CHANCELLOR PICARD?

The other day, I was purusing the HUDDERSFIELD DAILY EXAMINER (for reasons too complicated to explain) and noticed an article about the illumination of the Huddersfield town Christmas Lights. 


For those unfamiliar with the British landscape, Huddersfield (pronounced 'Uddersfield in the local patois) is a large market town for the surrounding, mainly agricultural area of West Yorkshire (Last Of The Summer Wine country).


The picture that went with the story in the EXAMINER showed a remarkably familiar face. But the caption identified the fellow as "Chancellor of Huddersfield University".

"Naw! Couldn't be!" I thought. But I was wrong.

It was Patrick Stewart, better known to the Next Generation of Star Trek fans as Captain Jean-Luc Picard.

So, how is it that the genial commander of the Enterprise came to take on his new mission as the ceremonial leader of a crew of 20,000 young cadets? Could it have been his experience teaching at the Star Fleet Academy?

Whatever the case, his new enterprise began in 2003, when he was asked to replace outgoing Chancellor, Sir Earnest Hall.

But why Stewart?

Well, after all, he was born in the nearby village of Mirfield (a tiny place with a population smaller than the University's enrollment). And once a Yorkshireman, always a Yorkshireman, I suppose.

The University recently announced the creation of a BA degree program in "Enterprise Development", but it doesn't have anything to do with construction or maintenance of starships. And the program wasn't Stewart's idea, anyway. 


I couldn't find any courses that bore the good Captain's influence. And, as far as I know, there are no plans to teach "Klingon As A Second Language".


In fact, aside from seeing a familiar face on the podium at graduation, students at Huddersfield U. can expect things to remain pretty much the same.


Although I wouldn't be at all surprised if, when they come to accept their academic degrees, the Chancellor didn't look them straight in the eye and say, "Make it so!"