Emily Malina says she has watched each episode of “Star Trek” about 200 times.

“Star Trek” has a special place in Malina’s heart — she grew up watching the show with her father, who died six years ago.

“When someone special dies, there’s really nothing you can do about it to make it better, but ‘Star Trek’ was something I could watch when I missed him,” said Malina, a junior international relations and public relations dual major. “It’s something we did together since before I could remember.”

When Leonard Nimoy, the actor who played the role of Mr. Spock in “Star Trek,” died in February, Malina said she felt sad because it marked the end of an era.

“I felt like another piece of my dad also went,” Malina said.

Like Malina, her father grew up watching “Star Trek.” She said one reason they both loved the show was because of the characters’ unity, teamwork and how they overcome their differences.

“It was really before its time. It was a group of diverse people working toward a common goal,” Malina said.

For Malina, this theme had a real significance in her life because it was one of the first times she saw different cultures come together.

Malina met Nimoy at a Star Trek convention meet-and-greet four years ago. She snuck a photo of her dad into the meet-and-greet because she wanted Nimoy to understand what “Star Trek” meant to her dad.

“Oh my god, his voice is actually as epic in real life as it is in the movies,” she said.

Malina told Nimoy that “Star Trek” helped her get through the most painful time in her life. Right before the picture of Nimoy and Malina was taken, he held up the photo of her father, so that the three of them were all in the picture.

The day after Nimoy’s death, after eating breakfast, Malina opened a fortune cookie that read, “Prosperity is in your fortune.” It reminded her of Mr. Spock’s iconic saying — “Live long and prosper.”

Published on March 16, 2015 at 12:01 am

Contact Alex: aerdekia@syr.edu