, 2014
Congratulations to Lt. JG Lee Johnson, who received a grade of HONORS for the STARFLEET Academy course "Space Seed" from the College of Security in Trek, completed on December 31, 2014
Congratulations to Lt. JG Lee Johnson, who received a grade of HONORS for the STARFLEET Academy course "The City on the Edge of Forever" from the College of Security in Trek, completed on December 31, 2014
Congratulations to Lt. JG Lee Johnson, who received a grade of HONORS for the STARFLEET Academy course "Officer's Command College" from the Institute of Leadership Studies, completed on January 11, 2015
STARFLEET Academy is a special collection of correspondence courses available to every STARFLEET member.  Over 60 Academy Colleges offer courses spanning all aspects of Star Trek and science fiction; some courses even cover non-sci-fi real world topics.  Each college offers dozens of different courses at varying levels of challenge from super-easy to really hard.  In total, there are nearly 1,000 different courses available.  Take a course today!

Something special going on in your life?  Submit your Personnel Record for publication in the next issue of The Republiqué!
Classified Ads
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
FOR SALE: Allen® Bike Trunk Carrier.  Affixes to the trunk/back of your car or SUV to transport up to two bikes.  $25 (60% off MSRP).  Cash only.  As is.  Any transaction final.  You pick up.  Contact ENS1 Mark A. Ozanick at markozanick@comcast.net or (678) 350-5366.
FOR SALE: 25-Gallon Aquarium.  Includes wrought iron stand, filter, light, rocks/gravel (blue), stone feature, baby fish sanctuary.  Everything but the water and the fish.  $80.  Cash only.  As is.  Any transaction final.  You pick up and haul.  Contact ENS1 Mark A. Ozanick at markozanick@comcast.net or (678) 350-5366.
FOR SALE: Metal, wall-mounted pot/pan hanger.  Includes mounting screws and hooks to hang up to six pots/pans.  $15 (75% off MSRP).  Cash only.  As is.  Any transaction final.  You pick up.  Contact ENS1 Mark A. Ozanick at markozanick@comcast.net or (678) 350-5366.
FOR SALE: Cycle-Ops® Bicycle Wind Trainer.  Props up a regular bike to create a stationary bike.  Wind resistance unit provides frictionless ride.  Linear resistance boosts workout intensity to match each pedal stroke and gear click.  $85 (50% off MSRP).  Cash only.  As is.  Any transaction final.  You pick up.  Contact ENS1 Mark A. Ozanick at markozanick@comcast.net or (678) 350-5366.
Library Computer
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Director Nicholas Meyer, Kirstie Alley as Saavik and Leonard Nimoy as Spock in a candid behind-the-scenes photo from the set of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
Recent Chapter Event Photos
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Farragut Fest 2014  ||  December 6-7, 2014
CO FCapt Eric L. Watts in the center seat with Starship Farragut cast members Greg Greene, Dan L. Collis, John Broughton, Holly Bednar and Michael Bednar.
USS Republic CO FCapt Eric L. Watts in the center seat with Kathy Wynn and ENS1 Wil Sims.
Captain Watts with Starship Farragut's Michael Bednar.
Captain Watts with Star Trek Continues' Vic Mignogna.
Captain Watts with the USS Trident's Nicholas Roche.
Captain Watts with Treklanta's Marcia Patterson.
Starship Farragut's John Broughton and Eve Gidion auction off the two full-weekend memberships donated by Treklanta.
Vendors, displays and merchandise at Farragut Fest 2014.
The USS Exeter's John Sims with his Exeter Trek castmate.
Captain Watts with cast members from the forthcoming Exeter Trek.
The USS Farragut's Sickbay.
The USS Farragut's bridge.
The USS Farragut's transporter.
The USS Farragut's hallway.
USS Republic Holiday Party & CO Election  ||  Dec. 20, 2014
Seated: ENS2 Richard Tucker, CDT Zarena Nova Tucker, ENS1 Zannetta Law Tucker. Standing: Ens Tina Louise Jones, Eric Jones, Vicki Greve, Gaylen Greve, ENS1 Tracey S. Harwell, Ens John May, Ens Carly May, Adm Kelly Hilliard, XO Adm Mike Henigan, ENS1 Sue Lin Lange, "Ensign Wolfy," CO FCapt Eric L. Watts, Chris Jones. Not pictured: Ensigns Lee and Tiffany Johnson.
The crew of the Republic brought in a magnificent variety of meats, vegetables, starches, cheeses, crackers, fruits and desserts for our annual Holiday potluck dinner.  Oh, and... libations.
Ens Carly May, ENS1 Zannetta Law Tucker and Ens John May serve themselves buffet style.
Left: Members and friends of the Republic chow down on a hearty and delicious holiday dinner.  Right: ENS1 Tracey S. Harwell gives CDT Zarena Nova Tucker a ride while her mom, ENS1 Zannetta Law Tucker, looks on with apparent approval.
ENS2 Richard Tucker and daughter CDT Zarena Nova Tucker.  Totes adorbs, or what?
Ens Tina Louise Jones, ENS1 Sue Lin Lange, Ens Carly May, "Ensign Wolfy" and ENS1 Tracey S. Harwell gasp in amazement at Ensign Carly's truly awesome Trek-themed dessert cake.

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ENS2 Tasheka Gipson

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Ens Tina Louise Jones

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ABOUT THE REPUBLIC
The USS Republic NCC-1371 was originally commissioned as a chapter of STARFLEET International on May 14, 1988, at the Dixie-Trek convention in Atlanta, Georgia.  As of January 31, 2015, the Republic crew includes 30 members who are active members of STARFLEET in good standing.
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NEWS from
Fan-made Star Trek timeline is a beautiful way to visualize the Trek universe
By Kayla Iacovino
December 5, 2014
To Boldly Go: The Future of Star Trek is a beautifully rendered HTML5 web site that takes you through the history of Star Trek, both in the form of an interactive timeline and a look into the key moments throughout the franchise.
The Star Trek Timeline
Over at his blog, Tom Bennet has created a fun, interactive way to move through the history of the Star Trek franchise.  The timeline itself puts the various productions (TV series and movies) into real-life historical context with fun tidbits and videos related to each production.
A Detailed History
Scroll down from the timeline to reveal a more detailed history of Trek.  Here, Bennet has taken the time to explain the modern context of various productions (e.g. TNG as a sequel to TOS and its eventual success with 20 million viewers a week) and uses examples from some of our favorite Trek moments like TNG's "All Good Things…" and DS9's "What You Leave Behind."
An Opinionated Commentary
The blog is heavily focused on a rather polarizing issue in Trek fandom these days: namely, whether or not "J. J. Trek" has helped or hindered the franchise.  There are very strong views on both sides of this topic, but we ask that you view Tom's site in the spirit in which it's intended: as a very cool journey through the incredibly rich world that Gene Roddenberry and others have given us.
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Return to Tomorrow shipping this week
By Brian Drew
December 8, 2014
Just in time for the film's 35th anniversary, the long-awaited oral history of Star Trek: The Motion Picture will be released this week from author Preston Neal Jones and Creature Features Publishing.
The Human Adventure begins again in TMP "Oral History" book
There was an enormous amount of anticipation leading up to the release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture in December 1979.  Fans had been clamoring for a new movie or show since the original series went off the air ten years earlier.  The film was a big-budget "event" picture that promised to take Star Trek to places that wouldn't be possible on television.
What many moviegoers didn't know at the time was that the production of the film was a troubled one.  Filming began before the script was finished, there were internal battles between Gene Roddenberry and writer Harold Livingston that saw multiple rewrites arrive on the set daily, and the company that was hired to do the visual effects had to be replaced late in production, causing a frantic rush to have the film ready for its release date.  All of those factors, as well as several others, resulted in a film that went wildly over budget and was viewed by some as being dull and boring.
Return to Tomorrow is a 672-page book that will provide an oral history of the film, compiled from interviews with 60 of the film's cast and creators, conducted as The Motion Picture was being prepared for release.
The interviews include William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and the entire cast, along with director Robert Wise and writer/producer (and creator of Star Trek) Gene Roddenberry.  In addition, there are dozens of additional interviews with visual effect artists, illustrators, model builders and technicians.  According to a press release for the book, "no aspect of the film's creation is overlooked" and it also promises the "unvarnished, uncensored truth" of how the first Star Trek feature was created.
The source material for Return to Tomorrow was originally intended for publication by Cinefantastique magazine in 1979, and author Preston Neal Jones was given unparalleled access to the cast and crew of the film.  However, owing to the late completion of the film and ambitious scope of the manuscript, it was never published—until now.  According to the publisher, the entire manuscript has been "laboriously fact-checked" for release in book form.
The book is now available for shipping.  Ordering details can be found at the link below.
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Fast and Furious 6 director Justin Lin to direct Star Trek 3
By Kayla Iacovino
December 22, 2014
Justin Lin, known for helming Fast and Furious 6, will take over the director's chair for Star Trek 3, Deadline is reporting.  The announcement comes soon after word that Bob Orci, co-writer of "J. J. Trek" 1 and 2, stepped down from his directorial debut of the third installment of the franchise, which he also penned.
Trek 3 has a new director
After the announcement that Bob Orci would no longer be manning the director's chair for Star Trek 3, rumors began flying as to who would take his place.  Many questions about the switch remain unanswered, but we finally know who will be the next leader of Trek on the silver screen.  Justin Lin, who directed Fast and Furious 6, has reportedly taken over the role.  Deadline is reporting that, although several candidates may have been considered, Lin has officially been offered the position:
Several top-ranked filmmakers were in contention, but I'm told that Lin was the only one offered the job.  He is available because he was going to direct the sequel to The Bourne Legacy spinoff with Jeremy Renner, but that film got postponed when Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass agreed to do another installment of The Bourne Identity, which Universal wants to come first.
Bob Orci will remain on the project as writer and producer.  No word yet on whether any changes to the script have been or will be made, although that seems unlikely this late in the game if Paramount is hoping for a 50th anniversary 2016 release date.
Rumors are abound that Paramount has expressed a desire for Star Trek 3 to be "more like Guardians of the Galaxy," which is unsurprising given the film's huge international success.  But, what does that mean for Star Trek 3, and how might Lin deliver on that?  If the rumors are true, you might prepare yourself now for more Keenser, more comedy and lots of action (perhaps Lin can replace rolling, exploding cars with rolling, exploding shuttlecraft?).
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Next Star Trek film set for July 8, 2016
By TrekMovie.com Staff
December 23, 2014
Paramount has a Christmas present for the fans with the announcement of a release date for the next Star Trek feature film, which is now set for July 8, 2016.
Star Trek is back – July 8, 2016
According to Variety, Paramount has fixed the release date for the next Star Trek film to Friday, July 8, 2016.  This follows yesterday's big news that Fast and Furious 6 director Justin Lin has signed on to direct the film.
While Paramount has not sent out an official press release, a studio spokesperson has confirmed the date with TrekMovie.
The release date gives Bad Robot and Paramount a bit more than 18 months to make the film.  It appears that even with the change of directors from Roberto Orci (who is still on as a producer), Paramount was determined to get the film out in the summer of the 50th anniversary year of the Trek franchise.
The next Trek will break the new tradition of the last two films, which both came out in mid-May (2009 and 2013), but then again, the original plan for Into Darkness was to release it in the first week of July 2012.  Currently, the weekend of July 8, 2016, is open, so Trek may have no major competition for the weekend.  Disney's new live-action Tarzan film opens a week before, while the next Bourne movie and Ice Age 5 open the following weekend.
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EDITORIAL – The Future of Star Trek: It's the Story, Stupid
By TrekMovie.com Staff
January 11, 2015
The following essay comes to us from Lukas Kendall at
whose Star Trek credentials including producing or co-producing most of the recent collector's edition soundtrack CDs like the 15-disc La-La Land Records TOS box set.  He also assisted with the recent publication of Return to Tomorrow, the oral history of Star Trek: The Motion Picture.  Lukas says he's a lifelong Trekker who follows the ongoing dialogue about the franchise, and thought he had something to add about its fundamental appeal and, among other things, the reason why "J. J. Trek" is so polarizing.
There has been a cottage industry of essays about how to make Star Trek more popular.  Many of the prescriptions are simple: Put it back on television.  Hire good people to make it.  (Certainly, good creators always help.)
But there is a basic assumption that Star Trek could be every bit as successful as the Marvel universe or Star Wars—or even DC—if only CBS and Paramount could work through their business problems.
I think it's not so simple—and the reason why is not a matter of taste.  It is a matter of story.
Star Wars and the Marvel movies are action-packed spectacles that appeal to attention-deficit teenagers—the blockbuster sweet spot.  Star Trek, by contrast, appeals to the brainy outsider.  It's slow, talky, even philosophical—a little bit like eating your vegetables.
The same things that are the source of Star Trek's appeal are also the source of its limitations.  Try to change it to appeal to everyone, and you'll appeal to no one.
Movies
Star Trek just had two mega-budget blockbusters that were aggressively made and marketed for the modern, global movie audience.  They are spectacular productions that cost a lot of money, made a lot of money, were popular and well-reviewed—but did not set box-office records.  A third film is likely to continue the trend.
Tellingly, some Trek fans revile the new films.  That is because, in order to appeal to a modern global audience, they fundamentally alter the franchise's DNA.  This has nothing to do with the creation of an alternate timeline, which is ingenious.  It is about taking a pacifist, cerebral, talky television show and turning it into an action-adventure movie.  Something is lost along the way.
Star Trek is fundamentally not action-adventure.  Drama is conflict, and blockbuster movies are about "branding" the conflict as specific forms of physical fighting: Comic book movies are superpower slugfests.  Star Wars is lightsaber duels, blasters and spaceship dogfights.  James Cameron's films are commando-style militaristic warfare.  The Matrix is "bullet-time" kung fu.
Star Trek has always had its share of fighting—from 1960s fisticuffs to submarine-style warfare—but the best Star Trek "fighting"... is talking.  Kirk talks a computer into exploding.  Picard talks a bad guy into laying down his arms.
Star Trek has never translated well to movies.  Its style and ideas play best on television, without the need to: (1) encapsulate its entire world (2) into the fundamental transformation of a single character, (3) that happens over two hours, (4) with all of civilization in jeopardy, including (5) stuff for the supporting cast to do and (6) all the de rigueur "He's dead, Jim" moments, while (7) humoring diehard fans by not changing too much and (8) pandering to morons.
The best Star Trek film is still The Wrath of Khan—which doesn't put Earth in jeopardy or climax in a fistfight, kills a major character (as a requirement of being made) and was shot cheaply on recycled sets.  At a time when Star Trek was only 79 episodes of the original series, a cartoon and a widely seen but unloved movie, Nicholas Meyer and his colleagues had the freedom to do what they wanted, so long as it was cheap: tell a good, literary and character-based story.  Today, that movie would not survive the first development meeting.
Television
A common refrain is to put Star Trek back on television and make it for adults—the Mad Men or Game of Thrones of Star Trek series.  Sounds exciting!
It's also impossible.  You can't make the "adult" Star Trek series because Star Trek is not about adults.  It can be for adults, but it is not about them.
What are the driving realities of adult life?  Sex and money.  What is never in Star Trek?  Sex and money.
Sure, there's suggested sex.  Off-screen sex.  Characters have romantic relationships, but viewed as a child would—Mommy and Daddy go to their room and come out the next morning.
Money?  There are "credits," but I still don't understand the Federation's economic system.  Does the crew get paid?  Is the Federation communist?
There have already been 726 episodes and 12 movies of Star Trek—and too many of them revolve around misunderstood space anomalies.
Would it be best to start from scratch?  Creatively—no doubt about it.  But Star Trek fans would never allow that.  Star Trek is not like James Bond or Batman, where every decade you cast a new actor and wipe the slate clean.  Or like Marvel's movies and TV series, which are drawn from fifty years of mythology, but nobody expects them to slavishly reproduce the comic books—or even be consistent with each other.
Star Trek fans demand every installment connect with every other one.  We already have the "Abramsverse," which was cleverly constructed as an alternate reality.  Can there be another recasting, with a third actor playing Kirk, or a second playing Picard?  I doubt it.
Stay in the Abramsverse?  Possibly, but Into Darkness demonstrated the problem of doing this: You're constantly running into characters and scenarios you already know.  Not only do the writers have to tell the same story twice—for the people who know the original, and the ones who don't—but it's never as good the second time.
Go another hundred years into the future, aboard the Enterprise-G?  Maybe.  But no matter what, you have a consistent, intricate universe that has to be respected.  Hard to bump into an asteroid without it being like that time on Gamma Epsilon VI.
Star Trek already had one fundamental storytelling upgrade: when The Next Generation got good in season three (circa 1990) and took a turn into Philip K. Dick issues of perception and reality—which is to say, postmodernism.  It jettisoned the 1960s melodrama—great move—but replaced it with technobabble.  Ugh.
The Problem with Star Trek
Unlike the Marvel universe—which takes place in contemporary reality—Star Trek takes place in the future.  And not just an abstract future, but a specific vision of the future from fifty years in the past.  It's not only a period piece, but a parallel universe—a "double remove."
Before man landed on the moon, manned space travel was plausible.  Roddenberry intended the bridge of the Enterprise to be completely believable.  (Next to The Beverly Hillbillies, he was doing Chekhov—that's with an h.)  But we now know that (Interstellar and Avatar aside) interplanetary space travel is not realistic, or certainly not happening anytime soon.
As a result, Star Trek is irrevocably dated.  What was meant to be the actual future has become a fantasy future—but it's not allowed to acknowledge it.  Star Wars is unashamed space fantasy, set in a make-believe galaxy, but Star Trek is supposed to be real.  (I guess I missed the Eugenics Wars.)  Ever wonder why in Star Trek they only listen to classical music, or sometimes jazz?  Hearing anything recorded after 1964 would puncture the reality (except for time travel stories).  This is the same reason why The West Wing never referenced a president after Kennedy.
Roddenberry aspired to do cosmic wonder and weirdness—"The Cage," Star Trek: The Motion Picture—but these stories are wildly expensive and dramatically abstract.  (How do you fight an alien that can destroy you with its thoughts?)  Star Trek became a more elevated version of Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers, a predecessor to Star Wars, transplanting 19th-century colonialism (instead of feudalism) into space.  Klingons instead of Russians, Romulans instead of Chinese (or vice versa).  It's a futuristic version of Captain Horatio Hornblower, as Nick Meyer realized—and Roddenberry intended—that could be practically produced on a weekly basis.  (Master and Commander is a great Star Trek movie.)
Why can't you do a variety of stories set in different corners of the Star Trek universe?  Because Marvel can go anyplace in the contemporary world to mine relatable characters and interesting storylines—from the corridors of a high school to the streets of New York City to foreign countries to mythical Asgard.  But Star Trek has to go to different places within its own, make-believe universe, bound by specific storytelling and ideological rules: It is, by definition, a ship in space.  They tried space without a ship (Deep Space Nine), a ship lost in space (Voyager), a prequel ship (Enterprise) and an alternate universe ship (Abramsverse); how many more variations can there be?  One wonders if even Star Wars will be able to sustain its "expanded universe" movies and TV series, but it has the advantages of a bigger fanbase, more action-adventure style and fewer continuity restrictions.
How do you reinvent Star Trek for a modern television audience?  There already was a terrific, adult human space drama—from one of the best Star Trek writers, Ron Moore.  Battlestar Galactica was adapted from an old TV show that Moore was at complete liberty to rework (since it sucked and no one cared).
One thing Moore took care to do: no aliens.  Because aliens fundamentally don't make sense.  All over the galaxy, there are aliens who look and act like (white) humans with bumpy foreheads, they all speak English (somehow "universally translated"), each planet has a single culture and government, yet the Prime Minister's office consists of three people, and no society has television—really?
But we can't get rid of aliens on Star Trek—because of Spock.  Who rules.
So as much as I'd love to see Star Trek on the small screen again, I question how it could be done without violating continuity or its fundamental appeal.  It's certainly not suitable for a True Detective-style reimagining.
The Appeal
What is the appeal of Star Trek?  Forget about sex and money—the humans on Star Trek aren't even human.  The aliens are human.  Let me explain.
The appeal of Star Trek—the drug that intoxicates a certain percentage of the world's population—is Gene Roddenberry's vision of a utopian future.  We despair at the pathetic failures of our species—our polluting, warfare, cruelty and selfishness—but Star Trek says, "Relax.  Humanity will survive.  We will triumph.  We will solve our problems and fly to the stars.  Everything will be great!"
It is a wonderful, inspirational message.  It deserves to have lasted fifty years—may it last forever.  It's not necessarily a future that will come to pass, but it's good to have this positive message in the culture.  (The best TV series of the last twenty years to carry this spirit?  The West Wing.)
It's not just the fantasy of us as a species.  Roddenberry's vision is one of adult life as seen by a child, anxious about a future as a grown-up.  How will I live by myself, without my parents?  How will I learn to socialize, to have romantic love, a family of my own, a job?  Will the world still be there for me?  Who will take care of me?
Starfleet will!  You will have a job on the Enterprise, full of friends, colorful uniforms, understandable work (Warp speed!  Level-one diagnostics!), galactic adventure and a social life of fun on the holodeck and poker in Riker's quarters.
Think about the characters on Star Trek.  Gene Roddenberry was adamant that humanity would evolve and shed petty and negative characteristics.  Drama relies upon conflict between characters—but he didn't want the crew to fight amongst themselves.  Therefore—to the frustration of most of Star Trek's writers—Star Trek's human characters are bereft of the personality traits that create drama.
How does one tell a Star Trek story if drama (conflict between characters) is forbidden?  The humans are drama-free—so you make the aliens the humans.
Consider Star Trek's most pivotal characters: They are always the aliens.  In Star Trek, humans are perfect—therefore dull.  The aliens, however, are versions of human children learning how to become adults.
Spock is a repressed child.  Data is a shy child.  Worf is an angry child.  Seven of Nine is a repressed, angry child with big boobs.
The same goes for the races: The Vulcans are repressed kids, the Klingons are angry kids.  (The Romulans have never quite worked because... what are they, exactly?)
Think of the three most-developed characters on The Next Generation: Picard, Data and Worf.  (Picard is the father figure, representing all of humanity.)
What did we really learn about Riker, except that he played trombone (because the actor did)?  About Troi (half-alien, but close enough), except that she liked chocolate?  About Crusher... at all?
And didn't they struggle to find quality episodes for these characters?
In Star Trek, the human characters lack dimension—because they are idealized.  They are viewed as perfect the way children view their parents as perfect—finding them incapable of dark or deviant behavior.  At most, they are given trivial social problems to solve—like Geordi being nervous about going on a first date.  (What was he, forty?  The chief engineer on the best ship in the fleet, and he couldn't get laid?)
The child-parent model explains why attempts to go "dark" on Star Trek—from Nemesis to Into Darkness, and even rebelling against the Federation in Insurrection—never work.  It's like watching Mommy and Daddy fight—it's not interesting, it's sickening.  (The exception that proves the rule: the Mirror universe, a wacky funhouse that's not real.)
In the last movie, watching Kirk be a brash asshole (again!) and the Federation warmongering maniacs is like seeing your dad as an alcoholic and your mom a hooker.  Sure, it may make for a more interesting family, but it actually hurts to watch.
In marketing speak: it goes against the brand.  (I hope someone reads this.)
The Best Star Trek
Maybe you think I hate Star Trek.  Au contraire!  I love it.  I would love to see new Star Trek produced and be popular.
But it has to be good Star Trek, and that requires a leap of faith on the part of the producers.
For Star Trek to be high quality, it has to risk appealing to fewer people—less action, more talk.  Fewer special effects, not more.  Intimate, not epic.
Making a lot of it is not a good idea because it'll start to repeat itself and suck (cf. Enterprise).
Fans are not necessarily the best people to dictate what Star Trek ought to be.  They want exactly what they've already seen, while also being completely surprised.  Can't be done.  (This is the problem with all sequels and franchises.)
Fans are also obsessed with "continuity porn"—brief moments of recognition with no storytelling value.  They are empty calories.
Nick Meyer likens Star Trek to the Catholic mass, which has been set to music by composers throughout the centuries.  The composers can change the music, but the text is always the same.  Star Trek has a glorious text that can be set into music a few more times—at least.  But the text is not well understood—certainly not by studio executives, and rarely even by fans.
There are doubtless readers of this essay who will bristle at my implications that Star Trek is for children—that by extension, I am calling them children.  Star Trek is not for idiot children.  On the contrary, it is for very bright children—ones with big hearts and quick minds who long for purpose, a sense of belonging and a universe that is just and wise.
It is for the child in all of us, stripped of our adult baggage, forever hopeful, curious, eager to please and to experience love—not necessarily a romantic love, but the love of all of mankind.  "All I want," you may say to yourself, "is to be a good person, and be loved for it."
Importantly, the best Star Trek stories involve death, from "The City on the Edge of Forever" and The Wrath of Khan to "The Bonding" and "Yesterday's Enterprise."  They feature characters facing death, a little bit as a child would (the first loss of a grandparent), but accepting it with elegance and grace—an inspiration for all of us who must come to terms with our mortality.
When we accept death, we also accept life.  We accept ourselves.
Or at least, I think this is what Spock was trying to tell me... on my birthday.
Live Long and Prosper
Star Trek has survived for fifty years, and will hopefully survive for fifty more.  It's a wonderful, timeless creation, with an important message about the human condition.
That message, says Linus on the school stage, is not to buy more DVDs, toys or movie tickets.  When it comes to merchandising and exploitation, Star Trek may be the granddaddy of them all, but it will always to take a back seat to something flashier and more popular.  As well it should.
Star Trek should not be run like a money machine, but curated like an important museum piece—which is paradoxically how it will become the most popular, and make the most money.  This doesn't mean it should never change.  The "music" always needs to be updated, shorn of things that are dated and bad.  But the "text" is immutable.
The next Star Trek creators need not be Star Trek fans—many of the best have known nothing of it (Nick Meyer), but also so have some of the worst (Stuart Baird)—so long as they understand and appreciate the text.
The text is the heart of Star Trek.  It is story, not spectacle.  It is gentle, not aggressive.  It is optimistic, not dark.  It is hopeful, compassionate and, above all—the captain says with a tear running down his cheek—human.  In the right hands, it can, and should, last forever.
Lukas Kendall has produced collector's edition soundtrack CDs to multiple Star Trek films and television series, along with hundreds of other albums for his label, Film Score Monthly, and others.  His first film as a co-writer and producer, the indie thriller Lucky Bastard, is not for kids and not at all like Star Trek.  He says some of his critical ideas about Trek and child psychology were inspired by a little-known 1990s book of essays called
Enterprise Zones: Critical Positions on Star Trek.
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The Republiqué Volume I, Number 82, January/Early February 2015.
Published monthly by and Copyright © 2014 USS Republic NCC-1371.
Fleet Captain Eric L. Watts, Editor.

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