“Spocking”

By: Bella Dalba

Believe it or not, Canadians are actually doing something awesome: in honor of the late acting legend Leonard Nimoy, they are reviving the practice of immortalizing him through “Spocking” Canadian five dollar bills, or drawing features on top of the image of Canada's seventh Prime Minister, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, to transform him into the likeness of Mr. Spock. However, turning the Frenchman into the half-Vulcan, half-human Star Trek character is nothing new: After the death of the much respected Leonard Nimoy, Spocking has become an international trend.
“This ingenious idea really reflects the impact that Leonard Nimoy had on the world. He was the crusader of the nerds: he made it possible for geek to become mainstream,” says Dominic Dalba, a junior at Seckman High School. “Most actors who land an iconic role spend the rest of their life avoiding everything associated with that character. Nimoy was different. He relished in the role, and never tried to avoid being connected with his Vulcan counterpart. He was just as much a fan as the rest of us.”
        Canada’s central bank, however, is not as enamoured as the rest of the world. “There are important reasons why it should not be done,” says bank spokeswoman Josianne Menard. “The Bank of Canada feels that writing and markings on bank notes are inappropriate as they are a symbol of our country and a source of national pride; it’s completely illogical, as Spock would say.”
“Completely illogical? I completely disagree,” argued Ryan Bettlach, an SHS senior. “It’s not like this is exclusive to Canada. People draw all kinds of things on their money: that’s just something that they do.”
Menard estimates that defaced bills will not remain in circulation for as long as they were intended, and banks fear that retail establishments may stop accepting them entirely: "Writing on a bank note may interfere with the security features and reduces its lifespan. Markings on a note may also prevent it from being accepted in a transaction."
As such, the government has asked citizens to merely respect their request, although it is not currently illegal to deface or even mutilate banknotes. Some Canadians agree, saying that defacing the face of Laurier is disrespectful to the memory of the former Prime Minister, who ranks among the most popular PMs in history.
        On the other hand, there are several groups promoting the Spocking of Canadian five spots, encouraging the growing movement on Twitter to draw on the Canadian currency and then post a photo of it to social media. Honestly, the practice is highly creative, and, given the unfortunate passing of Leonard Nimoy, it seems like a fitting way to remember one of pop culture's most memorable icons.