LV Life

Trekkers beamed into Monday Holy Hour

Sitting around Elena Cardeña, Catholic campus minister (center), are some regulars at the Holy Hour Coffee House (left to right), sophomore Sara Rodriguez, junior Maria Esqueda, senior Juan Pablo Miramontes and freshman Valancy Rasmussen. / photo by Brian Murphy
Sitting around Elena Cardeña, Catholic campus minister (center), are some regulars at the Holy Hour Coffee House (left to right), sophomore Sara Rodriguez, junior Maria Esqueda, senior Juan Pablo Miramontes and freshman Valancy Rasmussen. / photo by Brian Murphy

by Letty Fregoso
Staff Writer

For many people, Monday nights seem to be a pain, but for others one hour of that night is holy. At 8 p.m., “Star Trek: Voyager” comes on.

Elena Cardeña, Catholic campus minister, started the Holy Hour Coffee House three weeks ago, and so far she has had a good student turnout.

It is “an informal get-together for people to get a hot cup of coffee,” said Cardeña. It is held at the University Chapel every Monday at 7 p.m. “The first hour we play games like dominoes and cards, the second hour we turn on the TV to watch ‘Star Trek.’”

She said the name holds special significance for her. “It’s named Holy Hour because when I was young, my friends and I would watch ‘Star Trek’ and we knew not to call each other while ‘Star Trek’ was on, it was like a holy hour for ‘Star Trek,’” said Cardeña. “I figured I would combine ‘Star Trek’ and Mondays and have an alternative hangout until 10,” she said.

So far, Cardeña has provided coffee, cappuccino, cookies and music along with a TV to watch the program. She said, however, that when the coffee and the cookies start running low she is going to set out a donation basket. The money from donations will go toward buying more coffee and cookies.

Cardeña does not have a schedule for when people should arrive. She said, “People just show and anything can happen. I know there will be some nights where it’s just going to be me, and I know there will be other nights where there may be more people than the previous Monday,” said Cardeña. “It’s just a risk you have to take.”

She said that some students go to Holy Hour to get away from annoying roommates, others go because they are ‘Star Trek’ fans and some like to have a hot cup of coffee at night. “It’s a little bit of an addiction, coffee and ‘Star Trek,’” said Cardeña, laughing.

Of course there are others who do not like “Star Trek: Voyager,” and, according to Cardeña, one student told her, “Raza don’t Trek,” meaning that some Latinos do not like the show.

“It’s too early to know if the Holy Hour Coffee House will last. We’ll see how it goes in the semester. If it doesn’t fly, it doesn’t fly,” said Cardeña.

The Holy Hour Coffee House is for anyone who is in the mood to relax for a few hours with a couple of friends and perhaps make some new ones. Cardeña said that one of the reasons why she decided to do this was for students to have somewhere to go after class.

“Anyone is welcome to hang out. They don’t have to like ‘Star Trek’ to come,” she said.

Since Cardeña is a Trekker herself, she makes sure that the TV is on at 8 p.m. sharp. As she put it, “We Trekkies have to stick together.”

Cardeña sets the mood in the Chapel with candles, soft music, hot cup of coffee and, of course, “Star Trek: Voyager.”

Letty Fregoso
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Brian Murphy
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