Katie's Corner

Watching Star Trek: Voyager has changed my life. I grew up in a household with a single, disabled mother who could not work. Throughout nineteen formative years, my mother dedicated herself to raising and educating me. I did not have many role models growing up, save for her and some influential figures in my favorite subject in school, which was history. In addition to this, I have danced classical ballet since the age of four.  My first contact with Voyager came at the age of sixteen in Bozeman, Montana when I stayed with a ballet host-family during the summer. I had never cared to watch Star Trek in the past and had no "Trekkies" in my family. However, as I was settling in for the two weeks I was staying, they asked if I wanted to join them in watching an episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation".  After I came home, I researched the franchise and also learned about Voyager and DS9. Less than two years later, I returned to the family for another summer intensiv...

Twenty-six years ago today, "Star Trek: Voyager" premiered. In the opening episode entitled "Caretaker", Voyager would take the Star Trek franchise into a whole new realm as the crew of the USS Voyager were stranded in the unexplored Delta Quadrant. Upon being thrown 75,000 light-years from home, Captain Janeway would gather her inner strength to unite a divided crew on an Intrepid-class starship. With a steadfast Captain, a former Starfleet-turned-Maquis First Officer, a principled Vulcan Security Officer, a suave pilot, a half-human half-Klingon Engineer, a young Ensign, a Talaxian scout, a telepathic alien and eventually a former Borg drone, the Voyager crew was dynamic, energetic and unique. This show gave the Star Trek canon new alien species, extraterrestrial territories, and countless battles, particularly featuring one Starfleet's greatest enemies: "The Borg". This moving series was full of relatable and rich characters from Captain Janeway to ...

On this day in 1993, "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" premiered. In the opening episode "Emissary", this series took the audience on a journey into a new frontier within the "Star Trek" franchise. Instead of a starship, this show would take place on a space station called "Deep Space Nine", formally known as "Terok Nor". With a widowed Commander named Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks), his son Jake (Cirroc Lofton) and an excellent cast of characters, DS9 would become a trailblazing series. By incorporating exploration, faith, love science and war, DS9 set the tone for a change of pace within Star Trek, yet always held to the vision of Gene Roddenberry. The role-model in Sisko as a single father running a space station was a fine example of dedication and love. Avery Brooks would play his character with distinction and grace, which gave him a command presence in each scene and a heart for his crew.                        ...