Avion Issue 4 Spring 2015

| Issue 4 | Volume 143 | Tuesday, February 10, 2015 | theavion.com |

Astronaut, ERAU Alumna Nicole Stott Skypes Class

Trey Henderson/The Avion Newspaper The aging john Paul Riddle Student Center, originally built over 40 years ago, awaits its eventual fate of destruction as the University moves forward with plans to construct a new Student Union in the coming years.

Speak your Mind.

Influence the Future.

André Prescott SGA President

Jack Taylor/The Avion Newspaper Troy Henderson’s Space Mechanics students look on as astronaut Nicole Stott speaks to them via Skype about the experiences of being on the International Space Station.

Himani Parekh Staff Reporter What is the best way to inspire college-aged students? Skype call someone in the industry working the dream job.

For example, an astronaut.

That is exactly what an AE313 Space Mechanics class did on Friday, Feb. 6. With a room full of Aerospace Engineering students, some of whom were not actual members of that class, professor Troy Henderson “skyped” NASA astronaut and Embry-Riddle Alumna Nicole Stott. A 1987 Aeronautical Engineering graduate, Stott began working for NASA in 1988 and joined the Astronaut Office in 2000. In 2009, Stott completed a 91-day mission on the International Space Station (ISS), flying Space Shuttle Atlantis’s last mission.

Sitting in front of a slide show of images, Stott talked about her path to becoming and her experiences as an astronaut.

The first image was of a sunset from space, chosen because it “reminds [Stott] what it’s like in space.” Stott explained the images do not do justice to the surreal beauty of seeing Earth from space, seeing the glow of the atmosphere and the textures of the land, the swirling weather systems and bolts of lightening illuminating the half in night. “It’s like it’s alive,” Stott said of the Earth. “I just used a big zoom lens and looked for things that were beautiful.”

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The time we have all been waiting for has finally arrived!

The new Student Union Center has been a topic of conversation for many years now, and students have been paying $150 every semester for the project since 2005.

If you ever find yourself visiting major Universities around the country, you will see the heart of the campus typically lies in the Student Union. In there you will find special attractions such as gaming rooms, movie theatres or event space. You will see a wide array of dining options, leisure space or even bars. What we have right now is a cafeteria that serves as our event space in the evenings, which simply falls short of what this community needs.

Embry-Riddle, thanks to its incredible reputation in the aerospace industry and high-end academic programs, has been very successful in bringing in talented, hard-working men and women of all ages from all over the world.

As the President of the Student Government Association (SGA), I am proud to consider myself as an Embry-Riddle Eagle. The reality, however, is that our University has struggled with the fundamental idea of school spirit. Our students work very hard in order to achieve their dreams of becoming engineers, pilots, meteorologists or even astronauts – so hard that we sometimes forget to have fun.

When prospective students seek out their options for higher education, they often feel like they have to choose between having the best academic and professional background or the best college experience. With everything our campus has and the opportuni-

ties our institution’s future has in store, I firmly believe that Embry-Riddle can offer both. One way we can work towards making that self-evident is by ensuring that the new Student Union promotes the school spirit our students need.

Over the past few years, the consensus has been that the Student Union would be a 220,000 square foot building, which is over 1.5 times the size of our new College of Arts and Sciences. Based on the market and cost per square footage, it was calculated that in order to stay within the $70 million budget the building would have to decrease in size or the budget would have to increase. What this means is that a very careful look is being taken at determining what needs to go in the building.

As a student, you now have the opportunity to have your voice be heard. This Thursday, February 12th from noon to 4:00 PM in the Henderson Welcome Center students, faculty and staff

are invited to meet the University’s Master Planners, the Student Union architects and the upcoming Residence Hall architects. You will have the opportunity to speak directly with these contractors and influence how this campus will look for the next 30 to 50 years.

What you say will impact the next generation of Embry-Riddle Eagles and will affect your experience when you come back as an alumnus. As your SGA President, I have done everything in my power to faithfully represent the student body towards administration, but there is only so much I can do alone. This is why it is essential for you to find some time between noon and 4 PM this Thursday and have your voice be heard. Do you want this building to be everything our campus needs? Do you have an idea no one else has thought of?

Now is your chance!

I hope to see you on Thursday – GO EAGLES!

Master Planning

OPEN HOUSE Thursday, February 12 Noon - 4:00 p.m.

Henderson Ballroom A Let your voice be heard! All students, faculty, and staff are invited to meet the University’s Master Planners, Student Union architects, and the Residence Hall architects. We welcome questions and feedback regarding the current plans and proposed designs.

Light refreshments available

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The Avion

Executive Board Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor News Editor Business Manager Photography Editor Advertising Manager

Trey Henderson Micah Knight Andy Lichtenstein Michael Nisip Jack Taylor Elizabeth Worsham

Page Editors Front Editor Campus Editor SGA Editor Travel Editor I&T Editor Sports Editor Comics Editor Copy Editor

Trey Henderson Bryan Rallet Micah Knight Zach Wilkinson Andy Lichtenstein Trey Henderson Jack Taylor Shemar Alexander Michael Nisip Elizabeth Worsham

Staff Contributors Reporters

Photographers

Himani Parekh Mike Shekari Cassandra Vella Shemar Alexander Himani Parekh Shemar Alexander

Correspondents Staff Advisor Wesley Lewis, Asst. Director, Media & Marketing

Contact Information Main Phone: (386) 226-6049 Ad Manager: (386) 226-7697 Fax Number: (386) 226-6727 Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor News Editor Business Manager Photography Editor Advertising Manager

editor@theavion.com managing@theavion.com news@theavion.com business@theavion.com photo@theavion.com advertising@theavion.com

Website: theavion.com

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•TheDayAviator's Devotional• 1: Soaring with the Eagles Brought to you by the Center for Faith and Spirituality We who fly are blessed with a perception that few others have. We have a rare escape from the confines of the world’s troubles and pressures. We can rise above it all and view things from a vantage that just seems to bring all concerns into perspective.

The journey of life often requires us to walk through deep valleys where we get caught up in the pains and frustrations that are inevitable. We become engulfed and entangled because we cannot see beyond the issues at hand. We can soon lose our will to fight life’s recurring battles.

Several days after my first Air Force deployment overseas, I began questioning my reasons for being there.

I was feeling awfully homesick for my family. Then, I was assigned a mission that took me across the awesome Alps. What a takeyour -breath-away sight! I was overwhelmed by the blessing of living among the first generations of mankind to see such wonder from high above the snowcapped, razor sharp peaks.

It awakened my spirit. My wife, Linda, and I flew over

the grandiose scene again just a few months before this writing. The ageless panorama never ceases to renew my perspective of what life is all about.

Our view of the earth from the skies, high above the fray, is refreshing and reminds us of the relative insignificance of our worries. We can see our fate a little closer to the way God sees it. The majesty and glory of God’s awesome creation— the beauty of His handiwork— helps us realize that His plan for us is much bigger than our present strife. The moments of feasting on the “big picture” view from thousands of feet in the air are a gift from God to His special aviators. It is a healing opportunity that has only been given to the last few generations. Even though we are speeding along at 100 knots to 500 knots with constant crackle from the radios, there is a stillness — a quietness— that sooths our souls as the world passes by in slow motion.

We are allowed to see the sun rise before anyone else and the sun set after everyone else, both unrestricted

by the interferences of natural and man-made obstructions. We see the horizons that no one else sees. A thousand ponds and lakes, the tops of the mountains , the meanderings of the rivers, the endless shades of greens and browns, all testify that our troubles are so small compared to God’s greatness. Our release from the bonds of earth to experience the expanse of our habitat simply reminds us that we can overcome anything in partnership with the maker of it all. We can do everything through the Lord who gives us strength (Philippians 4: 13).

The World War II Royal Canadian Air Force pilot John Gillespie Magee, Jr. recognized this spiritual connection as he penned his famous poem, High Flight (Bottom).

No one else can touch the face of God and relate to Him in the extraordinary way that has been reserved for the aviator.

I believe God wants us to use this unique advantage of flight to draw ourselves closer to Him and to enjoy more of the true abundance of life that is ours.

The next time you are airborne , take a moment to just soak in the indescribable scene in your windscreen. Then relate all that is there to your cares vand struggles. It will probably cause you to reassess your worries, readjust your focus, and reenergize your efforts to work through the difficulties. What a great God we serve! …but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary , they will walk and not be faint.

(Isaiah 40: 31) Be still, and know that I am God. (Psalm 46: 10) Thompson, Terry (2013-12-19). The Aviator's Devotional (Kindle Locations 75-109). Kindle Edition. Printed with authors' permission The Aviator’s Devotional was written by Terry Thompson, who is glad that we are sharing his work with our community. (For additional information, visit www. bountypublishers.com.)

“Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-split clouds— and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of— wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there, I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air.

Up, up the long, delirious burning blue I’ve trod The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.” “Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth

The Avion is produced weekly during the fall and spring term, and bi-weekly during summer terms. The Avion is produced by a volunteer student staff. Student editors make all content, business and editorial decisions. The editorial opinions expressed in The Avion are solely the opinion of the undersigned writer(s), and not those of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the Student Government Association, The Avion, or the student body. Letters appearing in The Avion are those of the writer, identified at the end of the letter. Opinions expressed in the “Student Government” and “Student Life” sections are those of the identified writer. Letters may be submitted to The Avion for publication, provided they are not lewd, obscene or libelous. Letter writers must confine themselves to less than 800 words. Letters may be edited for brevity and formatted to newspaper guidelines. All letters must be signed. Names may be withheld at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief.

The Avion is an open forum for student expression. The Avion is a division of the Student Government Association. The Avion is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press. The costs of this publication are paid by the Student Government Association and through advertising fees.

The Avion distributes one free copy per person. Additional copies are $0.75. Theft of newspapers is a crime, and is subject to prosecution and Embry-Riddle judicial action. This newspaper and its contents are protected by United States copyright law. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, in print or electronically, without the expressed written consent of The Avion. Correspondence may be addressed to: The Avion Newspaper, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, 600 S. Clyde Morris Blvd., Daytona Beach, Florida 32114. Physical office: John Paul Riddle Student Center, Room 110. Phone: (386) 226-6049. Fax: (386) 226-6727.

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-split clouds— and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of— wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there, I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air.

Up, up the long, delirious burning blue I’ve trod The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.” Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons John Gillespie Magee, Jr.'s famous poem, High Flight (Top)

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Astronaut Skypes In Continued from A1 >> Not that the astronauts on board the ISS had massive amounts of time to stare out the window, Stott conveyed they would have been quite content to do just that.

Every day on the ISS was comprised of maintenance tasks, science tasks, preparation for space walks, and sometimes outreach activities, with very little free time, most of it just before or after

sleeping. The ISS is mostly a massive laboratory, a collection of science experiments ranging from biology (osteoporosis, plant growth, cardiovascular changes in astronauts) to propulsion. In space, Stott explained, fuel combusts perfectly, allowing astronauts to study every stage of the process. There are over 100 research activities on any given day. All the electricity to run this space lab comes from solar panels.

Stott also talked about the unique experience of living in space. “Where else can you sleep on your own

ceiling?” Adjusting to the lack of a definite down was strange, although readjusting to it upon return was even stranger. One of the physical therapy exercises for returning astronauts involves jumping over small “Barbie doll” cones, a task that seems impossible to a mind accustomed to zero gravity. Fortunately, special exercise equipment developed for the astronauts allows them to prevent the muscle and bone decay that would otherwise take place in the absence of gravity.

In response to a student’s

question during the Q and A, Stott described the smell of the ISS as “pretty benign,” like a clean, air-conditioned room. She did mention that, due to the differences in materials used in the structure and the food, the Russian portions and US portions of the ISS smelled distinct enough that they could be identified by smell alone.

When another student asked what the most exciting thing about ISS space mission was, Stott mentioned the beauty of the international partnership involved with the ISS. The

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The Avion crew on board during her mission was comprised of astronauts from the US, Russia, England, Japan, and Canada, all working together as an integrated crew.

Talking about her own path to becoming an astronaut, Stott explained that “there’s not just one path.”

At Kennedy Space Center, her fellow astronaut trainees included a medical doctor, a geophysicist, an oceanographer, and a test pilot. One of the images in the slide show was of a small AE421 detail design class from 1987: a collection of boys and one

girl with poofy, 80’s style hair. “I was the only girl in that class, which was really fun,” Stott said. More recent images upon her return to Earth show her husband and son; Stott is not only a successful engineer and astronaut but also a wife and mom. She is the proof that one can indeed live her or his dreams through excellence and dedication.

The astronaut Skype session was an exciting view into the dream job of so many Embry-Riddle students and source of inspiration and motivation.

Eagle Battalion Ranger Challenge: Lead the Way Mike Shekari Staff Reporter In the Army ROTC ‘Eagle Battalion’ unit here at Embry-Riddle, there is an elite group of cadets who participate in the Ranger Challenge.

According the C/MAJ Daniel Jentz, the officer in charge of the Embry-Riddle Ranger Challenge team one, the Ranger Challenge is often considered ROTC’s equivalent

to a varsity sport. Members practice skills based on military doctrine and training one. Their events are completely unlike that of any other sport, which normally include ruck marches with thirty to forty pounds of equipment on their backs, land navigation, rifle marksmanship, and the one rope bridge.

Becoming a member of this group is extremely difficult; during the fall

tryout period last semester approximately 50 people tried to join, and only 22 remained after a series of extremely difficult physical challenges. The individuals who made the cut during the selection process were organized into two teams. Team one consists of: Daniel Jentz, Jonathon Skoloda, Luis-Alfredo Occhiuzz, Christopher Williams, Cloe-Marie Mora, Edward Forman, Austin Gerlach,

Maria Frank (Stetson University), Christopher Peer (Stetson University), Jonathon Melgar-Roca and Andrew Kieth. Team Two consists of: Carlos Giraldo, Jorge Vargas, Daniel Ochoa, Raydon Brown (Bethune-Cookman University), Brandon Roa, Erica Schneider (Stetson University), Robert Baird, Wesley Stackhouse, Myles Marken (Stetson University) and Philip Federico.

Recently, the teams

returned from the ROTC 6th Brigade Ranger Challenge competition which includes units from Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. According to C/ MAJ Jentz there were 56 teams at the event with a total of around 600 cadets participating. This year, both Team One and Team Two performed extremely well, placing in first and thirteenth places respect-

fully. This is the first time since 2001 that a team from Embry-Riddle has placed first in the Sixth Brigade competition.

Because of Team one’s stellar performance, they will be moving on to the international competition in Sandhurst, NY in April. This will include teams from the United States service academies, Canada, Germany, Australia, Afghanistan, and others.

10 SGA The Environmental Awareness Committee Page

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Chien Ming Tan EAC Chairperson The environment is an important part of our society whether we like it or not. We can only ignore the effect of environmental degradation for so long before it starts becoming too serious. By then, however, it may be too late to turn back. Many people have a very narrow-minded mentality that they are just one person among billions, and changing his or her actions will not do any significant good to the environment. It is precisely this mentality that has led to the continuing degradation of the environment that is slowly going down a slippery slope toward a disastrous future from which we can never turn back.

Is the world doing enough? No, definitely not.

Is America doing enough?

No, probably not. Is Florida doing enough? No, most likely not. Is ERAU doing enough? No, we are not. Can we do more? Yes,

we can! Saving the environment starts with you and me. So let us start protecting the Earth, which is probably the only source of life within light-years of our solar system. Without nature, we would not even exist. Let us do our part to make sure that this world can support the millions of generations after us.

“Where can I start?” You ask? Right here, at the EAC in ERAU. The Environmental Awareness Committee (EAC) is a Committee of the Student Representative Board in the Student Government Association.

There are many initiatives and activities in store for this semester organized by the EAC that not only help to increase environmental awareness, but also help to beautify the campus and reduce our carbon footprint on the Earth. The events for this semester are First Fridays, Adopt-a-Road, Adopt-a-Plant, Adopt-abed, Earth Day, and Beach Cleanup. The initiatives to look out for on campus are

The Green Campaign, as well as The Green Corner.

First Fridays is a recurring event that falls on the first Friday of every month.

The event involves volunteers like you and me picking up rubber gloves and recycled plastic bags from the SGA office and roaming the campus picking up trash and cleaning up the vicinity. At the end of the event, volunteers are even rewarded with an incentive (usually a meal voucher).

Adopt-a-Road is an event where the EAC organizes a trip to ERAU’s adopted road, the Bellevue Extension behind the airport and picks up trash in an attempt to clean up the road section that we adopted. This event is a chance to not only clean up the roads, but also to send a message to the general public that ERAU cares about the environment. This event will be held on the March 27, so keep a lookout for our on-campus ads!

Earth Day is April 22, and will be a day where we

commemorate everything that our Earth has given us, which is basically everything that we have ever had and ever will have. On this day, we will be combining the Adopt-a-Plant and Beach Cleanup events.

Adopt-a-Plant is an event where the EAC gives out plants to everyone interested to encourage participants to learn how to take care of another living thing, and to appreciate the value and beauty of nature.

At the Beach Cleanup is pretty much self-explanatory, the EAC will take volunteers down to the beach armed with handy rubber gloves and trash bags. The cleanup event will only last for an hour, so we are not expecting to clean up the whole East Coast of Florida.

After that, we can all hit a beachside pub or restaurant to spend the cash voucher that we will be giving out as a reward.

Adopt-a-Bed is an ongoing event/initiative that the EAC has organized that involves various clubs and

Get to Know your SGA Jack Taylor

Photo Editor, The Avion Newspaper Junior, Aerospace Engineering The man, the myth, the legend. Nearly everything you have heard about me is true. Bear wrestling, air bending, and photography are just a few of my hobbies. My title in the SGA comes from my position in the Avion Newspaper. As photo editor, I manage the Avion’s photographers and orchestrate the distribution of gear so events on and off campus receive coverage. I also try to cover as many events as I can, especially rocket launches and sports. I’m studying aerospace engineering and hope to work for the private space industry, save SpaceX. I’m from the deserts of Tucson Arizona, and spend almost all of my free time taking pictures and making time-lapse videos. After I retire from engineering I will move to New Zealand, become an adventure photographer, and continue to travel the world.

organizations on campus to adopt a flowerbed on campus and take care of it. This earns the clubs and organizations the right to put their name in front of the flowerbed and claim ownership of their handiwork.

The Green Campaign is a new initiative from the EAC that aims to increase environmental awareness on campus and help students develop more green habits.

The campaign will involve the installation of some controversial pictures and questions that would make people think about the environment. It would also involve inviting a speaker to come to our school to give a speech on the importance of environmental awareness. The Green Corner is also a new initiative by the EAC, which can be tied in with the Green Campaign.

This initiative aims to make recycling easier by increasing the number of recycling bins on campus and creating a “Green Corner” in the Student Center which will be home to multiple recy-

cling bins and a shelf for reusable cardboard boxes.

Anyone with unwanted boxes can deposit them there, and anyone wanting cardboard or a box to send out a package can just pick one up from the green corner and save money, time, and the environment.

The EAC meets every Thursday at 6 p.m. in the SGA Conference room, and it is a meeting that is open to all members of the school, so please drop by and say hello if you can.

Also, if you cannot make it to the meeting, your suggestions are always welcome at the SGA office.

Or if you see any of our friendly committee members (Lawrence Duncan, Gasper Hrescak, Alonzo Sweet, Christopher Giovanetty, Tan Chien Ming), don’t hesitate to share your ideas with us. This semester is packed with events and things to look out for from the EAC, so keep your eyes open and always remember to reuse, reduce, and recycle.

Top 10 Reasons to Live on Campus Gretchen Krantz SGA Representative Before you know, it will be time to decide where you are going to live next year. As a freshman, especially, this time brings about the increasingly difficult choice of whether or not to live on-campus, off-campus or in that lovely hybrid called Chanute Complex.

To help you ease your pain of deciding where to stay, we have compiled a list of the top 10 reasons to live on Campus: 1. You can wake up 15 minutes before class and still make it to class on time; 5 minutes if you live in Apollo or ride your bicycle.

2. You only have to worry about finding a parking spot when you go out, not every day.

3. Chick-Fil-A and Starbucks are only a quick 5 minute walk away.

4.

Your Resident Advisors host events with free food!

5. You never have to go “back to school” for an

organizational meeting in the afternoon or evening 6. You can be in the Library as late as you want, and then have Night Flight drive you back to your hall.

7. You can take as long of showers as you want without raising your utility bill.

8. You don’t have to replace your own light bulbs or air filters.

9. You can easily find someone who is in the same class with you at all hours of the day.

10. Students who live on campus are statistically more likely to get involved in the University and its organizations.

11. Why not?

If you are interested in living on campus, apply for Housing through your ERNIE account, under the Student Services tab.

Applications are open from Feb. 4th until Feb. 28th. If you have any questions about Housing, contact the University Housing Office at 386323-8000 or visit them in McKay 278.

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An Opportunity Lost NASA threatens shutdown of Opportunity Rover and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Cassandra Vella Staff Reporter NASA is looking to shut down the Opportunity Mars rover and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter after working long past their planned life expectancies.

The Opportunity rover reached its eleventh year on Mars on Jan. 24, 2015. The original mission launched in 2003 and had been designed to last ninety days. After working eleven years on Mars, Opportunity has been having some technical issues with its flash memory drive.

On Monday, Feb. 1, 2015, the Obama administration released their spending proposal, which did not include spending money available for the Opportunity rover.

This is to be taking place during the fiscal year starting Oct. 1, 2016. Opportunity’s mission will not be funded in the White House’s budget for 2015. Fortunately, NASA managed to find enough funding that gained the mis-

sion a two-year extension.

Back in December, Opportunity showed its eleven-year wear and tear when it stopped communicating with ground control. The non-volatile flash memory that the craft operates with overnight to store data is the issue currently concerning NASA. This flash memory has a limited capacity for how many times it can rewrite data on its flash memory setup, and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is looking to create a permanent solution. When the rover does not use its flash memory, it downloads every day’s photographs and data before the overnight mode begins.

In order to repair the mechanism, the engineers may have to tinker with the flight software of the rover.

After any damages are repaired and tested fully, the rover will be put back into some extensive testing.

If the results from the rover show its original optimal performance, the mission

could be renewed. NASA will still be working on funding the mission as it had this last year, which may keep the mission going.

Throughout January, Opportunity showed its performance was still perfectly operable without its flash memory. On Jan. 6, 2015, the rover reached the top of a fourteen-mile wide crater’s ridge, “Cape Tribulation,” and reported usual data and photographs without flash memory. The rover’s next objective is a valley that scientists have spotted minerals that may have had water exposure before from satellite images. This valley,”Marathon Valley,” got its name because Opportunity will have travelled the same length of a marathon on Mars by the time it arrives there. Opportunity has reported over twenty-six miles of driving and over 200,000 photographs on the Red Planet since its mission landed in Jan. 2004.

The Lunar Reconnaissance

Orbiter has also been cut from government spending for 2016. This craft began its mission mid-2009, and it has allowed scientists to make a greater map of the moon than any mission before it. In 2014, Opportunity had the budget of $14 million while the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter had $12.4 million.

For 2016, the budget request is allowing NASA’s planetary science division $1.4 billion.

NASA’s Spirit rover that also began its mission in 2004 had some technical issues regarding its solar panels back in 2010. The panels had been angled away from any light while it had gotten itself stuck in a sand pit during an extremely cold winter on Mars and lost its power. Some scientists believe that the cold temperatures could have damaged the rover’s equipment within the last five years and fear the worst.

NASA’s longest planned Mars mission, with the Odyssey orbiter, is set to lower

funding for 2016, and cut funding for fiscal year 2017.

All of the cuts are leading to NASA’s decisions of saving money to keep these missions going longer, or putting more money into their new spacecraft and missions with newer technology that could provide better results.

Even the NASA Spitzer Infrared Observatory has been selected to close down for not showing as much benefit for the company with its levels of results in the past few years. Government spending for Spitzer had also been cut in 2014 but, like the Opportunity rover, NASA managed to find enough funds to keep it going another year.

NASA has allowed some universities to manage some of their smaller missions and work with local facilities. For instance, California Institute of Technology manages the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA, which lowers much of the funding responsibility for NASA.

The Office of Global Engagement Announces Student and Faculty Mobility Awards to Germany Sue Macchiarella Study Abroad It has been an exciting year for ERAU the Office of Global Engagement.

The 2014-2015 school year has marked the first time that ERAU has had two students and two faculty members awarded Germany’s UAS7 Fellowships and Internships within the same academic year. The two student awardees are Andres Armijos and Felipe Garcia, both Aerospace Engineering students. The two faculty awardees are Dr. Anthony Reynolds,

Associate Professor of Physical Sciences, and Dr. Stefan Mancas, Associate Professor of Mathematics.

Andres Chavez Armijos was awarded a UAS7 internship to work alongside an international team of professors and students working in campus research laboratories and institutes. Andres worked on the development of a hybrid propelled UAV and on the design of an electrically propelled parastrike at the University of Applied Sciences in Bremen, Germany.

Felipe Garcia also

received the UAS7 internship to Bremen, Germany, where he is, currently.

During his internship, he will be working on a project called “Aircraft and Rocket Design and Systems.”

Being selected for a slot in this competitive program, both Andres and Felipe received a full-fee waiver from UAS7, as well as a travel scholarship as part of this program.

Dr. Reynolds is currently teaching Modern Physics. He is also working on a Space Mechanics Project where the students

are building an antenna to receive signals from a weather satellite and work on solving the orbital mechanics of a weather satellite. Dr. Reynolds has thoroughly enjoyed his experience in Munich and was even requested to play the part of Saint Nicolas. He says, “As a current Visiting Professor at the Munich University of Applied Sciences (MUAS), I would like to encourage you to apply to this program next year if you have the chance. Munich is a wonderful city, and the

people at Hochschule München are great - welcoming and friendly. The students are great, also.”

Following Dr. Reynolds, Dr. Stefan Mancas will begin his fellowship in February at MUAS. He was chosen because he will be developing the new Logic and Proof class, which will later be used for our curriculum for the Computational Mathematics Degree at Embry-Riddle and teaching an advanced nonlinear ODE class. Additionally, he will be conducting research with the nonlinear waves group on non-linear PDEs

with viscous effects, such as Burgers, KdV, BBM, and Fisher equations. Under this UAS7 Fellowship, both professors receive travel funds, a housing allowance, and a stipend.

You may learn more about UAS7 at www.uas7. org. If you are interested in applying for a UAS7 Fellowship or Internship Program, please stop by the Office of Global Engagement (formerly Study Abroad) on the second floor of the Student Center Annex, Room 263. Call 226-6215 or e-mail us at dbstudy@erau.edu.

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Study Abroad Announces Summer Programs Sue Macchiarella Director, Office of Global Engagement The Global Engagement Office (GEO) is excited to announce 12 summer abroad programs to choose from this year! We have some of the old favorites; we have new programs we know will be amazing and reinvented programs that offer a cutting-edge format.

Whether you are a student in the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Aviation, College of Business or the College of Engineering, there is something for you.

Undergraduate and graduate students have a wide array of “choices in courses” and locations this year!

This summer we continue the tradition of half tuition and bringing you unique and “chance-of-a-lifetime” experiences through our ERAU courses and professors. March 9, 2015 is the deadline to sign up.

Below you will find the

William C. Kusuma Int’l Student Rep. “Estonia? That’s one of them African dictatorships, right? What is a Latvia, some kind of candy bar?” These are some statements you can expect to hear from an average American. Let us just face it—American public education is not the greatest, and we are particularly weak in the geography department.

For anyone who does not know, Estonia is a small blip on the world map situated in Eastern Europe and is a former property of the Russia (formerly the USSR).

Even when we do realize that there are other countries in the world, we often come up with reasons we should curl up in our little

list of programs offered by college. Note that some programs are a collaboration between colleges so they may be listed under two colleges.

College of Arts and Sciences * Berlin Program (Paris visit) –HU363: Communication and Society: Memory & Memorialization in Berlin and EE335/336: Electrical Engineering I and Lab. Summer A. *Canary Islands, Spain - HU399: Spanish Art, Literature and Language through Universidad Europea de Canarias (Tenerife) and BA399/699: International Trade, Regulation and Competition (BA335 substitute). Summer B. * London and Paris – PS224: Astronomy and SS/ PS302 Evolution of Scientific Thought. Summer A. * Italy and Switzerland (CERN visit) – PS399: Particle Accelerators and PS399: Control Systems. Summer A.

* Siena, Italy (Florence, Pisa, and Rome) – HU199: Special Topics in Tuscan Culture and HU399: Special Topics in Philosophy and Values. Summer A.

*Homeland Security – (pick 2) HS 215: Intro to Industrial Security, HS320: Homeland Security Law and Policy, HS325: Terrorism, Origins, Ideologies and Goals, HS350:

ball of American freedom and justice and hide from the world. In the case of the Baltic States (or Estonia, in this case), they usually sound like this: 1. It’s dangerous/ poor/unstable.

Americans seem to have this notion that the world outside of the U.S. is a scary, violent place. While that’s mostly true, and you should avoid going outside at all costs, some places on earth are still safe to tread. People will tell you things like “don’t drink the water there!” and “don’t go outside alone at night!”

In reality, Eastern Europe is not very dangerous at all. Particularly, Estonia is one of the most crime-free nations in the world. Yes, you can drink the water; Estonia is renowned for its clean nature and pristine air

quality. Of course, with a population of 1.3 million—only double the population of Volusia County, and 12 times the size —the land stays relatively clean.

Ok, so maybe it is not the dirtiest or most dangerous place, but it has to be super poor right? I mean, it is a post-Soviet state. This is another false assumption that could not be further from the truth.

Despite gaining independence in 1991, which should be reason enough to have a poor economy, Estonia has become the mecca of tech startups. Skype is the cardinal example of its success.

Estonia also produces the most models per capita of any nation in the world. Still, even if it’s not everything an American would expect of a post-Soviet state, some

Intelligence Systems and Structures n HS, HS405: Emergent Topics in HS and/or HS491: Thesis in HS. Summer A. Three locations/pro-

grams to choose from: Germany, Israel, and the UK. College of Aviation *Air Traffic Management Abroad (France, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Belgium) - AT399,

AT499, and MSA599. Summer A. *Aviation Safety (UK, France, and the Netherlands) – SF399: Special Topics in European Aircraft Accident Investigation and SF399: Special Topics in International Aviation Safety Program Management. Summer A. *European Aviation Appreciation (France, Germany, Austria and England) – AS399 and a course of your choice during Summer B for half off tuition. Summer A. College of Business *Canary Islands, Spain – BA399/699: International Trade, Regulation and Competition (BA335 substitute) and HU399: Spanish Art, Literature and Language through Universidad Europea de Canarias (Tenerife). Summer B. *Great British Tour, UK – BA399/699: International Entrepreneurship or BA 318: Entrepreneurship and BA399: European Manage-

ment or BA335: International Business. Summer B. College of Engineering * Berlin Program (Paris visit) – EE335/336: Electrical Engineering I and Lab and HU363: Communication and Society: Memory & Memorialization in Berlin. Summer A. There is no better time than now to think about your future and enhancing your career goals by taking advantage of an international experience. Do not be one of those people who say that their biggest regret in college was not studying abroad.

Bring a friend, share the experience! If you are interested in any of these programs, please contact the Global Engagement Office (GEO) for more information. We are located in the Student Center Annex, room 263. You may also e-mail us at dbstudy@ erau.edu or call us at 2266215. Deadline to sign-up: March 9, 2015.

stereotypes exist for a reason. Specifically, people will tell you: 2. The people are unfriendly.

This is, unfortunately, true for most post-Soviet states. There is something about being occupied and dominated by Russians for decades that makes people suspicious of strangers—especially foreigners!

While Estonians can be as cold as the icy wasteland that they live in, they are also some of the most genuine and loyal friends a person can find. Perhaps I can not speak for every Estonian out there, but the ones I know are generous, kind, and fun-loving people with a grim sense of humor reflecting their people’s ascent from post-Soviet darkness.

This is not to say that

there are not bad Estonians out there. They are just people, after all. For example, I will never forget my first night in Estonia: I had just arrived and stored all of my belongings, and I was famished. I quickly located a candlelit pub that serves elk pies and crouched under the tiny archway of the entrance. I awkwardly pointed at the elk pie I wanted, which must have irritated the beautiful Estonian girl at the counter because she immediately scolded me in nearly perfect English.

I went home afterward, feeling embarrassed and just wanting to leave, but I quickly learned that my attitude would determine whether I had the time of my life or four months in Estonian hell.

Of course, in any place that far East you will meet your share of

angry Babushki (Russian grandmas) and continuously drunken Soviet war heroes, but do not let that minority dissuade you from experiencing the rich Estonian culture.

There are other reasons to stay away, including: 3. The miserable, frigid weather.

Estonian weather miserable, and there is no better way to put it. They handle it pretty well though.

The ice, snow, and complete lack of sunlight is no reason to avoid Estonia altogether. After all, people still choose to live in North Dakota right?

Think of Estonia as North Dakota with gorgeous women and beer that is cheaper than water. Did I mention that they produce more models per capita than any other nation in the world? What’s not to like?

Photo Courtesy: wordpress.com

Impact the future.

GOVERNMENT AGENCY AND NON-PROFIT

CAREER FAIR February 26, 2015 9:30am - 4:30pm Henderson Welcome Center

DAYT ON A BE ACH, F LORIDA CAREER SERVICES

Photo Courtesy: Jack Taylor/The Avion Newspaper

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Upcoming Games: Tuesday Baseball vs Brewton-Parker (DH)

Daytona Beach, Fla. 3 p.m & 6 p.m Women’s Tennis at Rollins

Winter Park, Fla. 4 p.m.

Women’s Basketball at Northwood

West Palm Beach, Fla. 5 p.m.

Men’s Basketball at Northwood

West Palm Beach, Fla. 7 p.m.

Wednesday No Events

Thursday Women’s Basketbal vs Southeastern

Daytona Beach, Fla. 5:30 p.m.

Men’s Basketball vs Southeastern

Daytona Beach, Fla.7:30 p.m.

Friday No Events

Saturday Men’s Tennis vs Florida Southern

Daytona Beach, Fla. 10 a.m.

Baseball at Webber International

Babson Park, Fla. 12 p.m. & 3 p.m.

Softball vs Rollins (DH)

Daytona Beach, Fla. 1 & 3 p.m.

Women’s Basketball vs St. Thomas

Daytona Beach, Fla. 5 p.m.

Men’s Basketball vs St. Thomas

Daytona Beach, Fla. 7 p.m.

Men’s / Women’s Track and Field at Samford Invitational

Birmingham, AL

Sunday No Events

Monday No Events

Sports

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ERAUWBasketball Comes Up Short at Ave Maria vs Ave Maria: 87 Alison Smalling ERAU Athletics The Embry-Riddle women’s basketball team dropped its second straight contest on Wednesday evening, falling to Ave Maria by a score of 87-65. With the loss, ERAU falls to 13-8 and 5-6 in The Sun Conference, while the Gyrenes improve to 13-11, 4-8 in league play.

Taylor Cyphers and Sabrina Whiting led the Eagles in scoring with 14 points, while Tara Fields chipped in 10. Kalah Martin scored nine points while dishing out a teamhigh eight assists and pulling down a game-high seven rebounds.

Taylor Lindsey led AMU with a game-high 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting and Annie Artise scored 20 points; both Lindsey and Artise also grabbed a game-high seven rebounds and tallied a game-high four steals. Lauren Gill-

ERAU: 65 ingham chipped in with 14 points and Madison McDonald added 12 points while racking up a gamehigh 10 assists.

Embry-Riddle got off to a rough start, falling behind 9-0 in the game’s opening minutes. By the 13:09 mark the Gyrenes had made it a 10-point game (18-8), but the Eagles rallied back, eventually taking their first lead on a Cyphers layup with 7:35 on the clock, putting ERAU ahead, 22-21. Fields knocked down a pair of free throws with just over six minutes to play in the half, capping a 20-3 run that increased the ERAU lead to 28-21.

Ave Maria answered back with a 7-0 run of their own to tie the game at 28, and just before halftime Artise hit a three that gave the home team a 35-34 advantage heading into the locker room.

Much like they did to open the first half, the

Shemar Alexander/The Avion Newspaper

Gyrenes came out and dominated the opening minutes of the second half, stretching their one-point halftime lead to 16 points (55-39) in less than six minutes. Unlike the first period, the Eagles couldn’t muster a rally to close the gap, and by the 6:58 mark AMU had increased the lead to 20 points (72-52).

Ave Maria never allowed

the Blue and Gold to get back in to the game, pulling away for an 87-65 win.

The Eagles return home to the ICI Center on Saturday to host Warner at 5 p.m. in another Sun Conference contest. Embry-Riddle will look to return to the win column, as ERAU has yet to lose a conference game at home (4-0).

Women’s Track and Field Moves Up to 6th in NAIA Ranking Alison Smalling ERAU Athletics The Embry-Riddle women’s track and field team is ranked sixth in the NAIA National Team Computer Rankings, which were released Wednesday by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

The rankings are

determined by using the national descending order lists for individual and relay events to calculate a point total for each team.

The highest ranked individuals or relay teams for each event are assigned the most points, and the point values decrease further down the descending order list. Team scores are equal to the sum of all the point-earning

student-athletes’ scores across all events for a given team.

The Eagles have accrued 166.89 points, moving up one spot from last week’s rankings, and are the only Sun Conference team in the top 25. The Blue and Gold have hit 15 national qualifying standards so far this season.

Indiana Tech is ranked first with 500.95 points,

followed by Doane (Neb.) (364.51), Wayland Baptist (Texas) (318.00), defending indoor national champion Oklahoma Baptist (228.54), and Cornerstone (Mich.) (202.18) to round out the top five.

The Eagles are off this week, but will return to action next weekend when they head to Birmingham, Ala. for the Samford Multi and Indoor Invitational.

ERAU Eagles Complete Heptathlon Robert Lopez ERAU Athletics Three Embry-Riddle heptathletes wrapped up competition at the Buccaneer Invitational Saturday afternoon. All-Americans James Bullock and Kameron Turner, along with freshman Lonnie Marts, all represented the Eagles in the heptathlon at the meet, which was hosted by East

Tennessee State University.

Bullock placed third overall in the heptathlon with 4757 points, which is the fourth highest score in the NAIA this season. The junior finished in the top three in three of the seven events. He placed second in the 60m (7.14), third in the long jump (6.66m), in the second in the high jump (1.95m), and second in the

pole vault (4.47m) Turner finished just behind Bullock in fourth place with 4470 points, the 10th best score in the country this season. Turner, a senior, made his mark on the competition in the pole vault as he finished first in the event with a mark of 4.57m.

He also finished third in the shot put with a 12.36m mark.

Marts finished 13th

with 3856 points, but had an impressive showing in the shot put as he finished second in the event with a mark of 12.37m.

Bullock, Turner, Marts, and the rest of the Eagles will return to action as a full squad next weekend when they travel to Birmingham, Ala. for the Samford Multi and Indoor Invitational from Feb. 13-14.

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ERAU Baseball Captures First Win of 2015 with 5-1 Victory Over Reinhardt vs Embry-Riddle: 5 Alison Smalling ERAU Athletics Kenny Burkhead tossed seven innings of one-run baseball while Kyle Zirbes came through withn a clutch, three-run double to help propel the 11th-ranked Embry-Riddle Eagles to their first win of the 2015 season, 5-1 over visiting Reinhardt on Saturday afternoon. ERAU (1-1) took an early lead thanks to a Tobias Moreno triple in the third and Burkhead kept the Reinhardt (3-1) bats at bay for most of the day as the Blue and Gold

Reinhardt: 1 set up a true rubber match for Sunday’s series finale, slated for a 1 p.m. start at Sliwa Stadium.

Burkhead, making his first start in a Eagle uniform, worked around a jam in the first, getting a ground ball double play with runners at first and second to give the home team some momentum heading into the bottom of the first.

Bobby Gazzola did much of the same for Reinhardt in the home half of the first, inducing two ground balls to end the threat after Jake Cavender laced a one-out single up the middle.

Dalton Hughes cut down Matt Trawick at second as the courtesy runner tried to steal the base in the second inning, but ERAU couldn’t do much on offense against Gazzola until the third.

After Hughes singled to right to begin the frame, Moreno ripped a triple to left center, scoring Hughes’ courtesy runner Kyle Buchanan all the way from first as the Eagles enjoyed their first lead of the season. Moreno touched home two batters later when a fielding error allowed Joshua Garcia to reach safely as Embry-Riddle went up 2-0.

Burkhead kept the momentum on the hosts side with a 1-2-3 frame in the fourth, and despite two runners reaching base in the fifth, the junior from Deltona, Fla. was able to escape the jam with yet another ground ball.

The visitors finally got to

Burkhead in the sixth when Matt Jackson brought in a run with a sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 2-1, but the Eagle right-handed kept the Eagles in front by getting pinch hitter Jimmy Kelley to ground out weakly back to the mound.

ERAU chased Gazzola from the game in the last of the sixth after Enderson Velasquez and Liam Goodall singled, followed by an A.J. Mazzurco walk to set up a bases-loaded situation for Zirbes. Zirbes worked the count to 2-1 before collecting his first hit as an Eagle, a double down the right field line that cleared the bases and pushed the ERAU lead to 5-1.

Burkhead worked a perfect seventh before Clayton Wagner, making his second appearance in as many days, did the same in the eighth.

Reinhardt threatened

in the ninth after Wagner walked the leadoff batter and hit the next one, but Zac Grotz came in for the first time in 2015, getting a double play and stirke out to end the game and earn his first save as an Eagle.

Burkhead (1-0) scattered five hits with four strikeouts and two walks to earn the win. Seven different Eagles recorded a hit, led by a pair of base knocks from Velasquez and three RBIs from Zirbes.

Jack Taylor/The Avion Newspaper

Men’s Tennis Downs NCAA II No. 26 Flagler 8-1 vs Embry-Riddle: 8 Alison Smalling ERAU Athletics The second-ranked Embry-Riddle men’s tennis

Flagler: 1 team improved to 2-0 on the year with a decisive 8-1 victory over NCAA II No. 26 Flagler, Tuesday at the Flagler Tennis Center.

The Eagles’ quest for their second win of the year started with a sweep of all three doubles matches. Top-ranked Deni Zmak and Jaime Sanchez-Canamares dispatched Jose Martinez and Bruno Padilha 8-1 at the top spot, and Miguel Lopez Gomez and Luke de Caires bested Justen Louis and Hunter Hutcheson by the same score at the third posi-

tion for the first two Eagle points. At No. 2 doubles, ERAU’s Carlos Becke and Fabian Zierlyn engaged in a tough battle with Brant Switzler and David Espinosa. That match-up required a tiebreaker to decide the outcome, and in the end, it was the ERAU tandem that pulled out the 9-8 with a 8-6 decision in the tiebreaker, giving the Blue and Gold a

three-point lead.

The matches at the third through sixth singles positions were all two-set wins for Embry-Riddle, including the contest at the No. 6 spot where Rodolfo Arreygue downed John Bailey 6-2, 6-3 to score the clincher.

At the top singles spot, NCAA II No. 13 Jose Martinez took NAIA No. 1 Zmak to three sets, but

the 10-point tiebreaker in the third set went to Zmak who won 6-2, 2-6, 10-5.

The Saints were able to avoid the shutout when Switzler topped Sanchez-Canamares 6-3, 6-3 on court two.

The Eagles will have an 11-day break before their next match, which will be in Lakeland, Fla. against NCAA II Florida Southern at 10 a.m. on Feb. 14

Athlete Spotlight of The Week Stetson Nelson - Mens Baseball Team I started playing T-ball when I was about five, and I kept playing baseball through elementary school and middle school. I got serious about it when I started playing a lot of travel baseball and doing many different showcases.

Then I got to high school and started making a lot of success and realized I could play in college. I ended up getting a college scholarship, to my previous university before I transferred here

my sophomore year.

I used to wrestle when I was in the sixth grade until around my sophomore year in high school, and I came to a crossroads where it was either I play baseball or wrestle.

I felt the opportunity to play baseball in college was great for me, and I was a left-hand pitcher doing well. So there was more than baseball in my life sports wise. I had to choose baseball because it was more of my passion than wrestling was.

What induced my passion for baseball was probably me playing the game a lot when I was younger and hitting the ball back when I used to hit. I also enjoyed being on the field with all of my friends and it was something I could do after school. It evolved into something I could do at a collegiate level, and I just seemed to fall in love with the game at a young age.

My favorite thing about Embry-Riddle

is probably the atmosphere. There seem to be many driven people; they have their whole careers planned out already.

There are many people here working towards their dream jobs. My biggest goal in life is to play professional baseball, but if that does not work out I want to make a good living working for a good company in my degree to provide for my family.

- Interviewed by Shemar Alexander

Shemar Alexander/The Avion Newspaper Stetson Nelson is a senior pitcher on the Embry-Riddle Baseball team.

Comics and Games

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Submit your completed crossword puzzle to The Avion office in SC 110 before Friday, 13 February, at 5 p.m. to be considered.

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