Why Star Trek Should Be Taught In College

Again, this essay is mine, but good luck trying to steal it.

The idea is that I created an awesome class, and I think my college should offer it, because they're changing their whole General Education system around anyways (that's what "ICC" means), and because it's awesome.  And I wrote this essay about it.

 

“For God’s sake, Jim!  I’m a doctor not a teacher!”

— A New Freshman Seminar for ICC

The U.S.S. Enterprise is under alien control, speeding away at warp-who-knows-what towards the planet Charon.  Commissioner Bele, a humanoid whose skin is colored half black and half white has been chasing a fugitive from his planet around the galaxy for over 50,000 years.  This fugitive, Lokai, has the exact opposite skin coloration as Bele.  Eventually, Captain Kirk and the crew manage to beam the two humanoids down to their home planet.  The episode closes with images of Bele and Lokai chasing each other around a flaming, deserted city (Coon).

Though it aired for only three seasons, Star Trek’s impact on pop culture was immense.  Created by Gene Roddenberry, the show explored contemporary Earth problems by substituting alien cultures and idea in for ones a little closer to home.  It is, essentially, a beautiful piece of social commentary that is engaging and entertaining to watch.

In addition to being a good source of entertainment, the television show Star Trek could provide the basis for an engaging freshman seminar course as part of the new ICC, going into effect next year—more on ICC later, however. 

I suggest a seminar-style course in which the ethical and social dilemmas that are brought up in the original series Star Trek television show. Students will study the various situations that the Enterprise crew is placed in during contact with an alien society and culture, but also how the American culture of the 1960's influenced the issues brought up in the show and how they are dealt with. This class would be discussion based, centering around the ‘world of systems’ theme with a perspective of creative arts.

The ‘World of Systems’ theme focuses on how humans exist and think within the various systems that exist in our lives—“physical, political, economic, technological, social, and creative at both local and global levels” (“The Integrated Core Cirriculum”).  The only system listed that one might have a hard time relating to Star Trek would economic, but, with a stretch it is feasible. 

Possible topics of discussion centering around the political and social systems could include; how the crew interacts with an alien society, how that society functions, how the crew interacts with Spock, the power structure of the crew itself and how that is put under pressure in certain scenarios.  How the American public of the time reacted to the episode, how we react to it now, what has changed and why.  Also the course can look at the show from a historical perspective and try to find references to events and controversial issues of the time.  They can also examine what the show says happens in humanity’s “future”—the time between the 1960s and the time when the show is supposed to take place. 

For example, the description of an episode I started off with, “Let That Be Your Last Battlefield”, is about racism.  The two humanoids are the same except for their skin color,

 I really wanted to put that in the essay

 the very fact that the colors chosen were black and white is an obvious reference to the discrimination and segregation that was, despite newly enacted laws, still very much a part of American culture.  The episode ends with a sort of warning—Bele and Lokai have been at this for 50,000 years, and during that time, their civilization has destroyed itself.  The civilization on Charon sends a very clear message about where things will go if the US continues down the path of hatred.  This is, of course, just a basic analysis of that episode, but that’s the general idea.

The class would be assigned a specific episode to watch for homework, and to come to class prepared to discuss what they observed.   The students would also read reviews, both of the time and contemporary, of Star Trek, and examine the relevant issues that existed in the American culture of the time.  They would read materials by the creator of the show and the writers, about the show (hopefully these texts exist), and watch interviews with the cast.

Students will write short papers about the things discussed in class, and these will be a mixture of response and research.  There will also be a short quiz at the beginning of the class on details of the episode so as to make sure the students actually watched them.  These will not count terribly towards their grades, but they will contain details that are not included on various summaries of the episode. 

As a final project, students will have to create an outline of a hypothetical episode.  For example, the student could write about the issue of abortion.  The Enterprise encounters a culture that has harshly banned the practice of abortion, and yet the women still practice it.  Perhaps they encounter a woman who is dying due to a botched procedure, thus exposing a particular concern about the banning of abortions.  The student could choose to end in episode in whichever way they want to—Dr. McCoy could miraculously save the dying woman, or she could die and Kirk would angrily explain the benefits of making this procedure safe and available to women. 

The student, by writing this outline, would utilize the techniques used by the writers and designers who worked on Star Trek and use them to create a work of art.  They would create a sort of social commentary, or raise philosophical questions about the nature of reality, or human nature. 

This course has enormous potential for creative expression and student enjoyment, while still providing a powerful in-depth learning experience about the impact of a piece of American culture.  The objective here is to learn how the show functions as a piece of art, and then also to dive into the questions it raises.  The students will learn how to ‘think deeper’ about works of art in ways they haven’t before, as a social commentary, and as a muse. 

There is an immediate need here at IC for more freshman seminars—students in all the various Schools will be taking them, not just the Humanities and Sciences.  This proposed course would work to directly satisfy that need, but there is also a greater need in education today.  Students, as a general rule, feel apathetic to courses they don’t see as relevant to them—a tragedy, in my opinion.  Presenting students with a course they find entertaining sparks interest, motivation, and genuine desire to learn.  The proposed final project, as opposed to a dry and analytical paper, is something that the students are more invested in.  By sketching out an outline of an episode, students are exercising their ability to be creative, which is an absolutely crucial skill to have.

This course would create a more well-rounded student, who has knowledge and experience in the creative arts.  Also, the students would have been exposed to the art and practice of social commentary—important to one who lives in society, that is to say, everyone.  Even for those not particularly interested in pursuing a career in the Arts, this course holds interest.  Who doesn’t like watching good TV?

What a lovely essay…So what?  Creating engaging and interesting courses is one of the toughest jobs an educator has, therefore, a course that is student proposed, fits the requirements of the ICC, should be offered as a part of this new educational plan.