Dammit Man, I'm a friend, not a foe.
CIVILIAN LIFE:
Q1. Name:
Sophie
Q2. How did you find out about Elite of the Fleet?
I found out about Elite of the Fleet via Admiral rotae
Q3. When did you first become interested in Star Trek?
I first became interested in Star Trek at an early age. I supposed I must have been around 9 or 10. My dad has been a Star Trek fan for many many years and I first started to watch episodes of Voyager with him as a way of doing things together. But it didn't take long before I was addicted myself and even moved on to watching some of the other shows.
Q4. Why have you decided to join Elite of the Fleet?
I decided to join Elite of the Fleet because I have been hearing the hype about it for a few months before it opened and it sounded like fun.
Q5. Who is your favourite Star Trek character?
Honestly, this is a hard one to pick. I tend to have a favourite for each series and don't tend to compare them too much. But if I had to pick it would be either B'Elanna Torres or Will Riker, with B'Elanna coming out just on top. I loved how fiery she was and how she didn't seem to be afraid and wished I could be like that in my real life. But at the same time she managed to become a very valued member of the crew whose skill saved the ship on many occasions.
Q6. And the least?
My least favourite would have to be Seven of Nine, though she did grow on me after a while. I mostly didn't like Seven purely because she seemed to be in the show as 'hot body' and seemed to usurp other charcters roles within the ship. I resented her for taking away screen time from my favourites.
Q7. Which television (or film) series is your favourite?
I am always going to prefer Voyager because that is how I was introduced to Trek. I fell in love with it's characters and there's always going to be nostalgia for it because it was my first Trek.
STARFLEET LIFE:
Q8. What do you hope to gain from your service in Starfleet?
Mostly I hope to join a community where I can be accepted for who I am. I love the idea of like-minded people joining together no matter what that like-mindedness is about. But mostly I'm looking to make some new friends and have fun.
Q9. Is there any occupation in Starfleet you feel you would be particularly unsuited for?
I tend to be rather non-confrontational when I can avoid it. I don't like making a fuss or inconveniencing other people or making them mad at me, so I believe I would be a bad suit for a type of job involving security.
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 able to step back and look at situations from a non-biased point of view. I am also good at organising, including other people into which task would be most appropriate for them to complete.
Operations:
I can become rather obsessive about details and making sure things are as perfect as they can be. Operations is a track that requires attention to detail, as the slightest thing being off could throw the whole thing into chaos, whether it be an engineering system or maintaining correct decorum when making first contact. I am also good at maintaining professionalism and appropriate manners when associating with people.
Exploratory Sciences:
I have maintained an interest in Science ever since I started high school and got onto 'the real stuff'. I like how you figure things out and most of the time that's how it is. Most things become fact and aren't changable due to someone else's judgement. I have always been good at mathematics and numbers. I love having a knowledge of how the things around me work. I have an inbuilt curiousity that when I ask myself a question about something I am not satisfied until I know the answer for it.
Medical:
I have a desire to help people where I can. I believe that unless I go into some kind of career where I can help people my life will be useless. I have a first year uni knowledge of Biology and am hoping to specialise in Psychology with my Uni degree. I am also good at calming people down and providing a friendly face when it is needed.
Q11. What are your top five strengths?
01. Honesty. I believe there is almost never anything to gain when you lie to people. Sometimes lying will save people's feelings, but in most cases it will be something they need to hear about sooner or later anyway, and it's much better that they know the truth from the beginning. I wouldn't lie just to deflect blame from myself. I may not like my mistakes but I will always own up to them.
02. Compassion. Whenever people around me are feeling bad about things I can't help but feel bad about them as well. I always want to help them in whichever way I can. I can't sit back and watch people suffer. I always have to find some way to help.
03. Easy-going. I don't 'rock the boat'. I don't cause unnecessary complications just because something inconveniences me. If I can I deal with it and move on instead of making a fuss. I can also put up with a lot. I don't get snappy with other people unless their behaviour is extremely inappropriate. They can annoy me, but I won't tend to show it, I just deal.
04. Goal Oriented. If I have something to work towards I am incredibly happy. Set tasks work very well for me. I know what I'm working towards and I figure out how to get there and just do it. I focus on getting the job done.
05.
Working quickly and thoroughly. This has always been one of my major strong points. Once I know how to do something I can do it quickly and well. It also applies to the way I think. I can reach conclusions to problems in a short amount of time. I even work this way under pressure.
Q12. What are your top five weaknesses?
01. Sensitivity. I can take things too far to heart sometimes. If I'm criticised about something I have a tendency to focus on that too much and what else I might be doing wrong.
02. Guilt. Whenever something goes wrong I always feel as though I am to blame even if I know exactly that it had nothing to do with me. I always feel like there is more I could have done.
03. Overthinking. I can go over and over things in my mind to the point where I feel incredibly insecure about whether or not something has been done right. If I feel it might not be right, I can become incredibly unfocussed and think of nothing else.
04. Reclusiveness: I tend to prefer being alone than getting caught up in other people's dramas. I can come off as cold and impersonal sometimes because I'm not the greatest at social interactions and aren't very forthcoming in interactions with strangers I don't know. I still work well with other people, I just have problems getting to know them.
05.
Originality. I have a very straight forward way of looking at things so I at times I can have trouble thinking up new ideas or different ways of doing things. I know what's worked before and like to stick to things I already know.
Q13. What is your biggest fear?
Growing old. I get scared that I'll get too old to do various things I want to do, and that my life will pass me by before I'm ready for it to. I feel like I'll waste time with things that turn out to be useless when I could have really been using that time to do something better with myself. I worry that I'll miss out on opportunities by not having enough time.
Q14. Do you consider yourself to be a leader, or a follower?
I'm definitely a follower. I can think for myself, but I feel much more secure when I have someone to answer to. I prefer to have a goal set to me by someone else that I can work towards. I also get insecure if I have to take on too much responsibility.
Q15. What do you admire the most in your peers? I admire people who seem to be unflappable. For many years my main hero was a girl I went through school with. She managed to be brilliant at a wide range of sports and turn in all her homework on time and get great grades. It never seemed like she was overdoing things, she just seemed happy. She seemed very capable and I wanted to be just like her.
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 tricorder is by far my first pick. There's nothing more valuable than information especially in a strange environment. Using the tricorder, you would be able to tell which foods were edible, detect sentient lifesigns and avoid them (for both the Prime Directive and safety reasons) and detect materials and technology that could help in the event of a possibly rescue.
It's harder to pick between the phaser and the communicator. I'd have to say phaser if only because I tricorder could be configured to send out a signal. The phaser would be useful in both protection and in hunting if necessary and even in heating rocks or warmth.
Q17. Please describe your understanding of the Federation’s Prime Directive.
The Prime Directive is the most important rule in the Federation. Cultures that have not yet developed warp drive should not be interferred with. The theory behind this is that unless the culture has developed the technology on their own, they are not ready to use it for themselves. Imposing ourselves on another culture could have disasterous effects on their development. Every culture should be allowed to develop in their natural way without outside influence.
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?
An unknown one. It may sound cliche, but there's just so many more things to learn that way. It's a whole new world. To go in with no expectations and with no idea what you could find, it just sound incredibly exciting to me.
________________________________
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.
Whenever I'm feeling stressed what I most need is some alone time. I need distractions in a way I can control the situations such as with music or reading. Also, one of my main rules in life involves never imposing my problems on other people. There are times when it's ok to seek help from other people, but it should never be done in a way where it inconveniences someone else. In this situations my roommate would be needing their own time and should not be disturbed.
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.
The Captain definitely needs to know all the facts to make an informed decisions and that would include the interpretation of the officer first hearing it. The Captain can always listen to the transmission themselves if they deem it important, but there's more to doing the job than just relaying facts.
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.
I would try to stay impersonal. While it is good to try to understand things from everyone's perspectives, it can lead to getting caught up in trying to please everyone which may not always be the case. Remaining unbiased keeps you from getting caught up in all the emotions involved and allows you to see the bigger picture. It's much more productive to take a step back and consider how things might turn out with each possible decision and picking which one will have the most advantages.
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:
a. Planned and orderly. You seem to prefer to have decisions made and matters settled, rather than hanging over your head. You appear comfortable when in control over such matters. You seem to be task-oriented, and plan ahead.
I prefer things to be worked out. There is always room for a little leeway and it should not be restrictive, but when things are orderly it's easier to see what needs to be done and prioritise. I work well when I have a list of tasks that I can mentally tick off when they're done and know exactly what I'm working towards achieving.
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: here
Q1. Name:
Sophie
Q2. How did you find out about Elite of the Fleet?
I found out about Elite of the Fleet via Admiral rotae
Q3. When did you first become interested in Star Trek?
I first became interested in Star Trek at an early age. I supposed I must have been around 9 or 10. My dad has been a Star Trek fan for many many years and I first started to watch episodes of Voyager with him as a way of doing things together. But it didn't take long before I was addicted myself and even moved on to watching some of the other shows.
Q4. Why have you decided to join Elite of the Fleet?
I decided to join Elite of the Fleet because I have been hearing the hype about it for a few months before it opened and it sounded like fun.
Q5. Who is your favourite Star Trek character?
Honestly, this is a hard one to pick. I tend to have a favourite for each series and don't tend to compare them too much. But if I had to pick it would be either B'Elanna Torres or Will Riker, with B'Elanna coming out just on top. I loved how fiery she was and how she didn't seem to be afraid and wished I could be like that in my real life. But at the same time she managed to become a very valued member of the crew whose skill saved the ship on many occasions.
Q6. And the least?
My least favourite would have to be Seven of Nine, though she did grow on me after a while. I mostly didn't like Seven purely because she seemed to be in the show as 'hot body' and seemed to usurp other charcters roles within the ship. I resented her for taking away screen time from my favourites.
Q7. Which television (or film) series is your favourite?
I am always going to prefer Voyager because that is how I was introduced to Trek. I fell in love with it's characters and there's always going to be nostalgia for it because it was my first Trek.
STARFLEET LIFE:
Q8. What do you hope to gain from your service in Starfleet?
Mostly I hope to join a community where I can be accepted for who I am. I love the idea of like-minded people joining together no matter what that like-mindedness is about. But mostly I'm looking to make some new friends and have fun.
Q9. Is there any occupation in Starfleet you feel you would be particularly unsuited for?
I tend to be rather non-confrontational when I can avoid it. I don't like making a fuss or inconveniencing other people or making them mad at me, so I believe I would be a bad suit for a type of job involving security.
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 able to step back and look at situations from a non-biased point of view. I am also good at organising, including other people into which task would be most appropriate for them to complete.
Operations:
I can become rather obsessive about details and making sure things are as perfect as they can be. Operations is a track that requires attention to detail, as the slightest thing being off could throw the whole thing into chaos, whether it be an engineering system or maintaining correct decorum when making first contact. I am also good at maintaining professionalism and appropriate manners when associating with people.
Exploratory Sciences:
I have maintained an interest in Science ever since I started high school and got onto 'the real stuff'. I like how you figure things out and most of the time that's how it is. Most things become fact and aren't changable due to someone else's judgement. I have always been good at mathematics and numbers. I love having a knowledge of how the things around me work. I have an inbuilt curiousity that when I ask myself a question about something I am not satisfied until I know the answer for it.
Medical:
I have a desire to help people where I can. I believe that unless I go into some kind of career where I can help people my life will be useless. I have a first year uni knowledge of Biology and am hoping to specialise in Psychology with my Uni degree. I am also good at calming people down and providing a friendly face when it is needed.
Q11. What are your top five strengths?
01. Honesty. I believe there is almost never anything to gain when you lie to people. Sometimes lying will save people's feelings, but in most cases it will be something they need to hear about sooner or later anyway, and it's much better that they know the truth from the beginning. I wouldn't lie just to deflect blame from myself. I may not like my mistakes but I will always own up to them.
02. Compassion. Whenever people around me are feeling bad about things I can't help but feel bad about them as well. I always want to help them in whichever way I can. I can't sit back and watch people suffer. I always have to find some way to help.
03. Easy-going. I don't 'rock the boat'. I don't cause unnecessary complications just because something inconveniences me. If I can I deal with it and move on instead of making a fuss. I can also put up with a lot. I don't get snappy with other people unless their behaviour is extremely inappropriate. They can annoy me, but I won't tend to show it, I just deal.
04. Goal Oriented. If I have something to work towards I am incredibly happy. Set tasks work very well for me. I know what I'm working towards and I figure out how to get there and just do it. I focus on getting the job done.
05.
Working quickly and thoroughly. This has always been one of my major strong points. Once I know how to do something I can do it quickly and well. It also applies to the way I think. I can reach conclusions to problems in a short amount of time. I even work this way under pressure.
Q12. What are your top five weaknesses?
01. Sensitivity. I can take things too far to heart sometimes. If I'm criticised about something I have a tendency to focus on that too much and what else I might be doing wrong.
02. Guilt. Whenever something goes wrong I always feel as though I am to blame even if I know exactly that it had nothing to do with me. I always feel like there is more I could have done.
03. Overthinking. I can go over and over things in my mind to the point where I feel incredibly insecure about whether or not something has been done right. If I feel it might not be right, I can become incredibly unfocussed and think of nothing else.
04. Reclusiveness: I tend to prefer being alone than getting caught up in other people's dramas. I can come off as cold and impersonal sometimes because I'm not the greatest at social interactions and aren't very forthcoming in interactions with strangers I don't know. I still work well with other people, I just have problems getting to know them.
05.
Originality. I have a very straight forward way of looking at things so I at times I can have trouble thinking up new ideas or different ways of doing things. I know what's worked before and like to stick to things I already know.
Q13. What is your biggest fear?
Growing old. I get scared that I'll get too old to do various things I want to do, and that my life will pass me by before I'm ready for it to. I feel like I'll waste time with things that turn out to be useless when I could have really been using that time to do something better with myself. I worry that I'll miss out on opportunities by not having enough time.
Q14. Do you consider yourself to be a leader, or a follower?
I'm definitely a follower. I can think for myself, but I feel much more secure when I have someone to answer to. I prefer to have a goal set to me by someone else that I can work towards. I also get insecure if I have to take on too much responsibility.
Q15. What do you admire the most in your peers? I admire people who seem to be unflappable. For many years my main hero was a girl I went through school with. She managed to be brilliant at a wide range of sports and turn in all her homework on time and get great grades. It never seemed like she was overdoing things, she just seemed happy. She seemed very capable and I wanted to be just like her.
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 tricorder is by far my first pick. There's nothing more valuable than information especially in a strange environment. Using the tricorder, you would be able to tell which foods were edible, detect sentient lifesigns and avoid them (for both the Prime Directive and safety reasons) and detect materials and technology that could help in the event of a possibly rescue.
It's harder to pick between the phaser and the communicator. I'd have to say phaser if only because I tricorder could be configured to send out a signal. The phaser would be useful in both protection and in hunting if necessary and even in heating rocks or warmth.
Q17. Please describe your understanding of the Federation’s Prime Directive.
The Prime Directive is the most important rule in the Federation. Cultures that have not yet developed warp drive should not be interferred with. The theory behind this is that unless the culture has developed the technology on their own, they are not ready to use it for themselves. Imposing ourselves on another culture could have disasterous effects on their development. Every culture should be allowed to develop in their natural way without outside influence.
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?
An unknown one. It may sound cliche, but there's just so many more things to learn that way. It's a whole new world. To go in with no expectations and with no idea what you could find, it just sound incredibly exciting to me.
________________________________
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.
Whenever I'm feeling stressed what I most need is some alone time. I need distractions in a way I can control the situations such as with music or reading. Also, one of my main rules in life involves never imposing my problems on other people. There are times when it's ok to seek help from other people, but it should never be done in a way where it inconveniences someone else. In this situations my roommate would be needing their own time and should not be disturbed.
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.
The Captain definitely needs to know all the facts to make an informed decisions and that would include the interpretation of the officer first hearing it. The Captain can always listen to the transmission themselves if they deem it important, but there's more to doing the job than just relaying facts.
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.
I would try to stay impersonal. While it is good to try to understand things from everyone's perspectives, it can lead to getting caught up in trying to please everyone which may not always be the case. Remaining unbiased keeps you from getting caught up in all the emotions involved and allows you to see the bigger picture. It's much more productive to take a step back and consider how things might turn out with each possible decision and picking which one will have the most advantages.
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:
a. Planned and orderly. You seem to prefer to have decisions made and matters settled, rather than hanging over your head. You appear comfortable when in control over such matters. You seem to be task-oriented, and plan ahead.
I prefer things to be worked out. There is always room for a little leeway and it should not be restrictive, but when things are orderly it's easier to see what needs to be done and prioritise. I work well when I have a list of tasks that I can mentally tick off when they're done and know exactly what I'm working towards achieving.
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: here