“The Thing That Star Trek Never Let Go Of Was Hope”

Whoopi’s 1st ST Convention

There seems to be some common spirit that links the people attending the Star Trek 50th anniversary convention being held this week in Las Vegas,  but I couldn’t pit my finger on it.  Whoopi Goldberg did, here at her very first Star Trek convention. Interviewer Scott Mantz asked her , “Why Star Trek? Why are we still here 50 years later?” Whoopi’s answer -“The thing that Star Trek never let go of was hope” – points to Roddenberry’s dream that we could solve our problems eventually and build a society in which all races would participate as equals, with enough resources for all.

The feeling here is exuberant. I’ve meet people who have come to  STLV since the beginning and some here for the first time, drawn by the 50th anniversary.  Many are from the US, but I also met a Brit, an actor from France, a scientist from Spain. Costumes abound – “cosplay”- such as a delightful group in starfleet uniforms who get together to play out different scenarios.

Borg regeneration station

The look of this convention is gorgeous!  The ones I went to in 2009 & 2010 felt a little…well, dusty, worn. In contrast the entire wing of this convention is brightly decorated & full of interactive photo ops. You can pose with a pile of Tribble,  in a Borg regeneration station, coming through The Guardian of Forever, and more.

Surrounded by tribbles!

The Guardian of Forever

Gorgeous MAC display dominated the exhibit area

The exhibit area is lit up with a huge display by MAC – engineering bay, transporter room,  bridge – where Make-up artists do makeovers using the brand new Star Trek inspired products. Plus there are scenes and photo ops with actors representing major Trek characters and a neat transporter effect. (see http://www.startrekmagic.com/2016/08/10/make-up/)

Whoopi had wonderful stories about her experiences – what a wise & delightful person!   I’m very glad I came.  This is a treasure box experience I will long hold in my heart.