NORTH BRUNSWICK — The USS Avenger, a longtime science fiction fan association based in central New Jersey, will celebrate its 25th anniversary this year.
The “Star Trek”-based group will hold a silver commemoration May 15 at the Pines Manor in Edison. This comes after the Avenger was born out of a conflict with a different chapter in June 1985, when officials from Starfleet, the International Star Trek Fan Association Inc., allowed about 20 members to create their own chapter.
“From the time I was old enough to understand what it was, I had been hugely interested in outer space … and when I first started getting into ‘Star Trek,’ I was like, ‘Wow, it’s a really, really cool show about outer space,’” said Alex Rosenzweig, a North Brunswick resident who is one of the founding members of the Avenger.
Now there are about 30 members of the Avenger hailing from Middlesex, Somerset and Mercer counties, one group out of five in the state and one of about 40 from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., in the mid-Atlantic region.
Locally, the Avenger meets at the North Brunswick Public Library, 880 Hermann Road, on the second Sunday of each month. “Star Trek” entertainment such as the television show, the movies and the books are naturally discussed, from the fantasy realm to the allegories expressed about modernday events.
“Because they slapped on some extra makeup to make them look like aliens … in the science fiction veil they could make some suggestions about what is acceptable and what is not,” said Todd Brugmans, the chapter’s vice president. “Every incarnation of ‘Star Trek’ has had an underlying tolerance between characters … a mutual respect despite their background … and this universe in which people have the capacity to understand and tolerate one another rather than live with prejudices and fears.”
The group members also focus on “Star Trek” spin-offs, the science fiction genre in general, the Starfleet organization, real-life and fictional technology, and real-world science.
“Largely, it’s an opportunity for us to get together and discuss what we have seen recently in the sci-fi genre,” said Brugmans, of Warren Township.
The Avenger members also participate in their own writing exercise in which they create their own stories set in the fictional representation of the Avenger ship.
The group members have gone to museums, the Liberty Science Center, Renaissance fairs, and the movies “to stretch the mind,” according to Brugmans.
The members also visit a convention just outside of Baltimore, Md., twice each year, and about four more elsewhere. They have met several of the actors there, such as Leslie Nielson, Ernest Borgnine and Mark Shepherd.
They have also developed semi-personal relationships with the people involved with “Star Trek,” such as when Shepherd joined a discussion with Rosenzweig and his friends about education, constitutional law, the challenges teachers face, and child rearing. Or when an actor from the “Stargate” spin-off grabbed a guitar and led an impromptu singalong in a hotel lobby. Or when Rosenzweig was able to speak directly with and continue corresponding with costume director Robert Fletcher. Or when Rosenzweig was commissioned by an editor to write a book.
“You get a sense that the stars are often as affected by it as the fans are,” Rosenzweig said.
“What’s unique about science fiction, as a fan-hood, is it allows actors to interact firsthand with groups of people they inspired,” Brugmans said.
The USS Avenger also participates in charitable causes, such as the Polar Bear Plunge for the Special Olympics and walks for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Although the Internet has changed the course of communication, the Avenger members still believe that interpersonal communication is key.
The members believe that the appeal of “Star Trek,” and thus the longevity of the Avenger chapter, has endured because of the multiple levels of storytelling and the appeal of the fantasy aspect, as well as the relationships that have developed.
“I enjoy the portrayal of the future and going out into outer space, and the adventures that they had,” said Judith Waidlich, of Linden, who is the chapter’s current chairperson. “I’m really looking forward to the party. … It’s going to be another fun evening among many we’ve enjoyed.”
“If you told me in 1985 that we’d still be here and having fun in 2010, I would have thought you a bit crazy, but here we are,” Rosenzweig said. “It’s been a great ride, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I’ve made many of my best friends through this club. … It has been an adventure in every sense of the word.”
For more information about the organization, the chapter or the anniversary, visit www.ussavenger.org.
Contact Jennifer Amato at [email protected].