Millikin University offers course in "Star Trek"

DECATUR, Ill.

An amazing variety of scholarship exists on "Star Trek."

Even a cursory glance at the offerings on Amazon.com turns up "The Physics of Star Trek," a look at the science used in the various series and how realistic it is; "The Ethics of Star Trek," a look at ethical theory with Star Trek as the popular culture model; and "Star Trek: The Human Frontier," which studies Star Trek as a way to consider what it means to be human.

Millikin University professor Michael O'Conner offered a class studying "Star Trek" during the university's January immersion classes. He had students view episodes and discuss the ethics, politics, religion and philosophy issues depicted.

"It's a way to discuss a lot of academic topics using Star Trek as a focus or a lens," O'Conner said.

O'Conner has been a "Star Trek" fan since the original series aired in the 1960s. For people of his generation, he said, the sci-fi series became their fables, with moral lessons enclosed in each one.

"The Apple," a story about a planet run by a complex computer worshipped as a god by the inhabitants, is a commentary on religion and culture. The people of the planet are kept in a sort of Eden, never to grow or change or question until Captain Kirk and his crew come along and destroy the computer -- or, as O'Conner phrased it, "throw them out of the Garden of Eden." Kirk provides the "apple" that opens their eyes and destroys their innocence.

"Comparing and contrasting the different series, you can see how Western and American culture develops," he said. "First, you have white male captain [Kirk], a young guy who's a swashbuckler type, then you have an older, balding captain [Picard, from 'The Next Generation' series], then a black captain on 'Deep Space 9' and a female on 'Voyager."'

One can also track the evolving feminist movement through "Star Trek," he said, from the patriarchal attitudes -- and exceedingly short skirts -- of the original series to the later spin-offs where women were in command.

Then there's the Prime Directive, familiar to "Trek" fans as Starfleet's most important rule: Starfleet personnel must never interfere with the natural development of a society by providing superior knowledge or technology, even to save their lives or shipmates' lives, unless they are doing so to correct an earlier violation or accidental contamination of the society.

Captain Kirk violated it constantly, but that, too, is worth studying and discussing in relation to our society, O'Conner said, especially now when the United States is the world's sole superpower and controversy swirls around the country's foreign policy.

The January immersion classes like O'Conner's are full-credit courses offered during the winter break at Millikin and include a wide variety of offerings, from the "Star Trek" class to advanced Web graphics to the Vietnam War in film and history. Some classes are for those with specific interests, others are travel courses in which students will visit Paris, Europe, Chile or the Dominican Republic, and others are regular university classes offered in a compressed time.

"It's an opportunity for students to do remedial work. If they perhaps had flunked a course, they could retake it and stay on track with their academic schedule," said Stephen Fiol, dean of academic affairs. "It's an opportunity for us to provide interesting curriculum for both faculty and students."