I have a better understanding of the sci-fi genre over all since the beginning of this semester. That being said I probably was not as skeptical as some students in the class because I had been exposed as a child. I really liked Star Wars growing up and then was further exposed in high school when we read books such as A Brave New World and Fahrenheit 451. I really enjoyed the stories of made up/futuristic societies or worlds. I think my idea of what can be considered science fiction has changed but more specifically my views on Star Trek has changed. I had never seen an episode or even a clip of Star Trek prior to this semester. I think Star Trek is hated by a lot of people that have never even seen it. Star Trek is a lot better than I expected it to be. The cool thing about Star Trek and Science Fiction in general is that it is usually providing criticism on a culture or society in general–this is very important because human kind always needs to strive to get better. I think my view of Science Fiction before this semester was that it was anything that is futuristic. Since then I’ve learn that it also needs to offer technological advancements to be considered science fiction. It can also show utopian or dystopian societies in order to show what is wrong with society and often give a look into certain solutions to these problems.
In conclusion, my views and understanding of science fiction has definitely change over this semester.
Brian's Log 
Brian, I agree with your thought that your views of Star Trek have changed over the course of the semester. Unlike you however, I was one of the more skeptical students going into this class when I first heard about the theme. Though my dad watched Star Trek a lot when I grew up, he never tried to get me interested in it. I too really enjoy how Star Trek bases their ideas off of real world issues, which is the main reason I got more interested in this genre. Before this class, I viewed Star Trek as just a very scientific TV show that only people who were interested in science immensely watched. This thought changed when I realized how many other topics were discussed in various episodes. I also did not give Star Trek a chance when even first assigned an episode to watch in the class. I sat there with a preconceived notion about the show which caused me to not get into the first episode we had to watch at all. When discussing how much cultural commentary this show brings and everything else it has to offer however, the show grew on me.
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I agree with the fact that this semester has allowed us to understand Science Fiction overall. I was actually a little skeptical when it came to it in the class since throughout my life I have not really been the biggest science fiction fan. During my childhood I was also exposed to it as you were with different Star Wars films, and the Star Wars films I do enjoy compared to the Star Trek series. I had never seen Star Trek prior to this semester and I also found it interesting the criticism it provides for certain issues in society aside from it being a futuristic and fictional program. It was interesting to see the different things that Star Trek episodes offer because they give the viewer a different perspective on some issues that might be going on in society like for example race or homosexuality. My understanding of science fiction definitely did change as we watched more episodes and the semester went on.
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