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Tuesday 86 20% 70

Wednesday 86 0% 72

Catch a Karting Race in Belgium on the weekend

Thursday 88 0% 72

Get up close with Airport Operations Each are things that students like you are doing this summer while on an internship. Look inside at page B04 of our full interview with a student who’s got a lot of experience from several internships.

Saturday 91 0% 73

A Summer On An Internship The Avion gets you the best advice Zack Wilkinson Editor-In-Chief

Fly a Boeing 767 Simulator

Friday 90 73

It’s the most beneficial thing you could ever do with your college career; spending a summer away working with a great company you love in another part of the country. Or if you don’t want to miss summer, you could or spend a fall or spring semester doing the same! It’s also no secret that an internship will enrich

your experience, and even your resume, but many students aren’t sure of the best way to go about getting one. The Avion Newspaper talked with a regular internship guru; ERAU Student Nishant Chaundry, who has had several internships. He shared some of his best advice for aspiring interns during an interview last week. Nishant

Chaundry is currently interning with Southwest Airlines. In his free time on weekend, he enjoys flight benefits and gets to travel around and see other friends across the country. Nishant shared his best advice with The Avion for getting an internship, Take a look at what he had to say in the following best internship tips for success:

1) Firstly, Get involved early and start networking right away. There are many resources for you as a student that are just waiting to be used. “Don’t wait until your senior year or when it’s time to get a job”, said Nishant, “And it’s not always about who you know, it’s about who knows you”. Campus Organizations and clubs can give you realworld project experience and enable you to meet more University faculty. Also, involvement in the Student Government Association is valuable to many as well. It can allow you to get hands on experience planning events, meeting with University officials, and of course , having fun meeting students who do the same. Continued on B4>>

New Aircraft Promise More Than Just Shiny Paint

Zachary Wilkinson/The Avion Newspaper

Fiery Blazes Illuminate The Night Matt Rutowski Advertising Manager In the aviation world, we all too often take for granted the safety measures which are in place to help ensure the successful completion of each operation. From the beginning of any piloting career, student pilots learn of the inherent dangers of the aviation industry. A fine attention to detail and acuity become crucial skills from the time keys leave a dispatch desk, clipboard, or even a hook on the kitchen wall at home to the moment they are returned. No matter what we fly in, where we fly from, what our mission is, or our ability to complete that mis-

sion, pilots worldwide take on a tremendous amount of responsibility the minute they accept the title “Pilot In Command”. However, as many are aware, complacency can breed ignorance. In such a risky line of work, a high guard must be maintained at all times. Although for some, maintaining vigilance can prove to be challenging. Preflight becomes a monotonous chore. ‘This is only going to be a short flight, I’m sure the plane is fine”. Key procedures and checklists are forgotten. ‘Let’s just go’. Flights become routine, and sometimes even frustrating. ‘Well, just another training flight in the prac-

tice area. I can’t wait to go home and sleep’. Or ‘I just want to get there already; this leg always seems to take forever’. Landings and post flight becomes a race. ‘The quicker I’m done, the less money this thing costs me’. At the end of the day when a pilot wants to shave time off the Hobbs or get there on time, the first thing to suffer is usually safety; and as creatures of habit, humans turn this into a routine. Pilots are trained to find ways to overcome these habits, for the safety of all. But sometimes, things don’t always go as planned; and that split second decision will make or break your situation. Continued on B1>>

The Long-awaited arrival of new training aircraft for the Flight department is now underway. Last Wednesday, June 12 brought the first five of 20 Cessna 172 NavIII aircraft home to Daytona Beach. The airplanes represent the beginning of a contract signed with Cessna in April for 57 aircraft, which will replenish the fleets at both Embry-Riddle campuses over the next year. Flight Students are very excited to see the new aircraft join the fleet, as it brings a refreshing feel-

ing to their flight training. “When I finish my private, I can’t wait to rent one of the new planes!” said Bharat Lakshmanan, who is very near to completing his first certificate. ERAU flight student, Shane Williams,

“professional, If I feel like I look I can fly the airplane better and with more confidence

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Zachary Wilkinson Editor-In-Chief

remarked that the new leather seats in the Arrow were his favorite part, “The

airplane smells amazing on the inside, I hope this lasts a long time!”, said Williams. For students caught in the monotony of an Endof-course process, the refreshing feeling of sitting in a new plane can be all they need to get focused and finish well. “We take pride in the aircraft we fly, If I feel like I look professional and cool, I feel like I can fly the airplane better because of that confidence”, said Flight Student Michael Wildes. Having new aircraft on the Flight Line turns heads and increases interest in attention to detail. Continued on A2 >>

Zachary Wilkinson/The Avion Newspaper

Campus

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June

17 2014

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

Zachary Wilkinson Michael Wildes Jeff Icker Matt Rutowski Matt Rutowski Matt Rutowski

Page Editors Front Editor Campus Editor Opinions Editor I&T Editor Sports Editor Comics Editor Entertainment Editor Senior Copy Editor Copy Editor

Zachary Wilkinson Zachary Wilkinson Zachary Wilkinson Matt Rutowski Michael Wildes Courtney Byrd Jeff Icker Courtney Byrd Suzanne Fernandes

New Planes Continued from A1>>

Staff Contributors Reporters

Courtney Byrd Zachary Wilkinson Michael Wildes Jeff Icker Matt Rutowski

Correspondents

The first example of the new Cessna look, N405ER, arrived last fall and has captivated the heart of any flight student who has received the clipboard for it. You can even hear students brag about who’s got more time in the fabled Cessna if you listen close enough. The time for that

bragging will come to an end, as the soon-to-arrive aircraft will all be attractively adorned with the same paint scheme, which was chosen by students from a selection of styles. The pilots of the five new Cessna’s were senior instructors from the flight training department, and flew the aircraft cross-country from the factory to arrive at the Riddle Ramp. The journey took a day longer than expected, as

Zachary Wilkinson /The Avion Newspaper

some inclement weather slowed the progress passing through Mississippi and Georgia last week. “If the flight crews can’t maintain VFR (Visual flight rules) and remain clear of any thunderstorm activity then they won’t fly”, said MaryLou Westmoreland, a Flight Supervisor at Embry-Riddle. VFR flying ensures that the aircraft are in conditions where the pilots are able to see the ground and

the ahead of them at all times, as it keeps airplanes out of clouds. The highest safety standards set Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Flight Training Department apart from the rest, and even among instructors, those standards are the same. The remaining Cessna’s will arrive during the month of June, and will be ready to train students by Fall 2014.

Dayton Drugovich, AbdulAziz Al-Hajeri, John Meyer

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 Pilots N404ER- IP Bob Thomas N406ER- IP Mike Geiger N407ER- IP Will Lively N408ER- IP Justin Burby N409ER- IP Walt Barry 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.

All Pictures taken by: Zachary Wilkinson The Avion Newspaper

Travel

June

17 2014

A Ride On ‘The Flying Dutchman’ Mark Fetters Staff Reporter

October 25, 2014 will mark the end of an era for KLM as they retire the last of their MD-11s. For this trip it was my goal to fly on one of them before all the passenger versions of this plane were gone. My first flight would be on Express Jet from Atlanta to Toronto. Upon landing, I quickly went through customs and was at last in the check in area. As I was four hours early for my next flight,

check-in had not yet opened, but with the use of the kiosk I checked myself in and was soon heading to the gate. Terminal three at Toronto Pearson International Airport was built in 1991 to help alleviate the over crowding of the other terminals. As I approach gate C34 in the newer terminal three, I see my plane; tail number PH-KCE (named Audrey Hepburn). It was delivered to KLM on the 18th of November 1994, configured with 31 World

Business Class seats and 251 Travel Class seats. With less then an hour until departure, I receive my seat assignment; seat 33C, an isle seat nearly in the back of the cabin. A few minutes before the scheduled departure, we pushed back and start the taxi to the runway. At precisely 5:38 p.m. local time, the three GE CF6-80 turbofans producing 61,500 pounds of thrust roar to life. In no time we are off the runway, turning eastbound towards Amsterdam. One noticeable dif-

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Mark Fetters/The Avion Newspaper

ference between US airlines and the rest of the world is when you are around 10,000 feet the seat belt sign comes off and will stay off unless you encounter sever turbulence, or are just about to land. After 20 minutes, the Flight Attendants begin the first meal service. They begin with hot towels, a drink service, the meal, and then another drink service. The meal was steak with rice or pasta, salad, a warm roll and a dessert. Following the meal is a tea and coffee service.

By the end of my meal the in-flight movie, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”, had finished. With only 4 hours left in the flight, I tried to get some shut-eye. An hour and a half before landing breakfast service started; which included yogurt, a muffin and orange juice. An hour later, we were on final approach to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport— runway 18R— named Polderbann (Land reclaimed from a body of water). After landing on 18R, we had one of the longest taxis from the run-

way to the airport, as It took around 15 minutes to get to the gate. The plane seemed to turn heads in the terminal as we pulled in. An era comes to a close for such a unique plane; as Its iconic three engine design draws attention. The likelihood of another three engine passenger aircraft being used again looks doubtful. I was glad I had the opportunity to ride on one before the chance is gone. It won’t be long before these three-engine beauties are gone from the sky all together.

Mark Fetters/The Avion Newspaper

World Cup

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June

17 2014

Viewers Give Opening Ceremony A Yellow Card

Photo Courtesy:http://mms.businesswire.com/ Photo Courtesy: http://d.ibtimes.co.uk/

Michael Wildes Managing Editor The 20th staging of the FIFA World Cup is finally underway in Brazil. It has begun with a lot of pomp and hype amidst the turmoil which lead up to the competition. Though Brazilian citizens have not been very fond of their government spendings which exceeded $11B to build 6 massive stadiums, or the $8M for the opening ceremony, they seem to be very welcoming so far. The competition also seems to be living up to expectations.

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The Opening Ceremony is a tribute to Brazil and its treasures...

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The opening ceremonies were received with mixed feelings as some very vague events took place. Set in the Itaquerao stadium in Sao Paulo, the curtains rolled back to the roars of 61,600 fans. The Artistic Director, Daphne Cornez, told FIFA “the opening ceremony is a tribute to Brazil and its treasures: nature, people football.” At

this point, the highlight of the show was the toohot-to-handle performance by singer Jennifer Lopez, rapper Pitbull, and Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte. They did their rendition of the official world cup song, ‘We Are One (Ole Ola)’, which doesn’t quite match the pedigree of a hit as its ‘Wave Your Flag’ predecessor, but it gets the job done. The ceremony also featured some wild choreography including people on makeshift beaches and trampolines, people in boats, which could be interpreted as people crossing the Amazon, and even a host of children acting as referees and other roles. Many would disagree, but as the ceremony came to a delightful end after a painstaking 25 minutes, the general consensus decided it was all just a bland random collection of acts. Most important of all, the performances never really seemed convinceing or genuine, but rather thrown together and given with half a heart. The costumes resembled props from a dark and quirky Tim Burton movie, or even similar to something from Alice in Wonderland or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Certain details, such as the life-sized Amazon trees

and oddly styled soccer ball suits to seemed to clash while trying to capture the spirit of the World Cup. It was not only confusing to different cultures across the world, but even in their own native nation. Not to mention, there were a few technical errors such as the malfunction with JLO’s rising stage, followed by a microphone faulure. Worse yet, camera crews neglected to embrace the moment as the parapalegic man in an Iron Man suir delivered the first kick. Cameras didn’t seem to linger long on what is supposed to be one of the biggest parts of an opening ceremony. For some watching the opening ceremony was very unrewarding at most, though I have spoken with people who beg to differ. If this a foreshadow of the 2016 Olympics which Brazil is also set to host in 24 months, then there is still much progress which will need to be made before the curtain drops on that stage. Nonetheless, thirty-two teams are vying for the ultimate trophy, which is the real focus. Over the course of the next month, a total of 64 matches will take place until the conclusion on July 13th. May the best team win!

Photo Courtesy: http://www.wc2014.ar.beinsports.net/

Photo Courtesy: http://www.wallpaperseries.com/

Photo Courtesy: http://wpmedia.o.canada.com/

Photo Courtesy: http://media2.s-nbcnews.com/

JUNE

17 2014

WORLD CUP

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World Cup Begins To Heat Up

Matchups show promise of the excitement to come Michael Wildes Managing Editor The world cup is under way, and as one commentator said during a game on Saturday last week, every team has a story. If you have been watching, you will notice a few new things. The officials are now using goal-line technology to help determine goals (though there hasn’t been any controversy yet), and the referees are using vanishing spray for free kicks to let defenders know where to stand. You’ll also notice that there aren’t any wailing vuvuzelas, as they have been banned from the tournament. You might hear a few caxirolas though, a new type of instrument which I believe are just as noisy. Twelve cities will host 64 games until July 13th in either newly built or recently redeveloped stadiums.

Worldwide host and perennial favorite, Brazil, kicked off the tournament against Croatia following the opening ceremony on Thursday as they produced their first win with a 3-1 victory. However, Brazil didn’t get off to quite the explosive startthey were looking for. Interestingly, the host nation of the competition has never lost an opening match. Therefore based on tradition, they were destined to win. Brazil’s Marcelo inadvertently scored an own goal on his compatriot Julio Cesar as Croatian winger Ivica Olic sent a cross into his path and Marcelo knocked it in the goal. It was quite unsettling, especially for the billions of people watching as some may have begun to confirm the overwhelming fear: is Brazil in fact ready for

this level of competition? Still, the team in green and yellow managed to maintain their composure. Not too long after, the young star forward Neymar who was omitted from the team the last time around against much protest, delivered a stinger from 25 yards out that hit the post of the Croatian goal before entering the net. The next goal was a penalty, which possibly everyone except the referee thought was necessary. In the final moments of the game, Brazil managed to score again to seal the deal and put any doubts of their game to rest. Friday’s match was the heavily discussed rematch between the incumbent champions Spain and runner-up Netherlands. The Dutch delivered a painful serving to the Spaniards, scoring the most spectacular goals putting them in contention for the trophy. Spain never really knew what hit them, as Robben Van Persie and Arjen Robben out leapt, out-dribbled, and even-

Photo Courtesy: http://www.neymarjr.net/

tually outscored them. Friday’s matchups also played witness to Mexico’s triumph over Cameroon at 1-0 while Chile gave the Australian Socceroos a 3-1 beating. Saturday was no less exciting, as there were goals left, right and center. Colombia schooled Greece in foootball, offering them a 3-nothing score to start of the day.

Photo Courtesy: http://www.fifa.com/

Greece’s win in the 2004 European Cup is now a long forgotten statistic as they recently have barely managed to show up (or so it seems). Costa Rica matchup against Uruguay didn’t seem to attract much attention since the Costa Ricans hadn’t had a formidable team up until recent. Uruguay managed to score first but the Costa Ricans kept knocking at the door of their opponents’ goal keeper until they finally scored three consecutive times. If you didn’t know better, you would think that Costa Rica might be the new dark horses of the competition. Now the most anticipated game of the day would’ve easily been the feature of England facing Italy, and you can imagine that it did deliver on the hype. The Italians, the 2006 winners of the competition, opened the scoring with a scorching shot from Claudio Marchisio but the English were right there to respond two minutes later when Daniel Sturridge stuffed a Wayne Rooney cross into the back of the Italian

net. However, it wouldn’t be long after that when Mario Balotelli would find the back of England’s net and the Italians would hold on to the win. On Sunday, Switzerland shocked Ecuador with a late goal in the 90th minute to steal the 3 points. So far, the competition has featured a lot of shocking moments, but it has not fallen short on the hype preceding the games. This week should hold even more exciting games as the United States looks to take on some of their greatest opponents, while other matchups should prove to be just as entertaining. Spain will look to rebound tomorrow against Chile, and the Dutch could seal their spot in the round of sixteen against Australia which begins on Saturday, June 28th. At this rate it is anyone’s guess who will be featured in that round as the competition continues to overflow with adrenaline, excitement, sadness, surprise, and most of all, joy.

Photo Courtesy: http://www.fifa.com/

Travel

June

17 2014

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Alpine Adventure Dayton Drugovich/The Avion Newspaper

Dayton Drugovich Correspondent Being a fan of the German speaking parts of the world, I tend to visit them quite frequently. I believe my record is Bavaria 5 times in 2 months and I will be honest that more than one of those trips was a beer run. This trip was no different. I would fly in and out of MUC (Munich). “Willkommen in München” puts a smile on my face every time. For this holiday, I decided to take the drive south to Switzerland, more specifically the Lauterbrunnen valley in the Swiss Alps, which is on my bucket list (and should be in yours too). Simply put, it is the most beautiful place I’ve ever been and no pictures can do it justice. There is just no other place on this planet that you can find the raw, unspoiled views that the Alps have to offer. The great thing about renting a car in Germany is that you are going to get a German car. I happened to get a Mercedes, perfect for blasting along the Autobahn at 140+ mph (I think I got up to around 143) which really gets the blood pumping one run and you will be addicted, trust me. Depending on how fast you go along the autobahn, Zürich is about three hours away. I would spend the rest of the day there before heading up into the Alps. I continued on my drive into the Lauterbrunnen Valley, which is an hour south of Zürich. On the drive into the valley, I must have pulled over a dozen times just so I could get out and see what I was driving through. I could not believe how pristine and picturesque every-

thing was. Surprisingly, one of the best views I had was at a motorway service station that had a little sandwich shop. I had pulled over to get a bite to eat and they had the best ham sandwiches I’ve ever had in my life. From a park bench nearby, I had an amazing view and could have sat there all day, but there was more in store. The valley of Lauterbrunnen is surrounded by the Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau, and Schiltorn. There are two towns in the valley: Lauterbrunnen itself, which is the main town where the train station is (the other way you can get here is by train from Bern), and the little village of Stechelberg. If you took the train from Bern, there is a bus that can get you here but since I came by car, I went straight to the cable car up into the mountains. In fact, you can take the cable car all the way up to the 10,000 foot peak of Schiltorn, which sits opposite of the Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau and offers fantastic panoramic views. There are 2 villages that sit on the side of the Schiltorn Mürren and Gimmelwald; both are typical alpine villages. The chalet style houses have the warm browns of the woods, green shutters that complement them perfectly, and the vibrant reds provided by the flowers (typically, geraniums) in the window boxes. Mürren is more of a resort town than its neighbor Gimmelwald. This is because the citizens of Gimmelwald had their village declared an avalanche zone, preventing any buildings bigger than a house or barn from

being built. After taking the cable car up from Stechelberg to Mürren with a transfer in Gimmelwald, I checked into the hotel. The rooms are quite small and many have a shared bathroom/shower facilities, but it is possible to reserve a room with your personal bathroom for a little extra. Since there wasn’t much of the day left, I decided to walk down to Gimmelwald. It does get quite steep and the walk is strenuous in places but it provides some fantastic views. From there, it is quick ride back up to the Mürren to hotel for some dinner…schnitzel and beer of course on the patio overlooking the valley below. For my final day up in the Alps, I started off with breakfast on the balcony. There is just no better way to start you day than waking up the view of an alpine village. Many of the villagers are famers and in the short summer season, they are busy collecting grasses for their cows so they will be able to make it through the winter. This being Switzerland, there is plenty of fresh Swiss cheese from the local cows for you to try; the cheese is to die for. For lunch, I would recommend taking the funicular up to Allmendhubel, which sits 1,000 feet above Mürren. It is where the ski lifts originate for the slopes in the winter but in the summer at the funicular stop, there is a restaurant that has great outdoor seating where you can have some of the fresh cheese mentioned earlier. Ham, Swiss cheese, and bread: it doesn’t get much better than that. While I sat there eating

lunch, surrounded by the lush summer flowers that are in bloom for what is a very short spring/summer season, I was astonished that this place is not more crowded than it was. There was almost no one in any of the villages others than the locals and I simply could not get over then fact that more people weren’t here in god’s county. I stuck with my earlier method of motorized transport going up and walked down. The walk from Allmendhubel to Mürren was like any walk in the Alps. In summer, it is just gorgeous with the knee high wild flowers. Their vibrant yellows and reds are set against the back drop of lushes green grasses that adorn the walking path. Hiking in Switzerland is especially easy. All the pathways are cleared and easy to follow; there are also marking signs about every quarter to half mile to let you know that you’re still on the track and what villages are around. I found it interesting that it is it is possible to hike all the way across Switzerland in the mountains thanks to these trails. Arriving back in Mürren, I explored about the town. There are plenty of alpine trinkets you can buy but I couldn’t pass up more of that amazing cheese. Switzerland is by far the prettiest country I’ve been to and I’m constantly finding myself reminiscing about the time I spent there. Go to Switzerland. Whether you go to Zürich, Geneva, or anywhere else in the Swiss Alps, you will not be disappointed at what this magnificent country has to offer.

Dayton Drugovich/The Avion Newspaper

Opinions

June

17 2014

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A New Public Understanding Of Science Yaqoob Al Shamsi Correspondent Prof. Max Tegmark wrote that “We don’t invent mathematical structures-We discover them, and invent only the notation for describing them.” Arguing about scientific facts does not change the structure of the universe. Hence, the laws of physics are not negotiable. Some people may think that religion cannot coexist with science; However, I would like to offer a new public understanding of science. Some educators may think that religion slowed down the process of science in one era, and put it on its track in another. For example, Giordano Bruno and Galileo Galilei lived a

struggling life, constrained by Catholicism, just to clarify that the earth is not the center of the universe. Also, Al Ghazali, the Muslim cleric, once said that mathematics is the language of the devil, which was the main cause of ending the 300 year scientific Golden Age of Islam. Moreover, when religion coexists with science, it gives a beautiful spirituality and we can still see that today from the works of Michelangelo in art and Al-Farabi’s music. Thus, it may be agreed that religion is not what slows down science, but it’s actually the public understanding of religious authorities in religion that did that. However, what about the public understanding of science? Misunderstand-

ings of science in religion occurred in many schools, mostly the religious ones where some teachers refused to teach evolution in the classrooms because it conflicts with religion. In addition to educational institutions, there are many religious authorities that are still against stem cell research. This creates the ideology of “Take my word for it” or “Let the creation to the creator.” No matter what the case may be, the misunderstanding of science is not an argument against it. Science should not be argued when it’s a fact because facts embrace truth and spirituality. When a scientific theory has been tested and proved it teaches the truth from its results and it has

no sympathy for subjectivity. In turn, this reinforces the morality of truth, which is the base of all morals. Truth is one element – Spirituality is the other. As such, Hubble estimated 100 billion galaxies in our universe. Additionally, there are 300 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy, each star has planets orbiting around it, and most planets have moons orbiting around these planets. To someone who is connected to the universe, there is a distinct spirituality in science that can be compared to the one in religion. Not only can we uncover the structures of life, but we can also see life and nature differently and one might even say, we start to

see with a new set of eyes. In another recent case, we notice the rise of numbers in diseases because some parents are against vaccination for a number of reasons. If the issue came with health, then it can be solved and explained with research and numbers. However, some parents who are against it may have a misunderstanding of science in their religion. For example, some people of faith who might be against seeking a cure and would rather see the will of the intelligent designer divinely fix the designed. Moreover, science should coexist with religion because I do agree with what Albert Einstein once said: “science without religion is lame, religion with-

out science is blind.” Therefore, religion is not the problem and never was a problem for people of faith. It may not be religion that cannot coexist with science, maybe a certain group, which are the scientifically illiterate who cannot exist with science. And maybe, once we have a new public understanding of science, we can advance more as people. If this country – the United States- had its trust in God, why should it not have its trust in what God created as well? Or a better question might be: is a new public understanding of science not worth a new cultural perspective – one of progress with continuous masterpieces for our children to see?

Students Lean On Loans A letter to the President of Embry-Riddle, President Johnson: I am furious. My name is John Meyer and I am an Applied Meteorology major who is expecting to graduate in December. I love this school. I love my meteorology professors. But I despise the way this administration has been treating students. Specifically, when it comes to student loan reimbursements. The problem is that it takes an unnecessarily long time for students to see that reimbursement. I have had bad experiences with long waits in previous semesters but this summer semester took an absurd amount of time. Summer A classes began May 8, and I did not get my money until June 3 – four weeks after the start of the semester. I was late on almost all of my bills that month because I was expecting it to take around two weeks, three at the very most. But it took an entire month. But beyond that, what really irritated me was that I went in to the financial aid office at the start of the third week to check on the status of my refund. I was told that the money would be “in my account in 24-48 hours.” It wasn’t. I therefore either went into or called both the financial aid office and the bursar’s office every day over the next two weeks to follow up and see what was going on with my money. Despite being told “24-48 more hours” every time I asked on each day, it actu-

ally ended up taking a full two weeks from the first day I asked (which was already 3 weeks into the semester). That is simply unacceptable. It wasn’t anyone’s fault in particular in those offices, as everyone I spoke with told me the same dismissive answer. But still, I don’t blame those office workers; I blame the administration for the terrible way those offices are managed and operated. Furthermore, as of this writing (June 13), one of my good friends STILL does not have her refund for Summer A and she has been consistently visiting the financial aid office, trying to get answers as well. Five weeks have now gone by. Summer A final exams are next week. There is no excuse for this amount of incompetence. I understand waiting to verify everyone’s schedule in order to take the proper tuition and fees out before giving students the remaining balance, but it should not – no – it CAN NOT take an entire month for students to see that refund. Especially during summer when far fewer students are on campus. As a student with student loans, we NEED this money to live off of, which your administration seems to not understand. An empty refrigerator, empty stomach and empty gas tank is no way to spend the first month of a semester (especially in a six week semester). It’s OUR loan money that WE are paying

interest on in order to have DURING the semester. Not to receive at the end of the semester. I’ve heard a lot of public talk over the years from the administration about how much this University cares about its students. But my experience in this matter over the years has shown me otherwise - and I am not alone. Since this administration seems to have simply ignored the complaints of students in previous semesters, I have investigated the possibility of bringing a class action lawsuit against this University, partnering with multiple other students who have experienced this same ridiculous problem. Heaven forbid if we students are one day late on paying some $15 fee for something, but you won’t give us OUR money for weeks on end. This is supposed to be a school, but you seem to run it like a bad bank. President Johnson, we demand answers. We demand change. And most of all, we demand OUR money. As they say, Mr. President, it’s time to put up, or shut up. Also, stop being cheap and spend the $3000 to get the Meteorology Department’s weather station operational again on the roof of the COA. You’ve got the money. John Meyer Senior Applied Meteorology June 13th, 2014

Zack Wilkinson/The Avion Newspaper

June

17 2014

Jeff Icker News Editor

Rain was the big story for the start of the Florida Country Superfest. Everbank field was the recipient of a deluge on Saturday. While some looked shocked and surprised at the sudden outburst from the Florida skies, locals were well resigned to say “Well that’s Florida for ya.” As the storms marched their way to the stadium from downtown, you could hear screams from the parking lots that punctuated the end to the tailgating atmosphere. The outside tailgating and parties were mild and quite tame by comparison to the tailgating that crop up for the Florida-Georgia game or a typical Jaguar game. Sports may be a bigger draw but I think the fractured nature of the parking lots really cut down on the community aspect for the outdoor festival. Those that I interacted with were mostly with friends or family and hadn’t really interacted outside of their own circle; again, this is a huge contrast to the typical sports game. Once the rain let up spirits rose in anticipation of the delayed start, and few missed the one act that was cut to compensate. During the drizzle, Colt Ford got the crowd fired up taunting the rain and praising the crowd for sticking it out. Colt Ford thrilled the crowd with their particular style of “Hick-Hop” and provided a superb opening act for the heavy hitters that would follow. Displaying the varied interest of the crowed and the diversity of the group, Colt Ford even performed an Eminem song which was well received and kept the fires stoked in the stands. The skies weren’t quite done by the time Little Big Town took the stage. Again, they were praising the crowd for sticking it out, and really playing on the crowd identification of “country.” Little Big Town took up a full set of songs, playing both favorites and new unreleased songs. The group I was sitting with was mostly older people, and we were all surprised when

Country Superfest No Sunshine At Superfest the bank struck up and played Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain.” Beyond being a little surprised at the song choice, I was very pleased with the overall performance and presence of the group. They easily commanded the stage and had their set list perfected to elicit the desired reactions from the audience. If you feel like rain was the only gripe for the evening, you’d be wrong. Two particular things that stuck in my craw were: one, the amount of time between acts, and two, the fluid nature of the seating. The time between acts was a blessing and a curse. It was a blessing because you had plenty of time to get up stretch your legs and grab another drink, and a curse because once all of that was done there was the feel of “hurry up and wait”. Waiting around wasn’t so bad if you were seated with your friends, but this wasn’t always the case. S everal people I talked to mentioned that they had purchased a large number of tickets at one time specifically with the intent to get seats next to each other. Even with stadium seating there were gaps and people quickly tried to move in on seats, either for a better view or to be closer to friends and family. With these two things combined, it wasn’t hard to come back to your seat to find a group of squatters firmly planted there. This didn’t cause much discourse throughout the night because there were seats always opening and shifting, and everyone remained cordial and friendly for the entire evening. The clouds didn’t part as the sun set but the stars continued to shine on the stage as Eric Church would grab the attention of the audience and never let go. I think Eric Church brought a great anchor point to the show. He interacted with the audience the most of any performer of the night and had the best stage presence; there wasn’t a square inch of stage or catwalk he didn’t utilize in the performance. With the fading light from the sun, the display choice for a black and white image for the group was quite

creative and very artistic feeling. Eric Church took drinks that were offered by fans, and continued singing. He even worked it into his set and sang songs around what was going on. Again, this just gave him the best interactive feel to the crowd and displays why he was without a doubt my favorite performer of the night. Florida favorite Jason Aldean finished off the night. His personal style was more akin to a rock concert for a good deal of songs, and the crowd loved it. His slower songs were what resonate with the traditional country style. The crowd reacted quite well to the changing pace Jason Aldean presented. Wave after wave of varied emotion and exuberance would echo from the stadium as the set progressed. He didn’t disappoint at all but failed in my mind to capture the complete performance that preceded him. This was also hamstringed by a muddled audio during some of the songs. This translated into either you know it or you don’t. For songs that were popular, you could clearly make out the audience singing along, but those that were not as popular had more humming along associated with them. Overall, the feel was superb. There was a large attendance and it was quite varied in the demographic. It also wasn’t just a sea of camo as some might expect. As this is intended to become an annual event, I can only hope the artists invited for next year’s event are as big ticket and crowd drawing as this years. Despite the few drawbacks, this is Florida and you have to accept the weather being finicky, and technical difficulties and delays are the nature of a live event. The final pearl of wisdom is that no matter your seat at the event, the view is always a good one. The Avion will kick off the start of Summer B with a review of the day two activities, and we’ll let you know if you should be on the lookout next summer for a large concert like this one.

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Jeff Icker/The Avion Newspaper

Zachary Wilkinson / The Avion Newspaper

Photo Courtesy: Craig Rubadoux / Florida Today

Aviation

The Avion

Continued from A1 >> At about 8:30 P.M. on Monday, June 9th, 11 year old Colton Primeaux was enjoying a warm summer evening at his home in Merritt Island when he was rushed outside after hearing a loud explosion nearby. As the power went out, Colton walked across the street to find “a little white plane had crashed right there… It came straight down into the backyard” he told reporters. Homeowner Kurt Smith had just taken his dogs inside and shut the door when moments later the loud boom shook the house. Smith rushed outside to find the horrific sight right in his backyard. The Brevard County Sherriff ’s Office responded to the 911 call that evening at 8:35 P.M.47 year old John Brian Kish, the owner of

the Liberty XL-2 was taking 64 year old Private Pilot Kenneth Allen Marks on a demo flight after Marks was interested in buying the single engine plane. Somewhere between 200-400 feet, tragedy struck and the XL-2 crashing 10 feet from Smith’s home.

“

Um.. ma’am, I believe that plane just went down

“

Crash

51 nautical miles to the north, Daytona Beach International was buzzing with air traffic, most of which were training flights. As the night progressed, more and more aircraft returned to Daytona as the close to Monday night’s missions drew near. Many were conducting touchand-go operations at DAB as the sun finished setting

Photo Courtesy: Craig Rubadoux / Florida Today

on a picturesque Florida landscape. 90 minutes after the horrific crash in Merritt Island, Daytona Beach was about to suffer the same fate. Cessnas filled the airspace about Daytona as 10 P.M. was approaching. Arrivals were being filtered through the final sector on both visual and instrument approaches for seven left and closed traffic was active on seven right when suddenly tragedy struck. While on the upwind of 7R following a touch-and-go N5524L, a Cessna Skyhawk from Phoenix East Aviation, made an attempt at announcing their return to the runway. “..uhh (unintelligible) Tower, Phoenix (unintelligible)... we’re coming back to the...” was heard over the tower frequency moments before a fiery blaze engulfed the plane only a short distance from the runway. With a fine tuned ear, the stall horn could be heard screaming in the background as the pilots attempted to turn back. A short moment after that transmission, the tower controller can be heard as she asks “say again?” Seconds later the bone chilling reality is announced as Riddle 460 commented “Um.. ma’am, I believe that plane just went down”. 22 year old Flight Instructor Marlene Mork of Norway and 22 year old

Left Out Of The Game

Endeavor/Delta Deal Burns Bridges With Current Line Pilots

Zack Wilkinson Editor-In-Chief

On June 2nd Endeavor Air, previously Pinnacle Airlines, announced a perk for new hire pilots. The agreement guarantees the pilots a future hiring “commitment” at Endeavor’s mainline carrier, Delta Airlines, without the need for a secondary interview. “No other regional airline is providing new pilots with this level of commitment for future employment with a mainline carrier,” said Endeavor president Ryan Gumm. “Identifying a clear career path is vitally important to pilots, and we’ve designed this program to help position Endeavor as a natural first choice for the best pilots.” However, pilots currently flying with Endeavor are not included in this deal, referred to

as the Endeavor-to-Delta Hiring and Commitment Program—or EtD Commitment. Pinnacle Holding Corporation, and its then subsidiaries Pinnacle Airlines, Colgan Air, and Mesaba Airlines filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in April of 2012. During bankruptcy the company asked the Union to ‘give back’ approximately 33 Million dollars in savings to the company, the number was met by Unionized pilots, but then Pinnacle came back and asked for a substantially larger cut. The Pilots met the lower cut, giving them one of the lowest paying regional jobs in the industry. The CEO of the airline, Sean Menke, insisted that the change was required to keep the air-

line aloft. Administration even threatened to shut the company down if the lower pay wasn’t accepted. Pilots at the time we’re offered a payout in cash to accept the contract, and they did, giving up nearly $70 Million in wages. In January of 2013, Pinnacle was purchased by Delta Airlines and later rebranded as Endeavor Air. Once acquired by Delta, Pilots at Pinnacle we’re promised a streamlined Interview process at Delta. However, according to one Endeavor employee, Delta doesn’t care much for the flowthrough programs; “It doesn’t allow them to control the quality of the pilots that come through.”, The employee stated, who wishes to remain anonymous. Once partnered with Delta, Pinnacle pilots were “led to believe they

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17 2014

student Gabriel De Souza Marinho Falcao of Brazil were both pronounced dead on scene after Daytona Beach Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) units combatted the blaze. Volusia County Sherriff ’s Office was responding to a call approximately 2.5 nautical miles north/northwest when the accident occurred. Pilots of VCSO’s ‘Air One’ could be heard offering their assistance as Operations 8 rushed towards the scene. “Tower,

“

Tower, Air One... Uh. looks like uh, we’ve found the wreckage. It is on fire at this time.

“

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Air One... You need assistance?” “They’re comin’!” the controller exclaimed to Ops 8 before she directed the chopper to the crash site. While hovering by the departure end of 7 right, the deputies captured horrific footage of the scene as the aircraft disintegrated from the flames. “Tower, Air One.. Uh, looks like uh, we’ve found the wreckage. It is on fire at this time” the Deputy declared to the tower. As ARFF and Operations made their way to the site, the controller successwere going to Delta”. However, so far, this promise has not fully materialized, and the pass rates for the Pilots who have been interviewed by delta have been very poor. It’s the same story across other Delta regional partners. Mesaba Airlines and Compass Airlines had their flowthroughs cut-off by Delta. The Endeavor Air Pilot who spoke with The Avion also expressed thoughts on the EtD Commitment flowthrough; “It’s a slap in the face to the employees who’ve sacrificed for the company”, said the Pilot. The Air Line Pilot’s Association (ALPA) claims that Delta used a contractual loophole to arrange this new provision, and the Pilots union had no say in its creation. The Endeavor pilot went on to say, “They are not rewarding the employees who gave up pay and advancement; and now new hires are being rewarded with something current employees don’t even get a chance at.” However, even with the EtD Commitment in place, it’s not solidly promised that new hires will receive anything at all. There’s a loophole that

Matt Rutowski / The Avion Newspaper

fully handled the remaining traffic while coordinating rescue efforts. Engine failure was suspected to be the cause. Aviation safety can sometimes be taken for granted, until the moment it counts the most. Pilots should always practice good ADM, be it during adverse weather, system malfunctions, or worst of all, total failures. While we can’t know exactly what will happen when, training and preparing for the inevitable could help you get out of a

bind, turning a tragic scene into a slight mishap. Thoughts and prayers for the friends and families are appreciated while both the NTSB and FAA investigate the tragic accidents of June 9th. Four valuable members of the aviation community, both local, and at large will be missed as all four pilots took off for their final time last Monday as fiery blazed illuminated a night that few will ever forget. May they encounter blue skies and tailwinds as they depart the pattern one last time.

Photo Courtesy: Air One / Volusia County Sherriff ’s Office

Delta could utilize to ensure their best interest is held in place. The deal could fall through on either side if the controlling parties change the program. Across the board, currently employed Endeavor pilots are not happy with the deal. Many of them have been with Endeavor through its worst times and were given downgrades,even captains with 9 years of seniority on the best aircraft we’re reduced to First Officers on the

smaller aircraft. The problems with Endeavor, and many regional carriers like it have left thousands of pilot’s wallets and careers behind the power curve. If you are a Commercial pilot approaching ATP minimums, don’t take the first employment choice you get. When you do decide on a company to interview with, take a look into their history first, it could show you a lot about how they will treat you as an employee in the future.

Photo Courtesy: www.mesaba.com

Photo Courtesy: Pierre Lacombe/planespotters.net

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17 2014

Meteorology

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Earth’s Largest Lightshow

Catatumbo Lightning Gives Life To The Sky Courtney Byrd Senior Copy Editor A beautiful display of lightning illuminates the sky in Venezuela where the Catatumbo River and Lake Maracaibo meet. Located near the Gulf of Venezuela, Lake Maracaibo is known for having the highest amount of lightning strikes worldwide. For its array of lightning storms that occur an astonishing 160 to 250 days out of the year, these storms can last up to ten hours in one night and have as many as 280 bolts

Andes Mountains on three sides of Lake Maracaibo, the low level jet is able to transport warm and moist air from the Caribbean into the southwestern side of the Andes Mountains. The air then collides with the topographical mountain terrain and condenses, thus forming thunderstorms. “The storms grow over the bay in an unparalleled way, with strong updrafts and downdrafts which cause intense charge differential (lightning)most thunderstorms don’t last terribly long, so their

Catatumbo Lightning has been recorded since the 16th century. It has even influenced the history of South America. In 1595, the flashes of lightning prevented English pirate Sir Francis Drake from attacking Maracaibo. Native’s of Zulia, located on the southern end of Lake Maracaibo, have a bolt of lightning embellished on their flag and coat of arms and is even mentioned in the state’s anthem. In September 2005 Catatumbo Lightning was declared Natural Heritage of Zulia. Erik Quiroga, a native of the area, grew up in the foothills of the Andes Mountains, said villagers would marvel at the lightning and its recurrence every night.

Photo Courtesy: Alan Highton / Barcroft Media

per hour. With much of the lightning being cloudto-cloud and being visible for almost 250 miles, fishermen have relied on Catatumbo Lightning as a navigation tool while traveling through Lake Maracaibo and the Gulf of Venezuela. For years, scientists surveyed and researched the Catatumbo River and Lake Maracaibo, finding an explanation for why this lake is home to the “World’s Largest Light Show.” Sitting in Northwestern Venezuela, the Catatumbo River flows into Lake Maracaibo, causing a plethora of lightning strikes. Researchers have concluded that Catatumbo Lightning may be induced by closed wind circulation. With the

lightning doesn’t either. Although, these storms don’t move anywhere but rather sit there and throw lightning out all night,” said Senior Meteorology Major, John Meyer. Meyer hopes to visit Venezuela to experience Catatumbo Lightning in the coming years. What’s even more spectacular about this self-sustained firework show is that the lightning can vary in color with every occurrence. On dry nights, the lightning appears white due to the absence of water droplets in the atmosphere to act as prisms. Coincidentally, on humid nights, the lightning illuminates the sky in eye-catching red, orange and purple colors. Believe it or not-

Many villagers did not realize the importance of Catatumbo Lightning until tourists came from around the world to marvel at it. “They have no idea that this lightning flashing around all night is something unique,” said Alan Highton, a tour operator based on Lake Maracaibo who lives part-time with the indigenous people. “It doesn’t occur anywhere else in the world.” In January 2010, something unexpected happened- the Catatumbo Lightning disappeared. Not only did it disappear, the lightning storms stopped for the longest amount of time in over a century. For several months, the sky over Maracaibo was silent. Quiroga believes

Photo Courtesy: Alan Highton / Barcroft Media

the disappearance could have been a result of a shift from El Nino to La Nina, global weather patterns that are characterized by unusually warm and cold ocean temperatures, respectfully, in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. Scientists believe the Catatumbo Lightning was disrupted due to El Nino for that there was a severe

drought across Venezuela that resulted with riverbeds running dry. In 2014, Catatumbo Lightning was added into the Guinness Book of World Records for highest number of average lightning bolts per square kilometer per year. “[This] will have a big impact…at a global scientific level, which is important for tourism in

our country,” said Quiroga. With tourists from around the globe fleeing to watch this phenomenon, the government is said to be investing in building an “eco-tourism route” around the Puerto Concha quay. For a weather phenomenon found in multiple bucket lists, will it be on yours?

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17 2014

Internships

Continued From A1... 2) Keep your options open, don’t get set on one particular company. “My first internship was with NextGen, and at the time I had no

ATC-related experience.” Even while at a company which didn’t directly involve his career path, Nishant still worked hard and was able to succeed there. “I was around other interns who were AS and ATC majors, but I got the Best Intern award!”. Nishant attributes that to working as hard as he could from day one. His supervisor from that internship wrote him the recommendation for his next internship.

3) Send written ‘Thankyou’s’ to people you meet, along with main-

taining a standard of always being kind and professional to everyone you encounter. Each connection brings the potential for employment, if not right then; it might even bring employment down the road. Do everything you can to be remembered so you get in touch with the professional in the future. If they remember you, it can make all the difference.

4) Once in an internship, think of the whole company experience. If you get an internship in one department, don’t be afraid to connect with people all over the company. “At Southwest, I had an internship in cargo support, but I got to know a manager from another department and I was offered another internship with them.” Get involved, talk with lots of people, and let them know how you can help them by showing interest.

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Delta Operations Intern

Zack Wilkinson Editor-In-Chief Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University student Kyle Ludwick is an Aviation Business Major at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. This summer, he is doing an internship at Delta Airlines. He works in the Current Schedules team at Delta Operations in Atlanta, Georgia. “We take the entire flight schedule and make it ‘Flyable’ by putting specific aircraft types on each route.” The process also involves ensuring that each aircraft has a gate to receive passengers, and another one to offload them at when it reaches its destination. His team is also tasked with making sure that the departure and arrival times

of connecting flights ensure passengers can reach there next flight in time. “It’s a very complex process, as I’m sure you can understand”, Said Ludwick. The job also exposes him to maintenance schedules, as each airplane has different periodic inspections that it must be on the ground for. “If an airplane must be in for maintenance, than another must be out to replace it”, remarked Ludwick on the process of assigning aircraft. “We do all that and dozens of other things that make the airline run an efficient schedule with integrity. Kyle’s internship with Delta is paid, and gives him extremely valuable industry experience. Kyle also receives Flight benefits,

which he’s used to cross the country once already this summer, as well as hop across the Atlantic to catch a Karting race in Belgium. Kyle credits his efforts to stay involved on campus with getting him his internship at Delta, as well as the classroom for equipping him with the tools. If you want to get an internship too, Kyle’s advises to stay active, and use all of the resources the school makes available, “And also be outgoing during the interview and hiring process, be the kind of person who they want working with them. “My summer has been filled with fun, and I can’t wait to bring my experiences back to ERAU in the fall!” remarked kyle.

5) Don’t neglect the value of Study abroad programs. While in Germany on a study abroad trip, Nishant met a leader in Lufthansa who offered him a job. At the time, he was unable to accept it, “But once I graduate, I can easily give them a call and say I’m looking for a job.” Study Abroad programs expose you to lots of other neat opportunities that you would miss if you stayed on campus for a summer. 6) Use the resources available to you on campus. That means take advantage of seminars and resources offered by Career services. As students, we pay a lot of money to come here, “So get good returns on your investment by utilizing the services that are offered, it’s in your best interest.”, Nishant recommends. Oftentimes faculty has assistance to offer, but noone asks for it. Be a student who asks for the help you’ve already paid for. 7) Use social Media! Nishant got his second internship after meeting the Vice-President of the company on Linkedin. “I found the VP and communicated back and forth with him and got some insight into the field.” It’s important though to be professional with your use of social media. Exploit the value in it, but be careful with how you portray yourself.

James Dingell/ The Avion

Right, Kyle Ludwick is a Senior at Embry-Riddle who is working at Delta Operations In Atlanta this summer.

Kyle Ludwick /The Avion Newspaper

Emergency Communications Intern Chris Silvano Correspondent

My name is Chris Silvano, I am a rising junior here at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University who is pursuing a Bachelors in Software Engineering and I am interning for a local company called the Emergency Communications Network (ECN) in Ormond Beach, FL. ECN is a leader in both general and emergency notification products that are used across the United States to alert people of severe weather, like what RAVE does for our campus, and warn communities about natural disasters, missing children, and other similar situations. As an intern of ECN, I am currently working on developing software programs that could be implemented into the current suite of products that the company maintains. One of my projects I am currently working on involves a real-time desktop notification program that reads from

a feed of emergency announcements and notifies the user of a notification via a pop-up on their desktop. Since I have begun working for ECN, the experience from coding these programs has been a big boost for me since I am expanding the scope of programming languages that I know, which could help me out in my classes and later down the road. Besides programming, being able to interact with other staff members, including other fellow ERAU interns, about the requirements and functionality of these programs gives me a real-world perspective of the software development lifecycle outside of what I have already seen at Riddle. If I were to give any advice to anybody who is looking for an internship, I would recommend that they definitely get in touch with ERAU’s Career Services and go to their seminars during the semester.

Yes, I know, we have been inundated with these types of recommendations before, but trust me, Career Services can help you land an internship or co-op! Also, if you have any time during the fall semester, I definitely recommend you attend the Industry Career Expo held this year on October 8. I met the Director of Software Development, my boss for ECN, at the expo and he was the one that got in touch with me when I applied for an inter position in the company about half-way through the following spring semester. Good luck to all who are pursuing internships this summer or in future semesters, I encourage you to try very hard to get what you want!

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Entertainment

Jump On It

Matthew Liddel Correspondent To think that directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller could turn the TV series 21 Jump Street into one of the best comedies in years, turn Lego into one of the funniest and touching family films in years, and now make one of the best comedy sequels ever is absolutely ridiculous. To be fair, being one of the best comedy sequels ever is easy considering how poor they usually come, and 22 Jump Street is far from perfect, but it’s every bit as inventive and joyous as Lord and Miller’s past works and is packed with laughs from the very start to end credits. 22 Jump Street picks up immediately after the first film, with undercover cops Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) entering the college life in order to continue their drug busts and bring down the dealers. They are investigating a new drug called WHY-PHY, which has already taken the life of a student at the university, and they use this death as the starting point of their investigation, hoping to track down the students who are dealing and the drug’s suppliers. Not much is different this time around, and that’s the joke. Nick Offerman (reprising his role from the first movie) tells them early on that the “higher-ups”

have decided to plunge even more money into the Jump Street program in hopes of getting double the results, and they want Schmidt and Jenko to do everything the exact same way as last time. Not exactly subtle, but it’s a very funny jab at the reboot/sequel trends of Hollywood, and it manages to stay funny and relevant throughout the whole movie. The script by Michael Bacall (who worked on the first film’s script), Oren Uziel and Rodney Rothman is filled with great scenarios and wry jokes in the previously-mentioned style, and directors Lord and Miller fill the frames with many quick jokes and subtleties as they did with The Lego Movie. 22 is the perfect blend of raunchy humor and good-natured humor as the first film managed to do, so for those worried that they couldn’t recapture what made the first so great, I can safely say that it does so with flying colors. Also returning in the film is Ice Cube as Captain Dickson, whose role has been made far bigger and funnier than the first time around. He and Jonah Hill have some of the best scenes together and easily the funniest scene of either movie altogether. But there are still plenty of new faces as Schmidt and Jenko try to fit in at their undercover gig. Wyatt Russell plays Zook, a football jock who quickly befriends Jenko

22 Jump Street

through their mutual stupidity. There’s also Amber Stevens as Maya, an art major who becomes sort of romantically involved with Schmidt, and Jillian Bell as Mercedes, Maya’s roommate and former roommate to the student who overdosed on WHY-PHY. While these new cast members are fine, they are a big step down from 21’s Dave Franco and Brie Larson. The film also can’t top the finale of the first, which blended a sudden shock of violence into its humor to get over the hurdle of the typically-boring final act of comedy films. But again, it’s mostly fine, but it just doesn’t reach the high standards that the first movie set up for the action comedy genre. For whatever flaws there are in the film, it’s still amazing to think that this talented cast and crew managed to make one of the funniest sequels in… well, ever. 22 Jump Street manages to be successful even in the face of high expectations, and I’m sure that directors Lord and Miller will continue to impress audiences for years to come. And yes, as you’ve probably heard, the end credits are probably the best you will see in a very long time. The fact that most comedies can’t even reach the hilarity of this one’s end credits sequence is a massive testament to this film and its creators.

17 2014

A Million Ways To Die Laughing

Jeff Icker News Editor

Photo Courtesy: screencrush.com

June

Seth MacFarlane holds a very precarious place when I view his entertainment. On the one hand you have out of the park hits like Family Guy and American Dad, but looking at the other you have things like The Cleveland Show and to some extent his last foray into film: Ted. A Million Ways to Die in the West is MacFarlane’s second silver screen production, and his individual flair is easily noticed as he co-wrote the screenplay. Comedy-western is a hard genre to crack and a harder one to succeed in. Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles is the last one I remember being absolutely great. A Million Ways did put up above projected numbers for its opening weekend by earning over $16 million. Opening in third place at the box

office doesn’t leave much room for growth and at this time it’s hard to tell if the film will make a profit. The story follows a tried and true western theme of saving your town and dealing with some big baddie. The eventual protagonist in A Million Ways to Die in the West is portrayed by none other than Liam Neeson. Even in a comedy he manages to take the role that paints him as the biggest badass. Casting for the film was exceptional, as every actor seemed to really fill their role out, and there were plenty of big names for the marquee. Although I tried to remain objective and remember that Seth MacFarlane has left bad jokes on the table before, it was hard not to enjoy the constant barrage of crude humor. When I say crude, I mean MacFarlane stretched the limits of what would be considered

appropriate for watching. I wouldn’t suggest this film for a bible study relief viewing, nor would I suggest you tote children to this film at all (several were in the theatre while viewing this film). If you are familiar with the Deadwood series I would relate this on a level of bluntness with that, but with jokes. The jokes were not just crude but actually funny; something that can be easily hit or miss today. I found myself several times laughing out loud at the on-screen antics and many times smiling inwardly. Some Easter Eggs have been placed for fans of MacFarlane’s previous works; you just have to catch them. I would highly suggest seeing this on the silver screen if you enjoy a mediocre western and a good comedy, and if you can stomach a large dose of rude and crude situational and physical humor.

Photo Courtesy: insidemovies.ew.com

A Million Ways to Die in The West

Entertainment

June

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Tomorrow Looks Bright for Summer Movies

EDGE OF TOMORROW

Matthew Liddell Correspondent At first glance, this is a movie that just shouldn’t work. Based on a Japanese young adult novel, All You Need is Kill, the film lost its more unusual title halfway through production for the more generic Edge of Tomorrow. The script by frequent Tom Cruise collaborator, Christopher McQuarrie also lost the source’s more international flavor in exchange for an all-American and British focus. It also stars Tom Cruise, who hasn’t been involved in anything exciting outside of the Mission Impossible franchise for nearly 10 years. Doug Liman, whose last great film was 12 years ago with the original Bourne film, directs him. Edge of Tomorrow has everything going against it, but what a pleasant surprise to report that it is one of the most fun Sci-Fi-action films in the past year, taking everything that has been bland and boring in the genre, and taking it to its purest sense in a way that Hollywood rarely touches. Nearly all of Europe has fallen to the might of an alien race called Mimics, and it threatens to reach Britain and spread across the Atlantic. The film focuses on Major William Cage (Tom Cruise), a military man who prefers to sit in on news junkets and speeches rather than the actual front, where soldiers march to their ultimate death in heavy and lumbering exoskeleton suits

in order to keep up with the speed and power of the Mimics. Against his wishes, Cage winds up on the forefront of humanity’s D-Day, a final push against the Mimics before all is lost. Through a mysterious series of events, Cage winds up dead and revived a day earlier, still retaining the knowledge of the D-Day, but no one else realizing that everything has been reset. This cycle continues every time he is killed, starting him over again in the same spot as before. To understand what this power is and why he has it, he reaches out to Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt), the war’s greatest soldier who we soon learn was subjected to the same time loop as him. The reason for this time travelling is revealed early on, but it’s actually an interesting and (somewhat) logical twist on the alien invasion movie. The script smartly avoids too much repetition when showing repeated scenes, instead opting to build on the audience’s knowledge of what has happened instead of showing everything all over again. It’s easy to think how this movie might have been tedious and slow in other hands, but Liman and his crew keep the pace fast and the intensity equally high by always revealing new information, rather than focusing too much on the Groundhog Day-like setup.Fans of sci-fi action will also be pleased to hear that Edge has some of the best war scenes and tech in a while. Those who were impressed with the designs

in last year’s Elysium, but left cold by its story and the underuse of its power suit will love the mech suits in this film, which were all built without visual effects, giving them a weight and grimy quality. You get the sense that each suit was built with a person in mind, with some of them light and quick (like Major Cage’s), and others slow but powerful like tanks. Upon seeing the look of the film in trailers and ads, I was not a fan, but within the context of the film, it’s quite stunning and even echoes a lot of other, very un-Hollywood sci-fi properties (Vrataski’s sword has a bit of a Final Fantasy VII quality to it, for instance).Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt are surprisingly good in their roles, as well. Cruise actually starts off being intentionally unlikable, and he really sells the idea that Major Cage is growing and becoming stronger with every death. Blunt is strong and engaging as the world’s most famous warfighter, but she manages to stay away from becoming a one-note, tough-as-nails drill instructor for Cage. Liman and McQuarrie handle this all with a lot of seriousness for a film that could have otherwise been hollow and without any character. They smartly choose to make the Cruise-Blunt relationship a friendship and camaraderie rather than a romance, which gives even more integrity and agency to Blunt’s role.While many have taken issue with the film’s ending, claiming that it’s a cop-out and doesn’t really make sense, I have to slightly disagree. It’s certainly a stretch and bends a few of its own rules, but I found the film’s conclusion to be largely satisfying. Instead, I had a bit of an issue with the film’s final act in general, which lacks the full intensity of the previous two acts. It doesn’t kill the whole movie, but it begins to slip into the typical Hollywood feel that it subverts throughout the majority of its runtime. This film is probably one of the biggest surprises of the summer, and while people may not be talking about it by the year’s closing, it’s still more fun and more original than just about anything you can see at a theater right now. After a lackluster opening weekend, it seems that the film will be considered a failure, which is very unfortunate. If you are at all interested in sci-fi or want to see something outside of the average summer movie, Edge of Tomorrow deserves a fair shot.

All Photos Courtesy: http://collider.com/

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