Story By: Wyatt Smith

MONTEVALLO, Ala. — To celebrate the 60th anniversary of Star Trek the University of Montevallo’s mass communication program is hosting an Exploring Star Trek class. For the class I was required to find and interview a “Trekkie” or a long time Star Trek fan. While at first I was struggling to find a Trekkie what I did find made me realize the show can have a meaning more impactful than I initially thought.

Through connections with a close friend’s father’s friend, I was able to interview Robert Kesslick. When I mentioned the idea of being a “Trekkie” to Robert, he was not partial to the term. He seemed to have a love for the series, the memories that came with it but never saw it as a huge part of his life. But as I questioned further me and Robert both found that the series may have a deeper impact on his life than he initially thought.

Robert was born in the 50’s to a family of eight and was around 10 years old when “Star Trek: The Original Series” first aired. And Robert was hooked from day one. “It was about the fantasy, the space, the action, I was all about it,” Robert says, “The original series came on, had us glued to the TV. We looked forward to it every week.” As he, all his siblings and cousins crowded around a small television in the living room he watched as the future became reality in front of his eyes. So much so that Robert “watched it as it aired as well as many, many, many times afterwards.”

But as all people do Robert grew up. He moved off to being working with computers, eventually becoming an industrial systems process controller. But one thing never faded, his love for the Star Trek. Even as the poor writing of “Star Trek: Enterprise” made Robert second guess his love Robert says, “but of course I watched it anyways.” As I asked Robert more about his career, he began to see an effect Star Trek had on his life he never initially saw, “It probably did have some influence. I never thought it did have one, but I was in a computer field. I probably did have some influence in to what I did.”

Robert brought up a very interesting view to me I had never considered. From 1966 before technology was accessible, to a world where we hold a dictionary in our pocket “Star Trek” has remained. Robert says, “I like to think that being on the verge on that technology opening up to us, opening up to the point of having a supercomputer in the palm of my hand. That’s what ‘Star Trek: The Original Series’ was all about… to live it, to see it, it’s another thing.”

While Robert doesn’t consider himself a “Trekkie” his love for the series rivals that of the most hardcore fan. It would seem a “Trekkie” is just a name given to those who decide to make the series a major part of their outward life, while, for Robert, Star Trek holds a much deeper personal connection that requires more inward reflection to see how deep the roots truly run. From crowding around a television surrounded by family to reclining by his TV every Thursday, two thing remains the same Robert’s focus on TV and Star Trek.