Happy Captain Picard Day!
Even in the middle of the CS election nomination period, it’s important to remember why any of us want to be a member of STARFLEET in the first place. It’s because of our shared love and passion for Star Trek.
With that – Happy Captain Picard Day, everyone!
In the Next Gen episode “The Pegasus”, we are first introduced to the idea of “Captain Picard Day” on the USS Enterprise, NCC-1701-D. Now it’s become an excuse to recognize ONE of the best captains (a debate for another day!). But it’s also a day about young fans getting involved in our fandom.
That’s what Star Trek – and, by extension, STARFLEET – is all about: Allowing “the next generation” to have a part in this great adventure in the future and the exploration of the human spirit. For a certain generation, TNG (or TOS) will always be “their” Star Trek. But throughout the 1990s and the 21st Century, we’ve seen various series and movies that each succeeding generation gets to claim as THEIR favorite ship and crew.
To me, Captain Picard taught me how to be a leader, both on and off-screen. But for others, it’s Sisko, Janeway, Archer, Burnham, Pike, and the ragtag groups of both Lower Decks and Prodigy.
So for those fans of Jean-Luc, this is a great day to celebrate his time in the captain’s chair. But this is also a day for everyone to submit their entry for their favorite captain who made them love Star Trek.
You’ll see Ryan and Rich share their best Picard moments below – but let us know what your standout “Picard moment” is, too!
Ryan Case, CS Candidate
I think my favorite Picard moment is when he’s talking with Wesley on “The First Duty”. I think, as a kid, when that episode came out (I was 7), it was an incredibly relatable thing to watch Wesley be impetuous for the sake of impressing those he was with … causing the death of another student and sending him down the path of a lie. It had an effect on me when I saw Picard explain to Wesley that our first duty … is to the truth. It makes me think that true leadership means making hard choices. Holding yourself accountable, along with others, especially those we care about. It should be a guiding principle – especially when (and because) it’s difficult.
Richard Sams, VCS Candidate
My favourite Picard moment was in “Sarek” where Picard offers to mind meld with Sarek, knowing that it most likely incapacitates him (spoiler – it does!). This taught me the responsibility of leaders to be aware of and be ready to share the work with those they work with and alongside. Even the strongest of us need a helping hand from time to time.