Dammit man, I'm a night owl, not a nightengale!

Dec 30, 2009 02:07

CIVILIAN LIFE:

Q1. Name: Musyc

Q2. How did you find out about Elite of the Fleet? rotae stuffed the idea into my brain. :)

Q3. When did you first become interested in Star Trek? Oh, damn. Tough to tell on this one. I'm not quite old enough to have watched TOS in its original airings, but I'm not too far off from that. I've been interested in ST since I was a wee little one, really, and I love seeing all the new incarnations.

Q4. Why have you decided to join Elite of the Fleet? Because Rotae made me. Because I enjoyed the competitions and discussions of H_E and would like to keep that sort of interaction going. While I'm not keen on a lot of face time, I like to talk to people who share common interests, and what better than a shiny fandom?

Q5. Who is your favourite Star Trek character? TOS and Reboot both, gotta go with Doctor Leonard "Bones" McCoy. The good ole boy country doctor knew his responsibilities, knew where his duties lay, and yet still had a maverick sense about him that was unquenchable. He wasn't afraid to stand up to the captain, or any other superior officer, when he found it necessary. Bones has a moral code of his own, and while it usually falls in line with Starfleet regulations, when it doesn't, he's perfectly willing to strike out on his own for the good of his friends and his patients. Bend a few rules for a more optimum outcome? That's my boy.

Q6. And the least? Katherine Pulaski, TNG. I freely admit this is based on what many would consider a small thing, but it's not to me. One of my primary forms of respect for others is to give them the identity they prefer - a sort of "I didn't ask him your name, I asked you" stance. I call people what they want to be called, and do my best to treat people how they want to be treated. An individual's identity is the core of their being, and I try to give each person their identity according to their wants. Pulaski's early insistence on refusing to treat Data as a person, even deliberately mispronouncing his name after correction, got my back up. She irritated me from the get-go on that point, and I wasn't able to forgive her for it, even after her arc shifted and she began to treat Data differently.

Q7. Which television (or film) series is your favourite? TNG, though I'm really interested to see where they'll take Reboot. I couldn't get into ENT because I kept expecting the captain to leap bodies, and I couldn't get into DS9 because Babylon 5 had a cooler station. >.> I liked TNG because it was, at the time, the rebirth of the franchise, and a chance for a fresh look at a beloved show. TNG was able to take some of the progressive attitudes evident in TOS and progress them even further, with much niftier special effects and to keep coming up with new storylines and conflicts, but still stay true to the original purpose of boldly going.
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STARFLEET LIFE:

Q8. What do you hope to gain from your service in Starfleet? Exposure to a variety of ideas and cultures that I often only read about. I come from a small town, with a lot of small-minded people, and I hate feeling as though I've been left out because I don't have the same experiences as someone else.

Q9. Is there any occupation in Starfleet you feel you would be particularly unsuited for? Anything that requires immediate decision-making. While I'm competent at it and can do it when necessary, I always end up second-guessing myself later. Being put in a position that doesn't allow me time to mull over decisions until I'm certain I've picked the best outcome would leave me fretful and uncomfortable. If given the opportunity to take my time with my choices, I'm confident in myself and my decision once made, but if I'm forced to operate on the spur of the moment, I usually regret it later.

Q10. The four current Academic Tracks at the Academy are Tactics, Operations, Exploratory Sciences and Medical Sciences. Describe how you could be an asset to each of these departments.
Tactical: Resourceful and innovative, I think. *points to strengths* I'll always look for a better, more efficient way of getting done what I think needs to get done, and I'm not afraid to go a little beyond the boundaries of "that's how it is" in order to achieve my goal.
Operations: Administration? I'll admit it, I love files. Alphabetical order, organization, those little desk cubbies with the multiple slots for papers, pens, and rubber bands? Oh, yeah. Give me a dozen of those. I can have moments of starry-eyed ecstasy in an office supply store.
Exploratory Sciences: Practicality, efficiency, productivity. I'll daydream plenty, but I'm more focused on reality and getting things done in the most efficient fashion. Now, maybe it's not necessarily the most efficient in everyone's eyes, but if it works for me, that's what is most important. My personal standards are the ones I'm going to meet, whether that's in my work or in my play.
Medical: Mmmm, this one's actually a toughie for me. I freely admit I'm not very warm or empathic to others on plenty of occasions. I do try to be, because I know that's an area where I need some work, but overall, it's not my primary aspect. I think the best asset I could be in a medical field is in being support staff. :)

Q11. What are your top five strengths?
01. Creativity - I can find an new way of looking at just about any situation or circumstance, and a lot of that comes out in my writing. I'm very proud of my work, both fanfic and the occasional original fic I squirrel away for editing, and it's something that I look forward to doing every day.
02. Competitive - Yeeeeeeeeeah. If there's a competition that I know I have a good chance of winning, I am on that like sticky on rice. (If I think I've got a shot, I might be all over that, but if I probably can't win, I most likely won't play. It's how I roll. I would so suck at the no-win scenario, let me tell you. There is no no-win in my world.)
03. Multi-tasking - There's a dozen things to be done, and I can do them all at once when I need to. It's not my first choice, and I'd rather concentrate on one thing at a time, but I can hold that ability in reserve for when I need it. A friend calls that aspect of me "hummingbird on crack", and when I'm on, I'm on and that to-do list gets scratched off in no time. Leaves me more opportunity for my leisure fun and games, so I hammer down when I need to hammer.
04. Flexibility - I can work with a variety of circumstances and situations, even if I'm not terribly comfortable with them. There's always something that I can do to make things easier for myself, and once I've found that, I can work in any job or with any person. Sometimes the challenge of finding just the right twist makes the entire thing more entertaining.
05. Obsession - Yeah, that might be a weird one to put as a strength, but it's something that's come in handy for me. When I'm hot for a subject or a topic, I learn everything I can about it, down to the littlest detail. It's a useful thing, to be able to retain vast stores of information on a variety of subjects, and you'd be amazed where having these little tidbits can come in handy. I won a hundred bucks on a bet one time solely because I'd spent a few days reading up on everything I could find about hot chocolate. :) Intense focus!

Q12. What are your top five weaknesses?
01. Solitary - while I prefer this in my daily life and activities, I'm usually the only one of my family and friends who chooses to go it solo. I call this a weakness not because I'd prefer to be different, but because other people would prefer that I was, and I have to struggle with the conflicts that arise from a constant barrage of "oh, but why don't you hang out with us?" situations. I still haven't quite figured out how to get my preferences across without offending people.
02. Argumentative - I just discussed this with my mother today. I get it from her. Call it Devil's Advocate, call it bullheaded, whatever you'd like to name it. Sometimes I'll disagree just because I like to be contrary, and sometimes I'll disagree just to see how many people I can sway to my side. I don't even have to believe the point I'm arguing, but I'll argue it for argument's sake. Can get me into trouble sometimes.
03. Materialistic - I want the shiny things in life, and I'd rather go without than have something I consider inferior. I'm not saying that everything must be of diamond-studded highest quality or it's rubbish I won't have near me, but if I want something specific, something particular, only that will do.
04. Srs bzness - I take things seriously. I've got a sense of humor, yeah, but there is so much that I just don't find funny, and I get slammed a lot for saying that. There's different kinds of humor, though, and I don't see why anyone should be forced to take things in quiet, non-confrontational stride just because someone else finds it amusing.
05. Procrastination - as you can probably tell from the posting time on this. *cough* I will put things off forever if I am given enough slack to do it. Firm deadlines, a lot of people who are going to be very disappointed, and looking bad for screwing up, that's what I need to give me a good shove to get things done.

Q13. What is your biggest fear?
JUNEBUGS. >.> Um.

I came up with several different answers to this, but they all ended up being the same thing when I got right down to it - I hate looking a fool. I'm only afraid of public speaking because I think I'll embarrass myself; I'm only afraid of trying new things because I can't foresee all the circumstances, etc etc. What I'm most afraid of is looking like a complete idiot because of a situation I couldn't control.

And Junebugs. I just want to be clear on that. Those little bastards terrify me.

Q14. Do you consider yourself to be a leader, or a follower? LOL I flail at this question. HRMPH. I can be a leader, but it always surprises me when people point me out as one. I don't deliberately take on that role in most situations. I'll do it if I have to, I'll do it if no one else is competent enough in my opinion, and I'll do it if I'm too impatient to wait around for everyone else to stop hemming and hawing and saying "you, no you". It's not my preference, because I don't want to be the one pointed out as the scapegoat if things go all pear-shaped, but I'll take it.

Q15. What do you admire the most in your peers? Strangely enough for someone who says she prefers to be solitary, I admire my peers for their abilities to mix and mingle. I tend to admire those who have something I feel I lack, something that I'd want to develop in myself, and the ability to feel comfortable in social situations is something that I know I don't have. I've been working on that for years, and I really admire people who can pull that off with such ease.

Q16. You are stranded on a Class M planet that has not been mapped by The Federation. You are only allowed to choose two of the following items to keep with you: a phaser, a tricorder or a communicator. Which two would you choose to have? Phaser and tricorder. Frankly, a communicator is good for one thing - communicating. It can't multi-task. All it can do is make phone calls, really. In a pinch, a tricorder can be modified to act as a basic communicator, even if all you've got is morse code. A phaser's not just a weapon, but it's also a tool - you can use it to heat, to cut, to signal, etc. Definitely take the items that can be put to different purposes depending on need.

Q17. Please describe your understanding of the Federation’s Prime Directive. Non-interference, how hard can it be? Like my mama always said, it won't get better if you keep picking at it. Applies to societies and cultures as well. If you step in and hand them everything on a platter, if you get involved and solve all their problems for them, they're never going to learn how to handle these things on their own, and they're never going to grow and mature and excel on their own merits. It's so frickin' important to allow people to step up on their own two feet (or three feet, or pods, or whatever passes per alien race) that I can't understand people who just want to give everything over without insisting the work get done for it first.

Q18. The United Federation of Planets includes more than 150 member planets, and the galaxy has many more besides. Which planet do you most want to visit? Can we use book planets? I'm gonna. I'd want to visit Sivao. Partially because I'd love to visit a planet where all the cats were sentient and people-sized, but also because I love the idea of a nomadic, bardic race. It might be the romantic in me, but it just seems like such a fascinating culture to explore.
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KOBAYASHI MARU:

The following questions describe situations you may commonly find yourself in as a member of Starfleet. You will be read the scenario, and then given two options to choose from. You may expand upon the reasons for your choice, but you must indicate one of the two that you feel best describes your likely response to the situation provided.

Q19. Service in the Fleet can be draining at the best of times, and on one particular day everything seems to have gone wrong. You’re exhausted, but your shift is finally over and it’s time to unwind. Your roommate is already on their bed when you get back to your quarters. Do you:

b. Say hi, then stick in some earphones for music or grab a PADD for some recreational reading. A lie-down sounds pretty good right now, or maybe a bit of time relaxing on the observation deck - it should be pretty quiet by this time, which will give you a chance to sort through the day’s events in your head.

By nature, I'm solitary. I can join in with the group, hang out in social events when given a good reason, but if given the choice, I far prefer to work on my own and to be by myself. Small groups, quiet events are tolerable for longer periods, but I've never been the party-hard sort, and find it unsettling to be in that sort of atmosphere for more than a couple of hours.

Q20. You’ve intercepted what sounds like a pretty important transmission - you feel like the Captain needs to know. When you report, do you:

a. Give them all the facts: what it said, what the voice sounded like, where the inflection was, the language it was in, and so on. Details and facts are the important part, everything else is subjective.

It's more important that the information be presented without the influence of personal opinion. Once you allow subjectivity and personal stances into the mix, you've tainted the original message. Best to let it stand on its own merits.

Q21. There are many decisions to be made in Starfleet, and some are harder than others. Faced with a decision where things could go wrong in any number of ways, do you:

a. Stay impersonal and objective. Weigh up the pros and cons, think out all the possibilities, and focus on the basic truths. A careful analysis of the situation will reveal the best possible choice, even though some may not approve of it.

The good of the many outweighs the good of the one, so they tell me. While some people may be hurt by the outcome of a decision, it's better to hurt a few temporarily than to cause irreparable damage by allowing over-emotional mentalities to alter the decision.

Q22. The day-to-day life of Starfleet can be quite arduous at times, and quite exciting at others. Everyone has their own way of approaching everyday work, but would others see your approach as:

b. Flexible and spontaneous. Others think you prefer to adapt to the world around you rather than organise it. You seem to be more comfortable staying open to information and experiences rather than making decisions immediately. You appear fairly casual, working in bursts and motivated by deadlines.

ROFL, I so badly wanted to pick A for this one, but truth is, I'm often more of a B. I even said it up above, I procrastinate and slack unless I've got a definite deadline. I tend to let everything percolate and bubble right to the last minute, and then it all suddenly pours out. I've found that my best work tends to be the work that's right on the verge of being too late, so I suppose it's a skill I've developed over too many years to change now. :)

Q23. You can earn 5 points for your future Track by promoting the community in your Journal. Please link the post here if you wish to do so:

academy round 1, enlistment application

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