Dammit man, I'm a college student, not a millionaire!
CIVILIAN LIFE:
Q1. Name: Melissa
Q2. How did you find out about Elite of the Fleet? Saw the post in kirkspock
Q3. When did you first become interested in Star Trek? When I saw Reboot for the first time, I was somewhat shocked and amazed-- despite a certain affection for sci-fi and fantasy, I had never really been all that interested in Star Trek, and it was a little unnerving at first to realize that it absolutely enthralled me. I started watching TOS soon after that, and fell even more in love with the premise and the characters.
Q4. Why have you decided to join Elite of the Fleet? I'm looking to branch out, both in terms of finding more people who share my interests (read: being around people who enjoy Star Trek as much as I do) and in terms of honing my creative skills. This looks a great way to do both of these, and a lot of fun to boot.
Q5. Who is your favourite Star Trek character? I have a huge soft spot for Dr. McCoy. Bones is just an entertaining character, first of all, but besides that, he's very real to me-- he's got a lot of flaws, and hides most of his good characteristics behind Southern charm or grouchiness, but you could never doubt that he really, truly cares about the people he surrounds himself with. He's always going to do everything in his power to do what he thinks is right, and screw the rest of you for not doing the right thing. Also, I may or may not have a weakness for fellow Southerners...
Q6. And the least? As much as I love Spock, I have some issues with most of the other Vulcans featured (at least in TOS/Reboot)-- from the bullies we're shown to the head of the VSA to T'Pring in TOS to even Sarek, Vulcans are often unnecessarily cruel. I know this isn't a concern if you're an emotionless being, but to hold all other beings, whether or not they are as logical/emotionless as you are, to this same standard seems pretty narrow-minded and selfish. It goes beyond simply "hurting someone's feelings," so to speak; Captain Kirk almost (could have? did?) die as a result of unyielding Vulcan logic. Adhering to your own cultural standards is all well and good, but there comes a time to recognize the validity of others' (and the flaws in your own).
Q7. Which television (or film) series is your favourite? As much as I love the Reboot, I think I love TOS more. What first got me hooked was the epic friendship between Kirk and Spock (and maybe, possibly something a little deeper than that, but I'm completely biased on this point), but it's got a simple honesty to it that's really endearing and what got me to stick around-- it wasn't made to prop up a reality star's career, or to pimp the special effects department, or any of the seemingly millions of erroneous factors that seem to fuel entertainment these days. The characters were well-developed and well-written, and I love them all dearly. The special effects are... special indeed, and some of the storylines can be a bit far-fetched (Spock's Brain, anyone?), but it's all part of the charm.
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STARFLEET LIFE:
Q8. What do you hope to gain from your service in Starfleet? I've been a pretty consistent lurker in most fandoms I've been involved in, but that's partially because I knew I'd eventually be moving on to other things (i.e. Harry Potter), but I think I'm stuck with Trek for better or worse. I'd love to get to know some other people who are involved in the fandom and learn about other people's Trek experiences; there are very few that I know off-line who are as into Trek as I am, and it would be great to have a community to come to who understands my obsession interest. I've been trying for ages to find the impetus to have more creative output for fandom, and this seems like a great way to get involved without excessive stress (read: going to be a lot of fun!).
Also, something that appeals to me about Star Trek in general is the vast opportunity for learning-- there's a whole universe out there, what wouldn't you want to explore? I'd love for the opportunity to travel to new, possibly undiscovered words; to get to know the people I'm working with, why they joined Star Fleet, what makes them tick, so to speak; to learn about what makes space travel capable in the first place, to learn about how those transporters are able to scramble and rescramble atoms. While some of this isn't possible (...yet), learning more about this amazing and expansive universe while simultaneously learning about and meeting new people is incredibly appealing.
Q9. Is there any occupation in Starfleet you feel you would be particularly unsuited for? I'm not very good with my hands or with math, so maybe not engineering.
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: I am incredibly goal-oriented, and when pointed to a task that needs to be finished (or a specific location to go to) within a certain amount of time, it will get finished. I can be incredibly stubborn when I need to be and certainly have the determination and will to stick by my decisions to make sure they get accomplished.
Operations: I love working with and learning about people-- my (current) major in school is Sociology and Anthropology, which is learning about cultures and societies. As far as diplomacy goes, I'm good at stepping back from an issue to look at the contexts and concerns of everyone involved. Also, I've worked extensively in administrative-type duties, so I have experience here that I don't necessarily have for any of the other tracks.
Exploratory Sciences: I have a deep sense of curiosity which extends to the universe around me-- getting to poke around and figure out how stuff works is just plain fun. As mentioned previously, one of the reasons I would want to get involved with Starfleet is to explore unknown places and learn about things that had previously been a mystery to me.
Medical: I grew up with a younger brother who was very much a "boy's boy," got into a lot of messes as a child, had to deal with various bodily fluids as a babysitter, and have dealt wtih dissections/other potentially gross things in science classes-- it's pretty much impossible to gross me out. I'm also good at keeping a cool head in high pressure situations. As mentioned previously, I love working with and getting to know other people; learning another person's needs and getting to help them would be incredibly fulfilling.
Q11. What are your top five strengths?
01. Curiosity-- I'm a naturally curious person, and truly enjoy learning new things.
02. Creative thinking-- I can make connections between seemingly unrelated things in order to solve problems.
03. Flexibility-- I am easily adaptable, and it's not hard for me to adjust to rapidly changing situations.
04. Pragmatism-- I'm good at figuring out what practical applications things have, whether those things be information, people, or objects.
05. Tact-- I know this is an odd strength to list, but I think an effective leader should be able to communicate with others in a way that conveys meaning without being offensive. I've been in groups where the leaders had great constructive criticism, wonderful suggestions for improvement, and a great vision for the group... but all that was lost because they were unable to phrase it in a way that didn't make the entire group angry or hurt. I feel that I am able to convey criticism in such a way that allows for improvement without unnecessary antagonism.
Q12. What are your top five weaknesses?
01. Procrastination-- when there's not a time crunch, it's ridiculously hard for me to get any meaningful amount of work done on a project.
02. Confidence, or lack thereof-- while it's easy for me to build others up and focus on their abilities, I have less confidence in my own abilities.
03. Personal reflection (for lack of a better term)-- perhaps related to my lack of confidence in my own abilities is my difficulty in recognizing said abilities. It's not that I don't want to know my strengths and weaknesses, but that it's much easier for me to rely on an outsider's perspective than to reflect on my own.
04. Organization-- I know where all my stuff is, but no one else does as my personal areas generally look as though a bomb has recently been detonated in the area.
05. Absent-mindedness-- I'm horrible about getting "lost," so to speak, in my own thoughts about assorted things that I loose track of where I am/what I'm doing/who I'm with. I'm also horribly forgetful, and tend to loose a lot of things just by virtue of leaving them places and forgetting where I put them.
Q13. What is your biggest fear? I have a rather severe fear of heights. I get much higher than a stepladder, and my knees start shaking; if I'm somewhere like near the edge of a roof, it gets harder to breathe. Usually, if I'm in an enclosed space where the height is not right up in my face (i.e. I can pretend I'm not on the verge of death)-- an airplane, for example-- it's not a problem.
Q14. Do you consider yourself to be a leader, or a follower? A leader-- making decisions for others has never been hard for me. While I'll follow the orders of my superior, it's always, always been discomfiting for me to do so if I feel that the decision isn't the wisest one or that I'm preforming a task without being properly informed as to why.
Q15. What do you admire the most in your peers? Their capacity for goodness in a universe that seems, more often than not, bound and determined to eradicate that capacity.
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? A phaser and a communicator. If I'm in contact with the ship, then I should be able to get out of any truly horrid situations and to rely on their scanners for any relevant data. The phaser would probably not get any use (I'm not one for violence, except in extreme cases of self-defense), but I would feel as though I had more control in a situation where everything is an unknown.
Q17. Please describe your understanding of the Federation’s Prime Directive.
In practice, the Prime Directive is all about observing and learning-- but not interfering. This stems from a, in my opinion, fantastic theoretical concept of respecting the sanctity of all cultures/alien life forms. Just because someone else has a different culture than what you've been exposed to or isn't quite where your society is technologically does not make your way of life superior or give you the right to make changes.
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?
... Since all of them probably isn't the best answer, I'd have to say Andoria-- just visiting an ice-world would be fascinating, and as I know next to nothing about Andorian culture, it would be a completely different learning experience than visiting another planet that I'm already somewhat familiar with (such as Vulcan).
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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:
a. Settle in for a lengthy chat with them - you’d really like to vent about your day and you’d quite like to hear about theirs too. It’s a bit of a ritual by this point anyway. Maybe you’ll even head out to the Rec Hall together to unwind over a card game with the others.
Anytime I try to deal with stuff on my own, I usually blow things out of proportion, become unduly morose, or start doubting my worth as a person-- generally unhealthy and unhelpful responses. Laughing with friends is the best medicine, and there's nothing more rejuvenating than being around people I trust.
Q20. You’ve intercepted what sounds like a pretty important transmission - you feel like the Captain needs to know. When you report, do you:
b. Give them the facts, but your interpretation and the way it fits into context is more important. The Captain wasn’t there, after all - the way you explain it could make all the difference.
Context is everything-- information cannot possibly be understood fully when removed from the situation it was received in. If I'm a well-trained, intelligent Starfleet officer, then I should and would be able to explain the context along with the facts so that apt decisions can be made efficiently.
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:
b. Try to understand the perspectives of the people involved. They are the ones that will be influenced by the decision, and conflict is the least desirable outcome. Be certain to be tactful, even if some of the message is lost in the communication.
If parties at-odds with one another feel as though they are not being understood fully, or that their demands are not at least being taken seriously, then things can go down-hill quite quickly. Understanding of the bare-bones of a situation is essential, but so is understanding the nuances involved; as long as sentient beings are involved, full understanding of the situation cannot happen unless you understand the context and perspectives in which the situation is taking place.
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.
Attempting to organize never, ever ends well for me. It's best, in my experience, to just go with the flow and make suggestions rather than trying to force your way through. Also, I thrive under the pressure of a deadline.
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: No graphics, I'm afraid, but promotion nonetheless
Q1. Name: Melissa
Q2. How did you find out about Elite of the Fleet? Saw the post in kirkspock
Q3. When did you first become interested in Star Trek? When I saw Reboot for the first time, I was somewhat shocked and amazed-- despite a certain affection for sci-fi and fantasy, I had never really been all that interested in Star Trek, and it was a little unnerving at first to realize that it absolutely enthralled me. I started watching TOS soon after that, and fell even more in love with the premise and the characters.
Q4. Why have you decided to join Elite of the Fleet? I'm looking to branch out, both in terms of finding more people who share my interests (read: being around people who enjoy Star Trek as much as I do) and in terms of honing my creative skills. This looks a great way to do both of these, and a lot of fun to boot.
Q5. Who is your favourite Star Trek character? I have a huge soft spot for Dr. McCoy. Bones is just an entertaining character, first of all, but besides that, he's very real to me-- he's got a lot of flaws, and hides most of his good characteristics behind Southern charm or grouchiness, but you could never doubt that he really, truly cares about the people he surrounds himself with. He's always going to do everything in his power to do what he thinks is right, and screw the rest of you for not doing the right thing. Also, I may or may not have a weakness for fellow Southerners...
Q6. And the least? As much as I love Spock, I have some issues with most of the other Vulcans featured (at least in TOS/Reboot)-- from the bullies we're shown to the head of the VSA to T'Pring in TOS to even Sarek, Vulcans are often unnecessarily cruel. I know this isn't a concern if you're an emotionless being, but to hold all other beings, whether or not they are as logical/emotionless as you are, to this same standard seems pretty narrow-minded and selfish. It goes beyond simply "hurting someone's feelings," so to speak; Captain Kirk almost (could have? did?) die as a result of unyielding Vulcan logic. Adhering to your own cultural standards is all well and good, but there comes a time to recognize the validity of others' (and the flaws in your own).
Q7. Which television (or film) series is your favourite? As much as I love the Reboot, I think I love TOS more. What first got me hooked was the epic friendship between Kirk and Spock (and maybe, possibly something a little deeper than that, but I'm completely biased on this point), but it's got a simple honesty to it that's really endearing and what got me to stick around-- it wasn't made to prop up a reality star's career, or to pimp the special effects department, or any of the seemingly millions of erroneous factors that seem to fuel entertainment these days. The characters were well-developed and well-written, and I love them all dearly. The special effects are... special indeed, and some of the storylines can be a bit far-fetched (Spock's Brain, anyone?), but it's all part of the charm.
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STARFLEET LIFE:
Q8. What do you hope to gain from your service in Starfleet? I've been a pretty consistent lurker in most fandoms I've been involved in, but that's partially because I knew I'd eventually be moving on to other things (i.e. Harry Potter), but I think I'm stuck with Trek for better or worse. I'd love to get to know some other people who are involved in the fandom and learn about other people's Trek experiences; there are very few that I know off-line who are as into Trek as I am, and it would be great to have a community to come to who understands my obsession interest. I've been trying for ages to find the impetus to have more creative output for fandom, and this seems like a great way to get involved without excessive stress (read: going to be a lot of fun!).
Also, something that appeals to me about Star Trek in general is the vast opportunity for learning-- there's a whole universe out there, what wouldn't you want to explore? I'd love for the opportunity to travel to new, possibly undiscovered words; to get to know the people I'm working with, why they joined Star Fleet, what makes them tick, so to speak; to learn about what makes space travel capable in the first place, to learn about how those transporters are able to scramble and rescramble atoms. While some of this isn't possible (...yet), learning more about this amazing and expansive universe while simultaneously learning about and meeting new people is incredibly appealing.
Q9. Is there any occupation in Starfleet you feel you would be particularly unsuited for? I'm not very good with my hands or with math, so maybe not engineering.
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: I am incredibly goal-oriented, and when pointed to a task that needs to be finished (or a specific location to go to) within a certain amount of time, it will get finished. I can be incredibly stubborn when I need to be and certainly have the determination and will to stick by my decisions to make sure they get accomplished.
Operations: I love working with and learning about people-- my (current) major in school is Sociology and Anthropology, which is learning about cultures and societies. As far as diplomacy goes, I'm good at stepping back from an issue to look at the contexts and concerns of everyone involved. Also, I've worked extensively in administrative-type duties, so I have experience here that I don't necessarily have for any of the other tracks.
Exploratory Sciences: I have a deep sense of curiosity which extends to the universe around me-- getting to poke around and figure out how stuff works is just plain fun. As mentioned previously, one of the reasons I would want to get involved with Starfleet is to explore unknown places and learn about things that had previously been a mystery to me.
Medical: I grew up with a younger brother who was very much a "boy's boy," got into a lot of messes as a child, had to deal with various bodily fluids as a babysitter, and have dealt wtih dissections/other potentially gross things in science classes-- it's pretty much impossible to gross me out. I'm also good at keeping a cool head in high pressure situations. As mentioned previously, I love working with and getting to know other people; learning another person's needs and getting to help them would be incredibly fulfilling.
Q11. What are your top five strengths?
01. Curiosity-- I'm a naturally curious person, and truly enjoy learning new things.
02. Creative thinking-- I can make connections between seemingly unrelated things in order to solve problems.
03. Flexibility-- I am easily adaptable, and it's not hard for me to adjust to rapidly changing situations.
04. Pragmatism-- I'm good at figuring out what practical applications things have, whether those things be information, people, or objects.
05. Tact-- I know this is an odd strength to list, but I think an effective leader should be able to communicate with others in a way that conveys meaning without being offensive. I've been in groups where the leaders had great constructive criticism, wonderful suggestions for improvement, and a great vision for the group... but all that was lost because they were unable to phrase it in a way that didn't make the entire group angry or hurt. I feel that I am able to convey criticism in such a way that allows for improvement without unnecessary antagonism.
Q12. What are your top five weaknesses?
01. Procrastination-- when there's not a time crunch, it's ridiculously hard for me to get any meaningful amount of work done on a project.
02. Confidence, or lack thereof-- while it's easy for me to build others up and focus on their abilities, I have less confidence in my own abilities.
03. Personal reflection (for lack of a better term)-- perhaps related to my lack of confidence in my own abilities is my difficulty in recognizing said abilities. It's not that I don't want to know my strengths and weaknesses, but that it's much easier for me to rely on an outsider's perspective than to reflect on my own.
04. Organization-- I know where all my stuff is, but no one else does as my personal areas generally look as though a bomb has recently been detonated in the area.
05. Absent-mindedness-- I'm horrible about getting "lost," so to speak, in my own thoughts about assorted things that I loose track of where I am/what I'm doing/who I'm with. I'm also horribly forgetful, and tend to loose a lot of things just by virtue of leaving them places and forgetting where I put them.
Q13. What is your biggest fear? I have a rather severe fear of heights. I get much higher than a stepladder, and my knees start shaking; if I'm somewhere like near the edge of a roof, it gets harder to breathe. Usually, if I'm in an enclosed space where the height is not right up in my face (i.e. I can pretend I'm not on the verge of death)-- an airplane, for example-- it's not a problem.
Q14. Do you consider yourself to be a leader, or a follower? A leader-- making decisions for others has never been hard for me. While I'll follow the orders of my superior, it's always, always been discomfiting for me to do so if I feel that the decision isn't the wisest one or that I'm preforming a task without being properly informed as to why.
Q15. What do you admire the most in your peers? Their capacity for goodness in a universe that seems, more often than not, bound and determined to eradicate that capacity.
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? A phaser and a communicator. If I'm in contact with the ship, then I should be able to get out of any truly horrid situations and to rely on their scanners for any relevant data. The phaser would probably not get any use (I'm not one for violence, except in extreme cases of self-defense), but I would feel as though I had more control in a situation where everything is an unknown.
Q17. Please describe your understanding of the Federation’s Prime Directive.
In practice, the Prime Directive is all about observing and learning-- but not interfering. This stems from a, in my opinion, fantastic theoretical concept of respecting the sanctity of all cultures/alien life forms. Just because someone else has a different culture than what you've been exposed to or isn't quite where your society is technologically does not make your way of life superior or give you the right to make changes.
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?
... Since all of them probably isn't the best answer, I'd have to say Andoria-- just visiting an ice-world would be fascinating, and as I know next to nothing about Andorian culture, it would be a completely different learning experience than visiting another planet that I'm already somewhat familiar with (such as Vulcan).
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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:
a. Settle in for a lengthy chat with them - you’d really like to vent about your day and you’d quite like to hear about theirs too. It’s a bit of a ritual by this point anyway. Maybe you’ll even head out to the Rec Hall together to unwind over a card game with the others.
Anytime I try to deal with stuff on my own, I usually blow things out of proportion, become unduly morose, or start doubting my worth as a person-- generally unhealthy and unhelpful responses. Laughing with friends is the best medicine, and there's nothing more rejuvenating than being around people I trust.
Q20. You’ve intercepted what sounds like a pretty important transmission - you feel like the Captain needs to know. When you report, do you:
b. Give them the facts, but your interpretation and the way it fits into context is more important. The Captain wasn’t there, after all - the way you explain it could make all the difference.
Context is everything-- information cannot possibly be understood fully when removed from the situation it was received in. If I'm a well-trained, intelligent Starfleet officer, then I should and would be able to explain the context along with the facts so that apt decisions can be made efficiently.
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:
b. Try to understand the perspectives of the people involved. They are the ones that will be influenced by the decision, and conflict is the least desirable outcome. Be certain to be tactful, even if some of the message is lost in the communication.
If parties at-odds with one another feel as though they are not being understood fully, or that their demands are not at least being taken seriously, then things can go down-hill quite quickly. Understanding of the bare-bones of a situation is essential, but so is understanding the nuances involved; as long as sentient beings are involved, full understanding of the situation cannot happen unless you understand the context and perspectives in which the situation is taking place.
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.
Attempting to organize never, ever ends well for me. It's best, in my experience, to just go with the flow and make suggestions rather than trying to force your way through. Also, I thrive under the pressure of a deadline.
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: No graphics, I'm afraid, but promotion nonetheless