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Episode 79: Stephanie Gerk



In this episode we speak with the writer, podcaster, nurse, and Star Trek fan Stephanie Gerk.

Headshot of Stephanie Gerk giving the Vulcan Salute
Stephanie Gerk

Topics

  • Peak Star Trek podcasting
  • Admiral Ackbar knows it’s not a trap
  • No gatekeeping
  • Making it through the books and games too
  • The novels can get wild
  • Not knowing about 90’s Trek until the 2000s
  • The “purists”
  • Watching all of Trek through the pandemic
  • More aliens, please. Head ridges & nose bumps too.
  • You will be forced to play baseball against the Niners
  • Las Vegas is weird
  • Stephanie is scared of Trekkies
  • The story of the con-goers
  • Reedpop: Epic Fail
  • The Killing Time controversy
  • The Star Trek Comic Book discussion
  • Getting scarred by Wrath of Khan as a child
  • Growing up in Canada, Star Trek was limited in availability
  • Generations caused a TNG backlash in my guest’s mind
  • Spock’s Brain inspired an interest in science
  • Star Trek is ridiculous and that’s ok
  • That viewscreen shot
  • The Horta gave my guest nightmares
  • Canon chat
  • Podcast Extravaganza Part 1
  • McCoy and Spock are the blue-shirted heroes
  • My guest wants to be the McCoy of her generation, minus the grumpiness
  • The Nursing School Dean definitely thinks Stephanie is cool
  • Much like Nog, my guest had to go against her family’s wishes
  • Steph has PTSD due to her family’s abusive history with her
  • My guest only saw a doctor once in her entire youth
  • Star Trek raised my guest
  • Stephanie stans Rom
  • “Star Trek has got my back,” says Steph
  • Trek raised my guest
  • My interview with Jenée Fowler, who escaped a cult by watching Star Trek
  • My guest was a hospital nurse when COVID-19 hit
  • Steph was Jake
  • My guest talks about what it was like as a nurse to make life or death decisions under limited time with very sick patients during the Pandemic
  • Stephanie describes how death may occur from COVID-19
  • A harrowing tale about one night when there were too many patients who needed a limited number of ICU beds
  • Once again, Star Trek to the rescue
  • My guest cannot rewatch the episode
  • Stephanie is in treatment for her PTSD from working as a COVID nurse
  • Star Trek has been the bestest of friends for my guest
  • Honorary Star Trek title awarded: Medical Researcher at the Central Hospital of Altair IV
  • From the Bonus Material
    • Starbase 118 play by email RPG
    • Discussion about Poutine and BC, Canada
    • Apologies for peak Star Trek life
    • Title controversies
    • Questions are permitted
    • Podcasting Extravaganza is 10 hours and 3 parts
    • Hockey talk
    • Stephanie wonders why she picked Spock’s Brain
    • Post-recording wrap-up
      • What is lettuce, anyway?
    • Podcasting time lag is real
    • John opines on A+ Trek Profiles content
    • Star Trek Cruise
    • Thank you, Steph

Episodes Discussed

  • Doctor’s Orders (Novel)
  • Killing Time (Novel)
  • A Stitch in Time (Novel)
  • Wrath of Khan (Movie)
  • Generations (Movie)
  • Spock’s Brain TOS S3E01
  • The Devil in the Dark TOS S1E26
  • Miri TOS S1E08
  • Facets DS9 S3E25
  • Nor the Battle to the Strong DS9 S5E04
  • It’s Only a Paper Moon DS9 S7E10
Stephanie at Nursing School Graduation wearing her Star Trek Delta pin

Connect

Support

This show is a labor of love. If you’d like to show your support for Trek Profiles, please consider a donation to the official charity of the podcast: The Children’s Fund for Glycogen Storage Disease (GSD). Click here to donate. Or click here to learn more about GSD.

Would you like to write some Kobayashi Maru lightning round questions? If you’d like to submit some for possible inclusion on the show, you can send me a message via Twitter or email me. I give some suggestions on good questions here.

Acknowledgements